November

1. National Unity Day 2020

Every year, the National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) is celebrated
on 31st October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel.

 The Prime Minister launched the seaplane service from Ahmedabad to

the Statue of Unity, Kevadia.
Key Points
 The day was celebrated for the first time in 2014, when the
Government of India decided to celebrate Patel’s birthday as the National
Unity Day to recognise his monumental contribution and service to the
nation.
 On this day, several events like Run For Unity, a nationwide marathon to
increase awareness about Patel’s contributions, National Unity pledge, Ekta
Parade, etc. are organised.
 In 2018, the Government unveiled the Statue of Unity in Gujarat in
Patel’s honour.
o It is the tallest statue (182-meter) in the world.
o In January 2020, it was added in the ‘Eight Wonders’ of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

 Born: 31st October 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat.
 Achievements:
o First Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.
o Headed various Committees of the Constituent Assembly of
India, namely:
  Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights.
 Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
 Provincial Constitution Committee.
o Integrated the farmer’s cause in Kheda Satyagraha (1918) and Bardoli
Satyagraha (1928) with the national freedom movement.
 Women of Bardoli bestowed the title ‘Sardar’ on Vallabhbhai
Patel, which means ‘a Chief or a Leader’.
o Known as the “Iron Man of India” for playing an important role in
unification and integration of Indian princely states into the Indian
federation and for convincing princely states to align with the Indian
Union.
o Requested the people of India to live together by uniting (Ek
Bharat) in order to create a foremost India (Shresth Bharat).
 This ideology still reflects in the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative which
seeks to make India self-reliant.
o Remembered as the ‘Patron Saint of India’s Civil Servants’ as
he established the modern all-India services system.
 Death: 15th December 1950 in Bombay.

2 . Bru Refugee
In 1997, 37,000 people of the Bru (or Reang) tribe fled to Tripura from
Mizoram, on account of ethnic clashes there. Since then, 5,000 have returned
to Mizoram while 32,000 remain in camps in Tripura. In January this year, an
agreement was signed by the Centre, the two state governments and Bru
representatives to allow the remaining 32,000 to permanently settle in the
state.
This led to protests from Bengali and Mizo groups in Tripura. They claim that
settling thousands of migrants permanently in Kanchanpur sub-division of
North Tripura district would lead to demographic imbalance, exert pressure
on local resources and potentially lead to law and order problems.
Who are the Brus?
They are a community indigenous to the Northeast, living mostly in Tripura,
Mizoram, and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Group. In Mizoram, they were targeted by ethnic
organisations who demanded that the Brus be excluded from electoral rolls.
How did the protests in Tripura develop?
It started with memoranda, demonstrations and press conferences of a newly
formed organisation called Nagarik Suraksha Mancha. These escalated to
highway blockades and violent clashes with police.
The Mizo Convention, a Tripura-based organisation, has teamed up with the
Mancha on a platform called Joint Movement Committee (JMC) and
announced that not more than 1,500 Bru families would be allowed to settle in
Kanchanpur.
Do the Brus have any support in Tripura?
The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) chaired by Pradyot
Deb Barman, scion of the erstwhile Tripura royal family and formerly a
Congress leader, has thrown its support behind the Brus. Pradyot has
demanded action against the killers of the fireman, and called for peace.
The opposition Congress and CPM, on the other hand, have criticised the
police firing.
What is the resettlement plan?
Over the last 10 months, the state has planned 12 resettlement spots across six
districts with 300 families each. Under the agreement, the Centre has
announced a special development project with funding of Rs 600 crore. Each
resettled family will get an estimated 0.03 acres (1.5 gandas) of land for
building a home, Rs 1.5 lakh as housing assistance, and Rs 4 lakh as a one-
time cash benefit for sustenance, a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 and free
rations for two years from the date of resettlement.
If it was agreed, why the protests?
JMC convener Sushanta Baruah said the agitation was started to save
“ancestral lands” from Bru migrants. “Though opposed to the whole idea of
having more people permanently settle within limited resources of the area,
we honoured the agreement signed by central and state governments and
agreed to it. But now the district administration has proposed to set up six of
12 resettlement sites in Kanchanpur alone and settle 5,000 families here,”
Baruah said. He alleged that 650 Bengali families from around Kanchanpur
and 81 Mizo families from Jampui Hill range, who fled due to “atrocities” by
Brus, were yet to be resettled two decades on.
What is the government stand?
The Revenue Department has stressed that Bru migrants would be settled in
various locations identified in six districts. The government has clarified that
concerns about the migrants being settled in one place are false, and appealed
to people to refrain from sharing such content on social media.
Kanchanpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Chandni Chandran denied having
received any policy decision regarding settling 5,000 migrant families within
her jurisdiction. The selection of families of resettlement is still in progress
and no figure can be cited now, she told The Indian Express.
A letter from the North Tripura District Magistrate to the Officer on Special
Duty of the Revenue Department, dated October 28, reads that the district
administration had estimated the fund requirement for permanent settlement
of 6,000 Bru migrants in the district. The figures in the letter show that 5,000
Bru families were estimated to be resettled in six locations in Kanchanpur
sub-division.
How have the Brus reacted?
Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum general secretary Bruno Msha said the
agitation has left migrants in fear and uncertainty. “We are suffering an
economic blockade due to this movement. We haven’t received foodgrains as
per our relief package this month and if this strike continues, we don’t know
how long we can put up,” he said, urging the government to ensure law and
order.

3 . La Nina Weather Phenomenon

La Niña is a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean. In this pattern,
strong winds blow warm water at the ocean’s surface from South America to
Indonesia. As the warm water moves west, cold water from the deep rises to
the surface near the coast of South America.

La Niña weather patterns can cause drier than average years in

some regions of the United States. In those same regions, El Niño
weather patterns can cause wetter than average years.

You’ve probably heard your local weather forecaster talk about rain or storms
caused by El Niño. But have you ever heard of La Niña?

La Niña, like El Niño, is a weather pattern that can occur in the Pacific Ocean
every few years. In a normal year, winds along the equator push warm water
westward. Warm water at the surface of the ocean blows from South America
to Indonesia. As the warm water moves west, cold water from the deep rises
up to the surface. This cold water ends up on the coast of South America.

In the winter of a La Niña year, these winds are much stronger than usual.
This makes the water in the Pacific Ocean near the equator a few degrees
colder than it usually is. Even this small change in the ocean’s temperature
can affect weather all over the world.
Rain clouds normally form over warm ocean water. La Niña blows all of this
warm water to the western Pacific. This means that places like Indonesia and
Australia can get much more rain than usual. However, the cold water in the
eastern Pacific causes less rain clouds to form there. So, places like the
southwestern United States can be much drier than usual.

La Niña is caused by an interaction between the Pacific Ocean and the

atmosphere above. However, it can have effects on weather all over the world.
These changes in the atmosphere can lead to more lightning activity within
the Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf Coast. Also, the environmental
conditions during La Niña can lead to more tropical cyclones—which
include hurricanes—forming in the deep tropics (near the islands in the
Caribbean, for example).

Thankfully, scientists can predict the El Niño and La Niña weather patterns up
to a year before they occur. The GOES-R series of weather satellites can help
weather forecasters map the increased lightning and issue earlier and more
accurate severe weather warnings.
4 . Cyclone Nivar
Recently, the  tropical cyclone  Nivar has made landfall along
the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast.
 Landfall refers to the phenomenon of a cyclone’s outer wall
moving over the coastline and beyond.
Key Points
 Tropical Cyclone:
o A tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates
over warm tropical oceans and is characterized by low
atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain.
o A characteristic feature of tropical cyclones is the eye, a central
region of clear skies, warm temperatures, and low atmospheric
pressure.
o Storms of this type are called hurricanes in the North
Atlantic and eastern Pacific and typhoons in SouthEast
Asia and China. They are called tropical cyclones in
the southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean
region and Willy-willies in north-western Australia.
o Storms rotate anticlockwise in the northern
hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
 Cyclone Nivar:
o It is the fourth cyclone that has taken shape in the North
Indian Ocean region this year. The first three cyclones
were Cyclone Gati (made landfall in Somalia in
November), Cyclone Amphan (eastern India witnessed it in
May), and Cyclone Nisarga (in Maharashtra).
o Nivar will be the second cyclone to hit Tamil Nadu in two
years after Cyclone Gaja in 2018.
o The storm has been named Cyclone Nivar, based on
the guidelines of the World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO). Nivara has been selected from the
list of names given by Iran.
 According to WMO guidelines, countries in every region are
supposed to give names for cyclones.
 The North Indian Ocean Region covers tropical cyclones
formed over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
 The 13 members, which come under the region, are
Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri
 Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and
Yemen.
 A total of 169 cyclones were named by these countries for
this year, with 13 names from each country.
o It has weakened from a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe
cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 km per hour.

 Government Steps:
o The Tamil Nadu government has announced a public
holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, in
16 districts, including Chennai, considering the impact of
Cyclone Nivar.
o Fishing activities have been restricted and residents
evacuated in coastal areas hit by the cyclone. The National
Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed its teams
in the affected regions.

5 . Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

The Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has criticised Government of
India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Babri
Masjid verdict of the Supreme Court.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

 The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second
largest intergovernmental organization after the United
Nations with a membership of 57 states.
 It is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to
safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of
promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the
world.
 It was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took
place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on the 25th of September 1969.
 Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
 India is not a member of the OIC. However, India was invited as a
guest of honour at 46th  Session of the Council of Foreign
Minister in 2019. 2019 is the 50th anniversary of OIC.

6 . Interpretation of Article 32
Why in News
Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), during a hearing of a plea, said
that the court is trying to discourage petitions filed under Article 32.

Key Points
 CJI’s View: CJI noted that there is a spate of Article 32 petitions and
reiterated that the High Court can also uphold fundamental rights
(under article 226).
 Article 32 of the Constitution (Right to Constitutional
Remedies): It is a fundamental right, which states that individuals
have the right to approach the Supreme Court (SC) seeking enforcement
of other fundamental rights recognised by the Constitution.
o The SC has power to issue directions or orders or writs for the
enforcement of any of the fundamental rights. The writs issued may
include habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition,
certiorari and quo-warranto.
o The right to move the SC shall not be suspended except as otherwise
provided for by the Constitution. Thus, the Constitution provides that the
President can suspend the right to move any court for the enforcement of
the fundamental rights during a national emergency (Article 359).
o In case of the enforcement of Fundamental Rights, the jurisdiction of
the SC is original but not exclusive. It is concurrent with the
jurisdiction of the high court under Article 226.
 Original, because an aggrieved citizen can directly go to the SC, not
necessarily by way of appeal.
 Concurrent means when the Fundamental Rights of a citizen are
violated, the aggrieved party has the option of moving either the
high court or the Supreme Court directly.
o Since the right guaranteed by Article 32 (ie, the right to move the SC
where a fundamental right is infringed) is in itself a fundamental right,
the availability of alternate remedy is no bar to relief under
Article 32.
 However, the SC has ruled that where relief through the high court
o
is available under Article 226, the aggrieved party should first move
the high court.
o In the Chandra Kumar case (1997), the SC ruled that the writ
jurisdiction of both the high court and the Supreme
Court constitute a part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
 Counter-Argument:
o Even as the SC underlines the powers of the high courts, it has in
the past transferred cases to itself from the high courts.
 Most recently, the SC transferred the case involving land use for the
national capital’s Central Vista project to itself from the Delhi High
Court. Incidentally, the petitioners had not sought such a transfer.
o When such transfers are made, the petitioners lose a stage of
appeal that would otherwise have been available had the high courts
heard and decided the case.
o Recently, the SC also conveyed its concerns that in many matters
involving personal liberty, the High Courts are not exercising their
jurisdiction as constitutional courts.
Article 226 of the Constitution

 Article 226 of the Constitution empowers a high court to issue

writs including habeas corpus, mandamus, certiorari, prohibition and quo
warranto for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the
citizens and for any other purpose.
o The phrase ‘for any other purpose’ refers to the enforcement of an
ordinary legal right. This implies that the writ jurisdiction of the
high court is wider than that of the SC.
 This is because the SC can issue writs only for the enforcement of
fundamental rights and not for any other purpose, that is, it does
not extend to a case where the breach of an ordinary legal right is alleged.
 The high court can issue writs to any person, authority and
government not only within its territorial jurisdiction but also
outside its territorial jurisdiction if the cause of action arises within
its territorial jurisdiction.

7 . US Presidential election
8 . 15th Finance Commission Recommendations: Resource
Recently, the government accepted the 15th  Finance Commission’s
recommendation to maintain the States’ share in the divisible pool
of taxes to 41% for the five-year period starting 2021-22.

 The Commission’s Report was tabled in the Parliament.

15th Finance Commission

 The Finance Commission (FC) is a constitutional body, that

determines the method and formula for distributing the tax proceeds
between the Centre and states, and among the states as per the
constitutional arrangement and present requirements.
 Under Article 280 of the Constitution, the President of India is
required to constitute a Finance Commission at an interval of five years or
earlier.
 The 15th Finance Commission was constituted by the President of India in
November 2017, under the chairmanship of NK Singh. Its
recommendations will cover a period of five years from the year
2021-22 to 2025-26.

9. What is the Roshni Act?

 The Roshni Act  was originally called the Jammu and Kashmir
State Land (Vesting of Ownership Rights to the Occupants)
Act, 2001.
It was enacted in 2001 during the National Conference regime led by
Farooq Abdullah in the State.
As per the Act, the ownership rights of State land would be transferred
to its occupants on the payment of a fee fixed by the government.
The year 1990 was set as the cut-off date for encroachment on state
land.
The Roshni Act was an ambitious project to meet Jammu and
Kashmir’s chronic power crisis.
It was the govts calculation that regularising 20 lakh kanals of State
land under occupation of locals would help it raise ₹25,000 crore.
The proceeds received would be used to set up hydroelectricity projects
in the State to generate extra power.
What were the subsequent amendments made to the Roshni Act?
Ghulam Nabi Azad also effected a number of amendments to the Act
when he was Chief Minister. The amendments extended the cut-off
date from 1990 to 2004, which was later extended till 2007.
According to the fresh amendments, further relaxation was granted to
occupants on the market prices fixed earlier in 2001.
Why is a two decades-old law under the scanner?
The Comptroller and Auditor General tabled a report  before
the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 2014 and pointed out
irregularities in implementing the Act. 
A public interest litigation was filed by a Jammu-based activist S.K.
Bhalla in 2011, alleging that politicians, bureaucrats and revenue
officers were hand in glove in committing fraud under the Act.
In 2018, then governor Satya Pal Malik repealed the Act, saying it failed
to meet its objectives.
In October 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court held the Roshni
Act as ‘unconstitutional’.
The Jammu and Kashmir government had initially agreed to
implement the High Court order. But it has now filed a review
petition, saying “a large number of common people would suffer ”.
10 . UP Ordinance on Unlawful Conversions
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has recently passed an ordinance to
deal with unlawful religious conversions, which are in opposition of
various judgements of the Supreme Court (SC).

Key Points
 UP Unlawful Religious Conversion Prohibition Ordinance, 2020:
o It makes religious conversion for marriage a non-bailable offence and
the onus will be on the defendant to prove that conversion was not
for marriage.
o The notice period to the District Magistrate for the religious conversion
is two months.
o In case of conversion done by a woman for the sole purpose of
marriage, the marriage would be declared null and void.
o Violation of the provisions of the law would invite a jail term of not less
than one year extendable to five years with a fine of Rs. 15,000.
o If a minor woman or a woman from the Scheduled Caste (SC)
or Scheduled Tribe (ST) converts, the jail term would be a minimum
of three years and could be extended to 10 years with a fine of Rs.
25,000.
o The ordinance also lays down strict action, including cancellation of
registration of social organisations conducting mass
conversions, which would invite a jail term of not less than three years
and up to 10 years and a fine of Rs. 50,000.
 Supreme Court on Marriage and Conversion:
o The SC in its various judgments, has held that faith, the state and
the courts have no jurisdiction over an adult’s absolute right to
choose a life partner.
o India is a “free and democratic country” and any interference by
the State in an adult’s right to love and marry has a “chilling
effect” on freedoms.
o Intimacies of marriage lie within a core zone of privacy, which
is inviolable and the choice of a life partner, whether by marriage or
outside it, is part of an individual's “personhood and identity”.
o The absolute right of an individual to choose a life partner is not in the
least affected by matters of faith.
 Related Previous Judgements:
o Hadiya Judgement 2017:
 Matters of dress and of food, of ideas and ideologies, of
love and partnership are within the central aspects
of identity. Neither the State nor the law can dictate a choice of
partners or limit the free ability of every person to decide on these
matters.
o K.S. Puttuswamy or ‘privacy’ Judgment 2017:
 Autonomy of the individual was the ability to make decisions in vital
matters of concern to life.
o Lata Singh Case 1994:
  The apex court held that India is going through a “crucial
transformational period” and the “Constitution will remain
strong only if we accept the plurality and diversity of our
culture”.
 Relatives disgruntled by the inter-religious marriage of a loved one
could opt to “cut off social relations” rather than resort to violence
or harassment.
o Soni Gerry case, 2018:

 The SC warned judges from playing “super-guardians”, succumbing

to “any kind of sentiment of the mother or the egotism of the
father”.
o Salamat Ansari-Priyanka Kharwar case of Allahabad High
Court 2020:
 The right to choose a partner or live with a person of choice was part of a
citizen’s fundamental right to life and liberty (Article 21).
 It also held that earlier court rulings upholding the idea of religious
conversion for marriage as unacceptable are not good in law.
Way Forward
 Thus, the government implementing such laws needs to ensure that these
do not curb one’s Fundamental Rights or hamper the national
integration instead, these laws need to strike a
balance between freedoms and malafide conversions.

11 . RCEP
Recently, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP) was signed into existence by 15 countries led by China, Japan,
South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-state ASEAN grouping,
creating one of the world’s largest trading blocs.

India had been a part of negotiations for almost nine years till it pulled out in
November 2019, stating that inadequate safeguards and lowering of customs
duties will adversely impact its manufacturing, agriculture and dairy sectors.

However, by staying out, India has blocked itself from a trade bloc that
represents 30% of the global economy and world population, touching over
2.2 billion people.

Further, as the summary of the final agreement shows that the pact does cover
and attempt to address some issues that India had flagged, including rules of
origin, trade in services, movement of persons. Therefore, this makes the case
of India to review its decision and look RCEP through the lens of economic
realism.

Reasons for India's Withdrawal

 Unfavourable Balance of Trade: Though trade has increased the post-
Free Trade Agreement with South Korea, ASEAN countries and Japan,
imports have risen faster than exports from India.
o According to a paper published by NITI Aayog, India has a bilateral trade
deficit with most of the member countries of RCEP.
 Chinese Angle: India has already signed FTA with all the countries of
RCEP except China. Trade data suggests that India’s deficit with China,
with which it does not have a trade pact, is higher than that of the
remaining RCEP constituents put together.
o This trade deficit is the primary concern for India, as after signing RCEP
cheaper products from China would have flooded the Indian market.
o Further, from a geopolitical perspective, RCEP is China-led or is intended
to expand China's influence in Asia.
 Non-acceptance of Auto-trigger Mechanism: To deal with the
imminent rise in imports, India had been seeking an auto-trigger
mechanism.
o Auto-trigger Mechanism would have allowed India to raise tariffs on
products in instances where imports cross a certain threshold.
o However, other countries in the RCEP were against this proposal.
 Protection of Domestic Industry: India had also reportedly expressed
apprehensions on lowering and eliminating tariffs on several products like
dairy, steel etc.
o For instance, the dairy industry is expected to face stiff competition from
Australia and New Zealand.
o Currently, India’s average bound tariff for dairy products is on average
35%.
o The RCEP binds countries to reduce that current level of tariffs to zero
within the next 15 years.
 Lack of Consensus on Rules of Origin: India was concerned about a
“possible circumvention” of rules of origin.
o Rules of origin are the criteria used to determine the national source of a
product.
o Current provisions in the deal reportedly do not prevent countries from
routing, through other countries, products on which India would maintain
higher tariffs.
Reasons For India to Review
 Global Economic Stagnation due to Covid-19: With global trade and
the economy facing a steep decline due to Covid-19 pandemic, RCEP can
serve as a bulwark in containing the free fall of the global economy and re-
energising economic activity.
o Further, the RCEP presents a unique opportunity to support India’s
economic recovery, inclusive development and job creation even as it
helps strengthen regional supply chains.
 Need For Economic Realism: India should deter seeing RCEP only
from the Chinese perspective.
o India should acknowledge that the trade bloc represents 30% of the global
economy and world population, touching over 2.2 billion people, and
staying out of RCEP may result in suboptimal economic growth without
leveraging Asia-Pacific demand.
o In this regard, India can draw inspiration from Japan & Australia, as they
chose to bury their geopolitical differences with China to prioritise what
they collectively see as a mutually beneficial trading compact.
 Strategic Need: It is not just because gains from trade are significant, but
the RCEP’s membership is a prerequisite to having a say in shaping RCEP’s
rules.
o This is necessary to safeguard India’s interests and the interests of several
countries that are too small to stand up to the largest member, China.
o Moreover, staying out of RCEP may also affect India's Act East policy.
Conclusion
Acknowledging India’s economic heft and value as a market, the RCEP
members have left the door open for India for inviting it to be an observer
member and also waived a critical 18-month cooling period for interested
applicants.

Given the global economic scenario in present times and the near future, it
would be in India’s interest to dispassionately review its position on RCEP and
carry out structural reforms that will help India to mitigate some of the
repercussions arising from the RCEP.

12 . Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

(SCO)
Recently, India for the first time hosted the heads of governments (HoG)
meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), three years after
joining the eight-nation group. The focus of this virtual conference was in
developing a plan to overcome the socio-economic consequences of Covid-
19 in the region.

In less than two decades, SCO has emerged as a key regional organisation in
the Eurasian space. It accounts for over 60% of Eurasia's territory, more than
40% of the world's population, and almost a quarter of the world's GDP.

Given the increasing role and significance of the SCO in the Eurasian region
and beyond, India is likely to benefit more in the long-term by joining the
organisation. Therefore, SCO provides the opportunity for India to fulfil its
national interest while cautiously navigating through challenges.

Opportunities For India

 Regional Security: SCO will enable India, as an integral part of the
Eurasian security grouping, to neutralise centrifugal forces arising from
religious extremism and terrorism in the region.
o The drawdown of Western forces from Afghanistan and the rise of Islamic
State (IS) with its stated intention to create ‘Khorasan’ have added a new
explosive dimension to the region's security landscape.
 Embracing Regionalism: The SCO is one of the few regional structures
India is a part of now, given a decline in its engagement with SAARC,
BBIN and the RCEP.
o More importantly, cooperation in three critical areas— energy, building
trade and transportation links, and dealing with traditional and non-
traditional security threats— can be facilitated through the SCO
mechanism.
 Connect With Central Asia: SCO is also a potential platform to advance
India’s Connect Central Asia policy.
o India’s ongoing engagement with SCO can be seen through the prism of
reconnecting and re-energising ties with a region with which India has
shared civilizational linkages, and is considered the country’s extended
neighbourhood.
o The SCO provides India with a convenient channel for its outreach —
trade and strategic ties — to Central Asian countries.
Note:
 The foundation of India’s economic outreach to Central Asia is based on its
2012 Connect Central Asia Policy with its focus on the 4 C’s - Commerce,
Connectivity, Consular and Community.
 Dealing With Pakistan & China: SCO provides India with a forum
where it can constructively engage both China and Pakistan in a regional
context and project India’s security interests.
o While the government has eschewed meetings with Pakistan for the last
five years, it has used the SCO for talks with China, including this year
amidst the LAC stand-off.
 Bringing Stability in Afganistan: SCO also an alternative regional
platform to delve into the rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan and the
centrifugal forces arising from religious extremism and terrorism in the
region which threaten India’s security and development.
 Strategic Balancing: Above all, the SCO has been seen as a grouping
worth pursuing as it retains India’s geopolitical balance, a useful
counterpoint to New Delhi’s otherwise much more robust relations with the
western world.
 Foundational Dimensions of SECURE: Acknowledging the strategic
importance emanating from the region and SCO, the Indian Prime Minister
had articulated the foundational dimension of Eurasia
being 'SECURE’. The letters in the word SECURE are:
o S for Security of our citizens,
o E for Economic development for all,
o C for Connecting the region,
o U for Unite our people,
o R for Respect for Sovereignty and Integrity, and
o E for Environment protection.
Challenges That India Needs to Navigate
 Denial Of Direct Land Connectivity: A major impediment in India’s
expanded engagement with Eurasia remains the strategic denial of direct
land connectivity between India and Afghanistan and beyond by Pakistan.
o It is due to this, India’s bilateral trade with Central Asia stands at about $2
billion and with Russia about $10 billion in 2017.
o In contrast, China’s trade with Russia has crossed $100 billion in 2018
while the bilateral figures for Central Asia stand at over $50 billion.
o The lack of connectivity has also hampered the development of energy ties
between the hydrocarbon-rich region and India
 Growing Russia-China Convergence: One of the major factors for
Russia pushing India’s inclusion into the SCO was to balance China’s
power.
o However, today the challenge India faces is the growing closeness of
Russia and China, even as India has promoted better relations with the
US.
o Further, the new equation of growing Russia — China — Pakistan
triangular convergence of interests is a challenge that needs to be
navigated.
 Difference Over BRI: While India has made its opposition to BRI clear,
all other SCO members have embraced the Chinese project.
 India-Pakistan Rivalry: SCO members have, in the past, expressed fears
of the organisation being held hostage to India’s and Pakistan’s adversarial
relationship, and their fears would likely have worsened in recent times.
Way Forward
 Improving Connectivity With Central Asia: India can seek to
capitalise on Russian concerns about China exercising disproportionate
influence in Central Asia. Moreover, Central Asian states are also keen for
India to play a bigger role in the region.
o However, in order to succeed, India would first have to improve its own
standing in the region.
o In this context, the opening of Chabahar port and entry into Ashgabat
agreement  should be utilized for a stronger presence in Eurasia besides
a clear focus on operationalising International North-South
Transport Corridor (INSTC).
 Improving Relations With China: It is imperative that India and
China set up a modus vivendi (agreement allowing conflicting parties to
coexist peacefully) for the 21st century to be viewed through the lens of an
Asia century.
o This sentiment was aptly reflected in Prime Minister Modi’s statement at
the 2018 Shangri La Dialogue wherein he stated: "Asia of rivalry will
hold us all back. Asia of cooperation will shape this century."
 Improving Relation With Pakistan: SCO’s emphasis on promoting
economic cooperation, trade, energy and regional connectivity should be
leveraged to improve relations with Pakistan and persuade it to unblock
India’s access to Eurasia and provide a fillip to projects like TAPI.
 Strengthening Military Corporation: In the context of increasing
terrorism in the region, it is imperative for SCO countries to develop a
‘cooperative and sustainable security’ framework and make the Regional
Anti-Terrorist Structure more effective.
Conclusion
An evolving objective of SCO now appears to increase not just its regional but
also its global strategic and economic profile. In this scenario, India, as a new
member of SCO, will need to formulate an appropriate Eurasian strategy.

This strategy should serve India’s regional interests to ensuring sustainable

nation-building through development partnerships, maintaining sovereignty,
preventing the region from being a hub of terrorism and extremism. At the
same time, it is also in India’s interest that this region does not evolve into a
geopolitical chessboard of new great game rivalries.

13 - United states exits from paris agreement

Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised the agreement as

economically detrimental and claimed it could cost the
country 2.5 million jobs by 2025.
 The US formally exited the Paris Climate Agreement on Wednesday
amid election uncertainty, three years after President Donald Trump
announced his intent to remove the country from participating in the
landmark global pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
President Trump originally announced his intention to withdraw from
the agreement in 2017 and formally notified the United Nations last
year.
The US exited the pact after a mandatory year-long waiting period
ended on Wednesday.
The historic accord seeks to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees
Celsius, the value that climate scientists have determined will have
disastrous consequences if exceeded.
Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised the agreement as economically
detrimental and claimed it could cost the country 2.5 million jobs by
2025.
He also said it gave other major emitters, like China and India, a free
pass.
The US is the only country to withdraw from the global pact. It can still
attend negotiations and give opinions, but is relegated to observer
status.
Mr Trump stated that he intended to renegotiate the details of the
United States’s membership within the Paris Agreement that can better
protect US workers in industries like coal, paper, and steel.
The US is the second leading producer of all carbon dioxide emissions
globally, behind China.

14 - Generalized System of Preferences

(GSP) trade privilege:

Context:
India is likely to press Biden Administration for early restoration of the
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade privilege for India.
When was it withdrawn?
The privilege was withdrawn by outgoing President Donald Trump’s
administration in Washington DC in June 2019 and India has been prodding
the United States to restore it.
What is the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)?
It is a U.S. trade program designed to promote economic growth in
the developing world by providing preferential duty-free entry for
up to 4,800 products from 129 designated beneficiary countries and
territories.

 GSP was instituted on January 1, 1976, by the Trade Act of

1974.
 GSP has been given on non-reciprocal basis. Yet the US has
linked it with market access and tariff reduction which is against
the basic tenets of GSP.

What is the objective of GSP?

 The objective of GSP was to give development support to poor

countries by promoting exports from them into the developed
countries.
 GSP promotes sustainable development in beneficiary countries by
helping these countries to increase and diversify their trade with
the United States.

Benefits of GSP:

 Indian exporters benefit indirectly – through the benefit that

accrues to the importer by way of reduced tariff or duty free entry
of eligible Indian products
 Reduction or removal of import duty on an Indian product makes
it more competitive to the importer – other things (e.g.
quality) being equal.
 This tariff preference helps new exporters to penetrate a market
and established exporters to increase their market share and to
improve upon the profit margins, in the donor country.

15 - What is the Sino-British Joint

Declaration?
Context:
Britain has accused China of breaking its international treaty obligations, after
four pro-democracy lawmakers were ousted from Hong Kong’s legislature on
security grounds.

 Britain said the new rules to disqualify elected assembly members

was “a clear breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint
Declaration”.

What is it?

 It is an agreement signed by Britain and China in 1984 to

settle the future of Hong Kong.
  The two governments agreed China would reassume control of
Hong Kong, which was occupied by Britain after the Opium
War in 1840, from July 1, 1997.
 The declaration was later deposited with the United Nations.

What are the main points of the joint declaration?

 It states that China’s basic policies regarding Hong Kong which

“will remain unchanged for 50 years”, including the promise
that the city would retain a high degree of autonomy.
 It also states that Hong Kong’s legal and judicial system would also
be unchanged for 50 years after 1997.
 It held that Britain would be would be responsible for the
administration of Hong Kong until 1997 and the Chinese
government would give its cooperation.

Is the joint declaration still valid now that Beijing governs Hong
Kong?
The high degree of autonomy that Beijing pledged to grant Hong Kong has
been a thorny subject since the 1997 handover.
The issue was exacerbated in June 2014 when the State Council released a
white paper stating that Beijing had “comprehensive jurisdiction” over
Hong Kong.

 Now, China says the declaration was “now void and covered only
the period from the signing in 1984 until the handover in 1997”.
 But, the Britain argues the agreement remained in effect and was a
legally binding agreement that must be honoured.

16 . Asia Pcific Economic cooperation

Recently, a virtual meeting of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) forum was held.

 The meeting was hosted by Malaysia. New Zealand will also host

next year's APEC meetings virtually due to the pandemic.
Key Points
 With growth in the Asia-Pacific region expected to decline by
2.7% this year, from a 3.6% growth in 2019, APEC's focus was on
accelerating economic recovery and developing an affordable vaccine.
 Focus Areas: Trade and investment, Digital Economy and Technology,
Structural Reform, Economic and Technical Cooperation and Thematic and
institutional matters.
o APEC leaders adopted the Putrajaya Vision 2040, a new 20-year
growth vision to replace the Bogor Goals named after the Indonesian
town where leaders agreed in 1994 to free and open trade and investment.
 o Recognised the importance of a free, open, fair, non-
discriminatory, transparent and predictable trade and
investment environment to drive economic recovery at such a
challenging time (Covid-19).
o Discussed the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP)
agenda and the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap
(AIDER).
 China has become the main driving force behind the grouping after
the United States began withdrawing from multilateral
bodies during Trump's presidency.
o But Trump made the surprise decision to take part in this year's event,
after not participating at APEC since 2017.
 China’s Stand:
o It vowed to keep its “super-sized” economy open for business and warned
against protectionism as the world battles the Covid-19 pandemic. It
needs to be noted that Trump’s "America First" policy has alienated
trading partners.
 After the signing of the world’s largest trade pact ‘Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)’, China is trying to
set the agenda for global commerce.
 Although China is promoting openness in trade, its own actions go
against it, for example:
 Australian exports of beef, wine and barley to China, their biggest
market, have been restricted.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

 Established: 1989
 Members: 21
 India is not a Member.
 Member Nations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong,
Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua
New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei,
Thailand, Vietnam and the United States.
 Its 21 member economies are home to around 2.8 billion people and
represented approximately 59% of world GDP and 49% of world
trade in 2015.
India and APEC

 India had requested membership in APEC, and received initial support

from the United States, Japan, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Officials
have decided not to allow India to join as India does not border the
Pacific Ocean, which all current members do.
 India was invited to be an observer for the first time in November
2011.
 Reasons for India to join APEC:
 India will be more integrated with the global economy since APEC
o
economies constitute an important trading bloc in the world.
o It will help India bargain and negotiate a better deal with the countries of
the Asia-Pacific region.
 Expected Benefits to APEC:
o In India, APEC will find an alternate market for labour, consumers and
investments, and an additional counterweight to help check unilateral
economic ambitions in the region.
o It will also help APEC embrace some notion of ‘Indo-Pacific’ and give
it a renewed purpose in a renewed 21st century.

17 - Food and Agriculture organization

(FAO) Council approves India’s
proposal to observe an International
Year of Millets in 2023.
Topics Covered:

1. Development processes and the development industry – the role of

NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities,
institutional and other stakeholders.
2. Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
3. Food processing and related industries in India – scope and
significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements,
supply chain management.

 
Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) Council approves India’s
proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023.
 
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has said that
the 160th session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Council, currently underway in Rome, approved India’s proposal to
observe an International Year of Millets in 2023.
In addition, the FAO Council also approved India’s membership to
the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food Program
(WFP) for 2020 and 2021.
 
Minister’s statement:

 This international endorsement comes in the backdrop of India

celebrating 2018 as the National Year of Millets for promoting
cultivation and consumption of these nutria-cereals.
  This is further supported by increase in Minimum Support
Prices (MSP) of millets.
 Millets consists of Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and minor millets
together termed as nutria-cereals.
 Through the Department of Food and Public Distribution,
State Governments are allowed to procure jowar, bajra, maize and
ragi from framers at MSP.

 
About FAO –
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is specialized agency of
the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
Headquarters: Rome, Italy
Founded: 16 October 1945
Goal of FAO: Their goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure
that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active,
healthy lives.
 
FAO Council –
Origin: Established by the Conference at its Third Session (1947) to replace
the original “Executive Committee of FAO” in accordance with a
recommendation of the Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals.
Purpose: The Council, within the limits of the powers, acts as the
Conference’s executive organ between sessions.

 It exercises functions dealing with the world food and agriculture

situation and related matters, current and prospective activities of
the Organization, including its Programme of Work and Budget,
administrative matters and financial management of the
Organization and constitutional matters.

18 - EOS-01, India’s latest earth observation satellite that was

launched today

India sent its first space mission in almost a year with a launch of EOS-01, an earth observation satellite, this
afternoon. EOS-01, along with nine satellites from foreign countries, was launched by a PSLV rocket twelve
minutes past three.
This is ISRO’s first mission since the launch of RISAT-2BR1, another earth observation satellite similar to
EOS-01, on December 11 last year. After that, ISRO had also sent communication satellite GSAT-30 in
space in January this year, but that was done using an Ariane rocket launched from French Guiana.

19 - CREW 1 MISSION
What is SpaceX-NASA’s upcoming Crew-1 mission launch?

Context:
NASA has certified SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and the Falcon 9
rocket, making it the first spacecraft certification provided by the space
agency.
This means SpaceX can now operate regular flights to the space station.

 SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy

Space Center in Florida on November 14.

What is the Crew-1 mission?

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, whose objective is to make
access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew can be easily
transported to and from the ISS, enabling greater scientific research.

 Significantly, Crew-1 will be the first operational flight of the

SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the
ISS and is the first of the three scheduled flights scheduled over
the course of 2020-2021.

About the SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule:

It will carry up to four astronauts on NASA missions, maintaining a space station
crew of seven to maximize time dedicated to scientific research on the orbiting
laboratory.
What will members of Crew-1 do at the ISS?

 The Crew-1 team will conduct microgravity studies.

 Some of the research that the crew is carrying with themselves includes
materials to investigate food physiology, which will study the effects of
dietary improvements on immune function and the gut microbiome and
how those improvements can help crews adapt to spaceflight.
 Once in orbit, astronauts will collect samples to provide data to scientists
back on Earth so that they can continue to study how dietary changes
affect his body.
 Another experiment aboard is a student-designed experiment
titled, “Genes in Space-7” that aims to understand how spaceflight
affects brain function.

20 - ISRO’s Shukrayaan:
Context:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has short-listed 20
space-based experiment proposals for its proposed Venus orbiter
mission ‘Shukrayaan’.
About Shukrayaan:
It is a mission to study Venus for more than four years.
Scientific objectives: Investigation of the surface processes and shallow
subsurface stratigraphy; and solar wind interaction with Venusian
Ionosphere, and studying the structure, composition and dynamics of the
atmosphere.
The satellite is planned to be launched onboard GSLV Mk II rocket.
The proposed orbit is expected to be around 500 x 60,000 km around
Venus. This orbit is likely to be reduced gradually, over several months to a
lower apoapsis (farthest point).

Why study Venus?

 Venus is often described as the “twin sister” of the

Earth because of the similarities in size, mass, density, bulk
composition and gravity.
 It is believed that both planets share a common origin, forming at
the same time out of a condensing nebulosity around 4.5 billion
years ago.
 Venus is around 30 per cent closer to the Sun as compared to
Earth resulting in much higher solar flux.

21 - RAMSAR CONVENTION
Recently, the Meteor lake at Lonar in Buldhana district
of Maharashtra and the Soor Sarovar at Agra have been
declared Ramsar sites, a conservation status conferred by International
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
 Earlier this year Kabartal Wetland (Bihar) and Asan Conservation
Reserve (Uttrakhand) were also designated as Ramsar sites.
 With latest inclusions, the total number of Ramsar sites in India is 41,
the highest in South Asia.
Key Points

 Lonar Lake
o Location:
 The Lonar lake, situated in the Deccan Plateau’s volcanic basalt rock,
was created by the impact of a meteor 35,000 to 50,000 years ago.
 The lake is part of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary which falls under the
unified control of the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR).
o It is also known as Lonar crater and is a notified National Geo-heritage
Monument. Geo-heritage refers to the geological features which are
inherently or culturally significant offering insight to earth’s evolution or
history to earth science or that can be utilized for education.
o It is the second Ramsar site in Maharashtra after Nandur
Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary in Nashik district.
o The water in the lake is highly saline and alkaline, containing special
microorganisms like anaerobes, Cyanobacteria and
phytoplankton.
 Soor Sarovar Lake:

o It is also known as Keetham lake situated within the Soor Sarovar

Bird Sanctuary, which was declared as a bird sanctuary in the year 1991.
o Location:
 This lake is situated alongside river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
 The Soor Sarovar bird sanctuary covered an area of 7.97 sq km.
o It is today home to more than 165 species of migratory and resident
birds.
o It also has a Bear Rescue centre for rescued dancing bears.
 Benefits:
o With Ramsar status, the sites will benefit in terms of international
publicity and prestige.
o They will get Financial aid through the convention’s grant and also
access to expert advice on national and site-related problems.
Ramsar Site

 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental

treaty adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern
shore of the Caspian Sea.
 It came into force for India on 1st February, 1982. Those wetlands
which are of international importance are declared as Ramsar
sites.
 The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all
wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation,
as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout
the world.
 The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of
Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological
character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of
technological developments, pollution or other human interference. It
is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.
 At present, two wetlands of India are in Montreux Record:
o Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and
o Loktak Lake (Manipur).
 Chilika Lake (Odisha) was placed in the record but later removed from it.
22 - PIZIFIER
The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (INN: tozinameran), sold
under the brand name Comirnaty,[3] is an mRNA-based COVID-19
vaccine developed by the German company BioNTech. It is authorized for use
in people aged 12 years and older in some jurisdictions and for people 16 years
and older in other jurisdictions,[3][11][15][20][21] to provide protection
against infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.[3]
[15] For its development BioNTech collaborated with Pfizer, an American
company, for support with clinical trials, logistics, and manufacturing.[22]
[23] In China, BioNTech is partnered with China-based Fosun Pharma for
development, marketing, and distribution rights and the vaccine is
colloquially described as the Fosun–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.[24]
[25][26][27][28][29][30] The vaccine is given by intramuscular injection. It is
composed of nucleoside-modified mRNA (modRNA) encoding a mutated
form of the full-length spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is encapsulated
in lipid nanoparticles.[31] Vaccination requires two doses given three weeks
apa
 Jallikattu is India’s entry for 93rd Academy
24 -

Awards
Malayalam film Jallikattu, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, has been selected as India’s
official entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy
Awards. Jallikattu is the third Malayalam film after Guru (1997) and Adaminte Makan
Abu (2011) to be chosen as the country’s official entry for the Oscars.

“It is a great honour,” Lijo told The Hindu.

Jallikattu will certainly face stiff competition at the Oscars, but do not be surprised if it
becomes the first Indian film to get that honour after Lagaan in 2001. Before that, Mother
India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988) had made the grade.

Jallikattu offers hope because it is the kind of films that often make the shortlist at the
Oscars.

It is brilliantly made, original and has a beautiful rawness that could appeal to an audience
beyond Kerala and India.

Based on Maoist
Based on writer S. Hareesh’s acclaimed story Maoist, the film that explores the human
psyche follows a buffalo that escapes the butcher’s hold when he is about to slaughter it.
The beast runs helter-skelter, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Before long, the entire village, located in the wild high ranges, is out to trap the elusive
buffalo. With every mile that it covers, the buffalo unravels the animosities, the violence,
and the selfish interests simmering beneath in the village, which is calm on its surface.

Salim Ahamed, the director of Adaminte Makan Abu, believes Jallikattu could impress

the members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, who shortlist the
films for the Oscars. “I think Jallikattu is the best film India has entered for the Oscars for
a long time. Having seen most of the Oscar winners and the nominated films in this
category, I feel Jallikattu has tremendous potential,” he said.

He said that Jallikatttu was rooted to the Indian culture. “You can't say that about many of
the films that have been nominated in the past from India,” he said. “It is the well-made,
powerful films that truly reflect the culture of a country that go on to get shortlisted.”

The selection has been made by a 14-member committee of the Film Federation of India
from a shortlist of 26 films.

Jallikattu was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, garnering praise from
critics. It was later screened at the Busan International Film Festival and a host of other
major venues.

25 . Government to govern ott

platform
 urrently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content

In a move that will have a far-reaching impact, the Union government has brought Over
The Top (OTT) platforms, or video streaming service providers such as Netflix, Amazon
Prime and others, under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Currently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content. In a gazette

notification issued on Wednesday and signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, online
films, digital news and current affairs content now come under the purview of the I&B
Ministry headed by Prakash Javadekar.
This will give the government control over OTT platforms, which were unregulated till now. From
time to time, the government had indicated the necessity to monitor these platforms. In October
2019, the government had indicated that it will issue “negative” list of don’ts for the video
streaming services like Netflix and Hotstar. It also wanted the platforms to come up with a self-
regulatory body on the lines of the News Broad
casting Standards Authority.Anticipating the government’s intervention, in January 2019,
eight video streaming services had signed a self-regulatory code that laid down a set of
guiding principles for content on these platforms.

The code adopted by the OTTs prohibited five types of content. This includes content that
deliberately and maliciously disrespects the national emblem or national flag, any visual
or story line that promotes child pornography, any content that “maliciously” intends to
outrage religious sentiments, content that “deliberately and maliciously” promotes or
encourages terrorism and, lastly, any content that has been banned for exhibition or
distribution by law or court.

The government had refused to support this code.

At present, the Press Council of India regulates the print media, the News Broadcasters
Association (NBA) represents the news channels, the Advertising Standards Council of
India regulates advertising, while the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
monitors films.

Mr. Javadekar did not speak on the issue or explain the implications of such an order. The
Ministry has also remained tight-lipped on exactly what is in store for digital news media
and OTT platforms. An official from one of the leading OTT platforms said that it was
too early to comment since there was no clarity from the government on what this
notification would finally lead to.

Founding editor of news portal The Wire, M. K. Venu, said the government had been
giving enough hints from time to time that it wanted to regulate digital media but the
exact nature of the regulation it wanted to bring was not clear. “There is no clarity on
what they mean by digital media. The government talks about digital media and digital
aggregators in the same breath but they are different things. Are they looking at licensing,
are they looking at entry barriers, or are they looking at curbing digital media? We still
don’t know,” Mr. Venu said.
26 . Panna Tiger Reserve gets
UNESCO’s ‘Biosphere Reserve’
Status
Context:
Madhya Pradesh’s Panna National Park has been declared a UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve.

 The UNESCO’s recognition cited PTR as a critical tiger habitat.

Background:
Every year UNESCO appoints new biosphere reserves and removes others to
promote the conservation of biodiversity, resolve the man-animal conflict at
that site and allow sustainable use of natural resources.
UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB):
The idea of the biosphere reserve was initiated by UNESCO in 1974
under the MAB with the objective of obtaining international cooperation for
the conservation of the biospheres.

 Launched in 1971, UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere

Programme (MAB) is an Intergovernmental Scientific
Programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the
improvement of relationships between people and their
environments.
 MAB combines the natural and social sciences, economics
and education to improve human livelihoods and the equitable
sharing of benefits, and to safeguard natural and managed
ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic
development that are socially and culturally appropriate, and
environmentally sustainable.

Under this, Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of

the protected region, but also to the human communities who
inhabit these regions, and their ways of life.

 The first of India’s reserves to make it to UNESCO’s list

was Tamil Nadu’s Niligiri Biosphere Reserve in 2000.

About Panna Tiger Reserve:

 The Panna tiger reserve is situated in the Vindhya mountain

range in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh.
 Ken river (a tributary of the Yamuna River) flows through the
reserve.
 The region is also famous for Panna diamond mining.
 Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be located within
the tiger reserve
 27 . Explained: What is Inner Line
Permit system?
Simply put, an Inner Line Permit is a document that allows an Indian citizen
to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system. The system is
in force today in three Northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland
and Mizoram — and no Indian citizen can visit any of these states unless he or
she belongs to that state, nor can he or she overstay beyond the period
specified in the ILP.
The concept comes from the colonial area. Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier
Regulation Act, 1873, the British framed regulations restricting the entry and
regulating the stay of outsiders in designated areas. This was to protect the
Crown’s own commercial interests by preventing “British subjects” (Indians)
from trading within these regions. In 1950, the Indian government replaced
“British subjects” with “Citizen of India”. This was to address loval concerns
about protecting the interests of the indigenous people from outsiders
belonging to other Indian states.

28 . Myanmar election
Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party has
secured enough seats in parliament to form the next government,
according to the latest election results.
The NLD has so far won 346 seats, more than the 322 seats needed to form
the next government.
It comes days after the party led by Aung San Suu Kyi claimed victory based
on early results.
But the military-backed opposition has demanded a re-run of the election.
NLD spokesperson Monywa Aung Shin said its "landslide" victory showed the
people's support for the party, but added that it would have to "work on
forming a national unity government", reported news agency Reuters.
The party has announced that it would be inviting ethnic minority parties to
work with it, an offer it did not make when it won the last election in 2015.
India, Japan and Singapore had earlier congratulated the NLD on their win.
This year's election has been seen as a gauge of support for the NLD and Ms
Suu Kyi following the Rohingya crisis.
The NLD remains popular at home but has been heavily criticised worldwide
after Ms Suu Kyi's response to the crisis.
 What you need to know about the Rohingya crisis
 Aung San Suu Kyi: Democracy icon who fell from grace
Hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya fled an army crackdown -
described by the UN as ethnic cleansing - in 2017. The army in Myanmar said
it was targeting militants, a response which Ms Suu Kyi has defended.
The disenfranchisement of the Rohingya had led observers to question the
credibility of the election.
Was the election controversial?
 Observers had questioned the credibility of the election because of the
disenfranchisement of virtually all the Rohingya.
 Rohingya face a new peril on a remote island
Earlier this year, six of at least a dozen Rohingya who applied to run as
candidates in the election were also barred from standing.
Other ethnic groups have also been affected.
In October, Myanmar's electoral commission cancelled voting in large parts of
Rakhine state - where fighting between the military and the Arakan Army,
comprised mainly of the Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group, has killed dozens
and displaced tens of thousands.
It also cancelled the election in parts of other conflict-hit states, including
Shan and Kachin, saying that some areas were "not in a position to hold a free
and fair election".
The mass cancellations have outraged ethnic minority parties and mean
nearly two million people have been disenfranchised in a nation with some 37
million registered voters.

29 . What is an “office of profit”?

Why in News?
President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected a plea seeking disqualification of
YSR Congress leader V Vijaisai Reddy as Rajya Sabha member on the grounds
of holding ‘office of profit’ as special representative of the Andhra Pradesh
government in the national capital.

 The order of the president is based on the Election Commission’s unanimous opinion given
in June.

What’s the issue?

A petition was filed seeking disqualification of Vijaysai Reddy as a
member of the Upper House of Parliament alleging that the post of
special representative of the Andhra Pradesh government at the
Andhra Pradesh Bhawan being held by the YSR Congress Party MP 
was an office of profit.

 However, the EC had held that since no pecuniary gain was derived from the said office
and Reddy was not entitled to any other perks or remuneration other than enjoying
the status of a ‘state guest’ during his travels to Andhra Pradesh in connection with
performance of his duties as special representative, he did not incur disqualification under  Article
102(1) (a) of the Constitution of India”.

What are the basic criteria to disqualify an MP or MLA?

Basic disqualification criteria for an MP are laid down in Article 102 of the
Constitution, and for an MLA in Article 191.

 They can be disqualified for: a) Holding an office of profit under government of India or state
government; b) Being of unsound mind; c) Being an undischarged insolvent; d) Not being an
Indian citizen or for acquiring citizenship of another country.

What is an ‘office of profit’?

If an MLA or an MP holds a government office and receives benefits from it,
then that office is termed as an “office of profit”.
  A person will be disqualified if he holds an office of profit under the central or state
government, other than an office declared not to disqualify its holder by a law passed by
Parliament or state legislature.

What is the underlying principle for including ‘office of profit’ as

criterion for disqualification?

 Makers of the Constitution wanted that legislators should not feel obligated to the
Executive in any way, which could influence them while discharging legislative functions.
 In other words, an MP or MLA should be free to carry out her duties without any kind of
governmental pressure. The intent is that there should be no conflict between the duties and
interests of an elected member.
 The office of profit law simply seeks to enforce a basic feature of the Constitution- the
principle of separation of power between the legislature and the executive.

Reason for controversies:

 The expression “office of profit” has not been defined in the Constitution or in the
Representation of the People Act, 1951.
 It is for the courts to explain the significance and meaning of this concept. Over the years, courts
have decided this issue in the context of specific factual situations.
 But, articles 102 (1) and 191(1) which give effect to the concept of office of profit prescribe
restrictions at the central and state level on lawmakers accepting government positions.

Role of Judiciary in defining the ‘office of profit:

The Supreme Court in Pradyut Bordoloi vs Swapan Roy (2001) outlined
the four broad principles for determining whether an office attracts the
constitutional disqualification.

1. First, whether the government exercises control over appointment, removal and performance of
the functions of the office
2. Second, whether the office has any remuneration attached to it
3. Third, whether the body in which the office is held has government powers (releasing money,
allotment of land, granting licenses etc.).
4. Fourth, whether the office enables the holder to influence by way of patronage.

30 . One Nation One Election

As the elections in four states and one Union territory in March-April are
suspected to have contributed to the second wave of Covid infections, a well-
reasoned debate on a concept as important as “one nation, one election” is
called for.

The concept needs to be debated mainly around five issues: Financial costs of
conducting elections; cost of repeated administrative freezes; visible and
invisible costs of repeatedly deploying security forces; campaign and finance
costs of political parties; and the question of regional/smaller parties having a
level playing field.

Simultaneous Election: Background

 The idea has been around since at least 1983, when the Election
Commission first mooted it. However, until 1967, simultaneous elections
were the norm in India.
 The first General Elections to the House of People (Lok Sabha) and all State
Legislative Assemblies were held simultaneously in 1951-52.
 That practice continued in three subsequent General Elections held in the
years 1957, 1962 and 1967.
 However, due to the premature dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies
in 1968 and 1969, the cycle got disrupted.
 In 1970, the Lok Sabha was itself dissolved prematurely and fresh elections
were held in 1971. Thus, the First, Second and Third Lok Sabha enjoyed full
five-year terms.
 As a result of premature dissolutions and extension of terms of both the
Lok Sabha and various State Legislative Assemblies, there have been
separate elections to Lok Sabha and States Legislative Assemblies, and the
cycle of simultaneous elections has been disturbed.
Arguments For Simultaneous Election
A NITI Aayog paper says that the country has at least one election each year;
actually, each state has an election every year, too. In that paper, NITI Aayog
argued that multiple elections incurs many direct and indirect disadvantages

 Incalculable Economic Costs of Elections: Directly budgeted costs

are around Rs 300 crore for a state the size of Bihar. However, there are
other financial costs, and incalculable economic costs.
o Each election means government machinery misses out on their regular
duties due to election duty and related work.
o These costs of the millions of man-hours used are not charged to the
election budget.
 Policy Paralysis: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) also affects the
government's functionary, as no new significant policy can be announced
and executed after the elections are announced.
 Administrative Costs: There are also huge and visible costs of deploying
security forces and transporting them, repeatedly.
o A bigger invisible cost is paid by the nation in terms of diverting these
forces from sensitive areas and in terms of the fatigue and illnesses that
repeated cross-country deployments bring about.
Arguments Against Simultaneous Elections
 Federal Problem: Simultaneous elections are almost nearly impossible
to implement, as it would mean arbitrarily curtailing or extending the term
of existing legislatures to bring their election dates in line with the due date
for the rest of the country.
o Such a measure would undermine democracy and federalism.
 Against Spirit of Democracy: Critics also say that forcing simultaneous
elections is against democracy because trying to force an artificial cycle of
elections and restricting the choice for voters is not correct.
 Regional Parties At Disadvantage: Regional parties are supposed to be
at a disadvantage because in simultaneously held elections, voters are
reportedly likely to predominantly vote one way, giving the dominant party
at the Centre an advantage.
 Diminished Accountability: Having to face the electorate more than
once every 5 years enhances the accountability of politicians and keeps
them on their toes.
Conclusion
It is obvious That the Constitution and other laws would need to be amended
for implementing simultaneous elections. However, it should be done in such
a way that it doesn’t hurt the basic tenets of democracy and federalism.

In this context, the Law Commission has suggested an alternative i.e.

categorising states based on proximity to the next general election, and having
one round of State Assembly polls with the next Lok Sabha election, and
another round for the remaining States 30 months later. But there is still no
guarantee that mid-term polls would not be needed.

PM Modi unveils ‘Statue of Peace’

31 -

in Rajasthan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually unveiled the ‘Statue of
Peace’ dedicated to Jain Monk Acharya Shree Vijay Vallabh
Surishwarji Maharaj. The 151-inch (12.6 ft) tall statue was inaugurated
by PM Modi on the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of Acharya
Shree Vijay Vallabhsuri, at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra, Jetpura,
in Pali, Rajasthan. The Statue of Peace has been made
from Ashtadhatu, which means 8 metals, and includes Copper as the major
constituent.

32 - Booker Prize 2020

Douglas Stuart has won the Booker Prize for Shuggie Bain, his
debut novel about a boy in 1980s Glasgow trying to support his
mother as she struggles with addiction and poverty.
Chair of judges Margaret Busby said the judges' decision was unanimous and
they only "took an hour to decide".
The book is "challenging, intimate and gripping... anyone who reads it will
never feel the same" she said.
Stuart, 44, said he was "absolutely stunned" to win.

33 - G20 Summit

The 15th G20 Summit was held under the chairmanship of Saudi

Arabia. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia chaired the
Summit through video-conferencing, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
two-day Summit was held under the theme “Realising the Opportunities
of the 21st Century for All”.

About the Summit:

 The focus of the G20 Summit was on an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable
recovery from the COVID-19 and the leaders discussed pandemic
preparedness and the ways and means to restore jobs.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, participated in the Summit along with the
respective Heads of State/ Government of 19 member countries, EU, other
invited countries and international organizations.
 Italy will take over the Presidency of the 16th G20 on 1st December
2020.

34 - Constitution Day

Recently on 26th November, 71st constitution day was celebrated in the

country. Every year as part of the celebrations, a number of activities aimed at
highlighting and reiterating the values and principles enshrined in
the Constitution are organised.

Key Points
 Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas is also known as National
Law Day. The day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution in
India.
o On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally
adopted the Constitution of India that came into force on 26
January 1950.
o The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 19
November, 2015, notified the decision of the Government of India to
celebrate 26 November as 'Constitution Day'.
 Facts about the Constitution of India:
o The framing of the Constitution took over 2 years, 11 months and 18
days.
o The original copies of the Indian Constitution weren’t typed or
printed. They have been handwritten and are now kept in a helium-
filled case within the library of the Parliament.
o Prem Bihari Narain Raizada had written the unique copies of the
Structure of India.
o Originally, the Constitution of India was written in English and Hindi.
o The Constitution of India has borrowed some of its features from a
number of countries, including Britain, Ireland, Japan, USA, South Africa,
Germany, Australia, and Canada.
o The basic structure of the Indian Constitution stands on
the Government of India Act, 1935.
o World's lengthiest Constitution
o Federal System with Unitary Features
o Parliamentary Form of Government
 Background:
o In 1934, M N Roy first proposed the idea of a constituent
assembly. Under the Cabinet Mission plan of 1946, elections were
held for the formation of the constituent assembly.
 o Drafting Committee:
 The Drafting Committee had seven members: Alladi Krishnaswami
Ayyar, N. Gopalaswami, B.R. Ambedkar, K.M Munshi, Mohammad
Saadulla, B.L. Mitter and D.P. Khaitan.
 At its first meeting on 30th August 1947, the Drafting Committee
elected B.R Ambedkar as its Chairman.
Important Constitutional Amendment
 First Amendment Act, 1951
o Provided for the saving of laws providing for the acquisition of estates, etc.
o Added Ninth Schedule to protect the land reforms and other laws
included in it from the judicial review. After Article 31, Articles 31A and
31B were inserted.
 The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956
o The Second and Seventh schedules were substantially amended for the
purpose of the States Reorganization Act.
 The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976
o The major Amendments made in the Constitution by the 42nd
Amendment Act are:
o Preamble
 The characterization of India as ‘Sovereign Democratic Republic’ has
been changed to ‘Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic’.
 The words ‘Unity of the nation’ have been changed to ‘Unity and integrity
of the nation’.
o Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles
 A major change that was made by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment
was to give primacy to all Directive Principles over the Fundamental
Rights contained in Articles 14, 19 or 31.
o Fundamental Duties
 The 42nd Amendment Act inserted Article 51-A to create a new part
called IV-A in the Constitution, which prescribed the Fundamental
Duties to the citizens.
 The Constitution (44th Amendment) Act, 1978
o A new provision was added to Article 74(1) saying that the President could
require the council of ministers to reconsider its advice to him, either
generally or otherwise and the President should Act in accordance with
the advice tendered after such reconsideration.
o It has been provided that an Emergency can be proclaimed only on the
basis of written advice tendered to the President by the Cabinet.
o Right to Property has been taken out from the list of Fundamental Rights
and has been declared a legal right.
 The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992
 o A separate part IX has been added to the Constitution with the addition in
Article 243A and a fresh Schedule called the Eleventh Schedule
enumerating the powers and functions of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
 The Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992
o The Act provides constitutional status to Urban Local Bodies. After part
VIII of the Constitution, a separate part IXA has been added to the
Constitution with the addition in Article 243A and a fresh schedule called
Twelfth schedule enumerating the powers and functions of urban local
bodies has been incorporated.
o The Act provides Municipal Panchayat, Municipal Council and Municipal
Corporation, reservation of seats for SCs and STs in proportion to their
population and one-third reservation of seats for women.
 The Constitution (101st Amendment) Act, 2017
o Introduced the Goods and Services Tax.
 The Constitution (102nd Amendment) Act, 2018
o Constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes
 The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019
o A maximum of 10% Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections
(EWSs) of citizens of classes other than the classes mentioned in clauses
(4) and (5) of Article 15, i.e. Classes other than socially and educationally
backward classes of citizens or the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled
Tribes.

Delhi breathed more polluted air in

35 -

November 2020 than 2019

Delhi saw more polluted air in November 2020 than in 2019. Delhi's air
pollution saw an uptick due to lesser rainfall and rampant stubble burning. A
major factor was large-scale stubble burning due to early harvesting this year
by farmers in the neighbouring states.
Punjab alone had witnessed 76,590 incidents of stubble burning this season,
which were 55,210 in 2019. Maximum incidents of stubble burning were
recorded between November 4 and November 7, according to the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
The air was more contaminated this year as it only rained one day in
November compared to two and three days in November 2018 and 2019,
respectively.
The national capital saw nine 'severe' AQI days in November while there were
seven such days last year. In November 2018 and 2017, there were five 'severe'
AQI days, according to CPCB data.
Delhi's average AQI for November stood at 'severe' category at 328 compared
to 312 in 2019. Though the 30-day average AQI was lowest in 2019, it reached
its peak in November 2016 at 374, stood at 361 in 2017 and 335 in 2018.
Pollution crossed the emergency level twice in November this year. Despite
the ban on sale and use of firecrackers by the Delhi government and National
Green Tribunal, pollution levels on Diwali and the day after were at its
maximum in the last four years.
36 - Farmers protest and new agricultural issue
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been
camping at several Delhi border points since 26 November last year, demanding a repeal of three
farm laws — Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the
Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act
2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. They also demanded a legal
guarantee on Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for their crops.
Farmer unions in Punjab and Haryana said the recent laws enacted at the Centre will dismantle the
minimum support price (MSP) system. Over time big corporate houses will dictate terms and
farmers will end up getting less for their crops, they argue. Farmers fear that with the virtual
disbanding of the mandi system, they will not get an assured price for their crops and the
“arthiyas" —commission agents who also pitch in with loans for them — will be out of business.
Their demands: The key demand is the withdrawal of the three laws which deregulate the sale of
their crops. The farmer unions could also settle for a legal assurance that the MSP system will
continue, ideally through an amendment to the laws.
They also wanted the government to withdraw of the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill
2020, fearing it will lead to an end to subsidised electricity. Farmers say rules against stubble
burning should also not apply to them.
11 rounds of talks but no results
To break the impasse, the government which has so far held eleven rounds of talks with the
farmers. In the last round of talks on Wednesday when it offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.5
years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to
their respective homes from Delhi borders.
Farmer leaders, however, said they would settle for nothing less than a complete repeal of the
laws, enacted in September last year, which they find pro-corporate, and a legal guarantee for the
procurement of crops at government-fixed MSP.
SC stays the implementation of new farm laws till further orders
On 11 January, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of new farm laws till further orders
and decided to set up a 4-member committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre
and farmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders. The four names of members include Bhupinder
Singh Mann, President of Bhartiya Kisan Union; Anil Ghanwat, President of Shetkeri Sangthana,
Maharashtra; Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research
Institute, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.
Later, Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann had recused himself from the
committee appointed by the apex court.
Three farm laws
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 seeks to
provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of
choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers' produce which facilitates remunerative prices
through competitive alternative trading channels to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free
inter-state and intra-state trade, said the government. It also seeks to commerce of farmers'
produce outside physical premises of markets or deemed markets notified under various state
agricultural produce market legislations; to provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading
and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, the ministry said.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services
Bill, 2020 seeks to provide for a national framework on farming agreements that protects and
empowers farmers to engage with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large
retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative
price framework in a fair and transparent manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental
thereto, the ministry said.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to remove commodities like cereals,
pulses, oil seeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. This will
remove fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations,
the ministry added.

37 - U.K. to face Brexit trade disruption’

Northern Ireland will not be ready on January 1 to implement the systems needed to keep
trade moving with the rest of the United Kingdom as required by the Brexit divorce deal,
the National Audit Office (NAO) said on Friday.

The audit office, which reviews government spending, said that all U.K. borders would
face widespread disruption when Britain finally leaves the European Union’s orbit,
whether or not it strikes a deal with the bloc.

“There is a risk that widespread disruption could ensue at a time when government and
businesses continue to deal with the effects of COVID-19,” it said.

From January 1, exporters will need to file customs and safety declarations, even if
Britain does secure an agreement.

However, the NAO said ports now have little time to integrate or test their systems with
the government’s yet-to-be launched IT services, and there are still not enough customs
sites or customs brokers to help industry adapt.

One of the most challenging areas will be Northern Ireland which will require some
goods arriving from the rest of the U.K to be checked in order to protect trade with EU
member, Ireland.

The NAO said the department responsible for animal and plant checks now believes the
systems and infrastructure will not be ready in time. It is exploring contingency options.

The report added that the customs office has made good progress but says its work is
“very high risk”. It is also looking for alternative options. The plans for the sensitive
province of Northern Ireland helped Britain secure a divorce deal with the EU, and
Brussels has said that a full and timely implementation is crucial.

Goods movement
While the European Commission declined to comment on Friday’s report, two European
diplomats said that while certain elements were clearly not going to be ready, the bloc
could live with temporary arrangements that guarantee strong controls.

Other areas of concern include problems with preparing transit movements that enable
goods to move across multiple EU borders with fewer checks, and the software that needs
to cope with an expected 270 million customs declarations a year.