2021

ma
rch
VOL1
Dear Aspirants

Team iLearn IAS is proud to present our weekly current affairs magazine.
Keeping in tune with the dynamic demands of the civil service examination, we
bring to aspirants on-going topics that are of relevance, particularly for the
mains exam.

The objective of this magazine is to make the aspirants exam ready in an

exhaustive list of topics. To this end, we provide detailed background notes on
the topics followed by an in-depth analysis of the issues, covering aspects such
as institutional mechanisms, policies, policy gaps, areas of focus, reforms
needed, suggestions and way forward.

We have also included all relevant Prelims topics from the past week.

In order to help the aspirants in monitoring their preparation, we have

included probable question that can be expected for the mains and Prelims
examination. You may also visit our integrated current affairs platform
www.ilearncana.com for your current affairs preparation.

We wish you all the very best and welcome you on board in our endeavors.

Happy Learning!
Team iLearn
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. STRUCTURAL FRAGILITY OF UNION TERRITORIES ............................................................4
1.1 WHY IN NEWS? ................................................................................................................ 4
1.2 SYLLABUS: ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:....................................................................................................... 4
1.4 ANALYSIS: ......................................................................................................................... 4
1.5. iTips: ................................................................................................................................ 6
2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RULES 2021 ..................................................................... 7
2.1 WHY IN NEWS? ................................................................................................................ 7
2.2 SYLLABUS: ........................................................................................................................ 7
2.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:....................................................................................................... 7
2.4 ANALYSIS: ......................................................................................................................... 7
2.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 12
3. LATERAL ENTRY INTO BUREAUCRACY......................................................................... 13
3.1 WHY IN NEWS? .............................................................................................................. 13
3.2 SYLLABUS: ...................................................................................................................... 13
3.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:..................................................................................................... 13
3.4 ANALYSIS: ....................................................................................................................... 13
3.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 15
4. WHISTLE-BLOWING MECHANISM IN INDIA .................................................................. 16
4.1 WHY IN NEWS? .............................................................................................................. 16
4.2 SYLLABUS: ...................................................................................................................... 16
4.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:..................................................................................................... 16
4.4 ANALYSIS: ....................................................................................................................... 16
4.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 19
5. LOCALS FIRST POLICY............................................................................................. 20
5.1 WHY IN NEWS? .............................................................................................................. 20
5.2 SYLLABUS: ...................................................................................................................... 20
5.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:..................................................................................................... 20
5.4 ANALYSIS: ....................................................................................................................... 20
5.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 23
WEEKLY PRELIMS COMPILATION ............................................................................24
Places in news ..................................................................................................... 25
Yemen................................................................................................................................... 25
Polity ...................................................................................................................26
National Security Act............................................................................................................ 26
Economy ............................................................................................................. 27

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 Asset Reconstruction Companies ........................................................................................ 27
NATIonal Housing BanK (NHB) ............................................................................................. 27
Science and Technology......................................................................................28
Air-Independent Propulsion................................................................................................. 28
Aries-Devasthal Faint Object Spectrograph & Camera (ADFOSC)........................................ 29
Art & Culture and History.................................................................................. 30
Morarji Desai ........................................................................................................................ 30
Schemes & Initiatives.......................................................................................... 31
TEQIP Project........................................................................................................................ 31
National Food Security Act................................................................................................... 32
Miscellaneous .....................................................................................................33
Land Ports Authority Of India (Lpai) .................................................................................... 33
Global Bio- India 2021 .......................................................................................................... 34
Maritime India Summit 2021 ............................................................................................... 34
Khujli Ghar............................................................................................................................ 35
Ease Of Living Index and Municipal Performance Index ...................................................... 36
Freedom In The World Report, 2021 ................................................................................... 37

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 1. STRUCTURAL FRAGILITY OF UNION TERRITORIES
1.1 WHY IN NEWS?
The fall of congress led government in Puducherry has exposed the structural
fragility of Union Territories (UTs) as units of the Indian federation, making it easier for
powerful operators in the political system to destabilise them.
1.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 2: Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, power
& privileges and issues arising out of these.
1.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. The existence of Union Territories constitutes a unique case of departure from federalism
in India. Elaborate, with special reference to the case of National Capital Region?
1.4 ANALYSIS:
UNION TERRITORIES (UTs):
• According to Article 1, the territory of India can be classified into three categories:
1. Territories of the states
2. Union territories
3. Territories that may be acquired by the Government of India at any time
• The states are the members of the federal system in India and share a distribution of
power with the Centre.
• The union territories are those areas which are under the direct control and
administration of the Central government. Hence, they are also known as Centrally
Administered Territories.
• The union territories have been created for a variety of reasons:
1. Political and administrative consideration. Eg: Delhi and Chandigarh.
2. Cultural distinctiveness. Eg: Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman
and Diu.
3. Strategic importance. Eg: Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
4. Special treatment and care of the backward and tribal people. Eg: Mizoram,
Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh which later became states.
ADMINISTRATION OF UTs:
• Even though all the union territories belong to one category, there is no uniformity
in their administrative system.
o Every union territory is administered by the President acting through an
administrator appointed by him.
o The President can specify the designation of an administrator: it may be
Lieutenant Governor or Chief Commissioner or Administrator.

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 o Union Territories of Puducherry (in 1963) and Delhi (in 1992) are provided
with a legislative assembly4 and a council of ministers headed by a chief
minister.
• The Parliament can make laws on any subject of the three lists (including the State
List) for the union territories. This power of Parliament also extends to Puducherry
and Delhi, which have their own local legislatures.

CONCERNS OVER ADMINISTRATION OF UTs:

• Composition of legislature: Legislature of UTs is a body that is elected, or partly
elected and partly nominated. There can be a legislature without a Council of
Ministers or a Council of Ministers without a legislature, both of which are a
conceptual absurdity.
• Issue of nomination: Unlike the nomination of members to the Rajya Sabha, no
qualifications are laid down for nomination of members to UT legislatives. This
leaves the field open for the Union government to nominate anyone irrespective of
whether he or she is suitable.
• Undue influence of Central government: No Union government really likes the idea
of an autonomous government in the UTs and therefore tries to control it through
the administrator and constitutional provision. This is most severe when the UT is
ruled by a different political party.

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 • Administrator’s power: The Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 and Article
239 AA vests some powers in the administrator. However, the precise contours of
the sharing of powers between the administrator and the elected government is a
grey area, resulting in frequent conflicts.
• Subjective interpretation of terms: In the event of referring any matter to the
President, the Court ruled that the administrator must adhere to the constitutional
principles of collaborative federalism, constitutional balance and the concept of
constitutional governance. However, these terms are very wide and subject to
different interpretations.
• Overlapping jurisdiction: The extend of powers of executive over municipal
corporations and parastatals like Electricity Board and Transport Authority is still a
grey area. Hence, conflicts between centre, state and parastatals are frequent.
WAY FORWARD:
• Clear-cut legislations: Amendments to the various legal provisions, such as
Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 and Article 239AA, needs to be made so
as to bring forth clear demarcation of power among the various governance agencies
and as well as ensure cordial cooperation among them.
• Greater autonomy for state government: In all possible areas, the elected
governments of UTs should be given autonomy in decision making and
implementation, as it derives its power from the people.
• More powers for local governments: City-government should have a hand in the
running of the local municipal bodies. The functions of the parastatals should be
merged in the ULB.
• Dispute resolution mechanism: There is a need to establish a credible and
institutionalised dispute-resolution mechanism to deal with the recurring conflicts in
UT administration and foster cooperative federalism in the country.
• Responsible politics: mature discussions and concrete efforts between stakeholders
that looks beyond short-term political gains is the key. The political class will have to
take measures to get the better of the predatory instincts of political parties,
through constitutional or other means.
1.5. iTips:
• For Prelims, questions on the constitutional features of UTs and federalism can be
asked.
• For Mains, questions on the relationship between Union government and UTs can be
asked. Also questions on the special case of Delhi and Puducherry and demand of
statehood can be asked.

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 2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RULES 2021
2.1 WHY IN NEWS?
The Centre Government on 25th Feb 2021 notified ‘Information Technology
(Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021’ that seek to regulate
content on digital media
2.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 2: Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive
GS 3: Challenges to Internal Security through Communication Networks, Role of Media and
Social Networking Sites in Internal Security Challenges
2.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. Examine the challenges associated with bringing the digital media under the regulatory
ambit of the government?
2.4 ANALYSIS:
ABOUT THE RULES:
• These new rules broadly deal with social media sites, messaging apps, over-the-top
(OTT) streaming services, and digital news publishers
• These rules have been framed in exercise of powers under the section 87 (2) and 69
A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000
• The new guidelines not only replace the Information Technology (Intermediaries
Guidelines) Rules, 2011, but also regulate digital news publishers and streaming
services, which was not the case earlier

NEED FOR SUCH GUIDELINES:

• Threat to public order and social harmony:
o There are many controversies involving content on over-the-top platforms. In
one such recent incident, a case was filed against the makers of the web
series ‘Tandav’ for hurting religious sentiments.
• Increasing reach of digital media:
o Ability of digital/social Media to reach, scale and size is huge compare to
print and other media >> increases the need for regulating such platform
• Threat of misinformation:
o India has seen a surge in the number of fake news items in circulation,
especially on WhatsApp and Face book.
o There were several instances of mob violence and lynching based on such
fake news
• To hold digital news media accountable:
o Print media are required to observe Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the
Press Council of India. But digital media does not have such obligations till
now.

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 • Lack of level playing field:
o Video streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have multiplied
their subscribers in India in recent years.
o But they do not have to get through the certification process of the Central
Board of Film Certification
• Threat from external state and non-state actors:
o When India is in conflict with its neighbouring countries like China and
Pakistan, there is a possibility of foreign-funded digital platforms running to
defame our country.
• Undue influence on our elections:
o There also evidence of fake information influencing the process of election
which undermines the root of democracy.
• Tussle between social media and government:
o There has also been a face-off between the government and Twitter in
recent weeks over the social media platform’s non-compliance with its
order to block several hashtags and handles of journalists, activists and
politicians in the backdrop of the ongoing farmers’ protests

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE RULE:

• Guidelines for social media/intermediaries:
o Categories of Social Media Intermediaries:
▪ Based on the number of users, on the social media platform
intermediaries have been divided in two groups:
• Social media intermediaries
• Significant social media intermediaries (Whatsapp, Facebook
etc.)
o Dilution of safe harbour provisions under IT act:
▪ In case, due diligence is not followed by the intermediary, safe
harbour provisions will not apply to them.
▪ The safe harbour provisions have been defined under Section 79 of
the IT Act, and protect social media intermediaries by giving them
immunity from legal prosecution for any content posted on their
platforms.
o Grievance redressal mechanism:
▪ Intermediaries shall appoint a Grievance Officer to deal with
complaints
▪ Grievance Officer shall acknowledge the complaint within twenty
four hours and resolve it within fifteen days from its receipt.
o Ensuring safety and dignity of users:
▪ Intermediaries shall remove or disable access within 24 hours of
receipt of complaints of contents that exposes the private areas of

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 individuals, show such individuals in full or partial nudity or in sexual
act or is in the nature of impersonation including morphed images
etc.
▪ Such a complaint can be filed either by the individual or by any other
person on his/her behalf.
o Additional due diligence for the ‘significant social media intermediaries’:
▪ Need to appoint Chief Compliance Officer: who will have to ensure
that the rules are followed
▪ Need to appoint a nodal contact person: For 24x7 coordination with
law enforcement agencies.
▪ Need to publish a monthly compliance report: mentioning the details
of complaints received and action taken on the complaints as well as
details of contents removed proactively.
o Enabling identity of the originator:
▪ Significant social media intermediaries providing services primarily in
the nature of messaging shall enable identification of the first
originator of the information.
o Removal of unlawful information:
▪ An intermediary upon receiving actual knowledge in the form of an
order by a court or being notified by the Appropriate Govt. or its
agencies through authorized officer should not host or publish any
information which is prohibited under any law in relation to the
interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, public order, friendly
relations with foreign countries etc.

• Rules for OTT Platforms:

o Categorization of content:
▪ The OTT platforms, called as the publishers of online curated content
in the rules, would self-classify the content into five age based
categories- U (Universal), U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, and A (Adult).
o Parental lock:
o Platforms would be required to implement parental locks for content
classified as U/A 13+ or higher, and reliable age verification mechanisms for
content classified as “A”.
o Display rating:
▪ OTT platforms shall display rating specific to each content to enable
the user to make an informed decision, prior to watching the
programme.

• Rules for Digital News Publishers

o Providing a level playing field:

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 ▪ Digital new media would be required to observe Norms of Journalistic
Conduct of the Press Council of India and the Programme Code under
the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act 1995 thereby providing
a level playing field between the offline (Print, TV) and digital media.
o Grievance redressal mechanism:
▪ A three-level grievance redressal mechanism has been established
under the rules with different levels of self-regulation.
▪ Level-I - Self-regulation by the publishers:
• Publisher shall appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer based in
India who shall be responsible for the redressal of grievances
received by it.
• The officer shall take decision on every grievance received by
it within 15 days.
▪ Level-II - Self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the
publishers:
• There may be one or more self-regulatory bodies of
publishers.
• Such a body shall be headed by a retired judge of the SC, a
High Court or independent eminent person and have not more
than six members.
• Such a body will have to register with the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting.
• This body will oversee the adherence by the publisher to the
Code of Ethics and address grievances that have not been
resolved by the publisher within 15 days.
▪ Level-III - Oversight mechanism:
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shall formulate an
oversight mechanism.
• It shall publish a charter for self-regulating bodies, including
Codes of Practices. It shall establish an Inter-Departmental
Committee for hearing grievances.

CONCERNS ASSOICATED WITH THE RULES:

• It is an executive overreach over citizens' right:
o These rules will give the government a good deal of leverage over online
news publishers and intermediaries.
o Moreover the purview of the IT Act, 2000, has been expanded to bring digital
news media under its regulatory ambit without legislative action
• Lack of consultation in framing rules:
o There are severe criticism for bringing in rules to govern the digital media
without any consultations with the digital news portals

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 • Burdens the judiciary:
o Implementation of these rules results in increased litigation against digital
media houses and platforms >> huge inflow of cases to the judiciary which is
already overburdened.
• Against Article 19:
o Guidelines have a troubling implications for freedom of expression, curbing
creativity and right to information
o Guidelines undermine the enabling provisions of Article 19 of the
Constitution and weaponise the restrictive clause of reasonable restriction
• Undermine the principles of open Internet:
o These guidelines could undermine the principles of open and accessible
Internet
• Violate right to privacy:
o This may violate the right to privacy and free speech of users, particularly in
the absence of robust data protection law
• Erosion of the ‘safe harbour’ protection given to intermediaries under Section 79 of
the IT Act.
o The cornerstone of our digital freedoms is ‘safe harbour’
o If the section 79 of the IT Act is diluted, it could also lead to censorship by
intermediaries
• Need to break end to end encyption policy:
o Tracing the originator of content would not be possible without breaking
end-to-end encryption
• Non-transparent:
o These rules pave the way for more opacity and secrecy rather than
transparency and accountability.
• Wider impact:
o As the digital new media is increasingly becoming a prime source of news and
views.
• Increased compliance burden:
o New rules have increased the compliance burden for social media platforms
>> decrease ease of doing business >> adversely affect the investment
climate in the country

WAY FORWARD:
• Increase the corporate responsibility of social media companies:
o All digital media companies should publish transparency reports voluntarily
taking inspiration from Facebook
• Generating public awareness:
o Government should focus on digital literacy programmes along with Digital
India Mission

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 • Responsible citizens:
o People should understand that freedom in social or digital media should
complement with responsibilities envisaged in the Fundamental Duties.
• A soft-touch oversight mechanism instead of predatory rules:
o Government should work on more progressive and liberal rules, which at
the same time address people’s varied concerns while removing any
misapprehension about curbing creativity and freedom of speech and
expression
• Space for self-regulation:
o Both online and offline media should be given the space to self-regulate,
based on the mature understanding that any government presence could
have a chilling effect on free speech

2.5. iTips:
• For prelims, questions can be asked on the Article 19 of the Constitution of India,
salient features of Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 etc
• For mains, questions are expected on the need and significance of regulating digital
content, salient features of new IT rules, concerns associated with the rules etc.

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 3. LATERAL ENTRY INTO BUREAUCRACY
3.1 WHY IN NEWS?
Recently, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement
seeking applications for three posts in central government Departments to be filled through
lateral entry.
3.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 2: Role of civil services in a democracy
3.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. Lateral entry into bureaucracy has its merits, but it is not a panacea for the ills plaguing
the administrative system. Examine?
3.4 ANALYSIS:
LATERAL ENTRY IN INDIA:
• In bureaucracy, lateral entry mode pertains to the appointment of specialists from
private sector in government organisations.
• Lateral recruitment is aimed at achieving the twin objectives of bringing in fresh
talent as well as augment the availability of manpower.
• These jobs would be contracted for three to five years.
• The government of India in 2018 had allowed lateral entry into empaneled
bureaucracy by opening 10 joint secretary posts on a contractual basis.
• These ‘lateral entrants’ will be part of the central secretariat which, in the normal
course, has only career bureaucrats from the All India and Central Civil Services.
HISTORY:
• In the past too, experts were inducted at senior positions into the government
through lateral entry. Eg: The appointment of Dr. Manmohan Singh as RBI Governor
in 1982.
• Scientific ministries, such as space or atomic energy, are less hierarchically organized
and have allowed lateral entry of professionals more liberally.
• In 2005, the Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommended an
institutionalized, transparent process for lateral entry at both the Central and state
levels.
• In February 2017, both the NITI Aayog and the sectoral group of secretaries on
governance have recommended induction of personnel in the middle and senior
management level in the government.
RATIONALE BEHIND LATERAL ENTRY:
• Bridge vacancies: The vacancy in civil services is huge, primarily because India
reduced hiring of IAS officers post liberalization. Currently, there is a shortage of
22.48% or 1,510 officers for the IAS cadre alone, according to official data. Lateral
entry can help meet this shortfall.

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 • Brings in expertise: IAS officers lack the necessary domain knowledge, particularly in
in subjects like civil aviation, defence, and shipping. Lateral entry can help bring in
subject expertise and thus enhance bureaucratic productivity.
• Enhances work culture: Due to job security and lack of incentives for specialization,
the ‘Permanent executive’ in India is increasingly becoming redundant and
inefficient. Lateral entry can help in bringing the values of economy, efficiency and
effectiveness into this situation.
• Break politician-bureaucratic nexus: As cited by the Vohra committee, the nexus
between the bureaucracy and politicians has come out clearly in various parts of the
country. Also, the Indian bureaucracy is a powerful lobby within the governance
system, which has resulted in being corrupt and inefficient. Lateral entry can help
break this nexus.
• Does not affect career prospects: Lateral entry recruitments are nominal compared
to the total strength of the civil services. So, lateral entry would not cause much
insecurity in the minds of the directly recruited career bureaucrats that it would
minimize their scope for promotion.
• Aligns with contemporary trends: The generalist Civil Services was designed for a
time when the State was all-powerful. After the 1991 liberalization, markets are
playing critical role in administration. Hence it makes more sense to make lateral
entry from private sector.
CONCERNS:
• Selection process: The current mode of evaluation of lateral entry candidates does
not inspire confidence about its fairness and transparency.
o The criteria laid out in the advertisement were broad-based.
o Most of it is done by the Department of Personnel and Training or the
concerned departments and not the UPSC.

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 o It is highly doubtful if the domain expertise and aptitude of the potential
candidates can be assessed properly through an examination or interview
lasting a few minutes.
• Conflicting organizational value: The basic objective of Private sector is profit
oriented while that of the government is public service. Hence, the entrants need to
be undergone a fundamental transition, which is difficult given their short-term
contract.
• Potential conflict of interest: Through lateral entry, Individuals who worked in
corporate houses are put to the seat of power from where they can formulate norms
and controls. After the government stint, they will go back to the industry and enjoy
those same rules that they formulated. Thus, their impartiality may be questioned.
• Bypasses reservations: The lateral entry system does not provide for reservation in
these appointments for SCs, STs and OBCs.
• Internal resistance: It will be difficult for a handful of lateral entrants hired on a
contractual basis to make any real interventions in governance when the system
continues to be dominated by the traditional IAS officers.
WAY FORWARD:
Recruiting from the open market is not enough to radically professionalize the civil
service. Professionalizing the existing cadre of officers requires greater attention. This can
include reforms such as:
• Promoting internal specialization: Governments should incentive civil servants to
acquire knowledge or improve their skills. For instance, IAS officers should be
encouraged to specialise in one or two chosen sectors by giving them long tenures
and permitting them to join academic or research organisations where they could
improve their intellectual skills.
• Ensuring tenure security: Civil servants should be provided with minimum tenure
security so that they do not succumb to political pressure. This can help reduce the
nexus between bureaucracy and politicians.
• Performance review mechanism: Comprehensive performance evaluation systems
need to be developed to identify underperforming officers.
• Rationalization of services: At present, there exists over 60 separate civil services at
the central and state level. This needs to be reduced and uniformity should be
ensured in the system.
• Institutionalize lateral entry: Lateral entry on an ad hoc basis it cannot be
considered a suitable model of manpower planning. There is a need to
institutionalize the process of induction of outside talent into the government.
3.5. iTips:
• For Prelims, questions on the basics of Indian Civil services and on terms like
'Permanent bureaucracy' and 'committed bureaucracy' can be expected.
• For Mains, the content can be used in questions related to civil service reforms.

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 4. WHISTLE-BLOWING MECHANISM IN INDIA
4.1 WHY IN NEWS?
On 18th January, 2021, Vice-President of India suggested the corporates to
encourage whistle-blowing mechanism and provide adequate safeguards for the protection
of whistle-blowers.
4.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 2: Important Aspects of Governance, Transparency and Accountability
GS 4: Corporate Governance
GS 4 : Information Sharing and Transparency in Government, Right to Information, Codes of
Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Work Culture, Utilization of Public Funds, Challenges of
Corruption.
4.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. Examine the challenges associated with the existing whistle-blowing mechanism in India.
Also analyze the need to provide adequate safeguards for the protection of whistle-
blowers?
4.4 ANALYSIS:
BACKGROUND:
• Whistleblowing is defined as an act of disclosing information by an employee or any
concerned stakeholder about an illegal or unethical conduct within an organization.
• A whistleblower is a person who informs about a person or organization engaged
in such illicit activity.
• The Law Commission of India in 2001, had recommended that, in order to eliminate
corruption, a law to protect whistleblowers was necessary
• In 2007, the report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission also
recommended that a specific law needs to be enacted to protect whistleblowers.

NEED FOR A WHISTLE-BLOWING MECHANISM:

• To promote transparency:
o An effective whistle blowing policy will facilitate a transparency among
employees.
• Prevent victimization of whistle blowers:
o A robust whistle blowing mechanism will protect anyone who exposes
alleged wrongdoing in the institutions and projects.
• To promote an open enterprise culture:
o Effective protection of whistleblowers will support an open enterprise culture
where employees not only have confidence in reporting but are also aware of
the reporting procedures.

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 • Reduce corruption:
Strengthening whistle blowing mechanism will helps to prevent misuse of
power by public servants >> curb corruption
• To uphold rule of law and democracy:
o Strengthening of the whistleblower protection mechanism will helps in
upholding the principles of democracy and ensure public participation in
governance
• To create a better work environment:
o Whistle blowing helps in rectifying even the smallest incidents of
wrongdoing, thereby instilling similar responsibilities in others and creating
a better environment for all.

WHISTLE BLOWING MECHANISM IN INDIA:

• Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014:
o Mechanism to receive complaints:
▪ The act establishes a mechanism to receive complaints related to
disclosure of allegations of corruption or wilful misuse of power or
discretion, against any public servant, and to inquire or cause an
inquiry into such disclosure.
o Safeguarding whistle-blower:
▪ The act also provides adequate safeguards against victimization of the
person making such complaints.
o Elaborately defined various competent authorities
▪ It allows any person, including a public servant, to make a public
interest disclosure before a Competent Authority.
o Anonymous complaints are not entertained:
▪ The law does not allow anonymous complaints
▪ No action will be taken by a competent authority if the complainant
does not establish his/her identity.
o Time limit:
▪ The maximum time period for making a complaint is seven years.
o Exemptions:
▪ The act is not applicable to the Special Protection Group (SPG)
personnel and officers, constituted under the Special Protection
Group Act, 1988.
o Court of Appeal:
▪ Any person aggrieved by any order of the Competent Authority can
make an appeal to the concerned High Court within a period of sixty
days from the date of the order.

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 o Penalty:
▪ Any person who negligently or mala-fidely reveals the identity of a
complainant will be punishable with imprisonment and fine
o Official Secrets Act, 1923 overrides the Whistleblowers Act
▪ In 2015, an amendment bill was moved that proposes,
whistleblowers must not be allowed to reveal any documents
classified under the Official Secrets Act of 1923 even if the purpose is
to disclose acts of corruption, misuse of power or criminal activities.
• SEBI PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations:
o It aims to reward whistleblowers and other informants for sharing
information about insider trading cases.
o Insider trading refers to the illegal practice of trading on the stock exchange
to one's own advantage through having access to confidential information.
• Companies Act, 2013:
o It makes it mandatory for entities listed on stock exchanges to set up an audit
committee to investigate whistleblower complaints.
• Judicial interventions:
o Supreme Court, in 2004, pressed the government into issuing Public Interest
Disclosures and Protection of Informers Resolution order designating CVC as
the nodal agency.

CONCERNS:
• Multiple instances of threatening, harassment and murder of various
whistleblowers:
o Example: An engineer, Satyendra Dubey, was murdered in 2003
o Dubey had blown the whistle in a corruption case in the National Highways
Authority of India’s Golden Quadrilateral project.
• Issues with Whistle Blowers Protection Act:
o No witness protection:
▪ It also does not protect witnesses during investigation and any trial
o Limited scope:
▪ The act covers only central government employees; it does not
include state government / private bodies.
o Dilution in 2015:
▪ As per the 2015 amendment, Whistleblowers should not be allowed
to reveal any documents classified under the Official Secrets Act of
1923
o Lacks criminal penalties for physical attacks:
▪ The law lacks specific criminal penalties for physical attacks on
whistleblowers
o Time limit to make complaint:

18 | iLearn IAS
 ▪ There is a 7-year time limit to bring complaints, dating from the time
the alleged corrupt practices occurred.
o Restrictions:
▪ The Act puts a restriction on disclosure of any information that could
prejudicially affect the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India
and good relations with foreign State.
o No penalty against public servant:
▪ There is no penalty against any public servant who may be
victimizing the complaint.
• No effective implementation in organizations:
o Whistleblower Policy document is not being used to provide guidance to
employees on the whistle- blower programme in many companies.
• Passive stance of courts:
o In 2011, the Supreme Court refused to frame guidelines for protection of
whistle blowers in the country, saying that it cannot make law.

WAY FORWARD:
• Awareness generation:
o The people must be made aware about the act and its usage.
o Educating people is necessary so that they can understand the benefits of
disclosing the wrongdoings.
• Protecting the identity of whistleblowers:
o Individual’s identity shall not be disclosed at any cost until unless they give
their consent on it or it is required in the public interest.
o Such a mechanism will help to ensure robust protection to whistleblowers
identity.
• Widening the scope:
o Incorporating state government / private bodies will widen the scope of anti-
corruption.
• Amendment to Whistleblower Protection Act:
o The Act must be amended in such a way that it overrides the Official Secrets
Act, 1923
4.5. iTips:
• For prelims, questions can be asked on the salient provisions of Whistleblower
Protection Act, Official Secrets Act, Right to Information Act etc.
• For mains, questions can be asked on the need for whistle-blowing mechanism,
concerns associated with it, suggestions to improve whistle blowers protection etc.

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 5. LOCALS FIRST POLICY
5.1 WHY IN NEWS?
Haryana government has enacted a new law that reserves 75 percent of the jobs in
the private sector that pay less than Rs 50,000 per month for locals.
5.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 1: Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism
GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth,
development and employment.
5.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. In recent times, several states have taken measures to provide reservation in
employment for local residents. In this regard, critically examine the policy of locals first?
5.4 ANALYSIS:
‘LOCALS FIRST’ POLICY:
• The policy assures that jobs that are created in a state will be first offered to only
those people who belong to that state.
• Usually used as a populist agenda, this trend has picked up pace in recent times. Like
Haryana, many other states have also announced or taken measures to provide
reservation in employment for local residents.

Year Reservation Sector

State

Haryana 2020 75% reservation for locals in private industry Private sector

Andhra 75% reservation for locals in

2019 Private sector
Pradesh industry/factories (including PPP mode)

100% reservation for locals in blue-collar jobs

Karnataka 2016 Private sector
(draft)

Public
Rajasthan 2019 5% reservation to certain communities
employment

Public
Maharashtra 2018 13% reservation to certain communities
employment

Reservation for backward classes, SC and ST Public

Telangana 2017
increased to 62% employment

20 | iLearn IAS
Designation of workers by collar color:
• Blue Collar jobs: Blue-collar worker refers to workers who engage in hard manual
labor, typically agriculture, manufacturing, construction, mining, or maintenance.
• White-Collar jobs: It is used for tasks involving an office environment and may
involve sitting at a computer or desk. White-collar workers are known as suit-and-tie
workers who work in service industries and often avoid physical labor.
• Pink Collar Jobs: A pink-collar worker is someone working in the care-oriented
career field or in fields historically considered to be women's work. This may include
jobs in the beauty industry, nursing, social work, teaching, secretarial work, or child
care.
WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION SAY?
The Constitution prohibits any discrimination based on grounds of religion, race, caste,
sex, or place of birth. However, the state may provide for the advancement of certain
sections of the society through reservation in education or employment. This reservation
may be on the basis of domicile (residence), or backwardness. For eg:
•Under Article 16(3), Parliament can prescribe residence as a condition for certain
employment or appointment in a state or union territory or local authority.
• Under Article 15(4), the State may make provisions for the advancement of socially
and educationally backward class of citizens or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes.
• Under Article 16(4), the State can provide for reservation of appointments or posts
in favour of any backward class that is not adequately represented in the state
services.
LOOPHOLES:
Some states have been using several loopholes in the laws to provide reservation for
locals in employment:
• Language as a criterion: Discrimination on the basis of language is not prohibited by
the constitution. Using this, States have gone around the constitutional mandate and
prescribe knowledge of local language as a criterion for selection. For example,
states including Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu require a language test.
• Special protections under Article 371: Some states have special protections under
Article 371. For eg: Andhra Pradesh under Section 371(d) has powers to have “direct
recruitment of local cadre” in specified areas.
• Exception for Private employment: Article 16 talks about “public employment”.
Hence states have created legislations that pertains only to “private sector
employment”.
RATIONALE BEHIND SUCH LEGISLATIONS:
• Rising unemployment levels: Many of the states that have implemented such
legislations are facing a rising trend in unemployment levels. Reservations in private
employment can help curb this trend.

21 | iLearn IAS
 • Similar provisions in education sector: Similar arguments were made when
requiring private schools to comply with the Right to Education Act, which the
Supreme Court upheld.
• International examples: Developed countries have adopted some form of policies
and compensation systems to benefit the local population. For eg: The Employment
Equity Act in Canada protects minority groups, especially aboriginals from
discrimination in federally regulated industries, even in the private sector.
CRITICISM:
• Questions on Constitutionality: The cration of such legislations raises three potential
issues:
1. Reservation in private institutions may violate their right to carry on an
occupation or business.
2. A state law providing for reservation based on domicile may not be
constitutional, since the constitution mandates that only the Parliament has
such powers.
3. 75% reservation in employment may violate the guidelines laid down by the
Supreme Court in the past. Eg: In the Indra Sawhney case, the Court held that
total reserved quota should not exceed 50% except in some extraordinary

22 | iLearn IAS
 situations and that the backwardness envisaged is mainly social
backwardness.
• Balkanisation of labour market: Such policies can promote regionalisation trends in
the country, which can affect the unity and integrity of the nation.
• Promotes informalisation: Placing constraints on businesses and additional
compliance burden creates adverse effect on businesses within the country. This
further discourages employers to formalize their activities.
• Practical difficulty: According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18,
merely 1.8% of the population received formal training on technical aspects and
employment-ready skills. Hence, there is a clear lack of workforce necessary to meet
the locals first policy.
• Reduces competitiveness: In many states, adequate skilled domestic labour may not
be available and it restricts the pool of candidates from which they can hire which
may hurt their efficiency and competitiveness.
• Loss of investment: Reduction in ease of doing business and shortage of manpower
will make India a less attractive investment destination. Such policies can eventually
lead to flight of capital from India to countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam.
• State abdicating its responsibility: Extending reservations to private sector provides
a way for governments to bypass their role of generating sufficient livelihood
opportunities and equality of opportunity for people.
WAY FORWARD:
• Such reservations are only short-term remedies to unemployment in the country.
Governments need to undertake efforts to enhance skill levels and generate
employment in the economy.
• Government can come up with incentives to companies which invest in local
population. Such incentives could be in the form of capital for better skill
development, lower electricity charges, better infrastructure facilities etc.
• Another way to generate employment is to encourage entrepreneurship in the
country. For this, exiting measures like Start up India mission needs to be
aggressively promoted.
5.5. iTips:
• For Prelims, questions on the various agencies that publish unemployment levels in
India and features of government measures to address unemployment can be asked.
• For Mains, the content can be used in questions related to regionalism in GS 1 and
unemployment in GS 3.

23 | iLearn IAS
WEEKLY PRELIMS COMPILATION

24 | iLearn IAS
 Places in news
YEMEN
Why in news?
o The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile attack launched by
Houthis toward Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.
About Yemen:
o Yemen is a country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula in Western
Asia.
o It is the second-largest Arab sovereign state in the peninsula and its
coastline stretches for about 2,000 kilometres.
o Yemen belongs to the least developed country group and has the lowest
Human Development Index out of all non-African countries.
o In 2019, the United Nations reported that Yemen is the country with the
most people in need of humanitarian aid, about 24 million people, or 85%
of its population.

On the Yemeni civil war:

o It is an ongoing conflict that began in 2015 between two factions,
each claiming to constitute the Yemeni government.
Factions involved:
o Forces loyal to the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, based in Aden.
o They are supported by Saudi Arabian led coalition.
o Iran backed Houthi forces controlling the capital Sana'a.
o Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. “Aden Port” is located in which of the following countries?
a) Yemen
b) Iraq
c) Iran
d) Saudi Arabia
Answer: A

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 Polity
NATIONAL SECURITY ACT
Why in news?
o Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed officials
to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against all the four Hathras
murder accused.
About National Security Act
o The National Security Act of 1980 is an act of the Indian Parliament
promulgated on 23 September, 1980whose purpose is "to provide for
preventive detention in certain cases and for matters connected
therewith".
o The act extends to the whole of India. Previously, it did not apply to the
state of Jammu and Kashmir.
o As per the National Security Act, the grounds for preventive detention of a
person include:
o acting in any manner prejudicial to the defence of India, the
relations of India with foreign powers, or the security of India.
o regulating the continued presence of any foreigner in India or with a
view to making arrangements for his expulsion from India.
o preventing them from acting in any manner prejudicial to the
security of the State or from acting in any manner prejudicial to the
maintenance of public order or from acting in any manner
prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies and services essential to
the community it is necessary so to do.
o Under the National Security Act, an individual can be detained without a
charge for up to 12 months;
o The state government needs to be intimated that a person has been
detained under the NSA.
o A person detained under the National Security Act can be held for 10 days
without being told the charges against them.
o The detained person can appeal before a high court advisory board but they
are not allowed a lawyer during the trial.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. With reference to the National Security Act, 1980, which of the following
statements is/are correct?
1. Under the National Security Act, an individual can be detained without a
charge for up to 12 months.
2. Intimation of the state government is not necessary for such detention.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 only

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 b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: A

Economy
ASSET RECONSTRUCTION COMPANIES
What is it?
o ARC or Asset Reconstruction companies is a specialized financial institution
that buys the NPAs from banks and financial institutions.
o ARCs purchase bad assets or NPAs at a negotiable price and helps banks to
clean up their balance sheets (by removing the NPAs).
ARC- Origin
o The Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement
of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act 2002 provides the legal basis for the
setting up of ARCs in India.
o Since then, large number of ARCs were formed and were registered with
the RBI.
o The Act helps reconstruction of bad assets without the intervention of
courts.
How it works?
o NPAs shall be acquired at a ‘fair price’ by the ARCs.
o They have to value the acquired bad assets in an objective manner.
o SARFAESI Act permits ARCs to acquire financial assets through an
agreement with banks.
o Banks may receive bonds/debentures in exchange for NPAs transferred to
the ARCs.
o A part of the value can be paid in the form of Security Receipts (SRs).
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Consider the following statements regarding “Asset reconstruction companies”:
1. They are based on SARFAESI act, 2002.
2. They are regulated by reserve bank of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
NATIONAL HOUSING BANK (NHB)
About NHB:
o National Housing Bank (NHB), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of

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 India (RBI), set under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
o NHB has been established with an objective to operate as a principal agency
to promote housing finance institutions both at local and regional levels and
to provide financial and other support incidental to such institutions and for
matters connected therewith.
Functions of NHB
o Extending refinance to different primary lenders in respect of
o Eligible housing loans extended by them to individual beneficiaries.
o For project loans extended by them to various implementing
agencies.
o Lending directly in respect of projects undertaken by public housing
agencies for housing construction and development of housing related
infrastructure.
o Guaranteeing the repayment of principal and payment of interest on bonds
issued by Housing Finance Companies.
o NHB registers, regulates and supervises Housing Finance Company (HFCs).
NHB RESIDEX
o NHB RESIDEX, India’s first official housing price index, was an initiative of
the National Housing Bank (NHB), undertaken at the behest of the
Government of India, Ministry of Finance.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Consider the following statements regarding “National Housing Bank (NHB)”:
1. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of NABARD.
2.RESIDEX is a housing price index created by NHB.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B

Science and Technology

Air-independent propulsion
About AIP:
o Air-independent propulsion (AIP) is any marine propulsion technology that
allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without access to atmospheric
oxygen (by surfacing or using a snorkel).
o AIP can augment or replace the diesel-electric propulsion system of non-
nuclear vessels.
Importance of AIP:
o Modern non-nuclear submarines are potentially stealthier than nuclear

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 submarines; a nuclear ship's reactor must constantly pump coolant,
generating some amount of detectable noise.
o Non-nuclear submarines running on battery power or AIP, on the other
hand, can be virtually silent.
o Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) has a force multiplier effect on lethality of
a diesel electric submarine as it enhances the submerged endurance of the
boat, several folds.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Air independent propulsion is a technology associated with:
a) Submarines
b) Propeller air crafts
c) Jet aircrafts
d) Diesel railway locomotives
Answer: A
ARIES-DEVASTHAL FAINT OBJECT SPECTROGRAPH & CAMERA (ADFOSC)
Why in news?
o Indian scientists have indigenously designed and developed a low-cost
optical spectrograph named as Aries-Devasthal Faint Object Spectrograph &
Camera (ADFOSC).
About the spectrograph:
o The low-cost optical spectrograph that can locate sources of faint light
from distant quasars and galaxies in a very young universe, regions
around supermassive black holes around the galaxies, and cosmic
explosions.
o Such spectroscopes were so far imported from abroad involving high costs.
o The optical spectrograph is named as Aries-Devasthal Faint Object
Spectrograph & Camera (ADFOSC).
o It was indigenously designed and developed by Aryabhatta Research
Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital.
o It can locate sources of light with a photon-rate as low as about 1 photon
per second.
o It has been successfully commissioned on the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical
Telescope (DOT), the largest in the country and in Asia, near Nainital in
Uttarakhand.
o It uses a complex arrangement of several lenses made of special glasses
that are polished to better than 5-nanometer smoothness to produce sharp
images of the celestial sky.
o Photons coming from distant celestial sources, collected by the telescope,
are sorted into different colours by the spectrograph and are finally
converted into electronic recordable signals using an in-house developed
Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera cooled to an extremely low

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 temperature of minus 120 degrees Celsius.
o The spectrograph is presently being used by astronomers from India and
abroad to study distant quasars and galaxies in a very young universe,
regions around supermassive black-holes around the galaxies, cosmic
explosions like supernovae and highly energetic gamma-ray bursts, young
and massive stars, and faint dwarf galaxies.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Aries-Devasthal Faint Object Spectrograph & Camera is an observatory located
in:
a) Uttarakhand
b) Himachal Pradesh
c) Ladakh
d) Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: A

Art & Culture and History

MORARJI DESAI
Why in news?
o 1st March marked the birth anniversary of Morarji Desai.
About Morarji Desai:
o Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) was an Indian
independence activist and served between 1977 and 1979 as the 4th Prime
Minister of India and led the government formed by the Janata Party.
o During his long career in politics, he held many important posts in
government such as Chief Minister of Bombay State, Home Minister,
Finance Minister and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of India.
o Following the passing of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Desai was a
strong contender for the position of Prime Minister, only to be defeated by
Indira Gandhi in 1966.
o He was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in
Indira Gandhi's cabinet, until 1969.
o He resigned from the Congress during the split of 1969 and joined the INC
(O).
o After the controversial emergency was lifted in 1977, the political parties of
the opposition fought together against the Congress, under the umbrella of
the Janata Party, and won the 1977 election.
o Desai was elected Prime Minister and became the first non-Congress
Prime Minister of India.
o After India's first nuclear test in 1974, Desai helped restore friendly
relations with China and Pakistan, and vowed to avoid armed conflict such
as Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.

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 o He was honoured with the highest civilian award of Pakistan, the Nishan-
e-Pakistan on 19 May 1990.
o He is the oldest person to hold the office of prime minister, at the age of 81,
in the history of Indian politics.
o He subsequently retired from all political posts but continued to campaign
for the Janata Party in 1980.
o He was conferred with India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. He
died at the age of 99 in 1995.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Consider the following statements with respect to Morarji Desai:
1. He was the first non-congress prime minister of India.
2. He has been conferred the highest civilian honours of both Pakistan and
India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C

Schemes & Initiatives

TEQIP Project
Why in news?
o With the World Bank funded TEQIP project coming to an end in March
2021, Centre is preparing a plan known as MERITE project with some similar
objectives to improve technical education.
About the project:
o TEQIP or Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme is a World
Bank funded project to strengthen and upgrade the technical education
System and benefited 552 polytechnics in 27 states including UTs of
Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry.
o Among the initiatives was a bid to recruit more than 1,500 faculty from top
institutions — four out of five are from the NITs and the IITs — and send
them to colleges that could never have afforded them.
o TEQIP project was launched in December 2002 and three phases of
the ?3,600-crore project have been completed since it was launched.
o The third phase focussed on improving quality and equity in engineering
institutions in seven low income, eight north-eastern and three hilly
States.
o They were paid salaries in accordance with the Seventh Pay Commission.
PRELIMS QUESTION

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Q. Consider the following statements with respect to Technical Education Quality
Improvement Programme:
1. It is an Asian development Bank funded project.
2. It took teachers from elite institutions to teach in institutions is in poor
states.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B
NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT
Why in news?
o The NITI Aayog recently circulated a discussion paper on a proposed
revision in the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
About National Food Security Act, 2013
o The National Food Security Act was implemented in July 2013.
Coverage
o The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto
50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds
of the population.
o The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per
person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for
rice/wheat/coarse grains.
o The existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the
poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per
household per month.
Special provisions for women and children:
o The Act also has a special focus on the nutritional support to women and
children.
o Besides meal to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy
and six months after the childbirth, such women will also be entitled to
receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.
o Children upto 14 years of age will be entitled to nutritious meals as per the
prescribed nutritional standards.
Others:
o In case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals, the beneficiaries will
receive food security allowance.
o The Act also contains provisions for setting up of grievance redressal
mechanism at the District and State levels.

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 o Separate provisions have also been made in the Act for ensuring
transparency and accountability.
What has the NITI Aayog proposed?
o In its discussion paper, the NITI Aayog has suggested that the national rural
and urban coverage ratio be reduced from the existing 75-50 to 60-40.
o If this reduction happens, the number of beneficiaries under the NFSA will
drop to 71.62 crore (on the basis of the projected population in 2020).
o To make these changes in the law, the government will have to amend sub-
section (2) of Section 3 of the NFSA. For this, it will require parliamentary
approval.
o If the national coverage ratio is revised downward, the Centre can save up
to Rs 47,229 crore (as estimated by the NITI Aayog paper).
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Consider the following statements regarding National Food Security Act, 2013:
1. The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population under
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
2. The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per
person.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C

Miscellaneous
LAND PORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA (LPAI)
Why in news?
o The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) celebrated its Foundation Day at its
headquarters in New Delhi.
About LPAI:
o LPAI is a statutory body established under Land Ports Authority of India Act,
2010.
o It aims to develop, sanitize and manage the facilities for cross-border
movement of passengers and goods at designated points along the
international borders of India.
o It plans constructs and maintains infrastructure like roads, terminals etc and
manages communications and security at an integrated check post.
o It can also establish and maintain hotels, warehouses etc for the storage or
processing of goods.
o Currently operations ICPs are : Agartala and Petrapole (on Bangladesh

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 border), Attari (Pakistan), Raxaul and Jogbani (Nepal) and Moreh
(Myanmar).
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. “Raxaul” and “Jogbani” check posts are located on India’s borders with:
a) Bangladesh
b) China
c) Myanmar
d) Nepal
Answer: D
GLOBAL BIO- INDIA 2021
Why in news?
o Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the second edition
of Global Bio India-2021 in New Delhi virtually.
About Global Bio- India 2021
o Its objective is to showcase the strength and opportunities of the India’s
biotechnology sector at national level and to the global community.
o It is organised by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science &
Technology along with BIRAC in partnership with the Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII), Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE)
and Invest India.
o Switzerland and Netherland are partner countries.
o Karnataka and Odisha are partner states.
o The theme is “Transforming lives” and the tagline is “Biosciences to
Bioeconomy”.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q.” Global Bio-India Summit 2021” was organised with support from:
a) Switzerland and Netherlands
b) USA and United Kingdom
c) Germany and France
d) Japan and Australia
Answer: A
MARITIME INDIA SUMMIT 2021
Why in news?
o Prime Minister inaugurated ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ which occurred
in a virtual mode.
o PM announced that India aims to operationalise 23 waterways by 2030.
o He also announced that India will invest USD 82 billion in port projects by
2035.
About Maritime India Summit:
o It’s organised virtually by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
o It will provide a unique platform that will have the virtual and physical

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 presence of prominent shipping and transport dignitaries/ministers from all
over the world.
o The summit is one of the biggest virtual summit in the world with the
participation of 1.7 lakhs participants from more than 100 nations.
o It will see participation of over 50 global CEOs and more than 160 speakers
which include 115 international speakers from 24 nations.
o The conference will project vast investment opportunities in each of the
Indian maritime states and union territories.
o It will look at ways to raise the share of clean renewable energy sources in
the maritime sector, develop waterways and boost tourism around
lighthouses.
o Denmark is the partner country for the Maritime India Summit.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Consider the following statements regarding Maritime India Summit 2021:
1. It is held by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
2. Denmark is the partner country for the Maritime India Summit 2021.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
KHUJLI GHAR
Why in news?
o Some villages in Nagaland are trying to revive a traditional form of
punishment that seeks to check crime with an itch in time.
About Khujli Ghar:
o Khujili Ghar is a cramped, triangular cage made from the logs of Masang
fung, an indigenous tree that irritates the skin.
o Social offenders or violators of Naga customary laws are punished by caging
them inside it for a few days.
o The Aos, one of the major tribes of Nagaland, call it Shi-ki which means
flesh-house.
o The cage is usually placed at a central spot in the village for the inmate to
be in full public view.
About Naga tribes:
o Nagas are various ethnic groups native to the northeastern India and
northwestern Myanmar.
o The groups have similar cultures and traditions and form the majority of
population in the state of Nagaland and Naga Self-Administered Zone of
Myanmar.

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 o There are significant naga populations in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and
Assam.
o The Nagas are divided into various Naga ethnic groups whose numbers and
population are unclear. They each speak distinct Naga languages often
unintelligible to the others.
o Ao, Angami, Thangkul, Wancho, Konyak etc are some major ethnic groups.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Ao and Angami are names of:
a) Naga ethnic groups
b) Folk paintings from Himachal Pradesh
c) GI tagged food items from Arunachal Pradesh
d) None of the above
Answer: A
EASE OF LIVING INDEX AND MUNICIPAL PERFORMANCE INDEX
Why in news?
o Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Housing
and Urban Affairs announced the release of the final rankings of Ease of
Living Index (EoLI) 2020 and the Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2020.
About the index:
o The rankings under Ease of Living Index 2020 were announced for 111 cities
categorised into those with a population of more than a million, and cities
with less than a million people.
o Bengaluru emerged as the top performer in the Million+ category,
followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Surat.
o In the Less than Million category, Shimla was ranked the highest in ease of
living, followed by Bhubaneshwar.
o The Ease of Living Index (EoLI) is an assessment tool that evaluates the
quality of life and the impact of various initiatives for urban development.
o It provides a comprehensive understanding of participating cities across
India based on quality of life, economic ability of a city, and its
sustainability and resilience.
o The assessment also incorporates the residents' view on the
services provided by city administration through a Citizen Perception
Survey.
o It examines the outcomes that lead to existing living conditions through
pillars of Quality of Life, Economic Ability, Sustainability, spanning across 13
categories of -Education, Health, Housing and Shelter, WASH and SWM,
Mobility, Safety and Security, Recreation, Level of Economic Development,
Economic Opportunities, Environment, Green Spaces, and Buildings, Energy
Consumption, and City Resilience, that account for 70% of the overall
outcome while citizen perception accounts for 30%.

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Municipal performance index:
o MPI 2020 has classified municipalities based on their population-
Million+ and Less than Million Population.
o In the Million+ category, Indore has emerged as the highest ranked
municipality, followed by Surat and Bhopal.
o In the Less than Million category, New Delhi Municipal Council has emerged
as the leader, followed by Tirupati and Gandhinagar.
o The MPI examined the sectoral performance of 111 municipalities across
five verticals which comprise of 20 sectors and 100 indicators in all totality.
o The five verticals under MPI are Services, Finance, Policy, Technology and
Governance.
o The Municipal Performance Index (MPI) was launched as an
accompaniment to the Ease of Living Index and seeks to examine local
government practice in municipalities across areas of services, finance,
policy, technology and governance.
o It seeks to simplify and evaluate the complexities in local governance
practice and promote the ethos of transparency and accountability.
o The Ease of Living Index encapsulates the outcome indicators while the
Municipal Performance Index captures the enabling input parameters.
o The framework for these assessments were prepared by MoHUA with the
Institute for Competitiveness as the knowledge partner.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Consider the following statements regarding Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020:
1. It has been published by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
2. Bengaluru is the top performer in the Million+ category in the index.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
FREEDOM IN THE WORLD REPORT, 2021
About the index:
o This report was published by Freedom House, a U.S.-based organization
(NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political
freedom, and human rights.
o This report is titled as Titled as “Democracy Under Siege” and has claimed
that India’s status has declined from “free” country to “partly free”.
o It rates people’s access to political rights and civil liberties in 210 countries
and territories and classifies them as “free”, “partly free” or “not free”.
o The Indicators used are Electoral process, political pluralism and

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 participation, government functioning, Freedom of expression and belief,
associational and organisational rights, rule of law, personal autonomy and
individual rights.
PRELIMS QUESTION
Q. Freedom in the world report, 2021 has been published by:
a) Amnesty international
b) Civil Rights Defenders
c) Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF)
d) Freedom House
Answer: D

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