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editorial
note
Make a difference with right attitude
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
All eyes are now focused on the forthcoming notification of UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019 to make this year count
positively in your life. Like everybody, you must be thinking of being successful in life because success gives a lot of
satisfaction and joy that become the basis of a happy life. But success is possible only when you love what you are doing.
People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.
In other words, you ought to have conviction that the task you have undertaken is worth being carried out. It is possible only
if you have self-confidence and the will to stick to your own decision. For this, you should have a positive approach to life
and the faith that nothing bad can happen if you accomplish your duty in a dedicated way. You will have to keep all the
negative thoughts at bay. It is your attitude which is going to pay dividends, so keep the right attitude. Your efforts will turn
your dream into reality.
Always remember that being human implies having both positive and negative traits. Even the most accomplished
scientists, artists, business leaders, politicians, players or writers are at first a bit apprehensive of success. But they do not
let their apprehension get the better of them and act in a determined way to achieve their goal. Every task entails difficulties
of one sort or another, but those difficulties diminish the moment you approach them with determination and courage. No
task is impossible for you if you have the will and courage to do it. No battle would have been won, no scientific
breakthrough would have been made, no business empire would have been possible, had earnest attempts not been
made. Success, in fact, lies in mind. All the great men could achieve great things, because they were brave enough to fight
odds. If you let yourself be carried away by thoughts of a setback or failure, even a minor problem appears insurmountable.

Similarly, if you face your problems with courage and determination, you certainly overcome them.
Being a student and desirous of cracking a competitive exam in order to get the job you think to be suitable as a career, you
must prepare properly. Your preparation must be based on your knowledge of every aspect of the examination i.e. the
syllabus, the nature of questions, the number of questions, the level of questions, the marking pattern etc. The first and
foremost thing is your decision to crack it at any cost. Your firm decision enables you to start acting in the right direction and
becomes a motivating force. You start looking for the sources and help needed for preparation for crafting a regular and
systematic pattern of study. You do everything to have adequate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter with
the examination point of view. You must bear in mind that all the candidates with whom you are going to compete are your
peers having more or less the same level of aptitude and you have to get an edge over them by practising more and more.
With practice, your self-confidence grows exponentially. So, in order to transform your efforts into success you have to act
consistently. Consistency is possible only when you accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.
Finally, “Don't count the days, make the days' count”.

focus
CRITICAL NOTES FOR THE PREPARATION OF GENERAL STUDIES PAPERS
Chairperson and Managing Director (CMD) : Dear Students,

Mr. V.P. Gupta
Chief Executive Officer : Abhishek Gupta
FOCUS is the Study Circle's monthly publication of contemporary issues
Executive Editor : Ritesh Kumar Singh
and current affairs analysis. It is in fact a collective effort, by experienced
Editorial Team : Ritesh Kumar Singh, Gajanan Dwivedi,
Naweed Akhter, Sanjeev Kumar Pandey, Ankur Sharma,
educators in varied themes, of identifying current affairs in light of the
Jasmine Sokhi, M Burhanuddin, Vrinda Gupta, Maharshi UPSC syllabus, supplementing them with background information,
Sharma, Mangal Singh, Nagendra Pratap, Pradip Singh,
explaining their related dimensions, lending them a generalist viewpoint
Mehaq Rao, Basava Uppin, Shubhangi Sharma, Lokesh
Kadyan, Stuti Anand, Jaikrit Vatsal and thus producing critical notes for the preparation of General Studies'
Design and Production : Rohit Rajput, Deepti Gupta syllabus.
The purpose of Focus is to expound the applied nature of

The publication, as the name suggests, focuses solely on issues which are
General Studies to Civil Services aspirants thereby making
them aware of the real demand of UPSC exam. relevant to the factual as well as applied aspects of the General Studies'
syllabus. That is how Focus covers all anticipated issues and themes for the
The sources relied for selection and analysis of issues are:
upcoming Civil Services Examination (CSE).
1. The Hindu, The Hindu (Sunday)
2. The Indian Express
3. The Times of India Features
4. Asian Age
5. The Tribune Part One | Current Affairs Analysis
6. The Economic Times
7. Hindu Business Line n This month edition covers analysis of news from the
8. Frontline immediately preceding month.
9. Economic and Political Weekly
10. IDSA n All news/issues are categorized and clubbed syllabus-wise
11. BBC (International Relations, Polity & Governance, Science & Technology,
12. Yojana
13. Kurukshetra
Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude and so on) for efficient study.
n Background information has been added to provide context.
n Related and Additional information-dimensions have been
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IAS STUDY CIRCLE RAU'S IAS STUDY CIRCLE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part ONE EIU DEMOCRACY INDEX, 2018 19
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS 20
Current Affairs Analysis ARAB & AFRICAN COASTAL STATES OF THE RED SEA & THE
GULF OF ADEN (AARSGA) 20
KURILE ISLANDS/ NORTHERN TERRITORIES DISPUTE 21
02
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper II (Main)
23
INDIA – CENTRAL ASIA DIALOGUE CONSTITUTION, POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
# India and its Neighbourhood 02
INDIA- NORWAY
CONSTITUTION (ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD
#Bilateral relations 04 AMENDMENT) ACT, 2019 #Amendment #Act 23
INDIA – SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONSHIP COLLEGIUM CONTROVERSY
#Bilateral relations 05 #Judiciary 25
INDIA-BHUTAN LYNCHING: MANIPUR MAKES IT A SEPARATE OFFENCE
#Bilateral relations 06 #Governance #Bill 26
INDO-PAK. NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS SEDITION
#Bilateral relations 07 #Rights Issues # Governance 27
INDIA – MAURITIUS RELATIONS LOCAL POLLS: RELAXATION OF EDUCATION CRITERIA 29
#Bilateral relations 07
STAFF SELECTION COMMISSION 31
U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN
VVPAT 31
#Global Politics #India’s neighbourhood 09
CAT 32
BANGLADESH ELECTIONS & IMPACT ON INDIA
MEDICAL COUNCIL BILL 34
# India and its Neighbourhood 12
NATIONAL COMMISSION OF INDIAN SYSTEM OF
HUAWEI ISSUE
MEDICINE 34
# Global Trade 14
LOKPAL 35
CROSS BORDER TRADE OF ELECTRICITY
MANIFESTO GUIDELINES 36
#South Asian regionalism 15
ST STATUS TO SIX COMMUNITIES 38
HOW DOES 'THREE SEAS INITIATIVE' IMPACT THE
NORTH EAST AUTONOMOUS COUNCILS 38
GEOPOLITICS IN THE EURASIAN REGION? 16
TRAI REGULATION 39
WILL THE GLOBAL COMPACT FOR SAFE, ORDERLY AND
REGULAR MIGRATION SOLVE THE CRISIS? 17 TRAVEL TO BHUTAN AND NEPAL WITH AADHAAR 39
US, ISRAEL WITHDRAW FROM UNESCO 19

40 64
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper III (Main) # GS Paper I & GS Paper II (Main)
SUGAR INDUSTRY ANNUAL SURVEY OF HIGHER EDUCATION

#Sector in Focus 40 # Education 64
FUTURE OF WORK REPORT OPEN DEFECATION CONTINUES

# International Reports 42 # Health # Sanitation 65
FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT DEVADASI SYSTEM

# RBI 44 # Culture #Women # Society 66
KALIA SCHEME ELEPHANTIASIS

# Govt. Policies 47 #Health 67
WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK W.B.: TRIBALS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS

#International reports 48 # Social Justice #Empowerment 68
DPCO ORDER UJJWALA SANITARY NAPKIN SCHEME

# Govt. Policies 50 #Women # Dignity 69
GST COUNCIL DECISIONS

# Taxation 51
RBI’S GUIDELINES ON TOKENISATION

# RBI 53
70
RESTRUCTURING OF LOANS FOR MSMEs SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
# RBI 54 # GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper III (Main)
GAS TRADING HUB CIRCADIAN RHYTHM 70
# Govt. Policies 55
M-RNA 71
DEBT-TO-GDP RATIO 56
TESS 71
BALTIC DRY INDEX 57
MONKEY FEVER 72
GST APPELLATE TRIBUNAL 58
CAESIUM-137 72
EXIM BANK 58
ZEARALE-NONE 72
WOMANIYA 59
COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGRO-UND (CMB) BHARAT 73
PRAVASI TEERTH DARSHAN YOJANA 59
YUTU-2 73
PANDA BONDS 59
ULTIMA THULE 74
INTEREST EQUALISATION SCHEME 60
ARTIFICIAL METEOR SHOWER 74
GOLD MONETISATION SCHEME 61
GEO-MAGNETISM 75
GREEN-AG PROJECT 61
IO 75
WORLD GOLD COUNCIL 62
RBI REPORT 62

76 MUGGER CROCODILE 94
GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, BIODIVERSITY &

95
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
# GS Paper (Prelims) and GS Paper I & III(Main) HISTORY, HERITAGE & CULTURE
WATERBIRD SURVEY # GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper I (Main)
#Fauna #Conservation 76 INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
WESTERN GHATS: EXOTIC TREES EATING UP #Ancient India 95
GRASSLANDS  LOTHAL 96
#Flora #Conservation 77  RAKHIGARHI 97
GANGA WATER QUALITY 79 ASURGARH FORT
CINEREOUS VULTURE 79 # Art and Culture 98
MOROCCO RANKS HIGH IN CLIMATE ACTION 80 PHUTI MASJID
CYCLONE PABUK 81 # Art and Architecture 98
WAYANAD SANCTUARY 81 LAKHON KHOL
20 % CUT IN AIR POLLUTION BY 2024 82 #Art and Culture # World History 99
NORTHEAST SIX NEW LIZARDS 83 ASI: 6 MONUMENTS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE

#Art and Culture # Current 100
DESALINATION PLANTS HARM ENVIRONMENT: UN 84
GRAVE OF YUSUF CHAK
HALF DONE: ON THE BAN ON PLASTIC 85
#Art and Culture #Medieval India 101
OCEANS ARE HEATING UP 86
CHOWMAHALLA PALACE
NEW URANIUM MINES 86
#Art and Culture 102
ONGC GAS PROJECT 87
LAKSHMI NARASIMHA TEMPLE 102
VOLKSWAGEN SCANDAL 87
KASHI VISHWANATH TEMPLE 103
WARMING OF INDIA 87
GURU GOBIND SINGH 103
COMMON POCHARD 88
ROSARY CHURCH 104
KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK 89
THANJAVUR DOLLS 104
BANDIPUR TIGER RESERVE 90
KULLU NATI DANCE 104
IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS 91
CHETAK FESTIVAL 105
HUMPBACK DOLPHINS 91
MAKARAV-ILAKKU FESTIVAL 105
ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (ZSI) 91
WINTER RAIN NORTH INDIA 92
NITROGEN POLLUTION 92
FALL ARMYWORM 93
SARUS CRANE 93
SATKOSIA TIGER RESERVE 94

106 120
SECURITY GLOSSARY
# GS Paper III (Main) # Terms
GILGIT-BALTISTAN BEVERIDGE CURVE

#Security #Territorial Dispute 106 # Economy 120
SPACE TECHNOLOGY IN BORDER MANAGEMENT TULIP MANIA

#Security #Border Management 106 # Economy 120
POLICE REFORMS FOR MAOIST AREAS SOFT CURRENCY

# Internal Security 107 # Economy 121
MILITARY EXERCISES VELOCITY OF CIRCULATION

# Security 108 # Economy 121
SOCIAL CAPITAL
#Economy 121
UNION BUDGET
109 #Economy 121
MISCELLANEOUS UNEMPLOYMENT TRAP

#Economy 122
AUSTRALIAN OPEN (A.O.) 2019
#Tennis 109 REGRESSIVE TAX
#Economy 122
JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL, 2019
#Culture #Track II Diplomacy 110 PROPORTIONAL TAX
#Economy 122
BHARAT RATNA, 2019
#Awards 110
EARLY INDIANS
# Books and Authors 111
Part TWO
CONTRIBUTORS ZONE
112
ETHICS, INTEGRITY & APTITUDE 124
# GS Paper IV (Main)
LEAD ARTICLES
ETHICS IN GOVERNANCE: HISTORY AS A BEACON
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME: A WAY FORWARD FOR
#Ethics 112
INDIA?? #Economy and Society
BASAVA UPPIN
EDITORIAL TEAM & EDUCATOR DAILY NEWS SIMPLIFIED
124

SECTION 69 OF IT ACT: ENABLING A SURVEILLANCE

STATE? #Security #Rights
146
ANKUR SHARMA ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS
for Mains GS Papers – I, II & III
130
PROMINENT ORIENTALISTS OF BRITISH INDIA

#Modern India 166
SHUBHANGI SHARMA
EDITORIAL TEAM & EDUCATOR DAILY NEWS SIMPLIFIED CASE STUDIES
133 for Mains GS Paper IV: Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
135
LEAD ESSAYS
TOURISM CAN BE A GAME CHANGER
CHERIE RAWAT, GS 2A, STUDENT (RAU’S IAS)
Part Three
practiCe ZONE
139
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQS)
for Prelims GS Paper – I

Part ONE
Current
affairs
analysis
logical . simple . targeted
analysis & explanation
of all relevant news of the month

INTERRNATIIONALL RELLATIONS
# GGS Paper (PPrelims) & GS Paper I I (Main)
The Firrst meeting of "India - Central Asia

a” Dialogue with particcipation
IN
NDIA – CENTRA
C AL of Afgh
hanistan wa
as held in January 2019 in Samarrkand, Uzbe
ekistan.
The me
eeting had representat
r tion from Affghanistan, India, Kazakhstan,
A
ASIA DIALOGU UE Kyrgyzstan, Tajikis
stan, Turkmenistan and
d Uzbekistan
n.
# India and its Both ssides highliighted their ancient civilizationa
c al, cultural, trade,
Neeighbourhood people
e to people links between India an
nd Central A
Asia and exp
pressed
commiitment to co
ooperation at
a bilateral and
a multilatteral formatts.
INDIA-C
CENTRAL ASIA DIALOGU
UE
Counter- India and th

he Central Assian countrie
es have cond
demned terro
orism in all itts forms and
d manifestatio
ons and
terrrorism agreed to co
ooperate in ccountering te
errorism.
• Emphasiized the
importan
nce of
developiing and
impleme
enting
projects for
economic
growth of the
countries of
Central Asia
based on
o the
principle
es of
equality
y,
Eco
onomic
mutual
Cooperation
benefit and
respect for
their intterests.
• Would seek
opportunities
and areas of
cooperattion in
promotin
ng
mutual trade,
attracting investm
ments, innov
vations and
d technologiies in key spheres off industry, energy,
informa
ation techno
ologies, pharrmaceuticals and agricu
ulture, educa
ation and tra
raining.
• Both sides would pro
omote the development of direct con
ntacts between the busin
ness commun
nity and
FOCUUS | Feb ruary 2 019 | RAAU’S IAS 2

International Relations
business organizations, entering new formats of cooperation between companies and enterprises.
• Would further deepen cooperation in development of transit and transport-communication potential

of the countries of Central Asia, improving the transport and logistics system of the region, promoting
joint initiatives to create regional and international transport corridors.
• India had acceded to the Ashgabat agreement in 2018 on creating an International transport and
Connectivity transit corridor and similarly is working upon INSTC & Chabahar port to increase connectivity
between India & Central Asian countries.
• Central Asia and India would create favourable conditions for increasing mutual tourism flows, the
development of tourism infrastructure. In addition, both sides would create regional tourist routes
and combined tours in the countries of Central Asia.
• Central Asian countries and India reiterated their support to:

 Peace, security and stability of Afghanistan
Afghanistan  Promote inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan owned peace process and reconciliation
 Assist in economic reconstruction of Afghanistan through the implementation of joint infrastructure,
transit and transport, energy projects including regional cooperation and investment projects.
INDIA & CENTRAL ASIA
• The Connect Central Asia policy was unveiled in 2012 and intends to augment linkages between
India and the Central Asian countries (CAC).
• India’s membership of Ashgabat agreement & International North – South Transport Corridor
which are multimodal transport system would connect India to Central Asia and Northern Europe
through the Chabahar port in Iran.
Means of • Ashgabat agreement establishes an international multimodal transport and transit corridor
Interactions between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. The Agreement was first signed by Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar on 25 April 2011. While Qatar subsequently withdrew from the
agreement in 2013, Kazakhstan and Pakistan joined the grouping in 2016. The Ashgabat Agreement
came into force in April 2016.
• India’s membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Group provides India an international platform to
engage with majority CAC-members of SCO.
• The shifting of Afghanistan’s economic and transit requirement to CAC from Pakistan would reduce
Afghanistan’s dependency on Pakistan and thereby reduce its strategic depth in Afghanistan.
• CAC form a unified group in several international organisations such as UN which India can utilize for
support on international issues such as combating terrorism.
Opportunities • Central Asia can provide energy security to India since the former is endowed with large deposits of
& Concerns uranium, natural gas and oil reserves. However, the transit of these natural resources such as
through TAPI gas pipeline is hampered by Pakistan’s unwillingness to provide access from Central
Asia to India.
• Central Asia provides India’s services sector a huge market such as in the field of education, ITES,
among other fields. However, this potential is under-utilised due to lack of visibility central Asia in
FOCUS | February 2019 | RAU’S IAS 3

India and vice-versa.

• Similarly, irrespective of potential in trade in goods such as pharmaceuticals, etc., it is hampered by
the lack of economically viable connectivity transit.
• The CAC are major stakeholders in China’s Belt Road Initiative which hampers their support to India’s
criticism of Chinese policies of undermining sovereignty, debt practices, etc. under BRI.
• India’s major overseas military base is located in Tajikistan but military relations have not expanded
in a manner to fulfil potential.
Ms. Erna Solberg, PM of Norway paid a State visited to India.

INDIA- NORWAY Let us understand about India’s relationship with Norway within the
#Bilateral relations larger context of India’s relationship with Nordic region.
AREAS OF COOPERATION AMONG INDIA AND NORWAY
Nuclear • Norway has shown support to India’s application for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group.
Suppliers • Norway has supported India’s accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the
Group Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) and the Australia Group (AG).
• Norway and India reaffirmed the need for reform of the UN Security Council, including its
expansion in both permanent and non-permanent seats.
UN Reforms
• Norway has emphasized that India is a strong candidate for a permanent seat in a reformed
Security Council expanded with both permanent and non-permanent members.
Norway and India have agreed to continue efforts with:
Cooperative  To develop cleaner energy systems, renewable energy and fuels

Developmental  To improve technologies for cleaner energy production
Efforts  Towards implementing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development
 Towards implementation of the Paris Agreement
• Norway and India emphasized the importance of strong people-to-people contacts through
education, culture, labour mobility and tourism.
• Both countries emphasized that women’s full and meaningful participation in political, social and
Socio-Cultural economic life is key to inclusive development and agreed to promote the empowerment of women.
Cooperation • Commendable achievements in maternal and child health care through the Norway-India
Partnership Initiative (NIPI) and desired to expand its scope.
• Norway may participate in India’s new initiative of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure,
which aims to offer risk analysis and capacity building support to disaster-prone countries.
• India and Norway signed the Terms of Reference for the establishment of the Dialogue on Trade
Economic and Investment, which would give impetus to business cooperation and encourage participation of
Cooperation Norwegian companies in the flagship programmes of India.
• A MoU on India-Norway Ocean Dialogue was signed to promote multi-sectorial cooperation in

various aspects of Blue Economy.
President Ramaphosa of South Africa on his first State visit

to India was also the Chief Guest at India’s 70th Republic Day
Parade on 26 January 2019.
INDIA – SOUTH AFRICA
A Three-Year Strategic Programme of Cooperation (2019-
RELATIONSHIP 2021) was signed by the two sides, aimed at further
#Bilateral relations enhancing the strategic partnership between the two
countries. Let us understand further about the Strategic
Programme.
THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PROGRAMME OF COOPERATION (2019-2021)
• India & South Africa had signed the Strategic Partnership agreement, which is also known as the Red
Fort Declaration in 1997.
Establishing
• It was reaffirmed with further modifications in the Tshwane Declaration of 2006.
Principle
• The SPC 2019 has emphasized the need to further deepen relations in the political, economic,
defence, scientific, consular and socio-cultural spheres.
• India and South Africa have recognized the importance of increased bilateral naval cooperation and
closer synergy within the context of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). Both countries seek to
keep the sea lanes secure against illegal actors, will ensure unhindered passage for trade and
continued prosperity of the entire Indian Ocean Region.
• The South African National Defence Force will participate in the First Multinational India-Africa
Security Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) in March 2019 at Pune, India.
Cooperation • India & South Africa support the need for concerted action by the global community against
terrorism through early agreement and adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism, as well as the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-
Terrorism Strategy in a balanced and integrated manner.
• Both countries have condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations regardless of its
motivations, whenever, wherever and by whosoever committed.
• India and South Africa have agreed to enhance bilateral investments between the two countries
within the context of the MoU between Invest SA and Invest India. Both countries have agreed to
cooperate, share best practices, technology and expertise on the Ease of Doing Business Reform
Programme.
Economic • Both countries have agreed to cooperate in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) In
Cooperation this context, South Africa has agreed to simplify and reform its business visa regime.
• Both countries agreed to enhance cooperation in the field of the Oceans Economy and to cooperate
in multilateral forums on the Blue Economy including in the framework of Indian Ocean Rim
Association (IORA).
• Both countries have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the area of mining, deep mining and

mineral beneficiation especially within the diamond sector.

• Both countries have agreed to strengthen agriculture and fisheries cooperation in areas such as crop
and animal production, food security, aquaculture and aquatic product processing.
• India & South Africa are committed to cooperate in all relevant multilateral forums through the
groupings of G20, BRICS, IBSA, BASIC, NAM, WTO and the Commonwealth, as well as the
strengthening of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
Global • Both countries have reaffirmed their commitment to enhance the voice and representation of
Convergences emerging and developing economies including those in Africa, in the decision-making bodies of
multilateral institutions.
• India & South Africa have supported each other for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security
Council, to achieve a more representative and equitable UNSC.
Dr. Lotay Tshering, PM of Bhutan visited India. It is the first overseas visit of
INDIA- PM Tshering after assuming the office in November 2018. The visit is taking
BHUTAN place during the Golden Jubilee year of the establishment of formal
diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan.
#Bilateral relations
Let us understand about India-Bhutan relations.
• Diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan were established in 1968 and the basic framework of
India- Bhutan bilateral relations was the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949
Principles of
between the two countries, which was revised in February 2007.
Relationship
• The Golden Jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan is
being celebrated in the year 2018.
India will provide development assistance package for Bhutan’s Five Year Plan from 2018 to 2023.
Economic
India will provide grant assistance of INR 4500 Crore towards Bhutan and a transitional Trade Support
Partnership
Facility of INR 400 Crore over a period of five years to strengthen bilateral trade and economic linkages.
• India has several on-going bilateral hydro-power projects in Bhutan whereby both countries have
committed to jointly develop 10,000 MWs of hydropower generating capacity in Bhutan.
Hydroelectric • The Mangdechhu hydro-power project in Bhutan is intended to be commissioned soon
Plants commissioning and both sides are in negotiations to finalise the tariff for the export of surplus power
from the project in Bhutan to India.
• Both countries are currently in negotiations to form the Sankosh Hydropower Project.
• Bhutan had decided to withdraw from the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement for the reason that it
would adversely affect its environment and sovereignty.
• Majority of imports of Bhutan are from India, however Bhutan’s exports remain small which has led
Concerns
to a problem of balance of payment for Bhutan and increase of Bhutan’s debt towards India.
• Bhutan therefore has been continuously pressuring India for increasing the tariff for electricity
provided through hydro-electricity projects, which is the major source of revenue export for Bhutan.

Bhutan has repeatedly turned down Chinese ‘package deal’ offers making bigger territorial concessions
to Bhutan in return for the smaller Doklam area whereby Bhutan has refused as such due to remaining
Doklam Issue
sensitive to India’s security concerns in the area and this was showcased during the recent Doklam
standoff.
INDO-PAK. NUCLEAR
India and Pakistan exchanged a list of nuclear installations in
INSTALLATIONS January, 2019. Let us understand further about this.
#Bilateral relations
• The list of nuclear installations and facilities are covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition
Recent of Attack against Nuclear installations between India and Pakistan.
Exchange • This is the 28th consecutive exchange of such list between the two countries, the first one having
taken place in 1992.
• The Agreement was signed in 1988 and entered into force in 1991. It provides that the two countries
inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the Agreement on the
Nuclear
first of January of every calendar year.
Installations
• The agreement ensures that: Each party shall refrain from undertaking, encouraging or participating
Agreement
in, directly or indirectly, any action aimed at causing the destruction of, or damage to, any nuclear
installation or facility in the other country.
• As per the agreement, the term "nuclear installation or facility" includes:
What are  Nuclear power and research reactors

Nuclear  Fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, isotopes separation & reprocessing facilities
Installations  Installations with fresh or irradiated nuclear fuel and materials in any form Establishments storing
significant quantities of radio-active materials.
India and Pakistan also inform each other of the latitude and longitude of its nuclear installations and
Location
facilities and whenever there is any change.
Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth visited India and was

the Chief Guest at the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)
Convention.
INDIA – MAURITIUS Relationship between both countries is marked as long-standing
RELATIONS and time-tested strategic relationship based on deep emotional
bonds of kinship and culture, whereby both countries asserted to
#Bilateral relations have always stood by each other and will continue to do so in the
decades to come.
Let us understand about India – Mauritius relations.

Inter national Relations

R
• India and Mauriitius would work

towarrds finalizzation of the
Comp
prehensive Econ
nomic
Cooperation Partne
ership
Agree
ement (CEPC
CA).
• Both countries wo
ould cooperate in
areas of Blue Economy and
collab
boration in Affrica.
Eco
onomic • Mauritius would inaugurate
e the
Partnership wholly
y owned ssubsidiary o
of the
State Bank off Mauritiuss. In
Decem
mber 2018, S
SBM becam
me the
first foreign ba nk to receive a
licens
se from R
RBI to se
et up
universal banking
g business in
n India
through Wholly O
Owned Subsiidiary
(WOS ather than as a
S) mode, ra
foreig
gn bank bran
nch.
• India affirmed its continuing support of the

t special economic
e pa
ackage that was announced for
Mauritius in 2016 wherein approx. $353 million
m was fo
orwarded forr five nationaal priority prrojects in
Developmenta
al Mauritius.
Ass
sistance • It included the M
Metro Expresss, ENT Hosp
pital, Suprem
me Court Building, e-tab lets for the primary
schoo
ols and sociall housing.
• Moreover, India co
ontinues with
h a concessio
onal Line of Credit
C of $500
0 million for 18 priority projects.
• Aprav
vasi Ghat is a symbol of India-Mauritius relations. It represents the location
n where mem
mbers of
the ea
arly Indian co
ommunity arrrived in Mauritius as inde
entured labou
urers in the 119th centuryy.
Apravasi Ghat
• Mauritius was the
e first British colony to re
eceive indentured laboure
ers, after thee abolition off slavery.
Aboutt 2/3rd popula uritius is of Indian origin.
ation of Mau
• Agalega agreeme
ent was sign
ned between India and Mauritius
s in 2015. Both counttries are
underrtaking an inffrastructure and logistics developmen
nt of Agalega Island.
Agalega
• India would aid in setting u
up and up gradation
g off infrastructu
ure for imp roving sea and air
Agreement
conne
ectivity of A
Agalega Island and enhancing capa
abilities of th
he Mauritian
n Defence F
Forces in
safeguarding theirr interests in the Outer Island.
• UK ha
ad split the C
Chagos arch
hipelago from
m Mauritius before its independencee in 1968. Thereafter,
UK ha
ad leased Die
ego Garcia to the United
d States and the US had formed its In
ndian Ocean
n military
base.
Die
ego Garcia &
• ease had bee
The le en renewed ffor another 20 years in 20
016.
ICJ
• In 2010, the Perm
manent Cou
urt of Arbitration had provided the
e verdict thaat a Marine Reserve
create
ed by Unite
ed Kingdom around De
eigo Garcia island as a covert meaan to deny human
ms by Mauritiius, violated internationall laws.
resetttlement claim

• Mauritius had moved a resolution in UN General Assembly in 2017 and was adopted by the UNGA.
The resolution had asked the International Court of Justice to give its advisory opinion on whether
or not the UK was violating international law by carving Chagos out from Mauritius at the time of
independence and evacuating its residents.
• India voted in favour of the resolution, but did not agree to Mauritius’s request to co-sponsor the
resolution. India is in the process of attempting to convince Mauritius to publicly offer a long-term
lease to the US for Diego Garcia, if Mauritian sovereignty was restored.
• India intends for continued presence of US in the Indian Ocean region to balance the growing
presence of China in the region.
NEWS in transition
There is a prospect that United States may withdraw troops
from Afghanistan by 2020. This has energized the principal
stakeholders in Afghanistan to make calculated efforts to place
U.S. WITHDRAWAL themselves in as favourable a position as possible in
FROM AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan, post-American withdrawal.
#Global Politics #India’s US withdrawal from Afghanistan has not been confirmed from
US administration and is therefore should be considered as
neighbourhood
News in transition.
Let us understand about several prospective scenarios that may
occur with regards to US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
US WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN
• US Donald Trump has continuously asserted for withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
• Nevertheless, India must be prepared for the potential consequences of withdrawal of American troops from
Afghanistan, irrespective of denial of withdrawal from US govt., because:
• US President has asserted for regional players like Russia, India and Pakistan to be more involved in stabilising the
situation in Afghanistan. This reflects US reluctance in most theatres of action: leaving Ukraine to Europe, Yemen to
Saudi Arabia, etc.
• U.S. war in Afghanistan began as revenge for the 9/11 attacks, which was avenged with removal of Taliban govt. and
death of Osama Bin Laden and therefore the primary mission of US in Afghanistan is complete.
• The current mission of US troops in Afghanistan is for containment of Taliban. However, the proposed US- Taliban talks
in meant to dilute this objective whereby legitimacy to Taliban in Afghan politics would allow US showcase its mission
achieved.
• U.S.’s South Asia Strategy for Afghanistan of 2017, has been discarded whereby the strategy that U.S. troops would
remain involved in the country until conditions not a timeline mandated their return, and has not been asserted
thereafter.

• Similarly the US strategy under the policy that political settlement with the Taliban would only follow after an effective
military effort has been discarded with engagement in-direct talks between both US and Taliban.
• Interventions in Afghanistan has been called the “graveyard of empires” for forcing all world powers to retreat
without achieving sustained victory with loss of prestige, troops and wealth, such as the British in 19th CE, Soviet Union
in 1980's and now the US.
PROSPECTIVE SCENARIOS FOR AFGHANISTAN
• Taliban will be a major player in the politics of Afghanistan as they already control more than 50% of
the country and are also engaged in direct talks with China, Russia, the Central Asian states and
others.
• However, the Taliban have refused to talk to the Kabul government so far as they consider the
Afghan government as illegitimate rulers of Afghanistan. However, as and when the Americans pull
out, they might agree to engage with the Afghanistan government.
Strengthening
• Pakistan has been supportive of Taliban since Pakistan supported the Taliban government in
of Taliban
Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and maintained its strategic stronghold over Afghan politics. The re-
strengthening of Taliban has been supported by Pakistan as it would allow Pakistan greater influence
in Afghan’s future politics.
• India has so far refrained from establishing formal contacts with the Taliban; however, it would lead
India alienating the Taliban by refusing to talk to them during the present phase wherein almost all
major powers are engaging in talks with them.
• Taliban continues to gain and maintain support of Pashtun ethnic group in Afghanistan. They are the
majority ethnic group in Afghanistan and dominate Southern & Eastern regions of Afghanistan.
• This support has been based upon:
 Pashtun nationalism whereby majority of the leadership of Taliban belong from the Pashtun
community
 Religious orthodoxy espoused by Taliban that is supported by majority Pashtun population
 Aversion of Pashtun tribes to foreign interference in their land whereby Pashtun fought against the
Pashtun British intervention in Afghanistan in 19CE and defeating the Soviet Union during the 1980's. This
Nationalism spirit is being used by Taliban to fight against US intervention in Afghanistan.

 The American intervention in 2001 was aided by the largely Tajik ethnic group based Northern
Alliance and thereby shifted the dominance of Pashtun community which they had under the earlier
Taliban government.
 Pakistan has been supportive of the Afghan Taliban since Pakistan supported the earlier Taliban
government in Afghanistan gain and maintains control in 1996 to 2001. This allowed Pakistan great
influence and control in Afghanistan and ensured that the Pashtun nationalism in Pak's Khyber-
Pakhtunwa region remains curbed whereby there is strong sentiment among Afghan Pashtun to
re-unite the Pashtun dominated areas in Pakistan with Afghanistan.
Ensuring Geo- • The Afghans themselves must declare unequivocally that they would follow strict neutrality in their
political relations with external powers, and the outside powers must commit themselves to respect
neutrality of Afghanistan’s neutrality.

Afghan • External powers must subscribe to a multilateral declaration not to interfere in the internal affairs of
Afghanistan together with an obligation on Afghanistan not to seek outside intervention in its
internal situation.
• Major Powers in Afghanistan can also promote a regional compact among all the neighbouring
countries as well as relevant external powers, and with the endorsement of the UN Security Council,
to commit them not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
• Neutrality of Afghanistan can be based upon the agreement on the Neutrality of Laos, concluded
in 1962. International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos is an international agreement signed in
1962 between 14 states including Laos, India, Soviet Union, US, China and others.
• The Declaration intended for a three-part coalition government divided between pro-American, pro-
Communist and neutral factions. Other countries pledged to refrain from interference in the internal
affairs of Laos, and to refrain from drawing Laos into military alliance or to establish military bases in
Laotian territory. However, the agreement was contravened almost immediately by the US secret
war in Laos.
• The weakest country in this regard is Pakistan, which has always seen Afghanistan as its own
strategic backyard and continues to maintain interference in Afghan politics.
Hurdle in
• Pak. and Afghan. have already signed a Bilateral Agreement on the Principles of Mutual Relations, in
ensuring Geo-
particular on Non-interference and Non-intervention, signed in 1988, however, history has shown
political
that Pakistan has followed the principles of the Agreement.
neutrality
• The violation of this and Laos agreement shows the weakness of such international agreements on
neutrality. Chinese & US pressure will therefore be required for controlling Pakistan in Afghanistan.
• US withdrawal from Afghanistan increase the requirement and ability of regional powers to ensure
security of Afghanistan and it is expected that China would lead in fulfilling that role of regional
power because:
 China shares a part of its border with Afghanistan and therefore China has a great interest in its
stability.
 China would be adversely affected by war and chaos, which could spill over into north-western
China, Pakistan, and Central Asia if Afghanistan is not stabilized post-US departure.
Increased  Afghanistan has influence that can impact the greater Central Asian region and Pakistan, whereby
Presence of both are required to be stable for the success of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
China  China has in the past announced its intention to build regional consensus on Afghanistan’s security
and has joined the U.S. and Russia in several peace talks with the Taliban. Apart from this, it is also
part of the four-nation Quadrilateral Coordination Group with Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.S.
 China also provides military aid to Afghanistan and has invested in projects such as mining, roads,
health and railways such as the rail link completed in 2016, connecting China, Uzbekistan and
Afghanistan.
 China is one of the strongest regional powers within Central Asia and as an emerging global power, it
is expected for China to fulfil a greater stabilising role in Afghanistan.
India-China • India and China as regional powers can work together, bilaterally and in multilateral groupings for
Cooperation development of Afghanistan.

in • India supports China’s role in international negotiations on Afghanistan such as through SCO under
Afghanistan SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group. Apart from this, both countries can support for full membership
of Afghanistan to SCO.
• Afghanistan and India have intended to ensure the halting of cross-border terrorism that emanates
from Afghanistan and China which has strong leverage over Pakistan can ensure as such in the
future.
• Both India and China never had any intention of contributing troops to Afghanistan and therefore
any presence of Indian soldiers in Afghanistan lead to security concerns for China or vice-versa.
• Afghan government has been supportive of India-China economic cooperation in Afghanistan
whereby both countries have started a joint training project for Afghan diplomats.
• India and China had decided in the Wuhan Summit for joint economic projects in third countries,
whereby under the 'Wuhan Spirit', both countries are decided to form joint economic projects in
Afghanistan.
• India cannot offer the U.S. deployment of its own troops within Afghanistan since India's stated
position is that India only deploys troops in UN mandated missions.
• The decision to downplay SAARC for isolating Pakistan, has also led India of cutting regional
engagement with Afghanistan.
Indian
• Nevertheless, India continues in maintaining close bilateral relations with Afghanistan and help
Scenario
Afghanistan according to its needs. This has been the reason for India to enjoy immense popularity
and goodwill in Afghanistan.
• Apart from this, India is engaging with China, US, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Iran for
joint initiatives and common understanding upon Afghanistan.
BANGLADESH
The recent re-election of Awami League government headed by
ELECTIONS & IMPACT Sheikh Hasina can provide an opportunity to enhance India-
Bangladesh relations and resolve the source of frictions that
ON INDIA continue to exist in India-Bangladesh relationship.
# India and its Neighbourhood
 Convergence in India-Bangladesh  Divergences in India-Bangladesh

relations relations
a. Bangladesh has emerged as a key interlocutor in India's a. Rohingya Refugees: Bangladesh is currently hosting
Act East policy and sub-regional grouping such as the largest number of Rohingya refugees from
BIMSTEC, BBIN, among others. Bangladesh is important Myanmar whereby Cox Bazaar has become the
economic partner and connectivity hub linking South Asia World's largest refugee camp. Bangladesh has
with South East Asia asserted India to pressurize Myanmar in taking back
b. Awami League has been successful in curbing Anti-India the refugees and end the genocide. However, India
groups such as ULFA which had used Bangladeshi has been reluctant to exert pressure upon Myanmar
territory as staging grounds for attacks against India. to refugee repatriation due to requiring Myanmar

c. Bangladesh has emerged India's largest trading partner help in connectivity projects with South East Asia and
in South Asia with over $9 billion in trade apart from the other similar reasons.
informal trade that occurs across the India-Bangladesh b. Chinese Presence: China has been growing its
border. presence in South Asia with projects in Gwadar port
d. India has engaged in several developmental projects in Pakistan, Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, and in
such as Padma multipurpose bridge, Akhaura-Agartala similar terms there has been growing demand of
rail link, apart from negotiations on furthering India's China for building the Chittagong port in Bangladesh.
National Waterway 1 or Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river Apart from this, Bangladesh whereby most of
system from Prayagraj, UP to Haldia in West Bengal, Bangladeshi defense equipment are of Chinese
towards Bangladesh. origin.
e. India's has become a partner with Russia and Bangladesh c. National Register of Citizens: The on-going National
in Rooppur nuclear power plant being constructed in registry of Citizens in Assam has raised concerns that
Bangladesh. those who do not become part of the registry would
f. India is poised to export more 1100 MW of power to be sent back to Bangladesh and further create
Bangladesh thereby taking India's power supply to another refugee problem for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh above 3500 MW. d. Sharing of River water: India and Bangladesh
g. Duty free exports of Bangladeshi products was granted continue to negotiate on sharing of river water such
by India under South Asian Free Trade Area in 2011 and of Teesta river water and of other small rivulets and
this played a major role in enhancing Bangladeshi rivers between India and Bangladesh.
exports from $350 million to $900 million currently to e. Border Control: India continues to form the largest
India. border fencing with Bangladesh due to security
h. India is under negotiation for joint development of a concerns whereby laundering of Fake Indian Currency
Special Economic Zone in Bangladesh and thereby help Notes (FICN), illegal goods trade, etc. continue to exist
Bangladesh in increasing its export basket of goods to across India-Bangladesh border.
India f. Climate Change is expected to have a major impact
i. India continues to grant large Line of credit and grants to on South Asian coastlines and is expected to lead one
Bangladeshi government for undertaking developmental of the largest climate refugees from Bangladesh to
projects in Bangladesh. India. However, no preventive steps have been taken
either by India or Bangladesh to minimize the up-
j. The visa regime in India has been liberalized for
coming problems from Climate Change.
increasing Bangladeshi tourists and business interactions
and has led to Bangladeshi's becoming one of the largest g. North-East Connectivity: Bangladesh continues to
tourist groups to India. heavily regulate and hinder India's connectivity with
North Eastern states, whereby Bangladesh provides
k. Bangladesh to a large extent has understood with India's
the shortest route from West Bengal to Tripura
concerns with regards to China, whereby Bangladesh has
however, it is underutilized due to Bangladeshi
also raised concerns with Chinese projects on
hindrance.
Brahmaputra river, increase trade gap with China and
Bangladesh has to a large extent stayed away from h. Bangladeshi immigrants: Bangladeshi government
Chinese loans that lead to a debt trap. currently has a low-key approach in halting its citizens
from crossing over to North Eastern states, whereby
l. India and Bangladesh also had resolved the decades old
this has led to a demographic change and ethnic
issue of 'transfer of enclaves'
strife in North Eastern states.

The Chief Financial Officer of Huawei who is the daughter of owner of Huawei, was
arrested in Vancouver, Canada, for alleged breaking of U.S. sanctions on Iran by
Huawei. The request for arrest was made by U.S to Canada and it is likely the CFO will
be extradited from Canada to US.
HUAWEI This reflects the concept of ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ in support of the U.S. action — such
ISSUE jurisdiction empowers a nation to enforce its laws and rules over foreign entities,
generally through courts.
# Global
Apart from this, Huawei has been alleged to have close ties with Chinese Army and
Trade use its communication products to spy on other countries. However, such allegations
have not been proven.
It is yet to be seen on how the US and Canada move forward with regards to the
Huawei issue.
• China has alleged that this action against Huawei is the result of the threat that Huawei poses to
U.S. technology companies.
• Huawei has overtaken Apple to become the second largest maker of smartphones and is becoming
a world leader in communication technology.
• In addition, Huawei is going to launch 5G technology based communication products and China
suspects that the arrest is an instance of anti-Huawei campaign done on behalf of American
competitors.
• Huawei has already been shut out of the US market after continuous US intelligence reports that
Chinese
Chinese owned Huawei and ZTE were a national security threat because of fears that their
Response
equipment could intercept communications in the US and to their ties to the Chinese government.
This action by Canada is intended to make other Western countries follow same action as US
against Chinese companies.
• Apart from this, China has imposed sanctions on Canada and arrested several Canadian nationals,
with even threatening capital punishment against an arrested Canadian National.
• The detention of a Chinese CFO was meant to send out a signal to China any other prospective
violators of U.S. sanctions. However, any future actions by US against citizens of other countries will
probably lead to greater pushback towards US.
• India, has struck an independent course by allowing Huawei to participate in field trials of 5G
equipment, despite reservations.
• Indian agencies have at various times flagged concerns over the use of Chinese-made telecom
Huawei and equipment in Indian networks. However, Indian companies have found that Chinese-made
India equipment is the key to their ability to provide the services they do at the prices that are, perhaps,
the lowest in the world.
• Huawei has been active in India for decades since 1999 and its 4G smartphones are being widely
used in India.

The Union Ministry of Power issued the 'Guidelines for Import/Export

CROSS BORDER (Cross Border) of Electricity, 2018' regarding the rules for the flow of
electricity across South Asian borders. The new electricity guidelines are
TRADE OF
a first step towards creating a South Asian regional market for
ELECTRICITY electricity trade.
#South Asian regionalism However, these guidelines are yet to be implemented and should be
considered as News that will continue to be transition.
• The guidelines takes forward the bilateral power trade agreements that India had signed with
Bhutan (2006), Bangladesh (2010) and Nepal (2014) and leads to the first step towards fulfilment of
the objectives signed under SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation in 2014.
• The objectives of these Guidelines are to:
 Facilitate import/ export of electricity between India and neighbouring countries.
Aspects of the
 Evolve a dynamic and robust electricity infrastructure for import/ export of electricity.
Guidelines
 Promote transparency, consistency and predictability in regulatory mechanism pertaining to import/
export of electricity in the country.
 Reliable grid operation and transmission of electricity for import/ export.
• The new guidelines for the first time, allow tripartite trading arrangements, where power generated
in a country is routed over the territory of a neighbour to be consumed in a third.
• India would lead in South Asian electricity trade in progressive directions towards further South
Asian cooperation & integration.
• It provides a concession to India’s neighbours in an area of political and economic importance,
reflective of the Gujral doctrine (The main essence of Gujral Doctrine has been that India being the
largest country in South Asia, it can extend unilateral concessions to its neighbours and would not
ask for reciprocity)
Significance
• India can try to transition to a power grid dominated by renewable energy whereby harnessing
hydro power from the Himalayas river systems in Nepal and Bhutan could be an important
instrument in achieving a greener South Asian electricity grid.
• Nepal and Bhutan have long recognized that their economic prosperity is tied to the sustainable use
of vast hydro power reserves, similar to the oil based economic prosperity achieved by the Arab
countries.
• There are concerns from the increased Chinese investment and influence in the energy sectors of
South Asian neighbours of India. However, India’s buyer’s monopoly of power in the region actually
gives it ultimate leverage whereby it formed economic inter-dependency of neighbours upon India
and also positioned India as a stable development partner.
Concerns
• Cross border transfer of electricity require the construction of regional institutions that absorb the
politics and manage the technicalities of electricity trade.
• The administration of the regional grid is managed by the Indian state because of its geographic
centrality and the ready availability of institutions that manage its domestic power sector. However,


R
as eco
onomic inte
er-dependenccy increases
s, South Asian nations may demaand to build joint,
indepe
endent regio nal institutions, decreasin
ng Indian adm
ministrative monopoly.
m
• The So
outh Asian g
grid system w
would mainly be located
d within the purview of BBIN (Bang
gladesh,
Bhuta
an, India, Ne
epal) and therefore requ
uires greater integration of energy deeficient coun
ntries of
Pakista
an and Afgh anistan and also for the ability of Srri Lanka to harness
h tidal and wind power to
becom
me part of a la
arger South A
Asian electric
city grid syste
em.
NEEWS FRROM IDSSA

#ID SA 4 CSSE
How does 'T
Three Se
eas Inittiative' impact the geopoliticcs in the
Eurrasian region?
• The Thre
ee Seas Initia
ative is a foru
um of Centra
al and Easterrn European
n (CEE) state
es launched in
n 2015.
• The Initiative seeks tto create a n c of cooperattion among countries loccated at the eastern
new dynamic
Background
borders of the Euro pean Union (EU) in order to advance
e economic growth
g help bridge the East-
and h
West economic gap w
within the EU
U through energy, transpo
ort, and digital connectiviity.

The Three Seas Initiative has 12 EU member states along a north-south axis from the Baltic Sea to
Members the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
• The grouping is based on the need of CCE countries to not being solely dependent on EU funding for
sub-regional economic development and form external institutional and private funding for regional
European economic development.
Geopolitics • It is being seen among Western European countries such Germany and France as an effort by CEE
states to enhance their geopolitical leverage and countering the centrality of Germany and France in
Europe.
• Nearly all member states of the Three Seas Initiative are also parties in the Chinese-led “16+1”
cooperation mechanism, which was designed to promote China’s economic engagement with the
CEE countries.
Chinese
• The Three Seas Initiative has significant convergence with China’s Belt and Road Initiative which
Geopolitics
seek to connect the Eurasian region by indulging in connectivity and infrastructure projects within
Eastern Europe, Central Asia and China and China therefore can act as an alternative to EU for funding
such projects in Eastern Europe.
• Most of the countries of TSI were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union and have strong Russian influence
post-1991. TSI member countries also serve as conduit of pipelines that provide gas from Russia to
Russian
Europe.
Geopolitics
• A separate grouping would increase the leverage of these countries vis-a-via Russia when negotiating
for payment for gas pipelines, countering Russian influence, etc.
Will the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration
solve the crisis?
• All the 193 members of the UN adopted a resolution called New York Declaration in 2016 that
demanded the protection of the safety, dignity human rights and fundamental freedoms of all
migrants, regardless of their migratory status.
New York • In addition, the resolution strived for combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination towards
Declaration migrants, supporting the host countries and developing non-binding principles and guidelines for
treatment of migrants.
• The New York declaration recommended two global compacts: a global compact on refugees and a
global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.
• More than 160 nations adopted a pact to manage the global migration crisis at the
Global intergovernmental conference convened under the auspices of the United Nations in Marrakesh,
Compact Morocco in December, 2018.
• The 'Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration' is the first, intergovernmental

agreement that covers all dimensions of global migration.
• The 23 objectives of the Compact seek to minimize the factors which force people to leave their
country, ensure legal identity and documentation, eradicate trafficking, and facilitate return and
Objectives readmission of all migrants and protect the human rights of migrants.
• Its objectives and commitments provide states and international agencies a means to coordinate
migration policies and ensure that migration works for all
• The conflicts in West Asia, Africa and South America, and the extreme violence associated with them
have forced people to leave their homes and seek a haven in foreign countries. In addition, climate
change effects also contributed to the growing number of migrants and refugees.
• According to the United Nations, more than 250 million migrants around the world are living outside
their country of birth. Out of these, around 68 million are in the “forcibly displaced” category, more
Requirement
than at any time in the recorded history of the modern world.
• Since 2000, the number of global migrants has grown from 2.8 to 3.4 per cent of the global
population, with more than 60,000 migrants have losing their lives during migration.
• In addition, developing world hosts more than half of the global migrant population, irrespective of
the limited economic capability of developing countries to host refugees and migrants.
• A positive aspect of the Global Compact is the framing of migration in the logic of development.
• The significant case against migration has been the perceived negative economic impact on host
Economic
countries. However, migrants spend 85 per cent of their earnings in their host communities.
Potential or
Similarly, migrants across the globe sent approximately USD 600 billion in remittances in 2017, which
Burden?
is three times higher than the global Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).
• Therefore, migrants contribute to the development of both the country of origin and host states.
• Climate change is major emerging global problem contributing to the migration crisis. According to
the World Bank, around 143 million people, especially in the developing world, could be forced to
Climate relocate within their countries by 2050. Another study shows that about 2 billion people may become
Migrants/ climate change refugees by 2100.
Refugees • The Compact proposes building a Platform on Disaster Displacement” and developing an 'Agenda for
the Protection of Cross-Border Displaced Persons in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change' to
address the issue.
• More than 50 per cent of migrants/ refugees are women and girls, with women constitute 74 per
cent of international migrant domestic workers. An international agreement for their protection was
Women
therefore needed.
Migrants/
• The Compact has two guiding principles that articulate the need for ‘gender-responsive’ and ‘child-
Refugees
sensitive’ migration policies, with commitment towards gender equality, empowerment of women
and girls and ending gender-based violence.
• The compact takes into account the interests of different stakeholders of both the Host country
Balancing
and Home country of migrants/ refugees, such as promoting the transfer of remittance which
Home & Host
serves the interest of states of origin. While, facilitating return and readmission of migrants to Home
countries
country intends to satisfy the Host countries.

• The Compact acknowledges the prerogative of States to decide who they allow onto their territory
and therefore provides preference to hosting nation. This may provide helpful in dispelling
misguided and xenophobic policies, particularly in Europe and the United States.
• Several countries such as United States, India, China, and other major countries have not signed the
Global Compact. This because each major country wants a national prerogative and autonomy to
follow with regards to migration and/ or refugees.
• Moreover, there is a growing trend of anti-migration in major countries such against Mexicans in US,
against Rohingya’s in India, against Syrians in Eastern Europe, etc. Therefore, signing the Global
Concerns
Compact would seem counter-productive for electoral politics in each country.
• The Global Compact is non-binding in nature and does not provide for any form of international
body to monitor the implementation of the objectives of the Global Compact, especially with regards
to ‘Collect and utilize accurate and disaggregated data as a basis for evidence-based policies’ and
‘Provide accurate and timely information at all stages of migration.’
NEWS Snippets
 Recent Context
• US and Israel have left UNESCO due to its anti-Israel bias.
• Both countries have opposed that Palestine, which has not been granted full membership to
the United Nations, is a UNESCO member, and that the West Bank city of Hebron was
recently named an official world heritage site in a UNESCO statement that also called Israeli
occupation of the territory illegal.
US, Israel • Whereby, Israel had argued that the ancient monuments in Hebron should be considered
Jewish heritage.
withdraw
 About Hebron
from UNESCO • Hebron/ Al Khalil has the site of Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The tomb of the Patriarchs whose
buildings are in a compound built in the 1st century AD to protect the tombs of the patriarch
Abraham/Ibrahim and his family.
• This place became a site of pilgrimage for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism,
Christianity and Islam.
• It was declared a World Heritage Site located in Palestine by UNESCO in 2017 and is also
considered as a World Heritage Site in danger by UNESCO.
 About EIU Democracy Index

EIU • The EIU Democracy Index is released by the Economic Intelligence Unit of The Economist.
Democracy • It provides a snapshot of the state of world democracy for 165 independent states and two
territories. The Democracy Index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism;
Index, 2018
civil liberties; the functioning of government; political participation; and political culture.

• Based on their scores on 60 indicators within these categories, each country is then itself
classified as one of four types of regime: full democracy; flawed democracy; hybrid regime;
and authoritarian regime.
 Observations from report
• The eleventh edition of the Democracy Index reveals that political participation is on the rise
in almost every region of the world.
• There has been an advance in the participation of women and has improved more than any
other single indicator in our model.
• India has slipped to 42nd place in the index and is considered as ‘flawed democracy’, a
position it shares with US, Japan, Singapore, Israel, etc.
• The decline is attributed to "rise of conservative religious ideologies" and increase in
vigilantism and violence against minorities as well as other dissenting voices. Meanwhile,
India has scored well on electoral process and pluralism.
 About Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas

• It is celebrated once in every two years to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian
community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots.
• During the Convention, selected overseas Indians are also honoured with the prestigious
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to recognize their contributions to various fields both in
India and abroad.
• The 15th PBD Convention was held in January 2019 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The theme
Pravasi of PBD Convention 2019 is "Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India" to converge
with Kumbh Mela and Republic day parade.
Bharatiya
 Earlier PBD
Diwas • Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has been celebrated since 2003, and used to be held on 9th January.
• It was held on this particular date since Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa
on 9th January, however it has been changed this year to converge PBD with Kumbh mela.
• Apart from this, from 2015 the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas was decided to be held every two
years and in the intervening period theme based discussions will be held with diaspora
community.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY IN
CONTEXT # Political Geography
ARAB & AFRICAN COASTAL STATES OF THE RED SEA & THE GULF OF
ADEN (AARSGA)


R
 Re
ecent Contex
xt
• A meeting
g of the seven coastal cou
untries of the
e Red Sea an
nd the Gulf o
of Aden –
Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan,
J Egyptt, Sudan, Djib
bouti and Soomalia – wass held in
December 2018.
• It led to tthe decision to establish a new entitty in the reggion – the Arab and
African C
Coastal State
es of the Re
ed Sea and the
t Aden (AARSGA) – to
Gulf of A
coordinate and cooperate on political, economic, seccurity, cultu
ural and
environmental issues within
w the region.
 Interna
ational Impo
ortance
nisation is in
• The organ ntended to serve
s as mea
an for Saud i Arabia to limit the
growing in
nfluence of its regional adversaries
a such as Turkeey, Qatar and
d Iran in
the Red Se
ea region.
• Apart from this, it allows Saudi Arabia grea
ater influencce over the Bab-el-
Mandeb a
and the Red
d Sea which is strategically relevant to
o control of the port
city of Hod
deida in Yem
men.
• AARSGA w
would act as an alternatiive to Gulf Cooperation
C Council thatt focuses
upon the Persian Gulf but has seen
n increased animosity
a duee to the Qata
ar crisis.
KURILE
E ISLANDS/ NO
ORTHERN TERR
RITORIES
S DISPU
UTE


R
 Recent
R Conttext  Background to dispute
• Russia & Jap

pan have und
dertaken seve
eral • The
e Kuriles are an archipela
ago of some 56 islands sp
panning abou
ut 1,800
Confidence Building Measures to km
m from Japan’s Hokkaid
do to Russia’s Kamcha
atka in the Sea of
resolve the Kurili Island
d dispute. CB
BMs Ok
khotsk in Eas
st Asia.
include sev
veral underttakings on the • All of them are under Russian jurisdictio
on but Japan
n claims four islands:
islands such
h as joint economic activitties, Eto
orofu, Kunash
hiri, Shikotan and Habomai as its Nortthern territorries.
cooperation
n on environme ntal
• The
ese islands were
w occupie
ed by the Sov
viet Union in
n August 194
45, after
managemen
nt, allowing cultural
c visitss of
which the entire Japanese population was evicted
d and some islands
Japanese fa
amilies to graves
g of th
heir
pop
pulated with people from
m USSR and military
m installlations.
ancestors, among other CBMs.
• Mo
oscow’s legal claim is base
ed on the po
ost-war settleements of Ya
alta and
• Both countries are in negotiationss to
San
n Francisco Conference
e, whereas th
he Japanese cclaim is foun
nded on
move forward with a Pea
ace treaty.
the
e Russia-Japa
an treaties of
o 1855 and 1875.
1

CONSTITUTION, POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Constitution (One The President of India gave his assent to the Constitution
(One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2019 to
Hundred and Third provide 10% reservation to the economically backward
section in the general category over and above the existing
Amendment) Act, 2019 50% reservation and hence it was enacted as One Hundred
#Amendment #Act and Third Amendment Act, 2019.
THINGS TO KNOW
• The reservation of 10% will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation enjoyed by the
members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes. This will take the
total reservation to 60 per cent.
• The reservation intends to include members in the general category as well as members of the
minority communities including Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christian and other communities who do
not enjoy any kind of reservation.
• The following are the criteria to avail the benefits of reservation of 10 per cent:
Important  Persons whose family has gross annual income of less than Rs. 8 lakh per annum;
Provisions
 Persons possess less than 5 acres land;
 Have agricultural land of less than 5 acres;
 Have a house smaller than 1,000 square feet;
 In a municipality – a residential plot smaller than 100 yards;
 In a non-notified municipality – a residential plot of less than 200 yards.
Note* "Economically Weaker Sections" shall be notified by the State from time to time on the basis of
family income and other indicators of economic disadvantage.’
• The directive principles of State policy contained in Article 46 of the Constitution mentions that the
State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker
sections of the people, and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. But,
Ensuring fair
economically weaker sections of citizens were not eligible for the benefit of reservation.
opportunity
• Thus, the proposed amendment aims to ensure that economically weaker sections of citizens get a fair
chance of receiving higher education and participation in employment in the services of the State. This
will also fulfill the mandate of Article 46.
CHANGES IN ARTICLE 15 AND 16
The act amended Article 15 and 16 of the Indian Constitution. It added clause 6 to Article 15 and 16 to the Indian
Constitution.

Constituti0n, Polity and

Governance
• Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of race,
religion, caste, sex, or place of birth.
• However, as per Article 15(4), the government may make any special provision for the advancement
of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and
the Scheduled Tribes.
• The Act inserted a new provision – Article 15(6), whereby
Amendment (a) State can make any special provision for the advancement of any “economically weaker sections of
in Article 15 citizens”
(b) State can make any special provision for the advancement of any “economically weaker sections of
citizens” relating to their admission to educational institutions including private educational
institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State.
(c) However, such reservation will not apply to minority educational institutions.
(d) Reservation to such educational institutions would be in addition to the existing reservations and
subject to a maximum of 10 per cent.
• Article 16 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination in employment in any government office.

However, as per Article 16(4), the state may make any provision for the reservation of appointments
or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not
adequately represented in the services under the State.
• The Act amended Article 16 by inserting a new provision Article 16(6) where the state may make any
Amendment
provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any economically weaker sections
in Article 16
of citizens in addition to the existing reservation and subject to a maximum of ten per cent.
• The reservation of up to 10% for “economically weaker sections” in educational institutions and public
employment will be in addition to the existing reservation.
• The central government will notify the “economically weaker sections” of citizens on the basis of family
income and other indicators of economic disadvantage.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
 It breaches the 50% reservation cap as set by nine Judge Constitution Bench in the case of Indra Sawhney.
 Nine Judge Constitution Bench in Indira Sawhney had put a 50% cap on reservation and had struck down reservations
for economically backward categories.
 Violation of doctrine of basic structure on grounds of equality.
 Further the Constitution Bench clearly mentioned that backward class cannot be determined solely on the basis of
economic criteria. Economic criteria may be a consideration or basis along with and in addition to social backwardness,
but cannot be the sole criteria.


Governance
Elevation of judges by Collegium to higher judiciary is mostly shadowed by
controversy and this again happened when it unanimously decided to elevate
Justice Dinesh Maheshwari (Chief Justice, Karnataka High Court) and Justice
Collegium Sanjiv Khanna (Judge, Delhi High Court) to the Supreme Court.
controversy The Collegium’s decision to elevate Justices Khanna and Maheshwari created
quite an uproar as it was different from the decision taken by the collegium in
#Judiciary December as it had recommended Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Pradeep
Nandrajog and Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajendra Menon for elevation to
the apex court.
CONTROVERSY
• Alleged lack of transparency in the decision making process of the five senior most Judges of Supreme Court as they
are not accountable to any other body.
• Arbitrarily revoking decision taken by previous collegium in December 2018.
• Issues of seniority of Judges – as more senior judges were not elevated.
• Earlier names of Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court - Pradeep Nandrajog and Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra
Menon were considered, but as per the collegium, new materials have surfaced. However, it is not clear what the
material is and how it impacted their elevation.
• Can the retirement of one judge in previous collegium be a ground to withdraw a considered decision, even if some
consultations were incomplete?
• Grounds or parameters to scale a “more deserving and suitable candidate in all respects” for being appointed as
Judges of the Supreme Court of India is not very clear. This leaves room for doubtful decision making by the collegium.
• Grounds or parameters to by-pass seniority is not very clear and this again leaves room for doubtful decision making
by the collegium.
• All these controversies have again raised the issue of credibility of the Collegium system.
THINGS TO KNOW
The Collegium System is one where the CJI and a forum of four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court
What is a
recommends appointment and transfer of judges of higher judiciary. The collegium system evolved
Collegium?
through three different judgments which are collectively known as the Three Judges Cases.
How Collegium came into being?
• Power to appoint Supreme Court judges rested primarily with the Executive. The practice was to
appoint the Senior Most judge of the Supreme Court whenever a vacancy occurred by the Executive.
Earlier
• This move was criticized by Fourteenth Law Commission Report and suggested to widen the role
Practice
of Chief Justice of India (CJI) in judicial appointments. However, the government did not act upon this
recommendation and continued its practice.
• In 1973, the Union government departed from this practice and appointed Justice A.N. Ray as CJI who
Departing
was fourth in order of seniority bypassing three senior judges of Supreme Court. The government was
from the
accused of tampering with the independence of judiciary. The three senior judges resigned from their
Process
post in protest. Again in 1976, government appointed Justice Beg as CJI bypassing Justice Khanna who


Governance
was senior to him.
• Thus, interference by executive in judicial appointments was cloaked in veils of politics and it started a
disturbing trend in judicial appointments in India. Till 1976, India had witnessed emergency and
implementation of 42nd amendment had casted a serious doubt on the ever growing power of
executive in all spheres of democracy.
• In such an environment of growing executive influence, the collegium system evolved through three
Emergence of different judgments which are collectively known as the Three Judges Cases. These judgments were
Collegium delivered amid ever changing political atmosphere of the country where the powers of executive and
judiciary often overlapped into each other’s jurisdiction creating unnecessary friction.
• The Government of India passed Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-First Amendment) Bill,
2014 to establish a National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC) to replace the Collegium.
NJAC
• However, a Five Judge Bench of Supreme Court declared NJAC as unconstitutional and effectively
revived the Collegium.
Lynching: Cases of mob violence in the state of Manipur resulting in loss of livelihoods,
injuries and death of persons have prompted the state government to bring a
Manipur separate law to make mass lynching a public offence.
makes it a The legislation, The Manipur Protection from Mob violence Ordinance, 2018 is
separate according to the directions issued by the Supreme Court where it urged the states
and Central Government to make mob violence a separate offence. SC further
offence added that hate crimes as a product of intolerance, ideological dominance and
#Governance prejudice must not be tolerated by state authorities under any pretext.
#Bill Let us understand about the salient features of the law.
PROVISIONS IN THE LEGISLATION
• It covers any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting such act/acts whether spontaneous
Meaning of or planned, by a mob on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary
Lynching & practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity or any other related grounds.
Mob • Mob means a group of two or more individuals, assembled with a common intention of lynching.
• However, the law does not cover solitary hate crimes carried out by one individual.
Nature Punishment
For a term which may extend to 7 years + fine,

Victim suffering from hurt
which may extend upto Rs. 1 lakh
Punishment
for Lynching For a term which may extend to 10 years + fine,
Victim suffering from grievous hurt
which may extend upto Rs. 3 lakhs
Rigorous imprisonment for life + fine upto Rs.

Death of the victim
10 lakhs


Governance
• The state government shall designate a senior police officer, not below the rank of Superintendent of
Nodal Officer Police as Nodal Officer in each district.
& Special Task • A Special Task Force to gather intelligence on people who are likely to plan such incidents of mob
Force violence or who are involved in making such hate speeches, provocative statements and fake
news.
• For the first time, dereliction of duty by a police officer has been made a punishable offence.
• The person therefore would be liable for punishment and/or fine. Moreover, the law means that now,
Dereliction of
no prior sanction from the state government is required to register crimes against public officials who
duty to be an
fail in their duties to prevent hate crimes such as lynching.
offence
• It is also the duty of State officials to prevent a hostile environment against people of the community
who has been lynched.
• It is the duty and responsibility of the State government to make arrangements for the protection of
victims and witnesses against any kind of intimidation, coercion, inducement, violence or threats of
violence.
Relief & • It shall be the duty of the state government to provide compensation to such victims of mob violence
Rehabilitation and such compensation shall be paid within 30 days of the incident.
• The state government shall arrange for accommodation of victims of mob violence if they have been
displaced from their residence and take necessary steps for their rehabilitation.
• The state government shall establish relief camps in safe locations for all victims.
Way Forward – State of Manipur by making a separate law on mob violence has taken the first step in not only following
Supreme Court directions but also providing better law and order situation in the state. This step reassures citizen’s life as
paramount and also holds police officers accountable in case of omission of their duty. This law should be incorporated at
the Centre and state levels to provide protection to the vulnerable sections of the society and also to create fear and
deterrence among people involved in such incidents of mob violence.
Sedition Assam police has registered a case of sedition against noted public intellectual and
Sahitya Akademi awardee Hiren Gohain for remarks against Citizenship Amendment
#Rights Issues Bill, 2016 and possible demand for independence and sovereignty. Let us
# Governance understand the concept of sedition and freedom of speech and expression.
THINGS TO UNDERSTAND
• Free speech is an important principle of democracy as it allows an individual to attain self-fulfillment,

assist in discovery of truth and strengthen the capacity of a person to take informed decisions.
Free Speech One of the fundamental duties entails to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry
& and reform. So, in this aspect, the freedom of speech and expression can be said to be the first
Reasonable condition of liberty.
Restrictions • However, such freedom of speech often poses difficult questions at times exceeding the limit of
reasonable restrictions. Thus, it becomes important to differentiate between freedom of speech and
expression guaranteed by the Constitution, reasonable restrictions imposed on such freedom and


Governance
grounds on which sedition can be imposed by State authorities.
 Reasonable Restriction
• Article 19(1) guarantees freedom of speech and expression subject to reasonable limitations under
Article 19(2) on grounds of -
 interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India,
 the security of the State,
 friendly relations with foreign States,
 public order, decency or morality or
 in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.
 Sedition as defined in Indian Penal Code under section 124A.

Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or
attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the
Government established by law in, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or
with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.
What  Explanations
amounts to • The expression “disaffection” includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity.
Sedition • Comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the Government with a view to obtain their
alteration by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection,
do not constitute an offence under sedition.
• Comments expressing disapprobation of the administrative or other action of the Government
without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an
offence under this section.
• The use of sedition by state authorities is seen by some sections of the society as a colonial legacy
which must be done away with. There is an apprehension that this provision might be misused by the
Differing
government to suppress dissent.
views on
• However, another section of the society feels that sedition acts as a deterrent amidst growing
sedition
concerns on national security.
• Thus, there needs to be a balance between freedom of expression along with ensuring national
security and integrity of India.
SC ON USE OF SEDITION BY THE STATE V CITIZEN’S FREEDOM OF SPEECH
• The Supreme Court in Romesh Thapar vs State of Madras declared that unless the freedom of speech and
expression threaten the security of or tend to overthrow the State, any law imposing restriction upon the same would
not fall within the purview of Article 19(2) of the Constitution.
• In Kedar Nath Singh vs State of Bihar,1962, a Constitution Bench had ruled in favour of the constitutional validity of
Section 124A (sedition) in the IPC. The Court in this case:
 considered the importance of government established by law; and
 struck a balance between the right to free speech and expression and the power of the legislature to restrict such right
On Sedition - The Court in Kedar Nath stated that sedition is an offence against the state, and


Governance
 any act which have the effect of subverting the Government by bringing that Government into contempt or hatred, or
creating disaffection against it will be considered as sedition,
 including feeling of disloyalty to the Government established by law or enmity to it.
 Creating public disorder by the use of actual violence or incitement to violence thereby disturbing public peace.
On striking a balance – The Court held that a citizen has a right to say or write whatever he likes about the Government,
or its measures, by way of criticism or comment, so long as he does not incite people to violence against the Government
established by law or with the intention of creating public disorder.
LAW COMMISSION ON SEDITION
The Law Commission of India was asked to consider section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 which deals with
sedition. Some of the important observations of Law Commission in its consultation paper (released in August, 2018) are:
1. Dissent and criticism of the government are essential ingredients of a robust public debate in a vibrant
democracy. Thus, if the country is not open to positive criticism, there lies little difference between the pre- and post-
Independence eras.
2. Right to criticise one’s own history and the right to offend are rights protected under free speech under Article 19 of
the Constitution. While it is essential to protect national integrity, it should not be misused as a tool to curb free
speech.
3. Every restriction on free speech and expression must be carefully scrutinised to avoid unwarranted restrictions.
4. In a democracy, singing from the same songbook is not a benchmark of patriotism. People should be at liberty to
show their affection towards their country in their own way.
5. An expression of frustration over the state of affairs cannot be treated as sedition. For merely expressing a
thought which is not in consonance with the policy of the government of the day, a person should not be charged
under the provision of sedition.
6. The consultation paper was published a day after the Supreme Court while hearing a petition challenging the pan-India
crackdown and arrests of five activists held that dissent is the safety valve of democracy.
7. The Commission also asked whether it would be worthwhile to rename Section 124A and find a suitable substitute for
the term - sedition.
Thus, mere criticism of the government or its policies does not amount to sedition. Such a dissent or criticism must be
accompanied by incitement to violence or intention or tendency to create public disorder or cause disturbance of public peace
which is against the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India or security of the state - for invoking charges under sedition.
IN NEWS: The previous government in Rajasthan had stipulated educational requirement as one
of the criteria to contest local polls in the state. However, the new government of the state has
Local Polls: removed such educational requirements as a criterion to contest local polls.
Relaxation of In this analysis let us understand the educational criteria which were imposed and what were its
probable impact in the society.
education
criteria THINGS TO UNDERSTAND
The following educational qualifications was made mandatory and now they are removed:


Governance
• Candidates contesting for the post of Sarpanch – should have passed class 8
• Candidates contesting Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections - should have passed class
10.
Similar educational restrictions were placed in the state of Haryana to contest local polls. The
educational criteria to contest local polls were challenged in Supreme Court.
 Case of Rajbala v. State of Haryana
• The Supreme Court declared the educational conditions for local polls as constitutionally valid
which were made in the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act.
• The court held that prescription of educational qualification was justifiable for better
administration and did not violate the right to equality enshrined in the Constitution.
• Underlying rationale of educational qualification - Laying stress on qualitative
administration with citizens having certain basic educational qualification. This would also
encourage children including girls to complete their secondary and higher secondary
education.
 Impact of removal of educational criteria
Literacy rate in Rajasthan according to the 2011 Census was 52% for women and 79% for men.
Thus, the decision to remove educational criteria to contest local polls helps in the following ways
-
 Restores the right to contest and
 Allows representation from larger section of the population.
Any stipulation including an educational requirement restricts a citizen’s right to contest
elections.
This challenges the basic premise of a republican democracy as it takes away the right of
people to contest elections just because they were unable to meet certain social indicators, which
in the first place is state’s responsibility.
Denying the right to contest effectively restricts the right of a citizen to vote for a candidate of
his/her choice since more than half the population is restricted from contesting because of the
educational criteria.
Such a restriction disproportionately disenfranchises the more marginal sections of society
comprising of women, dalits and poor. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the state to provide
education to its citizens.
 Second ARC on improving Local Governance
1. Compulsory empowerment of panchayats and municipalities by the state having a dedicated
bureaucracy at ground level
2. Allowing panchayats and municipalities autonomous identity independent from the state
government to perform their power and functions.
3. There should be clear delineation of functions for each level of local government to avoid
multiplicity in functioning of different government agencies as it leads to duplication of work,
confusion on jurisdiction and wastage of public funds.
4. Ensuring proper allocation of funds to the panchayats and municipalities including


Governance
ensuring sources of income including devolution of taxes. Even fiscal administration of every
state needs to be improved as it involves levy and collection of taxes at local level.
5. Proper implementation of State Finance Commission under Article 243I and 243Y
recommends principles for distribution of funds between the urban local bodies and different
panchayats.
IN NEWS: A Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) has recommended that the Centre accord
statutory status to the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) which is one of the largest recruitment
agencies in the country. As of now SSC is an attached office of Department of Personnel and
Training.
• The SSC was created to ease the burden of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• The Government of India, in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms in
1975 constituted a Commission called the Subordinate Services Commission after the
suggestion of First ARC.
• The Subordinate Services Commission was re-designated as Staff Selection Commission
effective in 1977.
Staff Selection • SSC makes recruitment to various posts in Group B, Group C and Group D for the various
Commission Ministries/Departments of the Govt. of India and in Subordinate Offices.
• The Expert Group constituted by the Government in the year 2014, under the Chairmanship
of Shri I.M.G. Khan, for reviewing the examination system in the SSC, had recommended
according statutory status to the Commission.
• Recent failures - SSC has had to cancel nine of its examinations, fully or partially, in past five
years. Most recently, the SSC had to recommend for a CBI enquiry into allegations pertaining
to the conduct of Combined Graduate Level (CGL) (Tier-II) Examination 2017.
• Such cancellation of exam is waste of resources and efforts both of the government and that
of students. This also delays the selection process of the candidates and the Departments
have to continue their work with their limited resources.
• Thus Parliamentary Committee feels that a recruitment body of SSC’s stature should be given
autonomy at par with the UPSC and thus, recommends that SSC be given statutory status
without any further delay.
IN NEWS: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court for cross verification of Electronic
Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in at least 30% randomly
chosen polling stations in each Assembly and Lok Sabha constituency for greater transparency
VVPAT and trustworthiness of the election process. The Supreme Court has directed the Election
Commission to respond to this plea.
In the upcoming general election of 2019, VVPATs shall be used at all polling booths. The Election
Commission must ensure its effective working on a large scale. This will further improve


Governance
confidence in EVMs and VVPATs which is an essential ingredient of a fair democratic process.
• The Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail is a method that provides feedback to voters. It is an
independent verification printer machine and is attached to electronic voting machines. It
allows voters to verify if their vote has gone to the intended candidate. VVPAT machines can
be accessed by polling officers only.
• When a voter presses a button in the EVM, a paper slip is printed through the VVPAT. The slip
contains the poll symbol and name of the candidate. After being visible to the voter from a
glass case in the VVPAT for seven seconds, the ballot slip will be cut and dropped into the
drop box in the VVPAT machine and a beep will be heard.
• In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the year 2013 filed by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, Supreme
Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to introduce VVPAT in a phased manner.
• The current petition contends that cross-verification and counting of VVPAT slips is essential
in the interest of democratic principles which are:
 Elections should be transparent,
 Elections should be subject to public scrutiny and
 Process of election including casting of votes should be verifiable.
• The petition says that the present way of random choosing of VVPAT for cross-verification at
polling stations is manifestly arbitrary, irrational and unreasonable. Further, this gives the
polling authorities fair amount of discretion to randomly chose VVPATs at any polling station
which can lead to bias or mischief.
• Thus, the petition has claimed that the counts from electronic voting machines and voter
verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) units should be cross-verified in at least 30% randomly
chosen polling stations in each Assembly and Lok Sabha constituency.
UPSC Mains – 2018:
Q. In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), what
are the challenges before the Election Commission of India to ensure trustworthiness of
elections in India. (Answer in 150 words)
IN NEWS: The Parliamentary Standing Committee in its report has stated that even after 30 years
of establishment of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), it lacks human as well as physical
infrastructure leading to vacancies. Because of the vacancies, backlog of cases in the Tribunal is
increasing.
CAT The Parliamentary Committee made the following recommendations:

 To fill the vacancies at CAT in strict timelines.
 Starting of appointment process of tribunal members in advance
 The government should examine the reasons for members leaving service prematurely and
take remedial measures.


Governance
 Ensure that infrastructural work does not get delayed due to procedural hurdles.
 The committee has recommended that the Department of Personnel and Training and CAT to
work out any difficulties with respect to proper functioning of the Tribunal.
• Article 323A of the Constitution provides that Parliament may by law establish an
administrative tribunal for the Union and a separate administrative tribunal for each State or
for two or more States for adjudication of disputes - with respect to recruitment and
conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts – by Union, States,
any local or other authority within the territory of India or under the control of the
Government of India or of any corporation owned or controlled by the Government.
• Article 323B provides for constitution of Tribunal for other matters as provided by
appropriate legislatures.
• Article 323A and 323B was added by Constitution 42nd Amendment.
• Pursuant to Article 323A, the Parliament has enacted The Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985
which provides for establishment of Central Administrative Tribunal, State Administrative
Tribunal and Joint Administrative Tribunal. The Joint Administrative Tribunal may be
constituted for two or more States.
 CAT- Composition
• The Central Administrative Tribunal shall consist of a Chairman and such number of Judicial
and Administrative Members as decided by the Central Government.
• The Chairman and every other Member of the Central Administrative Tribunal shall be
appointed after consultation with the Chief Justice of India by the President.
• The Chairman and every other Member of an Administrative Tribunal for a State shall be
appointed by the President after consultation with the Governor of the concerned State.
 Tenure
• The Chairman shall hold office as such for a term of five years from the date on which he
enters upon his office. However, Chairman shall not hold office as such after he has attained
the age of sixty-eight years.
• A Member shall hold office as such for a term of five years from the date on which he enters
upon his office extendable by one more term of five years. No Member shall hold office after
he has attained the age of sixty-five years.
 Jurisdiction
• The Central Administrative Tribunal shall exercise all the jurisdiction, powers and authority in
relation to
• Recruitment and matters concerning recruitment, to any All-India Service or to any civil
service of the Union or a civil post under the Union or to a post connected with defence or in
the defence services.
• All service matters concerning - a member of any All-India Service; or A person appointed to
any civil service of the Union or any civil post under the Union; A civilian appointed to any


Governance
defence services or a post connected with defence.
IN NEWS: The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 amends the Indian Medical Council
Act, 1956 and replaces the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018.
The working of MCI has been under scrutiny for a long time and it was also examined by various
expert bodies including the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health
and Family Welfare.
The Committee recommended that the Government should bring a new comprehensive Bill in
Parliament at the earliest so as to restructure and revamp the regulatory system of medical
education and medical practice and to reform the Medical Council of India.
Medical
 Changes proposed
Council Bill • To supersede the existing Medical Council of India and vest its powers in a Board of
Governors until the said Council is reconstituted.
• To provide for the reconstitution of the Council within a period of one year.
• To add proven administrative capacity and experience also as a qualification for nomination
of members for the Board of Governors.
• To insert a new sub-section (7A) to provide that the Board of Governors shall be assisted by a
Secretary General who shall be appointed by the Central Government on deputation or
contract basis and shall be the head of the secretariat in the Council.
IN NEWS: The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National Commission for Indian System
of Medicine (NCIM) so as to promote affordable healthcare services in all parts of the country.
 Purpose
• The draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018 aims to
create a world class education system for Indian systems of medicine.
• It aims to ensure adequate supply of high quality of Indian systems of quality professionals
at both under-graduate and post-graduate levels.
National
• It encourages the medicine professionals to incorporate the latest research in their work; It
Commission of encourages interfaces between various system of medicines.
Indian System • It will enable the constitution of a National Commission with four autonomous boards for the
purpose of conducting overall education in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowarigpa.
of Medicine
• There are two common boards, namely:
 The board of assessment and rating to assess and grant permission to educational
institutions of Indian systems of medicine, and
 The board of ethics and registration for practitioners of Indian systems of medicine to
maintain a National Register and ethical issues relating to practice under the National
Commission for Indian Medicine.
• The bill also proposes a common entrance and an exit exam so as to assess the standard of


Governance
teachers before appointment and promotions.
• NCIM seeks to promote availability of affordable healthcare services in all parts of the
country.
IN NEWS: An eight-member search committee has been constituted for short listing eligible
candidates for Lokpal and is headed by former Supreme Court judge, Justice Ranjana Prakash
Desai.
The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013 was not implemented all these years because there was
no Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the 16th Lok Sabha.
However, in April 2018, the Supreme Court in a judgment clarified that the Lokpal appointment
process need not be stalled merely due to the absence of the LoP.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the government's reasoning that the Lokpal appointment
process should wait till the 2013 Act was amended to replace the LoP with the single largest
opposition party leader.
 Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013
• The Act provides for the establishment of a body of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for
States to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries.
• It applies to all public servants in and outside India
 Establishment of Lokpal
• Lokpal shall consist of a Chairperson, who is or has been a Chief Justice of India or is or has
been a Judge of the Supreme Court or an eminent person,
Lokpal • Such number of Members, not exceeding eight out of whom fifty per cent shall be Judicial
Members.
• The Chairperson or a Member shall not be—
 a member of Parliament or a member of the Legislature of any State or Union territory;
 a person convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude;
 a person of less than forty-five years of age, on the date of assuming office as the Chairperson
or Member,
 a member of any Panchayat or Municipality;
 a person who has been removed or dismissed from the service of the Union or a State,
 Appointment of Chairperson
• The Chairperson and Members shall be appointed by the President after obtaining the
recommendations of a Selection Committee consisting of—
 the Prime Minister—Chairperson;
 the Speaker of the House of the People—Member;
 the Leader of Opposition in the House of the People—Member;
 the Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court nominated by him—Member;
 one eminent jurist, as recommended by the Chairperson and Members


Governance
Tenure: The Chairperson and every Member shall, on the recommendations of the Selection
Committee, be appointed by the President and hold office as such for a term of five years from
the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains the age of seventy years,
whichever is earlier.
IN NEWS: The committee set up by the Election Commission has recommended that Model Code
of Conduct (MCC) should be amended to ensure that political parties release their manifesto at
least 72 hours before voting ends in the first phase of polls.
Currently, there is no stipulation on the timing of manifesto launch for political parties.
Section 126 of the RP Act, meanwhile, embodies “election silence”, which prohibits any form of
poll campaign in the last 48 hours leading up to voting. This section also restrains display of any
election matter “by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus”.
 What is MCC?
• Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI)
for conduct of political parties and candidates during elections mainly with respect to
speeches, polling day, polling booths, portfolios, election manifestos, processions and general
conduct.
• The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into force immediately on announcement of the
election schedule by the commission for the need of ensuring free and fair elections.
• These set of norms has been evolved with the consensus of political parties, and do not have
any statutory or legal backing.
Manifesto  EC Panel’s recommendation

ECI last year setup a 14-member committee to revisit the Section 126 of the Representation of
Guidelines
the People (RP) Act, 1951 and other related provisions in the wake of rapid expansion in the
media. Its recommendations include:
 Model Code of Conduct (MCC) should be amended to ensure that political parties release
their manifesto at least 72 hours before voting ends in the first phase of polls.
 The panel has also suggested that the provision of “election silence” be extended to cover
print and social media, internet, cable channels and online version of print media.
 Social media agencies have been asked to label political advertisements to separate them
from other content, and maintain an account of expenditure incurred by political parties and
candidates for advertising on their platforms.
 In a multi-phase election, the silence period is usually in effect in some seats even as poll
campaigning is on in others. In such cases, the committee has recommended political parties
and candidates should not make any reference, direct or indirect, seeking support for seats
covered under the silence period.
 The report also states that during such time, political party leaders should refrain from
addressing media through press conferences or give interviews on election-related issues
 Social media platforms should work with the EC to evolve a mechanism by which the latter
can flag content violating electoral law and social media sites can take it down as soon as


Governance
possible.
 EC should issue directions to private cable TV channels to follow News Broadcasting
Standards Authority (NBSA) guidelines for election broadcasts during the poll period.
IN NEWS: The Union Cabinet has approved Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities of
Assam namely Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Chutia, Tea Tribes, Moran and Matak.
The essential characteristics of these communities are: Primitive Traits, Geographical isolation,
Distinct culture, Shy of contact with community at large, Economically backward.
The cabinet will introduce a bill to declare these six communities in Assam as Scheduled Tribe.
The government also intends to amend the Sixth Schedule to strengthen Autonomous District
Councils under the Sixth Schedule.
 How are communities declared as Scheduled Tribe?
• Article 342 provides that the President may, with respect to any State or Union territory, and
where it is a state, after consultation with the Governor thereof by public notification, specify
the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities
which shall, for the purposes of this constitution, is deemed to be scheduled tribes in relation
to that state or Union Territory, as the case may be.
• Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled tribes specified in a
notification issued under clause(1) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within
any tribe or tribal community, but save as aforesaid, a notification issued under the said
clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.
ST status to
Thus, the first specification of Scheduled Tribes in relation to a particular State/ Union Territory is
six by a notified order of the President, after consultation with the State governments concerned.
communities These orders can be modified subsequently only through an Act of Parliament.
 Why only Four States in Sixth Schedule?
Fifth Schedule deals with administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes in
any state expect four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
Sixth Schedule deals with administration of tribal areas in state of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura
and Mizoram.
The rationality behind the special arrangements in respect of only these four states lies in the
following:
• The tribes in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have their distinct culture and have
not assimilated much with rest of the society in these states.
• The tribal people in other parts of India have more or less adopted the culture of the majority
of the people living in such states. However, the tribes in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and
Mizoram, on the other hand, still have their roots in their own culture, customs and
civilization.
• These areas are, therefore, treated differently by the Constitution and sizeable amount of
autonomy has been given to these people for self-governance.


Governance
 Administrative features under Sixth Schedule
• The tribal areas in the four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have been
constituted as autonomous districts. But, they do not fall outside the executive authority of
the state concerned.
• The Governor is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. Thus, he
can increase or decrease their areas or change their names or define their boundaries.
• If there are different tribes in an autonomous district, the governor can divide the district into
several autonomous regions.
• Each autonomous district has a district council and each autonomous region also has a
separate regional council.
• The district and regional councils administer the areas under their jurisdiction. They can make
laws on certain specified matters like land, forests, canal water, shifting cultivation, village
administration, inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, social customs and so on. But
all such laws require the assent of the governor.
• The district and regional councils are empowered to assess and collect land revenue and to
impose certain specified taxes.
• The acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts and
autonomous regions or apply with specified modifications and exceptions.
IN NEWS: The Union Cabinet approved a constitutional amendment to increase the powers of
the autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the Northeast.
Further, after the amendments in Article 280, the Finance Commission will be mandated to
recommend devolution of financial resources to them.
Most important part of these amendments is that these will significantly improve the financial
resources and powers of the autonomous districts councils in the sixth-schedule states. It deals
with the provisions relating to the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam,
Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
 Article 280
North East
• As per Article 280, President of India shall at the expiration of every fifth year, or earlier,
Autonomous constitute a Finance Commission which shall consist of a Chairman and four other members
to be appointed by the President. The Commission shall make recommendations with respect
Councils
to:
 The distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes and the
allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds.
 The principles which should govern the grants-in-aid of the revenues of the States out of the
Consolidated Fund of India and the sums to be paid to the States by way of grants-in-aid of
their revenues under Article 275 of the Constitution.
 The measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the
resources of the Panchayats and Municipalities in the State on the basis of the
recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State.


Governance
 The Commission shall review the current status of the finance, deficit, debt levels, cash
balances and fiscal discipline efforts of the Union and the States, and recommend a fiscal
consolidation roadmap for sound fiscal management.
 Recommendations of Finance Commission together with an explanatory memorandum as to
the action taken thereon shall be laid before each House of Parliament by the President.
IN NEWS: It will apply to all direct-to-home (DTH) and local cable operators.
Customers can choose which channels they wish to watch rather than pick from pre-decided
packs offered by service providers.
Consumers will only need to pay for channels they want to view.
Therefore, new framework makes it mandatory for the service provider to offer every channel on
an a la carte basis.
 TRAI
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established in 1997 by an Act of
Parliament, called the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, to regulate telecom
services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services which were earlier vested in
TRAI
the Central Government.
regulation • Later TRAI Act was amended to establish a Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and
Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
• One of the main objectives of TRAI is to provide a fair and transparent policy environment
which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition.
Why New Rules? Post-digitisation of cable TV networks in March 2017, there was an urgent need
to improve transparency as many stakeholders were not giving choices to consumers.
How will it help? The new rules will empower customers to pay for the channels they watch,
rather than rely on pre-decided packs by DTH companies or their local cable operators.
This will improve transparency in the functioning of DTH operators and will also make the
consumers more informed and aware about the latest developments in technology and tariffs.
IN NEWS: The Ministry of Home Affairs as per its notification has allowed Aadhaar Cards as valid
travel documents for Indians: under the age of 15 years and above the age of 65 years travelling
Travel to to Nepal and Bhutan.
Earlier situation: Persons over 65 years of age and under 15 years could show their PAN card,
Bhutan and
driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card or ration card, but Aadhaar card
Nepal with was not allowed to prove identity.
Aadhaar For other Indian citizens beyond these age brackets travelling to Nepal and Bhutan do not need a
visa if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card issued by Government of India or an
election ID card issued by the Election Commission.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper III (Main)
Sugar Industry
#Sector in Focus
(Lead coverage)
The Sugar industry is the second largest agro-based industry in India. India is also the second largest producer
of sugar after Brazil. The Sugar Industry is crucial for the socio-economic development of India due to its
forward and backward linkages with agriculture. Apart from creating a lot of employment opportunities, the
Indian sugar mills have been instrumental in bringing about rural transformation.
However, the sugar Industry in India is going through troubled times. It is grappling with serious concerns
related to low domestic prices of sugar, low international prices of sugar, various policies controlling the
procurement and pricing of raw material and finished product. Due to these problems, the sugar Industry is
facing the growing problem of NPAs and a large number of sugar mills are turning into sick units.
This has led to payment crisis wherein the sugar mills have not been able to pay the FRP (fair and Remunerative
Prices) to the sugarcane farmers. The Sugar Industry is presently staring at cane arrears of more than 20,000
crores. Hence, it is being said that the poor financial position of the sugar mills would aggravate the present
agrarian distress.
In this regard, let us understand about the reasons for the present problems of the sugar Industry.
• India is the second largest producer of sugar in the world after Brazil. Within India, Uttar Pradesh,
Sugar
Maharashtra and Karnataka are the three largest producers.
Production In
• The Sugar production in India has increased from 24 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 32 million tonnes
India
in 2017-18 and is expected to touch 35 million tonnes in 2018-19.
• The main reason for the present problems of the sugar Industry can be attributed to mismatch
between Demand and supply of Sugar. While, the Production of Sugar has continued to increase,
however its demand has declined in the last 2 years.
• For example, in 2016-17, domestic sugar production was lower than the demand. This led to increase
in the sugar prices in the domestic market and India had to import sugar in order to plug the
demand-supply gap. Subsequently, the area under the sugarcane increased leading to dramatic
increase in sugar production in 2017-18.
• In 2017-18, the situation got reversed and the production of the sugar outpaced the demand leading
to decrease in the sugar prices in the domestic market.
Reasons for
Present Crisis • The Production of sugar increased to around 35 Million tonnes in 2018-19, but the demand has
remained stagnant at around 25 million tonnes.
• The decrease in the domestic and global demand for sugar can be linked to emergence of alternative
sweeteners replacing sugar and increasing health consciousness among the people.

Economic Development
• This mismatch between demand and supply of sugar in the domestic market has led to the present
sugar crisis. Hence, the lower profit margin of the sugar mills has made it difficult for them to pay
money to the sugarcane farmers.
• Sugarcane prices in India are controlled by the Central as well as State Governments. Each year the
Central Government fixes a Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) to be paid to sugarcane farmers for
procurement of sugarcane by sugar mills. Additionally, states also fix up a State Advised Price
(SAP). The SAP has typically been higher than FRP.
Problems • However, the sugar prices are determined by the market forces of demand and supply. Thus, even
with the though, the sugar prices in the domestic market has decreased, but the sugarcane prices fixed by the
Sugarcane government has continued to increase.
Pricing In
• This has put an additional burden on the sugar mills for the payment of money to the sugarcane
India
farmers.
• Rangarajan committee (2012) has proposed decontrol of sugar industry and linking sugarcane
prices with market price of sugar. The Committee also recommended that states should not declare
State Advised Price (SAP) since it imposes an additional cost on mills. It suggested determining cane
prices according to scientifically sound and economically fair principles.
How to • Based on the report, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommended a hybrid
address this approach of fixing sugarcane prices, which involved fair and remunerative price (FRP) and
problem of revenue sharing formula (RSF).
Sugarcane
• Under this approach, farmers’ revenue from sugarcane would be higher if the price of sugar and by-
Pricing?
products (molasses, bagasse and press mud) is high.
• The Maharashtra government has already adopted this approach. However, other states are
reluctant to follow this methodology due to the opposition from the farmers.
SUGAR PRODUCTION IN INDIA
• In order to help sugar mills to clear cane dues of farmers, the Government has decided to provide financial assistance
to the sugar mills.
• Increased custom duty on import of sugar from 50% to 100% to check any import in the country.
• Withdrew custom duty on export of sugar to encourage sugar industry to start exploring possibility of export of
sugar.
• Allocated mill-wise Minimum Indicative Export Quotas (MIEQ) of sugar for export during Sugar Season 2017-18.
• Notified Sugar Price (Control) Order, 2018 directing that no producer of sugar shall sell white/refined sugar at a rate
below Rs. 29/kg
• Created buffer stock of 30LMT of sugar to be maintained by sugar mills for one year.
• In order to augment ethanol production capacity and thereby also allow divergence of sugarcane for production of
ethanol, the government has decided to provide loans to the sugar mills for setting up distilleries. It will help the
industry diversify and reduce risk. For example, Brazil has used almost 60 per cent of its cane to produce ethanol as
global sugar prices were lower.

WAY FORWARD
• The sugarcane crisis is likely to intensify in the future. This crisis is capable of causing immense distress among
sugarcane farmers.
• The Government intervention in the sugar sector should strike a balance between the needs of the farmer, the
industry and the consumer.
• While the consumers demand for better quality and reduced prices of sugar, the sugar Industry demands for higher
profits and adequate availability of sugarcane at lower prices. However, the farmers demand higher prices for
sugarcane.
• Hence, the future course of actions by the government must not be constrained by political compulsions. Rather, it
should be based on sound economics.
The world is witnessing rapid technological advancements such as artificial

intelligence and robotics. This is set to disrupt the labour markets and put
Future of immense pressure on the workers to update their skills so as to remain
Work employable in the future work environment.
Report In this regard, the Global Commission on the future of work which was
established by International Labour Organization in 2017 has recently released a
# International report titled as "Future of Work".
Reports Let us look at the important highlights and recommendations given in this
report.
THINGS TO KNOW
• The International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched the Future of Work Initiative in 2015.The
initiative is aimed at understanding of the challenges facing the labour market of the future and
equip the ILO to tackle them.
• The Future of Work Initiative is a three-stage process. During the first stage (2016–2017), ILO
About Future of Member States are invited to contribute to the reflection on the future of work.
Work Initiative • The second stage involves establishing a High-level Global Commission on the Future of Work,
including experts and companies, employers and trade unions, which will produce a report on the
labour market of the future.
• In the third stage, Member States will be encouraged to mark the ILO centenary in various ways.
(It is to be noted that the ILO would be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019)
• Technological advances such as artificial intelligence, automation and robotics – will create new
jobs, but those who lose their jobs in this transition may be the least equipped to seize the new
Increasing opportunities. For example, according to World Bank, two-thirds of jobs in the developing world
Pressure on are susceptible to automation.
Labour Force • Further, today’s skills will not match the jobs of tomorrow and newly acquired skills may quickly
become obsolete.
• Expanding youth populations in some parts of the world and ageing populations in others may

place pressure on labour markets and social security systems.

• In such a situation, the countries should “place people at the centre of economic and social
policy” in order to ensure a strong and responsive social protection system.
There is a need for human-centered agenda for the future of work. This agenda consists of three
pillars of action.
 Increasing investment in people’s capabilities
• There is a need for universal entitlement to lifelong learning that enables people to acquire
skills and to reskill and upskill. Governments, employers, and educational institutions should have
responsibilities in building an effective and appropriately financed lifelong learning ecosystem.
• The future of work requires a strong and responsive social protection system and hence there
is a need to provide a universal social protection from birth to old age.
 Increasing investment in the institutions of work
Recommen-
• All workers, regardless of their contractual arrangement or employment status, should enjoy
dations
fundamental workers’ rights, an “adequate living wage”, maximum limits on working hours and
protection of safety and health at work. This proposal also allows for safety and health at work to
be recognized as a fundamental principle and right at work.
• All workers must enjoy freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, with the State
as the guarantor of those rights.
• Further, there is a need for adopting a “human-in-command” approach instead of artificial
intelligence to ensure that the final decisions affecting work are taken by human beings.
 Increasing investment in decent and sustainable work
• There is need to provide incentives to promote investments in key areas for decent and
sustainable work. Such investments will also advance gender equality and can create millions of
jobs and new opportunities for MSMEs.
 RELATED DETAILS: ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION (ILO)
• The ILO was created in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles after the end of First World War
Establishment
• It is a United Nations agency that sets international labour standards and promotes social
and its Role
protection and work opportunities for all.
• Unlike other UN specialized agencies, the ILO has a tripartite governing structure that brings
together governments, employers, and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and
Unique devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
Structure of • The very structure of the ILO, where workers and employers together have an equal voice with
ILO governments in its deliberations, shows social dialogue in action.
• It ensures that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in ILO labour standards,
policies and programmes.
• The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies which comprise governments',
How ILO
employers' and workers' representatives:
Works?
 International labour Conference: It sets the International labour standards and the broad

policies of the ILO. It meets annually in Geneva and it is also as international parliament of labour.
 Governing body: It is the executive council of the ILO.
 International Labour Office: It is the permanent secretariat of the International Labour
Organization.
• The standards set by ILO are backed by a supervisory system that is unique at the international
Supervision of level and helps to ensure that countries implement the conventions they ratify.
Labour • The ILO regularly examines the application of standards in member states and points out areas
Standards where they could be better applied. If there are any problems in the application of standards, the
ILO seeks to assist countries through social dialogue and technical assistance.
• World Employment and Social Outlook: This report examines the current state of the labour
market, assessing the most recent developments and making global and regional projections of
Reports employment and social trends.
published by • Global Wage Report: This report analyses the latest wage statistics and provides insights on wage
ILO policies based on research projects carried out by the ILO.
• World Social Protection Report: This report takes a comprehensive look at how countries are
investing in social security, how they are financing it, and how effective their approaches are.
Prelims: Future of Work Initiative; Details about ILO

Probable Question for Mains:
The world is witnessing rapid technological advancements which can disrupt the labour markets. In this context, there is a need
to adopt human centred approach to tackle the challenges of the future work environment. Discuss
The RBI has recently released its half-yearly Financial Stability Report. The
FINANCIAL Report reflects the overall assessment of the stability of India’s financial system
STABILITY and its resilience to risks emanating from global and domestic factors. The
Report also discusses issues relating to development and regulation of the
REPORT financial sector.
# RBI In this regard, let us look at various facets of the Financial Stability Report.
THINGS TO KNOW
• The report highlights that the Global GDP growth rate for 2018 and 2019 is expected to be
around 3.7%. However, there are certain concerns with respect to Global economy which can
have an adverse impact on emerging economies such as India.
Global Economic • The developed economies which were so far following unconventional monetary policies such as
Risks Zero Interest Rate Policy (ZIRP) and Negative Interest rate policy (NIRP) have now moved
towards normalcy in their monetary policies. For example, the Fed Bank has been increasing the
interest rates in US and hence it is likely to impact capital inflows into India.
• It is to be noted here that as the interest rates in the advanced economies increase, the

investors are more likely to invest in advanced economies due to the incentive to earn higher
interest.
• This would have an adverse impact on the capital inflows to the emerging economies such as
India.
• The growth in GDP has slowed down to 7.1% in the second quarter of the financial year. In
order to maintain the growth momentum, there is a need to stick to fiscal deficit target of 3.3%
in 2018-19.
• However, it is to be noted that the FD target has been exceeded by 15% in the first 8 months of
the current financial year itself. Hence, there is a need to focus on fiscal consolidation in order to
Domestic
ensure macro-economic stability of India.
Economic Risks
• The CAD has increased to 2.7 per cent of GDP in 2018-19 from 1.8 per cent in 2017-18 due to
widening of the trade deficit.
• Going forward, the on-going trade war between US and China which until now has had a
limited impact on global trade remains a significant risk. Additionally, the uncertainty with
respect to International Crude oil prices could also impact the CAD.
• The asset quality of banks is showing signs of improvement. The GNPA ratio of both public
and private sector banks has showed a half-yearly decline for the first time since March
2015.Further, there is increase in the credit growth rate of the Banks.
• However, the main concern is that the NPAs are mainly concentrated in the Public Sector Banks
which account for around 75% of the banking assets in India.
Banking Sector
• Further, the increase in the credit growth rate is mainly attributed to the private sector Banks.
Apart from that, sector-wise analysis shows higher stress of NPAs in mining, food processing
and construction sectors.
• The asset quality of the banks has suffered due to a rise in the NPAs. Further, a large portion of
distressed assets in the banking system is concentrated in just a few sectors such as
infrastructure, aviation, mining and textile.
• Concentration of bad assets in a handful of sectors increases the risk for the banking system as
default in one sector can put significant pressure on the balance sheet of several banks.
• Further, since the banking and the financial system is highly interconnected, the failure of one
bank, or some banks, is likely to affect the stability of other banks.
Banking Stability • This interdependence is measured by the Banking Stability Index.
Index  Definition
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) defines Banking Stability Index (BSI) as “the expected number of
banks that could become distressed given that at least one bank has become distressed”. Hence,
as the BSI increases, it means that more banks are expected to become distressed if one bank in
the system is distressed.
• The BSI takes into account the following parameters: Efficiency of the Banks, Profitability,
Soundness, Liquidity, Asset Quality.
• The report highlights that the banking stability indicator (BSI) shows that asset quality of the

Econnomic Deveelopment
ba
anks has imp roved, however profitability of the banks has conttinued to deccline.
 RELATED
D DETAILS: UNCONVENTIONAL MONETARY POL
LICIES
Zero
Z Interesst Rate Policy Neg
gative Intere
est Rate Policy Helicopter Mo
oney
(ZIRP) (NIR
RP)
• This policy was

w followed
d in • Thi s policy w
was followed in • The adoption of Helico
opter mone
ey was
USA from 2008
2 in the wake
w devveloped eco
onomies suc
ch as co
ontemplated
d by Japan in
n order to ovvercome
of financial crisis
c in orde
er to Jap
pan, Denm
mark, Sweden, th
he 2008 finan
ncial crisis.
inject mon
ney into the Sw itzerland etc. • Itt is a hypothe
etical concep
pt put forward
d by the
economy to prom
mote • Usu
ually, the b
banks park their economist, Milton Friedm
man.
economic grrowth. surrplus reserve
es with the Ce
entral • This involves the central b
bank of the country
• Under this policy, the US Ban
nk and earn interest. printing curre
ency notes aand distributiing it to
Fed Bank prrovided loans to • How
wever, unde
er the NIRP
P, the th
he people frree of cost. TThe idea he
ere is to
the banks at
a almost 0.2
25% ban
nks would be
e required to
o pay promote dem
mand in th e economy during
rate of inte
erest. The idea inte
erest to the
e central ba
ank if re
ecession.
was to transmit lower rate
r the
ey park their surplus reserves. • Itt is different form ZIRP aand NIRP, as under
of intere
est to the
• The
e idea here is that the banks
b th
hese two the people geet loans at ccheaper
corporates and borrow
wers
sho
ould provid
de loans to
o the ra
ate which inccreases the d
debt liability.
in order to spur
s demand
d.
borrrowers at cheaper rates • But in helicop
pter money ssince people receive
• This was also
a known as insttead of park
king their su
urplus money
m free of cost, it does not lead to
Quantitativ
ve Easing. resserves with th
he Central Ba
ank. in
ncrease in de
ebt liability.
Pre
elims: Unconvventional Mon
netary Policiess; Banking Sta
ability Indicattor

The rising farm distress has prompted many states to look for alternatives
to provide relief to farmers.
In this regard, the newly launched KALIA scheme of the Odisha
Government has proved to be a unique model for agriculture development
KALIA SCHEME in the country. It is being considered as a better alternative to farm loan
# Govt. Policies waivers.
Let us understand some details related to KALIA Scheme and compare as
to how this scheme is different from the Rythu Bandhu Scheme launched
by the Telangana Government.
• KALIA stands for “Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation”.
What is KALIA
• This scheme has been launched by Odisha Government to accelerate agricultural prosperity and
Scheme?
reduce poverty in the State.
• This scheme would provide benefits for the following:

 Small and Marginal Farmers
Who is eligible
 Landless Agricultural household
to get benefit
 Landless Agricultural labourers
under the
scheme?  Sharecroppers (Actual cultivators)
 Vulnerable Agricultural household (Vulnerable Households include old age, disability/ disease and
are vulnerable for any other reason.)
• Small and Marginal Farmers are eligible to get benefit Financial assistance of Rs.25000/ per family
over 5 seasons under support to cultivators for cultivation. (It is to be noted that a small farmer is a
cultivator who owns 1 hectare (2.5 acres) to 2 hectares (5 acres) of Agricultural land. A marginal farmer is
a farmer who owns less than 1 hectare of Agricultural land.)
• Land less agricultural households are eligible to get financial Assistance of Rs.12500/ for the
What are the livelihood support under the scheme.
benefits • Vulnerable agricultural household covering vulnerable cultivators/ landless agricultural labourers
available to are eligible to get financial assistance of Rs, 10,000 per year under the KALIA scheme. Vulnerable
the cultivators/ landless agricultural labourers include old age, disability/ disease and are vulnerable for
beneficiaries? any other reason.
• Out of the above three components viz., support to cultivators for cultivation, livelihood support for
landless agricultural household and financial assistance to vulnerable agricultural household, one
beneficiary will avail only one benefit as per the eligibility.
• Apart from these components, the scheme also provides for life insurance support and interest
free crop loans for all the categories of beneficiary under KALIA scheme.

DETAILS ABOUT RYTHU BANDHU SCHEME
• Rythu Bandhu scheme also known as Farmers’ Investment Support Scheme (FISS) is a farmer
About the welfare program of the Government of Telangana.
Scheme • This scheme has been introduced in order to support farmers' investment in the agriculture so as to
boost the agricultural prosperity.
• Under this scheme, the government is providing Rs 4,000 per acre per season, twice a year for
growing Kharif and Rabi crops.
Benefits • The financial assistance is provided to all the farmers and there is no cap on the number of acres
under the owned by the farmers.
Scheme • It is to be noted that more than 75% of the agricultural land in Telangana is under the control of
small and marginal farmers and hence this scheme is considered to be of immense benefit to the
small and marginal farmers.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE KALIA SCHEME AND RYUTHU BANDHU SCHEME
Components KALIA Scheme Rythu Bandhu Scheme
State Odisha Telangana
Small and marginal farmers, landless

Agricultural household, vulnerable Agricultural
Coverage All the land owning Farmers
household, landless Agricultural labourers and
sharecroppers (Actual cultivators)
Tenants and
Yes No
Sharecroppers included
Financial Assistance Uniform financial assistance of Rs

Differs for different categories of beneficiaries
Provided 8,000 per year
Life Insurance Support Yes No
Interest Free Crop Loans Yes No
Prelims: KALIA Scheme; Rythu Bandhu Scheme
The rise of low-carbon and renewable energy technologies is leading to a

major transformation in the way electricity is generated.
WORLD In this regard, can the present energy policies pursued by the countries
ENERGY ensure reliable supply of electricity while reducing the carbon emissions?
Can the world meet the energy related sustainable development goals?
OUTLOOK The World Energy Outlook Report 2018 published by International Energy
#International reports Agency (IEA) seeks to find answers to these questions.
Let us look at some of the important highlights of the Report.

WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK REPORT
• This report is an annual publication which provides insights on trends in energy demand and supply and analyses the
inter-relationship between energy security, environmental protection and economic development.
• This report is based on an approach known as "New Policies Scenario", which takes into account the outcomes of the
existing energy policies as well as the likely outcomes from the implementation of announced policy intentions by the
governments.
• The 2018 report has a special focus on the electricity.
• In the year 2000, Europe and North America accounted for more than 40% of global energy demand
and developing economies in Asia accounted for around 20%. By 2040, this situation would be
Rise in
completely reversed, with the increased demand being led by India.
Electricity
• The increased demand for electricity in India would put cleaner and affordable electricity at the centre
Demand
of strategies for economic development and emissions reduction. Hence, India would be required to
focus more on generating electricity through renewable energy such as Solar and Wind.
• By 2040, the share of renewable energy at the global level would increase from 25% to 40%. At the
Greater
same time, the share of the coal in the primary energy mix is set to decline.
thrust on
• The Report expects that cost of generating electricity through the use of solar PV and wind would
Renewable
reduce by 2040. This would give an added flexibility to India to reduce its carbon emissions and
energy
continue to generate low-cost, affordable and environment friendly electricity.
• The report expects that by 2030, Natural gas would overtake coal to become the second-largest fuel in
the global energy mix. Further, Russia would remain the world’s largest gas exporter as it opens new
Shift in routes to Asian markets.
Energy Mix • This is primarily of importance to India since Government is promoting a gas Based economy by
increasing the share of natural gas in primary energy mix of the country from current level of about 6
% to 15% by 2030.
• The shale gas revolution would enable US to become the world’s largest oil and gas producer. The
Report states that by 2025, United States would account for more than half of global oil and gas
Shift in production growth (nearly 75% for oil and 40% for gas).
Production
• This aspect of the report becomes important for India because even though India has vast amount of
of Oil and
shale gas reserves, it has not been able to exploit the reserves optimally.
Gas
• A greater thrust on the shale gas reserves would reduce India's import dependence of fossil fuel and
ensure its energy security.
• Affordability: The costs of generating electricity through solar PV and wind energy have continued to
Future
fall. However, the international crude oil prices have continued to remain volatile and hence drastic
Concerns
increase in the crude oil prices may adversely affect the affordability.
related to
Energy • Sustainability: The global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have continued to increase putting the
global community at risk. Further, energy-related air pollution continues to result in millions of
premature deaths each year.

The Government policy of price controls on the Drugs should create the right
balance between consumer and producer interests.
In this regard, recent amendments to the Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO),
DPCO ORDER 2013, have fuelled concerns that the government might find it difficult to
keep the prices of essential medical devices under control and may have an
# Govt. Policies adverse impact on the patients.
In this regard, let us understand the recent amendments to the DPCO and
why these amendments go against the interest of the patients in India.
THINGS TO KNOW
• Drug Price Control Orders (DPCO) are issued by the Government in exercise of the powers
conferred under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, for enabling the Government to declare
a ceiling price for lifesaving medicines so as to ensure that these medicines are available at a
reasonable price to the general public.
What is DPCO? • Price controls are applicable to “Scheduled drugs” or “Scheduled formulations” i.e. those
medicines which are listed out in the Schedule I of DPCO, also referred to as National List of
Essential Medicines (NLEM).
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes the prices of controlled drugs and
formulations and enforces prices and availability of the medicines in the country.
• The recent amendments states that the new drugs patented under the Indian law will be
exempted from price control for five years from the date of commencement of its commercial
marketing in India.
Amendments to • Even the drugs for treating rare or “orphan” diseases too would be exempted from price control.
DPCO • The amendments were made on the basis of the NITI Aayog’s recommendations to the
Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) for promoting research and development of new life
saving drugs.
• The medicines account for over half the costs of inpatient care and 80 per cent in the case of out-
patient care. In this regard, there is a greater need to ensure medicines at affordable prices in
India.
Problems with
• However, the recent amendment has given up the scope to fix the prices of newly patented drugs
the recent
for a period of 5 years and hence go against the interests of the patients.
amendments
• Further, the order should have given an option to the government for the compulsory licensing of
drugs. However, it has not explicitly provided that government may issue compulsory
licensing in order to ensure lifesaving medicines at affordable cost.
RELATED DETAILS
• Compulsory licenses are authorizations given to a third-party by the Government to make, use or
Compulsory sell a particular patented product without the need of the permission of the patent owner.
Licensing • The provisions regarding compulsory licenses are given in the Indian Patents Act, 1970 and in
the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement.

• India has exercised the Compulsory licencing option in 2013 for Bayer’s Nexavar, a patented
kidney cancer drug.
• It authorised Natco Pharma to manufacture and sell Nexavar in India. Subsequently, the price of
the Nexavar drug got reduced to 4% of its original price.
• Orphan drugs" are medicines which are intended for treatment of life-threatening rare
diseases which may affect only a small percentage of population. For example, Rituximab is an
orphan drug which is used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Orphan Drugs • These drugs are called “orphan” because usually the pharmaceutical industry has little incentive
in developing and marketing products intended for only a small number of patients.
• In order to promote research and innovation in orphan drugs, countries such as US and EU
extend the patent duration to beyond 20 years for such drugs and also give tax benefits.
• Generic drugs are the drugs that have the same chemical composition as branded drugs.
However, the generic drugs are sold under the chemical names which are not familiar with the
general public. For example, for popular branded drugs like Crocin and Calpol, their generic
name is Paracetamol.
Generic
• These drugs are usually manufactured by the Indian companies after the expiry of 20 years of
Medicines
patent period of the drugs.
• The generic drugs are significantly cheaper than the branded drugs and hence the Government
of India is promoting the use of generic drugs through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya
Janaushadhi Pariyojana.
Prelims: Amendments to DPCO; Compulsory Licensing; Generic Medicines; Orphan Drugs
The outcome of the recent GST Council meeting was eagerly awaited. In this
GST COUNCIL meeting, the GST council took important decisions to reduce the tax and
DECISIONS compliance burden on small and medium enterprises.
In this regard, let us understand about the decisions taken by the GST
# Taxation Council.
IMPORTANT DECISIONS
Increase in Turnover The limit of Annual Turnover in the preceding Financial Year for availing Composition Scheme
Limit for Goods has been increased to Rs 1.5 crore from Rs 1 Crore.
Compliance The compliance under Composition Scheme shall be simplified as now they would need to file
Simplification one Annual Return but Payment of Taxes would remain Quarterly
• The GST council has increased the threshold limit for compulsory registration of firms under
Higher Exemption
the GST regime.
Threshold Limit for
• The limit has been raised to Rs 40 lakh for most States and Rs 20 lakh for the north-eastern
Supplier of Goods
and hill States, from the earlier limit of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively.
Composition • A Composition Scheme shall be made available for Suppliers of Services with a Tax Rate of 6%

Scheme for Services (3% CGST +3% SGST) having an Annual Turnover in the preceding Financial Year up to Rs 50
lakhs.
• Earlier, the composition was applicable only to the manufacturers of Goods and restaurants.
Revenue
The GST Council has approved Levy of Cess on Intra-State Supply of Goods and Services within
Mobilization for
the State of Kerala at a rate not exceeding 1% for a period not exceeding 2 years.
Natural Calamities
Note: To know about the composition of GST Council and voting weightage of centre and states, refer to January Edition of
Focus Magazine
 RELATED INFORMATION: COMPOSITE SCHEME
The objective of composition scheme is to bring simplicity and to reduce the compliance cost for the
Objective small taxpayers. It is optional and the eligible company opting to pay tax under this scheme can pay
tax at a prescribed percentage of the annual turnover.
• A taxpayer whose turnover is below Rs 1.5 Crores can opt for Composition Scheme.
Who can opt for
• It includes the Manufacturers of goods, Dealers, and Restaurants (not serving alcohol).
Composition
Scheme? • Now, even the small service providers can also opt for the scheme provided their annual turnover
is less than Rs 50 lakhs.
Tax Rate
• Manufacturers and Traders: 1%
Applicable
• Restaurants: 5%
(in terms of % of
• Small Service Providers: 6%
Annual Turnover)
Benefits of the • Lower Compliance cost for the MSMEs

Composition • Reduced tax liability
Scheme • Reduced Administrative costs to ensure tax compliance
 RELATED INFORMATION: GST CESS
• The Disaster Management act, 2005 provides for financial mechanism in the form of National Disaster Response Fund
(NDRF) at the centre and state Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) at the state-level in order to deal with the disasters.
• However, the money allocated to NDRF and SDRF has remained less in spite of increase in the number of disasters in
India. Further, the money allocated under these funds can be used only for Relief and Rehabilitation. The funds cannot
be used for reconstruction works.
• In this aspect, Kerala government had sought to impose cess on GST in order to mobilize revenue to meet disaster
related expenditure.
• However, the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, provides for imposing a cess on certain
goods in order to compensate the states for the loss in the revenue due to the implementation of GST.
• In this regard, the GST council had set up ministerial panel to look into the feasibility of imposing cess on GST in order
to disaster relief and rehabilitation.
• The GST Council has now approved GST Cess on Intra-State Supply of Goods and Services within the State of Kerala.

Prelims: Composition Scheme; GST Cess; GST Council – Composition and Voting
Increased penetration of smart phones and affordable internet plans has

RBI’S boosted m-commerce in India. However, it is accompanied by increased
security threats.
GUIDELINES In this regard, the RBI has recently issued guidelines on tokenisation for
ON credit and Debit card transactions.
Tokenization is set to provide a safe and reliable manner for carrying out
TOKENISATION the payment transactions in India.
# RBI Let us understand various facets related to Tokenization of payment
transactions.
• Tokenization involves substituting sensitive data such as a person's account number with a one-
time number known as a token.
• A token would have no reference to a person’s account number. The customer’s primary account
What is
number (PAN) is replaced with a custom, randomly-generated alphanumeric ID.
tokenization?
• This token can then be used for making transactions by the person. Since, the tokens do not contain
any sensitive information, it would be of no use even if it is hacked and thus provides for additional
layer of security.
 Registration of Token
Step 1: The Customer enrolls his account with a digital payment service (such as an online retailer or
mobile wallet) by entering account number and other payment account information details.
Step 2: The digital payment service provider (online retailer or mobile wallet) requests a payment token
from the card network company (Visa, MasterCard etc) for the enrolled account.
Step 3: Payment card company shares the token request with the customer's bank.
Step 4: Payment card network company then replaces the consumer’s account details with the token.
Step 5: Payment card network shares the token with the token requestor for online and mobile payment
How does it use. A payment token can be limited to a specific mobile device, ecommerce merchant or number of
work? purchases (say, a limit of five) before expiring.
 How tokens are used?
Step 1: The Customer initiates payment on the digital service provider (e-wallet, ecommerce merchant
or app)
Step 2: The digital service provider sends the token to the payment card company.
Step 3: Payment card company sends the token along with the payment card details to the bank for
payment authorization.
Step 4: The Bank authorizes the transaction and sends its response to the payment card company.
Step 5: The transaction gets completed.
Why is it • Tokenization provides added layer of security and convenience for the customers. It eliminates

important? the need to enter the account number multiple times when shopping on a smartphone or tablet.
• It is safer than magnetic strips because tokens don’t carry the consumer’s primary account number.
• Further, there is less risk in storing tokens online. Even if it is hacked, it would not be possible for the
fraudsters to decrypt the account details.
The RBI has decided to permit authorized card payment networks to offer card tokenization services to
any token requestor (i.e., third party app provider).
 Tokenization – de-tokenization service
• Adequate safeguards shall be put in place to ensure that Primary Account Number (PAN) cannot be
found out from the token and vice versa, by anyone except the card network.
• Actual card data, token and other relevant details shall be stored in a secure mode. Token requestors
RBI’S shall not store PAN or any other card detail.
Guidelines  Registration by customer
• Registration of card on token requestor’s app shall be done only with explicit customer consent
through Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) (such as OTP) and not by way of a forced / default /
automatic selection of check box, radio button, etc.
• Customers shall have option to register / de-register their card.
• Customers shall be given option to set and modify per transaction and daily transaction limits for
tokenized card transactions.
Prelims: Concept of Tokenisation; RBI’s Guidelines on Tokenisation
The government has been pushing RBI to provide relief to the stressed
RESTRUCTURING MSME sector. The central bank’s board recently advised RBI to consider a
scheme to recast loans of MSMEs, which have been hurt by the
OF LOANS FOR disruption caused by demonetization and GST.
MSMEs In this regard, the RBI has allowed lenders to restructure loans of
stressed MSMEs, provided the total exposure to a borrower doesn’t
# RBI exceed Rs 25 crore.
• Restructured assets or loans are those assets which get an extended repayment period,
reduction in the interest rate or the principal amount etc from the lenders.
Meaning of
• Hence, through the restructuring of loans, the lenders make it easier for the borrowers to fulfill
Restructuring
their debt obligations, if they are facing problems in repaying back the loans.
of Loans
• The restructuring of loans provides the necessary flexibility to the borrowers and help the banks to
ensure that such loans do not turn into NPAs.
• In March 2016, RBI had notified a mechanism for resolving stressed MSME loans of up to Rs 25
RBI’s existing crore. The guidelines stated that banks should classify stress in such loans into three categories—
framework for special mention account (SMA) 0, SMA 1 and SMA 2, depending on the delay in repayment of loans.
resolving  SMA 0 ( Delay up to 30 Days)

stressed  SMA 1 ( Delay up to 31-60 Days)

MSMEs  SMA 2 ( Delay up to 61-90 Days)
• The loans still remain standard even in these categories and turn bad only after a delay in payment
of more than 90 days.
• RBI has allowed a one-time restructuring of existing MSME loans that have defaulted, but are not
NPAs i.e. categorized as special mention account (SMA)
• To be eligible for the debt restructuring scheme, the aggregate exposure of MSMEs to a borrower
New Terms of should not exceed Rs 25 crore.
Restructuring
• The restructuring has to be implemented by March 31, 2020.
of Loans
• Each bank/NBFC should formulate a policy for this scheme which should provide for viability
assessment of the stressed accounts and regular monitoring of the restructured accounts.
• The MSMEs form an important component of the Indian economy and contribute significantly to
the country’s GDP, exports, industrial output, employment generation, etc.
Importance of • The amount of gross NPAs in the micro and small enterprises sector has been growing over the last
the Scheme few years and stood at around Rs 80,000 crores in 2017.
• Considering the importance of MSMEs in the Indian economy, it was considered necessary to take
certain measures for creating an enabling environment for the MSME sector.
Prelims: Concept of Restructuring; Special Mention Account (SMA); RBI’s Guidelines on Restructuring of loans
The Government of India has envisaged ushering a Gas Based economy by

increasing the share of natural gas in primary energy mix of the country
from current level of about 6 % to 15% by 2030.
GAS TRADING In this regard, the government is considering the establishment of a Gas
HUB Trading Hub / Exchange (GTHE), where natural gas can be traded, and
supplied through a market based mechanism instead of multiple formula
# Govt. Policies driven prices.
Let us understand about various facets of the Gas Trading Hub and its
benefits for India.
THINGS TO KNOW
• Natural gas hubs are at the heart of gas infrastructure networks such as pipelines and liquefied
natural gas (LNG) terminals.
What is a Gas • The hub is used as a central pricing point for the network’s natural gas i.e. the natural gas price is
Hub? completely market determined based on forces of demand and supply.
• Hence, creation of Gas hub would entail giving up the formula based pricing of natural gas and
allowing the market forces to dictate its prices.
• The world’s biggest natural gas hub is the Henry Hub in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The Henry Hub
Major Gas Hubs
benefits from vast domestic gas production as well as the world’s biggest and most freely
of the World
accessible pipeline network, which stretches into Canada and Mexico.

• In Europe, Britain’s National Balancing Point (NBP) and the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF)
have emerged as the main natural gas hubs.
• China has also planned to launch a natural gas trading hub in Chongqing.
How is the • Currently, the government fixes the prices of the domestically produced natural gas. The rate is
Natural Gas arrived at using price prevalent in gas-surplus nations of US, Canada, UK, and Russia.
Price fixed in • This shows that the domestic prices of the natural gas does not reflect the demand and supply of
India? the natural gas within India, rather it is based on international benchmarks.
• According to a recent survey, global natural gas demand is expected to continue to grow rapidly
and outperform all other fossil fuels by 2030. This rise in demand is fuelled by the economic
growth of developing countries such as China and India.
• Hence, there must be some provision to allow natural gas to compete in local energy markets on a
Benefits of Gas
global scale through pricing system.
Trading Hub in
• This is possible through the Gas Hubs which would allow the domestically produced natural gas to
India
be priced based on market conditions.
• Further, such a mechanism would also incentivize greater amount of private investment in natural
gas exploration and setting up of infrastructure such as gas pipelines leading to the development
of National Gas Grid as envisaged by the government.
Prelims: Concept of Gas Trading Hub and its benefits
NEWS Snippets
IN NEWS: The Central Government has released the Eighth Edition of the Status Paper on the
Government Debt, which provides a detailed analysis of the Overall Debt Position of the
Government of India.
• It is to be noted that debt indicates the total outstanding liabilities of the government,
while the fiscal deficit indicates new borrowings made in the year.
• This report presents a mixed picture of the debt position in India. On one hand, the debt of
the central government has reduced while the debt of the state governments has increased in
DEBT-TO-
the last 4-5 years.
GDP RATIO  What does the Report say?
• It is to be noted that the N.K. Singh-headed FRBM Review Committee report had
recommended the debt ratio to be 40% for the Centre and 20% for the States,
respectively, by 2023.
• The Centre’s total debt as a percentage of GDP has reduced to 46.5% in 2017-18 from 47.5%
as of March 31, 2014.
• However, the total debt of the States has been rising over this period to 24% in 2017-18 and is

estimated to be 24.3% in 2018-19.

• The outstanding liabilities of the state governments have increased on the account of
issuance of UDAY Bonds.
 Understanding UDAY Bonds
• The state owned power distribution companies (discoms) have been accumulating huge
losses leading to increase in NPAs. The discoms have been supplying electricity at tariffs
which are far below the operating cost due to political compulsions.
• Further, inefficiencies in power distribution such as large transmission and distribution losses
on power have further strained the finances of the discoms, who have been borrowing
heavily from banks leading to higher NPAs.
• Hence, in order to solve this problem, UDAY Scheme was launched in November 2015 to help
loss-making discoms turn around financially, with support from their State governments.
• Under the scheme, States will take over 75% of the debt of their respective discoms. The
governments will then issue ‘UDAY bonds’ to banks and other financial institutions to raise
money to pay off the banks. The remaining 25 percent debt will be financed by bonds issued
by DISCOM.
IN NEWS: The Baltic Dry Index has fallen by more than 40% since mid-2018 which shows that
freight rates for raw materials has been on decline. This provides an important clue that the
Global economy is probably heading towards slowdown.
In this regard, let us understand about the Baltic Dry Index. Freight rates for dry-bulk and
container ships.
 What is Baltic Dry Index?
The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an economic indicator issued daily by the London-based Baltic
Exchange. The index provides an assessment of the price of moving the major raw materials
by sea. The Baltic Dry Index takes into account the freight rates for bulk commodities such as
coal, iron ore and grain.
Baltic Dry  Importance of Baltic Dry Index
Index Changes in the Baltic Dry Index can provide investors with important clues related to global
supply and demand trends. It is often considered a leading indicator of future economic
growth.
If the Index increases, it means that the freight rates have increased which indicate higher
demand for raw materials such as Coal, Iron-ore etc. Hence, an increase in the index value would
point to increased economic activity and hence higher economic growth.
Similarly, if the index decreased, it would point to decreased economic activity and hence lower
economic growth in future.
 Other Indices for tracking Freight rates
The Baltic Dirty Tanker Index tracks freight rates for crude oil and the Baltic Clean Tanker Index
tracks freight rates for petroleum products.

IN NEWS: The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of National Bench of the Goods and
Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).
Background: Under CGST Act, the Central Government is empowered to constitute Appellate
Tribunal on the recommendations of the GST Council.
It would be a forum of second appeal in GST laws and the first common forum of dispute
resolution between Centre and States.
 Details about GSTAT
GST Appellate • The National Bench of the Appellate Tribunal shall be situated at New Delhi.
Tribunal • It shall be presided over by its President and shall consist of one Technical Member (Centre)
and one Technical Member (State).
• The appeals against the orders in first appeals issued by the Appellate Authorities under the
Central and State GST Acts would lie before the GST Appellate Tribunal
• This would be a common appellate tribunal under the Central as well as State GST Acts.
Need for GSTAT: Since it would be a common forum under the Central as well as State GST Acts,
it would lead to uniformity in redressal of disputes arising under GST and bring about more
clarity in implementation of GST across the country.
IN NEWS: The Union Cabinet has approved the recapitalization of EXIM Bank. In this aspect, let
us understand about the role of EXIM bank and the impact of its recapitalisation.
 Role of EXIM Bank
• Exim Bank was established in 1982 under an Act of Parliament as the apex financial institution
for financing, facilitating and promoting India's international trade.
• The Bank primarily lends for exports from India including supporting overseas buyers and
Indian suppliers for export of developmental and infrastructure projects, equipment, goods
and services from India. It is regulated by RBI.
 Recapitalisation of EXIM Bank
• The EXIM Bank would be recapitalised through the issue of Recapitalization Bonds worth
EXIM BANK Rs.6,000 crore. The recapitalisation bonds will be on the lines issued to Public Sector Banks.
• The Cabinet has also approved an increase in the authorized capital of Exim Bank from Rs.
10,000 crore to Rs. 20,000 crore.
 Rationale for Recapitalisation
• The recapitalisation of EXIM Bank is done in order to arrest sharp deterioration in assets
quality as well as capital adequacy of the Bank. It is to be noted that the EXIM Bank has
recorded high losses since 2017-18.
• Thus, the infusion of capital would enable it to augment capital adequacy and support Indian
exports with enhanced ability.
• Further, the infusion will give an impetus to anticipate new initiatives like supporting Indian
textile industries.

IN NEWS: The Government e Marketplace [GeM] has launched “Womaniya on GeM” as an

initiative to enable women entrepreneurs and women self-help groups [WSHGs] to sell their
products to the government agencies.
 What is GeM?
• The GeM facilitates online procurement of Goods & Services required by various Government
Departments / Organisations / PSUs. It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in
public procurement.
• The purchases through GeM by Government users have been authorised and made
mandatory by the Ministry of Finance.
 Benefits of Womaniya
WOMANIYA • Using this portal, the women entrepreneurs would be able to sell their goods such as
handicrafts and handloom, accessories, jute and coir products, home décor and office
furnishings, directly to various Government ministries.
• It would be of immense benefit for the economy as well as society as more than 60 percent of
8 million units are owned and or led by women entrepreneurs from socially-challenged
sections of the society.
• Since women tend to invest up to 90 percent of their earnings back in their families to provide
better nutrition, health care and education to their children, economic empowerment of
women is a step in the direction of poverty alleviation.
• This would enable India to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender
equality and empower all women and girls.
IN NEWS: The Government has launched Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana for the benefit of the
Indian Diaspora.
 Details about the Scheme
• Under this scheme, the Indian diaspora aged between 45-65 can undertake a tour of
religious places across the country and reconnect with their roots.
Pravasi • It would be a government sponsored tour that would be undertaken twice in a year.
The Government would bear all the expenses including the airfare of the Indian diaspora
Teerth •
from their country of residence.
Darshan • All people of Indian-origin aged 45-65 can apply and a group will be selected out of them with
Yojana first preference given to people from 'Girmitiya countries'.
 Girmitiya Countries
• Girmitiya was the name given to the Indians who had left the country during the British era to
serve as labourers in British colonies across the world such as South Africa, Malay Peninsula,
Fiji, Mauritius etc. These people were also referred to as "Jahajis".
• These countries are now referred to as Girmitiya Countries.
PANDA IN NEWS: Pakistan's cabinet has recently approved the issuance of first-ever Panda Bonds to

BONDS raise loans from China's capital markets. In this regards, let us understand some basic details
about Panda Bonds.
• A "Panda bond" is a Yuan-denominated bond issued in the Chinese mainland market by an
overseas entity. It was rolled out in 2005 by the central government as part of the
internationalization of Renminbi or Yuan.
• At present, foreign companies and Chinese companies' overseas branches mainly issue
Panda Bonds to raise capital.
• The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) were the
first entities to issue Panda Bonds in 2005.
• Further, In March 2018, Philippines became the first ASEAN member to issue Panda bonds.
 Advantages of Panda Bonds
Additional funding channel: The international companies with operations in mainland China
benefit from issuing Panda Bonds as it allows them to finance their mainland China operations
without exposing themselves to foreign exchange risks.
Access to Chinese investors: Panda Bonds provide an ideal opportunity for mainland China
investors to diversify their investment portfolios and reduce their risk.
 Similar Bonds across the World
• Dim Sum Bonds: These are Yuan denominated bonds issued only in Hong Kong.
• Samurai Bonds: These are Yen-denominated bonds issued in Japan by a foreign company.
The bonds are subject to Japanese bond regulations, attract investors from Japan and provide
capital to a foreign issuer.
• Yankee Bonds: These are dollar denominated bonds issued in the U.S. by a foreign entity in
order to raise capital.
IN NEWS: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently given its approval for
including merchant exporters under the Interest Equalization Scheme (IES) for Pre and Post
Shipment Rupee Export Credit. Earlier it was available only to the Manufacturers.
 Objective
• This scheme was approved by the government to be implemented from 1st April, 2015 for
five years.
Interest • This scheme aims to boost exports from India by providing interest subsidy on the loans
taken by the MSMEs, Manufacturing exporters and Merchant Exporters for the export of
Equalisation certain notified products.
Scheme Benefits: The rate of interest equalization would be 5 percent for the MSMEs, while it would be
3% for the Manufacturing exporters and Merchant Exporters.
Products Covered: The products which receive the interest subsidy on exports are largely in
labour intensive sectors such as Agriculture, Textiles, Leather, Handicraft, machinery, etc and
hence this scheme also boosts job creation.
 Rationale for Inclusion of Merchant Exporters under the Scheme
• Apart from that, the textile industry in India is dominated by MSMEs. These MSMEs depend

upon the merchant exporters for their exports wherein the merchant exporters account for
35% to 40% of textile exports from India.
• Hence, in this regard, inclusion of merchant exporters under the scheme is expected to boost
the exports of the MSMEs.
IN NEWS: The RBI has changed the Gold Monetization Scheme (GMS) to make charitable
institutions and the government entities eligible to deposit under the scheme. So far, individuals,
corporate entities, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds were allowed to deposit gold under
the scheme.
 About Gold Monetization Scheme
 Rationale
• India imports as much as 800-1000 tonnes of gold each year. Though stocks of gold in India
are estimated to be over 20,000 tonnes, most of this gold is neither traded, nor monetized.
• Hence, the basic idea behind the scheme is to mobilize the gold lying idle and put it to
Gold
productive use. India is one of the largest consumers of gold in the world; however, it has to
Monetisation rely on imports to meet around 80 per cent of its demand for gold.
 How does it work?
Scheme
• Gold Monetization Scheme (GMS) refers to a process wherein a depositor deposits gold (say
jewellery, coin, etc.) with a bank which is then lent by the bank to its borrowers (say jewellery
makers), after melting into gold bars.
• This is akin to a normal banking operation (like a savings bank account), but carried out in
terms of gold instead of in rupee.
• For example if a customer deposits 100 gms of gold and gets 1 per cent interest, then, on
maturity he has a credit of 101 gms. The customer will have the option of redemption either
in cash or in gold, which will have to be exercised in the beginning itself (at the time of making
the deposit).
IN NEWS: The government has launched a Global Environment Facility (GEF) assisted project
namely, “Green – Ag: Transforming Indian Agriculture for global environment benefits and the
conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes”.
 Need
• India needs to strengthen rural livelihood and meet its food and nutritional security. However,
at the same time, we also need to ensure that Indian agriculture has to take into account the
environmental objectives of sustainable management practices and conservation of
Green-Ag biodiversity.
Project • Hence, in this regard, the project seeks to mainstream biodiversity, climate change and
sustainable land management objectives and practices into Indian agriculture.
Objective: Bring about changes in agricultural sector in order to support achievement of
national and global environmental benefits and conservation of critical biodiversity and forest
landscapes.

 Where is it implemented?
• Madhya Pradesh : Chambal Landscape
• Mizoram: Dampa Landscape
• Odisha: Similipal Landscape
• Rajasthan: Desert National Park Landscape
• Uttarakhand: Corbett-Rajaji Landscape.
IN NEWS: The world Gold Council has released the report stating that due to uncertainty of
market conditions, the demand for Gold is set to increase in year 2019 and it expects that gold
imports into India could increase to 700-800 tonnes this year.
 Details about World Gold Council
The World Gold Council is an association consisting of the world’s leading gold mining
companies. It helps to support its members to mine in a responsible way.
Objective: It seeks to develop the Gold Market across the World by providing insights into the
international gold markets, helping people to understand the investment qualities of gold and its
role in meeting the social needs of society.
World Gold It works with governments, international agencies and policy-makers to develop policies that
Council reduce barriers and improve access to gold.

 Major Contribution
There are growing concerns that the newly mined gold could be used to finance armed conflicts
in the countries. Thus, there is a need to ensure that the gold that is sold in the market does not
indirectly finance such conflicts.
In this regard, the World Gold Council has developed the Conflict-Free Gold Standard to help
companies to provide assurance that their gold is not contributing to conflict.
Thus, Conflict-Free Gold Standard provides assurance that their gold has been extracted in a
manner that does not cause, support or benefit unlawful armed conflict or contribute to serious
human rights abuses or breaches of international humanitarian law.
IN NEWS: A group of researchers from RBI have published a report titled as "The Impact of
Crude Price shock on India's Current Account Deficit, Inflation and Fiscal Deficit".
• The report highlights that the crude price shock in the 1970s adversely hit the growth of
economies across the world.
• Even today, increase in the crude oil prices can still jeopardize the economies such as India
RBI Report which are primarily dependent on crude imports.
 What does this Report Highlight?
Impact on CAD: For every 10$ increase in crude prices, CAD will shoot up by 43 bps. More
importantly, the CAD ratio will rise sharply irrespective of a higher GDP growth.
Impact on Inflation: A rise in global crude prices will increase the domestic price of crude
products and increase domestic inflation. This can be seen in two ways.

Econnomic Deveelopment
Firstly, the Cru

ude oil is a co
onstituent off CPI and hen
nce increase in Oil would
d lead to increase in
CPII. Secondly, retail prices of all other commoditiess manufactured using crrude as an in
nput will
also increase du
ue to this sho
ock and in turn affect the CPI again, which
w is the in
ndirect effectt.
Hence, this rep
port estimate
es that a 10$ increase in oil
o price will raise the infflation by rou
ughly 49
bassis points.
Impact on Fisscal Deficit:: So far, the
e present go
overnment has
h passed on the incrrease in
inte
ernational crrude prices to domestic pump
p prices.. However, going forward
d, if the gove
ernment
deccides to abso
orb a part of tthe same, it could
c have an impact on the
t fiscal defficit.
This report hig
ghlights thatt there wou
uld be increase in the fiscal deficitt by 43 bpss if the
gov
vernment de
ecides to abso
orb the entire
e oil price shock rather th
han pass it to
o the end use
ers.

SOCIETY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

# GS Paper I & GS Paper III (Main)
ANNUAL SURVEY OF Destiny of the nation is shaped in its classrooms. Let us see the
shaping of destiny on the basis of latest Annual Status of
HIGHER EDUCATION Education Report (ASER), 2018 which has been released by NGO
# Education Pratham.
ABOUT ASER
• This is an annual survey that aims to provide reliable estimates of children’s enrolment and basic learning levels for
each district and state in India.
• It is conducted and published by the NGO Pratham.
• ASER has been conducted every year since 2005 in all rural districts of India.
• It is a rural survey and urban areas are not covered.
• It is the largest citizen-led survey in India.
• ASER is a household-based rather than school-based survey.
• Schooling status is recorded for children of ages 3-16, while children of ages 5-16 are tested for their ability to read
simple text and do basic arithmetic.
• It is also the only annual source of information on children’s learning outcomes available in India today.
• ASER in other countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan, Mali and Senegal
FINDINGS
• The proportion of girls out of school has also declined, from 6% in 2010 to 4% in 2018.
• States which showed improvement in basic reading levels: Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
• States which showed improvement in basic arithmetic levels: Punjab, UP, Assam, Chhattisgarh,
Improvements
Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh
• These achievements are attributed to the Right to Education Act 2009 (RTE) legislation, which
mandated free and compulsory education for 6-14 year old and is credited with reducing
“inequalities in access between states” and “beefed up infrastructure in government schools”.
• Only 73% of Class 8 students in rural districts can read a Class 2 level text. However, 56% can’t solve
a basic division problem.
Worries • 1 out of 4 children in rural India leaves Class 8 without basic reading skills and over half of them
(55.9%) without basic numerical literacy or without the ability to do a simple division sum.
• Only 28% of Class 5 students are able to do division, compared with 37% in 2008.
Major issues • Learning outcomes witnessed a decline following the “push towards universalization” after the RTE

Society and Social Justice
highlighted came into force in 2010.

• While there have been improvements across numeracy and literacy indicators since 2010, levels
remain below those seen a decade ago and significant disparities in learning outcomes across the
nation’s states persist.
• Poor performance in school-based reading and math tests also signals future problems in
adulthood, as the lack of foundational skills impedes children’s ability to carry out basic life tasks.
• The survey also highlighted wide-disparities among learning levels in states.
A research conducted by the Research Institute for Compassionate

OPEN Economics (R.I.C.E.) and the Accountability Initiative of the Centre for Policy
Research on the impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the rural parts of
DEFECATION four northern states has indicated that although open defecation has fallen
CONTINUES and toilet ownership has increased yet the percentage of people who owned
toilets but continued to defecate in the open has remained unchanged
# Health # Sanitation between 2014 and 2018.
FINDINGS
• The research shows that approximately 44% of people over two years old in rural Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
and Uttar Pradesh still defecate in the open.
• Almost 60% of households covered by the survey which did not have a toilet in 2014 had one by 2018.
• But the fraction of people who own a toilet, but who nevertheless defecate in the open remains at about 23%.
• This finding is based on a late 2018 survey, which covered 9812 people in these states. The researchers visited the
same areas and families which who participated in a similar June 2014 survey which had showed that 70% of people
then defecated in the open.
• This indicates that the Mission has been more successful at toilet construction rather than facilitating a behavioural
change.
CHALLENGES
Mindset of The mindset of a major portion of the population habituated to open defecation needs to be changed.
People Many of them already have a toilet but prefer to defecate in the open.
Scientific There is no professional expertise in the Municipal Corporation to keep the city clean and it remains
Waste unclear how and where the waste will be disposed and what extent of the responsibility for managing
Management waste lies with citizens.
The lack of resources for maintenance of school toilets and community sanitary complexes could result
Sustainability in rapid deterioration and subsequent non-usage of these over time, severely impacting the
sustainability of the programme.
Lack of staff Inadequate dedicated staff at the Field Level for implementation of rural sanitation.

WAY FORWARD
• Need to have a comprehensive behavioural change strategy that focuses on changing the mindset of people and
eradicating the open defecation habit.
• Toilets need to be projected as a status symbol, a trend that people can follow, rather than forcing them as a
prescription
• School textbooks should include chapters on sanitation.
• Post construction of toilets, the government should establish a monitoring system that makes sure that the latrines
are emptied regularly when they fill up and the waste is decomposed safely, and not into nearby rivers or oceans.
• In rural areas, focus needs to be laid upon Panchayati Raj institutions, which can be used as a platform to promote
sustainable sanitation practices.
A challenge to women empowerment, two recent studies carried out by the

DEVADASI National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, and the Tata
Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai, point to the lackluster approach of
SYSTEM the government in preventing practices of devadasi custom across the country.
# Culture Studies present apathetic approach of the legislature and enforcement agencies
#Women # Society to crack down on the practice, particularly prevalent among oppressed
communities of north Karnataka.
• The term ‘devadasi’ literally means “female slave to god”.

• The origin of Devadasi tradition goes as back to the sixth century when the young girls, were
dedicated to the local temple.
• After they would have gone through the dedication ceremony, they would be ‘married’ to the deity.
• At present, the devadasi system is mainly prevalent in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and
About
Maharashtra.
Devadasi
system • Their main duties include committing to a life without marriage and dedicating their life to the temple.
They acted as the temple care-takers and performed rituals, dancing and music in the honour of the
deity.
• They learned classical Indian dances, usually the Bharatanatyam, which they would perform at temple
rituals. The devadasis were expected to provide sexual favours to the members belonging to the
higher social and financial status.
• Special children, with physical or mental disabilities, are more vulnerable to be dedicated as
devadasis.
Issues • Girls from socio-economically marginalised communities continued to be victims of the custom,
related to and thereafter were forced into the commercial sex racket.
the practice • The devadasi system continues to receive customary sanction from families and communities.
• Though this practice is very much prevalent in Karnataka yet the Karnataka government has still not
issued rules for administering the Karnataka Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act, 1982.

Societty and Soc ial Justicee
• Despite sufficient evvidence of the prevalence

e of the practtice and its link to sexuall exploitation
n, recent
legislatio
ons - the Prrotection of Children fro
om Sexual Offences
O (POCSO) Act 2012, and Juvenile
Justice (JJ)
( Act of 20
015 – do not specifically mentions
m abo
out prohibitio
on of devadaasi custom ass a form
of sexua
al exploitatio n of children
n.
• Further, the propossed Traffick
king of Persons (Preven
ntion, Prote
ection and R
Rehabilitation) Bill
2018, also do not reccognise these
e dedicated girls
g as victim
ms of trafficking for sexua l purposes.
• State’s failure
f to enh
hance livelihood sources for weaker sections of society
s fuels the continuation of
dasi system leading to exploitation of children including girls.
the pracctice of devad
• The statte must provvide for reha
abilitation of children involved in the devadasi syystem. Furthe
er, state
should also
a provide means for livvelihood to such children..
Wa
ay forward
• There iss a need to rrecognize the
e prevalence of the practtice of devadasi system aand its link to
o sexual
exploitation and incllude the provvision for its prohibition under
u the Trrafficking of P
Persons (Prevvention,
Protectio
on and Reha
abilitation) Billl 2018, Prote
ection of Children from Se
exual Offencees (POCSO) A
Act 2012
and Juve
enile Justice (J
(JJ) Act of 2015.
In order to
o eliminate Lymphatic
L filariasis/ ele
ephantiasis, Nagpur disstrict in
ELEPHANTIASIS Maharashttra has rolle
ed out the WHO
W recomm mended ,tripple drug the
erapy
#Health on pilot ba
asis.
T
THINGS TO KNOW
K
• The Lym
mphatic filaria
asis, also
known as
a elephantia
asis, is a
parasiticc disease ca
aused by
infection
n of roundw
worms of
the family Filarioidea
a.
• There are 3 types o
of filarial
worms which cause
elephan
ntiasis, namely -
Wuchere
eria bancroftti, Brugia
About
malayi and
a Brugia tim
mori.
Lym
mphatic
• About 90% of
Fila
ariasis
cases re
eported are due to
infection
n by Wucchereria
bancroffti.
• The worm
w bloc ks the
lymphattic system which
causes swelling in the legs
and oth
her part of th
he body,
making them look la rge, puffy an
nd elephant-like.
• Culex, Aedes
A and A
Anopheles m
mosquitoes serve
s as vec
ctor for W.ba
ancrofti worm
m in transmission of

the disease.
• It is also transmitted by blood-feeding black flies.
• Further, Lymphatic Filariasis infection starts mostly in childhood even though the disease
manifestations are seen later in adulthood.
• It is classified as a neglected tropical disease with India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Bangladesh
contributing to about 70% of the infection worldwide.
• Though infected people can be treated with diethylcarbamazine that kills the microscopic worms
circulating in the blood, however, it does not completely eliminate microfilaria. Thus, a Mass Drug
Administration was introduced by WHO.
Treatment • The MDA includes a 2-drug regimen which is 99% effective in removing microfilariae from the blood
after one year of treatment.
• The WHO is now rolling out 3-drug regimen called IDA including (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine
and albendazole) on a trial basis in 5 countries which could potentially help in eradicating the disease.
• Lymphatic filariasis is a public health problem in India accounting for about 40% of world disease
burden.
• It is endemic to 17 states and 6 union territories with 4 most endemic states namely Uttar Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.
• Bihar has highest endemicity with over 17%.
Situation in  Steps to eradicate Lymphatic Filariasis

India • India has set the ambitious target of eradicating filariasis by 2020.
• India has a National Filaria Control Programme since 1955.
• The mass drug administration program has been underway in India since 2004.
• Further "Hathipaon Mukt Bharat" is a creative project initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare along with the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases to deliver preventive
medications to high-risk communities.
W.B.: TRIBALS AND HUMAN Adivasis in West Bengal are way behind in human
DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS development indicators including food scarcity in
around 1/3rd of the tribal households.
# Social Justice #Empowerment
THINGS TO KNOW
• While the human development indicators of tribal population across India are bad, West Bengal in
particular leads the pack.
Findings of • Food scarcity is among the major issues among tribal population with low level of integration with
the survey the mainstream.
• Further, while the life expectancy at birth of common population in West Bengal was reported to be
70, among tribals it is 58.

• The tribal children also faced the problem of lack of full immunization.
• The dropout rate among Adivasis was high as indicated by higher work participation rate 49%.
• 44% of households do not have access to toilets.
• About 2/3rd of the households had no drainage system.
• Poverty-related alcoholism is a major cause of premature deaths.

• The ailing public health system has further reduced life expectancy at birth.
• Degradation of forest and environmental degradation are the major reasons for low nutritional status.
• Low level of awareness among Adivasis of their rights under Forest Rights Act.
• In a recent Right to Food report identified issues related to denial of Aadhaar-based PDS rations
Reasons
account for most of the hunger deaths among disadvantaged groups like Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims.
• Food crops are affected due to water scarcity in the region.
• The hydel projects have diverted the water resulting in water scarcity in the region.
• Conversion of forest land for other purposes has severely affected the nutritional status of tribal
population who are inextricably linked to forests.
The Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins initiative has been started by three oil
UJJWALA SANITARY marketing companies – IOCL, BPCL and HPCL as a part of Corporate
NAPKIN SCHEME Social Responsibility. The scheme has two primary objectives to
improve accessibility to basic hygiene product – sanitary pads and
#Women # Dignity create employment opportunity to women.
THINGS TO KNOW
• In the first phase of the campaign, oil marketing companies will set up 100 manufacturing units at the Common Service
Centres (CSC), covering 93 blocks in 30 districts of the state..
• CSC is single window delivery centre to provide for delivery of essential public utility services, social welfare schemes
etc. in rural and remote areas of the country.
• The Ujjwala pads will be made of virgin wood pulp sheet, non-woven white sheet and a gel sheet which are all
biodegradable in nature and will leave minimal carbon footprint.

SCIEENCE & TECHNOOLOGYY

# GGS Paper (PPrelims) & GS Paper II I (Main)
NEWS SSnippetts
No
ote: Circadia
an Rhythm
ms are
phy
ysical, menta
al and behavioural
cha
anges that fo
ollow a daily ccycle.
The
ese behavio
oural change
es are
primarily trigge
ered in respo
onse to
ligh
ht and darrkness. Thesse are
fou
und in mostt living orga
anisms
including plan
nts, animalss and
ma
any tiny micro
obes.
The
e study of ccircadian rhyythm is
kno
own as chron
nobiology.
Forr this Jeffreyy C. Hall, M
Michael
Rossbash and Michael W. Young
were the joint w
winners of th
he 2017
Nobel Prize in physiolo
ogy or
CIIRCADIAN me
edicine, winn ing for their discoveries about how internal clock
ks and biologgical rhythm
ms govern
hum
man life.
RH
HYTHM
THINGS
T TO KNOW
K
 Wha
at are biolog
gical clocks??
• Biological clo
ocks are in-b
built timing de
evices of the organisms and
a composeed of specificc proteins
that interactt in cells throughout the body.
b
• Biological clo
ocks produce
e circadian rh
hythm and re
egulate their timing.
• Circadian R
Rhythms are
e produced by natural factors with
hin the bod
dy but signa
als from
environmen
nt also affect them.
• Changing th
he light-dark cycles can speed up, slo
ow down, or reset biologgical clocks a
as well as
circadian rhyythms.
How Circadian
n Rhythms a
affect body functions?
f Circadian
C rhytthms influen
nce sleep-wak
ke cycles,
horrmone relea
ase, eating h
habits and other importa
ant bodily fu
unctions. Irreegular rhythms have
bee
en linked to
o various chronic health conditions, such as sle
eep disorderrs, obesity, diabetes,
dep
pression, bip
polar disorder, and season
nal affective disorder.
d
How circadian
n rhythm arre related to
t jet lag? People
P get je
et lag when travel disru
upts their

Scieence & Tec hnology
circcadian rhyth
hms. When yyou pass through differe
ent time zones, your bio
ological clock
ks will be
diffferent from tthe local time
e.
IN NEWS: MIT researchers have designed inhalable

e form of mRNA
m that co
ould be used
d to treat
lun
ng diseases. T
This, mRNA, ccan be admin
nistered direcctly into the lungs
l througgh aerosols.
• RNA–in this role–is the “DNA photoc
copy” of the cell. When th
he cell needss to produce a certain
protein, it a
activates the protein’s ge
ene–the porttion of DNA that codes for that pro
otein–and
produces m ultiple copiess of that piec
ce of DNA in the
t form of messenger
m R
RNA, or mRN
NA.
• The multiple
e copies of mRNA are then
t used to
o translate the geneticc code into protein
through the action of the
e cell’s protein manufactu
uring machinery, the ribo
osomes.
• Thus, RNA e
expands the quantity of a given prottein that can
n be made att one time ffrom one
given gene, and it provides an important control point for regulating w
when and ho
ow much
protein gets made.
M-RNA
IN NEWS: Tran siting Exopla

anet Satellite (TESS) is an MIT-led NASA
A mission fo r surveying ttransiting
exo
oplanets.
TES
SS was launcched in 2018
8 and has dis
scovered a new planet 53
3 light years away from o
our solar
sysstem. The pla
anet is name
ed HD 21749
9b, orbits a bright,
b nearby dwarf starr about 53 lig
ght years
away, in the con
nstellation Re
eticulum.
The
e planet disco
overed by TE
ESS is possibly rocky, hot sub-Neptune
s e-sized exopl anet.
THINGS
T TO KNOW
K
TE
ESS
• What is an Exoplanet? A
All of the planets in our so
olar system orbit
o around the Sun. Planets that
orbit around
d other stars are called exoplanets. Exoplanets are very harrd to see dire
ectly with
telescopes. T
They are hidd
den by the bright glare off the stars the
ey orbit.
• Scientists se
earch for exoplanets by lo
ooking at the effects thes
se planets h
have on the sstars they
orbit.
• One way to search for ex
xoplanets is to
t look for "w
wobbly" stars. A star thaat has planetts doesn’t
orbit perfecttly around itts centre. Fro
om far away, this off-centter orbit ma kes the star look like
it’s wobbling
g.

Science & Technology
• However, only big planets like Jupiter, or even larger can be seen this way. Smaller Earth-like
planets are much harder to find because they create only small wobbles that are hard to
detect.
• So in 2009, NASA launched a spacecraft called Kepler to look for exoplanets. Kepler looked for
planets in a wide range of sizes and orbits. And these planets orbited around stars that varied
in size and temperature.
IN NEWS: A case of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), a viral disease which is transmitted to
humans through ticks has been reported in Wayanad district.
• About Monkey Fever: It is a tick borne (a tick which is found on monkeys) viral haemorrhagic
fever and it is endemic to South Asia. The disease (monkey fever) is caused by virus which
MONKEY belongs to the family Flaviviridae.
FEVER • The same family also causes yellow fever and dengue fever.
• Why it is also called as Kyasanur Forest Disease or Monkey Fever? The disease was first
reported from the Kyasanur Forest of Karnataka in India in 1957. The disease was first
identified as an epizootic outbreak amongst monkeys and hence, it is locally known as the
monkey disease or monkey fever.
IN NEWS: A small container of radioactive Caesium-137 went missing from a truck that was
ferrying machinery and tools from an ONGC exploration site but was recovered later.
• Caesium-137 or radiocaesium is a radioactive isotope and is a fission product formed by the
nuclear fission of Uranium 235 and other fissionable isotopes in nuclear reactors and nuclear
weapons.
CAESIUM-137 • Cs-137 has atomic mass of 137 and has a half-life of about 30 years.
• It is silvery white, soft and malleable and it exists in liquid form (like mercury) at room
temperature.
• Note: One of the biggest contamination Cs-137 happened during the Chernobyl (located in
Ukraine) accident of 1986.
IN NEWS: Recently, Zearalenone has been detected in the wheat, rice, corn and oats from the
market of Uttar Pradesh. Food Safety and Standard Authority (FSSAI) does not impose maximum
limits for this fungus but European Union does.
THINGS TO KNOW
ZEARALE-
It is a fungal toxin which infests cereals like wheat, maize and barley.
NONE •
• It normally affects the crops during the growth stage and when the cereals are stored
without drying them properly.
• Zearalenone behaves like oestrogen, the female sex hormone, and could cause endocrine
disturbances in humans.

• Effects of Zearalenone are documented on animals and it has been observed that it causes
infertility.
• At the same time, effect of zearalenone is not clear. However, it is believed that consumption
of this fungus is dangerous to humans.
IN NEWS: Project CMB-Bharat was undertaken during a workshop held at ICTS-TIFR (International
Centre for Theoretical Sciences-Tata Instt. of Fundamental Research), Bengaluru. The objective of
this project is to hear faintest murmurs of the early universe.
CMB-Bharat has been presented as a proposal to ISRO and is being considered by it.
THINGS TO KNOW
• CMB-Bharat is a proposal for comprehensive next generation Cosmic Microwave

Background (CMB) mission in international collaboration with major Indian contribution.
• The project will work on following:
 It will reveal the first clear signature of quantum gravity and ultrahigh energy physics in the
COSMIC early stage of universe.
MICROWAVE  It will aim at discovering more about the neutrino species (their mass and mass hierarchy).
 It will also improve probe of the cosmological model by a factor of over 10 million and to
BACKGRO- generate rich galactic and extragalactic astrophysics datasets.
UND (CMB)  Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
BHARAT • The CMB was discovered in 1965 and it represents entire radiation content of the universe.
• CMB frequency ranges of 100-230 GHz are observed in the sky maps and these contain very
rich and vital cosmological as well as astrophysical information waiting to be extracted.
• It is thought to be leftover radiation from the Big Bang, or the time when the universe
began. As the theory goes, when the universe was born it underwent a rapid inflation and
expansion. (The universe is still expanding today, and the expansion rate appears different
depending on where you look). The CMB represents the heat left over from the Big Bang.
• Most of the cosmological information in the CMB temperature fluctuations has been harvested
by different space missions Like Planck mission (ESA, 2009), COBE DMR (NASA, 1989) and
WMAP (NASA, 2001).
• CMB- BHARAT is a 4th generation mission aims to tap these untapped energies.
IN NEWS: YUTU-2 (meaning Jade rabbit) is the name of China’s rover which landed on the far side
(also known as the dark side) of the moon. This side is not visible from the Earth surface.
• YUTU-2 and its lander companion (Chang’e 4) will study near the subsurface of Von Karman
YUTU-2 crater on the far side of the moon.
• The lander also carried out some biological experiments and this is the first-time humans have
done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface.
• Plants have been grown previously on the International Space Station, but this is the first time

a seed has sprouted on the moon.

• The rover has been programmed to launch ground penetration radar that would help map the
moon’s inner structures.
• It would also analyse soil and rock samples for minerals, apart from activating a radio
telescope to search for possible signals from deep space.
• With this, China is moving forward with plans to build a research base on the moon.
• It is also said to be considering mining there for helium-3, a rare substance on Earth that can
be used as a fuel in nuclear fusion power generation.
IN NEWS: A NASA space ship has recently crossed the farthest and possibly the oldest cosmic
body ever photographed by mankind, known as Ultima Thule.
THINGS TO KNOW
• Ultima Thule (Pronounced as TOO-lee), means ‘beyond Thule’, is named for a mythical, far-
northern island in medieval literature and cartography.
• It is trans-Neptunian object located in the Kuiper Belt and is a contact binary (A small solar
ULTIMA system body that have gravitated towards each other until they touch).
THULE • Ultima Thule was discovered in June 2014 by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope.
• The Kuiper Belt (also known as the Edgeworth–Kuiper belt) is a region of the Solar System that
exists beyond the eight major planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30
Astronomical Unit (AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun. It is similar to the asteroid
belt, in that it contains many small bodies, all remnants from the Solar System’s formation.
• Astronomical Unit (AU) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, which is about 93
million miles or 150 million kilometers. Astronomical units are usually used to measure
distances within our Solar System.
IN NEWS: A small-size Epsilon-4 rocket carrying a satellite to deliver the world’s first artificial
meteor shower was launched from the Uchinoura space centre by the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The satellite is to release tiny balls that glow brightly as they hurtle through the atmosphere,
simulating a meteor shower.
ARTIFICIAL
HOW ARTIFICIAL METEORS ARE GENERATED?
METEOR
• On a clear night sky, you can see a meteor streaking across the sky. This streak of light is due
SHOWER space dust re-entering the atmosphere at high speeds, causing aerodynamic heating and
emitting a glow of light that is observed on the ground at night.
• Aerodynamic heating is the phenomenon that occurs when an object travelling through the
atmosphere at supersonic speeds compresses the air in front of it, and the drag produced by
the compressed air causes the object to heat up and generate light.
• Artificial Meteor was generated by releasing a "meteor particle" from a satellite into the

Scieence & Tec hnology
atmosphere
e.
• ALE's (Astro Live Experiences) meteors, compared
d to natural ones,
o are mo re massive and travel
through the atmosphere
e more slowly
y, which allow
ws them to be observed ffor a longer time.
IN NEWS: The
e Earth’s ma
agnetic
north pole hass been movin
ng away
from Canada in
nto Siberia.
WHAT
W IS GE
EOMAGNETIISM?
• Geomagnetiism refers to the

Earth's mag
gnetic field, which
extends frrom the Earth's
GE
EO-
interior to w
where it meets the
MAGNETIS
SM solar wind.
• In other worrds, it is the field of
a giganticc bar m
magnet
currently tilted about 10
degrees o
off the E
Earth's
rotational a
axis.
• Unlike a ba r magnet, however, the Earth's mag
gnetic field changes
c oveer time, beca
ause it is
generated b
by a geodyna
amo (in Earth
h's case, the motion
m of mo
olten iron allo
oys in its outer core).
IN NEWS: Juno,, NASA’s sola

ar powered spacecraft,
s ha
as beamed back
b images o
of volcanic p
plumes of
Jup
piter’s moon
n Io.
IO
O • Io is the inne
ermost of the
e four Galilea
an moons of the planet Ju
upiter.
• Io is the mosst geologicallly active ob
bject in the so
olar system with
w over 4000 active volca
anoes.

GEOGGRAPHHY, EENVIRRONMENT, BIODDIVERRSITY &

DISAASTERR MANAGEEMENT
# GS PPaper (Pre lims) and GS
G Paper I & III (Main)
A wateer bird surveey conducted in the Upp per Kuttana ad region in Kerala,
Wa
aterbird d surve ey has reccorded birdss of 47 contiinental and local speciees. The surv
vey has
also higghlighted th
hree exotic species.
s The
e survey wass conducted d as
#Fauna #CConservation part off the annual Asian Wateerbird Censu us.
T
THINGS TO KNOW
K
• It is part of
o the global Internation
nal Waterbirrd Census (IWC) carried out each Jan
nuary as a vo
oluntary
activity coordinated byy wetland international.
• Contributtion- Help un
nderstand th
he changes to
o wetland sy
ystems, chang
ge in migrato
ory pattern o
of birds,
Asiian
and impacct of climate change.
Wa
aterbird
• The inforrmation gath
hered durin
ng the surve
ey would be used to promote th
he designation and
Census
managem
ment of proteccted areas, R
Ramsar Sites
s, Importantt Bird and Biodiversity A
Areas (IBAs).
• The AWC was initiate
ed in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent
s t and since has grown rap
pidly to cove
er major
region of Asia.
A
• To obtain information on an annua

al basis of waterbird populations at wetlands
w in th
he region during the
non-breed
ding period of most spe
ecies (January
y), as a basis for evaluation of sitess and monito
oring of
Ob
bjectives population
ns
• To monito
or on an annu
ual basis, the
e status and condition
c of wetlands.
w
• To encourrage greater interest in W
Waterbirds and wetlands amongst
a citizens
EXOTIC SPE
ECIES
• It is the most widesprea

ad and largest spe
ecies of
the flamin
ngo family.
• Habitat- found
f in war m, watery re
egions on many continentts.
• ed as least cconcern as per IUCN.

Categorise
Gre
eater
• Greater fla
amingos live and feed in g
groups called
d flocks or co
olonies.
flamingo
• Young flam
mingos are b
born gray and
d white and do
d not turn pink
p for
two years.
 Ma
ajor Threats
• The specie
es suffers fro oductive success if expose
om low repro ed to disturba
ance at breed
ding coloniess.

Ge ography, EEnvironmeent, Biodiv ersity

& Dis aster Mannagement
• The lowerring of water levels in lake
es can also lead to hyper-salinity which
h may affect food resourcces.
• Other thre
eats to the sp
pecies’ habita
at include efffluents from soda-ash mining, pollutio
on from sew
wage and
heavy mettal effluents ffrom industrries.
• The specie
es also sufferrs mortality ffrom lead poisoning.
• Habitat/E
Ecology- Artifficial/Aquaticc & Marine, Grassland,
G We
etlands (inlan
nd),
Artificial/T
Terrestrial.
Gre
ey- • Categorise
ed as least cconcern as per IUCN.
headed • It is a migrratory bird th

hat breeds in
n North Eastern China an
nd Japan.
lap
pwing • The specie
es has occurrred as a vagrrant in Russia
a, the Philipp
pines, Indonesia,
New Sou
uth Wales ((Australia) a
and Sri Lan
nka, according to BirdLife
International.
• The Blue-ccheeked Bee

e-eater is a richly colored bird from th
he Meropidae
family.
Blu
ue-
• Categorise
ed as least cconcern as per IUCN.
che
eeked
bee
e-eater • Region-Affghanistan; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Cyprus; India; Israe
el;
Kazakhsta
an; Kyrgyzsttan; Pakista
an; Palestiniian Territorry, Occupied
d;
Russian Fe
ederation (Eu
uropean Russsia); Tajikista
an; Turkey; Turkmenistan
T n;
Uzbekistan.
We
estern Ghats:
G Exotic According to a study published
p in the interna
ational journ
nal
Biological Conservatio
C on, the country has lost almost one e-
treees eatiing up fourth of the high-altittude grassla
ands of the W
Western Gh hats in
grassslands the last fou
ur decades and
a exotic innvasive treees are prima
arily to
blame.
#Fllora #Consservation
FINDING
GS
• 60%
% of the shola-grassland landscape ha
as changed.
• Almost 40% of the native

e high-elevation grassland
ds have disap
ppeared.
• Mo
ost of this losss has occurrred on the mountain tops
s of the Nilgiri, Palani and Anamalai hill ranges.
• Loss iss primarily du

ue to the exp
pansion of ex
xotic trees (p
pine, acacia and eucalyptu
us).
• Invasion
n by existing trees
t increassed areas und
der exotic pla
antations by 27% in the Palanis and 177% in the Nilgiris.
• Shola
a-grassland e
ecosystems in
n Tamil Nadu
u showed the
e highest rate
es of invasion
n.


 Ab
bout shola-g
grasslands
• Characterise
ed by patches of stunte
ed evergreen shola
trees in the valleys

v and grasslands
g on
n hill slopes.
• They are fo
ound only in
n high altitu
ude (>1500 metres)
regions witthin the tro

opics, and a
are limited to the
southern pa
art of the Western
W Ghatts.
• Host of ende
emic and end
dangered pla
ants and anim
mals.
• They are alsso vitally imp

portant in ke
eeping waterr cycles
alive. As it retains mosst of the rain

n they get o
over the
monsoons, and release it slowly thrrough the ye

ear via a
network of streams
s and rivers, that e
eventually se
erve the needs of a huge number of human settleements across south
India.
T
THINGS TO KNOW
K
• These are non-nattive species tthat spread and interferre in a new ecosystem b
by posing a serious
threat to the native

e biodiversityy, leading to economic
e loss.
• They were
w introdu
uced in the
e country during the colonial
c era for aesthettic enrichme
ent and
About Exotic comme

ercial purposses.
spe
ecies • In the Western Gha
ats, where va
ast plantations of eucaly
yptus and wattle
w were rraised in the past by
converrting grasslan
nds and shola
a forests, the
e original hab
bitat of the Niilgiri Tahr hass been devasstated.
• Accord
ding to expe
erts- birds arre dying, anim
mals are stra
aying out of the
t forests in
n search of fo
ood and
lands are
a drying be
ecause of the exotic invasive species.
• Genera
ally, have a h igh sexual re
eproductive capacity.
c
• Ability to reproduce
e asexually.
• Rapid growth
g from seed to sexu
ual maturity.
Fea
atures
• High to
olerance to e nvironmenta
al heterogene
eity and distu
urbances.
• A high adaptation tto environme

ental stress (p
phenotypic plasticity).
• Greate
er competitive
e capacity than native spe
ecies.


NEWS
N SSnippetts
IN NEWS: Wa
ater quality o
of the Ganga
a in
2018
2 has “im
mproved ove
er last year” as
per
p the Go vernment. T
The “dissolv
ved
oxygen”
o leve
els have im
mproved at 39
lo
ocations, a
and “biolo
ogical oxyg
gen
demand”
d (B
BOD) levelss and fae
ecal
coliform
c had
d decreased at 42 and 47
lo
ocations resp
pectively.
 Biologica
al Oxygen De
emand (BOD
D)
• It is the am
mount of disssolved oxyg
gen
used by microorganisms in the
t
biological process of metabolizing
organic m atter in wate
er.
• The more
e organic m
matter there is
(e.g., in se
ewage and p
polluted bod
dies
Ga
anga wa
ater of water), the greaterr the BOD; and
a
the greate
er the BOD, the lower the
t
qu
uality amount off dissolved o
oxygen available
for higherr animals such as fishes.
• The BOD
D is therefo
ore a reliable
gauge of the organic
c pollution of
o a
body of w
water.
• One of the
e main reaso
ons for treatting
wastewate
er prior to itss discharge into
a water re
esource is to lower its BO
OD—i.e., redu
uce its need of oxygen an
nd thereby le
essen its
demand frrom the strea
ams, lakes, rivers, or estu
uaries into wh
hich it is releaased.
 Faecal Co
oliform
• Is a faculta
atively anaerrobic, rod-sha
aped, gram-n
negative, non-sporulating bacterium.
• Coliforms are bacteria
a that are alw
ways presentt in the digesstive tracts o
of animals, in
ncluding
humans, a
and are found in their wastes.
• Fecal coliiforms are the group off the total co
oliforms thatt are consid
dered to be present
specificallyy in the gut a
and feces of warm-bloode
w ed animals.
IN NEWS: Biird watcherss and researrchers have found the cinereous

c vu
ulture in Hazzaribagh
Ciinereouss region
r of Jha
arkhand. Alsso, five species of vultures, includin
ng the Hima layan Griffon, were
spotted
s in Ha
azaribagh reg
gion recently..
vu
ulture


 Ab
bout Cinereo
ous Vulture
• Classified as Near Th
hreatened under
u the IU
UCN Red
List.
• Concern-D
Decline in th
he populatio
on of vulture
es across
the world . Vultures pllay crucial ro
ole in the eccosystem;
their ab sence impa
acts the cleanliness of the
environme
ent.
• Experts said the Cinereous vulture (A
Aegypius
monachuss) draws its name from “monachus
s”, which
means ho oded (like a m
monk) in Latiin.
• Habitat-F
Forest, Shrub
bland, Grass
sland.
• Threats -A
Annual & pe
erennial non-timber crop
ps, Livestock farming & rranching, Hu
unting &
trapping te
errestrial aniimals, Tempe
erature extre
emes.
• It is usua lly during th
he winter that a distinctly dark large
e bird know
wn as the Cin
nereous
vulture, w
with a blacke
ed-tipped pink beak – migrates
m from
m the moun
ntainous reg
gions of
Europe an
nd Asia to warmer places, including Ind
dia.
 India is ho
ome to nine species of vultures
v
• Peninsularr India has fo
our species of
o vulture — the
t Indian, th
he white-backked, the red-headed,
and the Eg
gyptian vulture.
• Other-spe
ecies-Slender billed Vultu
ure, Long bille
ed Vulture, In
ndian Griffon
n Vulture, Him
malayan
Griffon, Ci nereous Vultture and Bea
arded Vulture
e or Lammerg
geier.
IN NEWS: Mo
orocco has b
been named the second-b
best perform
ming country after Sweden in the
Climate
C Chan
nge Performa
ance Index (CCPI).
The
T North Affrican countrry significantly increased the share of
o renewablees over the p
past five
years
y and inccreased new renewable energy capacitty.
Sweden
S is in ttop position, followed by Morocco and
d Lithuania in
n the CCPI 20019.
The
T bottom ffive in the lisst are Saudi Arabia,
A U.S., Iran, South Ko
orea and Taiw
wan.
Morocco
M is o
on track for a
achieving its target of 42
2% installed renewable eenergy capaccities by
Morocco
M r
ranks 2020.
2
 About Clim
mate Change Performanc
ce Index
hiigh in cliimate
• It is an insstrument dessigned to enh
hance transparency in international cl imate politics.
ac
ction • Aim is to put political and social pressure on those countries that havee, until now, ffailed to
take amb
bitious action
n on climate protection, and to high
hlight those countries w
with best
practice c limate policie
es.
• The rank ing results a
are defined by a counttry’s aggrega
ated perform
mance regarding 14
indicatorss within the ffour categorries: - GHG Emissions,
E Renewable
R EEnergy, Enerrgy Use,
Climate P
Policy.
• The CCPI is annually published by
b Germanw
watch, the New
N Climate
e Institute a
and the
Climate A
Action Netw
work.

Geography, Environment, Biodiversity

& Disaster Management
• India ranked 11th in the CCPI 2019 improving its standing by three places compared to the
previous edition.
• Most notably India improved its performance in the Renewable Energy category.
• India has comparatively low levels of per capita GHG emissions.
IN NEWS: The centre had sounded an "Orange" alert for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
which was facing a cyclonic storm, Pabuk.
• For this, an "Orange" warning had been issued for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• An "orange" weather warning means people should "be prepared" and there is an
increased likelihood of bad or extreme weather, which may disrupt road and air travel and
threaten life and property.
• It originated over the Gulf of Thailand.
 About Tropical Cyclones
Known by diffirent names-

1.North atlanlic and eastern
It is an intense circular storm North Pacific they are
that originates over warm called hurricanes.
tropical oceans and is 2.Western north pacific they
Cyclone Pabuk characterized by
low atmospheric
are called typhoons.
3. Western South Pacific
pressure, high winds, and
and Indian Ocean-tropical
heavy rain.
cyclones.
4.Western Australia-known as
Willy-willies
1.Winds in tropical storm swirl Conditions for development to

around a central region of low storm
atmospheric pressure. 1. Large sea surface with
2. Rotate counterclockwise temperature higher than 27° c.
direction in the Northern 2. Presence of the Coriolis force
Hemisphere and in a clockwise enough to create a cyclonic
direction in the Southern vortex
Hemisphere.
3. A pre-existing weak low-
3.The most dangerous and pressure area
destructive part of a tropical
4. Small variations in the vertical
cyclone is the eyewall.
wind speed
IN NEWS: Seasonal migration of wild animals from wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary has started.
Wayanad The migration has started due to rise in mercury levels in Nilgiri Biosphere reserve.
sanctuary Animals such as elephant and gaurs migrate to the sanctuary from adjacent Bandipur and
Nagarhole National Park from Karnataka and Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu.


 Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
 Was formed in 1973.
 Located: In Kerala
 The sanctuary is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
 It is significant because of ecological and geographic continuity with other protected areas
such as
• Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Nagarhole National Park Karnataka in north-eastern portion
• Mudumalai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu in south-eastern side.
• It is a unique ecosystem enriched with wildlife, forming natural corridor for the seasonal
migration of long ranging animals within the greater conservation unit.
• Fauna- Elephant, spotted deer. Bison, tiger, cheetah, wild bear, etc.
• Flora- Large extent of marshy grass lands (Swamps) locally known as Vayals is seen in the
sanctuary. The sanctuary has plantation comprising of teak, eucalyptus, soft wood species.
The presence of bamboo formations is one of the dominant features of vegetation in the
area. They are more or less spread in patches.
• Drainage- The Kabini River, one of the three east flowing rivers of Kerala, is an important
tributary of the Kaveri River.
• Almost the entire Wayanad district is drained by Kabini and its three tributaries, the
Panamaram, Mananthavady, and Kalindy rivers.
IN NEWS: The Centre has launched a programme to reduce particulate matter (PM) pollution
by 20-30% in at least 102 cities by 2024.
India is committed to clean environment and pollution free air and water. In fact, it is
mandated in our constitution.
 About National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
• Is envisaged as a scheme to provide the States and the Centre with a framework to combat
air pollution.
20 % cut in air • This is a five-year action plan with a tentative target of 20-30% reduction in concentrations
of PM10 and PM2.5 by 2024, with 2017 as the base year.
pollution by • The Environment Ministry has announced a budget of Rs 300 crore for two years.
2024 • This comprehensive plan is specific to each city.
• Objective-Augment and evolve effective ambient air quality monitoring network across the
country besides ensuring comprehensive management plan for prevention, control and
abatement of air pollution.
 Other key features include
 Increasing number of monitoring stations in the country including rural monitoring
stations.
 Setting up of certification agencies for monitoring equipment.


 To have efficient data dissemination and public outreach mechanism for timely measures
for prevention and mitigation of air pollution.
• As part of the NCAP, cities have been given a specified number of days to implement
measures such as-
 Ensuring roads are pothole-free to improve traffic flow
 Reduce Dust
 Ensuring strict action against unauthorised brick kilns
• The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, across 23 states and Union territories, which
were identified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air
quality data between 2011 and 2015.
 Non-attainment cities are those which have been consistently showing poorer air quality
than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
 These include Delhi, Varanasi, Bhopal, Kolkata, Noida, Muzaffarpur, and Mumbai.
 Key concerns
• A study in the journal Lancet ranked India as No.1 on premature mortality and deaths
from air pollution. As India has been going through a phase of accelerated industrial
activities for the past three decades.
• Cities occupy just 3 per cent of the land, contribute to 82 per cent of GDP but are
responsible for 78 per cent of Carbon dioxide emissions.
• Medium and small towns and cities have also witnessed spurt in pollution
• Correlation of air pollution with various aggravated figures of respiratory and heart
diseases.
• The impact of air pollution is not limited to health but it gets extended to agriculture and
general well-being of human, floral and faunal population.
IN NEWS: Researchers have discovered six new species of bent-toed geckos – a type of small
lizard – from northeastern India.
 Species discovered
• Bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus guwahatiensis)- near a small hillock in the urban sprawl
of Guwahati city.
• Kaziranga bent-toed gecko-Discovered from Assam's Kaziranga National Park.
Northeast six
• Jaintia bent-toed gecko-discovered from Jaintia hills of Meghalaya.
new lizards • Nagaland bent-toed gecko -discovered from Khonoma village in Nagaland.
• Abhayapuri bent-toed gecko is currently found only in the vicinity of Abhayapuri town in
Assam’s Bongaigaon district.
• Jampui bent-toed gecko- in Tripura’s Jampui Hills.
 About the discovery
 All the new lizards belong to the genus Cyrtodactylus and are called bent-toed or bow-


fingered geckos, named after their bent toes.
 These species are known only from a single locality each, and nothing is known of their
natural history, ecology or distribution except that they are nocturnal and live on rocks.
 Likely to be narrowly distributed endemic species.
 Northeast India probably has dozens more bent-toed geckos.
 The discovery increases the number of bent-toed geckos described from the Himalaya and
north-eastern India to 15 (nine of which have been described this year alone).
 Since 2017, more than 20 new species of bent-toed geckos have been described from
Myanmar, too.
IN NEWS: According to a UN backed study, desalination plants around the world are pumping
out far more salt laden brine than previously believed.
Desalination refers to removal of dissolved salts from seawater and in some cases from the
brackish (slightly salty) waters of inland seas, highly mineralised groundwaters (e.g.,
geothermal brines), and municipal waste-waters.
It is done through process of Reverse Osmosis.
 Osmosis
A process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane
from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one.
 Reverse Osmosis
• This process is the basis for many desalination plants.
• It is a process in which seawater is forced through a membrane capable of removing salts
Desalination and other small molecule contaminants.
plants harm • The membrane allows water molecules to pass through but prevents any other chemicals
dissolved in the water from passing through.
environment:
• Brine, a salty effluent is a by-product of efforts to extract fresh water from the sea.
UN • Desalination is becoming prominent as countries battle water shortage problems across
the globe.
• More than half the brine comes from four middle eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar, with Saudi Arabia alone responsible for 22% of
the effluent.)
• There's been a major expansion of desalination plants around the world over the past few
years.
• A number of small countries, such as the Maldives, Malta and the Bahamas, meet all
their water needs through the desalination process.
 Concerns
• Brine raises the level of salinity and poses a major risk to ocean life and marine
ecosystems.
• Leading to ecological effects observable throughout the food chain- impacting shellfish,


crabs and other creatures.
• Impacts benthic population.
• Brine, water comprising about 5% salt, often includes toxins such as chlorine and copper
used in desalination.
• Release of concentrated brine leads to rise in temperature and decreases the dissolved
oxygen level in water, which is called hypoxia.
• Hypoxia often leads to what are called dead zones in the oceans.
• Uses of Brine -used for aquaculture, cultivate dietary supplement Spirulina and to irrigate
forage shrubs and crops.
IN NEWS: India won the global acclaim for its “Beat Plastic Pollution” resolve declared on World
Environment Day last year. So far 22 states have joined to announce a ban on single-use
plastics such as carry bags, cups, plates, cutlery, straws and thermocol products.
But a plan is needed for plastic waste in packaging and manufacturing
 Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016(Key features)
• To bring in the responsibilities of producers and generators, both in plastic waste
management system and to introduce collect back system of plastic waste.
• To promote use of plastic waste for road construction.
• Increase minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns and stipulate
minimum thickness of 50 micron for plastic sheet.
• Phasing out of manufacture and use of non- recyclable multilayered plastic.
• The local bodies shall be responsible for setting up, operationalization and co-ordination
Half done: on
of the waste management system and for performing associated functions.
the ban on • All institutional generators of plastic waste, shall segregate and store the waste generated
plastic by them in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules.
Collection, Source
segregation and
recycling of waste
Adoption of
Plastic waste
polluter pay
minimization
principle


IN NEWS: According to researchers, world’s oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace as
global warming threatens a diverse range of marine life and a major food supply for the
planets.
• Ocean heating is a very important indicator of climate change.
• About 93% of excess heat trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from
the burning of fossil fuels accumulates in the world’s oceans.
• The thermal expansion — water swelling as it warms — would raise sea level 30 cm, above
any sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets.
 How is monitoring ocean done?
• By fleet called Argo, which includes nearly 4,000 floating robots that “drift throughout the
world’s oceans.
• Diving to a depth of 2,000 m, it measures the ocean’s temperature, pH, salinity and other
bits of information.
Oceans are
 Impact of warming oceans
heating up • Warming ocean temperatures are linked to the increase and spread of diseases in marine
species.
• Affect low-lying island countries in the Pacific Ocean, destroying housing and
infrastructure and forcing people to relocate.
• Causing more severe hurricanes and the intensification of El Niño events bringing
droughts and floods.
• Marine fishes, seabirds and marine mammals all face very high risks from increasing
temperatures, including-
 High levels of mortalities.
 Loss of breeding grounds and mass movements as species search for favourable
environmental conditions.
 Coral reefs are also affected by increasing temperatures which cause coral bleaching and
increase their risk of mortality.
IN NEWS: A parliamentary panel has recommended that necessary steps should be taken to
ensure new uranium mines are opened as soon as possible in order to reduce India’s
dependence on imported uranium.
• India currently imports uranium from Kazakhstan, Canada and Russia.
New Uranium • Presently, a major portion of uranium for domestic production comes from the Jaduguda
mines in Jharkhand.
mines
• These are “old”, and the ore is found at “great depths “thus extraction cost makes it
“unviable” as compared to imported uranium.
 Other Uranium reserves in India
 Tummalapalle mines in Andhra Pradesh.


 Found in Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
IN NEWS: State owned ONGC would soon start extracting natural gas from Trishna Wildlife
Sanctuary following clearance of National Board of Wildlife.
 Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary
• Situated in Tripura near Bangladesh border.
• The forest contains patches of virgin forest.
• Vegetation in the sanctuary comprises of tropical semi evergreen and moist mixed
deciduous.
• Fauna variety ranges from Indian Gaur, Hoolock Gibbon, Golden langur to aquatic reptiles.
ONGC gas
• It is the country’s only natural breeding centre of Bisons.
project
 National board for wildlife
• Statutory body under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• It is the apex body that handles all wildlife related matters and approves projects in these
protected areas (protected areas include Wildlife sanctuary, National Park and Biosphere
reserve).
• Alteration of boundaries of protected areas require its approval.
• Its Chairman is the Prime Minister and Vice Chairman is the Minister of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change.
IN NEWS: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recommended that the German global auto giant
pay at least Rs 171.34 crore as a “conservative” fine for damage to health caused in India.
• The NGT panel formed last year in the wake of the 2015 global emission scandal or
‘Dieselgate’.
• The penalty was determined on the basis of the 3.27 lakh Volkswagen cars that had deceit
software installed in India.
 Reasons for concern-
Volkswagen
• Longer exposures to elevated concentrations of NO2 may contribute to the development of
scandal asthma and potentially increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.
• NOx gases react to form smog and acid rain and are central to the formation of fine
particles (PM) and ground-level ozone.
 About Dieselgate scandal
The Company was found guilty of intentionally programming its diesel engines with cheat
devices to meet US regulatory standards but actually emit up to 40 times more Nitrous Oxides
(NOx) in real-world conditions.
IN NEWS: According to Indian Meteorological organisation 2018 was the sixth warmest year on
Warming of record, with the average temperature over India being “significantly above normal”.


In
ndia • Experts sa
ay that the increase in temperatures
t s is likely to lead to morre extreme w
weather
events.
• Temperattures are incrreasing durin
ng both day and night tiime.
• Heat wav
ves are increa
asing in frequency as we
ell as magnitu
ude.
• Extreme rainfall and rainstorms which
w can cau
use floods arre increasingg.
• Dry spell duration is a
also increasin
ng
• In the yea
ar 2018 India experienced
d “high impacct weather” ev
vents such ass-
Extremely heavy
rainfall causing
loss of life
e and
properrty
Snowfall,
thunderstorms, High
High velocity-dust impacct Heaat and cold
storrms, lightning weatheer waves
and floods(Kerala events
Flooods of 2018)
Uttar Pradeesh was

the most addversely
affected state
s
during the
e year
which reported
near 600 deaths.
IN NEWS: Co
ommon Poch
hard, that mig
grates to Ind
dia from Cen
ntral Asia Occtober onwards was
spotted
s in Ok
khla Bird San
nctuary and at Surajpur wetlands.
 Common Pochard
P
• Mid-sized diving duck.
• Inhabits m
marshy and reed-fringed
d lakes to ope
en reservoirss;
locally on the sea in wiinter, especia
ally when lake
es freeze.
• Listed as V
Vulnerable in IUCN Red list.
Co
ommon • The speci es breeds ffrom western
n Europe thrrough centra
al
Asia to sou
uth-central S
Siberia and no
orthern China.
Po
ochard
• The specie
es is omnivo
orous.
Primary factors thatt have led to

o the decline
e in this spec
cies are mosst likely to b
be a
combinattion of:
• Loss of bre
eeding habitat
• Changes i n water che
emistry (espe
ecially from hyper-eutrop
phication cau
used by agricultural
runoff).


• The loss of habitat is thought to primarily result from changes in land management.
• Disturbances from Hunting
• Susceptible to avian influenza
IN NEWS: The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL)
and ordered demolition of a 2.2-km boundary wall erected on an elephant migration corridor
in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district.
Environmentalists had objected to the wall the refinery had erected in 2011 for a proposed
township.
The wall and the refinery township violate the no-development zone around Kaziranga
National Park declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1996.
 About Kaziranga National Park
• The park is located in the edge of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots.
• Declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• The area sprinkled with elephant-grass meadows, swampy lagoons, and dense forests
is home to huge population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, approximately 2/3rd of
their total world population.
• Kaziranga was declared as Tiger Reserve in 2006.
• Other Fauna - Hoolock Gibbon, Tiger, Leopard, Indian Elephant, Sloth Bear, Wild water
buffalo, swamp deer, etc.
Also, the park is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the
Kaziranga •
conservation of avifaunal species.
National Park • Birds like lesser white-fronted goose, ferruginous duck, Baer's pochard duck and lesser
adjutant, greater adjutant, black-necked stork, and Asian Openbill stork specially migrate
from the Central Asia during the winter season.
• Flora- is composed of mainly four types of vegetation' like alluvial inundated grasslands,
alluvial savanna woodlands, tropical moist mixed deciduous forests, and tropical semi-
evergreen forests.
Elephant Corridors: These are linear, narrow, natural habitat linkages that allow elephants to
move between secure habitats without being disturbed by humans.
 Why do we need elephant corridors?
• Human Elephant Conflict is a very serious issue in India today and elephants are the most
persecuted wildlife in India. They are large, need a lot of resources and move long distances
to forage.
• The space they traditionally used is now crowded by people.
• Elephant movements can be classified as daily and seasonal.
 Elephants are a keystone species

• Their nomadic behaviour – the daily and seasonal migrations they make through their


home ranges – is immensely important to the environment.
• Research shows that the more forest habitat is degraded, the farther an elephant herd
has to roam in search of food and water.
• To have elephants in isolated populations, unable to move freely through their home
ranges, would therefore have a devastating effect on India’s natural heritage.
IN NEWS: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has opposed a
proposal to construct elevated roads over the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
 Why the project is being opposed?
• Conservationists feel any infrastructure project through the forests is bound to impact the
wildlife habitat.
• Also, Bandipur being part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Centre’s elevated road
proposal would be harmful to both the wildlife and its habitat.
• Activists have argued that such projects are prohibited under the final notification of the
Eco-Sensitize Zone for Bandipur issued in September 2011 based on the Environment
Protection Rules, 1986.
 About Bandipur Tiger Reserve
• The tiger reserve is located Karnataka.
• It forms a very important component of the first Biosphere Reserve in the country i.e.
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• It constitutes an important component of a forest landscape comprising Nagarahole
(Karnataka), Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu) and Wayanad (Kerala).
Bandipur Tiger
• The Tiger and the Elephants are the flagship and umbrella species for the conservation of
Reserve all the Biota that this ecosystem represents.
• The viable population of these two species is indicative of a healthy Ecosystem.
• The Kabini Reservoir separates the Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.
• The tiger reserve is home to nearly 120 to 150 tigers as per the 2014 estimates made by
the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
 About NTCA (National tiger Conservation Authority)
• It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended
in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it
under the said Act.
• Aim: strengthening tiger conservation in the country by retaining an oversight through-
Advisories/normative guidelines and Ongoing conservation initiatives.
 Objectives of NTCA
• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives become
legal.
• Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves, by providing a


basis for MoU with States within our federal structure.
• Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.
IN NEWS: The annual headcount exercise of Irrawaddy dolphins inhabiting in the Bhitarkanika
Wildlife Sanctuary and Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary was concluded.
 Irrawaddy dolphins
• Region-are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three rivers: the
Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong.
Irrawaddy • Occur in south and southeast Asia, limited to shallow coastal waters.
Dolphins • Listed as Endangered as per IUCN red list.

• The dolphin is also regarded as a sacred animal by both Khmer and Lao people.
• Threats- by bycatch, the accidental capture of aquatic animals in fishing gear. Also, the
species are exposed to intensive anthropogenic threats because of human activities.
• Habitat loss and degradation is also a major contributing threat in many freshwater
areas, especially from existing and planned dams in the Mekong and Ayeyarwady rivers.
IN NEWS: Spotting of humpback dolphins near Mumbai coast.

 Humpback Dolphins
• Listed as Endangered as per IUCN Red list.
• Dolphins are endangered cetacean species, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife
Protection Act, 1972.
Humpback
• Habitat: A stretch of the Indian Ocean between India and South Africa.
dolphins
• These cetacean species prefer shallow waters which put them in the danger of swimming
towards fished and polluted waters.
• The species are among the most adaptive ones.
• Residential and commercial development, transportation and service corridors and
pollution are some of the threats to the species.
IN NEWS: An updated list of Indian amphibians was released by the Zoological Survey of India
(ZSI). Since 2009, the scientists of the ZSI in collaboration with other institutes have been
updating the Indian amphibian checklist periodically.
 Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) since 1916
Zoological
Objective of ZSI
Survey of India • Exploration, Survey, Inventorying and Monitoring of faunal diversity in various States,
(ZSI) Ecosystems and Protected areas of India.
• Taxonomic studies of all faunal components collected.
• Periodic review of the Status of Threatened and Endemic species.
• Preparation of Red Data Book, Fauna of India and Fauna of States.


• Bioecological studies on selected important communities/species.
• Also, scientists in ZSI are engaged in exploring, naming, describing, classifying and
documenting animals from all over India.
IN NEWS: Widespread rain and a drop-in temperature in the country’s key wheat producing
States of Punjab and Haryana are expected to boost wheat crop output this Rabi season.
Wheat, the main Rabi (winter) crop, is sown between late October till December and harvested
from April onwards.
 How will the rain be beneficial?
• The rain will help in improving photosynthesis resulting in better growth of the crop.
• Help in reducing pressure on groundwater
• Retaining soil moisture.
• Help in containing the fungal disease yellow rust.
Winter rain
 Yellow rust
North India
• It is a fungal disease which turns crop’s leaves yellowish and stops photosynthesis
activity.
• Manifests as powdery yellow stripes on leaves.
• These stripes hinder photosynthesis, make the grains shrivel and stunt growth of the plant.
• It is a serious disease, which has been threatening wheat cultivation in the country the past
few years.
• It is an airborne disease that is it, spreads with the wind.
• The only way to contain the disease is to spray fungicide and start replacing wheat
varieties that have become susceptible to the disease.
IN NEWS: Eighteen research institutions in India are among a group of 50 institutions — called
the South Asian Nitrogen Hub (SANH) that have secured about ₹200 crores from the U.K.
government to assess and study the quantum and impact of “nitrogen pollution” in South Asia.
FORMS OF NITROGEN
N2 – Un-reactive di-nitrogen; forms 78% of the air we breathe matter, water pollution and results in eutrophication.
NR – Reactive nitrogen; fixed in soil by microbes; reacts to N2O – Nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas; depletes
form different compounds with various impacts ozone layer
Nitrogen NH3 – Ammonia; used for making fertilisers; can escape into NOx – Mixture of NO and NO2; a major air pollutant.
pollution the air as a pollutant. NO3 – Nitrate; the form in which nitrogen gets fixed in
NH4NO3 – Ammonium nitrate, acts as fertiliser; when soil; can pollute water sources; forms ozone, which
synthesised in the atmosphere, contributes to particulate adds to particulate matter load.
 Nitrogen pollution
• Nitrogen is a dominant gas in the atmosphere and is inert and doesn’t react.
• However, when it is released as part of compounds from agriculture, sewage and
biological waste, nitrogen is considered “reactive”, and it may be polluting and even exert
a potent greenhouse gas effect.


• Indian NO
Ox emissions grew at 52%
% from 1991 to 2001 and
d
69% from 2001 to 2011.
• Nitrogen particles ma
ake up the la
argest fractio
on of PM2.5,
the class o
of pollutantss closely linked to cardiov
vascular and
d
respiratorry illness.
 Nitrog
gen is also linked to-
• Loss of bio
odiversity, th
he pollution of
o rivers and
d seas, ozone
e
depletion,, health, econ
nomy, and liv
velihoods.
• Nitrogen p
pollution also
o has an effe
ect on soil health
h which
h
in turn brings dow
wn the yield of cropss, becoming
g
counterprroductive to tthe very purp
pose of fertiliser usage.
• Gases succh as ammon
nia (NH3) an
nd nitrogen dioxide (NO
O2) contributee to poor airr quality
leading to millions of p
premature de
eaths across the world.
• Nitrate frrom chemical fertilisers, manure
m and industry pollute the riverrs and seas, p
posing a
health riskk for humans, fish, corall and plant life.
• Better nittrogen mana
agement will have huge
e economic and
a environ
nmental benefits.
IN NEWS: The
e fall armywo
orm is impacting Sri Lanka’s maize pro
oduction.
 About
A Fall Arrmyworm
• It is a poly
yphagous (fe
eeding on many foods) pest.
p It can atttack cerealss and forage g
grasses.
• Generally, feeds on lea
aves as well as fruit (in the case of flow
wering corn)..
• It can inva
ade new areas quickly.
• The pest tthrives on a wide spectru
um of host crop plants: maize,
m sorghu
um, rice, sug
garcane,
Fa
all soyabean,, vegetables, etc.
Arrmyworm
m • It attacks m
male flowerin
ng parts calle
ed ‘tassel’ and
d female flow
wering part caalled ‘ear’ at an early
stage befo
ore tidbits gro
ow on them.
• The larva
ae can cau
use damage
e to maize
e plants att nearly alll stages o
of their
developm
ment.
• The insectt is known to be native to the tropical and
a subtropiical regions o
of the Americca.
• In recent months, fall armyworm infestationss were reported in diffeerent parts o
of India,
including T
Telangana, K
Karnataka, Tamil
T Nadu,, West Benga
al and Gujarrat.
IN NEWS: Th
he world’s talllest flying bird now seem
ms to be gettting a new llease of life in Uttar
Pradesh,
P whe
ere it enjoys tthe status of official State bird.
S
Sarus Crane
• The Saruss is not only tthe tallest fly
ying bird in th
he world,
Sa
arus cran
ne it is also In
ndia’s only rresident breeding crane
e.
• (IUCN) sta
atus: Vulnera
able
• The Saru
us habitat is outside protected areas,
a in
natural w
wetlands with
h low water depth, marrshy and
fallow are
eas and agricultural fields.


• Rice padd
dies provide a sub-optima
al habitat to the Sarus
• Sarus is om
mnivorous, ffeeding on fis
sh and insects, as well as roots and plaants.
• Major thrreats- depredation by strray dogs and
d egg stealing
g, wetland deestruction, in
ngestion
of pesticid
des, electroccution due to power trransmission lines in agrricultural are
eas and
poisoning .
Role
R of Saruss Crane - They play a vita
al role in eco
ological balan
nce by contro
olling the pop
pulation
of
o harmful inssects and havve significantt cultural imp
portance, while also beingg sociable.
IN NEWS: Ele
ephant to be deployed in Satkosia Tige
er Reserve to
o help ground
d-level forestt guards
patrol
p deep in
n the forest w
where jeeps cannot
c go.
 Satkosia Tige
er Reserve
Sa
atkosia Tiger
T • Satkosia sp
preads along
g the magnificent gorge ov
ver the mighty river Mah
hanadi in Odisha.
Re
eserve • Established
d in 1976.
• Fauna-The
e sanctuary is home to significant
s po
opulations off gharial and
d mugger cro
ocodiles,
elephants,, leopards, sa
ambar deer, jackals,
j giant squirrels, etc.
• The tiger rreserve is loca
ated in the Eastern Highla
ands moist deciduous forrests ecoregion.
IN NEWS: Fo rest Departm

ment had sta
arted evacuatting muggerss from two p
ponds on the
e Sardar
Sarovar
S Dam premises on
n the Narma
ada, to facilitate a
seaplane
s servvice at the Sta
atue of Unity
y.
 Mugg
ger crocodile
e
• The mugg
ger crocodile,, also called marsh crocodile
or broa d-snouted crocodile, is a sp
pecies
(Crocodylu
us palustris) n
native to fres
shwater hab
bitats
from sou thern Iran and Pakista
an to the In
ndian
subcontin
nent and Sri Lanka.
Mugger
M
• It is extincct in Bhutan a
and Myanmar
crrocodile • The mugg
ger has been listed as vuln
nerable on the
t IUCN Red
d List.
• In India, it is protected under Sched
dule I of the
e Wildlife Pro
otection Actt, 1972.
• Crocodile
es are value
ed for their skin
s and flesh
h. In some cases,
c they aare also worsshipped,
including in the Narma
ada.
• In idols off the Narmad
da Goddess, a crocodile iss her vehicle; there is an iidol on the premises
of the Narrmada Dam.
• Goddess Khodiyar Maa, who is worshipped by
y a section off Gujarati’s, is also seen riding a
crocodile as a symbol of her supremacy over land and water.
Key
K concern--Human-Mug
gger conflict has been rep
ported from different
d parrts of the cou
untry

Hisstoryy, HEERITAAGE & Cultture

# GGS Paper (PPrelims) & GS Paper I (Main)
INDUS
S VALLEEY CIVIL LISATION
N
#Ancient India

History, Heritage & Culture
LOTHAL
Indian archeologists started searching for Harappan cities in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in the post-
independence period. Lothal was thus discovered in Gujarat under a team led by archaeologist S.R. Rao in 1954-
63. Lothal is considered to be one of the oldest port cities in India, which was important trading centre during
the Harappan civilization. The word Lothal, like Mohenjo-daro, means the mound of the dead. It is located
between the Bhogavo and Sabarmati rivers near the Gulf of Khambat.
In this respect, let us understand some key information pertaining to this site.
 LOTHAL: KEY FEATURES
• The 4,500-year-old city was mathematically planned.

• The city was divided into two parts: the upper town and the lower town.
• It had a grid pattern with proper streets crossing at right angles and drainage system.
Town Planning • The discovery of toilets and lota-like jars from Lothal suggests the emphasis people put on
cleanliness.
• Lothal also yielded the remains of a storehouse.
• The remains of the brick walls there suggest wide streets, drains and bathing platforms.
• Bead making factory:

 A bead-maker’s house was excavated in the lower town. It had several rooms and a kiln.
 Eight hundred cornelian beads in various stages of production and tools and raw materials were
also recovered from Lothal.
 Lothal was in the thick of Harappan maritime trade, and beads made from semi-precious stones,
terracotta, gold, etc. were popular in areas as far as Sumer (modern-day Iraq), Bahrain and Iran.
 The Lothal bead-makers were thus highly skilled.
• Dockyard:
Archaeological  A rectangular basin has been excavated in Lothal which is said to be a dockyard. It is bound on all
findings sides by baked bricks. It had gaps for a sluice gate and inlet.
 The dockyard proves the maritime activity of the Harappans.
• Seals:
 Lothal seals have been discovered in other ancient cities which points to its importance in trade that
was conducted with other ancient civilisations.
 Most famous discovery of Lothal is the Unicorn seal.
 A vase has also been discovered at Lothal which has painting of a crow standing next to a pitcher
with a deer looking back at it. It reminds one of the tales of the thirsty crow in the Panchatantra
which suggests an element on continuity from Harappan civilization till contemporary times.

Historyy, Heritag e & Culturre
RAKHIGA
ARHI
A team of sch
holars from Deccan Colllege, Pune, is recreatin
ng the faces of a few ske
eletal remaiins, dug up d
during
the excavation of a Hara
appan site a
at Haryana’ss Rakhigarhi village in Hisar,
H in colla
aboration w
with South K
Korean
scientistss. In this resspect, let us understand
d more abou
ut this Harappan site an
nd this recen
nt excavatio
on.
DETAILS OF
F THE RECEN
NT EXCAVAT
TION
• The ma
ajor objective
es behind the
e excavation in Rakhigarh
hi, were to tra
ace the begin
nnings of thiss site and
Ob
bjectives of
to study its gradual evolution fro
om 6000 BCE
E to 2500 BCE
E.
the
e
er aim was to
• Anothe o find out who the Harapp
pan people were
w as there
e was a lot off debate whetther they
exc
cavation
me from Wesst or were locals.
had com
• Comple
ete skeletal remains of three
males and two fe
emales have been
unearth
hed from Rakkhigarhi.
• The fin
ndings from excavation have
argely subst antiated tha
now la at the
Ma
ajor Harapp
pans were locals, ass the
Dis
scoveries excavattion hinted at the grradual
evolutio
on of the H
Harappans prroving
that the
ey were localls.
• Scholarrs have also credited the Harappans
s with severral present-day traditionss such as th
he folded
hands greeting or namaste, c
chicken tand
door, use off the bindi and yoga, aalso seemed
d to have
started
d the marriag
ge system.
 RELATED
D INFORMAT
TION: RAKHIIGARHI
• Locatio
on -: Village-R
Rakhigarhi, District: Hisar, State: Harya
ana
• Period -: Circa 2600 -1800 BC (Ha
arappa Culture)
Loc
cation and
• The site
e of Rakhigarrh is one of tthe five known biggest townships of
o Harappan civilization o
on Indian
Tim
me period
sub-con
ntinent.
• Other fo
our are Hara
appa, Mohen
njodaro and Ganveriwalla in Pakistan
n and Dholavvira (Gujrat) in India.
• Five interconnected mounds spread in a huge area form

m the Rakhig
garhi's uniqu e site. Two m
mounds,
out of fiive, were thicckly populate
ed.
• The archaeological e
excavations rrevealed matture Harapp
pan phase re
epresented b
by planned township
having mud-brick
m a
as well as burrnt-brick hou
uses with pro
oper drainag
ge system.
Ma
ajor
• The ceramic industrry included ite
ems of red ware.
w
arc
cheological
findings • Animal sacrificial p
pit lined with mud brick and triangu
ular and circu
ular fire alte
ers on the m
mud floor
have alsso been exca
avated that siignifies the ritual system
m of Harappans.
• A cylind
drical seal w
with five Harappan characters on one side
s and a sy
ymbol of an a
alligator on tthe other
mportant find from this sitte.
is an im
• The exccavations havve yielded a ffew extende
ed burials, which
w y belong to a very late stage, may
certainly

be the medieval times.
Archaeologists have unearthed artefacts believed to be 2,300-year-old

while carrying out excavation at the Asurgarh Fort in Odisha’s
ASURGARH FORT Kalahandi district. The items excavated date from Mauryan to the
# Art and Culture Kushan period. In this respect, let us understand some information
pertaining to Asurgarh fort and its recent excavations.
 ASURGARH FORT: KEY INFORMATION
• The term Asurgarh literally means fort of demons. Forts are generally constructed as a defence
mechanism to protect territories and the people living in them and this fort was probably no
different in this respect.
• It is believed that the fort was surrounded by moat on its northern, eastern and southern sides.
• A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle,
fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defense.
Architectural
• Close to its western rampart, the river Sandul flows to the north thereby forming a natural moat on
features
the western side of the fort giving it a natural defence mechanism.
• On the eastern side of the fort there is an extensive lake.
• The fort had four wide gates in four cardinal directions and at each gate was installed one
guardian deity.
• These guardian deities are named as Ganga at the eastern gate, Kalapat at the western, Vaishnavi
at the northern and Dokri at the southern gate.
• A number of brick structures were revealed and Wedge-shaped bricks are also noticed in the
circular structures. Most of the structures have terracotta tiles with groves and hole for socketing.
• This suggests that the Asurgarh people during that time probably used stone rubbles and tile
fragments for flooring their houses and the streets.
• Silver punch marked coins, silver and copper toe ring and ear rings, beads of carnelian,
Archaeological
jasper, beryl, garnet, agate and coral have been found. Interestingly, some of these artefacts were
Findings and
as old as 2,300 years.
their
• The findings of coral beads and imperial variety of silver punch mark coins strongly indicates about
implications
long distant trade and association of hinterland people with seafaring people.
• Other discovered artefacts include, glass bangle pieces of different designs and colours, sling balls,
pestle, iron equipment like small wheel, ring, and arrow head.
• These findings suggest the habitants were living in an urban settlement and had a materialistic
lifestyle.
The ruins of the Phuti Masjid lie as a lesser known example of the Islamic
PHUTI MASJID architecture. In this respect, let us understand some basic features of this
# Art and Architecture monument.

 PHUTI MASJID: KEY

Y INFORMAT
TION
• Phuti masjid is locatted in the cityy of Murshid

dabad, Benga
al and it wass built under the reign of Sarfaraz
Khan (R
Ruler of Beng
gal).
Basic Details • It is also
o known as Fo
outi Masjid wherein the term Fout means
m death.
• Sarfarazz Khan died soon after tthe constructtion of Phuti masjid bega
an. Hence, th
his is an inc
complete
monum
ment.
• The mosque consist s of four cup

polas at its co
orners, which
h are dome liike structurees.
Arc
chitectural
• The original plan o
of the mosq
que envisage
ed constructing five dom
mes, out of which only two are
Fea
atures
completted due to th
he untimely d
death of the builder.
b
 RELATED IN
NFORMATIO
ON: SARFARA
AZ KHAN
• Sarfaraz Kh
han was the grandson of the famous Murshid Quli Khan.
• Murshid Quli
Q Khan fou
unded the cityy of Murshidabad and alsso founded th
he Nasiri dyynasty.
• Sarfaraz Khan ascen
nded to the throne in 173
39 with the tittle of Alaudd
din Haider Ju
ung.
• He ruled only for a year as he wass killed during
g the Battle of
o Giria in 17
740, which he
e fought aga inst Alivardi Khan.
LAKHON KHOL L The art of Lakhon Khol

K was rec
cently listed by UNESCO O, the United
Nationss’ cultural ag
gency, as an intangible cultural
c herritage, along
g with
#Arrt and Cultuure # Worlld neighboouring Thailand’s versioon of the dannce, known as Khon. In n this
Historry respect,, let us unde
erstand somme basic asppects of it.
 LAKHON KHOL: KE
EY INFORMAT
TION
• Lakhon Khol is the

e classical ttheatre trad
dition of
Cambod
dia which in
ncludes the tradition of masked
dance.
• Lakhon Khol began
n in the ea
arly Angkorr era. In
ance with bass-reliefs on A
accorda Angkor temple walls, it
is believ
ved that the genre was ffirst performed in the
His
storical ninth ce
entury.
dev
velopment
• In the past, there were eight professional Lakhon
Khol tro
oupes but th
hey were disbanded during the war under
u Khme
er rouge and
d the only re
emaining
troupe was Wat Sva
ay Andet, wh
here knowled
dge has been handed do
own from on
ne generatio
on to the
next.
• Two new
w troupes we
ere formed since the war,, in Kampong
g Thom and at the Natio
onal Theaterr.
• Today, Lakhon
L Khol forms part o
of the curriculum of the Ro
oyal Univers
sity of Fine A
Arts.
• Lakhon Khol was devveloped as an entirely male

m version of Khmer cla
assical court dance.
Key
y Features
• Perform
mances includ
de storytelling accompaniied by the tra
aditional Pin Peat orchesstra.
Themes • The Cambodian lakkhon khol is clearly a sister

s form of Thailand’’s khon maskk-theatre. Th
hey both

illustrate mainly the localized versions of the Indian epic Ramayana, which is known in Cambodia as
the Reamker and in Thailand as the Ramakien.
• They are both regarded as national epics in their respective countries and they are closely linked to the
royal courts and the god-king cult.
ASI: 6 MONUMENTS OF The Archaeological Survey of India has declared six

monuments of protected and national importance in 2018.
NATIONAL IMPORTANCE In this respect, let us understand some key aspects of these
#Art and Culture # Current monuments.
LIST OF THE SIX MONUMENTS
NAME OF THE MONUMENT LOCATION
 High court Building (125 years old) Nagpur, Maharashtra
 Haveli of Aga Khan (Mughal period) Agra
 Hathi Khana (Mughal period) Agra
 Neemrana Baori Alwar, Rajasthan
 Ranipur Jharail group of temples Bolangir, Odisha
 Vishnu Temple Kotali, Uttarakhand
Note: In 2016 and 2017, no new monument was included in the list of sites of national importance. The last monument to
be included in the list, in 2015, was the Vishnu Temple in Nadavayal in Kerala's Wayanad district.
 RELATED INFORMATION: ASI
• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for
the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
Origin • The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was formed in 1861 under Lord Canning.
• Alexander Cunningham served as its first Archaeological Surveyor, to excavate and conserve India’s
ancient built heritage.
• The major focus area is the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of
national importance.
Functions • ASI regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments
and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
• It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
 RELATED INFORMATION: MONUMENTS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE
Definition of The Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 defines an “Ancient Monument” as any structure,
an Ancient erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or

Monument monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest.
• The monument or archaeological site should not be less than 100 years old.
• It should possess special historical, archaeological or artistic interest, making it worthy of declaration
Criteria for
as of national importance.
selection
• It qualifies under specified provisions of definition of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological
Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
Total • With the addition of the 6 new monuments the sites under the ASI in the country has now increased
monuments to 3,693.
of National • Uttar Pradesh (745 monuments/sites), Karnataka (506) and Tamil Nadu (413) have the highest
Importance number of ASI-maintained sites.
The grave of Yusuf Chak is under threat from land grabbers.

GRAVE OF YUSUF CHAK The caretakers of the grave have complained and sought
protection from the government. In this respect, let us
#Art and Culture #Medieval India understand some basic features of this grave.
 THINGS TO KNOW
• He was the last native ruler of Kashmir who belonged to the Chak dynasty.
• He succeeded his father Ali Shah as the ruler of Kashmir and ruled from 1579-1586 A.D.
• He was imprisoned by Mughal ruler Akbar and later exiled to Bihar where he was given land in
Yusuf Chak
Nalanda district and permitted to maintain a cavalry of 500 soldiers.
• This place where Yusuf settled in Bihar is known as Kashmir Chak.
• He died in 1592 in Odisha but he was brought back to Bihar where he was buried.
• It was the last native dynasty to rule independent Kashmir.

• The people of this dynasty belonged to Gurez in Kashmir.
Chak Dynasty
• They were predominantly Sunni Muslims.
• Kashmir was later annexed under the Mughal empire by Akbar in 1589.
• It is located in Biswak, Bihar adjacent to Kashmir Chak (place where Yusuf Chak settled in Bihar).
• This place contains more than ten graves including Yusuf Shah Chak, his wife Habba Khatoon and
other family members.
Grave of • Habba Khatoon was a famous poetess. Even till now, her poetry is sung in every house of Kashmir.
Yusuf Chak • This place is famous for the celebration of Urs (death anniversary) of Yusuf Shah Chak, every year on
28th December.
• People pay their tributes by reciting verses from Quran, offering Fateh Khani and by throwing light on
his life.

The reccent restora ation of the Chowmaha lla Palace inn

CH
HOWMA
AHALLA
A PALAC CE Hyderaabad has bro ought this heritage
h stru
ucture into
limelight. In this re
espect, let us understan
nd some bassic
#Artt and Culture details about this palace.
p
T
THINGS TO KNOW
K
• Chowm
mahalla pal ace is pala
ace of the
Nizams of Hydera
abad state and seat of
the Asaf Jahi dyna
asty.
• The palace was b
built by Niza
am Salabat
Jung.
• Its con
nstruction be
egan in late 1
18th century
Chowmahalla and completed in
n mid of 19
9th century
Palace during
g reign of Asa
af Jah V.
• Chowm
mahalla rece
eived the covveted UNESC
CO Asia Paciffic Heritage Merit
M award for cultural heritage
conserrvation in 201
10.
• A mem
morable mom
ment associated with this
s palace was the coronatiion of Mukarrram Jah Nizam VII in
1967.
• After 1976, howeve
er, the palace
e complex was left untended and unccared for till Princess Esra
a, former
wife off Mukarram JJah, stepped in to begin restoration effforts in 2000
0.
• This dy
ynasty was fo
ounded by M
Mir Qamar-ud
d-Din Siddiqi.
Asa
af Jahi • He wass a viceroy off the Deccan under the Mughal
M emperors from 1713 to 1721.
dynasty • He late
er took the tittle of Asaf Ja
ahi in 1724 and also the title of Nizam
m-ul-Mulk.
• He rule
ed independ ently thereaffter on accou
unt of weaken
ning Mughal influence in Deccan regio
on.
NEWS
N SSnippetts
IN NEWS: A hilll of Granite is being sculp
pted into a te
emple standiing on the hiillock of Yada
agirigutta
nea
ar Warangal in Telangana
a. This temple is the brain
nchild of Tela
angana’s CM
M K C Rao. The temple
is dedicated
d to Lakshmi Na
arasimha Swamy. Yadagirrigutta’s hilltop already ccontains a sm
mall cave
tem
mple dedicate
ed to Narasim
mha along with a rock carrving of Hanu
uman.
LA
AKSHMI  Key Feattures
NA
ARASIMH
HA • The temple is entirely carved in Gran
nite.
Its main attrraction will be its seven sttoreyed Rajagopuram. Ra
ajagopuram
m is a pyramid
dal tower
TE
EMPLE •
located at th
he entrance o
of a temple.
• A gold Sudarrshana chakrra will serve as
a the finial for
f the temple.
• An image off Alwar, a V
Vaishnavite saint,
s carved
d out a monolithic block will be place
ed in the
temple.

• The technique used in making sculptures in the Kakatiya temples has influenced the
sculptures of this temple.
• Kakatiyas are known for their exquisite sculptures where even a paper can pass behind a
dancing figurine.
• The builders of this temple have tried to do the same with many sculptures having designs
where even a palm can pass through them.
IN NEWS: The Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor, considered Prime Minister’s pet project has
been facing criticism as it is altering the topography of this ancient site. It is a 50 feet wide corridor
being constructed to ease the navigation towards the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Pilgrims, in order to reach the Kashi Vishwanath temple, have to cross narrow and congested
lanes. It is in this respect, that the corridor will be constructed to ease the route by demolishing
nearby structures.
 Kashi Vishwanath Temple
KASHI
• It is located in Varanasi on the western banks of River Ganges.
VISHWANATH
• The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it enshrines one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva.
TEMPLE • This temple has been rebuilt several times however, its current standing structure was built in
1777 under Rani Ahalya Bai Holkar of Indore.
• Its temple complex is popularly known as ‘Golden Temple’ due to the presence of a massive
gold plating on its shikhara.
• The temple also houses shrines of protective deities such as Dandapani and Mahakala along
with the Lingam of Avimukteswara.
• The area around the temple is filled with numerous shrines and lingams.
IN NEWS: Prime Minister has recently released a commemorative coin of Guru Gobind Singh to
mark his birth anniversary.
• Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last Sikh Guru.
• He was born in 1666 in Patna, Bihar and he was the son of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg
Bahadur.
GURU • His literary contributions include texts like Dasam Granth and Sarlobh Granth.
GOBIND • Dasam Granth is considered to be the next most important text in Sikhism after Guru Granth
Sahib.
SINGH
• He is credited with the formation of the Khalsa Panth which was a warrior community.
• He started the tradition of 5K’s which were five articles every Khalsa member must adorn.
• The 5k’s include Kesha, Kanga, Kara, Kirpan, Kacchera.
• Khalsa tradition paved way to the formation of the Sikh empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh
in 1799.

IN NEWS: Rosa
ary Church a
also known as
a the Floating Church iss an importaant part of tthe Indo-
Gothic archite cture. In thiss respect, let us understand its basic features.
f
• Rosary churrch is located on the banks on Hem
mavathi (trib
butary of Ka
Kaveri) at Sh
hettihalli
village, Karn
nataka.
• It was built b
by the French missionaries for the wealthy
w British
h estate own ers in 1860.
RO
OSARY • The Gothic style of arc
chitecture is
s implied in its
i construction, which w
was develope
ed by the
British archittects in Britissh India in the late 19th ce
CH
HURCH entury.
• During the 1970’s the Governmentt of India co
onstructed th
he Gorur da
am and He
emavathi
reservoir ne
ear this church.
• The construcction of Goru
ur dam leads to flooding in the Hemav
vathi reservo
oir every mon
nsoon.
• As a result, the Rosary cchurch gets partially submerged und
der water eveery monsoon
n, due to
which it has acquired the
e name of the
e Floating Ch
hurch.
IN NEWS: Than
njavur dolls are an integ
gral part of India’s tangible heritagee which has acquired
world fame. In this respect,, let us understand its ba
asic
fea
atures.
• The Thanjavvur doll is a type of Indian bobb
ble
head or roly
y-poly toy ma
ade
of terracottta material.
• The doll is known as Chettiar bom
mmai which is
TH
HANJAVU
UR used for golu
u during Nav
vratri.
• They have been recog
gnized as a Geographic
cal
DO
OLLS Indication b
by the Government of India as of
2008-09.
• The centre o
of gravity and
d total weigh
ht of the doll is
concentrate d at its botto
om-most poin
nt, generating
ga
dance-like continuous movemen
nt with slow
oscillations.
• These toys are traditio
onally handm
made, finish
hed
with detailed
d, painted ex
xteriors.
IN NEWS: Kullu
u Nati is a fo
olk dance of India which had been registered in tthe Guinnesss Book of
Wo
orld records i n 2016.
• Nati dance iss a local folk
k dance of Ku
ullu district of
o Himachal Pradesh.
The folk dan
nce entered the Limca Book of Rec
cords in 201
14 and madee it to the G
Guinness
KU
ULLU NA
ATI •
World Reco
ords Book as the largest folk dance in
n the world in 2016.
DA
ANCE • This dance is performe
ed during th
he Kullu Dussehra whicch is a centturies-old fesstival i.e.
dedicated to
o the girl child
d.
• It begins on Vijaya Dash
hami, the day
y when the fe
estivities end in rest of thee country.
• The dance depicts ras lila or danc
ces concerning Hindu God Krishna and Gopis and the

entertaining plays of Chandravali.

• This dance was traditionally performed by men but now it has been performed by women
mostly.
• This dance belongs from Lasya variety and considered as a dance of slow-movement.
• Earlier there were separate groups for men and women but now they are allowed to dance
together.
• Dancers clad in traditional dresses dance along with the procession, on the tunes of musical
instruments such as Narsingha, Karnal, Shehnai, Dhol and Nagara.
IN NEWS: Recently, the third edition of the Sarangkheda Chetak Festival 2018-19 commenced.
• Sarangkheda Chetak festival is the oldest horse fairs in the country.
• It’s an annual fair and this tradition can be traced from about 350 years ago.
• This festival is named after the favourite horse of Maharana Pratap i.e. Chetak.
CHETAK
• This fair is organized in the Sarangakheda village in the Nandurbar district of the state of
FESTIVAL Maharashtra.
• Sarangkheda is located on the banks of river Tapi.
• This fair attracts horse traders and buyers from as far as Arabia and Baluchistan.
• The horse breeds found in the fair are Marwari, Kathiawadi, Punjabi and Sindhi.
IN NEWS: Amidst the controversy surrounding the Sabrimala temple, it has been recently opened
again to celebrate the Makaravilakku festival.
• Makaravilakku is a 21-day annual festival celebrated in Kerala.
• It is held on Makar Sankranti at the shrine of Sabarimala.
• The festival includes the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments of Ayyappan) procession and a
MAKARAV- congregation at the hill shrine of Sabarimala.
ILAKKU • Historically, Makaravilakku is the religious practice which was performed by the tribes in the
forest of Ponnambalamedu.
FESTIVAL
• Once the Cyrus star (Makara Jyothi) appears in the sky during the day of the Makara Sankranti
festival, the tribes perform their rituals in a temple at Ponnambalamedu forest.
• As part of the ritual, the tribes perform aarati by lighting camphor and ghee in a vessel and
circling around the idol at the temple in the Ponnambalamedu forest 3 times.
• This Aarathi performed by the tribes is referred to as Makaravilakku.

SECURRITY
# GGS Paper III (Main)
Recenntly, India su
ummoned a Pakistani diplomat and d protested against
a rece
ent order of the Suprem me Court of Pakistan
P tha
at brought tthe
GIL
LGIT-BA ALTISTA AN region
n of Gilgit-Baaltistan with
hin its ambitt. This was d
done by Pakkistan
#Securityy #Territorrial becauuse of the strategic importance of the
t region, eespecially affter
China Pakistan Ec conomic Corrridor (CPEC C).
Dispuute Conseequently, Pa akistan startted taking measures
m to ensure full
constiitutional and legal guarrantees to th
he region.
• China–Pakisstan Econom
mic Corridorr is a collecction of
infrastructure projectss that are
e currently under
construction
n throughou
ut Pakistan. It plans to connect
Gwadar port with Kashga
ar in China.
• It is bone off contention as the projecct is passing through

Pakistan Occupied Kashm
mir (PoK) and
d thus it is in
nfringing
al integrity off India.
the territoria
• In the map of CPEC, Gilg

git-Baltistan ffalls in PoK rregion at
the India Pakistan borde
er.
• It borders Pakistan’s
P Kh
hyber Pankh
htua district, China’s
Xingjian province and Afghanistan
n through Wakhan
Corridor.
• It hold world’s one of th

he largest gla
aciers such a
as Biafo,
Baltoro glacier.
SP
PACE TE ECHNOL LOGY IN N The Union Home Minister has approved
a reeport of Tassk Force
BO
ORDER MANAG GEMENT T created by MHA to identify are
eas for use o
of Space Tecchnology
in impro
oving Border Management.
#Securityy #Border MManagemennt

Security
• The Task Force is headed by Joint Secretary (Border Management) and have members from BSF,
Department of Space
• Following areas have been identified for use of space technology:
 Island development
 Border Security
About Task  Communication and Navigation
Force Report  GIS and Operations Planning System
 Border Infrastructure Development
• A short, medium and long term plan has been proposed for implementation in five years in close
coordination with ISRO and MoD.
• Major recommendations of the report are to build capacity in BGFs (Border Guarding Forces) to use
space resources for Security, operational planning and border infrastructure development.
• BSF has been designated as lead agency for implementation of ground segment and network
Agency to infrastructure including establishment of Archival Facility.
Implement • With the assistance of Department of Space, MHA would implement the project.
Project • This project will strengthen island and border security and facilitate development of infrastructure in
border/island areas.
POLICE REFORMS A report on police reforms by a committee comprising senior police

officers in Chhattisgarh and led by DIG Neha Champawat has made
FOR MAOIST AREAS several recommendations with respect to Maoist Affected Areas.
# Internal Security The recommendations are given below:
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Psychologists in every district headquarters;

• At least one leave per week;
• An increase in financial aid;
• Raising women constables and sub-inspectors in the police force from 9 per cent to 30 per cent;
• Eight-day leave at a stretch in forward Maoist violence-affected areas;
• An information and technology officer at every police station in the state, and a law officer should be attached with the
office of the Superintendent of Police of each district;
• Increase in House Rent Allowance from the current 7 per cent to 15 per cent;
• A gynaecology specialist, a psychologist, and a physiotherapist should be made available for personnel at the
government hospital two days each week;
• 10-per cent risk allowance for those in forward areas.

Securitty
MILIT
TARY EX XERCISE
ES
# Security
• The first-ever joint In

ndia- Africa military tra
aining exerciise will take place
p in Marcch this year, a
at Aundh
Military
y Station and College of M
Military Engine
eering, Pune..
• The join
nt training exxercise is bein
ng conducted
d with more than
t a dozen
n African coun
ntries and India.
IAF
FTX-2019
• It aims at
a synergisin g humanitarrian mine action and joint peace opera
ations.
• The IAF
FTX-2019 is a positive step towards grrowing politiccal and milita
ary ties with the member nations
of Africa
an continent and will boo
ost the alread
dy strong stra
ategic cooperration betwe en the counttries.
• India co
onducted its largest coasstal defence drill to test itts preparedn
ness along th
he entire 7,5
516.6 km-
long-coastline and e
exclusive economic zone of
o the countrry.
• The first of its kind e
exercise was conducted in
n January and
d coordinated by the Navvy.
• It aims to
t comprehe
ensively and holistically va
alidate the effficacy of the
e measures taaken since 26/11 and
simultaneously actiivate the co
oastal security mechanissm across all
a 13 coastaal States an
nd Union
Territorries.
• It is bassed on the theme of:
Exe
ercise Sea  Nigrani: Along the en
ntire coast off India and ou
utlying island
ds.
Vig
gil  Nireeksh
han: Underta
aken by multti-agency team
ms deployed to check and
d audit impo rtant landing
g points
 Nakaban
ndi: Underta king rummag
ging of visitin
ng ships
• This firsst-ever large
e scale Coasttal Defence Exercise
E wou
uld be now institutionalis
i sed to be co
onducted
every tw
wo years in a ddition to the state-focus
ssed Sagar Kavach
K seriess of exercisess.
• The exe
ercise is a bu
uild up towards the majo
or theatre lev
vel tri-service
e exercise TR
ROPEX [Thea
atre-level
Readine
ess Operation
nal Exercise] which Indian
n Navy condu
ucts every tw
wo years.
• SEA VIG
GIL and TROP
PEX together w
will cover the
e entire specttrum of mariitime securityy, including ttransition
from pe
eace to confliict.

Misccellaaneouus
AUSTRALIA
AN OPEEN (A.O.) 2019
#Tennis
C
CHANGES IN
N A.O.
1. Intro
oduction of a 10-point tieb
break at 6-6 in the decidin
ng set;
2. Heatt Stress Indexx;
3. Use of serve clo

ock to be set at 25 seco
onds so as to help spee
ed up match
hes, Hawk-Eyye review
Ne
ew changes
nology on all 16 courts;
techn
4. Incre
ease in the nu
umber of spo
ots in the women’s qualify
ying draw fro
om 96 to 1288; and
5. Upgrrade in the p rize money p

pool.
• The tiebreak rulee has followe

ed a similar move by Wimbledon, wh
here it is 12--12 in the de
ecider, to
prevent long-draw
wn matches from messin
ng up the schedule.
• The change
c in he
eat policy is the result of the
t severe crriticism In the
e last edition
n. Novak Djok
kovic and
Gael Monfils werre vociferouss after being
g forced to play
p at temperatures thaat almost tou
uched 40
Wh
hy were they
y degrees Celsius.
needed? • The serve clocks will help enforce the guideline that players have
e 25 secondss to initiate p
play after
the previous
p poin
nt ends.
• The additional
a sp
pots in the wo
omen’s qualiffying draw is to restore parity with thee men.
nology on all 16 match courts

• The use of line-ccalling techn c nsure equal conditions ffor every
will en
er in the draw
playe w.
RES
SULTS OF A.O. 2019
In
n the men’s category, eyyes were set ffor Novak In the wo
omen’s categ
gory, Naom i Osaka
Djo
okovic and Ra
afael Nadal fi nal but it end
ded in a one continu
ued her winning streak fro
om US
s
sided contestt by resurgen
nt Novak whe
ere injury Open 20
018 and now in continuatiion, she
returned Na
adal failed to
o match Nova
ak’s flair. won Austtralian Open 2019 after d
defeating
Petrra Kvitová of Czech Repub
blic.
th
This was No
ovak’s 15 G
Gram Slam tiitle thus
ove
ertook Pete Sampras (14) and is just behind Nadal Naomi currently holds No.1 rankking in
(17)
( and Fede
erer (20). Women's Tennis Association
A (W
WTA)
He
e again opened the debatte on the Gre
eatest of all rankings.
Time (GO
OAT).

Miscellaneous
JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL, 2019

#Culture #Track II Diplomacy
• The Festival’s core value is to serve as a democratic, non-aligned platform offering free and fair
access a range of voices from India And Abroad.
• Every year, the Festival brings together a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers,
humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to
champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue.
About the • Star speakers: Past speakers have ranged from Nobel Laureates J.M. Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk and
festival Wole Soyinka, Man Booker Prize winners Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood and Paul Beatty, Sahitya
Akademi winners Girish Karnad, Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, M.T. Vasudevan Nair as well as the late
Mahasweta Devi and U.R. Ananthamurthy along with literary superstars including Amish Tripathi,
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Vikram Seth.
• It is an annual event that goes beyond literature, the Festival has also hosted Amartya Sen, Amitabh
Bachchan, the late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Fry and Thomas Piketty.
• It is a flagship event of Teamwork Arts. It produces one of the world’s largest free literary
Organiser
gatherings. It has taken India to the world and brought the world to India.
BHARAT RATNA, 2019

#Awards
The 2019 Bharat Ratna award has been bestowed upon former President Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh and singer
Bhupen Hazarika. Nanaji Deshmukh and singer Bhupen Hazarika were awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously.
• He laid great emphasis on education as a social worker.
• The first Saraswati Shishu Mandir was established by him at Gorakhpur in
Nanaji 1950.
Deshmukh • He took part in Jai Prakash Narayan movement during the Emergency.
• He got elected as a member of Lok Sabha from Balrampur in 1977.
• He has also served as a nominated member of Rajya Sabha.

M
Miscellan eous
• He wa
as a playbackk singer, lyriccist, musician
n, singer, poe
et and film-m
maker from A
Assam, widely known
as Sud
dhakantha.
• He ma
ainly wrote a nd sang in th
he Assamese language.
Bhupen
• His wo
orks were ma
arked by hum
manity and universal
u brotherhood an
nd have been
n translated a
and sung
Ha
azarika
in man
ny languagess.
• He alsso served as a conduit to introduce th

he culture an
nd folk musicc of Assam an
nd Northeastt India to
Hindi cinema at th
he national level.
EARLY IND DIANS

# BBOOKS AND AUTHORS
A
Genre: No
on-Fiction, History
Author: T
Tony Joseph
• Importtance: The book looks at compelliing story off new DNA findings,
tracing
g the people of
o India from
m prehistory to
t near historry.
of the book: It traces migration Out off Africa (OoA)).

• Flow o
• The first OoA migra

ants emerged
d around 70,,000 years aggo. About 5,0
000 years
later th
heir descend
dants reached
d India and faced
f archaicc humans livving here
alreadyy. Waves of these
t OoA migrants
m also reached part
rts of central Asia and
Europe
e between 60,000 and 40
0,000 years ago. Early In
ndians came
e to India
over tim
me from Africa, West, Easst and Centra
al Asia.
• This b
book is exce
ellent science
e journalism
m based on DNA findin
ngs so it
presen
nts compelling story about these findin
ngs and tracees the people
e of India
from p
prehistory to near history.

ETHICS, INTEGRITY & APTITUDE

# GS Paper IV (Main)
ETHICS IN GOVERNANCE: HISTORY AS A BEACON

#Ethics
The Supreme Court asked the central government to take steps on bringing a bill in Parliament to regulate
Political Parties in India. This was based on an overwhelming desire to stop tainted people with criminal
backgrounds from entering political parties and then even winning elections.
Criminalisation of Politics in India has become rampant, and when we contrast today’s representatives from the
political leaders in the pre-independence era, there is huge difference in their quality. This impacts ethics in
governance because an ethical governance requires ethical people in active politics as only they can generate
right political will to transform the quality of overall governance.
Let us turn the pages of history and learn from it as History is a beacon and even UPSC asked an Essay in 2018
showcasing reference from past is must. Topic was “The past is a permanent dimension of human
consciousness and values”.
With respect to above, this section is focusing on one of the most important and powerful code of ethics
developed by Buddha and adopted by Asoka the Great, the most accomplished ruler of the Mauryas, after his
change of mind and influx of new thoughts, post the battle of Kalinga. He tried to carve an ethically driven
empire in which even the ruler himself was bounded by it. So ethics is not only for the governed but also for the
people in governance.
The intent is to show that events/extracts from History can easily be picked up in answering questions in GS
Paper-II & IV and Essay paper.
Read, enjoy, ponder and practice !

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE DHAMMA
In brief: It is a non-aggressive, moral and philosophical system expounded by the Buddha, which demands no blind faith
from its adherents, expounds no dogmatic creeds, encourages no superstitious rites and ceremonies, but advocates a
golden mean that guides a disciple through pure living and pure thinking to the gain of supreme wisdom and deliverance
from all evil. The teachings of Dhamma are summarised in Noble Eightfold path.
Noble Eightfold path
Ethical conduct is built on the vast conception of universal love and compassion for all living beings, on which the
Buddha’s teaching is based.

Ethics,, Integrityy & Aptitudde
Acccording to Buddhism, for a man to be perfect there are two

o qualities th
hat he should develop eequally: com
mpassion
(ka
aruna) on on
ne side, and wisdom
w (pan
nna) on the o
other.
 Compassion
n representss love, charityy, kindness, tolerance, and
such noble qualities on the emotion
nal side, or q
qualities of the
heart.
 Wisdom sta
and for the intellectual
i sside or the q
qualities of the
mind.
 Emotional intelligence
e: If one devvelops only tthe emotional,
neglecting the
t intellectu
ual, one mayy become a good-hearted
fool; while to
t develop only
o the intelllectual side neglecting the
emotional may
m turn one
e into a hard
d-hearted in
ntellect witho
out
feeling for others.
The
erefore to be
e perfect, on
ne has to devvelop both e
equally. That is
the
e aim of the Buddhist way
w of life: in
n it wisdom a
and compassion are inse
eparably link
ked togetherr and these are very
imp
portant traitss for an effecctive governa
ance.
ET
THICAL CON
NDUCT
These
T factors (right speech
h, right action,, and right livvelihood) of th
he eightfold path
p constitute ethical con
nduct. It should be
realized tha
at the Buddh
hist ethical an
nd moral con
nduct aims at promoting a happy and harmonious life both for the
individual and
a for societty. This mora
al conduct is considered as
a the indispe
ensable foundation for al l higher spiritual
attainments. No spiritual devvelopment is possible with
hout this moral basis.
Right spe
eech means a
abstention
1) from telling
t lies,
2) from backbiting
b an
nd slander an
nd talk that may
m bring about hatred, enmity,
e disun
nity, and dish
harmony
among individualss or groups off people,
3) from harsh,
h rude, impolite, malicious, and abusive
a langu
uage, and
4) from idle, useless, and foolish b
babble and gossip.
g
ne abstains ffrom these fforms of wro
When on ong and harm
mful speech one naturallly has to sp
peak the
Rig
ght Speech truth, hass to use wor ds that are ffriendly and benevolent, pleasant and
d gentle, meaaningful, and
d useful.
One shou
uld not spea
ak carelesslyy: speech should be at the
t right tim
me and placee. If one can
nnot say
somethin
ng useful, one
e should keep “noble silence.”
But this iss facing huge
e challenge d
due to ‘Divid
de and Rule’ politics.
Even Sup
preme Courtt has taken a stand on this
t with resspect to Secttion 123(3), Representa
ation of
People Act
A (RPA) 195
51.
The Suprreme Court h
has clearly ru
uled that religion, race, caste,
c community or langguage would
d not be
allowed to
t play any ro
ole in the electoral proces
ss and that election of a candidate
c wo
ould be decla
ared null
and void if an appeal is made to se
eek votes on these consid
derations.
Right action aims at promoting m

moral, honou
urable, and peaceful
p con
nduct. It adm
monishes us that we
Rig
ght Action
should abstain from destroying llife, from ste
ealing, from dishonest dealings, from
m illegitimate
e sexual

Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
intercourse, and that we should also help others to lead a peaceful and honourable life in the right way.
But this has taken a beating from the cases of mob lynching, honour killings, terrorism, bank frauds etc.
Right livelihood means that one should abstain from making one’s living through a profession that
brings harm to others, such as trading in arms and lethal weapons, intoxicating drinks or poisons,
killing animals, cheating, etc., and should live by a profession which is honourable, blameless, and
Right
innocent of harm to others. One can clearly see here that Buddhism is strongly opposed to any kind of
Livelihood
war, when it lays down that trade in arms and lethal weapons is an evil and unjust means of livelihood.
This has been challenged by the huge arms industry, arms lobby, and related profits. These arms are
used for killing innocents in Syria, Yemen etc.
MENTAL DISCIPLINE
Next comes mental discipline, in which are included three other factors of the eightfold path: namely, right effort, right
mindfulness, and right concentration.
Right effort is the energetic will

1) to prevent evil and unwholesome state of mind from arising,
2) to get rid of such evil and unwholesome states that have already arisen within a man,
Right Effort
3) to produce, to cause to arise, good, and wholesome states of mind not yet arisen, and
4) to develop and bring to perfection the good and wholesome states of mind already present in a
man.
Right mindfulness is to be diligently aware, mindful, and attentive with regard to

1) the activities of the body (kaya),
2) sensations or feelings (vedana),
3) the activities of the mind (citta) and
Right 4) ideas, thoughts, conceptions, and things (dhamma).
Mindfulness
With regard to sensations and feelings, one should be clearly aware of all forms of feelings and
sensations, pleasant, unpleasant and neutral, of how they appear and disappear within oneself.
Concerning the activities of mind, one should be aware whether one’s mind is lustful or not, given to
hatred or not, deluded or not, distracted or concentrated, etc. In this way one should be aware of all
movements of mind, how they arise and disappear.
The third and last factor of mental discipline is right concentration, leading to the four stages of
Dhyana, generally called trance.
1) In the first stage, passionate desires and certain unwholesome thoughts like sensuous lust, ill-will,
languor, worry, restlessness, and skeptical doubt are discarded, and feelings of joy and happiness
Right are maintained, along with certain mental activities.
Concentration 2) In the second stage, all intellectual activities are suppressed, tranquillity, and “one-pointedness” of
mind developed, and the feelings of joy and happiness are still retained.
3) In the third stage, the feeling of joy, which is an active sensation, also disappears, while the
disposition of happiness still remains in addition to mindful equanimity.
4) In the fourth stage of Dhyana, all sensations, even of happiness and unhappiness, of joy and

sorrow, disappear, only pure equanimity and awareness remaining.

Thus the mind is trained and disciplined and developed through right effort, right mindfulness, and
right concentration.
WISDOM
The remaining two factors, namely right thought and right understanding, constitute wisdom in the noble eightfold path.
Right thought denotes the thoughts of selfless renunciation or detachment, thoughts of love and
thoughts of non-violence, which are extended to all beings. It is very interesting and important to note
here that thoughts of selfless detachment, love and non-violence are grouped on the side of wisdom.
This clearly shows that true wisdom is endowed with these noble qualities, and that all thoughts of
Right Thought
selfish desire, ill-will, hatred, and violence are the result of a lack of wisdom in all spheres of life
whether individual, social, or political.
It was best symbolised by our Father of the Nation, M.K. Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Refer
coverage on M.K. Gandhi (FOCUS-December 2018) and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (FOCUS-January 2019).
Right understanding is the understanding of things as they are, and it is the four noble truths that
explain things as they really are. Right understanding therefore is ultimately reduced to the
understanding of the four noble truths. This understanding is the highest wisdom which sees the
Ultimate Reality.
Right
According to Buddhism there are two sorts of understanding. What we generally call “understanding”
Understanding
is knowledge, an accumulated memory, an intellectual grasping of a subject according to certain given
data. This is called “knowing accordingly” (anubodha). It is not very deep.
Real deep understanding or “penetration” (pativedha) is seeing a thing in its true nature, without name
and label. This is terms as applied knowledge, based on scientific temper.
ASHOKA'S POLICY OF DHAMMA
• By the time Ashoka ascended the throne, the Mauryan imperial system had become more complex
by encompassing various cultures, beliefs and social and political patterns.
• Ashoka had to either maintain the structure by force, which would incur tremendous expense, or
by defining a set of social norms which would be acceptable to all social practices and religious
beliefs.
• He was aware of the tensions which the heterodox sects—Buddhism, Jainism and Ajiviksim—had
generated in society. They were all opposed to the domination of the Brahmans and had a growing
Need for
number of supporters. But Brahmans continued to control society and hostility was inevitable. It
adoption
was essential to bring about a climate of harmony and mutual trust.
• There were many areas within the empire where neither the Brahmanical system nor the
heterodox sects prevailed, referred by Asoka as the country of Yavanas, mostly the tribal areas.
• To make the empire survive and to bring some cohesion within the empire in the midst of this
diversity, some common patterns of behaviour and common approaches to the society's problems
were needed.
• He focused on ‘participation’ and ‘inclusion’.

• The principles of Dhamma were formulated to be acceptable to people belonging to different

communities and following any religion.
• Dhamma was not given any formal definition or structure. It emphasized tolerance of people and
the notion of showing consideration.
• Ashoka pleaded for tolerance of different religious sects in an attempt to create a sense of
Principles harmony. The policy of Dhamma also laid stress on non-violence, which was to be practiced by
giving up war and conquests and also as a restraint on the killing of animals.
• The policy of Dhamma also included other welfare measures, like the planting of trees and digging
of wells. Ashoka attacked ceremonies and sacrifices as meaningless.
• A group of officers known as Dhamma mahamattas were instituted to implement and publicize the
various aspects of Dhamma
DISPLAY THROUGH ROCK EDICTS
Major Rock
prohibits animal sacrifice
Edict I
Major Rock Measures of social welfare. It mentions medical treatment for men and animals, construction of
Edict II roads, wells and tree planting.
Major Rock Plea for tolerance amongst all sects. Reflects the anxiety the king felt because of conflict between
Edict VII & XII sects and carries his plea for harmony.
Major Rock Dhammayatra i.e. connecting with people. Dhammayatras enabled the emperor to come into contact
Edict VIII with various sections of people in the empire.
Major Rock
Attacks ceremonies, rituals, fasts
Edict IX
Major Rock
Denounces fame and glory and reasserts the merits of following the policy of Dhamma.
Edict X
Major Rock
This Rock Edict pleads for conquest by Dhamma instead of war.
Edict XIII
DHAMMA SHADOW ON THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Preamble: For all, the guiding light is the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a [SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC] and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the [unity and integrity of the Nation];

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO
OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
1. To abide by the constitution and respect its ideal and institutions;

2. To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;
3. To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
4. To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
5. To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious,
linguistic and regional diversities, to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
6. To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
7. To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wild-life and to have compassion
for living creatures;
8. To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
9. to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
10. To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity, so that the nation constantly rises to
higher levels of endeavor and achievement.
11. who is a parent or guardian, to provide opportunities for education to his child, or as the case may be, ward between
the age of six and fourteen years.
UNDERSTAND IT MORE
The current relevance of Dhamma is explained in a beautiful article extracted from ‘The Hindu’, given below with some
additions.
What the ruler and the ruled owe one another (A symbiotic relationship)
The Arthashastra is not the only source of political thinking in India. Another tradition exists from which we can learn
much, which is as relevant in our own, very different context of popular rule (democracy) as it was in ancient times.
I am thinking here of a tradition in which the idea of the Chakravartin, the wheel turner, is of great significance. The
wheel that these great rulers turn is the wheel of Dharma or Dhamma (law inspired by morality) — just as the Buddha
turned the wheel of Dhamma in the religio-philosophical sphere, just so the Chakravartin turns it in the political sphere.
The turning of the wheel is a metaphor for a radical restructuring of the world in accordance with a politico-moral
vision. The king launches an entirely new set of political and administrative measures inspired by public morality and
becomes a normative ruler — the just ruler who brings peace and prosperity to his subjects. If he conquers other
kingdoms, he does so not by physical force but by moral appeal. People submit to his rule not from coercion but
voluntarily, out of respect for his adherence to the principles of Dhamma.
The Asoka template: The king is also bounded by Dhamma like his subjects
The king who first embodies the idea of a moral ruler or the ‘normative king’ is none other than Asoka. Before him, or
before he turned his back on the tradition of physical conquest and violence to become the Chakravartin, the rightness or
wrongness of actions was determined solely by the king himself. The law was not applied consistently or uniformly

Ethics,, Integrityy & Aptitudde
butt in an extrem
mely partial and
a arbitraryy manner. Thus, Rajas ofte
en rewarded or punished
d their subjeccts to serve th
heir own
idio
osyncratic moral
m sense or personal interests. B
But now, by fashioning the
t idea of Dhamma, A
Asoka detac
ched his
personal views from whatt is morally right. By submitting to what
w is mora
ally right, he sought to saave himself frrom acts
tha
at he might come to regre
et later, to tam
me the institution of king
gship itself, to
o limit his own absolute p
power.
If Dhamma
D is a higher morral principle
e above not just the ruled but the ruler
r too, then we have within our m
midst not
jusst what the ru
uled owe the
eir rulers, butt, in turn, what the ruler owes
o ed. The politico-moral ord
the rule der stands ab
bove the
kin
ng, at least pa
artially. The head
h of the fa
family is as m
much part of it as his wife and children
n are. Likewisse, the king is part of
the
e political ord
der just as much
m as his su
ubjects are. A
And just as all
a members of the family
y owe sometthing, though
h not the
sam omething to his subjects though qualitatively diffe
me thing, to each other, just so the kking owes so ferent from w
what the
sub
bjects owe hiim.
Notte: What thee subjects ow

we to the king and his officials
o is ob
bedience to his comman
nds. But the
ese
commands are not his p
personal wh
him but flow
w from Dham
mma itself.
Furrthermore, the
t Asokan Pillar Edictt 7 clarifiess that compliance to Dhamma musst arise larggely from nijjhattiya
(pe
ersuasion), not solely from niyama (le
egislation). A
And we can be persuade
ed only when
n somethingg makes sensse to us;
wh
hen what is co
ommanded accords
a with what one un
nderstands Dhamma
D to re
equire. Every
yone must fo
ollow Dhamm
ma out of
an inner dispossition to com
mply, with on
ne’s conscien
nce, as it were. In short, rule by Dha
amma may aalso be viewe
ed as an
attempt to tran
nsform brute power into m
moral authority — comm
mands are followed becau
use they are sseen to be g
good, not
me
erely because
e the ruler so
o commands..
Verry importantt for the currrent times w

when everyth
hing is being
g forcibly imposed witho
out rationalitty. Respect iss always
gen
nerated, not forced.
Thiis does not exhaust

e the political dim
mension of D
Dhamma, how
wever. For itt must also include
i whatt the king o
owes his
sub
bjects.
Pillar Edict 6 elaborates

e what this is: lo
okassa hitasukhaye (welffare and hap
ppiness of alll living beinggs in this world), and
herreafter in swarga (heaven
n).
Acccording to Pillar Edict 4,
4 the king's officials owe
e something to the subje
ects too — samata
s (impaartiality), viyohala or
vya
avahar sama
ata (impartia
ality in the social doma
ain) and dam
mda samata
a (impartialitty in the do
omain of re
etributive
punishment).
Note:
o In the re
eign of Dham
mma, the king
g is not just a ruler but a leader, one who
w leads his subjects by example. Ap
part from
beiing a father to
t all (important in that co
ontext), Asok
ka tried to be one who saw
w further and
d clearer thaan others, som
metimes
a te
eacher, some
etimes a healer; always, a moral exem
mplar.
Les
ssons for tod
day
Wh
hat is the take
eaway from this
t ancient cconception o
of Dhamma-in
nspired Chak
kravartin? No
ot the idea off kingship (orr the rule
of one man), off no value in a democrat ic republic. N
Nor the idea of the ruler as our father, our ‘maibaaap’. In a dem
mocracy,
we
e rule collec
ctively; at le
east as equa
al citizens, w
we rule and
d are ruled in
i turn. But even our ow
wn rule can become

arbitrary, where power is exercised by popular whim rather than by predictable, stable norms emanating from collective
reflection.
So, the takeaway is that we owe it to ourselves and to each other that there be :
a) Impartial rule of law which checks abuse of popular power, saving us, the people, from acts that we might come to
regret later and that binds even those we have temporarily chosen to govern us;
b) Something like Dhamma, a constitutional morality — justice, tolerance, freedom, equality and civic friendship — that
guides us all, the ruler and the ruled. And our elected representatives owe it to us that they be not merely rulers but
moral exemplars, faithful adherents themselves of the rule of law and constitutional morality.
Hence, the Chakravartin tradition remains a valuable resource for our democratic republic.
Now answer some of the past UPSC questions
• Differentiate between the following; a) Law and Ethics; b) Ethical management and Management
of ethics; c) Discrimination and Preferential treatment; d) Personal ethics and Professional ethics.
(2015)
• A mere compliance with law is not enough, the public servant also has to have a well-developed
G.S. Paper- IV sensibility to ethical issues for effective discharge of duties.” Do you agree? Explain with the help
of two examples, where (i) an act is ethically right, but not legally and (ii) an act is legally right, but
not ethically. (2015)
• What do you understand by ‘values’ and ‘ethics’? In what way is it important to be ethical along
with being professionally competent? (2013)
Essay With greater power comes greater responsibility. (2014)

Gllossaary
# Term s
Ennrich Your
Y Coonceptts
• A Beverridge curve
e is a
graphicall representa
ation of
the rela
ationship b
between
oyment and the job
unemplo
vacancy rate (num
mber of
unfilled jobs). Th
he Job
vacancy rate is reprresented
Be
everidge
e on the ve
ertical axis w
while the
Cu
urve unemplo
oyment is
represen ted on the
(# Economy)
E horizonta
al axis.
• The Beve
eridge curve usually
downwards because
slopes d
when hig
gh job vacanccy in the
economyy is accompa
anied by
low unem
mployment.
• Similarly,, a low job va

acancy is acco
ompanied by
y higher unem
mployment.
• Tulip ma
ania is used as a metaphor to desscribe an ec
conomic bu bble. People start
investing
g in a particular asset in large quantities because of positive seentiments ab
bout it.
This push
hes the prices of that asse
et to very hig
gh levels. Afte
er reaching a peak, pricess suffer
a sharp ffall due to an
n extensive sell off, leavin
ng the asset holders bankkrupt. These assets
Tu
ulip Man
nia are meta phorically ca
alled tulips.
• The term
m "Tulip mania
a" is based on the story of
o the first ma
ajor financiall bubble whicch took
(# Economy)
E
place in tthe 17th cen
ntury in Holla
and. Investorrs began to madly
m purch
hase tulips, p
pushing
their pricces to unpre
ecedented hig
ghs. The ave
erage price of
o a single flo
ower exceed
ded the
annual in
ncome of a skilled work
ker. As prices drastically collapsed, m
many tulip h
holders
instantly went bankru
upt.

Glossary
• Soft currency is considered to be a currency which is extremely sensitive to the

political and economic changes and keep sharply fluctuating in response to the
changes.
Soft Currency
• Due to this, the soft currency is characterised by high level of volatility making it
(# Economy) undesirable for the foreign investors.
• For example, due to the present economic crisis in Venezuela, its currency, Bolivar can be
considered to be Soft Currency.
• It refers to the average number of times a single unit of money changes hands in an
economy during a given period of time.
Velocity of • It is defined as Velocity of Circulation = Gross Domestic Product (GDP) / Money

Supply
Circulation
• If the velocity of money is increasing, it would mean that transactions between individuals
(# Economy) are occurring more frequently. A higher velocity is a sign that the same amount of money
is being used for a number of transactions. Hence, a high velocity would indicate a high
degree of inflation.
• The term ‘Social Capital’ was first used by L.J. Hanifan. It refers to those institutions,
relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s interaction.
• It consists of trust, mutual understanding, shared values and behavior that bind together
the members of a community and make cooperative action possible. The basic premise is
Social Capital that such interaction enables people to build communities, to commit themselves to each
other, and to knit the social fabric.
(#Economy)
• It has assumed an economic connotation and has come to be accepted as a factor of
production in the development theory.
• The SHGs and Cooperatives can be considered as entities that make optimum use of the
social capital in the society.
• According to Article 112 of the Indian Constitution, the Union Budget of a year, also
referred to as the annual financial statement, is a statement of the estimated receipts
and expenditure of the government for that particular year.
• Union Budget is classified into Revenue Budget and Capital Budget.

Union Budget
• Revenue budget includes the government's revenue receipts and expenditure. There are
(#Economy) two kinds of revenue receipts - tax and non-tax revenue. Revenue expenditure is the
expenditure incurred on day to day functioning of the government and on various
services offered to citizens. If revenue expenditure exceeds revenue receipts, the
government incurs a revenue deficit.

Glossary
• Capital Budget includes capital receipts and payments of the government. Loans from
public, foreign governments and RBI form a major part of the government's capital
receipts. Capital expenditure is the expenditure on development of machinery,
equipment, building, health facilities, education etc. Fiscal deficit is incurred when the
government's total expenditure exceeds its total revenue.
• Unemployment trap is a situation when unemployment benefits discourage the

unemployed to go to work. People find the opportunity cost of going to work too high
Unemployment when one can simply enjoy the benefits by doing nothing.
Trap • While the purpose of social security and welfare systems is to provide relief to the
unemployed, they end up providing them with an incentive not to return to work. An
(#Economy) unemployment trap arises when opportunity cost of going to work is higher than the
income received, discouraging people from returning to work and being productive.
• Under this system of taxation, the tax rate diminishes as the taxable amount increases. In
other words, there is an inverse relationship between the tax rate and taxable
income. The rate of taxation decreases as the income of taxpayers increases.
Regressive Tax • This system of taxation generally benefits the higher sections of the society having higher
incomes as they need to pay tax at lesser rates. On the other hand, people with lesser
(#Economy)
incomes are burdened with higher rate of taxation.
• Example: A person earning Rs 1,00,000 p.a. might be required to pay taxes at 15%
whereas a person earning Rs 5,00,000 p.a. might be required to pay taxes at 10%.
• Proportional tax is the taxing mechanism in which the taxing authority charges the same
rate of tax from each taxpayer, irrespective of income. This means that lower class, or
Proportional middle class, or upper class people pay the same amount of tax. Since the tax is charged
Tax at a flat rate for everyone, whether earning higher income or lower income, it is also
called flat tax.
(#Economy)
• Proportional tax is based on the theory that since everybody is equal, taxes should also
be charged the same way.

Part TWO
CONTRIBUTORS
ZONE
articles .opinions .essays .notes
by rau’s professors & students

lEAD ARTICLES
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME: A WAY FORWARD

FOR INDIA??
#Economy and Society
BASAVA UPPIN
Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by However, UBI has its advocates as well as opponents. On
everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much one hand, the advocates have pitched for UBI as an
greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.- answer to solve the problems of poverty and
Mother Teresa unemployment while, on the other hand, the opponents
have argued that UBI would not be economically feasible
and impose additional social costs in the form of inducing
A referendum was carried out in Switzerland in 2016 laziness and increased demand for temptation goods such
where in the people were asked to give their opinion on as alcohol, cigarettes etc.
the implementation of Universal Basic Income (UBI). The
proposal included the UBI of 2,500 Swiss francs to be Against this backdrop, questions which can be raised here
provided to all the adults living in Switzerland. The result is whether India is ready for UBI?? Can UBI emerge as a
of the referendum was quite surprising given the fact that tool to promote faster and inclusive growth and bridge
more than 75% of the population rejected the idea of UBI. the regional and gender disparity? More importantly, in
spite of its desirability, does India has the necessary
However, in spite of its rejection, the idea of UBI has financial capability and resources to implement UBI?
caught the imagination of the world. A large number of
countries such as US, Canada, Kenya, Finland, Namibia, Let us find the answers to these questions.
Netherlands, India etc are implementing UBI through a
pilot program in order to study its impact on the society.
The UBI is being considered as a magic bullet to solve the
Understanding Universal
various socio-economic challenges confronting the global
community. It has found its proponents in both developed Basic Income
and developing countries. More importantly, even though
the ideologies of Capitalism and Socialism are poles apart A Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a regular fixed cash
and do not reach on common ground on number of transfer payment provided by the government to every
issues. However, both capitalists and socialists seem to citizen or resident regardless of their socio-economic
have reached a consensus on the implementation of UBI. status to ensure that they are at least able to meet their

basic needs. The idea of a basic income is founded on the Further, the capitalists argue that UBI would not induce
three following characteristics: laziness among people. It is based upon the assumption
that all the individuals are utility maximisers and would
Universality: UBI should be given to the entire population strive for higher quality of life once they are assured of
without taking into account the socio-economic status. basic needs through the UBI.
Un-conditionality: UBI should be unconditional i.e. UBI On the other hand, the socialists argue that
should be given without any conditionality. implementation of UBI would reduce the growing socio-
economic disparities across the world and would go a long
Agency: UBI should be in the form of cash transfers
way in taking forward the idea of modern welfare state.
without dictating the choices i.e. the recipients should
have complete freedom to use the UBI in whatever way Thus, it is argued that UBI is neither right (Capitalist) nor
they deem fit. left (Socialist), rather it should be way forward for all the
countries.
The Genesis of UBI: The idea of UBI is an old idea in
western countries. It has been associated with a large UBI Pilot Programmes across the world: A number of
number of scholars such as Thomas Paine, J S Mill, countries such as Namibia (Basic Income Grant), Canada
Thomas More etc. For example, Thomas More proposed (MINCOME), Kenya (GiveDirectly), USA (YCombinator),
providing all the people with a basic means of livelihood in Finland, Netherlands etc have launched pilot programs for
order to control social evils such as thefts and burglary. the UBI on an experimental scale. Even India has carried
Further, post the world war, the UBI received support out pilot study of UBI in state of Madhya Pradesh known
from economists such as Milton Friedman and Keynes. as Madhya Pradesh unconditional cash transfers project
(MPUCT). This clearly highlights that there has been
However, the idea of UBI has gained renaissance in the
growing enthusiasm among the global community for the
recent times due to the concerns that growing automation
implementation of UBI.
may render people jobless and hence would need support
from the government. Further, as the concept of modern
welfare state is expanding, it is expected that the state Advantages of UBI in India
ought to fulfil the basic needs of its citizens.
Freedom and Justice: It is often said that the greatness of
UBI- Neither Right nor Left a nation can be judged by how it treats its weakest
member. In this regard, the UBI would enable the
government to realise its vision of social and economic
but its forward justice as enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian
Constitution.
At last, Karl Marx and Adam smith have something to
agree upon since UBI has found support from both It is to be noted that Article 21 of the Indian constitution
capitalists as well as socialists. The Capitalists argue that includes the Right to Life. The right to life is not confined
growing automation would lead to loss of jobs and hence to mere animal existence and it means more than physical
can have an adverse impact on the demand in the survival. It includes the right to live with human dignity by
economy. Under such circumstances, the UBI would being able to meet the basic necessities such as food,
enable the economies to keep the demand intact and clothing, shelter, education, healthcare etc. Thus, the state
consequently the future economic growth would not be is required to play a facilitative role in ensuring human
jeopardised. dignity and enabling the individuals to reach their
optimum potential. Hence, the implementation of UBI

would promote the basic values such as freedom, justice, unemployment opportunities or poor health conditions
equality, fairness in a country. could be reasons. Due to which, “One size fits all
approach” to eradicate poverty does not work. Hence, it is
Apart from that, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has shown a the family and not the government that is in the best
clear link between poverty and basic human rights. He position to decide as to what actions should be taken in
believes that poverty is result of deprivation of basic order to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty. The UBI
human rights leading to the state of “Unfreedom”. Lack of would empower the families to take this important
access to basic human rights leads to poverty and makes decision and hence can be considered to be a much better
the people incapable of taking economic decisions. Thus, tool for poverty eradication.
the UBI would give the people the most important
freedom i.e. deciding for themselves what they want to do Reducing Income Inequality: The UBI could also be
with their life. Hence, UBI would go a long way in ensuring considered as a solution to address the growing inequality
freedom and economic and social justice for the people. in India for number of reasons. Firstly, according to a
recent study conducted by the World Bank, almost 1/3 of
Poverty Reduction: The Government has launched a jobs in developing countries could face immense pressure
large number of schemes and programmes aimed at due to growing technological advancements and
poverty eradication. However, it has not had intended automation. Hence, the UBI would provide the people
benefits. In this regard, the UBI can be considered to be a with the necessary security net in order to withstand any
much better tool for poverty eradication for number of potential job losses in future.
reasons.
Secondly, the UBI would be financed through the
Firstly, if we look at the BPL population in India, it has got progressive income tax leading to redistribution of income
reduced from almost 70% in 1950s to 22% in 2011-12. from the richer class to the poor people.
However, in spite of this huge achievement, a large
section of Indian society is even today unable to meet Thirdly, provision of income security through the UBI
their basic needs. This is because the poverty line would have positive spill over effects such as increased
estimates in India takes into the account only the ability of levels of entrepreneurship among the poor families. This
the people to meet their basic food needs and not other would promote inclusive growth and reduce the gap in the
basic needs such as education, healthcare, transportation income levels between the households.
etc. This clearly highlights that we still have a long way to
go in order to “wipe out every tear from every eye”. Promote Women Empowerment: Even though, women
contribute significantly for the growth of our economy,
Secondly, the BPL list in India is characterised by inclusion their contribution is hardly recognised since majority of
and exclusion errors due to which we have been unable to the women are involved in “unpaid” household work.
ensure basic needs for the poorest and most vulnerable Hence, in this regard, the feminists argue that the
sections of Indian society. Unless we are able to clearly implementation of UBI would lead to change in the
identify the poorest sections in our society, poverty outlook of the society towards women and promote
eradication would always a distant dream. In this regard, gender equality. This becomes extremely important in
since the UBI is designed to be universal, it would be most India where the women are regarded as burden on the
appropriate tool to ensure basic rights of the poor and the families leading to their low social status.
downtrodden.
UBI and Mental Health: Normally, the poor people
Thirdly, reasons for the poverty in India vary across the across the world are burdened with the “psychology of
families. In some families, lack of basic education could be scarcity” characterised by anxiety, distress and depression
reason for poverty whereas in other families, lack of leading to poor mental health condition. This significantly

affects their decision making ability and hence they fall developed economies can think of. For poor and
into the vicious cycle of poverty and poor mental health developing countries, the UBI would always a lofted ideal
condition. which would be difficult to achieve.
The UBI could, therefore, help people free themselves of Social Cost of UBI: Work plays a central role in the life of
the mental burden and preoccupations and move towards the people. Apart from enabling them to earn their
a healthier life. It could allow them to find time for other livelihood, working has certain social benefits. It
activities which lead to their personal satisfaction and contributes to feelings of self-worth and personal
improve emotional well-being. satisfaction, facilitates social interaction and enables the
people to fulfil social needs and establish their role and
Thus, in the long term, UBI would lead to improved identity in the society. In this regard, some economists
decision making, better mental health and emotional well- have opposed UBI on the grounds that it would
being, and means of breaking out of poverty cycle. disincentive work and lead to negative social cost on the
society.
Problems with the Universal Apart from that, modern societies are necessarily based
upon the principle of reciprocity i.e. the people’s rights
Basic Income must be commensurate with their duties and obligations.
The UBI would violate this principle of reciprocity since
The motivation behind most universal basic income is people would receive the money as matter of right
laudable. However, some of the economists have argued without the imposing any economic or social obligation.
that the UBI may not have intended benefits on the
economy. They argue that in reality, the UBI would likely Political Cost of UBI: In order to implement UBI, the
fall far short of eliminating poverty while imposing large government would be required to do away with all the
economic and social costs. It was account of these subsidies, which presently account for around 4.24% of
reasons, the Swiss electorate had rejected the UBI by a the GDP. However, doing away with the subsidies has
overwhelming majority. always been Achilles heels for India since it imposes
political cost in the form of loss of vote bank.
In this regard, let us understand some of the problems
and challenges in implementation of UBI in India. Hence, normally, the governments are reluctant to do
away with the subsidies. Under such circumstances, if the
Economic cost of UBI: Many opponents of the UBI argue government implements UBI as an add-on benefit along
that providing an income transfer to the entire population with the subsidies, it would unnecessarily complicate the
would result in very high expenditure. For example, if welfare economics in India.
India has to provide UBI to all its citizens, it would be
required to pay Rs 1190 per person per month (This is Further, it has to be noted that the UBI may have to be
based on the Poverty line estimates of 2011-12 according revised periodically taking into account the rate of
to Tendulkar committee estimates). This expenditure inflation and standard of living. Hence, competitive and
would amount to around 12.5% of its GDP. So, the vote bank politics may play a major role in the revision of
question here is even though UBI is desirable, where is the UBI leading to unnecessary increase in the UBI amount.
fiscal space for India to implement UBI, particularly when This would have an adverse impact on the economy in the
its tax-GDP ratio is abysmally low. long term.
Thus, in view of high economic cost of UBI, it can be

argued that the UBI is a kind of luxury, which only the

Thirdly, it can also be argued that the UBI would lead to

Certain Questions about UBI increase in the productivity level of the workers. UBI
would enable the workers to increase their bargaining
Does UBI discourages work and make people Lazy? It power and negotiate on better terms of employment such
has been argued that UBI would discourage work and as increased wages, better working conditions, access to
make people lazy since they are assured of minimum social security benefits such as pension, insurance etc.
income for meeting their basic needs. On the other hand, Further, assurance of UBI would enable the workers to
this criticism against the UBI has been countered by some spend the money on development of their skills leading to
of the economists on number of grounds. increase in their productivity.
Firstly, the amount of money to be given under the UBI is Hence, it can be argued that, contrary to the claims that
meant to cover only the basic needs of the people. This UBI would discourage work, implementation of the UBI
means that the UBI cannot be considered to be sole would actually improve the status of the workers, improve
means of survival for the large chunk of India’s their bargaining power and more importantly, lead to
population. People would still have to work in order to higher productivity.
meet their higher order needs. This can be explained
through Maslow’s Theory of Motivation. Does UBI lead to increase in demand for Temptation
Goods? It has been argued that the implementation of the
Maslow believed that the people’s motivation to work UBI would lead to increase in the demand for temptation
arises from their inherent need to meet their multiple goods such as Alcohol, Tobacco, Gambling etc. leading to
needs i.e. people work in order to meet their needs. Now, moral hazard. However, this criticism against UBI may be
these multiple needs of the people can be arranged in countered on number of grounds.
form of hierarchy wherein the lower order needs include
Physiological needs and safety needs while the higher Firstly, it is to be noted that both alcohol and Tobacco are
order needs include Social Needs, Esteem Needs and Self- inferior goods and not normal goods i.e their demand
Actualisation needs. reduces as the income level of the people increases due to
the substitution effect (Law of Demand).
The UBI would enable the people to meet only their lower
order needs. Hence, the people would still need to work in Hence, it is expected that as the income levels of the
order to meet their higher order needs. Thus, it would be people increases through the implementation of UBI, the
naive and fallacious to argue that the implementation of people would spend less money on the temptation goods
UBI would discourage work and affect the labour market. and instead substitute this wasteful expenditure with
some productive expenditure such as education,
Secondly, the argument that UBI would discourage work healthcare etc.
is based upon erroneous assumption that people work
only in order to meet their basic needs. Hence, it is argued Secondly, the assumption that the UBI would lead to
that people would stop working once their basic needs are increase in the temptation goods goes against the
met through UBI. However, such an assumption demeans empirical evidence. It was observed in various pilot
human dignity and labour and portrays the human beings programmes across the world that UBI did not lead to
in negative manner. As discussed before, human beings increase in the temptation goods among the
may like to work in order to have personal satisfaction communities. For example, doing the pilot study carried
and develop a feeling of self-worth. Further, it also out in Madhya Pradesh, it was found out that the tribal
enables them to meet their social needs of being loved, communities used the money obtained under the UBI for
respected and cared for by the society. productive purposes rather than using the money for the
temptation goods.

Thirdly, there is also evidence that as the poor people are from that, there are large number of subsidies that are
provided with UBI, they are willing to start small mainly benefitting the middle class such as subsidies on
businesses and pull themselves out of poverty trap. railways, aviation fuel, electricity etc and hence doing
Further, an assessment of NSS 2011-12 data, revealed that away with such subsidies would release an additional
temptation goods are a small component of overall amount of 1% of the GDP.
household budget and as overall consumption increases,
the consumption of temptation goods does not increase Further, the Budget for 2016-17 indicates that there are
commensurately. about 950 central sector and centrally sponsored sub-
schemes in India accounting for about 5 percent of the
Thus, based upon these aspects, some of the economists GDP. Most of the central sector schemes are on-going for
have argued that the criticisms against UBI are unfounded at least 15 years and 50 percent of them were over 25
and detached from reality. Empirical evidence and strong years old. Hence, we can achieve considerable gains by
counter arguments can be presented to dispel these replacing many of these ineffective and out-dated
criticisms against UBI. schemes with a UBI.
Thus, this clearly highlights that India may be in a position

Implementing UBI in India to implement UBI if it is able to do way with the subsidies
and inefficient schemes and programmes. However,
UBI has entered policy debate in India ever since UBI was financial resources alone would not guarantee the success
proposed by the Economic Survey 2016-17 as a social of UBI in India. There are host of other factors which
welfare scheme suitable for India. Further, recently, the should have to be considered.
Sikkim government has declared that it would be
implementing the UBI from 2022. These developments Firstly, it is observed that the success of the UBI initiative
point out that the debate on the UBI has already been would depend upon the Political will and administrative
ignited in India. But the question here is does India has efficiency. If the UBI is implemented without the support
sufficient financial resources to implement UBI? From of all the stakeholders, it is doomed to fail. Hence, in order
where should we generate revenue to fund UBI? The to implement UBI, we need to adopt participatory and
Economic survey has given answers to these questions. more inclusive approach by consulting all the
stakeholders. Such an approach would build the
The Economic survey proposes that the UBI should target necessary trust and confidence among the stakeholders
only 75% of the population rather than being universal. It for the implementation of UBI.
is of the opinion that the top 25% of the India's population
can be easily excluded from the purview of UBI through Secondly, there is a need to recognise that the success of
automatic exclusion criteria such as payment of income the UBI would depend upon providing information and
Tax, ownership of movable and immovable property etc. enhancing the awareness levels of the people in India. The
Hence, in order to provide the UBI for 75% of the UBI should have to be implemented along with a
population in India, we would be required to spend sustained media campaign that should be targeted to
around 5-6% of the GDP in order to implement the UBI. bring about attitudinal and behavioural change among the
people.
The Economic survey has proposed that the UBI can be
implemented by doing away all the subsidies presently Thirdly, lack of Financial Inclusion may create a significant
given by the government. For example, presently, the impediment to UBI implementation. According to the WB,
government spends around 2% of the GDP on various there are only around 20 ATMs for every 100,000 adults in
subsidies such as fertilisers, petroleum, food etc. Apart India. Hence, under circumstances, it may become quite
difficult for the people living in remote areas to access the

UBI. Hence, there is need to make the optimum use of from undertaking other welfare measures. The
JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile) trinity solution for Government needs to continue to invest in the creation of
making cash transfers . Apart from that, we need to welfare state such as provision of Education, Healthcare,
improve the last-mile connectivity before implementing Housing, Sanitation etc. Provision of such basic
UBI. In this regard, there is a need to give further boost to infrastructure is equally critical for the success of the UBI.
differentiated banks such as Payment Banks and Small
Finance Banks along with enhancing the presence of It can be construed that the option of UBI has been
Banking correspondents (BCs) in the rural areas. floated as a panacea to promote welfare but it should be
accompanied with more focus and weightage towards
Fourthly, being a large and diverse country, India has to education, generating awareness, skilling, creativity,
implement the UBI in an incremental and phased manner. productivity, employability, employment and health of the
Such an approach would enable us to keep learning from people. Major budgetary investment is desired in all these
the challenges and problems which would be encountered areas which make people capable rather than dependent,
in the implementation of the UBI. Such an approach make them citizens rather than subjects.
provides scope for mid-course correction and would lead
to development of fail-proof and error-free UBI “Lending hands to someone is better than giving a
programme in the long term. dole.”
Lastly, the government has to realise that the

implementation of UBI is just one facet of welfare state
and its implementation should not deter the government
Section 69 of IT Act: Enabling a

Surveillance State?
#Security #Rights
ANKUR SHARMA
based on their specific socio-economic attributes and this

information is collected without regard to innocence or
Surveillance State guilt of the citizens. An example of a Surveillance State is
China whereby it monitors, regulates and collects digital
A surveillance state is a government of a particular
information on almost all its citizens and similarly, it also
country that indulges in mass monitoring and collection
monitors, regulates and collects information on its Uighur
of information on majority of citizens regardless of their
and Tibetan citizens based on their ethno-religious
socio-economic attributes or upon a group of citizens

identities. This information is collected by the Chinese its authorised officers, to conduct such activities and
government irrespective whether the citizens are guilty or therefore in December, 2018 the Central government
innocent of violation of national security. This practice is based on Section 69 of the IT Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2009
commonly seen in Authoritarian State such as Saudi has empowered 10 Central agencies such as the
Arabia, North Korea, among others. Intelligence Bureau, Central Board of Direct Taxes to the
Cabinet Secretariat (RAW), Commissioner of Delhi Police,
However, monitoring and collection of information based etc. to intercept, monitor and de-crypt any information
on expected guilty of violating national security by generated, transmitted, received or stored in any
citizens, is also a common practice in democratic computer resource. Every individual case for surveillance
countries, such as the alleged monitoring of Mosques requested by the 10 agencies will require prior approval
carried out in US & UK after 9/11 or alleged monitoring of of the Union Home Secretary and subsequently all such
activists in Kashmir or Maoists areas within India. This has cases are to be placed before the review committee
thus raised concerns of democratic countries especially headed by Cabinet Secretary.
India moving towards becoming a Surveillance state.
Empowers Surveillance
India’s surveillance system
India has two main statutes which mainly control the
beyond Rationale
surveillance framework in India: telephone surveillance is
Section 69 is more potent than the Telegraph Act,
sanctioned under the Telegraph Act, 1885 (and its rules),
1885 as a guarantor of unrestricted surveillance. The
while electronic surveillance is authorised under the
Telegraph Act, 1885 provides for ‘public emergency’ or
Information Technology Act, 2000 (and its rules). In
‘public safety’ under which Government can undertake
today’s technologically relied world, it is the surveillance
surveillance which was also further restricted by the
capability under IT Act, 2000 especially under its section
Supreme Court in the PUCL Case (1996), however there is
69 that has raised concerns within India.
no such form of restrictions on grounds of surveillance in
Section 69 of the IT Act.
Section 69 in the IT, Act, 2000 provides for the ‘Power to
issue directions for interception or monitoring or
The surveillance system enabled under IT Act and its rules
decryption of any information through any computer
is bureaucratised whereby decisions and review process
resource’. It allows the Central Government or a State
of decisions about surveillance are taken by the executive
Government can undertake such actions if it is necessary
branch and therefore the system has no form of
to do in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of
parliamentary or judicial supervision. Apart from this,
India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly
there is no common thread among the 10 agencies that
relations with foreign States or public order or for
have provided with power under Section 69 of IT Act.
preventing incitement. In addition under Section 69, any
person in-charge of the computer resource shall when Section 69 of the IT Act which provides the grounds of
called upon by any agency has to extend all facilities and surveillance is vague and ambiguous in nature wherein
technical assistance to provide access to the information the reasons for undertaking surveillance upon someone
stored and to the computer resource, whereby failing to such as ‘friendly relations with foreign States’ or
do may cause jail time and/or fine. ‘sovereignty and integrity of India’ can be applied without
much scrutiny. This makes the surveillance regime
The Information Technology Rules, 2009 further
opaque wherein there is almost no information available
empowered the Central and State governments, or any of

about the bases on which surveillance decisions are The grounds for reasonable restrictions under the
taken, and how the legal standards are applied. Fundamental Right to Freedom under Article 19 includes
sovereignty and integrity of India, Security of the State,
MHA order goes much beyond mere telephone tapping public order, among other which were framed and
whereby online meta-data are much richer, pervasive and accepted by makers of the Indian Constitution. These
personal in nature and the Surveillance regime only same have continued forward in Section 69 of IT Act as
provides safeguard on whom to intercept and not in the grounds of surveillance and therefore they cannot be
method of interception or the amount and form data that considered as being un-reasonable or unconstitutional
can be intercepted. An individual will almost never know grounds of surveillance.
that they have been under surveillance.
Provision for interception of information from computer
Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal Case judgement resources already existed under IT Act, 2000, whereby
struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Rules were formed in 2009 for its procedure. It provided
Act, 2000 as unconstitutional on grounds of violating the for the competent authority to authorise a government
freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of agency to carry out the task of interception and it is in
the Constitution of India. Similarly, the powers provided 2018 that 10 agencies have been named. Therefore, no
under Section 69 also is liable for being unconstitutional new interception rules or norms have been introduced in
for violating individual liberty under Right to Privacy 2018 Order.
judgement provided under Article 21 for Right to life &
liberty. The Home Ministry has in context, not delegated its
power to any of the 10 Central agencies for taking suo-
The Right to Privacy judgement has provided the moto action upon surveillance but rather the December,
proportionality standard under which the government’s 2018 notification ensure that any interception, monitoring
action must be the least restrictive method by which a or decryption of any information through any computer
state goal is to be realised. So, if the same goal — i.e., resource is done by authorised agencies and thereby also
protecting national security — can be achieved by a prevents surveillance by any unauthorised Government
smaller infringement upon fundamental rights, then the agency, individual or intermediary.
government is bound to adopt the method that involves
minimal infringement, whereby a minimally accountable The provision for Parliamentary or Judicial accountability
regime of surveillance does nothing to enhance security, provides an opportunity for leakages in the interception
but rather has significant violations of individual’s privacy. methods undertaken by authorised agencies and also of
the information that they may have gathered. Apart from
this,
Enables Surveillance within
Reason Balancing Surveillance with
The right to privacy is not absolute. Surveillance is Privacy
essential to ensure national security and pre-empt
Surveillance is required, however the standards and
terrorist threats, and it is in the very nature of
parameters of ‘how, when, and what kind of surveillance’
surveillance that it must take place outside the public eye.
need to be properly defined. It is essential to remember
Therefore, the Government is justified as it strikes a
the dictum of Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give
pragmatic balance between the competing values of
up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary
privacy and security.
Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

PROM
MINENT ORRIENTTALISSTS OF
O BRITISHH INDIIA
#Modern I ndia
SHUUBHANGI SHARMA
S
ED
DITORIAL TEAM & EDUCATOR
R DAILY NE
EWS SIMPL
LIFIED
Thiis article will

w introducce us to three prom
minent MAJOR
M CONT
TRIBUTIONS
S
orientalists of the East India
a Company. B
British Orienttalism
Jones is mosst famous in scholarly hiistory for be
eing the
was a unique phenomenon
p n in British I ndian historyy that
person
p who first propose
ed the lingu
uistic family o
of Indo-
was inspired by
y the needs of the East India Compa
any to
European
E languages, an
nd thus for being one of the
train a class of
o British adm
ministrators in the languages
fathers
f of com
mparative lin
nguistics.
and
d culture of India. These personalities
p s were founders or
earrly memberss of The Asia
atic Society o
of Bengal, a
and all His
H work laid
d the foundations for thee theory of a Proto-
were pioneeriing academ
micians who
o contribute
ed to Indo-Europea
an mother to
ongue, which
h was researcched in-
ling
guistics, scien
nce, and literature in the
e context of South depth
d by later linguists.
Asian studies. In this resp
pect, let us learn about their
While
W serving
g as a judge in Calcutta Jones found
ded The
con
ntributions.
Asiatic
A Socie
ety of Bengal in 1784.
WILLIAM
W JONES (1746- 1794) Jones, like otther membe
prolific
p
ers of the Assiatic societyy was a
transllator. He pro
oduced the aauthoritative English
translation of numerous important SSanskrit docu
uments,
including Ma
anu Smriti (L
Laws of Ma nu), and Ab
bhijnana
Shakuntalam
S .
In the field of law, he established

e the right off Indian
citizens
c to tria
al by jury und
der Indian ju risprudence..
Jones also co
ontributed in the study o
of Hindu astrronomy,
botany,
b and literature.
EARLY CAREER
R
Jon
nes was the foremost of a loosely-co
onnected gro
oup of JAMES
J PRINCEP
P P (17999-1840)
British gentlemen who calle
ed themselve s orientalistss.
Sir William Jon

nes was tru
uly a giant of his era who
con
ntributed immensely in the
t field of p
philology wh
hich is
arg
guably the prre-modern eq
quivalent of l inguistics.
During his pro

oductive life
e, Jones is believed to have
beccome proficie
ent in no lesss than 28 lan guages.

EARLY CAREER
R appointment
a as Assista
ant Surgeon
n with Easst India
Company
C to work
w in Calcutta and at 222, Wilson arrrived in
Jam
mes Princep, a numismatist by professsion worked at the
India.
Benares (Varan
nasi) and Calcutta mints iin India for n
nearly
20 years. His
H knowledg
ge in metallurgy got him
m appointed
d at the
Mint
M in Calcutta, where there was dearth of q
qualified
He was anothe
er of the notable British orientalists o
of the
personnel
p in minting coins.
Company era who made valuable
v con
ntributions tto the
aca
ademia. Wilson’s
W interest in Indian culture, itss languages and its
ancient
a herita Colebrooke, another
age was noticed by H.T. C
Hiss life was also
o unfortunately short: he died at the a
age of
well-known
w Orientalist, who recom
mmended Wiilson in
40,, after falling
g sick of an unknown
u illn
ness and failing to
1811,
1 to be appointed
a ass Secretary to
o the Asiaticc Society
reccover.
at
a Calcutta, fo
ounded by William
W Jones eearlier.
MA
AJOR CONTR
RIBUTIONS
MAJOR
M CONT
TRIBUTIONS
S
Princep was th
he founding editor of th
he Journal o
of the
H H Wilson is credited with
w the form
mation of a G
Glossary
Asiatic Society of
o Bengal.
which
w is a mu
ultivolume co
ompilation — Glossary off Judicial
He is best rem
membered ass the pionee
er of numism
matics and
a Revenue
e Terms in Pe
ersian, Arabi c, Hindustan
ni, Urdu,
(the study of coins) on the Indian Subcontinen
nt: in Telugu,
T Tamil, Kanarese,, Malayalam
m and everyy Indian
parrticular, he sttudied nume
erous coins o
of ancient Bactrian Language.
L He
ence, H.H. Wilson
W is eup
phemisticallyy known
and
d Kushan origin. as
a the ‘Glossa
ary Man’.
Hiss greatest acchievement was

w deciphe
ering the Brrahmi This
T glossary
y was first published by the Easst India
scrript and he also
a worked on
o Kharosthi script. Company
C ministration itself in 18555.
adm
Princep also contributed to the science o

of meteorolo
ogy. Wilson
W was the first person who tran
nslated the R
Rig Veda
into English. He also published Kalidaasa’s Meghad
doota in
1813
1 as well as Vishnu purana
p in 18840. In 1819,, Wilson
H..H WILS ON (17886-18600) compiled
c the first ever Sanskrit- Englissh dictionary.
Horace Hyman
n Wilson, was
w a Being
B a train
ned surgeon,, he studied
d the ancientt Indian
mu
ulti-faceted man. He was
w a systems
s of surgery and practices in curing chole
era and
gre
eat scholar in Sanskrrit, a leprosy and published
p sev
veral works o
on such practtices for
me
etallurgist, a qualified surgeon doctors
d in England.
and
d above all a first ra
anking
Oriientalist with strong pro- At pany oﬃcials, Wilson
A the requesst of the Eastt India Comp
Ind
dian leaning
gs. His love
e for prepared
p a descriptive catalogue of the ex
xtensive
Ind
dian culture made him one
o of collection
c of
o Colin Mackenzie’s
M large volu
ume of
sta
aunchest opponents of Lord manuscripts.
m
Ma
acaulay’s infamous minutes (1835), wh
herein English was Wilson
W also published
p The
e Historical SSketches of tthe First
to be made the
e sole medium
m of instructiion in India. Burmese
B Wa
ar and A rev
view of Exteernal Comm
merce of
EARLY CAREER
R Bengal
B as well as The Histtory of British
h India from 1805 to
1835.
1
H H Wilson studied medicine at St. Thomas Medical
Sch
hool and Hospital in London. He secured
d an

lEAD ESSAYS
TOURISM CAN BE A GAME CHANGER

CHERIE RAWAT
GS 2A, STUDENT (RAU’S IAS)
In the 14th Century, two travellers from Italy and Arab Those numbers gives an impression that China or
visited the golden empire of Vijaynagar in the Central Singapore have much more to offer than India. But
Deccan. Though they visited in different time periods, they ironically that’s far from reality.
wrote almost same testimonies: it was truly a golden India was called a ‘golden bird’ in the Gupta age and for
empire where the poorest person also had golden valid reasons. India has huge potential in various sub-
ceilings. sectors of tourism.
Such famous stories about the land beyond river Indus, India offers ‘geological tourism’ with tall Himalayas in the
Hindustan, attracted travellers since the ancient times. north, backwaters and evergreen forest on the western
Today we discuss about ‘tourism’ as a sector, while India coast of Kerala. The vast area of the Thar Desert lies on
was the centre of tourism for the world for ages. the west and dense mangroves forest in the east. In the
India has many interesting features which has the central, India offers several highlands and mountain
potential of attracting tourists from across the world even ranges. It is also blessed with island groups on west and
today. In this essay, let us understand the scope and types east side of mainland, namely, Lakshadweep and
of tourism in India. Next, we explore the advantages and Andaman & Nicobar Island.
area of development in the tourism sector. Finally, we ‘Water Tourism’ available in the wetlands across the
conclude by discussing ways to develop tourism in India. country is extremely rich. Recently, Andhra Pradesh
organised its first ever water boat race called H2OF1
TOURISM IN INDIA: SCOPE AND TYPE which attracted participants from other countries.
Tourism is part of the service sector, which indirectly or India’s rich history is known to all. The Harappan
directly has impact on primary and secondary sector as civilisation which is still being discovered in Gujarat,
well. Today tourism has become so big, that countries Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, is the material proof
such as Singapore, Spain run their economy based on of one of the earliest urban civilisation. Besides this,
tourism. numerous forts, wells, gardens etc. mark the map of India.
To give a number to this sector would help understand India also has its peaceful rural area which attracts
how big tourism is today. It is a 3 trillion worth industry tourists looking for a quite personal time close to nature.
globally. But unfortunately, India constitutes just 0.7% of These smaller towns offer local fests and festivals such as
it. In fact, among 125 crore travellers in a year, India is the 300 year old horse trade called Chetak Festival in
visited by a mere 98 lakh tourists. Our neighbour China is Maharashtra and Falcon Festival in Nagaland and
visited by 14 crore tourist in a year. Meghalaya, which spreads awareness about Amur
Falcon’s conservation. This migratory bird brings the
whole state and its tourist together.

Besides these, India is known as the land of Gods. It has TOURISM IS THE BIG THING : ADVANTAGES
origin of two major religions in its heartland. For Buddhist As tourism is part of service sector, it increases scope for
and Jains, India is a religious place of interest – Indian employment in industries which are complementary to it.
landscape has huge scope for religious tourism. For This includes skilled jobs such as senior management,
example, recently government connected three cities of hotels staff, chefs, house keeping, as well as semi-skilled
Buddhist significance called ‘Diamond triangle’. jobs such as waiters, security personal, other staff. This
After exploring the scope of tourism in India, the numbers range varies in 5-star hotels to small motels to cater
don’t match up. Let us understand what impediments tourists of all types.
India faces to harness its tourism potential to make it the Restaurants also range from small ‘dhabas’ to big
next big thing. multicuisine places. Transportation is a major component.
Today cabs service is becoming popular but needs to be
BLOCKS ALONG THE ROAD more available in far and distant towns. This is a great
opportunity for people with less education background to
When we think of a holiday on an Island, ‘Maldives’ or
make a good living.
‘Hawaii’ comes to our mind. Their governments have been
successful in marketing their tourist spot globally. This is It is also an opportunity for medium, small and micro
the first problem India faces. It has not been able to reach enterprise in smaller towns. Agra is known for leather
its target audience around the world. shoes, Rajasthan for its bandhini chunni and so on. Many
of these industries which are dying can use tourism as
Once a tourist decides to come to India, he faces
their lifeline to revive and grow.
problems in acquiring information and accurate reviews
of places. Only major cities are shortlisted due to lack of As the employment generated by MSME increases, India’s
adequate information online on others. ‘jobless growth’ will change for good. It will improve the
quality of growth in India.
On the ground, a tourist finds lack of quality
infrastructure, such as hotels, different cuisine Also, at a macro level, as the revenue from tourism
restaurants, etc. This is made worse by poor connectivity increases, India’s fiscal deficit will reduce, along with its
in city and intercity. Public toilets and cleanliness is not current account deficit (CAD). Tourism can prove to be a
just below average, but also has potential to spread ‘development’ agent at micro and macro level.
infection to the users.
Clean drinking water is scarce. The tourist does not have TOWARDS HARNESSING POTENTIAL
options to plan from luxurious to a budget holiday. He has The government of India has been attempting to revive
to go only whatever option is available, thus discouraging tourism to make it the next big thing by launching
him. schemes such as PRASAD scheme, and HRIDAY scheme,
Even the guides do not help to make his trip any smooth. which aims at rejuvenating heritage cities and structures
Some greedy guides try to gather as much money as across country. This is a step in the right direction.
possible, from him. At times, the locals also do not assist To reach our potential sooner, ministry of Tourism needs
tourists, which not only creates problem for the tourist to be brought in mainstream. It needs to coordinate with
but also tarnishes India’s image on public platforms once other ministries such as railway, transport, drinking water
he shares his experience, thus discouraging more tourists. and sanitation, etc.
This problem can be should only when people understand
The steps need to be executed in a planned fashion to
the significance of ‘tourism’ for India.
achieve the goal. Steps at national, community and
individual levels need to be taken.

At the
t commun
nity level, Skill India, Make
e in India programs protect
p tourist sites as well as to treat tourists with
nee
ed to be implemented to prepare unsskilled workers into empathy.
e
sem
mi skilled and skilled worrkforce. Thei r capabilitiess need This
T is no new
w tradition to
o India. Indiaa has always believed
to be enhanced
d so that the
ey can harne
ess the bene
efits of in ‘Athiti Dev
vo Bhava’, meaning
m ‘gueest is equivvalent to
the
e growing secctor. God’.
G It just needs to be
e reminded of its age o
old value
Alsso, municipa
al corporatio
on need to be prepared
d sign system
s that will
w transform
m its future.
boa
ards, ensuriing facilitiess that woul d be neede
ed by
Disclaimer:
D The
T views and
d opinions exxpressed in th
his essay
tou
urists as well as locals to successfully
s a
attracting tou
urists.
are
a those of th
he writer.
Mo
ost importanttly, people att the grassro ot level need
d to be
tau
ught the significance of th
heir citizen’s h
heritage and install
a sense
s of prid
de and belon
nging. NGO, ccan be involvved to
bring behavioural change among comm
munity memb
bers to

Part Three
practiCe
ZONE
mcqs . descriptive questions .
questions based on editorials

Here are given 50 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

for self-practice. These questions have been framed
Multiple Choice Questions from this issue itself. So, a reader is expected to
attempt the questions, and also refer to the Answer
(MCQs) for prelims gs paper i Key given after the MCQs. These are helpful for General
Studies- Paper I (Preliminary Examination).
1. Consider the following statements about 1. Central Administrative Tribunal has been
Constitution (One Hundred and Third constituted through a legislation passed by
Amendment) Act, 2019: Parliament.
1. It provides ten percent reservation to the members 2. The Central Administrative Tribunal shall consist of
of Economically Weaker Section in the general a Chairman and such number of Judicial and
category. Administrative Members as decided by the Central
2. The reservation of ten per cent shall be within the Government.
mandated fifty per cent reservation enjoyed by the Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
and the Other Backward Classes. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only 5. Consider the following statements:
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. Assam Accord was signed in 1985 with an intention
to stop influx of foreign nationals into state of
2. Which of the following state has recently Assam.
relaxed educational criteria for local elections? 2. Bodoland Territorial Council has been constituted
(a) Bihar (b) Rajasthan under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of
(c) Tripura (d) Kerala India.
3. Consider the following statements about Staff (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Selection Commission (SSC): (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. SSC functions as an attached office of Department
of Personnel and Training. 6. Consider the following statements about ‘The
2. SSC makes recruitment to various posts for Group B Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013’:
only. 1. It provides for the establishment of a body of
3. A Parliamentary Standing Committee has Lokayukta for the Union and Lokpal for the States.
recommended that the Centre accord statutory 2. Functions of Lokpal & Lokayuktas includes inquiring
status to SSC into allegations of corruption against certain public
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? functionaries.
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only 3. Lokpal shall consist of a Chairperson who shall be a
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Judge of a High Court.
4. Consider the following statements: (a) 2 and 3 only (b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 3 only TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual

Property Rights) Agreement.
7. Consider the following statements related to 2. Under Compulsory licensing, the government can
Banking Stability Index (BSI): issue license to a company to manufacture the
1. It is published by the BASEL Committee on the patented drug without the permission of the patent
Banking Supervision (BCBS) every month. owner.
2. As the value of Index increases, it indicates that less 3. So far, no country has issued compulsory licensing.
number of banks are expected to become Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
distressed if one bank in the system is distressed. (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 11. Who among the following declares the Fair and
Remunerative prices (FRP) for the sugarcane in
8. With reference to Helicopter Money, consider India?
the following statements: (a) Ministry of Agriculture
1. It involves printing of currency notes to be (b) Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP)
distributed to the people in order to boost the (c) Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
demand in the economy. (d) NITI Aayog
2. It leads to increase in the debt liability of the people.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 12. Consider the following statements related to
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only Composition Scheme:
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. The objective of composition scheme is to bring
simplicity and to reduce the compliance cost of the
9. Consider the following statements related to GST.
Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP): 2. Under the Composition Scheme, the taxpayers
1. Under this policy, the banks would be required to would be required to pay tax at the prescribed
pay interest for maintaining their surplus reserves percentage of the annual turnover.
with the Central Bank. 3. The benefits under the scheme can be availed by all
2. This policy is adopted in order to ensure that the the taxpayers.
banks do not give higher amount of loans. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
3. This policy was adopted by some of the developed (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only
economies after the 2008 financial crisis. (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only 13. Which among the following countries has
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 recently approved the issuance of Yuan-
denominated Panda Bonds?
10. With reference to compulsory licensing, consider (a) Pakistan (b) India
the following statements: (c) Bangladesh (d) Nepal
1. The provisions regarding compulsory licenses are
given in the Indian Patents Act, 1970 and in the

14. Which among the following deficits are together 3. Azerbaijan

known as "Twin Deficits"? Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
1. Revenue Deficit (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only
2. Current Account Deficit (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
3. Fiscal Deficit
4. Primary Deficit 18. Which of the following are hydroelectric projects
Select the correct answer using the code given between Bhutan and India?
above: 1. Sankosh
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only 2. Mangdechhu
(c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
15. Consider the following statements related to (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
International Labour Organisation (ILO):
1. It is a specialized UN agency. 19. Which of the following statements on Loya Jirga
2. It has a tripartite governing structure that brings is correct?
together governments, employers, and workers to (a) It is a council of religious elders from Central Asia
set labour standards.
(b) It is a form of Gram Sabha consisting of elders from
3. It organizes the International Labour Conference Pashtun tribes
annually.
(c) It is the official House of the People of Afghan
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Parliament
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (d) It is official House of the Elders of Afghan
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Parliament
16. Consider the following statements related to 20. Hebron was recently in the news in the context
Baltic Dry Index: of:
1. It is an economic indicator issued daily by the (a) Conflict zone in Syria
London based Baltic Exchange. (b) Disputed city in in Russia-Ukraine conflict
2. It measures the changes in the transportation costs (c) Yemen city under Saudi blockade
of raw materials such as Coal, Crude oil, Petroleum
(d) UNESCO world Heritage site in Palestine
Products etc through the ships.
21. Which organisation releases the EIU Democracy
(a) 1 only
Index?
(b) 2 only
(a) World Economic Forum
(c) Both 1 and 2
(b) EIU of The Economist
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
(c) World Bank
(d) Greenpeace
17. Which of the following countries participated in
1st India – Central Asia Dialogue?
22. Which of the following lie on the coast of Red
1. Afghanistan
Sea & Gulf of Aden?
2. Uzbekistan
1. Yemen

2. Egypt 2. Aim of the Census is to help understand the

Select the correct answer from the codes given below: changes to wetland systems, change in migratory
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only pattern of birds, and impact of climate change.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
23. Kurilies Islands lie in which of the following (b) 2 only

seas? (c) Both 1 and 2
(a) South China Sea (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(b) Sea of Okhotsk
(c) Mediterranean Sea 28. Which of the following statements is/are
(d) Andaman Sea correct:
1. Biological oxygen demand is the amount of
dissolved oxygen used by microorganisms in the
24. Gilgit-Balistan is bordered by which of the
biological process of metabolizing organic matter in
following regions?
water.
1. Xianjing
2. Biological oxygen demand is not a reliable gauge of
2. Wakhan Corridor
the organic pollution of a body of water.
Select the correct from the codes given below:
3. The more organic matter there is, the greater the
Biological oxygen demand.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Select the correct answer using the code given
below:
25. Exercise Sea Vigil was conducted among which (a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
of the following?
(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
1. Indian Navy
2. Indian Coast guard
29. Consider the following statements about
3. Japanese Navy Cinereous Vulture:
Select the correct from the codes given below: 1. It is classified as Near Threatened under the IUCN
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 Red List.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 2. Peninsular India has ten species of vulture including
the Indian, the white-backed, the red-headed, and
26. The ‘Three Seas Initiative’ is associated which of the Egyptian vulture.
the following regions? Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Eastern Europe (b) North America (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Central Asia (d) East Asia (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
27. Consider the following statements about Asian 30. Consider the following statements about
Waterbird Census: Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI):
1. It is part of the global International Waterbird 1. The CCPI is annually published by World Bank.
Census (IWC) carried out each year as a voluntary 2. In CCPI 2019 India has improved its performance in
activity. the Renewable Energy category.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 34. Consider the following statements about Yellow
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only rust:
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. It is a fungal disease which turns crop’s leaves
yellowish and stops photosynthesis activity.
31. Consider the following statements about 2. The disease cannot spread through wind.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Which of the statements given above is/are Incorrect?
1. This is a five-year action plan with a target of 20-30% (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
reduction in concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 by (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2020.
2. The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, across 35. Consider the following statements about Sarus
23 states and Union territories, which were Crane:
identified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 1. It is the tallest flying bird in the world and is also
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? India’s only resident breeding crane.
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only 2. Listed as Vulnerable as per IUCN list.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
32. Consider the following statements about (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor
National board for wildlife:
1. It is statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) 36. Consider the following statements about the
Act, 1972. Mugger crocodile:
2. With Prime Minister as chairman the body handles 1. In India, it is protected under Schedule II of the
all wildlife related matters and approves projects in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
the protected areas.
2. It is native to freshwater habitats from southern
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Iran and Pakistan to the Indian subcontinent.
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only Which of the statements given above is/are Incorrect?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
33. Which of the following statements is/are
correct:
37. A new temple namely Lakshmi Narasimha
1. Bandipur Tiger Reserve is located in Karnataka and temple has been built in the state of Telangana.
it forms a very important component of the Nilgiri Which of the following temples bore influence
Biosphere Reserve. on its architecture?
2. Kaziranga National Parkis located in the edge of the (a) Kailash Nath Temple, Kanchi
Western Himalayan biodiversity hotspots.
(b) Kailasa Temple, Ellora
3. Satkosia Tiger Reserve spreads along the gorge over
(c) Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram
the river Mahanadi in Odisha.
(d) Lingaraja Temple, Odisha
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
38. Consider the following statements:
(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
1. Lakhon Khol is a musical tradition of Thailand.

2. This art form is inspired from the epics of 2. It consists of four interconnected mounds.
Ramayana. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
44. Identify the temple whose current structure was
39. Which of the following monumental structures commissioned under a Holkar queen known as
partially disappears under water during Ahalya Bai.
monsoon season? (a) Kandariya Mahadeva Temple
(a) Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa (b) Kailashanath temple
(b) Velankanni Church, Nagapattinam (c) Rajarani Temple
(c) San Thome Church, Chennai (d) Kashi Vishwanath temple
(d) Rosary Church, Shettihalli
45. Consider the following statements:
40. Consider the following statements: 1. Yusuf Shah Chak was the last native ruler of
1. Chettiar Bommai dolls belong to the state of Kerala. independent Kashmir.
2. They have been given a GI tag by the government of 2. Yusuf Shah Chak is buried with his wife in Srinagar,
India. Kashmir.
Which of the above statements is/are correct? Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
41. Which of the following dances has been 46. Consider the following statements:
registered in the Guinness book of world records 1. Sarangakheda festival is a bi-annual horse-trading
as the largest folk dance in the world? festival conducted in Maharashtra.
(a) Raut Nacha (b) Nati 2. It is named after the favourite horse of Maharana
(c) Bihu (d) Padyani Pratap.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
42. Consider the following statements: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
1. Makaravilakku festival is a 5 days annual festival (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
celebrated in Kerala.
2. Thiruvabharanam, which are the sacred ornaments 47. Consider the following statements about the
of Ayyappan, is its main attraction. Manipur Protection from Mob violence
Which of the above statements is/are correct? Ordinance, 2018:
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only 1. It constitutes lynching as a separate offence
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 punishable under law.
2. It provides for creation of special task force to
43. Consider the following statements: procure intelligence reports on incidents of
lynching.
1. Rakhigarhi is one of the biggest sites belonging to
Harappan civilization.

3. It provides for relief measures and rehabilitation of 50. Which of the following statements is/are correct
victims of mob lynching. about Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? of 2018?
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only 1. These regulations are based on Shailesh Nayak
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 committee.

2. Under this temporary tourism facilities have now
been permitted in Beaches.
48. Kra Canal can be found in which of the following
countries? 3. Category-IV (CRZ-IV) coastal zones comprises of
areas that are ecologically sensitive and important,
(a) Thailand (b) Myanmar
such as national parks/marine parks, sanctuaries,
(c) China (d) Egypt
reserve forests, wildlife habitats, mangroves,
corals/coral reefs
49. World Energy Outlook Report, 2018 has been
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
prepared by?
(a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
(a) UNFCC
(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(b) International Energy Agency
(c) IMF
(d) UNEP
1. Answer (a) 13. Answer (a) 25. Answer (a) 37. Answer (b)
2. Answer (b) 14. Answer (b) 26. Answer (a) 38. Answer (b)
3. Answer (c) 15. Answer (d) 27. Answer (c) 39. Answer (d)
4. Answer (c) 16. Answer (a) 28. Answer (b) 40. Answer (b)
5. Answer (a) 17. Answer (a) 29. Answer (a) 41. Answer (b)
6. Answer (b) 18. Answer (c) 30. Answer (b) 42. Answer (b)
7. Answer (d) 19. Answer (b) 31. Answer (b) 43. Answer (a)
8. Answer (a) 20. Answer (d) 32. Answer (c) 44. Answer (d)
9. Answer (c) 21. Answer (b) 33. Answer (b) 45. Answer (a)
10. Answer (b) 22. Answer (a) 34. Answer (b) 46. Answer (b)
11. Answer (c) 23. Answer (b) 35. Answer (c) 47. Answer (d)
12. Answer (a) 24. Answer (c) 36. Answer (a) 48. Answer (a)
49. Answer (b)
50. Answer (c)

Here, we are sharing Essay Type Questions for self-

practice. These questions have been framed on
important issues covered in editorials drawn from
Essay Type Questions leading newspapers. A reader is expected to read the
editorals, understand & analyse them, and practice
for mains gs papers I, II & III the question given above each editorial in 200 words
to command on issues relevant for General Studies
Papers- I, II, III & Essay.
Q1. India must think of Universal Basic Capital instead of Universal Basic Income in order to address its socio-
economic challenges. Discuss
Think universal basic capital The Hindu| Economy
India’s GDP is growing quite well, though there are disputes about whether it grew faster under the present or previous
governments. There can be no dispute though that India needs to do much better to improve overall human
development, in which it continues to be compared with countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Even its poorer sub-continental
neighbours are improving health and education faster. Benefits of India’s economic growth must trickle down much faster
to people at the bottom of the pyramid: to poorer farmers, landless rural labour, and hundreds of millions of workers
living on the edge in low-paying, ‘flexible’ forms of employment with no social security.
Economists seem to be offering three solutions to the economy’s structural problems. One, that there is no problem. Two,
more privatisation. And, three, a universal basic income (UBI) to be provided by the state.
Ground still to be covered
Many economists are juggling with statistics to prove that the Indian economy is doing quite well. It is providing enough
jobs, they say. And, statistically, poverty has reduced a lot. However, even these economists admit that a lot more must be
done to improve education and health care, and to address the persistent informality and small scale of enterprises that
are providing most of the employment in the country.
An ideological solution, accompanied with evidence that the government is unable to provide them, is more privatisation
of public services. As U.S. President Ronald Reagan said, government is not the solution, it is the problem. However, the
private sector is structurally not designed to provide affordable public services equitably. Milton Friedman, who too is
often cited, said, the business of business must be only business. Businesses must be run with a profit motive. They
cannot take on the burden of subsidising citizens who cannot pay for their services.
Disruption and basic income
Structural forces within the global economy have been driving down wages and creating insecure employment while
increasing the mobility of capital and increasing incomes from ownership of capital. Thomas Piketty and Oxfam have also
drawn attention to increasing economic inequalities around the world. ‘Industry 4.0’, which has not yet spread too far, is
expected to worsen these problems. An economic consequence of declining growth of wage incomes will be reduction of
consumption. Which will create problems for owners of capital and automated Industry 4.0 production systems. For, who
will buy all the material and services that these systems will produce? Therefore, the UBI has appeared as a silver bullet
solution. It will be an income provided to everybody by the very state that the capitalists say should get out of their way,
and to whom they are unwilling to pay more taxes.

The beauty of a ‘universal’ basic income, its proponents say, is that it avoids messy political questions about who deserves
assistance. It also side-steps the challenge of actually providing the services required: education, health, food, etc. Just give
the people cash: let them buy what they need. However, if the cash will not provide citizens with good quality and
affordable education and health, because neither the government nor the private sector is able or willing to, this will not
solve the basic human development problems that must be solved.
Some economists who were proponents of UBI, such as Arvind Subramanian, the former Chief Economic Adviser to the
Government, have begun to dilute their simplistic concept of UBI to make it financially and politically feasible. They
propose a QUBRI (quasi-universal basic rural income), targeted only at poorer people in the rural areas. Their scheme
is no longer universal. First, it will exclude the not-so-poor in rural areas as morally it should. Political questions about who
should be included will have to be addressed. Second, it will not cover the masses of urban poor working for low and
uncertain wages. Therefore, some other schemes will have to be drawn up for the urban sector, and entitlement and
measurement issues will have to be addressed for these schemes too. All the schemes, rural and urban, could be cash
transfer schemes, which Aadhar and the digitisation of financial services will facilitate. However, this still begs the question
about how to provide good quality public services for people to buy.
A simplistic UBI will not solve the fundamental problems of the economy. An unavoidable solution to fix India’s
fundamental problems is the strengthening of institutions of the state to deliver the services the state must (public safety,
justice, and basic education and health), which should be available to all citizens regardless of their ability to pay for them.
The institutions of the state must be strengthened also to regulate delivery of services by the private sector and ensure
fair competition in the market. The building of state institutions, to deliver and to regulate, will require stronger
management, administrative, and political capabilities, not better economists.
Economic inequality matters
Some economists say that inequality does not matter so long as poverty is being reduced. In fact, some even say that
inequality is necessary to reduce poverty. So long as the people have bread, why should they complain if the rich are
eating more cake, they imply. However, economic inequality does matter because it increases social and political
inequalities. Those with more wealth change the rules of the game to protect and increase their wealth and power. Thus,
opportunities for progress become unequal. This is why economic inequality must be reduced to create a more just
society.
In the present economic system, people at the top can make more profits by driving down prices and wages for people at
the bottom. They may then recycle a small portion of their profits back as philanthropy, or corporate social responsibility.
Or, if they were willing to, which they are not, pay the state more taxes to provide services, and even a UBI, to people at
the bottom. Tiny enterprises have very little clout compared with large capitalist enterprises; and individual workers have
little power compared with their employers. Therefore, terms of trade remain unfair for small enterprises, and terms of
employment unfair for unorganised workers. The solution is the aggregation of the small into larger associations,
cooperatives, and unions. Aggregations of small producers, and unions of workers, can negotiate for more fair terms.
An alternative approach
A better solution to structural inequality than UBI is universal basic capital, or UBC, which has begun to pop up in
international policy circles. In this alternative approach, people own the wealth they generate as shareholders of their
collective enterprises. Amul, SEWA, Grameen, and others have shown a way. Some economists go further and also
propose a ‘dividend’ for all citizens, by providing them a share of initial public offerings on the stock market, especially
from companies that use ‘public assets’, such as publicly funded research, or environmental resources.

To conclude, three better solutions to create more equitable growth than the ones on offer are: one, focus on building
state capacity beginning with implementation of the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms
Commission. Two, strengthen the missing middle-level institutions for aggregation of tiny enterprises and representation
of workers. Three, the creativity of economists could be better applied to developing ideas for UBC than UBI.
Key words: 1. Universal Basic Income 2.Quasi-Universal Basic Rural Income (QUBRI) 3. Universal Basic Capital
2: The recent notification of the ground water extraction guidelines by the Central Ground Water Authority
(CGWA) is a step in the right direction. However, the notification falls short on several counts. Discuss
Every drop counts Business Standard |Economy
The new water-extraction guidelines, notified by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to take effect from June
1, are unlikely to help check wasteful and injudicious use of rapidly vanishing groundwater because of several loopholes.
For one, they do not make any effort to ensure efficient and need-based utilization of water for irrigation, which corners
nearly 90 per cent of the extracted groundwater. The domestic sector, which accounts for another 5 per cent of it, has also
been exempted from any restrictions. That leaves only 5 per cent groundwater that is accessed by the industrial sector to
be regulated for careful use. Even in this case, some of the well-advised norms that are already in place have been relaxed
for no good reason. Many commercial ventures, including beverages and drinking water bottlers, do not only consume
water in bulk but also waste it in substantial measure. The power of issuing no objection certificates for many kinds of
industrial units has now been vested with district magistrates instead of the CGWA. Given the lack of wider perspective on
the status of this dynamic natural resource, the civic authorities can be expected to be quite lenient in letting the
commercial ventures tap it unchecked.
The existing provision for mandatory recharging of groundwater by bulk consumers has also been diluted. They are now
bound only to undertake rooftop water harvesting and not large-scale field projects for rainwater harvesting. Though the
new guidelines propose water conservation fees on groundwater use to generate resources for the state governments’
water harvesting schemes, there is no guarantee that these funds will actually be used for this purpose. No doubt, the
water charges have rightly been linked with the category of aquifer, type of industry and the quantum of water extraction
but, in the absence of any cap on water withdrawals, this step will not suffice to discourage its wasteful use by cash-rich
consumers. Moreover, the new rules have, for inexplicable reasons, virtually done away with the obligation to reuse the
extracted water. Any laxity on this count is uncalled for considering the rampant overexploitation of this resource, causing
a sharp dip in water table in many areas.
India is already the world’s largest user of groundwater, tapping annually about 253 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water.
This is equivalent to 25 per cent of the global yearly withdrawals. As many as 1,034 of India’s total 6,584 groundwater
blocks have already been categorized as “over-exploited”. Among the rest, 253 blocks are in “critical” and 681 in “semi-
critical” categories. Some 96 others hold only saline water which, in any case, is not of much use. Water tapping in these
areas needs to be kept below the level of annual recharge through natural or artificial means. With such disquieting state
of the country’s groundwater resources, exceptional care is needed not only to thwart its indiscriminate use but also to
incentivise its replenishment with rainwater. Otherwise, large parts of the country would soon face severe shortage of
water even for domestic and drinking purposes.
Key words: 1.Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)2. Ground Water Extraction

3. India’s decision to stay out of the WTO negotiations on the E-commerce is a calculated and well-advised move.
Elaborate.
E-commerce games Business line| Economy
India has rightly decided to stay out of the WTO e-commerce negotiations announced by about 75 members at the
World Economic Forum in Davos last week. The Indian delegation has observed that India would not like to be part of any
‘plurilateral talks’ — in simple terms, talks decided by a powerful club of countries — as it believed that such initiatives
strike at the very root of multilateralism. The crux of the issue is that India, with its immense reserves of data, is still to
come to grips with its impact on the real economy and how it should be managed without privacy and security
considerations being compromised. The RBI’s recent policy mandating data localisation, which makes it compulsory for
all companies to store data related to Indians in local servers, would also be challenged if India participates in the e-
commerce negotiations. India should manage data, a precious resource, on its own terms.
Developed nations pushing for the e-commerce agreement at the WTO including the EU, the US, Canada, Australia and
Japan, are quite ambitious in their intent. In fact, Japan wants application of existing WTO agreements to electronic
commerce as well. Issues such as the free flow of data located on computer servers without data localisation
requirements, permanent moratorium on customs duties, non-disclosure of source code and prohibition of forced
technology transfer are all likely to be on the negotiating agenda. E-commerce remains a highly asymmetrical space, with
a few dominant entries having the potential to distort a level playing field. Even the definition and meaning of e-commerce
varies from one country to the other. Meanwhile, India is still unsettled with its e-commerce regulation, especially those
related to foreign direct investment. The latest e-commerce rules are a ham-handed exercise in regulatory overreach.
They list out arbitrary curbs on exclusive product deals as well as deep discounts. In addition, an entity that is owned in
some measure by an e-commerce player cannot place its products on the latter’s platform. India needs to arrive at a sense
of balance in its own e-commerce policy, before entering the global arena. Its position of sticking to the traditional
framework of WTO talks, without going into new issues beyond ‘trade facilitation’, should continue. E-commerce is not
‘extraneous’ to trade, unlike Singapore Round issues such as TRIMS, but its rules are yet nascent and the space turbulent.
The status-quo on e-commerce should be maintained till there is more clarity amongst developing countries on what is
actually at stake in the area of global rule-making. India’s decision to stay away from the e-commerce talks at the WTO will
also give its argument of not engaging in negotiations on e-commerce at the on-going RCEP more weight. The fact that
China, the home country of e-commerce giant Alibaba, is a proponent of e-commerce negotiations both at the WTO and
RCEP is another reason for India to step carefully.
Key words: 1. WTO E-Commerce Negotiations 2.TRIMS 3. RCEP 4. Data Localisation
4: The economic slowdown in China bodes well for the Indian Economy. In this context, India must push forward
its reform agenda in order to seize this opportunity. Discuss
Focus on China Business line | Economy
Whether it is the World Bank, the IMF or the World Economic Forum meet at Davos, all eyes are on the $13 trillion
Chinese economy. The IMF expects China to grow at 6.2 per cent in 2019 and 2020, after growing at 6.6 per cent in 2018,
the lowest growth rate since 1990. In contrast, the IMF is sanguine about India, pegging a higher growth rate for 2019 and
2020 (7.5 per cent and 7.7 per cent, respectively) than most other forecasters. However, these percentages can be
misleading. The fact is that China’s economy, which is about five times India’s size, is still growing strongly in absolute
terms. An economy cannot be expected to grow endlessly at double-digit or close to double-digit rates, after it has

reached a certain income level. That said, the combined effect of two of the largest economies in the world, the US and
China, slowing down over the next two years cannot be brushed aside. The tariff war as well as monetary tightening the
world over has triggered apprehensions of an extended slowdown. The Euro Zone, now rocked by a messy Brexit, is
expected to slow even further. For India, export prospects may look unexciting, but another run of moderate commodity
prices — “average oil prices are projected at just below $60 a barrel in 2019 and 2020”, according to the IMF’s World
Economic Outlook — provide a window of opportunity to industry.
The disappointing sale of Apple’s products in China, along with the dip in the financial performance of China-based
corporates, is being seen as a sign of a tapering off of consumer demand. Corporates have been moving out of China in
recent years to ASEAN countries in particular, on account of rising wage costs in that country. India could emerge as an
alternative investment destination, as the world’s fastest growing economy. The time is ripe for India to push its reforms
agenda, going beyond tax reform and the bankruptcy code. India needs to develop not just its infrastructure and logistics,
but also its workforce skills. As China seeks to reap the AI wave, and calibrate its economy more in favour of services by
retooling its workforce, India needs to move much faster than it is in this area. Failing to do so could create a socio-
economic imbalance, signs of which are already in evidence. The forthcoming Budgets would reflect both a commitment
to reforms, as well as an awareness of the emerging challenges.
Finally, the US-China trade stand-off may subside, as each side realizes the limitations of playing this retaliatory game.
China, for instance, cannot afford a firesale of its over $1 trillion stock of US treasuries merely to throw US interest rates
out of gear, as that will impact its returns as well. US consumers need Chinese goods. A return to a new normal in
globalization is on the cards, for which India needs to be prepared.
Key words: 1.World Economic Outlook2. World Economic Forum 3. US-China Trade War
Q5. Even though the agriculture credit in India has registered steady increase, the skewed distributions of
agriculture credit across regions remain a cause of worry. In this regard, suggest some possible solutions to
address this problem.
How to address regional imbalances in agriculture credit in India Financial Express| Economy
In the last decade, agriculture credit has registered a per-annum average growth of 16.5%. In terms of physical
outreach, the three credit purveying agencies (commercial banks, cooperative banks and regional rural banks) have been
able to add 699 lakh accounts between 2007-08 (440 lakh accounts) and 2017-18 (1,139 lakh accounts). The above
aggregate numbers at the all-India level speak for themselves. However, the system needs to go up by a few notches in
terms of equity aspects. The inclusiveness quotient in terms of regional distribution and connect with real sector variables
can be further strengthened. For example, the five southern states together account for almost 43% of the amount
disbursed and agriculture accounts. The next largest share in terms of amount is garnered by the northern region and is
almost half of southern region. The increased share for the southern region may be because of better infrastructure
facilities, better outreach and credit delivery outlets.
So, what needs to be done to make agriculture credit distribution more equitable? Few suggestions
While policy stakeholders have been aware of the distortions, a more hands-on approach is required. There is a case for
making concerted efforts to cover all farmers’ households within the fold of agriculture credit across regions (except
southern and northern regions where the number of agriculture accounts is more than the number of farmer
households). The gap between farmer households and agriculture accounts is the highest in the central and eastern
regions, at 166 lakh and 152 lakh, respectively.

Fixing priority sector lending (PSL) should become a more granular exercise based on regional realities—the uniform
norm of 8% credit going to small (less than 2 hectares) and marginal (less than 1 hectare) farmers under the 18% overall
target of agriculture credit under the current PSL guidelines needs to be revisited and targets fixed based on regional
realities. Introducing differential weight to the credit disbursed in agriculture credit-starved regions could be considered.
Small and marginal holdings constitute 95%, 82% and 86% of total operational holdings in the eastern region, north-
eastern region and central region, respectively, and for these regions the said target should be of a higher order.
Digital technology has opened alternatives that can act as substitutes for brick-and-mortar branches, viz. business
correspondents, business facilitators, mobile telephony technology, digital card technology, etc. Now, the policy challenge
is to ensure that these interventions help leapfrog these hitherto credit-starved regions into the next league. The tendency
of digital interventions gravitating towards the already well-endowed regions will accentuate the problem and runs the
risk of becoming counterproductive. A similar focus should be in the case of farmers’ collectives like farmer producer
organisations and joint liability groups as these help reap economies of scale both on the output and input markets and
become vehicles of purveying credit to small and marginal farmers.
Digitisation of land records, which is under way in most states, needs to be completed on a mission mode in the eastern
and north-eastern regions, as this can provide the much-needed reform at the bank branch level for credit expansion at a
click of a button. Digitisation of land records will pave way to bring vibrancy in developing a land lease market.
The government has embarked on an emphatic initiative to complete the identified irrigation projects in a time-bound
manner providing irrigation facility to 80 lakh hectares. This shall increase the credit absorption capacity in the command
areas of these projects. To hasten the credit flow in these areas, banking plans are required under an ‘area development’
approach. The impact of public infrastructure creation in rural areas, be it irrigation, connectivity, health, sanitation or
education, on enhancing credit absorption capacity and expenditure pattern is a proven one. In the credit-starved regions,
rural infrastructure creation needs to be dovetailed with the small area-based plans for various agriculture investments
including devices for efficient use of water, electricity and solar power that require bank credit and get the banks on board
for these plans.
Agriculture credit has, over the last few years, won the battle of ‘growth’—the cake has grown bigger—but it still has to get
the distribution aspect right. This is the immediate unfinished agenda of ‘agriculture credit in India’, which requires
focused attention from all the stakeholders.
Key words:1.Growth of Agricultural Credit 2. Priority Sector Lending 3. Digitisation of Land Records
6. Discuss the role played by National Mission for Clean Ganga launched in 2015 to address the problem of
mounting pollution of the river?
Waste and water Indian Express | Environment
A recent study revealed that garbage dumping remains an intractable problem and raises many questions about the
Clean Ganga Mission. The analysis by the Quality council of India shows that Majority of towns across ganga river do not
have proper sewerage treatment plans. The level of pollution impacting Ganga has drastically increased over the
years.Industrial pollution from tanneries, distilleries, paper and sugar mills is a major contributor.Rapidly increasing
population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialisation and urbanisation have exposed the water
resources, in general, and rivers, in particular, to various forms of degradation. Due to the mounting concerns government
has taken various initiatives in order to reduce the pollution levels at fast pace

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)is a registered trust that runs the ‘Namami Gange’ mission — India’s most
ambitious endeavour to clean the Ganga river.The NMCG’s thrust is on roping in the private sector to not only set up
sewage treatment plants but also maintain them.The mission also has projects to clean the ghats, rid the river of biological
contaminants and improve rural sanitation and afforestation.
Aim or objective of the National Mission for clean Ganga includes-
1. To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach
to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management and
2. To maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and
environmentally sustainable development.
Also, government launched the ‘Namami Gange Programme’ as an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as
‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin
objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga. The main activities
undertaken under Namami Gange include sewage and effluent management including creation of new and
rehabilitation of existing STPs, complete sanitation coverage of Gram Panchayats, development of model cremation/dhobi
ghats, development of decision support system in GIS platform for efficient planning and monitoring and creation of an IT
based monitoring centre with capabilities of real time alerts and prediction. A number of decisions taken recently indicate
that the pace of project implementation has picked up momentum for pollution abatement and making the flow of river
incessant.
Key words: 1.National Mission for clean Ganga, 2.Ganga pollution
Q7. India won global acclaim for its “Beat Plastic Pollution” resolve declared on World Environment Day last
year, under which it pledged to eliminate single-use plastic by 2022. Discuss the key initiatives taken by the
government to combat plastic pollution?
Waste and water Indian express/Environment
The durability of plastics makes them so useful, but at the same time, it turns them into a persistent blot on the
landscape, or more importantly the seascape, once discarded. Plastics are, chemically speaking, long chains or large
cross-linked structures most commonly made up of a framework of carbon atoms. Plastic pollution refers to the
accumulation in the environment of man-made plastic products to the point where they create problems for wildlife and
their habitats as well as for human populations. Single-use plastics are major contributors towards plastic pollution.
Many lightweight, single-use plastic products and packaging materials, which account for approximately 50 percent of all
plastics produced, are not deposited in containers for subsequent removal to landfills, recycling centres, or incinerators.
Instead, they are improperly disposed of at or near the location where they end their usefulness to the consumer.
Since the ocean is downstream from nearly every terrestrial location, it is the receiving body for much of the plastic waste
generated on land. In the ocean, plastic pollution can kill marine mammals directly through entanglement in objects such
as fishing gear, but it can also kill through ingestion, by being mistaken for food. There are also terrestrial aspects to
plastic pollution. Drainage systems become clogged with plastic bags, films, and other items, causing flooding.
Key steps taken by government to combat plastic pollution are as follows-
1. The Government had notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules,2016.

a. The rules bring in extended producers’ responsibility to ensure a collect back system of plastic waste by the
producers.
b. It also aims at collection of plastic waste management fee through pre-registration of the producers, importers of
plastic carry bags/multilayered packaging and vendors selling the same for establishing the waste management
system.
c. The rules aim to address gainful utilization of waste and also address the waste disposal issue.
2. Transforming monuments across the country into plastic and litter-free zones.
3. From construction materials to threads and fabrics for the textile industry, many organisations across India have
been upcycling plastic for more significant purposes.
In reality, we cannot eliminate plastic use from our day-to-day activities. However, we should not allow plastic to reach the
soil or water. The government should restrict plastic production and encourage recycling through appropriate policies.
The ‘Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016’ may in future contribute towards achieving the said goal of the government.
Key words: 1. Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, 2.Plastic pollution.
8. Discuss the significance of Chang’e-4 lunar mission and how can the mission contribute towards enabling the
development of our understanding of the solar system?
The dark side Indian Express/Technology
The China National Space Administration’s Chang’e-4 lunar mission is the first mission to send a lander to the dark
side of the moon.All previous Moon landings, manned and unmanned, have been on the near side. This has been
primarily because the Moon would have blocked radio communication between its far side and Earth. The far side of the
moon is of particular scientific interest as it is heavily pockmarked by deep craters – more so than the nearside, where
a succession of lava flows have obscured many of the earliest impacts.Scientists are still trying to understand why there
are differences between the two faces of the moon, but think that these probably date back to the moon’s origin. Over
billions of years, Earth’s gravitational pull has brought the Moon’s spin into sync with its orbit. It takes exactly 28 days for
the Moon to complete one rotation, and the same time to make one orbit around Earth. This leads to a phenomenon
called “tidal locking”. With the Moon’s rotation and orbit keeping it forever in step with the Earth, only one part of it is
visible from this planet at any time. The unseen part is the “far side of the Moon”. Chang’e-4 landed on the Von Kármán
Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon. Importance of the mission-A study of the Moon’s
craters will seek to establish their compositions and ages, a history of collisions between Earth and the Moon, and various
other aspects of the early Solar System. Thus, information accumulated would be crucial in supplementing our
understanding of the Moon.
Key words-1. Chang’e-4 mission, 2.tidal locking, 3.Dark side of the moon.
Q9. Discuss the key implication of the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018.
Magic box Indian Express/Technology
The Lok Sabha passed the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 which would regulate the use of
DNA technology to establish the identity of persons, including offenders, victims, suspects and undertrials, in connection
with criminal and civil matters such as parentage disputes, emigration or immigration, and transplantation of human

organs. In India, regulation is missing at all levels, across all sectors and this bill is the first step towards regulating DNA
technology applicability.
Key provision of the bill are as follows-
• The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill allows the use of the technology to establish the identity of
persons in matters of crime, parentage dispute, emigration or immigration and transplantation of human organs.
• The Bill provides for establishment of a national DNA data bank and regional DNA data banks.
• Every data bank will maintain indices such as crime scene index, suspects’ or undertrials’ index and offenders.
• The Bill also provides for seeking the consent of individuals when DNA profiling is used in criminal investigations and
for identifying missing persons.
• By providing for a mandatory accreditation and regulation of DNA laboratories, the Bill seeks to ensure that the
expanded use of this technology in the country grows alongside assurances of reliable DNA test results.
DNA has become an important, crucial tool in solving crimes. It is important that there are safeguards to protect human
rights and prevent miscarriages of justice in the process. There is a need to set up an independent ethics board to monitor
key processes of the data banks and ensure that they are not been misused by investigative agencies while the DNA
samples are being collected.
Key words-1. DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 2.DNA application.
Q10. The government of India has an ambitious target for renewable energy (RE) — 175 GW by 2022. Discuss the
key challenges India can face in achieving the target?
Renewable, yes, but what is the question? Business Standard/Environment
Five years ago, when the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) published its first State of Renewable Energy report,
the sector was just taking wing. We were part of its cheerleaders — an environmental research and advocacy group that
strongly believed the world needed to move out of fossil fuels because of growing risks of climate change.
Five years later, when we publish the 2019 State of Renewable Energy, much has changed and yet much remains the
same. The government of India has an ambitious target for renewable energy (RE) — 175 GW by 2022. There is no
question now that RE has arrived. Nobody argues about its imperative or feasibility. The industry has matured. There are
RE companies that can bid and out-bid each other for the supply of panels, solar power plants or wind turbines. RE is an
industry with sparkling offices, new-age companies and flamboyant leaders. It is no longer in the musty world of scientists
or activist NGOs. It has grown out of the world of community groups in villages working small projects. It is real. It is big. RE
plants compete with coal-based energy. Renewables are now under the Ministry of Power — RE is no longer a peripheral
scientific sector, struggling to compete with the big boys.
The testimony to this growth is in its numbers. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) says that the country
has hit 73,000 Mw of installed RE power, which is some 20 per cent of the country’s installed capacity for power
generation. On good days, when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, RE meets some 12.5 per cent of the country’s
electricity demand. On other days, it is over 7 per cent. This is not small. But it is not big either. This, therefore, is not the
time to be complacent or to pat our back for the work done. Even as RE has grown, the challenges that confront India have
also grown — in fact, become even more troublesome and crippling. This is what we must discuss.

First, there is the challenge of access to energy. The fact is that even as the grid reaches everywhere, the light does not.
Whatever the reason, millions in the country are still in darkness. Second, there is the challenge of clean cooking energy.
This is the world’s wicked, wicked problem. Women across the developing world continue to be exposed to toxic emissions
because of the biomass they burn to fuel their cooking stoves. The Indian government’s much-needed push to provide
LPG to poor households has made a dent in the cooking energy sector. But it is also a fact that in spite of this, households
are still using dirty biomass fuels; there is a definite correlation between income and cooking fuel. So, households do not
get the refill of their cylinder as frequently as they must. The “other” energy crisis still exists, RE or not. The third challenge
is air pollution. The health impact of the foul air is now so big that even governments cannot deny the problem. Clean
combustion, in other words RE, has a big role to play in clearing the air of toxins. But it is just not there. Fourth, without
any doubt, is the climate conundrum — the world and India remain addicted to fossil fuels. The developing world needs to
provide affordable energy to large numbers of its people. How can it replace coal and yet provide this energy security?
How? This is the question. This is where RE must matter. So, it is time we began an altogether different discourse about
RE. We need to redefine its objective (and certainly its language) so that it can meet societal needs. It cannot be enough to
meet targets. It must meet the poor’s energy, clean-air and climate-change needs. Frankly, this RE market needs to be
embedded in societal principles. It needs to be emboldened and driven so that it is the change.
So, how will it happen? The fact is that energy security for vast numbers of the poor requires an energy-delivery system
that is different. It will require taking energy that costs less but is advanced and cleaner to households that cannot even
afford to buy basic fuel or light. As yet, our track record (as 2019 State of Renewable Energy report shows) on these fronts
is not commendable. RE is like all energy sources — it could be coal or gas. It is produced and pushed into the grid. It is
supplied through the conventional (and broken) distribution network. It is limited by its environment and its imagination.
This is the course correction we must seek in 2019 and beyond. RE has to be the moral and economic imperative for a
cleaner and more inclusive world. Anything less is selling us short. Anything else must be unacceptable.
Key words: 1. Biomass burning 2.State of Renewable Energy report
Q11. Discuss the role of fuel cell technology in combating Transport emission. What steps have been taken by the
Indian government to promote Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles?
Fuel cells versus LI batteries is much heat, a lot of gas Environment / Livemint
The 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) was held last
month in Katowice, Poland. The Katowice Climate Package is designed to operationalize the climate change regime
contained in the Paris Agreement (2016). It sets out how countries will provide information about their national
contributions that describe their domestic climate action, including mitigation, adaptation, and financial support for
developing countries. Though multilateralism is under threat in many areas, including trade and foreign policy, it is the
only way forward to combat climate change. While COP24 has clearly set out the rules in many areas of climate action, it
left out discussion of some key issues, particularly those arising from the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) that predicted serious consequences if temperatures were allowed to rise just 1.5 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels (they have already risen about 1 degree Celsius).
Transport emission accounts for a quarter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It has risen for the last three decades and
continues to rise today. To meet the 2050 Paris climate commitments—essential to limiting the temperature rise to less
than 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century—automobiles must be completely decarbonized. This requires ending
the hegemony of the internal combustion (IC) engine in the next dozen or so years and replacing it with electric cars. Many

do not realize that the electric motor is as old as the IC engine and Nikola Tesla’s (yes, the original Tesla) patent for an AC
electric motor predates the Ford Model T by two decades.
There are currently two important sources of power to drive the motor in an electric vehicle (EV). The first is a lithium-ion
(LI) battery and the second a hydrogen fuel cell. LI is widely known and is the source of EV power for the Tesla range of
cars (manufactured by Panasonic in a Gigafactory joint venture with Tesla in Nevada). It is fast replacing the nickel-metal
hydride batteries used in the first generation of hybrid cars. Hydrogen power is available in a few cars like the Toyota
Mirai, Hyundai Nexo, and Honda Clarity. Fuel cells use an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen,
catalysed by platinum, to produce energy. The only exhaust is the combination product—water. The challenge is to
produce hydrogen in an energy-efficient manner, transport it to distribution points and store it in gaseous or liquid form
in a car.
The debate over fuel cells vs LI batteries has produced much heat and a lot of gas. Believers in fuel cell electric vehicles
(FCEVs) claim that any excess electricity generated in a grid, particularly that which comes from renewable sources, will
make the production of hydrogen not only cheap but also GHG neutral. Hydrogen production is currently possible
through electrolysis or a thermochemical reaction—and both require energy. In the future, it may be possible using solar
energy or a biological process that uses significantly less energy. There is much debate on what is called the “well to
wheel" analysis of energy efficiency and the GHG impact of EVs and FCEVs. That analysis favours LI battery technology
today and supporters like Elon Musk call the alternative “fool cells". Having become world leaders in LI, China is hedging its
bets with a giant investment in the full ecosystem of FCEVs in the Yunfu Industrial Park. Attracted by generous government
subsidies, a range of companies covering the full supply chain have now set up shop. China will provide about $12 billion
in subsidies to this effort.
There is not much discussion about FCEVs in India. What should India’s approach be? India, like China, is dependent on
imported energy. Therefore, EVs make a lot of sense for the future. There is remarkably little original R&D being done in
India on either EVs or FCEVs. The only electric vehicles in the market—both using LI and produced by Mahindra and Tata
Motors—have a long way to go in terms of range and quality. At the same time, the vehicle market in India continues to
grow at nearly double digits and with it grows automobile GHG emission. India does not provide a meaningful subsidy for
either EVs or FCEVs. The government has proposed an increased subsidy under a scheme called Faster Adoption and
Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME II ). The aggregate budget is said to be ₹5,500 crores but exactly how
that will apply to individual vehicles is not clear and the bill has not yet been passed in Parliament. India must make a
concerted attempt to incentivize both EVs and FCEVs. Even before the commercial use of these vehicles on the roads, it
calls for research and development under Indian conditions with a particular focus on affordability. The technology and
adoption call between LI and fuel cells may be too early to make, but it appears likely that both will have a role to play in
India’s electric vehicle road.
P.S.: “We were like two atoms in one molecule, hydrogen and oxygen. Both explosive alone, but the source of everything
when we came together," Trevor D. Richardson, in Dystopia Boy: The Unauthorized Files.
Key words: 1.Lithium-ion (LI) battery 2.Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME II).
Q12. ‘Artificial intelligence’ and ‘Crowd Sourcing’ can significantly alter the face of information and technology.
Comment?
How Artificial Intelligence is powering tech crowd sourcing Indian Express/Technology

Much of today’s software product and hardware infrastructure is delivered through “as-a-service" model. “As-a-service"
just means the ability to rent and pay for software and hardware as and when it is used, rather than buying an expensive
licensee or powerful computers. Software behemoths such as Oracle and SAP have been pivoting to this model, as have
cloud computing infrastructure platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft’s Azure. The rent-versus-own
decision ebbs and flows over time. Not so long ago, before India’s mobile phone revolution, the country was dotted with
ISD/STD call booths in a classic example of “as-a-service" delivery. You didn’t need to own a landline phone when you
could simply walk up to a booth and, for a fee, use someone else’s phone for a short while. Once it became cheap enough
to acquire and use a mobile phone to make calls on one’s own, these booths disappeared. Classical economic thinking
would predict that this sort of “rental" model will not work for cutting-edge software application development, which
fundamentally alters the workings of a firm. Firms in the quest for digital disruption will be looking to keep their
competition out, and so would prefer to have their own in-house development rather than renting it. This is especially true
of startup firms in the technology space.
Classical thinking has its limitations, however. Silicon Valley and cutting-edge technology are strange beasts, and the
extraordinary push into the digital space has meant that top-notch software engineers are in short supply. This has
pushed up the average wage of “Google-quality engineers" to the point where their average wage tops $350,000 per
year—at least so say Jonathan Siddharth and Vijay Krishnan, the founders of Turing (turing.com). Turing is itself a startup
that is trying to fix this demand-supply mismatch using a “rental" or “pay as you go" model. While talent is global,
opportunity is not. Hiring top engineers locally in Silicon Valley is costly, and not scalable. In addition, says Siddharth,
employee retention data paints a bleak picture. The average Silicon Valley engineer retains for 13 months. When time to
hire, on-board, and handoff are accounted for, employers only get about nine months of productive work from each
engineer. According to the duo, this is a contributing factor to one in every 10 startups failing within the first 12 months.
Turing wants to help startups hire pre-vetted, high-quality engineers sourced from the global talent pool. The vetting is
done using automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Turing claims that its platform helps developers from all over the
world by offering them an opportunity to participate in Silicon Valley and allows startups in the valley a fighting chance of
being able to access and retain top-quality talent. Turing claims that its customers can just push a button and hire
exceptional pre-vetted remote software engineers on demand. In this age of open-source programming, and the ready
availability of free programming libraries with a simple click of the cursor, startups and corporations are increasingly open
to the idea of turning to the programming community at large, in a phenomenon called “crowdsourcing". IT services firms
are certainly wise to this phenomenon; Wipro already owns Topcoder, the world’s largest platform-based crowdsourcing
service.
When pressed on why their platform is different from the ones that already exist, Siddharth and Krishnan say that their
secret sauce lies in their ability to use AI and automation to constantly monitor the quality of programmers on their
platform. Much like any other marketplace such as ride-hailing, where ongoing input from customers about the service
quality of drivers is an integral component of the algorithm, Turing uses ongoing testing of its contractors’ work
performance in order to continue to provide only top-quality talent, and eschews dependence on what the programmer’s
resume says. Siddharth and Krishnan are both Stanford postgraduates who have built a successful technology business
before. Their first company, called Rover (roverapp.com), was acquired by Revcontent (now part of TechCrunch) for “north
of $30 million". Rover had used AI methods to provide targeted personalization and content, much like Facebook and
Google do in order to push hyper-personalized advertising. Firms that didn’t have the in-house AI muscle to build
personalization engines, but still had use for hyper-personalized messaging and content, turned to independent startups
like Rover that were providing these services outside the behemoths.

The duo claims that the learnings from Rover, where they played on the same field as Facebook and Google and yet built a
successful AI business, have made them adept at differentiating their offering from the big boys. The AI analyses data
from email, actual programming code, Asana (a work management tool), Slack (a workplace communication and workflow
tool) and various other communication platforms to ensure quality of work output from each developer and enforce
remote management best practices natively on the platform.
Time will tell whether they can pull off another success despite the presence of heavyweights in their market. While we
wait with bated breath this month for earnings announcements from Indian information technology majors who work on
project and deal levels, the ground may just be shifting under the majors’ feet to “as-a-service" models.
Key words-1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) 2. Crowd sourcing
Q13. Examine the geopolitics in Afghanistan associated with the US and Pakistan. How does it impact India?
An Afghan trifecta Indian Express | # Global politics
The talks with the Taliban in Doha, the US reportedly put the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan on the table.
America may pull out over an 18-month period after an agreement is signed with the Taliban. In return, the Taliban has
apparently assured that Afghanistan will not be used for attacks against America and its allies. India is certainly not alone
in being both sceptical about the prospects for these talks and concerned about their success. For, there are not many
who vouch for the Taliban’s trustworthiness. And American military presence since 2002 has allowed the construction of a
modernising Afghanistan and let India deepen its engagement.
This is not a moment, however, for India to stand by and criticise or call for ideal solutions. It is about preparing for
significant change in Afghanistan — for good or bad. After the Doha talks,. US’s optimism was reciprocated by the Taliban
officials. Both sides also underlined that there were a number of unresolved issues. Many of these are deal-
breakers.These include the questions of a ceasefire and direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in
Kabul to settle the post-conflict political arrangements. The Taliban has been negative on both the issues. Beyond these
two, there are other more complex issues like the nature of the post-conflict arrangements in Kabul, potential changes to
the Afghan Constitution and, above all, the mechanics for peaceful transition to a new political order.
US insisted that American agreement to withdraw from Afghanistan is contingent on agreement on all issues. “Nothing is
agreed until everything is agreed, and ‘everything’ must include an intra-Afghan dialogue and comprehensive ceasefire”,
he ed. US and the Taliban team are scheduled to sit down at the end of February for a third round of talks. In what is seen
as a signal of seriousness, the Taliban last week appointed Mullah Baradar Akhund to lead the talks with the US. As one of
the top leaders of the Taliban, he is expected to negotiate with some authority.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
welcomed the Doha talks as “encouraging” and summed up the current US objectives in Afghanistan — to bring peace,
prevent the nation from re-emerging as a haven for terrorists and bring the American boys back home after 17 long years
in Afghanistan. Pompeo added that the US wants to “strengthen Afghan sovereignty, independence and prosperity”.
These are not easy objectives to reconcile. An American emphasis on bringing the troops home, for example, might make
peace and stability in Afghanistan more elusive. US is probably the best negotiator the US could have found to address the
difficult diplomatic challenge in Afghanistan.Few in Washington know Afghanistan as well as he does. A first generation
Afghan-American, US served as the US ambassador to Kabul during 2003-05, soon after the US forces ousted the Taliban
from power at the end of 2002.
US has his task cut out. On his return to Afghanistan, a decade and a half later, US finds three big problems facing the US.
The first is that Donald Trump’s patience with America’s longest war is wearing thin. He is not alone, for the political

weariness with America’s longest war has grown steadily. Trump has apparently asked for plans to cut a significant
number of troops from the current deployment of about 14,000. But no decision has been formally made or announced.
For now, at least, it is contingent on what the Taliban and Pakistan do.Second, the Taliban is playing hard ball. Just hours
before it sat down with US and his team in Doha, its insurgents launched a deadly attack in Wardak province that killed
more than a hundred Afghan security forces. The Taliban says it will fight Kabul and talk to Washington at the same time.
The Taliban’s diplomatic assertiveness is rooted in Afghanistan’s changed ground reality. When US was the American
ambassador in Afghanistan, the Taliban was licking its wounds. Soon after, it regrouped and re-emerged as a force to
reckon with in Afghanistan — thanks to support from the deep state in Pakistan.According to the latest US government
reports, the Taliban controls more than 12 per cent of the districts in Afghanistan and contests the government in another
33 per cent. This is probably an under-estimation. The Taliban now makes frequent and intense attacks at will across
Afghanistan. US’s third challenge is Pakistan. Geography makes Pakistan critical for either war or peace in Afghanistan.
Trump’s predecessors seemed willing to acquiesce in Pakistan’s Afghan double game — hunting with America and running
with the Taliban. Trump, however, has taken a different tack and challenged Pakistan’s support for terror. He has cut off
US military assistance and threatened to put Pakistan under international financial sanctions.
We don’t know if Trump’s pressure is working or Pakistan has become really interested in Afghan peace. But there is no
denying that Pakistan’s support is the source of the current optimism about the engagement with the Taliban.While the
terms of engagement between the US and the Taliban are visible to the public, we don’t know anything about the price
that Rawalpindi has set for its cooperation and what the US is willing to offer. Hopefully, the US will keep its partners
informed.If the US effectively uses its considerable residual leverage in Afghanistan, Pakistan does not try and turn
Afghanistan into a weak protectorate, and the Taliban does not overreach inside Afghanistan, there is reason for
optimism. But if you are a sceptic, you might argue that an Afghan trifecta is near impossible.
Keywords: 1. US 2. Pakistan 3. Taliban 4. India
14. Analyse the impact of global digitial data revolution on India. What steps can be undertaken for India to
effectively benefit from the global data digital revolution?
Capital and digital politik Indian Express | # Digital Revolution
A push to shape India’s data governance is very much part of the efforts by private capital world-wide to define new rules
for the digital age. Arguing that data is the new oil, India’s data must be controlled and owned by Indian people — and not
by corporates, especially global corporations. Calling for a new national movement against data colonisation and that for
India to succeed in this data-driven revolution, we will have to migrate the control and ownership of Indian data back to
India.If is poised to remake India’s retail market. Data nationalism might be criticised for erecting barriers against cross-
border data flows, A greater liberalisation to make it easier for small producers in one country to sell to consumers across
the world.
Like so many other businesses, retail and logistics are increasingly about effective collection, analysis and effective
utilisation of data. As digitisation transforms the global structures of production and distribution, what happens to the
consumers, whose data is becoming the key? A comprehensive privacy law in the US that will protect the consumer from
the companies that collect personal data. One of Cook’s key proposals is the establishment of a “data-broker
clearinghouse” that will register all data brokers, enable consumers to track the transactions that have bundled and sold
their data from place to place, and give users the power to delete their data if they chose.

If most of the world’s industry and commerce becomes digitised and hyperlinked, what happens to the security and
integrity of the system as a whole? Here again, the private sector is taking the initiative. The leadership has come from
Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft. Nearly 80 companies from around the world are now part of the so-called Cyber
Technology Accord. The accord’s objective is to empower individuals online and promote stability, security and resilience
of the cyberspace. It is modelled after the Geneva Conventions — negotiated at the turn of the 20th century — that sought
to protect civilians during armed conflict. The initiative has had some impact, for example on the Paris Call for Trust and
Security in Cyberspace that was unveiled by the French President Emmanuel Macron last November. The call has already
been endorsed by a large number of governments and corporations.
The efforts of , Ma, Cook and Smith underline the growing role of capital in governing the digital era. After all the nature of
these new rules will have a big impact on their respective businesses. In the 20th century, the policy implications of new
technologies like nuclear, space and electronics were largely framed by the governments. Even more important, many of
these breakthroughs came out of state-funded big-science projects.In the 21st century, however, much of the innovation
that is driving the digital revolution has come from the private sector. States are now hard-pressed to catchup with capital.
As Delhi copes with the new imperatives of governing the digital age, any sensible policy will have to navigate the tensions
between state and the citizen, capital and the consumer, public good and private gain and between competing interests
within capital — both domestic and foreign.Equally challenging are the complex demands of national security when the
technological sources of economic and military power are in an unprecedented churn, and the old international structures
for trade and security cooperation are breaking down.
Keywords: 1. Data Governance 2. Paris Call 3. Privacy law 4. Data nationalism
15. Examine the current relevance of Non-Alignment in Indian foreign policy. How is Strategic alignment different
from non-alignment?
Alliances and strategic autonomy Indian Express | Indian foreign policy
More than a hundred countries are members of the so-called Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). They swear, at least
formally, by the idea of non-alignment and show up at the triennial NAM summits. But few of them of think of non-
alignment as the defining idea of their foreign policies. Even fewer believe it is worth debating on a perennial basis.The
governments in Delhi might have been the last, but they have certainly moved away from the straitjacket of non-alignment
— in practice if not in theory. The rhetoric too has changed under the present government. As Foreign Secretary Vijay
Gokhale put it in response to a question at the Raisina Dialogue, India is now “aligned”. “But the alignment is issue-based”,
Gokhale said. “It is not ideological. That gives us the capacity to be flexible, gives us the capacity to maintain our decisional
autonomy.”If non-alignment belongs to the past, is “strategic autonomy” something unique to India? Not really. All
countries, big and small, try to maximise their freedom of action. And the autonomy that a nation can exercise depends
on its specific circumstances such as size, location, comprehensive national power, and the nature of the threats among
many other things.
Take, for example, Pakistan. In Delhi’s foreign policy mythology — India chose an “independent” foreign policy and
Pakistan a “dependent” one. As the Cold War between America and Soviet Russia enveloped the world soon after Partition
and Independence in the middle of the 20th century, India and Pakistan seemed to take opposite diplomatic paths. India
embraced non-alignment and refused to endorse America’s anti-Communist alliances. Pakistan pooh-poohed non-aligned
solidarity, calling it “zero plus zero is equal to zero”. It signed a bilateral defence pact with the US and joined the two
regional security blocs — called Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) in the Middle East — and the South East Asia Treaty

Organisation (SEATO) in the Far East.What followed was far more interesting. The seeming ideological clarity that both
India and Pakistan brought to their respective foreign policies dissolved quickly in the real world.
India, which had refused to join the West in isolating communist China and sought to befriend it, ended up in a conflict
with Beijing. And when the border war broke out in 1962, India turned to the United States for military assistance.
Pakistan, which was quick to join the anti-Communist bandwagon did not take long to discover the convergence of
interests with Maoist China. Pakistan’s delegation went into the Afro-Asian summit at Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955 with an
anti-China orientation. It returned with an understanding of Pakistan’s shared interests with Beijing on balancing India.
The Chinese premier Zhou Enlai convinced Pakistan leader Mohammed Ali Bogra that Communist China is not a threat to
Pakistan. Bogra, in turn, made it clear that Pakistan’s problem is not with communist expansion in Asia but with India. The
rest — the making of a very special bilateral relationship — is history. China has rarely complained since about Pakistan’s
long-standing military relationship with the US.That Pakistan could warm up to China so soon after it joined America’s anti-
Communist alliances in Asia is probably one of the most impressive examples of exercising “strategic autonomy”. It was so
successful that Pakistan became a bridge between China and the US at the turn of the 1970s.
Indian foreign policy community continues to be troubled by the question of alliances and autonomy when it comes to
dealing with China and the US. It could, perhaps, find a thing or two from Pakistan that has managed these relationships
quite well.Delhi’s traditional fear of alliances is based on a profound misreading of what they might mean. Alliances are
not a “permanent wedlock” or some kind of a “bondage”. They are a political/military arrangement to cope with a common
threat. When the shared understanding of the threat breaks down, so does the alliance.
A couple of examples. To cope with the American threat Mao Zedong aligned with Soviet Russia in 1950. Two decades
later, he moved closer to America to counter Russia. Now China is once again buddies with Russia in trying to limit
American influence in Eurasia. When Communist China walked into Tibet in 1949, the monarchy in neighbouring Nepal got
India to sign a treaty in 1950 offering protection. Not too long after, Kathmandu figured China is not a threat and began to
undo the security provisions of the 1950 treaty.Not many countries in the world today are members of alliances. The few
alliances that have survived since the Second World War are undergoing stress on the supply as well as demand side. In
America, President Donald Trump is questioning the costs and benefits of these alliances. Presidents Tayyip Erdogan of
Turkey and Moon Jae-in of South Korea, both treaty allies of the US, hardly share American perceptions on the regional
threat in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula respectively.India, as Gokhale told the Raisina Dialogue, is a large and
globalised economy with “big stakes in all parts of the world”. The Indian foreign policy debate would be less metaphysical
if it stops obsessing about “non-alignment” and “strategic autonomy” and starts focusing on a pragmatic assessment of
India’s interests and the best means to secure them — including partnerships and coalitions — against current and
potential threats.
Keywords: 1. Non-Alignment Movement 2. China 3. United States 4. Strategic autonomy
16. Assess the geo-political significance of Andaman & Nicobar islands for India.
Integrating the island Indian Express | # Maritime Security
For political Delhi, the island chain was at best a remote outpost acquired by default from the departing British Raj. That
attitude filtered down the entire system of governance in Delhi. For India’s continentalist security establishment, weighed
down by difficult land borders to the north and the west, the Indian Ocean is a distant domain. The nation’s island
territories — the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the east and the Lakshadweep to the west — barely figure on Delhi’s

mental map.Modi’s visit will hopefully begin to change India’s national narrative on the Andamans. Three imperatives
beckon. The first is about history. Modi’s decision to time his visit with the 75th anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose flying
the tricolour in Port Blair has helped highlight the role of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India’s freedom struggle. But it
should also draw attention to the complexities of India’s pre-Independence engagement with the world in the 20th
century. Azad Hind government in Port Blair was founded on imperial Japan’s occupation of the Andaman Islands. Japan’s
support for Bose was part of Tokyo’s mobilisation of Asian nationalism against European colonial powers.Today it is not a
question of judging the different political choices that the Indian leaders made during the War. All of them were for early
Indian liberation from the British rule. But they saw the relationship between ends and means somewhat differently. They
certainly did not agree on the appropriate balance between the struggle for independence and the larger question of
defeating fascism.
Rather than sweep this complex story under the carpet, India must take a dispassionate look at these divisions. Delhi
should also reflect on how the political split diminished emerging India’s leverage with the great powers. The Muslim
League’s unreserved support for the War gave it considerable leverage in the domestic politics of undivided India and
translated after Partition into enormous goodwill for Pakistan with Britain, US and the West.Second, the story of Bose,
Japan and the Azad Hind government underlines the enduring geopolitical significance of the Andaman Island chain and
its waters. In the 17th and 18th centuries, they were the site of contestation between European colonial powers —
Portugal, the Netherlands, France and Britain. After the Napoleonic wars in Europe, the Indian Ocean turned into a British
Lake through the 19th century.Britain, which occupied the islands at the end of the 18th century in search of a permanent
military base, put them on the back burner in the 19th. From a potential platform for power projection, the islands
became a penal colony for the Raj. The challenge for Britain came this time from the first Asian great power in the modern
age — Japan. The imperial Japanese forces raced through Malaya, ousted Britain from Singapore, Burma and the
Andaman Islands. It took the combined efforts of the British Empire , the US and nationalist China to reverse Japanese
aggression. After the Second World War, the partition of India and the Cold War between America and Russia, the
Andamans became marginal to the new geopolitics. Today as a rising China projects its economic and military power into
the Indian Ocean, any strategy for regional balance would necessarily involve the economic and military development of
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As in the Second World War, so in the current juncture, it would involve considerable
cooperation between India and its major strategic partners.
That in turn leads us to the third imperative — of ending the deliberate isolation of the island chain and promoting
economic development, tighter integration with the mainland, strengthening military infrastructure, regional connectivity
and international collaboration. The Modi government has initiated some important steps in that direction, including on
internet connectivity, visa liberalisation, tourism, building new ports, agreements for cooperation with neighbouring
countries in South East Asia. Finally, any large-scale development would inevitably raise questions about preserving the
pristine environment of the Andamans and protecting its vulnerable indigenous populations. As the NDA government
seeks to accelerate economic development and enhance the military potential of the Andamans, there will be many
challenges ahead. But none of them are unique to India.As it tries to turn the outpost in the Andamans into a strategic
hub, Delhi can draw much from the wealth of international experience on the sustainable transformation of fragile island
territories.
Keywords: 1. British Raj 2. China 3. America 4. Indian Ocean
17. Assess the current scenario of British exit from European Union.
A reckless experiment The Hindu | Ethical Science

The Chinese scientist who created the world’s first gene-edited babies last November has forced researchers everywhere
to take a hard look at the ethics of gene-editing. Chinese authorities have since condemned the researcher, He Jiankui,
with a government report this week saying he violated both ethics and laws. But though Mr. He’s actions drew
international outrage, they weren’t revolutionary in technological terms. Editing DNA to correct disease mutations has
been possible for a while now, which means others can also do what Mr. He did. The promises of such gene-editing are
boundless; over a dozen clinical trials are currently on to treat diseases like HIV, multiple myeloma and other forms of
cancer, using the Crispr-Cas9 editing system. But none of them involve editing the so-called human germ-line; instead,
they have restricted themselves to fixing genetic flaws in sick adults. In contrast, Mr. He deactivated a gene in two human
embryos, which means that the changes he made could be inherited by the next generation. In doing so, he violated the
widely held ethical consensus that it is too early for germline editing, for we simply don’t know enough yet about the
risks of such fiddling.
One pitfall of embryo gene-editing is that it is not as precise as we need it to be today. Studies have shown that the
technology can result in unintended mutations, which in turn can cause cancers. Then there is the danger of mosaicism, in
which some cells inherit the target mutation, while others don’t. To be sure, the error-rates of Crispr are falling with each
passing year. But we aren’t in the clear yet. What is more, even when gene-editing becomes fool-proof, the decision to edit
embryos will still be a weighty one. This is because, today, scientists are far from understanding how exactly individual
genes influence phenotypes, or the visible traits of people. Every gene likely influences multiple traits, depending on the
environment it interacts with. This makes it hard to predict the ultimate outcome of an embryo-editing exercise without
decades of follow-up. This uncertainty became evident in Mr. He’s experiment, in which he sought to immunise a pair of
twins from HIV by tinkering with a gene called CCR5. The problem is that while protecting against HIV, a deactivated CCR5
gene can also make people more susceptible to West-Nile Fever. Every gene influences such trade-offs, which scientists
barely understand today. This is why several scientific societies have advised abundant caution while fiddling with the
human germline. In a 2017 report, the U.S.’s National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine said such an
intervention would be defensible only in very rare situations, where no alternative exists. The He Jiankui incident shows it
is time to translate these advisories into regulations. Unless this happens, the Crispr revolution could well go awry.
Keywords: 1. CRISPR – CAS 9 2. Germline editing 3. Gene editing 4. CCR5 gene
18. Highlight the importance of Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 in curbing corruption in India.
Nudged into action: on the Lokpal Act The Hindu | Polity & Governance
It should have never come to this on the Lokpal. That it requires a Supreme Court order to nudge the government to
make any progress towards establishing the anti-graft institution is a poor commentary on its functioning. The court has
asked the eight-member Search Committee under the Lokpal Act to recommend a panel of names before the end of
February. This shortlist has to be sent to the Selection Committee, headed by the Prime Minister. It has taken five years
since the Lokpal Act, 2013, received the President’s assent on January 1, 2014, for a Search Committee to even begin its
work. It was formed only on September 27, 2018, after Common Cause, an NGO, filed a contempt petition against the
government over the delay in constituting the authority despite a Supreme Court verdict in April 2017. It is true that
setting up the Search Committee requires some groundwork, as its composition should be drawn from diverse fields such
as anti-corruption policy, public administration, law, banking and insurance; also, half its membership should consist of
women, backward class, minority and SC/ST candidates. However, it is the government’s duty to expedite this process and
not cite it as a reason for delay. Even after it was formed, the Search Committee has been handicapped because of lack of
office space, manpower, infrastructure and a secretariat. The court has now asked the government to provide the

required infrastructure. In the past too, the court has admonished the Centre for the delay in creating the institution. In its
April 2017 verdict, the court brushed aside the reason that the government was awaiting the passage of an amendment
based on a parliamentary committee report and said there was no legal bar on the Selection Committee moving ahead
with its work even if there was a vacancy in it.
There is a good deal of politics behind the delay. The Selection Committee, which includes the Lok Sabha Speaker, the
Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist, has met in the past without Mallikarjun
Kharge, who heads the Congress in the Lok Sabha. He has been skipping meetings, as he is aggrieved that the government
has not made him a full member, and has roped him in as a ‘special invitee’. The government sticks to its view that he has
not been recognised as the Leader of the Opposition by the Speaker. This minor issue has been resolved in respect of
appointments to other posts such as CBI Director and Central Vigilance Commissioner by a simple amendment to treat
the leader of the largest Opposition party as the Leader of the Opposition for this purpose. This amendment has not been
brought about despite a parliamentary committee report endorsing the idea in December 2015. Nothing except the lack
of political will to establish the Lokpal can explain years of delay.
Key words: 1. Lokpal, 2. eight-member Search Committee 3. Lok Sabha Speaker 4. Leader of the Opposition 6. Chief Justice of
India 7. Eminent Jurist
19. The government in power has enough discretion to levy sedition charges against individuals who express their
dissent against the government. Critically analyse.
Sedition, once more The Hindu | Polity & Governance
The slapping of sedition charges against noted Assamese scholar Hiren Gohain and two others for remarks made against
the proposed citizenship law is a textbook case of misuse of the law relating to sedition. The FIR against Mr. Gohain,
peasant rights activist Akhil Gogoi and journalist Manjit Mahanta relates to speeches at a recent rally that alluded to the
possibility of a demand for independence and sovereignty if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was pushed through
Parliament. Mr. Gohain and others have obtained interim bail from the Gauhati High Court. The registration of the case
has caused much public outrage in Assam. In addition to Section 124A (sedition), they have been accused of entering
into a criminal conspiracy to “wage war against the government of India” (Section 121) and “concealing a design to
facilitate” such a war (Section 123). The action of the police in charging them with “offences against the state” under the
Indian Penal Code is quite reprehensible. It is possible that speeches at the rally organised by the Forum Against the
Citizenship Amendment Bill contained strident opposition to the legislative changes that would allow persecuted non-
Muslims from three neighbouring countries to obtain Indian citizenship. The thrust of the protest, therefore, would be
squarely covered by the exception to the sedition clause, which says comments expressing disapprobation of government
measures with a view to obtaining their alteration do not constitute an offence, as long as there is no incitement to
violence or disaffection. Mr. Gohain, a Sahitya Akademi awardee, and one of Assam’s best known public intellectuals, has
explained that he had intervened more than once to silence some youth who had talked about invoking their sovereignty
if the Centre continued to ignore their demand.
In recent years, there have been many instances of State governments seeking to silence political dissent by accusing
dissenters of promoting disaffection. It is precisely to prevent such a heavy-handed response to strident political criticism
that courts have often pointed out that the essential ingredient of any offence of sedition is an imminent threat to public
order. Unless there is actual incitement to take up arms or resort to violence, even demands that go against the legal or
constitutional scheme of things would not amount to sedition. Mere expression of critical views, howsoever scathing,
cannot be an excuse for accusing someone of planning to wage war or promote disaffection against the government. It is

against such a backdrop that the Law Commission, in a consultation paper released last year, had called for a
reconsideration of the sedition section in the IPC. While the provision, which is couched in broad terms, needs a much
narrower definition, the right course is to scrap Section 124A, a relic of the colonial era, altogether.
Key words: 1. Sedition Charges, 2. Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 3. Section 124A (sedition) 4. political dissent 5. Law Commission
20. Will passing of Freedom of Literature Bill, 2018 make Indian society more liberal? What are the current
impediments on literary freedom? Discuss.
Removing fear: on literary freedom The Hindu | Polity & Governance
Literary freedom is taken for granted in democracies, but forces that threaten or undermine it are always at work. Each
age has to fight the battle afresh. In recent times, several attempts to get books withdrawn, pulped or sanitised of
offending content have achieved full or partial success in India. Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: An Alternative History was
withdrawn from circulation, and A.K. Ramanujan’s essay ‘Three Hundred Ramayanas’ was dropped from a Delhi University
syllabus. Tamil writer Perumal Murugan’s Madhorubagan (One Part Woman) was withdrawn by the author under mob
pressure but resurrected by a Madras High Court verdict. Public order, national unity and social or religious harmony are
the principles commonly invoked against the practice of literary freedom. Threats to free expression, especially artistic
freedom, in our times mainly come from those claiming to espouse the interests of a particular religion or social group. It
is in this context that Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP and writer, has introduced a private member’s Bill in the Lok
Sabha seeking to protect freedom of literature. Its objective — that “authors must be guaranteed the freedom to express
their work without fear of punitive action by the State or by sections of society” — commends itself to any society that
upholds liberal values. It seeks the omission of three IPC sections, including 295A, in effect a non-denominational
blasphemy law, as it targets deliberate or malicious acts to outrage religious feelings.
Section 295A is a grossly misused section, often invoked in trivial ways to hound individuals, harass writers and curtail free
expression. It deserves to be scrapped. Sections that relate to the sale of obscene books and uttering words that hurt
religious feelings are also sought to be omitted. However, it is unclear why Section 153A, which punishes those who
promote enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race or language, and Section 153B, which criminalises words
and imputations prejudicial to national integration, do not draw Mr. Tharoor’s attention. In the process of proscribing a
book, he proposes a tweak in the form of a 15-day prohibition. Thereafter, the onus should be on the State government to
approach the High Court to seek a permanent ban. It favours the scrapping of the provision in the Customs Act to ban the
import of books, but makes a public order exception. It wants to limit the bar on obscenity in the Information Technology
Act to child pornography. Private Bills rarely become law, but they are useful in highlighting gaps in the body of law. Seen
in this light, Mr. Tharoor’s initiative is most welcome as a step towards removing or diluting penal provisions that inhibit
literary freedom.
Key words: 1. Literary freedom, 2. free expression 3. Private member’s Bill 4. blasphemy law

Here, we are sharing case studies for self- practice. These

Case Studies case studies are drawn from various aspects of professional
and personal experiences, and are helpful for General
For mains Gs paper IV Studies- Paper IV.
Do practice them!
Case 1: You are a Public Information Officer (PIO) in a government department. You are aware that the RTI Act 2005
envisages transparency and accountability in administration. The act has functioned as a check on the supposedly
arbitrarily administrative behaviour and actions. However, as a PIO you have observed that there are citizens who filed RTI
applications not for themselves but on behalf of such stakeholders who purportedly want to have access to information to
further their own interests. At the same time there are these RTI activists who routinely file RTI applications and attempt to
extort money from the decision makers. This type of RTI activism has affected the functioning of the administration
adversely and also possibly jeopardises the genuineness of the applications which are essentially aimed at getting justice.
Q. What measures would you suggest to separate genuine and non-genuine applications? Give merits and demerits of
your suggestions.
Case 2: You are a boss of a small private organisation. You are about to meet important clients who will be visiting your
office shortly. But you get a call from your wife that your son who is suffering from autism is performing dance in his
school, which is first for you both and a very happy occasion. The meeting which was scheduled cannot be postponed,
moreover if the meeting is successful, your company benefits enormously in terms of new contracts. As you deem son’s
performance is more important than the business deal, you ask your personal assistant to call the clients and tell them
that you are unwell and the meeting can be held tomorrow.
Q. Identify different personal and professional ethical issues present and examine if any values have been compromised
in the above case study?
Case 3: Your friend is staying with you and is preparing for the civil services exam along with you. He is from a very poor
family. You know him since childhood. You have accommodated him for free of cost in your room. He is not paying for
anything. Earlier he used to work hard, but lately he is spending his time mostly watching movies or talking to friends on
the phone. There is another friend who wants to move in to your room. He is willing to pay half the rent. He will also
arrange his own food.
Though you have made efforts to make your friend realize his mistakes, he still continues to spend time on unproductive
activities. He has never disturbed you directly though. Recently the rent was increased. Now it is a burden for you to pay
all the rent and food charges of your friend.
Q. What will you do? Explain why.



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