International Climate Summit 2021: All

you need to know about the conference

slated for today
International Climate Summit 2021: India will host ICS 2021 today to advance
towards a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future. The summit will bring
together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, experts, and scientists from
across the world to reach an agreement on climate change and sustainability issues.
ARFA JAVAID

CREATED ON: SEP 3, 2021 11:36 IST

MODIFIED ON: SEP 3, 2021 12:12 IST

International Climate Summit 2021: All you need to know about the conference slated for today

India will host a key conference on 3 September 2021 as part of the International
Climate Summit (ICS) 2021, an initiative by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and
Industry's Environment Committee that has partnered with Invest India. 

In a bid to advance towards a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future, the
summit intends to establish sustainable routes for the production, storage,
transportation, distribution, and deployment of hydrogen technologies by 2040.

Ads by Jagran.TV
Key Highlights:
1- The summit aims to discuss strategies to power India's budding hydrogen
ecosystem, among other agendas.

2- Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Jitendra Singh, NITI Aayog member Dr. VK
Saraswat and Sturle Harald Pedersen, chairperson of Greenstat India, Norway will
attend the conference.  

3- The summit will bring together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, experts,
and scientists from across the world to reach an agreement on climate change and
sustainability issues.  

4- Mukesh Ambani, Chairperson, and MD of Reliance Industry will be a keynote

speaker at the summit. 
5- A National Hydrogen Portal will also be launched at the International Climate
Summit 2021. It will be a one-stop destination for research, production, storage,
transportation, and application of hydrogen, with a focus on Green Hydrogen. 
National Hydrogen Mission
In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a
'National Hydrogen Mission' for India. His vision is to make India a global hub for
green hydrogen production and exports.
Hydrogen power will be an alternative for India's annual energy demands. At present,
India imports 85% of oil and 53% of gas to meet its energy requirements.

What is the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM)?

It is worth noting that India is the only country among G-20 nations that is on its way
to achieving the climate change mitigation commitments it made under the Paris
Climate Agreement. 
Under the 2015 agreement, the world leaders agreed to limit global warming to
below 2 degrees Celsius. However, a report released by the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) underscored that global warming is dangerously close to
spiralling out of control and the world will face climate disruptions for decades as
extreme events of weather will become more severe.
Another major conference on climate change, COP26, is scheduled to take place at
Glasgow in Scotland from October 31 to November 12, 2021. The UN Climate
Change Conference will be the last chance to ensure that global temperatures don’t
exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, the lower limit of the Paris Agreement. 

What is the Paris Agreement (COP 21) for Climate Change?

International Climate Summit 2021
The ICS 2021 climate summit is being held in partnership with Invest India with a theme of
Green Hydrogen. 
It is being organised by the environment committee of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and
 Industry (PHDCCI), a non-governmental industrial development organisation.

Karbi Anglong Agreement

    
 06 Sep 2021
 

 6 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 Federalism

 Centre-State Relations

 Dispute Redressal Mechanisms

 Government Policies & Interventions

 North East Insurgency

Why in News
Recently, a tripartite agreement among five insurgent groups of Assam,
the Centre and the state government was signed

.
 This agreement is in synergy with the vision of Insurgency free
prosperous North East, that envisages all-round development
of northeast, peace and prosperity.

Key Points
 About the Karbi Anglong Crisis
 o Located in central Assam, Karbi Anglong is the
state’s largest district and a melting pot of ethnicities
and tribal groups — Karbi, Dimasa, Bodo, Kuki, Hmar,
Tiwa, Garo, Man (Tai speakers), Rengma Naga. Its
diversity also generated different outfits and fuelled
an insurgency that did not allow the region to develop
.
o The Karbis are a major ethnic group of Assam, dotted
by several factions and splinters. The history of the
Karbi group has been marked by killings, ethnic
violence, abductions and taxation since the late
1980s
.
o Insurgent groups of Karbi Anglong district like
People's Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK),
Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF),
etc. originated from the core demand of forming a
separate state
.
o Some of the other demands of the militant groups are:

 Inclusion of some areas into Karbi Anglong

Autonomous Council (KAAC),
 Reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes,
 More powers to the council,
 Inclusion of Karbi language in the Eighth
Schedule,
 Financial package of Rs 1,500 crore.
Note
 The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is
an autonomous district council, protected under the Sixth
Schedule of the Indian Constitution
.
 Highlights of the Karbi-Anglong Peace Agreement:

o Karbi Outfits Surrendered: 5 militant organizations

(KLNLF, PDCK, UPLA, KPLT and KLF) laid down arms
and more than 1000 of their armed cadres have given
up violence and joined the mainstream of society.
o Special Development Package: A special
development package of Rs. 1000 crore will be
allocated over five years by the Central Government
and the Assam Government to take up special
projects for the development of Karbi areas
.
o More Autonomy to KAAC: This agreement will
transfer as much autonomy as possible in exercising
their rights to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council,
without affecting the territorial and administrative
integrity of Assam.

 Overall, the present agreement proposes to

give more legislative, executive, administrative
and financial powers to the KAAC.
o Rehabilitation: A provision has been made in this
agreement to rehabilitate the cadres of armed groups.
o Development of Local People: The Government of
Assam will set up a Karbi Welfare Council to focus on
the development of the Karbi people living outside
the KAAC area.
  This agreement will also ensure the protection
of the culture, identity, language, etc. of the
Karbi people and all-round development of the
region.
 The Consolidated Fund of the State will be
amended to meet the resources of the KAAC.
 Other Recent Peace Agreements of the Northeast:
o NLFT Tripura Agreement, 2019: National Liberation
Front of Twipra (NLFT) has been banned under
the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 since
1997 and has been involved in violence, operating
from their camps across the international border
.

 NLFT signed a Memorandum of Settlement on

10th of August, 2019 with the Government of
India and Tripura
.
 Under this, a Special Economic Development
Package (SEDP) of Rs.100 crore has been
offered by the Government of India for a
period of five years
.
o Bru Accord, 2020: Bru or Reang is a community
indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura,
Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised
as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.

 In Mizoram, they have been targeted by

groups that do not consider them indigenous
to the state
 .
 In 1997, following ethnic clashes, nearly
37,000 Brus fled Mizoram and were
accommodated in relief camps in Tripura.
 Under the Bru accord, the permanent
settlement of 6959 Bru families in Tripura with
a financial package has been agreed
 between the Government of India, Tripura and
Mizoram with representatives of Bru migrants.
o Bodo Peace Accord: Bodos are the single largest
community among the notified Scheduled Tribes in
Assam. They have been demanding a Bodo state
since 1967-68.

 In 2020, the Government of India, Government

of Assam and representatives of Bodo groups
signed an agreement, wherein the Bodoland
Territorial Area District (BTAD) was redrawn
and renamed as the Bodoland Territorial
Region (BTR), in Assam
.
Source: PIB

Seven Years of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana

    
 30 Aug 2021
 

 6 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 GS Paper - 3

 Issues Relating to Poverty & Hunger

 Inclusive Growth
  Government Policies & Interventions

Why in News
Recently, the government has asked the banks to improve access of
account holders in the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) scheme
to micro-credit and micro investment products, like flexi-recurring
schemes.

 PMJDY - National Mission for Financial

Inclusion has completed seven years of successful
implementation.

Key Points
 Objective of PMJDY:

o Ensuring access to various financial services to the

excluded sections i.e. weaker sections & low income
groups at an affordable cost and using the
technology for the same.
 Six Pillars of the Scheme:

o Universal Access to Banking Services – Branch and

Banking Correspondents.

 Accounts opened are online accounts in

the core banking system of banks.
 Focus has shifted from ‘Every Household’ to
Every Unbanked Adult’.
o Basic Savings Bank Accounts with OverDraft (OD)
Facility of Rs. 10,000/- to every household.
o Financial Literacy Program– Promoting savings, use
of ATMs, using basic mobile phones for banking, etc.

 Interoperability through RuPay debit card

or Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS).
o Creation of Credit Guarantee Fund – To provide
banks some guarantee against defaults.
o Insurance – Free accidental insurance cover on
RuPay cards increased from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh
for PMJDY accounts opened after August 2018.
o Pension Scheme for the Unorganized sector.
 Achievements:

o Accounts:

 The number of accounts rose to 43.04 crore

in August 2021 from 17.9 crore in August
2015.
 Of this, 55.47% Jan Dhan account holders are
women and 66.69% holders are in rural and
semi-urban areas.
o Deposits:

 The deposits have shot up to Rs. 1.46 lakh

crore from Rs. 22,901 crore during 2015-
2021.
o Operative Accounts:

 As per extant Reserve Bank of

India guidelines, a PMJDY account is treated
as inoperative if there are no customer
induced transactions in the account for over
a period of two years.

 In August 2021, out of total 43.04

crore PMJDY accounts, 36.86 crore
(85.6%) were operative.
 Continuous increase in percentage of
operative accounts is an indication that more
and more of these accounts are being used by
customers on a regular basis.
o RuPay Usage:

 Number of RuPay cards & their usage has

also increased over time.
o Jan Dhan Darshak App:

 This app is being used for identifying villages

which are not served by banking touchpoints
within 5 km. The efforts have resulted in a
significant decrease in the number of such
villages.
o Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) for
PMJDY Women:
  Under PMGKP, a total of Rs. 30,945 crore have
been credited in accounts of women PMJDY
account holders during Covid lockdown.
o Smooth DBT Transactions:

 About 5 crore PMJDY account holders

receive Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) from
the Government under various schemes.
 Impact:

o Increased Financial Inclusion:

 PMJDY has been the foundation stone

for people-centric economic
initiatives. Whether it is DBT, Covid-
19 financial assistance, PM-KISAN, increased
wages under MGNREGA, life and health
insurance cover, the first step of all these
initiatives is to provide every adult with a bank
account, which PMJDY has nearly completed.
o Formalisation of Financial System:

 It provides an avenue to the poor for bringing

their savings into the formal financial
system, an avenue to remit money to their
families in villages besides taking them out of
the clutches of the usurious money lenders.
o Prevention of Leakage:

 DBTs via PM Jan Dhan accounts

have ensured every rupee reaches its
intended beneficiary and prevents systemic
leakage.
  Challenges:

o Connectivity:

 Lack of physical and digital connectivity is

posing a major hurdle in achieving financial
inclusion for rural India.
o Technological Issue:

 The technological issues affecting banks from

poor connectivity, networking and bandwidth
problems to managing costs of maintaining
infrastructure especially in rural areas.
o Procedure not Clear:

 Most of the people are aware but still so many

are not turned around as they are not
understanding the proper procedure of
opening an account and required documents
at a time.
Way Forward
 There must be an endeavour to ensure coverage of PMJDY
account holders under micro insurance schemes.

o Eligible PMJDY account holders will be sought to be

covered under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima
Yojana (PMSBY).
 Promotion of digital payments including RuPay debit card
usage amongst PMJDY account holders through creation of
acceptance infrastructure across India.
Source: PIB
World Social Protection Report
2020-22
Tags: 

 GS 2

 
 United Nations, its Bodies & Agencies

In News 

Recently, International Labour Organisation (ILO) released  World Social Protection

Report 2020-22.

Major Findings of the report 

 Coverage: Currently, only 47 per cent of the global population are effectively

covered by at least one social protection benefit, while 4.1 billion people (53
per cent) obtain no income security at all from their national social
protection system.
o Over half of all people in the world have no social protections, even
after the pandemic spurred countries to offer more services to their
populations.
 Impact of COVID-19 pandemic :  The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and
exacerbated the social protection gap between countries with high and low-
income levels.
o The pandemic response was uneven and insufficient, deepening the
gap between countries with high and low-income levels and failing to
afford the much-needed social protection that all human beings
deserve.
 Regional inequalities: There are significant regional inequalities in social
protection. 
o Europe and Central Asia have the highest rates of coverage, with 84
per cent of people being covered by at least one benefit. 
o The Americas are also above the global average, with 64.3 per cent.
Asia and the Pacific (44 per cent), the Arab States (40 per cent) and
Africa (17.4 per cent) have marked coverage gaps.
 Government spending: Government spending on social protection also
varies significantly. On average, countries spend 12.8 per cent of their gross
domestic product (GDP) on social protection (excluding health), however,
high-income countries spend 16.4 per cent and low-income countries only 1.1
per cent of their GDP on social protection.
 Suggestions 
 o The world community must recognize that effective and
comprehensive social protection is not just essential for social justice
and decent work but for creating a sustainable and resilient future too.
o This is a pivotal moment to harness the pandemic response to build a
new generation of rights-based social protection systems. 
 These can cushion people from future crises and give workers
and businesses the security to tackle the multiple transitions
ahead with confidence and with hope. 
o To guarantee at least basic social protection coverage, low-income
countries would need to invest an additional US$77.9 billion per year,
lower-middle-income countries an additional US$362.9 billion per year
and upper-middle-income countries a further US$750.8 billion per
year.
 That’s equivalent to 15.9, 5.1 and 3.1 per cent of their GDP,
respectively.

The World Social Protection Report 2020-22

 It gives a global overview of recent developments in social protection systems,

including social protection floors, and covers the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic. 
 Based on new data, it offers a broad range of global, regional and country data
on social protection coverage, benefits and public expenditures.
 The report identifies protection gaps and sets out key policy recommendations,
including in relation to the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.

What is Social protection? 

 Social protection includes access to health care and income security measures

related especially to old age, unemployment, sickness, disability, work injury,
maternity or the loss of the main breadwinner in a family, as well as extra
support for families with children.
 It is an important tool that can create wide-ranging social and
economic benefits for countries at all levels of development. 
 It can underpin better health and education, greater equality, more
sustainable economic systems, better-managed migration and the observance
of core rights. Building the systems that can deliver these positive outcomes
will require a mix of financing sources and greater international solidarity,
particularly with support for poorer countries. 
 Importance of Social protection 
o It helps individuals and families, especially the poor and vulnerable,
cope with crises and shocks, find jobs, improve productivity, invest
in the health and education of their children, and protect the ageing
population. 
o It enhances human capital and productivity, reduces
inequalities, builds resilience and ends the inter-generational cycle of
poverty. 
 o It also helps ensure equality of opportunity by giving them a chance to
climb out of poverty and become productive members of society. 

Image Courtsey: ILO

International Labour Organisation (ILO) 

 It is a specialised agency of the United Nations.

 It is the only tripartite U.N. agency since 1919.
 The unique tripartite structure brings together governments, employers and
workers of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and
devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
 Aim: To promote rights at work, encourage decent employment
opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-
related issues.
  History: Established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of
the League of Nations.

 Became the first affiliated specialized agency of the United Nations in 1946.
 India is a founder member of the ILO.
 Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland.
 Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969:
o For improving peace among classes
o Pursuing decent work and justice for workers
o Providing technical assistance to other developing nations

 Flagship Reports of ILO are:

o Global Wage Report
o World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO)
o World Employment and Social Outlook
o World Social Protection Report
o World of Work Report

NS Dhruv (A40) is a research vessel and missile range instrumentation ship built

by India's Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL). The ship was earlier only known by its shipyard
designated yard number as VC-11184.[3]
The ship can gather electronic intelligence and will be used to track missile and satellites to
aid India's strategic weapons and anti-ballistic missiles. It will be jointly operated by National
Technical Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation and
the Indian Navy. The development span of ships has remained largely secretive with little
information in public domain. The ship had reportedly started sea trials in early 2019, [4] and had
entered service in October 2020 without a public commissioning ceremony. [2] The ship was
officially commissioned on 10 September 2021 at Visakhapatnam in the presence of senior
officials from the Indian Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),
and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).[5]

Contents

 1Development
 2Design and description
 3Commissioning
 4See also
 5References
 6External links

Development[edit]
The purpose of the ship is to support the development of India's strategic weapons and
the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme. The ship can also track strategic missiles and
satellites.[6] In addition, it can also gather electronic intelligence. The keel of the ship was laid on
30 June 2014 at Hindustan Shipyard Limited.[7] It is being built under a classified and confidential
programme which is directly under the control of the Prime Minister's Office and the National
Security Advisor, similar to the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) programme of the Indian
Navy.[8][7] The ship started harbour trials in July 2018 and was expected to undergo sea trials by
the end of 2018.[9] As of March 2019, sea trials were ongoing.[10] The ship was delivered to
the Indian Navy in October 2020 quietly[2] meanwhile official induction expected on first half of
2021.[6]

Design and description[edit]

The ship cost around ₹1,500 crore (equivalent to ₹20 billion or US$270 million in 2020) and has
been designed in India by Vik Sandvik Design India. [7] It has a displacement of more than
10,000 tonnes, length of 175 metre, beam of 22 metre, draught of 6 metre and can attain a
speed of 21 knots. It is powered by two imported 9,000 kilowatt combined diesel and diesel
(CODAD) configuration engines and three 1200 kilowatt auxiliary generators.[8][7]
The ship will be fitted with a primary X band and a secondary S band active electronically
scanned array (AESA) radar. In addition, it has a long open deck with ample space for installing
multiple missile tracking antennas. It will have a crew complement of 300 personnel and will carry
a single helicopter.[8] The ship will also have a special team from National Technical Research
Organisation on board.[11]

Commissioning[edit]
The ship was commissioned by NSA Ajit Doval on 10 September 2021 in Visakhapatnam.[12] The
ship will be jointly operated by National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy.[6]
INS Dhruv will be under Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and based in Eastern Naval
Command of Indian Navy.[13]

Name INS Dhruv

Operator Jointly operated by Indian Navy

National Technical Research Organisation

Defence Research and Development Organisation

Builder Hindustan Shipyard Limited

Cost ₹1,500 crore

Laid down 30 June 2014

Acquired 31 October 2020[1]

Commissioned 10 September 2021

Identification Pennant number: A40

Status In Service

General characteristics

Type Ocean surveillance and missile tracking ship

Displacement 15,000 t (15,000 long tons; 17,000 short tons) [2]

Length 175 m (574 ft)

Beam 22 m (72 ft)

 Draught 6 m (20 ft)

Propulsion 2 × diesel engines in CODAD, 9,000 kW

(12,000 hp) each

3 × auxiliary generators 1,200 kW (1,600 hp)

each

15 MW power

Speed 21 kn (39 km/h; 24 mph)

Complement 300

Sensors and X-Band AESA Radar

processing S-Band AESA Radar
systems

Aircraft carried 1 × helicopter

BHARAT STAGE NORMS

ABOUT BHARAT STAGE NORMS
 Bharat stage emission standards (BSES) are emission standards instituted by the
Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal
combustion engines and Spark-ignition engines equipment, including motor
vehicles.
 The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central
Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate
change
 The standards, based on European regulations were first introduced in 2000
 In 2014, Saumitra Chaudhary committee gave recommendations on Auto Fuel
Vision Policy 2025 which had recommended implementation of BS-IV (2017), BS-
V (2019) and BS-VI (2024) standards.
 In 2016, the Indian government announced that the country would skip the BS-V
norms altogether and adopt BS-VI norms by 2020
 While the norms help in bringing down pollution levels, it invariably results in
increased vehicle cost due to the improved technology & higher fuel prices
 Currently, BS IV norms have been enforced across the country since April 2017.
However, recently the Supreme Court of India ordered barring of sale of Bharat
Stage IV vehicles from April 1, 2020.

TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF BHARAT STAGE

NORMS
Saumitra Chaudhuri Committee for Auto fuel vision policy 2025
 Saumitra’s report touched on – Bharat norms (next stage implementation),
Taxation issues & Alternative fuels. Let’s study a few of the fuels.
 Methanol – is readily biodegradable, can be used directly or by blending with
petrol, is already used in racing cars of China.
 Ethanol – burns cleaner and burns more completely than petrol, is an organic
solvent, can be derived from Sugar cane juice and molasses.
 Hydrogen Fuel – Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s Green
Initiatives for Future Transport (GIFT). It has vision-2020 for Hydrogen.

No sale of BS-IV vehicles

1. The Supreme Court has banned the sale and registration of motor vehicles
conforming to the emission standard Bharat Stage-IV in the entire country from
April 1, 2020
2. Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms are standards instituted by the government to
regulate the output of air pollutants from motor vehicles
3. SC quoted that India has the dubious distinction of having 15 out of the 20 most
polluted cities in the world and thus such measure was necessary
4. The problem of pollution is not limited to the NCR of Delhi but it is a problem
which has engulfed the entire country especially the major cities
5. BSVI compliant vehicles are going to be more expensive than BSIV compliant
vehicles and people have a tendency to buy cheaper vehicle(s) even from a
neighboring city.

Shift to BS-VI norms

o The country will have to shift to the cleaner Bharat- VI fuel from April 1,
2020
o The BS-IV norms have been enforced across the country since April 2017
o In 2016, the Centre had announced the country would skip the BS-V norms
altogether and adopt BS-VI norms by 2020.

Major Differences in BS VI
 o Selective Catalytic Reduction Technology- It reduces oxides of nitrogen by
injecting an aqueous urea solution into the system. Hence, NOx from
diesel cars can be brought down by nearly 70%. In the petrol cars, they can
be reduced by 25%.
o Sulphur Content- While the BS-IV fuels contain 50 parts per million (ppm)
sulphur, the BS-VI grade fuel only has 10 ppm sulphur content.
o Particulate Matter- in diesel cars will be reduced by 80%.
o Mandatory on-board diagnostics (OBD)- which inform the vehicle owner or
the repair technician about how efficient the systems in the vehicles are.
o RDE (Real Driving Emission) will be introduced for the first time that will
measure the emission in real-world conditions and not just under test
conditions.

Why BS VI?
  The pro-active approach from the Government of India has made the country
leapfrog from the conventional BS-IV to directly adopt BS-VI emission norms as
the next level for regulatory framework in India.
 The BS-VI emission standards are much more elaborate in their scope and
integrate substantial changes to existing emission standards ensuring cleaner
products to the consumer.
 Besides the more stringent limits on the gaseous emission components, the
particulate matter (PM) limits have also been significantly reduced along with the
introduction of particle number (PN) limits.

Significance
 Vehicular emission is a major contributor to the worsening air quality of Indian
cities. Emission of NOx, SO2, CO2 and particulate matter is taking a toll on
people’s health. In cities like Delhi, the PM2.5 level is more than 6 times the
prescribed levels by WHO. These new norms will help reduce these vehicular
pollution significantly.
 At the BS-VI level, the gap maintained between emissions from diesel and petrol,
wherein diesel cars are allowed to emit more particulate matter and nitrogen
oxide, narrows.

Challenges
1. Huge Cost for automakers

o Moving to BS-VI directly will require significant technological upgrades for

which auto companies may have to invest heavily.
o Once the research and development is over, the task of setting up full-
scale production comes up. o Automakers were supposed to make their
models BS IV compliant by April 1, 2017. While some automakers have
met the targets and updated their products, there is a huge stock of
vehicles left to besold into the market. As per the Society of Indian
Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the companies were holding stock of
around 8.24 lakh such vehicles.

2.Timeframe

o Normally it takes 4 years to upgrade and here the companies have to skip
the BS V altogether and upgrade directly to BS VI. Smaller bonnet cars of
India may not be able to imbibe Diesel Particulate Filter in them which was
supposed to be a part of BS-V upgrade.

3.Impact on buyers

o Normally it takes 4 years to upgrade and here the companies have to skip
the BS V altogether and upgrade directly to BS VI. Smaller bonnet cars of
 India may not be able to imbibe Diesel Particulate Filter in them which was
supposed to be a part of BS-V upgrade.

WAY FORWARD
 A successful transition to BS-VI norms will be a landmark event for the country
and it must be taken in a mission mode approach by all the stakeholders.
 Governments should incentivize the automobile manufacturers and partner the
oil companies to manage this transition.
13th BRICS Summit
    
 10 Sep 2021
 

 4 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India's Interests

 Agricultural Pricing

Why in News
Recently, the Prime Minister chaired the annual summit of
the BRICS which was held virtually.

 The theme for the Summit was 'BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS

cooperation for continuity, consolidation and consensus'
.
Key Points
 PM’s Address:

o Highlighted the achievement of several new

initiatives during India's Chairship this year
(2021), i.e. an Agreement on cooperation in the field
of remote-sensing satellites; a virtual BRICS vaccine
Research & Development Centre; BRICS Alliance on
Green Tourism, etc
.
o Highlighting the leading role that BRICS countries can
play in the post-Covid global recovery, Prime
Minister called for enhanced BRICS
cooperation under the motto of 'Build-back Resiliently,
Innovatively, Credibly and Sustainably'.
 Adopted BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan:

o It defines the approach and actions of the BRICS

countries towards areas of Counter Terrorism
cooperation which includes: Countering Radicalization
and Online Terrorist Threats, Border Management,
Information/ Intelligence Sharing, etc.
 Adopted Delhi Declaration:

o The declaration called for reforms of the principal

organs of the United Nations including that of the UN
Security Council (UNSC).

 It is the first time that BRICS has taken

a collective position on 'Strengthening and
Reforming Multilateral Systems’.
 o It also called for an “inclusive intra-Afghan
dialogue” for stability in Afghanistan.

 Apart from Afghanistan, the BRICS leaders

also took up the conflicts in Myanmar, Syria,
the tension in the Korean peninsula, Israel-
Palestine violence and other territorial
disputes.
 On Covid-19:

o Noted the proposal made by India and South Africa at

the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the waiver of
the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights (TRIPS) mechanism to ensure a rapid
expansion of the Covid-19 vaccine production around
the world.
BRICS

 BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading

emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and
South Africa.

o In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the

term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies
of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
o The grouping was formalised during the first meeting
of BRIC Foreign Ministers’ in 2006
.
o South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December
2010
, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.
 The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing
countries of the world, representing 41% of the global
 population, 24% of the global GDP and 16% of the global
trade.
 The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the
members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.

o India is the chair for 2021.

 During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (Brazil) in 2014
, the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New
Development Bank (NDB - Shanghai, China)
. They also signed the BRICS Contingent Reserve
Arrangement to provide short-term liquidity support to the
members.

India-Australia First 2+2 Dialogue

    
 13 Sep 2021
 

 6 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 Government Policies & Interventions

 Bilateral Groupings & Agreements

Why in News
Recently, the foreign and defence ministers of India and Australia held the
first India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi.

 The inaugural dialogue is held in pursuant to the elevation of

India-Australia bilateral relations to comprehensive strategic
partnership during the India-Australia Leaders’ virtual
summit in 2021.
Key Points
 Focus on Indo-Pacific: To maintain an open, free, prosperous
and rules-based Indo-Pacific region (in line with the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)).

o To support India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative.

o Need for renewed efforts by the Quad member
countries to expand cooperation in the region.
 Focus on Supply Chain Resilience Initiative: To work together
through multilateral, regional and plurilateral mechanisms to
diversify supply chains between trusted and reliable trading
partners for critical health, technology and other goods and
services.

o In this context, they welcomed the launch of

the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative by the Trade
Ministers of India, Australia and Japan.
 Keeping-up with the Momentum: Decided to meet at least
once every two years in this format to keep up the
momentum.
 Shared Vision on Afghanistan: Displayed a common approach
to the Afghan crisis, after the recent Taliban takeover of
 Afghanistan.

o India held that the policy is summed up by the United

Nations Security Council Resolution 2593.
o UNSC Resolution 2593, emphasises most of all, that
Afghanistan must not allow its soil to be used in any
manner by any body for terrorism.
 Countering Terrorism: To continue to work together on counter
terrorism; countering of radicalization and on the proposed
UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
 Strengthening Bilateral Relationship: Discussed strengthening
their relationship in bilateral trade, vaccines, defence
production, community links, maritime security, cyber and
climate cooperation.
 Cooperation on Covid-19: Agreement was reached to deepen
cooperation in vaccine manufacturing, including under the
Quad framework, and to deliver high quality vaccines to their
Indo-Pacific partners.

o Researchers of both countries are working together to

advance Covid-19 screening and study the future
health effects of the virus through projects funded by
the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund.
 Defence Relationship: Australia has invited India for
participation in future Talisman Sabre exercises which will
raise interoperability while both sides explore longer term
reciprocal arrangements in logistics support.
 Economic Agreements: There was renewed support expressed
for finalization of bilateral Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation Agreement.

o Apart from this, both countries also pitched for early

resolution of the issue of taxation of offshore income
 of Indian firms under the India Australia Double
Taxation Avoidance Agreement.
 Others: While reaffirming support for the Indian candidacy for
permanent membership of the UNSC, grants of Australian $ 1
million to the International Solar Alliance, and Australian $10
million to the Coalition for Disaster Resilient
infrastructure (both India-led initiatives).
‘2+2’ Dialogue

 2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism

between the two countries.
 It is a format of dialogue where the defence/foreign ministers
or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another
country.
 India holds such talks with Australia, Japan and the USA.

India-Australia Relations
 Geo-Political Relations: Over the past few years, China’s
actions– including extensive island building in the South
China Sea has heightened concerns in a number of countries
around the world.

o This has led to formation of Quad (India, Australia,

Japan and US) grouping.
 Defence Relations: Bilateral naval exercise (AUSINDEX), Ex
AUSTRA HIND (Bilateral Exercise with Army), EX PITCH
BLACK (Australia’s multilateral air combat training exercise)
and multilateral Malabar Exercise (comprising Quad
countries).
o The countries have signed the Mutual Logistic
Support Arrangement (MLSA).
 Multilateral Cooperation:
 o Both are members of the Quad,
Commonwealth, Indian Ocean Rim Association
(IORA), ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia Pacific
Partnership on Climate and Clean Development, and
have participated in the East Asia Summits.
o Both countries have also been cooperating as
members of the Five Interested Parties (FIP) in
the World Trade Organization context.
o Australia is an important player in Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) and supports India's
membership of the organisation.
 Other Diplomatic Engagements: A Civil Nuclear Cooperation
Agreement was signed in September 2014.

o The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and

the Extradition Treaty, which were signed in June
2008.
o Further, recently India-Australia Circular Economy
Hackathon (I-ACE) was also organised.

Source: IEIndia-China Military Talks

    
 15 Jan 2022
 

 4 min read

Tags: 

 Quick Facts For Prelims

 GS Paper - 2

 India and its Neighbourhood

 Government Policies & Interventions

Why in News
Recently, the 14th round of Corps Commander level talks concluded
between India and China. The meeting resulted in no breakthrough for
disengagement from Hot Springs and Gogra Post, but the two sides have
agreed to meet again soon.

 The meeting had a positive outcome in comparison to the last

meeting, whereby no joint statement was released and the
two sides had issued independent statements blaming each
other for the situation.

Key Points
 Location of Hot Springs and Gogra Post:

o Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo

river and Gogra Post is east of the point where the
river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from
Galwan Valley and turning southwest.
o The area is north of the Karakoram Range of
mountains, which lies north of the Pangong Tso
lake, and south east of Galwan Valley.
  Importance of Hot Springs and Gogra Post :

o The area lies close to Kongka Pass, one of the main

passes, which, according to China, marks the
boundary between India and China.
o India’s claim of the international boundary lies
significantly east, as it includes the entire Aksai
Chin area as well.
o Hot Springs and Gogra Post are close to the boundary
between two of the most historically disturbed
provinces (Xinjiang and Tibet) of China.
Pangong Tso lake

 Pangong Lake is located in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

 It is situated at a height of almost 4,350m and is the world’s
highest saltwater lake.
 Extending to almost 160km, one-third of the Pangong Lake lies
in India and the other two-thirds in China.
Galwan Valley

 The valley refers to the land that sits between steep mountains
that buffet the Galwan River.
 The river has its source in Aksai Chin, on China’s side of
the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and it flows from the east to
Ladakh, where it meets the Shyok river on India’s side of the
LAC.
 The valley is strategically located between Ladakh in the west
and Aksai Chin in the east, which is currently controlled by
China as part of its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Chang Chenmo River

 Chang Chenmo River or Changchenmo River is a tributary of

the Shyok River, part of the Indus River system.
  It is at the southern edge of the disputed Aksai Chin region and
north of the Pangong Lake basin.
 The source of Chang Chenmo is near the Lanak Pass.
Kongka Pass

 The Kongka Pass or Kongka La is a low mountain pass over a

hill that intrudes into the Chang Chenmo Valley. It is in the
disputed India-China border area in Ladakh.
Karakoram Range

 It is also known as Krishnagiri which is situated in the

northernmost range of the Trans-Himalayan ranges. It forms
India's frontiers with Afghanistan and China.
 It extends eastwards from the Pamir for about 800 km. It is a
range with lofty peaks (elevation 5,500 m and above).
 Some of the peaks are more than 8,000 metre above sea level.
K2 (8,611 m)[Godwin Austen or Qogir] is the second highest
peak in the world and the highest peak in the Indian Union.
 The Ladakh Plateau lies to the north-east of the Karakoram
Range.
Source: IE

China-India Agreed to Disengage

    
 03 Aug 2021
 

 7 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 India and its Neighbourhood

 Government Policies & Interventions

Why in News
Recently, during the 12th round of discussions between the senior military
commanders of India and China to resolve the standoff in eastern Ladakh,
both have agreed in principle to disengage at a key patrol point in eastern
Ladakh.

 The 11th Corps Commander-level talks were held in April 2021,

when the two sides could not even agree on a joint
statement.

Key Points
 Current Disengagement:

o The agreement on Patrolling Point (PP)17A (Gogra

post) was reached but China is not inclined to move
back from PP15 (Hot Springs area); it continues to
insist that it is holding its own side of the Line of
Actual Control (LAC).

 The disengagement at PP17A is likely to

follow the process that was adopted for PP14
 in the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso where
a time-frame was set for withdrawal.
o Both sides agreed to resolve these remaining issues
in an expeditious manner in accordance with the
existing agreements and protocols and maintain the
momentum of dialogue and negotiations.
o They also agreed that in the interim they will continue
their effective efforts in ensuring stability along the
LAC in the Western sector and jointly maintain peace
and tranquility.
 Patrolling Point 15 and 17A:

o Along the LAC between India and China, Indian Army

has been given certain locations that its troops have
access to patrol the area under its control.
o These points are known as patrolling points, or PPs,
and are decided by the China Study Group (CSG).

 CSG was set-up in 1976, when Indira Gandhi

was the prime minister, and is the apex
decision-making body on China.
o Barring certain areas, like Depsang Plains, these
patrolling points are on the LAC, and troops access
these points to assert their control over the territory.

 It is an important exercise since the boundary

between India and China is not yet officially
demarcated.
 LAC is the demarcation that separates Indian-
controlled territory from Chinese-controlled
territory.
 o PP15 and PP17A are two of the 65 patrolling points in
Ladakh along the LAC.

 Both these points are in an area where India

and China largely agree on the alignment of
the LAC.
o PP15 is located in an area known as the Hot Springs,
while PP17A is near an area called the Gogra post.
 Location of Hot Springs and Gogra Post:

o Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo

river and Gogra Post is east of the point where the
river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from
Galwan Valley and turning southwest.
o The area is north of the Karakoram Range of
mountains, which lies north of the Pangong Tso lake,
and south east of Galwan Valley.
 Importance of Hot Springs and Gogra Post :

o The area lies close to Kongka Pass, one of the main

passes, which, according to China, marks the
boundary between India and China.
o India’s claim of the international boundary lies
significantly east, as it includes the entire Aksai
Chin area as well.
o Hot Springs and Gogra Post are close to the boundary
between two of the most historically disturbed
provinces (Xinjiang and Tibet) of China.
 Major Friction Points:

o Apart from PP15 and PP17A, PP14 in Galwan Valley,

and Finger 4 on the north bank of Pangong
Tso and Rezang La and Rechin La on the south bank
 of Chang Chenmo river, were identified as friction
points.
Pangong Tso lake

 Pangong Lake is located in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

 It is situated at a height of almost 4,350m and is the world’s
highest saltwater lake.
 Extending to almost 160km, one-third of the Pangong Lake lies
in India and the other two-thirds in China.
Galwan Valley

 The valley refers to the land that sits between steep mountains
that buffet the Galwan River.
 The river has its source in Aksai Chin, on China’s side of the
LAC, and it flows from the east to Ladakh, where it meets the
Shyok river on India’s side of the LAC.
 The valley is strategically located between Ladakh in the west
and Aksai Chin in the east, which is currently controlled by
China as part of its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Chang Chenmo River

 Chang Chenmo River or Changchenmo River is a tributary of

the Shyok River, part of the Indus River system.
 It is at the southern edge of the disputed Aksai Chin region and
north of the Pangong Lake basin.
 The source of Chang Chenmo is near the Lanak Pass.
Kongka Pass

 The Kongka Pass or Kongka La is a low mountain pass over a

hill that intrudes into the Chang Chenmo Valley. It is in the
disputed India-China border area in Ladakh.
Karakoram Range
  It is also known as Krishnagiri which is situated in the
northernmost range of the Trans-Himalayan ranges. It forms
India's frontiers with Afghanistan and China.
 It extends eastwards from the Pamir for about 800 km. It is a
range with lofty peaks [elevation 5,500 m and above].
 Some of the peaks are more than 8,000 metre above sea
level. K2 (8,611 m)[Godwin Austen or Qogir] is the second
highest peak in the world and the highest peak in the Indian
Union.
 The Ladakh Plateau lies to the north-east of the Karakoram
Range.

NEET’s All India Quota

    
 30 Jul 2021
 

 3 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 Government Policies & Interventions

 Issues Relating to Development

Why in News
Recently, the Union Health Ministry has announced 27% reservation for
the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 10% quota for the Economically
Weaker Sections (EWS) in the All India Quota (AIQ) scheme for
undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical/dental courses from
2021-22 onwards.

Key Points
 About All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme:

o The AIQ was introduced in 1986 under the directions

of the Supreme Court (SC) to provide for domicile-
 free merit-based opportunities to students from any
State to aspire to study in a medical college located in
another State.

 It comprises 15% of UG seats and 50% of PG

seats in government medical colleges.
 Remaining chunk of the seats in state
medical/dental colleges is reserved for
students domiciled in their respective states.
o In January, 2007, in Abhay Nath v University of Delhi
and Others, the SC directed that reservation of 15%
for Scheduled Castes and 7.5% for Scheduled
Tribes be introduced in the AIQ.

 Until 2007, no reservation was implemented

within the All India Quota for medical
admission.
o When the Central Educational Institutions
(Reservation in Admission) Act became effective in
2007, providing for uniform 27% reservation to the
OBCs, the scheme was implemented in all the Central
Educational Institutions.

 However, this was not extended to the AIQ

seats of State medical and dental colleges.
 The 10% EWS quota under the Constitution
(One Hundred And Third Amendment) Act,
2019, too, has been implemented in central
educational Institutions, but not in the
National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)
AIQ for state institutions.
o Now, after this decision, the Reservation for the OBC
and EWS categories within the AIQ will be offered in
 medical colleges from the current academic year.

 This decision will help thousands of students

under the given categories.

 About NEET:

o The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is

the entrance examination for entry to all
undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental
courses in the country.
o Until 2016, the All India Pre-Medical Test
(AIPMT) was the national-level entrance examination
for medical colleges.

 While state governments used to hold

separate entrance tests for seats that were
not contested at an all-India level.
o In 2016, the Supreme Court upheld the newly inserted
section 10-D of the Indian Medical Council Act,
1956 which provides for a uniform entrance
 examination to all medical educational institutions at
undergraduate level and postgraduate level in Hindi,
English and various other languages.

 Now, the Indian Medical Council Act,

1956 stands repealed after it has been
replaced by the National Medical Commission
Act, 2019 that came into existence on
8th August 2019.
o It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

21st SCO Summit

    
 18 Sep 2021
 

 3 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 India and its Neighbourhood

 Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India's Interests

Why in News
The 21st Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council
of Heads of State was held recently via video Conferencing in Dushanbe,
Tajikistan

.
 At the meet the focus was primarily on the ground situation in
Afghanistan and its global repercussions
.
 Iran has been accepted as the ninth full member of the
organisation
.
Key Points
 India’s Stand:

o It took a strong stance

against radicalisation and extremism, urging the
panel to come up with a joint approach and frame
a code of conduct to stop terror financing and cross-
border terrorism.

 It also stressed upon the importance of

moderate Islam in Central Asia.
o Flagged concerns over the serious humanitarian
crisis
 unfolding in Afghanistan, noting that the economic
woes of the Afghan people are increasing due to
the blockage in financial and trade flows.
o Pointed out that the developments in the country
could lead to an uncontrolled flow of drugs, illegal
weapons and human trafficking.
o It is committed to increasing its connectivity
with Central Asia. Asserting that there should be
respect for the territorial integrity of all countries.
 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:

o About:

 It is a permanent intergovernmental
international organisation. It was created in
2001.
 The SCO Charter was signed in
2002, and entered into force in 2003.
 It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military
organisation
  aiming to maintain peace, security and
stability in the region.
 It is seen as a counterweight to North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO), It is a eight-
member economic and security bloc and has
emerged as one of the largest transregional
international organisations.
o Official Languages:

 Russian and Chinese.

o Permanent Bodies:

 SCO Secretariat in Beijing

 Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-
Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent
.
o Chairmanship:

 It is by rotation for a year by Member States.

o Genesis:

 Prior to the creation of SCO in

2001, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia
and Tajikistan were members of the
Shanghai Five.
 Shanghai Five (1996) emerged from a series
of border demarcation and demilitarization
talks which the four former Soviet republics
held with China to ensure stability along the
borders.
  Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the
organisation in 2001, the Shanghai Five was
renamed the SCO.
 India and Pakistan became members in 2017.
Iran is the ninth and the newest member of
SCO.

 India was made an observer at the

SCO in 2005 and has generally
participated in the ministerial-level
meetings of the grouping which focus
mainly on security and economic
cooperation in the Eurasian region.

AUKUS Grouping
    
 16 Sep 2021
 

 3 min read

Tags: 

 Quick Facts For Prelims

 GS Paper - 2

 Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India's Interests

 Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology

Why in News
Recently, the US has announced a new trilateral security partnership for
the Indo-Pacific, between Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS).

 The major highlight of this arrangement is the sharing of US

nuclear submarine technology to Australia.
Key Points
 Focusing on Indo-Pacific: The security grouping AUKUS will
focus on advancing strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific
 region.

o Though the US has explicitly denied that the grouping

is targeted against China, its Indo-pacific orientation
makes it an alliance against China’s assertive actions
in the South China Sea.
o The three countries alongside Canada and New
Zealand already share extensive intelligence through
the Five Eyes alliance.
 Transferring Nuclear Submarines to Australia: As part of this
initiative, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines
with help from the UK and the US.

o This step is significant because the US has only

shared nuclear submarine technology once
before, and it started in 1958 with Great Britain.
o Nuclear submarines that are quieter than their
conventional counterparts but also more capable of
being deployed for longer periods and needing to
surface less frequently.
o Alongside India’s stated intent to acquire more
nuclear-powered submarines, it will amount to a step-
change increase in the Quad’s undersea and anti-
submarine warfare capabilities.

 Quad is a grouping of India, USA, Australia and

Japan.
o Australia is now set to join an elite group of only six
countries – India, the US, the UK, France, Russia and
China – that operate nuclear-powered submarines. It
will also be the only country to have
such submarines without having a civilian nuclear
power industry.
  Multi-Sectoral Cooperation: AUKUS will also involve a new
architecture of meetings and engagements between the three
countries, as well as cooperation across emerging
technologies (applied AI, quantum technologies and
undersea capabilities).
Five Eyes Alliance

 The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing

arrangement between five English-speaking democracies: the
US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
 The alliance was created during the Cold War (1946-1991) that
was fought between the United States and the Soviet Union,
as well as their respective allies.
 The alliance was needed to share sensitive information
regarding their adversaries on all possible fronts available.
 It is often described as the world's most successful
intelligence alliance.

Output Pact: OPEC+

 06 Jul 2021
 

 5 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 3

 Mobilization of Resources

 Growth & Development

 Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India's Interests

Why in News
Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pushed back against a plan by
the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+)
Plus group to extend the global pact to cut oil production beyond April
2022.

Key Points
 The Output Pact & Fluctuating Oil Price:

o The OPEC+ group of countries had, in April 2020,

entered into a two-year agreement (Output Pact),
which entailed steep cuts in crude production to deal
with a sharp fall in the price of oil as a result of
the Covid-19 pandemic.

 The price of Brent crude hit an 18-year low of

under USD 20 per barrel in April 2020 as
economic activity around the world crashed
as countries dealt with the pandemic.
o In November 2020, the prices started rising and
in July 2021, they were USD 76.5 per barrel mainly
due to the steady rollout of vaccination
programmes around the world.
o OPEC+, however, maintained lower levels of
production despite crude oil prices reaching pre-Covid
levels, with Saudi Arabia, notably, announcing a
further cut in production of 1 million barrels per day
for the February-to-April period, which helped boost
rising prices even further.

 The OPEC+ group ran into sharp criticism

from developing economies, including India,
for deliberately maintaining low supply levels
to raise prices.
o In April, OPEC+ agreed to gradually increase crude
production, including a phased end to Saudi Arabia’s
1 million barrel per day cut in production by July.
 UAE’s Objection:

o UAE agreed that there was a need to increase crude

oil production from August 2021, but did not agree to
 a condition by the OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring
Committee (JMMC) that the two-year production
agreement be extended by six months.
o The UAE’s key objection to the existing agreement is
the reference output used to calculate the total
production apportioned to each oil-exporting country.

 The baseline production level reference used

in the current agreement was not reflective of
the UAE’s production capacity and, therefore,
led to the UAE being apportioned a lower
share of total production of crude oil.
 UAE would be open to extending the
agreement if baseline production levels were
reviewed to be fair to all parties.
 Impact of OPEC+ conflict on India:

o Delayed Relief:

 If the UAE and other OPEC+ nations do not

reach an agreement to increase production in
August, expected relief in the form of lower
crude oil prices could be delayed.
o High Domestic Prices:

 India is currently facing record-high prices of

petrol and diesel. High crude prices have led
to Indian oil marketing companies hiking the
price of petrol by about 19.3% and that of
diesel by about 21% since the beginning of
2021.
o Slow Recovery:
  The high price of crude oil was slowing down
the economic recovery of developing
economies post the pandemic.
o Inflation:

 The high prices might also increase

the Current Account Deficit and
put inflationary pressure on the Indian
economy.
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

 About:

o It is a permanent, intergovernmental organization,

created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran,
Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
o It aims to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set
the price of oil in the world market, in order to avoid
fluctuations that might affect the economies of both
producing and purchasing countries.
 Headquarter:

o Vienna, Austria.
 Membership:

o OPEC membership is open to any country that is a

substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals
of the organization.
o OPEC has a total of 13 Member Countries viz. Iran,
Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi
Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial
Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola and Venezuela are
members of OPEC.
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus

 It is a loosely affiliated entity consisting of the OPEC members

and 10 of the world's major non-OPEC oil-exporting nations
which are:

o Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia,

Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.

Reforms in Telecom Sector

    
 17 Sep 2021
 

 6 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 3

 Industrial Growth

 Industrial Policy

 Government Policies & Interventions

 GS Paper - 2

Why in News
Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved a number of structural and
process reforms in the Telecom sector.

 These reforms include a redefinition of the much-litigated

concept of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), a four-year
moratorium on Telecom Service Providers' (TSPs) dues to the
government, among others.
Key Points
 About the Reforms:

o Spectrum Related Reforms: Spectrum auctions will

be normally held in the last quarter of every financial
year (fixed calendar).

 The future spectrum auctions will be done for

a period of 30 years instead of the current 20
years.
  A telco will be allowed to surrender its
spectrum after completing a 10-year lock-in
period from the date of purchase.
 Spectrum sharing is being encouraged and
the additional SUC (Spectrum Usage Charges)
of 0.5% for spectrum sharing is removed.
 Spectrum relates to the radio frequencies
allocated to the mobile industry and other
sectors for communication over the airwaves.
o Rationalization of AGR:

 AGR was previously interpreted as being

based on all revenue, rather than just that
associated with a company’s core telecom
business.
 The government has accepted that this
interpretation was problematic, which will
reduce the future financial burden on
companies.
 Telecom companies have to pay a pre-fixed
percentage of AGR (excluding non-telecom
revenues) to the government as statutory
levies but this will apply prospectively.
o Moratorium on AGR Dues: The earlier definition of
AGR, backed by the Telecom Department and upheld
by the Supreme Court in 2019, had made telcos liable
to pay Rs. 1.6 lakh crore.

 This payment has cash-strapped the telecom

sector, which led to the losses of business to
telecom companies like Vodafone and
established a duopoly (reliance Jio and Bharti
Airtel).
  In order to revive the telecom sector, a four-
year moratorium on all spectrum and AGR
dues has been approved.
 However, those TSPs opting for the
moratorium will be required to pay interest on
the amount availed under the benefit.
o Interest Rates Rationalized and Penalties Removed:

 The interest which is compounded monthly on

the Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) will now
be compounded annually and also the interest
rate will be lowered, based on MCLR + 2%
instead of MCLR + 4%.

 MCLR refers to the lowest lending rate

banks are permitted to offer - the
Marginal Cost of funds-based Lending
Rate.
 Additionally, the penalty and interest on
penalty stand removed.
o FDI Reforms: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the
sector has also been allowed up to 100% under the
automatic route, from the existing limit of 49%.
Adjusted Gross Revenue

 AGR is a fee-sharing mechanism between the government and

the telcos who shifted to the 'revenue-sharing fee' model in
1999, from the 'fixed license fee' model.

o In this course, telcos are supposed to share a

percentage of AGR with the government.
 Under this, mobile telephone operators were required to share
a percentage of their AGR with the government as annual
License Fee (LF) and Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC).
  In 2005, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)
challenged the government’s definition for AGR calculation.

o The companies claimed that AGR should comprise

just the revenue accrued from core services and not
dividend, interest income or profit on the sale of any
investment or fixed assets.
 The Supreme Court upheld the definition of AGR as stipulated
by the DoT (revenues from both telecom and non-telecom
services) in October 2019.
 Significance of these Reforms:

o Reviving Competition: Four years’ Moratorium would

encourage companies to invest in customer service
and new technology.
o Promoting Ease of Doing Business: The allowance of
100% FDI in the sector (through the automatic route)
came shortly after the government decided to scrap a
controversial retrospective tax.

 Together, these signal the return to an

investor-friendly climate.
o Promoting Digital India: The telecom sector is one of
the prime movers of the economy and the measures
announced by the government would enable the
industry to achieve the goals of Digital India.
o Further Technological Advancement: Together, these
measures would pave the way for large scale
investments into the sector, including for 5G
technology deployment, and generate more jobs.
Way Forward
Moratorium on AGR dues and spectrum dues would only provide temporary
relief with these deferred dues to be payable eventually with interest. Thus,
all the stakeholders involved should find a way to develop a sustainable
tariff policy.

Source: TH

Colexion: Largest Licenced NFT Platform

Published: September 13, 2021
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Colexion, largest licenced NFT (non-fungible tokens) platform, announced the formal public
lunch on September 10, 2021.
Contents [hide]
 Highlights
 What is Colexion?
 Feature on Colexion
 Aim of the Colexion

Highlights
 Colexion is a NFT platform for Sports, Entertainment & Art.
 NFTs are the next billion-dollar evolution, that clearly states that digital ecosystem of
sport, entertainment & art is perhaps the biggest thing to happen in upcoming years.
 Collectors and investors worldwide own collections of varied set of memorabilia
which have been appreciated much over decades.
 This platform will soon enable the users to buy, sell and trade NFTs of their favourite
superstars. It has also started a user pre-registration program.
What is Colexion?
Colexion is an NFT trading and community platform. It provides users with trade, purchase,
and interactive activities. It will feature NFT collections of global stars. Through this
platform, users would be able to buy different tiers of blind boxes and own celebrity’s limited
NFT collections. Each NFT collectible comprise of a unique record on the blockchain. Users
will obtain ownership of this unique NFT collectible by purchasing it on the platform or
trading on the Colexion marketplace. Colexion will accept general payment methods like
credit cards in order to make it easy for mainstream consumers to participate.
Feature on Colexion
Colexion will feature stars from field like sports, arts, entertainment, and other industries
celebrities. Global sports stars will be the main partners in initial phase of the launch.
Aim of the Colexion
Colexion has been launched with the aim of creating a significant entrance to virtual reality
by means of NFT collections, trading, and community platforms. It will bring the Novel
technology world through NFT.
Month: Current Affairs - September, 2021
World’s First ‘Five-Country Biosphere Reserve’
    
 17 Sep 2021
 

 4 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 Government Policies & Interventions

 GS Paper - 3

 Conservation

Why in News
Recently, Mura-Drava-Danube (MDD) was declared as the world’s first
‘five-country biosphere reserve’ by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Key Points
  About MDD:

o The biosphere reserve covers 700 kilometres of

the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers and stretches
across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and
Serbia.
o The total area of the reserve is a million hectares - in
the so-called ‘Amazon of Europe’, which is now
the largest riverine protected area in Europe.
o The biosphere “represented an important contribution
to the European Green Deal (climate action plan) and
contributed to the implementation of the EU
Biodiversity Strategy in the Mura-Drava-Danube
region.”

 The strategy’s aim is to revitalise 25,000 km

of rivers and protect 30% of the European
Union’s land area by 2030.
 Importance of the MDD:

o The area is one of the richest in Europe in terms of

species diversity.
o It is home to floodplain forests, gravel and sand
banks, river islands, oxbows and meadows.
o The area is home to the highest density in Europe of
breeding pairs of white-tailed eagle and endangered
species such as the little tern, black stork, otters,
beavers and sturgeons.
o It is also an important stepping stone for more than
2,50,000 migratory waterfowls every year.
Biosphere Reserve (BR)
 About:

o BR is an international designation by (UNESCO) for

representative parts of natural and cultural
landscapes extending over large areas of terrestrial or
coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination of both.
o BR tries to balance economic and social
development and maintenance of associated cultural
values along with the preservation of nature.
o BRs are nominated by national governments and
remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states
where they are located.
o These are designated under the intergovernmental
MAB Programme by the Director-General of UNESCO
following the decisions of the MAB International
Coordinating Council (MAB ICC).

 The Man and the Biosphere (MAB)

Programme is an intergovernmental scientific
programme that aims to establish a scientific
basis for enhancing the relationship between
people and their environments.
o Their status is internationally recognized.
o There are 727 biosphere reserves in 131
countries, including 22 transboundary sites.
 Three Main Zones:

o Core Areas: It comprises a strictly protected zone that

contributes to the conservation of landscapes,
ecosystems, species and genetic variation.
o Buffer Zones: It surrounds or adjoins the core area(s),
and is used for activities compatible with sound
 ecological practices that can reinforce scientific
research, monitoring, training and education.
o Transition Area: The transition area is where
communities foster socio-culturally and ecologically
sustainable economic and human activities.
 Biosphere Reserves in India:

o Presently, there are 18 Biosphere Reserves in

India, among which 12 Biosphere reserves in
India find their place in UNESCO’s List of Man &
Biosphere Reserves Programme.

 The latest included under the MAB

was ‘Panna Biosphere Reserve’ (Madhya
Pradesh).

63rd Ramon Magsaysay Award

    
 03 Sep 2021
 

 2 min read

Tags: 
  Quick Facts For Prelims

 GS Paper - 1

Why in News
Recently the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 was announced. The award
is presented in a formal ceremony in Manila, the capital of the
Philippines on 31st August each year.

Key Points
 The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 and is
considered Asia's premier prize and highest honour.
 It is named after Ramon Magsaysay, the third president of the
Republic of the Philippines.
 Recognises and honours individuals and organisations in Asia,
regardless of race, creed, gender, or nationality, who have
achieved distinction and have helped others generously
without aiming for public recognition.
 Till 2009, awards were traditionally given in five categories:

o Government service; public service; community

leadership; journalism, literature and creative
communication arts; and peace and international
understanding.
 However, post 2009, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
annually selects the awardees for the field of Emergent
Leadership.
 Awardees are presented with a certificate, a medallion with an
embossed image of Ramon Magsaysay and cash prize.
  The award is internationally-recognized as the Nobel
Prize counterpart of Asia.
 Winners for 2021: Bangladesh’s Dr. Firdausi Qadri (Affordable
Vaccine Champion), Pakistan’s Muhammad Amjad Saqib
(Poverty Alleviation Visionary), Filipino fisher and community
environmentalist Roberto Ballon, American Steven Muncy for
humanitarian work and refugee assistance and Indonesian
torch bearer for investigative journalism, Watchdoc.

Model Tenancy Act:

GS Paper 2
Topic covered: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors
and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context:

Assam has become the first state to adopt the Model Tenancy Act. With this Assam Urban
Areas Rent Control Act, 1972 gets repealed.

Impact:

 New Act will spur growth & development of transparent & accountable rental
market & balance the interests of tenants & landlords. It will provide
ecosystem for rapid dispute resolution.

Background:

The Union Cabinet, in June 2021, approved the Model Tenancy Act (MTA).

 States and Union territories can now adopt the Model Tenancy Act by
enacting fresh legislation or they can amend their existing rental laws
suitably.

Highlights of the Model Law:

1. Applicable prospectively and will not affect the existing tenancies.

 2. Written agreement is a must for all new tenancies. The agreement will have
to be submitted to the concerned district ‘Rent Authority’.
3. The law also speaks about roles and responsibilities of landlord and tenants.
4. No landlord or property manager can withhold any essential supply  to
the premises occupied by the tenant.
5. If tenancy has not been renewed, the tenancy shall be deemed to be
renewed on a month-to-month basis on the same terms and conditions as
were in the expired tenancy agreement, for a maximum period of six months.
6. Compensation in case of non-vacancy: On the expiry of extended period of
six months of agreed tenancy period or the termination of tenancy by order
or notice, the tenant shall be a tenant in default and liable to
pay compensation of double of the monthly rent for two months and four
times of the monthly rent thereafter.
7. A landowner or property manager may enter a premise in accordance
with written notice or notice through electronic medium  served to the
tenant at least twenty-four hours before the time of entry.

Significance:

It is an important piece of legislation that promises to ease the burden on civil courts,
unlock rental properties stuck in legal disputes, and prevent future tangles by
balancing the interests of tenants and landlords.

Need for a law in this regard:

1. Young, educated job seekers migrating to large metropolises often complain

of onerous tenancy conditions and obscene sums of money as security
deposits that they are asked to fork out to lease accommodation. In some
cities, tenants are asked to pay security deposits amounting to 11 months of
rent.
2. Also, some house owners routinely breach tenants’ right to privacy by
visiting the premises unannounced for sundry repair works.
3. Whimsical rent raises are another problem for tenants, many of whom
complain of being squeezed as “captive customers“.
4. Besides, Tenants are often accused of “squatting” on the rented premises,
or trying to grab the property

State Food Safety Index: FSSAI

    

 21 Sep 2021

 
 5 min read

Tags: 
  GS Paper - 2

 Government Policies & Interventions

 Health

Why in News

Recently, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has released the 3rd State Food Safety
Index (SFSI).

 Also, 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans (Food Safety on Wheels) have been flagged off to
supplement the food safety ecosystem across the country.

Key Points

 About the Index:

o The index is developed by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of

India) to measure the performance of states on five significant parameters of
Food Safety.

o The parameters include Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance,

Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building
and Consumer Empowerment.

o The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that

provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all
States/UTs.

o The first State Food Safety Index for the year 2018-19 was announced on the
first-ever World Food Safety Day on 7th June 2019.

 Ranking of States:

o Among the larger states, Gujarat was the top ranking state, followed by Kerala
and Tamil Nadu.

o Among the smaller states, Goa stood first followed by Meghalaya and

Manipur.

o Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and New Delhi
secured top ranks.

 Importance of Food Safety:

o Access to sufficient amounts of safe food is key to sustaining life and

promoting good health.

 Foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and

often invisible to the plain eye, caused by bacteria, viruses,
parasites or chemical substances entering the body through
contaminated food or water.
  An estimated 4,20,000 people around the world die every year after
eating contaminated food and children under 5 years of age carry
40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 1,25, 000 deaths every
year.

o Food safety has a critical role in assuring that food stays safe at every stage
of the food chain - from production to harvest, processing, storage,
distribution, all the way to preparation and consumption.

 Food production is responsible for up to 30% of

global greenhouse-gas emissions contributing to global warming.

 Related Initiatives:

o Indian:

 Eat Right India Movement:

 It is an initiative of the Government of India and

FSSAI to transform the country’s food system in order
to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all
Indians.

 It is aligned to the National Health Policy 2017 with its

focus on preventive and promotive healthcare and
flagship programmes like Ayushman Bharat, POSHAN
Abhiyaan, Anemia Mukt Bharat and Swachh Bharat
Mission.

 Eat Right Station Certification:

 The certification is awarded by FSSAI to railway

stations that set benchmarks (as per the Food Safety
and Standards Act, 2006) in providing safe and
wholesome food to passengers.

 The Eat Right Research Awards and Grants to encourage and

recognize high-quality research in the area of food safety and
nutrition in India has also been launched.

 The results of PAN-India survey for identifying the presence of

industrially produced trans fatty acid content in the selected foods
has been released. Overall, only 84 samples, i.e. 1.34%, have more
than 3% industrially produced trans fats from the total of 6245
samples.

 In an effort to engage industry on the issue of plastic in food

packaging, 24 food businesses signed a pledge on
becoming “Plastic Waste Neutral” by collecting, processing and
recycling of 100% post-consumer plastic waste from across the
sources.
 o Global:

 The Codex Alimentarius, or "Food Code" is a collection of

standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the Codex
Alimentarius Commission.

 The Codex Alimentarius Commission is a joint intergovernmental

body of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World
Health Organization (WHO).

 Currently, it has 189 members and India is a member.

Source: PIB

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) - UPSC Notes

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is one of the six principal organs of
the  United Nations. The UNGA is an important topic for the IAS exam since it is the chief
policymaking and representative body of the United Nations.
Latest Update:

 The Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid, has been elected as the 76th
President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the elections held
on June 7, 2021, and shall commence his year-long term in September 2021.
 India’s Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, Nagraj Naidu will be the
Chef du Cabinet of the President-elect of the 76th UNGA session. It is for the first
time that an Indian diplomat will be at this position.
 The 76th session of UNGA will be held between September 14 and 30, 2021
Aspirants would find the article very helpful in preparation for the upcoming IAS Exam.
Also, candidates preparing for the UPSC exam can refer to the links below:

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) United Nations Conventions to Combat

Desertification (UNCCD)

United Nations Conference on Trade and United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Development (UNCTAD) (UNIDO)

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity United Nations (UN) Principal Organs
(UNCBD)

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

The UNGA is a principal component of the United Nations. It is the main governing body of
the organisation and is also the most representative body in the UN. 

 All the members of the UN are represented in the UNGA, which is sometimes
referred to as simply the GA. Hence, it has 193 members (all the UN member
countries).
 It meets annually in its headquarters in New York City, generally in the month of
September. It can also meet at other times according to the need.
 The UNGA is headed by its President, who is elected for a term of one year.
 It is sometimes called the parliament of the world.
 The UNGA deliberates and decides on important matters such as peace and security,
and other international issues.
 It also decides on the admission of new members.
 Decisions are taken by voting. Generally, a simple majority is considered but in case
of important decisions, a two-thirds majority is considered. Each member has one
vote.
 Unlike the Security Council, there is no veto power bestowed to anyone.
 In 1953, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the eight President of the UNGA, the only
Indian GA President to date.

UNGA UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here

Candidates can enhance their UPSC exam preparation by attempting UPSC Previous Years Question
Papers now!!
To complement your preparation for the upcoming exam, check the following links:

 Current Affairs
 UPSC Notes PDF
 IAS Mock Tests
 NCERT Notes PDF
 Daily News Analysis
 100 Difference between Articles for Revision

Functions and Powers of UNGA

The functions and powers of the UNGA are described below:

Considering and approving the UN budget and establishing the financial assessments

of member countries.
 Considering and making recommendations on the general principles of cooperation to
maintain global peace & security, including disarmament.
 Electing the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) and the members of other UN councils and organs and, appointing the
Secretary-General, as per the UNSC’s recommendations.
 Discussing questions concerning international peace & security and making
recommendations on it (unless the matter is currently being discussed by the Security
Council).
 Initiating studies and making recommendations to boost international political
cooperation, developing and codifying international law, realizing fundamental
freedoms and human rights, and creating global collaboration in the social, economic,
humanitarian, educational, cultural and health domains.
 Making recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation that could
hamper friendly relations among nations.
 The UNGA also considers reports from the UNSC and other organs of the UN.
 In case of threats to peace, and where the UNSC has failed to take action because of
the negative vote (veto) of a permanent member, the GA can consider the matter and
recommend actions to its members.
Aspirants can take a look at various Reports Published by International Organizations.

UNGA Subsidiary Organs

The UNGA has many subsidiary organs, in the form of commissions, committees, boards,
councils and working groups.
The commissions of the UNGA are:

 Disarmament Commission
 International Law Commission
 International Civil Service Commission
 United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine
 United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
 United Nations Peacebuilding Commission
World Bank Stops ‘Ease of Doing Business’ Report

    
 18 Sep 2021

 
  4 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 Important International Institutions

 International Treaties & Agreements

 Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India's Interests

 Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India's Interests

Why in News

The World Bank would discontinue the practice of issuing ‘Doing Business report’ following
an investigation reported “data irregularities” in its 2018 and 2020 editions (released in 2017
and 2019, respectively) and possible “ethical matters” involving bank staff.

 It will be working on a new approach to assessing the business and investment

climate.

Key Points

 Ease of Doing Business Report:

o The report was introduced in 2003 to provide an assessment of

objective measures of business regulations and their
enforcement across 190 economies on ten parameters affecting a
business through its life cycle.

o 10 different parameters namely, Starting a Business, Dealing with

Construction permits, Electricity availability, Property registration, Credit
availability, Protecting minority Investors, Paying Taxes, Trading across
borders, Contracts enforcement, and Resolving Insolvency.

o It ranks countries on the basis of Distance to Frontier (DTF) score that

highlights the gap of an economy with respect to the global best
practice.

 For example, a score of 75 means an economy was 25

percentage points away from the frontier constructed from
the best performances across all economies and across
time.

 India’s Performance:

o Notably, in three reports, released in 2017, 2018 and 2019, India ranked
among the top 10 economies showing “the most notable
improvement”.
  Of the 79 positions in the Bank’s Doing Business rankings
that India gained between 2014 and 2019, 67 rank
improvements happened 2017 onwards, with the biggest 30-
rank jump happening in the Doing Business 2018 report,
released in October 2017.

o The latest report, published in October 2019, placed India at 63rd in

Doing Business, compared with 77th in 2018 and 100 in 2017.

 India, along with other top improvers, had implemented 59

regulatory reforms in 2018-19, accounting for a fifth of all
reforms recorded worldwide.

 During 2018-19, India had implemented reforms across

parameters such as ‘starting a business’, ‘dealing with
construction permits’, ‘trading across borders’, and ‘resolving
insolvency’. The government’s goal was to be among the top
50 economies by 2020.

o The scores for India used to be based on coverage of just two

cities, with Mumbai carrying a weight of 47% and Delhi a weight of 53%.

World Bank

 About:

o It was created in 1944, as the International Bank for Reconstruction

and Development (IBRD) along with the International Monetary Fund
(IMF). The IBRD later became the World Bank.

o The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions

working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared
prosperity in developing countries.

 Members:

o It has 189 member countries.

o India is also a member country.

 Major reports:

o Ease of Doing Business.

o Human Capital Index.

o World Development Report.

 Its Five development institutions:

 o International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD): provides loans, credits, and grants.

o International Development Association (IDA): provides low- or no-

interest loans to low-income countries.

o International Finance Corporation (IFC): provides investment, advice,

and asset management to companies and governments.

o Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA): insures lenders and investors

against political risk such as war.

o International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes

(ICSID): settles investment-disputes between investors and countries.

 India is not a member of this.

Global Innovation Index 2021

    
 21 Sep 2021
 

 4 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 2

 Government Policies & Interventions

 Issues Relating to Development

 GS Paper - 3

 Growth & Development

Why in News
Recently, India has climbed two spots and has been ranked 46th in
the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021 rankings

.
Key Points
 Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021:

o About:

 Launch: The GII is launched by the World

Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
, a specialized agency of the United Nations.

 The GII aims to capture the multi-

dimensional facets of innovation
ranking and rich analysis referencing
around 132 economies.
 Partnership: It is published in partnership with
the Portulans Institute and other corporate
partners:

 The Brazilian National Confederation

of Industry (CNI), Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII), Ecopetrol
(Colombia) and the Turkish Exporters
Assembly (TIM)
.
 Indicators: The index ranks world economies
according to their innovation capabilities and
consists of roughly 80 indicators grouped
into innovation inputs and outputs.

 Innovation inputs: Institutions; Human

capital and research; Infrastructure;
Market sophistication; Business
sophistication.
  Innovation outputs: Knowledge and
technology outputs; Creative outputs
o Global Performance:

 Top Five: Switzerland, Sweden, U.S

., and U.K. continue to lead the innovation
ranking, and have all ranked in the top 5 in the
past three years.

 The Republic of Korea joins the top 5

of the GII for the first time in 2021.
 Asian Countries: Four Asian economies
feature in the top 15: Singapore (8), China
(12), Japan (13) and Hong Kong, China (14)
.
o India’s Performance:

 India has been on an upward trajectory over

the past few years in the GII.

 India has shot up from a rank of 81 in

2015 to 46 in 2021
.
 India performs better in innovation
outputs than innovation inputs in 2021.

 This year India ranks 57th in innovation

inputs, the same as last year but
higher than 2019.
 As for innovation outputs, India ranks
45th. This position is the same as last
year but higher than 2019.
  India ranks 2nd among the 34 lower middle-
income group economies.
 India ranks 1st among the 10 economies in
Central and Southern Asia.
 The government attributed the country’s
improved performance to the departments of
atomic energy, science and technology,
biotechnology and space.
 Other Findings from the GII 2021:

o Investments in innovation reached an all-time

high before the pandemic with R&D growing at an
exceptional rate of 8.5% in 2019.
o Government budget allocations for the top R&D
spending economies showed continued growth in
2020.
o The publication of scientific articles worldwide grew
by 7.6% in 2020.
o India, Kenya, the Republic of Moldova, and
VietNam hold the record for overperforming on
innovation relative to their level of development for
the 11th year in a row.
Note

 The India Innovation Index has been developed by NITI

(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog on the
lines of the GII.

o The index goes beyond traditional approaches by

considering the best parameters in measuring
innovation such as patents per million of population,
publication in scientific journals, percentage of GDP
spending on research.
 o It also adds parameters that are specific to the Indian
economy (eg. Demographic dividend), to give it a
more holistic coverage.

G-sec Acquisition Programme 2.0

    
 20 Aug 2021
 

 6 min read

Tags: 

 GS Paper - 3

 Monetary Policy

 Banking Sector & NBFCs

Why in News
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it
will conduct an open market purchase of government securities of Rs
25,000 crore under the G-sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 2.0).

 Earlier, under G-SAP 1.0, the first purchase of government

securities for an aggregate amount of Rs. 25,000 crore was
made.
Key Points
 Government Securities Acquisition Programme (G-SAP):

o About: The G-Sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) is

basically an unconditional and a structured Open
Market Operation (OMO), of a much larger scale and
size.

 RBI has called the G-SAP as an OMO with

a ‘distinct character’.
  The word ‘unconditional’ here connotes that
RBI has committed upfront that it will buy G-
Secs irrespective of the market sentiment.
o Objective: To achieve a stable and orderly evolution
of the yield curve along with management of
liquidity in the economy.
o Significance: The government will mainly benefit from
the G-SAP.

 By purchasing G-secs, the RBI infuses money

supply into the economy which inturn keeps
the yield down and lower the borrowing cost
of the Government.
 The government of India, with its massive
borrowing programme (for example, National
infrastructure pipeline project), can now
breathe a sigh of relief as long-term borrowing
costs come down.
o Issues: Critics of the G-SAP say that the rupee might
get adversely affected.

 They are of the view that the G-SAP

announcement has already led
to depreciation of the rupee (a fall in the value
of currency).
 So, critics are pointing to the fact that there is
a trade-off between a tumbling rupee and
lower borrowing costs/low yields.
 Further, too much liquidity will drive
up inflation.
 Open Market Operations:
 o Open Market Operations (OMO) is one of
the quantitative (to regulate or control the total
volume of money) monetary policy tools which is
employed by the central bank of a country to control
the money supply in the economy.
o OMOs are conducted by the RBI by way of sale or
purchase of government securities (g-secs) to adjust
money supply conditions.
o The central bank sells g-secs to remove liquidity from
the system and buys back g-secs to infuse liquidity
into the system.
o These operations are often conducted on a day-to-day
basis in a manner that balances inflation while helping
banks continue to lend.
o RBI carries out the OMO through commercial
banks and does not directly deal with the public.
o The RBI uses OMO along with other monetary policy
tools such as repo rate, cash reserve ratio and
statutory liquidity ratio to adjust the quantum and
price of money in the system.
 Government Securities:

o A G-Sec is a tradable instrument issued by the Central

Government or the State Governments.
o It acknowledges the Government’s debt
obligation. Such securities are short term (usually
called treasury bills, with original maturities of less
than one year- presently issued in three tenors,
namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day) or long term
(usually called Government bonds or dated securities
with original maturity of one year or more).
o In India, the Central Government issues both treasury
bills and bonds or dated securities while the State
 Governments issue only bonds or dated
securities, which are called the State Development
Loans (SDLs).
o G-Secs carry practically no risk of default and, hence,
are called risk-free gilt-edged instruments.

 Gilt-edged securities are high-grade

investment bonds offered by governments
and large corporations as a means of
borrowing funds.
Yield Curve

 Bond yield is the return an investor realizes on a bond.

 The mathematical formula for calculating yield is the annual
coupon rate (interest rate promised by the bond
issuer) divided by the current market price of the bond.
 Movements in yields depend on trends in interest rates, it can
result in capital gains or losses for investors.

o A rise in bond yields in the market will bring the price

of the bond down.
o A drop in bond yield would benefit the investor as
the price of the bond will rise, generating capital
gains.
 A yield curve is a line that plots yields (interest rates) of bonds
having equal credit quality but differing maturity dates.
 The slope of the yield curve gives an idea of future interest rate
changes and economic activity.

Blue Flag Certification

    
 23 Sep 2021
 

 3 min read
 Tags: 

 Quick Facts For Prelims

 GS Paper - 3

 Conservation

 Environmental Pollution & Degradation

 2nd ARC

Why in News
Recently, Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), Denmark has
awarded the Blue Flag Certification to Kovalam (Tamil Nadu) and Eden
(Puducherry), taking the total number of such beaches in the country to 10

.
 A waving “Blue Flag" is an indication of 100% compliance to the
33 stringent criteria and sound health of the beach
.
Key Points
 About:

o It is an internationally recognised eco-label that is

accorded based on 33 criterias. These criterias are
divided into 4 major heads namely,

 Environmental education and information

 Bathing water quality
 Environmental management
 Conservation and safety services in the
beaches
o Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest
beaches of the world. It is an eco-tourism model
endeavouring to provide the
tourists/beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing
 water, facilities, a safe and healthy environment and
sustainable development of the area.
o It is accorded by the international jury composed of
eminent members - United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO), Denmark-based NGO
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)
and International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN).
o On the lines of Blue Flag certification, India has also
launched its own eco-label BEAMS (Beach
Environment & Aesthetics Management Services)
.
 Other Eight Beaches which have Received the Certification:

o Shivrajpur in Gujarat
,
o Ghoghla in Daman & Diu,
o Kasarkod in Karnataka and,
o Padubidri beach in Karnataka,
o Kappad in Kerala
,
o Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh,
o Golden beach of Odisha,
o Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar.
BEAMS

 Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services comes

under ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project.
 This was launched by the Society of Integrated Coastal
Management (SICOM) and the Union Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
 The objectives of BEAMS program is to:

o Abate pollution in coastal waters,

o Promote sustainable development of beach facilities,
o Protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural
resources,
o Strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness,
o Hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with
coastal environment & regulations.
 It has helped in saving 1,100 ml/year of municipal water
through recycling; educating around 1,25,000 beachgoers
about responsible behaviour at the beaches; providing
alternate livelihood opportunities to 500 fishermen families
through pollution abatement, safety and services and has also
 increased footfall for recreation activities at the beaches by
approximately 80% leading to economic development.

SUCCESSFUL TEST FIRING OF AGNI V

India successfully tested its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic
missile (ICBM), Agni V which has a strike range of 5,000 km, from Dr.
Abdul Kalam Island (formerly the Wheeler Island) in Odisha.

 This is the third successful launch of Agni-V this year (2018)

and the fifth launch of the missile in a canisterised form.
 Agni-V is the most advanced surface-to-surface indigenously
built ballistic missile.
 It is a three-stage, solid fuel 17-metre tall, and is capable of
carrying a nuclear warhead of about 1.5 tonnes.
 Agni-V is a fire and forget missile, which once fired cannot be
stopped, except by an interceptor missile.
 It has been developed under the Integrated Guided Missile
Development Programme (IGMDP).
IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program)

 It was conceived by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to enable India

attain self-sufficiency in field of missile technology. It was
approved by Government of India in 1983 and completed in
March 2012.
 The 5 missiles (P-A-T-N-A) developed under this program are:
o Prithvi: Short range surface to surface ballistic
missile.
o Agni: Ballistic missiles with different ranges, i.e. Agni
(1,2,3,4,5)
o Trishul: Short range low level surface to air missile.
o Nag: 3rd generation anti-tank missile.
o Akash: Medium range surface to air missile.
  The launch operations were carried out and monitored by
the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
o SFC is a part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority
(NCA) which was created in 2003 to manage India’s
nuclear arsenal.
o NCA is India’s nodal authority responsible for
command, control and operational decisions
regarding India’s nuclear weapons programme. It has
an Executive Council (headed by National Security
Advisor) which gives input to the Political Council
(headed by the Prime Minister). The Political Council,
authorizes a nuclear attack if need be.
Canister Based Launch System

 Canister based launch system- serves as a container for

transportation; a housing during storage aboard a vessel;
provides operational flexibility.
 A canister launch system can be either hot launch, where the
missile ignites in the cell, or cold launch, where the missile is
expelled by gas produced by a gas generator which is not part
of the missile itself, and then the missile ignites.
 Cold launch is safer than hot launch as the ejection system will
eject the missile by itself even if there is a missile failure. In
case of Agni V, it will be a cold launch.
 In case of hot launches the problem is the heat produced by
the missile at the time of launch. The hot launch is better for
small missiles as the ejection part itself will be done by using
missiles own engine.
 In addition to this technology, India is also working to master
the Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV)
technology which is also considered as India’s technological
solution for Minimum Nuclear Deterrence.
o The fundamental characteristic of deploying MIRVs is
its ability to deliver several warheads along separate
trajectories, which confers it flexibility of multiple
targeting.