August, 2022

Articulate
An Initiative by Unacademy

MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC CSE

NOT FOR SALE

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CONTENTS

NEWS IN FOCUS 6
ELECTION OF VICE-PRESIDENT OF INDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

CONSTITUTION, POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 9

INDIA AS A ‘DEVELOPED’ COUNTRY: BY- ARVINDSINGH RAJPUROHIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
PESA ACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
GUARDIANSHIP AND ADOPTION OF MINORS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
NITI AAYOG’S GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SC UPHELD AMENDMENTS MADE TO PMLA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
CENTRE TO AMEND WAREHOUSING ACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
SUSPENSION OF MPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
GOVERNMENT WITHDREW THE PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION BILL 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
E-WASTE MANAGEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
FREEBIES CULTURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
COASTAL ECOSYSTEM NORMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
LOK ADALAT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
UN TO DRAFT FIRST-EVER TREATY ON OCEAN’S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 26
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
U.N. PEACEKEEPING MISSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
CHABAHAR PORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
MYANMAR/MALAYSIA-INDIA-SINGAPORE TRANSIT (MIST). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
MINERALS SECURITY PARTNERSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
INDIA TO HOST UNSC MEET ON COUNTERTERRORISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
INDIA-MALDIVES RELATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
TAIWAN ISSUE AND INDIA'S STAND ON ONE CHINA POLICY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
INDIA-EU RELATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

SCHEMES, BILL AND ACTS 39

THE FAMILY COURTS (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
THE WILD LIFE (PROTECTION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AWARENESS MISSION (NIPAM). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
NATIONAL ANTI-DOPING BILL 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SURYAMITRA SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
ENERGY CONSERVATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
DRAFT INDIAN PORTS BILL, 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
PRADHAN MANTRI ADI ADARSH GRAM YOJNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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ARTH GANGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT 47

NATIONAL TRIBAL HEALTH MISSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
FAMILY PLANNING VISION 2030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
SMILE-75 INITIATIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
CHILD MORTALITY HAS REDUCED TO 35 PER 1000 LIVE BIRTH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 52
CANCELLATION OF THE BANKING LICENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
SEBI PROPOSES BLUE BONDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
STABLECOINS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
CRYPTO JACKING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
INDIA SET UP ITS FIRST BULLION EXCHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
CORE SECTOR OUTPUT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
GST COLLECTIONS CONTINUE TO SURGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
INDIA’S TRADE DEFICIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
RBI HIKES REPO RATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
POWER TARIFF REVISIONS AND THE STATE OF DISCOMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
RBI ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR DIGITAL LENDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
FINANCIAL INCLUSION INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
OPEN NETWORK FOR DIGITAL COMMERCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY & DISASTER MANAGEMENT 68

EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF’S RECOVERY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
GRAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
WARMING OF ARCTIC OCEAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
LIGHT-MANTLED ALBATROSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
INDIA HAS ADDED FIVE NEW RAMSAR SITES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
INDIA’S UPDATED CLIMATE PLEDGE TO PARIS AGREEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
ETHANOL BLENDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 78

RUSSIA TO LEAVE ISS, BUILD OWN SPACE STATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
GOOGLE STREET VIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
ALPHA FOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
LANGYA VIRUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
DIGI YATRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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HAYABUSA-2 PROBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
LUMPY SKIN DISEASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

INTERNAL SECURITY & DEFENCE 85

INS VIKRANT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
IDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
NEW WEAPON SYSTEMS OF ARMY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
SSLV(SMALL SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
MILITARY EXERCISES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
DORNIER AIRCRAFT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

HISTORY, CULTURE, AND HERITAGE 89

TRIBAL REVOLTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
HAR GHAR TIRANGA CAMPAIGN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
GI TAG FOR ALIBAUG’S WHITE ONION BRINGS CHEER TO FARMERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

NEWS IN BRIEF 92
IMEI NUMBER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
MERCHANT DISCOUNT RATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
NIDAAN PLATFORM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
PERIOD POVERTY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
11TH AGRICULTURE CENSUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
COMBINED MARITIME FORCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
OTEC PLANT IN LAKSHADWEEP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
ONE DISTRICT ONE PRODUCT (ODOP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
ANTI TANK GUIDED MISSILES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
PROJECT 75I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
INDIA’S 31ST ELEPHANT RESERVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
NANO UREA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
HAR GHAR JAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

PERSONALITY IN NEWS 101

LACHIT BORPHUKAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
PINGALI VENKAYYA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
AUROBINDO GHOSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

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PLACES IN NEWS 104
ZIMBABWE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
TAIWAN STRAIT & MEDIAN LINE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
SOUTH CHINA SEA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
YELLOW SEA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
BOHAI SEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

MCQs 109
PRACTICE MAINS 114
FACT FILE 115

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ELECTION OF VICE-PRESIDENT OF INDIA
Why in the News?
Recently, Jagdeep Dhankar took the oath of office to
become the 14th Vice President of India.
inquired into and decided by the Supreme Court
whose decision is final.
Conditions of the VicePresident’s office:
• He should not be a member of either House of
Parliament or a House of the state legislature. If any
such person is elected Vice-President, he is deemed
to have vacated his seat in that House on the date on
which he enters his office as Vice-President.
• He should not hold any other office of profit.

Image Source: Business World

Key Points:

Office of the Vice-President:

• This office is modelled on the lines of the American
VicePresident.
• Warrant of Precedence: Vice-President is accorded
a rank next to the President in the official warrant of
precedence.
• Tenure: The Vice-President holds office for a term
of five years from the date on which he enters his
office.
» However, he can resign from his office at any time by
addressing the resignation letter to the President. Functions of Vice-President:
• He acts as the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
• He acts as the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
• He acts as President when a vacancy occurs in
• Officiating President: He can act as President only
the office of the President due to his resignation,
for a maximum period of six months within which a
removal, death or otherwise.
new President has to be elected.
» He can act as President only for a maximum period
• Membership of House: Under the Constitution, the
of six months within which a new President has to
Vice-President “shall not be a member of either
be elected.
House of Parliament or of a House of the Legislature
of any State”.
Election
» If a member of any of these Houses is elected to the
• Article 66 lays down the process of the election of
post, “he shall be deemed to have vacated his seat in
the Vice-President.
that House on the date on which he enters upon his
office as Vice-President” • The Vice-President, like the President, is elected not
directly by the people but by the method of indirect
• The Constitution has not fixed any emoluments for
election.
the Vice-President in that capacity.
• He is elected by the members of an electoral college
» He draws his regular salary in his capacity as the ex-
consisting of the members of both Houses of
officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Parliament.
• Election Disputes: All doubts and disputes in
• Composition of Electoral College:
connection with election of the Vice-President are

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» It consists of both elected and nominated members
of the Parliament (in the case of the President, only
elected members).
» It does not include the members of the state
legislative assemblies (in the case of the President,
the elected members of the state legislative
assemblies are included).
• The Vice-President can hold office beyond his term
of five years until his successor assumes charge.
» He is also eligible for re-election to that office.
• All doubts and disputes in connection with the
election of the Vice-President are inquired into and
decided by the Supreme Court whose decision is
final.
News Source: Press Information Bureau
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Indian Vice-President vis-i-vis American Vice-
President:
• Though the office of the Indian Vice-President
is modelled on the lines of the American Vice-
President, there is a difference.
• The American Vice-President succeeds
to the presidency when it falls vacant and
remains President for the unexpired term of his
predecessor.
• The Indian Vice-President does not assume the
office of the President when it falls vacant for the
unexpired term.
• He merely serves as an acting President until the
new President assumes charge.
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INDIA AS A ‘DEVELOPED’ COUNTRY
In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister asked Indians to embrace the
“Panch Pran” — five vows — by 2047 when the country celebrates 100 years of
independence. Panch Pran (5 vows) are:

1. The goal of Developed India

2. Remove any trace of the colonial mindset

3. Take pride in our roots

4. Unity

By: Arvindsingh Rajpurohit 5. Sense of duty among the citizens

What is a Developed Economy? the United Nations uses the World Bank’s
categorisation (chart 3, with selected countries),
A Developed Country is industrialised, has a high based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (in
quality of life, a developed economy and advanced current US dollars).
technological infrastructure relative to less
industrialised nations. The most common criteria for
classifying country as developed country are:
» GDP : Countries with a high GDP and per capita
income (the amount of money earned per person)
are considered developed
» Dominant Tertiary and Quaternary Sector: The
Countries in which the tertiary (companies that
provide services such as entertainment, financial,
and retailers) and quaternary sectors of industry
(knowledge-based activities such as information
technology, research, and development, as well as
consulting services and education) dominate are
described as developed.
» Post-Industrial Economies: Developed countries Contestation over United Nations Classification:
generally have more advanced service sector • There are 31 developed countries according to the
provides which more wealth than the industrial UN in all. 17 countries are designated as “economies
sector. in transition”. All the rest are designated as
» Scale of infrastructure “developing” countries,

» The General standard of living and;
» Human Development Index (HDI) : HDI quantifies
a country’s levels of education, literacy, and health
into a single figure.
Definition of a Developed Country:
• It can be argued that the UN classification is not very
accurate and, as such, has limited analytical value.
• China’s per capita income is 26 times that of
Somalia’s while Norway’s is just about seven times
that of China’s, but still, China got the tag of a
developing country same as that of Somalia.

• There is no all-agreed definition of a developed
country. Agencies such as the United Nations, the
World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the
World Economic Forum use their indicators to club
developed and developing countries.
• The ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects’ of
the United Nations classifies countries into three
broad categories: developed economies, economies
in transition, and developing economies.
• To categorise countries by economic conditions,
• Also, this ranking has Eurocentric bias , which
depicts , as if all European countries are “developed”,
and all Asian ones are “developing”.
• For example, a country like Ukraine, with a per
capita GNI of $4,120 (a third of China’s) designated
as economies in transition rather than a developing
nation.
• Countries like USA , have demanded to include
China into developed country list.

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India’s standing :
• India is currently far behind both the developed
countries, as well as some developing countries.
• In terms of GDP, India is the sixth largest economy
but in the case of per capita income, India is behind
even Bangladesh. Further,China’s per capita income
5.5 times that of India, the UK’s is almost 33 times.
• To be called a developed country there is a need to
grow the per capita income.
• The disparities in per capita income often show up
in the overall quality of life in different countries.
• The disparities in per capita income often show up
in the overall quality of life in different countries.
• A way to map this is to look at the scores of India and
other countries on the Human Development Index.
HDI value for 2021 is 0.645, which puts the country
in the medium human development positioning it at
131 out of 189 countries and territories.
• In India, 27.9% of the population are
multidimensionally poor, while an additional 19.3%
are classified under vulnerable to multidimensional
poverty.
• As per World Bank , even though India is the world’s
third-largest economy in purchasing power parity
(PPP) terms, most Indians are still relatively poor
compared to people in other middle income or rich
countries. Ten per cent of Indians, at most, have
consumption levels above the commonly used
threshold of $10 (PPP) per day expenditures for the
global middle class.
• Some estimates suggest that even rich households
in India would have to see a substantial expansion
of their total consumption on food to reach levels of
poor households in rich countries
India’s Achievements Since Independence :
• GDP:
» India’s GDP rose from Rs 2.79 lakh crore in 1950-51
to an estimated Rs 147.36 lakh crore in 2021-22.
» India’s economy, currently at USD 3.17 trillion, is
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expected to become the fifth largest in the world in
2022.
• Forex:
» India’s foreign exchange reserves have risen from Rs
911 crore in 1950-51 to Rs 45,42,615 crore in 2022.
» Now, India has the fifth-largest forex reserves in the
world.
• Food Production:
» India’s foodgrain production has increased from
50.8 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 316.06 million
tonnes now.
• Lietracy rate:
» The literacy rate has also improved from 18.3% in
1951 to 78%. The female literacy rate has improved
from 8.9% to over 70%.
How can India Achieve the Developed Country Goal
by 2047?
• Households will need access to better education
and health care, clean water, improved sanitation,
reliable electricity, a safe environment, affordable
housing, and enough discretionary income to spend
on leisure pursuits.
• By vastly improved public service delivery.
• Income needs to be raised well above the extreme
poverty line.
• It will require the recognition and upholding of
all the fundamental rights of Indian citizens and
allowing them the freedom and means to achieve
their best potential to contribute to the upliftment
of the nation.
• Releasing the animal spirits not merely of the formal
economy but more importantly of the informal one.
• Eliminate the Digital divide with cybercafes with a
minimum of two computers can be encouraged in
every village.
• Trade and business licenses should be given freely
online, along with a PAN. The process of registering
a business must be streamlined so that it takes no
more than a day.
• Inflexible labour policies must be modified to
that employers may optimize their work forces as
required
• Much more investment is required in R&D
activities as innovation and discovery is the key to
growth.
• By increasing labour productivity and skills, by
bringing more people particularly women into the
workforce, by encouraging and supporting MSME
enterprise and opening new avenues of self-
employment and community activity to add value
Articulate | 11
 to output, make products in frequent daily use and
discourage imports of goods that can be adequately
manufactured in India.
• Finally, the structure and systems of governance
must concentrate on the four pillars of finance,
territorial integrity and security, communications
and foreign relations
PESA ACT
Why in the News?
Why the PESA act was enacted in 1996?
• The provisions of Part IX of the constitution relating
to the Panchayats are not applicable to the Fifth
Schedule areas.
• Thus, the PESA act was enacted in 1996 “to provide
for the extension of the provisions of Part IX of
the Constitution relating to the Panchayats to the
Scheduled Areas”.
• It was enacted to ensure self-governance through
Gram Sabhas (village assemblies) for people living in
the Scheduled Areas.
Key Features of PESA Act
• A State legislation on the Panchayats in the
Scheduled Areas shall be in sync with the customary
law, and social and religious practices.
• Every village shall have a Gram Sabha consisting of
persons whose names are included in the electoral
rolls for the Panchayat at the village level.
• Every Gram Sabha shall be competent to safeguard
and preserve the traditions and customs of the
people, their cultural identity, community resources
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Recently, a political party called for strict
implementation of The Panchayats (Extension to the
Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act) in Gujarat’s Chhota
Udepur district in its election manifesto.
Key Points:
What is PESA?
• PESA is a Central legislation that extends the
Provisions of the Panchayats, as given in Part IX of
the Constitution to the Fifth Schedule Areas with
certain modifications and exemptions.
and the customary mode of dispute resolution.
• Planning and management of minor water bodies
in the Scheduled Areas shall be entrusted to
Panchayats.
• It recognises the right of tribal communities, who
are residents of the Scheduled Areas, to govern
themselves through their own systems of self-
government.
Powers of Gram Sabha in the PESA Act of 1996:
• To enforce prohibition or to regulate and restrict the
sale and consumption of any intoxicant
• Ownership of minor forest produce
• Management of all types of village markets
• Exercise control over local plans and their resources,
including tribal sub-plans.
What are Scheduled Areas?
• In Article 244(1) of the Constitution, the

expression Scheduled Areas means such areas
as the President may by order declare to be
Scheduled Areas.
• The Union Government shall have executive
powers to give directions to the States as to the
administration of the Scheduled Areas.
• The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution deals with
the administration of Scheduled Areas as well
as of Scheduled Tribes residing in any State other
than the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and
Mizoram.
Criteria for Declaring Schedule Areas:
• Preponderance of tribal population;
• Compactness and reasonable size of the area;
• Under-developed nature of the area; and
• Marked disparity in the economic standard of the
people.
Operational Gaps in PESA:
• The Act is applicable to the Fifth Schedule Areas
only and does not cover the Sixth Schedule Areas.
• It has been found that the awareness about the
provisions of PESA is very low among all stakeholders
that including officials, elected representatives and
tribals.
• While passing the State Panchayat Acts, it should be
seen that they are in consonance with the custom,
society and religion of the tribals concerned.
» These aspects vary among tribes within each state.
• It is important to check out the inconsistencies in
the implementation of PESA Act by comprehensive
review of Panchayat law.
News Source: Hindustan Times
GUARDIANSHIP AND ADOPTION OF
MINORS
Why in the News?
Recently, the department-related Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances,
Law and Justice tabled its report in Parliament on the
‘Review of Guardianship and Adoption Laws’.
Key Takeaways
Parliamentary Standing Committee Report
Custody of Child
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• There is an “urgent need to amend the HMGA (Hindu
Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956).
• It asked to accord equal treatment to both mother
and father as natural guardians as the law violated
the right to equality(Article 14) and right against
discrimination (Article 15).
Marital Dispute
• In cases of marital dispute, the panel says there is
a need to relook at child custody which is typically
restricted to just one parent where mothers tend to
get preference.
• It says courts should be empowered to grant joint
custody to both parents when such a decision is
conducive for the welfare of the child, or award sole
custody to one parent with visitation rights to the
other.
Adoption
• On adoption, the Committee has said that there
is a need for a new legislation that harmonises the
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)
Act, 2015 and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance
Act (HAMA), 1956 and that such a law should cover
the LGBTQI community as well.
• It has also proposed allowing the LGBTQI community
to adopt children.
Law on Guardianship
Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, (HMGA) 1956:
• Under the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act,
(HMGA) 1956, the natural guardian of a Hindu minor
in respect of the minor’s person or property “is the
father, and after him, the mother.
• Further, it provides the custody of a minor who has
not completed the age of five years shall ordinarily
be with the mother.”
The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act,
1937
• It says that the Shariat or the religious law will apply
in case of guardianship.
• According to Shariat the father is the natural
guardian, but custody vests with the mother until
the son reaches the age of seven and the daughter
reaches puberty.
• Although the father’s right to general supervision
and control exists.
• The concept of Hizanat in Muslim law states that the
welfare of the child is above all else.
Adoption Regulations, 2017
• The Adoption Regulations, 2017 is silent on adoption
Articulate | 13
 by LGBTQI people and neither bans nor allows them
to adopt a child.
• Its eligibility criteria for prospective adoptive
parents says that they should be physically, mentally
and emotionally stable, and financially capable.
• Single men can only adopt a boy while a woman can
adopt a child of any gender.
• A child can be given for adoption to a couple only if
they have been in a marital relationship for at least
two years.
• The HAMA which applies to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and
Buddhists allows men and women to adopt if they
are of sound mind and are not minors.
• Activists say LGBTQI people who seek adoption face
institutional discrimination because of stigma.
• Therefore, the law should be amended to include
LGBTQI as eligible candidates including when they
apply as non-single parents.
News Source: The Hindu
• Importance of the Governing Council:
» It embodies the objectives of cooperative federalism.
» It presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral,
inter-departmental and federal issues.
» It acts as a forum for deliberations between the
Centre and States.
Agenda of the Seventh Meeting of the Governing
Council of Niti Aayog:
• Crop Diversification
• Achieving self-sufficiency in Oilseeds and Pulses
• Implementation of the National Education
Policy–school education & Higher education
• Urban Governance
News Source: Press Information Bureau
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NITI AAYOG’S GOVERNING COUNCIL
MEETING
Why in the News?
Recently, the Prime Minister chaired the seventh
meeting of the Governing Council of Niti Aayog in New
Delhi.
Key Points:
About
Governing Council of Niti Aayog
• NITI Aayog’s Governing Council is the premier body
tasked with evolving a shared vision of national
priorities and strategies with the active involvement
of States and Union Territories.
• It presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral,
inter-departmental and federal issues.
SC UPHELD AMENDMENTS MADE TO
PMLA
Why in the News?
Recently, Supreme Court upheld core amendments
made to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act
(PMLA).
Key Points:
Background:
• Parliament enacted the PMLA as a result of
international commitment to sternly deal with the
menace of laundering of proceeds of crime having
transnational consequences.
• The verdict came on an extensive challenge raised
against the amendments introduced to the 2002
Act by way of Finance Acts.
• The petitioners claimed that these amendments
 would violate personal liberty, procedures of law and
the constitutional mandate.
• They claimed that the process itself was the
punishment.
Image Source: The Hindu
Background:
Key Highlights of the Judgment
• Scourge of Money Laundering:
» The court held that, it is not a hatchet wielded
against rival politicians and dissenters
» This is a sui generis (unique) legislation.
• The court noted that Money laundering is an
offence against the sovereignty and integrity of the
country.
• Power to Seize, arrest: It clarified that ED can go
ahead with arrests, search, and seizures without
waiting for FIR by police.
» It should inform the police for lodging FIR on the
basis of which money laundering can be probed by
ED.
• Reverse burden of proof for bail: The bench upheld
two conditions for bail in PMLA cases -
» Prima facia satisfaction that the accused is not guilty
and is not likely to commit an offence while on bail.
» Burden of reverse proof applies, meaning unlike
what happens in regular cases, a court will presume
an accused to be involved in money laundering
unless proved innocent.
• Self-Incrimination: SC held that ED officers aren’t
police officers. Implying that if an ED officer records
an incriminating statement, it can serve as evidence
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in court and won’t be thrown out on the ground of
being self-incriminatory.
• Money Bill: The three-judge Bench said the method
of introduction of the amendments through Money
Bills would be separately examined by a larger Bench
of the apex court.
Prevention of Money Laundering Act:
• About: Money laundering is an offence against the
sovereignty and integrity of the country. It is an Act
to prevent money laundering and to provide for the
confiscation of property.
• Offence of Money Laundering:
» A person is guilty of money laundering if he or
she “directly or indirectly attempts to indulge or
knowingly connected with the “proceeds of crime”,
including its concealment, possession, acquisition or
use, projecting or claiming it as untainted property.
• Punishment: Imprisonment for a term not to be less
than three years, which may extend to seven years.
About Enforcement Directorate(ED):
• It was founded as the “Enforcement Unit” within
the Department of Economic Affairs of the
Ministry of Finance in 1956.
• It was renamed as “Enforcement Directorate” in
1957.
• It is not a statutory body. It is an agency under
the Min of Finance.
• Mandate: The ED is mandated with the
investigation of economic crimes and violations
of foreign exchange laws.
• Presently, the ED deals with four laws:
» The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
(PMLA)
» The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999
(FEMA)
» The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018
(FEOA)
» Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention
of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA)
News Source: The Hindu
CENTRE TO AMEND WAREHOUSING ACT
Why in the News?
Recently, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution suggested major amendments to
the Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act
of 2007.
Articulate | 15
Key Points:
About the Act:
• The Warehousing (Development and Regulation)
Act, 2007 came into force in 2010.
• WDRA was established to ensure scientific storage
by prescribing infrastructural and procedural
standards.
• Captive warehouses such as FCI (Food Corporation
India) are excluded from the ambit of the Act.
About the Amendment:
• Amendment aims to help farmers get access to
services of quality warehouses.
• Amendment will
» Make registration of godowns compulsory. At
present, the registration with the Warehousing
Development and Regulation Authority (WDRA) is
optional.
» Raise penalties for various offences.
» Do away the jail term as a punishment for the
offences.
» Establish a system of negotiable and non-negotiable
warehouse receipts (NWR) — now in electronic
form.
Additional Information:
About Negotiable Warehouse Receipt System:
• The main objective of WDRA is to implement a
Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (NWR) System in
the country.
• It was established in 2011 to help farmers to store
their produce in scientific storage godowns and
to seek loan from banks against their NWR.
News Source: The Hindu
SUSPENSION OF MPs
Why in the News?
Recently, various Members of Parliament in Lok Sabha
and Rajya Sabha have been suspended due to their
unruly behaviour and misconduct.
Key Points:
Withdrawal/suspension rules in Lok Sabha and Rajya
Sabha
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• The Rules in Lok Sabha:
» Rule No. 373 (Withdrawal): If the speaker is of the
opinion that the conduct of any member is grossly
disorderly, may direct such member to withdraw
immediately from the house.
» Rule No. 374 (Suspension): shall take place after
Rajya Sabha adopts a motion for suspension for the
remaining session.
» Exception power under rule 374A:
– Automatic suspension by Lok sabha Speaker
without motion
– Suspension for maximum 5 sittings of House.
• The Rules in Rajya Sabha:
» Rule No. 255 (Withdrawal): the chairman may direct
any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly
disorderly to withdraw immediately.
» Rule No. 256 (Suspension): the House may adopt
a motion suspending the Member for a period not
exceeding the remainder of the session.
Why are declining Working Hours of Parliament &
State Assemblies a Concern?
• Lack of debates on key issues impacts governance.
• Lack of discussion in turn affects lives of citizens in
multiple ways.
• Shows lack of concern by elected members and their
performance deficit goes unaccounted
• Results in passing of budget of various
departments without any discussion. This leads
to disproportionate and unbalanced allocation of
resources
• Budget passed without discussion shows lack of
coordination with opposition members.
• Increasing use of Ordinance route to pass legislation
by Centre and states.

News Source: The Indian Express
Reasons for Withdrawn of the Bill:
• Compliance Intensive: The Bill was also seen as
being too “compliance intensive” by startups of the
country.
• Too many amendments by JCP: Considering the
report of the JCP, a comprehensive legal framework
is required.
» It proposed 81 amendments and 12 recommendations.
• Objection from various stakeholders: It faced major
pushback from a range of stakeholders including big
tech companies such as Facebook and Google and
privacy and civil society activists.
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GOVERNMENT WITHDREW THE
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION BILL 2021
Why in the News?
Recently, the Union government withdrew the
Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 from Parliament
as it considers a “comprehensive legal framework” to
regulate the online space.
Key Points:
Committee and Judiciary signal urgency for a data
protection law and surveillance reforms:
• (Justice) A P Shah Committee report on privacy
• Puttaswamy judgment (right to privacy) and
• (Justice B N) Srikrishna Committee’s report
They all signal urgency for a data protection law and
surveillance reforms.
Global Data Protection Legislation:
• European Union: The General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) is legislation that updated and
Articulate | 17
 unified data privacy laws across the European Union
(EU).
» Aim: To give individuals control over their personal
data.

Key Challenges with the provision of the Bill:

• Data Localisation: Under this, it would have been
mandatory for companies to store a copy of certain
sensitive personal data within India.
» The export of undefined “critical” personal data from
the country would be prohibited.
• Contentious clause 35: This provision enables
government agencies to circumvent provisions of
the law citing “public order”, “sovereignty”, “friendly
relations with foreign states” and “security of the
state”.
» It allows the Government to keep any of its agencies
outside the purview of the law.
• Opposed by Social Media Companies: It sought
social media companies to move them from the
category of online intermediaries to content
publishers, thus making them responsible for the
posts they host.

Conclusion:
• The Government has to aver that a new draft will be
in sync with the principles of privacy, in line with
Supreme Court guidelines on privacy.
• The new Bill could also do away with the classification
of personal data from the perspective of data What is e-waste:
localisation.
• Electronic waste (e-waste), that is, waste arising from
end-of-life electronic products such as computers,
Source: The Hindu
mobile phones and other discarded electronic
appliances.
• It includes their components, consumables, parts
E-WASTE MANAGEMENT and spares.

Why in the News? Electronic Waste in India:

A proposed framework by the Centre for regulating
e-waste in India has threatened the informal sector.
Key Points:
• According to a 2020 report by the Central Pollution
Control Board, India generated 10,14,961 tonnes of
e-waste in FY 2019-2020 – up 32% from FY 2018-
2019.
» Only 22.7 per cent of the e-waste was collected,
dismantled, and recycled or disposed off.

E-waste Management Rules, 2016:

• The Central Government under the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986, notified e-waste management
rules in 2016.

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• It notified 21 types of electrical and electronic Criticism:
equipment (EEE) e-waste. • Job Loss: 25,000 to 30,000 people were employed
• It introduced a system of Extended Producer in the PROs.
Responsibility (EPR). • Lack of accountability: The proposed rules shifted
• It extends the responsibility to producers to responsibility for controlling e-waste away from
manage a system of e-waste collection, storage, producers of goods to recyclers.
transportation, and dismantling and recycling • Investment loss for established PROs.
through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• The rules also promote and encourage the
establishment of an efficient e-waste collection
mechanism.
• Most companies however did not maintain an in-
house unit in charge of recycling and this gave rise
to a network of government-registered companies,
called Producer Responsibility Organisations
(PRO).
• PRO acted as an intermediary between
manufacturers of electronic goods and formal
recycling units.

E-waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2018:

• It further formalizes the sectors by channelizing the
e-waste generated towards authorized dismantlers
and recyclers.
• Under these rules, a PRO shall apply to the Central
Pollution Control Board for registration to undertake Conclusion:
the activities prescribed for Producer Responsibility
• The draft e-waste Rules propose a few positive
Organisations.
changes, including expanding the definition of
e-waste, more clearly specifying the penalties for
New Draft Notification:
violation of rules, etc.
• In May 2022, the Ministry issued a draft notification
• The changes it proposes require careful deliberation
that does away with the PROs and dismantlers.
with all the relevant stakeholders before the Rules
• The number of categories of e-waste has been are finalised.
increased from 21 to 95.
• It shifted responsibility for controlling e-waste away News Source: The Hindu
from producers of goods to recyclers.
• Introduced a system of tradable certificates similar
to carbon credits. FREEBIES CULTURE

Benefits: Why in the News?

• It would improve accountability because it would
Recently, Supreme Court was hearing a petition to
track the material that went in for recycling with the
curb the practice of offering or distributing “irrational
output claimed by a recycler.
freebies”,
• It will incentivise them to invest in a dependable
supply chain that will collect and recycle waste.

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 • But the existing legal or policy
framework does not provide a
precise definition for the term.

Merits of freebies
• Facilitate growth: It ensures
basic needs like food, electricity,
water etc. of the citizens,
especially the underprivileged
section.
• Reduce inequality: It addresses
the concerns of marginalized
sections of the society,
Mitigation of income gaps;
reducing inequality.
• Lifesavers during calamity:
It can be lifesavers during a
disaster or a pandemic.
• Benefits of cross-subsidisation
and situation/sector-specific
reliefs to address the different
vulnerabilities of sections of
society.
• Prevent Suicide. Ex, Farm Loan
Waivers

Image Source: Mrunal’s Sir Economy Handout
Views on Freebies:
• The prime minister has called for an end to the
“revdi” culture.
• The Reserve Bank of India, in a report published in
June, linked the precarious state of state finances to
“freebies”, particularly power subsidies.
• The Supreme Court recommended the creation of
an expert body to examine the freebies.
• Election commission of India also came in support
of instituting a committee as suggested by the
Supreme Court.
What are Freebies:
• In simple terms, it refers to a public welfare measure
– any good or service – that is offered free of cost by
the government to its citizens.
Demerits of Freebies:
• It could be harmful for the long-
term economic growth of the
country.
• Place a burden on stressed fiscal
resources.
• Reduces capital allocations
essential for long-term growth
and has a negative impact on
industry.
• Impact budgetary allocations
• Misuse of resources
• Unviable pre-election promises adversely affect the
informed decision-making by voters.
• Irrational freebies violates the ECI’s mandate for free
and fair election.
• Leaves less room for investment in Capital
Infrastructure.
Measures to mitigate the negative impacts:
• There is a need to distinguish between productive
and unproductive forms of welfare spending.
• Rationality is to be introduced into the disbursement
of freebies and subsidies.
• The Finance Commission could be involved to look
into the matter and propose solutions.

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• Government can take a stand on the need to control
the announcement of ‘freebies’ by political parties
during election campaigns.
• Building public pressure towards making welfare
delivery an electoral issue is the need of the hour.
• There is a need to have an institutional mechanism
to control wasteful expenditure.
• The FRBM Acts need to be amended to enforce a
more complete disclosure of the liabilities on their
exchequers.
Conclusion:
• A debate on the merits and demerits of freebies is
important.
• Any further step, such as distinguishing welfare
measures from populist sops and pre-election
inducements, ought to come from the legislature.
News Source: The Hindu
COASTAL ECOSYSTEM NORMS
Why in the News?
Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
of India tabled a report in Parliament on whether steps
taken by the Union Environment Ministry to conserve
India’s coastal ecosystems have been successful.
Key Points:
• Report contains the observations of Conservation of
Coastal Ecosystems from 2015-20.
Findings:
• The Environment Ministry hadn’t notified NCZMA
as a permanent body and it was being reconstituted
every few years.
• Absence of Expert Appraisal Committees
• Projects being approved despite inadequacies in
the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) reports.
• There was no website to disseminate the
information related to the NCZMA.
State Specific Issues:
• Tamil Nadu didn’t have a strategy in place to
conserve the Gulf of Mannar Islands.
• In Goa, there was no system for monitoring coral
reefs and no management plans to conserve turtle
nesting sites.
• In Gujarat, instruments procured to study the
physiochemical parameters of soil and water of the
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inertial area of the Gulf of Kutch weren’t used.
Obligations of the Centre in terms of coastal
conservation:
• The government has issued notifications under the
Environment Protection Act, 1986, to regulate
activities along India’s coasts particularly regarding
construction.
• The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (CRZ)
2019, classifies the coastal area into different zones
to manage infrastructure activities and regulate
them.
• The three institutions responsible for the
implementation of the CRZ are the
» National Coastal Zone Management Authority
(NCZMA) at the Centre
» The State/Union Territory Coastal Zone
Management Authorities (SCZMAs/UTCZMAs) in
every coastal State
» Union Territory and the District Level Committees
(DLCs) in every district that has a coastal.
• Function: These bodies
» Examine if CRZ clearances granted by the
government are as per procedure.
» Evaluate the measures taken up by the government
towards achieving the targets under Sustainable
Development Goals.
Additional Information:
• The coastal zone is an interface between the
land and the sea which comprises of coastal land,
intertidal area, coastal ecosystems including
rivers, estuaries, marshes, wetlands and beaches.
• India has a coastline of about 7516 kms of which
the mainland accounts for about 5422 kms.
• Due to pollution, climate change, and
development and associated activities, India’s
coastal and marine ecosystems are facing
destruction.
Recommendations:
• SCZMAs and NCZMAs may be made as permanent
bodies.
• The DLCs be formed and reconstituted without
delay in all the relevant districts.
• Interactive Grievance Redressal Mechanism may
be adopted by the SCZMAs.
• Mapping and preparation of Management Plans for
the coral reefs, turtle nesting sites etc.
Articulate | 21
Image Source: India Times

News Source: The Hindu

LOK ADALAT

Why in the News?

Over 75 lakh pending and pre-litigation cases were

settled across the country in the third National Lok
Adalat.

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Key Points:
• The legal services authorities under the Chief Justice
of India, used technological platforms to conduct
‘Digital Lok Adalat’ in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
• Chief Justice of India is the executive chairman of
the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)
About Lok Adalat:
• Lok Adalat is one of the significant modes of
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
• The first Lok Adalat was organised as a camp
in Gujarat without any statutory backing for its
decisions.
• It was given statutory status under the Legal
Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• The Act makes the provisions relating to the
organisation and functioning of the Lok Adalats.
Organisation
• The State/District Legal Services Authority or the
Supreme Court/High Court/Taluk Legal Services
Committee can organise Lok Adalats at such
intervals and places as it thinks fit.
• Every Lok Adalat consists of serving or retired
judicial officers and other persons of the area as
may be specified by the agency organising.
• National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) along
with other Legal Services Institutions conducts Lok
Adalats.
Jurisdiction
• It has jurisdiction to determine and to arrive at a
compromise or settlement between the parties to a
dispute in respect of:
» Any case pending before; or
About NALSA:
• It was formed on 9 November 1995 under the authority of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.
• Its purpose is to provide free legal services to eligible candidates and to organize Lok Adalats for the speedy
resolution of cases.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• ADR is a mechanism of dispute resolution that is non-adversarial, i.e. working together cooperatively to reach
the best resolution for everyone.
News Source: The Hindu
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» Any matter which is falling within the jurisdiction of,
and is not brought before, any court for which the
Lok Adalat is organized.
• The Lok Adalat can compromise and settle even
criminal cases, which are compoundable under the
relevant laws.
• Lok Adalats have the competence to deal with
several cases like compoundable civil, revenue
and criminal cases which are not subjudice.
Powers
• The Lok Adalat shall have the same powers as are
vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil
Procedure (1908).
• All proceedings before a Lok Adalat shall be deemed
to be judicial proceedings within the meaning of
the Indian Penal Code (1860) and every Lok Adalat
shall be deemed to be a Civil Court for the Code of
Criminal Procedure (1973).
• An award of a Lok Adalat shall be deemed to be a
decree of a Civil Court.
• Every award made by a Lok Adalat shall be final and
binding on all the parties to the dispute.
• No appeal shall lie to any court against the award of
the Lok Adalat.
Benefit:
• Economical- It is economical to every person
because there is no court fee.
• Flexible and speedy justice- There are procedural
flexibility and speedy trial of the disputes. There is no
strict application of procedural laws while assessing
the claim by Lok Adalat.
• Easy mediation- The parties to the dispute can
directly interact with the judge through their counsel
which is not possible in regular courts of law.
Articulate | 23
UN TO DRAFT FIRST-EVER TREATY ON
OCEAN’S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Why in the News?
Recently, a delegation from India and other member
countries of the United Nations, deliberated to draft
the first-ever treaty on Ocean’s Biological Diversity.
• The conference is being held at New York.
Key Points:
About Ocean Diversity Pact:
• It is a one-of-its-kind agreement to conserve marine
biodiversity in the high seas, namely the oceans
that extend beyond countries’ territorial waters.
• International legally binding: To draft an
international legally binding instrument under the
1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS).
What are High Seas?
Image Source: ResearchGate
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• Rights of the companies: A key aspect of the
agreement is deciding on the rights of companies
that undertake exploration for biological resources
in the high seas.
• Studies on sustainable utilisation of deep sea bio-
resources will be the main focus.
Significance:
• Sustainable oceans and seas could contribute to
poverty eradication, sustained economic growth,
food security and creation of sustainable livelihoods.
• It would build resilience to the impacts of climate
change.
Need:
• There was a “race” among international corporations
for biological resources from the sea, making it
critical to have an agreement on benefit-sharing.
• Not allow it to be monopolised by a few entities.
• Countries can protect or exploit waters under 200
nautical miles (370 kilometres) to their shorelines,
but everything outside these ‘exclusive economic
zones’ is considered international waters: the high
seas.
• The high seas comprise nearly 45% of the Earth’s
surface.
Regulations of High Seas:
• UNCLOS regulates activities in international waters,
including sea-bed mining and cable laying.
• It lays down rules for the use of the ocean and its
resources, but does not specify how states should
conserve and sustainably use high seas biodiversity.
• No overarching treaty exists to protect biodiversity
or conserve vulnerable ecosystems in the oceans.
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About The United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS):
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the
Sea Convention is an international agreement
adopted in 1982 that establishes a legal
framework for all marine and maritime activities.
It has created three new institutions:
1. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
2. The International Seabed Authority.
3. The Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf.
News Source: The Hindu
Articulate | 25
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ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING

Why in the News?

Recently, the External Affairs Minister of India visited

Cambodia to attend the annual ASEAN-India Foreign
Ministers’ Meeting (AIFMM).

Key Takeaways:

ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AIFMM)

• India appreciated the Cambodian Chairship of
ASEAN this year, under the theme ‘ASEAN ACT:
Addressing Challenges Together.

• India’s advocated support for ASEAN unity and

centrality in a free, open, inclusive and rules-based
Indo-Pacific.
• Noting the strong convergence between ASEAN
Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Indo-Pacific Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Oceans Initiative (IPOI) India called for greater
• It is a regional grouping that promotes economic,
cooperation with ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific.
political and security cooperation. It was established
• The Asean-related ministerial meetings in Phnom on 8 august 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Penh including the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign
• ASEAN brings together ten Southeast Asian states
ministers’ meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum
– Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
(ARF) ministerial meeting
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam.

Image Source: World Atlas

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• This was set up during the polarized atmosphere
of the Cold War, and the alliance aimed to promote
stability in the region.
• Its chairmanship rotates annually, based on the
alphabetical order of the English names of Member
states.
• ASEAN and India began holding annual summits in
2002 to elevate political, security, economic and
socio-cultural ties.
• In 2015, ASEAN leaders welcomed India’s “Act East
Policy.”
• In 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
came into existence, a major milestone in the
organization’s regional economic integration agenda.
» The AEC envisions the bloc as a single market with
free flow of goods, services, investments and skilled
labor, and freer movement of capital across the
region.
ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific:
• It offers an outlook to guide cooperation in the
Image Source: ASEAN Secretariat
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region and enhance ASEAN’s Community building
process and further strengthen the existing ASEAN-
led mechanisms, such as the East Asia Summit.
• Its main objectives are helping to promote an
enabling environment for peace, stability and
prosperity in the region in addressing common
challenges, upholding the rules-based regional
architecture, and promoting closer economic
cooperation, and thus strengthening confidence and
trust.
How important is the ASEAN region economically?
• If ASEAN were a country, it would be the seventh-
largest economy in the world, with a combined GDP
of $2.6 trillion in 2014.
• By 2050 it’s projected to rank as the fourth-largest
economy.
• Home to more than 622 million people, the region
has a larger population than the European Union or
North America.
• It also has the third-largest labor force in the world,
behind China and India.
India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI):
• It is an open, non-treaty based initiative for
countries to work together for cooperative and
collaborative solutions to common challenges in the
region.
ASEAN Significance for India:
• ASEAN occupies a central place in the security
architecture of the Indo-Pacific region.
• Maritime cooperation in terms of connectivity,
safety and security has gained high attention.
• India and ASEAN can collaborate to combat terror
financing, cyber security threats, tax evasions.
• A rules-based regional security architecture can be
envisioned with ASEAN help.
• ASEAN is the pivot for India’s Act East Policy.
Way Forward:
• Despite their distinct cultures, histories and
languages, the 10 member states of ASEAN share a
focus on jobs and prosperity.
• Household purchasing power is rising, propelling the
region into the next frontier of consumer growth.
• The ASEAN region must now meet the challenges
of providing enormous investment in infrastructure
and human-capital development to ensure it realizes
its full potential.
News Source: Ministry of External Affairs
U.N. PEACEKEEPING MISSION
Why in the News?
Recently, the two BSF personnel who were part of the
UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC) were killed.
Image Source: UN
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Key Points:
About
Historical Background of UN Peacekeeping
• United Nations Peacekeeping began in 1948 when
the Security Council authorized the deployment of
UN military observers to the Middle East.
• UN Peacekeeping was born at a time when Cold War
rivalries frequently paralyzed the Security Council.
• These missions consisted of unarmed military
observers and lightly armed troops with primarily
monitoring, reporting and confidence-building roles.
• The first two peacekeeping operations deployed by
the UN were the UN Truce Supervision Organization
(UNTSO) and the UN Military Observer Group in
India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
U.N. Peacekeeping mission
• The U.N. Peacekeeping mission is a joint effort
between the Department of Peace Operations and
the Department of Operational Support.
• Aim: To assist host countries in transitioning from
situations of conflict to peace.
• U.N. Peacekeepers provide security and political and
peacebuilding support to conflict-ridden countries.
• The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is
observed annually on May 29 to pay tribute to the
uniformed and civilian personnel for their invaluable
contribution.
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
(DDR) is a process through which members of armed
forces and groups are supported to lay down their
weapons and return to civilian life.
India’s Contribution to UN Peacekeeping Mission:
• India’s contribution to UN Peacekeeping began with
its participation in the UN operation in Korea in the
1950s.
• In 2007, India became the first country to deploy
an all-women contingent to a U.N. Peacekeeping
mission.
• Over 200,000 Indians have served in 49 U.N.
Articulate | 29
 Peacekeeping missions since 1948. Currently,
5,581 Indians are part of various U.N. Peacekeeping
missions.
• Recently India as UNSC Non-permanent member
chairman, took up Peacekeeping as one of it’s
agenda.
• As of November 2021, India is the second-highest
military (1,888) and fifth-highest (139) police-
contributing country to the United Nations
Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
• India also served as Chair of the three international
commissions for supervision and control of Vietnam, Image Source: India Today
Cambodia, and Laos established by the 1954 Geneva
Accords on Indochina. Key Points:

• Indian veterinarians serving with the UN Mission in About

South Sudan (UNMISS).
• UNITE AWARE: India is developing this platform to
help “increase situational awareness and provides
terrain-related information to peacekeepers.”
Success
• The earliest armed peacekeeping operation was
the First UN Emergency Force (UNEF I) deployed
successfully in 1956 to address the Suez Crisis
Failures
• Institutional shortcomings contributed to grave UN
peacekeeping failures in both Rwanda and Bosnia.
Conclusion:
• Given its critical nature, international peacekeeping
may be regarded as one of many global public goods
like non-proliferation or climate change.
• Hence, it is desirable to have a robust regime to
govern the issue.
• However, in the absence of it, discussions in the
various forums of the UN remain the only way for
countries and other stakeholders to contribute to
the governance of international peacekeeping.
• Indian interventions are an effort in that direction.
News Source: The Indian Express
CHABAHAR PORT
Why in the News?
India pushed for Chabahar port to be a conduit for
trade to Central Asia at the ministerial meeting of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in Tashkent.
Chabahar Port:
• Location: Chabahar port is located in Iran’s
southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan provinces on
the edge of the Indian Ocean.
• It is the only deep-sea port in Iran with direct ocean
access.
• Important Commercial Hub: It acts as a key transit
centre on the burgeoning International North-South
Transport Corridor.
• Chabahar would offer landlocked Central Asian
countries access to sea-based trading routes and
serve as a bulwark against Chinese and Russian
attempts to dominate trade in the region.
India’s contribution towards the Port:
• Indo-Iranian collaboration on Chabahar port dates
back to 2003.
• However, their joint effort only started to gain
momentum around 2016, with India’s announcement
of investing $500 million into the development of
Chabahar port.
Significance of the Chabahar Port for India:
• For India, the Chabahar port is viewed as an
opportunity to strengthen India’s position as a
regional and global power.
• Chabahar port will benefit India in countering
Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea, which China
is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop the
Gwadar port.
• It is considered a gateway to harness the trade
opportunities by India with Central Asian countries.
• Chabahar port connects India to Afghanistan,
bypassing the Land border with Pakistan.

News Source: The Indian Express

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MYANMAR/MALAYSIA-INDIA-SINGAPORE (MSP) to reduce dependency on China.
TRANSIT (MIST) • India is not a part of MSP.

Why in the News? Key Points:

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate About

Change deliberated on a proposal to lay a submarine
cable system for the Myanmar/Malaysia-India- Minerals Security Partnership (MSP)
Singapore Transit (MIST) landing near M.R.C. Nagar in • MSP is an ambitious new alliance formed by the US
Chennai and Versova in Mumbai. to secure supply chains of critical minerals.

Key Points:

About

MIST
• The MIST is an international submarine cable
communication network that will traverse undersea
to connect India with countries such as Myanmar,
Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
• It will provide secure, reliable, robust and affordable
telecom facilities in Asia with the main trunk route
being from Tuas in Singapore to Mumbai in India.
• The Project is being executed by the global
technology provider NEC Corp.
• Total Project length: 8,100 km
• It will boost telecom connectivity between India and
other Asian countries, namely Myanmar, Thailand,
Malaysia and Singapore.
• MIST will help in avoiding conflict with various
stakeholders considering the increasing number of
international cable landing on the Chennai coast.
• It comes in the backdrop of recorded demand for
News Source: The Indian Express
critical minerals, which are essential for clean energy
and other technologies.
• Goal: To Recycle and produce critical minerals by
MINERALS SECURITY PARTNERSHIP supporting countries in their economic development
by using their geological resources.
Why in the News?
• Focus: The Focus would be on the supply chains of
Recently, the United States announced the formation of minerals such as Cobalt, Nickel, Lithium and also the
a global alliance called the Mineral Security Partnership 17 “rare earth” minerals.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs):

• ‘Rare Earth Metals are a family of 17 elements in the periodic table, which involve 15 Lanthanides group
elements, along with Yttrium and Scandium.
• REEs are classified as
» Light RE elements (LREE) and Heavy RE elements (HREE).
• Some REEs available in India includes- Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium, Praseodymium and Samarium.

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 Image Source: The Print

Geopolitical Significance:
• The Minerals Security Partnership is seen as primarily
focused on evolving an alternative to China, which
has created a processing infrastructure in rare
earth minerals and has acquired mines in Africa for
elements such as Cobalt.

Critical Minerals:
• There is no global definition of critical minerals,
but essentially, they are mineral deposits with high
economic vulnerability and high global supply chain
risk.
» For example Beryllium, chromium, germanium,
limestone, niobium, graphite, rare earth, rhenium,
strontium, tantalum and zirconium.
• These minerals tend to lack substitutability and
recycling processes.
• These are essential for the functioning of our
economies and national security.
• Based on their individual needs and strategic
considerations, different countries create their own
lists.
Why are Critical Minerals essential?
• India needs critical minerals to meet its climate
change mitigation objectives.
• Domestic mining alone is not currently enough
to meet the green technology manufacturing
requirements.
• Critical Minerals are key to the ecosystem that fuels
the change toward renewable energy resources
such as EV batteries.
Who are the top producers of critical minerals?
• Major producers of critical minerals are:
» Chile
» Indonesia
» Congo
» China

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» Australia
» South Africa
What are the Risks To critical Mineral Supply Chains?
• Domination by individual countries
• Social unrest
• Political decisions
• Mine accidents
• Natural disasters
• Geological scarcity
• War
• Pandemics
News Source: The Indian Express
CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR
(CPEC)
Why in the News?
Recently, India has raised objections to the possibility
of China and Pakistan involving third countries in the
CPEC.
Key Points:
About
CPEC
• Launch Year: 2013
• The CPEC is a corridor linking Pakistan’s Gwadar
port on the Arabian Sea with Kashgar in northwest
China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
• It highlights energy, transport and industrial
cooperation between two countries.
• It is an integral part of China’s ambitious Belt and
Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of President Xi
Jinping.
• CPEC aims to create an alternative route to
transport oil and gas to China and to fuel the
economic growth and development across its
remote western regions.
• For China, the CPEC is a beachhead in South Asia to
facilitate a broader thrust in the Persian Gulf.
» It also provides a maritime connect to Djibouti and
the littoral states.
• CPEC is akin to the Marshall Plan for the rebuilding
of post-World War II Europe in its potential impact
on the region, and various countries have shown
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interest in participating in the initiative.
India’s Concerns of CPEC:
• Infringes India’s Sovereignty: The CPEC, is seen
as violating India’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity as it passes through Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK).
• Chinese String of Pearls: China has been enlarging
its presence in the Indian Ocean with the ‘String of
Pearls’ ambition.
» CPEC’s can further make things difficult for India
with String of Pearls already in place.
• Chinese Control Over Sea Trade: It will give China
the power to set the terms and conditions by which
the international movement of goods will take place
between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.
• Dominant China: A China that is more integrated
with the rest of the global economy will have a better
say in the UN.
» It may prove to be bad for India who aspires to acquire
a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.
• Helps in Pakistan economic revival, which might
use to fund it’s military.
News Source: The Indian Express
INDIA TO HOST UNSC MEET ON
COUNTERTERRORISM
Why in the News?
In a first, India will host diplomats and officials from all
15 countries of the United Nations Security Council.
Key Points:
• The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) is a
subsidiary body of the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC).
• The meeting will focus particularly on challenges
such as terrorism financing, cyber threats and the
use of drones.
Key Highlights:
• Cross Border Highlight: India is expected to highlight
cross-border threats from Pakistan and Afghanistan
at the meeting.
• Comprehensive Convention on International
Terrorism: In addition, India will push for the UN
members to adopt a Comprehensive Convention
on International Terrorism (first proposed in 1996),
which is likely to be raised during the meeting.
• The special meeting will specifically focus on three
Articulate | 33
 significant areas:
» Where emerging technologies are experiencing
rapid development.
» Growing use by Member States (including for
security and counter-terrorism purposes)
» Increasing threat of abuse for terrorism purposes,
namely:
– The Internet and social media
– Terrorism financing, and
– Unmanned aerial systems.
• Newer Threats: To build templates and “codes of
conduct” for newer threats, such as
» Financing through cryptocurrency and
» The use of drones for terror attacks.
Image source- theasianpost.com
About UNSC:
United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
• The UNSC is composed of 15 members: five
permanent members — China, France, Russian
Federation, the United States, and the United
Kingdom — and 10 non-permanent members
who are elected by the General Assembly.
• The non-permanent members are elected for
two-year terms — so every year, the General
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Assembly elects five non-permanent members
out of the total 10.
• These 10 seats are distributed among the regions
of the world: five seats for African and Asian
countries; one for Eastern European countries;
two for Latin American and Caribbean
countries; and two for Western European and
Other Countries.
News Source: The Indian Express
INDIA-MALDIVES RELATIONS
Why in the News?
Recently, Maldives President Ibrahim Solih visited
India and pledged to strengthen bilateral ties, with a
major focus on maritime security.
Key Points:
Key Highlights of the Bilateral Meeting:
• MoU (Memorandum of Understanding):
• Defence and Security: Indian government
announced to provide a second Landing Assault
Craft and a replacement ship for the CGS Huravee.
» It is an indigenously built Trinkat-class patrol vessel
that the Navy gave to the Maldives National Defence
Force (MNDF).
» It also announced the gifting of 24 utility vehicles
from the Government of India to the Maldives
National Defence Force.
• Infrastructure projects:
» India and the Maldives jointly announced the
Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP) and the
construction of 4,000 social housing units.
» The GMCP, which is 6.74 km in length and will
connect Malé to Villingli, Gulhifahlu, and Thilahfushi.
» It is the largest infrastructure project ever
undertaken in the Maldives and one of India’s largest
projects in the neighbourhood.
• Development Projects:
» India will extend an additional $100 million line of
 credit to the Maldives. the Maldives to counterattack the malicious India
Out Campaign for securing her strategic objectives.
• Medical and financial assistance:
• Timely implementation of projects and by extending
» India was the first partner to gift Covid-19 vaccines
the Line of Credit (LoC) to the Maldives, India can
to Maldives.
checkmate China’s chequebook diplomacy in the
• Environment and Renewable Energy region.
• India lauded the ambitious target set by Maldives to
become net zero by 2030 and assured full support.
• Cooperation in Multilateral Forums
» The leaders agreed on the need for urgent reforms
of the UN bodies, particularly the Security Council.
» Maldives’ support for India’s candidature for
permanent membership of an expanded and
reformed UN Security Council.

Maldives Government Stand on “India Out” campaign:

• The Maldives government rejected the “India Out”
slogan, and described India as the country’s “closest Image Source: Operation World
ally and trusted neighbour”. News Source: The Indian Express

India - Maldives Relation:

• Maldives has a special place in India’s ‘neighbourhood TAIWAN ISSUE AND INDIA’S STAND ON
first policy’. ONE CHINA POLICY
• India-Maldives resolved the politically contentious
issue over Minicoy Island through the Maritime Why in the News?
Boundary Treaty of 1976- recognising Minicoy as part
of India. Recently, China has vigorously protested the US
Speaker’s trip and warned of unspecified consequences
• Defence and Security: In 2016, India-Maldives for the US.
signed a Comprehensive Action Plan for Defence.
Ekuverin is a major joint military exercise between Key Points:
the Indian and Maldives Army.
• The US has maintained a ‘One China’ policy since the
» Maldives is also part of SAGAR (Security and Growth 1970’s, recognising Taiwan as part of China.
for All in the Region). It was announced by India in
• But it has unofficial ties with Taiwan as well, a
2015 as its vision for the Indian Ocean.
strategy known as strategic or deliberate ambiguity.
• Development Cooperation: In 2018, India gave a
$1.4 billion economic package to the Maldives for its
socio-economic development.

Importance of the Maldives for India:

• Maldives is strategically located in the Indian
Ocean. It comprises 1200 coral islands lying next to
shipping lanes which ensure uninterrupted energy
supplies to countries like China, Japan and India.
• As the pre-eminent South Asian power and a net
security provider in the Indian Ocean, India needs
to cooperate with the Maldives in security and
defence sectors.
• India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural,
religious and commercial links.

Way Forward:
• Maldives is a member of the SAARC. It is important
Image Source: World Atlas
for India to work on the perception management in

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Compare and Contrast Between ‘One China Policy’ and ‘One China Principle’
One China Policy
• It is a policy of acknowledging that there is only • Under ‘One China principle’, China insists Taiwan is
one Chinese government as opposed to separate
Chinese states
• Under this, countries consider disputed territories • Any nation seeking to build political and diplomatic
of Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang to be an
inseparable part of mainland China.
• History of One-China Policy:
» The policy can be traced back to 1949 and the end of
the Chinese civil war.
» The defeated Nationalists, also known as the
Kuomintang, retreated to Taiwan and made it their
seat of government.
» While the victorious Communists began ruling the
mainland as the People’s Republic of China. Both
sides said they represented all of China.
» Since then China’s ruling Communist Party has
threatened to use force if Taiwan ever formally
declares independence.
India’s Policy on Taiwan:
• Since independence, India follows the “One China”
policy and has no formal diplomatic relations with
Taiwan yet.
• However, In 1995 India and Taiwan established offices
in each other country for diplomatic functions with
a focus on- Commerce, Culture and Education.
» The India-Taipei Association (ITA) and the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Center in New Delhi were
both established in 1995.
• From 2010 India stopped the use of “One China” in
the backdrop of increased Chinese aggressions at
the Line of Actual Control.
• Since then, India has signed a Double-Taxation
Avoidance Agreement and a Bilateral Investment
Treaty with Taiwan.
• Post 2020 Galwan Clashes:
» India’s relations with China strained after the Galwan
clashes in 2020, and India appointed the ambassador
to Taipei.
» In August 2020, India described the former Taiwan’s
President Lee Teng-hui as “Mr Democracy” on his
death
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One China Principle
an inalienable part of one China to be reunified one
day.
ties with China must adhere to this principle and
refrain from recognising Taiwan as a sovereign state.
Challenges:
• Trade restrictions:
» China suspended some fish and fruits imports from
Taiwan, citing excessive pesticide residue detected
on products.
» Exports of sand, a key component for the production
of semiconductor chips, were also suspended.
• Global repercussions:
» Taiwan is key in supplying the world with
semiconductors, it could worsen the global chip
shortage.
» The Taiwan strait is also an important shipping lane
for vessels carrying goods between Asia and the
West.
Way Ahead:
• With the ongoing military standoff along the border,
China’s rising aggression toward India are some of
the challenges that keep India preoccupied at the
bilateral front.
• In such a situation, Quad provides a platform for
India along with other members to talk about Taiwan.
• Any eventuality in the Cross-Strait will have an
impact on India as well.
• India should separate bilateral equations from
regional issues.
News Source: The Hindu
INDIA-EU RELATIONS
Why in the News?
India celebrates 60 years of diplomatic relations with
the European Union (EU).
Key Points: agreement (European Atomic Energy Community)
• Green Strategic Partnership: India and Denmark
aims to address climate change, biodiversity loss
and pollution
» The India-Nordic Summit in May focused on green
technologies
• Defence sector: India and the EU regularly conduct
joint military and naval exercises which reflects their
commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-
based order in the Indo-Pacific.
» The first maritime security dialogue in 2021 focused
on cooperation in maritime domain awareness,
capacity-building, and joint naval activities.
» France’s on-time delivery of 36 Rafale fighter jets
and willingness to offer Barracuda nuclear attack
submarines to the Indian Navy reflects the growing
level of trust.
• Science and technology: It focus on areas such as
healthcare, Artificial Intelligence, and earth sciences.

Other areas of cooperation:

• Effective implementation of the Paris agreement.
• Start-up and innovation ecosystem across India and
Image Source: Britannica Europe.
• Offshore wind and solar infrastructure
Recent developments in India-EU ties
• Clean Ganga initiative
A Brief Timeline:
Challenges:
• Differing opinions and divergent interests: India’s
reluctance to condemn Russia for the Ukraine crisis
is not agreed upon by the EU,
• For both India and the EU, China forefronts a major
challenge that requires specific attention.
• There is an ambiguity on the EU’s strategy in tackling
the rise of China.
• Delay in signing proposed Broad-based Trade and
Investment Agreement (BTIA).
• Fit for 55 agenda, presents challenges for Indian
industries.
» It is the EU 2030 goal of reducing emissions by 55%
from 1990 levels.
Areas of cooperation:
• Economic Partnership: Bilateral trade between the Way Forward:
two surpassed $116 billion in 2021-22.
• India’s economic, political and demographic weight
» The EU is India’s second largest trading partner could be leveraged by the EU to counterbalance
after the U.S., and the second largest destination for China’s influence across the region.
Indian exports.
• For that, the resumption of the ambitious India-EU
» India enjoys preferential tariffs under EU Generalised free trade and investment agreement in 2021 is a
system of Preference(GSP). step in the right direction.
• Energy: Finalised civil nuclear cooperation • India and the EU should renegotiate the trade deal
and trust each other not only to promote rules-

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 based multilateral order in the Indo–Pacific but also
to achieve other strategic ambitions.
• With the rise of multipolarity both sides can elevate
their strategic partnership to find solutions for
impending geopolitical challenges.
• Need to build cooperation on data protection and
regulation.
• Human connectivity and digital connectivity can be
the newer areas of cooperation.
News Source: The Hindu

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unacademy.com | Download the Unacademy app Articulate | 39
THE FAMILY COURTS (AMENDMENT) BILL, • So, in order to grant statutory cover to already
2022
Why in the News?
Recently, the Lok Sabha passed the Family Courts
(Amendment) Bill, 2022 to amend the Family Courts
Act, 1984.
Key Points:
About
Family Courts Act, 1984
• To set up Family Courts by the State Governments in
consultation with the High Courts.
• It lays down provisions for the appointment of judges
in family courts.
• It envisaged setting up a Family Court in every city or
town with a population exceeding one million.
• It provides for the association of social welfare
agencies, counsellors, etc., during the conciliation
stage and also to secure the service of medical and
welfare experts.
• It provides that the parties to a dispute before a
Family Court shall not be entitled, as of right, to be
represented by a legal practitioner.
• It simplifies the rules of evidence and procedure so
as to enable a Family Court to deal effectively with
a dispute.
• It provides for only one right of appeal to the High
Court.
• Jurisdiction of Family courts:
» Matrimonial relief, including nullity of marriage,
judicial separation, divorce, restitution of conjugal
rights
» The property of the spouses or of either of them;
» Declaration as to the legitimacy of any person;
» Guardianship of a person or the custody of any
minor;
» Maintenance of wife, children and parents.
What was the need to bring the Family Courts
(Amendment) Bill, 2022?
• The Central government is empowered to notify
dates for the Family Courts Act, 1984 to come into
force in different states.
• The governments of Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland
have set up Family Courts in their states under the
Act.
• However, the central government has not extended
the application of the Act to these states.
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established family courts in Himachal Pradesh and
Nagaland. The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill,
2022 was brought in.
Key Provisions:
The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022
• The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022 will
amend the Family Courts Act 1984
• It extends the application of the Act to Himachal
Pradesh and Nagaland, with effect from the dates
the family courts were set up.
• Under Section 3A, all actions taken, appointments
made and notifications issued under the Act
in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland before the
commencement of the Family Courts (Amendment)
Act, 2022 will be deemed valid.
• All orders of appointment of a family court judge, and
the posting, promotion or transfer of such a judge
under the Act will also be valid in the two States.
News Source: The Hindu
THE WILD LIFE (PROTECTION)
AMENDMENT BILL, 2021
Why in the News?
Recently, The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill,
2021 was passed by Lok Sabha to amend the Wild Life
(Protection) Act, 1972.
Key Points:
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Objectives:
• Prevent the hunting of wild animals and various
species of birds and punish the violators of rules
and regulations.
• Protect the endangered species.
• Provide shelter and protection.
• Ban trade and commerce of certain protected
species.
• Preserve the diversity of flora and fauna of the
country
• Maintain a healthy ecological balance.
Constitutional Provisions for the Wildlife Act
• Article 48A of the Constitution of India directs
the State to protect and improve the environment
 and safeguard wildlife and forests.
• Article 51A imposes fundamental duties to
protect and improve the natural environment
including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to
have compassion for living creatures.
Schedules of The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:
• Schedule I
» Specifies endangered species which need
rigorous and absolute protection.
» Species under this Schedule are prohibited to
be hunted and traded throughout India, except
under threat to human life.
» Examples: Blackbuck, Indian lion, Tiger, Whale
shark, sea horse
Schedule II
• Specifies species which need high protection.
• Trade prohibited, cannot be hunted except under
threat to human life.
• Examples: Assamese macaque, salamander,
beetles, civets, otters, Indian cobras, king cobra,
mongooses
Schedule III
• Specifies species which are not endangered and
include protected species.
• Penalty for violators is less compared to
Schedules I and II.
• Examples: Barking deer, hyena, Nilgai, wild pig
Image Source: PRS
• Control and Regulation: Apart from states, the
Centre too can notify a conservation reserve — an
area adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries.
• Captive Animals: Any person to voluntarily
surrender any captive animals or animal products
for which no compensation will be awarded and
the items will become the property of the state
government.
• Invasive alien species: The Bills empower the central
government to regulate or prohibit the import, trade,
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Schedule IV
• Specifies species which are not endangered and
include protected species.
• Examples: Hares, Indian porcupine, birds like
cranes, cuckoos etc
Schedule V:
• This schedule contains animals that are
considered as vermin and can be hunted.
» For Example: Common Crows, Fruit Bats
Schedule VI:
• It provides for regulation in cultivation of a
specified plant and restricts its possession, sale
and transportation.
About
The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021
• Aim: To implement the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora.
• Change in Schedules:
» It reduces the total number of schedules to four by
eliminating the schedule for vermin species.
» It reduces the number of schedules for specially
protected animals to two.
» It also inserts a new schedule for specimens listed
under CITES.
• Penalty: The Act prescribes imprisonment terms
and fines for violating the provisions of the Act. The
Bill increases these fines.
possession or proliferation of invasive alien species.
• Obligations under CITES: Central government to
designate a:
» Management Authority: It grants export or import
permits for a trade of specimens.
» Scientific Authority: It gives advice on aspects
related to the impact on the survival of the specimens
being traded.
• Control of Sanctuaries: The Bill specifies that the
Articulate | 41
 actions of the Chief Warden must be in accordance
with the management plans for the sanctuary.
» These plans will be prepared as per guidelines of the
central government and as approved by the Chief
Warden.
CITES:
• CITES is an international agreement between
governments to ensure that international trade
in specimens of wild animals and plants does not
threaten the survival of the species.
• Under CITES, plant and animal specimens are
classified into three categories (Appendices)
based on the threat to their extinction.
• The Convention requires countries to regulate
the trade of all listed specimens through permits.
• It also seeks to regulate the possession of live
animal specimens.
• The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021
seeks to implement these provisions of CITES.
Invasive Alien Species:
• Invasive Alien Species refers to plant or animal
species which are not native to India and whose
introduction may adversely impact wildlife or its
habitat.
» For Example: Water Hyacinth
• The Central government may authorise an officer
to seize and dispose of the invasive species.
News Source: All India Radio
NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
AWARENESS MISSION (NIPAM)
Why in the News?
NIPAM has achieved the target of imparting Intellectual
Property (IP) awareness and basic training to 1 million
students on 31st July 2022.
Key Points:
About
NIPAM
• NIPAM is a flagship program to impart IP awareness
and basic training.
• It was launched in 2021 as a part of the “Azadi Ka
Amrit Mahotsav’’ celebrations.
• Implementation: Intellectual Property Office, the
Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and
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Trade Marks (CGPDTM), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.
• Aim:
» To inculcate the spirit of creativity and innovation to
students of higher education (classes 8 to 12).
» Ignite and inspire the students of college/Universities
to innovate and protect their creations.
What is Intellectual Property?
• Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of
the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic
works; designs; symbols, names and images used
in commerce.
Types of Intellectual Property:
• Copyright:
» It is a legal term used to describe the rights that
creators have over their literary and artistic
works.
• Patents:
» A patent is an exclusive right granted for an
invention.
• Trademarks:
» A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the
goods or services of one enterprise from those of
other enterprises.
• Geographical Indications:
» Geographical indications and appellations of
origin are signs used on goods that have a specific
geographical origin and possess qualities,that are
essentially attributable to that place of origin.
• Trade Secrets:
» Trade Secrets are IP rights on confidential
information which may be sold or licensed.
Importance of Intellectual Property Awareness:
• Strong IP rights help consumers make an
educated choice about the safety, reliability, and
effectiveness of their purchases.
• IP rights foster the confidence and ease of mind
that consumers demand and markets rely on.
News Source: The Indian Express
NATIONAL ANTI-DOPING BILL 2021
Why in the News?
Recently, the Loksabha passed the National Anti-
Doping Bill 2021 by voice vote.
Key Points:
About
National Anti-Doping Bill 2021
• Providing a statutory framework: to the National
Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope
Testing Laboratory in sports.
• Monitoring anti-doping activities: Its functions
include planning, implementing, and monitoring
anti-doping activities.
• Implementing International Convention: To give
effect to the UNESCO’s International Convention
against doping
• Prohibiting Doping: Prohibits athletes, athlete
support personnel, and other persons from engaging
in doping in sports.
• Violation of Anti-doping rules: may result in
disqualification of results including forfeiture of
medals, points, and prizes.
» Further, it can led to ineligibility to participate in a
competition or event for a prescribed period, and
financial sanctions.
• National Board for Anti-Doping: The Bill proposes
to establish the National Board for Anti-Doping in
Sports.
» It will make recommendations to the government
on anti-doping regulations and compliance with
international commitments on anti-doping.
What is Doping?
• Doping is the consumption of certain prohibited
substances by athletes to enhance performance.
• India does not have an anti-doping law.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
• WADA was set up under the International
Olympic Committee in 1999.
• It publishes the list of prohibited substances
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at least once a year and distributes it to all the
signatories
• It is recognised by the UNESCO International
Convention against Doping in Sport (2005).
• It aims to develop, harmonise, and coordinate
anti-doping regulations across all sports and
countries.
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)
• NADA was established as an autonomous body
under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in
November, 2009.
• Functions of NADA include:
» Implementing anti-doping rules as per World
Anti-Doping Code
» Regulating doping control programme
» Conducting dope tests
News Source: PRS
SURYAMITRA SKILL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
Why in the News?
Recently, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy
informed Lok Sabha about the Suryamitra Skill
Development Programme.
About Suryamitra Skill Development Programme:
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
has been implementing the Suryamitra Skill
Development Program since Financial Year 2015-16.
• Aim: To train youth of age above 18 years as solar PV
technicians.
• Implemented by: National Institute of Solar
Energy(NISE) since 2015-16.
About the National Institute of Solar Energy(NISE):
• It is an autonomous specialized institute under
the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE).
• Aim: It is mandated for research and development,
solar component testing and certification,
capacity building and development of solar
products and applications.
News Source: PIB
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ENERGY CONSERVATION (AMENDMENT)
BILL, 2022
Why in the News?
Recently, the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill,
2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha.
Key Points:
About Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022:
• The Bill seeks to amend Energy Conservation Act,
2001
Key provisions of the Bill
• Obligation to use non-fossil sources of energy:
Bill adds that the government may require the
designated consumers to meet a minimum share of
energy consumption from non-fossil sources.
• Carbon Trading: It empowers the central government
to specify a carbon credit trading scheme.
» Carbon Trading implies a tradable permit to produce
a specified amount of carbon emissions.
• Energy conservation code for buildings: It provides
for an ‘energy conservation and sustainable building
code’ for green buildings.
• Applicability to residential buildings: Bill provides
the new energy conservation and sustainable
building code which will apply to the office and
residential buildings
» Earlier, the energy conservation code applies to
commercial buildings with certain criteria..
• Standards for vehicles and vessels: It expands the
scope to include vehicles (as defined under the
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988), and vessels (includes
ships and boats).
• Composition of governing council: Increase
members in Governing Council of Bureau of Energy
Efficiency;
• Regulatory powers of SERCs: Empower State
Electricity Regulatory Commissions to make
regulations for smooth discharge of its functions.
Significance of the Bill:
• It will facilitate achievement of Panchamrit (five
nectar elements) presented by India in COP-26 in
Glasgow 2021.
• It Promote renewable energy and development of
domestic Carbon market to fight climate change.
• Introduced new concepts i.e. Carbon trading.
News Source: PRS
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DRAFT INDIAN PORTS BILL, 2022
Why in the News?
Recently, Union Government issued Draft Indian Ports
Bill, 2022s to repeal and replace the existing 1908 Act.
Need for the Bill:
• India has a 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of
potentially navigable waterways and a strategic
location on key international maritime trade routes.
• About 95% of India’s trade by volume and 65% by
value is done through maritime transport facilitated
by ports.
• The Indian Ports Act, 1908 is more than 110 years
old.
• It has become imperative that the Act is revamped
to reflect the present-day frameworks, incorporate
India’s international obligations, and address
emerging environmental concerns.
Key Provision of the Bill:
• prevention of pollution
• facilitate compliance with the country’s maritime
treaties and international instruments.
• conservation of ports.
• Empower State Maritime Boards for effective
administration.
• Control and management of non-major ports in
India.
• redressal of port related disputes and
• Establish a national council for the development of
the port sector, and
Significance:
• Lead to increased economic activity, wider markets,
and a significant increase in associated employment
possibilities.
Conclusion:
• The ongoing developments and committed
investments (public and private) in ports need to be
aided by scientific and consultative planning, with
a keen focus on ever increasing safety, security and
environmental issues.
News Source: PRS
PRADHAN MANTRI ADI ADARSH GRAM
YOJNA
Why in the News?
The Government has modified the earlier scheme of » To prepare Village Development Plan based on the
‘Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme needs, potential, and aspirations;
(SCA to TSS) with the nomenclature ‘Pradhan Mantri
» To Improve the infrastructure in vital sectors like
Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna (PMAAGY)’.
health, education, connectivity and livelihood.
Key Points:
News Source: PIB
• Ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs
• Implementation: 2021-22 to 2025-26
• Aims: To mitigate the gaps and provide basic ARTH GANGA
infrastructure in villages with a significant tribal
populations. Why in the News?
• Coverage: Villages having at least 50% ST population
and 500 STs across States / UTs with notified STs Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti unveiled a new
during the period. initiative under Arth Ganga (under Namami Gange
Programme)
• Objective:
» To achieve integrated socio-economic development Key Points:
through a convergence approach.

• New course ‘River Champ’ on CLAP online platform

Image Source: PIB
for raising awareness, actions and debates around
About Arth Ganga: river conservation in India.

• It aims to promote economic activities along the

About Namami Gange Programme(NGP)
Ganga River bank
• It was launched in 2014 for the conservation of the
The new initiatives are: National River Ganga.

• Jalaj initiative (Skill enhancement along with Ganga • Under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and supported by
Conservation) World Bank.

• Sahakar Bharati (sustainable economic development • Implementation: National Ganga Council (headed by
by public participation) the PM) is a decision-making body. Implementation
is done by the National Mission for Clean Ganga
• ImAvatar (promotes livelihood opportunities) (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e.,
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 State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).
• Funding: Centrally-funded, non-lapsable corpus.

News Source: PIB

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NATIONAL TRIBAL HEALTH MISSION
Why in the News?
On the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, a
national tribal health mission might pave the way for a
peaceful health revolution for India’s tribal people.
Key Points:
• Tribal Population: As per the Census of India (2011) 11
crore tribal people (enumerated as Scheduled Tribes
(ST) live in India.
» They constitute 8.6% of India’s population.
Issues with the Tribal Population:
• Malnutrition: Child malnutrition is 50% higher in
tribal children.
• Poor Public Health care institutions: Tribal
people heavily depend on government-run public
healthcare institutions.
» There is a 27% to 40% deficit in the number of such
facilities and 33% to 84% deficit in medical doctors
in tribal areas.
• Low Participation: There is hardly any participation
of the tribal people – locally or at the State or
national level – in designing, planning or delivering
health care to them.
• Lack of data: there is no separate data on tribal
people’s health, or healthcare or on the money spent.
• Half of India’s tribal population lives outside the
Scheduled Areas, as a scattered and marginalised
minority.
• Malaria and tuberculosis are three to 11 times more
common among the tribal people.
» half of the total malaria deaths in India occur among
them.
• Hypertension and diabetes, mental health
problems such as depression and addiction leading
to cancer and suicide, are increasing.
A Road Map:
• Launch a National Tribal Health Action Plan with a
goal to bring the status of health and healthcare at
par with the respective State averages in the next 10
years.
• Address the priority health problems, the
health care gap, the human resource gap and the
governance problems.
• Allocation of additional money so that the per capita
government health expenditure on tribal people
becomes equal to the stated goal of the National
Health Policy (2017), i.e. 2.5% of the per capita GDP.
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Conclusion:
• The tribal healthcare system is sick, and tribal people
need more substantive solutions.
• There is a need to move from symbolic gestures to
substantive promises
• The Tribal Health Mission can be the path to a
peaceful health revolution for the 11 crore tribal
people.
Additional Information:
• International Day of the World’s Indigenous
Peoples is on 9th August every year to raise
awareness and protect the rights of the world’s
indigenous population.
News Source: The Hindu
FAMILY PLANNING VISION 2030
Why in the News?
Recently, the Ministry of Health released Family
Planning Vision 2030 document.
Key Points:
Theme: ‘Sustaining efforts, Steering Partnerships,
Shaping Vision in Family Planning – Sabka Saath, Sabka
Vishwas, Sabka Prayas and Sabka Vikas’
Key highlights of the Family Planning Vision-2030
document:
• Population: India’s population has reached 136.3
crores (1.36 billion) and is expected to reach 147.9
crores (1.47 billion) by 2031 and a further 152.2 crores
(1.52 billion) by 2036.
• Teenage Fertility Rate: The fertility rate has
stabilized all across the country.
» But the high teenage fertility in some areas remains
a cause of concern.
» Over 118 districts reported high percentage of
teenage pregnancies
– Bihar (19)
– West Bengal (15)
– Assam (13)
• Use of Contraceptive: The modern contraceptive
use among married adolescents and young women
is increasing over time. But it still remains low.
» Important factors: child marriage and teenage
pregnancy.
• Male Contraceptive use: The male contraceptive
methods were largely limited to condoms. Male
sterilization was at 0.3%.
Challenges:
• Lack of access to contraceptives had been identified
as a priority challenge area.
• High teenage fertility in some areas remains a cause
of concern
Way Forward:
• Use of the private sector for providing modern
contraceptives.
» Private sector contributes 45% share of pills and
» 40% share of condoms.
• Participation of men has to be encouraged in the
family planning programme.
Additional information:
• Recently, at the National Family Planning Summit
2022 the Minister of State for Health and Family
Welfare said that India has achieved replacement
level fertility.
• Replacement Level Fertility: Total Fertility Rate
of 2.1 or less.
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): Total number of
children born or likely to be born to a woman in
her lifetime.
• According to the National Family Health Survey
(NFHS-5), India’s total fertility rate (TFR) has
declined from 2.2 in 2015-16 to 2.0 in 2019-21.
News Source: PIB
SMILE-75 INITIATIVE
Why in the News?
Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment launched the ‘SMILE-75’ initiative for
comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in
begging.
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Key Points:
About SMILE-75 Initiative:
• Project aims to make 75 municipalities ‘begging-
free’ as a part of the celebrations of 75 years of
Independence.
• SMILE stands for ‘Support for Marginalised
Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise’.
• Allocation: ₹100 crore till 2025-2026.
• Focus Area: Rehabilitation, provision of medical
facilities, counselling, awareness, education, skill
development, economic linkages and convergence
with other government welfare programmes etc.
About SMILE:
• Earlier, the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment launched ‘SMILE’ which includes
two sub-schemes –
» Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive
Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons.
» Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive
Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of
Begging.
News Source: The Hindu
CHILD MORTALITY HAS REDUCED TO 35
PER 1000 LIVE BIRTH
Why in the News?
As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Report
2019, child mortality has reduced from 45 in 2014 to 35
in 2019.
• Government has also launched Paalan 1000, to guide
parents.
Articulate | 49
 About ‘Paalan 1000’:
• Govt. launches new app, Paalan 1000, to guide
parents.
» It focuses on the cognitive development of children
in the first two years of their life.
» The app will provide practical advice to caregivers.
» The programme is aligned with the mission
of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram
(RBSK), emphasing responsive care and focusing
interventions on the first 1000 days.
» 6 principles;
– Maximize Love,
– Talk & Engage,
– Explore through Movement and Play,
– Read and Discuss Stories,

Image Source: The Hindu – Mother’s Engagement with the Child while
Breastfeeding
Key Points:
– Managing Stress and Staying Calm.
Child Mortality
Some of the key interventions of the Government of
India:
Year Per 1000 live births
• Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) Programme
2014 45
• Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize
2019 35 Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) Initiative
• Child Mortality Rate: Number of Death of a child • Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
under 5 years of age, expressed per 1,000 live births.
• Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK)
• Infant Mortality Rate: Number of infant deaths in
a single year for every 1,000 live births in the same • Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs)
year. • Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Strategy, etc.

News Source: PIB

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30 Articulate Monthly Current Affairs || September 2022
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CANCELLATION OF THE BANKING
LICENCE
Why in the News?
The Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the banking
licence of Pune-based Rupee Cooperative Bank, and
directed the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to
liquidate it.
Key Points:
About
Banking Licence
• Financial institutions wishing to carry out banking
operations such as accepting deposits or lending
have to obtain a licence from India’s central bank.
• The RBI issues the licence under the Banking
Regulation Act of 1949 after carrying out a series of
checks about the financial suitability of the applicant
institution.
• No company other than one that has been issued a
banking licence is allowed to use the word ‘bank’ in
its name while doing business.
less in the bank, would get back all of their money
through the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
Corporation (DICGC).
Deposit Insurance Credit Guarantee Corporation
• DICGC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• It provides deposit insurance that works as a
protection cover for bank deposit holders when
the bank fails to pay its depositors.
• It protects depositors’ money kept in all
commercial and foreign banks located in India;
central, state, and urban co-operative banks;
regional rural banks; and local banks, provided
that the bank has opted for DICGC cover.
• DICGC insures all bank deposits, such as saving,
fixed, current, recurring, etc.
• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2021:
» It added a new Section 18A in the DICGC Act,
1961, which enabled depositors to get easy and
time-bound access to their deposits by DICGC
as when banks are placed under ‘All Inclusive
Directions’ (AID) by RBI.

Involved Parameters in Granting Bank License: » DICGC is liable to make interim payments to
depositors up to the deposit insurance cover of ₹
• The 1949 Act in particular stresses on adequate
5 lakh (earlier limit was 1 lakh) within 90 days of
capital and protection of the public interest before
imposition of such directions.
the licence is granted.
News Source: The Indian Express
Why did RBI cancel the licence of Rupee Cooperative
Bank?
• The RBI audits banks every year, and can take
action if it notes an increase in bad debts or other SEBI PROPOSES BLUE BONDS
suspicious activities in their books.
Why in the News?
• The RBI gave the following reasons for the
cancellation of the bank’s licence: Recently, the Markets regulator SEBI has proposed the
» The Bank does not have adequate capital and concept of blue bonds as a mode of sustainable finance.
earning prospects.
Key Points:
» The Continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the
interests of its depositors; About
» The Bank with its present financial position would
Blue Bonds
be unable to pay its present depositors in full; and
• The Blue Bond is a debt instrument issued by
» Public interest would be adversely affected if the
Governments, Banks and Corporations to finance
bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any
marine projects which are ecologically sustainable.
further.
• In 2018, the Republic of Seychelles launched the
What happens to the Depositors Money during world’s first sovereign blue bond.
cancellation of Banking Licence?
• The RBI has said that depositors with Rs 5 lakh or

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How Does A Blue Bond Work?
What is Blue Economy?
• Blue economy essentially refers to the multitude of
ocean resources available in the country that can
be harnessed to aid the production of goods and
services.
• Because of its linkages with economic growth,
environmental sustainability, and national security.
• The Blue economy is a vast socio-economic
opportunity for coastal nations like India to utilise
ocean resources for societal benefit responsibly.
How significant is India’s Blue Economy?
• With some 7,500 kilometres, India has a unique
maritime position. At present, the blue economy
comprises 4.1 per cent of India’s economy.
• Nine of its 29 states are coastal, and it’s geography
includes 1,382 islands.
• There are nearly 199 ports, including 12 major ports
that handle approximately 1,400 million tons of
cargo each year.
• India’s Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2 million
square kilometres has a bounty of living and non-
living resources.
• Also, the coastal economy sustains over 4 million
fisherfolk and coastal communities.
Way Forward:
• In this era of advanced technology, oceans will
become new centers of economic activity.
• Oceans already account for significant trade and
commerce in the fields of shipping, offshore oil and
gas, fishing, undersea cables, and tourism.
• The Indian Ocean region needs a sustainable and
inclusive framework for international partnerships.
• Countries in the region need to not only coordinate
and manage the growing security challenges in the
region but also realize the substantial economic
potential the Indian Ocean area presents.
News Source: The Indian Express
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STABLECOINS
Why in the News?
Recently, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) promised
to push for stablecoin regulation, citing “recent turmoil”
in the cryptocurrency market.
• The recent turmoil in the crypto market is linked to
the equity market which is showing bearish trends.
Key Points:
About
Stable Coins
• A stablecoin is a digital currency whose value is
pegged to a ‘stable’ asset, such as the U.S. dollar or
gold.
» For Example, Tether (USDT)
• They are not authorised for use by a country’s
lawmakers or central bank.
» That means investors take on considerable legal and
financial risk to hold them.
• Stablecoins aim to address the problem of volatility
by promising to hold the value of the cryptocurrency
steady in a variety of ways.
• They are more useful than more volatile
cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange.
• These may be pegged to a currency like the U.S.
dollar or to the price of a commodity such as gold.
• In countries like Turkey, where the local currency is
rapidly losing value, converting funds to stablecoins
is one way for residents to safeguard their earnings.
Financial Stability Board (FSB)
• FSB is an international body that monitors
and makes recommendations about the global
financial system.
• It was established after the G20 London summit
 CRYPTO JACKING
in 2009 as a successor to the Financial Stability
Forum (FSF). Why in the News?
• FSB is based in Basel, Switzerland and is
established as a not-for-profit association under According to a report by SonicWall, ‘Cryptojacking’
Swiss law. attacks on computer systems have gone up by 30% to
66.7 million in the first half of 2022.
• The Board includes all G20 major economies, FSF
members, and the European Commission. Key Points:
• It is hosted and funded by the Bank for
International Settlements. About

Cryptojacking
How are stablecoins regulated in India? • Cryptojacking is a type of cybercrime where a
• There is no explicit law to regulate stablecoins in criminal secretly uses a victim’s computing power to
India as yet. generate cryptocurrency.

• RBI raised concerns about stablecoins in December • It is hard to detect and the victims of these attacks
2021, highlighting that any crypto asset tethered mostly remain unaware that their systems have been
to the US dollar or any other global currency could compromised.
destabilize the Indian rupee.
How it works?
• The primary concern is that, in the future,
organizations may switch to stablecoins for • The malicious programme is installed when the
domestic payments, which could jeopardize the user clicks on an unsafe link, or visits an infected
central bank’s ability to oversee currency swings website — and unknowingly provides access to their
and volatility. Internet-connected device.
• Programmes called ‘coin miners’ are then used by
Concern Involved: the criminal to create, or ‘mine’, cryptocurrencies.
• However, the recent market crash in the case of
Terra and Terra Luna, due to the inability of Do Kwon,
the creator for both, to maintain their value pegged
against the US dollar, raises questions over the
stability of stablecoins.

Uses of Stablecoins:
• Stablecoins can be used as a traditional currency.
• They have the same advantages as other crypto
coins:
» Blockchain security, transaction anonymity, quick
transfers, and the lack of intermediaries.
• Unlike traditional crypto coins, which are subject to
price fluctuations and volatility, it is usually believed
that stablecoins do not fluctuate much because Prevention tips
they are backed by national currencies.
• Continuously monitor resources on your computer
• They can be used to pay for groceries, fares, or (processing speed, power usage)
electricity bills, among other things.
• Use browser extensions that are designed to block
coin mining
News Source: The Indian Express
• Use more privacy-focused ad blockers
• Install the latest software updates and patches
for your operating system and all applications —
especially those concerning web browsers
• Block pages that are known to deliver cryptojacking
scripts
News Source: The Indian Express

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INDIA SET UP ITS FIRST BULLION integration with other segments of financial markets.
EXCHANGE • It will help establish India’s position as a dominant
trading hub in the World.
Why in the News?
News Source: Livemint
Prime Minister inaugurated the India International
Bullion Exchange (IIBX) at the Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).
• It was announced by finance minister in the 2020-21 CORE SECTOR OUTPUT
Union Budget.
Why in the News?

As per the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the growth

of eight core infrastructure sectors rose by 12.7% in
June 2022 against 9.4% in the year-ago period.

Key Points:

About

Eight Core Sectors of Economy:

• The eight core sectors of the economy—comprises
40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

Image Source: Livemint • The eight core sector industries in decreasing order
of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity>
Key Points: Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement>
Fertilizers.
About

Bullion
• Bullion means physical gold and silver of high purity
that is often kept in the form of bars, ingots, or coins.
• It can sometimes be considered legal tender and
is often held as reserves by central banks or held by
institutional investors.

About

India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX)

• IIBX will facilitate efficient price discovery with the
assurance of responsible sourcing and quality, apart
from giving impetus to the financialisation of gold in
India.
• Regulating Authority: International Financial
Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
• All contracts are listed, traded & settled on IIBX are
in US Dollar. Index of Industrial Production
• IIBX offers a varied portfolio of products and • The IIP number measures the industrial production
technology services at a cost which is far more for the period under review, usually a month, as
competitive than the Indian exchanges as well as against the reference period.
other global exchanges.
• IIP is a key economic indicator of the manufacturing
• The International Bullion Exchange will be the sector of the economy.
Gateway for Bullion Imports into India.
• Base year: 2011-2012
• It shall provide an efficient price discovery,
• It is compiled and published monthly by the National
assurance in the gold qulaity, enable greater
Statistics Office (CSO).

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Utility of IIP data:
• IIP data is used for analytical purposes by various
government agencies such as the Ministry of
Finance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), private
firms and analysts.
• It is also used to compile the Gross Value Added
(GVA) of the manufacturing sector in the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) on a quarterly basis.
News Source: The Indian Express
GST COLLECTIONS CONTINUE TO SURGE
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
• GST is a uniform indirect tax levied on goods and
services across the country.
• The Goods and Service Tax Act was passed in
Parliament and came into effect on 1st July 2017.
• Credits of input taxes paid at each stage will be
available in the subsequent stage of value addition,
which makes GST essentially a tax only on value
addition at each stage.
• GST is applicable on ‘supply’ of goods or services as
against the present concept on the manufacture of
goods or on sale of goods or on provision of services.

Why in the News?

According to data released by the Finance Ministry, the

Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections have
risen 28 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,48,995 crore for
July (for sales in June), the second highest level since
July 2017.

Image Source: Deccan Herald

Key Points

Background: Image Source: Money Control

• The 101 st Constitutional Amendment Act 2016 • GST is based on the principle of destination-based
created the mechanism for levying a common consumption taxation as against the present
nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST). principle of origin-based taxation.

• The adoption of GST was made possible by States
giving almost all their powers to impose local-level
indirect taxes and agreeing to let the prevailing
multiplicity of imposts be subsumed into the GST.
• In the framework of GST, States would receive the
SGST (State GST) component of the GST and a share
of the IGST (integrated GST).
• GST would apply to all goods and services except
Alcohol for human consumption
• Exports would be zero-rated supplies. Thus, goods
or services that are exported would not suffer input
taxes or taxes on finished products.

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Source of the Chart: Mrunal’s Economy Handout for Unacademy Plus Course.
• Components of GST
» Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST): CGST is levied on intrastate supplies by the central government.
» State Goods and Service Tax (SGST): SGST is levied on intrastate supplies by respective state governments.

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