WHY IN NEWS

Recently, Commerce Ministry’s Logistics Division unveiled plans for ‘Freight Smart Cities’.

➢ This concept of ‘Freight Smart Cities’ will help to improve the efficiency of urban freight and create an opportunity for
reduction in the logistics costs.
➢ Under the Freight Smart Cities initiative, city-level logistics committees would be formed.
➢ These committees would have related government departments and agencies at the local level, state and from
the reacted central ministries and agencies.
➢ These would also include private sector from the logistics services and also users of logistics services.
➢ These committees would co-create City Logistics Plans to implement performance improvement measures locally.
➢ From the ten cities to be identified on immediate basis, it is planned to expand the list to 75 cities in the next phase.
➢ For this initiative, the Logistics Division is working closely with GIZ (Germany) under Indo-German Development
Cooperation, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and RMI India.

➢ Demand for urban freight is expected to grow by 140 per cent over the next 10 years.
➢ Final-mile freight movement in Indian cities is currently responsible for 50 per cent of total logistics costs in India’s
growing e-commerce supply chains.
➢ To control increasing congestion, noise and sound pollution in cities.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, The Odisha Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS), the archaeological wing of the State
government, has discovered a 4,000-year-old settlement and ancient artifacts in Odisha.

➢ Site has discovered in Durgadevi village, Balasore district, Odisha.

➢ It has circular mud fortification of about 4.9 kms, in between the river Sona on south and the Burahabalang on its
north-eastern borders.
➢ The major discovery was the base of a circular hut, black slipped ware, red slipped ware and copper objects. The floor
of the circular hut was rammed with red soil.
➢ The material including pottery remains of black burnished ware, black and red ware, iron objects like nails, arrow
head, crucible and slag of various kinds belong to the Iron Age Period.
➢ The archaeologists have come across distinct traces of three cultural phases from the excavation site.
✓ Chalcolithic (2000 to 1000 BC.)
✓ Iron Age (1000 to 400 BC)
✓ Early Historic Period (400 to 200 BC)
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, A majority of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on
Base Erosion and Profit Shifting members (including India)
adopted a statement containing an outline of a consensus
solution to address tax challenges arising from digitalization of
the economy.
➢ A total of 130 countries (representing more than 90% of
global GDP) agreed to an overhaul of global tax norms to
ensure multinationals pay fair taxes wherever they operate
and at a minimum 15% rate (called Global Minimum Tax).
➢ It comprises two pillars –
✓ Pillar One — reallocation of additional share of profit to
the market jurisdictions.
✓ Pillar Two — regarding minimum tax and subject-to-tax
rules.
➢ India will have to roll back the equalization levy that it
imposes on companies such as Google, Amazon and
Facebook when the global tax regime is implemented.
➢ Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) refers to tax
planning strategies used by multinational
enterprises that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax
rules to avoid paying tax.
➢ In 2016, GoI introduced an equalisation levy of 6%
on online advertisement services provided by non-
residents like Google, Amazon etc.
➢ It is a direct tax, which is withheld at the time of
payment by the service recipient to a non-resident
service provider.
➢ It is levied on “revenue" and not “profit“.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises inaugurated (through virtual mode) six Technology
Innovation Platforms which will focus on development of technologies for the globally competitive manufacturing in
India.

➢ Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry Research & Education (ASPIRE)

✓ Developed by International Centre for Automotive Technology(iCAT) focuses on automotive technology.
➢ SanRachna, a digitally enabled platform
✓ Developed by BHEL focuses on renewable energy and power electronics sectors.
➢ TechNovuus
✓ Developed by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), aims to enable our brightest minds to unlock the
potential of new technologies and innovations to shape the future of Mobility.
➢ Knowledge Integration for Technology Enrichment (KITE)
✓ A Technology Eco-Platform created by IIT Madras for the enrichment of Manufacturing Innovation, Product
Development and Skill Development.
➢ Design, Research and Innovation by Harvesting Science and Technology for Industries (Drishti)
✓ A synergistic platform created by Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), Bengaluru to enhance the
nation’s technological prowess.
➢ Technology and innovation platform
✓ Created by HMT in collaboration with IISc Bangalore aims to import education in machine tool sector.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched the Crop Insurance Awareness Campaign for Fasal
Bima Yojana during the Crop Insurance Week as a part of Government’s India@75 campaign ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

➢ It is being observed from July 1 to 7.

➢ Throughout the week, the campaign will cover all notified areas/districts under Kharif 2021 season.
➢ With special focus on 75 Aspirational/Tribal districts identified by MoA&FW where crop insurance penetration is
low.
➢ Multiple engagement activities will be conducted with farmers of these areas/districts through PMFBY vans, radio,
newspapers, including digital media etc.

➢ The new Crop Insurance Scheme is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme.
➢ It replaced the existing two schemes National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) as well as the Modified NAIS.
➢ To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as
a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.
➢ Till date, the scheme has insured over 29.16 crore farmer applications (5.5 crore farmer applications on year-on-year
basis).
➢ Over the period of 5 years, more than 8.3 crore farmer applications have benefited from the scheme.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, the U.S. State Department has released an annual report titled “the Trafficking in Persons”.

➢ The pandemic resulted in an increase in vulnerability to human trafficking and interrupted existing anti-traffic efforts
➢ The governments of twelve countries, including China, had a policy of trafficking in the reporting period (year ending
March 31).
➢ For India, report said that the government is not meeting the minimum standards to eliminate trafficking “but is
making significant efforts to do so.”
✓ Overall anti-trafficking efforts, especially against bonded labor, remained inadequate.
✓ The government achieved fewer convictions, and the acquittal rate for traffickers remained high at 73 percent.
➢ For the U.S., the report said that it had policies in place that limited immigration options for trafficking victims.
➢ Although the government met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, the Wash Institute, a global non-profit organisation, released a new report.

✓ WASH stands for “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene”.

➢ Report findings talks about the open defecation.

➢ It also emphasized universal access to WASH to achieve the UN-mandated SDG 6 in achieving universal access to basic
water, sanitation and hygiene services.

➢ Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside or in the open spaces rather than into a toilet.
➢ India was responsible for the largest drop in open defecation since 2015, in terms of absolute numbers.
✓ Within India, open defecation had been highly variable regionally since at least 2006.
✓ In 2006, the third round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) found open defecation to be practiced by
less than 10 per cent of the population in four states and the Union Territory of Delhi, but by more than half the
population in 11 states.
✓ By 2016, when the fourth round of the NFHS was conducted, open defecation had decreased in all states, with
the largest drops seen in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, the report said.
➢ Report progress in curbing open defecation in sub-Saharan Africa was slow. CONT.
➢ It noted some progress towards the achieving SDG 6.
➢ SDG 6 states that ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 entails
that water must be accessible at source, available when needed and free from any contamination.
➢ Report has shown an improvement in at-source water resources.
✓ At-source water resources includes piped water, boreholes or tubewells, protected dug wells, protected springs,
rainwater and packaged or delivered water.
➢ Between 2016 and 2020, the global population with access to safely managed drinking water at home increased to 74
per cent, from 70 per cent.
➢ It has shown an increase in safely managed sanitation services to 54 per cent, from 47 per cent between 2016 and
2020.
✓ It had shown a significant global increase in onsite sanitation system.
▪ Onsite sanitation system, a system in which excreta and wastewater are collected, stored and / or treated on
the plot where they are generated.
➢ Report also talked about hygiene, especially in the context of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
✓ It reported that handwashing facilities with soap and water increased to 71 per cent, from 67 per cent.
✓ However, 3 in 10 people worldwide could not wash their hands with soap and water at home during the COVID-
19 pandemic due to lack of water resources.
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WHY IN NEWS
Recently, U.S. troops departed from the Bagram Air Base that coordinated the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan,
effectively ending their military operations in the country.
➢ The exit is part of President Joe Biden’s plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by September 11.

➢ Why did the U.S. invade Afghanistan?

✓ Weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush declared war on
Afghanistan.
✓ He said the Taliban regime had turned down his demand to hand over al-Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin
Laden, who plotted the attacks.
➢ Why is the U.S. pulling back?
✓ The U.S. had reached the conclusion long ago that the war was unwinnable.
✓ Presidents, starting with Barack Obama, had promised to bring American troops back home from Afghanistan.
▪ In July 2015, the first-ever meeting between the Taliban and the Afghan government under a representative
sent the Obama administration did not progress.
✓ President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, with a mandate to directly
negotiate with the Taliban.
▪ It led to the February 2020 agreement between the U.S. and the insurgents.
▪ Under this, the Trump administration promised that it would withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan
by May 1, 2021 but Biden’s administration pushed the deadline for withdrawal to September 11.
WHY IN NEWS
Authorities in Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) have started planning for
conservation of vultures after 150 of the birds were sighted recently in the
protected area.
➢ Vulture, one of 22 species of large carrion-eating birds that live
predominantly in the tropics and subtropics.
➢ It is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion.
➢ They act as nature’s garbage collectors and help to keep
the environment clean of waste.
➢ India is home to 9 species of Vulture.
➢ The Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change
has launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25, for the
conservation of vultures in the country.
WHY IN NEWS
Recently, Conservation plan chalked out after 150 vultures spotted in Bihar’s
Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
➢ It is located at the India-Nepal border in the West Champaran district of
Bihar on the bank of river Gandak.
➢ The Valmiki Tiger Reserve comprises the National Park (only NP in Bihar)
and the Wildlife Sanctuary.
➢ It was established in March 1994 under Project Tiger.
➢ The wildlife found in the forest of VTR are the Bengal tiger, Indian
rhinoceros, Asiatic black bear etc.
➢ Commonly found reptiles are pythons, King cobras, Krait and domuha
snakes (sand boas).
➢ At present 241 bird species have been reported from VTR.
➢ 'Tharu', a scheduled tribe, is the dominant community in the landscape of
VTR.
WHY IN NEWS
A robust vaccination drive underway has raised hopes of the Kerala
houseboats in Vembanad Lake to open for business as early as July.
➢ It is the longest lake in India, as well as the largest lake in the state of
Kerala.
➢ It covers an area of over 2033.02 km² by spanning over several districts of
Kerala.
➢ It is the second largest Ramsar site in India (included in 2002) only
after the Sunderbans in West Bengal.
➢ It is also known as Vembanad Kayal, Vembanad Kol, Punnamada Lake or
Kochi Lake.
➢ The Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under the
National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
➢ This lake has its source in four rivers, Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa and
Manimala.
 Intelligent Guessing and Useful Tricks for UPSC Prelims 2021
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➢
✓ Recently, Turkey has pulled out of Istanbul Convention on violence against women.
✓ It is a human rights treaty established by the Council of Europe.
✓ It aims to -
▪ prevent and prosecute all forms of violence against women,
▪ promote gender equality and
▪ ensure protection and rehabilitation of women who are victims of violence.
✓ The treaty was opened for ratification in May 2011.
✓ On November 24, 2011, Turkey became the first country to ratify the Istanbul convention.
✓ From the European Union, 34 countries signed this treaty.

➢
✓ Uttarakhand Chief Minister tendered his resignation to Governor over non-fullfilling the condition of RP Act, 1951.
✓ This section mandates the Election Commission to fill the casual vacancies in the Houses of Parliament and State
Legislatures through bye elections within six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy.
✓ Provided that nothing contained in this section shall apply if —
▪ The remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is less than one year.
▪ The Election Commission in consultation with the Central Government certifies that it is difficult to hold the
bye-election within the said period.
➢
✓ Union minister of MSME announced the inclusion of retail and wholesale trade under MSMEs.
✓ Since MSMEs are part of the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) Guidelines, so retail and wholesale trade will also now
get the benefit of priority sector lending under RBI guidelines.
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