June 2021

OFFICERS'
Pulse
JUNE, 2021
The Hindu
Indian Express
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CURRENT AFFAIRS Monthly

THE PULSE OF UPSC AT YOUR FINGER TIPS.
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Contents
Schemes ...................................................................2 5) Floating raft agriculture ............................ 29
1) NashaMukt Bharat Abhiyaan......................2 Organisations...................................................... 31
2) Integrated Power Development Scheme3 1) UN Secretary General election ................ 31
3) Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme ................3 2) ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus32
Initiatives ................................................................6 Science and Technology .................................. 34
1) RAMP Program.................................................6 1) Nutrient depletion in rice ......................... 34
2) SAGE portal........................................................6 2) Antibodies against Nipah virus............... 35
3) ADI PRASHIKSHAN portal ............................7 3) H10N3 bird flu............................................... 36
4) Towards a stronger mental health 4) European Space Agency’s EnVision
strategy ....................................................................7 mission to Venus................................................ 37
5) PENCiL Portal....................................................9 5) Rare Earth Metals......................................... 39
6) ‘Tying reforms, incentives helped 6) Bitcoin as legal tender................................ 40
widen adoption’ ................................................. 11 Reports and Indices.......................................... 42
Environment ....................................................... 12 1) World Investment Report 2021.............. 42
1) Black carbon .................................................. 12 2) AISHE-2020 .................................................... 43
2) Why do mangroves matter? ..................... 14 3) Performance Grading Index..................... 44
3) Two new National Parks for Assam ...... 17 4) SDG India Index 2020-21 .......................... 45
4) United Nations Convention to Combat Polity ...................................................................... 49
Desertification.................................................... 18
1) Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 ........................... 49
5) Initiative to conserve sacred groves..... 19
Economy ............................................................... 51
6) Gross Environment Product .................... 20
1) India’s first maritime arbitration
7) Heatwaves....................................................... 21 centre ..................................................................... 51
Species in News .................................................. 23 2) GDP shrinks by 7.3% .................................. 51
1) Pact signed to conserve rare turtle in 3) National Anti-Profiteering Authority ... 53
Assam ..................................................................... 23
International Relations ................................... 54
2) Blue Whales.................................................... 23
1) Tigray crisis.................................................... 54
Agriculture ........................................................... 25
Art and Culture ................................................... 55
1) Kisan Rail services....................................... 25
1) Yoga ................................................................... 55
2) Sub-Mission on Agricultural
Mechanization .................................................... 25 2) National Maritime Heritage Complex... 55
3) India and Pakistan’s battle over Defence.................................................................. 57

basmati.................................................................. 26 1) Negative Import List ................................... 57
4) NAFED............................................................... 28 2) Pinaka rocket ................................................ 57
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Schemes
1) NashaMukt Bharat Abhiyaan  3.1 Crore individuals use cannabis
About the Campaign products; about 25 lakh suffer from
 The ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ or cannabis dependence.
the ‘Drugs-Free India Campaign’ was  2.26 Crore use opioids; approximately
flagged off on 15th August 2020 by the 77 lakh individuals are required help
Ministry of Social Justice and for their opioid use problems.
Empowerment. Why in the news?
 The Nasha Mukt Bharat Annual Action  The Minister for Social Justice &
Plan for 2020-21 focuses on 272 Empowerment has launched the
districts in 32 states & UT’s which website for the Nasha Mukt Bharat
are identified as most vulnerable in Abhiyaan on the occasion of
terms of usage of drugs and launches International Day Against Drug Abuse
a three-pronged attack combining and Illicit Trafficking on 26th June
efforts of the Narcotics Bureau, 2021.
Outreach/Awareness by Social Justice  The Day is observed worldwide to
and Treatment through the Health strengthen action and cooperation in
Department. achieving the goal of a sustainable
Components of the action plan world free of substance abuse.
 Awareness generation programmes; Similar initiatives by the Ministry
 Focus on Higher Educational  The Ministry of Social Justice and
institutions, University Campuses and Empowerment has been mandated to
Schools; reduce drug demand.
 Community outreach and identification  It coordinates and oversees all
of dependent population; aspects of drug abuse prevention
 Focus on Treatment facilities in including assessment of the extent of
Hospital settings; and the problem, preventive action,
 Capacity Building Programmes for treatment and rehabilitation of addicts,
Service Providers. dissemination of information, and
Need of the programme public awareness and is mandated to
 The Ministry of Social Justice and run de-addiction centers.
Empowerment has conducted the first  The Ministry undertakes intervention
National Survey on Extent and programmes in vulnerable districts
Pattern of Substance Use in India across the country with the objective
through the National Drug Dependence to:
Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All 1. Reach out to Children and Youth for
India Institute of Medical Sciences awareness about ill effect of drug
(AIIMS), New Delhi during 2018. use;
 As per the report, Alcohol is the most 2. Increase community participation
common psychoactive substance used and public cooperation;
by Indians followed by Cannabis and 3. Supporting Government Hospitals
Opioids. for opening up De-addiction
 About 16 Crore persons consume Centers in addition to existing
alcohol in the country; more than 5.7 Ministry Supported De-addiction
Crore individuals are affected by Centers (IRCAs); and
harmful or dependent alcohol use and 4. Conducting Training programme
need help for their alcohol use for participants.
problems.

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2) Integrated Power Development  Additional Grant = 15% (5% for special

Scheme category States) - linked to
About IPDS achievement of milestones.
o Special category states include all
 Integrated Power Development
Scheme (IPDS) was launched in the North Eastern States, Sikkim, J&K,
year 2014 by the Ministry of Power. Himachal Pradesh and
 It has following components: Uttarakhand.
1. Strengthening of sub-transmission Nodal Agency
and distribution networks in the  Power Finance Corporation (PFC),
urban areas; under the ownership of Ministry of
2. Metering of distribution transformers Power, is the Nodal Agency for
/ feeders / consumers in the urban operationalization and implementation
areas; of the scheme under the overall
3. IT enablement of the distribution guidance of the Ministry of Power.
sector and strengthening of the Why in News?
distribution network;  A 50 kWp Solar roof top was
4. Schemes for Enterprise Resource inaugurated in Solan, Himachal
Planning (ERP) and IT enablement Pradesh under the Integrated power
of urban towns; development scheme.
5. Underground cabling to include
additional demand of States and smart 3) Nutrient Based Subsidy
metering solution and Solar panels on Scheme
government buildings with net- Background
metering are also permissible under  Fertilizers are crucial productivity
the scheme. augmenting inputs. To meet the
o ERP refers to software and systems challenge of rising demand for food,
used to plan and manage all the feed, and fibre with limited land and
core supply chain, manufacturing, water resources, it is imperative to
services, financial and other augment land productivity and one
processes of an organization. way to do this is to make fertilisers
o Net metering is a mechanism easily accessible to farmers.
which allows domestic or  With this end in view, the fertiliser
commercial users who generate sector in the country is subsidised.
their own electricity using solar Issues
panels or photovoltaic systems to  Crops require the right mix of three
export their surplus energy back to nutrients viz. nitrogen, phosphorus,
the grid. and potassium or NPK (N helps in
Broad Objective of the Scheme plant growth and development, P not
 24x7 Power supplies for consumers; only accelerates blooming and the
 Reduction of Aggregate technical and growth of roots but also helps plants to
commercial losses (AT&C losses); withstand stress and K helps the
 Providing access to power to all process of photosynthesis and is
households; essential to plant growth).
Eligible Utilities  Imbalanced use of N, P and K leads to
 All Discoms are eligible for financial the loss of fertility of the soil over a
assistance under the scheme. period of time, which affects efficiency
Funding pattern of fertilizer use and crop productivity.
 Government of India Grant = 60%  In India, urea (a nitrogen based
(85% for special category States). fertiliser) is the most commonly used

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fertiliser because it is highly (most widely used one after urea),

subsidised. The excessive use of Muriate of Potash (MoP) are
nitrogenous fertilisers has led to a decontrolled and are determined by
distortion in the soil nutrient ratio. manufacturers, while the Centre
Against the ideal NPK (Nitrogen- gives a fixed subsidy each year.
Phosphorus-Potassium) consumption Why in the News?
ratio of 4:2:1, the actual ratio in 2017-  The Cabinet Committee on Economic
18 was 6.1:2.5:1. Affairs has approved the proposal to
 Indiscriminate use of nitrogenous hike subsidy rates for phosphorus and
fertilizers is detrimental to the soil potassium-based fertilisers by 140%
and the crop. under the Nutrient Based Subsidy
 It also pollutes the groundwater. The scheme.
nitrogen from fertilizers, which is  The estimated additional subsidy
converted to nitrate by the bacteria in burden is around ₹14,775 crore, with
the soil, leaches into the groundwater the Centre emphasising that this is a
and washes out of the soil surface, one-time measure as part of COVID-19
entering streams and rivers. relief.
About NBS Scheme Why was the subsidy given?
 In order to promote balanced  In order to ensure farmers are not
fertilization of soil, Nutrient Based burdened with price rise, the
Subsidy (NBS) programme for government announced a subsidy.
fertilizer was initiated in the year Why did the price rise?
2010. Under the scheme, a fixed Heavily import dependent
amount of subsidy decided on an  India’s annual consumption of
annual basis is provided on each chemical fertilisers is around 60
grade of subsidized Phosphatic and million tonnes, of which 32-33 million
Potassic (P&K) fertilizers based on tonnes (about 55 per cent) is urea
its nutrient content. and 9-10 million tonnes or about 15
 The scheme aims at ensuring balanced percent of the total chemical fertilisers
nutrient application to the soil. consumed in the country is Di-
 It also aims at improving agricultural ammonium Phosphate.
productivity and promoting the growth  While domestic production meets 75
of the indigenous fertilizers industry. percent of the country’s urea
 The scheme is being implemented by requirement, it caters to only 40 to 50
the Department of Fertilizers under per cent of the DAP needs.
the Ministry of Chemicals and  The actual output of DAP is even
Fertilizers. lesser: though its domestic installed
Fertiliser subsidy in India capacity is reported to be 10 million
 In India, the fertiliser subsidy accounts tonnes, annual output has veered
for the second largest subsidy after around 4-5 million tonnes.
food.  Even for domestic production of DAP,
 Currently, Urea is the only controlled India largely depends on imports of
fertilizer and the government fixes intermediate inputs, such as
the maximum retail price (MRP). phosphoric acid, as the country does
The difference between the production not have substantial extractable
cost and the MRP is reimbursed to reserves of rock phosphates (except
manufacturers. for Rajasthan)
 Retail prices of non-urea fertilisers  Thus India is heavily dependent on
such as Di-ammonium Phosphate imports to meet its DAP requirement.

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 The price movements in the global domestic market, which led to the
markets exerted pressure on the price rise.

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Initiatives
1) RAMP Program  The SAGE portal will be a “one-stop
What’s in the news? access” of elderly care products and
 The World Bank has approved a $500 services by credible start-ups.
million program to support MSMEs in  It has been launched with a view to
India to increase liquidity access for help such persons who are interested
viable small businesses impacted by in entrepreneurship in the field of
COVID-19. providing services for elderly care.
 Known as the Raising and  The SAGE project aims to identify,
Accelerating Micro, Small and evaluate, verify, aggregate, and deliver
Medium Enterprise (MSME) products, solutions and services
Performance (RAMP) Program, the directly to the stakeholders.
new initiative targets improvements in  The Ministry will act as a facilitator,
the performance of 5,55,000 MSMEs. enabling the elderly to access the
 The RAMP program will intensify products through these identified
efforts to support firms to return to start-ups.
pre-crisis production and employment  The start-ups will be selected by an
levels, while laying the foundations for independent screening committee
longer-term productivity-driven of experts. The selection would be on
growth and generation of much- the basis of innovative products and
needed jobs in the MSME sector. services, which they should be able to
Significance provide across sectors such as health,
 The MSME sector is the backbone of housing, care centers, apart from
India's economy, contributing around technological access linked to finances,
30% of India’s GDP and 50% of food and wealth management, and
exports. legal guidance.
 Out of some 58 million MSMEs in India,  A fund of upto Rs.1 crore as one-
more than 40 percent lack access to time equity will be granted to each
formal sources of finance. selected start-up.
 The RAMP Program is the World  An allocation of Rs 25 crore has been
Bank’s second intervention in this made for the SAGE project in the
sector, the first being the $750 million current financial year i.e 2021-22.
MSME Emergency Response Significance
Program, approved in July 2020 to  The share of elders, as a percentage of
address the immediate liquidity and the total population in the country, is
credit needs of millions of viable expected to increase from around
MSMEs severely impacted by the 7.5% in 2001 to almost 12.5% by
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 2026, and surpass 19.5% by 2050.
 There is an urgent need to create a
2) SAGE portal more robust elder care ecosystem in
What is in the news? India, especially in the post-COVID
 The Ministry of Social Justice and phase.
Empowerment has launched the SAGE  Keeping this need in mind, an amount
(Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) of Rs 100 crore has been assigned by
portal for elderly persons. the government for the promotion of
About the Portal the silver economy.
o Silver Economy is defined as the
market that is being developed

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around the needs of an ageing 4) Towards a stronger mental

population, with a focus on health strategy
innovation. CONTEXT
 Mental health issues are a major health
3) ADI PRASHIKSHAN portal challenge in the world today.
What’s in the news?  According to the World Health
 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has Organization (WHO), there is a 10-25
launched the ADI PRASHIKSHAN year life expectancy reduction in
portal recently. patients with severe mental disorders.
 The portal aims to provide INDIA’S POLICIES TO TACKLE MENTAL
comprehensive information on HEALTH ISSUES
training programmes conducted by  India introduced the National Mental
Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs), Health Policy (NMHP) in 2014 and a
different divisions of Tribal Ministry, rights-based Mental Healthcare Act
National Society for Education of in 2017, which replaced the Mental
Tribal Students (NESTS), Centre of Healthcare Act of 1987.
Excellences funded by Ministry of  The NMHP, National Health Mission,
Tribal Affairs and National Tribal National Adolescent Health
Research Institute. Programme and Ayushman Bharat
 It is an initiative to reach the have the necessary components to
remotest area using information address the mental health issues of all
technology so that tribal sections of the population.
communities are able to have access  Despite all above policies existing,
to their rights and benefits. It is an there is a need for more to be done in
effort to bring Training Institutions, the context of COVID-19, which has
Organizations, Experts and Trainers exacerbated mental illnesses
together. everywhere.
 The Ministry has developed the portal MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS
in collaboration with the United Globally
Nations Development Programme.  Studies in The Lancet Public Health
Related Information (2019) revealed that median mental
About UNDP health spending across the world
 As the United Nations lead agency on was around 2% of the total
international development, UNDP government health expenditure in
works in 170 countries and territories 2015.
to eradicate poverty and reduce  There was higher allocation in
inequality. developed countries than in
 UNDP helps countries to develop developing countries.
policies, leadership skills, partnering India
abilities, institutional capabilities, and  In India, the share of mental
to build resilience to achieve the hospitals per 1,00,000 population is
Sustainable Development Goals. as low as 0.01 in line with developing
 UNDP’s work is concentrated in three countries, according to the WHO. This
focus areas: sustainable may possibly be due to the lack of
development, democratic focussed attention given to mental
governance and peace building, and health compared to other major
climate and disaster resilience. diseases in India.
 In the distribution of mental health
units in general hospitals globally,

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India was ranked 114 with just 0.03  Also, the proportional contribution of
units per 1,00,000 population. mental disorders to the total disease
 India was also at the 64th position in burden had doubled between 1990
the distribution of mental health and 2017.
day treatment facilities.  This situation is worse in the
 Nurses, social workers and southern States compared to the
psychologists working in the mental northern States due to the nature of
health sector (per 1,00,000 development, modernisation,
population) in India are 0.796, 0.065, urbanisation and other factors not
and 0.069, respectively. While, leading understood yet.
countries in each of these three areas  Depressive disorders were more
have 150.3, 145.4, and 222.6 per prevalent among females than males
1,00,000 population. which could be due to sexual abuse,
MENTAL ILLNESS gender discrimination, stress due to
 Mental illnesses include anxiety antenatal and postnatal issues and
disorders, psychotic disorders, other reasons.
mood disorders, substance use WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
disorders, personality disorders  India needs to reduce the treatment
and eating disorders. gap for mental disorders.
 The majority of suicides in the world  There is a need to increase the
are related to psychiatric problems or number of personnel in the mental
to the illnesses listed above. health sector.
 Death by suicide is a complex  There is also a need to reduce
phenomenon and not fully reported. discriminatory attitudes, and devise
Globally, the suicide rate was 10.6 an integrated approach for detecting,
per 1,00,000 population whereas in treating, and managing patient needs.
India, it was 16.3 per 1,00,000 in  More counselling facilities, especially
2016. in rural areas, with special support for
 The suicide rate was higher among women through the provision of
males compared to females. women doctors are needed.
CHALLENGES IN INDIA  More telemedicine, telephone-based
 There are several challenges regarding helpline numbers, and mental health
mental health in India like- funding, apps could help.
delivery of mental health packages,  Communities and families have an
lack of trained staff, etc. important role in this regard and so do
 Although mental health may not be the community-based programmes.
primary concern in developing  School-based programmes on
economies like India (as here other mental health can improve the mental
communicable and non-communicable health of children.
diseases may be more prevalent), in  More fund allocation for treatment of
recent times mental health issues mental health, especially to those
have become widely prevalent States in need of funds, could do
among the Indian population due to wonders.
lockdowns and related issues.  There needs to be a road map for
 Recent reports published in Lancet mental health awareness. This
revealed that one in seven people in should include the traditional media,
India had a mental disorder ranging government programmes, the
from mild to severe in 2017. education system, industry, and social
media.

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 Media awareness and government District, Governments, civil society and

involvement is already happening in the general public in achieving the
India but both can improve. target of child labour free society.
 The pandemic may be the best time  The portal was launched in 2017 under
to explore various policy options the Ministry of Labour and
including creating online mental health Employment’s National Child Labour
awareness. Project (NCLP).
 The application of big data and o NCLP is a Central Sector
crowdsourcing ideas may help us in Scheme launched in 1988 to
informed decision-making. rehabilitate children indulged in
child labour. Under the scheme
5) PENCiL Portal District Project Societies (DPS) are
About the portal set up at the district level under the
 The Platform for Effective Enforcement Chairmanship of the
for No Child Labour (PENCiL) Portal is Collector/District Magistrate for
an electronic platform organised by overseeing the implementation of
the Ministry of Labour and the project.
Employment involving Centre, State,
 At district level District Nodal imparted vocational training.

Officers (DNOs) are nominated to take Children less than 8 years are enrolled
action on the complaints of their in schools under the Sarva Shiksha
respective districts. Complaints about Abhiyan; children in the 8-14 year
child labour filed on PENCiL are bracket are sent to special training
forwarded to the DNOs for further centres (STCs) and 14-18-year-olds are
action. Rescue measures are enrolled in vocational (skill) training
undertaken in coordination with centres.
police.  India has 1.01 crore child labourers,
 Rescued children are sent to centres according to Census 2011, against 1.26
where they get an education or are crore in 2001.

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Why in the News? advertisements, films and

 The government has appealed to television serials, or in sports
citizens to report the instances of Child activities other than circuses) if
Labour on PENCIL Portal or by calling such work follows appropriate
on Childline-1098, India's first 24 - safety measures. Children can
hour, free, emergency phone outreach only do this kind of work if it does
service for children in need of care and not affect their education.
protection. Punishment
 The true extent of the impact of the  Anyone who employs a child or
COVID-19 pandemic on child labour is adolescent or permits him/her to work
yet to be measured but all indications without following the regulations
show that it would be significant as mentioned in this Act and the Child
children are unable to attend school Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)
and parents are unable to find work. Act, 1986, can be imprisoned from six
 With increased economic insecurity, months to two years or fined
lack of social protection and reduced between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 50,000,
household income, children from poor or both.
households are being pushed to  A person who has been convicted of a
contribute to the family income with similar offence before can be
the risk of exposure to exploitative imprisoned for 1-3 years. The parents
work. or guardians of children or adolescents
Other related measures thus employed cannot be punished
The Child Labour (Prohibition & unless they violate the regulations
Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 mentioned in these Acts.
 The Act amends the Child Labour ILO Conventions
(Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.  Indian government further
It completely prohibits the demonstrated its commitment to the
employment of children below 14 elimination of child labour, by
years. ratifying International Labour
 The amendment also prohibits the Organization Conventions No. 138
employment of adolescents in the and 182 in 2017.
age group of 14 to 18 years in Convention No. 138
hazardous occupations and  The aim of ILO Convention No.138
processes and regulates their working (Minimum Age Convention, 1973) is
conditions where they are not the effective abolition of child labour
prohibited. by requiring countries to:
Exceptions 1. Establish a minimum age for entry
 While the Act prohibits the into work or employment; and
employment of children below 14 2. Establish national policies for the
years in any occupation or process, elimination of child labour.
they are allowed to work in two Convention No. 182
cases.  Convention No. 182 (Worst Forms of
1. They can help their families or Child Labour Convention, 1999) calls
family enterprises if the work is for the prohibition and elimination of
not hazardous and only after the worst forms of child labour,
school hours or during vacations. including slavery, forced labour and
2. They can also work as artists in trafficking. It prohibits the use of
an audio-visual entertainment children in armed conflict, prostitution,
industry (including in pornography and illicit activities such

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as drug trafficking, and in hazardous  Seventeen States that facilitated

work. ration-card portability (Refer Pulse
September 2020 edition) and installed
6) ‘Tying reforms, incentives electronic point-of-sale devices at
helped widen adoption’ fair price shops were granted
Background additional borrowings amounting to
 In May 2020, under the Aatmanirbhar ₹37,600 crore. Similarly, 20 States
Bharat package, the Central completed reforms to ease the red
government allowed state tape faced by businesses to avail
governments to hike their borrowing borrowings of ₹39,521 crore.
limits from 3% to 5% of Gross State  The third reform required States to
Domestic Product (GSDP). However, notify floor rates of property tax
the Centre attached conditions for the and of water & sewerage charges, in
increased borrowing space, permitting consonance with stamp duty guideline
only 0.5 per cent of GSDP as an values for property transactions and
unconditional increase. current costs respectively, in urban
 Rest, 1 per cent will be in four tranches
areas. 11 states completed these
of 0.25 per cent, with each tranche reforms and were granted additional
linked to expenditure on ‘One Nation borrowing of ₹15,957 crore.
One Ration’, urban local body  The least traction was seen for the
revenues, power distribution, and Union government’s reform idea of
ease of doing business reforms. replacing free electricity for farmers
 The last 0.5 per cent to be permitted if
with a Direct Benefit Transfer. States
at least three of four milestones are were asked to frame a scheme with
reached. actual implementation in one district
 Twenty three States availed of
on a pilot basis by the end of 2021, for
additional borrowings of ₹1.06 lakh an additional borrowing limit of 0.15%
crore out of a potential ₹2.14 lakh of GSDP. Loans worth another 0.10%
crore. of GSDP were linked to reducing the
Why in News? gap between revenues and costs and
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi reducing technical and commercial
recently said that India has moved losses in the power sector.
from a model of ‘reforms by stealth  13 States implemented at least one
and compulsion’ to a new model of component, while 6 States
‘reforms by conviction and incentives’, implemented the DBT component. As a
referring to States being granted result, ₹13,201 crore of additional
additional borrowing limits last year borrowings was permitted.
under a reform-linked window.

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Environment
1) Black carbon  Black carbon is a short-lived climate
About Black Carbon pollutant with a lifetime of only days
 Black carbon, or soot, is part of fine to weeks after release in the
particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and atmosphere. During this short period
contributes to climate change. of time, black carbon can have
 Black carbon (BC) is formed by the significant direct and indirect
incomplete combustion of fossil impacts on the climate, the
fuels, wood and other fuels. Complete cryosphere (snow and ice),
combustion would turn all carbon in agriculture and human health.
the fuel into carbon dioxide (CO2), but  Both India and China are the largest
combustion is never complete and emitters of black carbon in the world,
CO2, carbon monoxide, volatile organic with emissions of up to 25-35 per cent.
compounds, and organic carbon and These figures are expected to increase
black carbon particles are all formed in dramatically in the coming decades.
the process. About Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu
Kush (HKHK) mountain ranges
 The HKHK mountain ranges span more freshwater than any other
2,400 kilometers across six nations region outside the North and South
(Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Poles.
Nepal, and Pakistan).
 There are almost 55,000 glaciers in the
HKHK mountains, and they store

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 The glaciers contain estimated ice burning (less than 3% in all seasons)
reserves of 163 cubic kilometres, of in the region.
which almost 80% feeds the Indus, Impacts
the Ganges and the Brahmaputra.  Glacier melt produces flash floods,
Snow and glacier melt from the HKHK landslips, soil erosion, and glacial
play an important role in the timing lake outburst floods (GLOF), and in
and magnitude of water availability the short run, the higher volumes of
within the region. melt water could replace receding
How black carbon is affecting the groundwater downstream. But in the
glacier melt? long run, decreased water availability
 Deposits of BC act in two ways would aggravate water shortage.
hastening the pace of glacier melt:  Changes in the atmospheric
 By decreasing surface composition of the high Himalayas will
reflectance of sunlight (albedo affect rain and snow precipitation
effect) patterns. Accordingly, natural
 By raising the air temperature. resources and socio-economic
Sectors contributing Black carbon in activities of Himalayan communities
Himalayan region will also be affected.
 Industry [primarily brick kilns] and  The rate of retreat of HKHK glaciers
residential burning of solid fuel is estimated to be 0.3 metres per
together account for 45–66% of year in the west to 1.0 metre per
regional anthropogenic [man-made] year in the east.
BC deposition, followed by on-road  Black carbon also adds to the impact
diesel fuels (7–18%) and open of climate change.
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Why in News? 2) Why do mangroves matter?

 The World Bank’s South-Asian What is Mangrove?
Development Forum has recently  Mangrove swamps are coastal
published a report titled “Glaciers of wetlands found in tropical and
the Himalayas Climate Change, subtropical regions.
Black Carbon, and Regional  Mangroves belong primarily to the
Resilience”. families Rhizophoraceae,
 The report has pointed out that with Acanthaceae, Lythraceae,
collaborative approach of all regional Combretaceae, and Arecaceae.
governments the effects of Black  They are characterized by halophytic
Carbon in the Himalayan region can be (salt loving) trees, shrubs and other
reduced by 50% from current levels. plants growing in brackish to saline
Measure to decrease black carbon tidal waters.
emission given in the report  These wetlands are often found in
 Enhancing fuel efficiency standards for estuaries, where fresh water meets
vehicles; salt water.
 Phasing out diesel vehicles and Adaptation mechanisms
promoting electric vehicles;  Many mangroves characteristically
 Accelerating the use of liquefied have prop roots descending from the
petroleum gas for cooking and through trunk and branches, providing a stable
clean cookstove programmes; support system in the submerged
 As well as upgrading brick kiln conditions.
technologies;  Many mangrove species survive by
 Reducing black carbon emissions from filtering out as much as 90 percent of
cookstoves, diesel engines, and open the salt found in seawater as it enters
burning; their roots. Some species excrete salt
 Greater knowledge sharing in the through glands in their leaves.
region and regional governments  Some mangroves have pencil-like roots
coming together on the policies of called pneumatophores that grow out
water management. from the water surface.
Way Forward Pneumatophores facilitate the aeration
 BC is a short-lived pollutant that is the necessary for root respiration in
second-largest contributor to mangroves.
warming the planet behind carbon  Mangroves, like desert plants, store
dioxide (CO2). fresh water in thick succulent leaves.
 Unlike other greenhouse gas A waxy coating on the leaves seals in
emissions, BC is quickly washed out water and minimises evaporation.
and can be eliminated from the  Mangroves are viviparous, their
atmosphere if emissions stop. seeds germinate while still attached to
 Even a minor change of 1 degree the parent tree. Once germinated, the
Celsius will result in a major decrease seedling grows into a propagule. The
in the area under snow cover along mature propagule then drops into the
Himalayan glaciers, along with a major water and gets transported to a
loss to flora and fauna. Hence, the different spot, eventually taking root in
action of banning fossil fuels or the a solid ground.
introduction of glacier tax can be a
deterrent in these high altitude areas.

15
Significance of mangroves  Mangroves also have a big impact on

 A wide diversity of plants and climate. Mangroves are powerhouses
animals are found in mangrove when it comes to carbon storage.
swamps. Since these estuarine swamps Studies indicate that mangroves can
are constantly replenished with sequester greater amounts of
nutrients transported by fresh water carbon than other trees in the peat soil
runoff from the land and flushed by the beneath. They store this carbon for
ebb and flow of the tides, they support thousands of years.
a bursting population of bacteria and  The intricate root system of mangroves
other decomposers and filter feeders. also makes these forests attractive to
 Because mangroves create dense fish and other organisms seeking food
foliage and close proximity of trees, and shelter from predators.
they protect shorelines from  Many people living in and around
damaging winds and waves. A series mangroves depend on them for their
of studies in the early 2000s livelihood. The trees are a source of
discovered that mangroves with an wood for construction and fuel. The
average height of 6-10 metres could ecosystem provides local fishermen
shorten a cyclone’s waves by 60%. with a rich supply of fish, crabs and
 Their protective role has been widely shellfish. The ecosystem also supports
recognized especially after the tourism.
devastating Tsunami of 2004. Where are mangrove ecosystems
 Mangrove forests stabilize the found?
coastline, and help prevent erosion  Mangroves can be found in more than
by stabilising sediments with their 120 countries and territories in the
tangled root systems. tropical and subtropical regions of the

16
world. The largest extent of Site. It spans from the Hooghly River
mangroves is found in Asia (42%) in West Bengal to the Baleswar River
followed by Africa (20%), North and in Bangladesh.
Central America (15%), Oceania (12%)  Gulf of Kachchh harbours one of the
and South America (11%). major mangrove formations of India.
 In India, the deltas of the Ganges, Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu has a vast
Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and expanse of water covered with
the Cauvery rivers contain mangrove mangrove forests. It is home to many
forests. aquatic bird species.
 The Sundarbans in West Bengal is  The backwaters in Kerala also have a
the largest mangrove region in the high density of mangrove forest.
world and a UNESCO World Heritage
What are the threats to mangroves?  Mangrove forests are cleared to make
 Scientists estimate that at least one room for agricultural land and human
third of all mangrove forests has settlements.
been lost during the last few  Mangrove trees are used for firewood,
decades. Coastal development, construction wood, charcoal
including construction of shrimp production, and animal fodder. In
farms, hotels, and other structures, is some parts of the world, there has
the primary threat to mangroves. been overharvesting which is no
longer sustainable.

17
 Overfishing, pollution, and rising sea  There are around 104 national parks
levels are the other threats to and 566 wildlife sanctuaries in India
mangrove forests and their ecosystem. (as of December 2020).
Why in the news?  While most of the provisions are
 In the wake of back-to-back cyclones, common for Sanctuaries and National
experts highlight the importance of Parks, there are three key
mangrove forests in protecting the differences:
coastal regions against the damaging 1. People within a National Park are
effects of storms. not allowed to live, while in a
 India was hit by back-to-back cyclones Sanctuary certain rights can be
in May 2021. While Cyclone Tauktae allowed.
formed in the Arabian Sea and affected 2. Livestock grazing is prohibited
coastal districts in Kerala, Karnataka, in a National Park but can be
Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, Cyclone allowed in a regulated manner in
Yaas formed in the Bay of Bengal and Sanctuaries
ravaged parts of Odisha and West 3. A Sanctuary can be upgraded to a
Bengal. National Park but a National Park
 Scientists highlighted the impact of cannot be downgraded as a
climate change in the intensification Sanctuary.
and frequency of tropical storms Why in News?
that hit India. And they also brought  The Assam government has notified
attention to the role played by two new national parks for the state
mangrove forests in reducing the namely - Dihing Patkai National Park
impact in Odisha, West Bengal and and Raimona National Park.
Mumbai.  Assam had five national parks —
 Although there were losses to lives and Kaziranga, Nameri, Orang, Manas
property, mangroves safeguarded and Dibru-Saikhowa. With the above
people and the inland against the two, Assam ranks third in the country
severe storm surges of the cyclones. with 7 national parks.
 Madhya Pradesh has 12 national
3) Two new National Parks for parks (highest in the country),
Assam followed by Andaman and Nicobar
National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries Islands (UT), which has 9 National
 Wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks.
Parks are areas of significant Dihing Patkai National Park
 It encompasses the erstwhile Dehing
ecological, floral, faunal or natural
significance. Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Jeypore
 They are notified by State Reserve Forest and the western block
Governments after consultation with of the Upper Dihing Reserve Forest.
 Dehing is the name of the river that
the State Board for Wildlife.
 The Central Government can also
flows through the reserve and Patkai is
declare a sanctuary anywhere in India the hill at the foot of which the
after consultation with the National sanctuary lies.
Board for Wildlife.  The Dehing Patkai forest area is often
 They are protected under the referred to as "The Amazon of the
provisions of the Wildlife east" owing to its large area and thick
(Protection) Act, 1972. wet tropical evergreen forests.
 Apart from the fact that it is a
contiguous patch of rainforest, it is also

18
the place with the highest production and provision of other

concentration of the rare endangered ecosystem goods and services.
White Winged Wood Duck. It is also a  Desertification is defined as “a type of
major elephant habitat and has 310 land degradation in which a relatively
species of butterflies. dry land region becomes increasingly
 The Dehing Patkai Forest is one of the arid, typically losing its bodies of water
most important forests of Assam in as well as vegetation and wildlife.”
terms of orchid diversity. So far, 101 Causes for desertification
species of orchids within 45 genera  Overgrazing
have been recorded there.  Indiscriminate urbanization
Raimona National Park  Overdrafting of groundwater
 This National Park adjoins the Buxa  Deforestation
Tiger Reserve in West Bengal to its  Tillage practices in agriculture
west, Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary in  Insecticide and pesticide overuse
Bhutan to its north and Manas National Impacts of desertification
Park to the east.  As land is degraded, food production
 Raimona is home to the golden langur, is reduced.
elephant, tiger, clouded leopard and  As water sources dry up, populations
Indian gaur besides sustaining several are pressured to move to more
species of orchids, more than 150 hospitable areas resulting in large
species of butterflies, 170 species of scale migration to urban centres
birds and 380 species of plants. putting pressure on limited resources
 Sankosh and Saralbhanga Rivers in urban areas.
flow through this park.  Forests, Trees, Vegetation Cover, Soil
Organic Compounds are important
sinks of Carbon dioxide – Land
4) United Nations Convention to degradation reduces the amount of
Combat Desertification Carbon dioxide absorbed.
What is Desertification? Impacts on Health
 Desertification is a gradual process of  Higher threats of malnutrition from
land degradation in arid, semi-arid reduced food and water supplies.
and dry sub-humid regions resulting  More water- and food-borne
from various factors, including human diseases that result from poor hygiene
activities and climatic variations such and a lack of clean water.
as prolonged droughts and floods.  Respiratory diseases caused by
 The concept does not refer to the atmospheric dust from wind erosion
physical expansion of existing deserts and other air pollutants.
but rather to the various processes  The spread of infectious diseases
that threaten all dryland ecosystems. increases as populations migrate.
Land Degradation & Land More on desertification
Desertification  The International Resource Panel, a
 Land degradation is caused by multiple scientific body hosted by the UN
forces, including extreme weather Environment Programme, said about
conditions particularly drought, and 25% of the World's Land area is
human activities that pollute or degraded.
degrade the quality of soils and land  40% of the world's population is
utility negatively affecting food impacted negatively because of land
production, livelihoods, and the degradation.

19
 It said the rate of soil erosion is 100  Established in 1994, the UNCCD is the
times faster than the rate of soil sole legally binding international
formation. agreement linking environment and
 Annual area of drylands has increased development to sustainable land
at more than 1% every year in the last management.
50 years.  The Convention specifically
Status in India addresses the arid, semi-arid and
 India faces a severe problem of land dry sub-humid areas, known as the
degradation, or soil becoming unfit for drylands, where some of the most
cultivation. vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can
 As per ISRO, nearly 30% of land in be found.
the country is degraded.  The Convention has 197 parties
 India hosted the 14th session of including India.
Conference of Parties (COP 14) of Why in the news?
United Nations Convention to Combat  The Minister of State for Environment,
Desertification (UNCCD) in September Forest and Climate Change released
2019. the latest version of Desertification
 India is striving towards achieving the and Land Degradation Atlas of India.
national commitments of Land It has been published by Space
Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and Application Centre, ISRO,
restoration of 26 Million ha of Ahmedabad.
degraded land by 2030 which focus  The Atlas provides a state wise area of
on sustainable and optimum utilisation degraded lands for the time frame
of land resources. 2018-19. It also provides the change
o LDN is a state whereby the amount analysis for the duration of 15 years,
and quality of land resources, from 2003-05 to 2018-19.
necessary to support the ecosystem  This will be helpful in achieving land
functions and enhance food security, restoration targets by providing
remain stable or increase within important baseline and temporal data
specified temporal and spatial scales and technical inputs.
and ecosystems.
 The government of India has adopted a 5) Initiative to conserve sacred
collective approach for making groves
progress towards achieving the What are sacred groves?
national commitments related to land  Sacred groves comprise patches of
restoration. forests or natural vegetation – from a
What is UNCCD? few trees to forests of several acres –
 The United Nations has three major that are usually dedicated to local
Conventions: the United Nations folk deities.
Framework Convention on Climate  These spaces are protected by local
Change (UNFCCC), the Convention communities because of their
on Biological Diversity (CBD) and religious beliefs and traditional rituals
the United Nations Convention to that run through several generations.
Combat Desertification (UNCCD).  A strong concentration of these groves
 These conventions were the result of is found in Himachal Pradesh and
the 1992 UN Conference on Kerala.
Environment and Development in Rio Significance
de Janeiro, also called the Earth  Conservation of Biodiversity: The
Summit. sacred groves are important

20
repositories of floral and faunal importance, further the nursery grown

diversity that have been conserved by plants are distributed among the
local communities in a sustainable communities. Their main objective is
manner. They are often the last refuge to strengthen the bond that the local
of endemic species in the geographical communities shared with the sacred
region. groves.
 Recharge of aquifers: The groves are
often associated with ponds, streams 6) Gross Environment Product
or springs, which help meet the water What is GEP?
requirements of the local people. The  Gross Environment Product (GEP) is a
vegetative cover also helps in measure that allows monitoring of
recharging the aquifers. ecological growth parallel to
 Soil conservation: The vegetation economic growth which is measured
cover of the sacred groves improves using the gross domestic product or
the soil stability of the area and also GDP.
prevents soil erosion. GEP and GDP
 Source of local medicine: The local  GDP is the sum of whatever we
tribal population rely upon some produce every year within a boundary
plants in the sacred groves to heal of a state or a nation.
themselves.  Gross Ecosystem Product is the total
 Carbon sink: The groves act as an value of products and services that
effective carbon sink and are also a are produced within a functional
self-sustainable ecosystem, which living ecosystem and are essential for
reinforce scientific reasons for human welfare and sustainable
conservation. development.
Threats o For example, a tree is a source of
 Increasingly, the sacred groves are oxygen, timber, shade, fodder,
facing threats from the biotic pressure shelter, it regulates water, fixes
due to weakening of traditional nitrogen, controls flood,
taboos and belief systems and improves soil quality, and so on.
invasion of exotic weeds. All these are invisible services
 Indiscriminate grazing in the last few offered by the living ecosystems
decades, uncontrolled felling of trees throughout the year and can be
for firewood and urbanization have captured using specific
also contributed to the dwindling of indicators.
groves. Why is GDP not sufficient?
Why in the news?  GDP is not adjusted for pollution
 A Puducherry based non-profit, costs. If two economies have the same
Indigenious Biodiversity Conservation GDP per capita, but one has polluted
has started an initiative called ‘Uyir air and water, it will have a disparate
Moochu’ towards eco-restoration of impact on people’s well-being. Yet
the sacred grooves around GDP won’t capture it.
Puducherry. How will GEP help?
 As a part of the initiative, the  It will update us about the growth of
organisation is collecting the seeds of forest, soil and water, and quality of
the vulnerable plants of sacred groves air, in any given year, parallel to GDP.
and raising them in the nursery.  Therefore, it will help understand if
 The local communities are made aware development is happening at the
about the sacred groves and their cost of ecology.

21
 This will help maintain a balance  Heat Wave: When actual

between economy and ecology. maximum temperature ≥
Currently, we are unaware how long 45°C
natural resources will support us.  Severe Heat Wave: When
Why in News? actual maximum
 Uttarakhand is set to become the first temperature ≥47°C
state in the country to measure Gross o For coastal regions, when
Environment Product for quantifying maximum temperature
ecological growth measurement. departure is 4.5°C or more from
 GEP would be computed by assigning normal, Heat Wave may be
monetary value to four critical natural described provided the actual
resources -- air, water, forest and maximum temperature is 37°C
soil. or more.
 The quality and quantity of these  Higher daily peak temperatures and
natural resources would determine longer, more intense heat waves are
the GEP of the state which would be becoming increasingly frequent
used in evaluating the state’s Gross globally due to climate change. India
Domestic Product. too is feeling the impact of climate
change in terms of increased
7) Heatwaves instances of heat waves which are
About heat waves more intense in nature with each
 A Heat Wave is a period of passing year, and have a devastating
abnormally high temperatures, impact on human health thereby
more than the normal maximum increasing the number of heat wave
temperature that occurs during the casualties.
summer season in the North-Western  The health impacts of Heat Waves
parts of India. typically involve dehydration, heat
 Heat Waves typically occur between cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat
March and June, and in some rare stroke. The extreme temperatures and
cases even extend till July. resultant atmospheric conditions
Criteria for heat waves adversely affect people living in these
 The Indian Meteorological regions as they cause physiological
Department (IMD) has given the stress, sometimes resulting in death.
following criteria for Heat Waves : Duration of a heatwave spell
o Heat wave is considered if the  A heatwave spell generally lasts for a
maximum temperature of a minimum of four days and on some
station reaches at least 40°C or occasions, it can extend up to seven or
more for Plains and at least ten days.
30°C or more for Hilly regions;  The longest recorded heat wave spell,
o Based on Departure from in recent years, was between 18 – 31
Normal May 2015. This spell had severely
 Heat Wave: Departure from affected parts of West Bengal along
normal is 4.5°C to 6.4°C with Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and
 Severe Heat Wave: Departure Telangana.
from normal is >6.4°C Does all of India experience heatwave
o Based on Actual Maximum conditions?
Temperature  No. Heat waves are common over the
Core Heatwave Zone (CHZ) —
Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana,

22
Chandigarh, Delhi, West Madhya report eight heatwave days per

Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, season.
Orissa, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, parts  However, the regions in the extreme
of Gangetic West Bengal, Coastal north, northeast and southwestern
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as India are less prone to heatwaves.
categorised by India Meteorological Why in the news?
Department.  The India Meteorological Department
 Several recent studies indicate that the has projected severe heatwave
CHZ experiences more than six conditions in the northwest part of the
heatwave days per year during these country during June.
four months.
 Many places in the northwest and
cities along the southeastern coast

23
Species in News
1) Pact signed to conserve rare Hayagriva Temple
turtle in Assam  Constructed in the 16th century, it is
Black softshell turtle located in the city of Hajo, near the
northern bank of the Brahmaputra
River in western Assam. It is a Vishnu
temple.
 Some Buddhists, particularly those in
parts of Tibet and China, believe this is
where the Buddha attained
parinirvana, or the passing away from
earthly life, and not in Kushinagar in
India.
 Need to protect: The turtles are
 The Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia conserved in temple ponds only based
nigricans) is a Critically Endangered on religious grounds, many biological
freshwater species native to requirements for building a
Bangladesh and India. sustainable wild population have since
 But it does not enjoy legal protection long been overlooked.
under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) What does this project include?
Act of 1972, although it has  It aims to rehabilitate black softshell
traditionally been hunted for its meat turtles back to the wild.
and cartilage, traded in regional and  Undertake husbandry tasks to
international markets. increase the number of turtles.
 Until recently, it was considered  Conduct mass awareness programs
Extinct in the Wild on account of no on the conservation issues of all
known wild populations. The species of turtles in the region while
International Union for Conservation working on threats and opportunities
of Natures (IUCN), however, changed to strengthen the black softshell turtle
the status to 'critically endangered' population in Assam.
after surveys found a few remnant
populations inhabiting the 2) Blue Whales
Brahmaputra River basin of Northeast About
India.  The blue whale is the largest animal
 The majority of this species’ on the planet, weighing as much as
population resides amongst sacred 200 tons. They are also the loudest
temple ponds in its two native animals on Earth.
countries.  Blue whales live within all of the
Why in News? major oceans of the world, primarily
 Two green NGOs and the Kamrup
in temperate and polar waters.
district administration of Assam have  Blue whales primarily feed almost
signed a memorandum of exclusively on tiny crustaceans known
understanding (MoU) with Hayagriva as krill.
Temple of Kamrup district to work for Protection status
a conservation project to protect black  The IUCN Red List of Threatened
softshell turtles. Species lists Blue Whale as
 This temple is sacred to both Hindus
“Endangered species”.
and Buddhists.

24
 It is listed under Appendix I of the  Whales are at the top of the food chain
Convention of International Trade in and have an important role in the
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna overall health of the marine
and Flora. It falls in Schedule I of the environment.
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.  Blue whales are endangered and
Threats efforts to protect them are underway.
 Despite the ban on hunting, blue Now that their presence in
whales face a number of threats, all of Lakshadweep is confirmed, the island
which are caused by humans. These must be included in all whale
threats include entanglement in conservation plans.
fishing gear, collisions with ships, Related information
and habitat impacts. International Whaling Commission
 Another form of threat is noise (IWC)
pollution. Whales’ primary means of  The IWC is the global body charged
communication, navigation, locating with the conservation of whales and
food, locating mates, and avoiding the management of whaling (the
predators and other threats is through process of hunting of whales for their
their sense of hearing, which is much usable products).
more highly developed than that of  It was set up in 1946 under the
humans. Noise pollution created by International Convention for the
ship traffic or offshore construction Regulation of Whaling (ICRW).
negatively impacts whales by  The IWC currently has 88
disrupting otherwise normal member governments from countries
behaviours associated with migration, all over the world (including India).
feeding, alluding predators, rest,  The main duty of the IWC is to keep
breeding, etc. under review and revise as necessary
Why in News? the measures laid down in the
 For the first time, researchers have Schedule to the Convention which
detected the presence of blue whales govern the conduct of whaling
off Lakshadweep. throughout the world.
Significance

25
Agriculture
1) Kisan Rail services network to gain access to distant,
About bigger and more lucrative markets.
 Kisan Rail service was announced in
the Union Budget 2020-21 to provide 2) Sub-Mission on Agricultural
better market opportunity by Mechanization
transporting perishables and agri- About the scheme
products, including milk, meat, and  The Ministry of Agriculture and
fish. Farmers’ Welfare launched the Sub-
 This is a multi-commodity, multi- Mission on Agricultural Mechanization
consignor/consignee, multi- (SMAM) in 2014-15.
loading/unloading transportation  Under the scheme, subsidy is
product which is aimed at providing a provided for purchase of various
wider market to Kisan. types of Agricultural implements
 This service helps in bringing and machinery used for tillage,
perishable agricultural products like sowing, planting, harvesting, reaping,
vegetables, fruits to the market in a threshing, plant protection, inter
short period of time. The trains with cultivation and residue management.
frozen containers are expected to  It is a sub mission under the umbrella
build a seamless national cold supply scheme of ‘Green Revolution–
chain for perishables, inclusive of fish, Krishonnati Yojana’.
meat and milk. Aim
 The primary objective of running Kisan  To increase the reach of farm
Rail trains is to increase the income in mechanization to small and marginal
the farm sector by connecting farmers and to the regions & difficult
production centers to markets and areas where farm power availability is
consumption centers. It is a step low.
towards realizing the goal of doubling Objectives
farmers’ incomes by 2022.  To promote ‘Custom Hiring Centres’
 The first Kisan Rail train was flagged- and ‘Hi-tech Hubs of High-Value
off on 07.08.2020 between Devlali Machines’ to offset the adverse
(Maharashtra) and Danapur (Bihar). economies of scale arising due to small
Why in News? and fragmented landholding and high
 The Ministry of Railways said that cost of individual ownership;
introduction of Kisan Rails has given  Creating awareness among
farmers wide access of Indian markets stakeholders through demonstration
and it has so far carried 2.7 lakh tonnes and capacity building activities;
of consignment.  Ensuring performance testing and
 Till now, 60 routes have been certification of agricultural machines
operationalised for Kisan Rail. at designated testing centres located
 Kisan Rail enables movement of all over the country.
perishables including fruits, Significance of farm mechanisation
vegetables, meat, poultry, fishery and  To boost up mechanization in the
dairy products from production or agriculture sector, improved
surplus regions to consumption or agricultural implements and
deficient regions. It also enables machinery are essential inputs for
farmers to utilize the vast railway modern agriculture that will enhance
the productivity of crops besides

26
reducing human drudgery and cost 1. Mission for Integrated Development of

of cultivation. Horticulture (MIDH)
 Mechanization also helps in 2. National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil
improving the utilization efficiency Palm (NMOOP)
of other inputs therefore considered 3. National Food Security Mission
to be one of the most important (NFSM)
segments of the agriculture sector to 4. National Mission for Sustainable
boost the income of farmers and Agriculture (NMSA)
growth of the agricultural economy. 5. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension
 The impact evaluation studies (SMAE)
highlight the overall positive impact of 6. Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting
mechanisation on farming as it was Material (SMSP)
reported that mechanisation helped in 7. Sub-Mission on Agricultural
overall increase of 17.9% in Mechanization (SMAM)
productivity and 14.1% in seed 8. Sub-Mission on Plant Protection and
germination. Plant Quarantine (SMPPQ)
 Mechanisation also helped in saving 9. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural
nearly 1/3rd of the time of operations, Census, Economics and Statistics
30% reduction in labour requirements, 10. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural
11% reduction in seed rate, 26.6% Cooperation
reduction in weed instances, 22.4% 11. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural
reduction in diesel consumption and Marketing (ISAM)
12.7% reduction in fertiliser 12. National e-Governance Plan in
requirements. Agriculture (NeGP-A).
Why in the news?
 To empower the farmers through the
Sub-Mission on Agricultural 3) India and Pakistan’s battle
Mechanization scheme, Government of over basmati
India has released funds for various Why are India and Pakistan fighting
activities of Farm Mechanization like over basmati?
Establishment of Custom Hiring  India, the world’s largest exporter of
Centres, Farm Machinery Bank, High- basmati rice, has applied for
tech Hubs and distribution of various protected geographical indication
agricultural machinery etc to different (PGI) status from the European
states. Union’s Council on Quality Schemes for
Related Information Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs.
About Green Revolution– Krishonnati  This would give it sole ownership of
Yojana the basmati title in the European
 It is an Umbrella Scheme comprising Union (EU).
both Central Sector as well as Centrally  Pakistan, which is the only other
Sponsored Schemes/Missions. basmati rice exporter in the world,
 These schemes look to develop the has opposed this move as it would
agriculture and allied sector in a adversely impact its own exports,
holistic and scientific manner to especially as the EU is a major market
increase the income of farmers by for its basmati.
enhancing production, productivity What is the dispute?
and better returns on produce.  India and Pakistan have long been
 This Umbrella Scheme has the claiming to be the origins of Basmati
following 12 Schemes/Missions: rice, which is largely produced in both

27
countries. They are the only two granting MP’s request would open the
countries which produce Basmati in door to other regions within India as
the world. well as rival rice exporters like China
 The Punjab province, which was and Pakistan to grow basmati varieties
divided into East Punjab (India) and anywhere in their territories, thus
West Punjab (Pakistan) in 1947, is the diluting the power of the basmati
origin of Basmati rice. brand.
 Pakistan annually earns $2.2 billion Related Information
compared to India's $6.8 billion from About GI Tag
Basmati exports.  A geographical indication (GI) is a sign
Where does basmati actually grow? used on products that have a specific
 In India, historically, the long-grained, geographical origin and possess
aromatic rice has been cultivated in qualities or a reputation that are due to
Indo-Gangetic plains at the foothills that origin. In order to function as a GI,
of the Himalayas. a sign must identify a product as
 In modern India, this region is spread originating in a given place.
over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab,  It is used for agricultural, natural
Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar and manufactured goods. Darjeeling
Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu and tea became the first GI tagged product
Kashmir. Basmati has also been grown in India.
for centuries in the Kalar tract, which  The registration of GI is valid for 10
lies between the Ravi and Chenab years after which it needs to be
rivers in Pakistan’s Punjab province. renewed.
Why does the basmati title need  It should be noted that registration of a
protection? product is not compulsory.
 Given the high premium that basmati,  Registration affords better legal
an export-oriented product, fetches in protection to facilitate an action for
the international market, there have infringement
been frequent disputes over granting  The registered proprietor and
the protected status to rice that may authorised users can initiate
have been bred from basmati varieties infringement actions
and has the same qualities, but isn’t  The authorised users can exercise
grown in the historical basmati- the exclusive right to use the
growing belt. geographical indication.
 In India, for example, the Madhya Legislations
Pradesh government has been  In India, GI is given under the
lobbying the central government for its Geographical Indications of Goods
basmati rice varieties to be granted the (Registration and Protection) Act,
GI status, even taking the matter to the 1999.
Supreme Court. The All India Rice  The Act is administered by the
Exporters’ Association (AIREA) is Controller General of Patents,
opposed to this, on the basis that it Designs & TradeMarks, GI
compromises basmati’s integrity. (CGPDTM-India) under the
 The Agricultural and Processed Department for Promotion of Industry
Food Products Export Development and Internal Trade, Ministry of
Authority (APEDA) itself had stated Commerce and Industry.
that GI status is strongly linked to a  India enacted its GI legislation to
particular geographical region and, comply with India's obligations under
based on this, AIREA has argued that the Trade-Related Aspects of

28
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agricultural, horticultural and forest

agreement. produce;
 GI registration gives to the registered  Distribution of agricultural machinery,
proprietor and its authorized users, implements and other inputs;
the legal right to the exclusive use of  Undertake inter-state, import and
the GI and also the right to obtain relief export trade;
in case of its infringement.  Act and assist for technical advice in
 GI is a collective intellectual agricultural production.
property right and is thus owned by Why in the news?
all the producers within the defined GI  Government of India's NAFED has
territory unlike intellectual properties launched Fortified Rice Bran Oil to
like patent and trademark which are boost healthy living.
owned by an individual or a business o Fortification is the practice of
entity. deliberately increasing the content
Benefits of registration of Geographical of an essential micronutrient, i.e.
Indications vitamins and minerals in a food, so
 It confers legal protection to as to improve the nutritional
Geographical Indications in India quality of the food supply and
 Prevents unauthorised use of a provide a public health benefit
Registered Geographical Indication by with minimal risk to health.
others News in detail
 It provides legal protection to Indian  Rice Bran oil from NAFED will be
Geographical Indications which in turn fortified and it will be ensured that it
boost exports. will contain additional nutrients and
 It promotes economic prosperity of vitamins.
producers of goods produced in a  NAFED Fortified Rice Bran Oil will be
geographical territory. available at all NAFED Stores and also
on various online platforms.
Significance of the initiative
4) NAFED  This initiative by NAFED will
About NAFED significantly reduce the country's
 National Agriculture Cooperative consumption dependence on
Marketing Federation of India imported edible oil in future.
(NAFED) was established in 1958  This will provide opportunities for
under the Ministry of Agriculture & Indian edible oil manufacturers
Farmers’ Welfare. further, and also will give an impetus
 Its objective is to promote Cooperative to the Prime Minister's Atma
marketing of agricultural produce to Nirbhar Bharat initiative.
benefit the farmers. Importance of Rice Bran Oil
 It is registered under the Multi State  Rice Bran oil has multiple health
Co-operative Societies Act. benefits. It helps in lowering
 NAFED is now one of the largest cholesterol level due to its low trans-
procurement as well as marketing fat content and high monounsaturated
agencies for agricultural products in and polyunsaturated fat contents.
India.  It also acts as a booster and reduces
Objectives of NAFED the risk of cancer due to the high
 Organize, promote and develop amount of Vitamin E it contains.
marketing, processing and storage of  This oil is recommended by The
American Heart Association and the

29
World Health Organization (WHO) as water hyacinth, algae or other plant

one of the best substitutes for other residues.
edible oils.  A typical example of floating
 According to the FSSAI, fortified oil can agriculture involves a floating layer of
help a person fulfil 25-30% of the water hyacinth, straw or rice
recommended dietary intake for stubble to which is added upper layers
vitamins A and D. of small and quick-rotting waterworts
(water plants) which make for good
5) Floating raft agriculture manure.
What is it?  India has many brackish water bodies
which are conducive for such
agriculture.
Advantages
 Food Security: Mitigate land loss
through flooding, by allowing
cultivation of these areas to continue.
In this way, the total cultivable area
can be increased and communities can
become more self-sufficient.
 Increase in productivity: In addition
to this, the area under floating
cultivation is up to 10 times more
productive than traditionally farmed
 Floating agriculture is a way of land and no additional chemical
utilising areas which are fertilisers or manure is required.
waterlogged for long periods of time  Organic manure: When the crops
in the production of food. The have been harvested and floating rafts
technology is mainly aimed at adapting are no longer required, they can be
to more regular or prolonged flooding. used as organic fertilisers in the fields
 The approach employs beds of rotting or incorporated into the following
vegetation, which act as compost for years floating beds as a fertiliser.
crop growth. These beds are able to  Turning a curse to boon: The
float on the surface of the water, thus approach uses water hyacinth, a highly
creating areas of land suitable for invasive weed with prolific growth
agriculture within waterlogged rates, in a highly beneficial way.
regions. Scientifically, floating  Elimination of harmful insects: By
agriculture may be referred to as harvesting water hyacinth, areas
hydroponics. covered by the weed are cleared, with
 Floating raft farming had been taken the beneficial side-effect of reducing
up as a measure of improving breeding grounds for mosquitoes and
adaptability and resilience in the improving conditions for open-water
background of climate change. fishing
Where can it be used?  Pisciculture: By cultivating crops in
 Floating agriculture can be used in water, it is also possible to
areas where agricultural land is simultaneously harvest fish
submerged for long periods. populations which reside in the beds.
 The practice is similar to hydroponic  Additional income: The practice of
agriculture whereby plants can be floating agriculture also helps
grown on the water on a floating bed of supplement the income of local

30
communities and contributes to the floating agriculture practices, it can

alleviation of poverty . also lead to improvements in gender
 Helps Landless farmers: It also equity.
provides greater food security by Why in News?
increasing the land output and  Floating agriculture experiments in the
supporting capacity for poor and Alappuzha-Cherthala Canal in Kerala
landless people . with amaranthus has shown success.
 Employment opportunities: The  These showed that crops like vegetable
capacity to provide employment cowpea, chillies and tomatoes are
opportunities within communities and suited for the floating farming method.
as both men and women can carry out

31
Organisations
1) UN Secretary General election  Informal rules influence the selection
What’s in the news? process. For example, nationals of
 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres permanent members of the Security
has been re-elected as chief of the Council - China, France, Russia, the
world body after the Security Council United Kingdom or the United States -
adopted by acclamation a resolution cannot be considered for the post,
recommending his name to the General because of possible undue influence.
Assembly for a second five-year term Related Information
beginning January 1, 2022. About UNGA
 India had expressed its support for re-  United Nations General Assembly
election of Guterres as UN Chief and (UNGA) is the main deliberative,
welcomed the adoption of the policymaking and representative organ
resolution recommending his name. of the UN.
Role of Secretary General  It is one of the six principal organs
 The UN Charter describes the which make up the UN.
Secretary-General as "chief  All 193 Member States of the UN are
administrative officer" of the represented in the General Assembly,
Organisation, who shall act in that making it the only UN body with
capacity and perform "such other universal representation.
functions as are entrusted" to him or  The annual session is attended by
her by the Security Council, General world leaders to discuss and debate
Assembly, Economic and Social Council the world’s most important global
and other United Nations organs. issues and how to address them.
 The Charter also empowers the Voting
Secretary-General to "bring to the  Each country has one vote.
attention of the Security Council any  Decisions on important questions, such
matter which in his opinion may as those on peace and security,
threaten the maintenance of admission of new members and
international peace and security". budgetary matters, require a two-
Election Process thirds majority. Decisions on other
 The Secretary-General is appointed by questions are by simple majority.
the General Assembly, on the About UNSC
recommendation of the Security  The United Nations Security Council
Council. (UNSC) was established in 1946 as
 To be selected as Secretary-General, a one of the six principal organs of the
candidate must receive the votes of at UN. It is generally viewed as the apex
least 9 members of the United Nations of the UN system.
Security Council, with no vetoes from  It is responsible for the maintenance
permanent members. The Secretary- of international peace and security.
General is then appointed by a  Its powers include the establishment of
majority vote of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, the
General Assembly. establishment of international
 Although there is technically no limit sanctions, and the authorization of
to the number of five-year terms a military action through Security
Secretary-General may serve, none so Council resolutions.
far has held office for more than two
terms.

32
 It is the only UN body with the concerning the peaceful settlement of a

authority to issue binding resolutions dispute to which it is a party.
to member states.
Membership 2) ASEAN Defence Ministers’
 UNSC consists of 15 Members. Meeting-Plus
 The council has five permanent About ADMM
members (P-5) United States, Russia,  The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting
China, United Kingdom and France. (ADMM) is the highest defence
 These permanent members can veto consultative and cooperative
any substantive Security Council mechanism in ASEAN.
resolutions, including those on the  The ADMM aims to promote mutual
admission of new member states. trust and confidence through greater
 The Security Council also has 10 non- understanding of defence and security
permanent members, elected on a challenges as well as enhancement of
regional basis as follows: transparency and openness.
1. Five for African and Asian  All ASEAN Member States, namely
States; Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia,
2. One for Eastern European Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
States; Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
3. Two for the Latin American and Thailand, and Viet Nam are members
Caribbean States; and of the ADMM.
4. Two for Western European and  The Chairman of the ADMM is the
other States. ASEAN Chair and its rotation follows
 Each year the 193-member UN General the ASEAN chairmanship.
Assembly (UNGA) elects five non- About ADMM-Plus
permanent members for a two-year  The ADMM-Plus is a platform for
term. ASEAN and its eight Dialogue
 Recently, India began its two-year Partners namely Australia, China,
term as a non-permanent member of India, Japan, New Zealand, South
UNSC along with Norway, Mexico, Korea, Russian Federation, and the
Ireland and Kenya. United States to strengthen security
 The body's presidency rotates and defence cooperation for peace,
monthly among its members. stability, and development in the
Vote and Majority Required region.
 Each member of the Security Council  The Inaugural ADMM-Plus was
shall have one vote. convened in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, in
 Decisions of the Security Council on 2010.
procedural matters shall be made by  The Chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus
an affirmative vote of nine shall follow the Chairmanship of the
members. ADMM.
 Decisions of the Security Council on all Why in News?
other matters shall be made by an  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
affirmative vote of nine members participated in the 8th ASEAN Defence
including the concurring votes of Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus and
the permanent members. called for an open and inclusive order
 However, any member, whether in Indo-Pacific based upon respect for
permanent or nonpermanent, must sovereignty and territorial integrity of
abstain from voting in any decision nations.

33
 On the ‘Act East Policy’, announced by  The Association of Southeast Asian

Prime Minister Narender Modi in Nations, or ASEAN, is a regional &
2014, Mr. Singh stated that the key intergovernmental organisation of 10
elements of the policy aim to promote countries of southeast Asia.
economic cooperation, cultural ties  ASEAN was established in 1967 in
and develop strategic relationships Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of
with countries in the Indo-Pacific the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok
region through continuous Declaration).
engagement at bilateral, regional and  Its members are Thailand, Malaysia,
multilateral levels. Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Related information Singapore, Myanmar, Philippines,
About ASEAN Brunei and Vietnam.
 The organisation aims to accelerate the
economic growth, social progress and
cultural development in the region
through joint endeavours in the spirit
of equality and partnership. They work
towards the progress of the southeast
Asia region.

34
Science and Technology

1) Nutrient depletion in rice  Though the Indian government has
What’s in the news? taken initiatives such as providing
 A study conducted by various supplementation pills to school
institutes under the Indian Council of children, Mid-Day Meal scheme, etc.,
Agricultural Research (ICAR) found it is not enough. The researchers noted
that rice and wheat grown today do that we need to concentrate on other
not have the same density of options like biofortification, where
essential nutrients as those we breed food crops that are rich in
cultivated 50 years ago. micronutrients.
Falling nutrients Related Information
 The study found depleting trends in Biofortification
grain density of zinc and iron in rice  Biofortification is the process by which
and wheat cultivated in India. the nutrient density of food crops is
 The team noted that zinc and iron increased through selective
concentrations in grains of rice breeding, improved agronomic
cultivars released in the 1960s were practices or modern biotechnology.
27.1 mg/kg and 59.8 mg/kg. This  It’s not the same as ‘fortified’ foods
depleted to 20.6 mg/kg and 43.1 that have micronutrients added to
mg/kg, respectively in the 2000s. In them during processing.
wheat, the concentrations of zinc and Focus Areas
iron --- 33.3 mg/kg and 57.6 mg/kg in  The most common micronutrient
cultivars of the 1960s, dropped to 23.5 deficiencies are iron and zinc, with 2
mg/kg and 46.4 mg/kg, respectively in billion people affected worldwide with
cultivars released during the 2010s. anaemia (30% of the world’s
 There could be several possible population), says the World Health
reasons for such depletion: one is a Organization.
'dilution effect' that is caused by  Vitamin A deficiency is not far behind.
decreased nutrient concentration in This triad, vital to our health,
response to higher grain yield. This especially for the development of
means the rate of yield increase is not children, women, and other vulnerable
compensated by the rate of nutrient sections (seniors or those who have
take-up by the plants. low immunity), is the focus of
 Also, the soils supporting plants biofortification research.
could be low in plant-available  Children are especially vulnerable to
nutrients. micronutrient deficiencies. Lack of zinc
Impacts in childhood leads to poor growth and
 Zinc and iron deficiency affects stunting, vitamin A deficiency can
billions of people globally and the cause night blindness and poor
countries with this deficiency have immunity, while iron deficiency leads
diets composed mainly of rice, wheat, to poor mental and physical
corn, and barley. development.
 Iron deficiency is a common cause of  In India, the focus is on six staples.
too few healthy red blood cells in These are pearl millet (iron), wheat
the body. Zinc deficiency is (zinc), sorghum (iron), rice (zinc),
characterized by growth retardation, cowpeas (iron) and lentils (iron and
loss of appetite, and impaired zinc). Currently, biofortified pearl
immune function.

35
millet, rice, and wheat are available  India needs a comprehensive,

to farmers in India. integrated plan for scaling up the
Measure by Government development and consumption of
 The Government of India has given a biofortified crops striving at nutrition
strong endorsement to staple crop security for its citizens. It needs a
biofortification as a sustainable and multi-year integrated approach for
cost-effective solution to alleviate ensuring a well-performing
malnutrition. biofortification ecosystem.
 On World Food Day 2020 (October 16),
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 2) Antibodies against Nipah virus
dedicated to the nation 17 recently- About Nipah infection
developed biofortified seed varieties of  It is a viral infection caused by the
eight local and traditional crops, Nipah virus (NiV).
including wheat and paddy rice, that  Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae
are being made available to Indian family are the natural host of Nipah
farmers. virus.
 Further, to encourage biofortification  The disease was first identified in
amongst farming communities, Indian 1998 during an outbreak in Malaysia
Council for Agricultural Research and it was named after a village in
(ICAR) has started the Nutri-Sensitive Malaysia, Sungai Nipah. Later, Nipah
Agricultural Resources and outbreaks have been reported in
Innovations (NARI) programme for Singapore, Bangladesh and India.
promoting family farming linking  Till date, India has experienced four
agriculture to nutrition, nutri-smart episodes of NiV outbreaks with Case
villages for enhancing nutritional Fatality Rate (CFR) ranging from 65%
security. to 100%. The first evidence of NiV
 Under NARI, location-specific nutrition infection was reported in Siliguri
garden models are being developed district, West Bengal in 2001. The last
and promoted by Krishi Vigyan outbreak was reported in Kerala state
Kendras (agricultural extension in 2019.
centers in India) to ensure access to  A study in 2018 has identified many
locally available, healthy and South East Asian countries including
diversified diets with adequate macro Indian states as potential hotspots
and micronutrients. for the NiV disease.
Impacts on Health  NiV is on the top-10 priority list
 After a decade of testing, the first iron- pathogens identified by the World
rich pearl millet named Dhanashakti Health Organization.
was released in 2012 in Maharashtra, Transmission
and in 2013 across India. Studies also  It is a zoonotic virus (transmitted
show that iron-deficient women can from animals to humans) which can
absorb twice the amount of iron from also be transmitted through
this variety, when compared to non- contaminated food or directly
biofortified grain. between people.
 In fact, consumption of 200 grams of  Consumption of fruits or fruit
Dhanashakti every day can provide products (such as raw date palm
women with more than 80% of their juice) contaminated with urine or
daily iron needs. saliva from infected fruit bats is the
Way Forward most likely source of infection.

36
 In infected people, it causes a range of pipistrellus species tested positive for

illnesses from asymptomatic both NiV RNA and anti NiV IgG
(subclinical) infection to acute antibodies.
respiratory illness and fatal  This is the first report of possible NiV
encephalitis. infection in R leschenaultii bats in
 The virus can also cause severe disease India, which was demonstrated by the
in animals such as pigs, resulting in presence of both NiV RNA and anti-NiV
significant economic losses for IgG antibodies in bats.
farmers. Significance
Treatment  In earlier investigations during the last
 There are currently no drugs or decade, NiV activity could not be
vaccines specific for Nipah virus detected in R leschenaultii, despite
infection. processing several hundred bats
 The primary treatment for humans is including bats from the same location.
supportive care.  More studies in bats and humans are
Why in News? therefore needed to understand the
 A cross-sectional survey by Indian prevalence of the virus in the state.
Council of Medical Research- National
Institute of Virology to study the 3) H10N3 bird flu
prevalence of Nipah virus in bats of About Bird Flu
India has picked up samples with the  Bird flu, also called avian influenza, is
presence of antibodies against the a viral infection caused by Influenza
Nipah virus in some bat species from Type A viruses which spreads from
a cave in Mahabaleshwar. bird to bird. These viruses occur
 Mahabaleshwar is a popular hill naturally among wild aquatic birds
station in Satara district, Maharashtra. worldwide and can infect domestic
News in detail poultry and other bird and animal
 Pteropus medius bats, which are species.
large fruit-eating bats, are the  There are several subtypes of the
incriminated reservoir for NiV in India avian influenza virus. Currently, a
as both NiV RNA and antibodies were particularly deadly strain of bird flu --
detected in the samples of these bats H5N1 -- continues to spread among
collected during previous NiV poultry in Egypt and in certain parts of
outbreaks. Studies on other species of Asia. The H5N1 virus can cause severe
bats as potential NiV reservoirs in flu with a high mortality rate.
India are very limited.  Avian influenza viruses do not
 The new study has found the virus and normally infect humans. However,
antibodies in different species. During there have been instances of certain
March 2020, from a cave in highly pathogenic strains causing
Mahabaleshwar, two species of bats, severe respiratory disease in humans.
Rousettus leschenaultii (medium- In most cases, the people infected had
sized fruit eating bats) and been in close contact with infected
Pipistrellus pipistrellus (tiny poultry or with objects contaminated
insectivorous bats), were trapped by by their faeces.
researchers using mist nets.  However, the World Health
 RNA was extracted from samples and Organization had expressed concern
Anti-NiV IgG antibodies were detected that the virus could mutate to become
in a number of the samples. One bat more easily transmissible between
each from R leschenaultii and P

37
humans, raising the possibility of an its surface composition. A radar

influenza pandemic. provided by NASA will help to image
What’s in the news? and map the surface.
 China has confirmed the first human  EnVision will follow another ESA-led
case of infection with a rare strain of mission to Venus called ‘Venus
bird flu known as H10N3. Express’ (2005-2014) that focussed
 H10N3 is a low pathogenic or on atmospheric research and pointed
relatively less severe strain of the virus to volcanic hotspots on the planet’s
in poultry and the risk of it spreading surface. Other than this, Japan’s
on a large scale is very low. Akatsuki spacecraft has also been
 Human infections with bird flu have studying the planet’s atmosphere since
been rare since a larger outbreak of the 2015.
H7N9 strain killed around 300 people Why are scientists interested in
in 2016 and 2017. studying Venus?
 At the core of the ESA’s mission is the
4) European Space Agency’s question of how Earth and Venus
EnVision mission to Venus evolved so differently from each
What is in the news? other considering that they are
 Following NASA’s footsteps, the roughly of the same size and
European Space Agency (ESA) has composition. Venus is the hottest
announced that it has selected planet in the solar system because of
EnVision as its next orbiter that will the heat that is trapped by its thick
visit Venus sometime in the 2030s. cloud cover.
 On the other hand, the results from
 Recently, NASA selected two missions
to the planet Venus, Earth’s nearest DAVINCI+ are expected to reshape the
neighbour. The missions called understanding of terrestrial planet
DAVINCI+ and VERITAS have been formation in the solar system and
selected based on their potential for beyond. Taken together, both missions
scientific value and the feasibility of are expected to tell scientists more
their development plans. NASA is about the planet’s thick cloud cover
expected to allot $500 million to each and the vol4canoes on its surface.
 Further, scientists speculate about the
of these missions that will launch
between 2028-2030. existence of life on Venus in its
What is EnVision? distant past and the possibility that life
 EnVision is an ESA led mission with may exist in the top layers of its clouds
contributions from NASA. It is likely where temperatures are less extreme.
 Last year, a team of scientists reported
to be launched sometime in the 2030s.
The earliest launch opportunity for that they had found phosphine gas (a
EnVision is 2031, followed by 2032 chemical produced only through
and 2033. biological processes) in the
 Once launched on an Ariane 6 rocket,
atmosphere of Venus that triggered
the spacecraft will take about 15 excitement in the scientific community
months to reach Venus and will take that some life forms might be
16 more months to achieve orbit supported by the planet.
 But the existence of life on the planet
circularisation.
 The spacecraft will carry a range of is nearly impossible given the high
instruments to study the planet’s temperatures of Venus and its acidic
atmosphere and surface, monitor trace atmosphere. Even so, this discovery
gases in the atmosphere and analyse could mean that life forms could have

38
existed on Venus before when it was however, could not survive for long
habitable. As per this theory, the because of the planet’s harsh
discovery of phosphine could simply conditions), followed by NASA’s
be remnants from the past. Magellan Mission that studied Venus
About Venus from 1990-1994. As of now, Japan’s
 For those on Earth, Venus is the Akatsuki mission is studying the
second-brightest object in the sky planet from Orbit.
after the moon. It appears bright Which missions did NASA announce?
because of its thick cloud cover that  Both missions called DAVINCI+ and
reflects and scatters light. VERITAS are part of NASA’s
 But while Venus, which is the second Discovery Program, which began in
closest planet to the Sun, is called the 1992 to give scientists the chance to
Earth’s twin because of their similar launch some missions that use fewer
sizes, the two planets have significant resources and have shorter
differences between them. developmental times. The two
 For one, the planet’s thick atmosphere selections are a part of the ninth
traps heat and is the reason that it is Discovery Program and were made
the hottest planet in the solar from proposals submitted in 2019.
system, despite coming after Mercury, What do these missions plan to
the closest planet to the Sun. Surface achieve?
temperatures on Venus can go up to  DAVINCI+ is short for ‘Deep
471 degrees Celsius, which is hot Atmosphere Venus Investigation of
enough to melt lead. Noble gases, Chemistry, and
 Further, Venus moves forward on its Imaging’ and is the first US-led
orbit around the Sun but spins mission to the planet’s atmosphere
backwards around its axis slowly. since 1978. It will try to understand
This means on Venus the Sun rises in Venus’ composition to see how the
the west and sets in the East. One day planet formed and evolved. This
on Venus is equivalent to 243 Earth mission also consists of a descent
days because of its backward spinning, sphere that will pass through the
opposite to that of the Earth’s and planet’s thick atmosphere and make
most other planets. Venus also does observations and take measurements
not have a moon and no rings. of noble gases and other elements.
Have humans visited Venus?  Significantly, this mission will also try
 Because of the planet’s harsh to return the first high resolution
environment, no humans have photographs of a geological feature
visited it and even the spacecraft that is unique to Venus. This feature,
that have been sent to the planet which is called “tesserae” may be
have not survived for a very long comparable to Earth’s continents. The
time. presence of tesseraes may suggest that
 Venus’ high surface temperatures Venus has tectonic plates like Earth.
overheat electronics in spacecraft in a  The second mission called VERITAS is
short time, so it seems unlikely that a short for ‘Venus Emissivity, Radio
person could survive for long on the Science, InSAR, Topography, and
Venusian surface. Spectroscopy’ and will map the
 So far, spacecraft from several nations planet’s surface to determine its
have visited the planet. The first such geologic history and understand the
spacecraft was the Soviet Union’s reasons why it developed so
Venera series (the spacecraft, differently from Earth.

39
 VERITAS will orbit Venus with a radar environmental mitigation, and

that will help to create a three national defence, among others.
dimensional reconstruction of its  Rare earth minerals are crucial to the
topography which might be able to tell manufacture of magnets used in
scientists if processes such as plate industries of the future, such as wind
tectonics and volcanism are still active turbines and electric cars.
there.  REEs are needed in high-temperature
 This mission will also map the superconductivity, safe storage and
emissions from Venus’s surface that transport of hydrogen for a post-
may help in determining the type of hydrocarbon economy, reduce sulphur
rocks that exist on Venus–a piece of oxide emissions and hence it has
information that is not exactly known abundant value.
yet. It will also determine if active  According to the Rare Earth
volcanoes are releasing water vapour Technology Alliance (RETA), the
into the atmosphere. estimated size of the Rare Earth sector
is between $10 billion and $15 billion.
5) Rare Earth Metals About 100,000-110,000 tonnes of
What’s in the news? Rare Earth elements are produced
 The U.S. Senate passed a law aimed at annually around the world.
improving American competitiveness Who is the top producer?
in the rare earth elements sector.  China has over time acquired global
What are rare earth elements? domination of rare earths. At one
 The rare earth elements (REE) are a point, China produced 90 per cent of
set of seventeen metallic elements. the rare earths the world needs.
They are called 'rare earth' because  Today, however, it has come down to
earlier it was difficult to extract 60 per cent. The remaining is
them from their oxides forms produced by other countries.
technologically. What is India’s position?
 They are an essential part of many  India has the world’s fifth-largest
high-tech devices. The 17 Rare reserves of rare earth elements, but it
Earths are cerium (Ce), dysprosium imports most of its rare earth needs
(Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), in finished form from China.
gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho),  With adjustments to the existing
lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), policy, India could emerge as a rare
neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), earths supplier to the world and use
promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), these resources to power a high-end
scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), thulium manufacturing economy.
(Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and yttrium (Y). India's Current Policy on Rare Earths
 Despite their name, rare-earth  India has granted government
elements are not rare. All the metals corporations such as Indian Rare
except radioactive promethium are Earths Limited (IREL) a monopoly
actually more abundant in Earth's over the primary mineral that
crust than silver, gold, and platinum. contains REEs: monazite beach sand,
Why are they important? found in many coastal states.
 These elements are important in  IREL produces rare earth oxides
technologies of consumer electronics, (low-cost, low-reward “upstream
computers and networks, processes”), selling these to foreign
communications, clean energy, firms that extract the metals and
advanced transportation, healthcare, manufacture end products (high-cost,

40
high-reward “downstream  Finally, it could coordinate with

processes”) elsewhere. other agencies to partner directly
Reforms and Solutions with groupings such as the Quad,
 The key challenge for India today is to building up a strategic reserve as a
scale up upstream and downstream buffer against global supply crises.
processes in the rare earths value Way Forward
chain. India must open its rare earth  India has already missed one global
sector up to competition and wave of industrial manufacturing. Its
innovation, and attract the large rare earth reserves and the post-
amounts of capital needed to set up pandemic economic situation offer it
facilities to compete with, and supply an opportunity to ride the next wave
to, the world. towards high-tech manufacturing. It
 The best move forward might be to must be sure not to miss this chance.
create a new Department for Rare
Earths (DRE) under the Ministry of 6) Bitcoin as legal tender
Petroleum & Natural Gas, drawing What’s in the news?
on its exploration, exploitation,  El Salvadorr, a small coastal country
refining, and regulation capabilities. in Central America, has become the
 This DRE should oversee policy first sovereign nation to adopt bitcoin
formulation and focus on attracting as legal tender.
investment and promoting R&D, with o ‘Legal tender’ is the money that
its first move being to allow private is recognised by the law of the
sector companies to process beach land, as valid for payment of
sand minerals within appropriate debt. It must be accepted for
environmental safeguards. It should discharge of debt.
also create an autonomous regulator,
the Rare Earths Regulatory
Authority of India (RRAI), to resolve
disputes between companies in this
space and check compliance.
 There are three possible approaches
to maximising India’s rare earth
potential. First, the DRE could secure
access to REEs of strategic importance
by offering viability gap funding to
companies to set up facilities in the
upstream sector. This could make
Indian Rare Earth Oxides (REOs)
globally competitive.
 Alternatively, it could focus on
downstream processes and
applications, such as manufacturing About Bitcoin
magnets and batteries; this would  Bitcoin was the first decentralized
require a focus on port cryptocurrency introduced in 2009.
infrastructure and ease of doing Etherium, Tether, and Binance Coin
business measures to allow Indian are some of the many others
manufacturers to import REOs from cryptocurrencies that have emerged
producers cheaply. after Bitcoin.

41
 Cryptocurrencies are built on the back small amounts of cryptocurrency of

of blockchain technology which is a their own. Once the cryptominer
system of distributed, successfully completes the
cryptographically-secured account mathematical problem and verifies
keeping. the transaction information, they add
 A defining feature of cryptocurrencies the data to the public blockchain
is that they are generally not issued ledger.
by any central authority, rendering Concerns
them theoretically immune to  Due to their core nature that shuns
government interference or centralised control, governments
manipulation. globally have been wary of
 In this system, the users keep a tab on cryptocurrencies.
every digital ‘coin’ and transaction  China, a hub of cryptocurrency
rather than a banking system with a activity, has issued a digital Yuan on
governing body at its centre. blockchain while it cracks down on
 Blockchain technology makes it other cryptocurrencies. The Bank of
difficult or impossible to change, England has also proposed a digital
hack, or cheat the system as it is Sterling.
essentially a digital ledger of  Cryptocurrencies as commodities are
transactions that is duplicated and highly volatile with massive swings
distributed across the entire network in their values.
of computer systems on the  Another problem is the increasing
blockchain. energy use associated with
Cryptomining cryptocurrencies. The ‘mining’ of
 Cryptocurrency mining, or Bitcoin, where individuals or
cryptomining, is a process in which companies set up powerful systems to
transactions for various forms of support the blockchain network, for
cryptocurrency are verified and which they are rewarded in the
added to the blockchain digital currency, is estimated to generate
ledger. between 22 and 22.9 million metric
 During the cryptocurrency mining tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a
process, volunteer coders called year.
cryptominers compete with each  In 2018, the RBI issued a circular
other to solve complicated banning all regulated banks from
mathematical problems using high- holding or facilitating cryptocurrency
performance computers. transactions. However, this circular
 The first miner to crack each code is was declared unconstitutional by the
rewarded by being able to authorize Supreme Court in 2020.
the transaction, and in return for the
service provided, cryptominers earn

42
Reports and Indices

1) World Investment Report  India received USD 64 billion in
2021 Foreign Direct Investment in 2020, the
What’s in the news? fifth largest recipient of inflows in
 The UN Conference on Trade and the world.
Development (UNCTAD) has released  In India, Foreign Direct Investment
its World Investment Report 2021. increased 27 per cent, to USD 64
 The Report supports policymakers by billion in 2020, from USD 51 billion in
monitoring global and regional 2019, pushed up by acquisitions in the
investment trends and national and information and communication
international policy developments. technology (ICT) industry.
 This year’s report reviews investment  The pandemic boosted demand for
in the Sustainable Development Goals digital infrastructure and services
(SDGs) and shows the influence of globally. This led to higher values of
investment policies on public health greenfield FDI project announcements
and economic recovery from the targeting the ICT industry, rising by
pandemic. more than 22 per cent to $81 billion.
Highlights of the Report
 Global Foreign Direct Investment cent in 2020, to USD 1 trillion from

flows have been severely hit by the USD 1.5 trillion the previous year.
pandemic and they plunged 35 per  While some of the largest economies in
developing Asia such as China and

43
India recorded FDI growth in 2020, the  The survey covers all the Institutions
rest recorded a contraction. in the country engaged in imparting
 FDI outflows from South Asia fell 12 higher education.
per cent to $12 billion, driven by a Highlights of the Survey
drop in investment from India. India Total Enrolment
ranked 18 out of the world’s top 20  Total Enrolment in Higher Education
economies for FDI outflows, with 12 stands at 3.85 crore in 2019-20 as
billion dollars of outflows recorded compared to 3.74 crore in 2018-19,
from the country in 2020 as compared registering a growth of 11.36 lakh
to 13 billion dollars in 2019. (3.04 %).
 The report noted that the second wave Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER)
of the COVID-19 outbreak in India  GER, which measures the percentage
weighs heavily on the country’s overall of students belonging to the eligible
economic activities but its strong age group (18-23 years) enrolled in
fundamentals provide “optimism” for Higher Education, in 2019-20 is
the medium term. 27.1% against 26.3% in 2018-19 and
Related Information 24.3% in 2014-2015.
UNCTAD Gender Parity Index (GPI)
 Established in 1964 as a permanent  GPI, a ratio of proportional
intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is representation of female and male, in
the principal organ of the United higher education is 1.01 in 2019-20
Nations General Assembly dealing with against 1.00 in 2018-19. It shows that
trade, investment and development females are accessing higher education
issues. more than males.
 It is also the United Nations focal point Pupil Teacher Ratio
for the least developed countries.  Pupil Teacher Ratio in higher
education is 26 in 2019-20.
2) AISHE-2020  The Total Number of Teachers stands
What’s in the news? at 15,03,156 comprising 57.5% male
 The Union Ministry of Education has and 42.5% female.
released the All India Survey on Female enrollment
Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20.  There has been an overall increase of
 The report provides key performance over 18% in female enrolment in
indicators on the current status of higher education from 2015-16 to
Higher education in the country. 2019-20.
 Indicators of educational development Major Disciplines
such as Institution Density, Gross  3.38 crore Students enrolled in
Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-teacher ratio, programmes at under-graduate and
Gender Parity Index, Per Student postgraduate level.
Expenditure are calculated from the  Out of these, nearly 85% of the
data collected through AISHE. These students (2.85 crore) were enrolled in
are useful in making informed policy the six major disciplines such as
decisions and research for the Humanities, Science, Commerce,
development of the education sector. Engineering & Technology, Medical
 This report is the 10th in the series of Science and IT & Computer.
AISHE which is annually released by  The total number of students pursuing
the Department of Higher Education. PhD in 2019-20 is 2.03 lakh against
1.17 lakh in 2014-15.

44
3) Performance Grading Index Grade VII, and it means a score

What's in the news? between 0 and 550 points.
 The Ministry of Education has How have states performed this time?
released its Performance Grading  In PGI 2019-20, no state or Union
Index for 2019-20. Territory could achieve the highest
 The index monitors the progress that grade, that is Level I. Even in the
States and Union Territories have 2017-18 and 2018-19 editions, no
made in school education with state had reached Level 1 and Grade
regard to learning outcomes, access 1++.
and equity, infrastructure and  Chandigarh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu,
facilities, and governance and Andaman and Nicobar and Kerala
management processes. have scored more than 90% and
 This is the third edition of the index obtained Grade 1++ (or Level II), which
and states are scored on a total of makes them the best performing
1,000 points across 70 parameters, states. This is the first time that any
which are grouped under five broad state has reached Level II.
categories:  Only the UT of Ladakh has been placed
1. Access (eg. Enrolment ratio, in the lowest grade, that is Grade VII,
transition rate and retention but that’s because it was the first time
rate); it was assessed after it was carved out
2. Governance and management; of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
3. Infrastructure;  Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
4. Equity (difference in saw a glaring drop in their governance
performance between scheduled scores, pushing both States to an
caste students and general overall performance that was worse
category students) and than in the previous edition.
5. Learning outcomes (average How does their performance compare
score in mathematics, science, with that in the last two editions of
languages and social science). PGI?
 The PGI exercise aims at encouraging  A total of 33 States and UTs have
states and Union territories to improved their total PGI score in
undertake multipronged interventions 2019-20 as compared to 2018-19,
that will bring about optimal education indicating a general upward shift.
outcomes.  However, there are still 31 states and
What does the grading system reflect? UTs placed in Level III (Grade 1) or
 The PGI grading system has 10 levels. lower, showing that they still have a
Level 1 indicates top-notch lot of ground to cover.
performance and a score between 951  The biggest improvement in PGI this
and 1,000 points. Level II, also known year has been shown by Andaman
as Grade 1++, indicates a score and Nicobar Islands, Punjab, and
between 901 and 950. Those with Arunachal Pradesh. All three have
Grade 1+ (or Level III) have scored improved their score by 20%.
between 851 and 900. The lowest is

45
What are the areas where the states  First launched in December 2018, the
still have to improve? index has become the primary tool for
 According to the report, states and UTs monitoring progress on the SDGs in
mainly need to improve their India. It has also fostered competition
performance in terms of governance among the states and UTs by ranking
processes. This domain carries several them on the global goals.
parameters, including teacher  The SDG India Index scores range
availability, teachers training, regular between 0–100, higher the score of a
inspection, and availability of finances. State/UT, the greater the distance to
 The second area that requires target achieved. States and UTs are
attention is the Domain for classified in four categories based on
Infrastructure and facilities, where their SDG India Index score —
twenty States/UTs have scored less aspirant: 0–49; performer: 50–64;
than 120 (80% of maximum possible front-runner: 65–99, achiever: 100.
score in this domain). This is a cause What is the significance of the SDG
for concern as a proper school building India Index?
with adequate facilities is a must to  The index is developed in
improve the overall quality of school collaboration with the United
education. Nations in India. It tracks the
progress of all states and UTs on 115
4) SDG India Index 2020-21 indicators aligned with the National
What is SDG India Index? Indicator Framework (NIF) of the
 The Index for Sustainable Ministry of Statistics and
Development Goals (SDGs) evaluates Programme Implementation.
progress of states and Union  The index is a key tool for focused
Territories (UTs) on various policy dialogue, formulation and
parameters including health, implementation through development
education, gender, economic growth, actions, in line with the global SDG
institutions, climate change and framework. It helps in identifying
environment. It is released by the NITI crucial gaps related to tracking the
Aayog. SDGs and the need for India to develop
its statistical systems.
46
Why in News? the third edition of the index covers 16

 NITI Aayog has released its SDG India Goals on 115 quantitative
Index 2020-21. indicators. The 115 indicators
 From covering 13 Goals with 62 incorporate 16 out of 17 SDGs, with a
indicators in its first edition in 2018, qualitative assessment on Goal 17.
Highlights of the latest report  While Kerala has retained the top rank
Top Performers in 2020-21 Index, Mizoram, Haryana,

47
and Uttarakhand are the top gainers themselves in this category in 2020-
in terms of improvement in their 21.
rankings from 2019, with an increase  Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
of 12, 10 and 8 points, respectively. Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana, Tripura,
 Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam were Delhi, Lakshadweep, Andaman and
the worst performing states in this Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir
year’s India index. and Ladakh graduated to the category
Overall Score of front-runners (scores between 65
 The country’s overall SDG score and 99, including both).
improved by 6 points — from 60 in  Currently, there are no states in the
2019 to 66 in 2020-21 — on accounts aspirant and achiever category; 15
of improvement in performance in states/UTs are in the performer
providing facilities including clean category and 22 states/UTs in the
water and sanitation, affordable and front runner category.
clean energy among others. Related Information
 While Kerala retained its rank as the SDGs & 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
top with a score of 75, Himachal Development
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu both took  The Sustainable Development Goals
the second spot with a score of 74. are a universal call to action to end
 Chandigarh maintained its top spot poverty, protect the planet and
among the UTs with a score of 79, improve the lives and prospects of
followed by Delhi (68). everyone, everywhere. The 17 Goals
Categories were adopted by all UN Member States
 While in 2019, 10 states/UTs belonged in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda
to the category of front-runners for Sustainable Development which
(score in the range 65-99, including set out a 15-year plan to achieve the
both), 12 more states/UTs find Goals.
 Through the pledge to Leave No One fast-track progress for those furthest
Behind, countries have committed to behind first. That is why the SDGs are

48
designed to bring the world to several developed a National Indicator

life-changing ‘zeros’, including zero Framework (NIF) consisting originally
poverty, hunger, AIDS and of 306 national indicators following a
discrimination against women and consultation process with other
girls. stakeholders.
 Today, progress is being made in many  NIF is the backbone of monitoring of
places, but, overall, action to meet the SDGs at the national level and provides
Goals is not yet advancing at the speed appropriate direction to the policy
or scale required. makers and the implementing agencies
About NIF of various schemes and programmes.
 The Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation has

49
Polity
1) Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 river and 4,000 km of canals can be
What’s in the news? used by mechanized crafts. Still these
 The Union Cabinet has given its inland waterways are underutilized
approval to the Inland Vessels Bill, in India as compared to other
2021, which will replace the Inland countries in the world.
Vessels Act, 1917. The new bill looks at  Its operations are currently restricted
streamlining vessels running on inland to a few stretches in the Ganga-
waterways in the country. Bhagirathi-Hooghly rivers, the
 The bill will now be presented in the Brahmaputra, the Barak river, the
Parliament. rivers in Goa, the backwaters in Kerala,
Highlights of the Bill inland waters in Mumbai and the
 A total of 4,000 kilometres of inland deltaic regions of the Godavari -
waterways are operational in the Krishna rivers.
country. The Bill will regulate safety,  Freight transportation by
security and registration of inland waterways is highly under-utilized
vessels. in India compared to other large
 A key feature of the Bill is a unified countries and geographic areas like the
law for the entire country, instead of United States, China and the European
separate rules framed by the States. Union. The total cargo moved (in tonne
 The certificate of registration kilometres) by the inland waterway
granted under the proposed law will was just 0.1% of the total inland
be deemed to be valid in all States traffic in India, compared to the 21%
and Union Territories, and there will figure for the United States. Cargo
be no need to seek separate transportation in an organised manner
permissions from the States is confined to a few waterways in Goa,
 The Bill provides for a central West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.
database for recording the details of  Water transportation is receiving
vessel, vessel registration, crew on an significant attention in recent times
electronic portal. since logistics cost in India is one of
 It requires all mechanically the highest among major countries –
propelled vessels to be mandatorily it is 18% in India versus 8-10% in
registered. All non-mechanically China and 10-12% in European Union.
propelled vessels will also have to be  While inland waterways are
enrolled at district, taluk or panchayat recognised as a fuel efficient, cost
or village level. effective and environment friendly
Related Information mode of transport, it has received
Inland waterways of India lesser investment as compared to
 India has an extensive network of roads and railways. Since inland
inland waterways in the form of rivers, waterways are lagging behind other
canals, backwaters and creeks. These modes of transport, the Inland
long waterways provide a good mode Waterways Authority of India
of transport across the cities as well as (IWAI) is working on new projects for
towns, like backwaters of Kerala, waterways and better water
Canals in Gujarat and few waterways transportation in India.
in Goa, West Bengal and Assam. About IWAI
 The total navigable length is 14,500  The Inland Waterways Authority of
km, out of which about 5,200 km of the India came into existence in 1986 for

50
development and regulation of inland  The National Waterways Act

waterways for shipping and mandates the Central Government
navigation. to regulate these waterways for
 It is a Statutory Body under the systematic and orderly development of
Ministry of Shipping. shipping and navigation activities.
 The Authority primarily undertakes  It intends to create large-scale,
projects for development and commercial shipping and navigation
maintenance of Inland Water systems in all these 111 waterways.
Transport (IWT) infrastructure on These are expected to realise the
national waterways through grants potential of cargo and passenger
received from the Ministry of traffic, including tourism and cruise,
Shipping. offer seamless connectivity at lower
National Waterways Act 2016 per-unit cost and make
 As per constitutional provisions, only transportation more efficient.
those waterways which are declared  Spread across the Eastern, Western,
as National Waterways come under Southern and Central regions of the
the purview of the Central country, these waterways cover nearly
Government while the rest of 15000 kilometers across 24 states and
waterways remain in the purview of two union territories.
respective State Governments.  The project would generate a series of
 The National Waterways Act 2016 has forward and backward linkages with
declared 111 rivers or river prospects to penetrate deep into the
stretches, creeks, estuaries in India economy. The multiplier effect of the
as National Waterways for the investment and its linkages can result
promotion of Inland waterways in the in a virtuous cycle of all-round growth.
country.

51
Economy
1) India’s first maritime  Globally, London is the preferred
arbitration centre centre for arbitration for the maritime
What’s in the news? and shipping sector.
 The Gujarat Maritime University has Related Information
signed a Memorandum of About IFSC
Understanding (MoU) with the  An International Financial Services
International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) is a jurisdiction that
Centres Authority in GIFT City to provides world class financial
promote the Gujarat International services to non-residents and
Maritime Arbitration Centre residents, to the extent permissible
(GIMAC). under the current regulations, in a
 This will be the first centre of its kind currency other than the domestic
in the country that will manage currency (Indian Rupee) of the
arbitration and mediation proceedings location where the IFSC is located.
 Services provided by an IFSC:
with disputes related to the maritime
and shipping sector.  Fund-raising services for
Where is the GIMAC being set up? individuals, corporations and
 The GIMAC will be part of a maritime governments
cluster that the Gujarat Maritime  Asset management and global
Board (GMB) is setting up in GIFT City portfolio diversification
at Gandhinagar. The Maritime Board undertaken by pension funds,
has rented about 10,000 square feet at insurance companies and mutual
GIFT House which is part of the Special funds
Economic Zone (SEZ) area with the  Wealth management
clearance from the development  Merger and acquisition activities
commissioner. among trans-national corporations,
 The centre is expected to be ready by etc.
the end of August. GIFT City
Why is such a centre needed?  India’s 1st IFSC was set up at the
 There are over 35 arbitration Gujarat International Finance Tec-
centres in India. However, none of City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar in
them exclusively deals with the 2011.
maritime sector.  It is intended to provide Indian
 The idea is to create a world-class corporates with easier access to global
arbitration centre focused on maritime financial markets, and to complement
and shipping disputes that can help and promote the further development
resolve commercial and financial of financial markets in India.
conflicts between entities having
operations in India. 2) GDP shrinks by 7.3%
 It is required because, for instance, the What’s in the news?
ship owners belong to a different  As per provisional National Income
country and the person leasing the estimates released by the National
ship is from another country. Any Statistical Office, India's Gross
dispute arising between them can be Domestic Product (GDP) contracted
resolved within this centre. by 7.3% in 2020-21, marginally
better than the 8% contraction in the
economy projected earlier.

52
 GDP growth in 2019-20, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was 4%.
GVA Accounts (CGA) and official GDP

 The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the figures.
economy shrank 6.2% in 2020-21,  The Centre had revised its fiscal
compared to a 4.1% rise in the deficit target in the Budget from 3.5
previous year. per cent to 9.5 per cent due to
 Only two sectors bucked the trend of increased expenditure on various
negative GVA growth — agriculture, schemes announced by the
forestry and fishing, which rose 3.6%, government to tide over the Covid-19
and electricity, gas, water supply pandemic.
and other utility services (up 1.9%).  The CGA projected the revenue deficit
 Though this is the worst performance at 7.42% of GDP, which had been
on record for the economy, the assumed at ₹194.82 lakh crore in the
fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020-21 helped Union Budget.
moderate the damage, with a higher- o Fiscal deficit is the difference
than-expected growth of 1.6% in GDP. between total expenditure and
 This marked the second quarter of total receipts except borrowing
positive growth after the country and other liabilities.
entered a technical recession in the o Revenue deficit is defined as the
first half of the year. difference between revenue
 GDP had contracted 24.4% in the April expenditure and revenue receipts.
to June 2020 quarter, followed by a Related Information
7.4% shrinkage in the second quarter. National Statistical Office
It had returned to positive territory in  The National Statistical Office (NSO) is
the September to December quarter the Statistics Wing of the Ministry of
with a marginal 0.5% growth. Statistics and Programme
Fiscal Deficit Implementation.
 India recorded a fiscal deficit of 9.2%  In 2019, the central government
of GDP in 2020-21, narrower than the merged the Central Statistical
revised estimate of 9.5%, as per data Organisation (CSO) and National
from the Controller General of Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO)

53
into the National Statistical  Another key feature of a technical

Organisation. recession is that it is most often
 NSO is mandated with the following caused by a one-off event (in this
responsibilities:- case, the COVID-19 pandemic and the
 Acts as the nodal agency for lockdowns imposed to combat it) and
planned development of the is generally shorter in duration.
statistical system in the country
 Compiles and releases the index of 3) National Anti-Profiteering
industrial production (iip) every Authority
month and conducts the annual About National Anti-Profiteering
survey of industries (asi); Authority (NAA)
 Organizes and conducts periodic  Soon after the GST was rolled out from
all-india economic censuses 1 July 2017, the government had
 Prepares national accounts as well approved setting up of the NAA for two
as publishes annual estimates of years.
national product, government and  NAA is a statutory body constituted
private consumption expenditure, under the Central Goods and Services
capital formation, savings, etc. As Tax Act, 2017 to check the unfair
also the state level gross capital profit-making activities by the
formation of supra-regional sectors trading community.
and prepares comparable estimates  The Authority’s core function is to
of state domestic product (sdp) at ensure that the benefits of the
current prices; reduction in GST rates on goods or
What is a technical recession? services made by the GST Council is
 A technical recession is a term used to passed on to the ultimate
describe two consecutive quarters of consumers by way of a reduction in
decline in output. In the case of a prices by traders.
nation’s economy, the term usually  NAA examines and checks such
refers to back-to-back contractions in profiteering activities and
real GDP. recommends punitive actions
 The most significant difference including cancellation of Registration.
between a ‘technical recession’ and a  In 2019, the GST Council has extended
‘recession’ is that while the former the tenure of the NAA by two years.
term is mainly used to capture the Why in News?
trend in GDP, the latter expression  The National Anti-Profiteering
encompasses an appreciably more Authority has directed GST officials
broad-based decline in economic across the country to ensure that the
activity that covers several economic tax rate cuts notified on some COVID-
variables including employment, 19-related essentials are passed on to
household and corporate incomes and consumers.
sales at businesses.

54
International Relations
1) Tigray crisis o It lies along the southern side of the
What’s in the news? Gulf of Aden and forms the
 The conflict that began between easternmost projection of the
Ethiopia’s federal government and the African continent.
ruling party in the Tigray region in the  UN agencies have said that hundreds of
country’s north last year has since thousands in Tigray are facing famine,
blown up into a full scale crisis in the and millions more are at risk. Around
Horn of Africa. 2.2 million people had been displaced
o The Horn of Africa (alternatively by the fighting and many forced to flee
Northeast Africa, and sometimes to neighbouring countries.
Somali Peninsula) is a peninsula of  Reports have emerged of sexual
East Africa that includes Djibouti, violence against girls and women in
Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. In its the region. The UN said investigations
widest sense it could also include by news organisations and
Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and independent observers had revealed
Uganda. that sexual violence was being used as
a “weapon of war”.
What is the cause of the strife? and leaders of Tigray's dominant

 The conflict started in November 2020 political party.
when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy  For almost three decades, the party
Ahmed ordered a military offensive was at the centre of power, before it
against regional forces in Tigray. was sidelined by Nobel Peace Prize-
 He said he did so in response to an winning Abiy, who took office in 2018
attack on a military base housing after anti-government protests.
government troops in Tigray.  Abiy pursued reforms, but when
 The escalation came after months of Tigray resisted, a political crisis
feuding between Abiy's government ensued.

55
Art and Culture

1) Yoga also showed the popularity of the
What is Yoga? ancient Indian practice of Yoga all over
 Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and the world.
spiritual practice that originated in  There are over 300 million
ancient India. practitioners of Yoga worldwide which
 Yoga is also the name of one of the six shows that Yoga is popular in Europe,
schools of Hindu philosophy, the USA etc.
other five being Sankhya, Nyaya,  Yoga can be a big tourist boost for the
Vaisheshika, Mimansa and Vedanta. country as tourists can focus on
 Yoga is mentioned in the Rigveda, and learning and practicing yoga in its
also referenced in the Upanishads, birthplace.
though it most likely developed as a  By showing India’s contributions to the
systematic study around the 5th and world in the field of health, well-being
6th centuries BCE, in ancient India’s and spirituality, India can project itself
ascetic and Śramaṇa movements. as a soft power and ultimately become
 The science of yoga has its origin a strong voice in global matters.
thousands of years ago, long before the Why in News?
first religions or belief systems were  International Yoga Day was celebrated
born. In the yogic lore, Shiva is seen on June 21.
as the first yogi or Adiyogi, and the
first Guru or Adi Guru. 2) National Maritime Heritage
 The Number of seals and fossil remains Complex
of Indus valley civilization with Yogic What’s in the news?
motives and figures performing Yoga  A memorandum of understanding
Sadhana suggest the presence of Yoga (MOU) has been signed between the
in ancient India. The phallic symbols, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
seals of idols of mother Goddess are Waterways and Ministry of Culture for
suggestive of Tantra Yoga. Cooperation in Development of
 Presence of Yoga is available in folk National Maritime Heritage
traditions, Indus valley civilization, Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in
Vedic and Upanishadic heritage, Gujarat. This complex would be
Buddhist and Jain traditions, developed as an international tourist
Darshanas, epics of Mahabharat and destination.
Ramayana, theistic traditions of  The museum is expected to play a big
Shaivas, Vaishnavas, and Tantric role in highlighting the cultural
traditions. heritage of the country.
 Today it is practiced in various forms About the complex
around the world and continues to  The heritage complex will be
grow in popularity. dedicated to the country's 5,000-
 Recognizing its universal appeal, the year maritime history. NMHC would
United Nations proclaimed 21 June be developed as an international
as the International Day of Yoga. It tourist destination where the maritime
aims to raise awareness worldwide of heritage of India -- from ancient to
the many benefits of practicing yoga. modern times -- would be showcased
Yoga as Soft Power and an edutainment approach using
 ‘International Yoga Day’ is seen as the the latest technology would be adopted
projection of India’s soft power. It

56
to spread awareness about the was one of the prominent cities of

country's maritime heritage. the Indus valley civilization.
 NMHC would be developed in an area  Lothal was also a vital and thriving
of about 400 acres with various unique trade Centre in ancient times, with its
structures such as the National trade of beads, gems, and valuable
Maritime Heritage Museum, lighthouse ornaments reaching the far corners of
museum, heritage theme park, West Asia and Africa.
museum-themed hotels, maritime-  The Lothal site has been nominated as
themed eco-resorts and maritime a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and
institute among others which would be its application is pending on the
developed in a phased manner. tentative list of UNESCO (Refer Pulse
 The unique feature of NMHC is the May 2021 edition).
recreation of ancient Lothal city, which

57
Defence
1) Negative Import List Micro, Small and Medium
What’s in the news? Enterprises (MSMEs).
 The Defence Ministry has notified the  As per Stockholm International
second negative import list of 108 Peace Research Institute, India has
items — now renamed as the ‘positive been the second largest importer
indigenisation list’— which can be between 2014 and 2019 with US$
only purchased from indigenous 16.75 billion worth of imports during
sources. this period.
 This is the second list issued after the  The government wants to reduce the
government came out with a list of 101 dependence on imported items in
negative import lists in August last defence and promote the domestic
year. The new list takes the total defence manufacturing industry.
number on the list to 209. It is planned  By denying the possibility of importing
to be implemented progressively with the items on the negative list, the
effect from December 2021 to domestic industry is given the
December 2025. opportunity to step up and
 The ‘second positive indigenisation manufacture them for the needs of the
list’ comprises complex systems, forces.
sensors, simulator, weapons and  This will boost indigenisation of
ammunitions like helicopters, next defence production and is in line with
generation corvettes, Air Borne Early the government's target to reach a
Warning and Control (AEW&C) turnover of USD 25 billion by 2025
systems, tank engines, medium power through indigenously manufactured
radar for mountains, Medium Range defence products.
Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM)  It is a big step towards self-reliance in
weapon systems and many more such defence under the Atmanirbhar Bharat
items to fulfil the requirements of initiative.
Indian armed forces.
What is a Negative Import List (positive 2) Pinaka rocket
indigenisation list)? About Pinaka
 The negative list essentially means that  Pinaka is an indigenous multi-barrel
the Armed Forces—Army, Navy and rocket launch system, which has
Air Force, will only procure such been developed by the Defence
items from domestic manufacturers. Research and Development
 The manufacturers could be private Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian
sector players or Defence Public Sector Army.
Undertakings (DPSUs).  The development of the Pinaka was
Significance started by the DRDO in the late 1980s,
 Not only does the list recognise the as an alternative to the multi-barrel
potential of the local defence rocket launching systems of Russian
industry, it will also invigorate make, called the ‘Grad’, which are still
impetus to domestic Research and in use.
Development by attracting fresh  After successful tests of Pinaka Mark-1
investment into technology and in the late 1990, it was first used in the
manufacturing capabilities. battlefield during the Kargil War of
 The list also provides an excellent 1999, quite successfully.
opportunity for ‘start-ups’ as also

58
 The Mark-I version of Pinaka has a  It is designed to provide accurate

range of around 40 kilometres and position information service to users in
the Mark-II version can fire up to 75 India as well as the region extending
kilometres. Over the late 2010s, up to 1500 km from its boundary,
multiple successful tests of the Mark-II which is its primary service area.
version have been carried out by the  Beyond that lies an Extended Service
DRDO. Area, that can extend up to the edges
 The navigation system of the Pinaka of the area enclosed by the rectangle
Mark II is aided by the Indian imagined by latitudes 30 degrees
Regional Navigation Satellite System South and 50 degrees North, and
(IRNSS) to improve the accuracy and longitudes 30 degrees East and 130
enhance the range. degrees East.
Why in News?  IRNSS will provide two types of
 DRDO successfully test fired the services, namely, Standard
enhanced version of the Pinaka Mark 1 Positioning Service (SPS) which is
rocket at integrated test range, provided to all the users and
Chandipur in Odisha. Restricted Service (RS), which is an
encrypted service provided only to the
authorised users.
 The IRNSS System is expected to
provide a position accuracy of
better than 20 m in the primary
service area.
 The space segment consists of the
IRNSS constellation of eight
satellites (with one being a
 The Enhanced Pinaka Mk-1 will replacement). Three satellites are
eventually replace the Pinaka Mk-1 located in the geostationary orbit and
missiles, which are currently used by the remaining four are located in
regiments of the Indian Army along geosynchronous orbits.
India’s frontiers with China and Applications
Pakistan. The enhanced range version  Applications of IRNSS include:
can destroy targets at distances up to 1. Terrestrial, Aerial and Marine
45km. Navigation
Related Information 2. Disaster Management
Indian Regional Navigation Satellite 3. Vehicle tracking and fleet
System (IRNSS) - NavIC management
 IRNSS is an independent regional 4. Integration with mobile phones
navigation satellite system 5. Precise Timing
developed by the Indian Space 6. Mapping and Geodetic data capture
Research Organization (ISRO). 7. Terrestrial navigation aid for hikers
 In April 2016, with the last launch of and travellers
the constellation's satellite, IRNSS was 8. Visual and voice navigation for
renamed Navigation Indian drivers
Constellation (NAVIC).
Range of NavIC

59
Geostationary vs Geosynchronous Geosynchronous Orbit

orbits  The orbit around the Earth with an
orbit period equal to one sidereal day
(i.e. 23 Hrs, 56 minutes, 4 seconds) is
known as geosynchronous orbit. The
word "synchronous" means an object
in this orbit returns to the same
position after a period of 1 sidereal day
to the observer on the Earth's surface.
 There are many such orbits around
the Earth. It may be circular or non-
circular types.

60
 Geosynchronous satellites have an

inclination with respect to the
equator.
Geostationary Orbit
 The circular orbit at an altitude of
35768 Kms above the equator of the
Earth which follows the direction of
rotation of the Earth is known as
geostationary orbit.
 Object in this orbit has a period
equal to the rotation period of the
earth. Hence it appears motionless
from earth or at fixed position to
observers on the ground w.r.t. his/her
position. Hence the word "stationary".
 There is only one such orbit around
the Earth.
 It is one type of Geosynchronous
orbit. It is a circular orbit.
 Geostationary satellites have zero
inclination with respect to the
equator.

June 2021

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OFFICERS'

CURRENT AFFAIRS Monthly

3) India and Pakistan’s battle over Defence.................................................................. 57

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2) Integrated Power Development  Additional Grant = 15% (5% for special

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fertiliser because it is highly (most widely used one after urea),

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around the needs of an ageing 4) Towards a stronger mental

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 Media awareness and government District, Governments, civil society and

 At district level District Nodal imparted vocational training.

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Why in the News? advertisements, films and

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as drug trafficking, and in hazardous  Seventeen States that facilitated

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Why in News? 2) Why do mangroves matter?

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Significance of mangroves  Mangroves also have a big impact on

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the place with the highest production and provision of other

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repositories of floral and faunal importance, further the nursery grown

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 This will help maintain a balance  Heat Wave: When actual

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Chandigarh, Delhi, West Madhya report eight heatwave days per

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reducing human drudgery and cost 1. Mission for Integrated Development of

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Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agricultural, horticultural and forest

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World Health Organization (WHO) as water hyacinth, algae or other plant

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communities and contributes to the floating agriculture practices, it can

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 It is the only UN body with the concerning the peaceful settlement of a

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 On the ‘Act East Policy’, announced by  The Association of Southeast Asian

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Science and Technology

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millet, rice, and wheat are available  India needs a comprehensive,

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 In infected people, it causes a range of pipistrellus species tested positive for

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humans, raising the possibility of an its surface composition. A radar

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