Current Affairs

August 2023

Chief Editor
B. Singh (Ex. IES)
CMD, NEXT IAS & MADE EASY Group

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Contents
Chandrayaan-3......................................................................................................7
Luna 25................................................................................................................. 10
Naming of Sites on Moon............................................................................... 12
Moon’s South Pole............................................................................................ 14
India-France Relations..................................................................................... 15
23rd Summit of the SCO................................................................................. 16
Global Peace Index........................................................................................... 17
Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and
Discipline) Bill, 2023......................................................................................... 18
Deputy Chief Minister...................................................................................... 19
Monsoon Session 2023................................................................................... 20
Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023................................ 21
Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023................. 22
Election Commissioners Bill, 2023............................................................... 23
Mediation Bill...................................................................................................... 24
Personality Rights............................................................................................. 25
Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, 2023.............................................. 26
Multi-State Co-Operative Societies (Amendment) Bill.......................... 27
National MPI 2023............................................................................................. 28
Global MPI 2023................................................................................................. 29
Bharat New Car Assessment Programme.................................................. 31
Coastal Aquaculture Act................................................................................. 32
Ecocide................................................................................................................. 33
Light Pollution.................................................................................................... 34
Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill........................................................ 35
Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill...................................................... 36
Small Modular Reactors.................................................................................. 38
PSLV-C56.............................................................................................................. 39
Anusandhan NRF Act, 2023........................................................................... 40
National Dental Commission Bill, 2023...................................................... 42
DNA Technology Bill, 2019............................................................................. 43
Digital Personal Data Protection Law......................................................... 44
Floods................................................................................................................... 45
Yamuna Floodplains......................................................................................... 47
Post Office Bill, 2023......................................................................................... 48
Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023.............. 48
ii
Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023..................... 49
Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation)
Amendment Bill, 2023..................................................................................... 49
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme........................................................................ 50
Coking Coal (Metallurgical Coal).................................................................. 50
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)................................. 51
Lighthouses......................................................................................................... 51
ULLAS Mobile Application............................................................................. 51
Delisting of Securities...................................................................................... 51
Geographical Indication (GI) Tags................................................................ 52
Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI).............................................................. 52
Tomato Grand Challenge hackathon.......................................................... 52
India’s External Debt........................................................................................ 53
GIFT Nifty............................................................................................................. 53
SAMARTH............................................................................................................. 53
Banks Heralding Accelerated Rural & Agriculture
Transformation (BHARAT)............................................................................... 54
Bharat Dal............................................................................................................ 54
Export Preparedness Index 2022 Report................................................... 54
TCRM Matrix Framework................................................................................. 55
Open Network for Digital Commerce Academy...................................... 55
India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047............................................. 56
Interest Rate for PF Deposits......................................................................... 56
Cott-Ally Mobile App....................................................................................... 56
International Seabed Authority (ISA).......................................................... 57
Henley Passport Index 2023.......................................................................... 57
Israel Judicial Reforms..................................................................................... 57
Jenin...................................................................................................................... 58
US Re-entry to UNESCO.................................................................................. 58
Vilnius Summit of NATO.................................................................................. 58
Stapled Visa......................................................................................................... 59
India-Russia Vande Bharat Joint Venture Deal......................................... 59
8th India-Australia Defence Policy Talks.................................................... 59
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for
Trans-Pacific Partnership................................................................................. 60
U.N. Human Rights Council............................................................................ 61
Muslim World League...................................................................................... 61
G20-Digital Innovation Alliance (G20 DIA)................................................ 61
JIMEX 23............................................................................................................... 62
Nomadic Elephant-23...................................................................................... 62
Contents
Exercise - SALVEX............................................................................................... 62
SCALP Missiles.................................................................................................... 62
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)........................................................ 62
Indian Coast Guard........................................................................................... 63
Scorpene Class Submarines........................................................................... 63
C-295 Aircraft...................................................................................................... 63
Hwasong-18........................................................................................................ 64
INS Kirpan............................................................................................................ 64
Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022............................................................ 65
Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023....................................... 65
Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023................................................... 65
Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023............................................................. 66
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023........... 66
Places of Worship Act, 1991........................................................................... 67
BAIL........................................................................................................................ 67
55th Youth Parliament Competition........................................................... 68
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)..................... 68
Cantonments...................................................................................................... 68
International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)............................ 69
Meri Maati, Mera Desh Campaign................................................................ 69
National Commission for Women................................................................ 69
Rajasthan Honour of Dead Body Bill, 2023............................................... 70
New Guidelines for Senior Advocates in the Supreme Court............. 70
Enforcement Directorate (ED)....................................................................... 71
Electoral Bonds.................................................................................................. 71
Council of Ministers.......................................................................................... 72
Section 69A of IT Act........................................................................................ 72
Keralam................................................................................................................. 73
e-CARe Portal..................................................................................................... 73
Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order
(Amendment) Bill, 2023................................................................................... 74
Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order
(Amendment) Bill, 2023................................................................................... 74
Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment)
Bill, 2023............................................................................................................... 74
Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order
(Third Amendment) Bill, 2022....................................................................... 74
Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment)
Bill, 2022............................................................................................................... 74
iii
Indian Institute of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023................... 75
Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023................. 75
First Overseas IIT Campus............................................................................... 75
Performance Grading Index 2.0.................................................................... 76
Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D).................................... 76
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.......................................................................... 77
Manual Scavenging.......................................................................................... 77
Child Care Institutions (CCIs)......................................................................... 78
Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2023...................................................... 78
Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana............................................................................ 79
UN Report on Women Empowerment........................................................ 79
Unwanted Girl Child: Nakoshi....................................................................... 79
Transgenders...................................................................................................... 80
Self-Respect Marriages.................................................................................... 81
Child Trafficking................................................................................................. 82
6 Environment
Namoh 108.......................................................................................................... 83
State of India’s Birds 2023............................................................................... 83
Burmese Peacock Softshell Turtle................................................................ 83
Perucetus Colossus........................................................................................... 84
Himalayan Vulture............................................................................................. 84
Blue Pansy............................................................................................................ 84
Santa Fe Frog...................................................................................................... 84
Chinkara............................................................................................................... 85
Ambergris............................................................................................................ 85
Global Gibbon Network (GGN)..................................................................... 86
Ludwigia Peruviana.......................................................................................... 86
Project Tiger and Project Elephant.............................................................. 86
Belem Declaration............................................................................................. 87
Solnhofia Parsonsi............................................................................................. 87
7 Science & Technology
Candida Auris..................................................................................................... 88
Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023.............................................................. 88
National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023...................... 88
Eris.......................................................................................................................... 89
Havana Syndrome............................................................................................. 89
MPOWER.............................................................................................................. 90
Brain-Eating Amoeba....................................................................................... 90
Rabies.................................................................................................................... 91
Conjunctivitis..................................................................................................... 91
Contents
International Myeloma Foundation............................................................ 92
India AI.................................................................................................................. 92
Cloud Storage..................................................................................................... 92
Worldcoin Project.............................................................................................. 92
Majorana Zero Mode........................................................................................ 92
Trai Recommends Independent Body to Regulate AI........................... 93
New AI Company ‘xAI’...................................................................................... 94
Spamouflage...................................................................................................... 94
The Cell- Free DNA............................................................................................ 94
Biosimilars........................................................................................................... 95
Sodium-Ion Battery.......................................................................................... 95
STAR C Initiative................................................................................................. 96
PM-STIAC............................................................................................................. 96
Mangala Narikar................................................................................................ 96
Sagar Sampark................................................................................................... 96
Super Blue Moon............................................................................................... 97
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Knowledge Centre & Space Museum............... 97
International Conference on Women In Physics (ICWIP)...................... 97
Tele MANAS......................................................................................................... 98
Acequias.............................................................................................................105
Crimea Bridge...................................................................................................105
Second Thomas Shoal....................................................................................105
Places in News: World.......................................................................... 106-107
Places in News: India............................................................................ 108-109
9 Culture & History
Alluri Sitarama Raju........................................................................................110
Hul Diwas...........................................................................................................110
Tankai Method.................................................................................................110
Lambani Art......................................................................................................111
Namda Art.........................................................................................................111
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah....................................................................................111
Kanwar Yatra.....................................................................................................112
National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA)...............112
Rudragiri Rock Art...........................................................................................112
Kashi Culture Pathway...................................................................................113

DPT3 Immunization.......................................................................................... 99 Seethakali Folk Art..........................................................................................113

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever......................................................... 99
Bacteriophages.................................................................................................. 99
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)....................................................100
10 On this Day in History
..................................................................................................................... 114-115
Endometriosis..................................................................................................100
Guillain-Barré Syndrome...............................................................................100
Cannabis Medicine Project..........................................................................101 11 Miscellaneous
Leptospirosis.....................................................................................................101
Diamond League.............................................................................................116
Malaria................................................................................................................102
Lokmanya Tilak National Award.................................................................116
Acoustic Side Channel Attacks....................................................................102
Durand Cup.......................................................................................................116

8 Geography
Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire
Services in the States.....................................................................................117
Bahubali Cattle Fence....................................................................................117
Ubinas.................................................................................................................103
National Broadcasting Day 2023................................................................117
Kaas Plateau......................................................................................................103
Churachandpur................................................................................................103
Seychelles..........................................................................................................103 12 Data Recap
Amazon Forests...............................................................................................104
..............................................................................................................................118
Dhamra Port, Odisha......................................................................................104
Satpura Tiger Reserve....................................................................................104
Ghaggar..............................................................................................................104
Australia’s Cocos Islands................................................................................105 Subjective Questions.....................................................................................119

iv
5
 Current Affairs Cover Story
Edition: August 2023

6
 COVER STORY
CHANDRAYAAN-3
India successfully conducted the Chandrayaan-3 mission and became the fourth country
to successfully land on the Moon, and the first to do so near the lunar south pole.
About:
• Chandrayaan-3 is the third mission in the Chandrayaan
programme, a series of lunar-exploration missions developed
by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to
demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving
on the lunar surface.
• The mission consists of a lunar lander named Vikram and a
lunar rover named Pragyan, similar to those launched aboard
Chandrayaan-2 in 2019.
Timeline:
• Chandrayaan-3 was launched by LVM3 from Satish Dhawan
Space Centre on 14 July 2023.
• The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on 5 August, and the
lander touched down near the Lunar south pole on 23 August,
making India the fourth country to successfully land on the
Moon, and the first to do so near the lunar south pole.
• On 3 September the lander hopped and repositioned itself
30–40 cm (12–16 in) from its landing site.
• The lander was supposed to awaken on 22 September 2023,
but missed the wake-up call. On September 30, the second
lunar night began, eliminating hopes of revival.
The various mission phases are classified as follows:
• Earth Centric Phase (Phase-1): Pre-launch Phase, Launch and
Ascent Phase and Earth-bound Manoeuvre Phase.
• Lunar Transfer Phase (Phase-2): Lunar Transfer Phase (Phase-2)
• Moon Centric Phase:
 Lunar Orbit Insertion Phase (LOI)-(Phase-3)
 Moon-bound Manoeuvre Phase (Phase-4)
 PM and Lunar Module Separation (Phase-5)
 De-boost Phase (Phase-6) Pre-landing Phase (Phase-7)
 Landing Phase (Phase-8)
 Normal Phase for Lander and Rover (Phase-9)
 Moon Centric Normal Orbit Phase (100 km circular orbit) -
For Propulsion Module (Phase-10)
Design of Spacecraft:
• Chandrayaan-3 comprises three main components: a
propulsion module, lander, and rover.
• Propulsion module: The propulsion module carried the lander
and rover configuration to a 100-kilometre lunar orbit. It was
a box-like structure with a large solar panel mounted on one
side and a cylindrical mounting structure for the lander (the
Intermodular Adapter Cone) on top.
Cover Story Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Lander: The Vikram lander was responsible for the soft landing
on the Moon. It is also box-shaped, with four landing legs
and four landing thrusters capable of producing 800 newtons
of thrust each. It carried the rover and has various scientific
instruments to perform on-site analysis. The lander has four
variable-thrust engines with slew rate changing capabilities,
unlike Chandrayaan-2's lander, which had five, with the fifth
one being centrally mounted and capable only of fixed thrust.
• Rover: The Pragyan rover is a six-wheeled vehicle with a mass
of 26 kilograms. It is 917 by 750 by 397 millimetres in size.
The rover carried multiple measurements to support research
into the composition of the lunar surface, the presence of
water ice in the lunar soil, the history of lunar impacts, and
the evolution of the Moon's atmosphere.
Scientific Payloads and their Objectives:
• Lander Payloads
 Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere
and Atmosphere (RAMBHA): To measure the near surface
plasma (ions and electrons) density and its changes with
time.
 Chandra’s Surface Thermo physical Experiment (ChaSTE): To
carry out the measurements of thermal properties of lunar
surface near polar region.
 Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA): To measure
seismicity around the landing site and delineating the
structure of the lunar crust and mantle.
 LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA): It is a passive experiment
to understand the dynamics of Moon system.
• Rover Payloads
 LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS): Qualitative
and quantitative elemental analysis & To derive the
chemical Composition and infer mineralogical composition
to further our understanding of Lunar-surface.
 Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS): To determine the
elemental composition (Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca,Ti, Fe) of Lunar
soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.
• Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE): Future
discoveries of smaller planets in reflected light would allow
us to probe into variety of Exo-planets which would qualify for
habitability (or for presence of life).
The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are:
• To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface
• To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and
• To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
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 Current Affairs Cover Story
Edition: August 2023
EXPERIMENTS BY CHANDRAYAAN-3
About:
• After rolling down a ramp from the Chandrayaan-3 lander, the
rover began its job of lunar exploration.
• The Chandrayaan-3 payloads will further the science
learnings of the two predecessor missions by studying lunar
quakes, mineral compositions, and the electrons and ions
near the surface of the Moon.
• The mission will attempt to study water-ice, the presence of
which was detected by Chandrayaan-1.
Discovery of Water:
• The southern polar region of the Moon is known to have
deep craters that remain in permanent darkness, with a high
likelihood of having water-ice.
• Perhaps the most important discovery made by instruments
on board Chandrayaan-1 was the discovery of water and
hydroxyl (OH) molecules in the Moon’s thin atmosphere
(exosphere) as well as on the lunar surface.
• India’s Moon Impact Probe (MIP) — a payload that was
deliberately crashed on the lunar surface near the south
pole — helped study the concentration of water and hydroxyl
molecules in the lunar atmosphere.
• Another payload called mini-SAR helped detect
subsurface deposits of water-ice in the permanently
shadowed regions within the craters near the south pole.
• A third payload developed by NASA called Moon Mineralogy
Mapper or M3 also helped detect these molecules on the
surface of the Moon.
• Chandrayaan-2, which was designed to further study the
water on the Moon, helped in separately identifying the water
and the hydroxyl molecules, and mapping water features
across the Moon for the first time.
Buried Lava Tubes:
• The terrain mapping camera and hyperspectral imager on
board Chandrayaan-1 detected an underground lava tube,
which, scientists believe, can provide a safe environment for
human habitation in the future.
• It can protect against hazardous radiation, small meteoric
impacts, extreme temperatures, and dust storms on the
surface of the Moon.
8
Magma Ocean Thesis:
• The Moon is believed to have been formed after an early piece
of the Earth separated due to an impact. The energy generated
by the impact is believed to have led to the melting of the
Moon’s surface. This is called the magma ocean hypothesis.
• The M3 payload on board Chandrayaan-1 picked up a
specific type of lighter-density crystals on the surface of the
Moon, which could be found on the surface only if it were
liquid once.
A Dynamic Moon:
• Findings from the Chandrayaan-1 mission also showed that
the Moon’s interior was dynamic and interacted with the
exosphere, contrary to the belief that it was dormant.
• The terrain mapping camera found evidence of volcanic vent,
lava pond, and lava channels as recent as 100 million years
old, indicating recent volcanic activity. Measurements of
carbon dioxide by the MIP also pointed towards de-gassing
from the surface. This shows an interaction of the lunar
surface with the exosphere even in the absence of impacts
by meteors.
Solar Flares:
the • The Solar X-Ray Monitor on the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter was
able to observe many solar microflares outside the active
region as well as the elemental abundance from the not-so-
bright solar corona.
• These observations, which were so far only done for larger
solar flares, can give scientists clues to the mystery of
coronal heating — why the Sun’s atmospheric layer (corona)
is a million degrees hot even though the surface is just over
5,700 degrees Celsius.
Mapping of Minerals:
• CLASS X-ray Fluorescence experiment has mapped ~ 95% of
the lunar surface in X-rays for the first time. X-ray spectrometers
flown to the Moon in the past 50 years together have covered
only less than 20% of the surface, according to ISRO. Both
the Chandrayaan missions have mapped even regions from
where sample return missions haven’t happened.
• These studies have shown that oxygen is abundant as oxides
within the minerals on the Moon. This can be exploited as fuel
for future missions, scientists believe.
Cover Story Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

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 Current Affairs
COVER STORY Cover Story
Edition: August 2023
LUNA 25
Luna 25 was a failed Russian lunar lander mission by Roscosmos that planned
to land near the lunar south pole, in the vicinity of the crater Boguslawsky.
About:
• On August 11, Roscosmos, the Russian space agency,
launched its Luna 25 spacecraft onboard a Soyuz 2 rocket
from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
• Luna 25 consisted of a lander and its mission was to soft-
land near the moon’s south pole, and there study the optical,
physical, and chemical properties of moondust and moon
soil, and the atmosphere.
• But on August 20, Roscosmos issued a statement stating that
Luna 25 had suffered a glitch and crashed on the moon’s
surface the previous day, ending the mission in a failure.
Why did Russia Launch Luna 25?
• The Luna 25 mission has technically been in the works for
more than two decades.
• In the first decade or so, it was called Luna-Glob; the name was
changed later to make the mission a part of the Luna series,
the last edition of which, Luna 24, was launched in 1976.
• One of the reasons to launch the mission was to “ensure
Russia’s guaranteed access to the moon’s surface” –
an allusion to the growing importance of the moon as a
spaceflight destination and its importance as one of the sites
of contest between the U.S. and China.
• While Russia and China are together leading the International
Lunar Research Station (ILRS), versus the U.S.-led Artemis
Accords, Russia has not executed a successful interplanetary
mission in 34 years.
• Some experts have also said that Russia intended Luna 25
as president Vladimir Putin’s demonstration that the country’s
economy – including the spaceflight sector – haven’t buckled
under the weight of international sanctions following Putin’s
invasion of Ukraine in 2021.
Were Luna 25 and Chandrayaan 3 in a Race?
• Contrary to population perception, too many details are
misaligned to expect that Luna 25 and Chandrayaan 3, or
Roscosmos and the ISRO, were in a race.
• Both missions launched in a similar timeframe and were expected
to attempt a soft-landing on the moon within days of each other.
• However, these mission parameters are determined by the
launch vehicle, the mass of the spacecraft, the earth-moon
trajectory, and availability of sunlight at a point on the moon
(to power solar panels).
• In addition, while Chandrayaan 3 has been in development
since 2019, Roscosmos was working on Luna 25 since
the early 2010s, and couldn’t have anticipated the fate of
10
Chandrayaan 2. Both missions also suffered unpredictable
delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Finally, Russia pulled out of building the lander for
Chandrayaan 2 due to delays imposed by the failure of the
former’s Fobos-Grunt mission in 2011. Russia had otherwise
been ISRO’s partner, and is also helping train Indian
astronauts for the inaugural Gaganyaan mission.
• Taken together, Luna 25 and Chandrayaan 3 couldn’t have
been in a race.
What happened to Luna 25?
• As Luna 25 attempted to modify its circular orbit around the
moon to a lower pre-landing orbit, it applied more thrust than
required, sending it careening to the surface. Roscosmos
itself lost contact with Luna 25 as it was performing this
manoeuvre, meaning that the manoeuvre may have taken the
spacecraft out of lunar orbit.
• Roscosmos Director-General has said that an engine that
was supposed to fire for 84 seconds did so for 127 seconds
instead.
Why couldn’t Roscosmos Rescue Luna 25?
• After Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia lost its privileges to use
satellite tracking systems operated by countries in different
parts of the world.
• As a result, Roscosmos could contact Luna 25, and receive
signals from the spacecraft, only at three stations: two in
Russia and one in Russian-occupied Crimea.
• In other words, Roscosmos could communicate with Luna 25
only when the moon was directly over Russia. As a result, the
size of the window that scientists had to fix the problem and
salvage the mission was much smaller.
Way Ahead:
• It’s clear that Russia is falling behind in the race to the moon.
Before the ILRS, Russia had joined hands with NASA to
build a near-moon space station. But before it backed out
of the partnership in January 2021, Roscosmos’s role in the
enterprise was found to be highly limited.
• In the ILRS setup, Roscosmos has already planned for Luna
missions 26 and 27 as part of the first phase of operations,
which include technology demonstration and site selection
for future lander missions.
• Now, with the failure of Luna 25 and the sanctions imposed
by Western countries their respective launch dates could be
pushed further from 2027 and 2028.
Cover Story Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

11
 Current Affairs
COVER STORY Cover Story
Edition: August 2023
NAMING OF SITES ON MOON
The Prime MInister, Narendra Modi has announced that the point where the Chandrayaan-3
lander touched down on the lunar surface will be named Shiv Shakti.
About:
• The point where Chandrayaan-2 left its imprints would be
named as Tiranga point. Chandrayaan-1 crashed in 2008 is
named as 'Jawahar Point'.
• PM Modi said this will serve as an inspiration for every effort
that India makes and remind us that failure is not the end.
• The 23rd August will be celebrated as 'National Space Day' on
the mark of soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 at the South Pole
of the moon.
Law regarding Ownership, Naming Sites in Space:
• As per the United Nations 1966 Outer Space Treaty, no nation
can claim sovereignty over the moon - or other celestial
bodies - and that the exploration of space should be carried
out for the benefit of all countries.
• The 1979 The Moon Agreement states that no part of the
moon “shall become property of any State, international
intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national
organization or non-governmental entity or of any natural person."
• The law clearly states that nations cannot law claim to the
moon or its land, however they can carry out certain activities.
• However, there is no legislation regarding naming places on
the Moon.
Who decides the Names?
• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the leading
authority in assigning official names to lunar features. India is
one of the 92 members of the space body.
• The IAU has been the arbiter of planetary and satellite
nomenclature since its inception in 1919.
• Many countries have been giving informal names to the spots
on the moon during lunar missions. The United States gave
informal names to lunar sites during Apollo missions.
• Most of the informal names assigned during the Apollo
mission were later given “official” status by the IAU.
Process for Considering Names:
• IAU’s Working Groups normally handle this process. While its
decisions and recommendations are not enforceable by any
national or international law, they establish conventions that
are meant to help our understanding of astronomical objects
and processes.
• It describes the procedure as follows:
 When the first images of the surface of a planet or satellite
are obtained, themes for naming features are chosen and
12
names of a few important features are proposed, usually
by members of the appropriate IAU task group.
 As higher resolution images and maps become available,
names for additional features may be requested by
investigators mapping or describing specific surfaces or
geological formations.
 At this point, anyone may suggest that a specific name be
considered by a Task Group, but there is no guarantee
that the name will be accepted.
 Names successfully reviewed by a task group are
submitted by the task group chair to the Working Group
for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN).
 Upon successful review by vote of the members of the
WGPSN, names are considered approved as official IAU
nomenclature, and can be used on maps and in publications.
 Approved names are immediately entered into the
Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, and posted on its
website. Any objections to them can be raised by mailing
the IAU General-Secretary within three months from the
time the name was placed on the website.
Norms for Naming Space Objects:
• The IAU gives several suggestions. For planetary objects, it
states the name should be “simple, clear, and unambiguous”
and should not duplicate existing names.
• No names having political, military or religious significance
may be used, except for names of political figures prior to the
19th century.
• Further, “Commemoration of persons on planetary bodies
should not normally be a goal in itself, but may be employed
in special circumstances… Persons being so honored
must have been deceased for at least three years, before a
proposal may be submitted.”
Has India Ever Named any Other Site on the Moon?
• Following the 2008 mission Chandrayaan-1, a spot where
the probe crashed (as it was meant to for the purposes of
the mission), was named “Jawahar Sthal” after the first Prime
Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
• There is also a Sarabhai crater, named after the first ISRO
Chairman, Vikram Sarabhai.
• The late Astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born
woman to go to Space, also has the Chawla crater named
after her. She and other members of the crew died in the
Columbia disaster when their spacecraft broke apart while
making its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Cover Story Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

13
 Current Affairs
COVER STORY Cover Story
Edition: August 2023

MOON’S SOUTH POLE

Chandrayaan-3 is the world’s first mission to soft-land near the lunar south pole. All the previous
spacecraft have landed a few degrees latitude north or south of the lunar equator.

About: Why don’t some parts of the Lunar Polar Regions

• Notably, the landing site of the latest mission is more or less receive any Sunlight?
the same as the Chandrayaan-2: near the south pole of the • Unlike the Earth, whose spin axis is tilted with respect to the
moon at 70 degrees latitude. plane of the Earth’s solar orbit by 23.5 degrees, the Moon’s
• All the previous spacecraft to have landed on the Moon have axis tilts only 1.5 degrees.
landed in the equatorial region, a few degrees latitude north • Because of this unique geometry, sunlight never shines on the
or south of the lunar equator.
floors of a number of craters near the lunar north and south
• The furthest that any spacecraft has gone from the equator poles. These areas are known as Permanently Shadowed
was Surveyor 7, launched by NASA, which made a moon Regions, or PSRs.
landing way back on January 10, 1968. This spacecraft
• In a 2019 report, NASA said, “Water that happens to find
landed near 40 degrees south latitude.
its way into PSRs may remain there for long periods of
• Even China’s Chang’e 4, which became the first spacecraft
time. Data from the Diviner instrument onboard LRO (Lunar
to land on the far side of the moon — the side that does not
Reconnaissance Orbiter, robotic spacecraft currently orbiting
face the earth — landed near the 45-degree latitude.
the Moon) which measures temperatures across the Moon,
Why hasn’t any Spacecraft Ever Landed near the Lunar including PSRs, indicate that some surfaces are cold enough
South Pole? so that water is stable at the surface.”
• It is easier and safer to land near the equator. The terrain and
temperature are more hospitable and conducive for a long
and sustained operation of instruments.
• The surface here is even and smooth, very steep slopes are
almost absent, and there are fewer hills or craters. Sunlight is
present in abundance, at least on the side facing the earth, thus
offering a regular supply of energy to solar-powered instruments.
• Many parts lie in a completely dark region where sunlight
never reaches, and temperatures can go below 230 degrees
Celsius. Lack of sunlight and extremely low temperatures
create difficulty in the operation of instruments.
• In addition, there are large craters all over the place, ranging
from a few centimetres in size to those extending to several
thousands of kilometres.

Significance of Exploring them:

• Due to their rugged environment, the polar regions of
the Moon have remained unexplored. But several Orbiter
missions have provided evidence that these regions could
be very interesting to explore.
• There are indications of the presence of ice molecules in
substantial amounts in the deep craters in this region — India’s
2008 Chandrayaan-1 mission indicated the presence of water
on the lunar surface with the help of its two instruments onboard.
• In addition, the extremely cold temperatures here mean that
anything trapped in the region would remain frozen in time,
without undergoing much change. The rocks and soil in
Moon’s north and south poles could therefore provide clues
to the early Solar System.

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 International
INDIA-FRANCE RELATIONS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official visit to France to celebrate
the 25th anniversary of the India - France Strategic Partnership.
About:
• PM Modi became the first Indian PM to be conferred with the
‘Grand Cross’ of the Legion of Honour.
• PM Modi was also the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day
Parade, where a tri-services Indian armed forces contingent
participated. The national day of France (also known as
Bastille Day) is celebrated on July 14 to commemorate the
Storming of the Bastille Prison in 1789 during the French
Revolution.
List of Outcomes: Prime Minister’s Visit to France
Institutional Cooperation:
• Letter of Intent on the New National Museum and Cooperation
on Museology
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies
between MeitY and French Ministry of Economy
• Technical Cooperation between Direction-Générale
d’Aviation Civile, France and Airports Authority of India in the
field of Civil Aviation
• Technical arrangements for Civil Aviation Security (AVSEC)
between India and France
• Letter of Intent between Prasar Bharati and France Media Monde
• MoU between Invest India and Business France
Cooperation in the area of Space:
• India-France joint Earth Observation mission TRISHNA
Implementing Arrangement
• Maritime Domain Awareness short-term programme
Implementing Arrangement
• Agreement on Conjunction Analysis and Evaluation Service:
Alerts and Recommendations (CAESAR) and use of Exert
Modules of JAVA for Assessment of Conjunction (JAC) software
• Joint Declaration between ISRO and CNES Concerning Joint
Developments in the field of Launchers
Scientific Cooperation:
• Letter of Intent between India and France for Cooperation in
the field of Health and Medicine
• MoU between the National Institute of Ocean Technology
(NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Chennai and Instiut
Français de Recherche pour l’exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)
Cooperation in Strategic Areas:
• Head of Agreement (HoA) between Indian Oil Corporation
Limited and M/s Total Energies Gas and Power Ltd (Total
Energies) to establish a long-term LNG Sale and Purchase
Agreement (SPA)
Cover Story Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
Announcements:
• Roadmap on Indo-French Strategic Partnership Horizon 2047
• NSIL and Arianespace intent to collaborate in commercial
launch services
• Joint Commitment on Eliminating Single-use Plastic Pollution
• Opening up of Consulate General of India in Marseille
• Increase in CEFIPRA (Indo-French Centre for the Promotion
of Advanced Research) Funding by € 1 Mn on each side and
increased scholarships
• Issuance of five-year validity short-stay Schengen Visa for
Indians who are degree holders from French educational
institutions (Masters and above)
• Exemption of Visas on Official Passports
• Agreement between Proparco (subsidiary of French
Development Agency) and Satya Microfinance for $20 million
to support Satya in growing its microcredit/MSME portfolio
and foster inclusion of unbanked people, especially rural
women (96% of the beneficiaries) and young people
Significance of India-France Relation:
• Cooperation in Indo-Pacific: France is the only EU state with
territories in the Indo-Pacific, hence it could be an important
partner for building maritime domain awareness and keeping
an eye on China’s presence in the region.
• Nuclear Energy Cooperation: France was the first country to
recognise the strategic importance of India after the nuclear
tests in 1998.At critical points, France has stood by India,
including during the civil nuclear negotiations with the US.
• Defense cooperation: France is an important strategic partner
and second largest defense supplier of India between 2017-
2021.
• Strategic cooperation: The relations between India and France
is also cherished by a shared desire for strategic autonomy
and respect for sovereignty of nations.
• Economic cooperation: France is the 11th largest foreign
investor in India, with a total FDI stock of USD 10,389 million
from April 2000 to September 2022.
• Counter-Terrorism: France backs Indias stance on cross-
border terrorism and supports the UN resolution to designate
Hafiz Saeed as an international terrorist.
• Environmental cooperation: France is a founding member
alongside India of the International Solar Alliance (ISA)
established in 2015.Also India joined the France-led initiative,
‘High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People’ in 2021. At
the One Ocean Summit in 2022, India supported the French
initiative of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
The mission LIFE launched by India was supported by France.
15
 Current Affairs
International Cover Story
Edition: August 2023
23RD SUMMIT OF THE SCO
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
• It is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation,
founded in 2001.
• It was built on the ‘Shanghai Five’, the grouping which consisted
of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. They
came together in the post-Soviet era in 1996, in order to work
on regional security, reduction of border troops and terrorism.
• Members: The SCO grouping now comprises China, India,
Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan. India acquired the observer status in the
grouping in 2005 and was admitted as a full member in 2017.
• The main goals of the SCO are: Strengthening mutual confidence
and good-neighbourly relations among the member countries.
Major Highlights of 23rd Summit:
• Membership: The grouping’s decision to induct Iran as its
ninth and latest member was one of a number of agreements
signed at the summit.
• Other agreements include: the New Delhi Declaration,
outlining areas of cooperation between SCO countries; a joint
statement on countering radicalisation; and one on digital
transformation, where India offered to share expertise on
digital payment interfaces such as UPI.
• SCO members also agreed to explore the use of “national
currencies” for payments within the grouping, which would
circumvent international dollar-based payments.
• Stand on sanctions : In a reference to sanctions on Russia
and Iran by the U.S. and European countries, SCO members
jointly criticised non-UN sanctions as “incompatible with
the principles of international law”, which have a “negative
impact” on other countries.
• Defence: The Member States reiterated that unilateral and
unlimited expansion of global missile defence systems by
certain countries has a negative impact on international
security and stability.
• Space : They advocated keeping outer space free of weapons.
They called for compliance with the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and
Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction as an
effective instrument in disarmament and non-proliferation.
• Cooperation in other areas : The Member States expressed
their intentions to strengthen cooperation in education,
science and technology, culture, health, disaster
management, tourism, sports, and people-to-people
contacts. Member states agreed to declare 2024 as the SCO
Year of Environment.
16
DO YOU KNOW ?
According to the New Delhi Declaration, the Member States
will seek to develop common principles and approaches
to form a unified list of terrorist, separatist and extremist
organisations whose activities are prohibited on the territories
of the SCO Member States. They opposed the militarization of
information and communication technologies.
India’s Remarks at the Summit:
• India refused to join other members on paragraphs relating to
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the joint statement, and
stayed out of a joint statement on SCO Economic Development
Strategy 2030, indicating a lack of consensus in the grouping.
• India also took sharp aim at Pakistan for cross-border
terrorism, and at China for connectivity projects that do not
respect sovereign boundaries.
Emerging Challenges:
• The Delhi Declaration listed a number of global challenges,
including new and emerging conflicts, turbulence in the
markets, supply chain instability, climate change along with
COVID-19 pandemic adding to the volatility and uncertainty in
the global economy.
• The Member States have expressed their concern about the
growing threats posed by increased production, trafficking
and abuse of narcotic drugs and using the proceeds of illicit
drug-trafficking as a source of funding for terrorism.
Way Forward:
• Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument
of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not
hesitate to criticise such nations. There should be no place
for double standards on such serious matters.
• Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also
fosters mutual trust.
• However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic
principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the
sovereignty and regional integrity of the Member States.
• There is the need for a joint and balanced approach to
countering trafficking of illicit drugs and their precursors.
• The formation of a “more representative” and multipolar world
order is in the global interest. Therefore ,New approaches
are required to promote a more equitable and effective
international cooperation.
 Security
GLOBAL PEACE INDEX
The 2023 Global Peace Index (GPI) was released which ranks 163 independent states and
territories according to their level of peacefulness.
About:
• Objective: This is the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index
(GPI). The Index was first launched in 2009.
• Bodies involved: It is produced by the Institute for Economics
and Peace (IEP), a global think tank headquartered in
Sydney, Australia. The IEP also releases the Global Terrorism
Index (GTI).
• Methodology: The GPI covers 163 countries, using 23
qualitative and quantitative indicators, and measures the
state of peace across three domains: (1) the level of Societal
Safety and Security; (2) the extent of Ongoing Domestic and
International Conflict; and (3) the degree of Militarisation.
Key Findings of the Index:
• Global peacefulness: The average level of country
peacefulness deteriorated by 0.42 per cent in the 2023
Global Peace Index. This is the ninth consecutive year that
global peacefulness has deteriorated.
• The two indicators with the largest deteriorations in 2022 were
conflict-related, external conflicts fought and deaths from
internal conflict, followed by political instability.
• Militarisation: The indicators with the biggest improvement
were UN peacekeeping funding and military expenditure.
Although 92 countries improved on the military expenditure
indicator in 2022, the total military expenditure increased,
mainly driven by countries involved in the Ukraine war.
• Political Instability: There were 59 countries where political
instability deteriorated over the past year, compared to just
22 where the indicator improved.
• Deaths: The total number of conflict-related deaths increased
by 96 per cent. Both the deaths from internal conflict and
external conflicts fought indicators would have deteriorated
even if Ukraine and Russia were excluded from the analysis.
• Economic impact of violence: The global economic impact
of violence increased by 17% or $1 trillion, to $17.5 trillion in
2022, equivalent to 13% of global GDP. A Chinese blockade of
Taiwan would cause a drop in global economic output of $2.7
trillion, almost double the loss that occurred due to the 2008
global financial crisis.
Impact of the War in Ukraine on Peacefulness:
• Ukraine recorded the largest deterioration, falling 14 places
to 157th.
• The economic impact of violence has increased by 479% or
$449 billion, equivalent to 64% of Ukraine’s GDP.
Cover Story Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Despite the conflict, Russia’s incarceration rate, violent
demonstrations, terrorism impact and homicide rates have
improved over the past year, with the homicide rate at its
lowest since 2008.
Global Ranking:
• Most Peaceful Countries: Iceland remains the most peaceful
country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It
is joined at the top of the index by Denmark, Ireland, New
Zealand, and Austria.
• Least Peaceful countries: Afghanistan is the least peaceful
country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, followed
by Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic
of the Congo.
• Among other countries, Nepal, China, Sri Lanka, United States
of America, and Pakistan, have been ranked 79, 80, 107, 131,
146, respectively.
• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its consequences were the
main drivers of the deterioration in peacefulness globally.
Both Russia and Ukraine are now ranked amongst the
ten least peaceful countries, and Ukraine had the largest
deterioration of any country in the 2023 GPI.
Regional Scenario:
• The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained
the world’s least peaceful region. Europe remains the most
peaceful region in the world.
• The shift in the global distribution of conflict continued as
major conflicts in the MENA region and South Asia declined,
while conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and Asia-
Pacific intensified.
• The Russia and Eurasia region recorded the largest
deterioration in peacefulness in the world.
Indian Ranking:
• India has occupied the 126th spot in the rankings, two higher
than its previous position.
• India experienced an improvement of 3.5 percent in overall
peacefulness over the past year, owing to improvements in
violent crime, neighbouring countries’ relations, and political
instability.
• The improvement on the neighbouring countries relations
indicator occurred because of fewer incidences of cross
border violence and ceasefire violations with Pakistan and
China in 2022.
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 CurrentSecurity
Affairs Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
INTER-SERVICES ORGANISATIONS (COMMAND,
CONTROL AND DISCIPLINE) BILL, 2023
The Inter-services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, was passed by Parliament.
Background: Need of this Bill
• Presently, the service personnel of Air Force, Army and Navy
are governed by the provisions of the Air Force Act, 1950, the
Army Act, 1950 and the Navy Act, 1957 (the Service Acts).
Only officers of the respective services are empowered to
exercise disciplinary powers over the service personnel
under the respective Service Acts.
• This has a direct impact on command, control and discipline
of Inter-services Organisations like Andaman and Nicobar
Command or Defence Space Agency, and joint training
establishment like National Defence Academy or National
Defence College, as the Commander-in-Chief or Officer-
in-Command of such Inter-services Organisations are not
empowered to exercise disciplinary or administrative powers
over the personnel belonging to other services.
• As a consequence, the personnel serving in Inter-services
Organisations need to be reverted to their parent Service
units for any disciplinary or administrative action. This is
not only time consuming, but also has financial implications
relating to movement of the personnel.
• The problem becomes more cumbersome when the
disciplinary or administrative proceedings arise from the
same set of facts and circumstances but involves personnel
belonging to different services. As a result, multiple sets of
proceedings under the respective Service Acts are required
to be initiated, which impedes expeditious disposal of cases,
thereby affecting the standard of discipline.
• Accordingly, a need arises to empower the Commander-in-Chief
and Officer-inCommand of the Inter-services Organisations to
exercise control over the service personnel serving under or
attached under their command, for maintenance of discipline
and proper discharge of their duties, without disturbing the
unique service conditions or amending the Service Acts.
Key Features of the Bill include:
• It seeks to empower the Commander-in-Chief or Officer-
in-Command of Inter-services Organisations to exercise
disciplinary or administrative control over the service
personnel under their command, irrespective of their service.
• Existing Inter-services Organisation: Existing Inter-services
Organisations will be deemed to have been constituted under
the Bill. These include the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the
Defence Space Agency, and the National Defence Academy.
• New Inter-services Organisation: The central government may
constitute an Inter-services Organisation which has personnel
belonging to at least two of the three services: the army, the
18
navy, and the air force. These may be placed under the
command of an Officer-in-Command. These organisations
may also include a Joint Services Command, which may be
placed under the command of a Commander-in-Chief.
• Control of Inter-services Organisations: The Bill empowers the
Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command of an Inter-
services Organisation to exercise command and control
over the personnel serving in or attached to it. He would be
responsible for maintaining discipline and ensuring proper
discharge of duties by the service personnel.
• Role of Central Government: The superintendence of an
Inter-services Organisation will be vested in the central
government. The government may also issue directions to
such organisations on grounds of national security, general
administration, or public interest.
• Other forces under central government: The central
government may notify any force raised and maintained in
India to which the Bill will apply. This would be in addition to
army, navy, and air force personnel.
• Eligibility for Commander-in-Chief: The officers eligible to be
appointed as the Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command
are: (i) a General Officer of the regular Army (above the rank
of Brigadier), (ii) a Flag Officer of the Navy (rank of Admiral of
the Fleet, Admiral, Vice-Admiral, or Rear-Admiral), or (iii) an
Air Officer of the Air Force (above the rank of group captain).
• Role of Commander-in-Chief: He will be empowered to
exercise all disciplinary and administrative powers vested in:
(i) General Officer Commanding the Army, (ii) Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of a Naval Command, (iii) Air Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of an Air Command, (iv) any other
officer/authority specified in the service Acts, and (v) any
other officer/authority notified by the government.
• Commanding Officer: The Bill provides for a Commanding
Officer who will be in command of a unit, ship, or
establishment. The officer will also perform duties assigned
by the Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command of the
Inter-services Organisation.
Clarification:
• The ‘ISO Bill-2023’ is essentially an Enabling Act and it
does not propose any change in the existing Service Acts/
Rules/Regulations which are time-tested and have withstood
judicial scrutiny over the last six decades or more.
• Service personnel when serving in or attached to an Inter-
Services Organisation will continue to be governed by their
respective Service Acts.
 Polity & Gov Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

View of Constitution: History of Deputy CMs:

• Neither Article 163 nor Article 164 of the constitution mentions • The first Deputy CM in India was Anugrah Narayan Sinha,
the post of Deputy Chief Minister. who remained Deputy CM in Bihar until his death in 1957.
• Article 163(1) of the Constitution says “there shall be a Council • Deputy CMs were seen in more states, especially after the
of Ministers with the Chief Minister (CM) at the head to aid reduction of the Congress’s near-total dominance on national
and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions”. politics after 1967.
• Article 164(1) says “the Chief Minister (CM) shall be appointed
by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed
Present Scenario in States:
by the Governor on the advice of the CM”. • At present, twelve states in the country have Deputy CMs.
• Recently, Chhattisgarh’s Minister TS Singhdeo was appointed
Reason: to the post, reportedly to iron out differences with CM Bhupesh
• The post of the Deputy CM is a political post and reflects the Baghel with a few months to go for the Legislative Assembly
importance of the individual or party holding the post. elections.
• The appointment of a Deputy CM represents a political
compromise that often follows the formation of a coalition DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
government, or when no single leader commands • India has also seen seven Deputy Prime Ministers — a
unchallenged authority in the party in power, and loyalty post that was first held by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel when
across all the key interest groups in the state. Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister.
• There is no limit on how many deputy CMs can be there. At • Nehru and Patel were the two tallest leaders of the
present UP has 2 deputy CMs, while Andhra Pradesh has 5. Congress at the time, and were also seen as representing
two different streams of thinking within the party.
Status, Powers and Limitations:
K M Sharma vs Devi Lal (1990):
• Status: The post of Deputy CM is understood as being
equivalent in rank to that of Cabinet Minister (in the state). • Devi Lal’s appointment as Deputy PM in V P Singh’s
The Deputy CM gets the same pay and perks as enjoyed by government in 1989 was challenged in court on the ground
other cabinet-rank ministers in the government. that “the oath administered to him as such was not in
accordance with the prescription of the Constitution”.
• Portfolios: More than the post of Deputy CM, it is the nature of
portfolios allocated to a Deputy CM that decides how much • In K M Sharma vs Devi Lal and Ors (1990), the Supreme
weight the person carries in the cabinet. The Deputy CM Court upheld Devi Lal’s appointment “in the view that Devi
holds relatively smaller portfolios as compared to the CM. Lal is just a Minister like other members of the Council of
CMs are often seen to keep most of the important portfolios Ministers. The description of him as Deputy Prime Minister
like home and vigilance with themselves. does not confer on him any powers of the Prime Minister.
• Cabinet meetings: The deputy CM cannot claim to preside
over a cabinet meeting on his own or issue direction to other List of Deputy Prime Ministers
departments than allocated to him by the CM. Deputy PM Tenure Prime Minister
• Administrative powers: The chief minister is the sole authority 1 Vallabhbhai Patel 1947-50 Jawaharlal Nehru
on transfer and posting of Class-I officers in the state (the
2 Morarji Desai 1967-69 Indira Gandhi
deputy CM does not have a say in this matter). The deputy
CM holds no authority to see the files earmarked for the CM. 3 Charan Singh 1979 Morarji Desai
In fact, the deputy CM is required to route all files pertaining 4 Jagjivan Ram 1979 Morarji Desai
to the portfolios allocated to her to the CM for clearance.
5 Yashwantrao Chavan 1979-80 Charan Singh
• Financial powers: Deputy CMs don’t enjoy any special financial
6 Devi Lal 1989-91 V.P. Singh and
power. The deputy CM, like any other minister, needs to seek
Chandra Shekhar
clearance from the CM for expenditure over and above the
budget allocated to her departments. 7 L.K. Advani 2002-04 Atal Bihari Vajpayee

19
 Current
PolityAffairs
& Gov Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023

MONSOON SESSION 2023

The Monsoon Session of 2023 was held from July 20, 2023 to August 11, 2023. Lok Sabha
functioned for 43% of its scheduled time and Rajya Sabha functioned for 55%.

Legislative Business:
• 23 Bills were passed during this session. This session saw high
legislative activity despite Parliament working for just half of
its scheduled time.
• 56% of Bills introduced in this session were passed by both
Houses.
BILLS PASSED BY BOTH THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
1. Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023
2. Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment)
Bill, 2023
3. Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment)
Bill, 2023
4. Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023
5. Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2023
6. Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation)
Amendment Bill, 2023
7. Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
8. Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023
9. Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation)
Amendment Bill, 2023
10. Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi
(Amendment) Bill, 2023
11. Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023
12. Mediation Bill, 2023
13. Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & • The first no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha was
Discipline) Bill, 2023
14. Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
15. National Dental Commission Bill, 2023.
16. National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023
17. Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order Amendment Bill,
2023
18. Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023
19. Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023
20. Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023
21. Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023
22. Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
23. Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
Less Scrutiny: Reference to Standing Committees
• Most Bills were passed with little scrutiny. Out of 25 Bills
introduced, three have been referred to committees.
• In this Lok Sabha, so far, 17% Bills have been referred to
Committees. This is lower as compared to the last three Lok
Sabhas.
• Of the 23 Bills passed in this session, seven have been
examined by Standing Committees.
Low Discussion:
• On average, a Bill introduced in this session was passed
within eight days of introduction.
• 20 Bills passed by Lok Sabha were discussed for less than
an hour before passing.
Recorded Voting:
• Bills are usually passed through voice votes, which does
not indicate how members voted. Recorded voting gives a
precise count of members voting for and against a Bill.
• During the term of the 17th Lok Sabha, 7% Bills passed in Lok
Sabha (12 Bills) and 10% passed in Rajya Sabha (18) had
recorded voting at some stage.
Question Hour:
• In this session, 9% of questions listed for oral responses were
answered in Lok Sabha, and 28% in Rajya Sabha. When
Ministers answer questions orally in the House, members
have the opportunity to ask supplementary questions and
elicit further information.
• On average, 10 minutes were spent on question hour each
day in Lok Sabha, and 17 minutes in Rajya Sabha.
No-confidence Motion
discussed. During the discussion many members raised the
issues of violence in Manipur and Haryana and actions taken
by the government. The motion was defeated by a voice vote.
• In Rajya Sabha, a Short Duration Discussion notice was
accepted to discuss law-and-order issues in Manipur. Such
discussions are usually taken up for up to two and a half
hours. However, due to disruptions, the House was adjourned
after just a minute of discussion.
• Adjournment motions are filed to suspend existing business
for the day and discuss a matter of urgent importance.
Deputy Speaker:
• The 17th Lok Sabha has not elected a Deputy Speaker as it
enters the final year of its term. This is the longest time that the
Lok Sabha has functioned without a Deputy Speaker (1,517
days). The Constitution mandates Lok Sabha to choose a
Speaker and a Deputy Speaker as soon as possible.
• In February 2023, Supreme Court had issued a notice to the
Central Government to respond to the delay in electing a
Deputy Speaker.

20
 Polity & Gov
JAN VISHWAS
(AMENDMENT OF PROVISIONS) ACT, 2023
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 was enacted by Parliament in the Monsson Session.
About:
• According to the Observer Research Foundation’s report
titled Jailed for Doing Business (published in February 2022),
of the 1,536 laws that govern doing business in India, more
than half carry imprisonment clauses.
• For some laws, delayed or incorrect filing of a compliance
report is an offence whose punishment stands on par with
sedition under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
• The largest number of imprisonment clauses are found in
labour laws, with more than 50 such clauses per law.
Features of the Act:
• The Act amends 183 provisions across 42 Acts administered by
19 ministries.
• Some Acts that are amended by the Act include: the Indian
Post Office Act, 1898, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,
the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, and the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
• It decriminalises several minor offences with an imprisonment
term in certain Acts by imposing only a monetary penalty.
• It also envisages the rationalisation of monetary penalties,
depending on the gravity of the offence. For minor offences,
there should be a provision for paying fines.
• It also increases the fines and penalties for various offences in
the specified Acts. Further, these fines and penalties will be
increased by 10% of the minimum amount after the expiry of
every three years.
• The central government may appoint one or more adjudicating
officers for the purpose of determining penalties. The
adjudicating officers may: (i) summon individuals for evidence,
and (ii) conduct inquiries into violations of the respected Acts.
• The Act also specifies the appellate mechanisms for any
person aggrieved by the order passed by an adjudicating
officer. For instance, in the Environment (Protection) Act,
1986, appeals may be filed with the National Green Tribunal
within 60 days from the order.
Arguments in Favour:
• The Act aims to reduce the compliance burden on individuals
and businesses.
• It is in line with the principle of ‘Minimum Government
Maximum Governance' and redefining the regulatory
landscape of the country under the Ease of Living and Ease of
Doing Business reforms.
• The fear of imprisonment for minor offences is a major factor
hampering the growth of the business ecosystem and individual
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
confidence. A web of outdated rules and regulations causes
trust deficit. The Act aims to change this.
• This endeavour will also reduce judicial burden due to
Settlement of large number of issues, by compounding
method, adjudication and administrative mechanism, without
involving courts.
• This will enable persons to remedy minor contraventions and
defaults, sometimes committed unknowingly by them, and
save time, energy and resources.
• Criminalisation of business laws violates Indian business
traditions. From the Mahabharata to the Arthashastra,
criminality was never a part of punitive action against
businesses in ancient India — only financial penalties were.
IMPACT OF OVERCRIMINALISATION
• Criminal law is frequently used as a political tool; the act of
criminalisation often becomes a medium for governments
to put across a strong image as opposed to punishing
wrongful conduct. Governments offer little in the way of
justifications to support such decisions.
• As per the National Judicial Data Grid, of the 4.3 crore
pending cases, nearly 3.2 crore cases are in relation to
criminal proceedings.
• Rise in the prison population is also proof of over-
criminalisation. As per the National Crime Records Bureau’s
Prison Statistics of 2021, a total of 5.54 lakh prisoners were
confined in prisons against a capacity of 4.25 lakh.
View of Critiques:
• It is a welcome move and can be viewed as an attempt to
reverse the trend of overcriminalisation. However, there is
much that needs to be done in order to institutionalise efforts
aimed at decriminalisation.
• Replacement of imprisonment clauses with fines can hardly
be termed as ‘decriminalisation’ and instead can be termed
as ‘quasi-decriminalisation.’
• There is a distinction between regulatory offences and penal
offences which can be seen in the functional distinction
between a tax and a fine. While the purpose of a tax is
primarily regulatory in nature, a fine carries with it an element
of censure and stigma.
• There are more than 26,000 imprisonment clauses in a total
of 843 economic legislations, rules and regulations. Thus,
the number of offences deregulated under the Act seems to be
negligible.
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& Gov Feature Articles
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REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND
DEATHS (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by Parliament.
Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969:
• The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023
seeks to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act,
1969.
• The registration of births and deaths falls under the Concurrent
List, giving powers to both Parliament and state legislatures
to make laws on the subject.
Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill,
2023:
• Database of births and deaths: The Registrar-General, India
will maintain a national database of registered births and
deaths. The Chief Registrars (appointed by states) and
Registrars (appointed by states for local area jurisdiction) will
be obligated to share data of registered births and deaths to
the national database. The Chief Registrar shall maintain a
similar database at the state level.
• Electronic certificates: The Act provides that any person may:
(i) cause a search to be made by the Registrar for any entry in
a register of births and deaths, and (ii) obtain an extract from
the register related to any birth or death. The Bill amends
this to provide for obtaining a birth or death certificate
(electronically or otherwise) instead of extracts.
• Aadhaar details of parents and informants required: The Act
requires certain persons to report births and deaths to the
Registrar. For example, the medical officer in charge of a
hospital where a baby is born must report the birth. The Bill
adds that, in cases of births, the specified persons shall also
provide the Aadhaar number of the parents and the informant.
 This provision also applies to: (i) jailor in case of births in
a jail, and (ii) manager of a hotel or lodge in case of births
in such a place.
 Further, it expands the list of specified persons to include:
(i) adoptive parents for non-institutional adoption, (ii)
biological parent for births through surrogacy, and (iii)
the parent in case of birth of a child to a single parent or
unwed mother.
• Connecting database: The Bill states that the national database
may be made available to other authorities preparing or
maintaining other databases. Such databases include: (i)
population register, (ii) electoral rolls, (iii) ration card, and (iv)
any other national databases as notified.
• Use of birth certificate: The Bill requires the use of birth
and death certificates to prove the date and place of birth
22
for persons born on or after this Bill comes into effect. The
information will be used for purposes including: (i) admission
to an educational institution, (ii) preparation of voter lists, (iii)
appointment to a government post etc.
• Appeal process: Any person aggrieved by any action or order
of the Registrar or District Registrar may appeal to the District
Registrar or Chief Registrar, respectively. Such an appeal
must be made within 30 days from receipt of such action or
order. The District Registrar or Chief Registrar must give their
decision within 90 days from the date of appeal.
Issues to Consider:
• Violation of Right to Education: Denying admission to school to
a child without a birth certificate may violate the fundamental
right to education under Article 21A.
• Violation of Right to vote: Article 326 guarantees that every
citizen above the age of 18 years has the right to vote.
This right may be curtailed if a person is subject to certain
disqualifications due to non-residence, being of unsound
mind, or crime, corrupt, or illegal practice. The absence
of birth certificates (for age proof) does not fall within the
mentioned disqualifications.
• Violation of Right to privacy: The bill may violate the informant’s
right to privacy, which was recognised as a fundamental
right by the Supreme Court in 2017. For instance, attaching
a medical officer’s Aadhaar to any child born in the hospital,
or an SHO’s Aadhaar to all abandoned children in their
jurisdiction may violate these officers’ right to privacy
disproportionately.
• Violation of Aadhaar judgement: This provision may also
violate the principles laid down in the Aadhaar judgement
(Puttaswamy 2018). The judgement said that the Aadhaar
Act, 2016, was passed as a money Bill and read down
provisions that permitted linking of Aadhaar for purposes
other than government benefits and services. Using this
rationale, the judgement struck down the requirement of
Aadhaar for bank accounts and mobile phone connections.
The same rationale may apply for linking of Aadhaar to birth
certificates, as well.
• Corruption: The Bill does not provide for any other means to
determine a person’s age in case they do not have a birth
certificate. This gives the authority issuing birth certificates
significant powers to affect an individual’s life. This may lead
to perverse incentives that could lead to corruption.
 Polity & Gov
ELECTION COMMISSIONERS BILL, 2023
The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of
Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Rajya Sabha.
Key Features of the Bill:
• It repeals the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of
Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act,
1991.
• Election Commission: As per Article 324 of the Constitution,
the Election Commission consists of the Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) and such number of other Election
Commissioners (ECs), as the President may decide. The Bill
specifies the same composition of the Election Commission.
• Appointment: The Bill adds that the CEC and other ECs will
be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a
Selection Committee.
• The Selection Committee will consist of: (i) the Prime Minister
as Chairperson, (ii) the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
as member, and (iii) a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by
the Prime Minister as member. If the Leader of Opposition in
Lok Sabha has not been recognised, the leader of the single
largest opposition party in Lok Sabha will assume the role.
• Search Committee: A Search Committee will prepare a panel of
five persons for the consideration of the Selection Committee.
The Search Committee will be headed by the Cabinet
Secretary. It will have two other members, not below the rank
of Secretary to the central government, having knowledge
and experience in matters related to elections. The Selection
Committee may also consider candidates who have not been
included in the panel prepared by the Search Committee.
• Qualification of CEC and ECs: Persons who are holding or have
held posts equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the central
government will be eligible to be appointed as CEC and
ECs. Such persons must have expertise in managing and
conducting elections.
• Salary and allowances: The 1991 Act provides that the salary
of the ECs will be equal to that of a Supreme Court judge. The
Bill provides that salary, allowance, and service conditions of
the CEC and other ECs will be the same as that of the Cabinet
Secretary.
• Term of office: The 1991 Act mandates that the CEC and other
ECs will hold office for a term of six years or until they reach
the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. If an EC is appointed
as the CEC, his total term cannot exceed six years. The Bill
retains the same tenure. Further, under the Bill, the CEC and
other ECs will not be eligible for re-appointment.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Conduct of business: All business of the Election Commission
is to be conducted unanimously. In case of difference of
opinion between the CEC and the other ECs on any matter, it
shall be decided through majority.
• Removal: Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the CEC can
only be removed from his office in a manner similar to that of
a Supreme Court judge. An EC can only be removed from
office on the recommendation of the CEC. The Bill retains this
removal procedure.
• Resignation: Further, the 1991 Act provides that the CEC and
other ECs may submit their resignation to the President. The
Bill has the same provision.
Need of Bill:
• The matters regarding conditions of service of Chief
Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners,
the procedure for transaction of business of the Election
Commission, etc., are presently governed by the Election
Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners
and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991.
• The said Act do not contain provisions regarding the
qualifications, search committee for preparing panel of
persons for consideration and recommendation by the
Selection Committee for appointment as Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners
(ECs) and other incidental provisions.
Concerns:
• The Bill attempts to alter constitutional provisions that equate
ECs with Supreme Court judges. It also seeks to undo the
top court’s recent ruling in ‘Anoop Baranwal vs. Union of
India’.
• Although the stipulated salary of a Supreme Court judge and
the Cabinet Secretary is nearly the same, top court judges
are entitled to additional post-retirement benefits, including
domestic help and lifetime provision of drivers.
• Additionally, this Bill seeks to constitute a committee of
the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok
Sabha, and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM to select
members of the Election Commission of India. Notably,
this committee will not have the Chief Justice of India as a
member, contrary to the top court’s suggestion in a ruling
delivered in March this year.
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 Current
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& Gov Feature Articles
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MEDIATION BILL
The Mediation Bill, 2021 was passed by Parliament in the monsoon session.
About:
• Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR),
where parties attempt to settle their dispute (outside courts)
with the assistance of an independent third person (mediator).
• The Bill seeks to promote mediation (including online
mediation), and provide for enforcement of settlement
agreements resulting from mediation.
Key Features of the Bill include:
• Applicability: The Bill will apply to mediation proceedings
conducted in India where: (i) all parties reside in, are
incorporated in, or have their place of business in India, (ii)
the mediation agreement states that mediation will be as per
this Bill, or (iii) there is an international mediation. In these
cases, if the central or state government is a party, the Bill
will only apply to: (a) commercial disputes, and (b) other
disputes as notified by such government.
• Pre-litigation mediation: In case of civil or commercial
disputes, a person must try to settle the dispute by mediation
before approaching any court or certain tribunals as notified.
Even if the parties fail to reach a settlement through pre-
litigation mediation, the court or tribunal may at any stage of
the proceedings refer the parties to mediation if they request
for the same.
• Disputes not fit for mediation: Disputes not fit for mediation
include those: (i) relating to claims against minors or persons
of unsound mind, (ii) involving prosecution for criminal
offences, (iii) affecting the rights of third parties, and (iv)
relating to levy or collection of taxes. The central government
may amend this list of disputes.
• Mediation process: Mediation proceedings will be
confidential. A party may withdraw from mediation after the
first two mediation sessions. The mediation process must be
completed within 180 days (even if the parties fail to arrive
at an agreement), which may be extended by another 180
days by the parties. In case of court annexed mediation (i.e.,
mediation conducted at a mediation centre established by
any court or tribunal), the process must be conducted in
accordance with directions or rules framed by the Supreme
Court or High Courts.
• Mediators: Mediators only assist the parties to settle their
dispute, and cannot impose a settlement on the them.
Mediators may be appointed by: (i) the parties by agreement,
or (ii) a mediation service provider (an institution administering
mediation). Mediators must disclose any conflict of interest
24
that may raise doubts on their independence. Parties may
then choose to replace the mediator.
• Mediation Council of India: The central government will
establish the Mediation Council of India. The Council
will consist of a chairperson, two full-time members (with
experience in mediation or ADR), three ex-officio members
(including Secretaries in the Ministries of Law and Justice
and Finance), and one part-time member (from an industry
body). Functions of the Council include: (i) registration of
mediators, and (ii) recognising mediation service providers
and mediation institutes (providing training, education and
certification of mediators).
• Community mediation: Community mediation may be
attempted to resolve disputes likely to affect the peace and
harmony amongst residents of a locality. It will be conducted
by a panel of three mediators (may include persons of
standing in the community, and representatives of RWAs).
• Interface with other laws: The Bill will override other laws on
mediation (except certain laws such as the Legal Services
Authorities Act, 1987, and the Industrial Relations Code,
2020). The Bill also makes consequential amendments in
certain laws (such as the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and the
Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996).
Analysis:
• The Bill makes participation in pre-litigation mediation
mandatory. Mediation is a voluntary dispute resolution
process. The question is whether it is appropriate to mandate
parties to attempt pre-litigation mediation. On one hand, this
could lead to more out of court settlements and reduce the
pendency in courts. On the other hand, mandating mediation
goes against its voluntary nature.
• The Mediation Council, established to regulate the profession
of mediators, may not have representation of practising
mediators with adequate experience. This is unlike other
professional regulators such as the Bar Council of India.
• The Mediation Council requires prior approval from the
central government before issuing regulations related to its
essential functions. It is not clear why such prior approval
is required. This may also be questioned since the central
government may be a party to mediations.
• The Bill applies to international mediations only if they are
conducted in India. It does not provide for enforcement of
settlement agreements resulting from international mediation
conducted outside India.
 Polity & Gov
PERSONALITY RIGHTS
The Delhi High Court allowed actor Anil Kapoor’s pleas for
protection of his personality rights from misuse by third parties.
About:
• Personality rights, sometimes referred to as the right of
publicity, are rights for an individual to control the commercial
use of their identity, such as name, image, likeness, or other
unequivocal identifiers.
• Personality rights are generally considered to consist of two
types of rights:
 the right of publicity, or the right to keep one's image
and likeness from being commercially exploited without
permission or contractual compensation, which is similar
(but not identical) to the use of a trademark; and
 the right to privacy, or the right to be left alone and not have
one's personality represented publicly without permission.
Reason:
• The idea is that only the owner or creator of these distinct
features has the right to derive any commercial benefit from it.
Exclusivity is a big factor in attracting commercial dividends
for celebrities. So unauthorised use causes a tangible loss of
revenue.
• Many celebrities even register some aspects as a trademark
to use them commercially. For example, Usain Bolt’s “bolting”
or lightning pose is a registered trademark.
Unauthorised Use vs Fair Use:
• Unauthorised use is distinguished from fair use.
• A fair use would be for example depiction in news, teaching
material or other non-commercial uses or even artistic uses like
mimicry or satire which is a copy but not mere reproduction.
• However, if a third-party uses it to profit from it, it cannot be
termed fair use.
Indian Scenario:
• Personality rights or their protection are not expressly
mentioned in a statute in India but are traced to fall under the
right to privacy and the right to property.
• Even as the Delhi High Court and the Madras High Court
have passed interim orders, the law is at a nascent stage
in India. In 2015, the Madras High Court, in a case involving
actor Rajnikanth had observed that “personality right vests on
those persons, who have attained the status of celebrity”.
• Many concepts in intellectual property rights used in
protection of trademarks such as passing off, deception can
be applied while deciding whether a celebrity deserves to be
protected through an injunction.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
Ex-Parte, Omnibus Injunction:
• Celebrities can move the Court and seek an injunction when
an unauthorised third party uses their personality rights for
commercial purposes.
• In the case of Anil Kapoor, the Delhi High Court granted
an ex-parte, omnibus injunction restraining 16 entities from
using Kapoor’s name, likeness, image, using technological
tools like Artificial Intelligence, face morphing and even GIFs
for monetary gain or commercial purpose.
• An ex-parte injunction is when relief is granted to a party
without hearing the other side.
• An omnibus injunction refers to an injunction granted against any
unauthorised use- even those that are not mentioned in the plea.
Effectiveness of Injunctions:
• The injunction acts as a deterrent. However, even when a
Court grants an injunction, it is not easy for a celebrity to track
all misuse and take action. The celeb has to then issue a
takedown order to an online intermediary like Google to have
them removed.
• These legal processes have significant costs involved but
could still be beneficial compared to the loss in revenue to
the celebrity.
When can the Court Grant an Injunction?
• In the Titan case of 2012, the Delhi High Court in its order
listed out the “basic elements comprising the liability for
infringement of the right of publicity.”
• First, the right has to be valid. This means that the Court must
be satisfied that the “plaintiff owns an enforceable right in the
identity or persona of a human being.”
• Second, is that the celebrity has to be easily identifiable
in the alleged misuse. The Celebrity must be identifiable
from defendant’s unauthorized use Infringement of right of
publicity requires no proof of falsity, confusion, or deception,
especially when the celebrity is identifiable.
• On how to prove that the celebrity is identifiable, the HC said
that a simple “unaided identification” should be enough if
the celebrity is well-known. Otherwise, the plaintiff will have
to bring evidence “of a number of elements in the context of
defendant’s use which add up at a geometric rate to point to
the plaintiff.”
• The other evidence is to show evidence of the “defendant’s
intent to trade upon the identity of the plaintiff, from which
identifiability can be presumed.”
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 Current Affairs
Economy Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
MINES AND MINERALS AMENDMENT BILL, 2023
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was passed by Parliament.
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation)
Act, 1957:
• The Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) Act, 1957. The Act regulates the mining sector.
• For regulation, the Act classifies mining-related activities into:
(i) reconnaissance, which involves a preliminary survey to
determine mineral resources, (ii) prospecting, which includes
exploring, locating, or proving mineral deposits, and (iii)
mining, the commercial activity of extraction of minerals.
Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, 2023: Key
Features
• Reconnaissance to include sub-surface activities: The 1957 Act
defines reconnaissance operations as operations undertaken
for preliminary prospecting and includes: (i) aerial surveys,
(ii) geophysical, and (iii) geochemical surveys. It also
includes geological mapping. The Act prohibits pitting,
trenching, drilling, and sub-surface excavation as part of
reconnaissance. The Bill allows these prohibited activities.
• Exploration licence for specified minerals: The Act provides for
following types of concessions: (i) a reconnaissance permit
for reconnaissance, (ii) a prospecting licence for prospecting,
(iii) mining lease for undertaking mining, and (iv) a composite
licence, for prospecting and mining. The Bill introduces an
exploration licence, which will authorise either reconnaissance
or prospecting, or both activities for specified minerals.
• Specified minerals: The exploration licence will be issued
for 29 minerals specified in the Seventh Schedule. These
include gold, silver, copper, cobalt, nickel, lead, potash, and
rock phosphate. These also include six minerals classified
as atomic minerals under the Act: (i) beryl and beryllium,
(ii) lithium, (iii) niobium, (iv) titanium, (v) tantallium, and (vi)
zirconium. The Bill declassifies them as atomic minerals.
Unlike other minerals, the prospecting and mining of atomic
minerals is reserved for government entities under the Act.
• Auction for exploration licence: The exploration licence will
be granted by the state government through competitive
bidding. The central government will prescribe details such
as manner of auction, terms and conditions, and bidding
parameters for exploration licence through rules.
• Validity of exploration licence: The exploration licence will be
issued for five years. A licencee may request for extension
of up to two years by making an application to the state
government. The application may be made after three years
of issuance of licence but before its expiry.
26
• Maximum area in which activities are permitted: Under the
Act, a prospecting licence allows activities in an area up to
25 square kilometres, and a single reconnaissance permit
allows activities in an area up to 5,000 square kilometres.
The Bill allows activities under a single exploration licence
in an area up to 1,000 square kilometres. After the first three
years, the licencee will be allowed to retain up to 25% of the
originally authorised area. The licencee must also submit a
report to the state government stating reasons for retention of
the area.
• Submission of geological reports: Within three months of the
completion of operations or expiry of the exploration licence, the
licencee must submit a geological report regarding findings.
• Incentive for exploration licencee: If the resources are proven
after exploration, the state government must conduct an
auction for mining lease within six months of the submission
of the report by the exploration licencee. The licencee will
receive a share in the auction value of the mining lease for
the mineral prospected by them. The share will be prescribed
by the central government. If the state government does not
complete auction of mining lease within the specified period,
the state government will pay to the exploration licencee an
amount prescribed by the central government.
• Auction of certain minerals by the central government: Under
the Act, auction of concessions is undertaken by the state
governments, except in certain specified cases. The Bill
adds that auction for composite licence and mining lease for
specified critical and strategic minerals will be conducted
by the central government. These minerals include lithium,
cobalt, nickel, phosphate, potash, tin, phosphate, and
potash. However, concessions will still be granted by the
state government.
Significance:
• Changes to the Act will incentivise private sector participation
in all spheres of mineral exploration, with a focus on precious
and critical ones.
• Lithium, a non-ferrous, alkali metal, is a key component for
electric vehicles, batteries and other energy storage solutions.
• Other minerals like beryllium find usage in aerospace,
defence, IT, telecommunications and so on; titanium is used
in mobile phones, bicycles, prosthetics; niobium is used in
jet engines and rockets; tantalum finds usage in electrolytic
capacitors and corrosion resistant chemicals; and zirconium
is used primarily in fabrication and as an alloying agent.
 Economy
MULTI-STATE CO-OPERATIVE
SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) BILL
The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed by Parliament.
Key Features of the Bill:
• Election of board members: Under the Act, elections to the
board of a multi-state co-operative society are conducted by
its existing board. The Bill amends this to specify that the
central government will establish the Co-operative Election
Authority to: (i) conduct such elections, (ii) supervise, direct,
and control the preparation of electoral rolls, and (iii) perform
other prescribed functions.
• Co-operative Election Authority: The Authority will consist of
a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and up to three members
appointed by the central government on the recommendations
of a selection committee.
• Amalgamation of co-operative societies: The Act provides for
the amalgamation and division of multi-state co-operative
societies. This can be done by passing a resolution at a general
meeting with at least two-thirds of the members, present and
voting. The Bill allows state co-operative societies to merge
into an existing multi-state co-operative society, subject to
the respective state laws. At least two-thirds of the members
of the co-operative society present and voting at a general
meeting must pass a resolution to allow such a merger.
• Fund for sick co-operative societies: The Bill establishes the Co-
operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development
Fund for revival of sick multi-state co-operative societies. The
central government may prepare a scheme for rehabilitation
and reconstruction of the society. Multi-state co-operative
societies that are in profit for the preceding three financial
years shall finance the Fund. They will deposit either one
crore rupees or one percent of their net profit into the Fund,
whichever is less.
• A sick multi-state co-operative society is one that has: (i)
accumulated losses equal to or exceeding the total of its
paid-up capital, free reserves, and surpluses, and (ii) suffered
cash losses in the past two financial years.
• Restriction on redemption of government shareholding: The
Act provides that the shares held in a multi-state co-operative
society by certain government authorities can be redeemed
based on the bye-laws of the society. These government
authorities include: (i) the central government, (ii) state
governments, (iii) the National Co-operative Development
Corporation, (iv) any corporation owned or controlled by
the government, or (v) any government company. The Bill
amends this to provide that any shares held by the central
and state governments cannot be redeemed without their
prior approval.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Redressal of complaints: As per the Bill, the central government
will appoint one or more Co-operative Ombudsman with
territorial jurisdiction. The Ombudsman shall inquire into
complaints made by members of multi-state co-operative
societies regarding: (i) their deposits, (ii) equitable benefits of
the society’s functioning, or (iii) issues affecting the individual
rights of the members. The Ombudsman shall complete the
process of inquiry and adjudication within three months from
the receipt of the complaint.
• Appeals: Appeals against the directions of the Ombudsman
may be filed with the Central Registrar (who is appointed by
the central government) within a month.
Need of Amendments:
• The Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 provides
for the formation and functioning of multi-state co-operatives.
In 2011, the Constitution was amended (adding Part IXB) to
specify guidelines for running co-operative societies. The
Supreme Court, in July 2021, held that Part IXB will only be
applicable to multi-state co-operative societies, as states have
the jurisdiction to legislate over state co-operative societies.
• Over the years, various experts have highlighted several
shortcomings with respect to the functioning of co-operatives.
• These include: (i) inadequacies in governance, (ii) politicisation
and excessive role of the government, (iii) inability to ensure
active membership, (iv) lack of efforts for capital formation,
and (v) inability to attract and retain competent professionals.
• In addition, there have also been cases where elections to
co-operative boards have been postponed indefinitely.
• The 2022 Bill seeks to amend the Act in order to align its
provisions with those provided under Part IXB of the
Constitution and address concerns with the functioning and
governance of co-operative societies.
Critical Analysis:
• The Bill is effectively imposing a cost on well-functioning co-
operatives to bail out poorly functioning ones. Mandating
such a financial burden on well-managed and profit-making
co-operatives may not be appropriate. This provision could
result in profit-making and financially viable co-operatives
providing towards the revival of sick co-operatives.
• The High Powered Committee on Co-operatives (2009) had
recommended that the central government should create
a National Co-operative Rehabilitation and Institutional
Protection Fund to revive sick units. It suggested that states
should contribute to the fund.
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 Current Affairs
Economy Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
NATIONAL MPI 2023
NITI Aayog released the National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023.
About:
• NITI Aayog, as the nodal agency for MPI, has been responsible
for constructing an indigenized index for monitoring the
performance of India's 36 States and UTs in addressing
multidimensional poverty.
• This is the second edition of the national MPI and is a follow-
up to the Baseline Report published in 2021. These estimates
have been computed using data from the 5th round of the
NFHS (NFHS-5) conducted in 2019-21.
• The National MPI model has three equally weighted
dimensions – Health, Education, and Standard of living – which
are represented by 12 indicators.
• It retains the ten indicators of the global MPI model and also
adds two indicators, viz., Maternal Health and Bank Accounts in
line with national priorities.
Key Highlights:
• India has registered a decline of 9.89 percentage points in the
number of India’s multidimensionally poor from 24.85% in
2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-2021.
• The rural areas witnessed the fastest decline in poverty from
32.59% to 19.28%. The urban areas saw a reduction in
poverty from 8.65% to 5.27%.
• The fastest reduction in the proportion of multidimensional
poor was observed in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
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Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh
registered the largest decline in the number of poor with 3.43
crore people escaping multidimensional poverty.
• Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the MPI value has nearly
halved from 0.117 to 0.066 and the intensity of poverty has
reduced from 47% to 44%, thereby setting India on the path
of achieving the SDG Target 1.2 (of reducing multidimensional
poverty by at least half) much ahead of the stipulated timeline
of 2030.
Reason for Decline: Successful Government Initiatives
• Flagship programmes like the Poshan Abhiyan and Anaemia
Mukt Bharat have contributed to reduced deprivations in
health. Initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) have improved sanitation across the
country. The impact of these efforts is evident in the swift 21.8
percentage points improvement in sanitation deprivations.
• The provision of subsidized cooking fuel through the Pradhan
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has positively transformed lives,
with a 14.6% points improvement in cooking fuel deprivations.
• Initiatives like Saubhagya, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY),
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), and Samagra
Shiksha have also played a major role in significantly reducing
multidimensional poverty in the country.
Conclusion:
• The findings will serve as a valuable resource for States and
Union Territories to identify and amplify actions that have
triggered progress since the findings of the Baseline Report,
right upto the district level.
• It will also enable them to track the progress of the vulnerable
hotspots and pinpoint areas that require further targeted
policy interventions and programmatic action.
 Economy Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

GLOBAL MPI 2023

Recently, the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2023 has been released.

About: • The global MPI was originally co-designed and launched

• The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is an
international measure of acute multidimensional poverty
covering over 100 developing countries.
• It complements traditional monetary poverty measures, such
as the World Bank’s extreme poverty line, by capturing the
acute deprivations in three dimensions (health, education,
and living standards) distributed in 10 indicators that a person
faces simultaneously.
• The MPI assesses poverty at the individual level. If a person
is deprived in a third or more of ten (weighted) indicators, the
global MPI identifies them as ‘MPI poor’.
• The extent – or intensity – of their poverty is also measured
through the percentage of deprivations they are experiencing.
• The global MPI is produced annually by the Oxford Poverty
and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) in collaboration
with United Nations Development Programme’s Human
Development Report Office (UNDP HDRO).
in 2010 by both institutions and was jointly revised in
2018.
DO YOU KNOW?
• Acute poverty: The report describes the MPI as a measure
of ‘acute’ poverty to avoid confusion with the World Bank’s
measure of ‘extreme’ monetary poverty that captures those
living on less than $2.15 a day (which replaced the $1.90
poverty line in September 2022).
• Incidence of poverty: It is the proportion (%) of the
population who are multidimensionally poor (those who are
deprived in at least one third of the weighted indicators).
This is also sometimes referred to as the ‘headcount ratio’
or the ‘poverty rate’.
• Intensity of poverty: It is the average share (%) of
deprivations across the ten weighted indicators which
people experience simultaneously.

METHODOLOGY
Dimensions Indicator Deprived if living in a household where… Weight SDG Area
Nutrition Any person under 70 years of age for whom there is nutritional 1/6 SDG 2: Zero Hunger
information is undernourished.
Health (1/3)
Child mortality A child under 18 has died in the household in the five-year 1/6 SDG 3: Health and
period preceding the survey. Well-being
Years of No eligible household member has completed six years of 1/6 SDG 4: Quality
Education schooling schooling. Education
(1/3) School Any school-aged child is not attending school up to the age 1/6 SDG 4: Quality
attendance at which he/she would complete class 8. Education
Cooking fuel A household cooks using solid fuel, such as dung, agricultural 1/18 SDG 7: Affordable and
crop, shrubs, wood, charcoal, or coal. Clean Energy
Sanitation The household has unimproved or no sanitation facility or it is 1/18 SDG 6: Clean Water
improved but shared with other households. and Sanitation
Drinking water The household’s source of drinking water is not safe or safe 1/18 SDG 6: Clean Water
Living drinking water is a 30-minute or longer walk from home, roundtrip. and Sanitation
Standards Electricity The household has no electricity. 1/18 SDG 7: Affordable and
(1/3) Clean Energy
Housing The household has inadequate housing materials in any of 1/18 SDG 11: Sustainable
the three components: floor, roof, or walls. Cities & Communities
Assets The household does not own more than one of these 1/18 SDG 1: No Poverty
assets: radio, TV, telephone, computer, animal cart, bicycle,
motorbike, or refrigerator, and does not own a car or truck.

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 Current Affairs Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
2023 Report:
• This year’s report Unstacking global poverty: Data for high-
impact action, produced in partnership with the United
Nations Development Programme Human Development
Report Office (UNDP HDRO).
• It compiles data across 110 developing countries covering
6.1 billion people and accounting for 92% of the population
in developing countries.
Key Findings:
Where do poor people live?
• Across 110 countries 1.1 billion out of 6.1 billion people
are poor – just over 18% are estimated to live in acute
multidimensional poverty.
• 534 million out of 1.1 billion poor people – half of all poor
people – live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Over a third of all poor people live in South Asia – that’s 389
million people.
• 730 million – nearly two-thirds of all poor people – live in
middle-income countries. Low-income countries are home to
over one-third of all poor people – 387 million.
Who are the poorest?
• 485 million poor people live in severe poverty across 110
countries, experiencing 50–100% of weighted deprivations.
• 99 million poor people experience deprivations in all three
dimensions (70–100% of weighted deprivations).
• 10 million of the 12 million poor people with the highest
deprivation scores (90–100%) live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Half of the 1.1 billion poor people (566 million) are children
under 18 years of age.
• 84% of all poor people live in rural areas. Rural areas are
poorer than urban areas in every world region.
What deprivations do poor people face?
• 824–991 million out of the 1.1 billion poor people do not have
adequate sanitation, housing or cooking fuel.
• 600 million poor people live with a person who is
undernourished in their household.
• Gaps in years of schooling are a cross regional issue: In all
regions except Europe and Central Asia, around half of poor
people do not have a single member of their household who
has completed six years of schooling.
• In 42 of 61 countries more people live in multidimensional
poverty, based on the global MPI, than in extreme monetary
poverty according to the World Bank’s $2.15 a day measure.
How has poverty changed?
• 25 countries, including India, successfully halved their global
MPI values within 15 years, showing that rapid progress is
attainable. These countries include Cambodia, China, Congo,
Honduras, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia and Vietnam.
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• In 15 countries, the rate of poverty reduction was outpaced
by population growth: The number of poor people increased
despite poverty rates declining.
• Cambodia halved its MPI in 7.5 years (2014–2021/2022),
including during the COVID-19 pandemic years despite
increases in deprivations in school attendance.
Indian Scenario:
• In India, 415 million poor people moved out of poverty from
2005/2006 to 2019/2021, with incidence falling from 55.1% in
2005/2006 to 16.4% in 2019/2021.
• In 2005/2006, about 645 million people were in
multidimensional poverty in India, with this number declining
to about 370 million in 2015/2016 and 230 million in
2019/2021.
• The poorest states and groups, including children and people
in disadvantaged caste groups, had the fastest absolute
progress.
• Deprivation in all indicators declined.
 People who are multidimensionally poor and deprived
under the nutrition indicator in India declined from 44.3%
in 2005-06 to 11.8% in 2019-21, and child mortality fell
from 4.5% to 1.5%.
 Deprivation of cooking fuel fell from 52.9% to 13.9% and
those deprived of sanitation fell from 50.4% in 2005-2006
to 11.3% in 2019-2021.
 In the drinking water indicator, the percentage of people
who are multidimensionally poor and deprived fell from
16.4 to 2.7 during the period, electricity from 29 to 2.1 and
housing from 44.9 to 13.6.
SCHEMES FOR POVERTY REDUCTION IN INDIA
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MGNREGS): It is a demand driven wage
employment Scheme which provides for the enhancement
of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the
country by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage
employment in every financial year to every household
whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual
work.
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana: National Rural Livelihoods
Mission (DAY-NRLM): It was launched in 2011.the Mission
aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms
of the rural poor, enabling them to increase household
income through sustainable livelihoods enhancements and
improved access to financial services.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
is a credit-linked subsidy scheme by the Government of
India to facilitate access to affordable housing for the low
and moderate-income residents of the country.
 Economy
BHARAT NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has rolled out the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP).
About:
• Bharat NCAP is an indigenous star-rating system for crash
testing cars.
• Under it, cars voluntarily nominated by automobile
manufacturers will be crash tested as per protocols laid down
in the soon-to-be-published Automotive Industry Standard 197.
Parameters:
• Cars will be assigned a rating between one star to five stars
indicating their safety in a collision after being evaluated on
three parameters: (1) adult occupant protection; (2) child
occupant protection and (3) safety assist technologies
present in the car.
• The first two parameters will be calculated with the help of
three different kinds of tests, which include a frontal offset test
where a vehicle is driven at 64 kmph and with 40% overlap into
a deformable barrier which represents the oncoming vehicle,
which replicates a crash between two cars of the same weight.
• Other tests are the side impact test at 50 kmph and the pole-
side impact test (where a car is crashed into a rigid pole
sideways) at 29 kmph.
Coverage:
• The programme is applicable to passenger vehicles with
not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat with
gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kgs. Only the base
model of a particular variant will be tested.
• The rating system will be voluntary and will come into effect
from October 1, 2023.
• Though Bharat NCAP is voluntary, in certain cases, cars may
be subjected to a crash test such as for a base model of
a popular variant (minimum clocked sale of 30,000 units),
or when the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
recommends a model for testing based on market feedback
or in the interest of public safety.
Background:
• The testing protocols adopted by the Bharat NCAP are
modelled on the Global NCAP, which is a project of the U.K.-
based NGO, Towards Zero Foundation.
• It serves as a platform for cooperation among new car
assessment programmes worldwide, including countries
such as the U.S. which has the world’s oldest crash testing
regime since 1978.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• The NGO launched a Safer Cars for India campaign in 2014
when it released the country’s first independent crash tests
covering the Suzuki-Maruti Alto 800, the Tata Nano, Ford
Figo, Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo.
• Since then, more than 50 results have been published for the
Indian market. In 2018, Tata achieved India’s first 5-star cars
and now manufacturers are competing to obtain four and
five- star results using ratings in their marketing.
Need of this Programme:
• The objective of the programme is to help consumers make
an informed decision before purchasing a car, thereby
spurring demand for safer cars.
• India sees nearly 1.5 lakh road fatalities in a year, accounting
for 10% of deaths due to road crashes globally with only 1%
of the world’s vehicles.
• According to a World Bank study, road crashes are estimated
to cost the Indian economy between 5 to 7% of GDP a year.
• The launch of the Bharat NCAP is on the back of a slew of
road safety regulations over the past few years including
mandatory dual front airbags, anti-lock braking system,
seatbelt reminder and reverse parking sensors.
Way Forward:
• India will need to develop its crash testing capabilities and
knowledge expertise for the Bharat NCAP programme to be
implemented meaningfully, such as a software system wired
to the dummies placed inside cars to assess the nature and
extent of injuries to analyse scores.
• Over the years, India will also have to align Bharat NCAP with
global standards by expanding testing parameters.
STEPS FOR ROAD SAFETY IN INDIA
• As per Stockholm Declaration, India is committed to reduce
number of road traffic deaths and injuries to 50% by 2030.
• Road Safety Audit (RSA) of all National Highways (NHs)
has been made mandatory through third party auditors/
experts at all stages i.e. design, construction, operation
and maintenance etc.
• Ministry has notified the mandatory provision of an airbag
for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next
to the driver.
• Ministry has published rules for the protection of Good
Samaritan, who in good faith, renders emergency care at
the scene of an accident to the victim or transports such
victim to the hospital.
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 Current Affairs
Economy Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
COASTAL AQUACULTURE ACT
Parliament enacted the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Act, 2023 in the monsoon session.
Coastal Aquaculture Act (CAA) 2005:
• As per the Act, Coastal aquaculture is defined as ‘culturing,
under controlled conditions in ponds, pens, enclosures or
otherwise, in coastal areas, of shrimp, prawn, fish or any
other aquatic life in saline or brackish water; but does not
include fresh water aquaculture’.
• Coastal area means area declared as the Coastal Regulation
Zone and an ‘area of land within a distance of two kilometres
from the High Tide Line (HTL) of seas, rivers, creeks and
backwaters.
• The Act established the Coastal Aquaculture Authority for
regulating coastal aquaculture.
• It was enacted after the Supreme Court verdict in the 1994 case
of Jagannathan vs Union of India where the court directed the
Central Government to constitute an authority to protect the
coastal areas and promote sustainable coastal aquaculture.
Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Act, 2023:
• The Act seeks to amend the Coastal Aquaculture Act (CAA)
2005.
• It clarifies that “coastal aquaculture and activities connected
therewith” shall continue to be regulated by “the Coastal
Aquaculture Authority Act and no other Acts.”
• It broadens the definition of “coastal aquaculture” to mean
“rearing and cultivation of any life stages of fish, including
crustacean, mollusc, finfish, seaweed or any other aquatic
life under controlled conditions, either indoor or outdoor, in
cement cisterns, ponds, pens, cages, rafts, enclosures or
otherwise in saline or brackish water in coastal areas, but
does not include fresh water aquaculture.”
• The Act adds that any facility that is engaged in allied activity to
coastal aquaculture will be regulated as a coastal aquaculture
unit. Allied activities include nucleus breeding centres,
hatcheries, brood stock multiplication centres and farms.
• Functions of Coastal Aquaculture Authority shall also include:
(i) fix standards or prohibit coastal aquaculture inputs, such
as probiotics, in order to prevent harm to coastal aquaculture/
environment, (ii) fix standards, monitor, and regulate such
units to prevent diseases, and (iii) fix standards for emission/
discharge of effluents from coastal aquaculture units.
• Composition of the Authority: The Authority comprises 11
members including: (i) a High Court judge (Chair), (ii) experts
in the fields of coastal aquaculture and coastal ecology,
(iii) representatives from the ministries of agriculture and
commerce, and (iv) four members from coastal states. The
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Act adds a representative from the Ministry of Fisheries,
Animal Husbandry and Dairying as a member.
• It aims to promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal
aquaculture such as “cage culture, seaweed culture, bi-valve
culture, marine ornamental fish culture and pearl oyster
culture”, which has the potential for creating employment
opportunities for fisherwomen.
• It aims to include global best practices in this sector, including
mapping and zonation of aquaculture areas, quality
assurance and safe aquaculture products.
• Penalties: If coastal aquaculture in contravention with the
provisions of the Act is carried out: (i) the activity may be
suspended, (ii) the structure may be removed/demolished, (iii)
the standing crop may be destroyed, (iv) the registration may
be cancelled, and/or (v) a penalty may be imposed. The Act
provides for different penalties for different contraventions.
• Adjudication and appeals: Under the Act, the central
government may authorise an officer of at least Under
Secretary level to adjudicate penalties.
Provisions for Biosecurity:
• The Act includes new provisions for “biosecurity”, which
refers to measures for preventing the risk of spreading
harmful organisms like viruses and bacteria within the coastal
aquaculture unit.
• It provides for the introduction of a “Brood Stock Multiplication
Centre” which receives “post-larvae or juvenile which are
specific pathogen free” or tolerant or resistant to such
pathogens or other post-larvae or juveniles from a “Nucleus
Breeding Centre”, to be reared under strict biosecurity and
disease surveillance.
• The Act seeks to prevent the use of antibiotics and
“pharmacologically active substances”, which are harmful to
human health in coastal aquaculture.
Present Status of Coastal Aquaculture:
• The coastal aquaculture is one of the major success stories
of lakhs of small farmers and educated youth working on
average land size of 2 to 4 hectares with the policy support of
the Government.
• The shrimp production has increased from about 75000 tons
in 2008-09 to around 10 lakh tons in 2021-22. The seafood
exports have grown at an average annual growth rate of
15% and stood at a record Rs. 57,586 crore in 2021-22 with
brackish water shrimp constituting the lion's share thereof,
amounting to Rs.42,706 crore.
 Environment
ECOCIDE
Environmentalists have described the Mexico’s Maya train project as a “crime of ecocide” as it imperils the
Yucatán peninsula’s rich wilderness, ancient cave systems and indigenous communities.
Meaning of Ecocide:
• There is no accepted legal definition of ecocide.
• Ecocide, derived from Greek and Latin, translates to ‘killing
one’s home’ or ‘environment’. Such ‘killing’ could include port
expansion projects that destroy fragile marine life and local
livelihoods; deforestation; illegal sandmining; polluting rivers
with untreated sewage.
• Stop Ecocide Foundation defines Ecocide as the “unlawful
or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a
substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-
term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.”
Examples:
• As per Stop Ecocide International, some of the examples
are Deforestation of the Amazon, deep-sea trawling and the
catastrophic 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy.
• Activists are also criticising the Great Nicobar Project for
imperilling indigenous communities and biodiversity.
Global Status of Ecocide Laws:
• Ecocide is a crime in 11 countries, with 27 other nations mulling
laws around criminalising environmental damage that is wilfully
caused and harms humans, animals and plant species.
• The European Parliament voted unanimously this year to
enshrine ecocide in law.
• There is a global push to elevate ecocide to the ranks of
an international crime. In 2010, British lawyer Polly Higgins
urged the United Nations’ International Criminal Court (ICC)
to recognise ecocide as an international crime, warranting
similar legal scrutiny as genocide.
Indian Scenario:
• Some Indian judgments have used the term ‘ecocide’ in
passing and have affirmed the legal personhood of nature by
recognising rivers as legal entities with the right to maintain
their spirit, identity and integrity.
• But the concept hasn’t fully materialised in law and is not
covered clearly by India’s environmental regime such as the
Environmental (Protection) Act of 1986, Wildlife (Protection)
Act of 1972, and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016
as well as separate rules to prevent air and water pollution.
Arguments for Criminalising Ecocide:
• Ecocide laws act as legal instruments to plug a lacuna in
environmental protection as none of the existing international
criminal laws protect the environment as an end in itself.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) global climate action is “insufficient”; over one-third of
the Earth’s animal and plant species could be extinct by 2050
and there is indiscriminate pollution which have pushed us to
a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene.
• Laws can hold individuals helming corporations accountable
and possibly deter environmental damage. A 2019 analysis
found that 20 fossil fuel companies were responsible for
a third of carbon emissions despite being aware of the
industry’s hazardous impact.
• Laws provide boundaries and sanctions for investment, as no
company or organisation – such as the World Bank – would
want to invest in something potentially criminal.
• Ecocide laws could also provide justice for low- and middle-
income countries which are disproportionately shouldering
the impact of extreme weather.
• Criminalising ecocide “can lead to a shift in social norms.”
There’s also a symbolic impact in equating a crime against
nature to a war crime. It changes the way nature is valued —
undoing an anthropocentric legal view and acknowledging
that ecosystems are deserving of protection by themselves.
Challenges:
• Critics argue against having a separate law to deal with
ecocide. Others question the vague definition of ‘ecocide’
itself. Words like “long-term” or “widespread damage” are
abstract and leave room for misinterpretation.
• A high burden of proof would make it impossible to show “that
someone intended to destroy the environment on a massive scale”
because environmental disasters are not caused intentionally
or deliberately.
• The ICC in itself has limited legal powers, and has a poor track
record when it comes to converting prosecutions into convictions.
• Even if ecocide is defined, how will the idea of jurisdiction
be defined? Most ‘crimes’ are transnational in nature;
corporations have private or state-owned corporations in
other countries (which are not members of the Rome Statute)
that are responsible for polluting activities.
Way Ahead:
• One critical challenge that needs to be addressed is to tackle
problems of liability and compensation – a “friction between
committing to environmental protection and actual action.”
• Even before ecocide laws come up internationally, India
needs to first bring its environmental laws in tune with the
idea of ecocide.
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 Current Affairs
Environment Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
LIGHT POLLUTION
A recent study by Cornell University, United States, argued that light pollution significantly influence
the coastal marine ecosystems, affecting everything from whales to fish, corals and plankton.
Definition of Light Pollution:
• Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light
levels from those occurring naturally.
• Components of light pollution include:
 Glare: Excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort
 Sky glow: Brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas
 Light trespass: Light falling where it is not intended or needed
 Clutter: Bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of
light sources
Causes of Light Pollution:
• Light pollution is a side effect of industrial civilization. Its
sources include building exterior and interior lighting,
advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories,
streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues.
• Cities: Cities account for most light pollution since they have
the most unshielded, improperly colored lights, sending light
upward into the sky rather than downward for human safety.
• Outdoor lights: From unshielded pathway lights and
streetlights to illuminated signs, most light at night is wasted,
spilling up into the air instead of down at the ground where
it’s needed for safety and wayfinding.
• Streetlights: While streetlights can be retrofitted to be dark sky
friendly, most cities and towns haven’t accomplished this yet.
• Electronic advertising: Electronic billboards, also known
as electronic messaging centers (EMCs) can be up to ten
times brighter at night than traditionally lit billboards. LEDs
from EMCs cannot be shielded, so light is flooded into the
night sky.
• Sports lighting: While nighttime sports offer plenty of valuable
benefits to humans, poorly designed lighting at outdoor
sports centers, fields, and stadiums causes increased light
pollution in parts of town that are often adjacent to open
space and parks — habitat for our non-human neighbors.
• Greenhouses: Residents in North America and Europe
increasingly report strange glows in the night sky. Lighted
greenhouses in densely populated areas are creating
conditions of light trespass. Bright glows in unusual colors
over greenhouses are sometimes considered a nuisance by
neighbors.
• Satellites: Objects orbiting Earth elevate the brightness of
the night sky by at least 10 percent over natural light levels,
34
exceeding a threshold that astronomers set over 40 years
ago for considering a location “Light Polluted.”
Effects of Light Pollution:
• Wildlife and ecosystems: Plants and animals depend on Earth’s
daily cycle of light and dark to govern life-sustaining behaviors
such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep, and protection from
predators. Scientific evidence suggests that artificial light at
night has negative and deadly effects on many creatures,
including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects, and plants.
• Crime and Safety: There is no clear scientific evidence that
increased outdoor lighting deters crimes. It may make us feel
safer, but it has not been shown to make us safer. Streetlights
don’t prevent accidents or crime, but do cost a lot of money.
• Human Health: Many studies have shown that exposure
to artificial light at night negatively affects human health,
including increased risk for: Sleep disorders, Depression,
Obesity, Diabetes, Heart disease and Cancer.
• Energy and Climate: Lighting levels that are higher than
necessary and light that shines when and where it’s not
needed is wasteful. Wasting energy has huge economic and
environmental consequences.
• Night sky heritage: The nighttime environment is a precious
natural resource for all life on Earth, but the glow of
uncontrolled outdoor lighting has hidden the stars and
changed our perception of the night.
Possible Solutions include:
• Utilizing light sources of minimum intensity necessary to
accomplish the light's purpose.
• Turning lights off using a timer or occupancy sensor or
manually when not needed.
• Improving lighting fixtures, so they direct their light more
accurately towards where it is needed, and with fewer side
effects.
• Adjusting the type of lights used, so the light waves
emitted are those that are less likely to cause severe light
pollution problems. Mercury, metal halide and above all first
generation of blue-light LED road luminaires are much more
polluting than sodium lamps: Earth's atmosphere scatters
and transmits blue light better than yellow or red light.
• Evaluating existing lighting plans, and re-designing some or
all the plans depending on whether existing light is actually
needed.
 Environment
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (AMENDMENT) BILL
Parliament passed the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):
• Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms that exist on the
planet. Human activities on the planet have created challenges
for biodiversity such as loss of habitat, deterioration of ecological
systems, and extinction or threat of extinction for species.
• There have also been concerns around bio-piracy which
involves unauthorised appropriation of biological resources
and related knowledge belonging to indigenous communities.
• A key multilateral treaty to address these concerns is the
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
from the year 1992. Under CBD, two protocols have been
adopted: (i) Cartagena Protocol on biosafety (2003), and
(ii) Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit sharing (2014).
India ratified the Cartagena Protocol in 2003 and the Nagoya
Protocol in 2014.
Biological Diversity Act, 2002:
• In light of India’s commitments under CBD, the Biological
Diversity Act, 2002 was passed by Parliament. The Act
regulates access to biological resources and associated
traditional knowledge.
• It sets up a three-tier structure for regulation: (i) National
Biodiversity Authority at the national level, (ii) State Biodiversity
Boards at the state level, and (iii) Biodiversity Management
Committees at the local body level.
• The Act provides for sharing of benefits with conservers
of biodiversity and holders and creators of associated
knowledge. Benefits may be shared in various forms such as:
(i) monetary compensation, (ii) sharing of intellectual property
rights, or (iii) technology transfer.
Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021:
• The Bill aims to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
• Certain categories of users of biological resources, like
practitioners of Indian systems of medicine, have been
exempted from making payments towards the access and
benefit-sharing mechanism.
• The Bill sought to exempt registered AYUSH medical practitioners
and people accessing codified traditional knowledge, among
others, from giving prior intimation to State biodiversity boards
to access biological resources for certain purposes.
• The penalty provisions for wrongdoing by user agencies
have been rationalised. The Bill decriminalises a range of
offences under the Act and substitutes them with monetary
penalties. It empowers government officials to hold inquiries
and determine penalties.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Companies registered in India and controlled by Indians are
now treated as Indian companies, even if they have foreign
equity or partnership, thereby reducing the restrictions on
them.
• Provisions have been included to speed up the approval
process in cases of use of biological resources in scientific
research, or for filing of patent applications.
Need of Amendment Bill:
• According to an analysis by the Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE), there are serious shortcomings in the
implementation of the Biodiversity Act.
• There was no data available — barring a few States — on
the money received from companies and traders for access
and benefit-sharing from use of traditional knowledge
and resources. It was unclear if companies had even paid
communities despite commitments.
• There were complaints by traditional Indian medicine
practitioners, the seed sector, industry and researchers
that the 2002 Act imposed a heavy “compliance burden”
and made it hard to conduct collaborative research and
investments and simplify patent application processes.
• According to the government, by decriminalising certain
activities, they are encouraging Ayurveda as well as ease of
doing business.
• The amendments will ensure that tribes and vulnerable
communities benefit from the proceeds of medicinal forest
products by widening the scope of levying access and
benefit sharing with local communities.
Concerns:
• Environmentalist organisations such as Legal Initiative
for Forests and Environment (LIFE) have said that the
amendments were made to “solely benefit” the AYUSH
Ministry and would lead to “bio piracy”.
• The modifications would exempt AYUSH manufacturing
companies from needing approvals from the NBA and thus
will go against one of the core provisions of the Act. The
exemptions in the bill could open the law for abuse.
• The Bill exempts "codified traditional knowledge" and
the AYUSH industry from benefit sharing, denying local
communities benefits from accessing biological resources.
The term "codified traditional knowledge" lacks a clear
definition, leading to potential exploitation.
• It decriminalises offences and proposes monetary penalties
instead, raising concerns over resource exploitation.
35
 Current Affairs
Environment Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
FOREST (CONSERVATION) AMENDMENT BILL
The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was passed by Parliament in the Monsoon Session.
Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980:
• It was enacted to control further deforestation of Forest Areas
in India.
• It provides that prior permission of the Central Government is
required for de-reservation of forest land, use of forest land
for non-forest purposes, assigning of forest land by way of
lease to private entities and for clearing of naturally grown
trees for the purpose of reafforestation.
Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023: Features
• It amends the short title of the Act to be called the Van
(Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, so as to
ensure that the potential of its provisions is reflected in its
short title.
• It clarifies the scope of applicability of the Act upon various
lands so as to remove ambiguities and bring clarity.
• Land under the purview of the Act: The Bill provides that two
types of land will be under the purview of the Act: (i) land
declared/notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act,
1927 or under any other law, or (ii) land not covered in the
first category but notified as a forest on or after October 25,
1980 in a government record. Further, the Act will not apply to
land changed from forest use to non-forest use on or before
Dec. 12, 1996 by any authority authorised by a State/UT.
• Exempted categories of land: It exempt following categories of
lands from the purview of the Act – (a) to fast track strategic
and security related projects of national importance; (b) to
provide access to small establishments, habitations on the
side of public roads and railways; and (c) to encourage
plantation on non-forest land.
• The Act restricts the de-reservation of forest or use of forest
land for non-forest purposes. Such restrictions may be lifted
with the prior approval of the central government. Non-forest
purposes include use of land for cultivating horticultural
crops or for any purpose other than reafforestation. The bill
exempts various activities from non-forest purposes.
• The Bill excludes following activities from non-forest purposes:
(i) zoos and safaris under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
owned by the government or any authority, in forest areas
other than protected areas, (ii) eco-tourism facilities, (iii)
silvicultural operations (enhancing forest growth), and (iv)
any other purpose specified by the central government.
• It empowers the Central Government to specify the terms
and conditions subject to which any survey, such as,
reconnaissance, prospecting, investigation or exploration
36
including seismic survey, shall not be treated as non-forest
purpose.
• Compensatory Forestation: It provide for terms and conditions
of planting trees to compensate felling of trees undertaken on
the lands while considering the proposed relaxations under
the Act.
• Power to issue directions: The Bill adds that the central
government may issue directions for the implementation of the
Act to any other authority/ organisation under or recognised
by the centre, state, or union territory.
Need of Amendment:
• Subsequent to the Supreme Court Judgement of 1996 (T.N.
Godavarman Thirumulpad vs. Union of India), the provisions
of the Act were applied to such recorded forests which had
already been put to various type of non-forestry use, thereby
restraining the authorities from undertaking any change in the
land use and allowing any development or utility related work.
• Apprehensions also prevailed regarding applicability of the
Act in the plantations raised in private and Government non-
forest lands. This situation resulted in misinterpretation of
the provisions of the Act with respect to their applicability
especially in recorded forest lands, private forest lands,
plantations, etc.
• There is a need to fast track the strategic projects of national
importance so as to ensure development of vital security
infrastructures, especially along the international border and
Left Wing Extremism affected areas.
• Similarly, small establishments and habitations on the side
of public roads and railways also need to be facilitated by
providing them access and connectivity to main arterial
roads and other public utilities.
• New challenges relating to ecological developments have
emerged, such as, mitigating the impact of climate change,
achieving the national targets of Net Zero Emission by 2070
and increasing the forest or tree cover for creation of carbon
sink of additional 2.5 to 3.0 billion tons of CO2 equivalent by
2030.
• The government also wants to preserve forests and their bio-
diversity symbiotically by enhancing forest based economic,
social and environmental benefits, including improvement of
livelihoods for forest dependent communities.
• In this background, the Forest (Conservation) Amendment
Bill, 2023 was introduced in Parliament to amend the Forest
Conservation Act, 1980.

Why the Amendments are a Greenwash?
• No contribution to “regeneration’ of Natural forests:
 The amendments effectively mean States can no longer
classify unclassified forest land, or patches of trees with
forest-like characteristics as ‘forest land’.
 The amendments also allow forest land, up to 100 km
near India’s borders, to be appropriated, without central
approval, for “strategic and security” purposes.
 The primary criticism is that these amendments do not
really contribute to regenerating natural forest, but rather
incentivise afforestation for commercial ends.
• Issues of carbon stock: Grooming private forests might look
good in theory but expecting them to be a permanent carbon
stock is wishful thinking given that strong market incentives
exist to use them as ‘carbon credits’.
• No specific conditions for denying: There are no specific
conditions laid by the environment ministry for outrightly
denying permission for deforestation for development projects.
• Affecting indigenous communities:
 Any review of the FC Act is an opportunity to make suitable
concessions for land that has traditionally been under the
control of indigenous and forest communities.
 Even after the enactment of the Forest Rights Act, 2006,
the scope for their consent has eroded incrementally when
it came to the diversion of forest land for development
projects.
 Now, they may have no say on the extensive plantations
that are envisaged on land on which they depend as
communities.
• Choosing plantation over forests: Forests are a lot more than
a sum of trees. Unlike man-made plantations, natural forests
perform a range of ecosystem services that are key to the
survival and well-being of the millions of species that they
support, and also provide direct livelihood and subsistence
to crores of people.
WHAT IS GREENWASHING?
• Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false
impression or misleading information about how a
company’s products are environmentally sound.
• Greenwashing involves making an unsubstantiated claim
to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s
products are environmentally friendly or have a greater
positive environmental impact than they actually do.
Way Ahead:
• While new climate realities might necessitate changes to the
way conservation laws are interpreted, these must be backed
by rigorous scientific evidence.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
report also stated that not degrading existing ecosystems in
the first place will do more to lower the impact of the climate
crisis than restoring ecosystems that have been destroyed.
Status of Forest Cover in India:
• Forest Area refers to area recorded as forest in government
records and is also called “recorded forest area”.
• Forests covered 24% of India’s total geographical area
accounting for two% of the world’s total forest area in 2020.
• India has increased its forest area significantly over the past
decade. It ranks third globally in average annual net gain
in forest area between 2010 to 2020, adding an average
2,66,000 ha of additional forest area every year during the
period, or adding approximately 0.38% of the 2010 forest
area every year between 2010 to 2020.
• Forest cover comprises all lands, more than one hectare
in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10%,
irrespective of ownership and legal status. Such lands may
not necessarily be a recorded forest area, and also include
orchards, bamboo and palm plantations.
• India’s total forest cover was 7,13,789 sq km in 2021
reflecting an increase of 3.14% in the forest cover over 2011,
from 21.05% of the country’s geographical area in 2011 to
21.71% in 2021.
• This increase in total forest cover is mainly attributed to
increase in very dense forest (all lands with tree canopy
density of 70% and above), which rose by 19.54% between
2011 and 2021.
• Open forest (all lands with tree canopy density between
10-40%) also improved by 6.71%, while moderately dense
forest (all lands with tree canopy density between 40-70%)
declined by 4.32% between 2011 and 2021.
• Amongst states, Madhya Pradesh (11% of India’s total forest
cover) had the largest forest cover in India in 2021, followed
by Arunachal Pradesh (9%), Chhattisgarh (8%), Odisha (7%)
and Maharashtra (7%).
• Mizoram (85%), Arunachal Pradesh (79%), Meghalaya (76%),
Manipur (74%) and Nagaland (74%) were the top five states
in terms of highest% of forest cover w.r.t. total geographical
area of the state in 2021.
• Arunachal Pradesh accounted for 21% of India’s very dense
forest in 2021, followed by Maharashtra (9%), Odisha (7%),
Chhatisgarh (7%) and Madhya Pradesh (7%).
• Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh accounted for 11%
of India’s moderately dense forest in 2021, followed by
Arunachal Pradesh (10%), Odisha (7%) and Karnataka (7%).
• Madhya Pradesh accounted for 12% of India’s open forest
in 2021, followed by Odisha (8%), Maharashtra (7%),
Chhattisgarh (5%) and Assam (5%).
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 Current Affairs
Science & Tech Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
SMALL MODULAR REACTORS
Government of India is exploring the indigenous development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
to complement conventional Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs).
About:
• SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power
capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third
of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
• SMRs, which can produce a large amount of low-carbon
electricity, are:
 Small – physically a fraction of the size of a conventional
nuclear power reactor.
 Modular – making it possible for systems and components
to be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a
location for installation.
 Reactors – harnessing nuclear fission to generate heat to
produce energy.
Status of SMRs:
• As of now, there are two SMR projects that have reached
at operational stage globally: an SMR named Akademik
Lomonosov floating power unit in Russia that has two
modules of 35 MWe and started commercial operation in
2020, and an HTR-PM demonstration SMR in China that was
grid-connected in 2021.
• Other SMRs are under construction or in the licensing stage
in Argentina, Canada, South Korea and the United States of
America.
Advantages of SMRs:
• Location-Neutral: SMRs can be installed on locations not suitable
for larger nuclear power plants. Prefabricated units of SMRs can
be manufactured and then shipped and installed on site.
• Cheap: SMRs offer savings in cost and construction time.
They are more affordable to build than large power reactors,
which are often custom designed for a particular location,
sometimes leading to construction delays.
• Low infrastructure constraints: In areas lacking sufficient lines
of transmission and grid capacity, SMRs can be installed
into an existing grid or remotely off-grid, as a function of its
smaller electrical output, providing low-carbon power for
industry and the population.
• Simple: In comparison to existing reactors, proposed SMR
designs are generally simpler.
• Reduced Fuel Requirements: Power plants based on SMRs may
require less frequent refuelling, every 3 to 7 years, in comparison
to between 1 and 2 years for conventional plants. Some SMRs
are designed to operate for up to 30 years without refuelling.
• Flexibility: SMRs can also be deployed incrementally to
match increasing energy demand.
38
Applications:
• More than 70 commercial SMR designs being developed
around the world target varied outputs and different
applications, such as electricity, hybrid energy systems, heating,
water desalinisation and steam for industrial applications.
• While SMRs provide dispatchable sources of energy – they can
adjust output accordingly to electricity demand –renewables
are variable energy sources that depend on the weather and
time of day. SMRs could be paired with and increase the
efficiency of renewable sources in a hybrid energy system and
can play a key role in the clean energy transition.
Are SMRs Safe?
• The safety concept for SMRs often relies more on passive
systems and inherent safety characteristics of the reactor, such
as low power and operating pressure.
• This means that in such cases no human intervention or external
power or force is required to shut down systems, because
passive systems rely on physical phenomena, such as natural
circulation, convection, gravity and self-pressurization.
• These increased safety margins, in some cases, eliminate
or significantly lower the potential for unsafe releases of
radioactivity to the environment.
Challenges and Way Ahead:
• Though SMRs have lower upfront capital cost per unit, their
economic competitiveness is still to be proven in practice
once they are deployed.
• Also, an efficient regulatory regime is important if SMRs are to
play a meaningful role in decarbonising the power sector.
MICROREACTORS
• Meaning: Microreactors are a subset of SMRs and are
designed to generate electrical power typically up to 10
MW(e).
• Status: More than a dozen MRs – from heat-pipe cooled
reactors to high temperature gas cooled reactors and liquid
metal cooled fast reactors – are under development in
several countries, including Canada, the Czech Republic,
Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• Benefits: Microreactors have smaller footprints than other
SMRs and will be better suited for regions inaccessible
to clean, reliable and affordable energy. Furthermore,
microreactors could serve as a backup power supply in
emergency situations.
 Science & Tech
PSLV-C56
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C56 carrying
DS-SAR and six other satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
About:
• This is the 58 flight of PSLV and 17 flight of PSLV in Core
th th
Alone configuration.
• After injecting all the satellites, the upper stage of the rocket
was placed in lower orbit to ensure its reduced orbital life.
DS-SAR:
• The DS-SAR satellite is developed under a partnership
between DSTA (representing the Government of Singapore)
and ST Engineering.
• The DS-SAR satellite of Singapore carries a Synthetic Aperture
Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI). This allows the DS-SAR to provide for all-
weather day and night coverage, and capable of imaging at
1m-resolution at full polarimetry.
The Six Co-Passengers are:
• VELOX-AM: It is a microsatellite developed by Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), Singapore, for technology
demonstration of Additive Manufacturing (AM) payloads.
• Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics Explorer (ARCADE): It is
a 27U microsatellite designed and built by NTU, Singapore.
ARCADE carries iodine based solid propellant propulsion
module, based on Hall effect thruster for orbit maintenance
during the low altitude mission. In spacecraft propulsion, a
Hall-effect thruster (HET) is a type of ion thruster in which the
propellant is accelerated by an electric field.
• SCOOB-II: It is a 3U CubeSat developed by NTU in Singapore.
The satellite is carrying a technology demonstrator payload.
• NuLIoN: It is a 3U nanosatellite developed by NuSpace as
the seed satellite for a LEO equatorial constellation providing
continuous LoRaWAN IoT (Internet of things) services.
 LoRaWAN is a low-power, wide area networking protocol
built on top of the LoRa radio modulation technique.
 It wirelessly connects devices to the internet and manages
communication between end-node devices and network
gateways.
• Galassia-2: It is an educational 3U nanosatellite by National
University of Singapore (NUS). The main mission of
GALASSIA-2 is to perform an inter-satellite link (ISL) with
TeLEOS-1. TeLEOS-1 is Singapore's first commercial earth
observation satellite launched on a PSLV-C29 vehicle of
ISRO from Sriharikota in 2015.
• ORB-12 STRIDER: This satellite is developed under an
international collaboration, coordinated by Singapore-based
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
ALIENA. ORB-12 STRIDER is carrying the world’s first Multi-
modal all-Electric Propulsion Engine (MEPE), featuring
ALIENA’s flagship Multi-Stage Ignition Compact (MUSIC) Hall
thruster and Aurora’s ARM resistojets.
SmallSats and CubeSats?
• Small spacecraft (SmallSats) focus on spacecraft with a mass
less than 180 kilograms. Even with small spacecraft, there is
a large variety of size and mass that can be differentiated.
• Minisatellite: 100-180 kilograms
• Microsatellite: 10-100 kilograms
• Nanosatellite: 1-10 kilograms
• Picosatellite: 0.01-1 kilograms
• Femtosatellite: 0.001-0.01 kilograms
• CubeSats are a class of nanosatellites that use a standard
size and form factor. The standard CubeSat size uses a "one
unit" or "1U" measuring 10x10x10 cms and is extendable to
larger sizes; 1.5, 2, 3, 6, and even 12U.
Variants of PSLV?
• PSLV is configured as a four stage vehicle with alternate solid
and liquid propulsion stages. There are a number of variants
of PSLV to cater to different mission requirements.
• PSLV-G: The standard or "Generic" version of the PSLV,
PSLV-G had four stages using solid and liquid propulsion
systems alternately and six strap-on motors with 9 tonne
propellant loading.
• PSLV-CA: The PSLV-CA, CA meaning "Core Alone", model
premiered in 2007. The CA model does not include the six
strap-on boosters used by the PSLV standard variant but two
SITVC tanks with Roll Control Thruster modules are attached
to the side of the first stage with addition of two cylindrical
aerodynamic stabilizers.
• PSLV-XL: PSLV-XL is the upgraded version of Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle in its standard configuration boosted by
more powerful, stretched strap-on boosters with 12 tonne
propellant load. The first use of PSLV-XL was the launch of
Chandrayaan-1 by PSLV-C11.
• PSLV-DL: PSLV-DL variant has only two strap-on boosters with
12 tonne propellant load on them. PSLV-C44 in 2019 was the
first flight to use PSLV-DL variant.
• PSLV-QL: PSLV-QL variant has four ground-lit strap-on
boosters, each with 12 tonnes of propellant. PSLV-C45 in
2019 was the first flight of PSLV-QL. It has the capacity to
launch 1,523 kg to 600 km Sun-synchronous orbit.
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 Current Affairs
Science & Tech Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
ANUSANDHAN NRF ACT, 2023
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023 was passed by Parliament in Monsoon Session.
Features:
• It repeals the Science and Engineering Research Board Act,
2008 and dissolves the Science and Engineering Research
Board set up under it.
• The Act provides for establishing the Anusandhan National
Research Foundation (NRF).
• Areas covered: NRF will be the apex body in the country
to provide strategic direction for research, innovation,
and entrepreneurship in the fields of: (i) natural sciences
including mathematics, (ii) engineering and technology, (iii)
environmental and earth sciences, (iv) health and agriculture,
and (v) scientific and technological interfaces of humanities
and social sciences.
Key Functions of NRF include:
• Preparing short-term, medium-term, and long-term roadmaps
and formulating programs for research and development
(R&D),
• Facilitating and financing the growth of R&D and related
infrastructure in universities, colleges, and research
institutions,
• Providing grants for research proposals,
• Supporting translation of research into capital intensive
technology,
• Encouraging international collaboration,
• Encouraging investments in the Foundation by private and
public sector entities, and
• Undertaking annual survey of scientific research, outcomes,
and spending.
Financing:
• The Foundation will be financed through: (i) grants and loans
from the central government, (ii) donations to the fund, (iii)
income from investments of the amounts received by the
Foundation, and (iv) all amounts with the Fund for Science
and Engineering Research set up under the 2008 Act.
• The following Funds will be constituted by the Foundation
for allocation purposes: (i) the Anusandhan National
Research Foundation Fund for salaries, allowances,
and administrative purposes, (ii) the Innovation Fund for
funding outstanding creativity in the areas supported by
the Foundation, (iii) the Science and Engineering Research
Fund for the continuation of projects initiated under the
2008 Act, and (iv) one or more special purpose funds for
any specific project or research.
40
• The central government will prescribe rules for the utilisation
of these Funds.
• CAG will audit the accounts of the Foundation annually.
Governing Board:
• Mandate: NRF will have a Governing Board to provide strategic
direction to the Foundation and monitor the implementation.
• Chairperson: The Board will be headed by the Prime Minister
of India.
• Other members of the Board are: (i) the Union Ministers of
Science and Technology, Education as Vice Presidents,
(ii) the Principal Scientific Advisor as Member Secretary,
and (iii) Secretaries to the Departments of Science and
Technology, Biotechnology, and Scientific and Industrial
Research.
• Additional Members: The President of the Board may appoint
or nominate additional members to the Board. These may
include: (i) up to five members from business organisations or
industries, (ii) one member from the fields of social sciences
and humanities, and (iii) up to six experts from natural
sciences, engineering, and technology.
• CEO: The President may appoint a Chief Executive Officer,
who should be of the rank of an Additional Secretary, or
above.
Executive Council:
• Mandate: The Foundation will have an Executive Council for: (i)
considering applications for the grant of financial assistance,
(ii) prescribing regulations regarding applications for financial
assistance, requirements for extension of assistance, and
grounds for revocation of assistance, and (iii) preparing
budget of the Foundation and maintaining its accounts.
• Powers: The Council will have the power to authorise an officer
to visit the applicants for grants and verify the accuracy of
submissions made by them.
• Chairperson: The Principal Scientific Advisor will be the
chairperson of the Council.
• Other members of the Council include: (i) secretaries to various
departments of the central government including Science
and Technology, Higher Education, Health Research,
Agricultural Research, and Defence Research, and (ii) the
Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation.
• The President of the Foundation may nominate or appoint
to the Council: (i) up to two secretaries of departments not
covered under the Act, and (ii) up to three experts.

Need of the Act:
• The scale and scope of the Science and Engineering
Research Board which was constituted through the Science
and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008 are limited and it
has not been able to bring decisive changes in the science
and technology ecosystem of the country.
• India has a vast pool of human resources trained in science
and technology, many of whom may seek opportunities for
scientific research in Universities and institutions outside
India. It is important to develop a robust and self-sustaining
ecosystem, with an aim to give full expression to opportunities
for all.
• This necessitates enhancing the ability of government
institutions, Universities, higher educational institutions,
as well as private sector organisations, to undertake such
research.
• To ensure a financially viable research ecosystem, it is also
necessary to tap into the financial resources of the private
sector.
• The proposed NRF is largely modelled after the National
Science Foundation of the U.S. It borrows some of the best
practices from the German, U.K., Swiss, Norwegian, South
Korean, and Singapore science agencies.
Comparison of Scientific Research in India with Other
Countries:
• In comparative terms, India lags behind several countries
in scientific research sector, some with much more limited
resources, on a variety of research indicators.
• Expenditure on R&D: For more than two decades now, the
Centre’s stated objective to allocate at least two per cent
of the national GDP on R&D has not been met. Also the
expenditure on research as a proportion of GDP has gone
down, from about 0.8 per cent at the start of this millennium
to about 0.65 per cent now. At least 37 countries spent more
than 1 per cent of their GDP on R&D in 2018, according to the
2021 UNESCO Science Report.
• Women researchers: Women comprise only 18 per cent of total
scientific researchers in India, while globally this number was
33 per cent.
• Research in universities: India has nearly 40,000 institutions
of higher education, mostly colleges. More than 1,200 of
these are full-fledged universities. Only one per cent of these
engage in active research, according to the detailed project
report on NRF.
• Research output: India produced 25,550 doctorates in 2020-
21. This 59 per cent proportion in the overall doctorates
compares well with other countries, putting India in the
seventh rank overall. But because of India’s large population,
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
this is not impressive in proportional terms. The number of
researchers per million population in India, 262, is extremely
low compared with even developing countries like Brazil
(888), South Africa (484) or Mexico (349).
• Publications: Data from the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) showed that Indian researchers published
149,213 articles in science and engineering journals across
the world in 2020, almost two and a half times more than a
decade earlier.
• However, it still constituted only 5 per cent of all the articles.
Chinese researchers contributed 23 per cent, while US
researchers accounted for 15.5 per cent.
• Patents: In 2021, a total of 61,573 patents were filed in India,
making it the sixth largest in the world. But this was nowhere
close to the nearly 16 lakh patents filed in China, and about
six lakh in the United States that year.
Challenges and Way Ahead:
• Even if the NRF Act discusses critical thinking, creativity,
and bringing innovation to the forefront, it is unclear how the
NRF will transparently seed, fund and coordinate research
across institutions. The success of NRF will lie in how the
government sets rules and implements the same, different
from what already exists.
• The time between applying for a research grant and receiving
the money must be minimal, preferably within six months.
Although the Act mentions that the peer-review process will
be completed within six months, releasing funds may take
time, pending financial clearance.
• All the paperwork must be digitally processed without
sending stacks of papers in hard copies to the NRF.
• All finance-related queries, paperwork, approval, and
acceptance need to be between the NRF and the finance
department of the university/research institution keeping the
scientist free to focus on research.
• The NRF needs explicit spending guidelines away from
the General Financial Rules (GFR) and the government’s
e-Marketplace (GeM) usage. Scientific research needs
independent guidelines for spending money, which provides
flexibility while making scientists accountable.
• The release of money needs to be timely. Although the NRF
Act mentions timely disbursal of funds, a mechanism needs
to be in place to facilitate and implement this.
• While the participation of the private industry in the NRF is an
important and welcome step, it is unclear how the government
will raise `36,000 crore from the industry. Although the NRF
describes a legislative route to facilitate this, a more detailed
plan and establishing mechanisms akin to escrow accounts
will reassure the scientific community.
41
 Current Affairs
Science & Tech Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
NATIONAL DENTAL COMMISSION BILL, 2023
The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 was passed by Parliament.
Key Features of the Bill are:
• The Bill repeals the Dentists Act, 1948 and constitutes: (i) the
National Dental Commission, (ii) the Dental Advisory Council
and (iii) three autonomous Boards for regulating dental
education and standards of dentistry.
National Dental Commission:
• The central government is required to constitute a National
Dental Commission consisting of 33 members.
• Chairperson: It will be chaired by an eminent and experienced
dentist. The Chairperson will be appointed by the central
government, upon the recommendation of a search-cum-
selection committee. The Search Committee will be chaired
by the Cabinet Secretary.
• Ex-officio members of the Commission include: (i) Presidents
of the three autonomous Boards, (ii) the Director General
of Health Services, (iii) Chief of the Centre for Dental and
Educational Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
• Part time members of the Commission include: (i) faculties of
dentistry from government institutes and (ii) representatives
of states and union territories.
• Functions of the Commission include: (i) regulating governance
standards for dental education, examination, and training, (ii)
regulating dental institutions and research, (iii) assessing
infrastructure requirements in dental healthcare, and (iv)
ensuring that admissions to Bachelor of Dental Surgery happen
through the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
Autonomous Boards:
The central government is required to constitute three
autonomous Boards under the supervision of the Commission.
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board -
responsible for determining education standards, developing
curriculum, and granting recognition to dental qualifications,
• Dental Assessment and Rating Board - responsible for
determining compliance assessment procedure for dental
institutions, granting permission to establish new institutions,
and conducting inspections and ratings.
• Ethics and Dental Registration Board - responsible for
maintaining online national registers of dentists/dental
auxiliaries, suspending/cancelling licenses, and regulating
standards of conduct, ethics and the scope of the practice.
State Dental Councils:
• Within one year of the enactment of the Act, state governments
are required to institute State Dental Councils. Two or more
state governments may form a Joint Dental Council.
42
• Chairperson; State governments will appoint the Chairperson
of their respective Dental Councils.
• Functions: The Councils are required to receive grievances
related to professional/ethical misconduct against registered
dentists.
Entrance Examinations:
• Admission to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course will be
done through National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
• The Commission will specify the manner of conducting
common counselling for undergraduate and postgraduate
admissions.
• A National Exit Test (Dental) will be held in the final
undergraduate year for: (i) granting licence to practice
dentistry, (ii) enrolment in state/national registers, and (iii)
for admission to postgraduate dental education. Until the
passage of the Bill, postgraduate admissions in Master of
Dental Surgery (MDS) will be conducted through NEET.
• While clearing the National (Exit) Test would be sufficient in
granting a license to practice dentistry, the practice would
have to be registered in the state/national register before
commencement.
Dental Advisory Council:
• The central government is required to constitute a Dental
Advisory Council.
• Chairperson: The Council will be chaired by the Chairperson
of the National Dental Commission.
• Members: Ex-officio members of the Commission will also be
ex-officio members of this Council.
• Functions: The Council shall advice the Commission on
various matters and the will be the primary platform through
which the states/union territories can raise concerns before
the Commission.
Comment:
• An Expert Committee constituted under the Chairmanship of
Dr. Ashok Utreja recommended for establishment of a National
Dental Commission in place of the Dental Council of India
and for creation of Autonomous Boards under the National
Commission to oversee various functions.
• The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee
on Health and Family Welfare in their 109th Report on
National Medical Commission Bill, 2017 had also interalia
recommended the possibility of restructuring and revamping
the Dental Council of India.
 Science & Tech Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

DNA TECHNOLOGY BILL, 2019

The Union Government has recently withdrawn the DNA Technology
(Use and Application) Regulation Bill – 2019 from Lok Sabha.

Background: • Confusion surrounding DNA evidence: The inclusion of

• First proposed in 2003, the Bill has gone through numerous photographic and video evidence with DNA evidence in the
changes. It was presented in the Lok Sabha and then referred bill led to ambiguities and difficulties managing such evidence.
to the Parliamentary Standing Committee in 2019. • Data and algorithmic biases: Concerns regarding biases in
• The panel's report underlined how the Bill could be misused forensic science and DNA evidence processing have been
to target particular societal groups based on their political, highlighted by the use of historical databases for DNA testing.
religious, or social standing. • Inadequate standardization: Forensic science, especially
DNA evidence analysis, lacks standardization, which may
DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation result in incorrect results.
Bill, 2019: • The misuse of DNA profiling data for caste-based or community
• The Bill aims to provide a legal framework for collecting, keeping, profiling was brought up by the potential connection with
and testing human DNA samples, primarily for forensic purposes surveillance systems.
and to confirm a person's identification in criminal cases.
Related Judgements:
• Numerous uses for DNA testing already exist, including
• Banarsi Dass Case (2005): A DNA test had to balance the interests
parentage establishment, criminal investigation, and the
of the parties. If there was already physical evidence on hand
search for the missing.
to support the claim, DNA tests shouldn't be requested.
• If a person is arrested for a crime that carries a death sentence
• Bhabani Prasad Jena (2010): Judges cannot order genetic
or a sentence of more than seven years in prison, the Bill states
tests as a "roving inquiry”.
that consent is not necessary before obtaining DNA samples.
• Ashok Kumar Judgement (2021): Courts should take into
• The Bill also had provision for the establishment of a National
account the "proportionality of the legitimate aims" before
DNA Data Bank and Regional DNA Data Banks, for every state.
requiring a DNA test.
Why was the Bill Withdrawn?
DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA)
• The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022, introduced
by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, covers the majority of • DNA is an organic molecule that has a complicated
the provisions of the DNA Technology (Use and Application) fundamental structure. The strands of a DNA molecule are
Regulation Bill as claimed by the government. composed of a lengthy chain of monomer nucleotides. It is
structured as a double helix.
Concerns that remain Unaddressed: • In 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson made the
• Bias and prejudice: When the bill was put into practice in the discovery that DNA is a double-helix polymer.
legal system, there were worries about potential biases and • It is crucial for the transmission of a living being's genetic
discrimination, especially towards marginalized and minority traits from one generation to the next.
communities. • Nuclear DNA is referred to as such since the majority of it
• Lack of dignity and privacy: Privacy issues were crucial, is contained in the cell nucleus.
particularly with the creation of DNA data banks and the
potential for misuse or improper management of sensitive
personal data. The Supreme Court recognized that bodily
autonomy and privacy are components of the fundamental
right under Article 21.
• Data storage and security: Clearly defined policies were
needed for the safe keeping of DNA data, especially in
hospitals or academic research labs.
• Inadequate consent requirements: Individual agency and
rights were compromised by the lack of specific consent
protocols in civil disputes.

43
 Current Affairs
Science & Tech Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
DIGITAL PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION LAW
Recently Parliament passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023.
Key Provisions of the Bill:
• Applicability: The Bill applies to the processing of digital
personal data within India where such data is: (i) collected
online, or (ii) collected offline and is digitised. It will also
apply to the processing of personal data outside India if it is
for offering goods or services in India.
• Consent: Personal data may be processed only for a lawful
purpose after obtaining the consent of the individual. A notice
must be given before seeking consent.
 The notice should contain details about the personal data
to be collected and the purpose of processing.
• Lower age of consent: The Bill gives powers to the central
government to prescribe a lower age of consent than 18 years
for accessing Internet services without parental consent if the
platform they are using can process their data in a “verifiably
safe manner”.
• Ease of cross-border data flows: The Centre has proposed to
significantly ease cross-border data flows to international
jurisdictions – by moving away from a whitelisting approach to
a blacklisting mechanism.
• Impact on Social Media Companies: Significant Data Fiduciaries
(the fiduciaries with huge volume and processing sensitive
data) have to develop their own user verification mechanism.
It will reduce the anonymity of users and decrease trolling,
fake news and cyberbullying.
• Rights of the data principal and obligations of data fiduciaries
(except data security) will not apply in specified cases. These
include: (i) prevention and investigation of offences, and (ii)
enforcement of legal rights or claims.
• The central government may, by notification, exempt certain
activities from the application of the Bill. These include:
(i) processing by government entities in the interest of the
security of the state and public order, and (ii) research,
archiving, or statistical purposes.
• Data Protection Board of India: The central government will
establish the Data Protection Board of India. Key functions
of the Board include: (i) monitoring compliance and imposing
penalties, (ii) directing data fiduciaries to take necessary
measures in the event of a data breach, and (iii) hearing
grievances made by affected persons.
• Penalties: The schedule to the Bill specifies penalties for
various offences such as up to: (i) Rs 200 crore for non-
fulfilment of obligations for children, and (ii) Rs 250 crore for
failure to take security measures to prevent data breaches.
44
Significance:
• Law Enforcement: Data localisation can help law-enforcement
agencies access data for investigations and enforcement.
Cross-border data transfer of data through individual bilateral
“mutual legal assistance treaties” is a cumbersome process.
• Cyber Security: Recently, many WhatsApp accounts were
hacked by an Israeli software called Pegasus.
• Curbing Fake News: Many instances like lynching, national
security threats, etc can now be prevented in time.
• Data Sovereignty: Data localisation will also increase the
ability of the Indian government to tax Internet giants.
• Threats posed to Digital Economy: Risk exposure to the digital
economy has increased manifolds amidst the pandemic.
• Puttaswamy v India (2017): Supreme Court has declared Data
Privacy as a Fundamental Right under Article 21.
Concerns/Challenges:
• By empowering the executive to draft rules on a range of
issues, the proposed Bill creates wide discretionary powers
for the Central government and thus fails to safeguard people’s
right to privacy.
• The Bill overrides consent of an individual where the State
processes personal data for provision of benefit, service,
license, permit, or certificate.
• The Bill does not regulate risks of harms arising out of
processing of personal data.
• The Bill does not grant the right to data portability and the
right to be forgotten to the data principal. The Bill allows
transfer of personal data outside India, except to countries
notified by the central government.
• The members of the Data Protection Board of India will be
appointed for two years and will be eligible for re-appointment.
The short term with scope for re-appointment may affect the
independent functioning of the Board.
Way Ahead:
• Responding to concerns raised on various accounts, IT
Minister stated that exemptions to the Centre were needed
to deal with cases like, a natural disaster, wherein the
government should not wither time to seek consent for
processing their data as it has to act quickly to ensure safety.
• He also added that the European Union’s General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR) has 16 exemptions, but India’s
Bill has four exemptions.
 Science & Tech
FLOODS
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) urged the Union government to declare the floods and
landslides in north Indian States as a national calamity.
Implications of Declaration:
• When a calamity is declared to be of “rare severity”/”severe
nature”, support to the state government is provided at the
national level.
• The Centre also considers additional assistance from the
NDRF.
• A Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) is set up, with the corpus shared
3:1 between Centre and state.
 When resources in the CRF are inadequate, additional
assistance is considered from the National Calamity
Contingency Fund (NCCF), funded 100% by the Centre.
• Relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the
persons affected on concessional terms, too, are considered
once a calamity is declared “severe”.
Provisions to Classify a National Calamity:
• There is no provision, executive or legal, to declare a natural
calamity as a national calamity.
 The existing guidelines of the State Disaster Response Fund
(SDRF)/ National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), do not
contemplate declaring a disaster as a ‘National Calamity.”
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• The 10th Finance Commission (1995-2000) examined a
proposal that a disaster is termed “a national calamity of rarest
severity” if it affects one-third of the population of a state.
• The panel did not define a “calamity of rare severity” but
stated that a calamity of rare severity would necessarily have
to be adjudged on a case-to-case basis taking into account.
 The intensity and magnitude of the calamity
 Level of assistance needed
 The capacity of the state to tackle the problem
 The alternatives and flexibility were available within the
plans to provide succour and relief, etc.
• In 2001, the National Committee on Disaster Management
under the chairmanship of the then Prime Minister was
mandated to look into the parameters that should define a
national calamity.
HOW DOES THE LAW DEFINE A DISASTER?
• Disaster Management Act, 2005 defines a ‘disaster’ as a
catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any
area – arising from natural or man-made causes, or by
accident or negligence.
• A natural disaster includes earthquake, flood, landslide,
cyclone, tsunami, urban flood, heatwave; a man-made
disaster can be nuclear, biological and chemical.
• It results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or
damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to,
or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature
or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the
community of the affected area.
• National Disaster Response Fund: It was constituted under
Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, supplements
the SDRF of a State, in case of a disaster of severe nature,
provided adequate funds are not available in SDRF.
What are Floods?
• Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster and occur
when an overflow of water submerges land that is usually dry.
Types of Floods:
• Flash floods are caused by rapid and excessive rainfall that
raises water heights quickly, and rivers, streams, channels or
roads may be overtaken.
• River floods are caused when consistent rain or snow melt
forces a river to exceed capacity.
• Coastal floods are caused by storm surges associated with
tropical cyclones and tsunamis.
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 Current Affairs Feature Articles
Edition: August 2023
• Urban flooding occurs as a result of land development.
Permeable soil layers are being replaced by impermeable
paved surfaces, through which water cannot infiltrate.
 This leads to greater runoff being generated, which can
make rivers out of roadways and ponds out of car parks.
What Causes Floods?
Natural Causes:
• Prolonged rainfall: When rain falls for a prolonged period of
time, the soil can become saturated. When water is unable to
infiltrate into the saturated soil, it is forced to flow over the soil,
thus increasing surface runoff.
• Intense/Heavy rainfall: When rain falls heavily; the raindrops
hit the ground with a force. This can cause the rain drops
to bounce off the soil instead of infiltrating into the soil. The
water from the rain is then forced to flow over the surface
instead, thus increasing the surface runoff.
• Relief refers to the difference in height between the highest
point and the lowest point on land. When rain falls, the surface
runoff can move very quickly from mountainous or hilly areas
to low lying areas making these low lying areas more prone to
flooding.
Anthropogenic Causes:
• Deforestation: The lack of vegetation encourages water to
flow over the surface rather than infiltrate into the soil thus
increasing surface runoff.
• Poor land use practices: Slash and burn agriculture, over-
cultivation and overgrazing eventually cause the soil to
become infertile and unable to sustain vegetative growth.
Consequently, the lack of green cover encourages water to
flow over the surface rather than infiltrate into the soil thus
increasing surface runoff.
• Urbanization leads to the replacement of permeable soil with
that of an impervious layer of pitch and concrete, through
which water cannot infiltrate.
• Improper waste disposal: Oftentimes, garbage that is not
properly disposed enters into drainage systems and clogs
drains.
• Quarrying is the clearing of land for the removal of aggregates
(mainly sand and gravel) which is to be utilized in the
construction industry. The action of quarrying leaves land
bare and devoid of any trees and shrubs hence increasing
surface runoff produced.
• Collapsed Dams: If the dams begin to collapse, they will
discharge more water downstream, resulting in flooding.
• Climate change: Uncontrolled human activities can contribute
to climatic changes, which are responsible for flooding in
most regions.
46
Implications:
• Drowning accounts for 75% of deaths in flood disasters.
Flood disasters are becoming more frequent and this trend is
expected to continue.
• Drowning risks increase with floods particularly in low- and
middle-income countries where people live in flood prone areas
and the ability to warn, evacuate, or protect communities from
floods is weak or only just developing.
• Deaths also result from physical trauma, heart attacks,
electrocution, carbon monoxide poisoning or fire associated
with flooding. Often, only immediate traumatic deaths from
flooding are recorded.
• Floods can also have medium- and long-term health impacts:
 water- and vector-borne diseases, such as cholera,
typhoid or malaria
 injuries, such as lacerations or punctures from evacuations
and disaster cleanup chemical hazards,
 mental health effects associated with emergency situations,
 disrupted health systems, facilities and services, leaving
communities without access to health care,
 damaged basic infrastructure, such as food and water
supplies, and safe shelter.
 Economic losses to the State and individuals are also
major concerns of the flooding.
Prevention:
• Drainage Improvement: Ensure that there is proper drainage
or expand on existing drainage systems whenever there’s
new settlements or structures being constructed.
• Diversion of Flood Water: Diverting all or a part of the discharge
into a natural or artificially constructed channel, lying within or
in some cases outside the flood plains is a useful means of
lowering water levels in the river.
• Catchment Area Treatment/Afforestation: Watershed
management measures such as developing the vegetative
cover i.e. afforestation and conservation of soil cover in
conjunction with structural works like check dams, detention
basins etc. serve as an effective measure in reducing flood
peaks and controlling the suddenness of the runoff.
• Anti-erosion Works: Bank erosion can be minimized by
adopting measures that aim at deflecting the current away
from the river bank or which aim at reducing the current along
the bank of the river and induce silt.
• Sea Walls/Coastal Protection Works: Sea walls/coastal
protection works in the form of groins etc. are constructed to
prevent flooding erosion in coastal areas by sea water.
• Inspection, Rehabilitation and Maintenance: Structural works
require a periodic and systematic inspection, rehabilitation
and maintenance programme to ensure that the design
capabilities are maintained.
 Geography
YAMUNA FLOODPLAINS
Recently, the water levels of Yamuna floodplains hit a 60-year-high, advancing
towards the Taj Mahal for the first time in half a century.
Yamuna River System:
• Origin: It originates from the Yamunotri glacier near
Bandarpoonch peaks in the Mussoorie range of the lower
Himalayas in Uttarakhand.
• It is a major tributary of the river Ganges. It meets the Ganges
at the Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh after flowing
through Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
• The river system includes both water and land. Yamuna is a
lifeline to five States, and its floodplains are a charging point.
• There are three stretches to the river:
 Northern (a 26-km run from Palla to Wazirabad barrage),
 Central (22 km from the Wazirabad to Okhla barrage) and
 Southern (4 km from the Okhla barrage till Jaitpur village,
where it exits to Haryana).
• Important Dams on the Yamuna: Lakhwar-Vyasi Dam
(Uttarakhand) and Tajewala Barrage Dam (Haryana) etc.
• Tributaries: Chambal, Sindh, Betwa, Ken, Tons, Hindon.
• The life built on Yamuna floodplains: A 2022 report found there
are 56 bastis (one basti has 15 or more houses), with 9,350
households and 46,750 people. Almost half of the households
(4,835) practice farming as a livelihood; others rely on daily
wage work, fishing, nurseries, and animal herding.
Challenges Faced by the River System:
• Pollution load: According to a 2020 report by the now-
dissolved Yamuna Monitoring Committee (YMC), the
22-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna - only 2% of the length of
the river - accounts for over 75% of the total pollution load,
an accretion of industrial waste and domestic sewage. The
low volume of water flow in the river causes the pollutants to
accumulate and raise the pollution level.
• Overboarded infrastructure: The South Asia Network on Dams,
Rivers and People (SANDRP) in 2020 found large parts of the
Yamuna floodplains and riverbed were “grossly abused” due to
lax implementation: 23 bridges including rail, road, metro and
barrages have been built; there was a bridge at every 800m.
Initiatives by the Government:
• Cleaning Yamuna: Government has come up with three
action plans to clean the river — Yamuna Action Plan 1, 2, 3.
₹1,514.7 crore was spent in the first two phases.
• Delhi’s Master Plan: The Yamuna floodplain was designated
as a protected area free from construction in the Delhi Master
Plan of 1962. The Central Ground Water Authority in 2000
also notified the floodplains as ‘protected’ for groundwater
management.
Feature Articles Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Draft Master Plan For Delhi 2041: The draft Master Plan For
Delhi 2041 divides Delhi into 18 zonal areas, designating
Yamuna’s floodplains as ‘Zone O’, delineated in two parts: river
zone (active floodplain) and riverfront (regulated construction
is allowed).
 The latter is where structures such as Akshardham Temple
and Commonwealth Village have been built.
• NGT’s Blanket ban: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2016
imposed a blanket ban on agriculture-related activities till
“Yamuna is restored and made pollution free”.
Way Ahead:
• The concept of floodplain zoning is not mainstreamed in the
Master Plan, and authorities haven’t yet “taken cognizance
of the river’s right to expand. This gap, along with poorly
implemented policies, frees up river land for private and
public real estate.
• Action can be focused on creating climate-resilient
infrastructures, de-silting drains, creating green areas and
improving drainage systems.
WHAT DO ENCROACHMENTS DO?
• Groundwater discharge: If you build on areas reserved for
recharge, you lose groundwater.
 The layers of sediments of floodplains create aquifers
contributing to the river channel, which in turn
rejuvenates the groundwater. But encroachments stop
this two-way exchange.
• Hindrance in water transportation: In addition, the river
is unable to transport flood waters downstream during
monsoons, wet the lands or deposit soil along its banks to
preserve the riverine ecosystem.
• No protection from Flash Floods: Floodplains also protect
against devastating flash floods by allowing excess water
to spread out and storing that surplus.
 However, encroachments restrict the river to a small
channel.
 Any intense rainfall activity (India received 26%
more rainfall in July than expected) swells the river,
expanding in height not in width, eventually spilling
over with devastating intensity.
 Climate change has intensified rains in frequency
and severity, and seen in the Yamuna floods, runoff
water comes as a huge gushing flow in a small span
of time.
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 Current Affairs In-Shorts | Economy
Edition: August 2023
POST OFFICE BILL, 2023
The Post Office Bill, 2023 was introduced in Rajya Sabha.
About:
• It repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. The Bill provides
for matters related to the functioning of the Post Office, an
undertaking of the central government (also known as India
Post).
• Exclusive privileges of the central government: The Act
provides that wherever the central government establishes
posts, it will have the exclusive privilege of conveying letters
by post, as well as incidental services such as receiving,
collecting, sending, and delivering letters. The Bill does not
contain such privileges.
• Issuance Of Postage Stamps: The Act provides for the issuance
of postage stamps as per the Rules prescribed by the central
government. The Bill also states that the Post Office will have
the exclusive privilege of issuing postage stamps.
• Services to be prescribed: The Act specifies the services
provided by the Post Office to include: (i) the delivery of
postal articles including letters, postcards, and parcels, and
(ii) money orders. The Bill provides that the Post Office will
provide services prescribed by the central government.
• Powers to intercept shipments: The Bill provides that the
interception of a shipment being transmitted through post
may be carried out on the following grounds: (i) security of
the state, (ii) friendly relations with foreign states, (iii) public
order, emergency, or public safety, and (iv) contravention
of the provisions of the Bill or any other law. An officer
empowered by the central government through a notification
may carry out an interception.
• Director General of Postal Services: The Bill provides for the
appointment of the Director General of Postal Services. The
Director General may make regulations regarding any activity
necessary to provide postal services; specifying charges;
and supply and sale of postage stamps and postal stationery.
• Examination of shipment: Under the Act, an officer in charge
of the Post Office may examine a shipment if he suspects
that it contains goods which are prohibited, or are liable to be
paid duty upon. The Bill removes the powers of examination.
It instead provides that the central government may empower
an officer of the Post Office to deliver the shipment to the
customs authority or any other specified authority. The
authority will then deal with the item in question.
48
ECONOMY
• Removal of offences and penalties: The Act specifies various
offences and penalties. The Bill does not provide for any
offences or consequences, except one. Amounts not paid or
neglected by a user will be recoverable as arrears of land
revenue.
• Exemptions from liability: The Act exempts the government
from any liability related to the loss, mis delivery, delay or
damage to a postal article. This does not apply where the
liability is undertaken by the central government in express
terms. The Bill retains these provisions. However, it provides
that instead of the central government, the Post Office may
prescribe the liability regarding its services.
INTEGRATED GOODS AND SERVICES TAX
(AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill,
2023 was passed by Parliament.
About:
• It amends the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Act,
2017. The 2017 Act provides for the levy and collection of
IGST on the inter-state supply of goods and services.
• IGST on online money gaming: A supplier of online money
gaming, not located in India, will be liable to pay IGST on the
supply of online money gaming to a person in India.
• Registration mandatory for suppliers of online money gaming:
A supplier of online money gaming must obtain registration
under the Simplified Registration Scheme notified under
the 2017 Act. In case of non-compliance, any information
transmitted or hosted in computer resources for the supply of
online money gaming may be blocked for public access.
 If a foreign supplier of online money gaming has a
representative in India, such a representative must get
registered and pay IGST on behalf of the supplier.
 If a foreign supplier does not have a physical presence in
India or does not have a representative, he must appoint
a representative to pay IGST in India.
• Manner of levy of IGST on certain imported goods: The Act
provides that IGST on goods imported into India will be levied
and collected as per the provisions of the Customs Tariff
Act, 1975. The Bill exempts the levy of IGST in the above
manner for goods notified by the central government on the
recommendations of the GST Council. IGST on such goods will
be levied in the same manner as inter-state supply of goods.

• Place of supply of goods: The Bill provides that for the supply
of goods (that have not been imported or exported) to an
unregistered person, the place of supply will be the address
of the person recorded in the invoice. In case the invoice
does not have an address, the place of supply will be the
location of the supplier.
ONLINE MONEY GAMING?
• Online money gaming refers to online games where
players pay or deposit money (including virtual digital
assets) with the expectation of winning money or money’s
worth.
• This applies to any game, scheme, competition, or other
activity irrespective of its outcome being based on skill,
chance, or both. It includes online money games which
may be allowed or banned under any law.
• Online games refer to games offered on the internet or an
electronic network.
CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX
(AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
was passed by Parliament.
About:
• It amends the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017.
The Act provides for the levy and collection of CGST on the
intra-state supply of goods and services.
• CGST on specified actionable claims: The Bill provides that
suppliers of specified actionable claims will be liable to
pay CGST. The Bill defines specified actionable claims as
actionable claims involved in: (i) betting, (ii) casinos, (iii)
horse racing, (iv) lottery, (v) gambling, or (vi) online money
gaming.
• Suppliers of specified actionable claims: Under the Bill, a
person who organises or arranges the supply of specified
actionable claims will be deemed to be their supplier. This
includes persons who own, operate, or manage digital or
electronic platforms for such supply. This will be irrespective
of the manner in which the consideration for supply of such
claims is conveyed to the person or placed at his disposal.
The consideration may include money or money’s worth
including virtual digital assets.
• Registration mandatory for certain suppliers of online money
gaming: The Act provides for the mandatory registration of
certain suppliers. The Bill provides that persons supplying
online money gaming from outside India to persons in India
must also register under the Act.
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ACTIONABLE CLAIM?
• Under the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act,
2017, transactions involving actionable claims, except
lottery, betting, and gambling, are not considered to be
supply of goods or services. Thus, they are not liable to be
taxed.
• An actionable claim refers to a claim to any debt which
is not secured by mortgage of immovable property or by
pledge of moveable property.
OFFSHORE AREAS MINERAL (DEVELOPMENT
AND REGULATION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2023
The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation)
Amendment Bill, 2023 was passed by Parliament.
Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation)
Act, 2002:
• The Bill amends the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development
and Regulation) Act, 2002, which regulates mining in maritime
zones of India.
• The Act categorises offshore mining-related activities into:
(i) reconnaissance, which involves a preliminary survey to
locate mineral resources, (ii) exploration, which includes
exploring, proving, or locating mineral deposits, and (iii)
production, the commercial activity of the extraction of
minerals.
Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation)
Amendment Bill, 2023:
• Composite licence: The Bill introduces a composite licence for
granting rights for exploration as well as production. Under the
composite license, the licensee will be required to complete
exploration within three years. This may be extended by two
years upon application by the licensee.
• Maximum area for undertaking ‘exploration’ and ‘production’: If
mineral resources have been established, the licensee will be
granted one or more production leases for the explored area.
 The maximum area for undertaking ‘exploration’ under a
single composite license will be 30 minutes latitude by 30
minutes longitude.
 The maximum area for undertaking ‘production’ under a
single composite license will be 15 minutes latitude by 15
minutes longitude.
• Validity of concessions: Under the Act, a production lease
is granted for a period of up to 30 years. It may be further
renewed for up to 20 years. The Bill instead provides that
a production lease, as well as a production lease under a
composite licence, will be valid for 50 years.
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• Auction mandatory for certain concessions: The Act provides
for the grant of concessions through administrative allocation.
The Bill mandates competitive bidding for a production lease
and a composite license to private entities.
• Mining in reserved areas: The Bill allows the administering
authority to grant a composite licence or production lease
in reserve offshore areas to the government or a government
company. Joint ventures of government companies will also
be eligible, subject to certain conditions. These are: (i) the
partner must be selected through a competitive process, and
(ii) the government company owns at least 74% of the paid-
up share capital.
• Mining of atomic minerals: The Bill adds that in case of atomic
minerals, exploration, production, and composite licenses will
be granted only to the government or government companies.
• Standard area of blocks: The Bill reduces the size of one block
for offshore mining to one minute latitude by one minute
longitude. The Bill also limits the maximum area one entity
can acquire under all concessions to 45 minutes latitude by
45 minutes longitude.
• The Bill sets up the Offshore Areas Mineral Trust: Concession
holders will be required to pay an amount to the Trust in
addition to any royalty. The funds will be used for specified
purposes including: (i) exploration in offshore areas, (ii)
research and studies about the mitigation of adverse effects
of offshore mining on the ecology, and (iii) relief upon the
occurrence of a disaster.
• The Bill increases fines for various offences: For instance, the
fine for conducting any activity without a permit or licence will
be between five lakh rupees and Rs 10 lakh.
ATOMIC MINERALS?
• Atomic minerals are defined in the Mines and Minerals
(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
• These include: (i) rare earth minerals containing uranium
or thorium, (ii) pitchblende and uranium ores, and
(iii) uriniferous allanite, monazite, and other thorium
minerals.
AMRIT BHARAT STATION SCHEME
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for
the redevelopment of 508 Railway Stations spread across 27
states and union territories.
About:
• These stations are being redeveloped as part of the Amrit
Bharat Station Scheme which has been launched to redevelop
overall 1309 stations nationwide.
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• These stations will be redeveloped as ‘City Centres’, with
proper integration of both sides of the city.
• This integrated approach is driven by the holistic vision of the
overall urban development of the city, centered around the
railway station.
• The redevelopment will provide modern passenger amenities
along with ensuring well-designed traffic circulation and
inter-modal integration.
• Design: The design of the station buildings will be inspired by
local culture, heritage and architecture. E.g Jaipur Railway
Stations will have glimpses of Hawa Mahal and Amer Fort
from Rajasthan, Jammu Tawi Railway Station will be inspired
by the famous Raghunath Mandir.
COKING COAL (METALLURGICAL COAL)
Collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Steel and
Ministry of Coal have yielded positive outcomes to enhance
domestic Coking Coal availability and minimize import
reliance.
About:
• Names: Metallurgical coal is also known as met coal and
coking coal.
• What is it? It is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock found
within the earth’s crust.
• Types: Met coal encompasses a wide range of quality grades
including hard coking coal, semi-hard coking-coal, semi-soft
coking coal and pulverised coal for injection (PCI).
• Benefits: Met coal typically contains more carbon, less
ash and less moisture than thermal coal, which is used for
electricity generation.
• Applications: Metallurgical coal is an essential ingredient in
the production of steel, making it one of the most widely used
building materials on earth.
• Global Resources: Metallurgical coal comes mainly from the
United States, Canada and Australia.
• Indian Resources: Domestic raw Coking Coal production is
projected to reach 140 MT by 2030, yielding about 48 MT of
usable Coking Coal after washing. There is growing domestic
demand for Coking Coal as projected in the National Steel
Policy 2017.
List of measures to boost the availability of Coking
Coal are as follow:
• The Ministry of Coal launched "Mission Coking Coal" in FY’22
to reduce Coking Coal imports through measures such as
exploration, enhanced production, private sector involvement
in coking coal blocks and establishment of new washeries.

• Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) is inviting companies
to undertake Coking Coal extraction from abandoned or
discontinued BCCL-owned mines.
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and BCCL have signed an
MoU for supply of 1.8 MT of washed Coking Coal to increase
the availability of Coking Coal.
• The Ministry of Coal encourages the establishment of
greenfield washeries or refurbishment of existing BCCL
washeries to increase Coking Coal availability.
INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
OF INDIA (ICAI)
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu attended the 75th
Foundation Day celebrations of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of India (ICAI) in New Delhi.
About:
• Parent Body: ICAI functions under the administrative control
of the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Background: It was established in 1949.
• Status: It is a statutory body established under the Chartered
Accountants Act, 1949.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
Functions:
• It is tasked with the regulation of the profession of Chartered
Accountancy.
• ICAI can be appointed as statutory auditor of a company
under the Companies Act, 2013.
• ICAI has recently started a “Financial and Tax Literacy”
campaign for women.
LIGHTHOUSES
Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) launched
campaign to transform 75 historic lighthouses across India
into tourism spots.
Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021:
• It repeals the Lighthouse Act, 1927; provide a framework for
the development, maintenance, and management of aids to
navigation in India.
• The Act applies to the whole of India including various
maritime zones including territorial waters, continental shelf,
and exclusive economic zone.
• The central government may designate any aid to navigation
under its control as a heritage lighthouse.
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• In addition to their function as aids to navigation, such
lighthouses will be developed for educational, cultural, and
tourism purposes.
ULLAS MOBILE APPLICATION
On the sidelines of Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam
2023 , the Union Minister of Education launched a mobile
application of ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.
About: ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for
All in Society)
• It will focus on promoting functional literacy, vocational skills,
and many important life skills like financial literacy, legal
literacy, digital literacy, and empowerment of citizens to
involve in nation-building of the country.
• It imparts these skills to citizens aged 15 and above who lost
the opportunity to go to school. It is being implemented
through volunteerism.
• It will serve as a digital gateway for learners to engage in
diverse learning resources through the DIKSHA portal of
NCERT.
• The ULLAS initiative is poised to revolutionise education and
literacy across the nation, by fostering a learning ecosystem
that reaches every individual, bridging the gaps in basic
literacy and critical life skills.
• It marks a significant milestone in harnessing the potential of
technology to facilitate widespread access to basic literacy.
DELISTING OF SECURITIES
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is
reviewing delisting norms of a company that has opted for
delisting from the stock exchanges.
What does Delisting of Securities Mean?
• Delisting means removing the securities of a listed company
from a stock exchange. Once delisted, the securities of that
company can no longer be traded on the stock exchange.
• If a company wants to delist its securities, it needs to buy back
90% of the total issued shares and price discovery is through
a reverse book-building process.
• Delisting can be either voluntary or compulsory.
 In voluntary delisting, a company decides on its own to
remove its securities from a stock exchange;
 In compulsory delisting, they are removed as a penal
measure for the company not making submissions
or complying with requirements set out in the listing
agreement within the prescribed timeframes.
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Reverse Book-Building Process:
• Reverse book-building is the process used for price discovery.
• During the period for which the reverse book-building is open,
offers are collected from shareholders at various prices,
which are above or equal to the floor price. The buyback
price is determined after the offer closing price.
What are the concerns of SEBI?
• According to SEBI, certain constituents in the market, in
anticipation of the delisting, acquire shares and jack up the
price of shares to unsustainable levels.
• Because of the way in which it (the reverse book-building
process) is formulated, and because of the 90% threshold,
there is a possibility of misuse by certain operators who are
specialists in the delisting of shares.
• The regulator said it may allow companies to delist shares
at a fixed price instead of using the reverse book-building
mechanism.
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GI) TAGS
Seven products from across India including four from
Rajasthan were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag
by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
About:
• The Jalesar Dhatu Shilp (metal craft) : At Jalesar in Etah district
in Uttar Pradesh, which was the capital of Magadha King
Jarasandha, over 1,200 small units are engaged in making
Jalesar Dhatu Shilp. This place is known for making decorative
metal craft as well as brassware.
• Goa Mankurad mango: The Portuguese named the mango as
Malcorada meaning poor coloured and with time this word
transformed to ‘Mankurad’ aamo. Aamo means mango in
Konkani language.
• Goan Bebinca: Bebinca is a type of pudding and a traditional
Indo-Portuguese dessert. It is also known as the Queen of
Goan desserts.
• Udaipur Koftgari metal craft : the Udaipur Koftgari metal
craftsmen practices the ancient art of Koftgari used in
making ornamental weaponry. The weapons are exquisitely
ornamented by a complicated process of etching of design,
heating and then cooling intertwined with the process of
embedding gold and silver wire into the metal, pressing and
flattening it to a smooth surface using moonstone and finally
polishing.
• Jodhpur Bandhej craft : The Jodhpur bandhej craft is the
Rajasthani art of tying and dyeing. It is the art of printing
varied patterns on fabrics using the tie and dye method.
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• Bikaner Kashidakari craft : Kashidakari work is done majorly
on objects associated with marriage, especially gift items,
and makes use of mirror work.
• Bikaner Usta Kala craft : It is also known as gold nakashi
work or gold manauti work, due to the prominence of golden
colour in an actual manner developed by gold in the previous
period. Due to this, the craft has longevity.
INDEX OF EIGHT CORE INDUSTRIES (ICI)
The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased
by 4.3% (provisional) in May 2023 as compared to the Index
of May 2022.
About:
• The monthly Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) is a production
volume index.
• ICI measures collective and individual performance of
production in selected eight core industries viz. Coal, Crude
Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement
and Electricity.
• Weightage of eight core industries in ICI (highest to lowest):
Refinery Products (weight: 28.04 %) > Electricity (weight:
19.85 %) > Steel (weight: 17.92 %) > Coal (weight: 10.33 %)
> Crude Oil (weight: 8.98 %) > Natural gas (weight: 6.88 %)
> Cement (weight: 5.37 %) > Fertilizers (weight: 2.63 %).
• Combined weight of these eight core industries is 40.27
percent of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-
12. The ICI with base 2004-05 had a weight of 37.90 percent
in the IIP (2004-05).
• It is compiled and released by Office of the Economic Adviser
(OEA), Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP),
and Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• ICI for a reference month is released with a time lag of one
month on last day of the next month, which is about twelve
days prior to the release of IIP for the reference month.
• The base year of the ICI has been revised to 2011-12 from
2004-05 in alignment with the new series of IIP.
TOMATO GRAND CHALLENGE HACKATHON
The Centre has announced the Tomato Grand Challenge
(TGC) hackathon.
About:
• The Grand Challenge invites ideas on comprehensive and
focused area interventions in tomato value chain - from
cropping and market insights for the farmers, appropriate
cultivars (OP varieties or hybrids) with higher shelf-life of
the fruits for fresh marker, cultivars specifically suitable for
processing, value-addition through interventions.

• It has been formulated by the Department of Consumer
Affairs in collaboration with M/o Education (Innovation Cell).
• It can increase shelf-life, improve transportation of fresh and
processing products, innovative packaging and storage.
INDIA’S EXTERNAL DEBT
As per the RBI India’s external debt has risen up to $624.7
billion during the financial year 2023.
Present Status of India’s External Debt:
• India’s external debt at end-March 2023 rose by $5.6 billion
to $624.7 billion from the year-earlier period but the external
debt-to-GDP ratio slid to 18.9% at end-March from 20% a year
earlier.
• Valuation Gains: Valuation gains due to the appreciation of
the U.S. dollar vis-à-vis the Indian rupee and major currencies
such as yen, SDR, and euro were placed at $20.6 billion.
Excluding the valuation effect, external debt would have
increased by $26.2 billion instead of $5.6 billion at end-March
2023 over end-March 2022.
• Long-term debt (with original maturity of above one year) was
placed at $496.3 billion, logging a decline of $1.1 billion over
the end-March 2022 level.
• The share of short-term debt (with original maturity of up to
one year) in total external debt rose to 20.6% at end-March
2023 from 19.7% a year earlier.
• Dollar-denominated debt remained the largest component
of external debt, with a share of 54.6% at end-March 2023,
followed by debt denominated in the Indian rupee (29.8%),
SDR (6.1%), yen (5.7%), and euro (3.2%).
• Outstanding debt of government and non-government sectors
rose during FY23 to $133.3 billion ($130.8 billion in FY22) and
$491.3 billion ($488.3 billion), respectively.
What is the External Debt of a Country?
• It refers to money borrowed from a source outside the country.
External debt has to be paid back in the currency in which it
is borrowed.
• External debt can be obtained from foreign commercial banks,
international financial institutions like International Monetay
Fund (IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) etc
and from the government of foreign nations.
• Normally these types of debts are in the form of tied loans,
meaning that these have to be used for a predefined purpose
as determined by a consensus of the borrower and the
lender.
• Governments and corporations are eligible to raise loans
from abroad. These are in the form of external commercial
borrowings. The interest rate on foreign loans is linked to
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LIBOR (London Interbank Offer rate) and the actual rate will
be LIBOR plus applicable spread, depending upon the credit
rating of the borrower.
What are the Types of External Debt?
• External debt is money borrowed by a government or
corporation from a foreign source. It can include:
• Public and publicly guaranteed debt
• Non-guaranteed private-sector external debt
• Central bank deposits
• Loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
GIFT NIFTY
The popular Singapore Exchange (SGX) NIFTY started
trading from GIFT City in Gujarat as Gift Nifty, executing
over 30,000 trades in a single session. This is the first
cross-border initiative in connecting India and Singapore’s
capital markets.
What is GIFT NIFTY?
• Trading on SGX NIFTY ceased in Singapore and the entire
trading volume and liquidity fully switched to GIFT IFSC.
• Therefore, it was rechristened GIFT NIFTY. This migration was
first initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2022.
• Currently, four products are being offered under the umbrella
brand of GIFT Nifty — GIFT Nifty 50, GIFT Nifty Bank, GIFT
Nifty Financial Services and GIFT Nifty IT derivatives contract.
• According to a five-year contract between the two, business
will largely be shared on a 50:50 basis.
Importance for India:
• GIFT Nifty is an important milestone for GIFT IFSC and its
outreach towards foreign investors and enhancing the capital
market ecosystem in GIFT City.
• Over the past two decades, SGX has been our bridge to the
world. It has linked two of the fastest growing economies of
the world.
SAMARTH
The Empowered Committee for Scheme for Capacity Building
in Textiles Sector (SAMARTH) recently empanelled 43 new
implementing partners and an additional target of training
around 75,000 beneficiaries is set.
About:
• It is a demand driven and placement-oriented umbrella
skilling programme of the Ministry of Textiles.
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• The Scheme aims to incentivize and supplement the efforts
of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and
related sectors.
• In addition to the entry level skilling, a special provision for
upskilling/ reskilling programme has also been operationalized
under the scheme towards improving the productivity of the
existing workers in Apparel & Garmenting segments.
• It also caters to the upskilling/ reskilling requirement of
traditional textile sectors such as handloom, handicraft, silk
and jute.
BANKS HERALDING ACCELERATED RURAL &
AGRICULTURE TRANSFORMATION (BHARAT)
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched a
campaign for banks under the Agriculture Infrastructure
Fund titled BHARAT.
BHARAT:
• The one month-long Campaign was launched with a target of
Rs 7200 crore.
• The aim of the campaign is to get active involvement and
support of members of commercial Banks in the public and
private sector, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks,
NBFCs and select cooperative Banks to promote the Scheme
of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund:
• It is a financing facility launched in 2020 for farm-gate
infrastructure for farmers.
• Under this scheme, Rs 1 lakh crore is to be disbursed by the
financial year 2025-26 and the interest subvention and credit
guarantee assistance will be given till the year 2032-33.
Objectives:
• Improved marketing infrastructure to allow farmers to sell
directly to a larger base of consumers and hence, increase
value realization for the farmers. This will improve the overall
income of farmers.
• Investments in logistics infrastructure so that farmers will be
able to sell in the market with reduced post-harvest losses
and a smaller number of intermediaries. This further will make
farmers independent and improve access to the market.
• Modern packaging and cold storage system access to allow
farmers to decide when to sell in the market and improve
realization.
• Community farming assets for improved productivity and
optimization of inputs.
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BHARAT DAL
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution,
Textiles and Commerce and Industry launched the sale of
subsidised Chana Dal under the brand name ‘Bharat Dal’.
About: ‘Bharat Dal’ Initiative
• The retail outlets of the National Agricultural Cooperative
Marketing Federation (Nafed) in the Delhi-NCR region will be
responsible for selling the subsidised chana dal.
• Objectives: The introduction of ‘Bharat Dal’ is a major step
taken by the Centre Government towards making pulses
available to consumers at affordable prices by converting
chana stock of the government into chana dal.
DO YOU KNOW ?
• Chana, also known as chickpeas, is one of the most
commonly consumed pulses in India.
• Chana, a crucial rabi pulses variety, accounts for India’s half
pulses basket and 5% in the total foodgrains basket.
• Utility : Chana whole is soaked and boiled to make salad and
roasted chana is served as snacks. Fried chana dal can also
be used as an alternative to tur dal, curries and soups. Chana
besan is a major raw material for namkeens and sweets.
• Health benefits : Chana has multiple nutritional health
benefits as it is rich in fibre, iron, potassium, vitamin B,
selenium beta carotene and choline which are required
by the human body for controlling anaemia, blood sugar,
bone health etc. and even for mental health.
EXPORT PREPAREDNESS INDEX 2022 REPORT
Recently ,NITI Aayog released the Export Preparedness Index
2022 report in New Delhi.
About:
• EPI is a comprehensive tool which measures the export
preparedness of the States and UTs in India.
 Exports are vital for simulating economic growth and
development in a country, which necessitates understanding
the factors which influence export performance.
• Pillars : The report presents a comprehensive analysis of
India’s export performance in FY22, along with its sector-
specific and district-level merchandise export trends. The
EPI 2022 Report evaluates the performance of the states
across four pillars
 Policy Pillar evaluates states and UTs’ performance based
on its adoption of the export-related policy ecosystem
at a state and district level as well as the institutional
framework surrounding the ecosystem.

 Business Ecosystem assesses the prevailing business
environment in a state/UT, along with the extent of
business-supportive infrastructure, and a state/UTs’
transport connectivity.
 Export Ecosystem focuses on the export-related
infrastructure in a state/UT along with the trade support
provided to the exporters, and the prevalence of Research
and Development in the state/UT to foster innovation.
 Export Performance is an output-based indicator which
gauges the growth of a state’s export over the previous
year and analyses its export concentration and footprint
on the global markets.
Key Highlights:
• The EPI 2022 Report observed that most ‘Coastal States’ have
performed well, with the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,
Karnataka and Gujarat being the top-performers in the Export
Preparedness Index across the country, in all categories of
states.
• The efforts of state governments in improving the policy
ecosystem have led many states to create export promotion
policies and district-level export action plans.
• It said, 73 percent of districts in the country have an export
action plan, and over 99 percent are covered under the One
District One Product scheme.
• It states that 100 districts in the country are responsible for
nearly 87 percent of the country’s exports.
Concerns:
• Highlighting the lack of adequate transport connectivity, the
report mentions that the absence of air connectivity hampers
the movement of goods across regions especially in the
landlocked states.
Suggestions:
• The report recommended that for the states which are lagging
in terms of export commission, the central government
should extend support to enable them to build the necessary
ecosystem to facilitate their export.
• It is also recommended that Indian states need to invest in
research and development for developing market-specific
products and improving product quality.
• The report further highlights the need to develop our districts
as export hubs in the country and undertakes a district-level
analysis of merchandise exports in the country.
• By improving collaboration among states, and between state
and Centre, India can aspire to achieve sustained economic
growth and leverage its heterogeneity to foster development
at national and sub-national levels.
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TCRM MATRIX FRAMEWORK
NITI Aayog released the Techno-Commercial Readiness and
Market Maturity Matrix (TCRM Matrix) Framework to Drive
Innovation and Entrepreneurship in India.
About:
• Aim: To revolutionize technology assessment and fuel
innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• The Working Paper casts light on the historical evolution of
technology assessment frameworks, including the Technology
Readiness Level (TRL), Commercialization Readiness Level
(CRL), and Market Readiness Level (MRL) scales.
• Integrated Assessement Model: By building upon these
frameworks' core principles, the TCRM Matrix framework
presents an integrated assessment model that offers in-
depth insights and actionable intelligence to stakeholders at
every stage of the technology development cycle.
• Integration into system: The working paper provides clear
guidelines for integrating the TCRM Matrix framework within
the broader innovation ecosystem. By doing so, policymakers,
strategists, academicians, and investors can unlock its full
potential and drive meaningful change.
OPEN NETWORK FOR DIGITAL COMMERCE
ACADEMY
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) recently
introduced the ONDC Academy.
About:
• It is a DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade) initiative to create a facilitative model to help
small retailers take advantage of digital commerce.
• The academy was launched by ONDC in collaboration
with NSE Academy Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Stock
Exchange.
• It is not an application, platform, intermediary, or software but
a set of specifications designed to foster open, unbundled,
and interoperable open networks.
• The repository is stored on an ONDC website as well as on
YouTube, with assistance received from the National Stock
Exchange.
• The academy is a repository of educational and informative
textual and video content programmes in multiple Indian
languages. It will provide a curated learning experience
providing guidance and best practices for a successful
e-commerce journey for merchants.
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• Any person without any knowledge of e-commerce can learn
how to make a seller app with a technology service provider
to aggregate all sellers from a nearby marketplace to make
these products available online.
• It would also enable certification issued by NSE Academy to
individuals completing an assessment developed by the
institute.
About ONDC:
• The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a Section
8 company, under the initiative of DPIIT, with a mission to
democratize digital commerce.
• ONDC develops and maintains the ONDC Protocol, an open
technical standard similar to UPI, HTTP and SMTP.
• The ONDC Protocol compliant applications together
constitute the ONDC Network.
• Just as UPI enables interoperability of banks and payment
platforms to transfer money, or SMTP allows people to
exchange emails without worrying about which email service
the recipient uses, the ONDC Protocol allows buyers and
sellers to trade goods or services no matter which /platform
they use.
INDIA ENERGY SECURITY SCENARIOS (IESS)
2047
A Revamped India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 was
released by NITI Aayog.
About:
• IESS is to assess the integrated impact of various green
energy policies of the Government of India.
• It incorporates several policies related to alternative energy
resources like Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage, Renewable
Purchase Obligations, PM-KUSUM, offshore wind strategy,
Electric Vehicle policy, Energy efficiency, etc.
• The revamped IESS 2047 will be updated on yearly basis.The
baseline has been standardized at 2020 and calibrated up to
2022.
Objectives:
• IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive tool that can help
ministries / departments to develop a variety of energy
transition scenarios to achieve net-zero.
• It will help researchers and think tanks to develop user-specific
scenarios and the option of customized applications on the
basis of share of industry/services/agriculture, population,
the pace of urbanization, end-use energy demand etc.
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• It provides capabilities to compute the energy needs
and estimates of the country and hence reduce India’s
dependency on external agencies for the estimates.
INTEREST RATE FOR PF DEPOSITS
The government has approved an interest rate of 8.15
percent on deposits under the Employees Provident Fund
(EPF) scheme for the financial year 2022-23.
About:
• EPF is a welfare scheme brought into force to secure a better
future for employees.
• It is a statutory benefit available to the employees post
retirement or when they leave the services.
• In case of deceased employees, their dependents will be
entitled for the benefits.
• Under the EPF Scheme both employers and employees have
to make their contributions towards the Fund.
• Interest earned on the amount is credited to the member’s
Provident Fund Account (PF account) and is available to the
employee at the time of retirement or exit from employment as
the case may be, provided certain conditions are fulfilled.
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO):
• It is a statutory body came into existence with the promulgation
of the Employees' Provident Funds Ordinance in 1951.
• It promotes employees to save funds for retirement. The
organisation is governed by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, Government of India.
• The Act and Schemes framed there under are administered
by a tripartite Board known as the Central Board of Trustees.
• The Board operates three schemes - EPF Scheme 1952,
Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS) and Insurance Scheme 1976 (EDLI).
COTT-ALLY MOBILE APP
The Union Minister of State for Ministry of Textiles has
informed recently that the Cott-Ally mobile app has been
developed exclusively for the cotton farmers.
About:
• The app has been developed by the Cotton Corporation of
India Limited (CCI).
• The various features of “Cott-Ally” are as follows:
 Easy to operate in regional languages.
 Minimum Support Price (MSP) cotton rates state-wise,
variety-wise and quality-wise can be seen.
 Farmers can track real time payment status of their kapas
sold to CCI under MSP.

INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY (ISA)
The ISA member nations agreed on a two-year road map for
the adoption of deep-sea mining regulations in pursuance of
efforts to enact a code for the exploitation of nickel, cobalt and
copper in deep seabed areas outside national jurisdictions.
About:
• It is an international organization established in 1994 to regulate
mining and related activities in the international seabed beyond
national jurisdiction.
• The ISA was established under the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea, which codified international law regarding
territorial waters, sea-lanes, and ocean resources.
• Headquarters: Kingston, Jamaica.
• The supreme authority of the ISA is the assembly, in which
all ISA members are represented. The assembly sets general
policies, establishes budgets, and elects a 36-member council,
which serves as the ISA’s executive authority.
• The council approves contracts with private corporations
and government entities for exploration and mining in the
international seabed, oversees implementation of the seabed
provisions of the UNCLOS.
• The secretary-general of the ISA is nominated by the council
and is elected by the assembly to a four-year term.
• The ISA’s annual plenary sessions, which usually last two
weeks, are held in Kingston.
• In 2006 the ISA established the Endowment Fund to Support
Collaborative Marine Scientific Research on the International
Seabed Area to assist and encourage scientists from developing
countries to contribute to world marine studies.
HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2023
India has climbed seven places on Henley Passport Index
2023 to 80th rank from 87 last year.
Henley Passport Index:
• The Henley Passport Index is the ranking of all the world’s
passports according to the number of destinations their
holders can access without a prior visa.
• The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different
travel destinations.
• The Index is brought out by Henley and Partners.
In-Shorts | International Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
India’s Performance:
• In 2014, India ranked 76 with 52 countries allowing Indian
passport holders visa free access but its performance has
not been linear.
• It ranked 88 in 2015 (visa free access to 51 countries), 85 in
2016, 87 in 2017, 81 in 2018, 82 in 2019 and 2020, and 81 in
2021.
Global Performers:
• Singapore is now officially the most powerful passport in the
world.
• Japan, which occupied the top position on the Henley
Passport Index for five years, dropped to the third place.
• Germany, Italy, and Spain occupy the second place.
• Alongside Japan at the third position are Austria, Finland,
France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden.
• The U.K. climbed two places to occupy the fourth place, while
the U.S. continued its decade-long slide down the index,
dropping two places to the eighth spot.
• Both the U.K. and the U.S. jointly held the first place on the
index nearly 10 years ago in 2014.
ISRAEL JUDICIAL REFORMS
Israel’s parliament passed the controversial Judicial
“reasonableness” bill, despite six months of protests. The bill
was passed in the Knesset, the unicameral legislature of Israel.
About:
• Under the new law, the Supreme Court cannot overrule
the national government using the legal standard of
“reasonableness” — a concept that judges previously used
to strike down decisions made by lawmakers and ministers.
• Reasonableness is “a legal standard used by many judicial
systems, including Australia, Britain and Canada.
• A decision is deemed unreasonable if a court rules that it
was made without considering all relevant factors or without
giving relevant weight to each factor, or by giving irrelevant
factors too much weight.”
Debate:
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition allies
favored the Bill so as to curb judicial overreach.
• Critics argue the judicial revamp will undermine Israel’s liberal
democracy by removing checks and balances on the executive.
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JENIN
The Israeli army has launched a military operation on the
refugee camp in Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
About:
• Location: Jenin is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is
situated at the foot of the Jabal Nablus hills of the West Bank
and along the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley.
• Names: Throughout history, it was referred to as "Ein Ganim",
"Beth Hagan", "Ginah", and "Ginae".
Palestine:
• Palestine is a state located in the Southern Levant region of
Western Asia governed officially by the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO).
• It comprises the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and
the Gaza Strip as its territory, though the entirety of that
territory has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967
Six-Day War.
US RE-ENTRY TO UNESCO
U.S. first lady Jill Biden attended a flag-raising ceremony
at UNESCO in Paris, marking USA's official re-entry into
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO).
Background:
• The U.S. exit from UNESCO in 2017 cited an alleged anti-Israel
bias within the organization.
• The decision followed a 2011 move by UNESCO to include
Palestine as a member state, which led the U.S. and Israel to
cease financing the agency. The U.S. withdrawal became
official a year later in 2018.
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• This is the second time the U.S. has returned to UNESCO
after a period of withdrawal. The country previously left the
organization in 1984 under the Reagan administration, citing
mismanagement, corruption and perceived advancement
of Soviet interests. It rejoined in 2003 under George W. Bush’s
presidency.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)
• About: UNESCO was formed in 1945, is a specialized agency
of the United Nations (UN).
• Members: 195 Members and 8 Associate Members. India is a
founding member of the Organisation.
• Structure: The Secretariat is headed by the Director-General,
implements the decisions of the General Conference and the
Executive Board. The Organization has more than 50 field
offices around the world and its headquarters are located in
Paris.
• Objectives:
 Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning
 Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable
development
 Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges
 Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a
culture of peace
 Building inclusive knowledge societies through information
and communication.
• Role of UNESCO in context of World Heritage Sites:
 It seeks to encourage the identification, protection and
preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the
world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
 This is embodied in an international treaty called the
Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural
and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
 The most significant feature of the 1972 World Heritage
Convention is that it links together the concepts of nature
conservation and the preservation of cultural properties in
a single document.
VILNIUS SUMMIT OF NATO
The NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius has
been concluded.
Key Takeaways of recent Summit:
• The goals were to reach an agreement that Sweden could join
the alliance – which Turkey had blocked – and to strengthen
support for Ukraine. Both of those goals were achieved.
• Yet, the one issue that overshadowed the Vilnius summit was
Ukraine’s promised membership in the alliance on which
there was no clarity or time frame.

• NATO’s new plans involve maintaining a force of 300,000
troops, with air and naval capabilities, while emphasising
the importance of a strong industrial base, leading to the
endorsement of a Defence Production Action Plan.
• The NATO summit emphasised that the developments in
the Indo-Pacific have become increasingly consequential
for Euro-Atlantic security with expanding space for Quad
countries, along with other regional countries like New
Zealand and South Korea.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
• It was founded in 1949 and is a group of 31 countries from
Europe and North America that exists to protect the people
and territory of its members.
• The inclusion of Finland and approval of Sweden as NATO
members signals that the Alliance continues to practise Article
10 of the Washington Treaty signed in April 1949 which states
that member countries can invite other European countries to
become members of NATO.
• It is founded on the principle of collective defence, meaning
that if one NATO Ally is attacked, then all NATO Allies are
attacked.
• The Open Door Policy is a founding principle of NATO. This
means that any country in Europe is free to join NATO if it is
prepared to meet the standards and obligations of membership,
contributes to the security of the Alliance, and shares NATO's
values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
STAPLED VISA
Recently China issued stapled visas to three athletes from
the team who belong to Arunachal Pradesh for the Summer
World University Games.
What is a Stapled Visa?
• Passports, visas, and other kinds of immigration controls
reiterate the idea of a nation-state and its sovereignty which
is inalienable and inviolable. A passport is the certificate of its
holder’s identity and citizenship.
• A stapled visa is an unstamped piece of paper that is attached
by a pin or staples to a page of the passport and can be torn
off or detached at will.
• This is different from a regular visa that is affixed to the
passport by the issuing authority and stamped.
Why does China do this?
• China disputes India’s internationally accepted sovereignty
over Arunachal Pradesh.It calls the area “Zangnan” in the
Chinese language and makes repeated references to “South
Tibet”.
In-Shorts | International Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• China has made it a practice to issue stapled visas to Indian
nationals from Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
It says the visas are valid documents, but the Government of
India has consistently refused to accept this position.
China's Claim Over Indian Territory:
• Issues with McMahon Line:China challenges the legal status
of the McMahon Line, the boundary between Tibet and British
India that was agreed at the Convention Between Great
Britain, China, and Tibet at the Simla Convention of 1914.
• It is this disagreement that lies at the heart of Chinese claims
over the position of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and its
repeated transgressions into Indian territory.
Since when has this practice gone on?
• The state-run Chinese media began to refer to Arunachal
Pradesh as “South Tibet” from 2005 onward.
• They signaled their intention by refusing to give a visa to an
Indian government official who was serving in Arunachal
Pradesh in late 2006.
• Subsequently, they started the practice of issuing ‘stapled’
visas to all Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh as well as
Jammu and Kashmir.
INDIA-RUSSIA VANDE BHARAT JOINT
VENTURE DEAL
In the joint venture deal the Metrowagonmash and the Rail
Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to manufacture 120 Vande
Bharat train sets each costing Rs. 120 crore. Metrowagonmash
is an engineering company based at Mytishchi in Russia, and
specialises in transport building.
About:
• Under the current joint venture deal, the RVNL has a minority
stake of 25%, while Metrowagonmash retains a majority stake
of 70%. Another 5% is held by Locomotive Electronic Systems.
• By June 2025, the consortium has to present the first two
prototype trains for testing and trials. After the prototypes are
approved, every year 12 to 18 trains will be manufactured.
8TH INDIA-AUSTRALIA DEFENCE POLICY TALKS
The 8th India-Australia Defence Policy Talks (DPT) was held
at Canberra in Australia.
About:
• The discussions focused on identifying ways to strengthen
partnership in co-development and co-production of defence
equipment.
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• Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• The Indian side highlighted the potential of the Indian defence
industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with
Australian Armed forces in its shipbuilding and maintenance
plans.
• The 8th DPT reviewed the outcomes of maiden 2+2 conducted
in 2021. Both sides agreed for early finalization of the
hydrography agreement.
India-Australia Defence Relations:
• India and Australia upgraded their bilateral relationship from
a ‘strategic partnership’ in 2009 to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership’ in 2020.
• Over the past few years, several institutional mechanisms
have been implemented to promote bilateral cooperation.
 Bilateral mechanisms include high-level visits, Annual
Meetings of Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers’ Framework
Dialogue, 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue,
Joint Trade & Commerce Ministerial Commission, Defence
Policy Talks, Australia-India Education Council, Defence
Services Staff Talks, Energy Dialogue, JWGs on different
issues etc.
• The two countries have expanded their strategic partnership,
focusing on maritime security, counter-terrorism, and regional
stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Initiation of Strategic Dialogue: In 2020, Australia and India
elevated their Secretaries 2+2 dialogue (Defence and
Foreign Affairs) to the Ministerial level. Now the ministers meet
once every two years to discuss the progress made under the
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Malabar Exercise: In 2020, Australia participated in the
MALABAR naval exercise and thus joined India, the U S and
Japan.
 The exercise united four regional defence partners and
democracies, signifying a collective resolve to support an
open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
• AUSINDEX: Rendezvous between the Royal Australian Navy
and the Indian Navy has been innovative through the critical
bilateral exercise called AUSINDEX.
• The Pitch Black exercise: A significant beginning of defence
rendezvous was traversed when, for the first time, the Indian
Air Force joined Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin in 2018.
 Australia’s multifaceted exercise encompasses air forces
from several Australian allies and partner countries.
 India’s partaking was further significant for staging the first
mid-air refueling of an IAF combat aircraft (Su-30MKI) by a
RAAF aircraft (KC-30A), showing a notch of coordination
not previously offered.
• Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement and Defence Science &
Technology Implementing Arrangement: India and Australia
clinched the Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement in 2020.
 The pact enables more scholarly operational cooperation,
enabling increasingly complex military engagement and
excellent collective receptiveness to regional benevolent
disasters.
• The shared military platforms: Indian and Australian
militaries have become increasingly interoperable through
the increasing number of shared media, thereby growing
opportunities for shared training.
 These include C-17 strategic transport aircraft, C-130
tactical transport aircraft, P-8 maritime reconnaissance
aircraft, and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
• The exchanges of military officials for training: India shapes its
relations with its defence forces through regular personnel
and training exchanges, such as short specialist courses and
longer-term positions.
 Every year, India and Australia send officers to attend
each other’s premiere military educational institutions.
COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE
AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC
PARTNERSHIP
Britain has signed a treaty to join the Comprehensive and
Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
as the 12th member.
About:
• What is it? The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement
for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is also known as TPP11
or TPP-11.
• Present Members: It is a free trade agreement between 11
countries - Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore,
Brunei, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Peru and Chile.
• Probable Members: Costa Rica and Ecuador have also applied
to join its Pacific rim counterparts, while Uruguay, Thailand,
the Philippines and South Korea have also expressed an
interest. China launched a bid to join in 2021.
• Background: The CPTPP started as the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, with the US negotiating to join under President
Obama. But in 2017, Trump withdrew from the deal and the
remaining countries continued talks, eventually signing the
CPTPP in 2018 in Santiago, Chile.
• Objective:The pact requires countries to eliminate or
significantly reduce tariffs and make strong commitments to
opening services and investment markets.It also has rules
addressing competition, intellectual property rights and
protections for foreign companies.

60

• Comparison with EU: It does not have a single market for
goods or services, and so regulatory harmonization is not
required, unlike the European Union, whose trading orbit
Britain left at the end of 2020.
• Significance: The eleven signatories have combined
economies representing 13.4 percent of global gross
domestic product, at approximately US$13.5 trillion, making
the CPTPP one of the world's largest free-trade areas by GDP,
along with the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, the
European single market, and the Regional Comprehensive
Economic partnership.
U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
India recently voted in favour of a draft resolution tabled in
the UN Human Rights Council that condemns and strongly
rejects recent “public and premeditated” acts of desecration
of the Holy Quran.
About:
• The Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body within
the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the
promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.
• It meets at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).
• It was created by the General Assembly on 15 March 2006
by its resolution 60/251, replacing the Commission on Human
Rights. The 47 members of the Council are elected by the
General Assembly.
• Its mechanisms include the universal periodic review, which
serves to assess the situations of human rights in all States
Members of the United Nations.
What is Desecration?
• It is a type of behavior that disrespects the sacredness or
holiness of something. Words and actions that are offensive
to a religion could be considered acts of desecration.
• Chapter XV (Of Offences Relating To Religion) of the Indian
Penal Code deals with desecration in India.
• The offences relating to religion can be broadly classified into
three categories:
 Defilement of places of worship or objects of great respect
(Section 295 and 297).
 Outraging or wounding the religious feelings of persons
(Section 295A and 298).
 Disturbing religious assemblies (Section 296).
MUSLIM WORLD LEAGUE
Recently, Muslim World League Secretary-General Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa was on a visit to India.
In-Shorts | International Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
The Muslim World League (MWL):
• The Muslim World League (MWL) is an international NGO with
members from all Islamic countries and sects.
• Headquarters: Mecca ,Saudi Arabia
• Founded: It was founded in accordance with a resolution
adopted during the meeting of the General Islamic Conference
which was held in Makkah in 1962.
• Governance: The Office of the Secretary General is the
executive wing of the organization.It supervises the day-to-
day activities and implements the policies and resolutions
adopted by the Constituent Council.
Objectives:
• It aims to present Islam and its tolerant principles, provide
humanitarian aid, extend bridges of dialogue and cooperation
with all.
• To engage in positive openness to all cultures and civilisations,
follow the path of centrism and moderation.
• To Ward off movements calling for extremism, violence and
exclusion.
G20-DIGITAL INNOVATION ALLIANCE (G20 DIA)
Union Minister of State for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship and Electronics and IT inaugurated the
G20-Digital Innovation Alliance Summit in Bengaluru.
About:
• The Summit will have focused discussions on ‘Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI)’, ‘Security in the Digital Economy’, ‘Digital
Skilling ‘ etc.
• It recognizes and accelerates the growth of startups in six
specified sectors including Ed-tech, Health-tech, Agri-tech,
Fin-tech, Secured Digital Infrastructure, and Circular Economy.
• It will unite the global innovation ecosystems to recognize
and support startups developing innovative digital solutions
that reduce the digital divide among segments of humanity
and boost the global economy.
• As part of the G20-Digital Innovation Alliance, MeitY is
launching a series of events, expert sessions, webinars,
capacity building workshops to ensure fruitful and
constructive engagement of innovators, entrepreneurs,
startups, corporates, investors, mentors etc.
India’s G 20 Presidency:
• India inherited the G20 presidency from Indonesia (the former
G20 chair).
• Vasudhaiva Kutumba-kam, or "One Earth, One Family, One
Future," is the theme of India's G20 Presidency.
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INTERNAL SECURITY
JIMEX 23
The seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime
Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23) was hosted by the Indian Navy at/
off Visakhapatnam.
About:
• This edition marks the 11th anniversary of JIMEX, since its
inception in 2012.
• It was conducted between Japan Maritime Self Defence
Force (JMSDF) and the Indian Navy for maritime security
cooperation.
• JIMEX 23 witnessed the participation of INS Delhi (India's
first indigenously built Guided Missile Destroyer) INS
Kamorta (Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette), fleet tanker INS
Shakti, maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Dornier, ship-borne
helicopters and fighter aircraft.
Other Exercises between India and Japan:
• Dharma Guardian: Military Exercise.
• Veer Guardian: Air Exercise.
• Malabar Exercise: Multilateral Exercise between India, Japan,
USA and Australia.
NOMADIC ELEPHANT-23
An Indian Army contingent reached Ulaanbaatar to take
part in the exercise, ‘Nomadic Elephant-23’.
About:
• Nomadic Elephant-23 is an annual training event with
Mongolia which is conducted alternatively in Mongolia and
India.
• The last edition was held at Special Forces Training School,
Bakloh in October 2019.
• Focus and Aims : The aim of this exercise is to build positive
military relations, exchange best practices, develop
interoperability, bonhomie, camaraderie and friendship
between the two armies.
• Activities: The scope of this exercise involves Platoon level
Field Training Exercise (FTX). During the exercise, Indian and
Mongolian troops will engage in various training activities
designed to enhance their skills and capabilities.
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EXERCISE - SALVEX
The Seventh edition of Indian Navy-US Navy (IN–USN)
Salvage and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) exercise,
SALVEX was conducted at Kochi.
About:
• IN and USN have been participating in exercise since 2005.
• The exercise spanned over 10 days, included the ships – INS
Nireekshak and USNS Salvor in addition to Specialist Diving
and EOD teams.
• Objective: To conduct joint training exercises towards enhancing
interoperability, cohesiveness and gaining from best practices
mutually in Maritime Salvage and EOD operations.
SCALP MISSILES
France will join Britain in supplying long-range SCALP
missiles to Ukraine.
What are SCALP Missiles?
• It is an air-launched British-French missile known to UK forces
as the "Storm Shadow", manufactured by MBDA and used by
France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
• It is a fire and forget missile, programmed before launch.
Once launched, the missile cannot be controlled, its target
information changed or self-destructed.
• The missile follows a path semi-autonomously, on a low flight
path guided by GPS and terrain matching to the area of the
target. The missile uses inertial navigation, GPS and terrain
referencing to chart a low-altitude course to its target to avoid
detection.
HINDUSTAN AERONAUTICS LIMITED (HAL)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s Regional Office in Kuala Lumpur
(Capital of Malaysia).
About:
• The Regional Office will facilitate close defence industrial
collaboration between India and Malaysia. It will also serve as a
hub for the HAL’s engagement with the wider South-East Asian
region and act as a window for other Indian Defense PSUs.

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian public
sector aerospace and defence company, headquartered
in Bangalore. HAL is managed by a board of directors
appointed by the President of India through the Ministry of
Defence, Government of India.
• HAL was established as Hindustan Aircraft Limited in
Bangalore on 23 December 1940 by Walchand Hirachand in
association with the then Kingdom of Mysore.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was formed on 1
October 1964 when Hindustan Aircraft Limited joined the
consortium formed in June by the IAF Aircraft Manufacturing
Depot, Kanpur and the group recently set up to manufacture
MiG-21 under licence, with its new factories planned in
Koraput, Nasik and Hyderabad.
INDIAN COAST GUARD
Recently, Rakesh Pal has been appointed as the 25th Director
General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
About:
• The Indian Coast Guard is a maritime law enforcement and
search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its
territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive
economic zone.
• It was established in 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the
Parliament of India.
• Parent Agency:Ministry of Defence
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Head: Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG)
Missions of Indian Coast Guard:
• Safety and protection of artificial islands, offshore terminals
and other installations.
• Protection and assistance to fishermen and mariners at sea
• Preservation and protection of marine ecology and
environment including pollution control.
• Assistance to the Department of Customs and other
authorities in anti-smuggling operations.
• Scientific data collection and support
• National defense during hostilities (under the operational
control of the Indian Navy)
SCORPENE CLASS SUBMARINES
The Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the Defence
Minister cleared the proposals to buy additional Scorpene
Submarines for the Navy.
In-Shorts | Internal Security Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
About:
• The Scorpene submarines are conventional attack subs, i.e.
they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.
• Specifications: It is around 220 feet long and has a height of
40 feet. They can reach the top speeds of 11 knots (20 km/h)
when surfaced and 20 knots (37 km/h) when submerged.
• Propulsion systems: Submarines use diesel-electric propulsion
systems, with an endurance – ability to operate independently
without refueling – of approximately 50 days. This propulsion
system alternates between using diesel (for functioning on
the surface) and electric (for functioning underwater).
• Capabilities: It is capable of launching a large array of
torpedoes and missiles, they are also equipped with a range
of surveillance and intelligence-gathering mechanisms.
Project-75:
• Project 75 includes the indigenous construction of six diesel
electric attack submarines of Scorpene class.
• The submarines are being constructed by the Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai in collaboration with
the Naval Group of France.
• Under the project INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS
Vela were commissioned between 2017 and 2021.The fifth
submarine ,INS Vagir, was commissioned recently. The sixth
submarine Vagsheer has begun its sea trials.
C-295 AIRCRAFT
Indian Air Force (IAF) is about to receive the first C-295
transport aircraft.
About:
• The Airbus C295 is a new-generation tactical airlifter.
• It conducts multi-role operations worldwide under all weather
conditions.
• It is equipped with winglets and is capable of transporting more
payload over larger distances in the hot and high conditions.
• C295 aircraft manufacturing plant is set up in Vadodara,
Gujarat, which is India's giant leap towards becoming self-
reliant in the aviation sector.
About C-295 India Programme:
• In September 2021, the Defence Ministry signed a
22,000-crore deal with Airbus and Space S.A., Spain, for
procurement of 56 C-295 MW transport aircraft to replace the
Avro aircraft in service with the IAF.
• As per contract, 16 aircraft would come in fly away condition,
manufactured at the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain and 40
would be manufactured in India by Airbus jointly with TASL.
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Edition: August 2023
HWASONG-18
The General Missile Bureau of North Korea conducted the
test fire of the Hwasong – 18, an Intercontinental Ballistic
Missile (ICBM).
About:
• The Hwasong – 18 is a solid-fuelled ICBM, which is believed to
have a range of 15,000 km or more, and could potentially carry
three or four warheads, rather than only one.
• ICBMs are particularly worrying because of their long range,
including the mainland of the United States.
WHAT ARE ICBMS?
• These are land-based missiles having nuclear weapons
delivery technology with a range over 5,500 km.
• Presently, Russia, the United States, France, the United
Kingdom, China, India and Israel, in addition to North Korea,
are the only countries that are in documented possession
of land – based ICBMs.
Significance of Test:
• The test fire was conducted according to the strategic
judgement and crucial decision of the country at a grave period
when the military security situation on the Korean peninsula.
• North Korea mentioned that it is in response to the use
of nuclear weapons by the US – Japan – South Korea,
collectively known as “tripartite nuclear alliance”. In June, the
US deployed a nuclear powered submarine to Busan, a port
city in South Korea.
Advantages of Solid Fuel:
• Solid propellants are a mixture of fuel and oxidiser. Metallic
powders such as aluminium often serve as the fuel, and
ammonium perchlorate is the most common oxidizer.
• When solid propellant burns, oxygen from the ammonium
perchlorate combines with aluminium to generate enormous
amounts of energy and temperature of more than 5,000 °F
(2,760 °C), creating thrust and lifting the missile.
• It allows for faster deployment of missiles, and can fire and
accelerate more quickly at liftoff.
• It can be stored for longer periods without degradation or
breakdown, which is a common problem with liquid fuel.
Who has the technology of Solid Fuel in Missile
Systems?
• Solid fuel dates back to fireworks developed by the Chinese
centuries ago, but made dramatic progress in the mid-
20th century, when the USA developed more powerful
propellants.
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• The Soviet Union fielded its first solid-fuel ICBM in the early
1970s, followed by France's development of its S3, also known
as SSBS, a medium-range ballistic missile.
• China started testing solid-fuel ICBMs in the late 1990s.
• South Korea had already secured "efficient and advanced"
solid-propellant ballistic missile technology.
INS KIRPAN
The INS Kirpan was decommissioned from the Indian Navy
and handed over to Vietnam People’s Navy with a complete
weapon complement.
About:
• INS Kirpan is the third indigenously built Khukri class missile
corvette. The Khukri class corvettes are equipped with Diesel
Engines assembled in India, under license by Kirloskar Group.
• It is equipped with an array of weapons and sensors.
• Manned by about 12 officers and 100 sailors, the ship is
90 meters long and 10.45 meters in width with a maximum
displacement of 1450 tons.
• It has been an integral part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet
since its commissioning in 1991 and has participated in
various operational and humanitarian assistance operations
over the last 32 years.
Importance:
• The transfer of INS Kirpan from the Indian Navy to the VPN
symbolises the status of Indian Navy being the ‘Preferred
Security Partner’ in the Indian Ocean Region and would
definitely be a catalyst for enhancing the existing bilateral
relations between the two navies.
• This is the maiden occasion of gifting a fully operational
corvette by India to any Friendly Foreign Country.
• The transfer of INS Kirpan to Vietnam resonates India’s vision
of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘Security and Growth for all
in the Region (SAGAR)’.
DO YOU KNOW ?
• India and Vietnam share historical linkages, rooted on
cultural and economic pillars.
• The relationship between the two countries was upgraded
from a Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership in Sep 2016.
• After the signing of an MoU on Defence Cooperation by the
two countries in November 2009, the relations have grown
over the past decade.
• In June 2022, the two Defence Ministers have also signed
a ‘Joint Vision Statement on India - Vietnam Defence
Partnership towards 2030’.
 In-Shorts | Polity & Governance
POLITY &
GOVERNANCE
REPEALING AND AMENDING BILL, 2022
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022 was passed by the
Lok Sabha in monsoon session.
About:
• It seeks to repeal 65 laws that are obsolete or that have
been made redundant by other laws. It also corrects a minor
drafting error in the Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.
• Repeal of laws: The First Schedule of the Bill lists 24 laws that
would be repealed. Of these, 16 are amending Acts, and two
are from before 1947.
• Repeal of Appropriation Acts: The Second Schedule of the Bill
lists 41 Appropriation Acts that would be repealed. These
include 18 Appropriation Acts for the Railways. These Acts
span the years from 2013 to 2017.
PRESS AND REGISTRATION OF PERIODICALS
BILL, 2023
The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 was
passed by Rajya Sabha in the monsoon session.
Key Features of the Bill include:
• It repeals the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.
• Registration of periodicals: The Act provides for the registration
of newspapers, periodicals, and books. It also provides for
the cataloguing of books. The Bill provides for the registration
of periodicals, which include any publication containing
public news or comments on public news. Periodicals do not
include books or scientific and academic journals.
• Registration Certificate: The Act provides that a declaration
specifying the printer/ publisher be made to the District
Magistrate (DM). The DM sends the declaration to the Press
Registrar, who then issues a certificate of registration. The
Bill allows the publisher of a periodical to obtain a registration
certificate by filing an online application with the Press
Registrar General and specified local authority.
• Restrictions: A person who has been convicted of a terrorist
act or unlawful activity, or have acted against the security of
the State will not be allowed to publish a periodical.
• Foreign periodicals: An exact reproduction of a foreign
periodical may be printed in India only with the prior approval
of the central government. The manner of registration of such
periodicals will be prescribed.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Press Registrar General: The Bill provides for the Press
Registrar General of India whose functions include: (i)
issuing registration certificates for all periodicals, (ii)
maintaining a register of periodicals, (iii) making guidelines
for the admissibility of title of periodicals, (iv) verifying
circulation figures of prescribed periodicals, and (v) revising,
suspending, or cancelling registration.
• Registration of a printing press: The Act requires a printing
press to be declared before the DM. The Bill allows for
information regarding printing presses to be submitted to the
Press Registrar General through an online portal.
• Suspension of registration: The Bill allows the Press Registrar
General to suspend a periodical’s registration for a
minimum period of 30 days which can extend to 180 days.
The registration may be suspended due to: (i) registration
obtained by furnishing false information, (ii) failure to publish
periodicals continuously, and (iii) giving false particulars in
annual statements.
• Cancellation of Registration: The Press Registrar General may
cancel the registration if the publisher does not correct such
defects. Registration may also be cancelled if: (i) a periodical
has the same or similar title as any other periodical, (ii) the
owner / publisher has been convicted of a terrorist act or
unlawful activity, or for acting against the security of the state.
• Penalties: The Bill empowers the Press Registrar General
to impose penalties for: (i) publishing periodicals without
registration (up to five lakh rupees), (ii) failing to furnish annual
statement within the specified time (up to Rs 20,000 on first
default). Not complying with such direction within six months
will be punishable with imprisonment of up to six months.
• Appeal: Any person may appeal against the refusal to issue a
registration certificate, suspension/ cancellation of registration,
or imposition of penalty. Such appeals may be filed before the
Press and Registration Appellate Board within 60 days.
CINEMATOGRAPH (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by
Parliament.
Key Features of the Bill:
• The Bill amends the Cinematograph Act, 1952. The Act
constitutes the Board of Film Certification for certifying
films for exhibition. Such certifications may be subject to
modifications/deletions. The Board may also refuse the
exhibition of a films.
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 Current Affairs In-Shorts | Polity & Governance
Edition: August 2023
• Additional certificate categories: The Bill adds certain additional
certificate categories based on age. Under the Act, film may
be certified for exhibition: (i) without restriction (‘U’), (ii) without
restriction, but subject to guidance of parents or guardians for
children below 12 years of age (‘UA’), (iii) only to adults (‘A’), or
(iv) only to members of any profession or class of persons (‘S’).
• Sub-categories within UA category: The Bill substitutes the UA
category with the following three categories to also indicate
age-appropriateness: (i) UA 7+, (ii) UA 13+, or (iii) UA 16+.
The age endorsement within the UA category by the Board
will inform guidance of parents or guardians, and will not
be enforceable by any other persons other than parents or
guardians.
• Separate certificate for television/other media: Films with
an ‘A’ or ‘S’ certificate will require a separate certificate for
exhibition on television, or any other media prescribed by the
central government. The Board may direct the applicant to
carry appropriate deletions or modifications for the separate
certificate.
• Unauthorised recording and exhibition to be punishable: The
Bill prohibits carrying out or abetting: (i) the unauthorised
recording and (ii) unauthorised exhibition of films. Attempting
an unauthorised recording will also be an offence.
• Certain exemptions under the Copyright Act, 1957 will also
apply to the above offences. The 1957 Act allows limited use of
copyrighted content without owner’s authorisation in specified
cases such as: (i) private or personal use, (ii) reporting of
current affairs, or (iii) review or critique of that work. These
offences will be punishable with: (i) imprisonment between
three months and three years, and (ii) a fine between three
lakh rupees and 5% of the audited gross production cost.
• Certificates to be perpetually valid: Under the Act, the
certificate issued by the Board is valid for 10 years. The Bill
provides that the certificates will be perpetually valid.
• Revisional powers of the central government: The Act
empowers the central government to examine and make
orders in relation to films that have been certified or are
pending certification. The Board is required to dispose
matters in conformance to the order. The Bill removes this
power of the central government.
ADVOCATES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by Rajya
Sabha. It is yet to be passed by Lok Sabha.
Key Features of the Bill include:
• It amends the Advocates Act, 1961. The 1961 Act consolidates
the law related to legal practitioners and constitutes Bar
Councils and the All-India Bar.
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• Touts: The Bill repeals certain sections related to touts under
the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. The Bill provides that every
High Court, district judge, sessions judge, district magistrate,
and revenue officer (not below the rank of a district collector)
may frame and publish lists of touts. The Court or judge may
exclude from the premises of the Court any person whose
name is included in the list of touts.
• Preparation of lists: The authorities empowered to frame and
publish the list of touts may order subordinate courts to hold
an inquiry into the conduct of persons alleged or suspected
to be touts. Once such a person is proven to be a tout, his
name may be included by the authority in the list of touts.
No person will be included in such lists without getting an
opportunity of showing cause against his inclusion.
• Penalty: Any person who acts as a tout while his name is
included in the list of touts will be punished with imprisonment
up to three months, a fine up to Rs 500, or both.
TOUT?
Tout refers to a person who: (i) either proposes to procure
or procures the employment of a legal practitioner in a legal
business in return of any payment, or (iii) frequents places
such as the precincts of civil or criminal courts, revenue-
offices, or railway stations to procure such employment.
JAMMU AND KASHMIR REORGANISATION
(AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill,
2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha in July, 2023.
About:
• The Bill amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act,
2019. The Act provides for the reorganisation of the state of
Jammu and Kashmir into the union territories of Jammu and
Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).
• Number of seats in the Legislative Assembly: The Bill increases
the total number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative
Assembly from 83 to 90. It also reserves seven seats for
Scheduled Castes and nine seats for Scheduled Tribes.
• Nomination of Kashmiri migrants: The Bill adds that the
Lieutenant Governor may nominate up to two members from
the Kashmiri migrant community to the Legislative Assembly.
One of the nominated members must be a woman.
• Definition of Kashmiri migrants: Migrants are defined as
persons who migrated from the Kashmir Valley or any other part
of the state of Jammu and Kashmir after November 1, 1989,
and are registered with the Relief Commissioner. Migrants
also include individuals who have not been registered due
 In-Shorts | Polity & Governance
to: (i) being in government service in any moving office, (ii)
having left for work, or (iii) possessing immovable property at
the place from where they migrated but are unable to reside
there due to disturbed conditions.
• Nomination of displaced persons: The Bill adds that the
Lieutenant Governor may nominate to the Legislative
Assembly one member representing displaced persons from
Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
• Definition of Displaced persons: Displaced persons refer to
individuals who left or were displaced from their place of
residence in Pakistani-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and
continue to reside outside such place. Such displacement
should have taken place in 1947-48, 1965, or 1971 due to
civil disturbances or fear of such disturbances. These include
successors-in-interest of such persons.
PLACES OF WORSHIP ACT, 1991
The Supreme Court has given Centre time till October 31,
2023 to clarify its stand on the validity of the Places Of
Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
About:
• Petitions have been filed against the Act, contending that
the law has barred Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs from
approaching courts to “re-claim” their places of worship
which were “encroached” upon by “invaders”.
• The Act declares that the religious character of a place of
worship shall continue to be the same as it was on August 15,
1947.
• It says no person shall convert any place of worship of any
religious denomination into one of a different denomination or
section.
• It declares that all suits, appeals or any other proceedings
regarding converting the character of a place of worship,
which are pending before any court or authority on August
15, 1947, will abate as soon as the law comes into force. No
further legal proceedings can be instituted.
Provisions of the Act will ‘not’ apply to:
• Ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites
and remains that are covered by the Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958;
• A suit that has been finally settled or disposed of; and
• Any dispute that has been settled by the parties or conversion
of any place that took place by acquiescence before the Act
commenced.
• The law kept the then disputed structure at Ayodhya out of
its purview, mainly because it was the subject of prolonged
litigation.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
View of Supreme Court:
• In its final verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, the Supreme
Court had observed that the Act “imposes a non-derogable
obligation towards enforcing our commitment to secularism”.
• The court described the law as one that preserved secularism
by not permitting the status of a place of worship to be altered
after Independence.
• It further said, “Historical wrongs cannot be remedied by
the people taking the law in their own hands. In preserving
the character of places of public worship, Parliament has
mandated in no uncertain terms that history and its wrongs
shall not be used as instruments to oppress the present and
the future.”
BAIL
The Supreme Court granted bail to activists Vernon Gonsalves
and Arun Ferreira, charged with the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the Bhima Koregaon violence case.
About:
• The bail refers to the conditional release of a person from
confinement or custody during investigation and trial.
• It can also be sought during the appellate stage to prevent
endless internment during the pendency of appeal though
the benefit of the presumption of innocence is not available
at the latter stage.
Jurisprudence:
• The jurisprudence of bail in post-independent India, is
anchored on the bedrock of Article 21 of the Constitution
which safeguards not only life but also liberty by commanding
that liberty can be deprived only through the procedure
established by law, which must be “just, fair and reasonable”.
• The same procedural law which provides for arrest and
incarceration, ensures that bail can be sought by an accused
through a broad spectrum of provisions ranging from pre-
arrest bail to statutory bail.
 While the former envisaged under Section 438 of the
Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) enables the accused
to approach a Sessions court or High Court seeking a
direction to release him on bail in case he is arrested on
a non-bailable offence, the latter, as conceived under
Section 167 of the CrPC, vests with the accused the right
to be released if the investigation is not completed within
ninety days or sixty days, as the case may be, depending
on the severity of the alleged offence.
• In 2021, the Supreme Court had lashed out against the
imposition of “onerous” conditions for grant of bail, saying
that such terms “tantamount to denial of bail”.
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 Current Affairs In-Shorts | Polity & Governance
Edition: August 2023
55TH YOUTH PARLIAMENT COMPETITION
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs organised the Prize
Distribution Function of 55th National Youth Parliament
Competition, 2022-23 for Schools under the Directorate
of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi and New Delhi
Municipal Council (NDMC).
National Youth Parliament Scheme:
• The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has been implementing
it since 1966, on an annual basis in each academic year, in
Schools under the Directorate of Education, Government of
NCT of Delhi and other institutions.
• So far, around 8000 educational institutions and more than
4,00,000 students have been covered under the Youth
Parliament programme of the Ministry.
• Objectives of the Scheme: It aims to spread the spirit of
democracy to every nook and corner of the country. It aims at
inculcating among the younger generations the spirit of self-
discipline, tolerance of diverse opinion, righteous expression
of views and other virtues of a democratic way of life.
Eligibility for entry in the Competition:
• All the Universities / Colleges recognized by UGC /
Government of India / State Government who sponsor their
nominees for attending the Orientation Course conducted by
the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs prior to the start of the
Competition would be eligible for participation.
• The Ministry may add any additional institution for participation
in the competition.
• After successful registration, the educational institutions will
be able to conduct youth parliament sittings in their respective
institutions.
NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION
COUNCIL (NAAC)
Former director-in-charge of the National Institute of
Technology - Tiruchi G. Kannabiran has been appointed
as the new director of the National Assessment and
Accreditation Council (NAAC).
About:
• It was established in 1994 as an autonomous institution of the
University Grants Commission (UGC) with its HeadQuarter in
Bengaluru.
• The NAAC functions through its General Council (GC)
and Executive Committee (EC) comprising educational
administrators, policy makers and senior academicians from
a cross-section of the Indian higher education system. The
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Chairperson of the UGC is the President of the GC of the
NAAC, the Chairperson of the EC is an eminent academician
nominated by the President of GC (NAAC).
• Mandates : It conducts assessment and accreditation of Higher
Educational Institutions (HEI) to derive an understanding of
the ‘Quality Status’ of the institution.
• It evaluates the institutions for its conformance to the
standards of quality in terms of its performance related
to the educational processes and outcomes, curriculum
coverage, teaching-learning processes, faculty, research,
infrastructure, learning resources, organisation, governance,
financial well-being and student services.
CANTONMENTS
In order to bring uniformity in municipal laws, civil areas
of certain cantonments will be merged with neighbouring
State municipalities, the Defence Ministry informed
Parliament recently.
About:
• In terms of Entry 3 of Union List (Schedule VII) of the Constitution
of India, Urban Self Governance of the Cantonments and the
Housing Accommodation therein is the subject matter of the
Union of India.
• There are 61 Cantonments in the country which have been
notified under the Cantonments Act, 1924 (succeeded by
the Cantonments Act, 2006) and come under the Ministry of
Defence.
• The overall municipal administration of the notified
Cantonments is the function of the Cantonment Boards which
are democratic bodies.
• The Station Commander of the Cantonment is the ex-officio
President of the Board and an officer of the IDES or Defence
Estates Organisation is the Chief Executive Officer who is
also the Member-Secretary of the Board.
• The Board has equal representation of the elected and
nominated/ex-officio members to balance the official
representation with the democratic composition.
• Cantonments are different from the Military Stations. Military
Stations are purely meant for the use and accommodation
of the armed forces and these are established under an
executive order whereas the Cantonments are areas which
comprise both military and civil population.
• There are four categories of Cantonments which depend on the
size of population: Category I (>50,000), Category II (10,000-
50,000), Category III (2,500-10,000), and Category IV (<2,500).
• DGDE (Directorate General, Defence Estates) is an Inter
Services Organisation of the Ministry of Defence which
directly controls the Cantonment Administration.
 In-Shorts | Polity & Governance
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR POPULATION
SCIENCES (IIPS)
The Central government has suspended the Director of the
International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), K.S.
James, citing irregularity in recruitment.
About:
• The International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS),
Mumbai, formerly known as the Demographic Training and
Research Centre (DTRC) till 1970, was established in July
1956 under the joint sponsorship of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the
Government of India and the United Nations.
• The Institute is under the administrative control of the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• It serves as a regional centre for Training and Research in
Population Studies for the ESCAP region.
• It was declared as a 'Deemed to be University' on August 14,
1985, under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 by the Ministry of
Human Resource Development, Government of India.
• Functions : It holds a unique position among all the regional
population centres.
 It was the first such centre started, and it serves a much
larger population than any of the other regional centres.
 It conducts important studies like the National Family
Health Survey, Assessment of National Rural Health
Mission, and the Global Adult Tobacco Survey.
 The Institute is the hub of population and health-related
teaching and research in India, playing a vital role for
planning and development of the country.
MERI MAATI, MERA DESH CAMPAIGN
The Union government has launched the Meri Maati, Mera
Desh campaign.
About:
• It is envisaged as a culminating event of the Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav celebration.
• Under the campaign, soil collected from different parts of the
country will be used to develop a garden along the Kartavya
Path in Delhi.
• Events have been planned at the panchayat, village, block,
urban local body, and State and national levels, respectively.
• The five-point agenda includes the installation of a
shilaphalakam (memorial plaque), bearing the names of those
who have made the supreme sacrifice. For this purpose, veers
(bravehearts) include freedom fighters, defence personnel,
CAPF personnel, and State Police.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN
National Commission for Women (NCW) condemned incidents
of Manipur and Rajasthan and took suo-motu cognizance
of the incidents and asked the Director General of Police of
respective states to promptly take appropriate action.
About:
• It was set up as statutory body in 1992 under the National
Commission for Women Act, 1990 to:
 review the Constitutional and Legal safeguards for women;
 recommend remedial legislative measures ;
 facilitate redressal of grievances and
 advise the Government on all policy matters affecting
women.
• Constitution of the NCW: The Union Government shall
constitute a body to be known as the NCW to exercise the
powers conferred on and to perform the functions assigned
to it under this Act.
 The Commission shall consist of a Chairperson, five
Members to be nominated by the Union Government
from amongst persons of ability and integrity who have
had experience in law or legislation, trade unionism,
management of an industry potential of women, women's
voluntary organisations, administration, economic
development, health, education or social welfare;
 Provided that at least one Member each shall be from
amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes respectively.
• Term of office and conditions of service of Chairperson and
Members:
 The Chairperson and every Member shall hold office
for such a period, not exceeding three years, as may be
specified by the Union Government on this behalf.
 The Chairperson or a Member (other than the Member-
Secretary) may, by writing and addressed to the Union
Government, resign from the office of Chairperson or
Member at any time.
The Commission shall perform all or any of the
following functions, namely:
• Investigate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards
provided for women under the Constitution and other laws;
• Review, from time to time, the existing provisions of the
Constitution and other laws affecting women and recommend
amendments thereto so as to suggest remedial legislative
measures to meet any lacunae, inadequacies or shortcomings
in such legislations;
• Take up the cases of violation of the provisions of the
Constitution and of other laws relating to women with the
appropriate authorities;
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Edition: August 2023
• Look into complaints and take suo-moto cognizance of matters
relating to:
 deprivation of women’s rights;
 non-implementation of laws enacted to provide protection
to women and also to achieve the objective of equality
and development;
 non-compliance of policy decisions, guidelines or
instructions aimed at mitigating hardships and ensuring
welfare and providing relief to women, and take up the
issues arising out of such matters with appropriate
authorities;
• Inspect or cause to be inspected a jail, remand home,
women’s institution or other place of custody where
women are kept as prisoners or otherwise, and take up
with the concerned authorities for remedial action, if found
necessary.
RAJASTHAN HONOUR OF DEAD BODY BILL,
2023
The Rajasthan Assembly passed The Rajasthan Honour of
Dead Body Bill, 2023, which penalises protests with a dead
body.
Key Provisions of the Bill:
• The Bill aims to curb the growing trend of protests involving
bodies being placed on roads as a part of expressing anger
over an incident. And, to ensure that every dead person has
the right to last rites with dignity.
• The Bill binds the deceased person’s family to claim the dead
body at the earliest.
• Bill contained provisions for protection of genetic data
information through DNA profiling as well as digitisation and
confidentiality of information.
• If a family member does not take possession of a dead body,
he shall be punished with imprisonment for up to one year or
with fine or with both.
 Protest/remonstration with a dead body or giving consent
for the same will invite imprisonment up to two years and
fine.
 If someone other than a family member uses the dead
body for remonstration, they shall be punished with
imprisonment between six months to five years, with fine.
• The Bill imposes a liability on the family members to perform
last rites of the deceased “as soon as possible” unless there
are exceptional reasons.
• If the family members don’t perform the last rites despite
orders of the local police officer or Executive Magistrate, it
will be done by the public authority.
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Need for the Bill:
• There has been an increase in cases where the family sits
with a dead body and demands compensation.
• These protests, staged by relatives of the deceased following
unnatural deaths, are often supported by political parties and
social and community organisations.
• There were 82 incidents of demonstrations with corpses on
the streets or outside the police stations, between 2014 -2018
which increased to 306 between 2019-2023.
NEW GUIDELINES FOR SENIOR ADVOCATES
IN THE SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court has published new guidelines for the
designation of senior advocates practicing in the Apex Court.
Background:
• These guidelines come after the recent ruling delivered by
a three-judge bench in a case seeking modification in the
conferment of ‘senior advocate’ designation guidelines.
• The Bench modified the guidelines issued by the SC in 2018, in
the aftermath of ruling in Indira Jaisingh v. Union of India, 2017.
Indira Jaisingh v. Union of India Case:
• In October 2018, the Apex Court released a list of “Guidelines
to Regulate the Conferment of Designation of Senior
Advocates” while acting on a plea filed by Indira Jaising, for
greater transparency in the designation process.
• The guidelines discouraged the system of voting by secret
ballot, except in cases where it was “unavoidable.”
• The ruling that decided the setting up of a “permanent
committee” and a “permanent secretariat”.
 Permanent secretariat: A body tasked with receiving and
compiling all applications for designation with relevant data,
information, and the number of reported and unreported
judgments. After this, the proposal for designation is to be
published by it on the official website of the concerned
court, inviting suggestions and views, which shall then be
forwarded to the permanent committee for scrutiny.
 Permanent committee: The CJI-chaired committee was
to consist of two senior-most SC judges, the Attorney
General of India, and a “member of the Bar” nominated
by the chair and other members. The Committee was to
meet twice a year, at least.
• The committee then interviewed the candidate and made an
overall evaluation based on a point system that gave marks
for years of practice( be it as an advocate, district judge,
or judicial member of an Indian tribunal), pro-bono work
undertaken, judgements, publications, and a personality test.
 In-Shorts | Polity & Governance
• Once a candidate’s name was approved, it was forwarded to
the Full Court to decide on the basis of the majority. The Full
Court could also recall the designation of a senior advocate.
Why are the guidelines being changed?
• In February 2023, the Central Government filed an application
for modification of guidelines for the designation of senior
lawyers, issued by the Supreme Court after the 2017 ruling.
• The 2017 guidelines were based on a point-based system which
awarded 40% weightage to publications, personality, and
suitability gauged through the interview. The Centre argued that
this system is subjective, ineffective, and dilutes the “esteem
and dignity of the honour being conferred traditionally.”
What do the new guidelines say?
• The new guidelines prescribe the minimum age as 45 years
to apply for the ‘senior advocate’ designation. However, this
age limit may be relaxed by the Permanent Committee, the
Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court judge if they have
recommended an advocate’s name.
• Previously, the guidelines stated that 15 marks were set aside
for publications. However, the new guidelines state that only
5 marks will be given for “publication of academic articles,
experience of teaching assignments in the field of law,” and
“guest lectures delivered in law schools and professional
institutions connected with law” combined.
• The 2023 guidelines specify that the CJI along with “any
Judge of the Supreme Court” may recommend in writing the
name of an advocate for designation.
• Besides this, the weightage given to reported and unreported
judgements (excluding orders that do not lay down any
principle of law) has increased from 40 to 50 points in the
new guidelines.
ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE (ED)
The Supreme Court recently asked Enforcement Directorate
(ED) Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra to quit four months
before his third extension.
About:
• The Directorate of Enforcement or the ED is a multi-disciplinary
organization mandated with investigation of economic crimes
and violations of foreign exchange laws.
• The origin of this Directorate goes back to 1st May, 1956,
when an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed in the Department of
Economic Affairs. There were 02 branches – at Bombay and
Calcutta.
• In the year 1957, this Unit was renamed as ‘Enforcement
Directorate’, and another branch was opened at Madras.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• In 1960, the administrative control of the Directorate was
transferred from the Department of Economic Affairs to the
Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of
India.
• The statutory functions of the Directorate include enforcement
of following Acts:
 The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA)
 The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA)
 The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA)
 The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA)
 Sponsoring agency under COFEPOSA
The 2021 Amendments:
• The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021
and The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021
amended the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946
and the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, respectively.
 The 1946 Act provides for the constitution of the Delhi
Special Police Establishment for investigation of certain
offences, as notified and the 2003 Act provides for the
constitution of a Central Vigilance Commission to conduct
inquiries into offences alleged to have been committed
under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
• Extension of the Director’s term: Both CBI and ED chiefs have
fixed tenures of two years. However, 2021 amendments
allow them a maximum of three annual extensions. The
amendments adds that the tenure of the Director may be
extended by up to one year at a time, till the completion of
five years from the initial appointment. Such extensions may
be granted in public interest, on the recommendation of the
Committee.
Procedure to Give Extensions:
• Justice Gavai, who authored the judgment, reasoned that the
extensions were not given at the “sweet will” of the government.
Instead, the 2021 amendments require High Level Committees
to recommend the officers for service extensions.
• A five-member panel composed of the Central Vigilance
Commissioner and Vigilance Commissioners had to
recommend if an ED Director was worthy of an extension in
service.
• In case of the CBI Director, a High-Level Committee of the
Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and the Chief Justice of
India had to recommend.
ELECTORAL BONDS
Electoral bonds were the chief source of donations for
political parties according to a report by the Association of
Democratic Reforms.
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What are Electoral Bonds?
• An electoral bond is like a promissory note that can be bought
by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from
select branches of State Bank of India.
• The citizen or corporate can then donate the same to any
eligible political party of his/her choice.
• The bonds are similar to bank notes that are payable to the
bearer on demand and are free of interest. An individual or
party will be allowed to purchase these bonds digitally or
through cheque.
• Introduction: The electoral bonds were introduced with
the Finance Bill (2017). In 2018 the government notified the
Electoral Bond Scheme 2018.
 Electoral bonds were being introduced to ensure that all
the donations made to a party would be accounted for in
the balance sheets without exposing the donor details to
the public.
• Mechanism: The bonds are issued in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs
10,000, Rs 100,000 and Rs 1 crore. These will be available at
some branches of SBI.
 The political party can encash the bonds through the
party's verified account. The electoral bond will be valid
only for fifteen days.
 The electoral bonds are available for purchase for 10 days
at the beginning of every quarter.
 An additional period of 30 days shall be specified by the
government in the year of Lok Sabha elections.
 The electoral bonds will not bear the name of the donor.
Thus, the political party will not be aware of the donor's
identity.
• Eligibility: Any party that is registered under section 29A of the
Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and has
secured at least one percent of the votes polled in the most
recent General elections or Assembly elections is eligible to
receive electoral bonds.
 The party will be allotted a verified account by the
Election Commission of India (ECI) and the electoral bond
transactions can be made only through this account.
• Taxation: The donations would be tax deductible. Hence, a
donor will get a deduction and the recipient, or the political
party, will get tax exemption, provided returns are filed by the
political party.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the
Union Council of Ministers. The meeting discussed topics
including Vision 2047, developmental works, steps to take
India forward and infrastructure development.
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About:
• The Constitution of India, under articles 74 and 75, provides
for a Council of Ministers.
• Article 74(1) reads that there shall be a Council of Ministers
with the Prime Minister as the head to aid and advise the
President who, shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in
accordance with such advice.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and the
other Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice
of the Prime Minister.
• The Council of Ministers is drawn from both the Houses of
Parliament. However, under article 75(3) of the Constitution, it
remains collectively responsible to the House of the People,
i.e. the Lok Sabha.
• Size of the Council of Ministers: The total number of Ministers,
including the Prime Minister, in the Council of Ministers shall
not exceed fifteen per cent of the total number of members of
the House of the People.
• The Council of Ministers comprises Ministers who are
members of Cabinet, Ministers of State (independent charge),
Ministers of State and Deputy Minister
SECTION 69A OF IT ACT
The Union government has asked Twitter and other social
media platforms to take down the video of two Manipur
women who paraded naked in pursuance of its powers under
Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
What is Section 69 (A) of the IT Act?
• It allows the government to issue content-blocking orders
to online intermediaries such as Internet Service Providers
(ISPs), telecom service providers, web hosting services,
search engines, online marketplaces, etc.
• The Section requires the information or content being blocked
to be deemed a threat to India’s national security, sovereignty,
or public order.
• Both centre and state governments may direct agencies
to intercept, monitor or decrypt or cause to be intercepted
or monitored or decrypted any information generated,
transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource.
• As per rules that govern these blocking orders, any request
made by the government is sent to a review committee, which
then issues these directions.
What has the Supreme Court said on Section 69 (A)?
• In a landmark 2015 ruling, the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal
vs Union of India struck down Section 66A of the Information
 In-Shorts | Polity & Governance
Technology Act of 2000, which entailed punishment for
sending offensive messages through communication
services, etc.
• The plea had also challenged Section 69A of the
Information Technology Rules 2009, but the SC held this to be
“constitutionally valid”.
• It will be noticed that Section 69A unlike Section 66A is a
narrowly drawn provision with several safeguards.
 First, blocking can only be resorted to where the Central
Government is satisfied that it is necessary to do so.
 Secondly, such necessity is relatable only to some of the
subjects set out in Article 19(2).
 Thirdly, reasons have to be recorded in writing in such
blocking order so that they may be assailed in a writ
petition under Article 226 of the Constitution.
KERALAM
The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre
to rename the state as “Keralam” under Article 3 of the
Constitution.
About:
• Origin of the name: The earliest epigraphic record that
mentions Kerala is emperor Asoka’s Rock Edict II of 257 BC.
The inscription refers to the local ruler as Keralaputra (son
of Kerala), and also “son of Chera” referring to the Chera
dynasty.
• At present the First Schedule of the Constitution also specifies
the name of the State as ‘Kerala.’
Formation of the Modern State:
• The people speaking Malayalam had been ruled by various
kings and princely states in the region. In the 1920s, the
Aikya (unified) Kerala movement gathered momentum and a
demand for a separate state for Malayalam-speaking people
came up. It aimed at the integration of Malabar, Kochi and
Travancore into one territory.
• After independence, merger and integration of princely
states was a major step towards the formation of the state
of Kerala. On 1 July, 1949, the two states of Travancore and
Kochi were integrated, heralding the birth of the Travancore-
Cochin State.
• When it was decided to reorganize states on a linguistic
basis, the State Reorganisation Commission of the Union
Government recommended creation of the state of Kerala.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Later the State Reorganisation Commission (Fazl Ali
Commission) recommended reorganizing states on a
linguistic basis and creation of the state of Kerala.
• The state of Kerala came into being on November 1, 1956.
In Malayalam, the state was referred to as Keralam, while in
English it was Kerala.
PROCESS TO RENAME A STATE IN INDIA
• Article 3 authorizes the Parliament to:
 form a new state by separation of territory from any
state or by uniting two or more states or parts of states
or by uniting any territory to a part of any state;
 increase the area of any state;
 diminish the area of any state;
 alter the boundaries of any state; and
 alter the name of any state.
• However, Article 3 lays down two conditions in this regard:
a bill contemplating the above changes can be introduced
in the Parliament only with the prior recommendation of
the President; and before recommending the bill, the
President has to refer the same to the state legislature
concerned for expressing its views within a specified
period.
• The President (or Parliament) is not bound by the views
of the state legislature and may either accept or reject
them.
• Moreover, the Indian Constitution (Article 4) itself declares
that laws made for alteration of names of existing states
(under Articles 3) are not to be considered as amendments
of the Constitution under Article 368. such laws can be
passed by a simple majority and by the ordinary legislative
process.
e-CARE PORTAL
The e-CARe (e-Clearance for Afterlife Remains) portal was
launched recently.
About:
• The portal will facilitate easy and swift transportation of the
deceased Indians across international borders.
• The existing system has many barriers which cause delays.
The purpose of a dedicated portal is to remove the barriers.
• A nodal officer will review them in a time-bound manner and
approve the application within 48 hours.
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CONSTITUTION (JAMMU AND KASHMIR)
SCHEDULED CASTES ORDER (AMENDMENT)
BILL, 2023
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment)
Bill, 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha in July 2023.
About:
• The Bill amends the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir)
Scheduled Castes Order, 1956. The Order lists the castes
deemed to be Scheduled Castes in the Union Territories of
Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
• The Bill adds Valmiki community as a synonym of Chura,
Balmiki, Bhangi, and Mehtar communities. The synonym will
apply only in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
CONSTITUTION (JAMMU AND KASHMIR)
SCHEDULED TRIBES ORDER (AMENDMENT)
BILL, 2023
The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes
Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha
in July 2023.
About:
• It amends the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled
Tribes Order, 1989 to create separate lists for Scheduled Tribes
for Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
• The Bill also adds four communities to the list of Scheduled
Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir. These are Gadda Brahmin,
Koli, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group.
CONSTITUTION (SCHEDULED CASTES)
ORDER (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment)
Bill, 2023, was passed by Parliament.
About:
• The Bill amends the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order,
1950, with respect to its application to Chhattisgarh. The
Order lists the castes and tribes deemed to be Scheduled
Castes in states and union territories.
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SOCIETY
• The Bill includes Mahara and Mahra communities as
synonyms of the Mehra, Mahar, and Mehar communities in
Chhattisgarh.
CONSTITUTION (SCHEDULED TRIBES) ORDER
(THIRD AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment)
Bill, 2022, was passed by Parliament.
About:
• The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes)
Order, 1950, with respect to its application to Himachal
Pradesh. The Order lists the tribal communities deemed to
be Scheduled Tribes in states and union territories.
• The Bill includes the Hattee community of Trans Giri area of
Sirmour district in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Himachal
Pradesh.
CONSTITUTION (SCHEDULED TRIBES) ORDER
(FIFTH AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment)
Bill, 2022, was passed by Parliament.
About:
• The Bill amends the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order,
1950, with respect to its application to Chhattisgarh. The
Order lists the tribal communities deemed to be Scheduled
Tribes in states and union territories.
• The Bill includes the Dhanuhar, Dhanuwar, Kisan, Saunra,
Saonra, and Binjhia communities in the list of Scheduled
Tribes in Chhattisgarh.
• The Bill includes Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, and Bhuyan communities
as synonyms of the Bharia Bhumia community. It also
includes three Devanagari versions of the name of the Pando
community.
• Further, the Bill substitutes names of certain tribal communities
in the Constitution Order, with corresponding names in
the Hindi version of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation
Act, 2000. For instance, the names of Oraon, Dhanka, and
Dhangad communities will be substituted.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
(AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Indian Institute of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
was passed by Parliament.
About:
• The Bill amends the Indian Institutes of Management Act,
2017. The Act declares Indian Institutes of Management
(IIMs) as institutes of national importance and regulates their
functioning. IIMs provide post-graduate education in the field
of management and allied areas.
• Visitor: The Bill designates the President of India as Visitor of
every Institute covered by the Act.
• Appointment of IIM Directors: Under the Act, the Director of
an IIM is appointed by the Board of Governors, based on
the recommendations of a Search-cum-Selection Committee.
The Bill mandates the Board to obtain the prior approval of the
Visitor before appointing an Institute Director. The procedure
for selecting the Director will be prescribed by the central
government.
• Search-cum-Selection Committee: Under the Act, the Search
Committee comprises of the Chairperson of the Board, and three
members from amongst eminent administrators, industrialists,
educationists. The Bill reduces these three members to two,
and adds another member to be nominated by the Visitor.
• Removal of IIM Directors: Under the Act, the Board may remove
the Director from office on grounds such as: (i) insolvency,
(ii) mental and physical incapacity, (iii) conflict of interest.
The Bill adds that the Board will require prior approval of the
Visitor before removing a Director. The Bill also grants the
Visitor the authority to terminate the services of the Director,
as may be prescribed.
• Chairperson of the Board of Governors: The Bill provide that
the Chairperson of the Board of Governors of each Institute
will be nominated by the Visitor.
• Inquiries against IIMs: The Bill proposes a new procedure for
inquiries if an Institute has not been functioning in accordance
with the Act. It confers the power of inquiry upon the Visitor.
The Visitor may appoint persons to review the work of any
Institute and hold inquiries into its affairs. Based on the report
of such inquiries, the Visitor may issue directions which will
be binding on the Institute. The Board may also recommend
such inquiries to the Visitor.
• Dissolution of the Board: The Bill provides that the central
government may prescribe the conditions and procedure
for dissolving or suspending an Institute’s Board. If a Board
is suspended or dissolved, the central government will
constitute an interim board for six months or until a new Board
is constituted.
In-Shorts | Society Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Co-ordination Forum: The Chairperson of the Co-ordination
Forum for all the Institutes will be nominated by the Visitor.
Chairpersons of all Institutes will be ex-officio members of the
Forum.
• Incorporation of Institutes: The Act provides that when an
existing institution converts to an IIM under this Act, every
employee of such institution will retain the same tenure,
salary, pensions as before. The Bill excludes the Director of
such institutions from this provision.
• NITIE, Mumbai: The Bill classifies the National Institute of
Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai as IIM, Mumbai.
JAMMU AND KASHMIR RESERVATION
(AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill,
2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha in July 2023.
Key Features of the Bill include:
• It amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.
The Act provides for reservation in jobs and admission in
professional institutions to members of Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally
backward classes.
• Under the Act, socially and educationally backward classes
include: (i) people residing in villages declared as socially and
educationally backward by the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu
and Kashmir, (ii) people residing in areas adjoining the Actual
Line of Control and International Border, and (iii) weak and
under-privileged classes (social castes), as notified.
• The government may make inclusions or exclusions from
category of weak and under-privileged classes, on the
recommendations of a Commission.
• The Bill substitutes weak and under-privileged classes with
other backward classes as declared by the UT of Jammu and
Kashmir. The definition of weak and under-privileged classes is
deleted from the Act.
FIRST OVERSEAS IIT CAMPUS
India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Tanzania for setting up the campus of IIT-Madras in Zanzibar.
About:
• The academic programmes, curricula, student selection
aspects and pedagogical details will be set by IIT-Madras,
while the capital and operating expenditure will be met by
the government of Zanzibar-Tanzania. IIT-Madras degrees
will be awarded to students enrolled in the campus.
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• It is the first overseas IIT campus. Two more global campuses
of IIT Delhi and IIT Kharagpur are set to come up in Abu Dhabi
and Kuala Lumpur.
Significance:
• The initiative is to strengthen South-South cooperation as well
as forge stronger people-to-people ties with Africa.
• The move is also in line with the National Education Policy
(NEP) 2020, which recommends that “high performing Indian
universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other
countries”.
• The setting up of the IIT campus is a step towards
internationalizing Indian education and expanding India's
diplomatic relationships.
ZANZIBAR
• Zanzibar is an archipelago off the coast of east Africa that
united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic
of Tanzania.
• It is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.
PERFORMANCE GRADING INDEX 2.0
The Ministry of Education has released the report on
Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for states/UTs.
About:
• The PGI for states/UTs was first released for the year 2017-18
and so far, it has been released up to the year 2020-21.
• Objective: It assesses the performance of the school
education system at the state/UT level by creating an index for
comprehensive analysis.
• PGI 2.0: To align with new initiatives of the National Education
Policy (NEP) 2020, and to replace existing indicators that have
achieved optimal targets, the PGI – State structure for 2021-
22 has been revised and renamed as PGI 2.0.
 The new PGI structure covers 73 indicators and it focuses
more on qualitative assessment and even digital initiatives
and teacher education.
 To give emphasis to teacher education in school
education, a separate category and domain on Teacher
Education & Training (TET) is now added in PGI 2.0.
 The PGI 2.0 can help states/UTs to pinpoint the gaps and
prioritise areas for intervention to ensure that the school
education system is robust.
Methodology:
• The PGI 2.0 for 2021-22 classified states/UTs into ten grades,
where the highest achievable grade is 'Daksh', which is for
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state/UT scoring more than 940 points out of a total of 1,000
points. The lowest grade is 'Akanshi-3', which is for a score up
to 460.
Grades:
• None of the states/UTs has attained the highest grade,
Daksh.
• Only two states/UTs, Punjab and Chandigarh have attained
Grade Prachesta -2 (score 641-700); six states/UTs joined
Grade Prachesta - 3 (score 581-640); 13 states/UTs joined
Grade Akanshi -1 (score 521-580); 12 states/UTs attained
Grade Akanshi - 2 (score 461-520); and three states got
Grade Akanshi – 3 in PGI 2.0.
PERFORMANCE GRADING INDEX FOR
DISTRICTS (PGI-D)
The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L),
Ministry of Education released the Performance Grading
Index for Districts (PGI-D) combined report for 2020-21 &
2021-22.
About:
• It assesses the performance of the school education system
at the District level by creating an index for comprehensive
analysis.
• The PGI-D is expected to help the state education
departments to identify gaps at the district level and improve
their performance in a decentralized manner.
• Methodology: PGI-D grades the districts into ten grades viz.,
Highest achievable Grade is Daksh, which is for Districts
scoring more than 90% of the total points in that category or
overall. The lowest grade in PGI-D is called Akanshi-3 which
is for scores upto10% of the total points.
Findings of the Report:
• None of the districts were able to earn Daksh and Utkarsh, in
the latest report, 121 districts were graded as Ati-Uttam for
2020-21, though this number fell by more than half in 2021-22,
with just 51 districts making the grade.
• In 2021-22, Chandigarh retained its Ati-Uttam status, as well
as some districts of Delhi and Gujarat. In Maharashtra, Satara,
Kolhapur, Nashik and Mumbai achieved this status as did
Kolkata.
• Uttar Pradesh has several districts under Uttam and
Prachesta-1, and four under Prachesta-2.
• South Salmara-Mankachar district was the only district in
Assam under Akanshi-1 for 2021-22, grade) while the two
grades at the bottom had no districts.

NASHA MUKT BHARAT ABHIYAN
PM Modi in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ hailed the fight against drugs
as a part of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and spoke about
transformation in Bichharpur village in Shahdol district of
Madhya Pradesh (Mini Brazil), which was infamous for illicit
liquor.
About:
• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment launched
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) was launched on 15th
August 2020.
• It is presently being implemented in 372 identified most
vulnerable districts identified based on the findings of the
first Comprehensive National Survey and inputs from the
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
• The aim of NMBA is to create awareness about ill effects
of substance abuse among the youth, women, children
with special focus on higher education institutes, university
campuses, schools and reaching out into the community
and garnering community involvement and ownership of the
Abhiyaan.
MANUAL SCAVENGING
Recently, the Social Justice Ministry said that a total of 530
districts across the country reported themselves to be free of
manual scavenging.
More on the News:
• Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh,
West Bengal, and Jharkhand are among the States and
Union Territories that have the highest number of districts
yet to declare themselves as manual scavenging free.
• While 100% of districts in States like Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil
Nadu and a few others have declared themselves free of
manual scavenging, in several States and Union Territories,
only about 15% to 20% of the districts have reported so.
About Manual Scavenging:
• It is a practice of removal of human excrement from public
streets and dry latrines, cleaning septic tanks, gutters and
sewers manually.
• In the past, this referred to the practice of removing excreta
from dry latrines.
• However, new modern sanitation technologies brought new
forms of manual scavenging work, which include manual
and unsafe cleaning of drains, sewer lines, septic tanks and
latrine pits.
In-Shorts | Society Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
Manual Scavenging in India:
• According to data from the National Commission for Safai
Karamcharis, in the past 29 years (1993-2022), a total of 989
members died in various parts of the country while cleaning
underground sewage tanks.
• Around 58,000 identified manual scavengers were being
rehabilitated under government schemes for compensations,
capital subsidies and other benefits.
• Among the manual scavengers identified in a survey, the
maximum were in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand,
Assam, Karnataka and Rajasthan.
Government Measures to Tackle Manual Scavenging:
Legislative
1. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of
Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act 1993: It set imprisonment of up
to one year and a fine of Rs 2,000 for pushing a person to
manual scavenging.
2. National Commission for Safai Karamcharis: It was constituted
on 12th August 1994 as a statutory body through The National
Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993.
3. Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their
Rehabilitation Act, 2013: The Act put an end to the practice of
any form of manual cleaning, carrying, disposing or handling
of human waste.
Executive
1. Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual
Scavengers (SRMS) 2017 : It was merged under the NAMASTE
Scheme in 2022.
2. NAMASTE(National Action for Mechanized Sanitation
Ecosystem) scheme:: It envisages identifying the Sewer/Septic
Tank Workers (SSWs), Occupational Training and distribution
of PPE Kits to SSWs, Assistance for Safety Devices to Sanitation
Response Units (SRUs), Extending Health Insurance Scheme,
Livelihood Assistance and IEC Campaign.
3. District sanitation committees: It looks at data of whether there
are insanitary latrines. Each district is being asked to either
declare itself as free of manual scavenging or point out locations
of insanitary latrines and associated manual scavengers.
4. Swachata mobile app: Since the launch of the Swachata
mobile app in 2016, more than 6,000 complaints have been
examined for possible signs of ongoing manual scavenging.
Constitutional Safeguards:
• The Right to Live with Dignity is implicit in the Fundamental
Rights(Article 21) guaranteed in Part III of the Constitution.
• Article 46 of the Constitution provides that the State shall
protect the weaker sections particularly, the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from social injustice and all
forms of exploitation.
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CHILD CARE INSTITUTIONS (CCIS)
The Union Minister for Women and Child Development
recently said that the Government will provide all the
support to establish Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
About:
• CCI are Children’s Home, Open Shelter, Observation Home,
Special Home, Specialised Adoption Agency (SAA) and a Fit
Facility recognised under Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
• It provides for care and protection to children, who are in
need of such services.
• Under the JJ Act, 2015 , the Child Welfare Committees have
been empowered to take decisions with regard to the children
in need of care and protection. They are also mandated to
monitor the functioning of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
• The JJ Act allows institutional facilities for children to be set
up by both government and non-government organisations
(NGOs).
• However, as per law, all CCIs are required to be compulsorily
registered under JJ Act 2015 within six months of the JJ Act
2015 having been enacted.
• Even those institutions that are not receiving government
funds are also required to register.
• Further, getting a registration is an obligation and not a right.
The State Government may refuse or withhold registration in
case institutions fail to meet the necessary standards as laid
out in the law.
• In case the registration of an institution is cancelled, the
management of the institution will be passed on to the State
Government till the registration is renewed or granted. This is
to ensure that children in the institution are not displaced and
are cared for.
• As per the JJ Act, persons who are in charge of institutions
and who fail to comply with the provisions of Act, shall be
punished with imprisonment which may extend to one year or
a fine of not less than one lakh rupees or both.
AKHIL BHARTIYA SHIKSHA SAMAGAM 2023
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship signed 106 MoUs with
various organizations on the occasion of the Akhil Bhartiya
Shiksha Samagam 2023 and the 3rd anniversary of the
National Education Policy.
MoUs on School Education and Literacy:
• The MoUs encompass partnerships with both public and
private entities to foster innovation, research, and knowledge
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exchange in multiple domains, ushering in a new era of
collaboration in education and industry-academia linkages.
• An MoU between Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and IBM
was inked in order to accelerate the activities conducted for
effective implementation of Vigyan Jyoti Program in JNVs.
• NCERT signed 20 MoUs under the aegis of eVidya initiative
with Departments of School Education of several states for
development of quality eContent.
DO YOU KNOW?
• Vigyan Jyoti Program: The Department of Science &
Technology started ‘Vigyan Jyoti’ program for meritorious
girls with the aim to address the underrepresentation of
women in different fields of Science Technology Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM) in the country. The Navodaya
Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), an autonomous organization of
MHRD, is the implementation partner of Vigyan Jyoti.
• PM e-VIDYA: It is a comprehensive initiative which unifies
all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to
enable multi-mode access to education. It encompasses
DIKSHA((Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing),
SWAYAM online courses, One earmarked TV Channel per
class from 1 to 12, etc.
MoUs on Higher Education:
• In the realm of higher education, 6 MoUs were established to
promote the Indian Knowledge System.
• 14 MoUs under the National Educational Technology Forum
(NETF) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
were also signed.
• In a bid to bolster international collaborations, 6 MoUs have
been signed, including the IIT-Madras Zanzibar campus
MoU.
• The PM-USHA initiative(Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha
Abhiyan) also resulted in 15 MoUs with various states.
PM-USHA INITIATIVE
• In the light of the National Education Policy , RUSA
Scheme(Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) has been
launched as “Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan
PM- USHA” on 24th June 2023.
• PM USHA is focusing on:
 Equity Access and inclusion in higher education
 Developing Quality Teaching & Learning processes
 Accreditation of Non Accredited Institutions and
improving accreditation
 ICT – based Digital Infrastructure
 Enhancing Employability through Multidisciplinary

ATAL VAYO ABHYUDAY YOJANA
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has been
working towards creating an inclusive and equitable society
for all its citizens and Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) is
one such scheme for empowering the elderly for a dignified life.
About:
• Earlier it was named as National Action Plan for Senior Citizen
(NAPSrc) and had been revamped, renamed in 2021. It is a
Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Objectives: To recognize the invaluable contribution made by
the elderly to society and seeks to ensure their well-being
and social inclusion. Through recognising their contribution,
the government aims to empower and uplift them, ensuring
their active participation and inclusion in all aspects of life.
• Components:
 Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC): It
provides financial assistance for running and maintenance
of Senior Citizen Homes to improve the quality of life by
providing basic amenities.
 Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY): To provide financial
assistance of Rs. 15000 to senior citizens who belong to
below poverty line (BPL) category suffering from any of
the age-related disabilities with assisted living devices.
UN REPORT ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Recently, a new global report regarding progress in human
development of women and girls was launched at the
Women Deliver Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
About:
• The report is jointly created by two UN agencies – UN Women
and UN Development Programme.
• Data is collated from 114 countries and analyzed them based
on the twin indices of Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI) and
the Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI).
• The WEI focuses solely on women, measuring their power and
freedoms to make choices and seize opportunities in life.
• The GGPI evaluates the status of women relative to men in
core dimensions of human development and exposes gaps
in parity between women and men.
Findings:
• None of the 114 countries analyzed achieved full women’s
empowerment or complete gender parity.
• Of the 114 countries analyzed,85 have low or middle women’s
empowerment and low or middle performance in achieving
gender parity. More than half the countries in this group are
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in the high (21 countries) or very high human development
group (26 countries).
• Only 1 percent of women across the world live in countries that
have managed to achieve both high women empowerment
and gender parity. While more than 90 percent of the global
population of women live in countries with low or middle
women’s empowerment and low or middle performance in
achieving gender parity.
• WEI showed that, on an average, women are empowered to
achieve only 60 percent of their full potential. They achieve,
on average, 72 percent of what men achieve across key
human development dimensions, as measured by the GPPI,
reflecting a 28 percent of gender gap.
• However leadership roles and decision-making still mostly lie
with men and are unavailable to women.
Indian Scenario:
• In the country, women’s empowerment and gender parity
were both found to be ‘low’, although it was assessed to be in
the ‘medium’ category in terms of human development.
UN WOMEN
• UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to
gender equality and the empowerment of women.
• A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was
established in 2010 to accelerate progress on meeting their
needs worldwide.
• Headquarters: New York
United Nations Development Programme(UNDP)
• The United Nations Development Programme is a United
Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate
poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and
human development.
• It was established in 1965.
• Headquarters: New York
UNWANTED GIRL CHILD: NAKOSHI
Priyanka Jagtap in her paper, ‘The Forgotten Nakoshis of
Satara: A Renaming Programme Examined’ explores the
cultural practice favouring sons over daughters.
About Nakoshis:
• In many regions in India, demeaning names or names that
translate to ‘unwanted’ are given to girls.
• For instance, in certain districts of Maharashtra where girl
children, especially from poorer economic backgrounds,
are given the name Nakoshi, Nakusa or Nakusha (meaning
‘unwanted’ in Marathi).
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Child Sex Ratio in India:
• The Child Sex Ratio (CSR) (number of girls for every 1000
boys between the age group of 0-6 years) in India with an
all-time low of 918 in 2011, has declined from 976 in 1961.
• However, India’s sex ratio (females per 1,000 males) is
expected to improve to 952 by 2036, up significantly from
943 in 2011, according to the Women and Men in India 2022
report.
Reasons behind the Low Sex Ratio:
1. Pre Natal-Sex Determination: According to a study in 2011,
around 1.5 lac unborn girls are killed every year in UP alone.
The rate of conviction of the culprits is very low – with only
206 doctors being convicted from 2003-2014.
2. Infant and Maternal Mortality: Due to female foeticide, and
death of women during the childbirth due to improper care
and less facilities.
3. Lack of empowerment of women: There is a lack of
empowerment of women especially in the rural areas, so they
play little role in family planning decisions.
4. Social status of women: People are worried about the dowry
with the birth of a girl child. Due to financial problems, most of
the families in rural areas prefer male children over females.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP):
• Since coordinated and convergent efforts are needed to
ensure survival, protection and empowerment of the girl
child, the Government of India launched the Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao (BBBP) on 22nd January, 2015 at Panipat in
Haryana.
• It was initiated as a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women
and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human
Resource Development. From 2021-22, the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Minority
Affairs have also been added as partners.
• Since 2021-2022, the scheme is subsumed into Mission
Shakti - Sambal sub-scheme.
• BBBP scheme aims to achieve the following:
 Improvement in the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) by 2 points
every year,
 Improvement in the percentage of institutional deliveries
or sustained at the rate of 95% or above,
 1% increase in 1st Trimester ANC Registration per year,
and
 1% increase in enrolment at secondary education level
and skilling of girls/women per year.
 To check dropout rate among girls at secondary and
higher secondary levels.
 Raising awareness about safe Menstrual Hygiene
Management (MHM).
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TRANSGENDERS
The Union government has told the Supreme Court that
transgender persons can avail of any of the existing 50%
reservation in admissions and government jobs already
available to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Socially
and Educationally Backward Communities (SEBC) across
the country.
About:
• The Social Justice Ministry has not mentioned reservation for
the transgender community as a separate class.
• The Ministry’s response came in a contempt petition accusing
the government of not implementing the directions in the 2014
judgment in the NALSA case.
Supreme Court Judgment in NALSA:
• In fact, the Supreme Court in its 2014 judgment in the National
Legal Services Authority (NALSA) case had directed the Centre
and the State governments to “take steps to treat transgender
persons as socially and educationally backward classes of
citizens and extend all kinds of reservation in cases of admission
in educational institutions and for public appointments”.
• The judgment had also expressly directed the Centre and
State governments to protect transgender persons from
discrimination in employment and access to welfare schemes. It
had held that educational institutions were obliged to provide
them with inclusive education.
• The judgment had declared that hijras, eunuchs, apart from
binary genders, be treated as third gender for the purpose of
safeguarding their fundamental rights.
• The NALSA judgment entitles trans persons to reservations
on constitutional grounds. It does not, however, mention the
nature of reservations – whether they are to be vertical or
horizontal.
Horizontal and Vertical Reservation:
• Reservation in education and employment can be divided
into two broad categories, namely, vertical and horizontal.
• Vertical reservations are provisions aimed at addressing
social asymmetry arising out of caste hierarchy, and in the
case of OBCs, social and educational “backwardness”.
These include reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC),
Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
• Horizontal reservation, on the other hand, cuts across
all vertical groups to provide affirmative policies for
disadvantaged groups within categories. For example,
disabled persons are guaranteed horizontal reservation in all
the aforementioned vertical categories, general and reserved
(vertical) alike, by the Central government.

Demand for Horizontal Reservation for Transgender
Community:
• Transgender individuals have faced long-term marginalization
in society, warranting specific provisions and recognition of
their social identity.
• A study reveals that only 6 percent of transgender people were
formally employed in 2017, and many engage in informal work
due to societal factors and survival needs.
• The NALSA judgment has been interpreted as directing
reservations for transgender individuals in the OBC category
due to their identification as a socially and educationally
backward class.
• The demand for horizontal reservation raises concerns that
Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi transgender individuals may have
to choose between availing reservation based on caste and
gender identities, leading to competition and exclusion.
About Transgenders:
• The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019
defines a transgender person as one whose gender does
not match the gender assigned at birth. It includes trans-men
and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-
queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities, such as
kinnar and hijra.
• In India, the trans population makes up a total of 4.88 lakh, as
per the 2011 census.
Challenges faced by Transgender Community:
• Discrimination and ostracisation: They face discrimination in
employment, educational institutes, and within families which
severely affects their overall wellbeing.
• Identity crisis: They are often forced to identify with a gender
with which they are not associated at the workplace despite
the government passing the Transgender Persons (Protection
of Rights) Act, 2019 which allows the community the right to
self-perceived gender identity.
• Social Stigma: They often face difficulty in property inheritance
or child adoption. Because of being socially ostracised
they are compelled to take up menial jobs despite good
qualifications or forced into sex work.
• Unemployment: The community has limited avenues of
employment and faces severe discrimination at work because
of the associated social stigma.
• Lack of public amenities: They face issues with the accessibility
of public toilets and public spaces. They often face problems
in prisons, hospitals and schools.
Initiatives for Transgender Persons in India:
• Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019: The law
passed by the Parliament aims to end discrimination against
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transgender persons in accessing education, employment
and healthcare and recognise the right to self-perceived
gender identity.
• Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020: It has
been framed by the government to give effect to the provisions
of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
• National Council for Transgender Persons: In pursuance of the
Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the
National Council for Transgender Persons has been constituted
to advise the Central Government on the formulation and
evaluation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects
for the welfare of the transgender community.
• Reservation for the transgender community: The Union
government is planning to bring reservations for the
community under the OBC category in employment.
• National Portal for Transgender Persons: It is a portal by the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which assists
persons of the transgender community in applying for a
Certificate and Identity card digitally from anywhere in the
country.
• Garima Greh: The scheme aims to provide shelter to
Transgender persons, with basic amenities like shelter, food,
medical care and recreational facilities.
SELF-RESPECT MARRIAGES
The Supreme Court observed that there is no blanket ban
on advocates solemnizing “self-respect” marriages under
Section 7(A) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
Background:
• In 1968, the Hindu Marriage (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act,
1967, received the President’s approval and became the law.
• This amendment modified the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, by
inserting.
• Section 7(A) into it. However, it extended only to the state of
Tamil Nadu.
What are ‘Self-Respect’ Marriages?
• Section 7(A) deals with the special provision on “self-respect
and secular marriages”. It legally recognised “any marriage
between any two Hindus”, which can be referred to as
“Suyamariyathai” or “Seerthiruththa marriage” or by any other
name.
• Such marriages are solemnized in the presence of relatives,
friends, or other persons, with parties declaring each other
to be husband or wife, in a language understood by them.
However, such marriages are also required to be registered
as per the law.
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• The rationale behind “self-respect” marriages was to radically
simplify weddings by shunning the need for mandatory
Brahmin priests, holy fire and saptapadi (seven steps).
Cases related to Self-Respect Marriages:
• In 2014 Madras High Court in “Balakrishna Pandian v.The
Superintendent of Police”, held that marriages performed by
the advocates are invalid and that “suyamariyathai” or “self-
respect” marriages cannot be solemnized in secrecy.
• However the Supreme Court set aside the 2014 ruling
of the Madras High Court in the case of “Ilavarasan v.
Superintendent of Police”.
• The Court relied on its 2001 ruling in “Nagalingam v.
Sivagami”, which said that there is no blanket ban on
advocates to solemnize marriages under Section 7(A) of the
Hindu Marriage Act (Tamil Nadu State Amendment Act).
CHILD TRAFFICKING
The report, titled From Evidence to Action: Twenty Years
of IOM Child Trafficking Data to Inform Policy and
Programming, was recently prepared by International
Organization for Migration (IOM).
Report Highlights:
• Gender specific trafficking: Child trafficking victims come from
all backgrounds and genders, according to the report. Some
57.4 percent of child victims were female and 42.6 per cent
were male according to the dataset.
• Age-wise data: The report noted that no age range is immune
to child trafficking. Child victims ranged from 0 to 17 years
old. Children aged 13-17 formed the largest group of child
victims (46.6 percent).
• Trafficking for Forced labour: Close to half of the child victims
of trafficking (43.4 percent) were being trafficked for forced
labour (mainly boys), in a wide range of industries, such as
domestic work, begging and agriculture.
• Trafficking for Sexual exploitation: Sexual exploitation,
including through prostitution, pornography, and sexual
servitude, is also prominent, affecting 20 percent of trafficked
children, predominantly girls.
• The report noted that victims trafficked for sexual exploitation
were commonly trafficked internationally, while those
trafficked for forced labour were more likely to be trafficked
domestically. In cases of international trafficking, children are
mostly trafficked to neighbouring, wealthier countries.
• Other reasons for trafficking: Child victims reported being
exploited in Domestic work (14.5 percent), Begging (10.2
percent), Hospitality (3.4 percent) and Agriculture (3.3
percent).
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• Countries for trafficking: About 37.3 percent of child victims
originating from Europe and Central Asia were trafficked
for sexual exploitation. Over 56.9 percent of identified child
victims had been trafficked within their country of origin.
• Involvement of known people: More than half of the child
victims reported the involvement of friends and family in their
recruitment into trafficking (37.4 percent and 14.7 percent,
respectively; 51.1 percent, taken together).
• Report database: The report is based on the analysis of
extensive, globally sourced data, using the IOM Victims of
Trafficking Database (VoTD). The VoTD is the largest available
international database of individual victims of trafficking.
CONSTITUTIONAL & LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS IN INDIA
• Article 23(1): It prohibits the trafficking of persons.
• Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA): It aims to stop
immoral trafficking and prostitution in India and is divided
into 25 sections and one schedule.
• Sections 366(A) of Indian Penal Code: It prohibits kidnapping
and Section 372 of IPC prohibits selling minors into
prostitution.
• Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976, Child Labour
(Prohibition and Abolition) Act 1986 and Juvenile Justice Act:
All of these prohibit bonded and forced labour.
• Protection of Children from Sexual offences (POCSO) Act,
2012: It is a special law to protect children from sexual
abuse and exploitation.
Measures Taken by Government:
• The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and
Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 was passed by Lok Sabha but
could not be taken up in Rajya Sabha and subsequently
lapsed.
• Draft of the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and
Rehabilitation) Bill 2021 was published by the Ministry of
Women and Child Development in June 2021.
• Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs): AHTU, an integrated
task force, was set up in 2007. The force draws personnel
from the police and other related departments, with funding
by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Anti Trafficking Cell (ATC): It was set up in the Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA) in 2006 to act as a focal point for
communicating various decisions and following up on
action taken by the State Governments to combat the
crime of Human Trafficking.
• Women help desks: These were established in 10,000
police stations across the country.
• Operation AAHT: Under this, special teams will be deployed
on all long-distance trains/routes with a focus on rescuing
victims, particularly women and children, from the clutches
of traffickers.
 In-Shorts | Environment Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

ENVIRONMENT

NAMOH 108 Positive Trends:

• Generalist species like Shikra, Booted Eagle, Greater Spotted
Union Minister of Science & Technology unveiled a new
Eagle, White-eyed Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Brahminy
variety of ‘Lotus’ flower named ‘NBRI Namoh 108’.
Kite and woodland species appear to have suffered the least
declines in the long term.
Development:
• It is developed by the CSIR-National Botanical Research Raptors:
Institute (NBRI), a premier plant-based National R&D center • India’s raptors (birds of prey) are declining fast.
based in Lucknow. • Raptors are in decline globally due to loss of habitat, pesticide
accumulation as well as targeted killing.
Features:
• Harriers have declined in their breeding range in Europe due
• This variety of ‘Lotus’ flower has 108 petals, a number of
to pesticide use. Harriers winter in India and some, like the
religious significance to Hinduism.
Pallid Harrier have shown a 70 per cent decline.
• Namoh in Sanskrit translates to ‘salutations.’
• The Namoh 108 lotus variety flowers from March to December Vultures:
and is rich in nutrients. • Vultures continue to decline countrywide: Indian Vulture by
• This is the first lotus variety whose genome is completely over 8% every year, and Red-headed and White-rumped
sequenced for its characteristics. Vultures by over 5% and 4% respectively.
• Several Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS),
Significance of number 108 in Hinduism:
including diclofenac and aceclofenac, continue to be produced
• The total number of Upanishads is 108 as per muktikopanishad.
for human use and can thus be used for livestock as well.
• The Mukhya Shivaganas (attendants of Shiva) are 108 in
• Besides drugs, vultures are now facing challenges in that
number and hence Shaiva religions use malas of 108 beads
carcasses are being buried.
for prayer.
• Moreover, feral dogs compete with the birds at carcass
• The Sudarshana Chakra is a spinning, discus weapon with 108
dumps. Carcasses poisoned to kill feral dogs often cause
serrated edges, generally portrayed on the right rear hand of
vulture deaths as collateral damage.
the four hands of Vishnu.
Recommendations:
Other initiatives Launched:
• There is an immediate need for research to diagnose specific
• CSIR-NBRI would be initiating a ‘Lotus Mission’ as part of a
threats and measure their impact so that policies can be
larger ongoing horticultural mission to have more of the 108
developed for raptors as a group.
Namo flowers grow in other parts of India.
• There is a need to conduct investigation about the levels
• Union Minister released apparel made from lotus fibre and
of toxic chemicals in the environment and in raptors’ prey
perfume ‘Frotus’, extracted from lotus flowers and developed
species as well as how they accumulated in raptors’ tissues.
by the NBRI under the Lotus Research Programme in
collaboration with FFDC, Kannauj. • For vultures, it suggested “a combination of bans, education
and alternatives” to stop the veterinary use of toxic NSAIDs.
• He also released the new variety of Aloe vera named ‘NBRI-
Nihar’, a clonal selection having approximately 2.5 times high
gel yield in comparison to Aloe vera. 'NBRI-Nihar' is found BURMESE PEACOCK SOFTSHELL TURTLE
least affected against bacterial and fungal diseases.
Recently, conservationists at Indawgyi Lake captured the
first known videos of rare Burmese peacock turtles hatching.
STATE OF INDIA’S BIRDS 2023
The State of India’s Birds 2023: Range, trends, and About:
conservation status was released in August, 2023. • Scientific Name: Nilssonia formosa

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• It is a highly aquatic turtle that is associated with large rivers
with a sandy substrate.
• Distribution: It is endemic to Myanmar, where it is found in
three main rivers: the Ayeyarwady River, the Chindwin River
and the Sittaung River.
• IUCN status : Critically Endangered
PERUCETUS COLOSSUS
Researchers have identified a gigantic species of extinct
whale that may have been heavier than any other creature
on Earth.
About:
• The Perucetus colossus — meaning the colossal whale from
Peru —was almost twice that of the largest blue whale and
more than three times that estimated for Argentinosaurus, one
of the largest dinosaurs ever found.
Features:
• Its diet may have consisted of scavenging food or eating up
tons of krill and other tiny sea creatures in the water.
• The density of the bones indicates that the whale may have
been usually present in shallow, coastal waters like dugongs
and manatees (known as Sirenians).
Dugong?
• Dugong (Dugong dugon) also called as ‘Sea Cow’ is one of the
four surviving species in the Order Sirenia and it is the only
existing species of herbivorous mammal that lives exclusively
in the sea including in India.
• Dugongs are protected in India and occur in Gulf of Mannar,
PalkBay, Gulf of Kutch and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
HIMALAYAN VULTURE
Researchers have recorded the first instance of captive
breeding of the Himalayan vulture in India at the Assam State
Zoo, Guwahati. This is the second such instance in the world,
after France, where the species has been bred in captivity.
About:
• Common Name: Himalayan griffon vulture.
• Scientific Name: Gyps himalayensis.
• Description: It is the largest of the Gyps species.
• Distribution: It is a common winter migrant to the Indian
plains, and a resident of the high Himalayas.
Threats:
• IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened.
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• Reason: It is susceptible to toxicity induced by diclofenac, a
drug whose residues in domestic animal carcasses has led
to rapid declines in populations of other Gyps vultures across
Asia.
List of Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC):
• Four VCBCs have been established by Bombay Natural
History Society (BNHS) at Pinjore in Haryana, Bhopal in Madhya
Pradesh, Rani in Assam, and Rajabhatkhawa in West Bengal.
• These are involved in conservation breeding of the white-
rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), slender-billed vulture
(Gyps tenuirostris), and the Indian vulture (Gyps indicus).
• All these three Gyps vulture species have been categorised
‘Critically Endangered’.
BLUE PANSY
The Jammu and Kashmir government has officially declared
the Blue Pansy as the official butterfly of the union territory.
About:
• Scientific Name : Junonia orithya
• It is a species of vibrant blue butterflies.
• It is known for its territorial nature and these butterflies exhibit
26 local subspecies across their range.
• Distribution: Various parts of Southeast Asian countries,
Australia, and Africa. With its presence in the Himalayan
region, the Blue Pansy contributes to the pollination process
and plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem's health.
• IUCN status : Least Concern.
SANTA FE FROG
Argentinian scientists have discovered a frog named the
Santa Fe frog in the Gran Chaco.
About:
• Scientific Name : Leptodactylus laticeps
• It is a rare species and a leopard-print frog.
• Distribution: It occurs in the Gran Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia
and Argentina.
• IUCN status : Near Threatened
The Gran Chaco:
• It is the largest dry forest globally and the second-largest
forest biome in South America, after the Amazon.
• It largely consists of shrubs and hardwood trees that provide
habitat for thousands of plant species and hundreds of
animal species.

CHINKARA
Recently a sessions court in Rajasthan has ordered the
payment of half of the fine amount, in a chinkara killing
case, to the informer as a prize.
Chinkara (Indian Gazelle):
• The chinkara (Gazella bennettii), also known as the Indian
gazelle, is a gazelle species native to India,Pakistan,
Afghanistan, and Iran.
• State Animal: Rajasthan.
• Habitat: Arid plains and hills, deserts, dry scrub and light
forests. They inhabit more than 80 protected areas in India.
• Diet: They are herbivores (folivores, frugivores). They feed on
grasses, different leaves, and fruits (melon, pumpkin). These
gazelles can go without water for many days and can get
fluids from plants they feed on and dew.
• Most active time: Chinkara prefer to feed at nighttime and are
most active just before the sunset and during the night.
• Population: In India (in 2011) there were more than 100,000
animals with 80,000 animals living in the Thar Desert.
• Threat: Over hunting for meat and habitat loss due to
agricultural and industrial expansion, and overgrazing.
• Conservation Status: IUCN - Least Concern (LC); It is also
protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
SCHEDULED SPECIES UNDER WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT
• The act has six schedules which give varying degrees of
protection to the species of animals and plants.
• Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide absolute
protection - offenses under these are prescribed the
highest penalties.
• Species listed in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also
protected, but the penalties are much lower.
• Animals under Schedule V,e.g. common crows, fruit bats,
rats and mice, are legally considered vermin and may be
hunted freely.
• The specified endemic plants in Schedule VI are prohibited
from cultivation and planting.
AMBERGRIS
Ambergris worth Rs 4 crore has been found in the stomach
of a dead sperm whale in Canary Island of La Palma, Spain.
What is Ambergris?
• Ambergris means grey amber in French, is a waxy substance
that originates from the digestive system of sperm whales.
In-Shorts | Environment Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• While it is incorrectly referred to as ‘whale vomit,’ one of the
theories about its formation suggests that it is produced in the
gastrointestinal tract of some sperm whales for the passage of
hard, sharp objects that are ingested when the whale eats
large quantities of marine animals.
• The ambergris is said to be passed like faeces and has a very
strong faecal odour combined with a strong marine odour.
• The freshly passed ambergris is a light yellowish substance
and is fatty but as it ages it turns waxy and gets red-brownish,
sometimes with shades of grey and black in colour and
attains a mild, earthy, sweet smell but still with notes of mild
marine odour.
• Due to its high value in the market, ambergris is often called
the ‘floating gold’ and ‘treasure of the sea’.
Why is it so Expensive?
• Ambergris is a rare substance, which contributes to its high
demand and high price in the international market.
• Traditionally, it is used to produce perfumes which have notes
of musk.
• While there are records of it being used to flavour food,
alcoholic beverages and tobacco in some cultures in the
past, it is rarely used for these purposes presently.
• There is a ban on the possession and trade of ambergris in
countries like the USA, Australia and India but in several other
countries it is a tradable commodity, though with limitations in
some of them.
About Sperm Whale:
• Name: Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Sperm
whales got their name because the semi-liquid, waxy
substance in their head was first believed to be sperm.
• Distribution: The sperm whale occurs throughout the world's
oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Appearance: The sperm whale is a large, dark-colored,
toothed whale with a massive, square-shaped head that can
make up more than a third of its body length.
• Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales.
• Life Span: Sperm whales have a lifespan similar to humans,
living about 70 years. Males do not reach full size until they
are about 50.
• Threats: Deep-sea oil and gas exploration can cause multiple
issues for sperm whales such as loss of hearing, water
pollution from hydrocarbons, and increased risk of being hit
by ocean vessels.
• Conservation Status: IUCN Vulnerable.
• Sperm whales are a protected species under Schedule 2 of
the Wildlife Protection Act and possession or trade of any of
its by-products, including Ambergris and its byproducts, is
illegal under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
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• Sperm Whales are listed in Appendix I of the CITES (Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora).
• However, ambergris is not covered in CITES provisions as it
is considered a naturally excreted waste product and trade of
which is legal in many countries.
LUDWIGIA PERUVIANA
Ludwigia Peruviana is threatening elephant habitats
and foraging areas in Valparai, a Tamil Nadu hill station
(Located within the Annamalai Tiger Reserve) close to the
Kerala border.

About:
GLOBAL GIBBON NETWORK (GGN) • It is an aquatic weed native to some countries in Central and
Recently, the first meeting of the Global Gibbon Network South America, including Peru.
(GGN) to save Hoolock gibbon was held in the Hainan • It grows fast along water bodies.
province of China. • It is among the 22 priority invasive plants in Tamil Nadu.
• It was probably introduced as an ornamental plant for its tiny
Gibbons: yellow flowers .
• Gibbons are the smallest and fastest of all apes. The hoolock • Concerns : It has infested the majority of the hill station’s
gibbon, unique to India's northeast, is one of 20 species of swamps, locally known as vayals, where elephants used to
gibbons found in tropical and subtropical forests in Southeast find lush grass even in the summer. It is reviving the risk of
Asia. human-elephant conflicts in the region.
• Gibbons are highly intelligent creatures with distinct
personalities and strong family bonds, similar to other apes.
Since 1900, gibbon distribution and populations have PROJECT TIGER AND PROJECT ELEPHANT
drastically decreased, leaving only small populations in
The Central government recently merged Project Tiger and
tropical rainforests.
Project Elephant.
• Gibbons are known for their energetic vocal displays and
were initially found in Assam. They are diurnal and arboreal. About:
They are omnivorous.
• A common allocation will fund both the projects beginning
• Types in India: Initially, zoologists believed that there were
this year.The administrative setup for the two schemes will
two species of hoolock gibbons in the northeast region of India
continue to exist separately, only funding is to be merged.
— the eastern and western hoolock gibbons. In 2021, a study
• A new division, ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division,’ has been
conducted by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
notified under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate
(CCMB) in Hyderabad provided evidence through genetic
Change.
analysis that there is actually only one species of gibbon in
India. • The amalgamation will bolster the conservation of both the
animals, as they often share the same landscapes in the country.
• Threats: The primary threat to the hoolock gibbon is the
deforestation caused by infrastructure projects.
Concerns Raised:
• Conservation Status:
• The decision, apparently driven by an effort to squeeze funds,
 IUCN Status: Western hoolock gibbon is classified
is likely to impact conservation of both signature animals —
as endangered and the eastern hoolock gibbon as
particularly tigers.
vulnerable.
• The merger will impact the funding pattern for tiger reserves,
 Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972
as Project Elephant will become a parasite on Project Tiger
GLOBAL GIBBON NETWORK (GGN) and both will suffer.
• There is a lack of details regarding the merger which is
• GGN was founded with a vision to safeguard and conserve
causing confusion.
a key element of Asia’s unique natural heritage – the singing
gibbon and their habitats, by promoting participatory
Project Tiger:
conservation policies, legislations, and actions.
• The Project Tiger was launched by the government in 1973
• It was first initiated in 2020 and was organized by two
from the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand with an
institutions in China through Ecofoundation Global and the
ambitious aim of increasing the population of the tiger in the
Hainan Institute of National Park.
country.

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• The initial reserves covered under Project Tiger were the Jim
Corbett, Manas, Ranthambore, Simlipal, Bandipur, Palamau,
Sundarbans, Melghta and Kanha national parks.
• From 9 tiger reserves since its formative years, the Project
Tiger coverage has increased to 54 at present, spread out in
18 of our tiger range states.
ABOUT TIGER
• The tiger (Panthera tigris) is a striped animal. The combination
of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned
the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India.
• Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the
Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except
in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring
countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Project Elephant:
• It was launched in 1992 to provide financial and technical
support to major elephant bearing States in the country for
the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme and seeks to address
the issues of human-elephant conflict and the welfare of
domesticated elephants.
ABOUT INDIAN ELEPHANT
• The Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) occurs in the central
and southern Western Ghats, North-east India, Eastern
India and Northern India and in some parts of southern
peninsular India.
• It is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and
Fauna (CITES).
• It occurs in 16 of the 28 states in the country and is showing
an increasing trend across its distributional range.
• It is regarded as a National Heritage Animal of India.
• There are 33 elephant reserves spread over 80,778 sq kms
across India, Terai Elephant Reserve being the latest one.
BELEM DECLARATION
The eight countries that make up the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty Organization (ACTO) signed the Belém Declaration
during the Amazon Summit.
About:
• Aim: An agreement to address the threats to the Amazon
rainforest and highlight its significance in confronting the
climate crisis.
In-Shorts | Environment Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• It consolidates the consensus agenda of Brazil, Bolivia,
Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela
for the region.
• The Belém Declaration contains 113 cross-cutting objectives
and principles signed in the Brazilian city of Belém.
• The declaration promotes sustainable use of biodiversity
resources in the Amazon.
• It recognises Indigenous knowledge as a condition for
biodiversity conservation and calls for ensuring full and
effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-
making and public policy formulation processes.
• The Belém Declaration also provides for the "creation of financial
mechanisms aimed at promoting sustainable development."
Need for the Declaration:
• The document underscores the urgent need for regional
awareness and cooperation to avoid the so-called "point of
no return" in the Amazon—a term used by experts to refer to
the point at which the forest loses its ability to self-regenerate,
due to deforestation, degradation, and global warming.
• The eight presidents have committed to launching the
Amazon Alliance to Combat Deforestation, based on national
goals, such as zero deforestation by 2030.
Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO):
• It is an intergovernmental organization formed by the eight
Amazonian countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, which signed the
Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT), becoming the only socio-
environmental block in Latin America.
• ACT: The Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) signed in 1978
gave rise to the ACTO, which is oriented to promote the
harmonious development of the Amazonian territories.
• In 1995, the eight nations decided to create the Amazon
Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), to strengthen and
implement the objectives of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty.
• Permanent Secretariat: Brasilia, Brazil
SOLNHOFIA PARSONSI
Scientists recently uncovered a 150-million-year-old fossil of
Solnhofia parsonsi.
About:
• It is a marine turtle with shorter limbs that lived approximately
150 million years ago during the Jurassic period.
• It lived in a network of coastal reefs and lagoons, which were
abundant in diverse coastal ecosystems.
• It had a massive head and swam through a shallow, tropical
sea in what is now Europe.
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SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
CANDIDA AURIS
Live cultures of Candida auris have been isolated and
documented in the ear canals of hospitalised stray dogs in
New Delhi.
About:
• Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant oval-shaped fungus
that grows as yeast.
• Its name comes from the Latin word for ear, auris.
• It can cause ‘candidiasis’ in humans in which the bloodstream,
the central nervous system, and internal organs are infected.
Signs and symptoms include white patches on the tongue
or other areas of the mouth and throat. When it affects the
mouth, in some countries it is commonly called thrush.
Why is it a Concern?
• It is often multidrug-resistant, i.e. it is resistant to multiple
antifungal drugs commonly used to treat Candida infections.
Some strains are resistant to all three available classes of
antifungals.
• Treatment is complicated because it is easily misidentified as
other Candida species.
• It has caused life-threatening outbreaks, often in healthcare
settings.
PHARMACY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023
The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by
Parliament.
About:
• It amends the Pharmacy Act, 1948. The Act regulates the
practice and profession of pharmacy. Key features of the Bill
include:
• Registration under the Pharmacy Act, 1948 is mandatory to
practice pharmacy in India. The Bill specifies that anyone who
is registered as a pharmacist under the Jammu and Kashmir
Pharmacy Act, 2011 or possesses qualifications prescribed
under the 2011 Act will be deemed to be registered as a
pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
• This will be contingent upon the person submitting an
application for registration within a year of the amendment
coming into force, and paying a prescribed fee.
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NATIONAL NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
COMMISSION BILL, 2023
The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023
was passed by Parliament.
Key Features of the Bill are:
• It repeals the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947.
• The Bill provides for the regulation and maintenance of
standards of education and services for nursing and
midwifery professionals.
• National Nursing and Midwifery Commission: The Bill provides
for the constitution of the National Nursing and Midwifery
Commission having 29 members.
• Members of the Commission: The chairperson should have a
postgraduate degree in nursing and midwifery and have at
least 20 years of field experience. Ex-officio members include
representatives from the Department of Health and Family
Welfare, National Medical Commission, Military Nursing
Services, and the Directorate General of Health Services.
Other members include nursing and midwifery professionals,
and one representative from charitable institutions.
• Functions of the Commission include: (i) framing policies and
regulating standards for nursing and midwifery education, (ii)
providing a uniform process for admission into nursing and
midwifery institutions, (iii) regulating nursing and midwifery
institutions, and (iv) providing standards for faculty in
teaching institutions.
• Autonomous boards: The Bill provides for the constitution
of three autonomous boards under the supervision of the
National Commission. These are:
 the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and
Postgraduate Education Board, to regulate education and
examination at undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
 the Nursing and Midwifery Assessment and Rating Board,
to provide the framework for assessing and rating nursing
and midwifery institutions; and
 the Nursing and Midwifery Ethics and Registration Board,
to regulate professional conduct and promote ethics in
the profession.
• State Nursing and Midwifery Commissions: Every state
government must constitute a State Nursing and Midwifery
Commission where no such Commission exists under state
law. It will consist of 10 members. The members will include
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representatives from the health department, from any nursing
or midwifery college of the state, and nursing and midwifery
professionals.
• Functions of the State Commission include: (i) enforcing
professional conduct, code of ethics and etiquette, (ii)
maintaining state registers for registered professionals, (iii)
issuing certificates of specialisation, and (iv) providing for
skill-based examination.
• Ethics and Registration Board: Appeals against decisions
taken by state commissions may be filed with the Ethics and
Registration Board. Decisions taken by the Board will be
binding on the State Commission unless a second appeal is
filed with the National Commission.
• Nursing or Midwifery Institutions: Permission of the Assessment
and Rating Board would be needed to establish a new nursing
and midwifery institution, increase the number of seats, or
start any new postgraduate course. The Board must decide
on the proposals within six months. In case of disapproval,
an appeal can be made to the National Commission and a
second appeal can be filed with the Central Government.
• Practicing as a professional: The Ethics and Registration Board
will maintain an online Indian Nurses and Midwives’ Register,
containing the details and qualifications of professionals and
associates. Individuals must be enrolled in the National or
State Register to practice nursing or midwifery as qualified
professional. Failure to comply may result in imprisonment of
up to one year, a fine of up to five lakh rupees, or both.
• Advisory Council: The central government will also establish
the Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Council. The chairperson
of the National Commission shall be the chairperson of the
Council. The Council will provide advice and support to the
National Commission in matters concerning nursing and
midwifery education, services, training, and research.
ERIS
A new strain of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been
identified in the United Kingdom.
About:
• The EG.5.1 variant is code-named Eris.
• As a strain of Omicron, the variant symptoms include runny
nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and a sore throat.
Global Spread:
• Eris accounts for 14.6 per cent of all cases in the United
Kingdom. In the UK, about 39.4 per cent of the cases are due
to the XBB.1.16 strain, also known as Arcturus.
• Patients in the United States, Europe and Asia have also
been found infected with Eris.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• While it is currently not clear whether any EG.5.1 variants have
been reported in India, experts have said there is no concern
due to the nature of the virus and the country’s past exposure.
Why does a Virus Mutate?
• Virus by its very nature mutates. It is part of its evolution.
• The SARS-Cov-2 virus is a single-stranded RNA virus. So,
changes in the genetic sequence of the RNA are mutations.
• A virus that has got a mutation in it is known as a variant.
Variants of Interest (VoI) vs Variants of Concern (VoC)
• When the mutations happen then a virus becomes a Variant
under Investigation.
• Once genetic markers are identified which can have
association with receptor binding domain or which have an
implication on antibodies or neutralizing assays, it is called
as Variants of Interest.
• Variants of concern are those that have one or more of the
following characteristics: (1) Increased transmissibility; (2)
Change in virulence/ disease presentation; and (3) Evading
the diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
HAVANA SYNDROME
Recently a Bengaluru resident filed a petition in Karnataka
High Court requesting a writ of mandamus for an enquiry on
Havana Syndrome in India.
What is Havana Syndrome?
• Havana Syndrome refers to a set of mental health symptoms
that are said to be experienced by United States intelligence
and embassy officials in various countries. The word
‘syndrome’ simply means a set of symptoms.
• Symptoms: Hearing certain sounds without any outside noise,
nausea, vertigo and headaches, memory loss and balance
issues.
• Origin: It traces its roots to Cuba in late 2016 when the US
opened its embassy in the capital city Havana. Some US
intelligence officials and members of the staff at the embassy
began experiencing sudden bursts of pressure in their brains
followed by persistent headaches, feelings of disorientation
and insomnia.
Where else has Havana Syndrome been reported?
• Since the Cuban incident, American intelligence and foreign
affairs officials posted in various countries like China,
Uzbekistan,Russia, Poland, Georgia, Colombia etc have
reported symptoms of the syndrome.
• In 2019 and 2020, such incidents have been reported from
within the US — particularly in Washington DC.
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• In India, the first such case was reported in 2021, when a US
intelligence officer traveling to New Delhi with CIA director
William Burns reported symptoms of Havana Syndrome.
What are the causes of Havana Syndrome?
• Initially during the Cuban experience, the suspicion was
on Cuban intelligence or a section within the Cuban
establishment that did not want US-Cuba relations to
normalize. It was then speculated to be a “sonic attack”.
• However, further study suggests that they may have been
subjected to high-powered microwaves that either damaged
or interfered with the nervous system. It was said to have
built pressure inside the brain that generated the feeling of a
sound being heard.
• Greater exposure to high-powered microwaves is not only to
interfere with the body’s sense of balance but also to impact
memory and cause permanent brain damage.
• It was suspected that beams of high-powered microwaves
were sent through a special gadget that Americans then
called a “microwave weapon”.
MPOWER
The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report
titled “WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023:
protect people from tobacco smoke”.
Country-Wise Progress:
• Netherlands, Mauritius, Brazil and Turkey are implementing all
the measures recommended in MPOWER package to reduce
tobacco smoking globally.
• Following eight other countries are one policy step away from
joining the leaders in tobacco control: Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland,
Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain.
MPOWER:
• MPOWER is a policy package intended to assist in the
country-level implementation of effective interventions to
reduce the demand for tobacco, as ratified by the World
Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control.
• The six evidence-based components of MPOWER are:
 Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
 Protect people from tobacco smoke
 Offer help to quit tobacco use
 Warn about the dangers of tobacco
 Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and
sponsorship
 Raise taxes on tobacco
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Overall Progress:
• The global rate of the prevalence of smoking had dropped
from 22.8 per cent in 2007 to 17 per cent in 2021. Without
this decline, there would have been 300 million additional
smokers now.
• More than seven in 10 people on the planet (around 5.6 billion
people) are now protected by measures to curb the dangers
of tobacco smoke.
Challenges:
• However, 2.3 billion people in 44 countries remain unprotected
by any WHO anti-tobacco measures. 53 states still do not
have complete smoking bans in healthcare facilities.
• Around 8.7 million people still die from tobacco-related
diseases every year.
• Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death,
killing 8.7 million people each year, including 1.3 million who
die from inhaling second-hand smoke.
e-Cigarettes
• There is poor regulation of e-cigarettes. 74 countries have no
regulations in place addressing such products, meaning no
bans on use in public places, no labelling requirements and
no bans on advertising.
• Very few countries have measures in place to protect children
who are a particular target of e-cigarettes. 88 countries,
covering 2.3 billion people, have no minimum age for buying
e-cigarettes.
BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA
A 15-year-old boy in Kerala’s Alappuzha district has died due
to an infection caused by Naegleria Fowleri.
Naegleria Fowleri:
• Name: Naegleria fowleri is commonly known as “Brain-eating
Amoeba.”
• Features: It is a single-cell organism. It is so small that it can
only be seen with a microscope.
• Species: Only one species of Naegleria, Naegleria fowleri,
infects people.
Habitat:
• This brain-eating amoeba is known to thrive in almost all types
of natural environment, particularly in a warm freshwater
environment such as lakes, hot springs. Therefore, they usually
flourish between July and September.
• It survives on bacteria found in the sediment in lakes and
rivers.
 In-Shorts | Science & Technology
• In very rare instances, it has been found in swimming pools,
surf parks, or other recreational venues that are poorly
maintained or do not have enough chlorine in them.
• It ‘does not’ survive in saline conditions and is hence not found
in sea water.
Spread In Human Body:
• It is typically acquired through the nasal passage and
mouth when a person goes swimming, diving, or drinks
contaminated water.
• Once inside, the amoeba can travel to the brain, causing a
brain infection known as Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis
(PAM).
Symptoms and Fatality:
• The PAM infection rapidly destroys brain tissue, leading to
inflammation and neurological symptoms such as severe
headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures and coma.
• Chances of survival are very less as brain-eating amoeba
can be fatal, with a recorded death rate of 97%.
Vulnerable Groups:
• Although anyone can be affected by Naegleria fowleri, but it
is very rare.
• Certain factors can increase vulnerability, such as a weakened
immune system, a history of nasal or sinus issues, or activities
that involve exposure to warm freshwater.
Transmission:
• Naegleria fowleri infection does not spread from person to
person.
Preventive Measures:
• Maintain clean swimming pools.
• Avoid warm fresh water bodies such as lakes, hot springs
and ponds unless they are disinfected with chlorine.
• Use nose protection while swimming or diving and
• Use sterile water for nasal cleaning.
Treatment:
• For patients who survived, recommended treatment is
a combination of drugs, often including amphotericin
B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and
dexamethasone.
• Miltefosine has been shown to kill Naegleria fowleri in the
laboratory.
RABIES
As per the Health Ministry data, Delhi saw the highest
number of deaths due to rabies in the country in 2022.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
About:
• It is a zoonotic viral disease (Disease Transmitted from Animals
to Humans).
• It is caused by the Rabies virus, of the Lyssavirus genus,
within the family Rhabdoviridae. It is a Ribonucleic Acid
(RNA) virus that is present in the saliva of a rabid animal (dog,
cat, monkey, etc).
• Rabies is 100% fatal but 100% vaccine-preventable.
• 33% of global rabies deaths are recorded in India.
• Symptoms: Anxiety, Confusion, salivation, seizures,
hallucinations and paralysis.
• Common Vectors/ Reservoirs of Virus
 Most mammals can carry the virus and hence can cause
the disease.
 In South Asia and Africa, the most common reservoir of
the virus is the domestic/street dog.
 In developed nations like the USA, animals that transmit
rabies are bats, foxes, raccoons, and skunks.
• World Rabies Day: Celebrated on 28 September which marks
the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death. Louis Pasteur was a
French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first
rabies vaccine. He also discovered Pasteurisation, Vaccines
for Anthrax and Cholera and Chamberland filters.
• National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by
2030 (NAPRE): Under this, the union of India will encourage
all the States and UTs to make Rabies a notifiable Disease. A
notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be
reported to government authorities.
• “Joint Inter-Ministerial Declaration Support Statement” for
Elimination of Dog mediated Rabies from India by 2030 was
also launched.
CONJUNCTIVITIS
With persistent rain, cases of conjunctivitis, or ‘pink eye’, are
on the rise in several parts of India.
About:
• Conjunctivitis refers to the inflammation or infection of the
conjunctiva i.e. the thin, transparent layer of tissue that lines the
inner surface of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye.
Causes of Conjunctivitis:
• Viral Conjunctivitis: Can be caused by a number of different
viruses, such as adenoviruses. It is very contagious and
sometimes can result in large outbreaks depending on the virus.
• Bacterial Conjunctivitis: Can be caused by Staphylococcus
aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus
influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It can spread easily, it
is more common in kids as compared to adults.
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• Allergic Conjunctivitis: The result of the body’s reaction to
allergens, such as pollen from trees, plants, grasses, and
weeds; dust mites; molds; dander from pets; medicines; or
cosmetics. It is not contagious.
Treatment:
• Treatment usually involves management of symptoms. Doctors
advise against taking medicines without medical guidance.
• The infection will usually clear up in 5 to 14 days without
treatment and without any long-term consequences.
INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION
Recently S. Vincent Rajkumar has been appointed chairman-
elect of the Board of Directors of the International Myeloma
Foundation (IMF).
About:
• The International Myeloma Foundation is an American non-
profit organization serving patients with myeloma, a cancer
of plasma cells in the bone marrow.
• Founded in : 1990
• Headquarters: California ,USA
• The IMF was the first organization dedicated solely to multiple
myeloma.
INDIA AI
‘India AI’ – an IBD under Digital India Corporation and Meta,
India have signed an MoU. Meta is the parent company of
Facebook.
About:
• INDIAai is the National AI Portal of India and is a joint initiative
by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, National e-Governance
Division, and NASSCOM.
• The portal was inaugurated in 2020.
• The INDIAai portal currently is the central hub for everything
AI in India.
• The portal covers the latest updates in the world of AI in
India and around the world through news and articles; offer
insights into opportunities, scopes, and challenges created
by AI.
CLOUD STORAGE
According to a 2023 survey by Thales Cloud Security, 35% of
organisations in India note that their data was breached in a
cloud environment last year.
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About:
• It is a method through which digital data, including files,
business data, videos, or images, are stored on servers in
off-site locations.
• These servers may be maintained by the companies
themselves or by third-party providers responsible for
hosting, managing, and securing stored data.
• These servers can be accessed either by the public or through
private internet connections, depending on the nature of the
data.
• Liability: The onus of ensuring data security lies with the
companies even though they grant access to data to vendors
and partners. If the data is sensitive in nature, it is the
company’s responsibility to make sure that a selected vendor
has all the right checks in place and has conducted due
diligence.
• Utility and Advantages : Cloud storage delivers a cost-
effective, scalable alternative to storing files on on-premise
hard drives or storage networks. Companies use cloud
storage to store, access and maintain data so that they do
not need to invest in operating and maintaining data centres.
• Risk and Challenges: The risks arise from the deployment of
incompatible legacy IT systems and third-party data storage
architecture.
WORLDCOIN PROJECT
Recently, the OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took to Twitter to
formally re-introduce Worldcoin, a project of his that was
eclipsed by the popularity of ChatGPT.
What is Worldcoin?
• It is an initiative to create a digital network in which everyone
can claim some kind of stake, and join the digital economy.
• Using a device called “Orb,” Worldcoin volunteers known
as ‘Orb operators’ scan a person’s iris pattern to collect their
biometric data and help them get a World ID through the
World app.
• With the app, scanned participants can collect a
cryptocurrency called Worldcoin [WLD] at regular intervals or
make transactions with their World ID where possible. This
process is called “proof of personhood”.
MAJORANA ZERO MODE
Microsoft has found a way to create an elusive kind of particle
Majorana zero mode that could potentially revolutionize
quantum computing.
 In-Shorts | Science & Technology
What does ‘Majorana’ mean?
• All subatomic particles that make up matter are called
fermions.
• In 1928, the British physicist Paul Dirac derived the Dirac
equation, which predicted the existence of an antiparticle for
each particle, such that if the two meet, they annihilate each
other. The first antiparticle found was the positron (or the anti-
electron).
• Later,it was found that the Dirac equation also allowed
particles that satisfied certain conditions to be their own
antiparticles. In his honour, fermions that are their own
antiparticles are called Majorana fermions.
• One subatomic particle that physicists think could be
Majorana fermions are neutrinos.
What is a Majorana zero mode?
• All particles have four quantum numbers associated with
them which are unique.The numbers are together like each
particle’s ID.
• The characteristic feature of fermions is that one of these
numbers, called the quantum spin, has only half-integer values,
like 1/2, 3/2, 5/2, etc. This is why any particle can be a fermion:
its total quantum spin needs to have a half-integer value.
• When two particles that are bound to each other in some way
can be a fermion: if their total quantum spin is a half-integer
value.
• When these bound states are their own antiparticles – i.e.
if they meet, they annihilate each other – they are Majorana
fermions. such bound states are called Majorana zero modes.
Quantum Computers and its Challenges:
• A quantum computer uses individual electrons as qubits
– its fundamental units of information. Information can be
encoded in some property of each electron, like its spin.
Then, the computer manipulates that information by having
the electrons interact with each other according to the quirky
rules of quantum mechanics.
• A qubit can have the values 0 and 1 at the same time due to
a property called quantum superposition.
• Quantum computers are very fragile and they could easily
lose their quantummy abilities, that is, it could decohere.
How can Majorana zero modes help computing?
• Majorana zero modes can be used to realize the more powerful
topological quantum-computing. Here the information is
protected due to topological degeneracy.
• Degeneracy in quantum mechanics means that the system has
multiple states at the same energy. In topological systems,
the system has multiple states at the lowest or ground state
energy.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• Topology is the study of those properties of matter that don’t
change when it undergoes continuous deformation – i.e.
when it’s stretched, folded, twisted, etc., but not ruptured or
glued to itself.
• The Majorana zero mode is composed of two entities (electron
and hole), so say we pull the entities apart and keep them at
a distance from each other. In this configuration, physicists
have found that even if one of the entities is disturbed, the
overall qubit doesn't decohere,and continues to protect the
encoded information.
TRAI RECOMMENDS INDEPENDENT BODY TO
REGULATE AI
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released
a set of recommendations advocating the urgent adoption
of a regulatory framework to govern the responsible
development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across sectors.
What are the recommendations of TRAI?
• Establishment of an Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority
of India (AIDAI) as an independent statutory authority, that will
act both as a regulator and recommendatory body and play
an advisory role for all AI-related domains.
• Adoption of all future technologies: AIDAI will facilitate
adoption of all future technologies and innovative
architectures on AI models, and coordinate with technical
standard setting bodies of the government such as Telecom
Engineering Centre for accreditation of various labs for
testing and accreditation of all AI products and solutions, and
offer recommendations.
• It will oversee all issues related to data digitisation, sharing
and monetisation in India including framing policies and
incentivisation schemes.
• Define the process framework for use of AI and related
technology while ensuring the privacy and security of the
data owner.
• Model AI governance framework: AIDAI should develop it to
guide organizations on deploying AI in a responsible manner
and develop model ethical codes for adoption by public and
private entities in different sectors. The body should also
consider other aspects of regulation of AI for orderly growth
of the sector and protection of consumers.
• Ensuring that principles of responsible AI are made
applicable at each phase of the AI framework life cycle viz.
design, development, validation, deployment, monitoring
and refinement.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology should
be the administrative ministry for AI.
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TRAI
• It was established by an Act of Parliament, called the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, to regulate telecom
services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom
services which were earlier vested in the Central Govt.
• Objectives: To provide a fair and transparent policy
environment which promotes a level playing field and
facilitates fair competition.
• A Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate
Tribunal (TDSAT) was established, in 2000, to take over the
adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
NEW AI COMPANY ‘xAI’
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of Twitter,
announced the debut of a new AI company, xAI, with the goal
to “understand the true nature of the universe.”
About:
• Elon Musk accused companies like OpenAI and Google of
developing the technology without considering risks to humans.
• xAI would seek to build a “good AGI,” as an alternative to
Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. AGI stands for artificial
general intelligence and refers to AI that can solve problems
like a human.
• The company will use public tweets to train its AI models and
may also work with Tesla on AI software.
• Such a relationship would have “mutual benefit” and could
accelerate Tesla’s work in self-driving capabilities.
SPAMOUFLAGE
Facebook parent company Meta purged thousands of
Facebook accounts that were part of a widespread online
Chinese spam operation known as “Spamouflage” Campaign.
About:
• The "Spamouflage" network has engaged in spurts of activity
over the last several years pushing positive narratives
about China and negative commentary about the United
States, Western foreign policies and critics of the Chinese
government.
• Meta executives believe that "Spamouflage" had become the
largest known cross-platform influence operation to date,
with a presence on at least 50 services.
• Clusters of the campaign's fake accounts were run from
different parts of China, but shared digital infrastructure and
appeared to operate with clear shift patterns.
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THE CELL- FREE DNA
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a useful technique that is being used
by researchers all over the world to better understand human
diseases and enhance diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis.
What is Cell-free DNA?
• Small nucleic acid fragments known as CfDNA are discovered
in bodily fluids outside of cells after being discharged from
cells. It was initially noticed in the blood of pregnant women
in the late 1940s, which is when it was first discovered.
• Cell death and other physiological processes, for example,
can both manufacture and release cfDNA from the cells.
• Several disease processes, including autoimmune conditions
like systemic lupus erythematosus, are linked to the release
of cfDNA.
Cell Free DNA Normal DNA
It is found in the bloodstream Found within the cell nucleus
and other fluids present in the or mitochondria.
body.
It is used in Forensic for DNA It is not used in Forensic.
profiling and investigations.
It exists in Fragmented form. It exists in the form of a
double helix structure.
It can be used in detecting It is not used for detecting
infectious diseases. infectious diseases.
Applications of cfDNA
• Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing: One of the most widely used
applications of cfDNA has been in screening fetuses for
specific chromosomal abnormalities.
 The availability of affordable genome-sequencing
approaches will allow clinicians to sequence cfDNA
fragments that correspond to foetal DNA.
 They can then use it to understand specific chromosomal
abnormalities that involve changes in the chromosomal
copy number. Such changes can lead to conditions
like Down’s syndrome, which is due to a change in
chromosome 21.
• Monitoring Cancer:
 Researchers have developed a new test they have
dubbed ‘Genome-wide Mutational Incidence for Non-
Invasive detection of cancer’, or ‘GEMINI’.
 This is a type of genetic mutation that, when combined
with machine-learning approaches, could provide a way
to detect cancer early.
 Using a particular machine-learning model, some genomic
data, and data from a Computed Tomography (CT) scan,
the researchers could successfully detect lung cancer.
 In-Shorts | Science & Technology
 It was discovered to be able to identify over 300 people
who had a very high risk of acquiring lung cancer.
• Organ Transplant: Using cfDNA applications, it may be
possible to determine why the body is rejecting a transplanted
organ. Here, donor-derived cfDNA, also known as dd-cfDNA,
can be used to obtain an early yet precise estimation of how
well the organ is being assimilated.
• Other Uses: CfDNA could be employed as a biomarker for
metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic
fatty liver disease, as well as neurological disorders like
Alzheimer's disease, neuronal tumors, stroke, and traumatic
brain damage.
BIOSIMILARS
The health ministry plans to revamp guidelines for approving
biosimilar drugs to make the regulatory pathway more
robust and sync it with the rapidly evolving global landscape.
What are Biologics?
• Medicines known as biologics or biological products are
created using living organisms through extremely intricate
production procedures.
• The term "biologics" refers to a broad range of goods,
including vaccines, therapeutic proteins, monoclonal
antibodies, and gene and cell therapies.
What are Biosimilars?
• A biosimilar is a biologic that is "similar" to another biologic
medication.
• Biosimilars and reference products are very similar in terms
of safety, purity, and potency, but may differ somewhat in
clinically inactive components.
• They are duplicates of biologic medications that have been
utilized to treat a variety of diseases and disorders rather
than brand-new pharmaceuticals.
• Every biosimilar is produced utilizing the same amino acid
starting materials and exact, step-by-step procedures as its
reference medicine, a well-researched, widely-used biologic
drug that has been available for years. Biosimilars are all
prescribed medications.
• The same raw materials and production techniques as the
original biologic are used to create biosimilars. They are
created and developed to be close to the original medication
on which they are based.
• Examples include Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn), Amjevita
(adalimumab-atto), and Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb).
• Biosimilars are usually lower-cost alternatives to their original
biologic.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
SODIUM-ION BATTERY
AR4 Tech, a start-up in Coimbatore, has partnered Sodion
Energy of Singapore to make sodium ion battery packs for
domestic and export markets.
Background:
• Sodium-Ion Batteries (NIBs) were originally developed in the
early 1980s, but large-scale development of the technology
was abandoned in favor of Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs).
• Nowadays NIBs are considered to be one of the most
appealing alternative rechargeable batteries to LIBs.
About:
• Sodium-ion batteries generate electricity through a chemical
reaction and are made up of an anode, cathode, separator and
an electrolyte.
• In a sodium-ion battery, lithium ions are replaced with sodium
ions in the battery’s cathode, and lithium salts swapped for
sodium salts in the electrolyte.
• Operating Principle: During charging, sodium ions move
from the cathode to the anode while electrons travel through
the external circuit. During discharge, the reverse process
occurs.
Advantages of Sodium-Ion Batteries:
• Lower cost:The materials used in sodium-ion batteries tend to
be cheaper than those in lithium-ion batteries.
• Safe for transportation:Sodium-ion batteries are safer since
they can be completely discharged for transportation.
• Easier integration into existing technologies as they have a
similar electrochemical behavior to lithium-ion batteries.
• Useful for large-scale energy storage applications, such as
renewable energy systems, due to their potential scalability
and compatibility with grid-level storage needs.
Disadvantages of Sodium Ion Batteries:
• Lower energy density: They store less energy per unit of
weight or volume.
• Shorter cycle life and less mature technology, resulting in
challenges related to safety, efficiency, and overall performance.
• Larger size: Sodium is three times heavier than Lithium,which
is the reason behind the bulkiness of the sodium ion batteries.
Applications of Sodium-Ion Batteries:
• Automobiles and Transportation: To reduce the carbon
emission cost-effective battery is a necessity in electric vehicle
(EV) innovation. As EV sales are expected to grow in the
coming years, sodium-ion technology is the undeniable choice
for electric vehicles, including electric bikes and electric cars.
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• Grid-level Applications:Smart grids rely on reliable power.
The intermittent power supply can impede grid functioning.
Sodium Ion batteries can help optimize solar energy and
wind energy to effectively meet unique grid energy storage
requirements.
• Industrial Mobility:Sodium-ion batteries can maximize asset
utilization and minimize operating costs with a constant state
of readiness and powerful peak power.
STAR C INITIATIVE
India is considering expanding its solar STAR-C initiative, run
by the International Solar Alliance, to a number of Pacific
Island countries.
About:
• Solar Technology Application Resource Centre [STAR C]
Initiative is a project to build STAR centres which will act
as hubs of technology, knowledge, and expertise on solar
energy.
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with funding
from the Government of France, are implementing the project.
• The overall objective is to create a strong network of
institutional capacities within ISA Member States to enhance
Quality Infrastructure (QI) for the uptake of solar energy
product and service markets, particularly in Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
PM-STIAC
Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India
convened the 23rd Prime Minister Science, Technology &
Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) meeting.
About:
• The PM-STIAC is an overarching Council that facilitates the
Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of
India to assess the status in specific science and technology
domains, comprehend challenges in hand, formulate specific
interventions, develop a futuristic roadmap and advise the
Prime Minister accordingly.
• The PM-STIAC is assisted by the Project Management Team
(PMT) at Invest India, together with the Office of the PSA.
• The PMT at Invest India facilitates the delivery and progress
of the ‘9 National Missions’ under the PM-STIAC.
Office of PSA
• The Government of India established the Office of the
Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) in 1999.
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• Aim: The PSA’s office aims to provide pragmatic and objective
advice to the Prime Minister and the cabinet in matters of
Science and Technology. The Office of PSA was placed under
the Cabinet Secretariat in 2018.
• Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood is currently serving as the Principal
Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
MANGALA NARIKAR
Noted mathematician and scientist Dr. Mangala Narlikar,
wife of renowned astrophysicist Dr. Jayant Narlikar, passed
away recently.
About:
• She was an associate researcher in the Mathematics
School of the Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai
between 1964 to 1966. Between 1967 and 1969, she taught
mathematics at Cambridge University in England.
• She authored several books in English and Marathi, including
Ganitachyaa Sopya Vata, a book in Marathi for schoolchildren,
An Easy Access to Basic Mathematics, a book for school
children and A Cosmic Adventure, translation of a book on
Astronomy by Professor J. V. Narlikar.
SAGAR SAMPARK
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
inaugurated the indigenous Differential Global Navigation
Satellite System (DGNSS) ‘SAGAR SAMPARK’.
What is Differential Global Navigation Satellite System?
• It is a terrestrial based enhancement system which corrects
the errors and inaccuracies in the Global Navigation Satellite
System (GNSS) allowing for more accurate positioning
information.
• It will do so after recapitalization with multiple satellite
constellations like GPS and Global Navigation Satellite
System (GLONASS).
• It will increase the availability and redundancy as per
International standards and helps the mariners to improve
their positioning within 5 meters.
• The error correction accuracy has been improved from 5
to 10 meters to less than 5 meters for 100 Nautical Miles from
Indian coastlines.
Advantages:
• The DGNSS service will help mariners in safe navigation and
will reduce the risk of collisions, groundings, and accidents
in the port and harbour areas. This will lead to safe & efficient
movement of vessels.
 In-Shorts | Science & Technology
• DGNSS is an important Radio Aid to Navigation towards
fulfillment of international obligations of International Maritime
Organisation (IMO), Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and
International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and
Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).
DO YOU KNOW?
• International Maritime Organisation (IMO): It is the United
Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety
and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and
atmospheric pollution by ships.
• The SOLAS Convention: It is related to the safety of merchant
ships. The first version was adopted in 1914, in response to
the Titanic disaster.
• IALA: It is a non-profit, international technical association.
Established in 1957, it gathers together Marine Aids to
Navigation authorities, manufacturers, consultants, and,
scientific and training institutes from all parts of the world
and offers them the opportunity to exchange and compare
their experiences and achievements.
SUPER BLUE MOON
The phenomenon of a “blue moon” and a “super moon” was
witnessed on 30 August 2023.
What is a Supermoon?
• A super moon happens when the moon is passing through or
is close to its perigee, and is also a full moon.
• A full moon occurs when the moon is directly opposite the sun
(as seen from earth), and therefore, has its entire day side lit
up. The full moon appears as a brilliant circle in the sky that
rises around sunset and sets around sunrise.
• According to NASA, a full moon at perigee (super moon) is
about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a full moon at apogee
(called a “micro moon”).
What is a Blue Moon?
• A blue moon is the situation when a full moon is seen twice in
a single month.
• Because the new moon to new moon cycle lasts 29.5 days, a
time comes when the full moon occurs at the beginning of a
month, and there are days left still for another full cycle to be
completed.
• For example if the full moon is seen on the 1st or 2nd, there will
be a second full moon on the 30th or 31st and this happens
every two or three years.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
Does the Moon actually appear Blue?
• Sometimes, smoke or dust in the air scatter red wavelengths
of light, as a result of which the moon in certain places,
appears more blue than usual.
• The moon appears more yellow/ orange when it is lower in the
sky (closer to the horizon). As moonlight travels for longer
through the atmosphere at this stage, bluer wavelengths
(shorter) of light are scattered, leaving more of the longer,
redder wavelengths. Also dust or pollution can end up
deepening the reddish color of the moon.
DR. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM KNOWLEDGE CENTRE
& SPACE MUSEUM
The Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Knowledge Centre and Space
Museum is expected to be ready in 18 months at Kowdiar in
Thiruvananthapuram.
About:
• The project is jointly promoted by the State government of
Kerala and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
• Thiruvananthapuram is where Dr. Kalam spent his initial years
with the Indian space programme. As such, the project is a
fitting tribute to him.
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam:
• Avul Pakir Jainelabdeen Abdul Kalam was the 11th President
of the country from 2002 and 2007 and is also popularly known
as the 'Missile Man' of India for his contribution into Integrated
Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP).
• He also played a role in 1998 Pokhran-II tests under the
leadership of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee.
• Abdul Kalam was felicitated with a Padma Bhushan in 1981,
Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and then received India's highest
civilian honour Bharat Ratna in 1997.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
IN PHYSICS (ICWIP)
The eighth edition of the International Conference on Women
In Physics (ICWIP) was organised for the first time in India.
ICWIP:
• The conference is an event of The International Union of Pure
and Applied Physics (IUPAP). It was first held in 2002 in France,
to address the gender imbalance in physics education and
research worldwide.
• 2023 edition : The Gender in Physics Working Group of the
Indian Physics Association and the Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research (TIFR), Mumbai, are organising it together.
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International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
(IUPAP):
• It is the only international physics organization that is
organized and run by the physics community itself.
• The IUPAP was established in 1922 in Brussels with 13
Member countries and the first General Assembly was held
in 1923 in Paris. It currently has 60 country members.
Indian Government’s Initiatives for Promoting Science
Among Women:
• WISE-KIRAN : ‘Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN
(WISE-KIRAN)’ to ensure participation of women in the field
of Science and Technology (S&T) through various gender-
enabling programmes.
• STEMM: Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine)
encourages women scientists and technologists to undertake
international collaborative research in premier institutions in
the USA.
• CURIE Programme: DST also provides support for the
development of research infrastructure and the creation of
state-of-the-art research laboratories under the ‘Consolidation
of University Research through Innovation and Excellence
(CURIE) Programme’ in women’s institutions to enhance
women’s participation in S&T domain.
• Vigyan Jyoti: DST has also started a new programme
“Vigyan Jyoti” for meritorious girl students of Class 9-12 to
encourage them to pursue education and career in science
and technology, particularly in the areas where women are
underrepresented.
• GATI: Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI)
aims to transform institutions for a more gender-sensitive
approach and inclusiveness with the ultimate goal to improve
gender equity in S&T.
• SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in
Exploratory Research): Scheme of Science and Engineering
Research Board of DST aims to address lower participation
of women scientists in research activities and to mitigate
gender disparity in science and engineering.
• BioCARe: DBT is also implementing ‘Biotechnology Career
Advancement and Re-orientation Programme (BioCARe)’
to enhance the participation of Women Scientists in
Biotechnology research.
• WEST: Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST)
- A new I-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering
facilities Map) initiative called “Women in Engineering, Science,
and Technology (WEST)” was launched by the Government of
India on 5th September 2022.
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PIONEERING INDIAN WOMEN IN STEMM
• Kadambini (Basu) Ganguly (1861–1923): She was not only
the first female graduate of the British Empire, but also
one of the first female physicians of South Asia to be
trained in western medicine. She was the first woman
to gain admission to Calcutta Medical College in 1884,
subsequently trained in Scotland, and established a
successful medical practice in India. She was also the first
woman speaker in the Indian National Congress.
• Anandi Gopal Joshi (1865–1887): In the year 1886, another
woman from India obtained a degree in Western medicine.
Anandi Bai Joshi graduated from Women’s Medical College
in Philadelphia, USA and thus became the first Indian to
study medicine from abroad. Her thesis was on ‘Obstetrics
among the Aryan Hindus’, wherein she used influences
from both Ayurvedic and American medical textbooks.
• Rajeswari Chatterjee (1922-2010): She was the first Woman
Scientist to pioneer in the Field of Microwave Engineering
and Antennae Engineering in India.
• Dr. Indira Hinduja: She is the first Indian woman who
delivered a test tube baby on August 6, 1986.
• Kalpana Chawla: (1962–2003): She was the first Indian-
American astronaut and first Indian woman in space. She
first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission
specialist and primary robotic arm operator.
 The NASA chief called her a “Terrific astronaut”.
• Vanitha Muthayya, Ritu Karidhal and Swati Mohan: For the
first time in India's history, a space mission - Chandrayaan-2,
India's second mission to the moon, was led by two women
scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan led the guidance,
navigation, and control operations of the Mars 2020 mission.
TELE MANAS
The Tele-Manas helpline under the National Tele Mental
Health Programme has received over 200,000 calls since its
launch in October 2022.
About:
• It is the government's national mental health helpline which is
a toll-free service.
• It was announced by the Union Ministry of Health in the Union
budget 2022-23 as an acknowledgement to the mental health
crisis in the country.
• With 42 functioning Tele Mental Health and Normalcy
Augmentation System (MANAS) cells in 31 states and Union
Territories, the service is currently catering to more than
1,300 calls per day in 20 languages.
 In-Shorts | Science & Technology
• Features : It is a novel initiative to enable people to seek
support for their mental health issues while maintaining
anonymity of the callers, thereby reducing the stigma
generally surrounding mental health issues.
 Toll-free helpline numbers – 14416 or 1-800-891-4416 –
with multi-language provision allow callers to select the
language of their choice for availing the services.
THE NATIONAL TELE MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAMME OF INDIA
• It was inaugurated on the occasion of the World Mental
Health Day on 10th October 2022.
• It focuses on building the mental health workforce of
the nation through capacity building initiatives whilst
simultaneously ensuring that mental health services can
reach free of cost to every household and every individual,
targeting the most vulnerable and unreached sections of
society that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.
DPT3 IMMUNIZATION
The coverage rate for DPT3, the third dose of diphtheria,
pertussis and tetanus vaccines, in India rose to an all-time
high of 93% in 2022.
About:
• The WHO and UNICEF estimates for national immunisation
coverage for 2022, released showed that in the WHO South-
East Asia Region, the coverage rate for DPT3 recovered to
the pre-pandemic level of 91%, a sharp increase from the
82% recorded in 2021.
• DPT vaccine is a combination of three vaccines that helps to
protect against three infectious diseases:
 Diphtheria: Diphtheria is an infection caused by the
bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is usually
spread between people by direct contact, through the
air, or through contact with contaminated objects. A
diphtheria vaccine is effective for prevention and available
in a number of formulations.
 Pertussis: Commonly known as whooping cough. It is a
respiratory tract infection caused by a type of bacteria
called Bordetella pertussis.
 Tetanus: Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria
called Clostridium tetani. When these bacteria enter the
body, they produce a toxin that causes painful muscle
contractions. Another name for tetanus is “lockjaw”.
• DPT is covered under India's Universal Immunisation
programme (UIP). Under UIP, immunization is being provided
free of cost against 12 vaccine preventable diseases.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
CRIMEAN-CONGO HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER
The Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) has become
a threat to humanity in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
About:
• Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a widespread
disease caused by a tick-borne virus, Nairovirus of the
Bunyaviridae family.
• Background: The disease was first detected among soldiers
in the Crimean Peninsula (near the Black Sea) in 1944. Later
in 1969, the same pathogen was identified in the Congo
Basin.Thus, the disease was named the Crimean-Congo
haemorrhagic fever.
• Distribution: The CCHF is endemic to Africa, the Balkan
countries, Middle East, and parts of Asia.
• Impact: The virus can lead to epidemics and has a high
fatality ratio of 10–40%.
• Transmission: To humans it occurs through contact with
infected ticks or animal blood.Human to human transmission
occurs by contact with infectious blood or body fluids”, such
as sweat and saliva.
• Symptoms: CCHF symptoms include fever, muscle ache,
dizziness, neck pain, backache, headache, sore eyes and
sensitivity to light.
• Treatment: There is no vaccine for the virus in either humans
or animals, and treatment generally consists of managing
symptoms. The antiviral drug ribavirin has been used to treat
CCHF infection with apparent benefit.
BACTERIOPHAGES
With antibiotic resistance rising, scientists think
bacteriophages — which hunt and kill bacteria — could cure
bacterial infections.
About:
• The vast majority of viruses inside humans are bacteriophages
— viruses that kill bacteria in microbiomes.
• Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are harmless to
human cells as they do not recognize them as their bacterial
prey.
• They work by hunting down bacteria and attaching themselves
to the surface of a bacterial cell, before injecting viral DNA
material into the cell.
• The viral DNA then replicates inside the bacteria, once
enough new viruses have been created inside the bacterial
cell, the cell then bursts to release the new viral particles.
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Can Phages Replace the Antibiotics?
• Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria are now on the rise, with
experts saying antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest
medical challenges facing global communities.
• As a result, scientists are racing to find new forms of antibiotic
agents, putting limelight on phages as agents to fight bacterial
infections.
• The advantages of phages lie in their effectiveness against
every multi-resistant pathogen. Phages are extremely precise
in their elimination of bacterial strains as compared to
antibiotics.
• Use of Phages around the Globe: Due to the scarcity of
antibiotics in Soviet-era Russia, phages were used to treat
bacterial infections, and their use has continued in countries
like Georgia, Ukraine and Russia for decades. Georgia has
developed into one of the global centers of phage therapy,
hosting one of the largest therapeutic collections of
bacteriophages in the world.
Challenges:
• A central problem is that there is no standardization of therapy.
Phage therapy must be precisely tailored to the bacteria that
cause an infection in a patient.
• Infections can be caused by bacteria with various properties,
so one needs a cocktail of different phages as a therapy, and
that mix of phages has to be available very quickly before the
infection gets out of hand.
• The bacteria do also develop resistance to phage therapies.
DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (DMD)
Researchers have developed a disease modifying treatment
for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) by using a food
additive - a beta-glucan produced by N-163 strain of a yeast
Aureobasidium pullulans.
What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)?
• It is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle
degeneration and weakness due to the alterations of a protein
called dystrophin that helps keep muscle cells intact.
 Muscles need lubricant. Dystrophin, an enzyme secreted
in the muscles, helps in wear and tear and regeneration of
muscles.
• Symptoms: DMD symptom onset is in early childhood, usually
between ages 2 and 3. The disease primarily affects boys,
but in rare cases it can affect girls. Muscle weakness is
the principal symptom of DMD. It first affects the proximal
muscles (those close to the core of the body) and later affects
the distal limb muscles (those close to the extremities).
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• DMD was first described by the French neurologist Guillaume
Benjamin Amand Duchenne in the 1860s, in 1986, a particular
gene on the X chromosome was identified leads to DMD when
flawed.
• Carriers: DMD carriers are females who have a normal
dystrophin gene on one X chromosome and an abnormal
dystrophin gene on the other X chromosome. Most carriers
of DMD do not themselves have signs and symptoms of the
disease, but a minority do.
• Survival: Until relatively recently, boys with DMD usually
did not survive much beyond their teen years but due to
advances in cardiac and respiratory care, life expectancy is
increasing and survival into the early 30s is becoming more
common than before.
• Treatment: Currently available treatments were gene
therapy, Exon-skipping and disease modifying agents (anti-
inflammatory medicines such as steroids).
ENDOMETRIOSIS
Researchers have found that a species of Fusobacterium
bacteria had a role in the formation and aggravation of
endometrial lesions.
About:
• It is a reproductive disease involving the growth of lesions on
pelvic organs such as the ovaries.
• These lesions are composed of endometrium, a layer of
tissue lining the uterus. Endometriosis can start at a person’s
first menstrual period and last until menopause.
• Symptoms: Pain in the pelvis, infertility, nausea and fatigue.
• The cause of endometriosis is unknown. There is no known way
to prevent endometriosis. There is no cure, but its symptoms
can be treated with medicines or, in some cases, surgery.
GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME
The Peruvian government has recently declared a state of
national emergency for up to three months, due to a spike in
the number of cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
What is Guillain-Barré Syndrome(GBS)?
• Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder where
the body’s immune system — which normally protects it from
infections and other foreign bodies — mistakenly attacks its
own peripheral nerve cells.
• Symptoms:It include a tingling sensation in the body’s
extremities, weakness in the legs that spreads to the upper
body, difficulty in facial movements, unsteady walking or
inability to walk, pain and, in severe cases, paralysis.
 In-Shorts | Science & Technology
Effects of GBS:
• The peripheral nerves — the nerves that branch out from the
brain and the spinal cord — get damaged and as a result, the
muscles can become weak or paralyzed.
• The paralysis affects the legs, arms, and important parts of the
nervous system that regulate breathing, blood pressure and
heartbeat.
• The myelin sheath — an insulating layer of fat and protein that
surrounds the nerve cells — becomes inflamed.The myelin
sheath enables signals to pass through the nerve tracts at
breakneck speed under normal conditions. If the sheath is
inflamed, the nerves can hardly transport stimuli.
Causes of GBS:
• The exact reasons for Guillain-Barré Syndrome are not known
yet. However, it often develops shortly after a person gets an
infectious disease.
• GBS is often linked to the cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr
virus,Zika virus and even the COVID 19 pandemic.
• In GBS the invaders camouflage themselves with a surface
that mimics the body’s own structures. So the antibodies
also target the body’s own cells and structures as foreign
bodies and attach themselves to the surface. This results in a
cascade of reactions.
• Vaccination can also be a reason for the disease.
Cure of GBS:
• Currently, there is no certain cure for Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
However there are two treatments that can help recovery and
reduce the severity of the disease.
 Plasma exchange or plasmapheresis:The plasma or the
liquid part of the blood is removed and separated from
the blood cells, inducing new plasma production to make
up for the loss. This treatment is aimed at removing the
antibodies which are attacking the peripheral nerves.
 Immunoglobulin therapy:The healthy antibodies from
blood donors are injected intravenously. The damaged
antibodies contributing to GBS are then blocked by the
high doses of the immunoglobulins.
• Recovery: After the fourth week of the disease recovery begins
and it can extend between six to 12 months and occasionally
up to three years.
CANNABIS MEDICINE PROJECT
Jammu is set to lead India’s first Cannabis Medicine Project. It
is a collaboration between CSIR-IIIM Jammu and a Canadian
firm under PPP.
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
About:
• Cannabis (also called marijuana) is a psychoactive drug from
the cannabis plant, and has been used for recreational and
medicinal purposes for centuries.
• In India, while trade and consumption of cannabis is banned
under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS)
Act of 1985, experts calls for legalizing its use for medicinal
purposes have grown stronger over the years.
• Cannabis is not completely prohibited in the country as
its medical and scientific use is allowed after obtaining
necessary permissions from state governments.
• Cannabis-based medical treatment utilizes compounds
like THC and CBD to manage conditions like chronic pain,
nausea, muscle spasms, and epilepsy, interacting with the
body’s endocannabinoid system.
LEPTOSPIROSIS
With the onset of monsoon period the outbreak of
Leptospirosis has become a concern.
About:
• Leptospirosis is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by a
bacterium called Leptospira interrogans, or leptospira. It affects
around 1.03 million people every year, killing around 60,000.
• The main occupational groups at risk include agricultural
workers, pet shop workers, veterinarians, sewer workers,
abattoir workers, meat handlers, military personnel, survivors
of natural disasters. A person is more likely to contract
leptospirosis if they have cuts or abrasions on their skin.
Causes for Disease:
• Carriers: Wild or domestic animals like pigs, cattle, water
buffaloes, goats, dogs, horses, and sheep.
• Onset of the monsoon: It facilitates the disease’s incidence
and transmission.
• Humid environment: It helps the pathogenic leptospira
survive longer, thus increasing the risk of disease exposure
in the community.
• Extreme weather events: Floods and hurricanes, when people
are exposed to contaminated water.
Transmission:
• The cycle of disease transmission begins with the shedding
of leptospira, usually in the urine of infected animals.
• The bacteria can be transmitted to humans through cuts and
abrasions of the skin, or through the mucous membranes
of the eyes, nose and mouth with water contaminated with
the urine of infected animals.However, human-to-human
transmission occurs very rarely.
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Governments Initiatives:
• Govt of India initially launched a pilot project on Prevention
and Control of Leptospirosis as a “New Initiative” under XI
Five Year Plan.
• Following the success of the pilot project, the Govt. of India
then launched the Programme for Prevention and Control of
Leptospirosis (PPCL) during the 12th Five year plan in the
endemic states viz. Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,
Karnataka and UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
 National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been
designated as the nodal agency for implementation of
Programme.
 The objective of the Programme is to prevent morbidity
and mortality due to Leptospriosis in humans.
MALARIA
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has identified Locally Acquired Malaria (LAM) cases in
Florida and Texas in the last two months.
What is a Locally Acquired Malaria Case?
• Locally acquired malaria denotes cases where the disease
presents in patients with no travel history, indicating that it
has been acquired within their geographical area.
• A locally acquired case would mean that the mosquito
transmitting the disease first bit a person carrying the malaria-
causing parasite and then another person, thus transmitting
the disease locally.
About Malaria:
• Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium
parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of
infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and
curable.
• Malaria is not contagious and cannot spread from one person
to another; the disease is transmitted through the bites of
female Anopheles mosquitoes.
• Five species of parasites can cause malaria in humans and
2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium
vivax – pose the greatest threat.
• This risk of infection is higher in some areas than others
depending on multiple factors, including the type of local
mosquitoes. It may also vary according to the season, the risk
being highest during the rainy season in tropical countries.
• Symptoms: Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women,
travellers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk.
Severe symptoms include: extreme tiredness and fatigue,
impaired consciousness, multiple convulsions etc.
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Treatment:
• Malaria is a serious infection and always requires treatment
with medicine.
• Since 2021, WHO recommends broad use of the RTS,S/
AS01 malaria vaccine among children living in regions with
moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission.
• The vaccine has been shown to significantly reduce malaria,
and deadly severe malaria, among young children.
• Chemopreventive therapies and chemoprophylaxis: Although
designed to treat patients already infected with malaria,
some antimalarial medicines can also be used to prevent the
disease.
ACOUSTIC SIDE CHANNEL ATTACKS
Recently, a study revealed that Artificial Intelligence (AI)
can be used to decode passwords by analyzing the sound
produced by keystrokes.
Background:
• A research paper titled “A Practical Deep Learning-Based
Acoustic Side Channel Attack on Keyboards”, revealed that
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to decode passwords
by analyzing the sound produced by keystrokes.
• The study highlighted the accuracy of Acoustic Side Channel
Attacks (ASCA) when state-of-the-art deep learning models
were used to classify laptop keystrokes and their mitigation.
Side Channel Attacks (SCAs):
• SCAs are a method of hacking a cryptographic algorithm
based on the analysis of auxiliary systems used in the
encryption method.
• These can be performed using a collection of signals
emitted by devices, including electromagnetic waves,
power consumption, mobile sensors as well as sound from
keyboards and printers to target devices.
• Once collected, these signals are used to interpret signals
that can be then used to compromise the security of a
device.
Acoustic Side Channel Attacks (ASCA):
• In an ASCA, the sound of clicks generated by a keyboard is
used to analyze keystrokes and interpret what is being typed
to leak sensitive information.
• These attacks are particularly dangerous as the acoustic
sounds from a keyboard are not only readily available but
also because their misuse is underestimated by users.

UBINAS
Peru declared a state of emergency for sixty days in areas
around the Ubinas volcano.
About:
• Ubinas is in Moquegua, a region that lies 1,200 kilometers
southeast of the capital city Lima and is the country's most
active volcano.
• The zone is part of the "Ring of Fire" along the edges of the
Pacific Ocean known for volcanic activity and earthquakes.
Peru:
• Location: It is located on the western side of South America. It
shares borders with five countries: Ecuador and Colombia to
the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, and Chile
to the south. Its western border lies along the Pacific Ocean.
• Capital: Lima.
• This region includes the towering peaks of the Andes
Mountains, among them Huascarán, the highest peak in Peru.
• This region is also home to Lake Titicaca, which Peru shares
with Bolivia.
KAAS PLATEAU
A new study of the sediments from a seasonal lake in the Kaas
Plateau in the Satara district of Maharashtra has indicated a
major shift in the Indian Summer Monsoons.
About:
• Kaas Plateau, nestled in the Western Ghats is about 140
km from Pune, was included in the UNESCO World Natural
Heritage Site in 2012.
In-Shorts | Geography Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
GEOGRAPHY
• Known as Kaas Pathar in Marathi, its name is derived from the
Kaasa tree, botanically known as Elaeocarpus glandulosus
(rudraksha family).
• Designated as a biodiversity hotspot, the Kaas Plateau comes
to life with various seasonal flowers forming a floral carpet
over the entire lateritic crust during August and September.
CHURACHANDPUR
The name ‘Churachandpur’ in Manipur is being challenged
amidst ongoing violence in the region.
About:
• Kuki-Zomi organizations have been using the name ‘Lamka’
instead, reflecting their desire for autonomy from the state’s
Meitei leadership.
• Locals see it as a way of colonising, that’s why they are
sentimental over the name. The consent of the local people
was never taken to change the name in 1983. And secondly,
Churachand Singh had never ruled there. It was the British
who conquered us and took control of the administration.
Churachandpur:
• Churachandpur district occupies the south-west part of
Manipur state.
• The name ‘Lamka’ — which means ‘crossroads’ in Kuki
dialects — can be traced to the 1917-1919 Anglo-Kuki War.
• The conflict was a result of Kuki chiefs opposing British
demands for recruiting people in the Labour Corps for World
War I (between 1914 and 1918).
• The name Churachandpur — which was first introduced in
the area in 1921 — draws from Maharaja Churachand Singh,
the king of the Manipur Kingdom from 1891 to 1941.
SEYCHELLES
INS Sunayna was at Seychelles from 10-12 Jul 2023 to
participate in Op Southern Readiness 2023 conducted by
Combined Maritime Forces(CMF).
About:
• Seychelles is a country consisting of 115 islands in the Indian
Ocean.
• Its capital and largest city is Victoria.
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• Nearby island countries and territories include the Comoros,
Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments
of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and Maldives and the
Chagos Archipelago (administered by the United Kingdom
as the British Indian Ocean Territory) to the east.
AMAZON FORESTS
According to Brazil's national space research agency,
deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 34% in the first half of
2023 compared to last year's data.
Amazon Rain Forests:
• Location: The region belongs to nine nations of the South
American continent. It is bounded by the Guiana Highlands
to the north, the Andes Mountains to the west, the Brazilian
central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
• Area Covered: The majority of the forest, 60%, is in Brazil,
followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with
minor amounts in Bolivia,Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana,
Suriname and Venezuela.
• Climate: Hot and humid climate with temperatures of 26-30°C
throughout the year. There are no periodic seasons.The
precipitation ranges from 2,000 mm to 10,920 mm annually.
• Tribes: Yanomamo,Kayapo, Akuntsu, Matses, Tupi etc.
• Fauna: Anaconda, Jesus lizard, howler monkey, golden lion
tamarin, jaguar, sloth, spider monkey, Amazon River dolphin,
toucan and the scarlet macaw, poison dart frog and the glass
frog.
• Flora: Moist broadleaf tropical rainforest like myrtle, laurel,
palm, acacia, rosewood, Brazil nut, rubber tree, mahogany
and Amazonian cedar.
• Lungs of the planet: Rainforests generate about 20% of the
world’s oxygen and its trees play a key role in reducing
pollutant levels.
Amazon River:
• It is the largest river by volume of water and second longest
river after the Nile river of Africa in the world. It represents
20% of the global riverine discharge into oceans.
• Source: River has its source in the Peruvian Andes, at an
elevation of 5,598 m.
• Length: 6400 km.
• Basin: The basin includes the greater part of Brazil and
Peru,some parts of Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia and a
small area of Venezuela.
• Tributaries: Japurá , Juruá, Madeira, Negro, Purus, and Xingu
rivers.
• Mouth: Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil.
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DHAMRA PORT, ODISHA
Adani Total Private Ltd expects to receive 2.2 million tonnes
of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at its terminal at Dhamra on
India's eastern coast during the year ending March 2024.
About:
• It is located on the seashore in the mouth of the river
Baitarani. It is 65 km away from Bhadrak town and 45 km
from Chandbali.
• The meeting place of the river Bharmani and Baitarani here
attracts visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of the confluence
of rivers and adjacent sea beaches.
SATPURA TIGER RESERVE
The red alert was issued a few days after a beheaded carcass
of an adult tiger was found in Madhya Parsdesh’s Satpura
Tiger Reserve.
About:
• Location: Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) also known as Satpura
National Park is located in the Hoshangabad district, officially
Narmadapuram district, of Madhya Pradesh.
• Its name is derived from the Satpura range. Satpura, basically
meaning "Seven Folds", forms a watershed between Narmada
and Tapti River is triangular in shape.
• Satpura Tiger Reserve Located in the south of the river
Narmada. The nearest town to the national park is Pachmarhi.
GHAGGAR
Recently, the Ghaggar River and its tributaries in Haryana,
caused havoc in the region after a breach in their embankments.
About: Ghaggar-Hakra River
• Origin: Dagshai Village,Himachal
Pradesh in the Shivalik hills.
• Tributaries: Kaushalya, Tangri,
Markanda, Beghna, Sarsuti,
Chautang and Sukhna rivers.
• Cities: Cities like Panchkula,
Derabassi, Ambala and
Shahabad lie on the banks of these rivers.
• Nature: Seasonal river that flows through the plains of northern
India in the western direction.
• States: Flows south through the states of Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana and Rajasthan, eventually entering Pakistan where it
dries out before reaching the Arabian Sea.

• The channel is divided into two lengths by the Ottu barrage,
near Sirsa. The part of the river to the east of the barrage is
called Ghaggar and the other half Hakra.
• Paleogeographic studies indicate the existence of a wide
channel in place of the current Ghaggar-Hakra. The paleo
channel of this river was drained by the Saraswati and
discharged into the Rann of Kutch.
• Studies indicate that the river has shrunk in magnitude.
Previously, it is believed to have been a brimming river,
watering the Bronze Age civilizations. The vestigial channel
boasts of relict sites of Indus Valley settlements.
AUSTRALIA’S COCOS ISLANDS
An Indian Navy Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and an
Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 transport aircraft visited
Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI).
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI):
• The island is located in the Southern Indian Ocean, close to
Indonesia and strategic maritime choke points.
• The CKI is an Australian external territory located in the Indian
Ocean, approximately 3,000 km north-west of Perth in western
Australia. The island comprises two coral atolls made up of 27
smaller islands.
Significance for India:
• Cocos can be an important base for refuelling and Operational
Turnaround for the Indian military, especially once the runway
there is expanded to accommodate large aircraft like the P-8
long range maritime patrol aircraft.
• Cocos Islands had been a point of cooperation between the
space agencies of the two countries for India’s Gaganyaan
human space flight mission.
• Australia’s active support in establishing a temporary ground
station at CKI for the Gaganyaan missions offers potential
opportunities for cooperation in earth observation, satellite
navigation, space situational awareness, weather and climate
studies using satellite data.
ACEQUIAS
Spain turns to a medieval solution based on ancient wisdom
for facing drought in future.
About:
• These are the network of water channels created by the Moors,
who conquered and settled in the Iberian Peninsula in the
Middle Ages, are being excavated and brought back to life
to adapt to the crises of climate change.
In-Shorts | Geography Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
• These are mutually managed irrigation channels that have
been in continuous operation in the arid region.
• These water systems trace its roots to the Spanish
conquistadors, who brought their traditions to the territory in
the 1600s, and who themselves borrowed it from the Muslims
who invaded Spain in the 8th century.
• The word acequia is an adaptation of the Arabic as-saqiya,
meaning water carrier or water conduit.
CRIMEA BRIDGE
Two people were killed after one of the sections of the rail-
and-road Crimea bridge was blown up recently.
About:
• The Kerch Bridge/Crimea Bridge, opened in 2018, is a crucial
transportation route between Russia and Crimea, which was
annexed by Russia in 2014.
• The bridge is a pair of parallel bridges, one for a road and
another for railway, spanning the Kerch Strait between the
Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in Russia and the Kerch
Peninsula of Crimea.
• The Crimea bridge is a crucial structure for Russia as it is the
only direct link between the transport network of the country
and the Crimean peninsula.
SECOND THOMAS SHOAL
Recently a Chinese Coast Guard ship allegedly obstructed
the Philippine Coast Guard vessel near Second Thomas Shoal
in the disputed South China Sea.
About:
• Second Thomas Shoal is a submerged reef located in the
Spratly Islands.
• The Philippines first took possession of it in 1999.
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PLACES IN  
Edition: August 2023

DEVIKA RIVER (J&K )

The holy river originates from the hilly Suddha
Mahadev temple in Udhampur district and merges
with the Ravi river in western Punjab (now in Pakistan).

YAMUNA RIVER
• The River originates from the Yamunotri Glacier
near Bandarpoonch peaks in Himalayas.
• It flows through Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
• The important tributaries are Tons,
Chambal, Hindon, Betwa and Ken.

ASOLA BHATTI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (DELHI)

It covers the Southern Delhi
Ridge of Aravalli hill range on
Delhi-Haryana border.

SABARMATI RIVER
It is a west-flowing river which originates
in the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan and
meets the Gulf of Khambhat.

MAHAKALESHWAR TEMPLE (MP)

It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India, located on
the banks of the river Shipra at Ujjain.

KAAS PLATEAU (MAHARASHTRA)

• It is a biodiversity hotspot made from volcanic
rocks.
• It was inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage
sites list in 2012 under the name of Western Ghats.

MHADEI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (GOA)

It is part of the Western Ghats landscape, and is
regarded as a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.
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  NEWS INDIA
Edition: August 2023

PARACHIK GLACIER (LADAKH) DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK (UP)

It is a mass of ice moving slowly The park is located along the Indo-Nepal
down the Nun-Kun slopes. This ice border and has a large population of
mass falls into the Suru River. Barasinghas (Swamp deer).

VALMIKI TIGER RESERVE (BIHAR)

It has a combination of bhabar and
terai tracts and is the only tiger reserve
of Bihar.

BURA CHAPORI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (ASSAM)

• The sanctuary is located on the south
bank of the Brahmaputra river.
• It is famous for Bengal florican and
Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros.

SATPURA TIGER RESERVE (MP)

• It is located in the south of the river Narmada.
• It was declared as the first biosphere reserve of
Madhya Pradesh in the year 1999.
DHAMRA PORT (ODISHA)
The Port is located on the shore of the Bay of Bengal in the mouth of the
river Baitarani.
HAMPI (KARNATAKA)
• It is an ancient village located on the banks of the River Tungabhadra.
• It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and is famous for its
magnificent temple architecture.
ADICHANALLUR (TAMIL NADU) NICOBAR ISLANDS
• It is an ancient Iron-age burial site • It lies in the Indian Ocean and includes
located on the bank of the the islands of Car Nicobar, Camorta
Tambraparani river. and Nancowry, and Great Nicobar.
• The foundation has been laid for • Mount Thullier, is the highest point of
an 'Iconic Site Museum' at the site. the island.
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CULTURE & HISTORY
ALLURI SITARAMA RAJU
The 125th Birth Anniversary of Alluri Sitarama Raju was
recently observed.
About:
• He was Born in Andhra Pradesh in 19th century.
• He opposed the British in response to the 1882 Madras
Forest Act. He led the Rampa or Manyam Rebellion of 1922.
• He was given the title: "Manyam Veerudu" (transl. Hero of the
Jungle) for his heroic exploits.
Legacy:
• In April 2022, the government of Andhra Pradesh created
the district of Alluri Sitharama Raju, made up of Paderu and
Rampachodavaram of the existing districts of Visakhapatnam
and East Godavari respectively.
• In May 2022, PM Modi unveiled a 30-foot-tall bronze statue of
A.S. Raju at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
• The Telugu movie ‘RRR’, which won the Best Original Song
for ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the 2023 Oscars, is inspired by the lives
of Alluri Sitharama Raju and Komaram Bheem.
HUL DIWAS
The Prime Minister commended the bravery and courage of
tribal freedom fighters Sidho, Kanhu, Chand, Bhairav and
Phulo, Jhano on Hul Diwas.
What is Hul Diwas?
• Every year, the state of Jharkhand celebrates June 30 as ‘Hul
Diwas’, marking the beginning of the Santhal rebellion.
• The Santal rebellion or ‘Hul’ – literally, revolution – began in
1855, two years before the uprising of 1857.
Santal/Santhal Rebellion:
• The Santhal rebellion began on June 30, 1855 and was led
by four brothers, namely Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav
Murmu of village Bhagnadihi, under whom almost 60,000
Santhals mobilised with traditional weapons.
• The rebellion took place in the lush Damin-i-Koh region –
‘Damin-i-Koh’ meaning the ‘skirts of the hills’ – and took the
British by complete surprise.
 This region falls in present-day Jharkhand, more
specifically, around the Rajmahal Hills of eastern
Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district.
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• Dharwak: It was a communication system used by the brothers
Kanhu and Sidho Murmu in which they spread word about
their plan through uniquely folded sal leaves and mobilised
10,000 people, and declared a rebellion.
• Phulo and Jhano Murmu joined forces, with them joining the
rebellion, more women took up arms against the British.
• Reasons: It began as a revolt against exploitation by Indian
‘upper’ caste zamindars, moneylenders, merchants and darogas
(police officials), collectively known as ‘diku’, who had come
to dominate the economic sphere of Santhal life.
 The extreme form of oppression and neglect from British
administration gave birth to social banditry in 1854 when a
band of Santhals under the leadership of Bir Singh Manjhi,
and others like Domin Manjhi and Kewal Pramanik, began
to attack moneylenders and zamindars and distribute the
loot among the poor Santhals.
 It was led against the myriad forms of oppression –
economic and otherwise – they were subjected to by the
British and their collaborators.
• Suppression of the Rebellion: The British suppressed the
movement with utmost brutality. Sidhu was hanged by the
British army on August 19, 1855, while Kanhu was arrested in
February 1856. After this, the movement subsided.
• Outcome: The British passed the Santhal Parganas Tenancy
Act in 1876, which prohibited the transfer of land held by
tribals to non-tribal people.
TANKAI METHOD
The Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy signed an MoU
to revive the ancient stitched shipbuilding method.
Stitched Shipbuilding Method (Tankai Method):
• It is a 2000-year-old technique of shipbuilding. The ships are
constructed by stitching wooden planks together rather than
using nails.
• It offers flexibility and durability, making them less susceptible
to damage from shoals and sandbars.
• Although the arrival of European ships led to a shift in shipbuilding
techniques, the art of stitching ships has survived in a few coastal
regions of India, primarily for small local fishing boats.
• Significance: The revival of the stitched shipbuilding method is
vital for preserving India’s rich maritime heritage and cultural
history. Furthermore, it aims to promote cultural memories
and strengthen ties with Indian Ocean littoral countries.

LAMBANI ART
In the 3rd G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting in
Hampi (Karnataka), a Guinness world record was created for
the ‘largest display of Lambani Art items’.
What is Lambani Art?
• It is a traditional form of art and craft practised by the Lambani
community, also known as the Banjara community in Karnataka.
• Lambani embroidery is a vibrant and intricate form of textile
embellishment characterized by colourful threads, mirror
work, and a rich array of stitch patterns.
• Lambani art includes a wide range of products, such as
clothing, textiles, accessories, home decor items, and
jewellery. It received the status of Geographic Indication (GI)
tag in 2010 from Karnataka.
• Lambani craft tradition involves skillfully stitching together
small pieces of discarded fabric to create a beautiful fabric.
• It is practised in several villages of Karnataka such as Sandur,
Keri Tanda, Mariyammanahalli, Kadirampur, Sitaram Tanda,
Bijapur, and Kamalapur.
• This rich embroidery tradition, predominantly upheld by the
skilled women of the Lambani community, serves as a vital
source of livelihood and sustenance, intertwining living
practices with economic empowerment.
About Lambani Community:
• Lambanis, also called Lambadis or Banjaras, were nomadic
tribes who came from Afghanistan to Rajasthan and have now
spread themselves across Karnataka and other parts of India.
• In the 17th century, they are believed to have assisted the
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb to carry goods to the southern
part of India.
• In the 18th century the British authorities framed the Criminal
Tribe Act of 1871 and stopped their free movement.
• The language of Banjara is known as “Gorboli” “Gor mati Boli”
or “Brinjari” an independent dialect (under the category of
Indo-Aryan language).
• They are known by different names like:
 Lambada or Lambadi, Sukali in Andhra Pradesh
 Lambani in Karnataka
 Gwar or Gwaraiya in Rajasthan
NAMDA ART
Union Minister of State for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship and Electronics and IT, flagged off the
first batch of Namda Art products for export to the United
Kingdom (UK).
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Edition: August 2023
About:
• Namdas are a kind of mattress, originally from Kashmir.
• The art involves felting the wool rather than weaving it. Low
quality wool mixed with a small quantity of cotton is used to
manufacture namdas.
• They are usually of two types, plain and embroidered.
Formerly, woolen yarn was used for embroidery, but now
acrylic yarn (cashmelon) is in use.
• Due to low availability of raw material, lack of skilled
manpower and marketing techniques, the export of this craft
has declined almost 100 percent between 1998 and 2008.
• Namda is a craft made for all types of climates.
• The Namda craft of Kashmir is being successfully revived
under a Skill India’s Pilot Project as part of the Pradhan Mantri
Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), with nearly 2,200 candidates
from across six districts of the state, receiving training in the
dying art form.
NAWAB WAJID ALI SHAH
An exhibition was held in Kolkata to mark the bicentenary
year of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last king of Awadh.
About:
• Wajid Ali Shah (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the
eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9
years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.
• His kingdom, long protected by the East India Company
(EIC), was annexed under the tenure of the Governor-General
Lord Dalhousie on 11 February 1856 under the pretext of
"maladministration" and "lawlessness".
• The Nawab was exiled to Garden Reach in Metiabruz, then a
suburb of Kolkata, where he lived out the rest of his life on a
pension.
Contributions to Music:
• A large number of composers, including Wajid Ali Shah
himself, enriched the light classical form of thumri.
• Although Wajid Ali Shah's pen-name was "Qaisar", he used
pseudonym "Akhtarpiya" for his numerous compositions.
Diwan-i-Akhtar, Husn-i-Akhtar contain his ghazals.
• He is said to have composed many new ragas and named
them Jogi, Juhi, Shah-Pasand, etc.
• The source for much information on music in Nawabi
Lucknow comes from the text Ma’danul Moosiqui ('The Mine
of Music') of Hakim Mohammed Karam Imam, courtier of
Wajid Ali Shah.
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Contributions to Dance: Kathak
• Under Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Kathak achieved greater
dimensions. He gave a definite form, made it more artistic,
and gave to it an aesthetic touch, he enriched it with rasa and
bhava, and he added literature to it.
• During this period, Kathak was also extensively performed by
tawaifs. They frequently performed on lighter classical music
such as dadra, kajri and tappa as well as thumri.
• Wajid Ali Shah started two distinct forms one is Rahas and the
other one is called Raas.
• Rahas was a dramatic form of theatre including acting,
dancing, and music while Raas was purely a religious form.
Primarily Dhrupad was sung in Raas and the performance
began with its singing. Raas was a circular form of dance
where many gopis danced with one Krishna.
• He himself choreographed a dance based on the moves of
Kathak called, Rahas, that he danced himself with the ladies
of his court.
• It was at his reign that Lucknow Gharana came into existence.
The Lucknow style of Kathak dance is characterized by
graceful movements, elegance and natural poise with dance.
Contributions to Hindustani Theatre:
• He established the famous Parikhaana (abode of fairies) in
which hundreds of girls were taught music and dancing by
expert-teachers engaged by the royal patron.
• He used to organise a spectacular pageant or Mela known as
Jogia Jashan, in which all citizens of Lucknow could participate,
dressed as Yogis, irrespective of caste and creed.
• Later, when his favourite venue, the Qaisarbagh Baradari
was built, he began to stage his magnificent Rahas (a
Personalised name for Rasleela) full of sensuous poetry, his
own lyrical compositions and glamorous Kathak dances.
Contributions to Literature:
• He also patronised literature and several poets and writers.
Notable among them were 'Barq', 'Ahmad Mirza Sabir', 'Mufti
Munshi', and 'Aamir Ahmad Amir', Irshad-us-Sultan and
Hidayat-us-Sultan, Amanat the famous author of Indra Sabha
and Bekhud, who wrote Jalwa-Akhatar, Hajjo Sharaf and
Afsana-in-Lucknow.
• The famous poet Mirza Ghalib also received the gracious
patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, who granted him a pension of
Rupees five hundred per year in 1854.
KANWAR YATRA
Recently, the annual Kanwar Yatra concluded during which
lakhs of pilgrims carried waters from the Ganga and other
holy rivers to Shiva shrines.
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Kanwar Yatra:
• The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of
Shiva, known as Kaanvarias organized in the Hindu calendar
month of Shravana.
• Traditionally, saffron-clad devotees walked barefoot to take
water from pilgrimage sites with pitchers of water to worship
Shiva lingas at shrines of importance.
• Devotees carry the pitchers of holy water on their shoulders,
balanced on decorated slings known as Kanwars.
• A similar festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, called the
Kavadi festival, in which Lord Muruga is worshiped.
• Religious significance: As per the legend during ‘samudra
manthan’,an episode narrated in the Bhagavata Purana and
in the Vishnu Purana a lethal poison was emerged which was
consumed by Lord Shiva. It is believed that to reduce the
effects of that poison, the practice of offering water to Shiva
began.
NATIONAL MISSION ON MONUMENTS AND
ANTIQUITIES (NMMA)
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport,
Tourism and Culture noted that the National Mission on
Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) has only been able
to document 16.8 lakh antiquities out of a total of 58 lakh
which is just about 30 percent.
About:
• National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) was
launched in 2007 to document the country’s monuments and
antiquities.
• It was initially set up for a period of 5 years from 2007 to
2012. It was extended for a further 5 years till 2017 and later
merged with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• Objectives of NMMA: Documentation and creation of suitable
databases on built heritage and sites through published
and unpublished secondary sources for information and
dissemination to planners, researchers, etc. and for better
management of such cultural resources.
RUDRAGIRI ROCK ART
Recently, a site in Rudragiri hills was in news which showcases
a fascinating fusion of rock art from different cultures.
About:
• Location: Rudragiri hillock, nestled amidst the Eastern Ghats,
features five naturally formed rock shelters at its foothills,
facing westward. It is located in the village of Orvakallu, in
Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.

• This site unveils a combination of prehistoric rock paintings
from the Mesolithic period around 5000 B.C ,and exquisite
artwork from the Kakatiya dynasty.
• These caves showcase the artistic brilliance of the Kakatiya
period. While many have suffered damage over time due to
exposure to the elements, some sketches and outlines have
managed to survive.
• The paintings, adorned with a variety of colours derived
from white kaolin and different pigments, depict captivating
scenes from the epic Ramayana.
KAKATIYA DYNASTY
• The Kakatiya dynasty was a Telugu dynasty that ruled most
of the eastern Deccan region in present-day India between
the 12th and 14th centuries.
• Territory: It comprised much of the present day Telangana
and Andhra Pradesh, and parts of eastern Karnataka,
northern Tamil Nadu, and southern Odisha.
• Capital: Orugallu (Warangal).
• Prominent rulers: Early Kakatiya rulers served as feudatories
to Rashtrakutas and Western Chalukyas for more than two
centuries. They assumed sovereignty under Prataparudra I
in 1163 CE.
 Ganapati Deva (1199–1262) expanded Kakatiya lands
during the 1230s and brought under control the lowland
delta areas around the Godavari and Krishna rivers.
 Rudrama Devi (1262–1289) who is one of the few queens
in Indian history.Marco Polo visited India during her
reign.She successfully repelled the attacks of Yadavas
of Devagiri into the Kakatiya territory.
KASHI CULTURE PATHWAY
The Outcome Document of G-20 Culture Ministers meeting
in Varanasi, titled ‘Kashi Culture Pathway’ was agreed by all
G-20 members.
Key Points: ‘Kashi Culture Pathway’
• Protection of cultural heritage: The Outcome Document
said the nations were united against destruction of cultural
heritage “whether intentional or collateral, notably in situations
of conflict”.
• Restitution of cultural property: It sought an inclusive dialogue
on the return and restitution of cultural property observing
that people have the right to access and enjoy their cultural
heritage.
• Data and information exchange: The document sought
cooperation among nations and strengthening of appropriate
tools to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement
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Edition: August 2023
collaboration and investigations through voluntary data and
information exchange for better support to investigations and
prosecution on cultural crimes.
• Strengthen institutional and policy frameworks: The G-20
nations also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen
institutional and policy frameworks to harness living heritage
for sustainable development.
• Against misuse of living cultural heritage: The countries
recognised the misuse and misappropriation of living cultural
heritage, practices and cultural expressions, particularly of
local communities as well as of indigenous peoples, specially
for commercial use.
• Regulation of illicit trafficking of cultural property: They called
for a strengthened and effective global coalition to bolster the
fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
SEETHAKALI FOLK ART
The 20-members group of Perinad Seethakali Sangham is set
to perform Seethakali art outside Kerala for the first time.
About:
• Seethakali is a centuries-old Dravidian dance form which
is a blend of songs, storytelling and fast movements.The
performers go from one house to another performing this art.
• Origin: Seethakali is believed to have originated at Perinad
in Kollam district. This art form was first performed some 150
years back by the people of Vedar and Pulayar communities.
The folk art form was a part of Onam festivities in the past.
• Theme: The art form is based on certain episodes taken from
the epic Ramayana. Mythic characters such as Rama, Seetha,
Ravana and Hanuman portray the tale of Seetha’s journey,
from vanayatra (exile to the forest) to Sita’s andardhanam
(descend into the earth).
• Music: Performances are accompanied by beautiful folk
songs that have been passed on orally from one generation
to the next.
• Instruments: The props and instruments used during
performances are all made of natural materials like bamboo
and palm leaves. The ganjira, manikatta, chiratta and kaimani
are among the accompaniments.
• Costumes: The costumes and the make-up are loud and eye-
catching. The characters of Rama and Laxmana appear
in green since the color is used to represent gods and
goddesses in Kathakali.
Perinad Seethakali Sangham:
• It is the only registered Seethakali performing group in Kerala.
In 2018, the group was affiliated to the Kerala Folklore Akademi.
• The Akademi has played a crucial role in the revival of this
once lost unique art form of Kerala.
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 Current Affairs In-Shorts | On this day in History
On this day in
Edition: August 2023
HISTORY
• August 1, 2019: The Bill against Triple Talaq was made a Law by
the Indian Parliament to make effective the Supreme Court’s
judgement. In 2017, the Supreme Court's five-judge Bench
under Chief Justice J.S. Khehar invalidated instant Triple
Talaq. Egypt was the first Muslim nation which abolished the
practice of Triple Talaq in 1929.
• August 2, 1876: Pingali Venkayya was born. He was a freedom
fighter and the designer of the Indian Nation Tricolour. He
was a firm believer in Gandhian principles and an ardent
nationalist, he proposed saffron and green colours for the
national flag.
• August 3, 1985: Murlidhar Devidas Amte (1914-2008), popularly
known as `Baba Amte' received the Ramon Magsaysay Award
for Public Service. The other awards and prizes he received
include: Padma Vibhushan, Dr. Ambedkar International
Award, Gandhi Peace Prize, Templeton Prize and Jamnalal
Bajaj Award.
• August 4, 1956: APSARA - India's first Nuclear Reactor - was
commissioned. This reactor was designed and built by India
with the nuclear fuel supplied from the United Kingdom under
a lease agreement. It was also the first research reactor in Asia
to achieve criticality.
• August 5, 1963: Test Ban Treaty. The Treaty was signed in
Moscow by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet
Union. It prohibited nuclear weapons tests "or any other
nuclear explosion" in the atmosphere, in outer space, and
under water.
• August 6, 1945: The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima. The United
States dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima
(Japan). Three days later Nagasaki met the same fate. Japan
surrendered within a week, ending World War Two.
• August 7, 1941: Rabindranath Tagore passed away. He was
the first non-European to win Nobel Prize in Literature for
Gitanjali. He wrote the national anthems of India (Jana Gana
Mana) and Bangladesh (Amar Shonar Bangla). He gave the
title of ‘Mahatma’ to M.K. Gandhi.
• August 8, 1942: Quit India Movement (August Movement) was
launched by Mahatma Gandhi. He decided to launch a mass
civil disobedience movement 'Do or Die' call to force the
British to leave India. The Cripps Mission and its failure also
played an important role in Gandhi's call for the Movement.
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• August 9, 1925: Kakori Train Incident. The train was carrying
money bags belonging to Indians and were being transferred
to the British treasury. The freedom fighters raided British
train to show Indian might. The idea of this action was the
brainchild of Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan.
• August 10, 1894: Varahagiri Venkata Giri was born. He served
as the 4th President of India (August 1969 – August 1974).
He was honoured with India's highest civilian award, the Bharat
Ratna, in 1975 for his contributions in the area of public affairs.
• August 11, 1908: Khudiram Bose, one of India’s youngest
revolutionaries passed away. He became an active volunteer
in the freedom movement during the Partition of Bengal, in
1905. He was associated with the revolutionary movement
Yugantar.
• August 12, 1919: Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was born. He established
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was his
efforts that led to the development of India's workhorse rocket
the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). He also mentored
former president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, India's foremost rocket
scientist.
• August 13, 1795: Ahilyabai Holkar, the brave queen of Malwa
passed away. She stood tall and undeterred even after
the tragic loss of her husband, son, and father-in-law and
assumed the throne in December 1767. She was also a social
reformer & educationist who pioneered women's education in
India.
• August 14: Partition Horrors Remembrance Day - It was first
observed in 2021. India attained its freedom from British rule
on 15th August 1947, however, with the sweetness of freedom
came also the trauma of partition. The partition caused one
of the largest migrations in human history affecting about 20
million people.
• August 15, 1947: India was declared independent from
British colonialism of more than 200 years. India's gaining
of independence was a tryst with destiny, as the struggle
for freedom was a long and tiresome one, witnessing the
sacrifices of many freedom fighters, who laid down their lives
on the line.
• August 16, 2018: Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away. Along with
Lal Krishna Advani and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, he founded
 In-Shorts | On this day in History
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. He became the first
non-Congress Indian prime minister to serve a full five-year
term (from 1999 to 2004) in office. In 2015, he was conferred
India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.
• August 17, 1909: Madan Lal Dhingra
was executed at Pentonville Prison,
London. He is remembered for
sustaining the freedom movement
from outside the motherland. On 1st
July, 1909, Dhingra shot dead the
British police officer Curzon Wyllie in
a public gathering. He was
immediately arrested and sentenced
to death.
• August 18, 1700: Shrimant Peshwa Baji Rao I, also known as
Bajirao Ballal was born. He was the 7th Peshwa and reigned
for 20 years. It is believed that he never lost a single battle
during his campaigns and is widely regarded as one of the
most successful generals in Indian history.
• August 19, 1887: S. Satyamurti was born. In 1919, Congress
elected him as its representative to oppose the Rowlatt
Act and the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms in Britain. He
played a key role in Vaikom Satyagraha, Salt Satyagraha, and
GuruvayurTemple Movement. Satyamurti is also considered
as the mentor of K Kamaraj who later became the Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu.
• August 20: Sadbhavana Diwas - the birth anniversary of former
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is observed as 'Sadbhavana
Diwas' every year. 'Sadbhavana' in the English language
means goodwill. The day is observed to encourage national
integration, peace, affection and communal harmony among
the people of all religions.
• August 21, 1907: P. Jeevanandam was born. Mahatma Gandhi’s
call to wear Khadi and his stand against untouchability
attracted Jeevanandam to join the national movement.
He was arrested and imprisoned for six months for having
translated the banned book of Bhagat Singh, “Why I am an
atheist?” into Tamil in 1934. He was also one of the founding
members of the Madras Provincial Congress Socialist Party.
• August 22, 1894: Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was formed to
fight discrimination against Indians in the Natal Colony,
and later the Natal Province, of South Africa. Dada Abdullah
was the first president of the NIC and Mahatma Gandhi was
elected the first honorary secretary. The Gandhi campaigns
of 1908 and 1913 were two of the most important campaigns
organised by the NIC in its early years.
• August 23, 1875: Rajkumar Shukla was born. He convinced
Gandhiji to visit Champaran. The Britishers imposed the
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
'tinkathia' system upon the farmers of Champaran wherein
they were imposed to grow indigo on 3/20th of their land. It
was due to his efforts that farmers were freed from the forced
Indigo cultivation.
• August 24, 1908: Shivaram Rajguru
was born. He was a member of the
Hindustan Socialist Republican
Association (HSRA). In 1931, Rajguru,
Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev were
hanged to death in the Lahore
conspiracy case.
• August 25, 1873: G.A. Natesan was
born. In 1900, he started The Indian
Review, a monthly publication that covered nationalistic
themes and literary reviews. Natesan became the First
General Secretary of the National Liberal Federation of India,
a party founded in 1918 by liberals.
• August 26, 1975: Dr. Narayan Subbarao Hardikar passed away.
He was the founder of Congress Seva Dal. He also helped
Lala Lajpat Rai in founding the Indian Home Rule League of
America.
• August 27, 1942: The Secret Congress Radio, organized by
Dr. Usha Mehta went on air. The radio broadcasted stirring
speeches by revolutionaries from across India. Though it
functioned only for two and a half months, it raised awareness
about the Quit India Movement by spreading uncensored
news.
• August 28, 1928: Nehru Committee Report was submitted
at the Lucknow session of the all-party conference. The
committee was headed by Motilal Nehru with Jawaharlal
Nehru as the Secretary. This was the first major attempt by
Indians to draft a constitution of India.
• August 29: National Sports Day - it is celebrated every year to
commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major
Dhyan Chand. He was one of India's greatest sportspersons
and led India to three Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and
1936.
• August 30, 1918: Binayak Acharya was born. He actively
participated in the Quit India Movement and later became the
Chief Minister of Odisha. He was affectionately called Odisha’s
"Ajatashatru' which means ‘one who has only friends and no
enemies’.
• August 31, 2020: Pranab Mukherjee passed away. He served
as the 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. The many
awards and honours conferred on him include the Best
Parliamentarian Award in 1997, Padma Vibhusan in 2008 and
India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 2019.
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MISCELLANEOUS
DIAMOND LEAGUE
Neeraj Chopra won gold in the javelin throw at the Diamond
League in Lausanne (a city on Lake Geneva, in Switzerland).
This was his second consecutive Diamond League win in this
season following the win at Doha in May 2023.
About:
• What is it? The Diamond League is an annual series of elite
track and field competitions.
• Background: It was started in 2010 as a replacement for the
previous IAAF Golden League and IAAF World Athletics Final
events.
• Organizers: The Diamond League is organised by World
Athletics (formerly IAAF or International Association of Athletics
Federations), the international governing body for athletics.
• The 2023 Diamond League: The 14th edition of the Diamond
League began in May 2023 in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The
fifteen meetings in this edition are scheduled at various cities
across the world. The finals will be held in september 2023 in
Eugene, United States.
Neeraj Copra:
• Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete in the
javelin throw from Haryana.
• At 2020/21 Tokyo Olympics, he won the gold in Javelin
Throw, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in track
and field and the second Indian to win an individual Olympic
gold after Abhinav Bindra (in shooting).
LOKMANYA TILAK NATIONAL AWARD
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honoured with the
Lokmanya Tilak National Award.
About:
• The award was instituted in 1983 by the Tilak Smarak Mandir
Trust. This award is given every year on 1st August, the death
anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak.
• PM Modi will be the 41st recipient of this award.
• Past recipients of award include:
 former President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Pranab
Mukherjee,
 former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi,
Dr. Manmohan Singh and
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 eminent persons like N R Narayan Murthy, and Dr. E.
Shridharan have been honored with this award.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak:
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a freedom fighter and is known for
his quote "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!".
• He helped in the formation of the All India Home Rule League.
• He was conferred with the title of "Lokmanya".
• Mahatma Gandhi called him "The Maker of Modern India".
DURAND CUP
The Trophy tour of the 132nd edition of Durand Cup was
flagged off by the Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj
Pande and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
About:
• Background: Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third
oldest football tournament. It was started in Shimla in 1888 by Sir
Henry Mortimer Durand (known for negotiating the Durand Line).
• Format: It is an annual domestic football competition in which
top Indian football clubs from across the country participate.
• Governance: It is Organized by the Indian Armed Forces in
association with the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
• Trophies: The Durand Cup tournament is unique where in the
winning team is awarded three trophies, i.e.
 the Durand Cup (a rolling trophy and the original prize),
 the Shimla Trophy (also a rolling trophy and first given by
the residents of Shimla in 1904) and
 the President's Cup (for permanent keep, first presented
by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, in 1956).
Durand Line:
• Location: The Durand Line forms
the a 2,670-km long international
land border between Afghanistan
and Pakistan. The western end of
the line runs to the border with Iran.
• Background: It was established
in 1893 as the international
border between British India
and the Emirate of Afghanistan
by Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat of the Indian Civil
Service, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the Afghan Emir.

• Dispute: Afghanistan disputes it as the Durand Line cuts
through the Pashtun tribal areas and further south through
the Balochistan region, politically dividing ethnic Pashtuns,
as well as the Baloch and other ethnic groups, who live on
both sides of the border.
SCHEME FOR EXPANSION AND
MODERNIZATION OF FIRE SERVICES IN THE
STATES
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has launched a “Scheme
for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the
States”.
About:
• Background: The Scheme finds its origin from the
recommendation of the Fifteenth Finance Commission which
allows an allocation of 12.5 percent of each of the National
Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response
Fund (SDRF) for the Funding Window of Preparedness and
Capacity Building.
• Objective: To expand and modernize Fire Services in the
States.
• Aim: Several key initiatives are being taken to ensure ‘zero
death’ and minimum loss of property during disasters by
strengthening the disaster risk reduction system in India to
make it disaster resilient.
Funding:
• Out of the total National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)
corpus, an amount of Rs. 5,000 Crore was earmarked for
priority "Expanding and Modernization of Fire Services".
• For seeking funds for the projects/proposals under the
Scheme, the concerned State Governments shall have to
contribute 25% (except for the North-Eastern and Himalayan
(NEH) States which shall contribute 10%) of total cost of such
projects / proposals from their budgetary resources.
BAHUBALI CATTLE FENCE
The National Highway Authority of India has adopted the
Bahubali cattle fence to prevent cattle entry onto highways.
About:
• The fence will be 1.20 meters high and will be installed on
section 23 of NH-30 as a comprehensive solution.
• Material: The cattle fence constructed using a bamboo crash
barrier known as Kooch Kawach. The bamboo is treated with
creosote oil and coated withHigh Density Polyethylene(HDPE)
to provide strength.
In-Shorts | Miscellaneous Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023
Significance:
• It offers a fully effective and environmentally friendly solution,
making it a stronger alternative to steel.
• The fence has a fire rating of Class 1, ensuring safety, and
aligns with the principles of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which
aims to make all highways sustainable and minimize harm to
wildlife and cattle.
NATIONAL BROADCASTING DAY 2023
July 23 marked the National Broadcasting Day in India.
About:
• All India Radio is India's Public Service Broadcaster, the Radio
vertical of Prasar Bharati having the motto – ‘Bahujan Hitaya :
Bahujan Sukhaya’.
• Recently, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B)
has decided to enforce a provision of the law by which the radio
vertical of Prasar Bharati will now be called only Akashvani.
Background:
• The Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) came into being on
July 23, 1927.
• The famous Akashvani tune was composed by Indian Jewish
refugee Walter Kauffman in 1930.
• In 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service became All
India Radio (AIR).
• The AIR came under the purview of the Department of
Information and Broadcasting in British India in 1941.
• In 1957 the Vividh Bharati Services started.
• All India Radio (AIR) has been officially known since 1956
as 'Akashvani'. The name Akashvani (voice or announcement
from the skies) was formally adopted by the national
broadcaster in 1956. The name was derived from a poem of
the same name by Rabindranath Tagore in 1938.
Organizational Structure:
• The Directorate General, All India Radio functions under
Prasar Bharati.
 Prasar Bharati is a statutory autonomous body established
under the Prasar Bharati Act and came into existence in 1997.
 It is the Public Service Broadcaster of the country under the
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
• Three-tier Broadcasting System: AIR has a three-tier system
of broadcasting. These three levels of programmes are the
National, Regional and Local each having distinct audiences.
• Today, Akashvani is one of the world’s largest networks.
Its programmes from the External Services Division are
broadcast in 11 Indian and 16 foreign languages, reaching
more than 100 countries.
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 Current Affairs In-Shorts | Miscellaneous
Edition: August 2023
DATA RECAP
• Atomic Minerals: They are defined in the Mines and Minerals
(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. These include:
(i) rare earth minerals containing uranium or thorium, (ii)
pitchblende and uranium ores, and (iii) uriniferous allanite,
monazite, and other thorium minerals.
• Coking Coal: Metallurgical coal is also known as met coal
and coking coal. Domestic raw Coking Coal production is
projected to reach 140 MT by 2030, yielding about 48 MT of
usable Coking Coal after washing.
• Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI: It measures combined and
individual performance of production of eight core industries
viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products,
Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity. The Eight Core
Industries comprise 40.27 percent of the weight of items
included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• India’s External Debt: India’s external debt at end-March 2023
rose by $5.6 billion to $624.7 billion from the year-earlier
period but the external debt-to-GDP ratio slid to 18.9% at end-
March from 20% a year earlier.
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: It is a financing facility
launched in 2020 for farm-gate infrastructure for farmers.
Under this scheme, Rs 1 lakh crore is to be disbursed by the
financial year 2025-26 and the interest subvention and credit
guarantee assistance will be given till the year 2032-33.
• Henley Passport Index: The index includes 199 different
passports and 227 different travel destinations. The Index is
brought out by Henley and Partners.
• Jenin: It is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is situated at
the foot of the Jabal Nablus hills of the West Bank and along
the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): It was founded in
1949 and is a group of 31 countries from Europe and North
America.
• Indian Coast Guard (ICG): It was established in 1977 by the
Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India. The Ministry
of Defence is its Parent Agency. Headquarters in New Delhi.
• Project-75: It includes the indigenous construction of six
diesel electric attack submarines of Scorpene class. Under
the project INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS
Vela were commissioned between 2017 and 2021. The fifth
submarine, INS Vagir, was commissioned recently. The sixth
submarine Vagsheer has begun its sea trials.
118
• National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC): It
was established in 1994 as an autonomous institution of the
University Grants Commission (UGC) with its Headquarters
in Bengaluru.
• National Commission for Women (NCW): It was set up as
statutory body in 1992 under the National Commission for
Women Act, 1990.
• Enforcement Directorate (ED): The Directorate of Enforcement
or the ED is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with
investigation of economic crimes and violations of foreign
exchange laws. In 1960, the administrative control of the
Directorate was transferred from the Department of Economic
Affairs to the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance,
Government of India.
• Zanzibar: It is an archipelago off the coast of east Africa that
united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of
Tanzania. It is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.
• Manual Scavenging in India: According to data from the
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, in the past 29
years (1993-2022), a total of 989 members died in various
parts of the country while cleaning underground sewage
tanks.
• United Nations Development Programme(UNDP): It is a
United Nations agency tasked with helping countries
eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic
growth and human development. It was established in
1965.
• Child Sex Ratio in India: The Child Sex Ratio (CSR) (number of
girls for every 1000 boys between the age group of 0-6 years)
in India with an all-time low of 918 in 2011, has declined from
976 in 1961. However, India’s sex ratio (females per 1,000
males) is expected to improve to 952 by 2036, up significantly
from 943 in 2011, according to the Women and Men in India
2022 report.
• Gibbons: Gibbons are the smallest and fastest of all apes.
The hoolock gibbon, unique to India's northeast, is one of 20
species of gibbons found in tropical and subtropical forests
in Southeast Asia.
• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): It was established
by an Act of Parliament, called the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India Act, 1997 to provide a fair and transparent
policy environment which promotes a level playing field and
facilitates fair competition.
 Current Affairs
Test Yourself
Test Yourself
Edition: August 2023

Objective Questions

Visit: www.nextias.com for monthly compilation of Current based MCQs

Subjective Questions
GS PAPER - I 10. What are the causes of Light Pollution? Examine the
effects of light pollution on coastal marine ecosystems.
1. Evaluate the ecological significance of Amazon
 (10 marks)
rainforests.What are challenges faced by the rainforests
in recent times? (10 marks) 11. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a
potential alternative to Lithium-ion batteries. What are
2. Discuss the causes and consequences of floods in
the key advantages and challenges associated with
India.What are the measures needed to prevent the
the SIBs? (15 marks)
floods in India? (15 marks)
12. What is Bharat New Car Assessment Programme?
GS PAPER – II
Discuss the need of the programme. (10 marks)
3. Discuss the major highlights of India- France relations.
13. Highlight the key provisions of the Digital Personal data
How have the relations evolved over time? (15 marks)
protection Bill.Examine the concern Regarding the Bill.
4. Manual Scavenging is a stark reflection of social  (10 marks)
inequality in India. Analyze the challenges associated
14. What are the objectives of Chandrayaan 3 mission ?
with eradicating manual scavenging in India. (15 marks)
How is the Chandrayaan 3 mission different from the
5. Evaluate the socio-economic challenges faced by Chandrayaan 2? (15 marks)
transgenders in India. What measures have been
15. Discuss the significance of India's lunar exploration
taken by the government to address these challenges?
programme in the context of space exploration and
 (15 marks)
scientific research. (15 marks)
6. Despite implementation of various initiatives, poverty
16. Were Luna 25 and Chandrayaan 3 in a race? Examine
is still existing in India. Explain by giving the reasons.
the reasons for the failure of Luna 25 mission.
 (15 marks)
 (10 marks)
7. What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ?
17. What is Greenwashing? Why is it a concern for
Analyze the geopolitical consequences of the entry of
environmentalists across the globe? (10 marks)
Iran in the group? (10 marks)
18. Highlight the key provisions of the Anusandhan
8. What are the key provisions of the Biological Diversity
National Research Foundation Bill 2023. (10 marks)
Amendment Bill? Examine the concern Regarding the
Bill. (15 marks) 19. Define the term Ecocide.What are its implications on
Environment and Society? (10 marks)
GS PAPER – III
GS PAPER – IV
9. What are small Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)?
Discuss the advantages and potential applications 20. Recently the Union government has withdrawn the DNA
of SMRs in the context of India's energy needs. technology Bill 2019. Examine the ethical challenges
 (15 marks) associated with the Bill. (10 marks)

119
Current Affairs
Edition: August 2023

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