05th AUG, 2022

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CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (IDENTIFICATION) ACT, 2022 COMES INTO EFFECT

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Act expands scope and ambit of measurements which can be taken to help in
unique identification of a person involved in any crime and will assist CONCERNS AGAINST THE ACT

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investigating agencies.
Several provisions of the Act might violate
Measurements include finger-impressions, palm-print and foot-print an individual’s right to privacy.
impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples
NCRB lacks capacity to deal with databases
and their analysis among others.
containing records of the proposed
It will replace Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920. measurements, particularly of biological

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Key provisions of the Act: samples and their analysis.

Act provides legal sanction to the police to take physical and biological No limitations on the use of the data
samples of convicts as well as those accused of crimes. collected.
Act expands type of data that may be collected, persons from whom such data may be collected, and authority that may

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authorise such collection.
Details collected to be retained in digital or electronic form for 75 years from the date of collection.

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Empowers National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to collect, store and preserve record of measurements and for sharing,
dissemination, destruction and disposal of records.
Resistance or refusal to give details will be considered an offence under IPC, 1860.

HOUSE PANEL ACCEPTS CHANGES PROPOSED TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (AMENDMENT)

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BILL, 2021

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Bill was introduced in December 2021 and was sent to joint parliamentary
committee (JPC) which recently submitted its report.
Bill amends the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (enacted to meet requirements of
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1992) to:

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Encourage Indian system of medicine and cultivation of wild medicinal plants.
Facilitate fast-tracking of processes for research, patent application.
Encourage foreign investment in the sector.
Bill also amends the Act to include references to Nagoya Protocol.
Under CBD, Cartagena Protocol on biosafety (2003), and Nagoya Protocol on
access and benefit sharing (ABS) (2014) have been adopted (India ratified
both).
Key amendments proposed ABOUT ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING (ABS)
Reduce pressure on wild medicinal plants by encouraging cultivation of such ABS refers to the way in which genetic
plants and facilitating fast-tracking of research, patent application process and resources may be accessed, and how
transfer of research results. benefits that result from their use are to
Exemption to registered AYUSH practitioners and codified traditional be shared between people using the
knowledge users, among others, from giving prior intimation to state resources and people who provide them
biodiversity boards for accessing biological resources for certain purposes. according to CBD.
India is a signatory to the convention.
Simplifying patent application process, widen scope of levying ABS with local
communities.
Decriminalising certain provisions and replaced imprisonment with fines and a joint secretary-level officer to determine the
penalties.

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OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (OTEC) PLANT COMING UP IN LAKSHADWEEP

National Institute of Ocean Technology, an autonomous institute under
Ministry of Earth Sciences, is establishing an OTEC plant in Kavaratti.
Total OTEC potential around India is estimated at 180,000 MW.
OTEC is a process for producing energy by harnessing the temperature
differences (thermal gradients) between ocean surface waters and deep ocean
waters.

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Energy from the sun heats the surface water of the ocean. In tropical regions,
surface water can be much warmer than deep water.
OTEC systems use a temperature difference (of at least 77° Fahrenheit/25
degree Celsius) to power a turbine to produce electricity.

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Warm surface water is pumped through an evaporator containing a working
fluid. The vaporized fluid drives a turbine/generator.

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Vaporized fluid is turned back to a liquid in a condenser cooled with cold
ocean water.
Advantages of OTEC: India is geographically well-placed, environment friendly,
continuously available etc.

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INDIA NEEDS TO ROLL BACK
Challenges: Increased Biofouling (unwanted accumulation of algae,
microorganisms, plants etc), capital intensive, habitat disruption etc.
ON STIMULUS GRADUALLY:
THAILAND ORGANISES SERIES OF EVENTS TO MARK INTERNATIONAL MONETARY
75 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH INDIA

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FUND (IMF)
A series of events and activities have been planned throughout this year to

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In its 2022 External Sector Report, IMF
reflect multi-faceted cooperation between both sides.
suggested that to maintain comfortable
Since 1947, India has enjoyed dynamic bilateral relations with Thailand. external sector balance India should:
In recent time, India’s ‘Act East’ policy has been complemented by Withdraw fiscal and monetary policy
Thailand’s ‘Act West’ policy in bringing the two countries closer. stimulus gradually.

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India-Thailand Relations Develop export infrastructure.

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Economic: Bilateral trade reached an all-time high of around USD 15 billion in Scale up shipments by getting into free
2021-22. trade agreements.
Defence Cooperation: MoU on Defence Cooperation (2012), Indo-Thai Further liberalise investment regime and a
CORPAT, Exercise Maitree, since 2015, India is participating in Ex-Cobra Gold, reduction in tariffs.
largest Asia Pacific Military exercise etc. External sector of a country’s economy refers

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Bilateral institutional mechanisms: Joint Commission Meeting, Foreign to all international economic transactions
Office Consultations, Joint Task Force etc. between residents of the country (private and
public sector) and rest of the world.
Connectivity: through initiatives such as India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral
Highway, Asian Highway Network (under UNESCAP), BTILS under BIMSTEC IMF has also forecast India’s current account
framework. deficit (CAD) to worsen to $108 billion (3.1%
of its GDP) in FY23 from $38 billion (1.2% of
Cultural: Buddhism is a
GDP) in the last fiscal.
common thread and millions of
Thai Buddhists visit Lumbini, CAD is a measurement of a country’s trade
Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and where value of goods and services it
Kushinagar. imports exceeds the value of products it
exports.
Regional cooperation: Both
sides cooperate closely in ASEAN, It is part of a country’s balance of
East Asia Summit, BIMSTEC, payments (BOP) and deficit indicates
Mekong Ganga Cooperation shortfall between money flowing in on
(MGC), Indian Ocean Rim exports, and the money flowing out on
Association (IORA) etc. imports.
People to people connect: BoP is record of transactions in goods,
There are an estimated 250,000 services and assets between residents of
people of Indian origin in a country with rest of the world for a
Thailand. specified time period (typically a year).

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1ST SESSION OF HIGH-POWERED JOINT TRADE COMMITTEE (JTC) UNDER INDIA-MAURI-

TIUS CECPA HELD SUCCESSFULLY
High-Powered JTC had been constituted to review the general functioning and
implementation of India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and
Partnership agreement (CECPA).
CECPA, which entered into force in 2021, is the first trade Agreement signed by India
with a country in Africa.

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It covers Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Sanitary and
Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons,
Telecom, Financial services etc.
India- Mauritius Relations

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Economic: Bilateral trade rose to USD 786.72 million in 2021-22 from USD 690.02
million in 2019-20. Mauritius was third top source of FDI in India (2020-21).

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Strategic: Mauritius occupies a special place in India’s vision of SAGAR (Security and
Growth for All in the Region), proximity to important Sea lines of communications.
People to people connect: Indian origin people comprise nearly 70% of Mauritius’s population.
Defence cooperation: including transfer of a Dornier aircraft and an Advanced Light Helicopter, Dhruv.
Challenges for India- Mauritius relations: China’s growing presence and influence in the Indian Ocean region, round-trip of

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investments in India through Mauritius etc.

ALSO IN NEWS
Aim is to guarantee civilian nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.

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Iran nuclear agreement is formally known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
JCPOA was signed between Iran and P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, UK and US).

Iran nuclear talks restart in
Vienna with EU mediation
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In 2018, US withdrew from the deal.
Under JCPOA, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to
more extensive international inspections.
However, after US withdrawal Iran has begun uranium enrichment to levels higher than those

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agreed in JCPOA.

Government stated that it will replace it with a new bill with a comprehensive framework and

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contemporary digital privacy laws.
PDP bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha in 2019. Bill was referred to Joint Parliamentary
Committee, which tabled its report in December 2021.
Data protection refers to policies and procedures seeking to minimise intrusion into the privacy
Government withdraws

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of an individual caused by collection and usage of their personal data.
Personal Data Protection
Need for data protection: Insufficient protection can create negative market effects, exponential
(PDP) Bill 2019
increase in industrial value of data, to protect Digital sovereignty etc.

NARCL’s first two offers to banks have surprised bankers because of its low value.
Bad Bank or NARCL is a corporate structure (announced in 2021 Budget) that isolates risky assets
held by banks in a separate entity.
NARCL acquires assets by making an offer to the lead bank.
Under the approved structure bad bank will consist:
National Asset NARCL: To acquire and aggregate NPA/ bad loan accounts, Majority stake in NARCL: Public
Reconstruction Co Ltd Sector Banks (with Canara Bank as Sponsor).
(NARCL)
India Debt Resolution Co. Ltd (IDRCL): for management and value addition and will handle the
debt resolution process, Majority stake in IDRCL: Private sector banks.

ICMR starts new initiative
in Northeast
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has inaugurated Foodborne Pathogen Survey
Network (ICMR-FoodNet) in the northeastern States.
It will coordinate project-based activity campaigns, monitor foodborne enteric disease
outbreaks, and conducts intensified systematic laboratory-based surveillance.
It also includes estimation of illness burden, detection of specific pathogens responsible for
outbreaks, documenting antimicrobial resistance patterns among enteric bacteria etc.

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Number of active demat accounts on CDSL crossed 7-crore mark.

A demat account helps investors hold shares and securities in an electronic format.
CDSL was founded in 1999 to fulfil goal of convenient, dependable and secured depository
services at affordable cost to all market participants.
Depository facilitates holding of securities in the electronic form.
Central Depository CDSL was promoted by BSE Ltd. jointly with leading banks such as State Bank of India, Bank of
Services Limited (CDSL) India, Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Union Bank of India.

REC (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) has sanctioned around ₹22,000 crore to

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Discoms in four States to clear their outstanding dues under LPS Rules 2022.
LPS are charges payable by a Discoms to a Genco or electricity trading licensee for power
procured, or by a user of a transmission system to a transmission licensee on account of delay in
Electricity, (Late Payment
payment of monthly charges.
Surcharge and Related

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Matters) Rules, 2022 (LPS It aims for financially strengthening the electricity suppliers and bringing financial discipline in
Rules 2022) power sector.

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DRDO successfully test fires indigenously developed laser-guided ATGMs from Main Battle Tank
(MBT) Arjun.
ATGM employs a tandem high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead to defeat explosive reactive
armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles.
Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

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(ATGM) Also, it has multi-platform launch capability.

According to a new study, Volcanic eruption in Tonga (January 2022) is likely to add to global
warming and depletion of Earth’s ozone layer.
Generally, volcanic eruptions have a cooling effect on atmosphere as particles spewed from
volcanoes shades incoming solar radiation.

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Underwater eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano injected 146 teragrams (1
teragram equals a trillion grams) of water vapour (a greenhouse gas) into the stratosphere.

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Tonga volcano Excess stratospheric H2O will persist for years, could affect stratospheric chemistry and
dynamics and may lead to surface warming.
Flood-like situation in Kerala calls for adoption of NFM techniques.
NFM aims to store water in catchment and slow the rate at which water runs off the landscape

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into rivers.
Underlying mechanisms of NFM:

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Creating temporary storage which will fill up during a flood event and empty slowly.
Increasing catchment and channel roughness: this slows the flow by increasing resistance.
Natural Flood Management
(NFM) Increasing losses of water either through seepage in the underground or evaporation.
De- syncronising peak flows from tributaries: Slowing down one tributary compared to another.
Assam CM urged all states to include chapter on Lachit Borphukan in school textbooks.

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He was a general during 17th Century period of the Ahom dynasty (Assam).
He is best known for the Battle of Saraighat on the banks of Brahmaputra, where he defeated the
Mughals, in 1671.
Lachit was appointed as ‘Borphukan’ by King Chakradhwaj Singha. Borphukan is a position
Lachit Borphukan embedded with both executive and judicial powers.
Ethical Qualities: Devotion to nation, Courage, Bravery etc.
Reykjavik (Capital of Iceland)
Recently a volcano erupted near the site of Mount
Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwestern Iceland.
Political features
Largest city of Iceland.
Located on Seltjarnar Peninsula, at south-eastern corner
of Faxa Bay, in southwestern Iceland.
Geographical features
Places in News Commercial, industrial, and cultural centre of the island.
Major fishing port.
River Elliðaár is situated in Reykjavík area in
south-west of Iceland.
Mount Esja is located 10 kilometers from Reykjavík.

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