January 2022

Articulate
An Initiative by Unacademy

MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC CSE

NOT FOR SALE

Articulate | 1
CONTENTS

COVER STORY
RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT BY DR. PIYUSH CHAUBEY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CONSTITUTION, POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 8

ARIIA-2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
MARITAL RAPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DESH KE MENTOR PROGRAMME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
OPEN DATA WEEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
SUSPENSION OF MLAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
ANNUAL STATUS OF EDUCATION REPORT (ASER). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
ANTRIX DEVAS DEAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
FORMULATION OF THE BUDGET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
LANGUAGE OF COURTS IN INDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
SUPREME COURT ON INHERITANCE OF DAUGHTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 18
19TH SAARC SUMMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
NATO-RUSSIA COUNCIL TALKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT: INDIA & UNITED KINGDOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
INDIA- MALDIVES RELATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
NUSANTARA: NEW CAPITAL OF INDONESIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SECURITY ISSUE IN WEST ASIA: HOUTHIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANISATION (CSTO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
THE AMERICA COMPETES ACT OF 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
UNITED NATION SECURITY COUNCIL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
CHINA’S NEW BORDER LAW AND INDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
CHINA-SRI LANKA TIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
INDIA’S SUGAR SUBSIDY ISSUE AT WTO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
GLOBAL FIRST: DECLARATION ON DIGITAL RIGHTS AND PRINCIPLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
SRI LANKA ECONOMIC CRISIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
INDIA-CENTRAL ASIA VIRTUAL SUMMIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

SCHEMES, BILL AND ACTS 36

RYTHU BANDHU SCHEME: TELANGANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
NATIONAL EDUCATION FOR TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE (NEAT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
NATIONAL TECHNICAL TEXTILES MISSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2 I Articulate
SCHEME ON ENHANCEMENT OF COMPETITIVENESS IN THE INDIAN CAPITAL GOODS SECTOR-PHASE II . . . . . 39

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT 40

GREAT RESIGNATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
WORLD ECONOMIC & SOCIAL OUTLOOK TRENDS 2022:ILO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
TRANSGENDER PRISONERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 44
ELECTORAL BONDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
EXTENDING THE GST COMPENSATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
GDP EARLY ESTIMATES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
BRENT AT 7-YEAR HIGH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM:DAVOS SUMMIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
K-SHAPED RECOVERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
FOREIGN CONTRIBUTION REGULATION ACT (FCRA) REGISTRATION OF NGOS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
HALLMARK UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION (HUID) NUMBER IN JEWELLERY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
AIR INDIA: DIVESTMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
RARE-EARTH METAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
BAD BANK TO TACKLE NPA's. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
USE OF DRONES TECHNOLOGY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
RBI’S FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
ONE DISTRICT ONE PRODUCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
WEF GLOBAL RISKS REPORT 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY & DISASTER MANAGEMENT 57

GREEN ENERGY CORRIDOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
HUNGA TONGA-HUNGA HA’APAI VOLCANO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY IN PERU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
GLOBAL METHANE PLEDGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
RED SANDERS (RED SANDALWOOD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
MEKEDATU RESERVOIR PROJECT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
KERALA’S SILVERLINE PROJECT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (ISFR) 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
NORTHERN RIVER TERRAPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
IMD LAUNCHES 1ST CLIMATE HAZARDS AND VULNERABILITY ATLAS OF INDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Articulate | 3
4TH ASIAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON TIGER CONSERVATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
CENTRE TO RANK STATES ON FASTER GREEN NODS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
SPOT-BILLED PELICANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
KERALA GETS ITS FIRST BIRD ATLAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
SATHYAMANGALAM TIGER RESERVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
NEW GENUS OF PARASITIC FLOWERING PLANT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 73

GITHUB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
WEB 3.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
CHIPS TO STARTUP PROGRAMME (C2S). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
XENOTRANSPLANTATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
5G-A CONCERN FOR AIRLINE SAFETY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

INTERNAL SECURITY & DEFENCE 78

INTERNATIONAL COUNTER TERRORISM CONFERENCE 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP (SPG) ACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
BRAHMOS ADVANCED VARIANT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
SMALL SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

HISTORY, CULTURE AND HERITAGE 82

RECOGNITION TO FIFTH SIKH TAKHT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
VEER BAAL DIWAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
JAGANNATH TEMPLE ACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
THE RAVIDASSIAS OF PUNJAB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
PADMA AWARDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
DIGITISATION OF MANUSCRIPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
BHIMBETKA ROCK SHELTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
CHAKMAS AND HAJONGS COMMUNITIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
STATUE OF EQUALITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

PRELIMS BOOSTER 89
NEW ISRO CHAIRMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
ORANG NATIONAL PARK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
‘IHU’ VARIANT OF SARS-COV-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
R-NAUGHT VALUE: COVID- 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

4 I Articulate
WATER BIRD STATUS SURVEY-2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
GATEWAY TO HELL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
EASTERN SWAMP DEER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
BIRJU MAHARAJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
SAMMAKKA SARAKKA JATARA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
CRITERIA MODIFIED FOR INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL MONITORS: CVC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
KHOISANS PROTEST IN SOUTH AFRICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
NEW RULES: INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
TIWA COMMUNITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
NEOCOV CORONAVIRUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
FIRST ROCK MUSEUM INAUGURATED ON NGRI CAMPUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
MAGNETAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS (NM-ICPS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
GRAPHENE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
WATER METRO CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
AMAR JAWAN JYOTI & NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Articulate | 5
 COVER STORY
RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT BY DR.
PIYUSH CHAUBEY
• It was no less than a storm that tormented the
international system after Russia invaded a part
of the Ukraine region, especially Crimea, in the
year 2014. Such an escalation gave speculation to
several hues and cries, thus, signaling a hard and
conventional conflict in which the entire global
platform may slip into. But, it is now going to be
8 years, and since then, Ukraine has remained a
flashpoint for Russia and the West.
• The major concern of Russia is the prolific expansion
of NATO towards the east, allowing 14 new countries
and 3 Baltic states to join the group since the demise
of the Cold War, which some may claim as peaceful
but with heavy tremors. This new induction of
members brings fears of outreach that NATO has
made in the last 30 years. And, with the promise
of NATO adding Ukraine from 2008 has surged the
Image Source: Britannica
same in Russia, which had once amalgamated with
Ukraine through a treaty in 1654.
• Another reason behind Russia's steps towards of them, considering the limitations of thought
keeping Ukraine in its "sphere of influence" (As used processes and facts they carry. For example, scholars,
by C Raja Mohan in his article on Indian Express including Mira Patel in her article on Indian Express
on this conflict) is the geography of Ukraine. After (Why Ukraine Matters to Russia), have presented the
Russia, Ukraine is the biggest country in Europe that picture of having Sevastopol port in Crimea as one
holds several strategic ports, shares boundaries of the reasons which allow Russians access to warm
with many water bodies, apart from having borders water and trade easily through shipping. However,
with four NATO members. In addition to this, Ukraine the Montreux convention empowers Turkey (a
is a hefty producer of corn and wheat when it comes NATO member) to use the Bosphorus Strait. Hence,
to the economy. Being the supplier of natural gas to if Russia may think of harnessing the Black Sea as a
1/3rd of Europe, Russia holds the leverage to send new trade route to Europe, Turkey is there to limit
such vital entities through pipelines, some of which their entry and exit. However, giants like C Raja
pass through Ukraine. Hence, such reasons are quite Mohan have used sophisticated terminology like
essential and pragmatic for political jargon like Putin. Russia feeling like a subaltern in the regional order
of creating a "Common European Home '' can be
• Vladimir Putin has been of those who sense that not
accommodated perfectly.
sustaining the revolution and the breakout of the
Soviet Union was a huge geopolitical catastrophe, • The US and its allies have a common agenda to
and if Russia has to attain a Great Power status, respond to any step taken by the Russians - "a
Ukraine is one of the stepping stones. Hence, his swift, severe, and united response from the United
methodology in the past has kept the West in the States and our allies.", as stated by US President
continuous calculation of predicting the date of hard Joe Biden. In addition to this, the US has used its
power tussle. Even recently, Russia has drawn the soft power strategy through CAATSA to hurt its
red line, crossing which the West and Ukraine may Cold War counterpart, but not up to a great extent.
have to face some serious impact and outcome. One If the US really wants to strangulate the latter, its
of the major demands coming from Russians is to biggest bid is persuading Germans to stop the Nord
have no more expansion towards the east by adding 2 Stream pipeline, where Russians will take a lot of
any new party in the NATO alliance. Such demands tolls. Apart from this, the allies have done their part
are not in compliance with the founding and guiding in terms of military deployment near the contested
principles of NATO that accept any willing European region to keep a check over Russians.
nation to be part of it.
• Though Blinken and Lavrov talk was in alignment
• There are more reasons, but one has to drop some in softening the tension around this domain, with

6 I Articulate

• Hence, C Raja Mohan has suggested several
1.
2.
3. The pursuit of a South Asian sphere of influence
Blinken coming with the outcome of the talk as
"constructive and useful", Lavrov has responded
with, "We will understand that when we receive
the US written response to all of our proposals."
• However, he stated that in case the neighbors might
Hence, it is no less than a hide and seek game going
around the concerned space.
• The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has added several
angles as suggested by several scholars, one of
which is C Raja Mohan, who feels like such tussles
can create the same impact in Asia where India is
seeking a multi-polar region with an ASEAN-centric
mechanism (Jagannath Basu in an article in East
Asia Forum). Asia has some crucial power centers
that are trying to amplify their "sphere of influence".
As per C Raja Mohan and Graham Allison, the
"sphere of influence is here to stay as an instrument
to regulate competition between great powers. But
they endure only when the dominant power is wise,
and its neighbors are prudent. Otherwise, neither
the big power nor its neighbors will be secure."
measures to ensure that India keeps its sphere of
influence intact through the following ways by his
statements:
If Delhi lets problems with the neighbors fester for
long and acts in a high-handed manner, the smaller
states will mobilize other powers to strengthen
their strategic autonomy from India.
Delhi can't forget the importance of being sensitive
to its neighbors' concerns.
also demands that Delhi think regionally rather
than just nationally on issues that affect the
Subcontinent as a whole.
start overplaying the "China card" against India, that
will be a breeding ground for India's intervention
in their internal affairs. And, when instances would
take place, even China could not help them against
India with India knocking at their doors. The biggest
illustration of such theory is the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Articulate | 7
8 I Articulate
ARIIA-2021
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Atal Ranking of Institutions on
Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2021 was
announced by the Government of India.
Development.
» Innovative Learning Methods & Courses.
» Intellectual Property Generation, Technology
Transfer & Commercialization.
» Innovation in Governance of the Institution.

Key Points: Significance:

• ARIIA-2021 ranking is announced in various • ARIIA rankings will certainly inspire Indian
categories namely: institutions to reorient their mind-set and build
ecosystems to encourage high quality research,
» Centrally funded technical institutions (eg IITs, NITs,
innovation and entrepreneurship in their campuses.
etc)
• It will help in making institutions globally
» State Universities
competitive and front runner in innovation and
» State Standalone Technical colleges entrepreneurship.
» Private Universities » It will also help students in decision making who
seek admission.
» Private Standalone Technical Colleges
• More than quantity, ARIIA will focus on the quality
» Non-Technical Government and Private Universities
of innovations and will try to measure the real
And Institutions
impact created by these innovations nationally and
• Further, the non technical category has included internationally.
two sub-categories-
News Source: Press Information Bureau
» General (Non-Technical)
» Central Funded Institutes (CFIs) and Institute of
National Importance (Non-Technical)
MARITAL RAPE
• The top rank has been bagged by IIT Madras followed
by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur and IIT Roorkee.
Why in the News?
• Among the Government and government aided • Recently, the Centre has told the Delhi High Court
institutions, the top rank has been bagged by that it was considering a “constructive approach”
Panjab University followed by Delhi Technological towards criminalisation of marital rape.
University.
Background:
About ARIIA:
• The definition of rape as per Section 375 of the
• ARIIA is an initiative of the Ministry of Education Indian Penal Code (IPC) includes all forms of sexual
(MoE) & All India Council for Technical Education assault involving non-consensual intercourse with a
(AICTE). woman.
• It systematically ranks all major higher educational • However, Exception 2 to Section 375 exempts the
institutions in India on indicators related to husband from any penal consequences if he forces
Innovation, Start-up and Entrepreneurship intercourse on his wife without her consent, given
Development. that his wife is above the age of 15 years.
• ARIIA critically evaluate institutions on parameters • The law presumes that a wife gives perpetual
like patent filing and grants, fund generation by consent to the husband for sexual intercourse after
incubated start-ups, specialised infrastructure getting married.
created by institutions to promote innovation and
entrepreneurship, etc. » This presumption of perpetual consent in marriage
for sexual intercourse becomes the ground of marital
• ARIIA Parameters: rape.
» Budget & Funding Support.
» Infrastructure & Facilities.
About Marital Rape:
» Awareness, Promotions & support for Idea
• In Simple Words, Marital rape is the act of forcing
Generation & Innovation.
your spouse into having sex without proper
» Promotion & Support for Entrepreneurship consent.

Articulate | 9
What is Marital Rape Exception?
• Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, which exempts
forceful sexual intercourse by a man with his own
wife from the offence of rape, provided the wife is
above 15 years of age, also known as the “marital
rape exception”.
Need of Criminilising Marital Rape:
• According to the World Bank, there are at least 78
countries, including Nepal, that have legislation
specifically criminalising marital rape.
• An analysis of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
2015-16 data indicates that an estimated 99.1 per
cent of sexual violence cases go unreported.
» Further, the average Indian woman is 17 times more
likely to face sexual violence from her husband than
from others.
• Marital rape is an unjust way to degrade and
disempower women.
• A married woman has the same right to control her
own body as does an unmarried woman.
» Thereby, Marriage should not be viewed as a licence
for a husband to have sexual relations against her
consent.
• The Supreme Court has included sanctity of women,
and freedom to make choices related to sexual
activity under the ambit of Article 21.
Various Recommendations:
• In 2013, the UN Committee on Elimination
of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
recommended that the Indian government should
criminalize marital rape.
• The JS Verma committee set up in the aftermath of
nationwide protests over the December 16, 2012 gang
rape case had also recommended to criminalize
marital rape.
• The 42nd Law Commission Report have urged
criminalisation of marital rape.
• In Puttaswamy v. Union of India and The State of
Maharashtra v. Madhukar Narayan, the Supreme
Court ruled that sexual privacy is a fundamental
right of all citizens and forced sexual act would be a
clear violation of this right.
International Precedents on Martial Rape:
• The European Commission of Human Rights in C.R.
v. The UK had concluded that “a rapist remains
a rapist regardless of his relationship with the
victim”.
• Canada had repealed provisions in the Criminal
Code which denied criminal liability for marital rape
in 1983.
10 I Articulate
• South Africa criminalised marital rape in 1993.
• In Australia, the common law ‘marital rape
immunity’ was legislatively abolished in all
jurisdictions.
Centre’s Stand:
• The Central Government in its affidavit submitted
that it had to be ensured marital rape did not become
a phenomenon that destabilises the institution
of marriage and “an easy tool for harassing the
husbands”.
• It added, "What may appear to be marital rape to an
individual wife, it may not appear so to others.”
• Further, the Centre has sought suggestions from
various State governments, the Chief Justice of India,
MPs and others on comprehensive amendments to
the criminal law for criminilising Marital Rape.
Way Forward:
• While activists have argued that an exemption
under section 375 violates the right to equality for
married women, the counter argument has been
that criminalisation can be “misused” to settle
scores.
• However, there is an urgent need for the judiciary to
recognise marital rape as an offence under the Indian
Penal Code, especially now when there is a surge in
domestic and sexual violence cases against women
due to the pandemic-induced lockdown.
• The elimination of Exception 2 of Section 375 and the
punishment for marital rape being on par with the
one prescribed under Section 376 would eventually
lead to holistic development of criminal judiciary in
our country.
News Source: The Indian Express
DESH KE MENTOR PROGRAMME
Why in the News?
• The National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (NCPCR) has recommended that the Delhi
government suspend its flagship ‘Desh ke Mentor’
programme till it meets the safety guidelines.
About:
Desh ke Mentor Programme
• The Programme was launched in 2021 with the
aim at connecting students in classes IX to XII with
voluntary mentors.
• People between the ages of 18 and 35 can sign up to
be mentors through an app created by a team at the
 Delhi Technological University and will be connected
with students based on mutual interests.
• The idea is for the young mentors to guide students
through higher education and career options,
preparation for higher education entrance exams.
• The mentorship entails regular phone calls for a
minimum of two months, which can optionally be
carried on for another four months.
Concerns raised by the NCPCR:
• NCPCR is of the view that assigning children to
a mentor of the same gender as them does not
necessarily assure their safety from abuse.
• Lack of police verification of the mentors.
• Limiting interactions to phone calls also does not
ensure the safety of children since “child related
crime can be initiated through phone calls as well.”
• The Department should take responsibilty for the
safety of children rather than using the consent
of Parents as a cushion in case of any untoward
incident.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
(NCPCR):
• NCPCR was set up in 2007 under the Commissions
for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
• Mandate: To ensure that all laws are in
consonance with the Child Rights perspective
as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• It is a statutory body under the administrative
control of the Ministry of Women & Child
Development.
• It monitors the implementation of Protection
of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,
2012.
News Source: The Indian Express
OPEN DATA WEEK
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA) announced the initiation of the Open Data
Week from 17th January 2022 to 21st January 2022.
Key Points:
• The Open Data Week is part of a series of pre-
event (‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav - Smart Cities:
Smart Urbanization’ conference) initiatives being
undertaken by MoHUA to promote awareness and
use of open data.
• The idea is to provide a platform that offers ample
opportunities on how to continue creating and
promoting the use of data that addresses complex
urban issues, such as the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic.
About:
Open Data:
• Open Data refers to the information collected,
produced or paid for by the public bodies (also
referred to as Public Sector Information) and made
freely available for re-use for any purpose.
• Key Features:
» Availability and Access: The data must also be
available in a convenient and modifiable form.
» Re-use and Redistribution: The data must be
provided under terms that permit re-use and
redistribution including the intermixing with other
datasets.
» Universal Participation: Everyone must be able to
use, re-use and redistribute - there should be no
discrimination against fields of endeavour or against
persons or groups.
• Benefits of Open Data:
• Performance can be enhanced by Open Data and
contribute to improving the efficiency of public
services.
» The economy can benefit from an easier access
to information, content and knowledge in turn
contributing to the development of innovative
services and the creation of new business models.
» Open Data enhances collaboration, participation
and social innovation thereby promoting social
welfare.
» New jobs are created through the stimulation of the
economy and a higher demand for personnel with
the skills to work with data.
» It will democratize data by allowing information to
be accessible to the average end-user.
India’s National Data Sharing and Accessibility
Policy (NDSAP):
• NDSAP aims to provide an enabling provision and
platform for proactive and open access to the
data generated by various Government of India
entities.
• Principles: Openness, Flexibility, Transparency,
Quality, Security and Machine-readable.
• Objective: To facilitate access to Government of
Articulate | 11

India owned shareable data in machine readable
form all over the country for the public use.
• Scope: It will apply to all data and information
created using public funds provided by
Government of India directly or through
authorized agencies i.e. Ministries, Departments
or Autonomous bodies.
• Nodal Agency: The Department of Science and
Technology is serving the nodal functions of
coordination and monitoring of policy through
close collaboration with all Central Ministries.
About Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav:
• Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of
the Government of India to celebrate and
commemorate 75 years of progressive India.
• It is an embodiment of India’s progressive socio-
cultural, political, and economic identity.
• The official journey of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”
commenced on 12th March 2021 which starts a
75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of
Independence and will end post a year on 15th
August 2022.
News Source: Press Information Bureau
SUSPENSION OF MLAs
Why in the News?
• The Supreme Court is of the view that the
suspension of Twelve BJP legislators for one year by
the Maharashtra Assembly was “unconstitutional,
substantively illegal and irrational.”
Background:
• 12 BJP legislators were suspended on a resolution
moved by the Parliamentary affairs minister in July
2021 from the assembly.
• They have been suspended for creating a ruckus
in assembly on a resolution moved by the State
government seeking empirical data on OBCs (other
backward classes) from the Union government.
Concerns:
• The suspension of legislators from assembly violates
the right to equality before law under Article 14 of
the Constitution.
• Under Rule 53 of the Maharashtra Legislative
Assembly Rules, the power to suspend can only be
exercised by the Speaker, and it cannot be put to
vote in a resolution as was done in this case.
12 I Articulate
• The basic structure of the Constitution would be hit if
the constituencies of the suspended MLAs remained
unrepresented in the Assembly for a full year.
• Suspension of legislators for longer duration (
one year in this case) can set bad precedent for
democracy as it could be misused to alter the
composition of a House in which a Government has
only a slender majority.
What does Rule 53 Say about Suspension of
Legislators?
• Rule 53 states that the “Speaker may direct any
member who refuses to obey his decision, or whose
conduct is, in his opinion, grossly disorderly, to
withdraw immediately from the Assembly”. The
member must “absent himself during the remainder
of the day’s meeting”.
• Should any member be ordered to withdraw for a
second time in the same session, the Speaker may
direct the member to absent himself “for any period
not longer than the remainder of the Session”.
State Government Defence:
• The State Government has cited Article 212 which
states that courts do not have jurisdiction to inquire
into the proceedings of the legislature.
• The State has also referred to Article 194 on the
powers and privileges of the House, and argued that
any member who transgresses these privileges can
be suspended through the inherent powers of the
House.
• It has denied that the power to suspend a member
can be exercised only through Rule 53 of the
Assembly.
Supreme Court Verdict:
• The SC bench referred to Article 190 (4) of the
Constitution, which says, “If for a period of sixty days
a member of a House of the Legislature of a State is
without permission of the House absent from all
meetings thereof, the House may declare his seat
vacant.”
• Legislators could not have been suspended beyond
the tenure of that session as Suspension seemed to
have worse consequences than outright expulsion
from the legislature, as a by-election will be held
within six months; whereas, a one-year suspension
does not entail mandatory filling up of the vacancy.
Thereby, this suspension not punishes the member
but punishes the constituency as a whole.
• Pointing out that suspension is a disciplinary
measure, the Supremecourt bench said suspension
for a period of one year “would assume the character
of punitive and punishment worse than expulsion”
as it “has the effect of creating a de facto vacancy
 though not a de jure vacancy”.
• Suspension beyond the remainder of the ongoing
session would also be “violative of basic democratic
values” as “the constituency would remain
unrepresented in the Assembly.
Way Forward:
• The Doctrine of separation of powers implies that
each pillar of democracy – the executive, legislature
and the judiciary – perform separate functions and
act as separate entities.
• Constitutional experts, however, say the judiciary
can intervene in case of an unconstitutional act
done by the legislature.
News Source: The Hindu
ANNUAL STATUS OF EDUCATION REPORT
(ASER)
Why in the News?
• According to the ASER survey, the current
foundational reading level among students in classes
I-VII is “lower than at any time in the last decade”.
» The latest ASER survey captures Covid-related
learning losses in one of the most backward states
of the country.
Key Points:
• Coverage: The ASER survey covered 46,021 children
aged 3-16 years across 33,432 households in 28
districts of Chhattisgarh in October-November 2021.
• Drop in Basic Mathematical Skills: The proportion
of students in classes II, III, and VI in Chhattisgarh
who are unable to recognise letters have doubled
since 2018, coupled with a sharp drop in their basic
mathematical skills.
• The proportion of children at ‘beginner’ level (unable
to recognise even letters) in Std II, Std III and Std VI is
roughly double the corresponding level in 2018.
» It increased from 19.5% to 37.6% for children in Std II,
from 10.4% to 22.5% in Std III, and from 2.5% to 4.8%
in Std VI.
• Impact on learning in Government Schools:
Learning outcomes of younger children, particularly
those in government schools, have been severely hit.
• The proportion of children who are unable to
recognise even single-digit numbers has increased
across grades, and more so among students of
classes I-V.
» For example: The proportion of children at this level
increased from 11.4 percent to 24.3 per cent in class
II, and from 1.7 percent to 4.5 per cent in class V, the
report states.
• Foundational arithmetic ability: As compared to
the previous decade, sharp drops in foundational
arithmetic ability are visible among children in the
primary grades (Std I-V).
• Availability of resources: In terms of availability
of resources such as smartphones and television,
the survey found that private school students are
better off compared to their government school
counterparts.
About ASER Survey:
• Facilitated by Pratham since 2005, ASER is the
largest household survey of children’s schooling
and learning in India.
• It surveys the state of rural education and
learning outcomes in terms of reading and
arithmetic skills.
Way Forward:
• A multipronged approach is needed to tackle the
concerns highlighted in the ASER report which can
include:
» Pre recorded lectures to facilitate the learning.
» Digital infra in schools as well as at homes should be
set up to bridge the digital divide.
» Bridge courses for dropouts to bring them into the
mainstream.
» Rule 134 A of Right to Education needs to be
implemented in letter and spirit to offset the
concerns raised in the ASER survey.
Articulate | 13
 – Rule 134 A states that recognised private schools
are under obligation to reserve 25 per cent seats
for meritorious students from economically
backward section (EWS).
News Source: The Indian Express
ANTRIX DEVAS DEAL
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Supreme Court upheld an order of the
National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to liquidate
Devas on the ground that the firm was created under
fraudulent circumstances.
Key Points:
About
The Devas-Antrix Deal:
• In 2005, Devas Multimedia signed an agreement
with Antrix —a commercial arm of the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) —to provide
multimedia services to mobile users using the leased
S-band satellite spectrum to be provided by Antrix.
• However, the deal was cancelled in 2011 by Antrix, a
public company and marketing arm of the ISRO, on
grounds of “national security.”
• After the cancellation of the deal, foreign investors
in Devas Multimedia — the Deutsche Telekom, the
three Mauritius-based foreign investors — and
Devas Multimedia approached various international
tribunals seeking compensation.
» Deutsche Telekom was awarded $101 million
compensation by the Permanent Court of
Arbitration in Geneva;
» The Mauritius investors were awarded $111 million
by the International Trade Law tribunal; and
» Devas awarded $1.2 billion by an International
Chamber of Commerce.
• In 2014, the CBI investigated the Devas-Antrix Deal.
• In 2016, the CBI filed a chargesheet against eight
officials from Devas, ISRO and Antrix linked to the
deal for “being party to a criminal conspiracy with an
intent to cause undue gain to themselves or others
by abusing official positions”.
• In January 2021, Antrix filed a plea in the National
Company Law Tribunal for liquidation of Devas in
India, which it said was incorporated in a fraudulent
manner.
• In May 2021, the NCLT ordered the liquidation, which
was upheld by the National Company Law Appellate
Tribunal on September 8, 2021 and by the Supreme
14 I Articulate
Court.
Image Source: Business Standard
About Antrix:
• Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), is a wholly
owned Government of India Company under the
administrative control of Department of Space
(DOS).
• It is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO).
• It promotes and commercially markets the
products and services emanating from the Indian
Space Programme.
• In the year 2008, the Antrix was awarded
`MINIRATNA - CATEGORY-I' status.
• It facilitates development of space related
industrial capabilities in India.
News Source: The Times of India
FORMULATION OF THE BUDGET
Why in the News?
• The Finance Minister will present the budget in
the backdrop of the pandemic, the Budget is likely
to address concerns around growth, inflation and
spending.
Key Points:
Budget in Parliament:
• The Constitution refers to the budget as the ‘annual
financial statement’. In other words, the term
‘budget’ has nowhere been used in the Constitution.
• It is the popular name for the ‘annual financial
statement’ that has been dealt with in Article 112 of
the Constitution.
• The budget is a statement of the estimated receipts
and expenditure of the Government of India in a
financial year, which begins on1 April and ends on 31
March of the following year.
Components of Budget:
• There are three major components of Budget:
Expenditure, Receipts and Deficit indicators.
• Expenditure:
» Based on their impact on assets and liabilities,
expenditure has been Classified in to:
– Capital Expenditure: Capital expenditure is
incurred with the purpose of increasing assets
of a durable nature or of reducing recurring
liabilities.
– For Example: Expenditure incurred for
constructing new schools or new hospitals.
» Revenue Expenditure: Revenue expenditure
involves any expenditure that does not add to assets
or reduce liabilities.
– For Example: Expenditure incurred on the
payment of wages and salaries, subsidies or
interest payments
• Receipts:
» The receipts of the Government have three
components —revenue receipts, non-debt capital
receipts and debt-creating capital receipts.
– Revenue receipts: These involve receipts that
are not associated with increase in liabilities
and comprise revenue from taxes and non-tax
sources.
– Non-debt receipts: They are part of capital
receipts that do not generate additional
liabilities.
– Debt-creating capital receipts: These are ones
that involve higher liabilities and future payment
commitments of the Government.
• Deficit Indicators:
» Fiscal Deficit:
– It is the difference between total expenditure
and the sum of revenue receipts and non-debt
receipts. It indicates how much the Government
is spending in net terms.
» Primary Deficit:
– It is the difference between fiscal deficit and
interest payments.
» Revenue Deficit:
– A revenue deficit shows a shortage of funds
with the government to maintain its day-to-day
affairs. When total revenue expenditure exceeds
total revenue receipts it leads to a revenue
deficit.
Constitutional Provisions related to Enactment of
Budget:
• The President shall in respect of every financial
year cause to be laid before both the Houses of
Parliament a statement of estimated receipts
and expenditure of the Government of India for
that year.
• No demand for a grant shall be made except on
the recommendation of the President.
• No money shall be withdrawn from the
Consolidated Fund of India except under
appropriation made by law.
• No tax shall be levied or collected except by
authority of law.
• Parliament can reduce or abolish a tax but cannot
increase it.
News Source: The Hindu
LANGUAGE OF COURTS IN INDIA
Why in the News?
• Recently, a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court
has asked a journalist facing contempt of court
proceedings to speak only in English as that was the
language in the higher judiciary.
Constitutional Status:
• The Article 348 (1) of the Constitution mandates that
the language of the Supreme Court and High Court
would be English until Parliament by law otherwise
provides.
• Under Article 348 (2), the Governor of the State
may, with the previous consent of the President,
authorize the use of the Hindi language or any other
language used for any official purpose of the State,
in the proceedings of the High Court having its
principal seat in that State provided that decrees,
judgments or orders passed by such High Courts
shall be in English.
» States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh have already authorised the use of Hindi in
proceedings before their respective high courts.
Official Languages Act 1963:
• The Act empowers the Governor of a State may, with
the previous consent of the President, authorize the
use of Hindi or the official language of the State, in
addition to the English language, for the purpose of
any judgment, decree or order passed or made by
the High court of the State.
• And where any judgment, decree or order is passed
Articulate | 15
 or made in any such language (other than the English
language), it shall be accompanied by a translation of
the same in the English language.
Significance of using English:
• Bring Homogeneity: The use of English will bring
homogeneity in the whole judicial system.
» Since most of the cases travel from lower courts
to High Court and later Apex Courts for appeals,
the litigant can’t put the argument there that the
proceedings should be conducted in regional
languages, and it is not possible as there are
22 languages recognised in Schedule 8 of the
Constitution of India.
• Uniformity: Hence, in order to bring uniformity in
the whole judicial system, English should be allowed
to be used in the courts from subordinate courts to
the High courts in respective states.
• Easy Access of other courts views: Lawyers, as well
as judges, have the benefit of easy access to the
views of other high courts on similar legislation and
other matters of law and constitution.
Official languages of India:
• Eighth Schedule lists the official languages of
the Republic of India. Part XVII of the Indian
constitution deals with the official languages in
Articles 343 to 351.
• The eighth schedule consists of 22 languages:
Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada,
Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi,
Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil,
Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri.
» 14 were initially included in the constitution.
» 21st Amendment Act of 1967: Sindhi
» 71st Amendment Act of 1992: Konkani, Manipuri
and Nepali
» 92nd Amendment Act of 2003: Bodo, Dogri,
Maithili and Santhali.
Classical Language:
• In 2004, the Government of India decided
to create a new category of languages called
“classical languages”.
• Six languages are granted classical language
status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005),
Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam
(2013), and Odia (2014).
News Source: The Hindu
16 I Articulate
SUPREME COURT ON INHERITANCE OF
DAUGHTERS
Why in the News?
• Recently, The Supreme Court has ruled that the sole
surviving daughter of a Hindu male is rightly entitled
to the inheritance of the father who died without
executing a will.
Key Points:
• If a property of a male Hindu dying intestate is a self-
acquired property or received in partition of a joint
heirship or family property, the daughter can now
inherit it by inheritance rather than by survivorship.
Before 1956, this was not the case.
• In 2020, the Supreme Court clarified that daughters
had coparcenary rights by birth.
» A person who has the capacity to assume a legal
interest in ancestral property is referred to as a
coparcenary.
• The judgement came on an appeal against the
Madras High Court verdict, dealt with the property
rights of Hindu women and widows under the Hindu
Succession Act.
• The bench was dealing with the legal issue
concerning the right of the daughter to inherit the
self-acquired property of her father, in the absence
of any other legal heir.
The rationale behind such interpretation:
• Due to longstanding patriarchal customs and rural-
agrarian environments, women in India suffer social
and legal barriers to inheritance.
• Property is seen as a major source of wealth, and
it is usually passed down to male heirs. It deprives
women of their autonomy, financial freedom, and
entrepreneurial potential.
• According to the National Family Health Survey-5,
43 percent of women reported owning a home or
land alone or jointly. But there is a lack of ability to
actually access and control property.
• Complex agricultural land inheritance laws, as well
as conflicting central and state personal laws, make
the situation challenging for women.
Hindu succession (Amendment) Act, 2005:
• The Mitakshara school of Hindu law codified
as the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 governed
succession and inheritance of property but only
recognised males as legal heirs.
• The law applied to everyone who is not a Muslim,
Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion.
 • The 1956 Act was amended in September 2005
and women were recognised as coparceners for
property partitions arising from 2005.
• Section 6 of the Act was amended to make a
daughter of a coparcener also a coparcener by
birth “in her own right in the same manner as the
son”.
• It also gave the daughter the same rights and
liabilities “in the coparcenary property as she
would have had if she had been a son”.
• The law applies to ancestral property and to
intestate succession in personal property, where
succession happens as per law and not through
a will.

News Source: The Indian Express

Articulate | 17
18 I Articulate
19TH SAARC SUMMIT
Why in the News?
• Recently, Pakistan reiterated its offer to host the
long-pending 19th summit of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
» The 19th SAARC Summit was called off in Pakistan
after India pulled out over the Uri terror attack that
was blamed on Pakistan-based terrorists.
Image Source: Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence
Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA)
About:
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC)
• SAARC was established with the signing of the
SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8th December 1985.
• Secretariat: Kathmandu
• SAARC comprises eight Member States:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• SAARC has 9 Observers countries namely:
Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar and the
US.
• SAARC aimed to promote the welfare of the peoples
of South Asia and to improve their quality of life.
• Importance of SAARC: SAARC comprises 3% of the
world's area, 21% of the world's population and 3.8%
(US$2.9 trillion) of the global economy, as of 2015.
• Decision Making at SAARC: Decisions at all levels
are to be taken on the basis of unanimity; and
bilateral and contentious issues are excluded from
the deliberations of the Association.
• SAARC promotes areas of Cooperation in
» Human Resource Development and Tourism
» Agriculture and Rural Development
» Environment, Natural Disasters and Biotechnology
» Economic, Trade and Finance
» Social Affairs
» Information and Poverty Alleviation
Challenges:
• SAARC was intended to enhance regional
cooperation in South Asia, from its very inception,
member countries treated it with suspicion and
mistrust.
» For Example: The SAARC satellite project that
India proposed was abandoned following objection
from Pakistan in 2016.
• Bilateral Conflicts between India & Pakistan have
obstructed the possibilities of SAARC.
• South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement
is confined to goods, excluding all services like
information technology.
• Number of meetings are lesser among member
states of SAARC which hinders the spirit of
cooperation.
• Lack of consensus on threat perceptions, since
member countries disagree on the idea of threats.
» For instance, cross-border terrorism emanating
from Pakistan is a major concern for India, Pakistan
has failed to address these concerns.
Reasons for SAARC’s failures:
• SAARC does not have any arrangement for resolving
disputes or mediating conflicts.
• The member countries of SAARC have enhanced
cooperation with each other at bilateral level due
to lack of cooperation at multilateral level in SAARC.
• SAARC faces a shortage of resources, and countries
have been reluctant to increase their contributions.
• India has also focused on other regional groupings,
such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to
take forward developmental cooperation.
• Only India is a major economy and significant global
power among all which prevents confidence building
meeting economic needs in the region.
Significance of SAARC for India:
• Template for ‘Neighbourhood first’ Policy: SAARC
assumes significance, in the wake of India’s stated
policy of Neighbourhood first to deepen cooperation
with neighbouring countries.
• Countering China: India can advance economic
cooperation through SAARC with Nepal, Bhutan,
the Maldives and Sri Lanka to counter China’s Belt
& Road initiative.
• SAARC platform provides an opportunity to India
to display her leadership by sharing additional
responsibilities.
Articulate | 19
Way Forward:
• In a region increasingly targeted by Chinese
investment and loans, SAARC could be a common
platform to demand more sustainable alternatives
for development, or to oppose trade tariffs together,
or to demand better terms for South Asian labour
around the world.
• To make SAARC more effective, the organisation
must be reformed and member countries must
reach a consensus regarding the changes required.
• However, considering the differences that exist
among the members, particularly between India
and Pakistan need to be sorted out for a meaningful
engagement of SAARC.
SAARC’s Specialised Bodies:
• South Asian University - New Delhi
• SAARC Regional Standards Organization - Dhaka
• SAARC Development Fund - Thimphu
• SAARC Arbitration Council, Islamabad
News Source: The Indian Express
NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
was reviewed by five global nuclear powers, China,
Russia, U.S., U.K., and France.
About Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty:
• The NPT is an international agreement designed to
prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons
technology.
• Objective:
» To promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy.
» To further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament
in general and complete disarmament
• The treaty came into force 1970 after being opened
for signature in 1968.
» In total 191 states have signed the treaty including
the five recognised nuclear weapon states.
» It establishes a safeguards system under the
responsibility of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) to achieve the goal of non-
proliferation.
20 I Articulate
Evaluation of Non- Proliferation Treaty:
• Year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty
on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
• The initial progress was rapid, reducing the nuclear
weapons in the world by around 90% from Cold War
levels, but the final goal of complete disarmament is
not on the horizon.
• The NPT has not been successful to the extent such
as in preventing North Korea’s nuclear weapons
programme, Iran’s uranium enrichment activities
(since US’s JCPOA withdrawal).
• The global nuclear world order has not only
witnessed horizontal nuclear proliferation, but
vertical nuclear proliferation also reflects the NPT’s
inability to successfully shift towards complete
nuclear disarmament.
Image Source: The Hindu
India’s Stand on NPT:
• India has not acceded to the NPT on grounds that it
is a biased legal instrument that divided the world
into “nuclear haves” and “nuclear have-nots.”
» Nuclear haves and Nuclear have- nots: NPT
provisions are that, P-5 members can possess the
nuclear warheads as they all have acquired them
before the date of the treaty i.e. January 1, 1967 (
nuclear weapon states) and rest all have to destroy
them. It creates nuclear haves and nuclear have-
nots.
• Despite being a non-party, India abides by the
principles and objectives of the NPT, including its
nuclear disarmament aspirations.
• India, as a responsible nuclear weapon state, is
committed as per its nuclear doctrine, to maintain
credible minimum deterrence with the posture
of no-first-use and non-use against non-nuclear-
weapon states.
Way Forward:
• Most of the nuclear weapon states are adversaries of
each other and use nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
Any move towards the desired success of NPT
demands an acceptable level of trust between all of
 the nuclear weapon states.
• Further, the success of the NPT in the future rests
upon a number of considerations including a neutral
and indiscriminate mechanism and a systemic shift,
making acquisition of nuclear weapons unattractive
to all state actors.
Important Terms:
Vertical Proliferation:
• It refers to the advancement or modernization of
a nation-state's nuclear arsenal.
Horizontal Proliferation:
• It involves direct or indirect transfer of
technologies from one nation-state to another,
which leads to the more advanced development
and proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Nuclear-Weapon States:
• Nuclear-weapon states under the NPT are defined
as those that manufactured and exploded a
nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device
before January 1, 1967.
News Source: The Times of India
NATO-RUSSIA COUNCIL TALKS
Why in the News?
• Recently, the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) meet took
place at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
Key Highlights of Meet:
• Russia has demanded that NATO should not admit
any more members and withdraw western forces
from its Eastern Allies.
» Russia wants assurance that NATO will not be
expanded eastwards further.
» More specifically, Russia also demands that Ukraine
not be inducted as a member of NATO, a demand
that has repeatedly been rejected by the NATO allies.
» For the US and EU, Ukraine acts as a significant
buffer with Russia.
• Russia has insisted there is no plan to expand the
war in Ukraine, while insisting that the Kremlin’s
demands should be met.
• During the meet, NATO allies did not receive any
promise that Russia would cut down the size of its
forces along the borders of Ukraine.
About NATO-Russia Council (NRC):
• The NRC was established at the NATO-Russia
Summit in Rome on 28 May 2002 by the Declaration
on “NATO-Russia Relations: a New Quality”.
» The NRC replaced the Permanent Joint Council
(PJC), a forum for consultation and cooperation
created by the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act.
• NRC was established as a mechanism for
consultation, consensus-building, cooperation, joint
decision and joint action.
• Within the NRC, the individual NATO member states
and Russia have worked as equal partners on a wide
spectrum of security issues of common interest.
Recent Developments in NRC:
• Since April 2014, practical civil and military
cooperation under the NRC with Russia has been
suspended due to annexation of Crimea from
Ukraine.
About North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
• It is a military alliance which came into existence
through the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the
Washington Treaty) in 1949.
• Purpose: To guarantee the freedom and security
of its members through political and military
means.
• It was aimed to provide collective security
against the Soviet Union.
» The principle of collective defence is enshrined
in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty
• Strength: 29 (As of 2019)
• Montenegro became the latest member to join
NATO in 2017.
News Source: The Indian Express
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT: INDIA &
UNITED KINGDOM
Why in the News?
• Recently, India and the United Kingdom have
launched Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations
with the aim of concluding an early harvest trade
agreement.
About Early Harvest Trade Agreement:
• An Early Harvest Trade Agreement serves as a
precursor to an FTA between two countries.
• It helps identify certain products and services
Articulate | 21
 for tariff liberalisation to further strengthen the
confidence between the two trading partners.
• These early harvest schemes potentially target the
low-hanging fruits, leaving the “sensitive issues” for
later negotiations.
• Benefits:
» It will unlock business opportunities and generate
jobs across both sides.
» It would contribute towards a boost in economic
recovery in the post-pandemic era in India & UK.
» After opting out from RCEP, an agreement with
Britain will help India’s exports to find new markets.
» The onset of the Early Harvest deals will not only
mark a new beginning in India’s perception towards
trade agreements but also propel its stature
internationally.
» It is also a confidence building measure for a FTA.
Challenges:
• Early harvest agreements that do not graduate into
full FTAs face challenges from other countries at the
World Trade Organization.
» WTO rules only permit members to give preferential
terms to other countries if they have bilateral
agreements that cover substantially all the trade.
• Interim agreements, which reduce tariffs on some
products, can however in some cases lead to
significant delays in achieving comprehensive FTAs.
» In 2004, India signed an interim trade agreement
with Thailand to reduce tariffs on 84 goods, but the
agreement was never converted to a full-fledged
FTA.
What is a Free Trade Agreement?
• A free trade agreement is a pact between two or
more nations to reduce barriers to imports and
exports among them.
• Under a free trade policy, goods and services
can be bought and sold across international
borders with little or no government tariffs,
quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions to inhibit their
exchange.
India-UK Trade Relations:
• In 2021, the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) was
signed to realise the full potential of the India–UK
trade and commercial relations.
• As of 2021, India is the UK's 15th largest trading
partner, and the UK is India’s 18th largest trading
22 I Articulate
partner.
• The India-UK economic relations received a vibrant
upward direction after the establishment of the
Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) in
2005 to tackle trade and investment barriers on
both sides and promote business links.
• India's exports to the UK stood at USD 8.15 billion
in 2020-21, while imports aggregated at USD 4.95
billion.
• India's main exports to the UK include ready-
made garments and textiles, gems and jewellery,
engineering goods, petroleum and marine products.
• Imports from Britain include precious and semi-
precious stones, ores and metal scraps, engineering
goods, chemicals and machinery.
• In the services sector, the UK is the largest market in
Europe for Indian IT services.
News Source: The Indian Express
INDIA- MALDIVES RELATIONS
Why in the News?
• Over the last three years since Maldives President
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was elected to office, an
‘India Out’ Campaign has cropped up in Maldives.
Background:
India Out Campaign
• Maldives has signed an agreement in 2016 as part
of the defence action plan to develop and maintain
a coastguard harbour and dockyard at Uthuru Thila
Falhu (UTF).
» Uthuru Thilafalhu is a strategically located atoll near
the Maldivian capital of Malé.
• There was speculation that the UTF project would
be turned into an Indian naval base which led to the
protests against India in the form of the ' India Out’
campaign.
• This ‘India Out’ campaign is led by critics who accuse
the Mohamed Solih government of compromising
the sovereignty of Maldives by allowing India’s
military presence.
Other Possible Reasons for India Out Campaign:
• Gift Controversy: India gifted two Dhruv Advanced
Light Helicopters (ALF) to the Maldives in 2010
and 2015 for ocean search-and-rescue operations,
maritime weather surveillance.
» However, a section in the Progressive Party of
Maldives stirred up a controversy by saying that the
 helicopters marked the start of military presence in
the country.
• Lack of Transparency: The Maldives Government
has refused to share details of agreements signed
with India citing security reasons while the
protestors claim it is a law and every agreement
signed by the government should be shared with the
Parliament.
• Operation Sanjeevani: Through Operation
Sanjeevani, India delivered 6.2 tonnes of essential
medicines and hospital consumables to Maldives
during COVID-19 crisis in 2020.
• In 2014, India dispatched “water aid” to the
Maldives, after a fire destroyed the generator of
its biggest water treatment plant.

• Domestic Politics: It has been common in domestic

politics of Maldives to target India to advance one’s
political interests.
» In 2013, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom became
president in 2013 by creating anti-India sentiments
for his political mobilization and started tilting
towards China.
Way Forward:
• Maldives is a member of the SAARC. It is important
for India to work on the perception management in
Maldives to counterattack the malicious India Out
Campaign for securing her strategic objectives.

• Perception: It is perceived that India due to its • Timely implementation of projects and by extending
economic might acts as hegemon and interferes in the Line of Credit(LoC) to Maldives, India can
domestic politics of Maldives. checkmate China's cheque book diplomacy in the
region.
Maldives Government Stand:
• The Maldives government rejected the “India Out”
slogan, and described India as the country’s “closest
ally and trusted neighbour”.

Importance of Maldives for India:

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

India- Maldives Collaboration:

• The Greater Male Connectivity Project:
» The Great Male Connectivity Project includes
a 6.7-km-long bridge and causeway network
connecting Male, Villingili, Gulhifalhu and
Thilafushi Islands.
» The bridge would connect the islands of
Hulhumale, Hulhule and Male with the proposed
Gulhifalhu Port and the Thilafushi Industrial
Zone.
» The Project is funded by the Exim Bank of India
under the Indian grant of $100 million and Line of
Credit of $400 million.
» The Project will be developed by Maharashtra-
based construction and engineering company
AFCONS.
NUSANTARA: NEW CAPITAL OF
INDONESIA
Why in the News?
• Recently, Indonesia announced that its Parliament
approved a bill to relocate the capital from Jakarta
to a site on the island of Borneo that will be named
"Nusantara”.
» The name of the new capital city is associated with
Hindu ruler Hayam Wuruk and Gajah Mada, Prime
minister of the Majapahit empire.
Change of Capital from Jakarta to Nusantara:
Reasons:
• Jakarta (Present Capital of Indonesia) sits on

Articulate | 23
 swampy ground near the sea -- making it especially
prone to flooding, according to the World Economic
Forum.
» Studies have forecast that the entire city could sink
by 2050.
• It is also one of the world's most overpopulated
urban regions. It is home to more than 10 million
people, according to the United Nations.
• Jakarta city has become overcrowded and
extremely polluted for the last few decades.

About Indonesia's New Capital: ‘Nusantara’

• Nusantara is a Javanese name for the Indonesian
archipelago.
• The name Nusantara dates back to Majapahit, a
Hindu empire that was based in Java and ruled from
the late 13th to the early 15th centuries.
• It is located in East Kalimantan Province of
Indonesia. Image Source: Britannica
• It is situated in the centre of Indonesia, in one of the
areas least prone to the natural disasters. News Source: The Hindu

• The State will fund 19 percent of the $32.5bn

cost, with the rest coming from public-private
partnerships and private investment.
• The new capital has a central function and is a
symbol of the identity of the nation, as well as a new
centre of economic gravity.
• Concerns:
» Many environmentalists and activists have warned
that moving the capital to East Kalimantan would
lead to massive deforestation and eventually
damage the ecosystem.
East Kalimantan:
• East Kalimantan is 2,300 kilometres from Jakarta
on the eastern side of Borneo island, shared by
Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
• It is an area with immense water resources and
habitable terrain.
SECURITY ISSUE IN WEST ASIA: HOUTHIS
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed
responsibility for the suspected drone attack on
three petroleum tankers in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
» Yemen has been devastated by a near seven-year
civil war.
Reason for the Houthis target of the UAE:
• The UAE joined the Saudi campaign in 2015 against
the Houthis and has been involved in the conflict ever
since, despite announcing the formal withdrawal of
its forces in 2019 and 2020.
• In recent months, Giants Brigades, a militia group
largely made up of Southern Yemenis (backed by the
UAE) and the Joint Forces turned their guns against
the Houthis inflicting major damage on them.
• The Houthis appear to have sent a clear message to
the UAE— stay out of Yemen or face more attacks.

24 I Articulate
 “martyred” leader.
• But it only strengthened the Houthis, who, by 2010,
when a ceasefire was reached, had captured Sa’dah
from the government troops.

Yemen Conflict: Cause of Concern

• Threat to Global Oil Supply: Yemen conflict has the
potential to jeopardize the global oil supply.
» The Bab el-Mandeb passage in Yemen witnesses
nearly four million barrels of oil being shipped daily
to Europe, United States and Asia.

Image Source: Agence France-Presse

Key Points:

Crisis in Yemen:
• Yemen has been witnessing civil war between the
incumbent Abdur Rabi government —supported
by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi
Arabia—and the Zaydi Shia tribes called the Houthis
(supported by Iran) since 2014.
Image Source: EIA
• Following failed negotiations, the rebels seized
• Checkmating Terror Groups: The Yemen conflict is
the Presidential palace in January 2015, leading
also of worry to the West because it provides terror
President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his
groups such as the Al Qaeda and the Islamic State
government to resign.
affiliates a fertile ground for recruit.
• Beginning in March 2015, a coalition of Gulf states led
• Regional Power Struggle: The conflict is also a part
by Saudi Arabia launched a campaign of economic
of a regional power struggle between Shia-ruled
isolation and air strikes against the Houthi insurgents,
Iran and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia.
with US logistical and intelligence support.
» Any major escalation between rivals can destabilize
Houthi Movement: the Middle East Region.
• The roots of the Houthi movement can be traced to • Humanitarian Crisis: As per United Nations report
“Believing Youth” (Muntada al-Shahabal-Mu’min), estimates some 1.3 million people would die by
a Zaydi revivalist group. 2030 in Yemen.
» The group was founded by Hussein al-Houthi and • Safety of Indian Expatriates: The safety of Indian
his father, Badr al-Din al-Houthi, in the early 1990s. Expatriates working in West Asia is another big
concern from India's point of view.
• Inspired by the Iranian revolution of 1979 and the rise
of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in the 1980s, Badr
al-Din and his sons started building vast social and
religious networks among the Zaydis of Yemen. India-Yemen Relations:
• Later, the Houthis movement turned political and • Trade Relations: India’s history with Yemen is a
started attacking the “corrupt” regime of Ali Abdullah characterised 2,000 years ago with trade links
Saleh and his support for the U.S.’s war on terror. extending between the southern coasts of India
and the southern coasts of Yemen.
• They called themselves Ansar Allah (Partisans of
God), mobilised tribesmen in the north against the » Arabs from Yemen imported spices, especially
government and chanted “Death to America”. pepper, coconuts, and pearls, amongst other
goods, from India.
• In 2004, Saleh’s government troops killed Hussein
al-Houthi to end the resistance, which was • Diplomatic Support: India has garnered Yemen’s
locally called the Houthis movement, after their support in the Organisation of Islamic Countries

Articulate | 25

(OIC), which was often pre-disposed against India
on the issue of Kashmir.
• Yemen’s Recognition: India also became
amongst the first nations to recognise both the
Southern and Northern parts of Yemen in 1962
and 1967 respectively—the two countries united
in the 1990s.
Council.
» Protests have snowballed from the issue of fuel
prices into broader demands for regime change.
• Public Anger: Despite Kazakhstan’s oil wealth, low
salaries and poor working conditions have always
been issues which have built resentment in public
and fuelled protests against the government.

• Geostrategic Significance: Yemen is close to two

strategic naval choke points—the Bab el-Mandeb
and the Straits of Hormuz.
» Together, these two chokepoints have access to
almost 30 percent of the world’s oil trade.
• Private Investment: Indian companies such
as Reliance had invested heavily since 2006 in
reserves of oil and gas.

Way Forward:
• Although military power is not present in India’s
foreign policy outreach, its assistance and post-war
aid to Yemen can really help project a stronger image
in the Middle East.
• India should look to leverage its decades-long
Image Source: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
relationship and people-to-people network to make
this a reality.

News Source: The Hindu Way Forward:

• It is an opportunity for the President Kassym-
Jomart Tokayev to come out of the shadows of the
COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY old regime.
ORGANISATION (CSTO) • Dealing with the protests only through force,
including with help from Russia — the Belarus model
Why in the News? — would not resolve the underlying issues.
• Recently, the President of Kazakhstan has called • Reaching out to the angry public, holding
Collective Security Treaty Organisation forces to consultations and building consensus to enter a
tackle the protests at home. new social contract with the people of Kazakhstan
would be a step in the right direction.
Key Points:

Reasons for Protest in Kazakhstan:

• Skyrocketing Fuel Prices: The Government has
decided to end subsidies on liquefied petroleum
gas and make fuel prices fully market-based from
January 1, 2022 which has resulted in rise in fuel
prices.
• Demand for Regime Change:
» Until 2019, Kazakhstan was run by President
Nursultan Nazarbayev with strong links to Russian
President Vladimir Putin for nearly three decades
following independence.
» He anointed Tokayev as his successor while retaining
substantial power as head of the National Security
About Collective Security Treaty Organisation
(CSTO):
• CSTO origin can be traced to the signing of a
mutual defense pact known as the Collective
Security Treaty in 1992 in the wake of the collapse
of the Soviet Union.
• It is based on the principle of collective defense.
» An attack on one member state is taken as an
attack on all members of the alliance.
• Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
• Membership: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

26 I Articulate

» Uzbekistan had quit the alliance in 2012.
• Armenia is the Current CSTO’s chair.
Importance of CSTO for Russia:
• For Russia, the CSTO is a useful tool to tighten its
grip on Central Asia, against both Western and
Chinese encroachments.
• It justifies Russian military facilities in member
countries, while also giving Russia a veto over any
other foreign bases in the region.
About India - Kazakhstan Relations:
• India and Kazakhstan actively cooperate
under the aegis of Multilateral Fora including
Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and
the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• Kazakhstan is also part of the India-Central Asia
Dialogue, the first meeting of which was held in
2019.
• The India-Kazakhstan Inter-Governmental
Commission (IGC) established in 1993 is the apex
bilateral institutional mechanism for developing
trade, economic, scientific, technological,
industrial and cultural cooperation.
• Kazakhstan is India’s largest trade and
investment partner in Central Asia.
» As per statistics of Kazakhstan for 2019, total
bilateral trade between India and Kazakhstan
amounted to US$ 1.86.
• India offers around 60 scholarships to Kazakh
specialists, entrepreneurs and officials, both
in the public and private sector for imparting
training in areas and sectors including Information
Technology, English conversation through Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)
Programme.
News Source: The Indian Express
THE AMERICA COMPETES ACT OF 2022
Why in the News?
• Recently, the United States House of Representatives
unveiled the ambitious America Creating
Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in
Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022, or
the America COMPETES Act of 2022.
Key Provisions of The America COMPETES Act of
2022:
• Classification of entrepreneurs: The Act amends
the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a
new classification of “W” non-immigrants for
entrepreneurs with an ownership interest in a start-
up entity, essential employees of a start-up entity,
and their spouses and children.
• Residency Status: If the start-up entity
demonstrates a proven track record of success
through job creation and significant revenue
generation, the act seeks to establish procedures
for foreign nationals for lawful permanent resident
status as an immigrant entrepreneur.
• It provides for a limited number of W-2 visas for
personnel who are essential to the growth and
success of the start-up entity if the start-up serves
as the basis for the W-1 status of a founder.
• It provides the Secretary of Homeland Security
discretion to classify an individual as a W-1 non-
immigrant for a three-year period initially if the
individual possesses an ownership interest of not
less than 10 per cent in a start-up entity.
• Encouraging Semiconductor Production: The
bill provides $52 billion to encourage more
semiconductor production in the US, and $45
billion for grants and loans to improve supply chain
resilience and manufacturing.
• Exemption: It provides an exemption for STEM
PhDs from the green card cap, and creates a new
green card for entrepreneurs.
• Creation of Manufacturing Facilities: The bill
also authorizes $600 million a year to construct
manufacturing facilities to make the US less reliant
on solar components made in Xinjiang, China.
Significance:
• The America COMPETES Act of 2022 also includes
funding to address social and economic inequality,
climate change, and immigration.
• It is an important step forward in advancing
legislation that will make supply chains stronger
and reinvigorate the innovation engine of the USA’s
economy to outcompete China and the rest of the
world for decades to come.
• It opens up new vistas for talented individuals from
across the world with a new startup visa.
What would the signing of this bill into law mean for
Indians?
• Normally, H-1B work permits are issued to Indians
for work in the USA. However, with this new act a
new category will help Indian professionals to have
a better shot at opportunities.
Articulate | 27

What is an H-1B Visa?
• The H-1B visa is a work permit that allows foreign
workers to go to the United States and work for
American companies.
• The foreigner must specifically work in a field that
requires specialised knowledge, for which the
employer cannot find a US-based worker.
• The visa, which is initially valid for three years,
can be extended up to six years.
• H-1B is one of the few visas offered by the United
States that allow family members to join the visa
holder during their length of stay in the US.
News Source: The Indian Express
UNITED NATION SECURITY COUNCIL
Why in the News?
• Recently, the United Nation Security Council got
five new non-permanent members as Albania,
Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates
formally took up the posts they won in an election in
June 2021.
Image Source: Newsonair
Key Points:
• Albania is joining for the first time while Brazil is
taking an 11th turn. Gabon and Ghana each have
been on the council three times before and the UAE
once.
• More than 50 of the UN’s 193 member countries
have never been elected to the council since it was
formed in 1946.
• The 15 member council is the UN’s most powerful
body. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom
and the United States are its permanent members
collectively called P5 with veto power.
28 I Articulate
Benefits of Being Elected As Non-Permanent Member:
• Non-Permanent members have “collective right of
veto” means any resolution of the UNSC has to be
passed by at least seven non-permanent members
even if all the permanent members support it.
• Entry to all closed-door meetings, which is open
only to the five permanent members and ten non-
permanent members.
» Both open and closed meetings are formal meetings
of the Security Council. Closed meetings are not
open to the public and no verbatim record of
statements is kept.
• Every member country of the council, including
the non-permanent members, also assumes
the presidency of the council every month. The
presidency is determined in alphabetical order.
• This allows non-permanent members to advance
issues which are prior to them.
• Chairing of the council's subsidiary bodies is
reserved for NPM (Non-Permanent members).
About United Nations Security Council (UNSC):
• In 1945, the United Nations Charter established the
Security Council. It is one of the United Nations' six
primary organs.
» The General Assembly (UNGA), the Trusteeship
Council, the Economic and Social Council, the
International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat
are the other five organs of the United Nations.
• The UN Security Council has the primary
responsibility for international peace and security.
• The council is headquartered at New York.
• Membership: The Security Council is made up of
fifteen-member states - consisting of
» Five permanent members - China, France, Russia,
the United Kingdom, and the United States and
» Ten non-permanent members elected for a two-year
term by the General Assembly on a regional basis.
» “Veto power” refers to the power of the permanent
member to veto (Reject) any resolution of the
Security Council.
» Each year the General Assembly elects five non-
permanent members by 2/3rd majority (out of 10 in
total).
» The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a
regional basis as follows:
– Five for African and Asian States;
– One for Eastern European States;
– Two for the Latin American and Caribbean
States;
 – Two for Western European and other States.
India and the UNSC:
• India has been a non-permanent member of the
Security Council in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-
78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12 and 2021-22.
• India has highlighted several issues in security
council such as international terrorism, United
Nations reforms and Security Council expansion,
streamlining the world body’s peacekeeping
operations and technology initiatives.
• India has worked with all member countries to
promote global peace, security, resilience and equity.
• India has played its part in formulating decisions on
several issues such as admitting former colonies to
the UN, addressing deadly conflicts in the Middle
East and maintaining peace in Africa.
• India demands transparency in mandates for UN
peacekeeping missions and push for
• the India-led Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism.
Issues with UNSC:
• Veto power to P-5 provides them with the ultimate
weapon to stop the functioning of the UN against
their National Interest.
• None of UNSC decisions goes without criticism
because P-5 represents the geopolitical realities of
1945. Perception of lack of legitimacy because of
limited representation for others.
• Lack of Transparency and Accountability in UNSC
functioning.
• Poor coordination between UNSC and United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Urgent Reforms Needed in UNSC:
• Veto Reforms: It is always alleged that P5 members
use VETO in their own interest. Hence, it is suggested
that UNGA should be given the power to override
the VETO by P5 members.
• Membership Reform: The permanent seats of UNSC
have no representation from Africa where most of
the UN actions are taken.
» Latin America too has no representation.
» Europe is over-represented.
Way Forward:
• Since the formation of the UNSC world order has
changed a lot, it is time to re-think the permanent
members of the UNSC.
• The power of veto is frequently cited as a major
problem as the P5 members often influence the
resolutions making those countries to suffer, which
rather need a platform to grow.
News Source: The Indian Express
CHINA’S NEW BORDER LAW AND INDIA
Why in the News?
• Recently, China has passed a new law on land
borders that came into effect from January 1.
More on the news:
• China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs had recently issued
“standardised” names for 15 places in the Indian
State of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The naming had come ahead of a new land border
law that took effect on January 1, 2022.
• This follows China’s 2017 attempt of assigning such
names to places in the State.
• The names are to be used henceforth on all official
Chinese documents and maps, which show
Arunachal as “south Tibet”.
• India responded to the move saying that “assigning
invented names” will not alter the facts on the
ground or Arunachal Pradesh’s status as an integral
part of India.
About the New Law:
• To protect the land border areas: The Standing
Committee of China’s National People’s Congress
passed the law for the “protection and exploitation
of the country’s land border areas”.
• It mandates the state to take measures:
» To strengthen border defence, support economic
and social development as well as opening-
up in border areas, improve public services and
infrastructure in such areas,
» To encourage and support people’s life and work
there, and
» To promote coordination between border defence
and social, economic development in border areas”.
» This means that it is encouraging the development
of villages for civilians in the border areas.
Reasons behind bringing such law:
• Security of Land Border: According to experts, this
law reflects China’s concerns over the security of its
land border. While it confronts a slew of unsettled
disputes on its maritime front.
» The confrontations on the Sino-Indian borders in
recent years may have reminded China that as a
Articulate | 29

classic land-sea power China must always ready
itself to cope with threats in both the continental
and maritime domains.
» The Covid-19 pandemic “also underscores the
imperative for Beijing to exert greater control over
its somewhat porous land border”.
• Spread of Terrorism: The law “reflects China’s thinly-
veiled worries about the stability of its hinterland
bordering Central Asia” as the withdrawal of the
US forces and Taliban takeover “aggravated China’s
concerns that Afghanistan may become a hotbed
for terrorism and extremism that could spread to
Xinjiang”.
• Domestic Politics: Domestic politics too may have
been a contributing factor, bolstering President Xi
Jinping’s standing in the lead-up to the 20th Party
Congress later this year when he would secure a
third term.
Concern for India:
• China and India share a disputed 3,488-km
boundary, the third longest among China’s 22,457-
km land boundaries with 14 countries, after the
borders with Mongolia and Russia.
• Besides India, Bhutan (477 km) is the only other
country with which China has a disputed land
border.
• There is a suspicion that the Chinese delegation
may use the new law to try to bolster their existing
positions and may stall further negotiations on the
standoff in eastern Ladakh.
• The new law prohibits construction of permanent
infrastructure close to the border without China’s
permission.
» Both India and China have been building new roads,
bridges and other facilities faster since the standoff
began; in fact, China had objected to India’s workers
even before.
Impact on India-China relations:
• Some experts feel the new law will make China dig
its heel in, on the ongoing standoff as well as for
resolution of the larger boundary issue.
• Others feel the new law is only a tool China
government will use if it wants, as its actions have
been aggressive even before this law.
• The new law is the “latest attempt by China to
unilaterally delineate and demarcate territorial
boundaries with India and Bhutan”.
Way Ahead:
• Restoring relations and the status quo along the
border will necessitate mutual sensitivity and
30 I Articulate
commitment to previous agreements that helped
sustain the peace, rather than needless provocations
that add to an already long list of disputes.
• Both parties should use multilateral summits to
restore normalcy and then resolve the stand off, like
that one was done after the Doklam standoff in a
BRICS Summit.
• The continuation of informal Informal summits
like that of Wuhan and Mamallapuram could be
considered.
News Source: The Indian Express
CHINA-SRI LANKA TIES
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Chinese foreign minister has visited
to five-nation countries- 3 African nations, Sri Lanka
and the Maldives signifies its constant effort for
influence over the Indian Ocean region.
highlights of the Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to
Sri Lanka:
• The visit marks the 70th anniversary of the historic
Rubber-Rice Pact and the 65th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between
China and Sri Lanka ties.
About Rubber-Rice Pact:
• The Rubber-Rice Pact was signed in 1952 in the
wake of the food crisis in Sri Lanka. Under the
Pact, China supplied rice to Sri Lanka at lower
than market prices and purchased rubber, which
was the only exportable commodity of Sri Lanka
at that time, at prices higher than international
prices.
• The Chinese Foreign Minister asserted that no
“third country” should “interfere” in China-Sri
Lanka ties. This was in reference to India’s concerns
over China’s strategic projects in Sri Lanka.
• He proposed a “Forum on the development of
Indian Ocean island Countries” to build consensus
and synergy, and promote common development.
• He urged the two sides to make good use of “the two
engines”, referring to the China-backed Colombo
Port City in Colombo and the Hambantota Port on
the island’s Southern Province.
» He also urged Sri Lanka to tap the opportunities
of the Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership(RCEP).
• The Sri Lankan President has requested China to
restructure Sri Lanka’s debt and help the country
cope with the economic strain.
» Currently, Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic
crisis of a persisting dollar crunch, soaring living
costs and a shortage of essentials in the import-
reliant island nation.
India’s Concern:
• Threats to India’s SAGAR Initiative: The proposed
“Forum on the development of Indian Ocean Island
Countries” sounded in opposition to Prime Minister
of India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the
Region) initiative.
• Having an Impact on India's Neighbors: Bangladesh,
Nepal, and the Maldives are among the South Asian
countries that have turned to China for large-scale
infrastructure financing.
• Issues Relating to Two Engines Growth: With the
leasing of Hambantota and the Colombo Port City
project, the Chinese navy will almost certainly have
a permanent presence in the Indian Ocean, posing a
threat to India's national security.
» It is also a part of String of Pearls policy of China.
Indian - Sri Lanka: Recent Development
• Recently, India and Sri Lanka agreed to a four-
pronged approach to discuss initiatives on food
and energy security to help mitigate Sri Lanka’s
economic crisis.
• India extended 900 mn dollar economic support to
Sri Lanka, It includes a $400 mn currency swap and
deferred payment of $500 mn.
• Recently it was announced that Indian Oil Subsidiary
Lanka IOC would be given 49% stake in the joint
development of the Trincomalee Oil Tank farm with
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation keeping 51%.
Way Forward:
• It is critical for India to maintain its Neighbourhood
First policy with Sri Lanka in order to protect its
strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region.
• India should leverage its soft power in the technology
sector to create job opportunities in Sri Lanka by
expanding the presence of its IT companies.
• To prevent China from making further advances into
Sri Lanka, India will need to continue working on the
Kankesanturai port in Jaffna and the oil tank farm
project in Trincomalee for which the agreement
has been signed recently.
• Platforms such as BIMSTEC, SAARC, SAGAR, and
the IORA might be used to promote collaboration
in areas such as technology-driven agriculture,
marine sector development, and information and
communication infrastructure.
News Source: The Hindu
INDIA’S SUGAR SUBSIDY ISSUE AT WTO
Why in the News?
• Recently, India has appealed against a ruling of the
World Trade Organization's (WTO) trade dispute
settlement panel which ruled that the country's
domestic support measures for sugar and sugarcane
are inconsistent with global trade norms.
Background:
• In 2019, Brazil, Australia and Guatemala dragged
India into the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism.
• These countries alleged that India’s domestic
support measures to producers of sugarcane and
sugar and export subsidies are inconsistent with
global trade rules including various provisions of the
WTO's Agreement on Agriculture, Agreement on
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and the
General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT).
• According to WTO rules, subsidies cannot exceed
10% of the total value of sugar production.
• These countries believe that subsidies offered by
India have led to increased production of sugar and
caused the price of sugar to drop significantly in the
global market.
» WTO provision does not allow any market distorting
subsidy support.
WTO’s Panel Ruling:
• After two years, the WTO ruled in December
that India’s sugar policy was favouring domestic
producers through subsidies to the detriment of
foreign producers.
• The panel recommended India to withdraw its
alleged prohibited subsidies under the Production
Assistance, the Buffer Stock, and the Marketing
and Transportation Schemes within 120 days from
the adoption of this report.
• The WTO panel has stated that the support measures
are inconsistent with WTO trade rules.
Working of WTO’s Dispute Redressal:
• A WTO member or members can file a case in the
Geneva-based multilateral body if they feel that a
particular trade measure is against the norms of
the WTO.
• Bilateral consultation is the first step to resolve
Articulate | 31
 a dispute.
• If both sides are not able to resolve the matter
through consultation, either can approach for the
establishment of a dispute settlement panel.
• The panel's ruling or report can be challenged at
the World Trade Organization's Appellate Body,
which is the final arbiter on such trade disputes.
India’s Stand:
• India has stated that the WTO's dispute panel
ruling has made certain "erroneous" findings about
domestic schemes to support sugarcane producers
and exports and the findings of the panel are
completely "unacceptable" to it.
• India has argued at the WTO that it does not offer
direct subsidies to sugarcane farmers and thus
doesn’t break any international trade rules.
• India has appealed in the WTO's Appellate Body,
which is the final authority on such trade disputes.
Way Forward:
• The WTO Appellate Body’s decision will be
considered final on the dispute. In case India refuses
to comply with the decision, it might have to face
retaliatory action from other countries. This could
be in the form of additional tariffs on Indian exports
and other stringent measures.
• Presently, the dispute settlement body is not working
due to lack of quorum. So, India can continue the
present scheme of subsidies.
WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture (AoA):
• Its goal is to reduce trade obstacles and promote
transparent market access and global market
integration.
• The Agriculture Committee of the World Trade
Organization oversees implementation of the
Agreement and provides a platform for members
to discuss related issues.
• Domestic support under AoA categorized into 3
boxes:
» Green Box Subsidy: These are the subsidies that
don’t distort free trade or distort the free trade
at a very minimal or negligible level. They are
government-funded and must not involve price
support.
– Ex, expenditure on agriculture research and
development, subsidy under environmental
programmes etc.
» Blue Box Subsidy: This is the “amber box with
32 I Articulate
conditions”. Such conditions are designed
to reduce distortion. Blue Box Subsidies are
exempted from calculation of AMS (Aggregate
Market Support).
• Amber Box Subsidy: It provides a broad range
of subsidies, according to the WTO, is used for
all domestic support measures considered to
distort production and trade.It is limited to 5%
of agricultural production (10% for developing
countries).
Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing
Measures:
• The World Trade Organization's Agreement on
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures governs
the use of subsidies and the activities that nations
can take to counter the effects of subsidies.
• Under the agreement, a country can use the
WTO’s dispute-settlement procedure to seek the
withdrawal of the subsidy or the removal of its
adverse effects.
General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT):
• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
was an international trade agreement signed in
1947.
• The purpose of GATT was to liberalise trade by
reducing tariffs and reducing quotas among
member countries. The member nations had to
remove all the trade discriminations.
• GATT became the only multilateral instrument
governing international trade from 1948 until the
WTO was established in 1995.
About WTO:
• The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is an
international organisation which sets the rules
for global trade. This organisation was set up in
1995 as the successor of the General Agreement
on Trade and Tariffs (GATT).
» The WTO has 164 members (including the
European Union) and 23 observer governments
(like Iran, Iraq, Bhutan, Libya etc). India is the
founding member of WTO.
Functions of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
• Administering WTO trade agreements.
• Conducting forum for trade negotiations.
• Handling trade disputes.
• Monitoring national trade policies.

• Providing technical assistance and training for
developing countries.
• Cooperation with other international
organizations.
Governance
• Ministerial Conference: The topmost decision-
making body of the WTO is the Ministerial
Conference, which usually meets every two years.
• General Council: The General Council is the
WTO’s highest-level decision-making body
located in Geneva, meeting regularly to carry out
the functions of the WTO.
• The Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB): The WTO
General Council meets as the TPRB to undertake
trade policy reviews of Members under the TPRM
and to consider the Director-General's regular
reports on trade policy development.
• Dispute Settlement Body (DSU): The General
Council convenes as the Dispute Settlement
Body (DSB) to deal with disputes between WTO
members.
News Source: The Indian Express
GLOBAL FIRST: DECLARATION ON
DIGITAL RIGHTS AND PRINCIPLES
Why in the News?
• Recently, the European Commission, in a global first,
proposed a set of digital rights and principles that
aim to protect people's rights, support democracy
and ensure a fair and safe online environment.
Key Points:
• The declaration of digital rights and principles
established that what is illegal offline should also be
illegal online.
» It is an extension of the Berlin Declaration on Digital
Society and Value-Based Digital Government of the
EU council.
Significance:
• To promote these principles as a standard for the
world countries.
• To provide a guide for policymakers and companies
when dealing with new technologies.
Key Principles:
• Putting people at the center of the digital
transformation i.e technologies respect democratic
values.
• Solidarity and inclusion i.e digitisation should
benefit all;
• Freedom of choice to help people make their own
informed choice online.
• Fostering Participation in the digital public space by
promoting an online open environment for a healthy,
vivid democratic debate.
• Safety, security and empowerment, which covers
the right to safe digital technologies and protect
privacy.
• Greened digital technologies to achieve green
transition goals.
Steps taken by India to protect digital rights:
• Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019
• Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines
and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
• Information Technology Act 2000.
News Source: The Hindu
SRI LANKA ECONOMIC CRISIS
Why in the News?
• Recently, India has confirmed a $400 MN currency
swap with Srilanka and deferred another $500 MN
due for settlement to the Asian Clearing Union
(ACU) to help the nation tide over an unprecedented
economic crisis.
Key Highlights
• In a currency swap, two parties agree to exchange
an equivalent sum of money at a pre-determined
exchange rate. The sum will be repaid (or swapped
again) at a later pre-decided date. Essentially, it is
loaning each other money.
• The agreement will help Srilanka to pay for its
imports from India.
• In July 2020, the RBI extended a similar swap facility
of $400 million to help Sri Lanka cope with the
impact of the first wave of the pandemic.
Srilanka’s Economic Crisis:
• Sri Lanka is currently facing a severe foreign
exchange crisis with falling reserves. The country is
grappling with a shortage of almost all essentials due
to the shortage of foreign exchange to pay for the
imports.
• Srilanka is heavily dependent on imports for meeting
its basic food and medicinal requirements. In 2020,
it imported $396 MN of cereals, $ 335 MN of dairy
products, $276 MN of sugar & $352 MN of vegetables.
Articulate | 33
• The nation’s foreign income is mainly derived
from Tourism and travel sector which has severely
affected due to COVID-19 related restrictions.
• The crisis may worsen into default on external debt
and food shortages in the country.
About Asian Clearing Union:
• It was established with its headquarters at
Tehran, Iran, on December 9, 1974, at the initiative
of the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), for
promoting regional cooperation.
• The main objective of the clearing union is to
facilitate payments among member countries
for eligible transactions on a multilateral basis,
thereby economizing on the use of foreign
exchange reserves and transfer costs, as well
as promoting trade among the participating
countries.
• The Central Banks and the Monetary Authorities
of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives,
Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are
currently the members of the ACU.
News Source: The Hindu
INDIA-CENTRAL ASIA VIRTUAL SUMMIT
Why in the News?
• Recently, India hosted the first India-Central
Summit in a virtual format which was attended by
Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
» It coincided with the 30th anniversary of
establishment of diplomatic relations between India
and Central Asian countries.
Key outcomes of the Summit:
• The leaders agreed to institutionalize the summit
mechanism to hold it every 2 years.
34 I Articulate
• India-Central Asia Secretariat in New Delhi would
be set up to support the new mechanism.
• They agreed to set up joint working groups on
Afghanistan and use of Chabahar Port.
• Further cooperation in areas of trade and
connectivity, development cooperation, defence
and security and cultural and people to people
contacts through
» Showcasing of Buddhist exhibitions
» Joint counter-terrorism exercises.
• They addressed the proposed Turkmenistan-
Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline.
» The pipeline aims to bring 33 billion cubic metres
of gas from Turkmenistan to India, but has stayed
stalled. As TAPI will pass through Afghanistan, buy-
in by the Taliban government is crucial.
• The leaders reiterated their strong support for a
peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan with a
truly representative and inclusive government. India
conveyed its continued commitment to provide
humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
• A comprehensive Joint Declaration was adopted by
the leaders that enumerate their common vision for
an enduring and comprehensive India-Central Asia
partnership.
Importance of Central Asia for India:
• The region is endowed with commercially viable
quantities of minerals like coal, gas, uranium etc.
• It acts as a buffer to contain fallout of fundamentalism,
insulate India from narco-terrorism.
• It has geostrategic importance as it lies at the
crossroads of Russia, the Middle East, South Asia
and the Far East.
• The region which has a long shared history and
cultural ties with India.
• Medical students from India study there because it
provides education at marginal cost when compared
to European and American universities.
Image Source: World Atlas

News Source: Press Information Bureau

Articulate | 35
36 I Articulate
RYTHU BANDHU SCHEME: TELANGANA
Why in the News?
• The total funds disbursed under Rythu Bandhu,
the Telangana government’s direct benefit transfer
scheme for farmers, will soon touch Rs 50,000 crore
in the coming days.
About Rythu Bandhu Scheme:
• Rythu Bandhu is a scheme under which the state
government extends financial support to land-
owning farmers at the beginning of the crop season
through direct benefit transfer.
• It was announced by the Telangana Government in
February 2018.
• Objective: To provide a timely cash grant to the
farmer so that they can take care of the initial
investment needs and do not fall into a debt trap.
• Eligibility: The government has been crediting
Rs 5000 per acre per season into bank accounts
of land-owning farmers ahead of Rabi and Kharif
seasons.
• Funds: The State Government has released more
than 43,000 crores so far for the scheme in seven
tranches.
» This season, the state government will disburse
another Rs 7638.99 crore, taking the total sum
disbursed so far to over Rs 50,000 crore.
• Significance: This in turn instills confidence in
farmers, enhances productivity and income, and
breaks the cycle of rural indebtedness.
» The grant helps them cover the expenses on input
requirements such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides,
and labour.
Comparison with PM-KISAN Scheme:
• PM -KISAN and Rayuthu bandhu are WTO compliant
and comes under green box subsidy of AoA
(Agreement on Agriculture).
• Under PM-KISAN, a land-holding family receives
an income support of 6,000 per year in three equal
installments.
» “Rythu Bandhu” is based on anticipated input
expenditure for each acre of land and there is no
restriction on the number of acres owned by a
farmer.
» Under Rythu Bandhu, farmers get the cash
assistance all at once ahead of the crop season and
not in multiple installments.
• PM-KISAN only provides support to the family and
not to the farm units.
Criticism:
• The Rythu Bandhu scheme has also come in for
criticism from several quarters, with one of the
major ones being that it ignores the plight of landless
or tenant farmers.
• AAdhar seeded payment system creates rejection of
payments.
• Allied sector activities are not getting this benefit.
• No limit on land holding size does not differentiate
between small and marginal farmers and big land
owners.
Similar Scheme:
• KALIA Scheme: The Odisha government’s
KALIA scheme aims to provide Direct Income
Support(DIS) to farmers.
• Under the KALIA scheme, Each farmer’s family
gets Rs. 5,000 separately in the Kharif and
rabi seasons irrespective of the amount of
landholdings.
News Source: The Indian Express
NATIONAL EDUCATION FOR
TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE (NEAT)
Why in the News?
• The National Education Alliance for Technology
(NEAT), which is being implemented by the All
India Council for Technical Education (AICTE),
aims to act as a bridge between edtech companies,
academic institutions and students.
Key Points:
• It is a first of its kind government scheme which
will bring courses offered by a group of edtech
platforms within the reach of college and university
students from socio-economically disadvantaged
backgrounds.
• The scheme is guided by the public-private
partnership model, and was launched by the
Ministry of Education in September 2019.
• Its success will be reviewed in the days to come,
its intent places it among policy interventions that
aims to address the question of digital inequality.
• Such a scheme became more Important when
COVID has necessitated digital means as a mode of
education.
About the Scheme:
• Background: The initiative was taken after a
Articulate | 37
 Ministry of Education review noted that learning
tools developed by edtech platforms that can
supplement classroom teaching need to be made
more accessible.
» Accordingly, it was proposed that a portal be created
where edtech platforms can be roped in to display
their products after a shortlisting process.
• Implemented by: All India Council for Technical
Education (AICTE).
• Objective: It aims to act as a bridge between edtech
companies, academic institutions and students.
• The companies were shortlisted by independent
expert committees.
• Under the B2B (business to business) segment of
the portal, courses are on offer for higher education
institutes to purchase in bulk for their students.
• And the B2C (business to customer) section lists
courses that eligible students can browse through
and choose from.
• Courses: The courses range from accounting and
finance to coding, including advanced programming
languages like python.
• Student selection process: The AICTE reached out
to higher education institutes across the country,
directing them to inform students about the portal
and enroll them based on their needs and consent.
» The edtech platforms have been allowed to charge
fees as per their policies.
• Benefits: The government has mandated that every
shortlisted company will have to offer free coupons
to the extent of 25 percent of the total registrations
for their solution through NEAT portal.
• Through this route, the government created a bank
of 12.15 lakh free coupons over the last two years.
• And it has now started distributing those coupons
among students belonging to SC/ST/OBC and EWS
categories with the annual family income cap fixed
at Rs 8 lakh.
News Source: The Indian Express
NATIONAL TECHNICAL TEXTILES
MISSION
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Ministry of Textiles has cleared 20
strategic projects in the areas of specialty fibers and
geotextiles under the flagship programme National
Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).
» It will be a step in the direction of Atmanirbhar
Bharat, especially in the Healthcare, Industrial and
38 I Articulate
Protective, Energy Storage, Textile Waste Recycling,
Agriculture and Infrastructure.
About National Technical Textile Mission (NTTM):
• It’s the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Textiles to
position the country as a global leader in technical
textiles.
• The scheme has been approved by Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for creation
at a total outlay of Rs.1480 Crore; with a four-year
implementation period from FY 2020-21 to 2023-
24.
• It has 4 components:
» Research Innovation & Development: It will focus
on development of biodegradable technical textiles
materials, particularly for agro-textiles, geotextiles
and medical textiles.
» Promotion and development of the market for
technical textiles
» Education, Training and Skilling: It will promote
technical education at higher engineering and
technology levels related to technical textiles
» Export Promotion: It will focus on export
promotion so that technical textile exports from the
country reach from Rs 14,000 crores to Rs 20,000
crores by 2021-2022
– To ensure 10% average growth every year till the
Mission ends.
About Technical Textile:
• Technical textiles are engineered products with
definite functionality.
• These products have applications across various
industries including automobiles, civil engineering
and construction, agriculture, healthcare, industrial
safety, personal protection etc.
• Technical Textiles products are divided into 12
following broad categories
» Agrotech, Buildtech, Clothtech, Geotech,
Hometech, Indutech, Mobiltech, Meditech, Protech,
Sportstech, Oekotech, Packtech depending upon
their application areas.
• Technical Textile in India:
» Technical textiles in India are currently growing at
8% per annum.
» The annual average growth of the segment is 12%.
» The current world market is $250 billion and India’s
share in it is $19 billion.
» The biggest players are the US, Western Europe,
China and Japan (20-40% share).
News Source: Press Information Bureau
SCHEME ON ENHANCEMENT OF
COMPETITIVENESS IN THE INDIAN
CAPITAL GOODS SECTOR-PHASE II
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI),
has notified the scheme on Enhancement of
Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods
Sector- Phase-II for providing assistance to
Common Technology Development and Services
Infrastructure.
• The objective of Phase II:
» To expand and enlarge the impact created by the
Phase I pilot scheme, thereby providing greater
impetus through creation of a strong and globally
competitive capital goods sector.
» Phase I of the scheme was notified in 2014
to encourage technology development and
infrastructure creation.
• Six components under Phase II:
» Identification of Technologies through Technology
Innovation Portals.
» Setting up of New Advanced Centres of Excellence
and augmentation of Existing Centres of Excellence.
» Promotion of skilling in Capital Goods Sector.
» Setting up of common engineering facility centres
(CEFCs) and augmentation of existing CEFCs.
» Augmentation of existing testing and certification
centres.
» Setting up of industry Accelerators for Technology
Development.
• Capital Goods industry is the “mother” of all
manufacturing industries and is of strategic
importance to national security and economic
independence.
» India’s capital goods sector contributes at least 12 %
to the manufacturing sector.
» Provides approximately 1.4 mn and 7 mn indirect
jobs.
News Source: Press Information Bureau
Articulate | 39
40 I Articulate
GREAT RESIGNATION
Why in the News?
• Recently, resignations have surged rapidly across
the globe since 2021, following the impact of the
pandemic on workplaces.
» This surge in resignation has been termed as ‘the
Great Resignation’.
About ‘The Great Resignation’:
• The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that
describes record numbers of people leaving their
jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.
• The Great Resignation is an idea proposed by
Professor Anthony Klotz which entails a call to
remap priorities in the work-life equation by people.
• Trends showed that resignations were higher
among low-wage workers in comparison to those
earning higher salaries.
» Most affected sectors: Hospitality, Healthcare,
Transportation, Warehousing, Education.
• Reasons:
» Work Force Burnout: Due to the pandemic most
employees faced collective burnout or exhaustion
arising from prolonged emotional and mental stress.
» Seeking New Challenges: Most Job seekers are
looking for new challenges due to exhaustion and
stagnancy as a result of following a similar working
pattern on a daily basis, especially in a work from
home setup.
» Towards Stability: Another reason that fuelled
resignations is also the desire among people to move
to more stable jobs.
» Work Culture: Toxic corporate culture is a bigger
reason behind employees considering switching
jobs rather than compensation.
Indian Scenario:
• In India, too, the IT industry witnessed a record
attrition rate in 2021 as more employees quit their
jobs in search of better opportunities.
• However, the absence of social security and
unemployment benefits in India, the phenomenon
of ‘Great Resignation’ may not have much impact.
Way Forward:
• Companies must promote a healthy work culture,
including creating a better work place with the
inclusion of fun activities, excursions and happy
hours.
• Companies should provide opportunities for lateral
job moves.
• Further, Companies should also make it a point to
recognize employee contributions and allow them
to grow equitably in the firm.
News Source: The Indian Express
WORLD ECONOMIC & SOCIAL OUTLOOK
TRENDS 2022: ILO
Why in the News?
• Recently, a report titled World Employment and
Social Outlook Trends 2022 has been released by
the International Labour Organization (ILO).
» The Outlook remains fragile because the future path
of the pandemic remains uncertain.
Key Highlights of the Report:
• Unemployment:
» Global unemployment is projected to stand at 207
million in 2022 falling from 214 million in 2021.
» However, this is still 21 million more than pre-
pandemic levels (184 million in 2019) and will take
two years to recover.
• Global Working Hours:
» Global working hours in 2022 will be almost two
per cent below their pre-pandemic level, which is
equivalent to the loss of 52 million full-time jobs.
• Poverty:
• It is estimated that in 2020, an additional 30 million
adults fell into extreme poverty (living on less than
$1.90 per day in purchasing power parity) while being
out of paid work.
• Global Labour Force Participation:
» It is projected that by 2022, around 40 million people
will no longer be participating in the global labour
Articulate | 41
 force.
» Lower middle-income countries saw the largest
decline in manufacturing employment.
• Global Tourism:
» Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for the
largest component of global trade in services (25
percent). This figure dropped to 10 per cent.
Nature of recovery and its effects
• Labour market recovery is unequal - Rich countries
account for 20% of the global workforce but will
account for half of decline in global unemployment
in 2020- 2022.
• The uneven recovery due to uneven vaccination
rates is widening the gaps between more and less
developed countries.
• The asymmetric recovery of the global economy is
already causing long-term knock-on effects in terms
of persistent uncertainty, continuing instability, and
production bottlenecks that are fuelling price hikes.
• A global scenario of fast-rising prices despite weak
economic growth is not an impossible consequence
of this crisis.
• Rising energy and food prices have added to the
difficulties of those who lost jobs.
About ILO (International Labour Organisation):
• It was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of
Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the
belief that universal and lasting peace can be
accomplished only if it is based on social justice.
• It became a specialized agency of the United
Nations in 1946.
• India is a founding member of the ILO with a total
187 member States.
• Headquarter: Geneva in Switzerland.
New Source: Down to Earth
CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX
Why in the News?
• Recently, Transparency International has released
its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of 2021.
» This year’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)
reveals that corruption levels are at a worldwide
standstill.
• The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around
the world by their perceived levels of public sector
corruption. The results are given on a scale of 0
42 I Articulate
(highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
» 100 is very clean and 0 is highly corrupt.
Key Findings:
• Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Norway
topped the list with the highest score.
• India's rank improved by one place to 85 in 2021
from 86th in 2020.
• Except for Bhutan, all of India's neighbours are
ranked below it. Pakistan dropped 16 spots in the
index and was ranked at 140.
• While corruption takes vastly different forms from
country to country, this year's scores reveal that all
regions of the globe are at a standstill when it comes
to fighting public sector corruption.
About Corruption Perceptions Index:
• The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an
index which ranks countries "by their perceived
levels of public sector corruption, as determined
by expert assessments and opinion surveys."
• The CPI generally defines corruption as an "abuse
of entrusted power for private gain".
• The index is published annually by the non-
governmental organisation Transparency
International since 1995.
• The 2021 CPI, published in January 2022,
currently ranks 180 countries "on a scale from 100
(very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt)" based on the
situation.
• The Corruption Perception Index relies on
sources like Freedom House and the World Bank,
and surveys based on questionnaires answered
by experts and businesspeople.
News Source: The Indian Express
TRANSGENDER PRISONERS
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has
sends advisory to all States/UTs to ensure privacy,
dignity of transgender persons in prisons.
» The advisory was issued in light of the Transgender
Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, which
came into effect from January 2020.
Key Points:
• Separate enclosure/ward: Transgender inmates will
soon get a separate enclosure/ward in prisons to
ensure their right to privacy and dignity.
» While providing exclusive space for transmen and
transwomen in correctional facilities, prison officials
will ensure that they are not completely isolated
from others.
• Respect Self-identity: Self-identity should be
respected at all times in admission procedures,
medical examination, search, lodging, clothing,
treatment and care.
» The jail officials should facilitate their access to the
identity certificate by helping them apply/register
on the national portal for them.
• Gender Identity: If the gender is disputed by the
person, then Jail Superintendent with the help of
the legal services authorities, assists the person in
making an application for a change in gender identity.
• Search Protocol: The Ministry laid out a procedure
for searches suggesting that they be carried out by
a person of their preferred gender or by a trained
medical professional or a paramedic trained in
conducting searches.
» The person conducting the search must ensure
the safety, privacy and dignity of the person being
searched.
• Right To Privacy and Dignity: There should be
adequate preservation of right to privacy and dignity
(Article 21) in regard to separate toilets for transmen
and transwomen as well as shower facilities.
• Training Module: The training modules for the staff
should be done for understanding of gender identity,
human rights, sexual orientation and legal framewerk
for transgender persons.
» It also called for training of prison medical officers in
the standards of care for transgender persons and
their right to decide their self-identified gender.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act,
2019:
• The act defines a transgender person as one
whose gender does not match the gender
assigned at birth.
• District Magistrate can award a certificate of
identity, indicating the gender as ‘transgender.
• The act prohibits discrimination against a
transgender person, including denial of service
or unfair treatment in relation to education,
employment, public facilities etc
• It provide rights of health facilities to transgender
persons including separate HIV surveillance
centres, and sex reassignment surgeries.
• It calls for establishing a National Council for
Transgender persons (NCT).
• Punishment: Imprisonment between six months
and two years, in addition to a fine.
News Source: The Hindu
Articulate | 43
44 I Articulate
ELECTORAL BONDS
Why in the News?
• The Central Government approved the issuance
of the 19th tranche of electoral bonds ahead of
assembly elections in five states.
About Electoral Bonds:
Electoral bonds are interest-free bearer instruments
used to donate money anonymously to political parties.
• These bonds are sold in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs
10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 1 crore.
• Donors can purchase and subsequently donate the
bonds to their party of choice, which the party can
then cash through its verified account within 15 days.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) is the only bank
authorised to sell them. There is no limit on the
number of bonds an individual or company can
purchase.
• These Bonds can be purchased by a person who is
a citizen of India or incorporated or established in
India.
• Only the political parties registered under Section
29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43
of 1951) and which secured not less than one percent
of the votes polled in the last general election to the
Lok- Sabha or the Legislative Assembly of a state, are
eligible to receive the electoral bonds.
Concerns:
Infringes the citizen’s ‘Right to Know (Article 19)’:
The Union government has exempted political parties
from disclosing donations received through electoral
bonds, through an amendment to the Finance Act 2017.
» This means the voters will not know which individual,
company, or organisation has funded which party,
and to what extent.
• Foreign Funding: Due to the anonymous nature
of electoral Bonds, political parties could get
unchecked foreign funding which may lead to Indian
policies being influenced by foreign companies.
• Anonymity: The electoral bonds will not bear the
name of the donor. Thus, the political party might
not be aware of the donor's identity.
• Fear of Witch hunt: The names of donors are
there with SBI bank , which is a PSB under central
government, so individuals can be targeted for
vested interests .
• Beyond Right to Information Act: Political parties
are not covered under RTI Act, 2005 so there is no
transparency .
• RBI has raised concerns that these bearing
instruments may act as parallel currency.
• Earlier limits on corporate annual profit spending
on political funding have been removed , so money
power is projected to dominate by experts.
Election Commission’s stand on electoral Bonds:
• The Election Commision had objected to the
amendments in the Representation of the People
(RP) Act, which exempt political parties from
disclosing donations received through electoral
bonds.
» It described the move as a “retrograde step”.
• It was not against the Electoral Bonds Scheme
however it did not approve of anonymous donations
made to political parties.
Way Forward:
• To bring transparency in funding of political parties is
the first step in the direction of electoral reforms by
disclosing the identity of donors to political parties.
• Another feasible option is to establish a National
Election Fund to which all donations could be
directed.
» The Fund could then be allocated to political parties
on the basis of their electoral performance.
• The suggestions of the Indrajit Gupta Committee to
fund the elections from the State exchequer could
be another option for bringing transparency in the
electoral process.
News Source: The Hindu
EXTENDING THE GST COMPENSATION
Why in the News?
• In a pre-Budget interaction with the Union Finance
Minister; several States demanded that the GST
compensation scheme be extended beyond June
2022.
Background:
• The 101 st Constitutional Amendment Act 2016
created the mechanism for levying a common
nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST).
• The adoption of GST was made possible by States
giving almost all their powers to impose local-level
indirect taxes and agreeing to let the prevailing
multiplicity of imposts be subsumed into the GST.
• In the framework of GST, States would receive the
SGST (State GST) component of the GST, and a share
of the IGST (integrated GST).
Articulate | 45
What is the GST compensation Scheme? • Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
• Under the GST law, states are compensated for any Implementation (MoSPI) released the First Advance
loss of revenue arising on account of implementation Estimates (FAE) of GDP for the current financial year
of GST for five years till June 2022. (2021-22 or FY22).

• The compensation amount to be paid from the About First Advance Estimates of GDP:
compensation fund which is arrived at by levying
• The FAE were first introduced in 2016-17, and are
cess on top of the highest tax slab on luxury, demerit
typically published at the end of the first week of
and sin goods.
January.
Why are States demanding an extension of the • They are the “first” official estimates of how GDP is
compensation? expected to grow in that financial year.
• States have raised the concern that their revenue • Besides, they are also the “advance” estimates
situation is yet to improve due to the introduction because they are published long before the financial
of the GST and because the pandemic has affected year (April to March) is over.
revenue collection.
• At the same time, their expenses have gone up and
they expect a higher deficit as revenue growth is
low.
• Considering all these factors, States are seeking an
extension of compensation beyond June 2022.

About:
Goods and Services Tax
• GST is a single tax on the supply of goods and
services, right from the manufacturer to the
consumer.
• Credits of input taxes paid at each stage will Image Source: The Hindu
be available in the subsequent stage of value
addition, which makes GST essentially a tax only
on value addition at each stage.
Key Takeaways from FAE:
• The Goods and Service Tax Act was passed in the
• The agriculture sector is estimated to see a growth
Parliament and came into effect on 1st July 2017.
of 3.9% in FY22, higher than the 3.6% expansion
• Components of GST recorded in the previous financial year.
» Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) • The electricity, water supply and other utility
» State Goods and Service Tax (SGST) services category is estimated to grow at 8.5%.

» Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST)
• Benefits:
» Easy compliance
» Uniformity of tax rates and structures
» Removal of cascading
» Higher revenue efficiency
» Increased ease of doing business
News Source: The Indian Express
• Construction sector is expected to grow 10.7%
and trade, hotels, transport, communication and
broadcasting services are projected to grow at 11.9%.
• For FY22, while real GDP will grow by 9.2%, nominal
GDP will grow by a whopping 17.6%.
• An average Indian has lost 2 years in terms of income
levels and 3 years in terms of spending levels.
Significance:
• The Union Finance Ministry uses advance Estimates
of GDP to decide the next financial year’s budget
allocations.

GDP EARLY ESTIMATES • Advance estimates have accurately projected the

real GDP growth rate in three of the past 13 years —
2012-13, 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Why in the News?

46 I Articulate
Calculation of FAE:
• According to the MoSPI, the approach for compiling
the Advance Estimates is based on the Benchmark-
Indicator method.
» In the Benchmark-Indicator method, the estimates
available for the previous year (2020-21 in this case)
are extrapolated using relevant indicators reflecting
the performance of sectors.
• The MoSPI has extrapolated sector-wise estimates
using indicators such as Index of Industrial
Production (IIP) and sale of commercial vehicles.
News Source: The Indian Express
BRENT AT 7-YEAR HIGH
Why in the News?
• Recently, oil prices have reached their highest levels
since 2014 — Brent crude hit $88.3 per barrel (as on
January 21, 2022).
Reasons for rise in Global Fuel Prices:
• The rise in prices of Brent crude is attributed to the
rise in sharp increase in global demand as the world
economy recovers from the pandemic.
• Geopolitical Factor: The spike in prices has been
driven primarily by fears of supply side disruptions.
» The attack by Yemen’s Houthis on fuel trucks in Abu
Dhabi poses a threat to Global Oil Supply.
» The Bab el-Mandeb passage in Yemen witnesses
nearly four million barrels of oil being shipped daily
to Europe, United States and Asia.
• Imbalance between Demand and Supply: The
growing imbalance between demand and supply
— the former did not see the moderation that was
initially expected as the Omicron wave began.
Impact of Global fuel Prices on India:
• Skyrocketing Fuel Prices: High crude oil prices have
contributed to the prices of petrol and diesel setting
new record highs across India in 2021.
• Widening Current Account Deficit: Rising oil prices
will impact the current account deficit as India
imports more than 80% of its oil requirement, but
the share of oil imports in its total imports is around
25%.
• Inflationary Trends: The rise in crude prices poses
inflationary, fiscal, and external sector risks.
» According to a report by Bank of Baroda, a 10%
increase in crude would lead to an increase of around
0.9% in WPI inflation.
• Impact on Subsidy: The rise in crude oil prices is
also expected to increase the subsidy on LPG and
kerosene, pushing up the subsidy bill.
About Brent Crude Oil:
• Brent Crude originates from oil fields in the North
Sea between the Shetland Islands and Norway.
• It is produced near the sea, so transportation
costs are significantly lower.
• It is widely used as it is both sweet and light,
making it easy to refine into diesel fuel and
gasoline.
News Source: The Hindu
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: DAVOS
SUMMIT
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Prime Minister addressed the World
Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda in virtual format.
Key Points:
Highlights of PM’s address at Davos Summit:
• Climate Change: To tackle climate change it is
important to change our lifestyle from consumerism
towards a sustainable circular economy.
» ‘‘Lifestyle for Environment'' is useful for fighting
climate challenges and said the world should launch
a peoples movement with "3 Ps" — "Pro Planet
People".
• Promoting India as an Investment Destination:
In line with the vision of promoting ‘Ease of Doing
Business’; Corporate tax rate has been reduced.
» India's focus is not only on easing the processes, but
also on incentivising investment and production.
» With this approach, recently $26 billion worth of PLI
schemes have been implemented in 14 sectors.
• Contribution in Fight against Pandemic: Through
her ‘One Earth, One Health’ vision India has been
supplying essential medicines and vaccines to many
countries during the pandemic.
• Carrying Out Reforms: India has deregulated several
sectors like drones, space, geospatial mapping. India
has carried out big reforms in the outdated telecom
sector.
• Push to Digital infrastructure: India developed the
Arogya Setu app used for the tracking of corona
infection and the Co-Win portal which is used for
vaccination are technological solutions to boost
Articulate | 47
 fight against pandemic.
About World Economic Forum:
• WEF was Established by Professor Klaus Schwab
founded in 1971 as the European Management
Forum.
» In 1987, it changed its name to the World
Economic Forum.
• WEF engages the foremost political, business,
cultural and other leaders of society to shape
global, regional and industry agendas.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Publications:
» Global Gender Gap Report
» Global Risks Report
» Global Travel and Tourism Report
» Energy Transition Index
News Source: The Hindu
K-SHAPED RECOVERY
Why in the News?
• The Indian economy is showing K-shaped recovery
according to the latest round of ICE360 Survey 2021.
• ICE360 Survey 2021 is conducted by People’s
Research on India’s Consumer Economy (PRICE), a
Mumbai- based think-tank.
Key Findings of Survey:
• Fall in Income: The annual income of the poorest
20% of Indian households, constantly rising since
1995, plunged 53% in the pandemic year 2020-21
from their levels in 2015-16.
» In the same five-year period, the richest 20% saw
their annual household income grow 39%.
• The survey shows that the pandemic hit the urban
poor most and eroded their household income.
• The survey shows that the richest 20% of households
have, on average, added more income per household
and more pooled income as a group in the past
five years than in any five-year period earlier since
liberalisation.
• The richest 20% accounted for 50.2% of the total
household income in 1995, their share has jumped
to 56.3% in 2021.
» On the other hand, the share of the poorest 20%
dropped from 5.9% to 3.3% in the same period.
• Share of Poor:
48 I Articulate
» Rural Situation: 90 per cent of the poorest 20 per
cent in 2016, lived in rural India, that number had
dropped to 70 per cent in 2021.
» Urban Situation: On the other hand, the share of the
poorest 20 per cent in urban areas has gone up from
around 10 percent to 30 per cent now.
• Splitting the population across five categories
based on income, the survey shows:
» The poorest 20% (first quintile) witnessed the
biggest erosion of 53%, the second lowest quintile
(lower middle category), too, witnessed a decline in
their household income of 32% in the same period.
» While the quantum of erosion reduced to 9% for
those in the middle income category, the top two
quintiles — upper middle (20%) and richest (20%)—
saw their household income rise by 7% and 39%
respectively.
Image Source: The Indian Express
What is K-Shaped Recovery?
• A K-shaped recovery is a post-recession scenario in
which one segment of the economy begins to climb
back upward while another segment continues to
suffer.
• A K-shaped recovery leads to changes in the
structure of the economy or the broader society as
economic outcomes and relations are fundamentally
changed before and after the recession.
• This type of recovery is called K-shaped because the
path of different parts of the economy when charted
together may diverge, resembling the two arms of
the Roman letter "K."
• Long-term implications of a K-shaped recovery
include:
» Long-term unemployment among people in the
lowest income group
» Wealth inequality
» a continuing and worsening racial wealth gap, and
» growing corporate monopolies
Image Source: Investopedia
Way Forward:
• Inspiring confidence through long-term policy
stability and improving ease of doing business will
help to grow small business and individuals up along
with it.
• It is important to boost the consumption demand
through fiscal policy measures.
• Further, most big companies are doing well and
don’t need more help but policies need to be
implemented to work the economy for the bottom
half to overcome the pandemic.
News Source: The Hindu
FOREIGN CONTRIBUTION REGULATION
ACT (FCRA) REGISTRATION OF NGOs
Why in the News?
• The Supreme Court asked 6,000-odd Non-
governmental organizations(NGOs) to go back to the
government for redressal of their grievances on non-
renewal of their Foreign Contribution Regulation Act
(FCRA) registration.
Key Points:
About FCRA:
• The FCRA was enacted in 1976 in an atmosphere of
apprehension that foreign powers were interfering
in India’s affairs by pumping in funds through
independent organisations.
• Broadly, the FCRA requires every person or NGO
wishing to receive foreign donations to be registered
under the Act, to open a bank account for the receipt
of the foreign funds in State Bank of India, Delhi for
transparency.
» NGOs or people receiving foreign funds are also
required to file annual returns.
• Eligibility Criteria:
» Under the FCRA, the applicant should not be
fictitious or benami.
» The applicant should not have been prosecuted
or convicted for indulging in activities aimed at
conversion from one religious faith to another.
» The applicant should also not have been prosecuted
for or convicted of creating communal tension or
disharmony.
» The Applicant should not be engaged or likely to be
engaged in the propagation of sedition.
• Prohibited Category: The Act prohibits receipt of
foreign funds by:
» Candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper
and media broadcast companies,
» Judges and government servants;
» Members of legislature and political parties or
their office-bearers, and organisations of a political
nature.
• Renewal: FCRA registration is valid for five years.
NGOs are expected to apply for renewal within six
months of the date of expiry of registration.
• FCRA registrations are granted to individuals or
associations that have definite cultural, economic,
educational, religious, and social programmes.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs approves or rejects the
application of NGOs or any person within 90 days.
• Recent Amendments:
» 2010: FCRA was amended in 2010 to “consolidate
the law” on utilisation of foreign funds, and “to
prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to
national interest”.
» 2020: In 2020 which gave it tighter control and
scrutiny over the receipt and utilisation of foreign
funds by NGOs.
• Cancellation of Registration: The Government
reserves the right to cancel the FCRA registration of
any NGO:
» If “in the opinion of the Central Government, it
is necessary in the public interest to cancel the
certificate”.
» Registrations are also cancelled when an audit finds
irregularities in the finances of an NGO in terms of
misutilisation of foreign funds.
» The Ministry of Home Affairs also has powers to
suspend an NGO’s registration for 180 days pending
inquiry, and can freeze its funds.
Articulate | 49

What are NGOs?
• A Non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-
profit group that functions independently of any
government.
• They are organized on community, national
and international levels to serve a social or
political goal such as humanitarian causes or the
environment.
• They provide information and technical expertise
to governments and international organizations
on various international issues, often supplying
local information unavailable to governments.
• The World Bank identifies two broad groups of
NGOs:
» Operational NGOs, which focus on the design
and implementation of development projects.
» Advocacy NGOs, which defend or promote a
specific cause and seek to influence public policy.
• Examples:
» Red Cross, Oxfam, and CARE
News Source: The Hindu
HALLMARK UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION
(HUID) NUMBER IN JEWELLERY
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Government of India has made it
mandatory for the introduction of a Hallmark
Unique Identification (HUID) number in every piece
of jewellery.
Key Points
About HUID:
• HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric code, or one that
consists of numbers and letters.
• It is given to every piece of jewellery at the time of
hallmarking and is unique for each piece.
• Jewellery is stamped with the unique number
manually at the Assaying & Hallmarking (A&H)
centre.
• In HUID-based hallmarking, registration of jewellers
is an automatic process with no human interference.
• The hallmark consists of three symbols which give
some information about the jewellery piece.
» The first symbol is the BIS logo; the second indicates
purity and fineness; and the third symbol is the HUID.
• Hallmarking & HUID are mandatory for 14-, 18- and
22-carat gold jewellery and artefacts.
50 I Articulate
Benefits of HUID:
• It is critical to the credibility of hallmarking and to
help address complaints against adulteration.
• In addition to its role in authentication, it also helps
check malpractice by members of the trade.
• It is a secure system and poses no risk to data
privacy and security.
• HUID gives a distinct identity to each piece of
jewellery enabling traceability.
• Hallmarking of gold jewellery provides ‘third-party
assurance’ to consumers on the purity of gold
jewellery which will help in getting loans on gold and
jewellery.
News Source: The Hindu
AIR INDIA: DIVESTMENT
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Tata Group, which placed the highest
bid of Rs 18,000 crore in the Air India disinvestment,
took over the airline from the government.
Key Points:
• Out of the 18,000 crore bid placed by tata group; Rs
15,300 crore was the debt component and Rs 2,700
crore was the cash component to be paid to the
government.
• A special purpose vehicle will be created by the
government which will repay the debt through
monetising some of Air India’s land assets.
Reasons of Air India Divestment:
• Debt Ridden: The Government’s efforts to turn
around the finances of Air India seem to have failed
with the national carrier’s eroding market share and
a mountain of debts.
• Loss Making: Air India has not registered profit
for over a decade after the merger of the erstwhile
Indian Airlines (domestic operations) with Air India
(international operations) in 2007.
• Burden on Public Exchequer: Air India’s divestment
has been widely supported as the airline’s large
losses are funded out of the Central budget and have
proved quite a burden on the exchequer.
» For Example: The Government pumped in ₹15,520
core between 2014-15 and 2018-19 to keep it afloat.
Significance of Air India Divestment:
• With Divestment of Air India, it is hoped that its
operations and costs will get streamlined, services
on board will improve and basic services like wi-fi
will also be made available.
• A strong international carrier in India will give a boost
to the large airports built in Delhi, Hyderabad,
Mumbai and Bengaluru which along with Air India
will be able to win back some of the tourist dollars
from Indians travelling abroad who are currently
travelling on foreign carriers.
• A successful turnaround of Air India could also help
the Indian economy as it is a well-established fact
that aviation has a multiplier effect on the economy.
Disinvestment:
• Disinvestment means sale or liquidation of assets
by the government, usually Central and state
public sector enterprises, projects, or other fixed
assets.
Need of Disinvestment:
• The Government undertakes disinvestment to
reduce the fiscal burden on the exchequer, or to
raise money for meeting specific needs, such as
to bridge the revenue shortfall from other regular
sources.
Benefits of Disinvestment:
• Disinvestment can be helpful in the long-term
growth of the country as it allows the government
and even the company to reduce debt.
• It allows a larger share of PSU ownership in
the open market, which in turn allows for the
development of a strong capital market in India.
Disinvestment Policy of Government of India:
• Under the aegis of the Ministry of Finance, the
Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management (DIPAM) is responsible for the
disinvestment.
• Disinvestment targets are set under each Union
Budget, and every year the targets change.
• Factors Influencing Divestment: Governments
select disinvestment candidates based on
various factors, such as its existing stake in the
company, private sector interest in ownership
of that enterprise, general market conditions,
expected value realisation.
Privatisation:
• It refers to the sale of the government’s majority
stake, or the whole enterprise, to private
investors.
• In case of privatisation, the government doesn’t
hold the resulting control and ownership.
News Source: The Hindu
RARE-EARTH METAL
Why in the News?
• Recently, U.S. senators have proposed a law aiming
to end China’s alleged “chokehold” on rare-earth
metal supplies.
Background:
• According to the United States Geological Survey
(USGS) 80% of the United States’ rare-earth imports
in 2019 were from China.
• The Bill aims to “protect America from the threat of
rare-earth element supply disruptions, encourage
domestic production of those elements, and reduce
reliance on China.
• The law would require the departments of the
Interior and Defense to create a “strategic reserve”
of rare earth minerals by 2025.
What are Rare Earth Metals?
• Rare Earth Metals are a set of 17 chemical elements
in the periodic table — the 15 lanthanides, plus
scandium and yttrium, which tend to occur in the
same ore deposits as the lanthanides.
• Rare-earth ore deposits are found in China, the
United States, Australia, and Russia, while other
viable ore bodies are found in Canada, India, South
Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Applications:
• Rare Earth elements are important in technologies
of consumer electronics, computers and networks,
communications, clean energy, advanced
transportation, healthcare, environmental
mitigation, and national defence.
• Scandium is used in televisions and fluorescent
lamps, and yttrium is used in drugs to treat
Articulate | 51
 rheumatoid arthritis.
• Rare Earth elements are used in space shuttle
components, jet engine turbines, and drones.
• Cerium, the most abundant Rare Earth element, is
essential to NASA’s Space Shuttle Programme.
India’s Policy to tap Rare Earth Metals:
• India has the world’s fifth-largest reserves of rare
earth elements, nearly twice as much as Australia,
but it imports most of its rare earth needs in finished
form from China.
• India has granted government corporations such
as Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) a monopoly
over the primary mineral that contains Rare Earth
Elements: monazite beach sand, found in many
coastal states.
• IREL produces rare earth oxides (low-cost, low-
reward “upstream processes”), selling these
to foreign firms that extract the metals and
manufacture end products (high-cost, high-reward
“downstream processes”) elsewhere.
Way Forward:
• India should create a new Department for Rare
Earths (DRE) under the Ministry of Petroleum &
Natural Gas, drawing on its exploration, exploitation,
refining, and regulation capabilities.
• This DRE should oversee policy formulation and
focus on attracting investment and promoting R&D.
• An autonomous regulator such as the Rare Earths
Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI) should be
created to resolve disputes between companies in
this sector and check compliance.
News Source: The Indian Express
BAD BANK TO TACKLE NPA's
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India has granted
all necessary permissions to set up a ‘bad bank’
(National Asset Reconstruction Company).
Key Points:
• A total of 38 accounts aggregating to ₹82,845 crore
have been identified for transfer to National Asset
Reconstruction Company (NARCL) in a phased
manner.
• “Under Phase I, about 15 accounts, aggregating to
₹50,335 crore, are expected to be transferred in the
current financial year, i.e. on or before 31st March
2022.
52 I Articulate
Background:
• In Budget 2021-22, the Government announced
the setting up of a National Asset Reconstruction
Company (a bad bank) and India Debt Resolution
Company Ltd (IDRCL) as part of resolution of bad
loans.
• NARCL proposes to acquire stressed assets of about
Rs. 2 Lakh crore in phases within extant regulations
of RBI.
• It intends to acquire these stressed assets through
15% Cash and 85% in Security Receipts (SRs).
Need of NARCL-IRDCL Framework:
• Existing Asset Reconstruction Companies(ARCs)
have been helpful in resolution of stressed assets
especially for smaller value loans. Various available
resolution mechanisms, including Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code have proved to be useful.
• However, considering the large stock of NPAs,
additional options/alternatives are needed which
led to the creation of NARCL-IRDCL framework in
Union-Budget 2021-22.
Functioning of Bad Bank:
• NARCL and IDRCL will have an exclusive arrangement
that will be as per the scope defined in the ‘Debt
Management Agreement’ to be executed between
these two entities.
• This arrangement will be on a ‘Principal-Agent’ basis
and final approvals and ownership for the resolution
shall lie with NARCL.
• Further, the NARCL will purchase bad loans through
a 15:85 structure, where it will pay 15 per cent of
the sale consideration in cash and issue security
receipts (SRs) for the remaining 85 per cent.
• The SRs will be guaranteed by the government which
essentially aims to cover the gap between the face
value of the security receipts and realised value of
the assets when eventually sold to the prospective
buyers.
About Bad Bank:
• A bad bank is a corporate structure that isolates
risky assets held by banks in a separate entity.
• It is established to buy non-performing assets (NPAs)
from a bank at a price that is determined by the bad
bank itself.
• Technically, a bad bank is an asset reconstruction
company (ARC) or an asset management company
that manages bad loans of commercial banks and
finally recovers the money over a period of time.
• It is not involved in lending and taking deposits.
• Benefits:
» One of the key ideas behind formation of bad banks
is to de-stress the balance sheets of the banks.
» Once Non-Performing Assets are taken over by bad
banks; Commercial banks will be in a position to
lend more to consumers.
» Moreover, in India, a large portion of NPAs is with the
government-owned public sector banks.
– In the past, the Government had to infuse fresh
capital to prove the financial health of PSBs.
The government infusing fresh capital in PSBs
means less money for other schemes.
About National Asset Reconstruction Company
(NARCL):
• NARCL has been incorporated under the
Companies Act and has applied to Reserve Bank
of India for license as an Asset Reconstruction
Company (ARC).
• NARCL has been set up by banks to aggregate and
consolidate stressed assets for their subsequent
resolution.
• PSBs will maintain51% ownership in NARCL.
India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL):
• IDRCL is a service company/operational entity
which will manage the asset and engage market
professionals and turnaround experts.
• Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Public FIs will
hold a maximum of 49% stake and the rest will be
with private sector lenders.
What are Non- Performing Assets?
• A non performing asset (NPA) is a loan or advance
for which the principal or interest payment
remained overdue for a period of 90 days.
News Source: The Indian Express
USE OF DRONES TECHNOLOGY
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has urged
other ministries to make better use of drones in their
respective domains.
More on the news:
• Drones offered tremendous benefits to almost every
sector of the economy, including but not limited to,
national defence, agriculture, law enforcement, and
mapping, among others.
• The ministry suggestion was made as part of the
initiatives to make India a global hub for drones
under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and in the
backdrop of the Union Government rolling out the
liberalised Drone Rules 2021.
About Drones:
• The term “drone” usually refers to any unpiloted
aircraft. Sometimes referred to as “Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles" (UAVs), these crafts can carry out
an impressive range of tasks, ranging from military
operations to package delivery.
• It was originally developed for the military and
aerospace industries, drones have found their way
into the mainstream because of the enhanced levels
of safety and efficiency they bring.
Application of Drones:
• Ministry of Home Affairs: VVIP security,
Surveillance, situational analysis, crime control, and
counter-terror operations.
• Ministry of Defence: Combat operations,
communication in remote areas, counter-drone
solutions, reconnaissance and surveillance.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Delivery
of medicines, collection of samples from remote
or epidemic/pandemic-affected areas delivery of
blood and organ transplantation.
• Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate
Change: Anti-poaching actions, monitoring of
forests and wildlife, pollution assessment, and
evidence gathering.
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting:
The Ministry could use drones for high-quality
videography of events and difficult-to-reach-places
at a fraction of the cost and approvals required.
» This move would also facilitate low altitude shooting
without noise, and prevent dust pollution and risk of
accidents.
• Ministry of Agriculture: Crop and soil health
monitoring, anti-locust work, insurance claim
survey, spraying fertilizers and pesticides targetedly.
• Ministry of Panchayati Raj: Land Records and
property rights.
• Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and
Ministry of Power: Real-time surveillance of assets
and transmission lines, theft prevention, visual
inspection/maintenance, construction planning and
management.
• Ministry of Railways: unmanned aerial vehicles
could be used to undertake disaster management,
incidence response, inspection/maintenance works
and project monitoring.
Articulate | 53
About Liberalised Drone Rules 2021:
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) released
the Draft Drone Rules, 2021, based on “trust, self-
certification and non-intrusive monitoring”.
Key features of Drone Rules 2021:
• Ease of Doing Business: The total number of forms
that were to be filled has been reduced from 25 to 5.
» And the total number of fees that are to be paid
before being able to operate drones has been
reduced from 72 to just 4.
• Several Approvals Abolished: unique authorisation
number, unique prototype identification number,
certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness,
certificate of conformance, certificate of
maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of
existing drones, operator permits, authorisation
of R&D organisation, student remote pilot licence,
remote pilot instructor authorisation, drone port
authorisation etc.
• Digital Sky Platform: It shall be developed as a
user-friendly single-window system. There will be
minimal human interface and most permissions will
be self-generated.
» Digital Sky Platform is an initiative by the Ministry
of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to provide a secure and
scalable platform that supports drone technology
frameworks, such as NPNT (no permission, no take-
off), designed to enable flight permission digitally
and manage unmanned aircraft operations and
traffic efficiently.
• Interactive Airspace Map: Interactive airspace
maps with green, yellow and red zones shall be
displayed on the digital sky platform within 30 days
of publication of these rules.
» The yellow zone, which was earlier a 45 km zone from
the airport perimeter, has now been reduced to a 12
km zone, meaning that outside of a 12 km radius of
an airport perimeter, it would be a green zone, where
drone operators no longer need permission to fly.
News Source: The Hindu
RBI’S FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
released its latest Financial Stability Report (FSR).
» The report reflects the collective assessment of
the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and
Development Council (FSDC) on risks to financial
stability and the resilience of the financial system.
54 I Articulate
About Financial Stability Report (FSR):
• It is published twice each year.The report details
the state of financial stability in the country, and it is
prepared after taking into account the contributions
from all financial sector regulators.
• In other words, it details the current status of
different financial institutions such as banks and
non-banking lending institutions.
• It also maps the state of credit growth and the rate
at which borrowers are defaulting on paying back
loans.
Key Highlights of the Report:
• Global Economic Recovery: As per the report, global
economic recovery has been losing momentum
in the second half of 2021 in the light of increasing
COVID-19 infections, emergence of new variant
Omicron, bottlenecks & elevated inflationary levels
and supply disruptions.
• Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR):
The capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of
scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) have increased
to a new peak of 16.6 percent.
» On the other hand, provisioning coverage ratio (PCR)
was 68.1 percent in September 2021.
• Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPAs): According
to the report, stress tests have revealed that gross
non-performing assets (GNPAs) of banks are likely
to jump from 6.9 percent in September 2021 to 8.1
percent in September 2022 under the baseline
scenario.
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME):
Emerging signs of stress in micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSME) as also in the microfinance
segment call for close monitoring of these portfolios
going forward.
About Financial Stability and Development Council
(FSDC):
• The Financial Stability and Development Council
(FSDC) was constituted by Government of India
(GOI) notification in 2010.
• The Council is chaired by the Union Finance
Minister.
• The Council deals, inter-alia, with issues
relating to financial stability, financial sector
development, inter–regulatory coordination,
financial literacy, financial inclusion and macro
prudential supervision of the economy including
the functioning of large financial conglomerates.
News Source: The Indian Express
ONE DISTRICT ONE PRODUCT
Why in the News?
• Recently, Six brands under the One District One
Product scheme were launched.
• The Food Processing Ministry had signed
an agreement with the National Agricultural
Cooperative Marketing Federation of India
Limited (NAFED) for developing 10 brands as the
One District One Product brands under the Pradhan
Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing
Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.
Key Points:
• Through this initiative under the PMFME scheme,
the Ministry of Food Processing Industries aims to
encourage the micro food processing enterprises
(MFPEs) across the country about the vision, efforts,
and initiatives of the Government to formalise,
upgrade and strengthen them and take them a step
closer to Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• MFPs are encouraged to come forth and avail
branding support under this initiative including use
of marketing rights of these brands from NAFED.
About the PMFME Scheme:
• It was Launched in June 2020 under the
Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
• The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food
processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is a
centrally sponsored scheme.
• Aim:
» To enhance the competitiveness of existing
individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized
segment of the food processing industry and to
promote formalization of the sector.
» To provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations,
Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along
their entire value chain.
• The scheme adopts the One District One Approach
to reap the benefit of scale in terms of procurement
of inputs, availing common services and marketing
of products.
• It will be implemented over a period of five years
from 2020-2021 to 2024-25.
What is One District One Product?
• This scheme is basically a Japanese business
development concept, which gained prominence
in 1979. It is aimed at promoting a competitive
and staple product from a specific area to push
sales and improve the standard of living of the local
population. Over time, it has been replicated in other
Asian countries as well.
• One District One Product (ODOP) scheme was
initiated in 2018 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh
to revive the indigenous art form by providing
financial and marketing support.
• ODOP supports the art producers by expanding
the industrial world to recreate the lost productive
manufacturing and creative process.
News Source: Press Information Bureau
WEF GLOBAL RISKS REPORT 2022
Why in the news?
• Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has
released the Global Risks Report 2022.
About Global Risks Report:
• Global Risks Report is an annual report released by
the World Economic Forum.
• The report was based on a survey that tracks global
risk perceptions among risk experts and world
leaders in business, government and civil society.
• It examines risks across five categories: economic,
environmental, geopolitical, societal, and
technological.
Key findings of the report:
• Vaccine inequality and resultant uneven economic
recovery risk have compounded social fractures
and geopolitical tensions.
» E.g. Poorest 52 countries with 20% world population
have only 6% vaccination.
• Economic Stagnation: By 2024, developing
economies (excluding China) will have fallen by 5.5%
below their pre-pandemic expected GDP growth.
• Growing dependency on digital systems—
intensified by the response to COVID-19—has
fundamentally altered societies. At the same time,
cybersecurity threats are growing and outpacing
societies’ ability to effectively prevent or respond to
them.
» E.g. 435% increase in ransomware in 2020.
• Worsening of climate change impact with 200
million projected climate refugees by 2050.
• Space as a new frontier of divergence with 5 new
government-developed space stations by 2030.
• Increasing pressure to transition to net-zero
economies could have severe short-term impacts,
such as putting millions of carbon-intense industry
workers out of jobs or triggering societal and
geopolitical tensions.
Articulate | 55
Implications of risks:
• Increasing polarisation and resentment within
societies on income disparities.
• Drive for regional convergence among countries at
56 I Articulate
the expense of global integration.
• Worker deficit and demand shocks from constrained
migration.
News Source: The Indian Express
Articulate | 57
GREEN ENERGY CORRIDOR
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs approved the scheme on Green Energy
Corridor (GEC) Phase-II for Intra-State Transmission
System (InSTS).
About Green Energy Corridor Scheme:
• GEC is a comprehensive scheme for evacuation and
integration of the renewable energy capacity through
setting up of transmission lines and increasing the
transformation capacity of substations.
Significance:
• The roll out of GEC Phase II demonstrates India’s
commitment to fulfill the pledge at the COP26
summit in Glasgow to meet 50% of India’s energy
requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
• The Green Corridor scheme will contribute to long
term energy security of the country and promote
ecologically sustainable growth by reducing carbon
footprint.
India’s Efforts towards Green Energy:
• National Solar Mission
• National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy
• International Solar Alliance
• One Sun One World One Grid

News Source: Press Information Bureau

HUNGA TONGA-HUNGA HA’APAI

VOLCANO
Image Source: Economic Times
Why in the News?
• The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, located
over 60 kilometres from the island nation of Tonga
Green Energy Corridor (Phase- I)
has erupted causing Tsunami Waves around the
• The first phase of green energy corridors is under Pacific Countries.
implementation in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Key Points:
Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
• It will help supply around 24 GW of renewable energy About:
by 2022.
The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai Volcano:
Green Energy Corridor (Phase- II) • The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano is located
southeast of Tonga's Fonuafo'ou island.
• The scheme will facilitate grid integration and power
evacuation of about 20 GW of renewable energy • It lies along the ‘Pacific ‘Ring of fire’.
(RE) projects in seven states — Gujarat, Himachal
• In the case of the Tonga Volcanic eruption, the Pacific
Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu
Plate was pushed down below the Indo-Australian
and Uttar Pradesh.
Plate and Tonga plate, causing the molten rock to
• The scheme is targeted to be set up with a total rise above and form the chain of volcanoes.
estimated cost of Rs. 12,031.33 crore and Central
• The volcano is located in a seismically active area.
Financial Assistance (CFA) @ 33 percent of the
project cost.
» The CFA will help in offsetting the intra-state
transmission charges and keep the power costs
down.

Benefits:
• It will generate large direct and indirect employment
opportunities for both skilled and unskilled
personnel in power and other related sectors.
• It will help in achieving the target of 450 GW
installed Renewable Capacity by 2030.
Image Source: CNN

58 I Articulate
The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’:
• It is an underwater region on the edges of the Pacific
Ocean where numerous earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions take place.
• It is a U-shaped belt with a chain of over 450
volcanoes.
• The volcanic activities occur when the Pacific plate
collides or slides into other tectonic plates around it.
» The tectonic plate sliding in some areas around the
Ring of Fire has also led to the formation of deep
underwater trenches, like the Mariana Trench.
• Major Volcanic Events that have occurred within
the Ring of Fire are:
» Mount Tambora Image Source: National Geographic Society
» Krakatoa
News Source: The Indian Express
» Novarupta
» Mount Saint Helens
» Mount Ruiz ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY IN PERU
» Mount Pinatubo
Why in the News?
• Recently, The Peruvian government declared a 90-
day “environmental emergency” in damaged coastal
territories, after an oil spill into the sea.

Articulate | 59
Image Source: Geology.com

Key Points: volcano in Tonga.

• The oil spill came out of a tanker at the La Pampilla
refinery,belonging to the Spanish energy firm Repsol. What are Freak-Waves?
• A rogue or freak wave is usually defined as a wave
• According to the refinery, the spill was caused by
that is two times the significant wave height of the
freak waves, which resulted from the eruption of a
area.

60 I Articulate
• Rogues, called 'extreme storm waves' by scientists,
are those waves which are greater than twice the
size of surrounding waves.
• These are very unpredictable, and often come
unexpectedly from directions other than prevailing
wind and waves.
• Constructive interference is one of the mechanisms
to cause rogue waves.
» In Constructive interference; small fast waves catch
up with slow waves, resulting in the momentary
coalescing of oscillations into an unusually large
wave.
About:
Oil Spills
• Oil spills can be defined as the release of liquid
raw/natural petroleum hydrocarbons into the
environment, especially into the sea.
• The major cause of oil spill is due to intensified
petroleum exploration and production on
continental shelves.
• Further, the use of supertankers capable of
transporting more than 500,000 metric tons of oil
often leaks during their sea journey.
Impact of Oil Spill:
• Oil Spill is harmful to aquatic life because it prevents
sufficient amounts of sunlight from penetrating the
surface, and it also reduces the level of dissolved
oxygen.
• It ruins the insulating and waterproofing properties
of feathers and fur, and thus oil-coated birds may die
from hypothermia.
• Beaches and populated shorelines are fouled due
to oil spill which impacts tourism and commerce of
coastal regions..
• Major oil spills are frequently followed by the
immediate suspension of commercial fishing, thus
impacting the fishery sector.
• Research on previous oil spills shows that toxic
chemicals remain in the ocean for years, often sinking
down to the seafloor and poisoning the sediment.
India’s Approach to tackling Oil Spill:
• National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan of
1996 (NOS-DCP)”: The Ministry of Defense issued
this document in 1996 which empowers the Indian
Coast Guard to liaison with state departments,
ministries, port authorities and environmental
agencies to assist in oil spill cleaning operations.
• Ratification of Bunker Convention: India ratified the
International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker
Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (Bunker Convention) in
2015.
• The Bunker Convention ensures adequate
compensation for damage caused by oil spills.
Way Forward:
• Governments and the oil industry must have
preparedness plans in place and understand what
to do when an oil spill happens. Equally important
is conducting regular spill response training
exercises.
• The quicker and better prepared the reaction the
less the environmental impact.
• Oil spill response can be tiered so that small spills are
handled at a local level, larger spills are handled on a
national level and major spills call on an international
response.
News Source: The Indian Express
GLOBAL METHANE PLEDGE
Why in the News?
• On the sidelines of the UN COP26 climate conference
in Glasgow, India and China abstained from signing
of the Global Methane Pledge.
Key Points:
About Global Methane Pledge:
• The Global Methane Pledge is an US and European
Union led initiative which is aimed to reduce global
methane emissions by up to 30 percent from 2020
levels by the year 2030.
• If this pledge is adopted by countries, it would
reduce global heating by 0.2C by the 2040s.
Contribution of Methane to GHG Emissions:
• Methane accounts for about a fifth of global
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is about 25
times as potent as carbon dioxide in trapping heat
in the atmosphere.
• In the last two centuries, methane concentrations
in the atmosphere have more than doubled, mainly
due to human-related activities.
• Sources of Methane:
» Human sources include landfills
» Oil and natural gas systems
» Agricultural activities as well as livestock rearing
» Coal mining
» Stationary and mobile combustion
Articulate | 61
» Wastewater treatment and certain industrial
processes
• According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change report, methane accounts for
about half of the 1.0 degrees Celsius net rise in global
average temperature since the pre-industrial era.
Why is Dealing with methane important for climate
change?
• Methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime
(12 years as compared to centuries for CO2), it is a
much more potent greenhouse gas simply because
it absorbs more energy while it is in the atmosphere.
• It is a powerful pollutant and has a global warming
potential that is 80 times greater than carbon
dioxide.
• As per UN factsheet on Methane; the average
methane leak rate of 2.3 per cent “erodes much of
the climate advantage gas over coal”.
India’s Efforts to tackle Methane Emissions:
• India is the third largest emitter of methane, primarily
because of the size of its rural economy and by virtue
of having the largest cattle population.
• GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources)
- DHAN scheme is being implemented as part of the
Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).
• Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable
Transportation (SATAT) is an initiative aimed at
setting up of Compressed Biogas production plants
and making it available in the market for use in
automotive fuels.
• Gauthans (cattle shed premises) have been set up
by Chhattisgarh government in which the unutilised
disposable cow-dung is procured that creates local
livelihood sources along with biogas production.
• ‘Harit Dhara’, an anti-methanogenic feed
supplement for bovines has been developed by
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) which
not only cuts down their methane emissions by 17-
20%, but also results in higher milk production and
body weight gain.
• India’s GreenHouse Gas Program is an industry-
led voluntary framework aiming to help Indian
companies monitor progress towards measurement
and management of their GHG emissions.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
claims to have invested heavily in a national strategy
to increase biogas production and thereby reducing
methane emissions.
• In addition to promoting biogas development, the
strategy supports goals for sustainable development,
sanitation improvements, and increased generation
of renewable energy.
62 I Articulate
News Source: The Indian Express
RED SANDERS (RED SANDALWOOD)
Why in the News?
• Recently, Red sanders has fallen back into the
‘endangered’ category in the international Union for
Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.
» In 2018, it was classified as ‘near threatened’ from
the earlier ‘endangered’ (classified so in 1997).
About Red Sanders:
• Botanical name: Pterocarpus santalinus
• It is a non-fragrant variety of sandalwood that
mostly grows in rocky, hilly regions.
• The species is endemic to a distinct tract of forests
in Andhra Pradesh.
• It is locally known as Yerra Chandanam, Rakta
Chandanam.
• It is a native tree species endemic to India and can
only be found in the southern parts of the eastern
ghats.
• Geographic condition required:
» Soil: Lateritic and gravelly soil and cannot tolerate
waterlogging.
» Climate: Hot and dry.
» Rainfall: 500-800mm.
• Significance:
» Medicinal benefits (wood gives cooling effect when
applied externally for inflammations head-ache, skin
diseases etc);
» Good raw material for music instruments and luxury
furniture;
» Yields santaline dye, which finds use in colouring
foodstuff.
• Threats:
» High occurrence of forest fire, illegal trade/falling,
invasive species, continued harvesting leaves no
time for the species to recover naturally.
» Smuggling over national and international borders is
also a threat.
• Protection Status:
» CITES: Listed in Appendix II
» Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule II
News Source: The Hindu
MEKEDATU RESERVOIR PROJECT
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Karnataka High Court had raised
questions on a ‘Mekedatu march’ started by a
political party, which was meant to cover 100 km in
10 days.
Key Points:
• The ‘Mekedatu march’ had been launched for
implementation of a project to build a reservoir
on the Cauvery at Mekedatu near the Tamil Nadu
border.
• The proposed reservoir, which aims to supply
drinking water to Bengaluru and surrounding regions,
has been challenged in the Supreme Court by Tamil
Nadu on the ground that it would eat into the state’s
share of Cauvery water as adjudicated by the court
in 2018.
'Cauvery Water Management Scheme' in June
2018, forming the 'Cauvery Water Management
Authority' and the 'Cauvery Water Regulation
Committee’.
About Mekedatu Project:
• Proposed by Karnataka State government in 2017, to
envisage a reservoir near Ontigondlu, about 1.5 km
from Mekedatu (which literally means goat’s leap)
in Ramanagara district of south Karnataka at the
confluence of the Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers.
• The project needs multiple clearance form the
Centre and courts as it involves the Cauvery water
sharing dispute.
• In 2018, Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court
(SC) against the project.

Current Status:
• The project needs environmental clearances since
Cauvery River Water Dispute:
large portions of forest land will be submerged if the
• The Cauvery water dispute is an inter-state water reservoir is built.
dispute between three states and one union
• Environmentalists have raised concerns about
territory (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and
this and about an elephant corridor that would be
Puducherry).
covered by the proposed reservoir.
• The origins of the conflict may be traced back to
two arbitration agreements signed between the
then-Madras presidency and Mysore in 1892
and 1924.
• It established the principle that any construction
project, like a reservoir on the Cauvery River,
must be approved by the lower riparian state.
• However, later when Tamil Nadu refused to give
consent to terms of agreement which led to fresh
disputes.
• The CWDT (Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal)
was established in 1990, to resolve the water-
sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu.
• In 2016, Tamil Nadu filed a complaint with the
Supreme Court, alleging that Karnataka had failed
to comply with a series of court rulings regarding
the timely release of water from the Cauvery
River.

The SC Verdict, 2018:

• The Supreme Court issued its final decision in
2018, declaring the Cauvery a national asset and
mainly upheld the water-sharing agreements
finalised by the CWDT. Image Source: The Indian Express
• It also directed the Centre to notify the Cauvery
Management Scheme. To give effect to the
judgement, the central government notified the

Articulate | 63
KERALA’S SILVERLINE PROJECT already raised the concerns regarding any future
construction projects
Why in the News?
Way Forward:
• Recently, protests are taking place across Kerala
against the SilverLine project, a semi high-speed • Issues relating to social and environmental impacts,
railway project that envisages trains running at 200 deserve to be studied in detail by independent
km/h between the state’s northern and southern experts.
ends. • Public discussions have so far raised several
questions and pointed to fears and anxieties that
About Silverline Project: must be removed. Protests have also taken place
• The proposed 529.45-km line will link across the state.
Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasaragod in
• It is, therefore, highly desirable to wait till the
the north, covering 11 districts through 11 stations.
feasibility reports are published and public opinions
• The project, estimated to cost Rs 63,940 crore and and expert comments are heard.
the deadline is 2025.
• The Kerala Parishthiti Ajikya Vedi Has urged the
government to abandon the project and explore
Necessity of the Project: sustainable solutions.
• It is expected that the SilverLine project can take
a significant load of traffic off the existing stretch
and make travel faster for commuters, which in turn
will reduce congestion on roads and help reduce
accidents.
• Efficiency and safety: Most trains run at an average
speed of 45 km/hr due to a lot of curves and bends.
• Curb on Greenhouse gas: The line will also reduce
greenhouse gas emissions,help in expansion of Ro-
Ro services, produce employment opportunities,
integrate airports and IT corridors, and enable faster
development of cities it passes through.

Challenges:
• Local Civil societies and green activists allege that
SilverLine would cause great environmental harm
as its route cuts through precious wetlands, paddy
fields and hills.
• The project is expected to have a serious impact on
the natural flow of watercourses and land masses
that come in the way of the project.
• Concerns have been raised that building of
embankments on either side of the major portion of
the line will block natural drainage and cause floods
during heavy rains.
Image Source: The Indian Express
• The Kasturirangan committee report proposes 37
per cent (roughly 60,000 square kilometres) of the
News Source: The Indian Express
total area of Western Ghats to be declared as eco-
sensitive area (ESA).
» The report recommended a blanket ban on mining,
quarrying, setting up of red category industries and INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (ISFR)
thermal power projects. 2021
» It also stated that the impact of infrastructural
Why in the News?
projects on the forest and wildlife should be studied
before permission is given for these activities. • The Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate
Change, has recently released the ‘India State of
• Floods in 2019 & 2020 and landslides has Forest Report 2021’ prepared by the Forest Survey

64 I Articulate
 of India (FSI) which has been mandated to assess
the forest and tree resources of the country.
About India State of Forest Report:
• India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is a biennial
publication of Forest Survey of India (FSI) an
organization under the Ministry of Environment
Forest & Climate Change Government of India.
• The report is published by the Forest Survey of
India (FSI) which has been mandated to assess
the forest and tree resources of the country
including wall-to-wall forest cover mapping in a
biennial cycle.
• It was Started in 1987, 17 assessments have been
completed so far. ISFR 2021 is the 17th report in
the series.
• In the current report, FSI has introduced a new
chapter related to the assessment of forest
cover in the tiger reserves, corridors, and lion
conservation area of India.
cent of the geographical area under forest cover.
• The Kanha to Navegaon-Nagzira-Tadoba-Indravati
corridor has the highest area under ‘Very Dense
Forest’ comprising 857.65 sq km.
• It also has the highest area under ‘Moderately
Dense Forest’ at 882.87 sq km. The Pench-Satpura-
Melghat corridor has the highest area under ‘Open
Forest’ at 392.25 sq km.
• The Ranthambore-Kuno-Shivpuri-Madhav tiger
corridor in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh has the
highest area under scrub at 15.68 sq km.
Mangrove:
• Total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km.
• An increase of 17 sq km in mangrove cover has been
observed as compared to the previous assessment
of 2019.
• Top three states showing mangrove cover increase
are Odisha (8 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (4 sq
km) and Karnataka (3 sq km).

Carbon Stock:
• According to the report, the total carbon stock in
Key findings of Report: the country's forest is estimated to be 7,204 million
tonnes and there is an increase of 79.4 million tonnes
Forest and Tree Cover: in the carbon stock of the country as compared to
• According to the report, India's total forest and tree the last assessment of 2019.
cover is now spread across 80.9 million hectares,
• The annual increase in the carbon stock is 39.7
which is 24.62 per cent of the geographical area of
million tonnes.
the country.
• The total tree-and-forest cover includes an increase
of 1,540 square kilometres of forest cover and 721
sq km of tree cover compared to the 2019 report.
• The top five states in terms of increase in forest
cover are Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km), Telangana
(632 sq km), Odisha (537 sq km), Karnataka (155 sq
km) and Jharkhand (110 sq km).
• The gain in forest cover or improvement in forest
canopy density may be attributed to better
conservation measures, protection, afforestation
activities, tree plantation drives and agroforestry.
• Area-wise, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest
cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
• The report also added that the north-east did not
show positive results as the current assessment
showed a decrease of forest cover to the extent of
1,020 sq km in the region.
• Arunachal Pradesh lost the maximum forest cover
of 257 sq km, followed by Manipur which lost 249
sq km, Nagaland 235 sq km, Mizoram 186 sq km and
Meghalaya 73 sq km. Image Source: fsi.nic.in

• The report said 17 states/UTs have above 33 per

Articulate | 65

About Forest Survey of India:
• Forest Survey of India (FSI) is an organisation
under the Ministry of Environment & Forests,
Government of India Its principal mandate is
to conduct survey and assessment of forest
resources in the country.
• It started as an organization called Pre-
Investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR)
in 1965 as FAO/UNDP/GOI Project.
• The changing information needs resulted in
enlarging the scope of activities of PISFR and it
was re- organized as Forest Survey of India in
1981.
About Forest Cover and Tree Cover:
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate
Change defines ‘forest cover’ in India Includes
all lands having trees more than one hectare in
area with tree canopy density of more than 10%,
irrespective of ownership, legal status of the land
and species composition of trees.
• ‘Tree Cover’ are all patches of trees occurring
outside RFA which are of size less than 1 ha
including the scattered trees. Tree cover forms
an important part of the trees outside forests
(TOF).
The Forest Survey of India has listed four categories
of forests. They are:
• Very Dense Forest (with tree canopy density of
70 per cent or above)
• Moderately Dense Forest (tree canopy density of
40 per cent or above but less than 70 per cent)
• Open Forest (tree canopy density of 10 per cent
or above but less than 40 per cent)
• Scrub (tree canopy density less than 10 per cent)
News Source: The Indian Express
Image Source: fsi.nic.in
66 I Articulate
NORTHERN RIVER TERRAPIN
Why in the News?
• Recently, for the first time, 10 northern river terrapin
were released into the wild from a breeding center
in the Sunderbans in West Bengal by the experts of
Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and Sundarban Tiger
Reserve (STR)
» They have been reared for nine years in the ponds.
Image Source: The Hindu
Key Highlights:
• The species was once widespread in the mangroves
and estuaries of West Bengal and Odisha.
• Unsustainable harvesting and overfishing led to a
rapid decline in their population.
• In 2009, the STR and the TSA started a breeding
programme at Sajnekhali, West Bengal.
• These turtles have been fitted with GPS transmitters
and would allow experts to track them and know
about their home range and habitat.
About Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska):
• Physical Features: It is a 60 cm long turtle,
recognized by 4 claws in front feet whereas other
turtles have 5.
• Habitat: Terrestrial & highly aquatic (freshwater
& brackish); lives in tidal areas of the estuaries
of medium and large rivers and also in mangrove
habitat.
• It is presumed to be extinct in several Southeast
Asian countries.
• Protection Status:
» IUCN Red List - Critically Endangered (CR)
» Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972) - Schedule I
» CITES - Appendix I
• Out of six large freshwater turtles of the genus
 Batagur, three are found in India:
» Batagur kachuga (Red-crowned roofed turtle) &
Batagur dhongoka (Three-striped roofed turtle):
Found in the tributaries of the Ganga, such as
Chambal.
» Batagur baska (The Northern river terrapin): The
most endangered of the three species.
About Sundarbans:
• Sundarbans is a vast contiguous mangrove forest
ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal
spread over India and Bangladesh on the delta
(world’s largest) of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and
Meghna rivers.
• It contains the world’s largest mangrove forests.
• It is the only mangrove forest in the world
inhabited by tigers.
• Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and National Park
was created in 1973 and 1984 respectively.
• It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site
in 1987 and designated as a Biosphere Reserve by
UNESCO in 2001.
• Sundarban Wetland, India was recognised as the
‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the
Ramsar Convention in January 2019.
Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA):
• Established in 2001 as an IUCN partnership for
sustainable captive management of freshwater
turtles and tortoises.
• It was formed in response to the Asian Turtle
Crisis.
• Since then it has become a recognised force in
turtle and tortoise conservation globally.
News Source: The Indian Express
IMD LAUNCHES 1ST CLIMATE HAZARDS
AND VULNERABILITY ATLAS OF INDIA
Why in the News?
• Recently, India has got its first climate vulnerability
atlas, based on 14 extreme weather events and the
risks they pose to the local population, livelihoods
and economy of each district.
Key Points:
• The Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India
is developed by the Climate Research and Services
(CRS) office of the India Meteorological Department
(IMD), Pune.
• Atlas is based on several extreme weather (extreme
rainfall, drought, coldwave, heatwave, thunderstorm,
cyclones, lightning etc) and the risks they pose to the
local population, livelihoods and economy of each
district.
» The atlas provides a range of vulnerability with risks
ranging from nil, low, moderate, high and very high
categories for every Indian district.
• Significance
» Impact-based warnings can be issued for various
regions. Atlas will help in understanding region
specific impact of certain extreme weather events.
» Help disaster management sectors to identify
the vulnerable districts for taking preventive and
adaptive measures.
» Aid in disaster preparedness as extreme weather
events rise in the wake of the climate crisis.
» Planning climate-resilient infrastructure.
» Changes in the hazard-prone areas in recent times
have also been incorporated.
» Supporting monitoring and forecasting, improving
public health facilities i,e emergency response
capabilities, better early warning systems etc.
• Hazard: defined as physical phenomena that pose
a threat to the people, structures or economic
assets and which may cause a disaster.
• Vulnerability: it is the extent to which a
community, structure, service or geographic area
is likely to be damaged or disrupted by the impact
of a particular hazard.
News Source: The Indian Express
ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF)
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) committee's chairman highlighted
that ZBNF would result in a tremendous reduction
in the production of agricultural crops thus
compromising India's food security.
» ICAR has set up a committee in 2019 to empirically
validate the results of ZBNF.
Key Highlights
• The committee has stated that Large scale adoption
of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), which
excludes all synthetic chemical inputs and promotes
Articulate | 67
 use of on-farm biomass, would result in ‘tremendous available in India for traditional organic farming to be
reduction’ in production of agricultural crops. used by all to grow crops and restore soils.
• Alternative to ZBNF, the committee has
News Source: Financial Express
recommended the adoption of an integrated
production system through usage of farm
practices such as conservation agriculture through
usage of farmyard manure, inter-cropping, 4TH ASIAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
crop diversification and integrated nutrient
ON TIGER CONSERVATION
management for improving soil health.
• Why in the News?
About ZBNF: • Recently, the 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on
• ZBNF technology uses locally available resources to tiger conservation was Organized by Malaysia and
manage soil nutrition, fertility, pests, and weeds. Global Tiger Forum for reviewing progress towards
the Global Tiger Recovery Programme.
• The technology completely avoids the use of
inorganic fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides.
Key Highlights:
• It emphasises the effective utilisation of water
• It was organized by Malaysia and Global Tiger Forum
through specified methods and recommends less
(GTF).
tilling, to produce higher yields.
• India said that it will facilitate Tiger Range Countries
• This farming practice asserts that ZBNF is resilient
towards finalization of New Delhi declaration for
to climate change, reduces the cost of cultivation,
the Global Tiger Summit to be held at Vladivostok,
and increases farmers’ income.
Russia later this year.

Four Wheels of ZBNF

• Jiwamrita (soil microbial enhancer):
» It is a mixture of fresh cow dung and aged cow urine,
jaggery, pulse flour, water and soil. This is a fermented
microbial culture that adds nutrients to the soil and
acts as a catalytic agent to promote the activity of
microorganisms and earthworms in the soil.
• Bijamrita(seed-microbial coating):
» It is a mix of desi cow dung and urine, water, bund soil
and lime that is used as a seed treatment solution
prior to sowing.
• Acchadana(Mulching):
» It is covering the plants with a layer of dried straw
or fallen leaves, is meant to conserve soil moisture
and keep the temperature around the roots at 25-32
degrees Celsius, which allows the microorganisms to
do their job.
• Waaphasa (soil aeration):
» It is providing water to maintain the required
moisture-air balance, and also achieves the same
objective.
Challenges in upscaling of ZBNF:
• It is not yet tried and tested in all ecological
conditions on ground of yield and pest resistance.
About Global Tiger Forum:
• It was formed in 1993 on recommendations from an
international symposium on Tiger Conservation at
New Delhi, India.
• The GTF has a General Assembly (consisting of NGOs
also) meeting every 3 years and Standing committee
meetings at least once a year.
• The 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) are Bangladesh,
Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and
Vietnam.
Protection Status of Tiger:
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) Red List: Endangered.
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I.
Tiger Reserve in India:
• The tiger reserves of India were set up in 1973
and are governed by Project Tiger, which is
administered by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority.

• The cost of rearing cows is an economic burden on • Currently, 53 protected areas have been
farmers. designated tiger reserves.

• ZBNF advocates the need of an Indian breed cow,

whose numbers are declining at a fast pace.
• However, there is insufficient animal manure

68 I Articulate
 Latest Tiger Reserve in India:
• Srivilliputhur - Megamalai (2021) Tamil Nadu
• Ramgarh Vishdhari (2021) Rajasthan
• Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla
Wildlife Sanctuary (2021) Chhattisgarh
Steps Taken:
About Project Tiger:
• The Government of India launched Project Tiger
in 1973 from the Jim Corbett National Park in
Uttarakhand
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of
Environment and Forests
• It is administered by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority.
• Aim: Protect tigers from extinction by ensuring
a viable population in their natural habitats
Government has set up a Tiger Protection Force
under Project Tiger to combat poachers.
• Project Tiger funds relocation of villagers to minimize
human-tiger conflicts.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority:
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a
statutory body under the Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change.
• It was established in 2005 following the
recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.
• It was constituted under enabling provisions of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006,
for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers
and functions assigned to it.
Global Tiger Recovery Programme (2010-2022) TX2:
• To solve the tiger crisis, the Tiger Range Countries
(TRCs), international organizations, and civil
society had come together on a collaborative
platform within the framework of the Global Tiger
Initiative (GTI).
• The Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP)
was developed in 2010, with the shared goal of
doubling the number of wild tigers globally by
2022 from 3200 to 7000
• India has already achieved its target 4 years
ahead. 14 tiger reserves in India have received
accreditation Global Conservation Assured Tiger
Standards (CA|TS) in July 2021
• The success model of India’s tiger governance
is now being replicated for other wildlife like
the Lion, Dolphin, Leopard, Snow Leopard and
other small wild cats, while the country is on the
threshold of introducing Cheetah in its historical
range.
News Source: Press Information Bureau
CENTRE TO RANK STATES ON FASTER
GREEN NODS
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Union Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change has decided to
“incentivise states” by ranking them on the basis of
“efficiency and timelines in grant of environmental
clearances”.
Background:
• The decision comes in the backdrop of a meeting
chaired by the cabinet secretary in November 2021,
which raised the issue of action taken to enable
“ease of doing business’’, especially in the context
of “ranking of states based on the time taken in
accordance with clearances’’.
Key points:
• The State Environment Impact Assessment
Authority (SEIAA) which clears projects in the
shortest period of time, has a high rate of clearance,
and seeks fewer “essential details” will be ranked
the highest.
• It has been decided to incentivise the states through
a star-rating system, based on efficiency and
timelines in grant of EC (environmental clearance).
Significance:
• This is intended as a mode of recognition
and encouragement as well as for prompting
improvements where needed.
• This will help in faster decision making mode rather
than holding the files.
Parameters:
• Average number of days taken to accept proposals
seeking either EC or terms of reference (TOR) for
projects.
• Number of complaints addressed.
• Percentage of cases for which site visits are carried
out.
• Percentage of cases in which additional information
is sought from project proponents more than once.
Articulate | 69
• Disposal percentage of proposals seeking fresh or
amended TORs that are older than 30 days; and the
disposal percentage of proposals seeking fresh or
amended EC that are older than 120 days.
Criticism:
• Environmentalists have warned that the state
authorities, whose mandate is to ensure protection
of the environment, will now “compete’’ to clear
projects swiftly, to increase state rankings.
• It may weaken the mandate of the SEIAAs under
the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 and the
Environment Impact Assessment notification by
imposing time limits on their function.
• Rating system is in violation of the constitutional
responsibility of the central government to protect
the environment under Article 48A.
• The process undermines scientific rigour in the
decision making process.
• This move will also dilute the spirit of EIA mandated
under Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986.
About Spot-billed pelicans:
• Spot Billed Pelican or grey pelican is a member of the
pelican family.
• IUCN Status: Near threatened.
• Habitat: It lives in shallow lowland freshwater,
brackish, and marine wetland areas. The bird is
found to breed only in peninsular India, Sri Lanka and
Cambodia.
• Characteristics: Hunt for food in both freshwater
and marine environments, can dive slightly below
the surface but never to great depth.
About Telineelapuram Bird Sanctuary:
• It is an internationally recognised exotic bird
sanctuary for the conservation of rare exotic
birds.
• It is located at a distance of about 5 km from the
town of Tekkali. Every year approximately 3,000
pelicans and painted storks visit Srikakulam from
Siberia during September and stay on till March.

News Source: The Indian Express

About SEIAAs:
• The SEIAAs are responsible for providing
environmental clearance for a bulk of the
ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT
infrastructure, developmental and industrial
projects. (EIA)
• Their main purpose is to assess the impact of Why in the News?
the proposed project on the environment and
people, and to try and minimise this impact. • Recently, the details of the released draft
environment impact assessment (EIA) report for
News Source: The Indian Express the mega development project in the Great Nicobar
Island have raised serious questions.

SPOT-BILLED PELICANS

Why in the News?

• Recently, a parasitic infestation has led to mass
deaths of migratory spot-billed pelicans at the
Telineelapuram International Bird Sanctuary in
Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district.

Key Points:
• If the mortality rate continues unchecked, the
species is likely to disappear completely from the
swamp in a matter of days.
• These are parasitic infections mainly caused
through water bodies.
• Nematode parasite is suspected to be transferred
through fish and snails, when the birds prey in the
aqua ponds. Image Source: Hindustan Times

70 I Articulate
Key Highlights:
• Concerns are related to submission of incorrect or
incomplete information, scientific inaccuracy and
failure to follow appropriate procedure.
• The matter is related to the NITI Aayog-piloted Rs.
72,000-crore integrated project in Great Nicobar
that includes.
» Construction of a mega port,
» An airport complex,
» A township spread over 130 sq. km of pristine forest
and
» A solar and gas-based power plant.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated
Development Corporation Ltd. (ANIIDCO) is the
project proponent.
• Ecologists and researchers have been raising
concerns about this project for over a year.
» The project is likely to impact turtle and megapode
nesting sites and coral reefs at the islands.
» The project will also have a direct impact on the
biodiversity and cascading effects on the indigenous
Onge tribe.
– The onge are one of the tribes of Andaman and
Nicobar islands.
About Environment Impact Assessment (EIA):
• EIA is a tool used to assess the positive and negative
environmental, economic, and social impacts of a
project.
• In India, Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is
notified under the Environment (Protection) Act
1986.
• The EIA Amendment 2006 introduced four stages
into the EIA Cycle; Screening, Scoping, Public
hearing and Appraisal.
• It has also categorized the projects into two
categories namely; Category ‘A’ and Category ‘B’
based on their impact potential.
» Category ‘A’ projects will be appraised at the Central
level while Category ‘B’ project at the State level.
• Category A projects – They require mandatory
environmental clearance and thus they do not
undergo the screening process.
• Category B Projects– They undergo screening
process and they are classified into two types:
» Category B1 projects (Mandatorily require EIA).
» Category B2 projects (Do not require EIA).
Challenges in EIA in India:
• Lack of public hearing: A number of projects with
significant environmental and social impacts have
been excluded from the mandatory public hearing
process.
• Post Project Monitoring: Once the project gets
completed, post project monitoring is not done
often.
• Reports made by project proponents: The report
is solely prepared by the project proponents itself,
which, without oversight and review, may lead to
inaccurate information submitted on the project.
Project reports are not made in vernacular language.
News Source: The Hindu
KERALA GETS ITS FIRST BIRD ATLAS
Why in the News?
• Recently, Kerala got its first ever scientific bird
atlas.
Key Highlights:
• It is believed to be Asia’s largest bird atlas in terms
of geographical extent, sampling effort and species
coverage.
• Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA) has been Conducted
as a citizen science-driven exercise with the
participation of over 1000 volunteers of the bird
watching community.
• KBA was prepared based on systematic surveys
held twice over 60 days a year during the wet (July
to September) and dry (January to March) seasons
between 2015 and 2020.
• KBA has created strong benchmark information
about the distribution and abundance of bird
species across all major habitats, giving momentum
to futuristic studies.
• The KBA accounts for nearly three lakh records of
361 species, that includes, 94 very rare species and
103 rare species.
Key Findings:
• Species count was higher during the dry season than
in the wet season.
• The species richness and evenness were higher
in the northern and central districts than in the
southern districts.
• Most of the endemics were concentrated in the
Western Ghats while the threatened species were
mostly along the coast.
News Source: The Hindu
Articulate | 71
SATHYAMANGALAM TIGER RESERVE
Why in the News?
• Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode
district in Tamil Nadu has been given the prestigious
TX2 award after its tiger numbers doubled to 80
since 2010.
» Bardia National Park in Nepal was also jointly
conferred the award, for doubling its population of
wild tigers.
Key Highlights
• According to the Tamil Nadu government’s survey,
there were 43 tigers at the Sathyamangalam Tiger
Reserve (STR) in 2010. The number has doubled to
80 here.
• Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in 2020 was
awarded the first TX2 Award for having doubled its
tiger population from 25 tigers to 65 in 2018.
• Furthermore, there are now 14 Tiger Reserves in India
awarded with international CA|TS accreditation and
efforts are ongoing to bring more Tiger Reserves
under CA|TS accreditation.
• India is among the 13 countries with tiger reserves
that in 2010 decided to double its tiger populations
by 2022.
• According to the 2018 tiger census, India has around
2,967 tigers.
• This year, tiger range countries will convene at the
second Global Tiger Summit in Vladivostok, Russia,
to assess progress towards the ambitious TX2 goal,
i.e. double the number of tigers in the wild, and
identify tiger conservation priorities for the next 12
years.
About TX2 Tiger Conservation Award:
• The awards are presented by the Conservation
Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS), Fauna and Flora
International (FFI), Global Tiger Forum (GTF), IUCN’s
Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme
(ITHCP), Panthera, UNDP, The Lion’s Share, Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS) and WWF.
• It was launched with the objective to recognize and
celebrate significant progress made towards tiger
recovery since 2010.
About Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR):
• Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary was declared
72 I Articulate
a tiger reserve in 2013.
• It is located in the Nilgiri biosphere, the Reserve
shares its border with Mudumalai Tiger Reserve,
Bandipur Tiger Reserve, and BR Tiger Reserve and
Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The Nilgiri biosphere landscape that this reserve
is part of is currently the home to the largest tiger
population in the world.
News Source: Newsonair
NEW GENUS PARASITIC FLOWERING
PLANT
Why in the News?
• A brand new genus of a parasitic flowering plant
has recently been found from the Nicobar group of
islands.
» The genus Septemeranthus belongs to the
family Loranthaceae, a hemi-parasite under the
sandalwood order Santalales and is of widespread
importance.
» The genus Septemeranthus grows on the plant
species Horsfieldia glabra(Blume) Warb.
About the Plant:
• The parasitic flowering crops have a modified root
construction unfold on the stem of the tree and are
anchored contained in the bark of the host tree.
• The plant was found on the periphery of the tropical
forest in one of the biodiversity hotspots referred to
as the Nicobar group of islands.
• The name Septemeranthusis derived from the
Latin word ‘septem’ meaning ‘seven’, referring to the
arrangement of flowers.
• The genus Septemeranthus has a distinct vegetative
morphology, inflorescence architecture and floral
characters.
• The leaves of the plant are heart-shaped with a very
long tip and the ovary,fruit and seeds are ‘urceolate’
(earthen pot-shaped).
• The flowers have five persistent bracts having
conspicuous margins.
News Source: The Hindu
Articulate | 73
GITHUB
Why in the News?
• Recently, the GitHub was used to create an
offensively named app that sexually harassed
women from a particular community in India.
» The app used pictures of the women stolen from
their social media handles and invited “users” to bid
for them.
About GitHub Platform:
• GitHub is the world’s largest open-source developer
community platform where users upload their
projects and code for others to view, edit, and tweak.
• It uses the software Git to track changes in a set of
files and for coordination in software development.
» Software Git was created in 2005 by Linus Trovalds.
• On GitHub, any developer can upload software code
and can collaborate with people to help improve it,
find errors, and fix problems.
Limitation:
• Anyone can open an account on GitHub and upload
a code after providing just an email id.
• So even if an account is blocked or terminated, a
new one can be created with another email id — and
the offensive software code or apps can be uploaded
again with perhaps a slightly different name.
Prohibited Activities on GitHub Platform
• It does not allow revealing personal information
with malicious intent — and the invasion of privacy.
• Misinformation or fake news, active malware or
exploits on the platform are prohibited.
• Speech that attacks a person or group of persons
on the basis of their identity or on any of topics (age,
body size, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and
expression, level of experience, nationality, race,
religion) is not allowed.
News Source: The Indian Express
WEB 3.0
Why in the News?
• The Concept of Web3, also called Web 3.0 has been
touted as the next generation internet.
About Web 3.0:
• In 2014, Gavin Wood coined the term Web3.
• Web 3.0 generally refers to the next generation of
74 I Articulate
the World Wide Web.
• It offers a decentralised internet to be run on
blockchain technology, which would be different
from the versions in use, Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.
• In web3, users will have ownership stakes in
platforms and applications unlike now where tech
giants control the platforms.
Working of Web 3.0:
• Currently, if a seller has to make a business to
the buyer, both the buyer and seller need to be
registered on a “platform” like Amazon or Ebay.
• This “platform” currently authenticates that
the buyer and seller are genuine parties for the
transaction.
• Web3 tries to remove the role of the “platform”.
• For the buyer and seller to be authenticated, the
usual proofs aided by block chain technology will
be used in Web 3.0.
• Thus, Web3 enables peer to peer (seller to buyer)
transactions by eliminating the role of the
intermediary.
Significance of Web 3.0:
• In Web 2.0, most of the data in the internet and the
internet traffic are handled by a few large companies
creating issues of data privacy, data security and
abuse of data.
» Web3 offers a solution to these problems.
• A decentralised internet based on blockchain will
mean users get to be 'owners' as well.
Evolution of Internet:
Web 1.0:
• Web 1.0 is the world wide web or the internet that
was invented in 1989.
• Web 1.0 was mostly static where users would go
to a website and read and interact with static
information.
• Users themselves could not create any content or
post reviews on the internet.
Web 2.0:
• In Web 2.0, most of the data in the internet and the
internet traffic are owned or handled by very few big
companies.
• This has created issues related to data privacy, data
security and abuse of such data.
• The differentiating characteristic of Web 2.0
compared to Web1.0 is that users can create content.
• They can interact and contribute in the form of
comments, registering likes, sharing and uploading
their photos or videos and perform other such
activities.
Blockchain Technology:
• Blockchain derives its name from the digital
databases or ledgers where information is stored
as “blocks’’ that are coupled together forming
“chains”.
• Every block in the chain contains information of
transactions made and every new transaction’s
information is added to each participant’s ledger.
• A decentralised framework makes the system
and the information stored therein fraud-proof,
transparent and credible.
• Bitcoin and other digital currencies such as
Ethereum use blockchain technology to function.
World Wide Web:
• World Wide Web which is also known as a Web,
is a collection of websites or web pages stored in
web servers and connected to local computers
through the internet.
» These websites contain text pages, digital images,
audios, videos, etc.
• The Web is viewed through web browser software
such as Google chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla
Firefox.
• The Web was invented in 1991 by Tim Berners-
Lee, while consulting at CERN (European
Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland.
Way Forward:
• From a technology perspective, Web3 will require
deviation from the current architecture where there
is a front-end, middle layer and back-end.
• Web3’s architecture will need backend solutions for
handling block chain, persisting and indexing data
in block chain, peer to peer communications and so
forth.
News Source: The Hindu
CHIPS TO STARTUP PROGRAMME (C2S)
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & Information
Technology (MeitY) has sought applications from
100 academic, R&D organizations, start-ups and
MSMEs under its Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme.
Key Points:
• To make India a global hub for Electronic System
Design and Manufacturing, the government of India
has approved the comprehensive program for the
development of a sustainable semiconductor and
display ecosystem in the country.
• India has decided to set up a “complete ecosystem”
for Semiconductors in the country that includes
design, fabrication, packaging, testing, etc.
• In line with the initiative, the Ministry of Electronics
and Information (MeitY) has sought applications
from 100 academia, R&D organisations, start-
ups and MSMEs under its Chips to Startup (C2S)
Programme.
About Chips to Startup Programme:
• The Chips to Startup (C2S) programme was
established with the objective of training about
85000 qualified and high quality engineers in the
fields of Very Large-Scale Integration and Embedded
System Design.
• The programme will result in the development of
175 ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits),
working prototypes of 20 systems on chips (SoC)
and IP core repository over a period of five years.
• The nodal agency for the programme will be C-DAC
(Center for Development of Advanced Computing),
a scientific society operating under MeitY.
The scope of the C2S Programme:
• The programme would be implemented at about 100
academic institutions/R&D organizations across
the Country (including IITs, NITs, IIITs, Government/
Private Colleges and R&DOrganisations).
• Startups and MSMEs can also apply for the
programme by submitting ideas for System/
SoC/IP Core development under Academia-
Industry Collaborative Projects, Grand Challenges/
Hackathons.
• It addresses each entity of the value chain in
electronics viz.
» Quality manpower training,
» Research and development,
» Hardware IPs design,
» System design,
Articulate | 75
» Application-oriented R&D,
» Prototype design
» Deployment with the help of academia, industry,
start-ups and R&D establishments.
Significance:
• This will be a step towards leapfrogging in the
Electronics System Design & Manufacturing
(ESDM) space by way of inculcating the culture
of system on chips (SoC)/ System Level Design at
Bachelors, Masters and Research level and act as a
catalyst for growth of Start-ups involved in fabless
design.
• It also holds importance in the backdrop of supply
shock in chips which have hindered production
across manufacturing units , especially in the
automobiles sector.
• Localizing chip manufacturing will shorten the
supply chain and hence in line with Atma Nirbhar
Bharat Plan.
News Source: Press Information Bureau
XENOTRANSPLANTATION
Why in the News?
• Recently the doctors in the USA transplanted a
genetically altered pig heart into a patient which is
referred to as xenotransplantation (from animals to
humans).
Key Highlights
• Xenotransplantation is any procedure that involves
the transplantation of either live cells, tissues, or
organs from a nonhuman animal source, or human
body fluids, cells, tissues or organs into a human
recipient.
• Before transplantation, the genes are altered
to prevent the human body from rejecting the
particular cell, tissue, or organ. CRISPR-Cas9 is used
for this.
• Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or
xenotransplants.
• It offers a potential treatment for end-stage organ
failure, a significant health problem in parts of the
industrialized world.
Significance:
• This development could bring us one step closer to
solving the global organ shortage.
• There are simply not enough donor human hearts
available to meet the long list of potential recipients
76 I Articulate
» In India, patients need 25,000-30,000 liver
transplants annually. But only about 1,500 end up
receiving them.
» Similarly, nearly 50,000 persons suffer from heart
failures annually.
News Source: The Hindu
5G-A CONCERN FOR AIRLINE SAFETY
Why in the News?
• Amid growing concerns over the aviation crisis in
the USA over deployment of 5G services, Air India
and other carriers have curtailed flight to US.
About the concern:
• US auctioned mid-range 5G Bandwidth to mobile
phone companies in the 3.7-3.98 GHz range on the
spectrum.
• This bandwith is close to the airwaves the altimeters
use, giving rise to concerns about potential
interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronic
like radio altimeters.
• Interference can prevent engine and braking
systems from transitioning to landing mode and in
the event of bad weather, cloud cover or even heavy
smog pilots will be left with visual approaches only.
• Potential solutions for this technological concern:
» Set lower frequency standards for 5G services. E.g.
EU has a 5G range of 3.4-3.8 GHz.
» Including a buffer band to separate the new 5G
signals from those used by radar altimeters.
About 5G Technology:
• 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the
long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband
networks.
• 5G mainly works in 3 bands, namely:
• Low: The Low Band Spectrum has the maximum
speed limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
• Mid: It offers higher speeds compared to the low
band, but has limitations in terms of coverage area
and penetration of signals.
• High: It offers the highest speed of all the three
bands, but has extremely limited coverage and signal
penetration strength.
Pros of 5G Technology
• Faster Speed: 5G works faster on mobile phones
and other devices when compared to 4G and 4G LTE.
» For Example: According to a recent survey
 consumers who used 5G saved nearly 23 hours per
day in the downloading process.
• Low Latency: 5G has low latency when compared to
4G that will support new applications such as AI, IoT,
and virtual reality efficiently.
» Latency is a measure of delay. In a network, latency
measures the time it takes for some data to get to its
destination across the network.
• Increased Capacities: 5G has the capacity to deliver
up to 100 times more capacity than 4G.
• More Bandwidth: 5G will increase the bandwidth
that will help transfer the data as soon as possible.
Cons of 5G Technology
• Limited Global Coverage: It has limited global
coverage and is available only in specific locations.
• Decreased Broadcast Distance: Although 5G
works fast at high speed, it won’t travel as far when
compared to 4G.
» Moreover, tall buildings and trees may block the
frequency of the 5G network that will result in
various problems..
• Poor Upload Speeds: 5G technologies allow mobile
phone users to ensure high download speeds.
» On the other hand, the upload speeds are not over
100 Mbps when compared to 4G.
• Lack of encryption: 5G lacks encryption and hackers
can plan their attacks with more precision that will
affect the companies to a large extent.
• It requires more number of signal towers in the unit
area.
Development of 5G Technology in India:
• According to the GSM Association, a trade body
that represents the interests of mobile network
operators worldwide, the following developments
have taken place in India on the 5G front:
• Bharti Airtel and Huawei have successfully
conducted India’s first 5G network trial under a
test setup at Airtel’s network experience centre in
Manesar, Gurgaon, achieving a user throughput of
more than 3 Gbps.
• Vodafone Idea has also proposed 5G trials with
multiple vendors, including Huawei and Ericsson.
• The Government is promoting the development
of an indigenously developed 5G standard, called
the 5Gi, as an alternative to the globally used 3GPP
standard.
News Source: Times of India
Articulate | 77
78 I Articulate
INTERNATIONAL COUNTER TERRORISM
CONFERENCE 2022
Why in the News?
• Recently, India’s Permanent representative to UN
addressed the International Counter Terrorism
Conference 2022.
• It was organised by the Global Counter Terrorism
Council (GCTC).
Key Points:
Concerns raised by India:
• Emergence of new “religiophobia”: India has
highlighted a new emerging trend of “religiophobia”
especially against Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs and
emphasised that it needs to be recognised, just like
Christianophobia, Islamophobia and anti-semitism,
to bring a balance in discussions on such issues.
• Selective Labelling of Terrorism: India raised the
concern about several states which have been
trying to label terrorism into categories such as
racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism,
violent nationalism, right wing extremism based on
their political, religious motivations.
• Such labelling of terrorism goes against the Global
Counter-Terrorism Strategy of UN.
UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
• The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a unique
global instrument to enhance national, regional and
international efforts to counter terrorism.
• Adoption Year: 2006
• Pillars of the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy:
» Addressing the conditions conducive to the spread
of terrorism
» Measures to prevent and combat terrorism
» Measures to build states’ capacity to prevent and
combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the
United Nations system in that regard
» Measures to ensure respect for human rights for all
and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the
fight against terrorism
India’s Efforts to tackle Terrorism:
• India is chairing the UN Security Council’s Counter-
Terrorism Committee (CTC) in 2022 and have voted
in favour of a resolution to renew the mandate of the
CTC Executive Directorate.
• In recent years, India has invested heavily in
capacity-building to tackle terrorism from
fencing of Indo-Pak border to invest in creation of
intelligence infrastructure.
• The National Technical Research Organisation
(NTRO) was set up in 2004.
• It also embarked on projects such as the Crime and
Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) and
the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID).
• Post-9/11terror stttack, R&AW got a counter-terror
desk.
• The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)
was strengthened to check the activities related to
terrorism.
Way Forward:
• Terrorist groups have grown in sophistication and
learned to use innovative technologies, including
artificial intelligence, robotics, drones and launch
terror attacks, including on neighbouring countries.
• Governments need to address resolutely the
challenges posed by the misuse of emerging
technologies for terrorism.
• Countries need to take a look at draft document on
the Comprehensive Convention on International
Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN in 1986 proposed by
India which has not been implemented yet as there
is no unanimity on the definition of terrorism among
the member states.
News Source: The Indian Express
SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP (SPG) ACT
Why in the News?
• The Centre is considering action under the Special
Protection Group (SPG) Act against Punjab Police
officers following the alleged breach in security of
the Prime Minister during his recent visit to Punjab.
Key Points:
• During his visit, PM convoy was stranded for 20
minutes on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters
near Ferozepur, following which he had to return
without attending the event.
• The center is preparing to take action against the
erring officials under the provisions of SPG Act.
• Under Section 14 of the SPG Act, the state
government is responsible for providing all
assistance to the SPG during the PM’s movement.
About Special Protection Group (SPG) Act:
• The SPG Act came into force on 2 June 1988 and the
body functions under the Cabinet Secretariat.
• It was created after the assassination of former
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Parliament passed the
Articulate | 79
 SPG Act (1988) dedicating the group to protecting
the Prime Ministers of India.
• The Special Protection Group (SPG) Act provides
proximate security to the Prime Minister of India,
former Prime Ministers of India and members of
their immediate families.
• The SPG Act was amended in 2019 to reduce SPG
cover to only the Prime Minister and members of
his immediate family residing with him at his official
residence.
• The 2019 amendment further reduced the time
period of SPG cover to the former Prime Ministers
and their immediate family to five years after they
leave the office, provided that the immediate family
members resided at the allotted residence with the
former Prime Minister.
News Source: The Indian Express
BRAHMOS ADVANCED VARIANT
Why in the News?
• Recently, an extended range sea-to-sea variant
of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was
test fired from the recently commissioned stealth
guided-missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam.
About the Naval Variant:
• It was test fired from the INS Visakhapatnam of the
Indian Navy.
• BrahMos, deployed by the Navy on its warships first
in 2005, has the capability to hit sea-based targets
beyond radar horizon.
Difference between Cruise Missile and Ballistic Missile:
Cruise Missile
• Cruise missile is a guided missile (target has to be •
pre-set) used against terrestrial targets.
• Cruise missile remains in the atmosphere •
throughout its flight.
• Cruise missiles are low, hard to detect on radar.
• The trajectory of a cruise missile is fully determined •
by its propulsion system.
News Source: The Indian Express
80 I Articulate
• This version of the missile has been designed to
launch either in a vertical or a horizontal mode from
moving/stationary assets to target both land and sea
targets.
• The naval variant was originally tested in October
and December 2020.
About Brahmos Missile:
• The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from
the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India
and the Moskva of Russia.
• The BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic
cruise missile that can be launched from submarine,
ships, aircraft or land. It is notably one of the fastest
supersonic cruise missiles in the world.
• BrahMos missiles are designed and developed by
BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set
up by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of
Russia.
• Originally introduced in 2001, variations of
these supersonic missiles can be launched from
submarines, ships, aircraft, and land platforms.
• It is a two-stage (solid propellant engine in the first
stage and liquid ramjet in second) missile.
• The missiles fire at a speed of 2.8 Mach or nearly
three times the speed of sound, significantly
increases the capability of the ships in engaging
long-range targets.
• The range of the missile was originally capped at
290 km as per obligations of the Missile Technology
Control Regime (MTCR). Following India’s entry into
the club in June 2016.
Ballistic Missile
Whereas a ballistic missile follows a ballistic
trajectory to deliver one or more warheads on a
predetermined target.
Shorter range ballistic missiles stay within
the Earth’s atmosphere but Longer-ranged
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are
launched on a sub-orbital flight trajectory and
spend most of their flight out of the atmosphere.
• Ballistic missile is easily detectable on radar.
The trajectory of a ballistic missile is fully
determined by a given initial velocity, effects of
gravity, air resistance, and motion of the earth
(Coriolis Force).
SMALL SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE
Why in the News?
• SSLV-D1 Micro SAT is scheduled for launch in April
2022 after the project was delayed in July 2019
owing to COVID 19 pandemic.
Key Points:
• It aims to cater to the market for the launch of small
satellites into Earth’s low orbits that has emerged
in recent years to cater to the needs of developing
countries, universities for small satellites, and
private corporations.
• NewsSpace India Limited (NSIL), a PSU, will be the
sole nodal agency responsible for providing end-to-
end SSLV launch services for customer satellites
from contractual, technical, programmatic, launch
campaign, launch and post activities.
About SSLV:
• It has been designed to meet “Launch on Demand”
requirements.
• It is a three stage all solid vehicle with capability to
launch up to 500 kg satellite mass into 500 km low
earth orbit.
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle can launch satellites
weighing above 1000 kg.
• It is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO.
Significance:
• It will reduce the turnaround time (take only 72
hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now).
• It gives Multiple satellite mounting options for nano,
micro and small satellites.
• It requires Minimum infrastructure.
• It would Cost only around Rs 30 crore and will
augment the revenue of ISRO.
• All these, including NewSpace India Limited (NSIL),
are targeting towards capturing the space market
and making more launches of foreign satellites.
News Source: The Indian Express
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82 I Articulate
History, Culture and
Heritage
RECOGNITION TO FIFTH SIKH TAKHT
Why in the News?
• Recently, The Delhi Legislative Assembly has passed
an amendment Bill to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act,
1971, recognising Takht Damdama Sahib as the fifth
Takht of Sikhs.
Key Points:
• The amendment bill adds one more ex officio
member in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management
Committee (DSGMC) house.
» Earlier, there were four ex officio members in the
house — the chiefs (jathedars) of the other four Sikh
Takhts.
• Ex officio members have no voting rights in the
house.
• If the Delhi Lieutenant Governor gives his approval
to the amendment Bill, the strength of the DSGMC
house will increase to 56 from 55.
Composition of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management
Committee (DSGMC) House:
• The DSGMC house consists of 55 members: 46
elected, two co-opted, two chosen through
lottery from among the gurdwara Singh Sabhas,
one nominated by the Shiromani Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and four
jathedars of Sikh Takhts.
Takhts in Sikhism
• Akal Takht:
» It was set up in 1606 by Guru Hargobind in Amritsar.
» It is the oldest of the Takhts, and considered
supreme among the five.
» It symbolised the coming together of the temporal
authority and the political sovereignty of the Sikh
community (miri) with the spiritual authority (piri).
» The Akal Takht is a five-storey building out of which
the first storey houses the Guru Granth Sahib.
» Any edict or order concerning the entire Sikh
community is issued only from Akal Takht.
• Takht Keshgarh Sahib:
» It is located in Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
» In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh raised Khalsa, which
initiated Sikh warriors at Takht Keshgarh Sahib.
• Takht Patna Sahib:
• Guru Gobind Singh was born here in 1666.
• Takht Hazur Sahib:
» It is located in Nanded, Maharashtra.
» Guru Gobind Singh was cremated in 1708.
• Takht Damdama Sahib:
» Guru Gobind Singh spent several months in Talwandi
Sabo of Bathinda.
» A seal believed to have been used by Guru Gobind
Singh for his edicts is preserved at Damdama Sahib.
About: Sikh Takht
• A Takht, which means a throne, is a seat of
temporal authority for Sikhs.
• The Takhts are known to issue hukumnamas
from time to time on issues that concern the Sikh
community.
News Source: The Indian Express
‘VEER BAAL DIWAS’
Why in the News?
• 26th December shall be marked as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’
from 2022 as a tribute to the bravery and martyrdom
of Sahibzades, that is, the four sons of Guru Gobind
Singh.
About Veer Bal Divas:
• On December 26, 1705, Sahibzada Fateh Singh and
Sahibzada Zorawar Singh were bricked alive by Wazir
Khan on the orders of Aurangzeb as they refused to
convert to Islam.
• To commemorate their sacrifice, the Prime-Minister
has announced that 26th December would be
celebrated as “Veer Baal Diwas''.
Who were Sahibzadas?
• The word “sahibzade” means “sons” in Punjabi and
“char” means “four”.
• In Sikhism, the term “char sahibzade”, is used for
four sons of the tenth Guru, all of whom died as
martyrs at a very young age.
• The “vaade sahibzade” or the older sons, aged 18 and
14, died fighting a battle at Chamkaur Sahib.
» The younger sons, “chotte sahibzade” attained
martyrdom at the ages of six and nine.
• They were martyred in separate incidents during a
battle between the Sikhs and the Mughals, between
21 and 27 December 1704.
• The martyrdom of the Sahibzadas is remembered
Articulate | 83
 everyday during Ardas and the week from December
21 to 26 is observed as “Shahidi-hafta” (martyrdom
week) by the Sikhs.
Guru Gobind Singh:
• Guru Gobind Singh Ji, born as Gobind Rai, was
the tenth Guru in Sikhism.
• Guru Gobind Singh Ji introduced the five ‘K’s
that the Sikhs abide by: Kesh, Kangha, Kara,
Kirpan, Kacchera.
• He was responsible for institutionalising the
Khalsa, who played a significant role in protecting
the Sikhs after his death.
• He declared Guru Granth Sahib as Sikhism's
holy scripture in 1708, before his death.
• The auspicious occasion of Guru Gobind Singh
Jayanti is also known as the Prakash Parv of the
tenth Sikh Guru.
• It is believed that the Guru baptised five men
from a ‘lower caste’ as his ‘Five Beloveds’ in 1699.
• He passed away in 1708.
News Source: The Times of India
JAGANNATH TEMPLE ACT
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Odisha state cabinet has approved
amendments to the Sri Jagannath Temple Act of
1954.
Background:
• In the year 1806, the then British government had
issued regulations for management of the Jagannath
temple which was referred to as the Juggernaut
temple by the colonial rulers.
• Under these regulations, pilgrims who visited the
temple were expected to pay taxes.
• The British government was entrusted with
appointing senior priests at the temple.
» Three years later, the powers of management of the
temple were passed on to the King of Khordha while
the colonial government continued to retain some
control.
• Post Independence, the state of Odisha formally
introduced the Jagannath Temple Act in the year
1952, which came into effect in 1954.
• The Act contains provision on land rights of the
temple, duties of the sevayat, administrative
powers of the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing
84 I Articulate
Committee, rights and privileges of the Raja of Puri
and other persons connected with the management
and administration of the temple.
Recent amendments to the Sri Jagannath Temple Act
of 1954:
• The State cabinet now decentralizes the power to
settle land related issues of the temple.
• The Amendment has delegated power to temple
administration and concerned officials for sale and
lease of land in name of Jagannath temple.
» Unlike earlier, no approval will be required from the
State government for the process.
• Following the amendment, the temple administration
and concerned officials now have the power to sell
or lease out temple land, without any approval from
the State government.
Significance:
• Before amendment, every sale of land even for a
small area was sent to the State government for
approval.
• The process at times took over two years for
clearance, creating hurdles for people who have
been residing on the land.
• But as per the amendment, the process will be
decentralized and decisions will be taken at various
levels.
About Jagannath Temple:
• It was constructed by a famous king of Ganga
Dynasty Ananta Varman Chodaganga Deva
dating back to the 12th century.
• It is a fine specimen of the Pancharath style of
Odissian temple architecture.
• It is one of the Dhamas (Holiest of the holy place)
out of four Dhamas i.e. Puri, Dwarika, Badrinath &
Rameswar.
• The Main Temple shrine consists of four distinct
buildings:
» The Vimana or the Great Temple
» Jagamohan or the Hall of Audience
» Natamandapa or the Dancing Hall
» Bhogamandapa or the Refractory
• The temple has four gates at the Eastern,
Southern, Western and Northern mid-points of
the outer wall, known as:
» SIMHADWARA(Lion’s Gate)
» ASHWA DWARA (Horse’s Gate)
» VYAGRHARA DWARA (Tiger’s Gate)
 included in ‘Guru Granth Sahib’, the religious text of
» HASTI DWARA (Elephant’s Gate) the Sikhs.
• Gail Omvedt (an American sociologist) boldly called
Guru Ravidas as ‘the bhakti radical’.
• Ravidass Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima,
the full moon day in the month of Magh according to
the Hindu lunar calendar.

• Image Source: Government of Odisha

News Source: The Indian Express

THE RAVIDASSIAS OF PUNJAB

Why in the News?

• The Election Commission decided to defer the
Punjab Legislative Assembly polls to February
20 from the earlier scheduled February 14 due to
clashes with Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

About Ravidassias:
• The Ravidassias are a Dalit community of Punjab
of whom the majority — live in the Doaba region.
• They consider saint Ravidas as their guru.
• The Dera Sachkhand Ballan is the largest dera of
Ravidassias with 20 lakh followers worldwide.
» It was founded in the early 20th century by Baba
Sant Pipal Das.
» From 2010, the Dera Sachkhand Ballan replaced the
Guru Granth Sahib with Amritbani in Ravidassia
temples and gurudwaras.
– Amritbani carries 200 hymns of Guru Ravidas.
Image Source: The Indian Express
• Once closely connected with Sikhism, the dera
severed these decades-old ties in 2010, and News Source: The Indian Express
announced they would follow the Ravidassia religion.

Guru Ravidas
PADMA AWARDS
• Guru Ravidas, a Bhakti movement saint, was born
near Varanasi in the 15th century.
Why in the News?
• He was a poet, spiritual leader, and social reformer • Recently, The Union Ministry of Home Affairs
and is considered the guru of a large section of Dalits, announced the Padma awards on the eve of the
also called Ravidasias. country’s 73rd Republic Day.
• He adopted Bhakti as a mode of expression for his
revolt against the inhuman system of untouchability. Key Points:

• He gained prominence due to his belief in one God
and his unbiased religious poems.
• His devotional songs made an instant impact on the
Bhakti Movement and around 41 of his poems were
• The Padma awards list comprises 4 Padma
Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri
Awards.
• 34 of the awardees are women and the list also

Articulate | 85
 includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/ Prime Minister every year.
NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.
• The award does not amount to a title within the
meaning of Article 18(1) of the Constitution and
thus are not to be used as prefixes or suffixes to the
name of the recipient in any manner whatsoever and
cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’
name.

Is the recipient’s consent sought?

• There is no provision for seeking a written or formal
Image Source: The Hindu consent of the recipient before announcement of
the award.
• However, before the announcement, every recipient
receives a call from the Ministry of Home Affairs
Padma Awards:
informing him or her about the selection.
• The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian
honours of India announced annually. • In case the recipient expresses a desire to be
excluded from the award list, the name is removed.
• These awards were instituted in 1954, and are
announced every year on the occasion of Republic
Day except for brief interruption(s) during the years
1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997.
• The Awards are given in three categories:
» Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished
service)
» Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher-
order) Image Source: Deccan Herald
» Padma Shri (distinguished service)
News Source: The Hindu
• Eligibility: All persons without distinction of race,
occupation, position or sex are eligible for these
awards.
DIGITISATION OF MANUSCRIPTS
» However, government servants including those
working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists,
Why in the News?
are not eligible for these awards.
• After moving at a sluggish pace for the last few years,
• The award seeks to recognize works of distinction
the digitisation process has picked up pace at the
and is given for distinguished and exceptional
Orien­tal Research Institute (ORI), Tirupati (Andhra
achievements/service in all fields of activities/
Pradesh) considered a repository of ancient
disciplines such as:
manuscripts in south India.
» Social Work, Public Affairs, art, Medicine, Literature,
Medicine etc. About Oriental Research institute (ORI):
• A higher category of Padma award can be conferred • It was Launched by the Tirumala Tirupati
on a person only where a period of at least five years Devasthanams (TTD) in 1939, the institute was
has elapsed since conferment of the earlier Padma handed over in 1956 to Sri Venkateswara University
award. after its formation.

» However, in highly deserving cases, a relaxation can
be made by the Awards Committee.
• The awardees do not get any cash reward but
a certificate signed by the President apart from
a medallion which they can wear at public and
government functions.
• Selection Criteria: The Padma Awards are conferred
on the recommendations made by the Padma
Awards Committee, which is constituted by the
• The institute has been engaged in procuring and
preserving manuscripts, editing, publishing and
reprinting rare books, conducting national and
international conferences.
• The Union government’s National Manuscripts
Mission recognised the Tirupati ORI as a ‘Manuscript
Resource Centre’ in 2007.
• Andhra Pradesh Education department
acknowledged it as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ in 2008.

86 I Articulate
• The diverse range of manuscripts preserved here About Bhimbetka Rock Shelters
includes: • The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archeological
» Vedas, Vedangas, Upanishads, Vyakarana, site in MP that spans the prehistoric Paleolithic and
Jyotisha, Smriti, Puranas, philosophy, archaeology, Mesolithic periods.
sculpture, painting, astronomy, Ayurveda, • It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India
Arthasastra (administration and statecraft) and and evidence of Stone Age starting at the site in
literary plays. Acheulian times.
• Once digitised, the 20,000 manuscript titles (with • These rock shelters are declared a Unesco World
approximately 70­ -100 folios each) will be made Heritage Site in 2003.
available to the scholastic community in the form of
four lakh digital pages. • Dr. V. S. Wakankar, a most renowned archeologist,
discovered these caves in 1957.
Reason for delays: • It is popular for its prehistoric cave paintings done
• Though the digitisation process started in 2015, it in red and white.
could not sustain the momentum due to a variety of • The oldest of all the paintings dates back to around
reasons. The sluggish pace came to a screeching halt 12,000 years back, while the most latest is around
due to CO­VID­19. 1000 yrs old.

About National Mission for Manuscripts: News Source: The Hindu

• It was launched in february 2003 by the Government
of India under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
• Its mandate is to document, conserve and CHAKMAS AND HAJONGS COMMUNITIES
disseminate the knowledge preserved in the
manuscripts.
Why in the News?
• Motto: ‘conserving the past for the future’ • In a recent order, the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) directed the Ministry of Home
Affairs and Arunachal Pradesh to submit, within six
What Is Manuscript ? weeks, the report on the action taken against alleged
racial profiling of the Chakmas and Hajongs.
• A manuscript is a handwritten composition
on paper, bark, cloth, metal, palm leaf or any
Key Points:
other material dating back at least seventy-five
years that has significant scientific, historical or • The Commission directed them to ensure the
aesthetic value. protection of human rights of people belonging to
the two communities.
• Lithographs and printed volumes are not
manuscripts. • Earlier, the Chakma Development Foundation of
India (CDFI) had lodged a complaint with the NHRC
• Manuscripts are found in hundreds of different
alleging racial profiling.
languages and scripts.

News Source: The Hindu Background:

• In October 1995, the NHRC had approached the
Supreme Court seeking the protection of the lives
and liberties of the Chakmas and the Hajongs.
BHIMBETKA ROCK SHELTERS
• On January 9, 1996, the SC had pronounced its
judgment, directing the Centre and the Arunachal
Why in the News?
government to process the citizenship applications
• The depiction of a two-horned Sumatran rhino was of the people.
recently discovered in the Bhimbetka rock shelters
of Madhya Pradesh (MP). • In 2015, the Supreme Court directed the State to
grant them citizenship, but this had not yet been
Key Highlights implemented.

• It was drawn with a red pigment in Urden, one of the

caves in the Bhimbetka complex.
• It suggests early human
subcontinent.
About Chakma and Hajongs:
• They were originally inhabitants of the Chittagong
migration in the Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh) who were systematically forced out of

Articulate | 87
 that country.
• Chakmas were displaced from their original
homesteads because of the Kaptai hydroelectric
dam on the Karnaphuli river in the early 1960s, and
there was no rehabilitation and compensation.
• Later, Hajongs became victims of religious
persecution in East Pakistan, and fled to India.
While the Chakmas are Buddhists, the Hajongs are
Hindus.
• They initially settled in Assam but fearing trouble
between the Mizos and the Chakmas, the Assam
government sent them to the Tirap division of North
East Frontier Agency (NEFA, present-day Arunachal
Pradesh).
Their legal status:
• Although all of them were treated as refugees
originally, the Government of India decided to
grant them citizenship under Section 5(i)(a) of the
Citizenship Act on the basis of a joint statement by
the PMs of India and Bangladesh in 1972.
» But citizenship is not granted yet.
Why are Chakmas and Hajongs facing opposition ?
• Inner Line permit (ILP) violation cited in their long
stay over years.
• Demographic changes and perceived threat to
indigenous identity and culture.
• Locals were not consulted before settling of
Chakmas and Hajongs.
News Source: The Hindu
STATUE OF EQUALITY
Why in the News?
• The Prime Minister would unveil the world’s second-
largest statue (Statue of Equality) in Hyderabad on
February 5.
Key Highlights:
• The Statue of Equality is a 216-feet statue of
the 11thcentury saint and a revolutionary social
88 I Articulate
reformer Sri Ramanujacharya.
• It is to celebrate the 1000th birth anniversary of
the saint. It would be one of the tallest statues in a
sitting posture.
• It is a 1000 crores project funded entirely by
donations from devotees globally.
• The inner sanctorum deity of Sri Ramanujacharya is
built of 120 kilos of gold. This commemorates the 120
years the saint walked on earth.
• The statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a mix of five
metals – gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc.
• The Statue of Equality complex has identical
recreations of 108 Divya Desams, the 108 ornately
carved Vishnu temples mentioned in the works of
the Alwars, mystic Tamil saints.
About Sri Ramanujacharya:
• Sri Ramanujacharya was born in 1017 in
SriPerumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
• He was one of the most important exponents of the
Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.
• He is famous as the chief proponent of
VishishtAdvaita, a subschool of Vedanta.
• He was also referred to as Ilaya Perumal, which
means the radiant one.
• He wrote influential texts, such as bhāsya on the
Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit.
• Bhakti movement was greatly influenced by Sri
Ramanujacharya’s philosophical teachings of
devotionalism.
• He worked against casteism and social hierarchies
thus being a vocal proponent of equality.
About VishishtAdvaita:
• It is a school of Vedanta philosophy which belief
in all diversity subsuming to an underlying unity.
• VishishtAdvaita literally means Advaita with
uniqueness; qualifications, it is a non-dualistic
school of Vedanta philosophy.
News Source: The Hindu
Articulate | 89
NEW ISRO CHAIRMAN
Why in the News?
• S. Somanath has been appointed as the Chairman of
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
About ISRO:
• Indian Space Research Organisation, formed in
1969, superseded the erstwhile Indian National
Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR).
• It is the pioneer space exploration agency of India,
headquartered at Bengaluru.
Image Source: Deccan Herald
Upcoming programmes of ISRO:
• Human Space flight programme - Gaganyaan:
» Gaganyaan is India’s first Human Space Flight
Programme to be launched by the ISRO in 2023.
» Its aim is to demonstrate the capability to send
humans to low earth orbit (LEO) onboard an Indian
Launch Vehicle and bring them back to earth safely.
» With the launch, India will become the fourth nation
in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission
after the USA, Russia and China.
• Aditya L1:
» Aditya-L1 is India’s first dedicated scientific mission,
which aims to send a satellite to study the sun’s
chromosphere.
» The objective of the mission is to study the dynamic
nature of the sun’s outer most layers, the corona and
the chromosphere.
• Private Participation: New chairman will work
towards the privatization of ISRO. New Space India
Limited (NSIL) was created in 2019 to commercialise
the ISRO's research and development work.
90 I Articulate
• Along with NSIL, Indian National Space Promotion
and Authorization Centre came up in 2020. This was
aimed up at channelling non- government-private
enterprises to watch space activities.
• About New Space India Limited (NSIL):
» New Space India Limited is a Public Sector Enterprise
of the Government of India and commercial arm of
the Indian Space Research Organisation.
• All these initiatives will enable greater participation
of private industry into space and have a lot to
contribute through technology transfers.
News Source: The Hindu
ORANG NATIONAL PARK
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Assam Government has issued a
notification to expand the size of the Orang National
Park, facilitating the reintroduction of Gharials.
» Gharials (IUCN status: Critically Endangered) were
wiped out from the Brahmaputra River system in
1950s.
About Orang National Park:
• Orang National Park is located on the north bank of
the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and Sonitpur
districts of Assam.
» Tributaries Dhansiri and Pachnoi divide the park
into two halves.
• Orang is one of the seven national parks in Assam.
Others are kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Dibru-
Saikhowa, Raimona and Dehing Patkai.
• Orang was recognised as a tiger reserve in 2016.
• Fauna: One-Horned Rhinoceros, Pygmy hog, Tiger,
Elephants, Hog Deer, Wild Pig, Civet Cat etc.
News Source: The Hindu
‘IHU’ VARIANT OF SARS-COV-2
Why in the News?
• Scientists have identified a new strain of the
Covid-19 Known as ‘IHU’ in Southern France.
About IHU variant:
• The IHU variant has 46 mutations and 37 deletions
in its genetic code, more than Omicron.
• It has been classified as B.1.640.2.
• The variant is a sub-lineage of the B.1.640 and its
discovery was announced by researchers from
Méditerranée Infection in Marseille (France).
• It was discovered in November 2021, in a sample of a
man who visited Cameroon in Africa on a three-day
trip.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified
that the ‘IHU’ variant has not become much of a
threat as of now.
News Source: Hindustan Times
R-NAUGHT VALUE: COVID- 19
Why in the News?
• According to a preliminary analysis by IIT Madras,
India has recorded the R-naught value or
reproductive number of COVID-19 at 4 in the 1st
week of 2022.
• In General, there was a decrease in bird count in
Nalabana Bird Sanctuary located inside Chilika.
» The decrease is attributed to habitat loss and prey
base reduction which is mainly fish.
• There was a marginal decrease in the number of
species such as the northern shoveler, tufted duck
and red crested pochard.
About Chilika Lake:
• Chilika is the largest brackish water lagoon of Asian
continent situated on the East coast of India.
• In winter Chilika lagoon attracts migratory birds and
water-fowls from as far as the Siberia, Caspian sea,
Lake Baikal, Aral sea, remote parts of Russia.
• Irrawaddy dolphins are the major attraction at
Chilika which are often spotted off Satapada Island.
• Kalijai Temple is located on an island inside the lake.
News Source: The Hindu

About R-naught Value:

• The R- naught value indicates the number of people
an infected person can spread the disease to.
• A value of 4 means one infected person can spread
the infection to four people, which signifies that the
transmission of the infection is huge.
• According to the Health ministry, the R-value was
1.69 during the peak of the second wave.
• R-value depends on transmissibility probability,
contact rate and the expected time interval in which
infection can happen.
• A pandemic is considered to end if this value goes
below 1.
News Source: Hindustan Times
GATEWAY TO HELL
Why in the News?
• The President of Turkmenistan has issued an order
to close the ‘Gateway to Hell’.
About Gateway to Hell:
• Gateway to Hell is a natural gas crater located near
Darvaza in Turkmenistan.
• It used to be a natural gas field which collapsed into
a cave and became a crater.
• The crater is situated amid the Karakum Desert.
• In 2018, it was renamed as the “Shining of Karakum”.

WATER BIRD STATUS SURVEY-2022

Why in the News?

• Recently, a water bird status survey-2022 was
conducted in Chilika Lake, Odisha.

Key Points:

About Water Bird Status Survey-2022

• The census was undertaken jointly by the
Odisha State Wildlife Organisation, the Chilika
Development Authority (CDA) and the Bombay Image Source: National Geographic.com
Natural History Society.
• The Chilika Lagoon was divided strategically into 21
segments for the census.

Articulate | 91
Origin of Crater: • The eastern swamp deer is endemic to Kaziranga
• There are many explanations behind the origin of the and is not the primary prey of the park’s carnivores,
crater, however it is widely believed that it came into primarily the tiger.
existence due to the failure of a drilling operation • However, its population is crucial for the ecological
carried out by Soviet engineers in search of an oil health of the tiger reserve.
field.
• As per this, Soviet engineers discovered the site in News Source: The Hindu
1971 and believed it to be an oil field. Consequently,
a drilling rig was supposedly set up by the engineers
in a bid to assess the amount of oil that would be
present at the site.
BIRJU MAHARAJ

• However, the survey came back showing that this Why in the News?
was a natural gas field, and soon after this revelation,
• Recently, India's leading Kathak exponent and
the drilling rig as well as the camp caved in, forming
Padma Vibhushan awardee, Pandit Birju Maharaj,
the crater.
passed away.

Reason for Closing Crater:

About Pandit Birju Maharaj:
• Harmful gaseous emissions from the crater impacts
• Birju Maharaj was Born on February 4, 1938 to
both the environment and health of people living in
exponent Kathak dancer, Jagannath Maharaj
surrounding areas.
(popularly known as Acchan Maharaj) in Lucknow.
• It obstructs the industrial development of the
• He was a leading exponent of the Kalka-Bindadin
subsoil riches of central Karakum.
gharana of Lucknow.

News Source: The Hindu • He was Known for his perfect rhythm and expressive
abhinaya, or gesture language.
• Various Honors/Awards bestowed upon him:
EASTERN SWAMP DEER » Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
» The Kalidas Samman
Why in the News?
» Nritya Choodamani
• The Population of the vulnerable eastern swamp
deer has dipped in the Kaziranga National Park and » Andhra Patna
Tiger Reserve.
» Nritya Vilas
» The major reason behind decline in population of
» Adharshila Shikhar Samman
eastern swamp deer are two high floods in 2019 and
2020. » Rajiv Gandhi Peace Award

About Eastern Swamp Deer:

• There are three subspecies of swamp deer found in About Kathak Dance:
the Indian Subcontinent.
• Kathak literally translates into 'the one who tells
» The Western swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) kathas (stories),'.
found in Nepal. • In it, a lot of emphasis is given to the lyrical scale
» The Southern swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii of the composition — which can be a thumri,
branderi) found in central and north India bhajan or bol.

» The Eastern swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii • Kathak uses facial expressions to help tell a story,
ranjitsinhi) found in the Kaziranga and Dudhwa with many dance pieces inspired by ancient
National Parks. Indian epics.

• Protection Status of Swamp Deer: • It is characterized by intricate footwork and

precise rhythmic patterns that the dancer
» Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I articulates by controlling ankle bells.
» CITES: Appendix I • Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of
» IUCN Red List: Vulnerable dance in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
with the spread of the bhakti movement.
• Significance:

92 I Articulate

» The legends of Radha-Krishna were enacted
in folk plays called rasa lila, which combined
folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak
story-tellers.
• It represents a unique synthesis of Hindu and
Muslim genius in art.
• It developed in two traditions or gharanas: one
in the courts of Rajasthan (Jaipur) and the other
in Lucknow.
• The nineteenth century saw the golden age of
Kathak under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah,
the last Nawab of Oudh
• It takes its movements from life, stylizes them,
and adds the complex rhythmic patterns.
• It is danced by both males and females; many of
the dances convey moods of love.
Other Classical Dance of India:
• Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)
• Kathakali (Kerala)
• Odissi (Odisha)
• Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)
• Manipuri (Manipur)
News Source: The Hindu
SAMMAKKA SARAKKA JATARA
Why in the News?
• The Sammakka-Sarakka jatara, a tribal fair is
scheduled to take place in Medaram village in
Telangana’s tribal heartland of Mulugu district.
About Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara:
• Sammakka-Sarakka jatara is a fair to commemorate
a tribal revolt led by Sammakka and Saralamma,
a mother-daughter duo, against levy of taxes on
tribal people during drought conditions by the then
Kakatiya rulers in the 12th century.
• The fair pays tribute to tribal warriors who made
supreme sacrifices defending the rights of aboriginal
tribal people.
• The Sammakka Sarakka Jatra is a State Festival of
Telangana.
• It symbolises the traditions and heritage of the Koya
tribal people.
• It takes place once every two years.
News Source: The Hindu
CRITERIA MODIFIED FOR INDEPENDENT
EXTERNAL MONITORS: CVC
Why in the News?
• Recently, the criteria for the nomination of
Independent External Monitors (IEM) in
government bodies has been modified by the Central
Vigilance Commission (CVC).
» Earlier, CVC had issued a revised standard operating
procedure for adoption and implementation of the
‘Integrity Pact’ clause which is meant to prevent
corruption in public procurement.
What are Independent External Monitors (IEM)?
• The IEMs independently and objectively review
the documents to determine if the parties have
complied with their obligations under the integrity
pact.
• They may submit a report to the chief executive of the
organisation concerned or directly to the CVO and
the CVC, if they find serious irregularities attracting
the Prevention of Corruption Act provisions.
New Criteria for the nomination of Independent
External Monitors (IEMs):
• The Zone of consideration for empanelment as IEMs
has been revised which now includes:
» Officers who have held the post of Additional
Secretary to the Government of India.
» Those who were Chairman-cum-Managing Directors
(CMD) of Schedule ‘A’ public sector enterprises or
were equivalent/higher to Additional Secretary to
the Central government at the time of retirement.
» Officers of the armed forces who were in a pay
scale equivalent to or higher than that of Additional
Secretary at the time of retirement, are also eligible.
» CMDs/MDs and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of
public sector banks, insurance companies and other
financial institutions at the time of retirement.
About “Integrity Pact”:
• “Integrity Pact” is a vigilance tool that envisages
an agreement between the prospective vendors/
bidders and the buyer, committing both the
parties not to exercise any corrupt influence on
any aspect of the contract.
• The pact is also to ensure transparency, equity
and competitiveness in public procurement.
• Any violation of the clause entails the
disqualification of bidders and exclusion from
future business dealings.
News Source: The Hindu
Articulate | 93
KHOISANS PROTEST IN SOUTH AFRICA
Why in the News?
• The Khoisans have been protesting near the
President’s office in South Africa since 2018 to meet
their demands.
Key Points:
Demands of Khoisan Community:
• The Khoisan community has been demanding land
rights and to be declared rightful owners of their
land that was historically taken from them.
• The community also wants their language, Khoekhoe,
to be declared as another national language of the
country.
• The Khoisans also are demanding for the word
‘coloured’, which originates from the apartheid
times, to be scrapped from government documents
and removed as a term to describe the country’s
public.
About Khoisan Community:
• The Khoisans are known to be the first people to
inhabit South Africa and are made up of two different
communities – the Khoikhoi and San.
• They are known to be the first people to come in
contact with the Dutch settlers in South Africa in
the 17th century.
• The community was derogated by the European
settlers with names like Bushmen and Hottentots.
News Source: The Indian Express
NEW RULES: INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS
Why in the News?
• Recently, The Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI) came out with some fresh rules for
initial public offerings (IPOs).
Key Points:
About
New SEBI Rules of IPO:
• The price band of an IPO should be set in such a
way that the ceiling price is at least 105% of the floor
price.
• Companies will not be allowed to use more than 35%
of the money that they collect through IPOs to fund
the purchase of other businesses, unless they offer
sufficient details.
94 I Articulate
• Promoters with a stake of over 20% in a company
cannot sell more than half of their stake in an IPO.
• Anchor investors will not be able to sell more than
half their shares before 90 days from the date of the
IPO, against the current time stipulation of 30 days.
Initial Public Offering (IPO):
• An initial public offering (IPO) refers to the process of
offering shares of a private corporation to the public
in a new stock issuance.
• IPOs provide companies with an opportunity to
obtain capital by offering shares through the primary
market.
» A Primary market deals with new securities being
issued for the first time.
• After listing on the stock exchange through IPO, the
company becomes a publicly-traded company and
the shares of the firm can be traded freely in the
open market.
• More often, new and medium-sized firms that are
looking for funds to grow and expand their business
issues IPO.
News Source: The Hindu
TIWA COMMUNITY
Why in the News?
• Recently, the members of the Tiwa Liberation Army
(TLA) in Assam laid down their arms at a formal
programme in Guwahati.
» The TLA was active in the Morigaon, Nagaon and
West Karbi Anglong districts of central Assam.
About Tiwa Community:
• Tiwas (Lalungs) community lives in the mountains
and plains of Assam and Meghalaya.
• They have been recognised as a Scheduled tribe in
Assam.
• Khelchawa festival is celebrated by the Tiwa
community in April which marks the close of harvest
season.
• Jhum Cultivation is commonly practised by Tiwa
Community.
• They speak the Tibeto Burman language.
News Source: The Indian Express
NEOCOV CORONAVIRUS
Why in the News?
• Recently, scientists have cautioned that NeoCov
coronavirus found in bats may pose a threat to
humans in future due to its high mortality rate.
Key Points:
About NeoCov:
• NeoCoV is a bat coronavirus that was first identified
in 2011.
• It derives its name from a species of bat known as
Neoromicia, distributed in the Afro-Malagasy region.
• NeoCoV shares an 85% similarity to MERS-CoV in
the genome sequence, making it the closest known
relative of MERS-CoV.
• Inherently, NeoCoV cannot interact with human
receptors, implying that in its current form the virus
cannot infect humans.
News Source: The Hindu
FIRST ROCK MUSEUM INAUGURATED ON
NGRI CAMPUS
Why in the News?
• Recently, the Union Minister of Science and
Technology has inaugurated India’s first unique
“Rock” Museum in Hyderabad.
• The museum has been inaugurated on the campus of
the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute
(NGRI).
About the Rock Museum:
• Aim: The open Rock Museum has been set up with
the aim to educate and enlighten the masses about
several lesser known facts about rocks.
• The museum displays around 35 different types of
rocks from different parts of India with ages ranging
from 3.3 Billion years to around 55 Million years of
the Earth’s history.
• These rocks also represent the deepest part of the
earth up to 175 kms of distance from the surface of
the earth.
• The rocks have been sourced from Odisha, Tamil
Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir
and others.
• Significance: The museum will help in understanding
the process responsible for shaping the earth’s
structure.
• “Big Earth Data” occupies the strategic high ground
in the era of knowledge economies and India is fully
exploiting this new frontier contributing to the
advancement of Earth science.
Additional information:
• The earthquake risk maps of Lucknow and Dehradun
cities were also released on the occasion.
» These maps would serve as inputs for risk assessment
in homes, multi-storeyed and infrastructure such as
bridges or dams.
• The National Geophysical Research Institute
(NGRI) is a constituent research laboratory of the
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR).
News Source: Press Information Bureau
HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2021
Why in the News?
• India has ranked at 83rd position in the Henley
Passport Index 2021, improving 7 ranks among total
of 111 countries.
Key Points:
• The index lists the world’s passports according to
the number of destinations their holders can access
without a prior visa.
» It is released by henley & partners, a global leader in
residence and citizenship planning.
• India’s passport power has improved this year
compared to 2021. It now ranks 83rd (90th rank last
year).
» Japan and Singapore top the index.
• Since 2005, Henley Passport Index ranks the world’s
passports according to the number of destinations
their holders can access without prior visa and
is based on data from International Air Transport
Association (IATA).
• India now has visa-free access to 60 destinations
worldwide with Oman and Armenia being the latest
additions. India has added 35 more destinations
since 2006.
News Source: The Hindu
MAGNETAR
Why in the News?
• An international group of researchers has succeeded
Articulate | 95
 in measuring for the first time the characteristics of
a flare on a distant magnetar.
Key Points:
About Magnetars:
• A magnetar is a rare compact type of neutron star.
• They are highly dense and have high rotation speeds
i.e. 0.3 to 12.0 seconds.
• Magnetars are formed when massive stars with
masses around 10-25 times the mass of the Sun –
collapse and shrink to form very compact objects
called neutron stars.
» A subset of these neutron stars are called magnetars
which possess intense magnetic fields.
• Magnetars have high magnetic fields in the range of
1015 gauss and they emit energy in the range given by
luminosities of 1037– 1040 joules per second.
• They emit violent flares which not only help us
understand the physics of magnetars but are also
helpful in understanding fast radio bursts.
Image Source: The Hindu
News Source: The Hindu
96 I Articulate
NATIONAL MISSION ON
INTERDISCIPLINARY CYBER-PHYSICAL
SYSTEMS (NM-ICPS)
Why in the News?
• Through the NM-ICPS, new emerging technologies
are being developed at 25 technology innovation
hubs across the country to provide solutions to
people-centric problems.
» CPS combines digital/cyber elements with physical
objects (e.g., autonomous vehicles) and data with
capabilities of communication, data collection &
processing, computing, decision making and action.
About NM-ICPS:
• Mission aims to create a strong foundation and
seamless ecosystem for Cyber Physical System
(CPS) technologies by coordinating and integrating
nationwide efforts.
• It was approved in 2018 and being implemented by
the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
• Mission Goals:
» To Make India a leading player in CPS technologies.
» To Achieve translation of CPS technologies for
societal and commercial use, nurture startups and
increase in the job market.
» To Produce next generation technocrats in CPS
technologies.
• Four major activities of UM-ICPS:
» Technology Development
» Human Resource & Skill Development
» Innovation
» Entrepreneurship & start-up ecosystem and
international collaborations.
• The mission is expected to act as an engine of
growth that would benefit national initiatives
in health, education, energy, environment,
agriculture, strategic cum security, and industrial
sectors, Industry 4.0, SMART Cities, Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) etc.
Image Source: SERBONLINE.IN
News Source: Press Information Bureau
GRAPHENE
Why in the News?
• India’s first graphene innovation center “India
Innovation Centre for Graphene” is to be established
in Thrissur, Kerala.
» A first-of-its-kind centre for studying graphene and
developing its newer applications as suitable for
industries has been approved by the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
About Graphene:
• Graphene is the thinnest and strongest material
in the world and has good chemical stability, high
electrical conductivity and a large surface area while
being transparent and lightweight.
» It is a two-dimensional form of crystalline carbon.
• Graphene is addressed as “Wonder material” for its
electronic and electrical properties.
• Application: Anti-corrosion coatings and paints,
efficient and precise sensors, faster and efficient
electronics, flexible displays, efficient solar panels,
faster DNA sequencing, drug delivery, and more.
» Due to its extremely thin and lightweight nature, it
has a wide application in nanotechnology.
News Source: The Times of India
WATER METRO CITY
Why in the News?
• Recently, Kochi became the first city with the water
metro project with the launch of electric boats.
» It is the commercial capital of Kerala.
Key Highlights
• The new project by the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd will
likely have an integrated water transport system
with 15 identified routes.
• It will connect 10 islands along with a network
of routes that span 76 km with a fleet of 78 fast,
electrically propelled hybrid ferries plying to 38
jetties.
• Constructed at Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the fully
air-conditioned boats with wide windows offer
comfortable travel, with exotic view of the banks and
backwaters, financed under Indo-German Financial
Cooperation
• This project has a total cost of Rs 819 crore. It
uses LTO batteries, which is the latest in battery
technology with a capability for fast charging.
Significance:
• It is expected to reduce pollution and traffic
congestions in the city and ease access to business
areas on the mainland for urban households situated
along the Kochi lakeshore.
About LTO batteries:
• The lithium-titanate or lithium-titanium-
oxide (LTO) battery is a type of rechargeable
battery which has the advantage of being faster
to charge than other lithium-ion batteries, but
the disadvantage of having a much lower energy
density.
• A lithium-titanate battery is a modified lithium-
ion battery that uses lithium titanate nanocrystals
instead of carbon, on the surface of its anode.
This gives the anode a surface area of about 100
square meters per gram, compared with 3 square
meters per gram for carbon, allowing electrons to
enter and leave the anode quickly.
News Source: The Hindu
Articulate | 97
AMAR JAWAN JYOTI & NATIONAL WAR
MEMORIAL
Why in the News?
• Recently, the government has put out the eternal
flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti underneath India
Gate and merged it with the eternal flame at National
War Memorial, established in 2019.
About Amar Jawan Jyoti:
• It was established in 1972, to mark India’s victory
over Pakistan in the 1971 War.
• It symbolised the nation’s tributes to the soldiers
who have died for the country in various wars and
conflicts since independence.
• The key elements of the Amar Jawan Jyoti included
a black marble plinth, a cenotaph, which acted as a
98 I Articulate
tomb of the unknown soldier.
• The plinth had an inverted L1A1 self-loading rifle
with a bayonet, on top of which was a soldier’s war
helmet.
• Since 1972, when it was inaugurated, it used to
be kept alive with the help of cylinders of liquified
petroleum gas, or LPG.
About National War Memorial:
• The National War Memorial, which is around 400
meters from India Gate was inaugurated in February
2019.
• It was built to commemorate all the soldiers who
have laid down their lives in the various battles, wars,
operations and conflicts of Independent India.
News Source: The Indian Express