Time: 45 min Date: 06-11-2021

HISTORY
Medival Indian History
Adi Shankaracharya
Syllabus: GS 1/ Medival History
In News
 The Prime Minister unveiled a 12-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath,
where the acharya is believed to have attained samadhi at the age of 32 in the ninth
century.
About
 Reincarnation of Lord Shiva: He is called as a reincarnation of Lord Shiva.
 The Adi Shankara story: is a remarkable saga of travel and adventure,
philosophical inquiry, conflicts in faith, exegesis, the establishment of lineage,
organisation and mobilisation, etc.
Adi Shankara
 Birth: Adi Shankaracharya was born in 788 AD. Adi Shankara is said to have been
born in Kaladi village on the bank of the Periyar, the largest river in Kerala.
 Sanyasi life: He left home very early in search of learning and to become a sanyasi.
 Visited all the important spiritual centres: In a lifespan of just 32 years, he is said
to have visited all the important spiritual centres of the time — from Kanchi
(Kancheepuram) to Kamrup (Assam), and Kashmir and the Kedar and Badri
dhams, as well as Sringeri, Ujjain, Kashi, Puri, and Joshimath.
 Rituals: He is believed to have established the ritual practices at the Badri and
Kedar dhams, and to have debated with tantrics in Srinagar.
 Literary Works of Adi Shankaracharya: Adi Shankaracharya wrote 18
commentaries on the scriptures including the Brahma Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita
and 12 major Upanishads.
o He wrote about two dozen books elucidating the fundamentals of the
Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Some of these books are Viveka Chudamani,
Atma Bodha, Vaakya Vritti and Upadesa Sahasri.

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 o Adi Shankaracharya is credited to have composed 72 devotional and
meditative hymns such as Soundarya Lahari, Sivananda Lahari, Nirvana
Shalkam, Maneesha Panchakam.
 Composition of texts: Adi Shankara composed texts like Shankara Smrithi, which
seeks to establish the social supremacy of Nambuthiri Brahmins.
 Master of Advaita Vedanta: Adi Shankaracharya championed the Advait branch
of philosophy that declared that god and humans were not two. He then set out to
spread the message of his guru.
o Advaita Vedanta articulates a philosophical position of radical
nondualism, a revisionary worldview which it derives from the ancient
Upanishadic texts.
o According to Advaita Vedantins, the Upanishads reveal a fundamental
principle of nonduality termed ‘brahman’, which is the reality of all things.
o Advaitins understand brahman as transcending individuality and
empirical plurality.
o They seek to establish that the essential core of one’s self (atman) is
brahman.
o The fundamental thrust of Advaita Vedanta is that the atman is pure non-
intentional consciousness.
 Political appropriation: The mathas Shankara is believed to have been
established in Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri, and Joshimath for the spread of Advaita
Vedanta.
 Travelled across the Indian subcontinent: to propagate his philosophy through
discourses and debates with other thinkers, from both orthodox Hindu traditions
and heterodox non-Hindu-traditions, including Buddhism defeating his
opponents in theological debates.
 Death and last days: He is believed to have attained samadhi at Kedarnath;
however, Kanchi and Thrissur are also talked about as places where Adi Shankara
spent his last days.
Source: IE

International Relations
Iran and Enriched Uranium
Syllabus: GS 2/ International Relations
In News
● Iran’s atomic agency said that its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium has reached
over 210 kilograms.
○ It is the latest defiant move ahead of upcoming nuclear talks with the West.

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Uranium as a Fuel
● Nuclear fuel is mined from naturally occurring uranium ore deposits and then
isolated through chemical reactions and separation processes.
● Natural uranium consists of two different isotopes:
○ nearly 99% U-238 and
○ only around 0.72% of U-235.
● U-238 is not fissile, thus the concentration of U-235 must be increased before it can
be effectively used as a nuclear fuel.
○ U-235 being a fissile material sustains a chain reaction in a nuclear reactor.
● Uranium enrichment is a process that creates an effective nuclear fuel out of mined
uranium by increasing the percentage of uranium-235.
○ Enrichment process basically increases the proportion of U-235 through the
process of isotope separation (U-238 is separated from U-235).
● For nuclear Weapons
○ Highly Enriched Uranium or weapons-grade uranium
○ For which enrichment is required up to 90% or more.
● For Nuclear Reactor
○ Low Enriched Uranium or reactor-grade uranium
○ Enrichment is required upto 3-4% only.
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
● Also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal.
● The JCPOA was the result of prolonged negotiations from 2013 and 2015 between
Iran and the P5+1
○ China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States
and the EU.
● The deal promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear
programme, and is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.
○ Iran committed to drastically reduce its stockpiles of weapon grade
Uranium, including centrifuges, enriched uranium, and heavy water.
○ Iran was not meant to enrich uranium above 3.67% which was meant to
fulfill its energy requirement.
● The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was instrumental in enforcing
the agreement by monitoring Iran and conducting inspections.
● The U.S. unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 but Britain, France,
Germany,China and Russia have tried to preserve the accord

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Iran’s Maximum Resistance
● Tensions rose after the U.S. pushed unilateral sanctions, widening its scope to
cover nearly all Iranian banks connected to the global financial system.
● Earlier Iran's response was muted as the E-3 (France, Germany, the U.K.) and the
EU promised to find ways to mitigate the U.S. decision.
○ The E-3’s in 2019 created Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges
(INSTEX), to facilitate trade with Iran.
● However, the anticipated economic relief failed to materialize, thus pushing Iran’s
strategic patience.
○ Tehran thus shifted to a strategy of ‘maximum resistance’.
● Thereafter, Iran has been steadily breaking its commitments to pressurise the
remaining signatories to find a way to provide sanctions relief.
○ Iran has produced 25 kg 60% enriched uranium.
○ A level that only countries with nuclear weapons have the physical
capabilities to produce.
India-Iran relations
● Regional Connectivity:
○ Removing sanctions will rekindle India's interest in the Chabahar and
Bandar Abbas ports.
○ India’s interest in the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC),
which runs through Iran,
■ will improve connectivity with five Central Asian republics will also
get a boost.
● Indian Ocean Security:
○ This would assist India in neutralising China's footprint in Pakistan's
Gwadar port.
○ Also, will help counter China’s alleged String of Pearls Policy.
● Energy Security:
○ Due to the US’ Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
(CAATSA), India has to bring down oil imports to zero.
○ Re-establishment of links between the US and Iran will help India to
procure cheap Iranian oil and aid in energy security.
Way Forward
● After months of delays, the European Union, Iran and the U.S. will go for indirect
talks to resuscitate the deal.
● Continuous Dialogue:
○ All countries part of the 2015 deal should engage constructively and resolve
all issues peacefully and through dialogue.

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 ● Peaceful Globe:
○ Both the USA and Iran must act with strategic restraint as any crisis in West
Asia will not only affect the region as a whole
○ but will have a detrimental impact on global affairs as well.
● In the words of General Omar Bradley,
○ Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
○ We know more about war than about peace, more about killing than living.
○ We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the sermon on the
mount.
Source: TH

International Relations
Palestinian PM calls for Indian support
Syllabus: GS 2, International Relations
In News
● Prime Minister of Palestine Mohammad Shtayyeh has said that,
○ India can play a stabilising role in West Asia by maintaining cooperation
with all related parties.
Israel- Palestine conflict
● It is an age-old tussle over identity and land starting with Jerusalem.
○ It has been more than 100 years that Jews and Arabs are fighting over a
piece of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
● Zionist Movement
○ In 1897, Jews started the movement to escape persecution and establish
their own state in their ancestral homeland, Israel.
○ The World Zionist Organisation was created to advocate for the
establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
○ A large number of Jews started flowing into Palestine and they bought land
and started settling down there.
● Sykes-Picot Agreement
○ By 1916, Palestine came under British control after the Sykes-Picot
Agreement
○ It was a secret agreement between Great Britain and France.
○ This led to the division of the old Ottoman Turkish Empire.
● Balfour Declaration
○ The British foreign secretary James Balfour agreed to the establishment of a
Jewish homeland.

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 ● Nazis gained power in Germany,
○ In 1930’s, the Jews influx to Palestine increased with thousands of them
resettled from Europe to Palestine.
○ Arabs saw this as a threat to their homeland and their conflict reached its
peak as the British Government remained as a mute spectator.
○ Almost 6 million Jews lost their lives in the Holocaust which ignited a
demand of separate Jewish state.
○ Jews claimed Palestine to be their natural home while the Arabs too did not
leave the land and claimed it.
● Two State Solution
○ In 1947, the British Government went to the United Nations to solve the
dispute and decide upon the future of Palestine
○ The UN voted to split the land into two countries. Jewish people accepted
the agreement and declared the independence of Israel.
● First Arab Israel war of 1948
○ Arabs saw the creation of Israel as a part of a conspiracy to move them out
of their land.
○ Consequently, in 1948, the Arab states of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria
declared war on Israel.
○ Israel emerged victoriously and captured the western half of the city, and
Jordan took the eastern part which Israel later captured and annexed.
■ Since then, Israel has expanded settlements in East Jerusalem.
● Creation of PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) in 1964
○ Large number of Palestinians moved out of Israel and settled in refugee
camps near Israel’s border.
○ It was the beginning of the Palestine refugee crisis which ultimately led to
the creation of a terrorist organization PLO.
○ The Palestinians want to make East Jerusalem the capital of their yet to be
formed state.
● Six-Day War 1967
○ Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan and
captured
■ Golan Heights from Syria.
■ West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.
■ Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt.
● Yom Kippur War 1973
○ Under the UN Charter, there can be no territorial gains from war, even by
a state acting in self-defence.

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 ○ In the light of Israel’s reluctance to return the captured territories, another
Arab-Israeli war erupted in 1973 in which Israel suffered.
○ In 1979, as per Israel-Egypt peace treaty, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula
to Egypt.
○ Egypt became the first Arab nation to officially recognize Israel as a state.
● Recent attacks
○ Israeli armed forces have recently attacked the Al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of
a march by Zionist nationalists.
■ The Al Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest shrine for Islam after Mecca
and Medina.
○ Also, earlier in 2021, four Palestinian families were evicted from their
homes in Sheikh Jarrah in favor of Jewish settlers.
■ The issue remains unresolved and potentially inflammable.
● The current outbreak of violence is the most severe involving the rocket-firing by
the Palestinians and the air-strikes conducted by Israelis in retaliation.
India-Palestine Relations
● Historic Ties:
○ India had a historic tradition of supporting the rights of the Palestinian
people.
○ It is also an integral part of the nation’s foreign policy.
● Supporting the Palestinian:
○ India support the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the
establishment of an independent State of Palestine.
○ In 1974, India became the first Non-Arab State to recognize the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of
the Palestinian people.
● India’s position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by
independent views and interests, and not determined by any third country.
Why is India’s support significant?
● India’s growing Profile
○ India is serving as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for
2021-22
○ India was re-elected to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24.
● Palestine wants support in multilateral forums.
○ Also, in recent years, India has broken the tradition of supporting Palestine
at the U.N.
○ In 2019, India voted in favour of Israel at the ECOSOC (Economic and Social
Council)

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 ■ to deny observer status to a Palestinian organisation named Shahed.
○ India abstained during the voting on a resolution calling for investigation
into Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip at the Human Rights Council.
● Political Stability
○ India’s role in multilateral organisations required strenuous efforts in
cooperation with all related parties
■ to achieve security and stability in the MiddleEastand West Asia
● Financial Support
○ Government of India contributed US$ 2 million to the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
India’s role in Middle East
● After Abraham Accord (Israel–UAE normalization agreement)
○ Will help India to move from bilateral relations towards an integrated
regional policy.
○ Regional coalitions are bound to widen Delhi’s reach and deepen its impact.
● India bridging the Arab-Israeli
○ Often the Arab nations and Israel are divided over Palestine.
○ India’s new foreign policy of simultaneous cooperation with Israel and the
Arab world
● New QUAD
○ A new minilateral with the US, UAE and Israel the “new Quad” is under
discussion for the Middle East.
● Beneficial for all
○ India’s scale , Israeli innovation and Emirati capital has a potential to
produce immense benefits.
○ In addition to it the American strategic support would be a powerful
dynamic unfolding in the region.
India’s Look West Policy
● Look West Policy is a strategy to deal with the West Asian nations.
● Adopted by the Indian government in 2005 and has been intensified in the recent
past.
● Look West Policy focus
○ The Arab Gulf countries
○ Israel
○ Iran

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 ● India's Diplomacy
○ India, through what can be viewed as imaginative diplomacy, has attained
a unique position in the world.
○ It has good and growing relations with all major nearby regional powers –
Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Egypt and Israel.
● India’s Success
○ The success of this policy was seen when the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation has not taken a strong stance against India
■ on the issue related to the abrogation of article 370 and 35A and
■ UAE presented the Order of Zayed to PM Modi immediately after to
boost the ties between the two nations.
Constraints with Look West Policy
● Peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine
○ Are not seeing any progress and are challenged by the US’ increasing
inclination towards Israel.
● India’s engagement with Iran
○ Over the Chabahar port is unlikely to eliminate the Pakistan or China
option.
○ One reason is the more modest scale of India’s efforts in Central Asia and
West Asia, especially compared to China’s BRI.
● US Iran tensions
○ US’ unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and the re-imposition of
sanctions on Iran has derailed India’s strategy
○ Intensification of US-Iran tensions and India’s growing inclinations with
the US.
Conclusion
● Strategic autonomy
○ India must take all possible steps to maintain its current position in the
Middle East to have the flexibility and strategic autonomy
○ while also prioritizing the national interests of the country.
● Not Picking Sides
○ India’s decisions are based on a mature understanding and evaluation of
the Israel- Palestine issues
○ India refused to pick a side and called for de-escalation and dialogue.
● Diplomatic Depth
○ Presently, West Asia has become multipolar with powers diffused among
various regional and extra-regional actors.
○ Within this mix, India has pursued an approach that balances against
different parties and their rivalries.

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 ● Legitimacy resolutions
○ India may render support that is parallel and complementary with the
political support of the Palestinian cause
○ In a manner that guarantees the implementation of international legitimacy
resolutions.
Source: TH

International Relations
Oromo Rebels
Syllabus: GS 2/ International Relations
In News
● Ethiopia rebels ‘join forces’ against govt. The two largest rebel groups fighting
Ethiopia’s government have “linked up” on a front line about 230 miles north of
the capital.
About the war
● Ethiopia: is now at crossroads with two forces, the Tigray People's Liberation
Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) waging an endless war with
the federal government led by Abiy Ahmed.
● Tigray region: The war has escalated especially out of the Tigray region and is
now becoming a national concern.
● Tigray People's Liberation Front: The TPLF was formed as a guerrilla army to
fight against Ethiopia’s former communist regime.
○ After emerging victorious, it consolidated power and controlled the
country for nearly three decades, often brutally suppressing dissent.
● Terrorist organizations: Both the TPLF and OLA were designated terrorist
organizations by the government soon after the war began.

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Oromo people
● Ethnic group: The Oromo people are an ethnic group who predominantly inhabit
Oromia and Ethiopia, along with communities in neighboring Kenya and Somalia.
○ They are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa.
● Colonised by Abyssinia: The Oromo remained independent until the last decade
of the 19th century, when they were colonised by Abyssinia.
Oromo conflict
● Armed conflict: The Oromo conflict is an armed conflict between the Oromo
Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ethiopian government.
● Oromia state: The Oromo Liberation Front was formed to fight the Ethiopian
Empire to liberate the Oromo people and establish an independent Oromia state.
● The conflict: began in 1973, when Oromo nationalists established the OLF and its
armed wing, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
● Haile Selassie regime: Under the Haile Selassie regime, the Oromo language was
banned from use in education and in administrative matters.
Conflicted region through map

The Oromo Liberation Front

● Oromo Liberation Front: It is an Ethiopian political party established in 1973 by
Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people
inhabiting today's Oromia Region and Oromia Zone in Amhara Region territory.
● Tigray War: In 2021 during the Tigray War, a division of the ENDF and EDF left
Tigray Region and arrived in Oromia Region to fight against the OLA, according
to Freedom Friday.
Source: TH

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 Indian Economy
Technical Textiles
Syllabus: GS3/ Growth, Development and Employment
In News
● Recently, the Textile minister said the government will support production-
linked incentives (PLIs) for the textile sector in states supporting the development
and offering affordable infrastructure for textile manufacturing like cheap land
and power.
About
● A technical textile is a textile product manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes,
where function is the primary criterion.
● Technical textiles include textiles for automotive applications, medical textiles,
geotextiles, agrotextiles, and protective clothing.

Image Courtesy : ET

Textile Sector in India

● Target:
○ The annual growth rate of the technical textiles sector in the country should
be in the 15%-20% range in the next five years, from the current 8%.
○ It is time to target a five times’ increase in export of technical textiles in three
years.
● Global and India:
○ The world market for technical textiles is $250 billion and India’s share is
$19 billion.
● India being a Net Exporter:
○ The biggest players are the U.S., West European countries, China and Japan.
○ HSN Codes for textiles:

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 ■ In January 2019, the government issued 207 HSN Codes for
technical textiles and in less than two years, India had become a net
exporter of technical textiles.
○ National Technical Textiles Mission:
■ It was unveiled in February 2020
○ Technical textiles:
■ In FY21, India’s major share of technical textile exports was in PPEs,
N-95 and surgical masks, and fabric for PPEs and masks.
■ As many as 92 technical textile items have been made mandatory for
use by government organisations covering agriculture, horticulture,
highways, railways, water resources, and medical applications.
● India’s forte:
○ India has a major presence in packaging textiles, geotechnical textiles, and
agricultural textiles.

Image Courtesy: ET
Benefits
● It will provide an immense boost to domestic manufacturing.
● Prepare the industry for making a big impact in global markets in sync with the
spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
● It will also help attract more investment into this sector.
● It also will help in generating more jobs.

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Significance of Textile Sector in India
● India is the 2nd largest manufacturer and exporter in the world, after China.
● The Textile Sector contributed 2.3% to the GDP of India.
● It contributed 12% to India’s export earnings in FY20.
● It contributed 13% of the industry production in FY20.
● India is the 6th largest producer of Technical Textiles with 6% Global Share (12%
CAGR), largest producer of cotton & jute in the world.
● The Textile industry has around 4.5 crore employed workers including 35.22 lakh
handloom workers across the country which is 21 % of total employment.
● The domestic textiles and apparel market stood at an estimated US$ 100 billion in
FY19.
● India has a share of 5% of the global trade in textiles and apparel.
● The industry (including dyed and printed) attracted Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) worth US$ 3.45 billion from April 2000 to June 2020.
● Cotton production supports 5.8 Million farmers & 40-50 Million people in allied
sectors.
● India is also the second largest producer of silk in the world and 95% of the
world’s hand woven fabric comes from India.
Issues in Textile Sector
● Shortage in supply of raw material: Shutting down some units in China and
Europe due to pollution issues has resulted in an unprecedented rise in prices of
basic raw materials in international markets.
● Increase in cost of raw material: Prices are increasing after many units in China
were shut down due to pollution norms.
● Inflexible labour laws: India's system of labour regulations is rather complex.
There are over 200 labour laws, including a quarter of Central Acts. Several labour
laws such as the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 put limitations on firm size and not
allow manufacturing firms to grow.
● Pressure to meet stringent social and environmental norms: Failing to comply
with environmental regulations can put supply chain in jeopardy, as pressure
mounts for the apparel industry to improve environmental compliance efforts.
● Infrastructure bottlenecks: poor quality of infrastructure in India has been a major
hurdle. This results in Lack of efficiency due to manual work being practiced.
● Highly fragmented: The Indian textile industry is highly fragmented and is being
dominated by the unorganized sector and small and medium industries.
● Uneven regional development: The country’s textile industry is concentrated in a
few pockets of Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west and Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka in the south. A large proportion of workers employed by these units
comes from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

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Government Initiatives
● Government has allowed 100% FDI in the sector under the automatic route.
● A National Technical Textiles Mission is launched to promote research and
development in the textile sector for a period from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
● The New Textiles Policy 2020 for overall development of the sector was released
by the Ministry of Textiles.
● Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved mandatory packaging
of food grains and sugar in jute material for the Jute Year 2019-20.
● Amended Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (A-TUFS), estimated to create
employment for 35 lakh people and enable investment worth Rs. 95,000 crore by
2022.
● Integrated Wool Development Programme (IWDP) to provide support to the
wool sector, starting from wool rearer to end consumer, with an aim to enhance
quality and increase production during 2017-18 and 2019-20.
● The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), approved a new skill
development scheme named 'Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector
(SCBTS)'.
● The following government policies are favourable which provide attractive
incentives to the manufacturers:
○ Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP)
○ Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS)
○ Technology Mission on Technical Textiles (TMTT)
○ Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
○ Integrated Processing Development Scheme (IPDS)
○ Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)
○ Market Development Assistance (MDA) Market Access Initiative (MAI)

National Technical Textiles Mission

● Focus: Developing the usage of technical textiles in various flagship missions,
programmes of the country including strategic sectors.
● Period: 4 years (2020-21 to 2023-24)
● Outlay: Rs. 1480 crores.
● Distribution of Funds:
○ For Research Innovation & Development – Rs. 1000 crores;
○ For Promotion and Market Development- Rs.50 crore;
○ For Education, Training and Skilling- Rs. 400 crore; and
○ For Export Promotion – Rs.10 crores and balance Rs.20 crores for
administrative expenses.

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 ● Promotion of innovation amongst young engineering /technology/ science
standards and graduates is proposed to be taken up by the Mission; alongwith
creation of innovation and incubation centres and promotion of 'start-up' and
Ventures'.
○ Focus on development of biodegradable technical textiles materials,
particularly for agro-textiles, geo-textiles and medical textiles.
○ Development of indigenous machineries and process equipment for
technical textiles, in order to promote 'Make In India' and enable
competitiveness of the industry by way of reduced capital costs.
● Six courses for skill development in the Technical Textiles sector have been on-
boarded on National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) for providing
training in the sector.

Source: TH

Environment
Graded Response Action Plan
Syllabus: GS 3/ Environment
In News
● Residents in Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida breathed this season’s worst air
for the first time since the Graded Response Action Plan came into effect.
About the plan
● M. C. Mehta vs. Union of India: Regarding air quality in the National Capital
Region of Delhi, a Graded Response Action Plan has been prepared for
implementation under different Air Quality Index (AQI) categories namely,
Moderate & Poor, Very Poor, and Severe as per National Air Quality Index.
● Time period: The action plan has been in effect for three years in Delhi and NCR.
● Only an emergency measure: GRAP works only as an emergency measure. As
such, the plan does not include action by various state governments to be taken
throughout the year to tackle industrial, vehicular and combustion emissions.
○ The plan is incremental in nature therefore, when the air quality moves
from ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’, the measures listed under both sections have to
be followed.
● Severe+’ stage: A new category of “Severe+ or Emergency” has been added.
○ If air quality reaches the ‘Severe+’ stage, the response under GRAP includes
extreme measures such as shutting down schools and implementing the
odd-even road-space rationing scheme.
● Agencies involved: The plan requires action and coordination among 13 different
agencies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan (NCR areas). At the head
of the table is the EPCA, mandated by the Supreme Court.

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 ● Implementation: Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change has notified
for implementation of Graded Response Action Plan through Environment
Pollution (Prevention & Control).
● Measures: With a first round of measures including a ban on non-essential use of
diesel generator sets. More measures will kick in as the anticipated increase in
levels of pollution takes place with the arrival of winter.
○ Diesel generator sets can no longer be used in Delhi and the NCR towns of
Noida, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Faridabad, and Gurgaon. The only
exception is DG sets used for emergency and essential services.
● Other measures Taken: Pollution control authorities will begin night patrolling to
check for dust and industrial emissions, as well as the burning of waste.
○ Mechanised sweeping and frequent sprinkling of water on roads (to make
the dust settle) have been directed.
Significance of the plan
● Step-by-step plan: Creating a step-by-step plan for the entire Delhi-NCR region
● Getting on board several agencies: all pollution control boards, industrial area
authorities, municipal corporations, regional officials of the India Meteorological
Department, and others.
● Fixing accountability and deadlines: The biggest success of GRAP has been in
fixing accountability and deadlines. For each action to be taken under a particular
air quality category, executing agencies are clearly marked.
● Three major policy decisions: that can be credited to EPCA and GRAP are the
closure of the thermal power plant at Badarpur, bringing BS-VI fuel to Delhi before
the deadline set initially, and the ban on Pet coke as a fuel in Delhi-NCR.
Criticism of the EPCA as well as GRAP
● Focus on Delhi: One criticism of the EPCA as well as GRAP has been the focus on
Delhi. While other states have managed to delay several measures, citing lack of
resources, Delhi has always been the first to have stringent measures enforced.
● Most polluted city: In 2014, when a study by the World Health Organisation
found that Delhi was the most polluted city in the world, panic spread in the
Centre and the state government.
● Focus on other states: For GRAP as well as EPCA, the next challenge is to extend
the measures to other states effectively.

About AQI
● The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the
bigger the health concern. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered
‘Good’, 51 and 100 ‘Satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘Moderate’, 201 and 300
‘Poor’, 301 and 400 ‘Very Poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘Severe’.

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What is polluting Delhi’s air?
● Landlocked city: Delhi is a landlocked city.
● Urbanisation: From industries to vehicles, urbanisation has its effects on the city’s
air quality.
● Meteorological phenomena: The national capital’s environment is also highly
influenced by different meteorological phenomena- in summer, the air quality is
influenced by dust storms from Rajasthan and in winter it is impacted by calm
conditions and inversion as well as biomass burning in the NCR.

Source: TH

Facts In News
Biodiversity & Environment
Turtle Smuggling
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment, Conservation, Species in News
In News
● Recently, forest officials from Odisha found 40 Indian flapshell turtles (Lissemys
punctata) in baskets in an alleged smuggling racket.
Indian Flapshell Turtle
● It is a freshwater species of turtle and is found in many states.
● The “flap-shelled” name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the
plastron.
● It is a relatively small soft-shell turtle with a carapace length of up to 350
millimetres.

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 ● The fresh water turtle is a scavenger in the river, but has been in decline for a long
time.
● Reasons for Smuggling:
○ For aphrodisiac properties,
○ Livestock feed,
○ To make leather from their skins,
○ To make potions from their blood and
○ To use as fishing bait.
Turtles Types
● There are seven species of sea turtle: Green Sea Turtle, Hawksbill Sea Turtle,
Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle,
Leatherback Sea Turtle and Flatback Sea Turtle.
● There are five species in Indian waters (Leatherback, Loggerhead, Hawksbill,
Green and Olive Ridley).
○ The Hawksbill turtle is listed as 'Critically Endangered' and Green Turtle
is listed as 'Endangereed' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Conservation Plans
● Smuggling of turtles, one of the Class 1 species of the water animal, is a non-
bailable offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
● Sea Turtle Conservation Programme
● Awareness Programmes
● Dedicated Action Plan: India has for the first time devised a dedicated action plan
for the protection and conservation of marine turtles.
Source: DTE

Indian Polity
Vanniyar Community
Syllabus: GS2/ Polity & Governance
In News
 The Madras High Court has quashed the 10.5% special internal reservation
provided by the Tamil Nadu government to Vanniyars, a most backward caste
(MBC).
o The court said the quota was ultra vires to the Constitution.
Vanniyar Community
 Vanniyars are one of the largest and most consolidated backward communities
in the state of Tamil Nadu.

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  They had raised massive protests in the mid-1980s demanding 20% reservation
in the state, and 2% in central services.
 Their movement was backed by the Justice Party as well as the Self-Respect
Movement.
 Background:
o The agitation began in 1986 with activists sending hundreds of letters and
telegrams to then Chief Minister M G Ramachandran seeking an audience.
o As there was no response from MGR and the then Rajiv Gandhi
government, agitators started demonstrations in community strongholds,
then went on to block rail and road traffic.
Source: IE

Health
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine
Syllabus: GS2/ Health
In News
● Recently, new research has found that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
reduced the risk of developing cancer by 62 per cent in women between the ages
of 14 and 16.
About HPV
● Types: HPV is a type of virus, of which there are more than 100 types.
● Transmission: More than 40 types of HPV are spread through direct sexual
contact.
● Symptoms:
○ Most people do not develop any symptoms.
○ The virus can sometimes take years before it causes any symptoms.
● Impacts:
○ Out of these 40, two cause genital warts, while about a dozen of HPV cause
different types of cancer including cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, penile,
vulvar and vaginal.
○ India is home to 16-17 percent of the world’s population, globally 27 per
cent of total cervical cancer cases are from here.
○ In India, about 77 percent cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV 16 and
18.
● HPV Vaccines:
○ Quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil) - Protects against four types of HPV (HPV
16, 18, 6 and 11).
○ Bivalent vaccine (Cervarix)- Protects against HPV 16 and 18 only.

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 ○ Non valent vaccine (Gardasil 9) - Protects against nine strains of HPV.
● HPV vaccination in India:
○ In India, bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines were licensed in 2008 and
a non valent vaccine was licensed in 2018.
○ HPV vaccines are given as a two-dose regimen, six months apart for girls
below the age of 14 years.
○ For those who are 15 and older, the vaccine is given in a three-dose regimen.
Source: IE

Science and Technology

Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW)
Syllabus: GS 3/ Science and Technology, Defence
In News
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air
Force (IAF) have jointly carried out two flight tests of the indigenously-
developed smart anti-airfield weapon.
About
 The project: The SAAW project was approved by the Government of India in
2013. The first successful test of the weapon was conducted in May 2016.
 Maximum range: The system is designed for a maximum range of 100
kilometres.
 Two different configurations: Based on satellite navigation and electro-optical
sensors have been successfully tested.
 The electro-optic sensor: has been developed indigenously.
o Electro optical configuration of the system is equipped with Imaging
Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker technology enhancing the precision strike
capability of the weapon.
 Smooth release and ejection: The newly adapted launcher ensured smooth
release and ejection of the weapon while advanced guidance and navigation
algorithms, software performed as per the mission requirements.
Source: PIB
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