July 2023 Current Affairs - AKSIAS

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M.S.Shashank
JULY - 2023 Current Affairs
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M.S.Shashank
1. Polity & Governance ............................................................................ 6

1.1. Article 299 of the Constitution.......................................................................................................................... 6
1.2. New Parliament Building................................................................................................................................... 7
1.3. Cow Slaughter Ban ............................................................................................................................................ 8
1.4. Assam Delimitation Draft: Proposed Changes and issues ................................................................................ 9
1.5. The Uniform Civil Code and India's Multicultural Challenge .......................................................................... 10
1.6. Role of CJI in Supreme Court: First amongst equals ....................................................................................... 11
1.7. Addition of More Castes to Central OBC List .................................................................................................. 13
1.8. Custodial Torture and Ethical Concerns .......................................................................................................... 14
1.9. Delimitation .................................................................................................................................................... 15
1.10. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC)....................................................................... 16
2. Economy ............................................................................................ 17
2.1. Evergreening of Loans ..................................................................................................................................... 17
2.2. GDP expanded 6.1% in 2022-23’s last quarter ............................................................................................... 18
2.3. World Energy Investment 2023 ...................................................................................................................... 18
2.4. Limits on UPI transactions............................................................................................................................... 19
2.5. Urban Co-operative Banks .............................................................................................................................. 20
2.6. First Loss Default Guarantee (FLDG) ............................................................................................................... 21
2.7. Inflation & Greedflation .................................................................................................................................. 22
2.8. Compromise Settlement for Wilful Defaulters ............................................................................................... 23
2.9. Status of Remittances: World Bank ................................................................................................................ 24
2.10. Global Food Security Crisis .............................................................................................................................. 25
3. International Relations ....................................................................... 27

3.1. China’s Rise as a Space Power ........................................................................................................................ 27
3.2. Svalbard Mission of 1997 ................................................................................................................................ 29
3.3. PM Visit to Egypt ............................................................................................................................................. 30
3.4. India-U.S. deal for 31 MQ-9B Drones.............................................................................................................. 31
3.5. Wagner Group................................................................................................................................................. 32
3.6. EU's Asylum Policy .......................................................................................................................................... 33
3.7. China-Pakistan Nuclear Deal ........................................................................................................................... 34
3.8. India and UAE Mutual Recognition Arrangement........................................................................................... 35
3.9. India and Vietnam Defence Ties ..................................................................................................................... 37
3.10. Third Employment Working Group Meet ....................................................................................................... 38
4. Science & Technology......................................................................... 40

4.1. XPoSat, India’s First Polarimetry Mission ....................................................................................................... 40
4.2. PARAS Telescope ............................................................................................................................................. 41
4.3. Satellite ........................................................................................................................................................... 41
M.S.Shashank
4.4. Foucault pendulum ......................................................................................................................................... 42
4.5. Betelgeuse Star ............................................................................................................................................... 42
4.6. 3D Digitisation of Museums ............................................................................................................................ 43
4.7. Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Technology ................................................................................................... 44
4.8. Fibonacci Spirals .............................................................................................................................................. 44
4.9. Cell-cultivated Chicken .................................................................................................................................... 45
5. Social Issues & Justice ........................................................................ 46

5.1. Manual Scavenging ......................................................................................................................................... 46
5.2. Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023 ................................................................................................... 47
6. Health ................................................................................................ 49
6.1. The violence faced by healthcare professionals ............................................................................................. 49
6.2. Hysterectomies ............................................................................................................................................... 49
7. education ........................................................................................... 50
7.1. “Professors of Practice” (PoP)......................................................................................................................... 50
7.2. MP’s CM Learn and Earn scheme ................................................................................................................... 51
7.3. India’s Higher Education Sector ...................................................................................................................... 51
8. Agriculture ......................................................................................... 53
8.1. Minimum Support Prices (MSP) ...................................................................................................................... 53
8.2. Indo-US cooperation in agriculture................................................................................................................. 53
8.3. Food Supply Situation in India Ahead of Monsoon 2023................................................................................ 54
9. Environment ...................................................................................... 55
9.1. Impact of climate change on water bodies..................................................................................................... 55
9.2. Aviation Sector & Climate Change .................................................................................................................. 56
9.3. Chytridiomycosis ............................................................................................................................................. 57
9.4. Reports on Global Warming of 1.5 °C ............................................................................................................. 58
9.5. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee: UNEP ........................................................................................ 59
9.6. India's Renewable Energy Growth .................................................................................................................. 60
10. Internal Security................................................................................. 61

10.1. G20 Delhi Declaration on Cybersecurity ......................................................................................................... 61
10.2. Varunastra ....................................................................................................................................................... 62
10.3. SIPRI Annual Report 2023 ............................................................................................................................... 62
11. Geography & Disaster Management ................................................... 64

11.1. Cyclone Biparjoy.............................................................................................................................................. 64
11.2. Flash Floods ..................................................................................................................................................... 64
11.3. ‘Landfall’ of a cyclone...................................................................................................................................... 65
12. History- Art & Culture......................................................................... 66

12.1. Vadnagar ......................................................................................................................................................... 66
12.2. Kharchi Puja .................................................................................................................................................... 66
M.S.Shashank
12.3. Purana Qila Excavation ................................................................................................................................... 67
12.4. Mesolithic Rock Paintings ............................................................................................................................... 67
12.5. Hindu Kush Himalayas..................................................................................................................................... 68
13. Awards .............................................................................................. 69

13.1. Spinoza Prize ................................................................................................................................................... 69
13.2. Egypt's Highest State Honour to PM Modi ..................................................................................................... 69
13.3. Suriname’s highest civilian award ................................................................................................................... 69
13.4. Gita Press awarded Gandhi Peace Prize ......................................................................................................... 69
13.5. Points of Light Award ...................................................................................................................................... 70
13.6. PEN Pinter Prize 2023 ..................................................................................................................................... 70
13.7. German Peace Prize ........................................................................................................................................ 70
13.8. Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar Award................................................................................................................ 71
13.9. Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 ........................................................................................................................... 71
14. Government Initiatives....................................................................... 71

14.1. National Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR) ............................................................. 71
14.2. Anna Bhagya 2.0 scheme ................................................................................................................................ 72
14.3. National E-Commerce Policy ........................................................................................................................... 72
15. Persons & Appointments .................................................................... 73

15.1. Praveen Kumar Srivastava .............................................................................................................................. 73
15.2. Dennis Francis ................................................................................................................................................. 73
15.3. Ravi Sinha ........................................................................................................................................................ 74
15.4. Nusrat Choudhury ........................................................................................................................................... 74
16. Important Days .................................................................................. 74

16.1. World Milk Day ............................................................................................................................................... 74
16.2. World Environment Day.................................................................................................................................. 74
16.3. World Food Safety Day ................................................................................................................................... 75
16.4. World Day Against Child Labour ..................................................................................................................... 75
16.5. International Yoga Day.................................................................................................................................... 75
16.6. International Day Against Drug Abuse ............................................................................................................ 75
17. Miscellaneous .................................................................................... 75

17.1. Kakhovka Dam (Ukraine)................................................................................................................................. 75
17.2. Rs 75 Coin Launched to mark inauguration of New Parliament ..................................................................... 76
17.3. Fraser Island Regains its Original Name .......................................................................................................... 76
17.4. India’s First International Cruise Vessel .......................................................................................................... 77
17.5. Special Olympics World Games ...................................................................................................................... 77
17.6. UTPRERAK ....................................................................................................................................................... 78
17.7. NANDI Portal ................................................................................................................................................... 78
17.8. Electronics Repair Services Outsourcing (ERSO) ............................................................................................. 78
17.9. Transforming Healthcare and Celebrating Excellence .................................................................................... 79
M.S.Shashank
17.10. Punjab-Himachal Pradesh Clash Over Shanan Hydropower Project .............................................................. 79
17.11. Government of India Imposes Stock Limits on Tur and Urad Dal ................................................................... 79
17.12. India's First International Cruise Vessel MV Empress ..................................................................................... 80
17.13. Nyaya Vikas Portal........................................................................................................................................... 80
17.14. Global Liveability Index 2023 .......................................................................................................................... 80
17.15. National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) .......................................................... 81
17.16. Borealis Mud Volcano ..................................................................................................................................... 81
17.17. Fraser Island .................................................................................................................................................... 81
17.18. Lightweight Payments System ........................................................................................................................ 82
17.19. India's first carbon neutral Village .................................................................................................................. 82
17.20. Amrit Dharohar Yojana ................................................................................................................................... 82
17.21. Scheme for “Exploration of Coal and Lignite”................................................................................................. 83
17.22. Exercise Air Defender 23 ................................................................................................................................. 83
17.23. WOLF-DOG HYBRIDISATION / INDIAN WOLF .................................................................................................. 83
M.S.Shashank
1. Polity & Governance

1.1. Article 299 of the Constitution the Governor-General might direct or
authorise.
Why In News? Objective of the Article
• The Supreme Court has held that the government, • The objective behind Article 299(1), as per the 1954
when entering into a contract under the top court ruling in ‘Chatturbhuj Vithaldas Jasani v.
President’s name, cannot claim immunity from Moreshwar Parashram & Ors’, is that there must
the legal provisions of that contract under Article be a definite procedure according to which
299 of the Constitution. contracts must be made by agents acting on the
government’s behalf; otherwise, public funds may
What is Article 299 of the Indian Constitution? be depleted by unauthorized or illegitimate
contracts.
• Article 298 grants the Centre and the state • It implies that contracts not adhering to the
governments the power to carry on trade or manner given in Article 299(1) cannot be enforced
business, acquire, hold, and dispose of property, by any contracting party.
and make contracts for any purpose, while Article • However, Article 299 (2) says that essentially,
299 delineates the manner in which these neither the President nor the Governor can be
contracts will be concluded. personally held liable for such contracts.
o Article 299 provides that “all contracts made in
the exercise of the executive power of the The Recent Issue
Union or of a State shall be expressed to
be made by the President or by the Governor • Glock Asia Pacific entered into a contract with the
of the State” and that all such contracts and Ministry of Home Affairs for the supply of 31,756
“assurances of property made in the exercise Glock pistols.
of that power shall be executed” on behalf of • There was a dispute between the two parties and
the President or the Governor by persons in a Glock then issued a notice invoking arbitration,
manner as directed and authorised by them. nominating a retired Delhi High Court judge as the
o Further, the phrase ‘expressed to be made and sole arbitrator.
executed’ under Article 299 (1) means that • When the government was called to accept this, it
there must be a deed or contract in said that the arbitrator’s nomination violated one
writing and that it should be executed by a of the tender conditions that said an officer in the
person duly authorised by the President of Law Ministry, appointed by the MHA
the Governor on their behalf. Secretary, would be the arbitrator in case of a
dispute.
Essential Requirements for Government Contracts • Thus, Glock challenged this clause in the
under Article 299: agreement, which allowed a government officer to
resolve the difference between the two parties as
• 1966 ruling in ‘K.P. Chowdhry v. State of Madhya an arbitrator, as one party here was the MHA
Pradesh. And Others’, laid down essential itself.
requirements for government contracts under
Article 299. Supreme Court’s Take on the Matter
• Three conditions to be met before a binding
contract against the government could arise, • Deciding the case in Glock’s favour, the court
namely: observed that the arbitration clause allowed a
o the contract must be expressed to be made “serving employee of the Union of India, a party to
by the Governor or the Governor-General; the contract, to nominate a serving employee of
o it must be executed in writing, and the Union of India as the Sole Arbitrator” which is
o the execution should be by such persons in conflict with Section 12(5) of the Arbitration and
and in such a manner as the Governor or Conciliation Act, 1996.
M.S.Shashank
• Section 12(5) of the Arbitration and Conciliation • divyang friendly: The new Parliament will be
Act, 1996, says that notwithstanding any prior divyang friendly, and people with disabilities will be
agreement, any person whose relationship with the able to move around freely, says the website.
parties or counsel of the dispute falls under any of • Modern features: The building will have ultra-
the categories in the Seventh Schedule will modern office spaces that will be secure, efficient,
be ineligible to be appointed as an arbitrator. and equipped with the latest communications
o The Seventh Schedule technology. The new building will have large
includes relationships where the arbitrator committee rooms with the latest audio-visual
is an employee, consultant, advisor, or has equipment, and will provide a superior library
any other past or present business experience.
relationship with a party. • Platinum-rated Green Building: The new Sansad
• The court also appointed former SC judge Justice Bhavan is a “Platinum-rated Green Building” and
Indu Malhotra “as the Sole Arbitrator to adjudicate embodies India’s commitment towards
upon the disputes” in the case. environmental sustainability.
• Thus, the court rejected the Centre’s reliance on
Article 299, saying, “Article 299 only lays down the Need a new Parliament building
formality that is necessary to bind the government
with contractual liability” and not “the substantial • Old: The existing Parliament House, which was
law relating to the contractual liability of the commissioned in 1927, is almost a century old
Government”, which is to be found in the general Heritage Grade-I building that has seen a massive
laws of the land. increase in parliamentary activities and users over
the decades.
1.2. New Parliament Building • Ad hoc modifications: Ad hoc constructions and
modifications have been made over time, and the
building “is showing signs of distress and over-
Why In News? utilization and is not able to meet the current
requirements in terms of space, amenities and
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the technology”.
new Parliament building, which will have exquisite • Narrow seating space for MPs: The present
artwork and a ceremonial sceptre ‘Sengol’ among building was never designed to accommodate a
several features. bicameral legislature for a full-fledged democracy.
The number of Lok Sabha seats is likely to increase
Features of new Parliament Building significantly from the current 545 after 2026, when
the freeze on the total number of seats lifts. The
• Design: It has a built-up area of about 65,000 sq m, seating arrangements are cramped and
with its triangular shape ensuring the optimum cumbersome, with no desks beyond the second
utilisation of space. row.
• Capacity: The new building will house a larger Lok • Distressed infrastructure: The addition of services
Sabha hall with a capacity of up to 888 seats, and a like water supply and sewer lines, air-conditioning,
larger Rajya Sabha hall with a capacity of upto 384 firefighting equipment, CCTV cameras, etc., have
seats. The Lok Sabha may accommodate up to led to seepage of water at several places and
1,272 seats for joint sessions of Parliament. impacted the aesthetics of the building. Fire safety
• Theme: The Lok Sabha hall is based on the peacock is a major concern at the building
theme, India’s national bird. The Rajya Sabha is • Obsolete communication structures:
based on the lotus theme, India’s national flower. Communications infrastructure and technology is
• Constitutional Hall: A state of the art Constitutional antiquated in the existing Parliament, and the
Hall in the building “symbolically and physically acoustics of all the halls need improvement.
puts the Indian citizens at the heart of our • Safety concerns: The current Parliament building
democracy”, says the official website. was built when Delhi was in Seismic Zone-II;
• Central Lounge: A Central Lounge that will currently it is in Seismic Zone-IV, says the website.
complement the open courtyard will be a place for This raises structural safety concerns.
members to interact with each other. The • Inadequate workspace for employees: Over the
courtyard will have a banyan, the national tree. years, inner service corridors were converted into
offices which resulted in poor-quality workspaces.
M.S.Shashank
In many cases, these workspaces were made even then government. It is a stringent law to restrict the
smaller by creating sub-partitions to accommodate slaughter of all forms of cattle in the state.
more workers. • The 2020 law repealed and replaced the less
stringent Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter
Central Vista Redevelopment Project and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 which has been
in the state since then.
• The new parliament building has been developed as • While the 1964 law banned the killing of “any cow
part of India's Central Vista Redevelopment Project. or calf of she-buffalo” it allowed the slaughter of
• Central Vista Redevelopment Project refers to the bullocks, and male or female buffalos if certified by
ongoing redevelopment to revamp the Central a competent authority to be above the age of 12
Vista, India's central administrative area located years, incapacitated for breeding, or if deemed sick.
near Raisina Hill, New Delhi. • Under the 2020 Act, cattle have been designated as
• The area was originally designed by Sir Edwin “cow, calf of a cow and bull, bullock and he or she
Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker during British buffalo” and their slaughter is banned.
colonial rule. • The only exemptions are buffaloes above the age of
• Scheduled between 2020 and 2026, the project 13 years and certified by a competent authority,
aims to cattle used in medical research, cattle certified for
o revamp a 3 km long Kartvyapath between slaughter by a veterinarian to prevent spread of a
Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate, disease, and very sick cattle.
o convert North and South Blocks to publicly • The new law has also increased punishment for
accessible museums by creating a new breaking the law, to the range of three to seven
common Central Secretariat to house all years of jail, or fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5
ministries, lakh or both. As per the 1964 law, the maximum
o establishing a new Parliament building near punishment was for a period up to six months of
the present one with increased seating imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 1000.
capacity for future expansion, • The new law also prescribes punishments for illegal
o establishing new residence and office for the transport of cattle, sale of meat and purchase or
Vice-President and the Prime Minister near disposal of cattle for slaughter – namely, a prison
the North Block and South Block and convert term of three to five years, and a fine of Rs 50,000
some of the older structures into museums. to Rs 5 lakh.
1.3. Cow Slaughter Ban Why did the earlier government introduce such a
stringent law?
Why In News? • The ban on cattle slaughter has been a prominent

demand of right-wing Hindutva groups like the RSS,
• The Karnataka government is making a move to the VHP and others, which form the core support
withdraw the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter base of the earlier BJP government.
and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, which was • Also, the cow is considered a holy animal in Hindu
brought into force by the previous government. religion.
• In line with the Constitution and freedom struggle
Why to withdraw? values: "The purity of cow’s milk was likened to the
purity and strength of the nation, and cow killing
• The present government intends to withdraw the connected to the British consumption of beef was
cow slaughter ban on account of difficulties faced used to portray the British Raj as a regime
by farmers due to restrictions imposed on the trade indifferent to Hindu values,” writes historian Ian
of sick and unproductive cattle by the 2020 law. Copland.
What is the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and What have been the repercussions of the 2020 law?
Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020?
• The agrarian economy has been majorly impacted
• The law came into force in 2021 after being passed by the 2020 law, especially in southern Karnataka,
in the state legislative assembly and council by the where cattle is an integral part of livelihood in
terms of dairy farming and agriculture.
M.S.Shashank
• Farmers have been up in arms over the ban on Highlights of the Proposal:
cattle slaughter, and there has been widespread
complaints in the farming communities that the • While the number of seats remains the same (126
ban on cattle slaughter has deprived farmers of Assembly and 14 Lok Sabha), the draft suggests
alternatives when cattle fall sick or turn changes in geographical boundaries and an
unmaintainable. increase in reserved constituencies for Scheduled
• Traditional cattle markets have been slowly Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC).
shutting down and there were few merchants to
buy cattle. Farmers would sell cattle earlier if they Key highlights include:
were unproductive but that cannot be done now.
The cattle cannot be sold in the markets because a • Increased Reserved Seats: SC assembly seats
case will be filed against the farmer,” current increased from 8 to 9, and ST assembly seats
Congress CM Siddaramaiah said in February 2023. increased from 16 to 19.
• Moreover, there have also been incidents of right- • More Seats for Districts with Autonomous
wing cow vigilantes – who are granted immunity Councils: One assembly seat increased in West
under the new law – taking law into their own Karbi Anglong District, and three assembly seats
hands to prevent the transportation of cattle for increased in the Bodo Territorial Region.
slaughter to states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu. • Nomenclature Change: Kaliabor Lok Sabha
constituency renamed as 'Kaziranga.'
What lies Ahead
Process and Controversies:
• The Karnataka government is likely to seek a return
to the 1964 law, which imposed a ban on the • The constituencies were delimited based on the
slaughter of cows but allowed the restricted 2001 Census data, while considering the
slaughter of cattle of other forms on the condition suggestions of political parties and organizations.
of old age, sickness and lack of productivity. • However, the draft has faced allegations of being
• The party is expected to project the move as being partisan and divisive. Opponents, particularly the
critical to the livelihood and economic survival of AIUDF representing Bengali-origin Muslims, argue
farmers, rather than a religious issue. that the proposal divides voters along religious lines
and disadvantages their community politically.
1.4. Assam Delimitation Draft: Proposed • They claim that Muslim-majority areas have been
Changes and issues merged with Hindu-majority populations, reducing
the number of constituencies where Muslim
Why in News? legislators can be elected.
• The Election Commission recently released a draft Conclusion:

delimitation document for Assam, suggesting
modifications to the boundaries of several Lok • The Assam delimitation draft proposes changes to
Sabha and Assembly constituencies. However, the constituency boundaries, leading to protests and
proposal has sparked protests and controversies in controversies. While some groups welcome the
the state. proposal for securing the representation of certain
communities, others, particularly the Bengali-origin
Delimitation and its Purpose: Muslim community, argue that it marginalizes them
politically. The final outcome and its implications
• Delimitation means redrawing boundaries of will unfold after considering objections, conducting
parliamentary and assembly seats to reflect public hearings, and making necessary revisions to
changes in population. the draft.
• The objective is to ensure equal representation for
population segments and prevent any political
party from gaining an unfair advantage.
• In Assam, delimitation was deferred in 2008 due to
security concerns and was officially revived in 2020
based on the 2001 Census data.
M.S.Shashank
1.5. The Uniform Civil Code and India's under the same legislation are no longer governed
Multicultural Challenge by Muslim Personal Law. Even a person who
renounces Hinduism continues to be subject to
Hindu Personal Law.
Why in News?
The Constitutional Framework:
• The Law Commission of India Invites Public Views
on the Uniform Civil Code.
• The Indian Constitution, as a culmination of India's
integrative traditions, upholds cultural
What’s the move?
accommodation through provisions that prohibit
discrimination and guarantee the preservation of
• After a previous conclusion that deemed the
distinctive cultures in Article 29(1).
Uniform Civil Code (UCC) unnecessary and
• However, it is essential to ask whether Indian
undesirable, the Law Commission of India has
Muslims can argue that practices like polygamy and
reopened the discussion by seeking public input on
arbitrary unilateral divorce, even in anger or while
the matter.
intoxicated, are genuinely part of their culture.
• This move has reignited one of India's most divisive
Furthermore, it is crucial to strike a balance
and politically charged issues. While acknowledging
between preserving multicultural diversity and
the potential benefits of implementing the UCC in a
pursuing unity in a diverse and multicultural nation
gradual manner, it is important to consider a crucial
like India.
aspect as the Commission embarks on this fresh
• The British colonial rule promoted homogeneity
undertaking.
among Hindus and Muslims, neglecting the
heterogeneity within these communities.
Autonomy versus Authority:
Multiculturalism and Accommodation of
• The debate surrounding personal laws revolves
Difference:
around the clash between personal and religious
autonomy versus the state's authority to reform
• The Indian Constitution offers two approaches to
familial relations.
accommodating difference—integrationist and
• Proponents argue that each religious group should
restricted multiculturalism. While affirmative
initiate reforms within their own community,
action policies align with the integrationist
promoting internal law reform or a voluntary
approach, state assistance to minority cultures is
adoption of the UCC.
often seen as illegitimate concession or
• However, certain recent legislations, such as the
"appeasement."
love jihad laws, contradict the spirit of the Special
• This leaves cultural differences without robust
Marriage Act, which is an example of voluntary UCC
constitutional norms. Therefore, the focus should
adoption. Additionally, regional variations exist,
be on ensuring equality between men and women
such as Kerala's abolition of the Hindu Joint Family
within communities, rather than seeking equality
in 1975 and specific laws governing Muslim
between communities. A just legal code that
marriages and divorces in different states.
upholds equality and justice is more significant than
a mere uniform law.
Religious Identity and Personal Laws:
Conclusion:
• Presently, personal laws govern not only Muslims
but also Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parsis, and
• In preserving India's multicultural diversity, it is
Jews.
essential to consider the limitations of personal
• The religious identity of an individual determines
laws and practices.
which personal law applies to them. Even the
• Cultural relativism cannot justify the continuation
reformed Hindu Personal Law under the Hindu
of unjust and discriminatory provisions. The Law
Marriage Act, 1955, mandates specific marriage
Commission must navigate the path ahead with
rituals and incorporates principles from ancient
caution, ensuring that its recommendations do not
texts like Manusmriti.
fuel reactive culturalism among different
• Interestingly, when two Hindus marry under the
communities, including Muslims.
Special Marriage Act, they remain governed by
Hindu Personal Law, while two Muslims marrying
M.S.Shashank
• The Muslim community should distinguish between • Ordinarily, the only recourse available to the Union
Muslim Personal Law and Islam itself, of India was the filing of a review petition, which is
acknowledging the historical and juristic influences usually decided by the same Bench.
on the MPL. Progress can be made by reforming • There was no scope of the review petition being
discriminatory aspects of the MPL and adopting the entertained by the Court of the CJI. The only way
views of progressive jurists. the Court of the CJI could enter the fray would be if
• Striking a fine balance between preserving cultural there was another Coordinate Bench seized of the
practices and meeting constitutional standards will same issue in a separate matter, expressing its
be crucial in the process of overhauling socio- disagreement with the ratio laid in Ritu Chhabria
religious-cultural practices and embracing and referring it to the CJI for recommendation to a
secularization. larger Bench.
• As political philosopher Iris Young suggests, the • There was no scope for a recall application being
value of social difference is relational and shaped filed against a judgment, that too before an
by social processes, making it imperative for the altogether different Bench. Doing so is tantamount
Commission to eliminate only those practices that to bench fishing or forum shopping. Therefore, by
contravene constitutional benchmarks. entertaining an intra-court appeal within the
Supreme Court as an additional mechanism against
1.6. Role of CJI in Supreme Court: First an order passed by a Bench that did not include the
amongst equals CJI, the Court of the CJI has effectively instituted a
mechanism that is completely devoid of any
legislative or constitutional backing.
Why in News?
Postion of CJI: First amongst equals
• Recently, a Division Bench of the Supreme Court, in
Ritu Chhabria v. Union of India, affirmed an
undertrial’s right to be released on default bail in • Within the constitutional scheme of things, all
the event of the investigation remaining judges of the Supreme Court are equal in terms of
incomplete and proceeding beyond the statutory their judicial powers.
time limit. • However, the CJI enjoys special administrative
• It frowned upon the practice of investigative powers such as constituting Benches and assigning
agencies charge-sheeting an accused despite the matters and references for reconsideration of a
investigation being unfinished. larger Bench. The CJI is known as the ‘Master of the
• It held that the right to be released on bail will not Roster.’ This is why he is regarded as ‘first amongst
be extinguished on the mere filing of a preliminary equals’ in relation to companion judges.
charge-sheet. • But in any given Bench including the CJI, the
• It concluded that an accused’s right to seek default vote or power given to the CJI is the same as
bail would be terminated only upon competition of that given to his companion judges. History is
the investigation within the statutory time limit. replete with examples of the CJI authoring a
minority opinion of the Court.
What's recent decision regarding this – • The most recent such order was the one passed
by the Supreme Court in the Economic Weaker
• Subsequently, in a surprising turn of events, the Sections quota dispute where the then CJI,
Court of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) entertained Justice U.U. Lalit, along with Justice S. Ravindra
a recall application moved by the Union of India Bhat authored the minority opinion of the
against this judgment. Court. Most Commonwealth countries such as
• It then passed an interim order directing courts to the U.K., Australia and Canada have this system
decide bail applications without relying on the in place. And countries which don’t, such as the
decision laid down in Ritu Chhabria for a short U.S., instead have a system where all the judges
period of time. collectively exercise power and render
• In a nutshell, by stripping the decision of the decisions since they sit en bloc.
Division Bench of its precedential value even if for • Thus, they reflect the collective strength of the
a short while, the Court of the CJI indirectly stayed Court and not of Benches, as is the case in India.
the decision despite not having any connection In India, the legitimacy of the power of Master
with the verdict. of the Roster has been hotly debated, and has
been, from time to time, reaffirmed to the
M.S.Shashank
extent of administrative decisions for the • The court hears cases in a panel of nine Justices (i.e.
smooth functioning of the Court. By no stretch en banc). It is however not necessary for all judges
of imagination does the present order of the CJI to be present at a hearing as the quorum to decide
fall within the powers envisaged under the a case is six.
‘Master of the Roster’ system. • Justices may also participate in a case by listening
• It is ironic that a judgment which emphasised to audio recordings of the oral arguments and
on abiding by the statutory procedure for reading the transcripts.
investigation and bail was effectively undone by • The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court,
a doubtful procedure that is completely alien to therefore, has no choice in the question of which
both the Constitution as well as the Supreme judges will hear a case.
Court Rules. • UK’s Supreme Court has 12 judges. The justices
• The interim order raises concerns because, in usually hear cases in a panel of five, although they
the near future, if the government is displeased have the potential to hear cases as a panel of seven
with the order of one Bench, it can simply go or nine depending on the importance of the appeal.
before the CJI to get the decision stripped of all Cases are allocated on a random basis at the court,
its legal sanctity instead of re-convincing the although either the President or Deputy President
same Bench in a review. will sit on most cases, and in specialist areas, other
judges with particular expertise may be selected. So
Cause for concern in the UK, the choice is significantly constrained.
• The President of the Supreme Court of the United
• Despite the administrative usefulness of the Kingdom is the head of the Supreme Court of the
‘Master of the Roster’ system, the many recorded United Kingdom
instances of abuse are a cause for concern. Just five • The Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the
years ago, four senior judges of the Supreme Court United Kingdom is the second most senior judge of
alleged serious infirmities and irregularities in the the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, after
administration and assigning of cases for hearing to the President of the Supreme Court.
Benches of the Court.
• The powers vested in the CJI by his virtue of being What should be the role of CJI and how cases can be
the Master of the Roster are unending. It is allocated?
impractical to lay any limits on these powers,
meant for the smooth administrative functioning of • CJI as the master of the roster has to exercise his
the Court. powers reasonably, without giving scope for any
• It is imperative that the CJI himself refrains from justifiable criticism.
expanding his powers as Master of the Roster; the • He/She as the master of the roster should welcome
practice of constituting Benches and allocating any reasonable suggestions in this regard from his
cases should be completely computerised and left colleagues.
out of the hands of the CJI. • The CJI is the first among equals and he is the
• The CJI’s powers as the Master of the Roster are captain who has to carry the whole team with him
meant only for administrative decision-making. while enjoying their goodwill and support.
• The order has the effect of enlarging the powers of • A just and fair roster must be one that is divided
the CJI on the judicial side and of creating an subject-wise among judges according to their
unprecedented intra-court appellate mechanism experience and expertise in those subjects.
within the Supreme Court in total disregard of the Politically sensitive matters should be before the
established procedure, which is a review petition. five senior judges of the Supreme Court.
• The instant order has also dulled the bright line • Among them, the allocation of individual cases
prohibiting the Court of the CJI from assuming that could be by random computer allocation and not by
it is superior to all other Benches. the individual decision.
• For other cases as well, if there is more than one
International Experiences/Alternative Mechanism judge dealing with a particular subject then cases
belonging to that subject should be randomly
• The highest court is the Supreme Court of the allocated among the various judges to whom that
United States. It does not have to deal with the subject has been allocated.
allocation of cases as all judges hear all cases which
the court accepts.
M.S.Shashank
1.7. Addition of More Castes to Central

OBC List Other Backward Classes (OBC) status
• States were empowered to maintain their own list

Why in News?
of OBCs to provide necessary benefits. Thus, we
have
• National Commission for Backward Classes(NCBC)
o Union OBC list for reservation in Central
is processing the request for the approval of about
government jobs & Central Educational
80 more castes in six States, (Maharashtra,
institutions.
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,
o OBC lists at the State level (varies with each
Punjab, and Haryana) for the inclusion in the OBC
state) for reservation in State government
list.
jobs & State Educational institutions.
• The Constitution (102nd Amendment) Act,
About
2018 granted constitutional status to the National
Commission for Backward Castes (NCBC). It further
• The National Commission for Backward Classes
inserted:
(NCBC) is already processing the approval for most
o Article 338B, which deals with the structure,
of them.
duties, and powers of the NCBC.
• There are currently over 2,650 different
▪ It was tasked with monitoring safeguards
communities listed in the Central OBC list for all
provided for socially and educationally
States and Union Territories, including the 16
backward classes, giving advice on their
communities that were added since 2014.
socio-economic development, inquiring
• In a report released by the Ministry of Social
into complaints and making
Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), the
recommendations, among other
government had decided to include 16
functions.
communities to the Central list of OBCs from the
o Article 342A, which deals with the powers of
states like Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand,
the President to notify a particular caste as an
Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
SEBC and the power of Parliament to change
• The other states include Maharashtra, Telangana,
the list.
Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and
Haryana, from where communities are shortlisted
Procedure of addition of OBC Communities in Centre
to get included under the central OBC list.
List
• The Union government also highlighted its recent
• Unlike with the process for adding communities to
move to bring the 105th Amendment to the
the SC or ST list, additions to the Central OBC list do
Constitution, which reaffirmed the rights of States
not require the concurrence of other
to maintain their own OBC lists.
authorities or the Office of the Registrar General
of India. The Commission is solely responsible for
Origin: OBCs in India
the Central OBC list's additions and updates.
• As per the Procedure for Addition prescribed in
• First defined in the 1980 Mandal Commission
the NCBC Act, 1993, the Commission is mandated
report, OBCs among Hindus were identified based
to constitute a Bench to examine such proposals
on socio-educational field surveys, lists of OBCs
and then forward their decision to the Union
notified by various State governments, the 1961
government (with dissent, where applicable).
Census report, and extensive touring of the
• The Cabinet then needs to approve the additions
country.
and bring legislation to this effect, following which
• Among non-Hindus, the caste system was not
the President is empowered to notify the change.
found to be an inherent part of the religion.
• The Commission, as per its guidelines, considers
o However, for equality, untouchables who
additions to the Central OBC list based on social,
converted from Hinduism and occupational
educational and economic indicators suggested by
communities known by their traditional
the Mandal Commission established in 1979.
hereditary jobs, such as the Gujjars, Dhobis, and
Telis, were also identified as OBCs.
Supreme Court’s observations and 127th Constitution
Amendment Bill, 2021
M.S.Shashank
• Supreme Court in the Maratha Reservation case: • Every individual possesses inherent dignity and
Ruled that only the Centre had the power to draw should be treated with respect and fairness.
up the OBC list, as per the above interpretation of Custodial violence violates this fundamental
Constitution (102nd Amendment) Act (Article 342A principle by subjecting individuals to physical and
only mentions President & Parliament with no psychological harm, stripping them of their dignity,
reference to states). and denying them the basic Human Rights.
• To reverse the verdict and to restore the powers of
the state governments to maintain state list of Undermines Rule of Law:
OBCs, Parliament passed 127th Constitution • Custodial violence undermines the principles of the
Amendment Bill, 2021 rule of law and due process.
o Amendment in Articles 366(26C) and 338B • Law enforcement officers have a duty to uphold
(9), after which states will be able to directly and enforce the law, but engaging in violence
notify OBC and SEBCs without having to contradicts the very principles they are meant to
refer to the NCBC, and the “state list” was uphold - justice, equality, and protection of human
being taken out of the domain of the rights.
President and will be notified by the
Assembly. Presumption of Guilty:
• Custodial torture undermines the principle of
1.8. Custodial Torture and Ethical Concerns "innocent until proven guilty”. Torturing individuals
before they have been convicted of a crime violates
Why in News? their right to a fair trial and due process.
• Recently, the Delhi High Court has upheld the • It is the responsibility of the justice system to
conviction and 10-year sentence (awarded in 2019) determine guilt or innocence, not to inflict
of five Uttar Pradesh policemen for Custodial punishment through torture.
Torture of a 26-year-old man causing his death in
2006. Against Professionalism and Integrity:
• Police officers and authorities are expected to
What is Custodial Torture? adhere to high ethical standards, including
About: professionalism, integrity, and respect for human
• Custodial torture is the infliction of physical or rights.
mental pain or suffering on a person who is in the • Custodial violence violates these ethical principles
custody of the police or other authorities. and tarnishes the reputation of the profession as a
• It is a grave violation of human rights and dignity whole.
and often leads to custodial deaths, which are
deaths that occur while a person is in custody. Targets Vulnerable Individuals:
• Custodial violence often targets individuals who are
Types of Custodial Death: already vulnerable, such as suspects, detainees, or
prisoners. This includes marginalised populations,
• Death in Police Custody: Can result from excessive minorities, or those lacking social power.
force, torture, denial of medical care, or other • Ethically, it is crucial to protect and support the
forms of abuse. rights of these vulnerable individuals rather than
• Death in Judicial Custody: May occur due to subjecting them to further harm.
overcrowding, poor hygiene, lack of medical
facilities, inmate violence, or suicide. Betrays Legal and Moral Responsibility:
• Death in the Custody of Army or Paramilitary • Law enforcement officers and authorities have a
Forces: Can happen through torture, extrajudicial legal and moral responsibility to protect the welfare
killings, encounters, or crossfire incidents. and rights of those under their custody. Engaging in
violence or abuse represents a betrayal of this
What are the Ethical Arguments against Custodial responsibility and a violation of the ethical
Torture? obligations inherent in their roles.
Violates Human Rights and Dignity: Way Forward

• Strengthening legal systems involves enacting
comprehensive legislation that explicitly
M.S.Shashank
criminalizes custodial torture, ensuring prompt and Regional Disparity:

impartial investigations, these measures can be
taken to combat custodial torture. • Disparity in representation between north and
• Police reforms should focus on training programs southern part of India in the Lok sabha due to
that emphasise protection of human rights besides population as a deciding factor.
maintaining professionalism and instilling empathy. • The delimitation based solely on population
• Oversight mechanisms should be established to disregards the progress made by the southern
monitor and address such cases effectively. states in population control and may lead to
• Civil society and human rights organizations should disparities in the federal structure.
advocate for victims, provide support and legal • Despite having only 18% of the country's
assistance, and collaborate with international population, the southern states contribute 35% to
bodies for redress and justice. the country's GDP.
• The northern states, which did not prioritize
1.9. Delimitation population control, are expected to benefit in the
delimitation process due to their higher population
growth.
Why in News?
Inadequate Funding:
• Many politicians of the Southern States are raising
voices over Delimitation of constituencies based on • After the 15th Finance Commission used the 2011
population, which they consider to be unfair. Census as a basis for its recommendation, concerns
• Southern states that followed population control were raised about southern states losing funding
policies are now facing potential disadvantages and representation in parliament.
despite their success in controlling population • Previously, the 1971 Census was used as the base
growth. for funding and tax devolution recommendations
to states.
What is Delimitation? Affecting the Reservations for SCs/ STs:
About: • The scheduled delimitation and reallocation of
• Delimitation means the act or process of fixing seats may result in not only a loss of seats for
limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in southern states but also an increase in power for
a country or a province having a legislative body. political parties with their base of support in the
• Delimitation for LS (Lok Sabha) and LA (Legislative north.
Assembly) is different from that of Local bodies. • This could potentially lead to a shift of power
• The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in toward the north and away from the south.
1952. • The exercise will also affect the division of seats
• The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
President of India and works in collaboration with Tribes (SC/ST) in each state (under Articles 330 and
the Election Commission of India (ECI). 332).
• Delimitation Commissions have been set up four
times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts Way Forward
of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.
• The first delimitation exercise was carried out by • A Delimitation Commission should be set up to
the President (with the help of the Election redraw constituency boundaries based on the 2031
Commission) in 1950-51. Census. And a State Reorganisation Act should be
enacted to split states into smaller ones based on
Constitutional Provisions: the population recommendations made by the
• Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Commission.
Delimitation Act after every Census. • There has been significant population growth in
• Under Article 170, States also get divided into India since the last delimitation exercise,
territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act emphasizing the need to address the resulting
after every Census. asymmetry in political representation.
• Instead of relying solely on population as the
What are the Concerns Related to Delimitation? criterion for delimitation, other factors such as
development indicators, human development
M.S.Shashank
indices, and efforts in implementing family o It has been receiving complaints, Appeals &
planning programs could be considered. This would Revision Petitions from the consumers from all
provide a more comprehensive and equitable over the country.
representation of states' needs and achievements. o It has Appellate and Revisional
• States that have effectively implemented family jurisdiction from the orders of State
planning programs should be acknowledged and Commissions or the District commissions.
rewarded for their efforts.
• The guidelines for the devolution of funds should • A consumer can file an Appeal before the Supreme
be reviewed to incorporate a more balanced Court of India against the decision of the National
approach. Commission within a period of 30 days.
• The growth potential of the localities proposed for • The National Commissions has been functioning as
the merger and their growth in population were per the provisions laid down in the Consumer
taken as criteria for the delimitation exercise. Protection Act, 2019.
1.10. National Consumer Disputes Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Redressal Commission (NCDRC) • The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 was introduced
to replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
Why In News? • The act promulgates a three-tier quasi-judicial
mechanism for redressal of consumer disputes
• Recently NCDRC fined Rs. 1.5 crore on a Delhi based namely district commissions, state commissions
hospital for negligence and resorting to unethical and national commission.
practices during IVF procedure. • The Act also stipulates the pecuniary jurisdiction of
each tier of consumer commission ie;
NCDRC
1. Rs.50 lakh for District Commission,
• NCDRC India is a quasi-judicial commission in India 2. More than Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 2 crore for state
which was set up in 1988 under the Consumer Commision,
Protection Act of 1986. 3. More than Rs. 2 crore for the National
• Head office:New Delhi Commission.
• Members:The body consisting of the President &
11 Members. • The Central Government has set up the E-
Daakhil Portal, which provides a hassle-free,
o The President of the Commission is a sitting or speedy and inexpensive facility to consumers
a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India or around the country to conveniently approach
a sitting or a retired Chief Justice of a High the relevant consumer forum.
Court.
• Jurisdiction:The Commission has three types of

jurisdiction i.e. Original, Appellate & Revisional.
M.S.Shashank
2. Economy
2.1. Evergreening of Loans What do bankers say?
• It is difficult for banks to indulge in the

Why in news? evergreening of loans as the RBI monitors each and
every loan on a regular basis.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor • Once an account is classified as an NPA, the
Shaktikanta Das raised red flags over banks situation will become worse.
adopting innovative methods for evergreening of • By evergreening, banks try to save a borrower from
loans. becoming NPA by extending temporary liquidity.
What does evergreening of loans mean?
• The evergreening of loans is a term in which banks

try to revive a loan that is on the verge of default by
granting further loans to the same borrower.
• It is a form of zombie lending in which banks provide
more loans to the borrowers to stop them from
turning into huge non-performing assets (NPAs).
• The process of evergreening of loans is typically a
temporary fix for a bank covering up the real status
of stressed loans.
Why do banks follow evergreening of loans?
• If an account turns into a non-performing asset

What is the problem with evergreening?
(NPA), banks are required to make higher
provisions which will impact their profitability.
• Bad loans are made to look good at the risk of
• To avoid classifying a loan as an NPA, banks adopt
additional lending to unviable borrowers.
the evergreening of loans.
• Evergreening of loans put lenders at risk of huge
• Banks offer fresh loans to borrowers on the verge
amounts of default.
of default to ensure they repay an old loan.
• The RBI does not approve of evergreen loans and
• Banks delay the recognition of losses through
it is going against its norms.
evergreening process.
• This is a misgovernance in banking.
• Banks also avoid provisioning to cover loan losses
and increase their liquidity.
How can evergreening be stopped?
What are the evergreening methods?
• The audit committee needs to be particularly
vigilant.
• Bringing two lenders together to evergreen each
other’s loans by sale and buyback of loans or debt • A significant evergreening is assumed to be wilful,
instruments. with support from sections of the senior
management of the bank.
• Good borrowers being persuaded to enter into
structured deals with a stressed borrower to • It then becomes necessary to levy penalties and
conceal the stress. action against the erring officers. Few are -
• Use of internal or office accounts to adjust • Penalties should be levied through cancellations of
borrower’s repayment obligations. unvested stock options.
• Renewal of loans or disbursement of • Claw-back of monetary bonuses on officers
new/additional loans to the stressed borrower or concerned and on all whole-time directors.
related entities closer to the repayment date of the • The Chairman of the audit committee could be
earlier loans. asked to step down from the board.
M.S.Shashank
About Report
2.2. GDP expanded 6.1% in 2022-23’s last
• It provides a full update on the investment picture
quarter
in 2022 and an initial reading of the emerging
picture for 2023.
Why in News?
• It provides a global benchmark for tracking capital
flows in the energy sector and examines how
• The National Statistical Office (NSO) has released
investors are assessing risks and opportunities
the Provisional Estimates (PE) of National Income
across all areas of fuel and electricity supply,
for 2022-23 and Quarterly Estimates of Gross
critical minerals, efficiency, research and
Domestic Product (GDP) for the quarter January-
development, and energy finance.
March of 2022-23 (Q4).
Notable Findings
More Details:
• It shows that investment in clean energy has
• As per the data released by NSO,
increased in recent years, with the transition
India’s GDP growth accelerated to 6.1% in the
mainly fuelled by Electric Vehicles (EVs) and
January to March 2023 quarter.
renewable power.
• The Gross Value Added (GVA) of the Indian o annual investments in green energy have
economy has increased by 7% in 2022-23, as outpaced those in fossil fuels during this
against 8.8% in 2021-22. period, recording a growth of 24% against
• Furthermore, the sector-wise estimates were also 15%.
compiled using the indicators Index of Industrial • However, investments are concentrated in
Production (IIP), the financial performance of advanced economies and China.
Listed Companies, production of major livestock • Impact of the geopolitical events and
products, production and consumption of Cement pandemic: Economic recovery from the COVID-19
and Steel, passenger and cargo traffic handled by pandemic coupled with global efforts in tackling
Civil Aviation and Major Sea Ports, sales of energy scarcity have significantly propelled
commercial vehicles, Bank deposits & credits, etc. investments in the renewable energy sector.
• It was seen that only three of the eight broad o The report also highlights the influence of
economic activity segments recorded GVA growth recent geopolitical events on the energy
higher than in 2021-22, which include: market.
▪ Specifically, it points out
o The agricultural GVA increased by 4% in
that Russia’s invasion of
2022-23 as compared to 3.5% in 2021-22.
Ukraine has led to substantial
o The financial, real estate and professional instability in the fossil fuel markets.
services sectors witnessed a GVA growth of o Interestingly, this volatility has
7.1% from 4.7% in 2021-22. inadvertently accelerated the deployment
o The GVA of the trade, hotels, transport, of various renewable energy technologies,
communication and services sectors despite triggering an immediate scramble
related to broadcasting grew by 14%. for oil and gas resources.
• Investments in fossil fuels have been stagnant,
• It was seen that the GVA growth in the
manufacturing sector declined to just 1.3% in and money flows into clean energy have
2022-23 from 11.1% in 2021-22 in spite of a 4.5% considerably grown in recent years.
• In 2023, low-emission power sources are expected
rebound in the final quarter after six months of
contraction. to attract nearly 90% of the total investment in
electricity generation.
o Among these, solar energy shines
2.3. World Energy Investment 2023 brightest. Investment in solar energy is
projected to exceed $1 billion per day in
2023, totaling $380 billion for the year.
Why In News?
• India continues to exhibit robust investment in
solar energy. Brazil’s deployment of renewable
• Recently, the International Energy Agency released
energy is on a consistent upward trajectory, while
a ‘World Energy Investment 2023 report.
M.S.Shashank
investor interest is escalating in parts of West Asia, o At present, users can make up to 20
specifically Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman. transactions or â‚¹1 lakh in a single day - either
all at once or through the day.
Issues o For certain specific categories of transactions
such as the capital markets, collections (such
• Despite various developments, hurdles remain for as bills), insurance and forward inward
many countries. remittances, the limit is â‚¹2 lakh.
• Investment in many countries is being held back by o In December 2021, the limit for the UPI-based
factors including higher interest rates, unclear ASBA (Application Supported by Blocked
policy frameworks and market designs, weak grid Amount) IPO and retail direct schemes was
infrastructure, financially strained utilities, and a increased to â‚¹5 lakh for each transaction.
high cost of capital.
• Limits set by Banks and UPI apps:They can set
Suggestions limits with their own guidelines for UPI
transactions.However, these limits must be within
• The biggest shortfalls in clean energy investment the overall upper limit set by the NPCI.
are in emerging and developing economies.
• Much more needs to be done by the international o The limit varies from small banks like Canara
community, especially to drive investment in Bank which allows â‚¹25,000 transactions, to
lower-income economies, where the private big banks like SBI that have set a limit of â‚¹1
sector has been reluctant to venture. lakh.
o Google Pay, Paytm, and Amazon Pay have set
2.4. Limits on UPI transactions a limit of â‚¹1 lakh per day along with a total of
up to ten transaction limits across all UPI apps
and bank accounts.
Why in News?
• Reason:The limits are set to balance out customer
• Recently the banks have put daily limits for the convenience and potential fraud/risk concerns.
transactions facilitated by the Unified Payments
Interface (UPI). Why Is UPI the Most Preferred Payment Mode?
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) • Timely Transfer:It is based on the IMPS

platform and works 24x7. Thus helps transfer
• UPI is a digital payment system through which a funds instantly the moment a request is
user can both send and receive money through a submitted..
Virtual Payment Address (VPA). The money will be • Multiple Accounts Linking: UPI apps allow linking
directly debited from the customer's bank over one bank account. One can simultaneously
account. use the UPI IDs for multiple bank accounts, sending
• It was developed by National Payments and receiving funds.
Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016. • Simple Interface: There are multiple smartphone
apps for UPI activities which come with a simple
Virtual Payment Address (VPA) and user-friendly interface.
• VPA is a unique identifier that helps UPI to track a Internationalisation of UPI:

person’s account.
• VPA can be used to make and request payments • Several countries across the globe are adopting
through a UPI-enabled app. There is no need to UPI for Person-to-Person (P2P), Person-to-
fill bank account details repeatedly for making Merchant (P2M) and cross-border payments.
multiple payments. • RBI has also taken steps for cross border linkage of
fast payment systems of India and Singapore
UPI transaction limit i.e. UPI-PayNow.
• Limit set by NPCI:
M.S.Shashank
Like other banks, cooperative banks are
2.5. Urban Co-operative Banks founded by collecting funds through shares,
accepting deposits, and granting loans.
Why In News? Structure of co-operative banks in India
• Reserve Bank of India has notified 4 key • Broadly, co-operative banks in India are divided
measures to help strengthen Urban Co-operative into two categories - urban and rural.
Banks (UCBs). o Rural cooperative credit institutions could
either be short-term or long-term in
The Guidelines nature. Further, short-term cooperative
credit institutions are further sub-divided
• New Branches: UCBs can now open new into State Co-operative Banks, District
branches up to 10 percent (maximum 5 branches) Central Co-operative Banks, Primary
of the number of branches in the previous financial Agricultural Credit Societies.
year without prior approval of RBI in their o Meanwhile, the long-term institutions are
approved area of operation. either State Cooperative Agriculture and
o UCBs have to get the policy approved by Rural Development Banks (SCARDBs) or
their board and comply with Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural
the Financially Sound and Well Managed Development Banks (PCARDBs).
(FSWM) Norms. • On the other hand, Urban Co-operative Banks
• One-Time Settlement: UCBs can also do One-Time (UBBs) are either scheduled or non-scheduled.
Settlement at par with commercial banks. o Scheduled and non-scheduled UCBs are
o The central bank has notified a framework again of two kinds- multi-state and those
governing this aspect for all regulated operating in single state.
entities, including UCBs. Now co-operative
banks through board-approved policies Urban Cooperative Banks
may provide a process for technical write-
off as well as settlement with borrowers. • UCBs refers to primary cooperative banks located
• Priority Sector Lending: The RBI has decided to in urban and semi-urban areas. These banks, till
extend the timeline for UCBs to achieve Priority 1996, were allowed to lend money only for non-
Sector Lending (PSL) targets by two years i.e. up to agricultural purposes.
March 31, 2026. • These banks were traditionally centred around
o The deadline to achieve the PSL target of communities, localities workplace groups. They
60 percent, which was March 31, 2023, has essentially lent to small borrowers and businesses.
also been extended to March 31, 2024. Today, their scope of operations has widened
o The excess deposits, if any, after clearing considerably.
the shortfall of PSL during FY 2022-23 will • From its origins then to today, the thrust of UCBs,
also be refunded to the UCB. historically, has been to mobilise savings from the
• Nodal Officer: In order to meet the long pending middle and low income urban groups and purvey
demand of the cooperative sector for closer credit to their members - many of which belonged
coordination and focused interaction, the RBI has to weaker sections.
recently notified a nodal officer as well. • The Urban Cooperative Banks (\UCBs), the Primary
Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), the Regional
What are Cooperative Banks? Rural Banks (RRBs), and Local Area Banks (LABs)
could be considered as differentiated banks as
• In India, co-operative banks are registered under they operate in localized areas.
the States Cooperative Societies Act. They also
come under the regulatory ambit of the Reserve Significance
Bank of India (RBI) under two laws, namely, the
Banking Regulations Act, 1949, and the Banking • Financial Inclusion: They have traditionally played
Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955. an important role in mobilising resources from
lower and middle-income groups and in
• It is an institution established on a cooperative
basis to deal with the ordinary banking business.
M.S.Shashank
providing direct finance to small entrepreneurs knowledge in almost any field, particularly in the
and traders. banking field. Attracting talent, even though not
• Low Cost: The key advantage that UCBs enjoy over necessarily of the same gloss as that of private and
commercial banks is derived from their cost foreign banks, is of critical importance.
structure. The labour costs of UCBs are • Challenging Changes: The evolving changes in the
considerably less than that of commercial banks financial sector combining and integrating micro
and generally the operating costs are also minimal. finance, FinTech companies, payment gateways,
• Flexibility: The advantages of the local nature of social platforms, e-commerce companies and
the UCBs also manifest themselves in NBFCs challenge the continued presence of the
the flexibility that these banks can provide to UCBs, which are mostly small in size, lack
their local clients. professional management and have geographically
o Unlike their commercial counterparts, who less diversified operations.
need to adhere to national and global • Frauds, COVID etc affected the asset quality: This,
policies to change in order to alter their even, resulted in the decline of profitability of
practices, UCBs can be far more responsive Urban Cooperative Banks.
to the needs of the local community and o Lax corporate governance standards
the changes there. Once again, that combined with political influence and
provides a massive competitive advantage. interference was a prominent reason for
• Co-operatives have great potential to rejuvenate the downfall of the sector.
growth, formalise the economy, and reduce
inequality besides improving the standard of living Way forward
of the poor.
• The most important aspect of financial inclusion is
Challenges financial literacy. There is a lack of awareness,
especially amongst people, both rural and urban,
• Structural Challanges: Most of them being single- about various schemes of FIs.
branch banks, they have the problem of correlated • Increase in advertisement in local language, on
asset risk which means the entire bank can come radio and television, and in print media, with local
down if a local problem of significant scale affects icons and artistes as brand ambassadors of the
the area. campaign, could help in building public confidence
o The regulators are also concerned about • In order to improve efficiency, increase
their systemic risk. To the extent that UCBs transparency and promote fairness, the decision-
often borrow and lend among themselves, making processes pertaining to staff
the collapse of one UCB can actually administration, granting of credit and new
destabilise others. membership should be clearly laid down.
• Capital Growth: But even here, the UCBs face a • If the UCBs can manage themselves efficiently,
unique problem – restricted by their cooperative there will be increasing freedom for them.
nature, they cannot issue fresh equity to shore up
capital. The only capital growth they have, 2.6. First Loss Default Guarantee (FLDG)
therefore, has to be in line with the growth of the
business of their clientele. This remains a challenge
for UCBs to struggle with. Why In News?
• Operational Challanges: There are major
operational hurdles as well. Lack of • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued strict
professionalism is a common allegation hurled at guidelines permitting the use of First Loss Default
UCBs from the mainstream banks. It is often Guarantee (FLDG) arrangements in digital
viewed that while on one hand, hiring local people lending.
has helped keep the costs down and has enhanced
the connectedness of these banks with the What is an FLDG arrangement?
respective communities and groups, at times it has
come at the cost of a professional work ethic. • The FLDG model is a lending arrangement
• Lack of Trained and Qualified Staff: Qualifications between banks/NBFCs and a fintech or a lending
of the top management are another issue. service provider (LSP), where the latter
Experience can scarcely be a substitute for domain
M.S.Shashank
compensates the former in case a borrower o Earlier, entities were offering almost 100%
defaults. FLDG to banking partners. This exposed the
• The LSP provides certain credit enhancement banks and NBFCs to high risk as they would
features such as first loss guarantee up to a pre- disburse the loans taking comfort from
decided percentage of loans generated by it. FDLG, but when defaults happen, the
• The model was struck by the RBI’s digital lending fintech platform may not have money to
guidelines issued in August last year and was put compensate for the losses.
under examination by the regulator since then. • Any other implicit guarantee of similar nature
linked to the performance of the loan portfolio of
What does an LSP do? the RE (regulated entity) and specified
upfront shall also be covered under the definition
• Lending service providers are new-age players of DLG.
who use technology platforms in the lending • The lender must ensure that LSPs (lending service
space. providers) publish the total number of
• They are agents of a bank or Non-Banking portfolios and the respective amount of each
Financial Companies (NBFC) who carry out one or portfolio on which the guarantee arrangement has
more of a lender’s functions (in part or full) in been offered on their website.
customer acquisition, underwriting support, • The RBI has allowed banks to accept DLG in digital
pricing support, disbursement, servicing, lending only if the guarantee is in the form of a
monitoring, recovery of specific loan or loan cash deposit, or fixed deposits in a bank with a
portfolio on behalf of REs as per the outsourcing lien in favour of the RE, or a bank guarantee in
guidelines of the RBI. favour of the RE.
Why did the RBI Struck down the model? Significance
• RBI had expressed reservations on the FLDG • A well-defined structure will facilitate all players
arrangement because it felt that the model to participate in an effective and transparent
could pose a systemic risk. manner and make the best use of the DLG facility.
• A working group committee of the RBI in 2021 • This will facilitate entry of small and medium
observed that in some cases, fintechs were fintechs into the digital lending space in
undertaking balance-sheet lending in partnership partnerships with banks or NBFCs.
with a bank/ NBFC or on a standalone basis, while • It will further facilitate an orderly development of
not satisfying the principal business criteria to the digital lending ecosystem and enhance credit
remain outside regulation. penetration in the economy.
o This was happening outside the RBI
regulations. There were higher 2.7. Inflation & Greedflation
operational risks arising due to the
increasing reliance of lenders on third-
party service providers. Why In News?
• In the absence of clear directions, regulated
entities like banks had stopped entering into such • Latest financial reports from the US and Europe
arrangements with fintech players, posing a continue to show that firms — across the board —
threat to their business. The fintech industry was seem to be making more profit than what their
demanding that the RBI should allow FLDG overall sales should merit - leading
arrangements. to Greedflation.
The Guidelines About Inflation — and disinflation, deflation and

reflation
• The LSP-providing DLG must be incorporated as a
company under the Companies Act, 2013. • Inflation: Inflation or the inflation rate is the rate
• As per the new framework, the default cover could at which the general price level rises. When it is
be provided for up to 5% of the loan portfolio and reported that the inflation rate was 5% in June it
shall be invoked within a maximum overdue implies that the general price level of the economy
period of 120 days. (as measured by a representative basket of goods
M.S.Shashank
and services) was 5% more than what it was in there is a growing consensus that greedflation is
June 2022. the real culprit.
• There are two main ways in which inflation • Examples:
happens. o Europe: While the biggest driver of
o Either prices get pushed up because input high inflation that Europe witnessed in
costs have risen — this is called cost-push 2022 (since the start of the war) was the
inflation. spike in energy costs but there was very
o Or they are pulled up because there is little contribution of higher wages. There
excess demand — this is called demand- was, however, an extra and significant
pull inflation. injection of inflation from rising profits of
• Disinflation: Disinflation refers to the trend when firms.
the inflation rate decelerates. o India: The Indian corporate sector has
o Suppose it was 10% in April, 7% in May and generated superlative profits in the post
5% in June. This is disinflation. pandemic period. Profits during recent
o In other words, disinflation refers to a times have been nearly thrice the profits
period when even though prices are rising corporations earned earlier.
(or inflation is happening), it is happening
at a slower rate each passing month. Suggestions & Way ahead
• Deflation: Deflation is the exact opposite of
inflation. Imagine if the general prices level in June • Profit margins should shrink and the share of
was 5% lower than what it was in June last year. corporate sector income going to labor
That’s deflation. compensation (or the labor share of income)
• Reflation: Reflation typically follows deflation as should rise as unemployment falls and the
policymakers try to pump up economic activity economy heats up.
either by government spending more and/or • one effective way to prevent corporate power
interest rates being reduced. from being channeled into higher prices in the
coming year would be a temporary excess profits
About Greedflation tax.
• Imagining a scenario: What if prices were going up 2.8. Compromise Settlement for Wilful
not because workers were getting higher wages Defaulters
but because their companies — were making more
profits?
Why In News?
o If the input costs have gone up, a
businessman or a company will be forced
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has allowed
to raise their prices otherwise they cannot
wilful defaulters and loans accounts involved in
sustain their business.
o In such a case, higher sales in terms of
frauds to go in for a compromise settlement with
rupees do not lead to higher profits banks to settle their dues.
because even the input costs have
increased. What is Compromise settlement?
• Explains Greedflation: Greedflation simply means
(corporate) greed is fuelling inflation. In other • A compromise settlement refers to a negotiated
words, instead of the wage-price spiral, it is the settlement where a borrower offers to pay and
profit-price spiral that is in play. the bank agrees to accept in full and final,
o In essence, greedflation implies settlement of its dues an amount less than the
that companies exploited the total amount due to them under the relative
inflation that people were experiencing by loan contract.
putting up their prices way beyond just • This settlement invariably involves a certain
covering their increased costs and then sacrifice by way of write off and/or waiver of a
used that to maximise their profit margins. portion of its dues on a one-time basis.
o That, in turn, further fuelled inflation.
• Observed in developed countries: In the What is a wilful default?
developed countries — in Europe and the US —
M.S.Shashank
• As per the RBI’s classification, a ‘wilful default’
occurs if the borrower has defaulted in meeting
their repayment obligations to the lender even 2.9. Status of Remittances: World Bank
when they have the capacity to honour the said
obligations.
• A wilful default happens when the borrower has Why In News?
not utilised the finance from the lender for the
specific purpose for which finance was availed, • Recently, the World Bank released its latest
and has diverted the funds for other purposes, Migration and Development Brief.
siphoned off funds, or disposed of or removed
Major Highlights
the movable fixed assets or immovable property
given for the purpose of securing a term loan
• The remittance flows are expected to reach $840
without the knowledge of the bank.
billion in 2023 for the world.
o In 2024, the remittances growth rate
RBI stand globally is projected to increase to 2.0% in
2024, increasing inflows by $18 billion.
• Before: In its ‘Prudential Framework for • Region Wise: The growth of remittances is likely to
Resolution of Stressed Assets’, RBI made it clear be the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean
that borrowers who committed fraud/ (forecast of 3.3%), as the labour market in the US
malfeasance/ wilful default would continues to be strong.
remain ineligible for restructuring. o Remittance growth is expected to be
• Now:In RBI’s latest ‘Framework for compromise the lowest in South Asia (0.3%), mainly
settlements and technical write-offs’ banks can because of the high base in 2022 along
undertake compromise settlements or technical with slowing demand for highly skilled IT
write-offs in respect of accounts categorised as workers in the US and Europe.
wilful defaulters without prejudice to the o Remittance flows to the six South Asian
criminal proceeding underway against such countries will also be limited by demand
debtors. for migrants in the GCC countries where
• Why is loan recovery important? Recovery of declining oil prices are expected to slow
debts protects the interest of the depositors and growth from 5.3% in 2022 to 3% in 2023.
other stakeholders. If banks do not recover o Remittance flows to low- and middle-
NPAs, then ultimately, depositors and other income countries (LMICs) are expected to
stakeholders will suffer. moderate to 1.4% in 2023, resulting in total
inflows of $656 billion.
Concerns
Scenario in India
• Evergreening: Restructuring is often misused by
• Earlier, The World Bank had estimated a record
banks and corporations for evergreening of
$100 billion in remittance inflows for India in 2022.
loans.
o In the latest update, the World Bank has
• Distressing message to honest borrowers who
revised this number to $111 billion on
strive to meet their financial obligations. Also It the back of strong labour market
can lead to erosion of public trust and conditions and wage hikes in the high-
undermines the confidence of depositors in the income destination economies, and higher
banking sector. energy prices in the GCC countries, a key
• Huge losses for banks: In the last two decades, destination for less-skilled migrants.
banks have approved several compromise o The top sources of remittances for
settlements with huge haircuts. Thus impacts India: Almost 36% of India’s remittances
the financial stability of banks. are from the high-skilled and largely high-
• Burden on ordinary citizens:By allowing compromise tech Indian migrants in three high-income
settlement , the RBI is effectively condoning the destinations — the US, the United
actions of defaulters and placing the burden of their Kingdom, and Singapore.
misdeeds on the shoulders of ordinary citizens.
M.S.Shashank
▪ The post-pandemic recovery led to • Maximize net gains when people bring skills and
a tight labour market in these attributes that strongly match the needs of their
regions, and wage hikes boosted destination society—for them, their countries of
remittances. destination, and their countries of origin.
• Provide international protection to refuges in a
Why are remittances important? manner that can be sustained, financially and
socially—because most refugee situations last
• In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, many years.
remittances are being viewed as a critical financial • There is a pressing need to improve relevant data
inflow, and an important source of foreign collection systems.
exchange for several countries including those in • India can attract more NRI money with modern
South Asia. fintech tools such as the UPI linkages which prove
• Remittances are highly complementary to faster and cheaper than the traditional money
government cash transfers and essential to transfer systems such as the SWIFT.
households during times of need.
• Remittances have become a financial lifeline in 2.10. Global Food Security Crisis
many economies through the pandemic and will
become even more so in the foreseeable future.
Why In News?
Issues and Concerns
• The world is in the grip of the most devastating
• Slower growth in OECD economies — especially in hunger crisis ever, with unprecedented levels of
the high-tech sector in the United States that could acute hunger being experienced worldwide.
affect the demand for information technology (IT)
workers and lead to a diversion of formal Basic concepts
remittances toward informal money transfer
channels — is likely to impact the flow of • Hunger: It is the physical sensation experienced by
remittances this year. the body. It signals a lack of nutrients and a need
• Slowing demand for migrants in the GCC countries for nourishment. When food security (i.e.,
and weak balance-of-payments conditions and dependable and consistent access to healthy food)
exchange controls are expected to divert is disrupted, hunger becomes chronic.
remittances to informal money transfer channels • Food insecurity: It is defined as not having reliable
in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka access to a sufficient quantity of nutritious food
• The projected decline in GDP growth from 2.8% in that allows a person to remain healthy and lead an
2022 to approximately 1.0% in 2023 and 2024 will active life.
erode many of the employment and income gains • Malnutrition:Malnutrition refers to deficiencies,
that East Asia’s high-skilled migrants reaped in excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of
2022, dampening remittance flows to the region in energy and nutrients.The term malnutrition covers
2023. 2 broad groups of conditions;
• Lower fuel prices in 2023 will further dampen
demand for migrants in the GCC countries, o One is undernutrition, which includes stunting
reducing remittance flows to East Asia and the (low height for age), wasting (low weight for
Pacific Islands height), underweight (low weight for age) and
• In Europe and Central Asia, the growth in micronutrient deficiencies.
remittances is expected to fall to 1% due to a high o The other is overweight, obesity and diet-
base effect, lingering weakness in flows to Ukraine related noncommunicable diseases (such as
and Russia, and a weaker Russian ruble against the heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).
US dollar.
Present Status of Hunger:The State of Food Security
Suggestions and Nutrition in the World 2022 report
• Recognize the complexity and the increasing
necessity of cross-border movements. • World:
• Distinguish between various types of movements o The number of people affected by hunger
to identify appropriate policy responses. globally rose to as many as 828 million in 2021.
M.S.Shashank
o Gender gap in food insecurity in 2021-31.9% of Ukrainian grains through the Black Sea, to tackle
women in the world were moderately or rising food prices due to the geopolitical conflict.
severely food insecure, compared to 27.6% of • International Year of Millets (IYM 2023):It was
men. declared by the United Nations General Assembly
at its 75th session to promote millets as a source
• India: of nutritional security.Further, millets are tolerant
to drought and other extreme weather conditions
o In India, people who were unable to afford a which ensures food security also.
healthy diet touched 973.3 million in 2020. • Multilateral institutions:
o The number of children under 5 years of age
who are stunted is 36.1 million in 2020. o World Food Programme: It is the world's
o The number of undernourished people in largest humanitarian organisation that
2019–21 is 224.3 million provides food assistance worldwide
o The Global Hunger Report 2022 released by and brings food assistance to more than 80
Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe, has million people in 80 countries.
ranked India at 107 among 121 countries. o World Bank:It aims to invest in agriculture and
rural development to boost food production
Reasons of the Food Crisis and nutritional status.
• Poverty and inequality are the main causes of o Food and Agriculture Organization: It ensures
hunger and all the forms of malnutrition across the people have regular access to enough high-
world, including Asia. But several events since quality food to lead active and healthy lives.
2020 have come together to create a food crisis
unlike any seen since World War. These events Steps taken by India to ensure food security
include:
• COVID-9 Pandemic:The pandemic and enforced • National Food Security Act ,(NFSA) 2013:It
lockdowns to control its spread shut down their ensured the approach to food security from
ability to work. welfare to right based approach.The act legally
• Soaring Inflation: While affecting everyone in the entitled 75% of the rural population and 50% of the
world, inflation has hit the poorest families the urban population to receive subsidised food grains
most, making it impossible for them to afford a under a targeted public distribution system.
sufficient amount of nutritious food. • Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-
• War in Ukraine: The war has caused serious GKAY): The scheme provides 5kg food grain per
shortages in wheat, fuel and fertilisers that many person per month free of cost to 80 crore people
low-income countries depend on. covered by the National food security act.It is over
• Extreme Weather events:Climate shocks destroy and above the monthly quota of NFSA.
lives, crops and livelihoods, and undermine • Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): It
people’s ability to feed themselves.â€¯ started in 1975 as an early childhood care and
• Conflict: 70 percent of the world's hungry people development program.The aim is to improve the
living in areas affected by warâ€¯and violence. nutritional and health status of children in the age-
• Global fertiliser prices increase: The effects of the group 0-6 years,pregnant women and lactating
war in Ukraine, including higher natural gas prices, mothers.
have disrupted global fertiliser production and • Export Ban: India banned wheat exports in May
exports.â€¯High fertiliser prices could turn the 2022 to control rising domestic prices amid
current food affordability crisis into a food concerns over production due to the heatwave and
availability crisis. uncertainty about existing reserves due to private
sector hoarding.
Global Initiatives
Recommendation
• Sustainable Development Goal(SDG)2: It aims to • Promote diversification:To improve food security
create a world free of hunger and malnutrition by there is a need for diversification of crops that can
2030. show climate resilience and can sustain extreme
• Black Sea Grain Initiative:The deal provides for a weather events.
safe humanitarian corridor for the export of
M.S.Shashank
• Reduce food wastage:According to the FAO each • Improve existing infrastructure:Some farmers fail
year the food wasted globally is about 1.3 billion to get their produce to the market because of poor
tonnes. infrastructure including roads, storage facilities,
and food processing equipment.
3. International Relations
3.1. China’s Rise as a Space Power • Tiangong space station: In November 2022, China
finished the Tiangong space station, which it had
begun building in 2011.
Why In News? o The space station currently has three
modules, and can support three astronauts, or
• China has successfully completed the Shenzhou 15 up to six people during crew rotations.
mission and has launched Shenzhou 16 without o It carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific
any glitches. equipment including the world’s first space-
based cold atomic clock system.
Timeline of China’s Space Program
Shenzhou 15 mission
• The roots of China’s space ambitions go back
to 1957 when the Soviet Union successfully • China launched the manned spaceship Shenzhou-
launched the world’s first artificial satellite, 15 in 2022. It is the last stage of the space station
Sputnik-1, into space. construction and kicked off the first stage of its
• China’s first major milestone came in 1970 when it application and development.
launched its first artificial satellite, Dong Fang Hong • After 186 days in orbit, the Shenzhou-15 crew
1. returned and touched down in north China.
o Although the satellite wasn’t technologically • Once ready, China will be the only country to own
sophisticated, it made China the fifth a space station as the International Space Station
country to send a satellite into orbit after (ISS) of Russia is a collaborative project of several
the Soviet Union, the US, France and Japan. countries. The ISS station is also set to be
• Project 714: After the success of Dong Fang Hong 1, decommissioned by 2030.
China announced plans to send two astronauts into • The significant feature of China's space station is its
space by 1973. two robotic arms, especially the long one which can
o The programme, however, had to be grab objects, including satellites from space.
cancelled as the political turmoil of the
Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) played out. What space missions has China planned for the
• By the 1980s, China began launching satellites on a future?
regular basis, and entered the commercial
market, offering to send satellites into space for • Manned Mission to Moon: In recent years, China
companies and other countries for much cheaper has become one of the few countries to reach Mars,
than the US. build its own space station, and launch an
• Project 921: In 1992, China announced Project 921, increasingly large number of spacecraft. The
a programme to launch and return to Earth a country’s future plans are even more ambitious: it
crewed spacecraft. aims to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030,
o This goal was achieved in 2003, when China and build a base there.
became the third country after the US and o Notably, no human has been on the Moon
Russia to use its own rocket to send a human since the US Apollo missions of the 1960s
into space: astronaut Yang Liwei spent about 21 and ’70s. NASA plans to return humans to
hours in space aboard the Shenzhou-5 the Moon by 2025 as part of its ongoing
spacecraft. Artemis space programme.
• A string of successes followed. China sent its first
rover, known as Zhurong, to Mars in 2020.
M.S.Shashank
• Base on Moon: Another important Chinese project • Modernizing Space Governance: The Chinese
involves building a base on the Moon in government has been proactive in developing the
collaboration with Russia. space industry, through policy measures and well-
o International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) thought-out plans for space activities.
will be constructed on or close to the South o Better alignment between a well-
pole of the Moon, with long-term and short- functioning market and an enabling
term crew missions planned for the early government gives full play to the roles of
2030s. both, endeavoring to create a favorable
• Exploration of Moon: Some of their goals include environment for the growth of a high-quality
exploring the Moon to investigate the prospects for space industry.
lunar mining of various energy resources and
materials as well as training humans how to ‘leave Implications
the Earth homeland, establish permanent study
stations, develop products and industries in the • Space Race with US: Some analysts have said a new
space outside the earth, and set up self-sufficient space race is underway between China and the US.
extraterrestrial homeland. o In 2011, the Wolf Amendment was passed,
• Exploring other planets: Other future missions prohibiting NASA from working directly with
include expanding the Tiangong space station, any China-affiliated organisation — unless
sending another probe to Mars, and eventually explicitly authorised by Congress — for fear
sending probes to Jupiter and Saturn. of possible theft of secret technology,
• Space Power: China has set an ambitious agenda to intellectual properties, and documents.
transform itself into a world-leading space power by • India: India’s long-term strategic interests are
2045. A key part of this process is mastering dependent on whatever is happening at its
independent innovation in the space industry. In periphery. India has also sought autonomy in many
pursuit of this goal, China has invested heavily in areas of satellite technologies. However, compared
research and development (R&D). to China, India is lagging behind, particularly in the
field of military related aspects of satellite
Reasons for the Expansion of Chinese Space technology.
Programme o India’s major area of concern could be
that Pakistan may be able to enjoy many of
• Investment into Space Programme: As China's the advantages of space
economy grew rapidly, its government began to exploitation without building or launching a
invest heavily in its space programme. Research and single satellite of its own.
development spending on spacecraft manufacturing o India is among the world’s top seven
went up from $22.6 million in 2000 to $433.4 million spenders in space. The regional security
in 2014. dynamics, China’s newfound capabilities in
o China spent an estimated $16 billion on its space are likely to push India even further in
space programme in 2021, second only to developing its own space capabilities
the US’s space budget of $60 billion.
• Achievements in less Span of time: China has now • Presence of only Chinese Space Station: The ISS
accomplished what Russia and the US did a few station is also set to be decommissioned by 2030, it
decades ago, and it did so quickly, on its own, with is possible that once the multi-agency International
some improvements over previous designs. Space Station (ISS) reaches the end of its operations
o Although preparation for the station began in 2030, Tiangong will be the sole in-orbit outpost for
in 2011, including the launch of the first of scientific research.
the two test versions, it took China only one • Military Component of Space Programme: In order
and a half years to build Tiangong. to be a space power, a nation must have launchers
• Government sees space vital for the economy: The and satellites, and a mission support capability to
speed at which China is surpassing each monitor a satellite launched by it and utilise the
technological hurdle spotlights how the government information.
views space as vital for boosting the economy and o China has succeeded in creating a “full end-
promoting high-end industry and spill-off to-end research, design, trial-manufacture,
technologies. production, and testing system” for both
satellites and launchers.
M.S.Shashank
o It is sufficient to say that China has launched (Tharangambadi), which today lies in the Indian
and is capable of launching various types of state of Tamil Nadu.
military satellites as per its requirements. o Norway’s first Consulates in India opened in
Kolkata and Mumbai in 1845 and 1857,
3.2. Svalbard Mission of 1997 respectively.
o In 1952, the “India fund” was established with
the aim to provide development assistance with
Why In News? a focus on fisheries.
• Consulate General:
• The Norwegian Ambassador’s recent visit to the o The Consulate General in Mumbai re-opened its
ISRO headquarters offers an occasion to recall the doors in 2015.
challenging Svalbard mission of 1997. o It had been closed since the 1970s.
• India Strategy:
About the Svalbard mission o In 2018 the Norwegian government launched a
new ‘India Strategy’.
• About: o The India Strategy outlines five thematic
o On November 20, 1997, a Rohini RH-300 Mk- priorities:
II sounding rocket rose to the skies from ▪ Democracy and a rules-based world order
Svalbard, Norway, operationalising a new rocket ▪ The oceans
launching range there. ▪ Energy
o The solid propellant-powered rocket was ▪ Climate and Environment
shipped from India for the launch. ▪ Research, higher education and global health.
o ’The RH-300 Mk-II was given a new name by the • Ocean nations:
NSC (Norwegian Space Centre): Isbjorn-1, which o Norway and India are both ocean nations
translates literally as ‘Polar Bear-I.’ seeking to develop the vast economic, scientific
• Rohini Family: and ecological potential of the oceans.
o The RH-300 Mk-II was part of the Rohini o In 2019, Norway and India signed
family of sounding rockets developed by ISRO’s a Memorandum of Understanding
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (MoU) establishing a structured and strategic
(VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram. cooperation on the oceans.
▪ The Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) ▪ This cooperation is based on our shared
Programme was established in 1975 to interest in the blue economy and the
encompass all sounding rocket operations. sustainable use of marine resources, as well
▪ Rohini is a series of sounding rockets as a desire to advance scientific knowledge
developed by the Indian Space Research about our oceans.
Organisation (ISRO) for meteorological and o Indo-Norway joint effort for GREEN MARITIME
atmospheric study. Sector:
• Challenge: ▪ During the 8th Meeting Discussion was held
o On the technical side, the Norway mission on use of alternative fuels like green
presented unique challenges for ISRO. The ammonia and hydrogen for futuristic
Rohini rockets had till then flown only in the shipping.
tropical hot and humid conditions in India. ▪ The Norwegian Green Shipping Programme
▪ ISRO shipped the RH-300 Mk-II to Norway has been successful and the experience and
only after qualifying it for arctic weather expertise was shared in the meeting.
conditions. • Climate change:
o Norway considers India a critical partner in
Norway-India relations addressing global climate, environment and
resource challenges, and continuously seeks
• History: to increase cooperation in support of the
o Ties between Norway and India have deep Paris agreement and the SDG-agenda.
historical roots. • Bilateral Trade:
o As early as the 1600s, a Danish-Norwegian o Total bilateral trade increased from US$
trading station was established in Tranquebar 974.22 million in 2013-2014 to US$ 1,202.06
million in 2017-2018.
M.S.Shashank
Upcoming Areas of Cooperation in India Norway 3.3. PM Visit to Egypt

Relations
• Climate investments: Why In News?

o Norway is planning to invest in climate
investments, clean energy and ocean • Recently PM Modi was on a two day visit to Egypt
technology worldwide. from 24-25 June 2023.The visit is the first by any
o Norway would invest $1 billion from its Indian PM since 1997.
climate investment fund in five years
worldwide. Outcomes of visit
▪ Substantial part of the investments
will take place in India. India is one of • India and Egypt elevated their relationship to a
the countries with a large potential ‘Strategic Partnership’ which is supposed to
for solar energy. comprise four key elements, Political and Security
• Wind Energy: cooperation, scientific and academic collaboration;
o Norway is working with the National cultural and people-to-people contacts.
Institute of Wind Energy to expand Wind • The two countries also signed three more pacts on
energy infrastructure in India. —
▪ The problem in India, when it came o Agriculture and allied sectors;
to wind energy, was that only Tamil o Protection and preservation of monuments
Nadu and Gujarat had stable wind to o Archaeological sites; and competition law.
make it viable. • The leader discussed further cooperation in G-
• Ship-breaking industry in India: 20, highlighting the issues of food and energy
o Norway has the fifth largest commercial insecurity, climate change and the need for the
fleet in the world, and ship recycling was Global South to have a concerted voice.
crucial to keep up a modern fleet, both for • PM Modi was conferred with the ‘Order of the
environmental as also for competitive Nile’, Egypt’s highest honor, by President Abdel
reasons. Fattah El-Sisi at the Presidential palace in Cairo.
o Norway is cooperating closely with India
over this. Places visited by PM in Egypt
• Hong Kong Convention:
o The Hong Kong Convention is aimed at • Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo: The 11th century
ensuring that ships, when being recycled Mosque was restored with the help of
after reaching the end of their operational India’s Dawoodi Bohra community.It is the fourth
lives; do not pose any unnecessary risk to oldest mosque in Cairo, and the second Fatimid
human health and safety or to the mosque to be built in the city.
environment.
o India has joined the Hong Kong Convention. • Apart from touring the pyramids of Giza, he also
o It will be a binding international legal visited the Heliopolis Commonwealth War
instrument. Cemetery and offered tributes to the Indian soldiers
• Academic relations: who fought and laid down their lives in Egypt and
o There is an academic relation between the Palestine during the First World War.
Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and
the Institute of Wind Energy in Chennai with Historical ties between India and Egypt
institutions in Norway.
o Digitising historical monuments: • India and Egypt shared a crucial diplomatic relation
o The Norwegian company, Piql, was involved since 3rd century BC when Indian Emperor Ashoka
in creating a digital archive for Indian dispatched his envoys to the court of the Egyptian
monuments such as the Taj Mahal. ruler Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
o The company was also involved in digitising • The Egyptian king also dispatched his own
historical monuments such as Dholavira in ambassador named Dionysius to the Mauryan court
Gujarat and the Bhimbetka Caves in Madhya at Patliputra.
Pradesh. • This incident marks the earliest known interaction
between the two ancient civilizations, laying the
foundation of diplomatic engagement between two.
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Evolution of Relationship between India and Egypt: o Cyclone 2023: A two-week-long joint exercise
• India established a bilateral relationship with Cairo conducted by the armies of India and Egypt.
just three days after it got Independence on August
15, 1947. The bond further solidified in later years. • Investments in infrastructure:Metro projects in
• In the 1956 Suez Canal crisis when Egypt Cairo and Alexandria, a Suez Canal economic zone, a
nationalized the canal leading Israel, and later second channel of the Suez Canal, and a new
France and Britain, to attack Egypt,Nehru administrative capital in a Cairo suburb. More than
condemned the aggression against Cairo. 50 Indian companies have invested more than $3.15
• Non-Aligned Movement (NAM):Both the nations billion in Egypt from Delhi.
played a pivotal role in founding the NAM along with
Yugoslavia, Indonesia and Ghana. Significance of Egypt for India
Divergence in relations: • Strategic location of Egypt: Due to its proximity to

• After 1973 Egypt dumped its military ties to the one of the major choke points, i.e. Suez Canal makes
Soviet Union and turned to the US as a strategic it a significant player in the larger geopolitics of the
partner.Also Egypt was the first Arab state to Indian Ocean.Also 12 percent of global trade passes
recognise Israel. through the Suez Canal.
• India with its deepening anti-Western rhetoric and • Market for Defence equipment: India is exporting
empathy for radical Arab States in the 1970s, was defence items to over 42 countries and Egypt is one
not empathetic to the concerns and interests of of them. Also the country has shown its interest in
Egypt.Thus India put its partnership with Egypt on procuring India’s Tejas aircraft.
the back burner in later years. • Indian Diaspora:The vibrant Indian presence in
Egypt is evidenced by a population of around 3,600
Revival of relations Indians who are engaged in diverse professions.
• Since 2014, India has sought to engage with West
Asian countries. Also India realized that Egypt is a Challenges
key player in the region.Hence it started deepening
its cooperation with the nation. • China’s engagement with Egypt: The increasing
• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, visited India infrastructural investments by China in Egypt is a
earlier this year as the chief guest for Republic concern for India.
Day celebrations. • Economic issues faced by Egypt hampers the trade
relation between both the nations.
Area of Cooperation
Way Ahead
• Economic and Trade cooperation:
• The recent visit offers a strong platform to build a
o Egypt dispatched three aircraft cargoes laden relationship for a new era. There are immense
with a consignment of 300,000 doses of opportunities for collaboration using mutually
the Remdesivir vaccine during the 2021 covid beneficial and liberalized economic and trade
pandemic in India .In 2022 India reciprocated by regimes and setting up of fundamental architectures
sending shipments of wheat to Egypt in the wake to enable such agendas.
of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. • Also Agriculture, technology, defense, green
o India was Egypt’s fifth largest trading partner finance, South-to-South cooperation, countering
during April 2022-Dec 2022.It was the 11th- terrorism and violent extremism, and other areas of
largest importer of Egyptian goods and the 5th- convergence are there for cooperation between
largest exporter to Egypt during the same time. both the nations.
o India-Egypt Bilateral Trade Agreement: It has
been in operation since 1978 and is based on the 3.4. India-U.S. deal for 31 MQ-9B Drones
Most Favored Nation clause.
• Defence Cooperation: Why In News?
o Desert Warrior - Joint tactical exercise between • Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe
air forces of India and Egypt. Biden announced the mega deal on the purchase
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of General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" armed • Legally, it is not a Russia-based private military
drones by India. company though it works closely with the Russian
o The procurement process has commenced security apparatus
with the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) • It is basically a private military company and a
chaired by the Defence Minister. network of mercenaries.
• It was first identified in 2014 while backing pro-
About MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ Armed Drone Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
• It got registered as a company in 2022 and opened a
• With an endurance of over 27 hours, the General new headquarters in St Petersburg.
Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" speeds speeds of 240 • According to reports ,The Wagner Group now
KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 consists of 50,000 fighters in Ukraine and has
pound (1,746 kilogrammes) payload capacity. become a key component of the Ukraine campaign.
• It can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine
times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier Presence
MQ-1 Predator.
• is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for up • The Wagner group has been active in Sudan, Mali,
to 40 hours, depending on configuration, in all types the Central African Republic, Mozambique and
of weather. Libya in Africa.
• The MQ-9B has two variants — the SkyGuardian o The activities are related to providing direct
and the SeaGuardian. 15 SeaGuardians are for the support to authoritarian governments,
Indian Navy and 16 SkyGuardians — eight each for supporting rival leadership engaged in
the Indian Army and Air Force. internal wars, filling the void created by the
withdrawal of the French military
Significance engagement, taking part in resource
exploitation etc.
• MQ-9 UAV provides long-endurance, persistent • According to media reports, it provides its services
surveillance, and strike capability for the warfighter. to different governments often in exchange for
• It will be assembled in India, will enhance the ISR access to gold and diamond mines.
(intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance)
capabilities of India’s armed forces across domains Association with russia
• It will bolster India’s national security and
surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean • The Wagner group under Prigozhin has benefited
but also along the frontier with China. Russia significantly in the ongoing war against
• General Atomics will also establish Ukraine.
a Comprehensive Global Maintenance, Repair and • It was this mercenary group that captured the key
Overhaul (MRO) facility in India in support of India’s regions of Soledar and Bakhmut for Russia. Because
long-term goals to boost indigenous defence of the Wagners’ military contributions, Prigozhin
capabilities. enjoys some popularity and influence.
3.5. Wagner Group Criticism
• The Wagner Group has been accused of committing

Why In News? severe human rights violations, killing civilians,
looting homes and harassing activists, journalists
• Recently, Wagner Group waged an armed rebellion and peacekeepers.
against Russia and vowed to topple the country's • There have also been reports of the group supplying
defence leadership. arms and weapons, and training regional forces in
fighting jihadist threats.
What is the Wagner Group?
How did India see these dramatic developments?
• It is a Russian paramilitary organisation headed
by Yevgeny Prigozhin. • India would have been keeping a close eye and
monitoring the event. Through the embassy in
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Moscow, it would have been receiving reports on • More than a million asylum seekers and refugees
the situation on the ground. crossed into Europe in 2015, due to conflicts in
• In Moscow, the situation seems to have been calm, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
with work going on as usual. • The bloc has since tightened external borders and
• So there were no reasons for New Delhi to panic its asylum laws, and struck deals in the Middle East
about anything. It was in a wait-and-watch mode. and North Africa to have more people stay there.
• For years the EU has been struggling to harmonise
Future Outlook asylum policy. That is difficult with 27 member
states, each with their own police force and
• At present, it appears that the Wagner group is judiciary.
disbanded. But it will probably be resurrected under
some other guise. It is unclear what happens to the Need of the Asylum Procedure Regulation (APR)
operations of the Wagner group in Syria, Libya,
Africa, etc. • Common Procedure: It establishes a common
• These operations were in Russia’s interests, so the procedure across the EU that member states need
group will probably be revived in some form, maybe to follow when people seek international
under a new name or a new leader. protection.
• But for now, Russia has a headache on its hands, o It streamlines the procedural
because with the Wagner group gone, there are arrangements (e.g. the duration of the
armed and trained Russians sitting in various parts procedure) and sets standards for the rights
of the globe, mainly in Africa and the Middle East. of the asylum seeker (e.g. being provided
with the service of an interpreter or having
3.6. EU's Asylum Policy the right to legal assistance and
representation).
Why In News? • Prevention of abuse of the system: The regulation
also aims to prevent abuse of the system by setting
• European Union ministers have agreed on a deal out clear obligations for applicants to cooperate
to overhaul the bloc’s asylum procedures. with the authorities throughout the procedure.
• Border Procedures: The APR also
What is the European Union (EU)? introduces mandatory border procedures, with the
purpose to quickly assess at the EU’s external
• The European Union (EU) is a political and economic borders whether applications are unfounded or
alliance of 27 European countries. inadmissible.
• The EU promotes democratic values in its member o Persons subject to the asylum border
nations and is one of the world's most powerful procedure are not authorised to enter the
trade blocs. member state’s territory.
• Nineteen of the countries share the euro as their • Preventing abuse and secondary movements: It
official currency. also contains measures aimed at preventing abuse
• Purpose: The European Union was created to bind by the asylum seeker and avoiding secondary
the nations of Europe closer together for movements (when a migrant moves from the
the economic, social, and security welfare of all. It country in which they first arrived to seek protection
is one of several efforts after World War II to bind or permanent resettlement elsewhere).
together the nations of Europe into a single entity. o The regulation for instance sets obligations
for asylum seekers to apply in the member
Asylum states of first entry or legal stay and
• An asylum seeker is a person who has left their discourages secondary movements.
country and is seeking protection from persecution
and serious human rights violations in another Asylum Procedure Regulation (APR)
country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized • Initiation of Procedure: The border procedure
as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on would apply when an asylum seeker makes an
their asylum claim. application at an external border crossing
point, following apprehension in connection with
Background an illegal border crossing and
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following disembarkation after a search and rescue determining which member state was
operation. responsible for the examination of an asylum
• Mandatory if: The procedure is mandatory for application.
member states if the applicant is a danger to • The APR will streamline these rules and shorten
national security or public order, he/she has misled time limits. For example, the current complex take
the authorities with false information or by back procedure aimed at transferring an applicant
withholding information and if the applicant has a back to the member state responsible for his or her
nationality with a recognition rate below 20%. application will be replaced by a simple take back
• Duration of the procedure: The total duration of the notification.
asylum and return border procedure should be not
more than 6 months. Concerns
• Will apply on: It would apply to all those deemed • Before eventually endorsing it, Italy and Greece
dangerous, uncooperative or coming from countries voiced concerns about whether the new system
with low asylum recognition rates in the EU like India would prove workable given some states’ refusal to
or Serbia. host people.
o EU countries could also apply the speedy o The southern countries of arrival worry
procedure to people picked up in the sea, about being overwhelmed, while those
caught while trying to get in illegally or filing further away from the bloc’s external
for asylum at the border rather than in borders tend to drag their feet on admitting
advance. arrivals and complex solidarity schemes take
• Share of People: Each EU country would be assigned time to kick in.
a share of the 30,000 people overall the bloc is o Criticism also came from Poland and
expected to accommodate in its joint migration Hungary, the EU’s loudest voices against
system at any given time. immigration from the Middle East and
o It will be calculated based on the size of the Africa.
country’s GDP and population, the number • Another challenge is keeping close tabs on the
of irregular border crossings including via movements of people once they get inside Europe’s
sea rescue operations, and more. zone of free travel.
o Countries unwilling to take in people would • Rights groups said the scheme risked reviving tragic
instead be able to help their hosting peers scenes that unfolded on the Greek islands several
through cash – at least 20,000 euros per years ago by creating more overcrowded migration
person a year – equipment or personnel. camps on the edges of the EU.
• The agreed measures include modified time limits • The new plan could lead to protracted
for its duration: detention of minors and is being criticised as it
o the member state of first entry will be focuses on keeping people away rather than
responsible for the asylum application for a helping those in need.
duration of two years.
o when a country wants to transfer a person 3.7. China-Pakistan Nuclear Deal
to the member state which is actually
responsible for the migrant and this person
absconds (e.g. when the migrant goes into Why In News?
hiding to evade a transfer) responsibility • Recently, China and Pakistan signed an agreement
will shift to the transferring member state for a 1,200 MW nuclear power plant in the
after three years. Chashma nuclear complex in Pakistan.
o if a member state rejects an applicant in the
border procedure, its responsibility for that Pakistan’s Energy Sector
person will end after 15 months (in case of • Pakistan is currently operating six China-built
a renewed application). nuclear plants, four smaller reactors at the Chashma
complex and two at the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant
Modification of Dublin rules (KANUPP).
• Pakistan’s oldest reactor, the Canada-built KANUPP-
• The APR should replace, the current Dublin 1, is now decommissioned, while KANUPP-2 and
regulation which is an agreement originally signed KANUPP-3 both use 1,100 MW Chinese Hualong One
in 1990 and revised three times, set out rules reactors.
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• Facing a continuing energy deficit, financial crisis • It is a voluntary, non-legally binding association of
and rising import bills, the country needs to major countries that trade in nuclear material and
urgently increase the share of renewables and was established in 1974.
nuclear energy. • NSG has no formal link to the UN, but its activities
• Currently, thermal sources account for 61% of the contribute to the UN's efforts in the field of non-
energy mix, while hydropower accounts proliferation and export controls.
for 24%, nuclear 12%, and wind and solar only 3%, • How did it come into being? Signatories to the 1970
according to the 2021-22 Economic Survey. NPT felt a need to apply further safeguards on
• The Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy rolled exports of nuclear material and specialized nuclear
out in 2019 envisages increasing the share of equipment to non-nuclear weapon states.
renewables to 30% by 2030. o Multilateral consultations on nuclear export
controls continued under separate
China Under the Scrutiny of Nuclear Suppliers Group mechanisms.
(NSG) o India's 1974 Pokhran nuclear test was a
• NSG is a group of nuclear supplier countries “that trigger, as it arguably demonstrated that
seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of certain non-weapons specific technology
nuclear weapons through the implementation of could be turned to weapons development.
two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and Hence, the NSG was created in 1974
nuclear-related exports”. • Participants: Signatories to the NPT can join the
o It explicitly prohibits the transfer of nuclear NSG. It works on the basis of consensus, i.e any
technology by its members to countries that decision needs to be ratified by all member
have not signed the nuclear Non- countries. It currently has 48 participants, who work
Proliferation Treaty (NPT). on accepted guidelines to prevent proliferation
• China joined the 48-member grouping in 2004, and while indulging in nuclear commerce.
argued subsequently that the Chashma 3 and
Chashma 4 reactors were under its earlier Chashma Where does the case for India's membership stand?
deals with Pakistan that pre-dated its joining of the • Being a non-signatory to NPT, India is normally not
NSG. to be considered for NSG membership.
• Chinese analysts have justified the continuing • Following the India-US civil nuclear deal of 2006, the
nuclear commerce, by pointing to the India-U.S. US lobbied hard for an exception for India, citing the
nuclear deal. There are, however, significant country's impeccable record.
differences. • In 2008, NSG members agreed to grant India a "clean
• Indian Case: India and the U.S. had to seek a waiver waiver" from its existing rules, in exchange for a
from the NSG for their civilian nuclear deal, which commitment to "no nuclear trade with non-NPT
was granted in 2008, paving the way for India to countries".
enter the tent of global nuclear commerce. • Russia, France, UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey and
o India undertook a number several other countries have subsequently
of commitments such as placing facilities supported India's membership bid.
under International Atomic Energy Agency • China has opposed India's inclusion in the NSG,
(IAEA) safeguards, separating civilian and citing the non-NPT status and unwilling to make an
military nuclear programmes and a exception. New Zealand, Ireland and Austria have
continued moratorium on testing. also opposed India, citing the same clause.
• Neither has China sought any such waiver from the
NSG nor has Pakistan undertaken similar 3.8. India and UAE Mutual Recognition
commitments. China has suggested that the Arrangement
reactors being under IAEA safeguards would suffice.
• Implications: Experts fear the latest deals have only
Why In News?
further eroded the global rules governing nuclear
commerce, and also raised questions about both the
• Recently, India and UAE signed a Mutual
continuing relevance and future of the NSG and
Recognition Arrangement for Authorised Economic
governance of global nuclear commerce.
Operators.
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) About the Mutual Recognition Arrangement
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• It establishes a framework that enables the • Concurrent national goals: The UAE’s current
recognition of Authorised Economic Operators President launched the Centennial Plan 2071 in
(AEOs) from both countries. 2021.
• By mutually recognizing the AEO status, India and o It envisions equipping the country with the
the UAE seek to streamline and expedite customs information and skill sets required to manifest
procedures, reducing administrative burden and its ambition of becoming a global soft power by
costs for authorised businesses. 2071.
• The Mutual recognition arrangement comes as the o The UAE’s Centennial Plan runs concurrently
continuation of historic India-United Arab Emirates with India’s Vision 2047, which has set
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement ambitious national imperatives, ensuring
(CEPA). prosperity and development for all its
people.
Significance • Energy security: As industrial and manufacturing
capacity booms in India, the UAE has proven to be a
• The signing of this arrangement signifies an reliable and resilient energy exporter.
important milestone in the economic cooperation o The UAE has emerged as India’s third-largest
between India and the UAE. source of oil behind Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
• It is expected to foster closer ties and facilitate the o In February 2018, the Indian Strategic
growth of bilateral trade. Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) and the
• It aims to promote trade facilitation, improve the UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
ease of doing business, and encourage investments. (ADNOC) inked an agreement detailing
constant pricing and oil supply.
Status of relations • Strategic convergences and minilateralism :India
and the UAE also find a common footing on the
• Historical Linkages : The foundation of resilient emerging international strategic culture and
partnership dates back to 3000 BCE when Indian multilateral reforms.
fishermen and merchants traded on the shores of o The bilateral partners have voiced similar
the present-day UAE, which was formalised in 1972 opinions on strategic issues such as the US
with the establishment of India-UAE diplomatic dollar’s dominance in international trade,
relations. terrorism, and ending the hostilities in
• Economic cooperation: The United Arab Emirates Ukraine.
(UAE) recently emerged as India’s fourth-largest o These strategic convergences culminated in
investor. the formalisation of minilateral groupings,
o CEPA was signed between the two nations in such as the India-Israel-US-UAE (I2U2) and
February 2022 and officially came into force on the India-UAE-France maritime trilateral.
1 May 2022. The India-UAE CEPA is the first deep • Political: Increasing high-level government
and full free trade Agreement signed by India interactions have forged the bilateral partners’
with any country in the past decade. strategic convergences and mutually beneficial
agreements.
• It is expected to increase the total value of bilateral • Diaspora : Besides the convergences at the national
trade in goods to over 100 billion US Dollars and level, India’s engagement with the UAE at a sub-
trade in services to over 15 billion US Dollars within national level has also been pivotal for the India-UAE
five years. bilateral relationship, with the Indian diaspora and
• Since the operationalisation of CEPA, bilateral trade remittances providing a bridge between the two
between India and the UAE has witnessed 20 countries.
percent growth over the previous year. o Introducing the Gold and Green Visas will
o India’s exports to the UAE also increased by 12 facilitate more Indian talent, especially
percent, reaching US$31.3 billion in 2022-23. entrepreneurs, to expand their footprint in
• India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have the Emirates fintech and startup sectors.
agreed to increase non-petroleum trade from $48 o The opening of the first overseas campus of
billion to $100 billion by 2030. the Indian Institute of Technology in Abu
Dhabi in 2024 will strengthen people-to-
people ties and foster youth engagement.
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• Bilateral benefits for the Global South : As a • The ship is fitted with a medium range gun, 30 mm
partnership built on civilisational ties and aligning close range guns, chaff launchers and surface-to-
interests, the India-UAE bilateral can also have a surface missiles.
positive global impact – for example, the India-UAE
joint developmental projects in Africa. India-Vietnam Defence Relations
Future Outlook • Background: The deepening of the defence ties has

been a gradual process nonetheless. Vietnam was
• As India forges its path ahead, leading the G20 in the first country in the Southeast Asian region with
these tumultuous times, the UAE remains its whom India had signed a Strategic Partnership
steadfast political, cultural, and economic partner. Agreement in 2007, which from 2016 onwards after
• The fundamentals of economic engagement, the visit of Prime Minister to Vietnam has been
diaspora relations, and strategic convergences have elevated to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic
deepened the India-UAE ties over the past 10 years. Partnership’.
• The bilateral is set to become stronger as CEPA finds o In the early 2000s, both sides also signed a
deeper roots and steers each partner’s policy defence protocol through which Vietnam
apparatuses and businesses towards more could procure military helicopters and
prosperous, mutually-beneficial, and meaningful equipment for the repair of Vietnamese
engagement. aircraft.
• Joint Vision on Defence Cooperation: A
3.9. India and Vietnam Defence Ties Memorandum of Understanding on Defence
Cooperation signed between the Ministries of
Defence in 2009 and the Joint Vision on Defence
Why in News? Cooperation signed by the Defence Ministers in
2015 provided the institutional framework.
• India gifted the indigenously-built in-service missile • Visit of India’s Defence Minister in 2022: It led to
corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam to enhance its naval the signing of a new "Joint Vision Statement on
capabilities. India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards
2030” and a “Memorandum of Understanding on
What is a Corvette? Mutual Logistics Support”.
• A corvette is the smallest type of naval ship, falling o Both Ministers also agreed for early
below the frigate's warship class. It is amongst the finalisation of the $US 500 million Defence
most agile ships along with missile boats, anti- Line of Credit extended to Vietnam.
submarine ships, coastal patrol crafts, and swift • Diversified Engagement: Apart from the
attack naval vessels. cooperation between the Ministries of Defence of
• Corvettes date back to the 18th and the 19th the two sides, this engagement has diversified
century when they were extensively used in the to wider military-to-military dialogue and
naval warfare duels that were fought at high seas. exchanges, training programme and bilateral
exercises.
About INS Kirpan o Cooperation in United Nations
• INS Kirpan is a Khukri class missile Peacekeeping Operations is another active
corvette displacing 1,350 tonnes and was area of our cooperation. Defence industrial
commissioned into the Navy in 1991. collaboration is another area in defence
• The Kirpan and Shield were main weapons of relations.
Sikhs The design of the sword and the sheild is taken o In 2022, 12 High Speed Guard Boats built by
from " The Journal of Indian Art and Industry vol. VI" Indian manufacturer M/s Larsen & Toubro
reproduced from the specimen preserved in the were handed over to Vietnam.
Lahore museum , which was displayed in the Indian • Bilateral Military Exercises: Bilateral military
and colonial exhibition of 1886. exercises are held periodically.
• It has a displacement of close to 1,400 tonnes, a • Bilateral defence engagements have expanded over
length of 91 metres, a beam of 11 metres and is a period of time to include wide-ranging contacts
capable of speed in excess of 25 knots. between the two countries, including Defence
Policy Dialogues, military to military exchanges,
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high level visits, capacity building and training the much needed impetus to Vietnam to
programs, ship visits and bilateral exercises. look at potential like-minded players in the
Indo-Pacific like India.
Significance of Vietnam for India • India’s Vision of Defence Exporter: Another push to
further boost the defence ties and defence industry
• Act East Policy: Vietnam has always been a critical collaboration has been for India’s drive of
partner for India in its Southeast Asian diplomacy, establishing its place as a potential exporter in the
both under its Look East policy and now in the era of defence sector globally.
the Act East policy. India was the only country to
have supported Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in Way Ahead
1978. This had also stalled the process of India • The drivers for the growth of trade and commerce
becoming a dialogue member in the ASEAN. are both strategic and economic. Both the countries
desire to do away from the dependence on China.
• Potential Regional Power: India realises that • The problem related to supply chain emerging in the
Vietnam is a potential regional power in South East recent years, has also pushed them to consider an
Asia with great political stability and substantial alternative supply line. Moreover, both nations
economic growth. Its average 7% annual economic desire a stable, open, free and inclusive Indo-Pacific
growth is very attractive. Ocean region. Thus, both have common objectives.
o Even during the worst period of pandemic, • India is pursuing the Act East Policy and is working
its economic growth remained to make the Indo-Pacific free and open, that will
commendable at 3% while several other promote Security and Growth for All in Region
nations registered negative growth. (SAGAR).
• Countering China: The wariness of other Southeast • These make the prospects for further growth of
Asian countries when it comes to the growing trade and commerce between India and Vietnam
influence in Southeast Asia of external powers like bright in the coming period.
the US, Australia, India among others to balance a
rising China is clearly visible, it is Vietnam which 3.10. Third Employment Working Group
openly supports the idea of countries like the US,
Meet
India taking more interest in the challenges that the
region is facing.
Why in News?
• Valuable Partner: Vietnam though also is keeping its
• The Indian G20 Presidency is organising the third
relations with China intact, given the economic
Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting at the
benefits, but also does not shy away from calling out
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Beijing when needed. India has ongoing oil
headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
exploration projects with PetroVietnam, although
China continues to object to India’s oil exploration
operations in areas offered by Vietnam but Vietnam • This meeting, which aligns with the ILO's annual
has lent its full support to India in this regard. This International Labour Conference, brings together
indeed makes Vietnam a valuable partner and player delegates from G20 member countries, guest
in the Indo-Pacific. countries, and international organizations including
• Shared vision for Indo-Pacific: India and Vietnam International Labour Organization (ILO),
have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
line with India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and Development (OECD), International Social Security
ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific in order to Association (ISSA), World Bank (WB).
ensure shared security, growth and prosperity for
the Indo-Pacific region. What are the Major Highlights of the Meet?
o Vietnam has mostly faced the brunt of
Priority Areas:
Chinese aggression in the South China Sea • The Indian Presidency has identified three priority
since the 1970s — from China’s occupation areas for the EWG in 2023:
of Paracels in 1974, to the occupation of • Addressing Global Skill Gaps: This area focuses on
Spratlys in the 1980s. This threat has only developing strategies to bridge the skill gaps
intensified in recent times. This looming prevalent in the global workforce and enhance
threat and Vietnam’s reformed attitude and employability.
foreign policy orientation will only provide • Gig and Platform Economy and Social Protection:
Discussions centre around ensuring social
M.S.Shashank
protection for workers in the gig and platform

economy, considering the evolving nature of work. What is the International Labour Organization?
• The gig and platform economy refers to a modern About:
work arrangement where individuals perform short- • The ILO is one of the international knowledge
term, freelance, or on-demand tasks or services partners of the Ministry of Labour and Employment
through digital platforms or apps. that provides technical expertise to the EWG.
• It is characterised by the temporary and flexible • The ILO is a United Nations agency whose mandate
nature of work, facilitated by online platforms that is to advance social and economic justice by setting
connect service providers (often referred to as gig international labour standards.
workers) with customers or clients. • Founded in October 1919 (Treaty of Versailles)
• Sustainable Financing of Social Protection: This area under the League of Nations, it is the first and oldest
emphasises the importance of sustainable financing specialised agency of the UN.
models to support social protection initiatives and
provide safety nets for workers. Members:
• The ILO has a tripartite structure that brings
Phases of the Meet: together representatives of governments,
• The EWG meeting is organised in four different employers and workers from its 187 member states.
phases in different cities in India. • India is a founder member of the International
• The first phase was held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in Labour Organization.
February 2023.
• The second phase was held in Guwahati, Assam, in International Labour Conference:
April 2023. • The ILO also hosts an annual International Labour
• The third phase is being held in Geneva from 31st Conference in Geneva that sets the International
May to 2nd June 2023. labour standards and the broad policies of the ILO.
• The fourth and final phase will be held in Indore, • It is often referred to as an International Parliament
Madhya Pradesh in July 2023. of Labour.
What is an Employment Working Group? Means of Action:

About: • The principal means of action in the ILO is the setting
• The Employment Working Group (EWG) is a forum up of the International Labour Standards in the form
established within the G20 framework to address of Conventions and Recommendations.
issues related to employment, labour markets, and • Conventions are international treaties and are
social policies. instruments, which create legally binding
• It serves as a platform for G20 member countries obligations on the countries that ratify them.
and relevant international organisations to engage • Recommendations are non-binding and set out
in discussions, share experiences, and develop guidelines orienting national policies and actions.
policy recommendations on employment-related
matters. Achievements:
• Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969.
Purpose: • For improving peace among classes
• The main purpose of the EWG is to promote • Pursuing decent work and justice for workers
inclusive and sustainable economic growth by • Providing technical assistance to other developing
fostering job creation, improving labour market nation.
outcomes, and ensuring social protection for
workers.
M.S.Shashank
4. Science & Technology

4.1. XPoSat, India’s First Polarimetry o It adds that fishermen use polarised lenses
Mission to reduce glare from sunlight when they
are near water.
• The field of polarimetry studies the measurement
Why in News?
of the angle of rotation of the plane of polarised
light (that is, a beam of light in which the vibrations
• The Indian Space Research Organisation is
of the electromagnetic waves are confined to one
collaborating with the Raman Research Institute
plane) that results upon its passage through
(RRI), Bengaluru, an autonomous research
certain transparent materials, according to
institute, to build the X-Ray Polarimeter
Britannica.
Satellite (XPoSat) that is scheduled to be launched
later this year.
ISRO’s Efforts with XPoSat
Introduction • ISRO's website states that the emission mechanism

from various astronomical sources such as black
• According to ISRO, "XPoSat will study various holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar
dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in wind nebulae, etc. originates from complex
extreme conditions”. physical processes and is challenging to
• It has been billed as India’s first, and only the understand.
world’s second polarimetry mission that is meant • Space-based observatories are also unable to
to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X- provide information about the exact nature of the
ray sources in extreme conditions. emissions from such sources. Therefore, newer
• The other such major mission is NASA’s Imaging X- devices are required to measure specific
ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) that was launched properties.
in 2021.
XPoSat Payloads
Understanding X-Rays in Space
• The spacecraft will carry two scientific payloads in
• As NASA explains, X-rays have much higher energy a low Earth orbit. The primary payload, POLIX
and much shorter wavelengths, between 0.03 and (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays), will measure
3 nanometers, so small that some X-rays are no the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of
bigger than a single atom of many elements. polarization).
• The physical temperature of an object determines • The payload is being developed by RRI in
the wavelength of the radiation it emits. The hotter collaboration with ISRO's U R Rao Satellite Centre
the object, the shorter the wavelength of peak (URSC) in Bengaluru.
emission. o POLIX is expected to observe about 40
• X-rays come from objects that are millions bright astronomical sources of different
of degrees Celsius — such as pulsars, galactic categories during the planned lifetime of
supernova remnants, and black holes. XPoSat mission of about 5 years.
o This is the first payload in the medium X-
The Significance of Polarimetry ray energy band dedicated to polarimetry
• "Like all forms of light, X-rays consist of moving measurements.
electric and magnetic waves. Usually, peaks and • The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and
valleys of these waves move in random directions. Timing) payload will provide spectroscopic
o Polarised light is more organised with two information (on how light is absorbed and emitted
types of waves vibrating in the same by objects). It would observe several types of
direction," says a video from NASA on sources, such as X-ray pulsars, black hole binaries,
IXPE. low-magnetic field neutron stars, etc.
M.S.Shashank
Conclusion • Features
o It is capable of single-shot spectral coverage
• India's endeavour to launch the X-Ray Polarimeter of 3800–9500 Å at a resolution of ∼67000.
Satellite (XPoSat) marks a significant milestone in o The total efficiency, including spectrograph,
the country's space research efforts. fiber transmission, focal ratio degradation
o With the collaboration between ISRO and (FRD), and telescope (with 81% reflectivity) is
the Raman Research Institute, the mission ∼7% in the same wavelength region on a clear
aims to study the dynamics of bright night with good seeing conditions.
astronomical X-ray sources in extreme
conditions. The stable point-spread function
• By utilizing polarimetry techniques, XPoSat will (PSF), environmental control, the existence of a
provide valuable insights into the nature and simultaneous calibration fiber, and availability of
behaviour of these celestial objects, including observing time make PARAS attractive for a variety of
black holes, neutron stars, and pulsars. exoplanetary and stellar astrophysics projects.
o The scientific payloads on board, POLIX
and XSPECT, will enable detailed 4.3. Satellite
measurements of polarimetry parameters
and spectroscopic information. Why In News?
• As XPoSat prepares for its launch, it holds the
promise of expanding our understanding of the • The Indian Space Research Organisation
universe and making notable contributions to (ISRO) launched the first of the second-
the field of astrophysics. generation satellites for its navigation
constellation successfully.
4.2. PARAS Telescope
About
Why In News? • Christened NVS-01, the first of ISRO’s NVS series of

payloads is the heaviest in the constellation and
Recently, the Scientist team discovered a new was launched by a Geosynchronous Satellite
exoplanet with a mass 13 times that of Jupiter using Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket from Sriharikota.
the indigenously built PARAS telescope. • Each of the seven satellites currently in the Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)
About the discovery constellation, operationally named NavIC,
weighed much less.
• It is a new Jupiter-size exoplanet with the highest
density known till this date and a mass 13 times Features of Second-generation NavIC satellite
than that of Jupiter
• The newly discovered exoplanet was found around • Atomic Clock: The satellite will have a Rubidium
the star called TOI4603 or HD 245134. atomic clock onboard, a significant technology
o NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey developed by India which only a handful of
Satellite initially declared TOI4603 as a countries possess.
possible candidate to host a secondary o The satellite-based positioning system
body of unknown nature. determines the location of objects by using
the atomic clocks on board; failure of
About PARAS telescope clocks means the satellites are no longer
able to provide accurate locations.
• PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search o Several of the existing satellites stopped
spectrograph (PARAS) was commissioned at providing location data after their onboard
the Mount Abu 1.2 m telescope in India in 2012. atomic clocks failed — this was the main
• Data obtained as part of the post-commissioning reason for the launch of the replacement
tests with PARAS show velocity precision better satellite in 2018.
than 2 m/s over a period of several months to • L1 signals for better use in wearable devices: The
years on bright RV standard stars. second generation satellites will send signals in
a third frequency, L1, besides the L5 and S
M.S.Shashank
frequency signals that the existing satellites relative to Earth, so they are always looking over
provide, increasing interoperability with other the same region on Earth.
satellite-based navigation systems. • NavIC signals come to India at a 90-degree
o The L1 frequency is among the most angle, making it easier for them to reach devices
commonly used in the Global Positioning located even in congested areas, dense forests, or
System (GPS), and will increase the use of mountains.
the regional navigation system • With the use of NavIC picking up, the government
in wearable devices and personal trackers has been looking at the possibility of increasing
that use low-power, single-frequency the coverage area of the system.
chips.
• Longer mission life: The second-generation 4.4. Foucault pendulum
satellites will also have a longer mission life of
more than 12 years. The existing satellites have a Why In News?
mission life of 10 years.
One of the features of the recently
Practical purpose of the NAvIC constellation inaugurated new Parliament building in New
Delhi is a Foucault pendulum suspended from its
• NavIC is in use for projects like public vehicle ‘Constitutional Gallery’ area.
safety, power grid synchronisation, real-time
train information systems, and fishermen’s • At the latitude of Parliament, it takes 49 hours,
safety. 59 minutes and 18 seconds for the pendulum to
• Other upcoming initiatives such as common alert complete one rotation.
protocol based emergency warning, time
dissemination, geodetic network, and unmanned About Foucault pendulum
aerial vehicles are in the process of adopting the
NavIC system. • The Foucault pendulum is named for Léon
• Some cell phone chipsets such as the ones built by Foucault (1819-1868), the French physicist who
Qualcomm and MediaTek integrated NavIC first devised the apparatus in the mid-19th
receivers in 2019. century.
• It is a deceptively simple device used to illustrate
Significant Features of regional navigation system the earth’s rotation.
• The pendulum consists of a heavy bob suspended
• There are four global satellite-based navigation at the end of a long, strong wire from a fixed point
systems — the American GPS, the Russian in the ceiling.
GLONASS (GLObalnaya NAvigatsionnaya • It has been designed and installed by the National
Sputnikovaya Sistema), the European Galileo, and Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata
the Chinese Beidou. Japan has a four-satellite
system that can augment GPS signals over the
country, similar to India’s GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO 4.5. Betelgeuse Star
Augmented Navigation). Why In News?
• NavIC is better than GPS in some aspects. While
GPS can get you within 20 metres of your • Researchers from Japan and Switzerland recently
target, NaVIC is more accurate and can get you reported that the Betelgeuse star is in its late
even closer—within 5 metres. carbon-burning stage.
o For individual users, this might not be
significant but for military equipment like About Betelgeuse Star
guided missiles, it is crucial.
• However, unlike GPS, which can be used anywhere • Betelgeuse is classified as a red supergiant, the
in the world, NaVIC is regional and can only be largest type of star. It is more than 10 times the
used within India and up to 1,500 km from its mass of sun. If it resided at the center of solar
borders. system, its surface would extend to the planet
• NavIC uses satellites in high geo-stationery Jupiter.
orbit — the satellites move at a constant speed • At roughly 10 million years old, Betelgeuse is much
younger than nearly 5-billion-year-old Sun. But
M.S.Shashank
while it is much younger, it is also much more • As this process repeats itself, the star appears to a
massive and will burn through its materials faster distant observer to dim and brighten at regular
and will therefore have a shorter lifespan than a intervals.
star like the Sun.
• Betelgeuse is about 640 light-years away. This 4.6. 3D Digitisation of Museums
means that it takes the light from this star 641
years to reach Earth, so if you see Betelgeuse in Why In News?
the night sky, you’re seeing the star from 640 years
ago. • The Union government has planned to complete
• Betelgeuse is particularly easy to spot because of 3D digitisation of all museums under its
its brightness; it is often the tenth-brightest star in administrative control by the year end for better
the sky. conservation of artifacts.
• It is called ‘Thiruvathirai’ or ‘Ardra’ in Indian
astronomy, and is easily spotted in About
the constellation Orion. • Museums include Salar Jung museum, Hyderabad,
the Allahabad Museum in Prayagraj, the Indian
Burning Stages of Star Museum, Kolkata, the Victoria Memorial Hall, the
• Betelgeuse’s observed pulsation matches National Museum and the National Gallery of
theoretical estimates from a late carbon-burning Modern Art.
stage, suggesting the red supergiant is in its death • Besides aiding conservation, 3D digitisation in the
throes. museum space can offer visitors new ways to
• In massive stars like Betelgeuse, the carbon- access and explore the collection.
burning stage lasts only up to a few hundreds of • 3D models can be used in augmented reality and
years, after which the star ‘dies’ and collapses virtual reality learning experiences, and facilitate
into a supernova within a few months. 3D printing.
• Most stars, including the Sun, fuse hydrogen, to
produce helium and some energy as a byproduct. 3D scanning
This energy’s outward push balances gravity’s • It will mean analysing a real-world object or
inward pull, and keeps the star from collapsing. environment to collect three-dimensional data of
• Massive stars like Betelgeuse run out of hydrogen its shape and possibly its appearance. The
fuel in only a few crore years, when they switch to collected data is then used to construct digital 3D
using helium to make carbon. The energy models.
released in the fusion of helium is less than that of • The entire process was being carried out by the
hydrogen, so the star burns more helium to stay Ministry of Electronics and Information
stable. The helium runs out in about ten lakh Technology (MeitY). A Memorandum of
years. Understanding has been signed between
• At this time, red giants like Betelgeuse burn the MeitY and Union Culture Ministry for this.
carbon, then silicon, and briskly consume one by
one the elements of the periodic table, until finally JATAN virtual museum builder software
their core brims with iron – whose fusion requires • The 3D digitisation would be done using
more energy than it releases – and some cobalt the JATAN virtual museum builder
and nickel. software which has been designed and developed
• Each of these stages is shorter than the by Human Centres Design and Computing Group,
predecessor. In a star like Betelgeuse, carbon Centre for Development of Smart Computing,
burns in a few hundred years whereas silicon lasts Pune.
about a day. So the late-carbon stage is the • JATAN is a digital collection management
terminal phase of Betelgeuse system for Indian museums.
• It is a client server application with features such
Reason for the Changing Brightness of the Star as image cropping, watermarking, unique
numbering, and management of digital objects
• Red giant stars expand and contract due to with multimedia representations.
the periodic heating and cooling of the • It can create 3D virtual galleries and provide public
hydrogen in their outermost layers. access through web, mobile or touch screen
kiosks.
M.S.Shashank
4.7. Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of hyperspectral technology. The soil reflectance

Technology observations measured by the sensors offer more
direct, cost-effective datasets to estimate soil
Why In News?
organic carbon.
• This will also help to develop the early detection of
• The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
crop stress, accurate diagnostics of crop stress due
recently signed a MOU with Pixxel Space India
to pest/disease or water using hyper spectral data
Pvt. Limited to develop various geospatial
offer numerous opportunities to strengthen the
solutions for the Indian Agriculture
current advisory system of the Government
Ecosystem using Pixxel’s hyperspectral dataset.
benefiting millions of farmers.
• The new technology will reduce dependence on
About
manual surveys and measurements which are time
consuming and prone to errors.
• The project focuses on leveraging
sample hyperspectral data from Pixels path
finder satellites to develop analytics models 4.8. Fibonacci Spirals
focused on crop mapping, crop stage
Why In News?
discrimination, crop health monitoring, and soil
organic carbon assessments.
• New study shows that Today, few plants don’t
• This will enable the Government to develop use
cases with hyperspectral data provided by Pixel. follow a Fibonacci pattern.
MNCFC on behalf of the DA&FW will associate
with Pixel team for developing and implementing About Fibonacci spirals
the suitable methodologies.
• The characteristic of being arranged in spirals
What is Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Technology? that adhere to a numerical sequence called
the Fibonacci sequence.
• Hyperspectral remote sensing, also known o Spirals occur frequently in nature and
as imaging spectroscopy, is currently being used can be seen in plant leaves, animal shells
by researchers and scientists with regard to the and even in the double helix of our DNA.
detection and identification of minerals, terrestrial • In most cases, these spirals relate to the
vegetation, and man-made materials and Fibonacci sequence – a set of numbers where
backgrounds. each is the sum of the two numbers that
• With advancing technology, imaging spectroscopy precede it (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and so on).
has begun to focus on the Earth. The concept of • They are extremely widespread in plants and
hyperspectral remote sensing began in the mid- can even be recognised with the naked eye.
80's and to this point has been used most widely • They have fascinated scientists from Leonardo
by geologists for the mapping of minerals. da Vinci to Charles Darwin.
• Actual detection of materials is dependent on the
spectral coverage, spectral resolution, and signal- Highlights of recent study
to-noise of the spectrometer, the abundance of
the material and the strength of absorption • Fibonacci spirals are so common in plants today
features for that material in the wavelength region
that they are believed to represent an ancient
measured.
and highly conserved feature, dating back to the
earliest stages of plant evolution and persisting
Applications in Agriculture
in their present forms.
• However, a new study challenges this viewpoint.
• This is an emerging technology with unique
capabilities for monitoring agriculture. Crop health Scientists examined the spirals in the leaves and
monitoring by detecting the changes in chlorophyll reproductive structures of a fossilized plant
content and canopy moisture status, using dating back 407 million years.
hyperspectral data would be beneficial to find crop o Surprisingly, they discovered that all of
risk management solutions to farmers. the spirals observed in this particular
• Soil nutrient mapping including soil organic carbon species did not follow this same rule.
assessments is one of the important applications
M.S.Shashank
4.9. Cell-cultivated Chicken Challenges
• Consumer acceptance – Perfectly substituting

Why In News? animal meat with alternative meat requires the
latter to match the former’s taste, texture, and
• Recently, two California-based companies were appearance, and cost.
cleared to make and sell cell-cultivated chicken in o Researchers have achieved some success
the country . on these counts but it remains a work in
progress, especially as more meats acquire
Cell-cultivated chicken alternative counterparts.
• Cost – The cost of cell-cultivated meat is expected
• It's meat grown from the cells of animals in steel to remain high in the near future.
tanks for human consumption. o It may never be cost-competitive, while
• Though it's known in the industry as cultivated reports have also expressed concerns
meat, it's sometimes called cultured meat, lab- about the costs imposed by quality
grown meat or cell-based meat. control, especially at scale.
• Livestock doesn’t need to be raised and killed to
produce this new type of meat. A World Health Organization report on the food
• The first country to approve the sale of alternative safety aspects of cell-based food noted several
meat was Singapore in 2020. potential issues, such as microbial
• There are more than 150 companies around the contamination at various points in the process,
world trying to develop these food products. biological residues and by-products and
• They're working on a variety of meats: chicken, scaffolding that some people might be allergic to
beef, pork and lamb.
Process
• It starts with cells, which can come from a

fertilized egg, a special bank of stored cells or
tissue initially taken from a living animal.
• The cells are mixed with a broth of nutrients that
the cells need to grow and divide.
• Cells are triggered to turn into skeletal muscle, fat
and connective tissues. After days or weeks, the
cells are removed from the tanks and shaped into
products such as nuggets.
Purpose and Needs
• Its proponents have advanced the following

arguments in favour of developing lab-grown
meat: emissions, land use, prevention of animal
slaughter, food security, and customisation.
o It is better for the animals and for the
environment because land does not need
to be cleared for grazing or growing feed.
o The FAO has estimated that global
livestock is responsible for 14.5% of all
anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions.
• It can be customized to be healthier than their

animal counterpart, such as being designed to
contain less fat, thus contributing to public health.
M.S.Shashank
5. Social Issues & Justice

5.1. Manual Scavenging amount, and loan subsidies with capped
interest rates on sanitation equipment.
Why In News? o The Union Budget for 2023-24 showed
â‚¹100-crore allocation for the NAMASTE
• According to the Ministry of Social Justice and scheme and no allocation for the
Empowerment's recent report only 66% of rehabilitation scheme.
districts in a country are free of manual • Manual scavenging as defined under Section 2
scavenging. (1) (g) of the “Prohibition of Employment
as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation
About Manual scavenging Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)” is prohibited with
effect from 6.12.2013.
• The Act of Manual Scavenging refers to manually o No person or agency can engage or
cleaning, carrying, and disposing of, or handling employ any person for manual
in any manner, human excreta in an insanitary scavenging from the above date.
latrine. o Any person or agency who engages any
• In 2013, the definition of manual scavengers was person for manual scavenging in
also broadened to include people employed to violation of the provisions of the MS Act,
clean septic tanks, ditches, or railway tracks. 2013 is punishable under Section 8 of the
above Act, with imprisonment upto 2
Issues and Concerns years or fine upto Rs. One Lakh or both.
• Under Swachhta Udyami Yojana of National
• Manual scavenging is a “dehumanizing practice” Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development
which has been carried on in the country with Corporation, concessional loans are provided to
a background of historical injustice and safai karamcharis, manual scavengers & their
indignity suffered by the manual scavengers. dependants and the Urban Local Bodies & other
• It constitutes problems that encompass agencies responsible for cleaning, for
domains of health and occupation, human procurement of sanitation related
rights and social justice, gender and caste, and instruments/vehicles.
human dignity. • A short-duration training programme (RPL) is
• Manual scavenging and deaths of people organised for the sanitation workers wherein
trapped in flooded sewer lines continue to be a they are trained in safe and mechanised cleaning
reality though the practice was banned. practices.
• The workers were made to work in the most
hazardous way. Constitutional Safeguards:
• There was not enough protective gear and tech
support and they continue to do it manually. • Article 14: Equality before law. (Right to Equality)
• Other issues are Poverty and Caste- • Article 15: Prohibition of discrimination on
discrimination grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of
birth.
Initiatives • Article 16: (2): Equality of opportunity in matters
of public employment,
• NAMASTE scheme: The scheme for • Article 19: (1) (g): Right to Freedom – to practice
rehabilitation of manual scavengers has now any profession, or to carry on any occupation,
been merged with the NAMASTE scheme for trade or business
100% mechanisation of sewer work. • Article 21: Protection of life and personal liberty
o The NAMASTE scheme provides capital
subsidies to sewer cleaners on the Supreme Court’s Judgements
purchase of sanitation machinery,
training of workers with a stipend • The apex court itself had reinforced the
prohibition and directed the rehabilitation of
M.S.Shashank
people, traditionally and otherwise, employed as the heart of Europe, and further climate
manual scavengers in its judgment in Safai instability across the world.
Karamchari Andolan And Others vs. Union of
India. Reuters Institute
o The judgment had called for their
“rehabilitation based on the principles of • The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
justice and transformation”. is part of the Department of Politics and
International Relations at the University of
Oxford, and affiliated with Green Templeton
College.
• The core funding comes from the Thomson
Reuters Foundation.
• The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
is dedicated to exploring the future of
journalism worldwide through debate,
engagement, and research.
Major Findings of the Report
• Structural Shifts: Various shocks of the last few

years, including the war in Ukraine and the
Coronavirus pandemic, have accelerated
structural shifts towards more digital, mobile,
and platform-dominated media environments.
o Facebook remains one of the most-used
social networks overall, but its influence
Suggestions on journalism is declining as it shifts its
focus away from news.
• Proper implementation of the rules, and o It also faces new challenges from
adequate monitoring are absolutely essential. established networks such as YouTube
• Simultaneously, all efforts must be taken, within and vibrant youth-focused networks
existing schemes, to provide compensation to such as TikTok.
the family members of those who have died, and • Increasing relevance of Celebrities and
to provide them a way out of the profession, if Influencers: When it comes to news, audiences
they so wish. pay more attention to celebrities, influencers,
• There is a need for bio-toilets to prevent deaths and social media personalities than journalists in
of manual scavengers, and increase fund networks like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
allocation for their rehabilitation. • Algorithms: Much of the public is sceptical of
the algorithms used to select what they see via
5.2. Reuters Institute Digital News search engines, social media, and other
Report 2023 platforms. Despite this, on average, users still
slightly prefer news selected this way to that
Why In News?
chosen by editors or journalists (27%).
• Participation in online news: Despite hopes that
• The 12th edition Reuters Institute Digital News
the internet could widen democratic debate,
Report in collaboration with the Asian College of
fewer people are now participating in online
Journalism is released.
news than in the recent past. Aggregated across
markets, only around a fifth (22%) are now active
About the Report
participants, with around half (47%) not
participating in news at all.
• It surveys the news consumption habits of
• Trust in news: Trust in the news
consumers on six continents across 46 markets.
has fallen, across markets, by a further 2
• This year’s report comes against the backdrop of
percentage points in the last year, reversing – in
a global cost-of-living crisis, a continuing war in
M.S.Shashank
many countries – the gains made at the height of o WhatsApp (47%) and Facebook (39%)
the Coronavirus pandemic. were the next two preferred social
o Finland remains the country with the media platforms for news in India among
highest levels of overall trust (69%), the survey respondents.
while Greece (19%) has the lowest after
a year characterised by heated Changing platforms and the implications for
arguments about press freedom and the publishers
independence of the media.
• Traditional Media: Consumption of traditional • A running sore for news publishers over the last
media, such as TV and print, continues to fall in decade or more has been the increasing
most markets, with online and social influence of tech platforms and other
consumption not making up the gap. intermediaries on the way news is accessed and
o Across countries the majority of online monetised.
users say they still prefer to read the • Although search and social media play different
news rather than watch or listen to it. roles, news access has for some time been
o Video news consumption has been dominated by two giant companies: Google and
growing steadily across markets, with Facebook (now Meta), who at their height
most video content now accessed via accounted for just under half of online traffic to
third-party platforms such as YouTube news sites.
and Facebook. • The growing popularity of digital audio and
• News Podcast: News podcasting continues to video is bringing new platforms into play while
resonate with educated and younger audiences some consumers have adopted less toxic and
but remains a minority activity overall. more private messaging networks for
o Around a third (34%) access a podcast communication.
monthly, with 12% accessing a show • In some sense these changes represent a ‘new
relating to news and current affairs. normal’ where publishers need to navigate an
even more complex platform environment in
Indian Scenario which attention is fragmented, where trust is
low, and where participation is even less open
• Access to online news: There was a sharp and representative.
decrease in access to online news particularly
through social media.
o Television, popular among a large
section of the population, also saw
a decline as a news source with our
younger and more urban-based sample.
o These falls in news use can be attributed,
in part, to the reducing impact of the
pandemic, with lockdown restrictions
withdrawn.
• Decrease in Trust: India registered a small
decrease in overall trust in news compared to
last year, and was ranked 24th among 46
countries in this regard.
o Among individual news brands, public
broadcasters like DD India, All India
Radio, and BBC News retained high levels
of trust among survey respondents in
India, emphasizing the importance of
public service media.
• Social Media: YouTube was the most preferred
social media platform for news with 56% of the
respondents accessing it.
M.S.Shashank
6. Health
6.1. The violence faced by healthcare doctors wish to stop offering emergency
professionals services, refer patients sooner to more specialists,
and over-investigate symptoms and prescribe
Why In News?
more tests.
o They also tend to offer less lifesaving
• Recently a Dr. was stabbed to death in the line of
medical and surgical interventions that a
duty in the Kollam district of Kerala.
patient may require, over fear that a risky
procedure may provoke violent action. This
About the Issue
negatively affects the quality of healthcare.
• Over the years, there have been several episodes
Suggestions
of physical and verbal violence.
• Each episode has the people at large passionately
• We must spend more money to strengthen the
arguing the issue for a few days, only for their
system from the grassroots level, such as reducing
words to fade away until the next brutal incident.
long waiting periods for treatment.
• Doctors also stage protests but are ultimately
• The availability and accessibility of medicines,
honor-bound to return to duty, to reprise their
tests, and financial aid for those in need will greatly
roles as healers.
reduce their stress, instead of leaving them to hold
• Thus, the issue remains largely unaddressed.
their physicians responsible for it.
• Healthcare professionals need to work on their
Causes
communication skills and ensure meticulous
documentation.
• Often, patients or their relatives turn to violence
• At the same time, measures to mitigate workplace
because the healthcare system hasn’t met their
violence towards them must be multi-pronged and
expectations.
focus on institutional and policy measures.
• Some perpetrators become violent over concerns
• Ensuring that there are counselors to help patients
about the patient’s condition, such as actual or
and relatives in times of high emotional distress
perceived deterioration of their condition or
(together with people who can translate between
doubts about the wrong treatment being
languages) can eliminate any miscommunication
administered.
regarding a patient’s condition and treatment.
• Some others become violent due to issues such as
• In addition, a robust security system and not
high payment dues and protracted waiting times.
allowing more than a few relatives by a patient’s
bedside may also be important — as well as
Effect of Violence
enforcing the law well enough to bring
perpetrators to book in a reasonable span of time.
• Psychological Impact: Being on the receiving end
• There is a need to learn from China that such
of verbal or physical violence has an immense
policies in India would improve Indians’ trust in the
psychological impact.
Indian healthcare system as well.
o Some studies have reported symptoms
of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety,
and depression in doctors who have faced 6.2. Hysterectomies
violence from patients or their kin.
Why In News?
• Effect Rural Healthcare: India has a skewed
doctor-patient ratio (1:854, including Ayurveda
The Union Health Ministry recently urged State
and homeopathy practitioners), doctors often
governments to audit hysterectomy trends in public
decide to operate in resource-abundant settings
and private hospitals, in response to a Supreme Court
for their own security. This in turn affects rural
petition arguing that women from marginalised
healthcare.
locations are at risk of unjustified hysterectomies for
• Effect Quality of Healthcare: After experiencing
economic gains and exploitation.
violence, the PLoS ONE study found that
M.S.Shashank
• The Court also gave a three-month deadline to healthcare to women” and violated their “rights to
States, directing them to implement the guidelines health, bodily integrity and informed consent
previously issued by the Centre.
Effect
About Hysterectomy
• Hysterectomies may cause long-term injuries and
• Hysterectomy is an operation to remove the disabilities, requiring follow-up and post-operative
uterus. care, both rarely available or affordable.
• the criteria for getting a hysterectomy: The • In some cases, where hysterectomies are not
highest percentage of hysterectomies were to justified yet still done, women may continue to
treat excessive menstrual bleeding or pain (51.8%); suffer post-surgery and might need additional
24.94% for fibroids; 24.94% for cysts and 11.08% surgery.
for uterine disorder or rupture, according to NFHS-
5 data. Yet, studies have shown that “many of Governments Step
these causes were considered to be treatable and
surgery could be avoided”. • The Union Health Ministry in 2022 issued
guidelines to prevent unnecessary hysterectomies
• A majority of these cases were reported among — listing possible indications of when
socially and economically disadvantaged women. hysterectomy may be required and alternative
clinical treatments for gynaecological issues.
Existing Issues o Further, they recommended setting up
district, State-level and national
• The procedure can easily be misused by either hysterectomy monitoring committees to
private clinics who earn profits (from insurance monitor and collect data on age, mortality,
money) or by contractors in unorganised sectors and occupations, among other details.
such as the sugar-cane-cutting industry, where • The monitoring committees are also tasked with
‘wombless women’ are the norm to eliminate the creating awareness, among both practitioners and
need for menstrual care and hygiene among patients, about bodily anatomy, the role of uterus
workers. and when hysterectomies are actually indicated.
• despite the provisions, private hospitals in Bihar, • The government’s flagship health insurance
Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan engaged in unethical programme, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri
practices, unnecessary procedures and did not Jan Arogya Yojana provides health cover of â‚¹5
inform women of side effects or take their lakh for 1,949 procedures, including
informed consent. hysterectomies.
• In doing so, they “failed in providing and regulating • The government has authorised 45,434 hospitals
constitutionally mandated reproductive to conduct these operations.
7. education
7.1. “Professors of Practice” (PoP)
Why In News?
About the “Professors of Practice” (PoP) portal
• Recently, the University Grants Commission
(UGC) has launched an online portal to facilitate • The scheme for PoP was introduced as a part of
the recruitment of industry experts as “Professors the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
of Practice” (PoP) for India's education o The recent launch of the portal is a
institutions. significant step in the implementation of
the same.
M.S.Shashank
• It aims to bring expertise from industry and other Accountant, Industries, and other financial
fields such as art, crafts and other professional services have been identified for training.
areas into higher education institutes (HEIs). • It will also provide industry-oriented training to
the trainees, proficiency in latest technology and
processes, thereby enhancing their regular
employability.
Features
• The portal will function as a common platform for Eligibility
the experts and the universities.
o The experts can register themselves by • The local residents of Madhya Pradesh, in the age
uploading their biodata, and the platform group of 18 to 29 years, whose educational
will also enable them to contact the qualification is 12th or ITI or higher, will be eligible
universities that require “professors of in the scheme. The selected youth will be called
practice”. student trainees.
o The platform will also allow educational
institutions to register, give 7.3. India’s Higher Education Sector
advertisements and approach these
experts. Why In News?
• The number of such PoPs will be restricted to 10
percent of the total sanctioned faculty positions in Faculty shortages have existed in India’s higher
higher education institutions (HEIs). education sector at least since the 1980s, but seem to
have become permanent today.
Objectives
India’s Higher Education
• It aims to enhance the quality of higher
education by bringing practitioners, • The term ‘higher education’ with respect to India
policymakers, skilled professionals, etc. into the denotes the tertiary level education that is
higher education system. imparted after 12 years of schooling (10 years of
• This will help to take real-world practices and primary education and 2 years of secondary
education).
experiences into the classrooms and also
• The structure of Indian Higher Education is three-
augment the faculty resources in higher
layered, consisting of Universities, Colleges, and
education institutions.
Courses.
• In turn, the industry and society will benefit
o All these institutions fall under the purview
from trained graduates equipped with the of the Ministry of Education.
relevant skills.
Importance
7.2. MP’s CM Learn and Earn scheme
• In today’s day and age, the premise that quality
Why In News higher education is crucial for sustainable human
development is undeniable.
• The Madhya Pradesh cabinet headed by the CM • Higher education leads to acquiring analytical and
approved the ‘Mukhyamantri Seekho-Kamao problem-solving skills, ultimately helping humans
Yojana’ (CM Learn and Earn Scheme). to develop intellectual curiosity and character.
• It pushes the students to identify and set career
Mukhyamantri Seekho-Kamao Yojana’ (CM Learn goals that make them ready for professional
and Earn Scheme) setups.
• Therefore, a refined higher education enables
• Under the scheme, unemployed youth will get a economic, physical, and social well-being for a
stipend of Rs 8,000 to 10,000 per month as student.
financial assistance during the period of skill
learning in various establishments. Issues Linked
• 703 work areas including: Engineering, Tourism,
Hotel Management, Hospital, Railway, ITI, • It is crisis-ridden, understaffed, and underfunded.
Software Development, Banking, Chartered
M.S.Shashank
• There is a huge shortage of teaching staff or faculty and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in
in the higher education system in India. higher education improved by 4.2%,
• Lack of reliable data on current faculty resources 11.9% and 4%, respectively, compared
in colleges and universities. with 2019-20, the Muslim
▪ There is no standing mechanism to collect this community’s enrolment declined by
information regularly. 8%, numbering around 1,79,000
▪ The government does collect data on colleges students.
and universities, including the number of o It is caused partially by the COVID-19
faculty members, for the annual All India pandemic, points to the relative
Survey of Higher Education (AISHE), but this is economic impoverishment of the
a voluntary process for various institutions. community, which forces its talented
▪ The responsibility for the accuracy of the data students to pursue earning
rests with the concerned institution, meaning opportunities after completing
the information provided is not independently schooling rather than enrolling for
verified by any independent agency higher education, beginning at the
▪ Most academic institutions have messy and graduation level.
incomplete websites containing only partial
information about their faculty bodies. Impacts
• Different types of faculty shortages: There may • India’s higher education system is structurally
even be an oversupply in some disciplines or flawed and this crisis can affect innovation and
locations and an acute shortage in others. human capital.
• Many private colleges and universities also hire • Such flaws could affect macroeconomic indicators
less qualified people in poorly paid part-time such as labour productivity, which is determined
positions instead of better qualified, regular by innovation and human capital, among other
faculty members, to keep costs down. things.
• Reservations reduce the pool of qualified people, • The existing flows also undermines the growth of
sometimes severely. the country’s knowledge sector and hinder its
• In Many cases, positions also remain vacant due to aspiration to be recognised as a “Vishwa guru”.
caste-based discrimination.
• Faculty positions remain vacant due to the Suggestions
unavailability of qualified applicants
• Unwillingness among faculty members to work at • Colleges and universities need a sufficient number
select institutions due to their unfavourable of teachers and researchers to create and
location . disseminate knowledge.
• Other Issues: Indian universities persist in • There is a need for a standing mechanism to
separating research and teaching activities, monitor the size and quality of faculty resources
depriving students of exposure to cutting-edge and for data on faculty members to be made
ideas. available on the website of every academic
institution.
o Monetary incentives for academia are • In addition, an increase in research could lead to
practically non-existent, and Indian more innovation in the economy, which might in
R&D expenditure is one of the lowest turn drive up labour productivity.
in emerging economies. o Higher education has a potential twofold
o It is not surprising, then, that Indian effect on productivity
universities rank low in both research • The government needs to ensure that higher
and teaching education’s role in innovation and human capital
• Underrepresentation of some is not ignored.
communities: Muslim community is lagging • The reforms must be pushed through and must
behind all communities, including the lead to legislation that will fund research-based
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in universities.
higher education(The AISHE Survey 2020-21) o this can bring a culture of discovery and
o At a time when the enrolment of accountability to India’s higher education
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes institutions.
M.S.Shashank
8. Agriculture
8.1. Minimum Support Prices (MSP) • In addition, MSP for Toria and de-husked
coconut is also fixed on the basis of MSPs of
Why In News? rapeseed & mustard and copra respectively.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

8.2. Indo-US cooperation in agriculture
(CCEA) has approved the increase in Minimum
Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Kharif Crops Why In News?
for 2023-24.
• The role played by the USA in India’s agricultural
What is MSP? development during the 1950s and 1960s is not
well known.
• Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market
intervention by the Government of India to insure Indo-US cooperation in agriculture
agricultural producers against any sharp fall in
farm prices. • Agricultural Research Partnerships:
• The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs o Experts in both countries are trying to
announces the MSP at the start of each sowing identify the most useful areas to focus on
season, taking into account the recommendations in terms of possible future
of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices collaborations on agricultural research,
(CACP) information exchanges, and technology
• MSP protects the producer- farmers against transfer initiatives that can foster deeper
distress sale during bumper production years. cooperation on sustainable agriculture.
Background • USA's land-grant universities:

o These institutions, set up in the USA on
• MSP was first introduced in the 1965-66 season public land, engaged in
for wheat. Later the coverage was expanded to agricultural education as well as research
coarse cereals. and extension activity.
• In 1965 the government decided to set up a o This was unlike the agricultural and
permanent body, called the Agricultural Prices veterinary colleges of the 1950's in India
Commission to recommend MSP.This was where Research and extension (training
renamed as the Commission for Agricultural Costs farmers in adopting scientific cultivation
and Prices in 1985. practices) was largely left to the state
agricultural departments.
Crops Covered o The model has led to as many as eight
agricultural universities coming up in
• The Centre announces the MSP (which is not India.
legally guaranteed) for 22 mandated ▪ All the eight universities received
crops and Fair & Remunerative Price for the US Agency for International
sugarcane. Development’s assistance for
• These include training of faculty and provision of
o 14 kharif crops (paddy, jowar, bajra, equipment and books. Each was
maize, ragi, tur/arhar, moong, urad, further linked to a US land-grant
groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, institution.
sesamum, niger seed, cotton), ▪ The universities were to have their
o 6 rabi crops (wheat, barley, gram, own research farms, regional
masur/lentil, rapeseed and mustard, and stations and sub-stations,
safflower) and and seed production facilities.
o 2 commercial crops (jute and copra).
M.S.Shashank
• The Green Revolution’s seeds: channels for U.S. markets and benefitting
o Traditional wheat and rice varieties were Indian farmers with secured markets.
tall and slender. • Expertise for the local maket:
o In 1949, an American biologist S.C. o U.S. firms can help India develop value
Salmon identified a wheat variety chains for new crops, such as sugar beet,
called ‘Norin-10’. to cater to new demands of its growing
▪ Its plants grew to only 2-2.5 feet, middle class and global consumer
as against the 4.5-5 feet height of markets.
traditional tall varieties. o The U.S. agricultural sector can also bring
o In India, the green revolution was its expertise in internet and digital
launched under the guidance of geneticist innovations to help the growing demand
M. S. Swaminathan. in India for technology that can help to
▪ The Green Revolution period modernize and streamline several aspects
began in the 1960s during which of India’s agriculture value chains.
agriculture in India was converted
into a modern industrial system by 8.3. Food Supply Situation in India Ahead of
the adoption of technology, such
as the use of high-yielding variety
Monsoon 2023
(HYV) seeds, mechanised farm
Why in News?
tools, irrigation facilities,
pesticides and fertilizers.
• As the monsoon season approaches, the food
Significance of partnership supply situation in India is being closely
monitored. While there are currently no
• What made the US so much interested in India’s shortages, the spatial and temporal distribution of
agricultural development the way the Soviet the monsoon rainfall plays a crucial role.
Union promoted its industrialization? • The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has
o The answer probably lies in the Cold War forecasted just-about-normal rainfall during the
geopolitics and great-power rivalry of southwest monsoon season (June-September).
those times. • The implications of the monsoon on food supply
o It resulted in competition to do-good, will have a significant impact on the Reserve Bank
extending to “fighting world hunger” and of India's monetary policy.
sharing of knowledge and plant genetic
material that were viewed as “global What is the Current Status of the Food Supply?
public goods”.
Fine Balance in Wheat:
Opportunities
• Unseasonal rain and gusty winds in March and
• Cold chain transportation: early April in 2023 affected standing wheat crops.
o With a high percentage of waste in its • However, the yield losses were not as severe as
current agricultural initially feared.
transportation infrastructure, the Indian • Government agencies have procured about 26.2
market can provide significant new million tonnes of wheat during the current
investment opportunities for leading U.S. marketing season, ensuring sufficient stocks.
companies in cold chain transportation • Although wheat stocks appear low, the combined
logistics and frozen foods distribution. stocks of wheat and rice are ample to meet the
• Strategic supplier to the US: requirements of the public distribution system and
o With new reforms designed to expand other welfare schemes.
contract farming, India could become
a cost-effective strategic supplier to the Relief in Milk Supply:
United States for key food products with • February-March 2023 witnessed unprecedented
new agriculture value chains designed to milk shortages, leading to soaring prices.
meet the needs of U.S. consumers,
thereby creating additional food supply
M.S.Shashank
• However, the situation has improved due to a • The main concern is the monsoon's impact on
comparatively mild summer and favorable pre- sugarcane, which requires significant water during
monsoon showers. the growth phase.
• Improved fodder supplies and high milk prices • Sugar production for the next year depends on a
have triggered a supply response from farmers. normal monsoon.
Tightrope Walk in Sugar: Edible Oil and Pulses:
• The closing stocks of sugar for the current sugar • The supply position for edible oils seems
year (October-September 2023) are projected to comfortable due to viable imports covering
be 5.7 million tonnes. domestic crop shortfalls.
• This level of stocks can meet the domestic • Global price crashes have made imported crude
requirement for 2.5 months, including the peak palm, soybean, and sunflower oil affordable.
festival season demand. • Ample stocks of chickpeas and imports of masoor
red lentils contribute to a comfortable supply of
pulses.
9. Environment
• Humid tropics and high altitudes - Natural lakes
9.1. Impact of climate change on water located in humid tropics and high altitudes are also
bodies experiencing water shortages.
• Human activities - Such as unsustainable
Why in news? consumption of water and increasing temperature
and potential evapotranspiration (PET) have led to
• Climate change has severe effects on waterbodies reduced water levels
causing decline in freshwater supply, environment
degradation and deterioration of water quality for What are the consequences of shrinking lakes?
humans and livestock.
• Nearly two billion people or one-quarter of the
Effects of the climate changes on water bodies global population in 2023 will be affected as their
livelihood depends on lakes.
• World’s largest lakes and reservoirs - Have shrunk • Affects hydroelectricity generation as lakes are
more than 50% over the 3 decades. important source of hydroelectricity.
• From these water bodies, approximately 600 cubic • Freshwater decline and environmental
km of water was lost between 1992 and 2020 degradation.
which is equivalent to the total water used in the • Disrupts the water and carbon cycles.
United States for the entire year of 2015. • Reduce the environmental capacity to absorb
• Sedimentation - Main cause of the decline in the carbon dioxide and increase carbon emissions as
water storage for more than more than half of the lakes are hotspots of carbon cycling.
reservoirs located in peninsular India.
• Sedimentation has a larger impact than hydro ways to conserve water bodies.
climate variability such as droughts and recovery
from droughts. • There is a need to manage water bodies in an
• Among the worst affected natural lakes in the integrated manner.
country is Ladakh’s Tso Moriri. • Restrictions on water consumption and climate
• Water consumption - Unsustainable water mitigation to bring down global temperatures.
consumption in the world’s large lake have led to • Promote sustainable fisheries.
the decreased water levels. • Reduction in water pollution
• Arctic lakes - Shrunk as a result of a combination • To make awareness about responsible use of
of changes in precipitation, runoff, temperature, water.
and PET, which are likely a concurrent result of • To manage Nutrient Runoffs.
natural variability and climate change.
M.S.Shashank
9.2. Aviation Sector & Climate Change formation, and the potential influence of
contrails on cirrus clouds.
• GHG emissions: The burning of fossil fuels in
Why In News? aircraft engines produces carbon dioxide, water
vapour, nitrogen oxides, and other greenhouse
• France recently announced a ban on domestic gases that contribute to climate change.
flights on short routes that can be easily covered o Recent research suggests that aviation
by train in less than two-and-a-half hours. CO2 emissions should be multiplied by 1.9
o The decision was undertaken in an times to take account of the added
attempt to minimize carbon emissions impact of these other gasses at altitude.
from the aviation sector.
Climate change impact on aviation
More about the News
• The main expected impacts of climate change on
• France became the first country in the world to aviation result from changes in temperature,
impose a ban on short-haul domestic flights. The precipitation, storms, sea level, wind and
country brought in a new law, effective from May occurrence of hazardous weather phenomena,
23, that bars air travel to destinations that can be changes in the jet stream have impact on the air
covered by up to two-and-a-half hour journey by transport and airport operations.
train. • Those impacts may include reduced aircraft
• On average, the plane emits 77 times more CO2 performance, changes in the structure of demand,
per passenger than the train on these routes, even potential damage to airport infrastructure, airport
though the train is cheaper and the time lost is capacity loss, flight schedules disruptions and
limited to 40 minutes. impacts on air traffic safety.
• In a recent report, a clean transport campaign
group in Europe called Transport and Environment Steps taken to restrict emissions from aviation sector
estimated that private jets were 5 to 14 times
more polluting, per passenger, than commercial • Global Initiatives:
planes, and 50 times more polluting than trains. o Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme
for International Aviation, or CORSIA: In
Carbon emissions by the Aviation Sector 2016, the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) put in place an offset
• Air transport, globally, accounts for just about 2 mechanism to ensure that any increase in
percent of global carbon dioxide emissions every emissions over 2020 levels is compensated
year, and less than two per cent of greenhouse for by the airline industry
gas emissions. through investment in carbon saving
• Also, airplanes produce non-CO2 emissions as projects elsewhere.
well, and their impact on global warming is equally ▪ It only seeks to offset emissions
significant. According to the UN Climate Change, if that are over and above 2020
the non-CO2 emissions, like water vapour, are levels. It does not deal with total
also accounted for, the airline industry would be emissions.
responsible for causing almost five per cent of ▪ The offset plan is supposed to run
historical global warming. from 2021 to 2035.
• The European Commission predicts that by o Long-Term Aspirational Goals (LTAG): The
the middle of the 21st century, demand for flying 41st ICAO Assembly adopted a long-term
could increase aviation’s greenhouse gas global aspirational goal (LTAG) for
emissions by upwards of 300% over 2005 levels if international aviation of net-zero carbon
no drastic measures are taken to reduce them. emissions by 2050 in support of the
UNFCCC Paris Agreement's temperature
How emissions from the Aviation Sector impacts goal.
Climate Change? o The LTAG does not attribute specific
obligations or commitments in the form
• Climatic Impact: The climate effects of aircraft are of emissions reduction goals to individual
not just a result of CO2, but also include effects States. Instead, it recognizes that each
associated with NOX emissions, contrail
M.S.Shashank
State's special circumstances and large commercial airliners is still some distance
respective capabilities (e.g., the level of away.
development, maturity of aviation
markets, sustainable growth of its 9.3. Chytridiomycosis
international aviation, just transition, and
national priorities of air transport
development) will inform the ability of Why In News?
each State to contribute to the LTAG
within its own national timeframe. • A new study has now developed a method to
• Indian Initiatives: detect all known strains of this disease, caused by
o Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): In a the amphibian chytrid fungus.
significant development towards
decarbonizing of the aviation sector, About Chytridiomycosis
India’s first commercial passenger flight
using indigenously produced Sustainable • Fungal Disease: Amphibian chytridiomycosis is
Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend was successfully an infectious fungal disease that can be fatal to
flown recently. amphibians.
▪ It is a significant milestone in the o Chytridiomycosis is a skin disease in
country's efforts towards Net Zero amphibians caused by either of two
emissions by 2070. India species of amphibian chytrid fungus. They
committed to net zero by 2070 at are called Batrachochytrium
the 26th Conference of Parties dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium
(COP26) to the United Nations salamandrivorans.
Framework Convention on Climate • Origin: Chytrid originated in Asia. It’s believed
Change. that global travel and trade in amphibians led to
o National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) the disease being unwittingly spread to other
2016: The Policy committed to inclusive continents.
and sustainable growth of the civil aviation • First pandemic: As the disease spread globally
sector in the country while mitigating its beginning in the 1970s, many populations
negative impacts on environment at the declined greatly and species became extinct. This
same time. pandemic served as a first precedent for the threat
o Green Airports: Green airport is an airport of infectious diseases directly on biodiversity.
that complies with the latest sustainability • Affecting Frog Species: It has been ravaging frog
criteria, reduces the effects of airport populations around the world, wiping out 90
activities on the environment, and species.
mitigates the impact of climate change on o Chytrid infects frogs by reproducing in
related facilities and operations. their skin. The single-celled fungus enters
o India’s Participation in CORSIA & LTAF: a skin cell, multiplies, then breaks back out
India will start participating in the onto the surface of the animal.
International Civil Aviation Organisation's o This damage to the skin affects the frog’s
(ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction ability to balance water and salt
Scheme for International Aviation levels, and eventually leads to death if
(CORSIA) and the Long-Term Aspirational infection levels are high enough.
Goals (LTAG) from 2027. • Why is it the deadliest? The extreme rate of
mortality, and the high number of species
Conclusion affected, makes chytrid unequivocally
the deadliest animal disease known to date.
• Reducing aviation emissions through other means o Frogs in regions such as Australia and the
has not proved to be easy. Unlike road or rail Americas did not have the evolutionary
travel, aviation does not have viable technology history with chytrid that could grant them
alternatives for shifting to cleaner fuels. resistance. So, when they were exposed to
• Biofuels have been tried and so have hydrogen this new pathogen, the results were
fuel cells. Solar powered planes have also made devastating.
trips. But use of these alternative fuels for flying
M.S.Shashank
o In the 1980s, amphibian biologists began o It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN
to notice sharp population declines, and in Climate Change Conference (COP21) in
1998, the chytrid fungal pathogen was Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It
finally recognised as the culprit. entered into force on 4 November 2016.
• Recent Study: Recently published in the journal • The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, a multilateral climate change process because, for
multinational study has now developed a method the first time, a binding agreement brings all
to detect all known strains of this disease. nations together to combat climate change and
adapt to its effects.
• This breakthrough will advance the ability to • Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the
detect and research this disease, working towards global average temperature to well below 2°C
a widely available cure. above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to
limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-
9.4. Reports on Global Warming of 1.5 °C industrial levels.”
Why In News? Why is it needed ?
• In recent years, world leaders have stressed the

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
released two reports titled “Global Annual to need to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end
Decadal Climate Update 2023-2027” and “State of of this century.
• That’s because the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel
Global Climate 2022.”
on Climate Change indicates that crossing the
Major Findings 1.5°C threshold risks unleashing far more severe
climate change impacts, including more frequent
• The predictions of the recently released reports and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall.
point to precipitation anomalies and an increase in
marine heat waves as compared to marine cold Issues
spells.
• Historically, developed countries are
• The El Niño, which is currently brewing, will
further strengthen this year, resulting in a 98% responsible for a major chunk of greenhouse
possibility of witnessing temperatures higher than gas (GHG) emissions.
o Therefore, they are expected to
2016 at least in one of the years in the 2023-27
period. assume more responsibility and
• Global surface temperature: The annual mean implement climate action.
• However, the Climate Performance Index over
global surface temperature between 2023 and
2027 will be 1.1-1.8 degree Celsius higher than the the years has shown otherwise.
o Countries like Australia, the U.S.,
baseline temperature of 1850-1900 or pre-
industrial levels. Japan, Russia and Canada have made
o In 2022, it was 1.15 degrees above the
little progress in meeting their
baseline, and by 2027, the average will pledges.
• Additionally, polluters like China, Iran and
exceed 1.5 degrees, a critical point beyond
which there may be no return. Saudi Arabia rank low in climate
• The cryosphere is shrinking, and there is a mass performance.
• The pandemic pushed the world into a socio-
loss of glaciers in High-mountain Asia, Western
North America, and South America. economic crisis. On the road to recovery,
o Due to the alarming rate of warming of the
countries pledged measures to build-back.
o However, in most cases there is little
Arctic Ocean, the Greenlandic ice sheet is
melting at a faster pace, contributing to to no consideration for building-back
the increase in sea level. in a sustainable manner.
• The Ukraine conflict has further added
What is the 1.5 degree Celsius target? to woes and sparked an energy crisis
• The 1.5 °C is the goal of the Paris Agreement which threatening climate goals.
is a legally binding international treaty on climate • For example, warming greater than the global
change. average is being experienced in the Arctic,
M.S.Shashank
with the term ‘polar amplification’ gaining • In 2022, India witnessed extreme weather
more traction. events for 80% of the days. Indian monsoons
were wetter than usual last year after
Global Impacts recording extreme heat during the pre-
monsoon period, resulting in wildfires in
• Climate risks and hazards impact human Uttarakhand and acute food shortages.
population and the ecosystem depending on • According to the Climate Change Performance
exposure, vulnerability, and adaptive Index 2023, India ranked eighth with a high-
capacity. performance after Denmark, Sweden, Chile,
o It has exacerbated food insecurity, and Morocco.
displacement, and deaths.
• Climate change has been affecting crop yield Way Ahead
negatively and the risks posed by agricultural
pests and diseases have also increased in the • Being an emerging economy with
past few years. development needs, India is attempting to
• Countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, balance its development needs with ongoing
Somalia, Yemen, and Afghanistan are facing climate action both at the domestic and
acute food shortages resulting in malnutrition international levels.
and hunger, demanding urgent humanitarian • With domestic measures like the Green
assistance. Hydrogen Mission and the introduction of
• However, food insecurity in these countries is green bonds, India is performing fairly well
due to the complex interaction of climate despite contributing only a miniscule to
conditions with other factors such as droughts, cumulative GHG emissions. At the
cyclones, and political and economic international level, through the International
instability. Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster
• The heatwaves in Pakistan and India in 2022 Resilient Infrastructure, India can prove to be
resulted in a decline in crop yields. a responsible climate player keeping in mind
• The floods in Pakistan affected croplands in that it has a long way to go in very little time.
southern and central parts of the country and
displaced eight million people within the 9.5. Intergovernmental Negotiating
country.
• Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems have also
Committee: UNEP
not been immune to such changes in climate
Why in News?
patterns. Phenological shifts and mismatches
have been recorded due to climate change. • Recently, the United Nations Environment
• The population of migratory species has Programme (UNEP) has gathered in Paris, France,
declined in Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, for the second meeting of the Intergovernmental
the warming above 1.5 degree Celsius can Negotiating Committee (INC-2).
prove lethal for coral reefs which are already
prone to bleaching. • The first session of the Intergovernmental
• According to the WMO, extreme weather Negotiating Committee (INC-1) concluded in
anomalies have caused the deaths of two Uruguay in 2022.
million people and incurred $4.3 trillion in • INC-2 aimed to set the stage for negotiations on
economic damages over the past fifty years. In the substance of a global deal to end plastic
2020-2021, 22,608 disaster deaths were pollution to edge closer to protecting ecosystems,
recorded globally. species and humanity from the grave impacts of
the linear plastics economy.
Impact on India
What are the Key Highlights of INC-2 Meeting?
• India has been increasingly facing the brunt of • The primary agenda of INC-2 was to adopt the
climate change. rules of procedure. The rules govern various
• February 2023 was recorded as the hottest aspects such as the negotiation process, decision-
month since record-keeping began in 1901. making procedures (consensus or voting), and the
entities authorized to make decisions.
M.S.Shashank
• During the previous INC-1 meeting, a part of Rule update national action plans reflecting country-
37, stating "each member shall have one vote," driven approaches to contribute to the objectives
was kept in brackets, indicating unresolved of the instrument.
disagreement. • They will be expected to promote national action
• The bracketed part now includes provisions from plans to work towards the prevention, reduction
the Minamata Convention, allowing regional and elimination of plastic pollution and to support
economic integration organizations (such as the regional and international cooperation.
European Union) to vote on behalf of their
member states. However, the member states What is the United Nations Environment Assembly?
must be present during voting or as part of the • It is the governing body of the UN Environment
committee. Programme.
• India has consistently insisted on bracketing Rule • It is the world’s highest-level decision-making
38, which states, “The Committee shall make body on the environment.
every effort to reach agreement on all matters of • The Assembly is made up of the 193 UN Member
substance by consensus. States and convenes every two years to advance
• If all efforts to reach consensus have been global environmental governance.
exhausted and no agreement has been reached, • It was created in June 2012, during the United
the decision shall, as a last resort, be taken by a Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,
two-thirds majority of the representatives of also referred to as RIO+20.
Members who are present and voting.”
• The formation of the OEWG (Open-Ended Working 9.6. India's Renewable Energy Growth
Group) has delayed the start of discussions in the
contact groups on substantive matters.
• In UNEA resolution 5/14, the assembly mandated Why in News?
an ad hoc open-ended working group (OEWG) to • A recent report called 'Low-cost finance for energy
lay the groundwork for negotiations. transition,' released by the International
Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), has recognized
What is the Intergovernmental Negotiation and praised India's outstanding progress in
Committee (INC)? expanding its renewable energy capacity.
About: • The report describes India's achievements as
• The INC was established in February 2022, at the "unprecedented".
5th session of the United Nations Environment
Assembly (UNEA-5.2). What are the Key Highlights of the Report?
• A historic resolution (5/14) was adopted to Unprecedented Growth in Renewable Energy Sector:
develop an international legally binding
instrument on plastic pollution, including in the National Targets:
marine environment with the ambition to • India aims to achieve 175 GW (100 GW from solar,
complete the negotiations by the end of 2024. 60 GW from wind) of renewable energy capacity
by 2022 and 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by
Need: 2030.
• The rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution
represent a serious global environmental issue Net-zero Target:
that negatively impacts the environmental, social, • India aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas
economic and health dimensions of sustainable emissions by 2070, requiring an estimated $10
development. trillion of investment.
• In the absence of necessary interventions, the
amount of plastic waste entering aquatic Renewable Energy Attractive Index:
ecosystems could nearly triple from some 9–14 • India ranked third on the index in 2021,
million tonnes per year in 2016 to a projected 23– showcasing its commitment to renewable energy
37 million tons per year by 2040. development.
Objective: Solar and Wind Power Base:

• Under the legally binding agreement, countries • India possesses the fourth-largest solar and wind
will be expected to develop, implement and power base globally, experiencing rapid growth.
M.S.Shashank
hydrogen electrolysers, e-mobility, and waste-to-

Supportive Policy Framework: energy through innovative financing policies.
• The Indian government's comprehensive policies
have effectively supported the achievement of Supportive Government:
national targets. Issuance of Sovereign Bonds:
• The Indian government's sovereign bond issuance
Praiseworthy role played by IREDA: aims to reduce supply from non-green bonds,
lowering overall bond yields.
Financing Renewable Energy Projects:
• IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Investor Participation:
Agency) has played a crucial role in commissioning • Local banks and insurance companies
approximately 20 GW of renewable energy predominantly purchased the bonds, with some
capacity through financing to developers. foreign bank involvement.
Mobilizing Private Sector Capital: Regulatory Benefits:

• Green bonds attract private sector investment, • Green bond investments qualify towards the
reducing the cost of capital for green projects. Reserve Bank of India's statutory liquidity ratio and
• Overall green bond issuance in India has reached are classified as infrastructure investments by
$18.3 billion cumulatively, with a record issuance insurance companies.
of $7 billion in 2021
Fully Accessible Route for Foreign Investors:
Pioneering New Technologies: • Investment in sovereign green bonds is
• IREDA has promoted emerging technologies such categorized as specified securities, allowing
as battery energy storage systems, green unlimited investment by foreign investors.
10. Internal Security

10.1. G20 Delhi Declaration on o respect international law and rule of law in
Cybersecurity cyberspace;
o training people on cyber hygiene, which
involves having standard operating
Why in News?
procedures for various actions, cyber crisis
management plans, audits etc.
• The National Cyber Security Coordinator of India
proposed a draft "Delhi Declaration on
Do You Know?
cybersecurity" for G20 nations.
• National Cyber Security Coordinator
(NCSC) under National Security Council Secretariat
About
(NSCS) coordinates with different agencies at the
national level for cyber security matters.
• It consists of a series of commitments to • The G20 is an intergovernmental
“responsible state behaviour in cyberspace” for forum comprising European Union (EU) and 19
G20 member countries, drawn from existing non- countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
binding norms that they have already signed onto China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,
under United Nations auspices. South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
• If adopted, G20 countries would commit to South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the
o not damage critical infrastructure or other United States).
essential systems; • Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts a
o cooperate, mitigate and investigate cyber- victim's files. The attacker then demands a ransom
crime in particular ransomware; from the victim to restore access to the data upon
o protect and not disrupt software supply payment.
chains;
M.S.Shashank
10.2. Varunastra of Korea (North Korea) and Israel—continue to

modernize their nuclear arsenals. Russia and the
USA together possess almost 90 percent of all
Why In News? nuclear weapons.
• The Indian Navy test-fired an indigenously • China: China’s nuclear arsenal increased from 350
designed and developed heavyweight torpedo, warheads in January 2022 to 410 in January 2023,
Varunastra. and it is expected to keep growing. China could
o Varunastra is a ship-launched anti- potentially have at least as many intercontinental
submarine torpedo and was designed and ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as either the USA or
developed by the Naval Science and Russia by the turn of the decade.
Technological Laboratory in • India and Pakistan: India and Pakistan appear to
Visakhapatnam under the Defence be expanding their nuclear arsenals, and both
Research and Development Organisation. countries introduced and continued to develop
new types of nuclear delivery system in 2022.
Features While Pakistan remains the main focus of India’s
nuclear deterrent, India appears to be placing
• Varunastra's maximum speed is 74 kilometres per growing emphasis on longer-range weapons,
hour. including those capable of reaching targets across
• It has long range with multi maneuvering China.
capabilities. • North Korea: North Korea conducted no nuclear
• It has acoustic homing with a wide look angle test explosions in 2022, it conducted more than 90
capable of tracking silent targets. tests of missiles. Some of these missiles, which
• Varunastra was inducted by Indian Navy in 2016 include new ICBMs, may be capable of carrying
and can be fired from all Anti-submarine warfare nuclear warheads.
(ASW) ships capable of firing heavy-weight
torpedoes in an intense countermeasures Impact of Russia- Ukraine war on Nuclear diplomacy
environment. • In the wake of the invasion, the USA suspended its
bilateral strategic stability dialogue with
Significance Russia. In February 2023 Russia suspended its
participation in the 2010 Treaty on Measures for
• The successful engagement of an underwater the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic
target by a Made-in-India heavy-weight torpedo is Offensive Arms (New START)—the last remaining
a significant milestone in the Indian Navy's and nuclear arms control treaty limiting Russian and
DRDO’s quest for accurate delivery of ordnance on US strategic nuclear forces. Talks about a follow-
target in the underwater domain. on treaty to New START, which expires in 2026,
• It will replace the older torpedoes on all naval were also suspended.
ships that can fire a heavyweight torpedo. • Iran’s military support to Russian forces in Ukraine
and the political situation in Iran also
10.3. SIPRI Annual Report 2023 overshadowed talks on reviving the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015
agreement meant to prevent Iran from developing
Why In News? nuclear weapons. The JCPOA’s revival now seems
increasingly unlikely.
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI) has released its annual assessment of the Peace agreements
state of armaments, disarmament and • Opportunities for peace-making were limited in
international security of 2023. 2022. The UN succeeded in arranging a truce in
Yemen that lasted from April until October—
Major Findings of the Report apparently leading to a decline in fatality rates and
improved access to aid, despite ongoing
Nuclear Arsenals violence—while a combination of mediators from
African states, Saudi Arabia, the UN and the United
• The nine nuclear-armed states—the United States fitfully nudged the military authorities in
States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, Sudan to agree a new framework for civilian
India, Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic
M.S.Shashank
government following military– civilian turmoil • Despite the 3.7 per cent year-on-year increase in
throughout 2021. spending, world military expenditure as a share of
• A successful military drive by the Ethiopian military world gross domestic product (GDP)—the military
and its allies forced the Tigrayan People’s burden—remained at 2.2 percent because the
Liberation Front to sue for a truce in November global economy also grew in 2022.
2022, which was hurriedly worked out in Pretoria, • Governments around the world spent an average
South Africa, and held reasonably well into 2023. of 6.2 percent of their budgets on the military, or
• In Colombia, a new left-wing government worked $282 per person.
on a peace initiative with a number of armed
groups in late 2022, which had made uncertain International Transfers of Major Arms
progress by December. • The volume of international transfers of major
arms in the five-year period 2018–22 was 5.1
Private military and security companies (PMSCs) percent lower than in 2013–17 and 3.9 percent
• The past 20 years have witnessed the rapid higher than in 2008–12.
growth of PMSCs. There is no universally • The volume of transfers in 2018–22 was among
accepted, legally binding, standard definition of a the highest since the end of the cold war, but was
PMSC and the sector often operates in a legal still around 35 percent lower than the totals for
lacuna: the employees of PMSCs are not soldiers 1978–82 and 1983–87, when arms transfers
or civilians, nor can they usually be defined peaked.
as mercenaries. • The 25 largest suppliers accounted for 98 percent
• The wars in Iraq (2003–11) and Afghanistan (2001– of the total volume of exports, and the 5 largest
21) reshaped perceptions of the private military suppliers in the period—the United States, Russia,
and security industry, with the massive France, China and Germany— accounted for 76
deployment of contractors by the United States percent of the total volume of exports.
leading to new market opportunities across the
globe. Importers of major arms
• Factors contributing to the growth of PMSCs vary • The five largest arms importers were India, Saudi
by region and state, but they mostly fit with cost- Arabia, Qatar, Australia and China, which
efficiency calculations, where the sector provides together accounted for 36 percent of total arms
skills and services that states do not possess or imports.
that would be too costly for states to develop or • The region that received the largest volume of
perform themselves. imports of major arms in 2018–22 was Asia and
• The USA, the United Kingdom, China and South Oceania, accounting for 41 percent of the global
Africa together are estimated to host about 70 total, followed by the Middle East (31 percent),
percent of the entire sector. Europe (16 percent), the Americas (5.8 percent)
and Africa (5.0 percent).
Military Expenditure and Arms Production
• Global military expenditure rose for the eighth
consecutive year in 2022 to reach an estimated
$2240 billion, the highest level ever recorded by
SIPRI.
M.S.Shashank
11. Geography & Disaster Management

11.1. Cyclone Biparjoy • It facilitates disaster risk awareness,
preparedness, management and reduction.
• Local and international media become focused
Why In News? on the tropical cyclone.
• It removes confusion where there are multiple
• A cyclonic storm “Biporjoy” has developed over cyclonic systems over a region.
the east-central and adjoining southeast
Arabian Sea, according to the India
Meteorological Department (IMD).
11.2. Flash Floods
o The system intensified from depression
to deep depression and a cyclonic storm. Why In News?
About • Recently the Chandigarh-Manali highway was

blocked following flash floods and landslides,in
• ‘Biparjoy’ was suggested by Bangladesh and the parts of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
word means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali.
• It is not rare for cyclones to develop in the What are Flash floods?
Arabian Sea. There are fewer cyclones
compared to the Bay of Bengal, but it is not • Flash Floods are highly localized events of short
uncommon. duration with a very high peak and usually have
• Between 1980–2019, Cyclone Gonu in June less than six hours between the occurrence of the
2007 — the strongest cyclone in the Arabian Sea rainfall and peak flood.
• June is one of the favorable months for the
formation of cyclones in the Arabian Sea. Causes of Flash Floods
How are Cyclones named? Natural factors:

• Glacial Lake Outburst: A Glacial Lake Outburst
• The naming of cyclones is done by countries on Flood, is a sudden release of water from a lake fed
a rotational basis, following certain existing by glacier melt that has formed at the side, in
guidelines. front, within, beneath, or on the surface of a
glacier.
• Worldwide, there are six regional specialised
• Cloudbursts: lead to sudden, intense rainfall in a
meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five
short period of time and cause flash floods.
regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres
• Depression and cyclonic storms in the coastal
(TCWCs) mandated for issuing advisories and
areas of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh etc
naming of tropical cyclones.
cause flash floods.
• IMD is one of the six RSMCs to provide tropical
• Short monsoon season: Nearly 75 percent of the
cyclone and storm surge advisories to 13 total Indian rainfall is concentrated over a short
member countries under the WMO/Economic monsoon season of four months (June to
and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (ESCAP) September). As a result, the rivers witness a heavy
Panel including Bangladesh, India, Iran, discharge during these months.
Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, • Wildfires: Wildfires destroy forests and other
Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab vegetation, which in turn weakens the soil and
Emirates and Yemen. makes it less permeable for water to seep through.
Importance for naming tropical cyclones Anthropogenic factors:

• Deforestation: Forests help reduce the speed and
• It helps to identify each individual tropical amount of water of a flood as their roots help
cyclone. water percolate down into the ground more easily,
M.S.Shashank
but in case of deforestation this buffer-zone is • Infrastructure development should be sensitive to

removed and flood water is allowed to reach the the region’s ecology along with mitigation to
plain areas. reduce the extent of damages.
• Dam failure: Flash floods can also be caused when • Dredging: It is essential for river maintenance and
water goes beyond the levels of a dam. flood prevention. Widening and deepening a river
• Climate Change: Climate change resulted in erratic channel allows it to carry more water, reducing the
weather patterns and extreme weather events like risk of the river bursting its banks.
hurricanes etc. resulting in flash floods.
• Infrastructure development in hilly areas. 11.3. ‘Landfall’ of a cyclone
Vulnerable areas for flash floods
Why In News?
• Flash floods are common in mountainous terrains,
where there are conditions created for it in terms • The landfall process of Cyclone Biparjoy started
of the soil, rock, geology and slope. near Jakhau port in the state’s Kutch district and
• In India Himalayan states face the challenge of continued till midnight.
overflowing glacial lakes, formed due to the
melting of glaciers. What is the “landfall” of a cyclone?
• Urban areas located near small rivers where hard
surfaces such as roads and concrete do not allow • Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone coming
the water to absorb into ground. onto land after being over water.
• As per the IMD, a tropical cyclone is said to have
Recents incidents of flash floods in India made landfall when the center of the storm – or its
• Disaster in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district in 2021 eye – moves over the coast.
after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off
and a sudden flood in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Impact
Ganga and Alaknanda rivers triggered widespread
• The damage caused by the landfall will depend on
panic and large-scale devastation in the high
mountain areas. the severity of the cyclone – marked by the speed
of its winds.
• Kedarnath flood in Uttarakhand led by cloudburst
• For Cyclone Biparjoy, classified by the IMD as a
and heavy rainfall led to widespread devastation
“very severe cyclonic storm”, the impact may
in 2013.
include extensive damage to kutcha houses,
partial disruption of power and communication
Impacts
lines, minor disruption of rail and road traffic, the
• Loss of life: India is the worst flood-affected
potential threat from flying debris and flooding of
country in the world, after Bangladesh, and
escape
accounts for one-fifth of the global death count
• The factors behind this kind of damage include
due to floods.
extremely strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm
• Property Damage: In addition to the force of the
surge which cause devastating floods on the coast.
water, flash floods carry large debris such as
boulders. This causes damage to infrastructure
How long does a landfall last?
and property.
• Landslides: Flash floods are accompanied by
• Landfalls can last for a few hours, with their exact
landslides, which are sudden movements of rock,
duration depending on the speed of the winds and
boulders, earth or debris down a slope.
the size of the storm system.
• Cyclone Biparjoy’s land process is expected to last
Solutions
around five to six hours, with the cyclone almost
• Developing proper urban drainage systems and completely dissipating over approximately the
cleaning and unblocking drains. next 24 hours.
• Promote and build rainwater harvesting • Cyclones lose their intensity once they move over
mechanisms so more and more rainwater can be land because of a sharp reduction of moisture
stored. supply and an increase in surface friction.
• Improving flood warning and disaster
management mechanisms.
M.S.Shashank
• This means that while landfalls are often the most

devastating moments of cyclones, they also mark
the beginning of their end.
12. History- Art & Culture

– are from pre-2nd century BCE to the
12.1. Vadnagar Gaekwad period.
• A 25 metres high mound called Darbargadh is
the highest point in the middle of the
Why in News? settlement
• The extensive water management system
• The Ministry of Culture has announced the found here played a role in the town’s
redevelopment of a primary school attended by continuity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Vadnagar.
12.2. Kharchi Puja
Geography:
• Vadnagar is a town and municipality under
Mehsana district of Gujarat state. Why In News?
• It has been known by names like Anartapura, • Kharchi Puja, also called the Festival of 14 Gods, is
Anandapur,Vridhanagar, Chamatkarpur and so on, observed on the eighth day of the new moon in
during different periods of its history. July or August every year.
• Vadnagar was situated at a strategic location of
two major ancient trade routes: one About Kharchi Puja
joining central India with the Sindh and further
northwest regions, while another connected the • The word ‘Kharchi’ is derived from two Tripuri
port towns on Gujarat’s coast to northern India. words–‘khar’ or kharta meaning sin and ‘chi’ or si
• It is often compared to the historic living cities of meaning cleaning.
Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi as cities inhabited • Kharchi Puja is a festival in Tripura, that
since the early historic period and in the modern concentrates on the worship of Chaturdasa
day. Devata, the ancestral deity of the Tripuri people.
• It is devoted to the deity of the royal dynasty,
Findings of archaeological excavations at Vadnagar: Tripura Sundari, also known as Kharchi or Kharcha
• Vadnagar was first excavated by archaeologists B Baba.
Subbarao and RN Mehta in 1953. • This festival takes place 15 days after Ambu
• An unbroken sequence of seven successive bachi or Ambu pechi. Ambu pechi symbolises
cultures going back to 750 BCE was found and the menstruation of the Mother Goddess or Earth
divided into seven periods; Mother as per Tripuri folklore.
o There is a popular belief that the Earth
1. Pre-rampart phase (in 2nd century BCE), becomes impure during the menstruation
2. Rampart phase (2nd century BCE – 1st century period of the Goddess. Hence, Kharchi
CE), Puja is observed to ritualistically clean the
3. Kshatrapa phase (1st – 4th century CE), Earth after her menstruation is over and
4. post-Kshatrapa phase (5th – 9th/10th century wash away the sins of the people in the
CE), land.
5. Solanki phase (10th – 13th century CE),
6. Sultanate-Mughal phase (14th – 17th century Kharchi Puja Rituals
CE) and
7. Gaekwad phase (17th/18th – 19th century CE). • Kharchi Puja is observed annually on the Shukla
Ashtami day, which falls on the eighth day of
• Most of the excavations – like the fortification, the lunar month of Ashadha. Depending on the
a Buddhist monastery, votive stupas, house- lunar calendar, the festival’s exact dates change
complexes, lanes/streets and industrial hearth
M.S.Shashank
every year. The festival is carried out for seven
days in a row. Why in News?
• Festival began with the chanting of holy mantras. • Recently, a former archaeologist of Archaeological
• Construction of the Chaturdasha Mandapa: An Survey of India (ASI) has discovered a Mesolithic
important ritual of the festival is the construction period rock painting depicting a person tilling a
of the Chaturdasha Mandapa, which symbolises piece of land in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh.
the royal palace of the Tripuri kings and is • It was found while surveying the lower River
constructed by traditional artisans who craft the Krishna Valley to ascertain the architectural
structure out of bamboo and thatched roofs. features of shrines.
• Procession of Fourteen Gods: On the day of the • Earlier, in 2018, archaeologists had uncovered
main puja, the idols of all the 14 deities from prehistoric rock art estimated to be from the
the ancient Ujjayanta Palace are carried by the Neolothic era, circa 1500-2000 BC, on natural
royal priest Chantai from the temple premises in limestone formations near Dachepalli in Guntur
Agartala to the holy Saidra river where they are district.
dipped in the holy waters of the river and carried
back to the temple. Key Findings:
• Many cultural performances by local artists add to
the charm of the festival. Natural Rock Shelters:
• The rock paintings were found on the walls and
12.3. Purana Qila Excavation ceilings of naturally formed caves on a hillock in
Orvakallu.
• These caves served as shelters for the prehistoric
Why in News? humans who inhabited the area during that time.
• The recent excavations by Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) at Purana Qila (Old Fort) in Delhi have Mesolithic Rock Paintings:
revealed a continuous history spanning over 2,500 • Among the five caves explored, two stood out with
years. These excavations are aimed to establish distinguished depictions of rock paintings.
complete chronology of the site. • Executed by people of the Mesolithic Age, these
• Artifacts from various historical periods have been paintings offer a glimpse into the artistic abilities
discovered, which revealed 9 cultural levels and practices of that era.
including Pre-Mauryan, Mauryan, Sunga, Kushana,
Gupta, Post Gupta, Rajput, Sultanate, and Mughal. Artistic Materials:
• The plan is to showcase the findings in an Open Air • The rock paintings were created using natural
Site Museum at the fort. white kaolin and red ochre pigments.
• Ochre is a pigment composed of clay, sand, and
The findings: ferric oxide.
• The findings include pottery shards dating • Kaolinite is a soft, earthy, and usually white
back to around 1200 BC to 600 BC, a 2,500- mineral produced by the chemical weathering of
year-old ring well from the Mauryan era, and aluminium silicate minerals like feldspar.
a four-room complex believed to be 2,300 • Over time, exposure to air and wind has resulted
years old. in significant damage to the paintings. However,
• Nine cultural levels, representing different
some sketches and outlines remain intact.
historical periods including the pre-Mauryan
period Depicted Scenes:
• The excavations have also revealed coins,
• The rock paintings depict various scenes from the
seals, and other artefacts, indicating the site’s
daily life of the prehistoric communities.
role as a trade centre.
• One painting portrays a man skillfully catching a
• The stone image of Vaikuntha Vishnu, a
wild goat with his left hand while using a hook-like
terracotta plaque of Gaja Laxmi, a stone image
implement to control it.
of Ganesha, terracotta figurines of humans
• Another painting captures two couples with raised
and animals, beads of various stones, a bone
hands, while a child stands behind them, possibly
needle etc.
indicating communal activities or rituals.
12.4. Mesolithic Rock Paintings Agricultural Practices:
M.S.Shashank
• A significant painting showcases a man holding a water for maintaining ecosystem health,
plough and appearing to till the land. This supporting biological diversity, and providing
depiction suggests a semi-settled life pattern ecosystem services.
where community members engaged in • Ice and snow in the HKH are an important source
domesticating animals and cultivating crops, of water for 12 rivers that flow through 16
reflecting early agricultural practices. countries in Asia.
• About 240 million people are in the mountains and
12.5. Hindu Kush Himalayas 1.65 billion downstream are dependent on them.
What will be the impacts of losing ice cover?

Why In News? • The loss of permafrost could lead to infrastructure
• The Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) have seen a 65 damage, costing the world several billion dollars.
per cent faster loss of glacier mass, according to a • If permafrost thaws, the ground becomes much
new report from International Centre for less stable. We are already seeing the effects of
Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). this, for example in landslides caused by thawing
permafrost.
Findings of the Report • The region is expected to see an increase in floods
and landslides. These hazards, the report noted,
• The glaciers lost a mass of 0.28 metres of water increase the risk of loss and damage, including
equivalent per year (m w.e.) between 2010 and population displacement.
2019 compared to 0.17 (m w.e.) per year between • Researchers have documented changes such as
2000 and 2009, the Water, Ice, Society, and species migrating to higher elevations, ecosystem
Ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HI-WISE) degradation and changes, decrease in habitat
report noted. suitability, species decline and extinction, and
• The Karakoram range, which was known to be invasion by alien species.
stable, has also started showing a decline in glacier • With climate change driving glacier mass loss,
mass, losing 0.09 m w.e. per year during 2010- reduction in snow cover, shrinking of permafrost
2019. area, changes in hydrology, and increased natural
• The average temperature in the region has hazards and disasters, cascading impacts on the
increased by 0.28°C per decade between 1951 and ecosystem can be seen.
2020. • The extreme events that we now know with a high
• Nine out of 12 river basins have witnessed degree of certainty will hit the already vulnerable
increased warming rates at higher elevations. The communities with greater magnitude and
strongest impacts are being felt in the complexity and without greater support, these
Brahmaputra, Ganges, Yangtze, and Indus Basins. communities will be unable to cope.
• In a business-as-usual scenario, HKH glaciers could
lose up to 80 percent of their current volume by What needs to be done?
2100, the report highlighted.
• Further, a quarter of snow cover could be lost • The report calls for more measurements,
under a high emissions scenario. The report especially in regions where road construction
quoted a study that predicted a decline in snowfall projects are in the pipeline and if people reside
by 30-50 per cent in the Indus Basin, 50-60 per near permafrost.
cent in the Ganges, and 50-70 per cent in the • The mountain population is extremely vulnerable
Brahmaputra between 2070 and 2100 compared to the changing cryosphere (the frozen water part
to the average snowfall between 1971 and 2000. of the Earth system) and that urgent adaptation
measures need to be adopted.
Importance of the Hindu Kush Himalayas
Way Ahead:
• Glaciers occupy an area of approximately 73,173 • The glaciers of the Hindu Kush Himalaya are a
square kilometres (km2) in the HKH, which helps major component of the Earth system. With two
to maintain the ecological balance in the region. billion people in Asia reliant on the water that
• The biodiversity of the region — 40 percent of glaciers and snow here hold, the consequences of
which is under protected areas — is dependent on losing this cryosphere are too vast to contemplate.
the cryosphere as it is an important source of
M.S.Shashank
13. Awards
13.1. Spinoza Prize About the Award
• The Order of the Nile was established in the year

Why in News? 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt.
• Originally intended to recognize individuals who
• Indian-origin scientist Joyeeta Gupta has been had rendered valuable service to the country,
honored with the prestigious Spinoza Prize, also the Order of the Nile became Egypt’s highest
known as the ‘Dutch Nobel Prize’, for her state honor after the monarchy was abolished in
remarkable contributions to science and her 1953. Its rich history and symbolism make it a
commitment to creating a just and sustainable coveted accolade.
world. • Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honored with
the Order of the Nile by Egyptian President Abdel
The Spinoza Prize: Celebrating Excellence in Dutch Fattah al-Sisi during his visit.
Science
13.3. Suriname’s highest civilian award
• The Spinoza Prize is widely regarded as the highest
distinction in Dutch science.
• It recognizes outstanding researchers who have • President Droupadi Murmu became the first
made significant advancements in their fields and Indian to be honoured with the Grand Order of the
have demonstrated exceptional scientific Chain of the Yellow Star, the highest civilian award
contributions. This coveted award serves as a in Suriname.
testament to their groundbreaking work and • She was presented with this award by
profound impact on society. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the President of the
Republic of Suriname. President Murmu dedicated
Joyeeta Gupta’s Extraordinary Achievement the award to the future generations of the Indian-
Surinamese community.
• Joyeeta Gupta, a professor of Environment and
Development in the Global South at the University 13.4. Gita Press awarded Gandhi Peace
of Amsterdam, has been bestowed with the Prize
Spinoza Prize.
• This accolade commends her pioneering and Why In News?
inspiring scientific work, which focuses on creating
a world that is both fair and sustainable. Gupta’s • The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021 is being
research and efforts have significantly contributed conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur by PM Modi-
to addressing pressing environmental and led jury.
developmental issues.
About
13.2. Egypt's Highest State Honour to PM
Modi • Gita Press is one of the world’s largest
publishers of Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and
Why In News? the Upanishads, having published 41.7 crore books
in 14 languages, including 16.21 crore Bhagavad
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred Gita. It completes 100 years of its establishment
with ‘Order of the Nile’ award, Egypt's highest in 2023.
state honour. • The institution has never relied on advertisement
o This is the 13th such highest state in its publications, for revenue generation.
honour that various countries across the • Past awardees: Former President of South Africa
world have conferred upon PM Modi. Nelson Mandela, social worker Baba Amte,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa,
M.S.Shashank
environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Sultan Michael Rosen: A Celebrated Writer

Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman and Bangabandhu • From 2007 to 2009, Michael Rosen held the
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh (2020). esteemed position of the British Children’s
o Also include organizations such as ISRO, Laureate, where he made poetry accessible to
Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of children through his captivating work and
Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, performances.
Kanyakumari, Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru, • He is widely recognized for addressing social,
Ekal Abhiyan Trust, India and Sulabh political, and ethical themes in his writing,
International, New Delhi. contributing to a more inclusive and empathetic
literary landscape.
13.5. Points of Light Award
Notable Books and Contributions
• Among Michael Rosen’s noteworthy works is “On
Why in News? the Move: Poems about Migration” (2020), a
collection of poems that explores contemporary
• On a special occasion during the UK-India Week and historical migrations from both personal and
celebration, Rajindar Singh Dhatt, a veteran global perspectives.
soldier, was presented with the prestigious Points • Rosen’s ability to connect with young readers has
of Light award by the Prime Minister of the United been exemplified in his picture book “We’re Going
Kingdom, Rishi Sunak. on a Bear Hunt” (1989), beautifully illustrated by
Helen Oxenbury.
Recognizing Dhatt’s Dedication
• Rajindar Singh Dhatt has been the driving force 13.7. German Peace Prize
behind the “Undivided Indian Ex-Servicemen’s
Association,” an organization focused on uniting
British Indian war veterans. Why in News?
• The Points of Light award acknowledges Dhatt’s
exceptional service and his relentless efforts to • Salman Rushdie, the renowned British-American
bring together these veterans. author, has been awarded the prestigious German
peace prize for his outstanding contributions.
A Life of Service • The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade jury
• Dhatt, currently based in Hounslow, southwest recognized Rushdie as a passionate defender of
London, was born in pre-Partition India in 1921. freedom of thought and expression. This honor
During the Second World War, he joined the comes about a year after the harrowing attack he
British Indian Army, demonstrating his dedication experienced.
to serving his country.
• Through his commitment and hard work, Dhatt Margaret Atwood Joins the Campaign
climbed the ranks and achieved the esteemed • During a campaign in May 2017, Margaret
position of Havildar Major (Sergeant Major) in Atwood, the Canadian author, joined Salman
1943. Rushdie to draw attention to persecuted authors
facing censorship.
13.6. PEN Pinter Prize 2023 • Atwood, known for her dystopian novel “The
Handmaid’s Tale,” was herself awarded the peace
prize in 2017. She was recognized for her keen
Why in News? political intuition and profound perceptions in
sensing dangerous developments.
• Michael Rosen, the renowned British children’s
writer and performance poet, has been awarded Institution and Tradition
the prestigious PEN Pinter Prize 2023. • The peace prize was instituted five years after the
• This accolade is granted to a writer from the UK, Second World War with the intention of honoring
Ireland, and the Commonwealth whose work those who oppose anything that endangers peace,
fearlessly exposes the truth about contemporary understanding, and equality among nations.
life. • The suggestion to establish a foundation for the
peace prize came from Hans Schwarz, an author
M.S.Shashank
who was impressed by the work of Max Tau and languages and even foreign languages such as
jokingly remarked that Tau deserved a peace prize. German, Persian, and Russian.
The first-ever peace prize was indeed awarded to
Max Tau. 13.9. Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021
13.8. Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar Award
Why in News?
Why in News? • The Ministry of Culture recently announced that

the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred
• Acharya N. Gopi, a renowned poet, literary critic, upon Gita Press, Gorakhpur. This prestigious
and recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, has award recognizes Gita Press’ exceptional
been selected as the recipient of the prestigious contribution to social, economic, and political
Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar Award. transformation through non-violent and other
• The award, instituted by Bharat Jagruthi, a cultural Gandhian methods.
organization affiliated with Bharat Rashtra • Instituted by the government in 1995 as a tribute
Samithi, aims to honor accomplished literary to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, the Gandhi Peace
figures. The felicitation ceremony will take place Prize has been bestowed upon various individuals
on June 21 at the Telangana Saraswatha Parishath and organizations for their outstanding efforts.
in Abids.
Gita Press: A Beacon of Change
Recognition of Acharya Gopi’s Literary Contributions • Gita Press, established in 1923, has emerged as
• With an impressive literary career, Acharya Gopi one of the world’s largest publishers, promoting
has written a remarkable total of 56 books. His Gandhian principles and disseminating knowledge
diverse repertoire includes 26 collections of through literature. With a remarkable publication
poems, 7 compilations of essays, 5 translations, record of 417 million books in 14 languages,
and 3 research books. including 162 million copies of the sacred Shrimad
• His literary works have garnered widespread Bhagavad Gita, Gita Press has touched the lives of
acclaim, leading to translations into several Indian countless individuals.
14. Government Initiatives

14.1. National Mission on Advanced and Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
High-Impact Research (MAHIR) and the Central Public Sector Enterprises
under the two Ministries. Additional funding
Why in News? will be mobilized from Government of India's
budgetary resources.
• The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New • Duration: The mission is Planned for an initial
and Renewable Energy are jointly launching period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
National Mission MAHIR.
Following eight areas are identified for research:
About
1. Alternatives to Lithium-Ion storage
• Objective: The mission aims to identify batteries
emerging technologies in the power sector 2. Modifying electric cookers / pans to suit
and develop them indigenously, at scale, for Indian cooking methods
deployment within and outside India. 3. Green hydrogen for mobility (High
• Funding: The Mission will be funded by Efficiency Fuel Cell)
pooling financial resources of the Ministry of 4. Carbon capture
M.S.Shashank
5. Geo-thermal energy What is FCIs argument?

6. Solid state refrigeration.
7. Nano technology for EV battery • The FCI had said the States’ schemes cater to the
8. Indigenous CRGO technology same set of beneficiaries covered under
the Prime Minister’s Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna
The Mission will have a two-tier structure and to curb the inflation
Technical Scoping Committee: Anna Bhagya 2.0 scheme
• It will be chaired by the Chairperson of Central • It is Karnataka's food security program that
Electricity Authority. provides subsidized rice to poor families in the
• It will identify ongoing and emerging research state.
• The scheme aims to alleviate poverty in the
areas globally and recommend potential
region by providing poor families with access to
technologies for development under the
subsidized rice. This will help to reduce the cost
Mission.
of living for these families and can help to
improve their food security.
Apex Committee:
• It will be chaired by the Union Minister for 14.3. National E-Commerce Policy
Power & New and Renewable Energy.
• It will deliberate on the technology and Why in News?
products to be developed and approve the
research proposals. • The Indian government is set to introduce a
national e-commerce policy that aims to create
14.2. Anna Bhagya 2.0 scheme a favorable environment for the development of
the sector and drive exports.
• The e-commerce policy was first proposed in
Why In News?
2018 and in 2019, a draft of the e-commerce
policy was released.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI) recently
• Department for Promotion of Industry and
rejected various States’ demands to reconsider
Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Ministry of Commerce
the decision to restrict purchase through the
and Industry emphasized the need for a
Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), which is
streamlined regulatory framework,
going against Karnataka's Anna Bhagya 2.0
technological advancements, and efficient
scheme.
supply chain integration.
o State governments had alleged that such
a move was against the interest of the
What are the Key Points About the Upcoming E-
poor.
Commerce Policy?
What is the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)?
Aim:
• OMSS refers to the selling of food grains by the
• The national e-commerce policy aims to
government/government agencies at
establish a regulatory framework that facilitates
predetermined prices in the open market from
ease of doing business in the sector.
time to time.
Boosting Exports:
• Food Corporation of India sells surplus stocks of
wheat and rice under Open Market Sale Scheme
• The policy recognizes the significant export
(Domestic) at pre-determined prices through e-
potential of India's e-commerce sector.
auction in the open market from time to time to
enhance the supply of food grains. • By 2030, India's e-commerce export potential is
estimated to range between 200 billion USD to
300 billion USD annually.
M.S.Shashank
• With global cross-border e-commerce exports • The sector is governed by the FDI policy, the
projected to reach 2 trillion USD by 2025, India Consumer Protection Act, of 2019, the
aims to capitalize on this growth opportunity. Information Technology Act of 2000, and the
Competition Act, of 2002.
Regulatory Body and FDI: • The policy aims to streamline these regulations
and create a conducive environment for the
• The possibility of establishing a regulator for the growth of the e-commerce industry.
e-commerce sector is being considered, but its
implementation may take time. What are the Other Related Indian Government's e-
• Local traders' associations have been advocating commerce Initiatives?
for an empowered regulatory body to enforce e-
commerce rules and curb violations. Launching the BharatNet project:
• While 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) is
allowed in the marketplace model, FDI is not • Provide internet connectivity in local bodies in
permitted in the inventory-based model. every Panchayat, which will increase the reach
and access of e-commerce in rural areas.
Addressing Trader Concerns:
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC):
• Traders have expressed concerns regarding the
violation of e-commerce rules, such as deep • A network that aims to provide equal
discounts and preferences given to select sellers. opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium
• The policy intends to clarify these issues and Enterprises (MSME) to thrive in digital
provide greater transparency in the rules commerce and democratize e-commerce
governing FDI in e-commerce.
• The Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules Digital India initiative:
2020 and proposed amendments will be aligned • The Digital India initiative has provided solid
with the e-commerce policy for consistency. impetus to other government-led initiatives,
including Start Up India and Aatmanirbhar
Comprehensive Framework: Bharat, which have great potential to translate
into global success.
• The e-commerce policy will serve as an
overarching framework for the sector, ensuring
coherence among various governing acts.
15. Persons & Appointments

15.1. Praveen Kumar Srivastava acts as the watchdog, overseeing the vigilance
activities in various government departments and
organizations.
• Praveen Kumar Srivastava, a retired 1988-batch
Indian Administrative Service officer of the Assam- 15.2. Dennis Francis
Meghalaya cadre, has been officially sworn in as
the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
• As the Central Vigilance Commissioner, Srivastava • The 193 UN Member States, elected a veteran
assumes a crucial role in ensuring transparency diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, Dennis
and integrity in the functioning of the government Francis as the President of the 78th session of the
machinery. UN General Assembly.
• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is the • The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is
apex body responsible for maintaining probity in one of the six principal organs of the United
public administration, preventing corruption, and Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative,
promoting good governance. The Commissioner policymaking, and representative organ of the UN.
M.S.Shashank
• The UNGA is responsible for the UN budget, and his previous role involved overseeing the
appointing the non-permanent members to the operations wing of the spy agency. Sinha’s
Security Council, appointing the UN secretary- extensive knowledge and expertise have made
general, receiving reports from other parts of the him a specialist on countries in India’s immediate
UN system, and making recommendations neighborhood, an essential asset in today’s
through resolutions. complex geopolitical landscape.
15.3. Ravi Sinha 15.4. Nusrat Choudhury
Why in News? Why in News?
• Ravi Sinha, a seasoned IPS officer, has been • On 15 June 2023, history was made as Nusrat
appointed as the chief of the Research and Choudhury became the first female Muslim
Analysis Wing (R&AW), one of India’s premier federal judge in the United States. This milestone
intelligence agencies. appointment marks a significant step towards
• This significant appointment brings a fresh inclusivity and diversity within the judiciary.
perspective to the organization as Sinha takes over
from Samant Goel, who will complete his tenure Service at the US District Court for the Eastern District
on June 30. of New York
• As a federal judge, Nusrat Choudhury will serve at
Decades of Service: Ravi Sinha’s Impressive Track the prestigious US District Court for the Eastern
Record District of New York. This court’s jurisdiction
• Ravi Sinha brings with him a wealth of experience, covers various aspects of federal law and plays a
having dedicated over two decades of his career to critical role in upholding justice within the region.
R&AW. His contributions have been highly valued,
16. Important Days

governmental organisations decide their own
16.1. World Milk Day theme.
• The campaign theme for this year's World Milk Day
is 'Enjoy Dairy'.
• The day was established by the Food and Agriculture • The theme for World Milk Day 2019 in India
Organisation of the United Nations in 2001. World is "Drink Milk: Today & Everyday".
Milk Day is celebrated every year on 1st June to
educate people about the importance of milk in our 16.2. World Environment Day
diet.
World Milk Day 2023: Theme • It is one of the biggest events celebrated every year
• Let us tell you that the World Milk Day event does in the world. World Environment Day is being
not follow a specific theme in the world. In fact, celebrated since 1973. It is also called "People's Day"
different countries, governments, and non- to take care of the earth and the environment. It is
M.S.Shashank
really important to know the ways to protect the • This year’s theme signifies that Child Labour can
environment. come to an end if the root causes are addressed and
• It is observed on 5 June to spread awareness about it demands the need for social justice for everyone.
the issues related to the environment that our planet According to UN, "Only 26.4% of children worldwide
Earth is facing. receive social protection cash benefits".
World Environment Day 2023: Theme 16.5. International Yoga Day

• The theme for World Environment Day focuses on
'Solution For Plastic Pollution' under the campaign • International Yoga Day 2023 is celebrated every year
#BeatThePlastic. This year the day will be hosted by on June 21st to promote the numerous benefits of
Côte d'Ivoire with the support of the Netherlands. practicing yoga. The chosen date coincides with the
summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the
16.3. World Food Safety Day Northern Hemisphere.
International Yoga Day Theme

• It is observed on June 7 to draw attention and • The theme selected for this year’s International
inspire actions to help prevent, detect, and Day of Yoga 2023 is “Yoga for Vasudhaiva
manage foodborne risks, contributing to food Kutumbakam,” which represents our shared
safety, human health, economic prosperity, desire for “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
agriculture, market access, tourism, and
sustainable development.
16.6. International Day Against Drug Abuse
World Food Safety Day 2023: Theme
• Every year June 26 is observed as International Day
• The theme for the celebration of World Food
Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also
Safety Day is 'Food Standards Save Lives'. It will
known as World Drug Day. The day aims to
focus on the importance of food standards in
strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a
preventing foodborne illness.
world free of drug abuse.
16.4. World Day Against Child Labour International Day Against Drug Abuse 2023: Theme
• The official theme to observe International Day
• World child labour day is observed on 12th June Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking 2023 is
every year and this year the global platform is urged ‘People first: stop stigma and discrimination,
to be united against child labour and human strengthen prevention.’
trafficking, even more, considering the alarming rate • The purpose of this year's campaign is to increase
of its rise. public awareness of the significance of treating
drug users with respect and empathy, giving
World Day against Child Labour 2023: Theme voluntary, evidence-based services to everyone,
providing alternatives to punishment, placing a
• This year's theme for World Day Against Child Labour high priority on prevention, and acting with
is "Social Justice for All. End Child Labour!" compassion.
17. Miscellaneous
17.1. Kakhovka Dam (Ukraine) About Kakhovka Dam
• Located on the Dnieper River in southern

Why In News? Ukraine, the dam was under the control of the
Russian military, which had seized it in the early
• The Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine has breached, days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
causing extensive flooding across the war zone. • It holds a volume about equal to the Great Salt
Lake in the U.S. state of Utah.
M.S.Shashank
• The dam was an important part of the Kakhovka script and on the right periphery the word “INDIA”
hydroelectric power plant, supplying water to in English.
the Crimean Peninsula and the Zaporizhzhia • The other side of the coin displays an image of the
nuclear plant. new parliament building. The inscription “Sansad
Sankul” is written in Devanagari script on the
upper periphery while the words “Parliament
Complex” in English on the lower periphery of the
coin.
Background of Commemorative Coins
• India has been issuing commemorative coins since

the 1960s for several reasons such as paying
homage to notable personalities, spreading
awareness about government schemes, or
remembering key historic events.
• The country released its first commemorative
coin in 1964 in honour of Jawaharlal Nehru, who
had passed away that year.
Power to design and mint coins
• The Coinage Act, 2011 gives the central

Crimean Peninsula
government the power to design and mint coins in
various denominations.
• Crimea is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the
• In the case of coins, the role of the RBI is limited
northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely
to the distribution of coins that are supplied by
surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea
the central government.
of Azov. It came under Russian rule in 2014. • All coins are minted in the four mints owned by the
Government of India in Mumbai, Hyderabad,
17.2. Rs 75 Coin Launched to mark Kolkata and Noida.
inauguration of New Parliament
17.3. Fraser Island Regains its Original
Why in News? Name
• A new commemorative coin with a denomination Why in News?
of Rs 75 was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi at the inauguration of the new Parliament • Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, has
building. recently regained its original name, K’gari.
• This momentous event was celebrated by the
Features traditional owners, the Butchulla people, in the
ancient forests of K’gari. The reinstatement of the
• The latest Rs 75 coin is circular in shape with a island’s name holds deep cultural significance and
diameter of 44mm. represents a step towards recognizing and
• The composition of the coin is of a quaternary honoring Indigenous heritage.
alloy — 50 per cent silver, 40 percent copper, 5
per cent nickel and 5 percent zinc. Rediscovering K’gari
Inscriptions • For almost 200 years, the world knew the island as
Fraser Island. However, for the Butchulla people,
• The face of the coin shall bear the Lion Capital of it has always been K’gari, a name that translates to
Ashoka Pillar in the centre, with the legend “paradise” in their local language. This significant
Satyameva Jayate inscribed below, flanked on the discrepancy in names highlights the importance of
left periphery with the word “Bharat” in Devnagri reclaiming Indigenous identities.
M.S.Shashank
K’gari’s Natural Wonders Diverse Tour Packages
• K’gari boasts an incredible natural feature – it • To cater to the varied preferences of travelers, MV
possesses half the world’s freshwater dune lakes. Empress offers an array of tour packages. Whether
This pristine ecosystem attracts hundreds of it’s a short getaway or an extended vacation,
thousands of visitors each year, who come to passengers can choose from 2-night, 3-night, 4-
marvel at the island’s unique beauty and night, and 5-night packages.
experience its diverse flora and fauna. • These packages have been thoughtfully designed
• The reinstatement of K’gari’s name further to provide an immersive experience and create
emphasizes the Indigenous connection to this lasting memories for the travelers.
natural wonder.
17.5. Special Olympics World Games
17.4. India’s First International Cruise Vessel
Why In News?
Why in News?
• India ended their Special Olympics World Games
• India’s first international cruise vessel, MV campaign with a whopping 202 medals.
Empress, embarked on its maiden voyage from the
city of Chennai. About
• The departure ceremony was graced by the
presence of Union shipping minister Sarbananda • India secured 76 gold, 75 silver and 51 bronze
Sonowal, who flagged off the momentous medals in the global multi-sport spectacle that
occasion. celebrates unity, diversity and special skills among
• Alongside the launch of this significant cruise people with intellectual disabilities.
service, another landmark event took place at the
Chennai Port – the inauguration of an Special Olympics World Games
international cruise tourism terminal.
• It was founded in 1968.
State-of-the-Art Terminal Facilities • The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-
round sports training and athletic competition in
• The newly inaugurated international cruise a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and
tourism terminal at the Chennai Port is a adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them
remarkable addition to India’s maritime continuing opportunities to develop physical
infrastructure. fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and
• Developed at a cost of Rs 17.21 crore, this state- participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship
of-the-art facility spans across a sprawling 2,880 with their families, other Special Olympics athletes
square meters. It has been designed to cater to the and the community.
needs of cruise passengers, offering a host of • The Special Olympics strives to create a better
modern amenities and conveniences. world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of
• With its spacious interiors and efficient services, all people.
the terminal has the capacity to accommodate
approximately 3,000 passengers. Importance
Exciting Voyage to Sri Lanka • The Special Olympics mission remains as vital.
• It offers the opportunity to unite the world like no
• MV Empress, the star of the inaugural voyage, is all other event can. Here people with and without
set to take travelers on an unforgettable journey disabilities, people of different nations, cultures,
to the captivating island nation of Sri Lanka. The political views and religions meet and can
cruise will make three exciting ports of call in Sri overcome existing prejudices with the power of
Lanka, including Hambantota, Trincomalee, and sport.
Kankesanturai.
M.S.Shashank
17.6. UTPRERAK • Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry &

Dairying, launched the NANDI (NOC Approval for
New Drug and Inoculation System ) portal.
Why In News?
NANDI Portal
• Recently, the Ministry of Power
established UTPRERAK, to help improve energy • It is developed by the Department of Animal
efficiency of Indian industry. Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) in collaboration
with the Central Drugs Standard Control
What is it? Organization (CDSCO).
• Objective:The Portal Will expedite the regulatory
• UTPRERAK (Unnat Takniki Pradarshan Kendra) also approval process for veterinary products. It will
known as Advanced Industrial Technology enhance transparency and efficiency in assessing
Demonstration Centre (AITDC) is the Centre of and examining proposals for veterinary drugs and
Excellence to Accelerate Adoption of Energy vaccines.
Efficient Technologies.
• It has been set up by the Bureau of Energy Significance
Efficiency (BEE),at the Badarpur, New Delhi
campus of the National Power Training • The initiative is a significant step towards
Institute(NPTI), Ministry of Power. advancing Digital India and promoting the well-
being of livestock and the livestock industry.
Functions • The portal will seamlessly integrate with
the SUGAM portal of the CDSCO, further
• UTPRERAK will act as an exhibition cum simplifying the approval process for veterinary
information center and knowledge repository to products.
demonstrate and showcase energy-efficient • The portal is following the animal vaccination
technologies in key industry sectors. coverage initiative and Mobile Veterinary Units
• The Centre envisages to provide key inputs for (MVUs).
national energy policy formulation, link education
and research in energy-efficient solutions, and • The portal will enable quick and easy coordination
develop innovative applied solutions for energy between various Government Departments,
efficiency. Institutes, and Industry through a seamless
• It is expected to provide intensive training to interconnected system designed to expedite and
more than 10,000 energy professionals from the strengthen the regulatory process.
industry and other potential sectors over the next • With the launch of NANDI , DAHD continues to
five years. stride towards achieving the interventions laid out
as part of its Animal Pandemic Preparedness
Necessity of adoption of advanced technologies Initiative (APPI).
• Advanced Technologies are key to becoming

a developed nation for India by 2047.
17.8. Electronics Repair Services
Outsourcing (ERSO)
• They are also important to Achieve
India's Emission Reduction • The Ministry of Electronics and Information
Targets under Nationally Determined Technology (MeitY), Government of India has
Contributions(NDCs). recently introduced the Electronics Repair
• The latest technologies are necessary Services Outsourcing (ERSO) Pilot initiative with
to manufacture goods at low cost and to compete the ambitious goal of establishing India as the
in the global market. Repair Capital of the World.
• The primary objective of this initiative is to
position India as the most appealing destination
17.7. NANDI Portal
for repairing Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) products on a global scale.
Why In News? • The ERSO industry is projected to contribute up to
USD 20 billion in revenue to India within the next
M.S.Shashank
five years, while also creating numerous 17.10. Punjab-Himachal Pradesh Clash
employment opportunities. Over Shanan Hydropower Project
• The pilot project, which will be conducted in
Bengaluru, is scheduled to last for three months. • The lease on the 110 MW Shanan hydropower
Notably, this initiative aligns with Mission LiFE, project located on Uhl river (Tributary of Beas), a
which is dedicated to promoting global British-era installation located in Jogindernagar,
environmental sustainability. By facilitating Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, is set to expire
affordable and dependable repair services for ICT in March 2024, sparking a potential conflict
products, the ERSO initiative aims to extend the between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
lifespan of devices worldwide.
• The Himachal Pradesh Government has made it
clear that it will not renew or extend the lease,
17.9. Transforming Healthcare and demanding that the project be handed over to the
Celebrating Excellence state upon expiration.
• However, Punjab intends to retain control of the
• During the Silver Jubilee event of Amrita Hospital project and is prepared to resort to legal
in Kochi, Kerala, the Union Home minister measures.
inaugurated two state-of-the-art research centers • Uhl river originates from the Thamsar glacier (in
at the Amritapuri and Kochi campuses of Amrita Himachal Pradesh) which is situated in the
Vishwa Vidyapeetham, aimed at advancing Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas and flows
medical science and technology. through the Uhl valley passing Bada Gran and
• The event highlighted the remarkable progress Barot village of Himachal Pradesh.
made in medical education infrastructure and the • Uhl river is the water basin of the Beas river. Uhl
significant impact of the Ayushman Bharat river is also known as Tiun Nala and the Uhl valley
Scheme, which provides free treatment to over 60 is also famous as Chohar valley. After crossing the
crore poor individuals. Chohar valley, Uhl river meets the Beas river 5 km
• Notably, the number of medical colleges has seen downstream from Pandoh.
a substantial increase from 387 to 648, and the
establishment of 22 new All India Institute of 17.11. Government of India Imposes Stock
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) institutions has further Limits on Tur and Urad Dal
expanded access to quality healthcare across the
country. • In a move aimed at curbing hoarding, preventing
• The Minister applauded Amrita Hospital for its unscrupulous speculation, and enhancing
exceptional achievements in medical excellence affordability for consumers, the Government of
and research, including pioneering milestones India has implemented an order imposing stock
such as India's first micro-blood stem cell limit on tur dal and urad dal.
transplant, the largest number of high-precision • The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock
robotic liver transplants, and the country's first 3D Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified
printing lab. Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2023, which
came into effect on June 2, 2023, applies to
wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, millers,
and importers. This order establishes stock limits
until October 31, 2023, for all States and Union
Territories.
M.S.Shashank
• The prescribed stock limits under this order are as related to funding, documentation, project
follows: wholesalers can hold up to 200 metric monitoring, and approval.
tons (MT) of each pulse individually, retailers are • This CSS aims to support State Governments and
limited to 5 MT, big chain retailers can have 5 MT Union Territory Administrations in constructing
at each retail outlet and 200 MT at the depot, court halls and residential units for Judicial
millers are allowed to hold the last three months Officers, Judges of District and Subordinate Courts.
of production or 25% of their annual installed • Over time, the scheme has evolved to include
capacity (whichever is higher), and importers are additional features such as Lawyers Halls, Toilet
prohibited from holding imported stock beyond 30 complexes, and Digital computer rooms to
days from the date of Customs clearance. To enhance convenience for lawyers and litigants, in
ensure compliance, legal entities are required to addition to court halls and residential units.
declare their stock positions on the Department of • The funding pattern under the scheme follows a
Consumer Affairs' portal within 30 days of the ratio of 60:40 between the Central Government
notification. and State Governments (excluding North Eastern
and Himalayan States).
17.12. India's First International Cruise • For North Eastern and Himalayan States, the ratio
Vessel MV Empress is 90:10, while Union Territories receive 100%
funding. The Nyaya Vikas Portal plays a crucial role
• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & in monitoring the implementation of this scheme,
Waterways and Ayush, flagged off India's first ensuring transparency and accountability.
international cruise vessel, MV Empress, from
Chennai to Sri Lanka.
• This significant event marked the inauguration of 17.14. Global Liveability Index 2023
the international cruise tourism terminal in
Chennai, which is a testament to the government's
Why In News?
commitment to enhancing cruise tourism and
maritime trade opportunities.
• Recently, the Global Liveability Index 2023 was
• The MV Empress will sail to three Sri Lankan ports: published.
Hanbantota, Trincomalee, and Kankesanturei.
• The cruise service is the result of a Memorandum About Global Liveability Index 2023
of Understanding (MoU) signed between Chennai
Port and M/S Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt Ltd • It is published by the Economic Intelligence Unit
during the first Incredible India International (EIU) of the Economist.
Cruise Conference in 2022. • The concept of livability assesses the best or worst
• The government plans to develop three new living conditions of cities based on 30 qualitative
international cruise terminals in Andamans, and quantitative factors across five broad
Puducherry, and Lakshadweep, which are categories of stability, healthcare, culture and
expected to be operational by 2024. environment, education, and infrastructure.
• The government envisions an increase in the • It quantify the challenges that might be presented
number of cruise ships from 208 in 2023 to 500 in to an individual's lifestyle in 173 cities worldwide
2030 and up to 1100 by 2047, with the number of • Assessing liveability has a broad range of uses,
passengers rising from 9.5 lakhs in 2030 to 45 lakhs from benchmarking perceptions of development
in 2047. levels to assigning a hardship allowance as part of
17.13. Nyaya Vikas Portal expatriate relocation packages.
Major Findings
• The Nyaya Vikas Portal is part of the Department
of Justice's implementation of the Centrally
• Top performers: The top rank of the liveable cities
Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for the Development of
is dominated by European and North American
Infrastructure Facilities for Districts and
cities.
Subordinate Judiciary, which has been in
o Asia-Pacific cities have made some of the
operation since 1993-94.
biggest gains, accounting for eight of the
• It has been developed to provide stakeholders
with seamless access to crucial information
M.S.Shashank
top ten movers up the rankings as • Since Weather and climate research requires
economies recover from the pandemic massive computing power, this partnership with
o Vienna in Austria tops the ranking of the Atos Group will augment current capacity to
most liveable cities in the world followed increase resolutions and accuracy of weather
by Copenhagen in Denmark, Melbourne, forecasts.
and Sydney on 3rd and 4th rank while
Vancouver has been placed as the 5th best About NCMRWF (The National Centre for Medium
city on the liveability index. Range Weather Forecasting)
o Among Asian countries, only Osaka in • The NCMRWF is a Centre of Excellence in Weather
Japan features among the top 10 most and Climate Modelling under the Ministry of Earth
liveable countries at number 9. Sciences.
• Worst performers: Damascus (Syria) and Tripoli • The mission of the Centre is to continuously
(Libya) are still at the bottom of the list, held back develop advanced numerical weather prediction
by social unrest, terrorism and conflict. However, systems, with increased reliability and accuracy
while Damascus has seen no improvement since over India and neighbouring regions.
last year, scores for Tripoli and other cities in the • HQ: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
bottom ten have improved as the pandemic has
receded. 17.16. Borealis Mud Volcano
• Key Analysis : After the end of covid restrictions,
the liveability index has shown a noticeable
improvement across the world. The average index Why In News?
score among all 172 cities has now reached 76.2 • Geologists have discovered an underwater
out of 100. volcano at the bottom of the Barents Sea off the
o EIU’s Liveability Index has risen coast of Norway.
significantly in the 2023 survey, reaching a
15-year high as the world moves on from About
the covid-19 pandemic and healthcare and • The volcano erupts mud, fluids and gas from the
education scores improve in many cities in planet’s interior, giving new insight into Earth
Asia and the Middle East and Africa. science.
o However, scores for stability have slipped • It lies approximately 70 nautical miles south of
backward since last year, amid several Bear Island and at 400m deep.
instances of civil unrest around the world • The newly discovered volcano was found by the
▪ The war in Ukraine and the team of researchers onboard the research
resulting economic and political vessel Kronprins Haakon with the piloted
disruption are affecting liveability submersible vehicle ROV Aurora.
in many European cities • The Borealis Mud Volcano measures roughly 23
feet (7 meters) in diameter and is about 8 feet (2.5
17.15. National Centre for Medium Range m) tall.
Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF)
17.17. Fraser Island
Why In News?
Why In News?
• A $100 million contract to build two new
supercomputers dedicated to weather modeling • The government of the Australian state
and climate research, has been awarded to a of Queensland has changed the name of the
French firm Eviden by NCMRWF. Fraser island to its traditional
name K'gari(pronounced "Gurri").
More on News
• These two new supercomputers,would have a About:
combined capacity of up to 21.3 Petaflops. • Fraser Island is located off the southeastern coast
• The NCMRWF supercomputer, to be located in of Queensland, Australia, separated from the
Noida, would have an 8.3-Petaflop computing mainland and the port of Maryborough by Hervey
capacity for weather and climate modeling to Bay and Great Sandy Strait.
support advanced numerical weather research.
M.S.Shashank
• It is the largest sand island in the world, with • The system is expected to process transactions
golden sand dunes that date back to ancient that are critical to ensure the stability of the
times. economy, including government and market
• The island's traditional name, K'gari, related transactions.
means paradise in the native tongue of • Having such a resilient system is also likely to act
the Butchella People who inhabited the island for as a bunker equivalent in payment systems and
thousands of years. thereby enhance public confidence in digital
• The name Fraser island was coined in 1836 when a payments and financial market
group of 11 shipwreck survivors made their way to infrastructure even during extreme conditions.
the island.
• The name change highlights the importance of 17.19. India's first carbon neutral Village
respecting, acknowledging, and celebrating
K'gari's indigenous culture. In news
• India's first carbon neutral Village is being
17.18. Lightweight Payments System developed in Bhiwandi Taluka of Thane district,
Maharashtra.
Why In News? About

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has • Carbon neutrality means having a balance
conceptualised a lightweight payment and between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon
settlements system, which it is calling a “bunker” from the atmosphere in carbon sinks.
equivalent of digital payments. • Carbon sequestration: Removing carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere and then storing it is known
About the Lightweight Payments System as carbon sequestration.
• It can be operated from anywhere by a bare • Carbon sink is any system that absorbs more
minimum staff in exigencies such as natural carbon than it emits. The main natural carbon
calamities or war. sinks are soil, forests and oceans.
• The infrastructure for this system will o To date, no artificial carbon sinks are able
be independent of the technologies that underlie to remove carbon from the atmosphere on
the existing systems of payments such as UPI, the scale to fight global warming.
NEFT, and RTGS. • Carbon offsetting: Another way to pursue carbon
• The central bank has not offered a timeline for the neutrality is to offset emissions made in one
launch of this payments system yet. sector by reducing them somewhere else.
• This can be done through investment in renewable
How it is different from UPI energy, energy efficiency or other clean, low-
carbon technologies.
• The existing conventional payments systems such
as RTGS, NEFT, and UPI are designed to handle India’s Net Zero Target
large volumes of transactions while ensuring • In 2021, at COP-26, India announced an ambitious
sustained availability. As a result, they target for achieving net zero GHG-emission by
are dependent on complex wired networks 2070.
backed by advanced IT infrastructure.
• The lightweight and portable payment system is 17.20. Amrit Dharohar Yojana
expected to operate on minimalistic hardware
and software, and would be made active only on Why in News?
a “need basis”.
• On the occasion of World Environment Day
Significance (June 5, 2023), PM Modi launched the Amrit
• Such a lightweight and portable payment system Dharohar Yojana. The scheme was first
could ensure near zero downtime of the payment announced by the Union finance minister in
and settlement system in the country and keep the 2023-24 Union budget.
the liquidity pipeline of the economy alive and
intact by facilitating uninterrupted functioning of
essential payment services.
M.S.Shashank
About About
• The scheme will ensure conservation of the
existing Ramsar sites with the help of local • The Air Defender 23 exercise will see 10,000
communities over the next three years. participants and 250 aircraft from 25 nations
• These Ramsar sites will become centres of eco- respond to a simulated attack on a NATO member
tourism and a source of green jobs for thousands country.
of people. • The exercise will be held across Germany, with
• India currently has 75 Ramsar sites that are some of the training taking place at Ramstein Air
wetlands of international importance and Base, which is one of NATO’s largest air bases.
• The exercise is being held in response to the
designated under the Ramsar Convention on
increased threat posed by Russia following its
Wetlands.
invasion of Ukraine. The exercise is designed to
demonstrate NATO’s readiness to respond to any
17.21. Scheme for “Exploration of Coal threat to its airspace.
and Lignite” • Sweden, which is hoping to join the alliance, and
Japan are also taking part in the exercise.
Why In News?
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 17.23. WOLF-DOG HYBRIDISATION / INDIAN
(CCEA) approved the continuation of a central-
WOLF
sector scheme for “Exploration of Coal and
Lignite” with an estimated outlay of â‚¹2,980 crore
Why in News?
from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Researchers have found the first evidence of wolf-
About Central Sector Scheme of “Exploration of Coal
dog hybridisation in the country.
and Lignite scheme”
o The findings claimed that wolf (Canis
lupus)-dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
• Under this scheme, exploration for Coal and
hybridisation may lead to immense
Lignite is conducted in two broad stages:
reduction of certain adaptations in wolves
o Promotional (Regional)
eventually causing a drop in wolf
Exploration: Approximately, 1300 sq. km
populations.
area will be covered under Regional
exploration and
Indian wolf
o Detailed Exploration in Non-Coal India
Limited blocks: Approximately 650 sq. km
• Scientific name: Canis lupus pallipes.
area will be covered under Detailed
• Distribution: It is a subspecies of gray wolf that
exploration.
ranges from Southwest Asia to the Indian
• Exploration for Coal and Lignite is required to
subcontinent.
prove and estimate coal resources available in the
• Features: It is intermediate in size between the
country which helps in preparing detailed project
Himalayan wolf and the Arabian wolf, and lacks
report to start coal mining.
the former's luxuriant winter coat due to it living
• The Geological reports prepared through these
in warmer conditions. It has shorter fur with little
exploration is used for auctioning new coal blocks
to no underfur.
and the cost is thereafter recovered from
• Behaviour: The Indian wolf travels in smaller packs
successful allocatee.
and is less vocal than other variants of the gray
wolf.
17.22. Exercise Air Defender 23 • IUCN Status: Endangered
• Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary in the state of
Jharkhand is only wolf sanctuary in the country.
Why In News?
• Germany is preparing to host the biggest air

deployment Exercise Air Defender 23 in NATO's
history.

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CURRE

JULY - 2023 Current Affairs

1. Polity & Governance ............................................................................ 6

3. International Relations ....................................................................... 27

4. Science & Technology......................................................................... 40

5. Social Issues & Justice ........................................................................ 46

10. Internal Security................................................................................. 61

11. Geography & Disaster Management ................................................... 64

12. History- Art & Culture......................................................................... 66

13. Awards .............................................................................................. 69

14. Government Initiatives....................................................................... 71

15. Persons & Appointments .................................................................... 73

16. Important Days .................................................................................. 74

17. Miscellaneous .................................................................................... 75

1. Polity & Governance

Why In News? Objective of the Article

Why In News? • The ban on cattle slaughter has been a prominent

• The Election Commission recently released a draft Conclusion:

1.7. Addition of More Castes to Central

• States were empowered to maintain their own list

Violates Human Rights and Dignity: Way Forward

criminalizes custodial torture, ensuring prompt and Regional Disparity:

1.10. National Consumer Disputes Consumer Protection Act, 2019

• Jurisdiction:The Commission has three types of

• It is difficult for banks to indulge in the

What does evergreening of loans mean?

• The evergreening of loans is a term in which banks

Why do banks follow evergreening of loans?

• If an account turns into a non-performing asset

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) • Timely Transfer:It is based on the IMPS

• VPA is a unique identifier that helps UPI to track a Internationalisation of UPI:

• Limit set by NPCI:

Why In News? Structure of co-operative banks in India

Why did the RBI Struck down the model? Significance

The Guidelines About Inflation — and disinflation, deflation and

Upcoming Areas of Cooperation in India Norway 3.3. PM Visit to Egypt

• Climate investments: Why In News?

Divergence in relations: • Strategic location of Egypt: Due to its proximity to

• Defence Cooperation: Why In News?

3.5. Wagner Group Criticism

• The Wagner Group has been accused of committing

Future Outlook • Background: The deepening of the defence ties has

protection for workers in the gig and platform

What is an Employment Working Group? Means of Action:

4. Science & Technology

Introduction • ISRO's website states that the emission mechanism

Why In News? • Christened NVS-01, the first of ISRO’s NVS series of

4.7. Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of hyperspectral technology. The soil reflectance

4.9. Cell-cultivated Chicken Challenges

• Consumer acceptance – Perfectly substituting

• It starts with cells, which can come from a

Purpose and Needs

• Its proponents have advanced the following

• It can be customized to be healthier than their

5. Social Issues & Justice

Major Findings of the Report

• Structural Shifts: Various shocks of the last few

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

Background • USA's land-grant universities:

Tightrope Walk in Sugar: Edible Oil and Pulses:

Why In News? Why is it needed ?

• In recent years, world leaders have stressed the

Objective: Solar and Wind Power Base: