WEBINAR HANDOUT

Weekly Current Affairs

 CONTENT
JUNE 2021 (2ND WEEK)

GDP shrinks by 7.3%, Q4 uptick moderates 2020-21 carnage ______ 02-05

Model Tenancy Law _________________________________________ 06-07

Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021 (LDAR) __ 08-10

H10N3 bird flu strain ________________________________________ 11-13

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index 2020 _________ 13-18

Objective Questions _________________________________________ 18-19

Subjective Questions ________________________________________ 20-20

1. GDP shrinks by 7.3%, Q4 uptick moderates 2020-21 carnage

Context:
 As per the provisional National Income estimates released by the National Statistical Office
(NSO) recently, India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 7.3% in 2020-21.
 This is the bleakest performance on record for the Indian economy.
 In comparison, the GDP growth was 4% in 2019-20 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic).

GDP growth trend in 2020-21

 The GDP had contracted 24.4% in the first quarter (April to June 2020), followed by a 7.4%
shrinkage in the second quarter (July to September). It had turned to positive territory in the third
quarter (October to December) with a marginal 0.5% growth.
 The fourth quarter (Q4-January to March) of 2020-21 had a higher-than-expected growth of 1.6%
in GDP.

Image: GDP growth rate of India since independence - FY 21 has seen the sharpest decline to date.
Source: The Hindu
 This marked the second quarter of positive growth after the country entered a technical recession
in the first half of the year.

Note: Technical Recession

When the overall output of goods and services, which is typically measured by the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), decreases for two consecutive quarters, the economy is said to be in a phase of a
technical recession.

Sectoral performance in terms of Gross Value Added

 The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy shrank 6.2% in 2020-21, compared to a 4.1% rise
in the previous year (2019-20).

Note: GVA
 As per the United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA) of 2008, Gross value added
(GVA) is defined as the value of output minus the value of intermediate consumption.
 It is used to measure the output or contribution of a particular individual producer, industry or
sector.
 Simply put, it gives the rupee value of goods and services produced in the economy after
deducting the cost of inputs and raw materials used.
 GVA is the main entry on the income side of the nation’s accounting balance sheet, and from the
perspective of economics, represents the supply side.
 In the wake of a comprehensive review of its approach to GDP measurement in 2015, the base
year (for GVA measurement) was shifted to 2011-12 in the new series from the earlier 2004-05
and GVA measurement also was moved from factor price to basic price.

GVA and GDP

 When the GVAs from all sectors (∑ GVA) are added together and adding taxes (product) and
reducing subsidies (product), we get the GDP (at market price). GVA thus shows the production
contribution of a particular sector.
 GDP at Market Prices = ∑ GVA at basic prices + product taxes – product subsidies.

Product tax and Production tax

 Production taxes are the taxes imposed on a firm by the virtue of it producing something. It
doesn't depend on the actual volume of production. For example, registration fees, land revenue,
stamp duties etc.
 Product taxes are taxes paid on the actual volume of production.

Relations between various terms

 GVA at factor cost + (Production taxes - Production subsidies) = GVA at basic prices
 GDP at market prices = GVA at basic prices + Product taxes - Product subsidies
 Basic price = Factor cost + Production taxes – Production subsidy
 Market price = Basic price + Product taxes – Product subsidy
 Sectors with sharp decline: GVA from trade, hotels, transport, communication and broadcasting-
related services recorded the sharpest decline of 18.2%. This was followed by construction (-
8.6%), mining and quarrying (-8.5%) and manufacturing (-7.2%) sectors.
 Sectors with growth: Only two sectors showed positive GVA growth:
o Agriculture, forestry and fishing (rose 3.6%)
o Electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services (was up by 1.9%).

Future prospects of the economy

 Moderation due to base effect: Economists said these low numbers for GDP in FY2021 will
moderate growth prospects for 2021-22 through the base effect, even as the second wave of the
pandemic is hurting the economic activity again.
Note: Base effect:
 The base effect is the impact that choosing a different reference point for a comparison between
two data points can have on the result of the comparison.
 For example, say the price of an apple in 2011 was ₹ 30. In 2012 it rose to ₹ 40. The increase here
is ₹ 10 and in percentage terms, it stands at 33%.
 Next year in 2013, say the price rose to ₹ 50. This time too the price rose by ₹ 10 but in
percentage terms, it is just 25%.
 Thus, though in both the cases, the price rose by ₹ 10, it seems that the rise was less in the
second year as compared to the previous year due to the higher base price of the product.
 On the contrary, if after the first year (in 2012), the price fell from 30 to 20 and then rose to 50 in
the next year (2013), in percentage terms the rise is a staggering 150%. This seems too high as the
base price here itself was low. This is the base effect.

 Impact of the second wave of the pandemic:

o The sharp recovery projected for 2021-22 by a number of agencies like the IMF at 12.5% may
have to be moderated as these projections were done prior to the impact of the second
COVID wave.
o There is also uncertainty whether future growth will be in double digits or single digits due
to the possibility of a third wave.
 Even then, it is estimated that the combination of the second wave and the revised base effect
may imply a lower GDP growth for the Indian economy for 2021-22, in the range of 9-9.5% (As
per recent RBI as well as Moody’s estimation, it is projected to be 9.5%).

Accuracy of the Estimates

There may be inaccuracies and sharp revisions in the growth estimates due to:
 Evaluation of informal sector: The extent of recovery in the performance of the informal sectors
in Q4 FY2021 remains uncertain given the lack of adequate proxies to them.
 Data collection issue: The NSO also warned that data collection had been impacted as much as
any other activity by the pandemic, so its estimates could undergo sharp revisions.
 Extension of timelines: Currently, the private corporate sector estimates of industries are based
on other indicators like the Index of Industrial Production, GST, etc as the statutory timelines for
filing the requisite financial returns of the fourth quarter have been extended by the Government
(due to COVID-19).

Way Ahead
 Vaccination: Vaccination is important for the health of the people as well as the health of the
economy.
 Lifting of the lockdowns: The second wave seems to have peaked on May 8 and is on the decline,
so it is anticipated that lockdowns will reduce and eventually be removed (Eg. Chhattisgarh and
Rajasthan have already started the unlock process), which will help the return of economic
activity.

Conclusion:
 Recovery hopes will hinge on the period for which localised restrictions will persist in the coming
days/months and whether an accelerated pace of vaccine rollout can prevent a third COVID
surge.
2. Model Tenancy Law

Context:
 Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the Model Tenancy Act (MTA) to streamline the process of
renting a property in India and aid the rental economy in the real estate sector.
 Since it is a state subject, states can adopt the Act as it is with fresh legislation or they can amend
their existing rent acts to factor in the new MTA.

Need for the Model Tenancy Act

 Unlocking vacant houses:

More than 1 crore houses were lying vacant in urban areas as per the Census of 2011.
This is because the existing rent control laws are restricting the growth of rental housing by
discouraging owners from renting out their vacant houses due to the fear of repossession - there
was no sound mechanism, apart from a really expensive and protracted route of filing a civil
lawsuit to resolve tenant-landlord conflicts.
 Balancing interests:
Tenancy and leasing operations in India are closely regulated by a Rent Control Act that is
implemented in various forms in all states.
For example, Delhi has the ‘Rent Control Act 1958’, Maharashtra has the ‘Rent Control Act 1999’
and Chennai has the ‘Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act 1960.
The broad idea covered in each of the Rent Control Act is to protect tenants from unfair eviction
and to settle disputes between the landlord and the tenant. This has hurt the owner/investor
interest.
Bringing transparency and accountability in the existing system of renting premises is one of the
potential measures to balance the interests of both the property owner and tenant in a judicious
manner.
 Formalising the sector: The government says the Act aims to formalise the shadow market of
rental housing, increase rental yields, ease/remove exploitative practices and reduce procedural
barriers in registration.
 Inclusive growth:
In 2015, it was decided by the government that 20% of the two crore houses to be created should
be exclusively for rent as affordable rental housing addresses the issues of the underprivileged
and inclusive growth, in an even more direct manner than affordable ownership housing.
Following this, an outlay of Rs 6,000 crore was provided for a rental component in Pradhan
Mantri Aawas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
Applicability of Model Tenancy Act
 The new Act will be applied prospectively and will not affect existing tenancies.
 The Act seeks to cover urban as well as rural areas.

Provisions of the Model Tenancy Act

 Compulsory written agreement: After enforcement of this Act, no person can let or take on rent
any premises except by an agreement in writing.
 Grievance redressal mechanism: States will set up a grievance redressal mechanism comprising
Rent Authority, Rent Court and Rent Tribunal to provide fast-track resolution of disputes.
o Even during the pendency of a dispute with a landlord, the tenant will continue to pay the
rent.
o No property manager or landlord can withhold any essential supply to the premises
occupied by the tenant in the event of a dispute. Also, they have to provide a 24-hour notice
to tenants before undertaking any repair work that may disrupt utilities' supply.
 Timeframe for resolution: Disposal of a complaint/appeal by the Rent Court and the Rent
Tribunal will be mandatory within 60 days.
 No ceiling on rent: There is no monetary ceiling (At present, in many old properties let out under
archaic rent-control Acts, such ceilings have left landlords stuck with outdated rent amounts).
 Digital platform: A digital platform will be set up in the local vernacular language or the
language of the State/Union Territory for submitting the tenancy agreement and other
documents.
 Subletting: Subletting of premises can only be done with the prior consent of the landlord.
 Structural changes: No structural change can be done by the tenant without the written consent
of the landlord.
 Security deposit:
o The security deposit to be paid by the tenant should not exceed two months’ rent for
residential property (six months’ rent in case of non-residential property) and should be a
minimum of one month’s rent for non-residential property.
o If the landlord fails to make any refund, he/she shall be liable to pay simple interest on the
amount which he has omitted or failed to refund to the tenant at such rate as may be
prescribed from time to time.
 Repairs: The Act lists the kinds of repairs each party would be responsible for, with the proviso
that money for repairs can be deducted from the security deposit or rent, as applicable, if a party
refuses to carry out their share of the work.
 Eviction: No arbitrary eviction of a tenant can be done during the currency of the tenancy period,
except in accordance with provisions of the Act.
 Hike in rentals: A three months' notice must be provided to tenants for a hike in rentals. This is
to ensure that the landowners are enabled to extract the market price for their properties while
also ensuring that tenants get enough notice to make adequate arrangements in their best
interests.
 Repossession: The Rent Court can allow repossession by the landlord if the tenant misuses the
premises, after being served a notice by the landowner.
o Misuse of the premises, as defined, includes public nuisance, damage, or its use for “immoral
or illegal purposes”.
o If the tenant refuses to vacate, the landlord can claim double the monthly rent for two
months, and four times the monthly rent thereafter.
 Force Majeure event: In case of a force majeure event, the landlord shall allow the tenant to
continue in possession until a period of one month from the date of cessation of such disastrous
event, on the terms of the existing tenancy agreement.
Issues with the initiative:
 No relief to existing owners: Since the law is applicable prospectively, it will not affect existing
tenancies, i.e owners who have not been able to evict tenants due to the provisions of the previous
laws will get no relief unless the state in which they own a property specifically makes provisions
for it.
 An additional burden on the judiciary: The law envisages a three-tier grievance redressal system
with a district-level judge in charge of dispute resolution.
o This means that states will have to invest in human resources from an already burdened
lower judicial system.

Conclusion
If implemented in letter and spirit, the Act will encourage the private sector to develop housing
projects for rent purposes and also bring a huge stock of vacant flats in the rental market. This will
help in achieving the government’s vision of “Affordable Housing for All”.
3. Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021 (LDAR)

Context:
 Praful Khoda Patel, a former Gujarat Minister and the new Administrator of Lakshadweep, has
recently introduced a slew of draft legislation that will have a wide-ranging impact on the
Lakshadweep islands.
 One of them is the draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021.
 It has been proposed to provide for the development of towns in Lakshadweep on the lines of
Maldives.
 The Regulations are to be enacted by exercising powers conferred by Article 240 of the
Constitution which provides the President, the power to make regulations for the peace, progress,
and good governance of certain Union Territories including Lakshadweep.

Provisions of the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021:

 Chief town planner:
o Government shall, by notification, appoint a person as the Chief Town Planner to assist the
Planning and Development Authorities.
 Declaration of planning areas:
o The Government may, by notification, declare any area to be a planning area and direct that
all or any of the rules and regulations shall apply to such planning area.
o Only cantonment areas are exempted from this.
 Constitution of Lakshadweep Development Authority (LDA):
o The government (Administrator), may constitute Planning and Development Authorities
under it to plan the development of any area identified as a planning area.
 Functions of LDA:
o Planning and Development Authorities are to prepare land use maps, comprehensive
development plans and carry out zonation for the type of land use and indicate areas for
proposed development - national highways, arterial roads, ring roads, railways, airports,
theatres, museums etc.
 Defines ‘Development’:
o It defines development as the carrying out of the engineering, building, mining, quarrying or
other operations in, on, over or under land, the cutting of a hill or any portion thereof or the
making of any material change in any building or land or in the use of any building or land.
 Legal Immunity and Penalties:
o The regulation states that the development plan would not be questioned by anyone, be it in
any legal proceedings also.
o It gives administrators the authority to forcibly remove or relocate residents from their
property for any developmental activity.
o It establishes penalties such as imprisonment for obstructing the development plan’s work.
 Proposes fees for changing zones:
o It stipulates that islanders must pay a processing fee for any zone changes i.e the people
would be required to pay fees to gain approval to alter zones as per the development plan, as
well as for permission to develop their own land.

Advantages of the Regulations:

 Tourism Development: The Lakshadweep Administration has stated that the Regulation is
necessary for the development of the islands into a tourism hub.
 Income and Employment Generation: The government aims to generate income and provide
employment to the islanders by “Holistic Development of Identified Islands”.
 Strategic Significance: The development of the territory has huge strategic significance amidst
rising Chinese inroads in nearby countries of Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
Issues with the Regulations

 Fears of Real Estate Lobby:

o People fear that the regulation is aimed at facilitating the entry of capital from outside the
islands for the acquisition of their land.
 Forcible Relocation & Eviction:
o LDAR gives unbridled power to authorities to relocate people for the development plans - it
has raised concerns of forcible eviction.
o It also puts the onus on the owner to develop his holding as per the plan prepared by the
authority as also to heavily penalise them in the event of non-compliance.
 Threaten the culture and life:
o The island community is a close-knit group with families living in close proximity. This
regulation will disrupt the way of life practised by them for generations.
 Ecological concerns:
o The development plan is neither socially viable nor ecologically sustainable.
o Also, the people’s representatives were not consulted during the drafting process.
 Ignores peoples’ needs and the geographical realities:
o The regulation envisions expanding existing and proposed national highways, major streets,
ring roads, railways, tram-ways, airports and canals etc, ignoring the long-standing demands
of people and the geographic reality of the region - a major concern of the people is transport
connectivity between the islands and the Indian mainland which needs more ships and boats
and better management of the facilities.

Conclusion
Rather than the heavy-handed and top-down approach that refuses to engage with local concerns and
needs, the administration should embrace participatory development to reduce the anomaly between
its vision and the needs of the residents.
4. H10N3 bird flu strain

Context
 Recently, a 41-year-old man in China’s eastern province has been confirmed as the first human
case of infection with a rare strain of bird flu known as H10N3.

Avian influenza / Bird flu

 H10N3 is a type of avian flu or bird flu.
 These illnesses caused by viruses are common in wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect
domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.
 Infected birds shed avian flu in their saliva, mucus, and excreta, and humans can get infected
when enough of the virus gets in the eyes, nose, or mouth, or is inhaled from infected droplets or
dust.

 Only a small subset of avian flu viruses can cross the critical barrier between birds and humans.

Details about the virus

 According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the virus appears to be rare in birds
and does not cause severe disease in them.
 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the source of the patient’s exposure to the
H10N3 virus was not known and no other cases were found among the local population.
 Also, there was no indication of human-to-human transmission yet and the risk of further
infection with H10N3 is currently believed to be very low.

Symptoms of the disease

 Details about H10N3 are scarce at the moment, but normally bird flu symptoms are usually the
same as the regular flu.
 They include Pink eye, Fever, Cough, Sore throat, Muscle aches, Nausea, Stomach pain, Diarrhea,
Vomiting, Shortness of breath, Difficulty breathing, Pneumonia, Altered mental status and
Seizures.
Treatment
 Bird flu is usually treated the same way as the ordinary flu using an antiviral medication like
Tamiflu, peramivir or zanamivir etc.
 Vaccines have to be developed if there is a rapid transmission in humans.

Is it a cause of worry?
 Hospitalisation has caused a mild concern: Many flu viruses only cause mild disease in humans.
H10N3 is getting a little more attention than the typical bird flu because it caused a patient to be
hospitalized.
 Risk of mutation:
o Flu viruses can mutate rapidly and mix with other strains circulating on farms or among
migratory birds, known as “reassortment,” meaning they could make genetic changes that
pose a transmission threat to humans.
o Avian influenza viruses that have little impact on birds can be much more serious in people,
such as the H7N9 strain that killed almost 300 people in China during the winter of 2016-
2017.
o The worst-case scenario of flu that jumped from animals/birds to humans is H1N1 or the
swine flu.
 But, experts claim that the current variant - H10N3 is not a serious threat as it is a low pathogenic
or relatively less severe strain of virus.

Other recent bird flu viruses

 In April 2021, a highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu was found in wild birds in northeast China.
 H5N8 bird flu strain was reported in Russia in March 2021.

Reason for the frequent occurrence of avian influenza especially in China

 China has huge populations of both farmed and wild birds of many species, thus becoming a
repository for many avian viruses.
 More and more infections with bird flu viruses are being detected with the growing surveillance
of avian influenza in the human population.
Way Ahead
 Decoding of genetic sequence: The genetic sequencing of the virus that infected the patient has
to be known on priority.
 Understanding transmission: It is also important to understand how easily H10N3 can infect
human cells to determine if it could become a greater risk as it would only take a few mutations
before a variant gains the ability to spread easily from person to person.
 Surveillance: Constant monitoring is necessary to check the spread of the virus.

5. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index 2020

Context
 Recently, NITI Aayog has released the third edition of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
India Index 2020-21 report titled, SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21: Partnerships in the Decade
of Action.
 Thus, the edition of the index report focuses on the significance of partnerships as its theme.

About SDG India Index

 The NITI Aayog has the twin mandate to oversee the adoption and monitoring of the SDGs in the
country, and also promote competitive and cooperative federalism among States and UTs.

Note: Sustainable Development Goals

 The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global
goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future, with peace
and prosperity for people and the planet.
 They were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and are intended
to be achieved by the year 2030.

Image: Sustainable Development Goals

Source: un.org

 To this end, the SDG India index was first launched in December 2018 as the primary tool for
monitoring progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in India.
 It evaluates the progress of states and Union Territories (UTs) on various parameters including
health, education, gender, economic growth, institutions, climate change and environment.
 From covering 13 Goals with 62 indicators in its first edition in 2018, the third edition now covers
16 Goals on 115 quantitative indicators, with a qualitative assessment on Goal 17.
 Image: Comparison of the versions of SDG India Index report.
Source: pib.gov.in

 The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each State and Union
Territory and overall State and UT scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure the
aggregate performance of the state/UT based on its performance across the 16 SDGs.
 The scores in the SDG India Index range between 0–100 - the higher the score of a State/UT, the
greater the target achieved.

Image: SDG India Index 2020: Methodology

Source: pib.gov.in

 The States and UTs are classified into four categories based on their SDG India Index score:
o Aspirant: 0–49
o Performer: 50–64
o Front-runner: 65–99
o Achiever: 100
Findings of the report

India’s Performance:
 India’s overall SDG score improved by 6 points - from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020-21.
 This positive stride towards achieving the targets is largely driven by exemplary country-wide
performance in Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and Goal 7(Affordable and Clean Energy),
where the composite Goal scores are 83 and 92, respectively.

Image: Performance of the country across various goals.

Source: pib.gov.in

Best and Worst Performers:

Best performers
 Kerala retained its rank as the top performer with a score of 75.
 Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu both took the second spot with a score of 74.
 Chandigarh maintained its top spot among the UTs with a score of 79, followed by Delhi (68).

Worst Performers
 Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam were the worst-performing states in this year’s index.

Image: Performance of states in SDG India Index 2020-21.

Source: indianexpress.com
Top Gainers
 Mizoram, Haryana and Uttarakhand are the top gainers in this year’s report in terms of
improvement in score from 2019.

Image: Goal-wise top states/UTs.

Source: NITI Aayog
 While in 2019, 10 states/UTs belonged to the category of front-runners, 12 more states/UTs find
themselves now in this category:
o Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana, Tripura, Delhi,
Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh graduated to
the category of front-runners.

Image: Performance of various states/UTs in SDG India Index 2020.

Source: pib.gov.in

 Thus, currently, there are no states in the aspirant and achiever category.
 15 states/UTs are in the performer category and 22 states/UTs in the front runner category.

Image: State/UT performance from 2019 to 2020.

Source: pib.gov.in
Significance of the Index
 Tracking the progress: The index, developed in collaboration with the United Nations, tracks the
progress of all states and UTs on 115 indicators aligned with the National Indicator Framework
(NIF) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
 A key tool in policy formulation: This index is a key tool for focused policy dialogue,
formulation and implementation through development actions, in line with the global SDG
framework.
 Identifying key gaps: It helps in identifying crucial gaps related to tracking the SDGs and the
need for India to develop its statistical systems at the State/UT levels.
 Role model: It will hopefully help propel monitoring efforts at the international level on similar
lines.

Way forward
 The SDG India Index is now live on an online dashboard, which has cross-sectoral relevance
across civil society, policy, business, and academia. The various stakeholders should now utilize
this data for formulating better programmes.
 As another milestone in the SDG localisation journey of the country, the Index is presently being
adapted and developed by NITI Aayog at the granular level of districts for the upcoming North
Eastern Region District SDG Index. This should be expedited across all districts as soon as
possible as it will help in targeted microplanning.

6. Objective Questions

1. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market 2. With reference to the Model Tenancy Act,
prices is obtained by adding which of the consider the following statements:
following to Gross Value Added (GVA) at 1. The security deposit to be paid by the
factor cost? tenant should not exceed three
(a) Product taxes - Product subsidies + months’ rent for a residential
Production taxes - Production property.
subsidies 2. No property manager can withhold
(b) Production subsidies - Production any essential supply to the premises
taxes - Product taxes + Product occupied by the tenant in the event of
subsidies a dispute.
(c) Product taxes - Product subsidies only Which of the above statements is/are
(d) Production taxes - production correct?
subsidies only (a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
Answer: (a) (c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation:
Answer: (b)
GDP at market prices = GVA at basic
prices + Product taxes - Product subsidies. Explanation:
And GVA at basic prices = GVA at factor
cost + Production taxes - Production Statement 1 is incorrect: The security
subsidies. deposit to be paid by the tenant should
not exceed two months’ rent for a
residential property.

Statement 2 is correct: No property

manager or landlord can withhold any
essential supply to the premises occupied
by the tenant in the event of a dispute.
Also, they need to provide a 24-hour
notice to tenants before undertaking any
 repair work that may disrupt utilities'
supply.
3. With reference to the draft Lakshadweep
Development Authority Regulation, 2021,
consider the following statements:
1. The regulation is to be enacted by the
President of India under Article 240.
2. It states that the development plan
prepared under it cannot be legally
challenged by anyone.
Which of the above statements is/are
correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 5.
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Article 240
provides for the power of the President to
make regulations for certain Union
territories including Lakshadweep and it
is under this provision that the
Lakshadweep Development Authority
Regulation, 2021 has to be enacted.
Statement 2 is correct: The regulation
states that the development plan prepared
under it cannot be legally challenged by
anyone.
4. Which of the following is not an avian
influenza virus?
(a) H10N3
(b) H5N6
(c) H5N8
(d) H1N1
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
H1N1 is not avian influenza, but it is a
swine flu that originated in pigs and
spread primarily from person to person. It
led to a pandemic in 2009.
With reference to the SDG India Index,
consider the following statements:
1. The index is published by NITI Aayog
every year since 2018.
2. Himachal Pradesh is the second best-
performing state as per the 2020
Index.
Which of the above statements is/are
incorrect?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The SDG India
Index is published by NITI Aayog. It is
being published since 2018 and the 2020
report is the third one.
Statement 2 is correct: Himachal Pradesh
and Tamil Nadu jointly are the second
best-performing states as per the 2020
Index.
7. Subjective Questions

1. Distinguish Gross Domestic Product from Gross Value Added. Also, explain the challenges faced,
especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in estimating the National Income in India.
(150 words, 10 marks)

2. Explain the salient features of the Model Tenancy Act. Also, explain how it will benefit various
stakeholders?
(250 words, 15 marks)

3. Critically analyse the provisions of the draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation,
2021.
(250 words, 15 marks)

4. What is avian influenza? Explain its mode of transmission to humans along with its
pathogenicity, symptoms and treatment.
(150 words, 10 marks)

5. What are Sustainable Development Goals? Analyse the current progress of India in achieving the
various goals under it.
(250 words, 15 marks)
 Congratulations to our toppers

04 Ranks in
Top 10 09 Ranks in
Top 20 13 Ranks in
Top 50 22 Ranks in
Top 100

RANK 03 RANK 06 RANK 08 RANK 10

Pratibha Verma Vishakha Yadav Abhishek Saraf Sanjita Mohapatra

Incredible results year after year!

Selected candidates from BYJU'S

2019
165 out of
2018 829 vacancies
183 out of
2017 812 vacancies
2016 236 out of
1058 vacancies
2015 215 out of
1209 vacancies
162 out of
2014 1164 vacancies

2013 82 out of
1364 vacancies
62 out of
1228 vacancies

To book a FREE COUNSELLING SESSION with our IAS Mentors call: 9241333666
Visit https://byjus.com/ias/ for more details

byjus.com

Awards

VCCIRCLE
AWA R D S

Education Company Business Standard Google Play’s ‘Best Self Improvement’

Of The Year 2016, 2018 Start-up of the year 2017 App in India – 2016

Google Design Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India

Award 2018 and Fast 500 Asia Award Year
NASSCOM Design4India Design
Award 2018 for the ‘Best Design’
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, Express IT Awards for IT newsmaker
Mobile Category – 2018
2017 of the year 2017