Monthly Compilation - Preamble IAS

Preamble IAS

OCTOBERMonthly Compilation

PREAMBLE IAS

Colour codes 1. Recently In News2. Important For Prelims3. Important For Mains 4. Places In News And Map Study 5. Key Words

PREAMBLE IAS

01 OCTOBER

P r e a m b l e I A S

Research corrects ‘mistaken identity’ of cicada (Prelims)

What's in News?q A new species of cicada (cheevidu in

local parlance) has been described inthe Western Ghats in Kerala. Thediscovery, Pomponia pseudolinearisSadasivan 2021, is the result of anexpedition undertaken byentomologist Kalesh Sadasivan toSwargam Medu, a scenic hilltop inIdukki in 2019.



Detailsq The research, published in taxonomic studies’ journal Zootaxa,

noted the species to be a member of the Pomponia linearis (or P.linearis) species group. Despite being viewed as a discovery, thespecies is not a new entrant to the rich biodiversity of the Ghats.

Distinctive factorq The discovered species can be distinguished from the other

Pomponia species of the Western Ghats on the basis of theunique structure of the male genitalia.



q The divergent basal lobes of the pygofer (the last abdominalsegment) makes it stand apart from the other members of thespecies group.

q The author said the species is also common in homesteads, edgesof tea estates, coffee plantations and jungles of 500-1,200 melevation.

q “Such invertebrates call during the late afternoon from trees at aheight of around eight metres. Camouflaged against the greenmoss and dark bark of trees, the species engage in unmistakabledeafening calls until they are disturbed,”


Shedding light on annual migration of butterflies (GS-3)

What's in News?q At the onset of northeast monsoon, thousands of milkweed

butterflies begin their annual migration in southern India. Butnot much is known about this phenomenon.

q Now, the Ferns Nature Conservation Society(FNCS), an NGObased in Wayanad(Kerala), has come out with some interestingfindings on the journey of the winged beauties through a citizenscience project.



Detailsq The NGO has found that six species of milkweed butterflies,

including Dark Blue Tiger, Blue Tiger, Common Crow, Double-branded Crow, Striped Tiger, and Plain Tiger, begin theirecologically significant journey in October-November, with theonset of the northeast monsoon, from the plains to the Ghats,and in April-June, just before the advent of the southwestmonsoon, from the Ghats to the plains.




Monsoon may withdraw from next week (GS-1)

What's in News?q The monsoon is likely to begin withdrawing from the mainland

from October 6, said the India Meteorological Department as thecountry recorded an average of nearly 87 cm of rainfall acrosssubdivisions, just short of the nearly 88 cm it normally receivesduring the monsoon.

q The quantum of rainfall during the monsoon is counted as thatreceived between June 1 and September 30.



Detailsq The September rainfall, at 223 millimetres (mm), has been the

second highest since 1993 when it got 239 mm (40% abovenormal). In 2019, India recorded nearly 250 mm, or about 52%more than normal.

q Had it not been for the extraordinary rainfall last month, Indiacould very well have ended up with deficit rainfall. With aweakening of the rainfall that began in mid-July and lasted mostof August, the rainfall deficit in India had widened to nearly 24%.As of Thursday India has received 99% of its monsoon rainfall.



q At the start of the monsoon, the IMD had forecast rainfall in thefour months to be “above normal” or around 101% of the LongPeriod Average (88 cm). After a staggering deficit in August, thesecond rainiest month, it revised it to saying that this would be “atthe lower end of normal” without specifying a fresh number.



Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) q It is national meteorological service of the country and chief

government agency dealing in everything related to meteorology,seismology and associated subjects.

q It was formed in 1875.q It functions under Ministry of Earth Sciences.q It is headquartered in New Delhi.


Paddy procurement delayed in Punjab (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Centre has postponed procurement of paddy in Punjab and

Haryana to October 11, due to recent heavy rainfall, the FoodMinistry said on Thursday.



q The original procurement date of paddy at minimum supportprices (MSP) for the 2021-2022 kharif marketing season wasOctober 1 in Punjab. It was officially due to have started onSeptember 25 in Haryana.

q “Due to recent heavy downpour in the States of Punjab andHaryana, the maturity of paddy has been delayed and themoisture content in the fresh arrival at present is beyond thepermissible limit,” the Food Ministry said in a letter to both Stategovernments, citing information from the Food Corporation ofIndia.



Agriculture Season in Indiaq The agricultural crop year in India is from July to June.q The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons-(i)

Kharif and (ii) Rabi based on the monsoon.q The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the

south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is fromOctober-March (winter). The crops grown between March andJune are summer crops.



Kharif cropsq Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different

parts of the country and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops grown during this season are paddy,maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute,groundnut and soyabean.

q Some of the most important rice-growing regions are Assam,West Bengal, coastal regions of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh,Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra, particularly the(Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.





Minimum Support Price (MSP) systemq It is a system of agriculture in India, in which government

declares the purchase price of certain crops and guaranteesthem in case the farmer is unable to garner such prices in theopen market.

q It is fixed by the centre based on the recommendations ofthe Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) which isa statutory body. CACP submits two separate reports for Kharifand rabi seasons and based on these, centre fixes MSPs twice ayear.



The objectives of introducing the MSP system are:q To provide price support to the farmersq To procure the food grains for the public distribution system

(PDS)q To build a buffer of the food grains for ensuring the stability of

prices in cases of scarcity induced due to a natural or man-madecalamity.



The Centre currently fixes MSPs for 23 farm commoditiesq 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley),q 5 pulses (chana, arhar/tur, urad, moong and masur),q 7 oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower,

sesamum, safflower and nigerseed) andq 4 commercial crops (cotton, sugarcane, copra and raw jute).


Urban missions to get big outlay (GS-3)

What's in News?q The revamped versions of the Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban

(SBM-U) and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and UrbanTransformation (AMRUT) that Prime Minister Narendra Modiwill launch on Friday would include convergence with thecorresponding missions for rural areas and outcome- basedfunding for cities, top Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs(MHUA) officials said on Thursday.



Detailsq The SBM-U 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 aim at “saturation”, while the first

five-year iterations of the schemes launched in 2014 and 2015respectively focused on “transformation”, a senior MHUA officialsaid.

q While SBM-U focused on construction of toilets and making ci-ties open defecation-free (ODF), SBM-U 2.0 would aim to makethe facilities better, reclaim all landfills and take processing ofmunicipal solid waste to 100% from the present 70%, the officialsaid.



q Similarly, AMRUT 2.0 would aim to provide universal coverage ofwater supply to all 4,378 statutory towns, an increase from thegoal of covering 500 cities under AMRUT.

q According to the Ministry’s data, 66.86 lakh individual householdtoilets and 6.40 lakh seats in community toilets had beenconstructed under SBM-U. While 4,371 cities had been declaredopen defecation- free, 4,316 of them had been certified so far.



Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 1.0q Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), it is under the Ministry of Urban

Development and is commissioned to give sanitation andhousehold toilet facilities in all 4041 statutory towns with acombined population of 377 million.

q The estimated cost is Rs 62,009 crore over five years with thecentre’s share of assistance being Rs 14,623 crore.

q The Mission hopes to cover 1.04 crore households, give 2.5 lakhcommunity toilet seats, 2.6 lakh public toilet seats

q It also proposes to establish solid waste management facilitiesin every town.



Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0q The government in the Union Budget 2021 allocated Rs 1,41,678

crores for the Swachh Bharat Mission (U) 2.0.q The components of SBM-Urban 2.0 are:ü New component – Wastewater treatment, including faecal

sludge management in all ULBs with less than 1 lakh populationü Sustainable sanitation (construction of toilets)ü Solid Waste Managementü Information, Education and Communication, andü Capacity building



Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformationq It was launched in June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and

Urban Affairs.Aimsq To ensure that every household has access to a tap with the

assured supply of water and a sewerage connection.q To increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery

and well maintained open spaces like parks.q To reduce pollution by switching to public transport or

constructing facilities for non-motorized transport.



q Indicators and standards have been prescribed by the Ministry inthe form of Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs).

q It has a total outlay of Rs. 50,000 crores for five years (2015-16 to2019-20).

q In 2019, the Ministry extended it till March 2022.


More time to renew FCRA registration (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the deadline

till December 31 for NGOs to apply for renewal of their ForeignContribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration certificates.



q The registration is mandatory for associations and NGOs toreceive foreign funds. The Ministry had earlier given a relief up toSeptember 30 to NGOs whose registration was expiring betweenSeptember 29, 2020 and September 30, 2021.

q The latest order says the deadline for NGOs certificates orregistration expiring between September 29, 2020 and December31, 2021 could apply for renewal till December 31, 2021.

q The certificates of around 80% of NGOs are expected to expire onOctober 31 and as per norms they have to apply at least sixmonths before the expiry of registration.



Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010q Foreign funding of persons in India is regulated under FCRA act

and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.q Individuals are permitted to accept foreign contributions without

permission of MHA. However, the monetary limit for acceptanceof such foreign contributions shall be less than Rs. 25,000.

q The Act ensures that the recipients of foreign contributionsadhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution hasbeen obtained.

q Under the Act, organisations are required to register themselvesevery five years.


India, Australia to conclude free trade pact by end 2022: Tehan(GS-2)

What's in News?q India and Australia agreed on Thursday to conclude a Free

Trade Agreement (FTA) by end 2022, with an interim agreementthat will be finalised by this Christmas, said Australian Ministerfor Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan after meetingCommerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.


India, Australia to conclude free trade pact by end 2022: Tehan(GS-2)

Detailsq “The economic partnership will cover trade in services and

goods, investments and we will begin discussing governmentprocurement, energy and resources, logistics and transport,standards, rules of origin,” Mr. Tehan said at a joint briefing.

q “This is an extraordinarily ambitious and a big day for theeconomic partnership between India and Australia,” he asserted,adding that the bilateral trade could double from the currentlevel of A$26 billion once a full-fledged FTA is in place.


Core sector grew 11.6% in August (GS-3)

What's in News?q India’s core sector output accelerated for a second straight

month in August, rising 11.6%, buoyed in part by the year-earlier month’s 6.9% contraction. Four of the eight sectorsregistered strong double-digit growth, even as output offertilizers and crude oil declined.

q The output was also 3.9% higher than the pre-COVID August2019 level, quicker than July’s 1.6% increase from thecomparable pre- pandemic month of 2019.



Detailsq Cement production jumped 36% as compared with a 14.5%

contraction in August 2020, while coal and natural gas registereda similar 20.6% surge.

q Electricity and refinery products expanded by 15.3% and 9.1%,respectively, and steel output grew 5.1%, data from the Office ofEconomic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry andInternal Trade showed. Core sector output had expanded 9.9% inJuly and 9.3% in June



Core Sector Industriesq The eight-core sector industries include coal, crude oil, natural

gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricityq The eight Core Industries in decreasing order of their weightage:

Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> NaturalGas> Cement> Fertilizers.

q The eight core industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of itemsincluded in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

q These core industries are considered as main or key industries ofthe economy and serve as the backbone of all other industries.



Index of Industrial Productionq It is an index that tracks manufacturing activity in different

sectors of an economy.q All India IIP is a composite indicator that measures the short-

term changes in the volume of production of a basket ofindustrial products during a given period.

q It is compiled and published monthly by the Central StatisticsOffice (CSO).


Hidden debt rising for partners of China’s BRI plan (GS-2)

What's in News?q A new study has found under-reported debts to the tune of

$385 billion in projects carried out in dozens of countries underChina’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with a rise in “hidden” debton account of an increasing number of deals struck not directlybetween governments but structured through often opaquearrangements with a range of financing institutions.



q The study by AidData, a development research lab at the Collegeof William & Mary in the U.S., found that “Chinese debt burdensare substantially larger than research institutions, credit ratingagencies, or intergovernmental organisations with surveillanceresponsibilities previously understood” and “42 countries now havelevels of public debt exposure to China in excess of 10% of GDP.”

q The total debt, the study added, was “systematically under-reported to the World Bank’s Debtor Reporting System (DRS)because, in many cases, central government institutions in LMICs[low and middle income countries] are not the primary borrowersresponsible for repayment”.



q It estimated that the average government “is under-reporting itsactual and potential repayment obligations to China by an amountthat is equivalent to 5.8% of its GDP” and “collectively, theseunder-reported debts are worth approximately $385 billion.”

q The report studied 13,427 projects across 165 countries worth$843 billion, in the time period from 2000 to 2017, and examinedhow President Xi Jinping’s BRI plan, launched in 2013, haschanged China’s overseas lending.



Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)q The Belt and Road Initiative, reminiscent of the Silk Road, is a

massive infrastructure project that would stretch from East Asiato Europe.

q It was launched in 2013.q The plan is two-pronged: the overland Silk Road Economic

Belt and the Maritime Silk Road- The two were collectivelyreferred to first as the One Belt, One Road initiative but eventuallybecame the Belt and Road Initiative.

q The project involves creating a vast network of railways, energypipelines, highways, and streamlined border crossings.



What was the original Silk Road?q The original Silk Road arose during the westward expansion of

China’s Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), which forged tradenetworks throughout the Central Asian countries, as well asmodern-day India and Pakistan to the south. Those routesextended more than four thousand miles to Europe.



India’s viewsq India has tried to convince countries that the BRI is a plan to

dominate Asia, warning of what some analysts have called a“String of Pearls” geo economic strategy whereby Chinacreates unsustainable debt burdens for its Indian Oceanneighbors in order to seize control of regional choke points.

q In particular, New Delhi has long been unsettled by China’sdecades-long embrace of its traditional rival, Pakistan.



PREAMBLE IAS

02 OCTOBER


CJI for forming special panels to probe ‘atrocities’ by police (GS-2)

What's in News?q Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said he was in favour of

forming standing committees headed by the Chief Justices of theHigh Courts to investigate complaints received from thecommon man of “atrocities” committed by the bureaucracy,especially police officers.

q The CJI’s oral observation comes even as some police officers arein the spotlight for committing serious crimes.



Chief Justice of Indiaq The CJI is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of India as well as

the highest-ranking officer of the Indian federal judiciary.q The Constitution of India grants power to the President to

nominate, and with the advice and consent of the Parliament,appoint a chief justice, who serves until they reach the age of 65or until removed by impeachment.



Qualifications q The Indian Constitution says in Article 124 (3) that in order to be

appointed as a judge in the Supreme Court of India, the personhas to fit in the following criteria

q He/She is a citizen of India andq has been for at least five years a Judge of a High Court or of two

or more such Courts in succession; orq has been for at least ten years an advocate of a High Court or of

two or more such Courts in succession; orq is, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist


Renunciation of Indian citizenship now simpler (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has simplified the process

for Indians who want to renounce their citizenship. Provisionshave been made for applicants to upload documents online, withan upper limit of 60 days for the renunciation process to becompleted.

q Over 6.7 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship between 2015-19, the Lok Sabha was informed in February.



Detailsq In 2018, the MHA revised the Form XXII under the Citizenship

Rules for declaration of renunciation of citizenship, which for thefirst time included a column on “circumstances/reasons due towhich applicant intends to acquire foreign citizenship andrenounce Indian citizenship”.

q An official familiar with the subject said there was no suddensurge in the number of applications to renounce citizenship butthe online process has been initiated to check fraudulentdocuments and “reduce the compliance burden”.



Citizenshipq Citizenship is listed in the Union List under the Constitution and

thus is under the exclusive jurisdiction of Parliament.q The Constitution does not define the term ‘citizen’ but details of

various categories of persons who are entitled to citizenship aregiven in Part 2 (Articles 5 to 11).

q Unlike other provisions of the Constitution, which came into beingon January 26, 1950, these articles were enforced on November26, 1949 itself, when the Constitution was adopted.



Citizenship Act, 1955q Citizenship of India can be acquired in the following ways:

ü Citizenship by birthü Citizenship by descentü Citizenship by registrationü Citizenship by naturalizationü By incorporation of territory (by the Government of India)

q People who were domiciled in India as on 26th November 1949automatically became citizens of India by virtue of citizenship atthe commencement of the Constitution.



q Persons who were born in India on or after 26th January 1950but before 1st July 1987 are Indian citizens.

q A person born after 1st July 1987 is an Indian citizen if either ofthe parents was a citizen of India at the time of birth.

q Persons born after 3rd December 2004 are Indian citizens if bothparents are Indian citizens or if one parent is an Indian citizen andthe other is not an illegal migrant at the time of birth.

q Citizenship by birth is not applicable for children of foreigndiplomatic personnel and those of enemy aliens.



Termination of Indian Citizenshipq Renunciation: If any citizen of India who is also a national of

another country renounces his Indian citizenship through adeclaration in the prescribed manner, he ceases to be an Indiancitizen. When a male person ceases to be a citizen of India, everyminor child of his also ceases to be a citizen of India. However,such a child may within one year after attaining full age becomean Indian citizen by making a declaration of his intention toresume Indian citizenship.



q Termination: Indian citizenship can be terminated if a citizenknowingly or voluntarily adopts the citizenship of any foreigncountry.

q Deprivation: The government of India can deprive a person of hiscitizenship in some cases. But this is not applicable for all citizens.

q It is applicable only in the case of citizens who have acquired thecitizenship by registration, naturalization, or only by Article 5Clause (c) (which is citizenship at commencement for a domicile inIndia and who has ordinarily been a resident of India for not lessthan 5 years immediately preceding the commencement of theConstitution).



Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019q The amendment proposes to permit members of six communities

— Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians fromPakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — to continue to live inIndia if they entered India before December 14, 2014.

q It also reduces the requirement for citizenship from 11 years tojust 6 years.

q Two notifications also exempted these migrants from the PassportAct and Foreigners Act.



q A large number of organisations in Assam protested against thisBill as it may grant citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindu illegalmigrants.

q The justification given for the bill is that Hindus and Buddhistsare minorities in Bangladesh, and fled to India to avoid religiouspersecution, but Muslims are a majority in Bangladesh and so thesame cannot be said about them.


Shringla begins four-day visit to Sri Lanka today (GS-2)

What's in News?q Assessing progress on a number of infrastructure and energy

projects, and Sri Lanka’s need for economic assistance, will be atthe top of the agenda as Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla arrivesin Colombo on Saturday for a four-day visit to Sri Lanka.



Detailsq The visit is being seen as an attempt to reset ties that have been

under a strain over the Sri Lankan decision to cancel an MoUwith India and Japan for Colombo’s East Container Terminal, andslow progress in a number of other proposals, including theTrincomalee oil farms, the Sampur power project (which is beingconverted to a solar project), and the development of thenorthern part of the island nation.



q In particular, New Delhi has been concerned by the perceptionthat while Indian projects have taken inordinately long to becleared, projects helmed by China have been cleared even duringthe pandemic, as with the Sri Lankan government’s Parliamentvote to facilitate the $1.4 billion China-backed Colombo Port Citydevelopment in May this year.

q However, sources said that the Modi government is satisfied thatIndia has a place in the Colombo port with President Gotabayaoffering the West Coast Terminal to Adani Ports, for which anagreement was signed on Thursday.



Colombo Port City Projectq The project was launched in September 2014 by Chinese

President Xi Jinping during a visit to the island nation under theMahinda Rajapaksa administration’s second term.

q After President Mahinda Rajapaksa was ousted in January 2015,the successor “national unity” government of Maithripala Sirisenaand Ranil Wickremesinghe went ahead with the project afterbriefly halting it.

q On returning to power in November 2019, the Rajapaksas vowedto expedite the project. The Sri Lankan government says theproject will bring in around 83,000 jobs and $15 billion initially.



India’s Standq India had lodged a strong protest with the Sri Lankan government

on the contract to the Chinese company.q In 2018, India voiced concern over China’s USD 300 million

housing project for war-affected areas, accusing the ResettlementMinistry [of the former government] of holding an “opaque”bidding process.

q The project was eventually dropped.




Blood pressure, cholesterol control key for Type 1 diabetes (GS-2)

What's in News?q Good control of not only blood sugar but also blood pressure

and cholesterol is essential for survival and a good quality of lifeamong Type 1 diabetes (T1D), according to a pan-India study oflong-term survivors with the condition.

q A first-of-its kind report of long-term survivors of T1D from India,a multi-centre study was published in the peer-reviewed journalDiabetes Technology and Therapeutics.



Detailsq Comparing survivors for over 40 years with people who did not

survive up to 40 years, the researchers found that “survivors hadbetter glycemic and blood pressure control, more favourable lipidprofiles and lower prevalence of complications compared to non-survivors”.

q India is home to more than 95,000 children with T1D, reportedto be the highest in the world, according to the 9thInternational Diabetes Federation Atlas, the study points out,but most reports on long term survival were from the U.S. andEurope and none from India.



Diabetesq Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic

disease that causes high blood sugar.q The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into our cells to

be stored or used for energy.q With diabetes, our body either doesn’t make enough insulin or

can’t effectively use the insulin it does make.q Untreated high blood sugar from diabetes can damage nerves,

eyes, kidneys, and other organs.



TypesType I diabetes: It is also known as juvenile diabetes (as it mostlyaffects children of age 14-16 years), this type occurs when the bodyfails to produce sufficient insulin. People with type I diabetes areinsulin-dependent, which means they must take artificial insulindaily to stay alive.Type 2 diabetes: It affects the way the body uses insulin. While thebody still makes insulin, unlike in type I, the cells in the body do notrespond to it as effectively as they once did.



ü The population with 45 and above age group is the mostaffected with it.

ü This is the most common type of diabetes and it has strong linkswith obesity.

q Gestational diabetes: This type occurs in women duringpregnancy when the body sometimes becomes less sensitive toinsulin. Gestational diabetes does not occur in all women andusually resolves after giving birth.


‘Ethanol production absorbed 2 MT of sugar’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q Almost two million tonnes (MT) of sugar were diverted for

ethanol production during the last sugar season (October 2020to September 2021), Sudhanshu Pandey, Food Secretary, said ata webinar on sugar output on Friday.

q During the current season, which started on Friday, about 3.5 MTof sugar are expected to be used for ethanol production in thecountry.


‘Ethanol production absorbed 2 MT of sugar’ (GS-3)

Ethanolq Ethanol can be produced from sugarcane, maize, wheat, etc

which are having high starch content.q In India, ethanol is mainly produced from sugarcane molasses by

fermentation process.q Ethanol can be mixed with gasoline to form different blends.q As the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, it allows the engine to

more completely combust the fuel, resulting in fewer emissionsand thereby reducing the occurrence of environmental pollution.

q Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power ofthe sun, ethanol is also considered as renewable fuel.


September PMI signals uptick in manufacturing expansion (GS-3)

What's in News?q Manufacturing activity expanded at a slightly improved pace in

September, IHS Markit’s survey-based Purchasing Managers’Index (PMI) signalled, even as raw material shortages and highfuel and transport costs intensified price pressures and pushedinput cost inflation to a five-month high.



Detailsq The index rose last month to 53.7, from August’s 52.3, marking

the third straight month of expansion, with consumer goodsshowing the highest growth in output and international salespicking up momentum.

q Business confidence also improved on expectations of increasedproduction in the year ahead, despite the pandemic. A PMIreading above 50 marks an expansion.



Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)q PMI or a Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an indicator of

business activity -- both in the manufacturing and servicessectors.

q It is a survey-based measures that asks the respondents aboutchanges in their perception of some key business variables fromthe month before.

q It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and servicessectors and then a composite index is constructed.

q The PMI is a number from 0 to 100.



How is the PMI derived?q The PMI is derived from a series of qualitative questions.q Executives from a reasonably big sample, running into hundreds

of firms, are asked whether key indicators such as output, neworders, business expectations and employment were strongerthan the month before and are asked to rate them.

PREAMBLE IAS

03 OCTOBER


7 out of 106 names suggested as HC judges cleared so far: CJI (GS-2)

What's in News?q Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Saturday said the

government had so far cleared seven of the 106 namesrecommended as High Court judges by the Supreme CourtCollegium since May.

q Of the nine new Chief Justices of various High Courts suggestedby the Collegium to the government from May, the latter hascleared one.



Detailsq “Since May, my team so far has recommended appointment of

106 Judges and nine new Chief Justices to various High Courts.The government has cleared seven names out of the 106 judgesand one out of the nine Chief Justices, so far. I expect that thegovernment will clear the rest of the names very soon,” ChiefJustice Ramana said.

q The CJI, however, remarked that Law Minister Kiren Rijiju hadagreed to process the rest of the names in a short while.



Collegium Systemq It is the system by which the judges are appointed and

transferred only by the judges.q This system is not formed by an Act of Parliament or by a

Constitutional provision. Instead, it is the system evolved by thejudgments of the Supreme Court.

q The SC collegium is headed by the CJI and comprises of fourother senior-most judges of the court.

q An HC collegium is led by its Chief Justice of High Court and fourother senior-most judges of that court.



q The names recommended for appointment by a High Courtcollegium reach the government only after approval by the CJIand the Supreme Court collegium.

q The government can return the recommended Judge forreconsideration by Collegium.

q If the collegium reiterates its recommendation then thegovernment is mandated to appoint a person.

q The system was introduced for strengthening and improving theappointment process.



Constitutional Provisions for Appointment of Judgesq Article 124(2) says: “Every Judge of the Supreme Court shall be

appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and sealafter consultation with such Judges of the Supreme Court and ofthe High Courts in the States as he may deem necessary.

q Article 217: “Every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed bythe President by warrant under his hand and seal afterconsultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of theState, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than theChief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court.”



What is the procedure followed by the Collegium?q The President of India appoints the CJI and the other SC judges.

As far as the CJI is concerned, the outgoing CJI recommends hissuccessor.

q In practice, it has been strictly by seniority ever since thesupersession controversy of the 1970s.

q The Union Law Minister forwards the recommendation to thePrime Minister who, in turn, advises the President.



q For other judges of the top court, the proposal is initiated by theCJI. The CJI consults the rest of the Collegium members, as wellas the senior-most judge of the court hailing from the High Courtto which the recommended person belongs.

q The consultees must record their opinions in writing and it shouldform part of the file. The Collegium sends the recommendation tothe Law Minister, who forwards it to the Prime Minister toadvise the President.



q The Chief Justice of High Courts is appointed as per the policy ofhaving Chief Justices from outside the respective States. TheCollegium takes the call on the elevation.

q High Court judges are recommended by a Collegium comprisingthe CJI and two senior-most judges.

q The proposal, however, is initiated by the Chief Justice of theHigh Court concerned in consultation with two senior-mostcolleagues.

q The recommendation is sent to the Chief Minister, who advisesthe Governor to send the proposal to the Union Law Minister.


Govt. notifies new rules to clear retro tax mess (GS-3)

What's in News?q Firms such as Cairn and Vodafone

disputing retrospective taxdemands in India will not onlyhave to withdraw all legalproceedings and waive all rightsto claim costs or attach Indianassets but also indemnify thegovernment on costs and liabilitiesfrom any action pursued by otherinterested parties in future.



Detailsq Setting the stage for a closure of the retrospective tax disputes

over indirect transfer of assets situated in India, the Uniongovernment late on October 1 notified new rules under theIncome Tax Act for specifying the process to be followed byaffected taxpayers to settle these long-brewing disputes.

q The Income-Tax (31st Amendment) Rules, 2021, introduce a newportion pertaining to ‘indirect transfer prior to May 28, 2012 ofassets situated in India’, and lay out the conditions and formatsfor undertakings to be submitted by all ‘interested parties’ tothe tax department in order to settle their tax disputes.



Retrospective Taxationq It allows a country to pass a rule on taxing certain products,

items or services and deals and charge companies from a timebehind the date on which the law is passed.

q Countries use this route to correct any anomalies in their taxationpolicies that have, in the past, allowed companies to takeadvantage of such loopholes.



q Retrospective Taxation hurts companies that had knowingly orunknowingly interpreted the tax rules differently.

q Apart from India, many countries including the USA, the UK, theNetherlands, Canada, Belgium, Australia and Italy haveretrospectively taxed companies.


Vikrant to sail out for Phase 2 trials (GS-3)

What's in News?q The maiden sea trials of the indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant

have progressed very well and the second phase of trials areexpected to begin by October-end, with the third phase plannedin December, a defence official said.

q “Vikrant is expected to be delivered to the Navy in April and likelyto be commissioned in August 2022,” the official said which wouldalso coincide with 75 years of Independence.



Detailsq Simultaneously, work is under way on the aviation complex of the

carrier for which a Russian team is here. The aviation trials willcontinue once the carrier is commissioned and they would bedone with the MiG-29K jet in service with the Navy, the officialsaid.

q Vikrant, designed by the Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design andbuilt by Cochin Shipyard Ltd., has more than 76% indigenouscontent. There are 14 decks, including five in the superstructureand over 2,300 compartments designed for a crew of around1,700 people, with separate accommodation for women officers.



INS Vikrantq INS Vikrant, is likely to be commissioned in 2022. At present, India

has only one aircraft carrier, the Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya.q Earlier, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved issuance

of Request for Proposal (RFP) for six advanced submarines forthe Indian Navy under Project-75I.

q The vessel, to be named Vikrant after the decommissionedmaiden carrier of the Navy.



q It will have an air component of 30 aircraft, comprising MiG-29Kfighter jets, Kamov-31 airborne early warning helicopters and thesoon-to-be-inducted MH-60R multi-role helicopter, besidesthe indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters.

q It is expected to have a top speed of 30 knots (approximately 55kmph) and is propelled by four gas turbines. Its endurance is7,500 nautical miles at 18 knots (32 kmph) speed.

q The shipborne weapons include Barak LR SAM and AK-630, whileit has MFSTAR and RAN-40L 3D radarsas sensors. The vessel hasa Shakti EW (Electronic Warfare) Suite.


Panel set up to implement Assam Accord (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Assam government on Saturday set up an eight- member

sub-committee to examine and prepare a framework for theimplementation of all clauses of the Assam Accord of 1985.



q “The Governor of Assam is pleased to constitute a sub-committee to examine and prepare a framework forimplementation of all clauses of Assam Accord in general withspecial emphasis on Clause 6 ,Clause 7, Clause 9 and Clause 10.”a notification issued by G.D. Tripathi, Commissioner-Secretary forthe Implementation of Assam Accord Department, said.

q The sub-committee has also been mandated to examine andprepare a framework for updating the National Register ofCitizens, issues of flood and erosion, rehabilitation of martyrs’families and victims of Assam Agitation besides the potential ofthe State’s all-round development.



What is NRC?q The NRC is the list of Indian citizens and was prepared in 1951,

following the census of 1951.q The process of NRC update was taken up in Assam as per a

Supreme Court order in 2013.q In order to wean out cases of illegal migration from Bangladesh

and other adjoining areas, NRC updation was carried out underThe Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in theAssam Accord.



NRC in Assamq The issue of its update assumed importance as Assam witnessed

large-scale illegal migration from erstwhile East Pakistan and,after 1971, from present-day Bangladesh.

q This led to the six-year-long Assam movement from 1979 to 1985,for deporting illegal migrants.

q The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) led the movement thatdemanded the updating of the NRC and the deportation of allillegal migrants who had entered Assam after 1951.

q The movement culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord in1985.



q It set March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for the deportation ofillegal migrants.

q Since the cut-off date prescribed under articles 5 and 6 of theConstitution was July 19, 1949 - to give force to the new date, anamendment was made to the Citizenship Act, 1955, and a newsection was introduced.

q It was made applicable only to Assam.q There had been intermittent demands from AASU and other

organisations in Assam for updating the NRC, an Assam basedNGO filed a petition at the Supreme Court.



q In December 2014, a division bench of the apex court orderedthat the NRC be updated in a time-bound manner.

q The NRC of 1951 and the Electoral Roll of 1971 (up to midnightof 24 March 1971) are together called Legacy Data. Persons andtheir descendants whose names appeared in these documentsare certified as Indian citizens.


‘5 cr. houses given water connections’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q Five crore households had been provided with water

connections since the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019,Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, adding that tapwater was now reaching every household in about 1.25 lakhvillages.

q He said today’s India had done more work on this front in justtwo years than what was done in seven decades.



Detailsq Speaking after interacting with gram panchayats and village

water and sanitation committees (VWSC) on the Jal JeevanMission, Mr. Modi said the mission was village- driven and itsvision was not The Jal Jeevan Mission is village-driven, the PMsaid.

q Just to make water accessible, but it was also a big movementtowards decentralisation. In an apparent dig at the previousCongress governments, Mr. Modi said those who had theresponsibility of policymaking for a long time had lived in anabundance of water.



Jal Jeevan Missionq It is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti which

aims to provide tap water connection to every rural householdby 2024.

q It was announced by the Prime Minister in 2019.q It will be based on a community approach to water and will

include extensive Information, Education and communication as akey component of the mission



q The programme will also implement source sustainabilitymeasures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reusethrough greywater management, water conservation, rainwaterharvesting.

qThe Mission is based on a community approach to water andincludes extensive Information, Education and Communication asa key component of the mission.

qJJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making iteveryone’s priority.


What are the concerns of digital health mission? (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched on

September 27, aims to give every citizen a unique digital healthID which involves their health records being digitally protectedand making health a “holistic and inclusive model”. Under themission, users can access and link personal records with theirunique ID to create a longitudinal health history.



q “The model will stress preventive healthcare and, in case ofdisease, easy, affordable and accessible treatment,” said theHealth Ministry. Inaugurating the mission, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi said it will not only simplify processes of hospitalsbut also increase ease of living.

How will it work?q In order to be a part of the ABDM, citizens will have to create a

unique health ID – a randomly generated 14-digit identificationnumber.



q The ID will give the user unique identification, authentication andwill be a repository of all health records of a person. The ID canalso be made by self-registration on the portal, downloading theABMD Health Records app on one’s mobile or at a participatinghealth facility.

q The beneficiary will also set up a Personal Health Records (PHR)address for the issue of consent, and for future sharing of healthrecords. The Ministry said the Digital Ecosystem will enable ahost of other facilities like digital consultation, consent ofpatients in letting medical practitioners access their records, andso forth.



q It’s also geared up to connect the digital health solutions ofhospitals across the country with each other. The nationwideimplementation of the digital health ID coincides with the thirdanniversary of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PM-JAY).

Where was the pilot project launched?q The pilot project was announced by the Prime Minister during his

Independence Day speech last year. So far, over 1 lakh uniquehealth IDs have been created across select Union Territories aspart of the pilot project.



q Now, the mission is looking at rolling out features that willsupport health ID creation with a PAN card or a driving licence.

q For those wanting ID creation through mobile or Aadhaar, thebeneficiary will be asked to share details of name, year of birth,gender, address, mobile number and Aadhaar.

q The government has also allowed use of one’s mobile number forregistration, if a person doesn’t have an Aadhaar card.



What about privacy issues?q The citizen’s consent is vital for all access. A beneficiary’s

consent is vital to ensure that information is released. Recordsare stored under retention policies and can be accessed only withthe consent of users, said the Health Ministry. Besides, users candelete and exit the service any time they want.

q The account could be reactivated after which the user can sharethe ID at any health facility or share health records over theABDM network.



q However, there are concerns according to experts. Dr. SudarshanBallal, chairman, Manipal Hospitals, said: “The introduction of aunique health identification card at the national level would be agame changer in monitoring, providing and managing healthcarefor all citizens. But we will have to wait and see theimplementation of the project while making sure that the privacyof an individual is maintained at all costs.”



What are some of the challenges?q “India has been unable to standardise the coverage and quality of

the existing digital cards like One Nation One Ration card, PM-JAYcard, Aadhaar card, etc., for accessibility of services andentitlements.

q The data migration and inter-State transfer are still faced withmultiple errors and shortcomings in addition to concerns of datasecurity. The defence of data security by expressed informedconsent doesn’t work in a country that is plagued by the acuteshortage of healthcare professionals to inform the client fully.



qWith the minuscule spending of 1.3% of the GDP on thehealthcare sector, India will be unable to ensure the quality anduniform access to healthcare that it hoped to bring about,” saidK.R. Antony, paediatrician and a public health professional whoserved UNICEF and the State Health Resource Centre,Chhattisgarh.

qMeanwhile, for private hospitals wanting to be part of the system,“the National Health Authority certifies and empanels theprivate hospital. It has to be given access, integrate and test itssoftware and get a nod from the NHA,” according to the HealthMinistry.


Why is the government against caste census? (GS-2)

What's in News?qIn an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on September 23, the

Union government has ruled out conducting a Socio-EconomicCaste Census (SECC), stating that a caste census (except that forthe Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes done traditionally)was unfeasible, “administratively difficult and cumbersome”.



qThe affidavit was in response to a writ petition by the Maharashtragovernment seeking directions to the Union government to collectdata on the Backward Class of Citizens (BCC) of rural India duringthe enumeration of the 2021 census.

qThe petition also wanted the Centre to disclose the raw castedata on other backward classes (OBCs) collected during SECC-2011.

qSeveral political parties, and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bihar ally,Janata Dal (United) led by Nitish Kumar, have urged the Centre toreconsider its decision.



What is the substance of the Centre’s affidavit?q The government’s affidavit covers three different aspects of the

caste census issue, as reflected in the writ petition. It first explainswhy it cannot make public the caste data collected under theSECC-2011.

q Then it argues that the judiciary cannot direct the government toconduct a caste census because it is a “policy decision” not to doso, and the judiciary cannot interfere with government policy.And finally, it elaborates on why it is neither practical noradministratively feasible to attempt a caste census.



What is the status of the data collected under the SECC-2011?q In its affidavit, the government acknowledges that the SECC-

2011’s caste data of 130 crore Indians have been with theMinistry of Social Justice and Empowerment for five years.

q Due to flaws in the data, it was decided to form an expertcommittee headed by the then Vice-Chairman of the NITI Aayog,Arvind Panagariya. But since other members of the committeewere not named, the committee never met, and as a result, noaction was taken on the raw data to collate it into publishablefindings.



Why won’t the government make raw data public?q The flaws in the data stem primarily from the fact that no registry

of castes was prepared before conducting the 2011 caste census.This resulted in mistakes by enumerators, who spelt the samecaste in dozens of different ways.

qWith no consistent way to aggregate or segregate same or similarcastes with variant spellings, the number of caste categoriesballooned. In Maharashtra, for instance, the existing SC, ST andOBC categories, as per government records, are only 494. Butthe 2011 caste census yielded 4,28,677 castes.



q While the State’s population was 10.3 crore, about 1.17 crore(more than 11%) were found to be of ‘no caste’. Also, 99% of thecastes enumerated had a population of less than 100 persons. Atthe national level, whereas the total number of castes as per thelast caste census of 1931 was 4,147, the SECC-2011 showed thepresence of 46 lakh different castes.

q Since the total number cannot be “exponentially high to thisextent”, the government has said this entire data set is flawedand the census unreliable, rendering it unusable for the purposesof reservations and policy. For these reasons, it has refused tomake public even the raw caste data of the SECC-2011.



Why will castes not be counted along with the regular 2021census?q The government has cited numerous administrative, operational

and logistical reasons to argue that collecting caste data duringthe 2021 census — postponed to next year due to COVID-19 — isunfeasible and attempting it could endanger the census exerciseitself.

q It begins by pointing to the difference in caste categoriesaccording to different lists. While the Central list contained 2,479OBC castes, there were 3,150 OBC castes as per the lists of allthe States and Union Territories taken together.



q If a caste-related question is included, it would “return thousandsof castes as the people use their clan/gotra, sub-caste and castenames interchangeably”. Since enumerators are part-timers with6-7 days of training and “not an investigator or verifier”, theaffidavit states, “it would be difficult to meaningfully tabulate andclassify caste returns.”

q Secondly, the preparatory work for a census starts three to fouryears earlier. As for the census, the questionnaires have alreadybeen finalised and field-tested. It is, therefore, not possible to addadditional questions about caste now.



q Third, unlike in the case of the SCs and the STs, there is noconstitutional mandate for the Registrar-General and CensusCommissioner, India, to provide the census figures of the OBCsand the BCCs. And lastly, it has cited the 2014 Supreme Courtjudgment setting aside two orders of the Madras High Courtdirecting the Centre to conduct a caste census.

What are the arguments of those demanding a caste census?q Political parties batting for the caste census cite the need for

caste-wise data to justify the extension of reservations to variouscommunities.



q On the other hand, there is also a large body of scholarly work,done by sociologists, political scientists and historians, whichbypass the welfare argument to assert that India’s fundamentalmistake in its battle to overcome caste was not doing a castecensus.

q According to these scholars, formal blindness to caste in a casteistsociety results in a denial of the web of caste-based privilegesthat continue to funnel opportunities to those at the top of thecaste hierarchy. They point out that while the very term ‘caste’has come to be associated with ‘lower castes’, the SCs or theOBCs, the upper castes tend to appear “casteless”.



q They argue that in order to abolish caste, it is essential to firstabolish caste-derived privileges, and in order to do that, the statemust first map castes and their socio-economic statusprivileges/deprivations, which is what a caste census seeks to do.

Does a caste census enumerate only the OBCs or all castes?q The 2011 caste census collected data on all castes, and not just of

the OBCs. Though the demands of the OBC-dominated politicalparties typically focus on expanding the socio-economic mappingof the census from the SCs and the STs to include the OBCcastes, they want the caste census to cover the upper castes aswell.



What next?q Opposition parties have criticised the government’s stand, with

three Chief Ministers – Bihar’s Nitish Kumar, Jharkhand’s HemantSoren, and Odisha’s Naveen Patnaik — reiterating their supportfor the caste census. The BJP does not want to be seen asopposing the caste census.

q So the Opposition, especially the regional caste-based parties, canbe expected to keep reiterating their demands for a caste census,which has, in the electoral context, become inextricably mixed upwith the question of OBC entitlements.


Toxic firecrackers (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Supreme Court on September 29, 2021 observed that six

major fireworks manufacturers had violated orders requiringthem not to use prohibited chemicals such as Barium salts andto label the firecrackers in compliance with the law.

q In a warning to the manufacturers, the court felt that it had totake a balanced view of the production and use of firecrackers,because so much of it was being burst, and people could not beallowed to suffer and die from pollution.



q It directed the Environment Ministry to serve a copy of an inquiryreport of the CBI, which found violations after conducting acourt-ordered probe. The case has been posted for October 6.

What did the Supreme Court rule three years ago?q Three years ago, the court ruled out a full ban on firecrackers

and issued orders stipulating that only reduced emission andgreen crackers be allowed, with tight restrictions on timingswhen they could be burst.



q The latest orders, in continuation of others, relate to a petitionArjun Gopal and Others vs Union of India and Others filed onbehalf of three children in 2015, seeking measures to mitigate airpollution and asserting their right to clean air under Article 21 ofthe Constitution.

What is the controversy?q Firecrackers use fuel and oxidisers to produce a combustion

reaction, and the resulting explosion spreads the material in asuperheated state. The metal salts in the explosive mix get‘excited’ and emit light.



q In an explanatory article on ‘The chemistry behind fireworks’,University of Pennsylvania inorganic chemist Eric Schelter saysthe interaction between the firecracker fuel and the oxidiserreleases energy.

q Metals in the mix, which have a varying arrangement ofelectrons in shells outside their nucleus, produce differentwavelengths of light in this reaction, generating spectacularcolours. Barium compounds, for example, produce green lightand Strontium and Lithium salts, red. But as many studies show,the burning of firecrackers is an unusual and peak source ofpollution, made up of particles and gases.



q One study in Milan, Italy, quantified the increase in the levels ofseveral elements in the air in one hour as 120 times forStrontium, 22 times for Magnesium, 12 times for Barium, 11times for Potassium and six times for Copper.

q The Central Pollution Control Board conducted a study in Delhiin 2016, and found that the levels of Aluminium, Barium,Potassium, Sulphur, Iron and Strontium rose sharply onDeepavali night, from low to extremely high.



q For instance, Barium rose from 0.268 microgrammes per cubicmetre to 95.954 mcg/m3. Similar episodic spikes have beenrecorded in China and the U.K. Pollution from firecrackers affectsthe health of people and animals, and aggravates the alreadypoor ambient air quality in Indian cities.

q This has resulted in litigation calling for a total ban onfirecrackers, and court orders to restrict the type of chemicalsused as well as their volume. Many crackers also violate legallimits on sound.



Can green crackers make a difference?q The Central government says the Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research, through its National Environmental EngineeringResearch Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, has come out withfirecrackers that have “reduced emission light and sound” and 30%less particulate matter using Potassium Nitrate as oxidant.

q These crackers are named Safe Water Releaser , which minimisesPotassium Nitrate and Sulphur use, but matches the soundintensity of conventional crackers, Safe Minimal Aluminium , whereAluminium use is low and Safe Thermite Crackers with low Sulphurand Potassium Nitrate.



q These crackers are to be identified using unique QR codes toguide consumers. The Supreme Court had also previouslyordered that the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisationshould certify the composition of fireworks only after beingassured that they were not made of banned chemicals.

What is the state of the industry?q The petitioners argue that out of about 2,000 manufacturers,

only 120 had the capacity and inclination to work with the courtto green the crackers; the respondents, who are part of anindustry that seeks light regulation because it provides jobs tomany, must now present their case.



q Evidently, the new cracker formulations have not had manytakers. Firecrackers are not labelled with information on theperson responsible for legal compliance, as ordered by the court.

q At the recent hearing, the Supreme Court Bench of Justices M.R.Shah and A.S. Bopanna took on record the CBI report and notedthat there had been a “flagrant violation” of previous orders.

q It took note of the large volume of crackers burnt almost everyday and felt inclined to fix responsibility. “If liability is fixed on theCommissioner of Police, only then can this happen,” it remarked.

PREAMBLE IAS

04 OCTOBER


Gaming disorder increases during pandemic

What's in News?q Worried about the sudden behaviour changes in their teenager

insomnia, withdrawal from social contacts, academic failure, andextreme anger and irritability his parents took him to theNational Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences’(NIMHANS) aptly named SHUT clinic or the Service for HealthyUse of Technology.

q Their son was diagnosed with gaming addiction, a disorder that isquickly growing as the pandemic spurred an increased use ofInternet devices. “We used to get maybe two or three cases aweek.



Detailsq Now, we are seeing about 15 cases, almost all of whom are

adolescents brought in by their parents,” said SHUT cliniccoordinator Manoj Sharma, a clinical psychology professor atNIM- HANS.

q According to the All India Gaming Federation, India’s onlinegaming industry is expected to be worth ₹15,500 crore by 2023.

q A 2019 survey by the U.S.- based Limelight Networks found thatIndia had the second largest number of gamers after SouthKorea.



q The World Health Organization categorised gaming disorder as amental health condition in 2018. Last month, China limitedgamers under 18 years to just three hours of online games perweek, during specified times, and made the industry responsiblefor enforcing the restriction.

Legal moveq In India, legal focus has been on recent laws in the southern

States seeking to ban online games such as rummy, poker or evenfantasy sports which offer prize money or financial stakes.



q Last week, the Kerala High Court quashed such a law, acceptingthe industry’s stance that, as games of skill rather than chance,they should not trigger bans on gambling. However, worriedparents, psychiatrists and mental health advocates warn that thedangers go well beyond monetary motivations.


‘No info on 2018 plan to collect OBC data’ (GS-1/2)

What's in News?q The Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) has said that

deliberations and file notings regarding the Centre’sannouncement in 2018 to collect data on Other BackwardClasses (OBC) as part of Census 2021 is not available with it.

q The RGI, in its response to an Right to Information (RTI) queryfiled by The Hindu, added that data on castes, communities andOBCs, other than the notified Scheduled Castes and ScheduledTribes, are not collected in the Census.


‘No info on 2018 plan to collect OBC data’ (GS-1/2)

q On August 31, 2018, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced thatOBC data would be collected for the first time in the next Census.

q The first phase of 2021 Census, The House listing and HousingCensus, to be conducted along with an update of the NationalPopulation Register from April 1, 2020, has been postponed dueto the pandemic. The RGI, which works under the administrativecontrol of the MHA, conducts the decennial Census exercise.

Socio-Economic Caste Census SECC 2011 has been covered inPREAMBLE IAS September 2021 Monthly Current Affairshttps://t.me/preambleias/6343

https://t.me/preambleias/6343


NGRI proposes landslip warning system (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research -National

Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) has launched an‘Environmental Seismology’ group to develop a ‘Landslide andFlood Early Warning System’ for the Himalayan region based onreal-time monitoring with dense seismological networks,coupled with satellite data, numerical modelling andgeomorphic analysis.



Detailsq The need for such an early warning system was necessitated

following February’s rock- slide flood disaster in Chamoli(Uttarakhand), where a steep glacier on the Nandadevi peak inGarhwal Himalaya got detached, causing a major avalanche andinducing flash floods in the Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers.

q It killed several persons downstream and caused severe damageto two power plants. “We run a dense network of about 100seismograph stations in Uttarakhand in western Himalayas andthese events were well recorded,” he said.



A major playerq Since climate change was a major player in accelerating ice loss

through glacier melt and flash floods caused by glacier retreat,major efforts were needed to maintain the fragile ecosystem inthe multi-hazard prone Himalayan region.

q This also had important implications for the planning ofinfrastructural development of dams, power plants and otherprojects by governments, which were of great strategic andsocietal importance to the country, said the Director.



qWhile a seismic network designed for earthquake detection maynot be ideal for the monitoring of geomorphic events, anevaluation of the expected anthropogenic (man-made) andenvironmental noise levels should be carried out before locatingstations for geomorphic event detection.


British-era bungalow is home to Brahmaputra heritage centre (GS-1)

What's in News?q A British-era bungalow on a hillock that used to be the 17th

century military office of the Ahom rulers has been convertedinto a heritage centre depicting life along the Brahmaputra.

q Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday inaugurated theMahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre on Guwahati’sBarphukanar Tila, meaning Barphukan’s Hillock. A Scottish- typewooden bungalow standing since 1850 was renovated andconverted into the heritage centre.



Detailsq Barpukhan was a post equivalent to Governor General created

by Ahom king Pratap Simha or Susengpha (1603-1641).q The hillock by the Brahmaputra, mentioned in ancient scriptures

as Mandrachal, was from where Ahom General Lachit Barpukhanlaunched the Battle of Saraighat in March 1671 to inflict the mostcrushing defeat on the Mughals. Saraighat is regarded as the“greatest naval battle ever fought in a river”.



q Captain Archibald Bogle, posted as the Assistant Commissionerand Collector of Kamrup district in the 1850s, had the bungalowbuilt. Post-Independence, it continued to be the DeputyCommissioner’s Bungalow until 2011.

Significance of riversq “Standing as a grand tribute to the majestic river and capturing

its significance to the region, the Brahmaputra River HeritageCentre has been set up in a nearly 150- year-old bungalow afteran elaborate restoration,”


N. Korea threatens UN body after emergency meet (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q North Korea has warned the UN Security Council against

criticising the isolated country’s missile programme, in astatement on Sunday that included unspecified threats againstthe international body.

q During an emergency closed-door meeting of the top UN body onFriday, France circulated a proposed statement that expressesconcern over North Korea’s missile launches and calls on it tofully implement council resolutions that ban its ballistic missilefirings.



Six-month breakq After a six-month hiatus, North Korea resumed missile tests in

September, launching newly developed missiles, includingnuclear-capable weapons that place South Korea and Japanwithin their striking distances.

q The country still offered conditional talks with South Korea, inwhat some experts call an attempt to pressure Seoul to persuadeWashington to relax crippling economic sanctions on it. Undermultiple UN Security Council resolutions, North Korea is bannedfrom engaging in any ballistic missile activities as the countryaims to mount nuclear weapons on its ballistic missiles.




Why Delhi roads get flooded every monsoon? (GS-1)

Why does Delhi face urban flooding?q In Delhi’s case, flooding could be due to two reasons: floods in

the Yamuna or local rainfall. In 1978, Delhi had witnessed a flooddue to a rise in the Yamuna water level. But the annual urbanflooding we see is due to local rainfall.

q The run-off water (water left after being absorbed by the earth)from the local rainfall is supposed to drain into the Yamunathrough storm water drains. But due to a combination of reasons,including sewage flowing in storm water drains, it does notproperly drain into the Yamuna and leads to urban flooding.



q The drains were made decades ago to handle a particular amountof run-off water. Over the years, the paved area has increased dueto development. So, if earlier, a particular amount of rainfallgenerated 50% of run-off water and the rest was absorbed bythe earth, now the run-off water is about 90%.

Is Delhi’s natural topography a reason for urban flooding?q West Delhi is at a higher altitude and there is a slope towards

the Yamuna and this actually aids water to drain into theYamuna. If a city’s topography is flat, then it will be more prone tourban flooding.



q So, compared to Kolkata or Patna, Delhi is at an advantage interms of topography. But the part of the city east of the Yamuna isa low-lying area.

How did IIT Delhi start working on Delhi’s drainage master plan?q In 2012, I was heading the civil engineering department at IIT

Delhi and used to have meetings with the government ondifferent issues. It was during one such meeting that the thensecretary of the Irrigation Department of the Delhi governmenttold me that they were trying to get a drainage master plan madefor the city. The government had floated tenders and privatecompanies were asking for ₹10-₹11 crore.



qWe said that we could create a simulation model for the wholeDelhi. This would be a framework that the government couldupgrade and keep using. We submitted a proposal and agreed todo it for ₹80 lakh, which was less than 10% of what the privatecompanies had quoted.

What is the master plan and why is it needed?q A master plan is needed to study why flooding is happening even

with light rain and come up with a plan to fix it.



qWe used data provided by departments ranging from soil type,topography and land use to rainfall and existing storm waterdrain network to create a mathematical model (a software),which can generate solutions for waterlogging for the whole city.We generated four solutions for different drains — adjusting slopeof the existing drain, diverting water to existing water bodies,using additional storages, and other development works.

q These solutions considered the rainfall, slope of the drain, andmany other factors and were done with a bigger picture in mindto provide a comprehensive solution to the city, rather thanisolated ones.



q The model is a dynamic one and can be used to even assess theimpact even constructing new drains. The model will keep ongiving solutions as you change the different parameters. That isthe beauty of the model we have created.

The master plan was commissioned in 2012, but why did it getdelayed?q The government was supposed to give us data of the drains and

we were told that the data was digitised. But we were shockedwhen we saw the data. In the name of digitisation of drains, therewas only a line showing that a drain was passing through an area.



q The size, depth, slope etc., which are needed for analysis, werenot there. We immediately sought a meeting with the ChiefSecretary and said that nothing could be done with this data. Heunderstood the issue and directed 11 departments, under whosejurisdiction the drains fall, to provide us with data of the drains.These departments in turn engaged contractors to give the data.

When did you submit the report?qWe submitted the draft report in December 2016 and then the

departments kept correcting the data and we submitted it againin April 2017, May 2017, November 2017, and the final reportwas submitted in July 2018.



qWe mentioned in the report also that the data was not verified bythe departments. As part of the report, we gave themsuggestions to divert water coming to the drains by diggingrainwater harvesting pits in parks and diverting water to waterbodies. We also told them that we could help them with how toremove silt in drains and verify it. These were things that could bedone right away, but they didn’t do anything.

Was it implemented?q On August 1, 2018, we gave a presentation to Chief Minister

Arvind Kejriwal on the master plan.



q The CM asked different departments to implement therecommendations made in the report and we thought that theproject was over from our side. But nothing happened after that.

q A technical expert committee was formed in 2012 to be involvedwith us from the beginning on the project, but it had never metwith us. In 2019, suddenly, it met for the first time and it wasdecided that the departments should verify at least 10% of thedata.

q Again, the departments were not responding and after a lot ofpressure, in 2021, some departments said that of the 10% data,there was 50% error it took two years for this.



Can the master plan be implemented in the current form?q No, the study has to be reworked with validated data. The best

way forward will be to identify the perpetually flooded areas andidentify drainage networks belonging to those locations.

q The data of these networks should be verified on priority and therest can be taken step by step. Since we have provided them thecomplete modelling framework, the government should closethis phase and discuss the way forward as a separate project.



So, is the project over now?q No, the project is not concluded. After nine years, we haven’t

been given even one third of the agreed payment. Two monthsago, we had written to the government to end the currentproject, but there has been no reply.


Multi-pronged strategy to locate, capture tiger T23 alive (GS-3)

What's in News?q Drones, sniffer dogs and elite forest force were all put to work,

even as another day went by with the Forest Department nocloser to capturing the elusive tiger, T23, which remainedundetected for a seventh day.

q After closing the entire stretch between Masinagudi andTheppakadu to traffic, drones and forest personnel weredeployed to locate the tiger, which has killed two persons invillages bordering the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) andGudalur. The tiger is also suspected to be behind the deaths oftwo others, though this remains unproven.



Mudumalai Tiger Reserveq The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary also a

declared tiger reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the NilgiriHills in Nilgiri District, in Tamil Nadu, India.

q It shares its boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala.q It is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Wayanad

Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the West, Bandipur National Park(Karnataka) in the North, Mukurthi National Park and SilentValley in the South.



q The sanctuary is divided into five ranges – Masinagudi,Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota.

q The protected area is home to several endangered and vulnerablespecies including Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Malabar GiantSquirrel, gaur and Indian leopard.

q There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, includingcritically endangered Indian white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture.



PREAMBLE IAS

05 OCTOBER


Govt. moots changes to Forest Act (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Union Government has proposed absolving agencies

involved in national security projects and border infrastructureprojects from obtaining prior forest clearance from the Centre aspart of amendments to the existing Forest Conservation Act(FCA). The FCA, which first came in 1980 and was amended in1988, requires such permission.

q The proposed amendment is part of a larger rationalising ofexisting forest laws, the government has said. The document isopen to public discussion for 15 days after which it could bereadied for Cabinet and parliamentary approval.



q The proposed amendment is part of a larger rationalising ofexisting forest laws, the government has said. The document isopen to public discussion for 15 days after which it could bereadied for Cabinet and parliamentary approval.

q The Environment Ministry also proposes adding a clause to makeoffences under the modified Act punishable with simpleimprisonment for a period which may extend to one year andmake it cognisable and non-bailable. They also propose provisionsfor penal compensation to make good for the damage alreadydone.



Draft amendmentsq The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

has proposed several amendments to the Forest (Conservation)Act, 1980 (FCA).

ü They propose to grant exemptions to railways, roads, treeplantations, oil exploration, wildlife tourism and ‘strategic’projects in forests.

ü They seek to empower state governments to lease forest land toprivate individuals and corporations.



ü Amendments seek to complete the process of forest identificationin a time-bound manner.

ü They also propose to enable the creation of ‘no-go’ areas, wherespecific projects would not be allowed.

Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980q The FCA is the principal legislation that regulates deforestation

in the country.



q It prohibits the felling of forests for any “non-forestry” usewithout prior clearance by the central government.

q The clearance process includes seeking consent from local forestrights-holders and from wildlife authorities.

q The Centre is empowered to reject such requests or allow it withlegally binding conditions.


Citizen scientists list 71 odonate species (GS-3)

What's in News?q Around 80 volunteers from across Kerala, mostly students,

sacrificed their Sunday morning slumber and assumed the role ofcitizen scientists, scouring their backyard and neighbouringwetlands to observe Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies).

q Nature enthusiasts and senior citizens also contributed to theparticipatory project under the Regional BioBlitz organized byWWF India, Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) andThumbipuranam as part of the Dragonfly FestivalThumbimaholtsavam 2021.



400 entriesq The observations were uploaded on online platforms. There

were around 400 entries in the Facebook group “Dragonflies andDamselflies” maintained by SOS. A total of 71 species wereuploaded.

q The most common species observed were Neurothemis fulvia(Fulvous Forest Skimmer), Rhyothemis variegate (CommonPicturewing) and Orthetrum luzonicum (Marsh skimmer).Calocypha laidlawi (Myristica sapphire), Melanoneura bilineataand Idionyx gomantakensis (Goan shadow dancer) were the rareones observed.



q Kerala is rich with around 175 species of Dragonflies andDamselflies. Amongst this, 65 are endemic species.“Thumbimaholtsavam” 2021-22 will continue till February 2022and citizens are encouraged to explore and learn about theseless-known wonders of the natural world.


Telangana opposes A.P.’s water project plan (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Telangana Government has raised its concern over the plan

of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to enhance the scope of Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS-lift irrigation project), a surpluswater-based project taken up outside the Krishna Basin, bybuilding a new reservoir with irrigation potential of 23,000 acresas part of the HNSS phase-two.



Detailsq It has addressed a letter to the Krishna River Management Board

(KRMB) on Monday requesting the latter to restrain AndhraPradesh from constructing the new reservoir at Jilledubanda nearDharmavaram in Anantapur district with a storage capacity of 2.41tmc ft water drawn from Srisailam, in violation of the A.P.Reorganisation Act.



q Engineer-in-Chief (General-Irrigation) of Telangana C. Muralidharwrote to KRMB Chairman M.P. Singh that the Jilledubandareservoir is one of the new schemes taken up after bifurcationof combined Andhra Pradesh with a cost of ₹47,776 crore inviolation of the APRA, without the appraisal of the river boardand without the approval of the Apex Council.



Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi projectq Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project is the longest

water canal project in the region of Rayalaseema, AndhraPradesh, India. The project was conceived to provide areliable irrigation and drinking water supply for the regionthrough drawing flood waters from the Srisailam reservoir.

q The first phase of the canal begins at Malyala and irrigatessix lakh acres in four districts of Rayalaseema, while the secondphase provides irrigation facilities and drinking water for Chittoordistrict.



q This canal links the Handri, Penna, Chitravathi, Papagni,Mandavya, Bahuda, Cheyyeru, Gargeya, Vedavati, Palar andseveral smaller rivers in the Rayalaseema region.

q The canal is located in the Kurnool, Ananthapur, Kadapa, andChittoor districts.

q The canal feeds several reservoirs and water tanks in the region.More than 50 Tmcft of water is required to meet the region'sdrinking and irrigation water requirements.



Krishna River Management Boardq In exercise of the powers conferred under section 85 of the

Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, the CentralGovernment constituted KRMB forü the administration,ü regulation,ü maintenance andü operation of such projects,

as may be notified by the Central Government from time to time.



Krishna Riverq The Krishna is an east-flowing river.q Originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and merges with

the Bay of Bengalq Flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra

Pradesh.q Together with its tributaries, it forms a vast basin that covers 33%

of the total area of the four states.q The principal tributaries joining Krishna are the Ghataprabha, the

Malaprabha, the Bhima, the Tungabhadra and the Musi.



qMost of this basincomprises rolling andundulating country, except for thewestern border, which is formedby an unbroken line of theWestern Ghats.

q The important soil types found inthe basin are black soils, red soils,laterite and lateritic soils, alluvium,mixed soils, red and black soils andsaline and alkaline soils


Govt. promises probe into Pandora Papers (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Union Government has promised an investigation into the

revelations in the Pandora Papers, and assured appropriateaction in such cases as per law, the Finance Ministry said in astatement on Monday evening.

q Stating that only “a few Indians” had been named in the papersso far, the Ministry said investigations in cases of the PandoraPapers leaks appearing in the media would be monitored througha multi-agency group.



Detailsq “The government will also proactively engage with foreign

jurisdictions for obtaining information in respect of relevanttaxpayers and entities,” the Ministry said, adding that India waspart of an Inter-Governmental Group that ensured “collaborationand experience sharing to effectively address tax risksassociated with such leaks”.



q The multi-agency group headed by the Central Board of DirectTaxes Chairman, with representatives from the EnforcementDirectorate, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Reserve Bankof India, would keep a tab of the phased disclosures from thePandora Papers indicated by the International Consortium ofInvestigative Journalists (ICIJ) website, the Ministry said.



International Consortium of Investigative Journalistsq ICIJ is a United States based non-profit organization with a global

network of reporters and media organizations who worktogether to investigate the most important issues in the world.

q ICIJ has released several important investigations – including thePulitzer Prize-winning Panama Papers.

q ICIJ is fully funded by donations.q ICIJ encourages tips, leaks and story ideas from the public,

whistle-blowers, as well as from outstanding investigativejournalists.


Court seeks model builder-buyer pact (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q The Supreme Court on October 4 stepped in to protect

homebuyers from exploitation by builders who delay transfer ofpossession and often redraft delivery schedules.

q Justice Chandrachud said Mr. Upadhyay, in his petition, hadbrought to the fore a “very serious issue”. Hard earned savings ofordinary citizens who aspired to have their own homes were in-vested, but many families became penniless waiting for a roofover their heads that the builders had promised them.



Detailsq The petition said the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA)

Act of 2016 had hardly been implemented.q “Frame a model builder- buyer agreement and model agent-

buyer agreement to infuse transparency, ensure fair play, reducefrauds and deliberate delays, restrain builders/promoters/agentsfrom indulging into arbitrary, unfair and restrictive trade practicesand to protect the rights and interests of customers in the spiritof the RERA Act of 2016,” the petition said.



q The first provision mandated the establishment of a CentralAdvisory Council. The second Section said the Council wouldensure the implementation of the Act, drive major policychanges, assure that consumer interests were not thwarted bybuilders and promoters and craft the faster growth of the realestate sector.



Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016q The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 came

into force on May 1, 2016. The Central and state governmentsare liable to notify the Rules under the Act within a statutoryperiod of six months.

q Land, Rights over Land, Land Improvements – Fall under the‘State List’(Under 7th schedule) of the constitution.Regulating contracts and transfer of property – Fall under‘Concurrent List’ (Under 7th schedule) of the constitution. Theabove act deals with this.



What is RERA?q RERA, 2016 is a central legislation which aims to regulate the

real estate sector. It seeks to empower and protect propertyconsumers and make transactions fair and transparent.

q The RERA Act was enacted under Entry 6 and 7 (dealing withcontracts and the transfer of property) of the Concurrent List ofthe Constitution of India

q Enacted in enacted March 2016, RERA came into effect fromMay 2017



Key Provisions of Real Estate Regulation Act: Establishment of statelevel regulatory authorities- Real Estate Regulatory Authority(RERA)- the Act provides for State governments to establish morethan one regulatory authority Functions:q Register and maintain a database of real estate projects; publish

it on its website for public viewing,q Protection of interest of promoters, buyers and real estate agentsq development of sustainable and affordable housing,q Render advice to the government and ensuring compliance with

its Regulations and the Act


Drone-based vaccine delivery model launched (Prelims)

What's in News?q Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the ICMR’s drone

response and outreach in the north-east (i-Drone) here onMonday. The delivery model is aimed at ensuring that life-savingvaccines reach everyone.

q “This is for the first time that a ‘Make in India’ drone has beenused in South Asia to transport COVID vaccine over an aerialdistance of 15 km in 12-15 minutes from the Bishnupur districthospital to Loktak lake, Karang island in Manipur foradministration at the primary health centre.



q The actual road distance between these locations is 26 km. Today,10 beneficiaries will receive the first dose and eight will receivethe second dose at the primary health centre,’’ said the Minister.

q “India is home to geographical diversities and drones can be usedto deliver essentials to the last mile. We can use drones indelivering important life-saving medicines, collecting bloodsamples. This technology can also be used in critical situations. Itmay prove a game changer in addressing the challenges inhealth care delivery, particularly health supplies, in difficultareas.”



Karangq Karang, a small lake island in Manipur, in January 2017 became

India’s first cashless island.q The island was declared as the country’s first cashless island by

the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technologyunder its Digital India programme.

q At present, most of the families residing in Karang go for cashlesstransactions.

q Earlier in 2015, Akodara, a village in Gujarat, had attained theunique status to be India’s first digital village.



Karang Islandq The Karang Island is located in the middle of Loktak, the largest

freshwater lake in Northeast India.q It is located in Moirang of Bishnupur district, Manipur.q As per the Population Census 2011, Karang has population of

1859 of which 940 are males while 919 are females.q Average sex ratio of Karang is 978, which is lower than

Manipur’s average of 985.q It has a lower literacy rate compared to Manipur. In 2011,

literacy rate of Karang was 53.40 per cent compared to 76.94 percent of the state.


Need to double infra spending: Seth (GS-3)

What's in News?q India needs to double its infrastructure spending and the private

sector must step up and partner with the government, EconomicAffairs Secretary Ajay Seth said on Monday, adding that theministry was actively working on the Gati Shakti vision outlinedby the Prime Minister.



DetailsqMr. Seth said that work was apace on operationalising the ₹111

lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline supplemented by theNational Monetisation Plan that aims to raise ₹6 lakh crore. Thetwo programmes, he said, were being coupled with the GatiShakti vision so that there could be ‘seamless movement ofgoods, services and job opportunities’.



Gati Shakti Planq It is a 100 lakh crore national infrastructure master plan for

developing ‘holistic infrastructure and give an integrated pathwayto the Indian economy

q It will build upon the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP).qMultimodal connectivity of various economic hubs with roads,

ports and airports will be part of the Gati Shaktimasterplan, which will provide manufacturers faster access todomestic and international markets.



q It will ensure that various economic hubs are able to betterutilise the investments in the sector being done by thegovernment and private players.

Significanceq It will make manufacturing globally competitiveq It will result in new employment opportunities for lakhs of

youth.q It also raises possibilities of new future economic zones.



National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)q NIP is a first-of-its-kind initiative to provide world-class

infrastructure across the country and improve the quality of lifefor all citizens.

q It will improve project preparation, attract investments (bothdomestic & foreign) into infrastructure, and will be crucial forattaining the target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY2025.

q It covers both economic and social infrastructure projects– basedon the updated Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure.



q The NIP project database would be made available on the IndiaInvestment Grid (IIG).

q NIP started with 6,835 projects, which has now increased to8,156.

Significanceq It will provide a boost to the vision of an Atma Nirbhar

Bharat and the availability of NIP projects on IIG will ensure easyaccessibility to updated project information and attract investorsfor PPP projects.

q It will give stimulus to infrastructure projects which will createjobs, improve ease of living.



India Investment Grid (IIG)q It is an interactive and dynamic online platform that showcases

updated and real-time investment opportunities in the country.q It serves as the gateway to investments in India and is also widely

used by Indian missions and embassies across the world.q It allows investors to search a pan-India database for investment

opportunities across sectors and Track the progress of preferredprojects and indicate interest and Directly communicate withproject promoters.


Net oil importer India left with few options as price surges (GS-3)

What's in News?q As the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, India is

running out of options as the relentless surge in international oilprices make it imperative to pass them on to consumers, officialssaid Monday.

q India imports 85% of its crude oil needs and about half of itsnatural gas requirement. While the crude oil is turned into fuelssuch as petrol and diesel, gas is used as CNG in automobiles andfuel in factories.


Net oil importer India left with few options as price surges (GS-3)

Detailsq “International crude oil prices continue to remain high, providing

no respite to major oil importers such as India. (Internationalbench- mark) Brent oil future was quoting over $79 per barreltoday. A month ago it was less than $72,” a top governmentofficial involved in the decision making said.

q This has squeezed margins and forced passing on the rise toconsumers in the form of a hike in petrol and diesel prices. “Withno respite from surging international prices, OMCs have started toincrease the retail selling price of petrol and diesel,” the officialsaid.


Fumio Kishida elected as new PM of Japan (Prelims)

What's in News?q Japan’s parliament on Monday elected Fumio Kishida, a former

moderate turned hawk, as Prime Minister. He'll face an economybattered by the pandemic, security threats from China and NorthKorea and leadership of a political party whose popularity issagging ahead of a fast-approaching crucial national election.

qWith his party and its coalition partner holding a majority in bothhouses, Mr. Kishida won by a comfortable margin against YukioEdano, head of the largest opposition Constitutional DemocraticParty of Japan.


Fumio Kishida elected as new PM of Japan (Prelims)


U.S. duo win Nobel for work on temperature and touch (Prelims)

What's in News?q U.S. scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian on Monday

won the Nobel Medicine Prize for discoveries on receptors fortemperature and touch.

q “The groundbreaking discoveries by this year’s Nobel Prizelaureates have allowed us to understand how heat, cold andmechanical force can initiate the nerve impulses that allow us toperceive and adapt to the world,” the Nobel jury said.



q The pair’s research is being used to develop treatments for awide range of diseases and conditions, including chronic pain.

q Mr. Julius, who in 2019 won the $3-million Break- through Prizein life sciences, said he was stunned to receive the call from theNo- bel committee early on Monday.

q They will share the Nobel Prize cheque for 10 million Swedishkronor ($1.1 million).



PREAMBLE IAS

06 OCTOBER


Climate experts, theorist get Physics Nobel (Prelims)

What's in News?q U.S.-Japanese scientist Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann of

Germany and Giorgio Parisi of Italy on Tuesday won the NobelPhysics Prize for climate models and the understanding ofphysical systems, the jury said.

q The Nobel committee said it was sending a message with its prizeannouncement just weeks before the COP26 climate summit inGlasgow, as the rate of global warming sets off alarm bells aroundthe world.



Detailsq “Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann laid the foundation of

our knowledge of the earth’s climate and how humanityinfluences it,” the Nobel Committee said. “Giorgio Parisi isrewarded for his revolutionary contributions to the theory of dis-ordered materials and random processes,” it added.

qMr. Manabe is affiliated with Princeton University in the U.S.,while Prof. Hasselmann is a professor at the Max Planck Institutefor Meteorology in Hamburg.



qWorking in the 1960s, Mr. Manabe showed how levels of carbondioxide in the atmosphere corresponded to increased earthsurface temperatures. Prof. Hasselmann was credited for workingout how climate models can remain reliable despite sometimeschaotic variation in weather trends.

q The Committee praised his identification of climate “fingerprints”caused by both natural and human activities and how muchclimate change can be contributed solely to man- madeemissions.





Nobel Prizeq Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, industrialist, and the

inventor of dynamite, in his last will and testament in 1895, gavethe largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics,Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, and Peace, to becalled the “Nobel Prizes”.

q In 1968, the sixth award, the Prize in Economic Sciences wasstarted.



q The Nobel Prize consists of a Nobel Medal and Diploma, and adocument confirming the prize amount.

q Between 1901 and 2018, the Prizes have been awarded 590times, the recipients during this period being 908 Laureates and27 organisations.


Online system for aviation safety (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has introduced

a Web-based system for voluntary reporting of incidents thatpose a potential threat to flight safety.

q It said that to encourage voluntary safety reporting, besides e-mail and postal mode, Web-based reporting had been introducedon the eGCA platform, which made the reporting mechanismmore accessible to persons engaged in aviation related activities.



Detailsq However, the Voluntary Safety Reporting System was not a

substitute for Mandatory Safety Reporting System.q As part of the state safety programme, the DGCA had voluntary

safety reporting system to facilitate collection of information onactual or potential safety deficiencies that may not be capturedby the mandatory safety reporting system.



Directorate General of Civil Aviationq It is the statutory body formed under the Aircraft (Amendment)

Bill, 2020.q It investigates aviation accidents and incidents, maintains all

regulations related to aviation and is responsible for issuance oflicenses pertaining to aviation like PPL's, SPL's and CPL's in India.

q The Government of India is planning to replace the organisationwith a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), modelled on the lines ofthe American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).



Functions of DGCAq Registration of civil aircraftq Certification of airportsq Licensing to pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic

controllers and flight engineers, and conducting examinationsand checks for that purpose

q Formulation of standards of airworthiness for civil aircraftregistered in India and grant of certificates of airworthiness tosuch aircraft



q Conducting investigation into incidents and serious incidentsinvolving aircraft up to 2250 kg AUW and taking accidentprevention measures, including formulation of implementationof Safety Aviation Management Programmes

q Checks on the proficiency of flight crew and other operationalpersonnel such as flight dispatchers and cabin crew


‘Must look at weaknesses and strengths of 13A’ (GS-2)

What's in News?q There is an “urgent need” to understand the “weaknesses and

strengths” of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitutionand “act accordingly”, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesdaytold Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, while expressinga desire to revive the spirit of the relations of the 1960s and1970s.



q Mr. Shringla called on the President on Tuesday morning, beforewrapping up his official visit. In addition to underscoring the needto expedite bilateral projects, the Foreign Secretary, in hismeeting with President Rajapaksa on the final day of his visit,reiterated India’s position “on complete implementation of theprovisions under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution,including devolution of powers and the holding of provincialcouncil elections at the earliest”, the Indian mission said in astatement, referring to the nearly 34-year-old legislation thatremains contentious in Sri Lanka.



13th amendmentq The 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution is an outcome

of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987, which was signed by the thenIndian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R.Jayawardene.

q The 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution was part ofan attempt to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict between themajority Sinhalese and the minority Tamilians.

q It had resulted in a civil war between the armed forces and theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.



q The LTTE was seeking the right to self-determination and aseparate state.

q The 13th Amendment mandates a measure of powerdevolution to the provincial councils established to govern theisland’s nine provinces.

q This entailed providing a form of self-government. Subjects suchas education, health, agriculture, housing, land and police wereto be devolved to the provincial administrations to provide themwith more autonomy.



Significance of the 13th amendmentIt solves the ethnic clashesq It sought to conclusively resolve the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

The autonomy within the constitutional framework of Sri Lankawas expected to meet the demands of the tamilian minoritywithout disturbing the unity of the island nation.

Decentralization of political powerq The provincial councils were expected to lead to a higher

grassroots presence and participation in Sri Lankan democracy.



Homogeneous developmentq The northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka which had to bear

the wrath of the civil war lag in socio economic development.q The autonomy was expected to lead to a faster development

process in the region.Issuesq The restrictions on financial powers and overriding powers given

to the President, the provincial administrations have not beeneffective in ensuring better lives for their citizens.



q The provisions relating to police and land have never beenimplemented.

q Notably, the 13th amendment had been opposed vociferously byboth Sinhala nationalist parties and the LTTE.

q The Sinhala nationalist parties thought it was too much power toshare and the Tamil polity have deemed the provisions of 13thamendment as too little.

q The Sinhala nationalist parties see the accord and the consequentlegislation as an Indian intervention into Sri Lankan domesticissues.



q The election season often witnesses the leaders from the Sinhalanationalist parties making wielded attacks on India for politicalmileage.

q After the Rajapaksas’ emphatic win in the November 2019presidential polls and the August 2020 general election, thereare calls for the abolition of provincial councils as against theprovisions of the 13th amendment.


Denmark Prime Minister arriving on Saturday (GS-2)

What's in News?q Climate change solutions will be at the top of the agenda for

Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who will visit Indiathis week the first head of state or government to arrive in Delhisince February 2020.



DetailsqMs. Frederiksen, who last held a summit with Prime Minister

Narendra Modi in September 2020 where they had announcedthe first “Green Strategic partnership”, is expected to discussinvestments in Indian renewable technology, supply of greentechnology and outline their climate positions on reducingcarbon emissions ahead of the upcoming COP26 UN summit onClimate Change in Glasgow this November.




Health benefit package under Ayushman Bharat revised (GS-2)

What's in News?q The National Health Authority (NHA), the apex body for

implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (AB PM-JAY), has revised the Health Benefit Package(HBP) Master under the scheme.



Detailsq In the revised version of Health Benefit Package (HBP 2.2), rates

of some packages have been increased by 20% to 400% underthe PM-JAY.

q Rates of around 400 procedures have been revised and one newadditional medical management package related to black fungushas also been added, according to a release issued by the HealthMinistry on Tuesday. The HBP 2.2 is expected to be rolled outfrom November this year.



Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)q Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-

PMJAY) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme having central sectorcomponent under Ayushman Bharat Mission under the Ministryof Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Key Features of PM-JAYq The world’s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully

financed by the government.q It provides cover of 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and

tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empaneledhospitals in India.



q Coverage: Over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable entitled families(approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) are eligible for thesebenefits.

q Provides cashless access to health care services for thebeneficiary at the point of service.

q The National Health Authority (NHA) is the nodal agencyresponsible for the nationwide roll-out and implementation ofthe AB-PMJAY scheme.

q This scheme is a Centrally sponsored scheme with some Centralsector components.


‘Coal to last less than four days at 64 power plants’(GS-3)

What's in News?q Ahead of the festival season, the coal supply crisis seems to be

deepening with 64 non-pithead power plants left with less thanfour days of the dry fuel stocks.


‘Coal to last less than four days at 64 power plants’(GS-3)

q The latest report on coal stocks for power plants from the CentralElectricity Authority (CEA) also showed that 25 such power plantshad coal stocks for less than seven days as on October 3. The CEAmonitors coal stocks at 135 power plants that have a cumulativegeneration capacity of

q 165 GW on a daily basis. Overall, total coal stocks of 78,09,200tonnes were available at the 135 plants as on October 3 and thatwas sufficient for four days. The daily coal requirement of theseplants is 18,24,100 tonnes. Among the 135 plants, not even onehad 8 or more days of coal stocks.


MFIs seek additional ₹7,500 cr. under credit guarantee scheme (Prelims)

What's in News?q Micro-finance institutions (MFIs) have urged Finance Minister

Nirmala Sitharaman to allocate another ₹7,500 crore under thecredit guarantee scheme announced for them in June as bankshad exhausted the initial for the same amount.



Detailsq In a letter to the Minister, Sa-Dhan, the self-regulatory body for

MFIs, cited data aggregated from its members to flag that theyhad applied for ₹18,500 crore from 44 banks under the creditguarantee scheme.

q “The additional amount will support the funds flow for MFIswith lower grading, which are smaller and cater to poorersections and remoter areas,” the regulatory body said. MFIs alsosought a tweak in the scheme’s norms to make a distinctionbetween banks’ exposure to them and other non-banking financecompanies (NBFCs).



Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Schemeq The Union Cabinet approved the Emergency Credit Line

Guarantee Scheme in May 2020 and allowed additional fundingof up to Rs.3 lakh crores to different sectors, especially Micro,Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and MUDRA borrowers.

q The scheme was launched as part of the Aatmanirbhar BharatAbhiyan package announced in May 2020 to mitigate the distresscaused by coronavirus-induced lockdown, by providing credit todifferent sectors, especially Micro, Small and MediumEnterprises (MSMEs).



q 100% guarantee coverage is being provided by the NationalCredit Guarantee Trustee Company, whereas Banks and NonBanking Financial Companies (NBFCs) provide loans.

q The credit will be provided in the form of a GuaranteedEmergency Credit Line (GECL) facility.

q No Guarantee Fee shall be charged by NCGTC from the MemberLending Institutions (MLIs) under the Scheme.

q Interest rates under the Scheme shall be capped at 9.25% forbanks and FIs, and at 14% for NBFCs.


Sri Lanka to reform terror law to keep EU trade deal (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q Sri Lanka’s President vowed “immediate steps” to amend anti-

terror legislation to retain a lucrative trade status with the Euro-pean Union, his office said on Tuesday.

q The EU had warned Sri Lanka that its generalised system ofpreferences (GSP Plus) a favourable trade scheme to encouragedeveloping nations to respect human rights could be withdrawn ifColombo did not improve its rights record.



Detailsq Gotabaya Rajapaksa told a visiting EU delegation on Monday that

he had instructed the Justice Minister and the Attorney Generalto carry out urgent reforms to the Prevention of Terrorism Act(PTA).

q The law allows police to arrest and detain suspects for longperiods. Confessions extracted from suspects can be used againstthem, and many have been held for decades without charge.



Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)q Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a preferential tariff

system extended by developed countries to developingcountries (also known as preference receiving countries orbeneficiary countries). It is a preferential arrangement allowsconcessional low/zero tariff imports from developing countries.

q The GSP – launch in 1976, by the Trade Act of 1974.q The Generalized System of Preference (GSP) is the largest and

oldest US trade preference programme and is designed topromote economic development by allowing duty-free entry forthousands of products from designated beneficiary countries.



Objective of GSPq The objective of GSP was to give development support to poor

countries by promoting exports from them into the developedcountries.

q GSP promotes sustainable development in beneficiary countriesby helping these countries to increase and diversify their tradewith the United States.


Moody’s gives ‘stable’ rating to India (GS-3)

What's in News?q Rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded India’s

sovereign rating outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’, citing anebbing of risks from COVID-19 and the negative feedback bet-ween the real economy and the financial system.

qWhile it retained India’s rating at Baa3, reflecting the lowestinvestment grade rating, Moody’s said it expects real GDP tosurpass pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20 this year itself, as theongoing economic recovery is picking up steam with activityupticks broadening across sectors. It expects 2021-22 to record9.3% growth in GDP, followed by 7.9% next year.

PREAMBLE IAS

07 OCTOBER


WHO recommends first anti-malarial vaccine (GS-2)

What's in News?q In a historic move, the World Health Organization (WHO) on

Wednesday endorsed the first anti-malarial vaccine, as mankindenters a key turning point in a battle waged relentlessly overdecades between man and mosquito, the vector.



Malariaq Caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of

mosquito which feeds on humans.q Spread: Female Anophelesmosquitoes deposit parasite

sporozoites into the skin of a human host.q Four kinds of malaria parasites infect humans: Plasmodium

falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae.q In addition, P. knowlesi, a type of malaria that naturally infects

macaques in Southeast Asia, also infects humans, causing malariathat is transmitted from animal to human (“zoonotic” malaria).



Malaria Vaccineq Known by its lab initials as RTS,S but branded as Mosquirix, the

vaccine has passed lengthy scientific trials that found it to besafe and reducing the risk of malaria by nearly 40%, the bestever recorded.

q It was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) company andapproved by the European Medicines Agency in 2015.

q The RTS,S vaccine trains the immune system to attack the malariaparasite (Plasmodium (P.) falciparum, the most deadly species ofthe malaria parasite).


Civilian killings cause concern in J&K (GS-3)

What's in News?q More civilians than security forces have been killed this year in

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in various terrorism- related incidents.q The targeted killing of civilians, including prominent citizens and

non-locals in the Valley, reverses the trend of the past six years,data show. Till October 5 this year, as many as 22 civilians werekilled in the Valley as against 20 security personnel in the sameperiod.


Civilian killings cause concern in J&K (GS-3)

q In 2020, the number of civilians who were killed stood at 33, whilethe number of security forces who were killed was 46 and in theyear 2019, it was 36 civilians and 78 security personnel,respectively.


U.S. expresses unease over S-400 deal (GS-3)

What's in News?q India and the U.S. are on the same page on Afghanistan and the

threat to the region from terrorism, said visiting American DeputySecretary of State Wendy Sherman, calling the partnership “in-dispensable” for both countries and the world.

q Striking a discordant note on the impending delivery of theRussian S-400 missile systems to India, however, Ms. Sherman,who described the deal as “dangerous”, expressed the hope thatthe two sides could “solve” the issue arising from possible U.S.sanctions over the defence purchase.



S-400 Triumf Missile Systemq The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM)

designed by Russia. It is the most dangerous operationallydeployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world,considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal HighAltitude Area Defense system (THAAD).

q The system can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft,unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and ballistic and cruise missileswithin the range of 400km, at an altitude of up to 30km.

q The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of themsimultaneously.




Telangana withdraws Krishna plea in SC (GS-2)

What's in News?q Telangana on Wednesday withdrew its plea in the Supreme

Court for “equitable apportionment” of the Krishna river wateron the basis of an assurance given by the Centre that it will“consider” constituting a tribunal to resolve the issue.



Detailsq Appearing before a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud,

Telangana, in an application, said the Union Minister, in ameeting, stated that if the State withdrew its case from theSupreme Court, the Centre would “positively” consider forming atribunal under the Inter State River Water Disputes Act of 1956after taking necessary legal opinion.

q Taking “legal opinion” before forming a new tribunal on theissue of Krishna River water sharing was necessary as the KrishnaWater Disputes Tribunal (KWDT II) was already seized of theinter-States’ issue.



Krishna Water Dispute Tribunalq In 1969, KWDT was set up under the Inter-State River Water

Dispute Act, 1956,q It was constituted in April 1969 for adjudication of inter-state

water dispute regarding the sharing of Krishna waters.q It presented its report in 1973 which was published in 1976.q It divided the 2060 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Krishna

water at 75 per cent dependability into three parts: 560 TMC forMaharashtra, 700 TMC for Karnataka and 800 TMC for AndhraPradesh.



q At the same time, it was stipulated that the KWDT order may bereviewed or revised by a competent authority or tribunal anytime after May 31, 2000.

New Grievances and KWDT 2 set upq Afterward, as new grievances arose between the states, the

second KWDT was instituted in 2004.q It delivered its report in 2010, which made allocations of the

Krishna water at 65 per cent dependability and for surplusflows as follows: 81 TMC for Maharashtra, 177 TMC forKarnataka, and 190 TMC for Andhra Pradesh.



q In 2010, Andhra Pradesh challenged the order in the SupremeCourt through a Special Leave Petition (SLP).

Krishna River Management Board has been covered in PREAMBLEIAS 5th October 2021 Current Affairshttps://t.me/preambleias/6374Krishna River has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 5th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6374




SC asks firecracker makers why they stock barium despite ban (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Supreme Court on Wednesday wondered why firecracker

manufacturers continued to stock huge quantities of toxicbarium chemicals even after the court had banned its use infireworks.

q “Have you seen the reply by manufacturers? What they say isvery surprising. They say that the huge quantity of bariumpurchased was to be kept in the godown. It was not formanufacture [of crackers]. The court remarked that it might evenorder the seizure of the chemicals from the manufacturers.


SC asks firecracker makers why they stock barium despite ban (GS-3)

Detailsq The court was hearing a plea by petitioners, including Delhi-

based student Arjun Gopal, about the continued violation of the2018 Supreme Court ban on the use of barium and otherchemicals in firecrackers. The court said “noisy” celebrations arereplete with “joint crackers” even though it was banned.

Toxic firecrackers has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 3rd October2021 https://t.me/preambleias/6359



U.P. tops list of States emitting fine particulate matter: study (GS-3)

What's in News?q Uttar Pradesh is the largest emitter of PM2.5, the class of

particulate matter considered most harmful to health, accordingto an analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water(CEEW). The council, a research body, looked at five of the mostreliable data sources international and national that have trackedand measured the quantum and sources of air pollution in India.



Detailsq The high emissions from U.P. were largely due to a significant

share of PM2.5 emissions from solid-fuel use in households and,by virtue of being India’s most populous State, it had a higherproportion of households relying on this form of fuel.

q Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh,Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan too feature in the list of toppolluters but are differently ranked by the five sources.



Common pollutantsq There are differences in the periods over which these sources

track the emissions as well as the pollutants, but most track theimportant ones: PM2.5, PM10, NOx (nitrous oxides), SO2(sulphur dioxide), CO (carbon monoxide), NH3 (ammonia), andNMVOC (non-methane volatile organic compounds).

q The CEEW analysis found “significant variation” in the estimatesby various sources going up to as much as 37% for particulatematter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulphur dioxide(SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).



q The overall variation in residential PM2.5 emissions was less than25%. However, SMoG’s residential PM2.5 emission estimates areapproximately 50% higher than those estimated by TERI.Because of the extent of variation, the Council said India ought to“develop and maintain a comprehensive inventory of baselineemissions”.

q India has a National Clean Air Campaign (NCAP) that aims toreduce pollution in 122 of the most polluted cities by 2024. “Tomeet the NCAP target of 20-30% reduction in particulateconcentration by 2024, we need to estimate emission reductionsneeded across sectors.





PM 2.5q PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter (ambient airborne particles)

which measure up to 2.5 microns in size and has a range ofchemical makeups and sources.

q It is widely regarded as the pollutant with the most health impactof all commonly measured air pollutants.

q Due to its small size PM2.5 is able to penetrate deep into thehuman respiratory system and from there to the entire body,causing a wide range of short- and long-term health effects.



q Particulate matter is also the pollutant group which affects themost people globally. It can come from a range of natural as wellas man-made sources.

q Common sources of PM include combustion (from vehicleengines, industry, wood and coal burning), as well as throughother pollutants reacting in the atmosphere.


Cabinet clears ₹4,445-cr. textile parks (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the setting up of

seven Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA)Parks at an outlay of ₹4,445 crore. The mega parks scheme willinclude brownfield and greenfield projects, spread over fiveyears, said Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal.



Detailsq The parks would be developed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)

owned by the Central and State governments and would get twokinds of support.

q Development Capital Support, aimed ₹500 crore for greenfield athelping develop infrastructure, projects and ₹200 crore forstructure, would fund 30% of brownfield projects. A separate theproject cost with a cap of rate Competitiveness Incentive Supportwould be limited to ₹300 crore per park.



MITRA Schemeq MITRA aims to enable the textile industry to become globally

competitive, attract large investments, and boost employmentgeneration and exports.

q It will create world-class infrastructure with plug and play facilitiesto enable create global champions in exports.

q It will be launched in addition to the Production Linked IncentiveScheme (PLI).

q It will give our domestic manufacturers a level-playing field in theinternational textiles market & pave the way for India to becomea global champion of textiles exports across all segments”.




Asian nations asked to eschew trade barriers (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q Batting for trade openness, the UN ESCAP and the ADB on

Wednesday jointly asked Asian nations to refrain from imposingtrade restrictions including non-tariff barriers, stressing in areport that the impact of protectionist measures had never beenpositive for the global economy.

q The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asiaand the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)also made a case for promoting digital and paperless tradeprocedures by the Asian nations in view of the supply chaindisruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.



United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific (ESCAP)q India has been the founding member of ESCAP.q UNESCAP is the regional development arm of the United Nations

in Asia and the Pacific, with a membership of 62 Governments,including 58 from the region.

q Established in 1947 with its headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand.q UNESCAP serves as the highest intergovernmental regional

platform to promote cooperation among member States forcreating a more interconnected region working to achieveinclusive and sustainable economic and social development.



q It carries out work in the areas of macroeconomic policy, povertyreduction and financing for development; trade and investment;transport; environment and sustainable development;information and communications technology and disaster riskreduction; social development; statistics, sub-regional activitiesfor development; and energy.

q UNESCAP also focuses on sub-regional activities to provide in-depth technical assistance to address specific key priorities,including poverty reduction and sustainable development, in therespective sub-regions.



Asian Development Bank q ADB is a regional development bank established in 1966.q It has 68 members.q India is a founding member.q 49 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside.q It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia and

the Pacific.



q As of 31st December 2019, ADB’s five largest shareholders areJapan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), thePeople’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia(5.8%).

q It is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.


Duo win Nobel Chemistry Prize for work on catalysts (Prelims)

What's in News?q Germany’s Benjamin List and U.S.-based David MacMillan on

Wednesday won the Nobel Chemistry Prize for developing a toolto build molecules which has helped make chemistry moreenvironmentally friendly.

q Their tool, which they developed independently of each other in2000, can be used to control and accelerate chemical reactions,exerting a big impact on drugs research. Prior to their work,scientists believed there were only two types of catalysts metalsand enzymes.



Detailsq The new technique, which relies on small organic molecules and

which is called “asymmetric organocatalysis” is widely used inpharmaceuticals, allowing drug makers to streamline theproduction of medicines for depression and respiratory infections,among others.

q Organocatalysts allow several steps in a production process to beperformed in an unbroken sequence, considerably reducingwaste in chemical manufacturing, the Nobel committee at theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.



PREAMBLE IAS

08 OCTOBER


Tanzanian novelist wins Nobel (Prelims)

What's in News?q Tanzanian novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah, 72, won the 2021 Nobel

Prize in Literature “for his uncompromising and compassionatepenetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of therefugee”, the award- giving body said on Thursday.


Tanzanian novelist wins Nobel (Prelims)

Detailsq Based in Britain, Mr. Gurnah is the first African writer to win the

award since the Zimbabwean Doris Lessing in 2007, and only thesecond writer of colour from sub-Saharan Africa, after Nigeria’sWole Soyinka, who won in 1986.

q His novels include Paradise, which is set in colonial East Africaduring the First World War and was shortlisted for the BookerPrize for Fiction, and Desertion.

Nobel Prize has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 6th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6381



SC questions ₹8 lakh income limit for EWS quota (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the government to

explain how it zeroed in on the figure of ‘₹8 lakh’ as the annualincome criterion to identify Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)among the forward classes of society for grant of 10%reservation in medical admissions under the all-India quota(AIQ).


SC questions ₹8 lakh income limit for EWS quota (GS-2)

Detailsq The Supreme Court’s query is significant as the One Hundred and

Third Constitutional Amendment of 2019, which introduced the10% EWS quota, is itself under challenge before a larger Bench.The amendment is under question for making economic criterionas the sole ground for grant of reservation benefits.

q The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by NEET aspirantschallenging a July 29 notification of the Centre announcing 27%quota to OBCs and 10% reservation to EWS in the all-India quotacategory.


India, Nepal to conduct joint patrols for controlling trans-border crime (GS-2)

What's in News?q The border guarding forces of India and Nepal will conduct

regular joint patrolling along the border to control trans-bordercrimes, smuggling of arms, human trafficking and other areas ofconcern, a statement by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) said onThursday.

q The SSB, a central armed police force, secures the Nepal andBhutan borders. The fifth annual coordination meeting betweenthe Director General, SSB and Inspector General, Armed PoliceForce, Nepal concluded on Thursday.



Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)q SSB comes under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs and a

part of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), along with sixother central security forces in India (Assam Rifles, BorderSecurity Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central ReservePolice Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police and National SecurityGuard).

q It was established as Special Service Bureau in May 1963, in theaftermath of the Chinese aggression in 1962.



q It was declared a lead intelligence agency for Indo Nepal in June2001 and assigned the Indo Nepal border. In 2004, it was alsoassigned Indo Bhutan border.

q It is headquartered in New Delhi and three frontier headquartersare at Lucknow (UP), Patna (Bihar) and Guwahati (Assam).

q It is spread out on Indo Nepal and Indo Bhutan borders acrossthe states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal,Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.


22 killed, over 300 injured as earthquake rattles Pakistan (GS-1/3)

What's in News?q A powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted a mountainous

part of southwestern Pakistan’s Balochistan province early onThursday, resulting in the collapse of a coal mine and severalmud houses that left at least 22 people dead and more than 300others injured, officials said.

q The National Seismic Monitoring Centre in Islamabad said theepicentre of the earthquake was near Harnai, which has a largenumber of coal mines, at a depth of around 15 kilometres.


22 killed, over 300 injured as earthquake rattles Pakistan (GS-1/3)


NATO expels 8 Russian members (GS-2)

What's in News?q NATO on Wednesday expelled eight members of Russia’s

mission to the military alliance, saying that they were secretlyworking as intelligence officers and halved the size of Moscow’steam able to work at its headquarters.

q Relations between NATO and Russia have been increasinglystrained since Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in2014. The two are at odds over Russia’s nuclear missiledevelopment, aerial intrusions into NATO airspace and thebuzzing of allied ships by fighter planes.



North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)q NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which is

also called the North Atlantic Alliance.q It is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North

Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949.q The organization constitutes a system of collective defence

whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in responseto an attack by a non-member external party.

q NATO’s headquarters are located at Boulevard Leopold III in thecity of Brussels, Belgium, where the Supreme Allied Commanderresides.



Compositionq Since its founding, the admission of new member states has

increased the alliance from the original 12 countries to 30. Themost recent member state to be added to NATO was NorthMacedonia on 27 March 2020.

q NATO membership is open to “any other European state in aposition to further the principles of this Treaty and to contributeto the security of the North Atlantic area.”


World Bank retains India FY22 GDP growth forecast at 8.3% (GS-3)

What's in News?q The World Bank has retained its June forecast for India’s Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) to grow by 8.3% in the current fiscalyear, with the economy seen supported by an increase in publicinvestment to bolster domestic demand and schemes like theproduction-linked incentive to boost manufacturing.



Detailsq Despite the ravages of the second COVID-19 wave, the economic

impact of the pandemic had been “relatively small” this yearcompared with the hit in 2020, the bank said in a South Asia-focussed report titled ‘Shifting Gears: Digitization and Services-Led Development’ ahead of its annual meetings, which start nextweek in Washington.



Gross Domestic Product (GDP)q GDP or Gross Domestic Product is the money value of all the

goods and services produced within the domestic territory of acountry in an accounting year.

q India's Central Statistic Office calculates the nation's grossdomestic product (GDP).



Gross Domestic Product (GDP)q GDP or Gross Domestic Product is the money value of all the

goods and services produced within the domestic territory of acountry in an accounting year.

q India's Central Statistic Office calculates the nation's grossdomestic product (GDP).



PLI schemeq To make India a manufacturing hub, the government recently

announced the PLI scheme for mobile phones, pharma products,and medical equipment sectors.

q Notified on April 1 as a part of the National Policy on Electronics.q It proposes a financial incentive to boost domestic

manufacturing and attract large investments in the electronicsvalue chain.



Key features of the schemeq The scheme shall extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental

sales (over base year) of goods manufactured in India andcovered under target segments, to eligible companies, for aperiod of five (5) years with financial year (FY) 2019-20considered as the base year for calculation of incentives.

q The Scheme will be implemented through a Nodal Agency whichshall act as a Project Management Agency (PMA) and beresponsible for providing secretarial, managerial andimplementation support and carrying out other responsibilities asassigned by MeitY from time to time.


Support Godavari-Cauvery link, T.N. tells A.P., Telangana (GS-1)

What's in News?q The Tamil Nadu Government has sought the support of Andhra

Pradesh and Telangana for the Godavari (In champalli)-Cauvery(Grand Anicut) link project.

q A few weeks ago, a senior Tamil Nadu official wrote to hiscounterparts in the two southern States, urging them to give theirconsent to a detailed project report (DPR) prepared by theNational Water Development Agency (NWDA).



Godavari– Cauvery Link Projectq The project consists of 3 links viz., Godavari (Inchampalli/Janampet)

Krishna (Nagarjunasagar), Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) Pennar(Somasila) and Pennar (Somasila) Cauvery (Grand Anicut).

q This proposal to link Godavari, which is prone to flooding, andKrishna, which doesn’t have enough water, has been around forseveral decades.

q While river-interlinking for the purposes of navigation as an ideawas mooted by the British in India, in 1972, engineer and UnionMinister KL Rao proposed the linking of Godavari and Krishna forirrigation.



q The decades-old proposal finallytook shape in the 2000s, and in2016, the Andhra governmentlinked the two rivers with thePattiseema-Polavaram LiftIrrigation project, in Andhra’sWest Godavari district.



National Water Development Agencyq NWDA is a registered society under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.q It was set up in the year 1982 to carry out detailed studies,

surveys and investigations in respect of the PeninsularComponent of National Perspective for Water ResourcesDevelopment, which envisages inter-basin water transfer.

PREAMBLE IAS

09 OCTOBER


India, China patrols face off in Tawang (GS-2)

What's in News?q Some Chinese soldiers of a large patrol were detained for a few

hours by the Indian Army after a minor face-off near Yangtse inthe Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh last week, according toofficial sources.

q “Some Chinese soldiers were detained for a few hours and let offafter the issue was resolved at the ground level as per establishedprotocols between the two countries,” Face-offs occurredbecause of the differing areas of perception due to thedemarcated boundary, and as both sides undertook patrollingactivities up to their line of perception, another source said.


India, China patrols face off in Tawang (GS-2)


SC flags consequences of growing digital divide (GS-2)

What's in News?q The digital divide caused by online classes will defeat the

fundamental right of every child to education, the SupremeCourt warned on Friday. The court rued how the right toeducation now hinged on who could afford “gadgets” for onlineclasses and who could not.

q Little children whose parents are too poor to afford laptops,tablets or an “optimum” Internet package at home for onlineclasses during the pandemic have dropped out of school and evenrun the danger of being drawn into child labour or worse, childtrafficking, the court said.



Detailsq “During the course of the pandemic, as schools increasingly

turned to online education to avoid exposing the young childrento the pandemic, the digital divide produced stark consequences.

q Children belonging to the Economically Weaker Sections[EWS]/Disadvantaged Groups [DG] had to suffer the consequenceof not having to fully pursue their education or worse still dropout because of the lack of access to Internet and computers,”



Digital divideq Digital divide is a term that refers to the gap between

demographics and regions that have access to moderninformation and communications technology, and those thatdon’t or have restricted access. This technology can include thetelephone, television, personal computers and the Internet.

q Digital inequality is evident between communities living in urbanareas and those living in rural settlements; betweensocioeconomic groups; between less economically developedcountries and more economically developed countries; betweenthe educated and uneducated population.


Rohingya refugees to be sent to island (GS-2)

What's in News?q Bangladesh wants to send more than 80,000 Rohingya refugees

to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal after sealing anagreement for the United Nations to provide help, officials saidon Friday.

q Some 19,000 of the Muslim refugees have already relocated toBhashan Char island, officials said. Bangladesh refugeecommissioner Shah Rezwan Hayat said that more would go oncethe monsoon storms end in November.



Rohingya Tribeq The Rohingya people are a stateless indo-Islamic aryan ethnic

group reside in Rakhine sate of Myanmar.q Before the displacement crisis in 2017, when over 740000 fled to

Bangladesh.q Bhasan Char, also known as Char Piya, is an island in Hatiya

Upazila, Bangladesh.q It is located in the Bay of Bengal, 37 miles from the coast.q Bhashan Char is a flood-prone island that emerged from the sea

20 years ago.




Journalists from Philippines, Russia win Peace Nobel (Prelims)

What's in News?q Journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov

of Russia won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for theirfight for freedom of expression in countries where reportershave faced persistent attacks, harassment and even murder.

q “Without freedom of expression and freedom of the press, itwill be difficult to successfully promote fraternity betweennations, disarmament and a better world order to succeed in ourtime,” she said.



Detailsq The Nobel committee noted that Ms. Ressa in 2012 co- founded

Rappler, a news website that has focused critical attention onPresident Rodrigo Duterte’s “controversial, murderous antidrugcampaign” in the Philippines.

qMr. Muratov was one of the founders in 1993 of the independentRussian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which the Nobel committeecalled “the most independent newspaper in Russia today, with afundamentally critical attitude towards power”.




IS claims suicide attack in Kunduz (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q A suicide bomb attack on worshippers at a Shia mosque in the

Afghan city of Kunduz killed at least 46 people on Friday, in thebloodiest assault since the Taliban government was formed.Scores more victims from the minority community werewounded.

q The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) group claimed responsibility forthe attack. They have repeatedly targeted Shias in a bid to stirupsectarian violence in Sunni- majority Afghanistan.



Detailsq In a statement released on its Telegram channels, the jihadist

group said that an IS suicide bomber “detonated an explosivevest amid a crowd” of Shiite worshippers who had gatheredinside the mosque.

q In a second statement, IS said the “perpetrator of the attack wasan Uyghur Muslim”, a minority that the “Taliban had vowed toexpel” from Afghanistan.




Reserve Bank raises IMPS limit to ₹5 lakh (GS-3)

What's in News?q In a bid to promote digital transactions, the Reserve Bank

proposed to increase the per transaction limit throughImmediate Payment Service (IMPS) from ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh.

q IMPS is an important payment system providing 24x7 instantdomestic funds transfer facility and is accessible through variouschannels such as Internet and mobile banking.

q The increase in limit will lead to further a rise in digital paymentsand provide an additional facility to customers for making digitalpayments beyond ₹2 lakh, said RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.



Immediate Mobile Payment Service (IMPS)q Immediate Mobile Payment Services is an instant inter-bank

funds transfer system.q This funds transfer method is more customer-centric than the

other two as it allows the remitter to transfer funds using theirsmartphones (only available in online mode).

q Unlike the other two services there is no transaction time forusing this fund transfer service (IMPS is 24/7 service) but there isa cap on maximum transaction which is up to 2 Lakhs.



qWhile NEFT and RTGS was introduced by RBI (Reserve Bank ofIndia), IMPS was introduced by National Payments Corporationof India (NPCI). Read further to learn more about these threepayment systems.


Goyal pushes for a reset of India-ASEAN FTA (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has called for a

renegotiation of the India-ASEAN free trade agreement (FTA), toprevent its misuse by ‘third parties’ and remove traderestrictions as well as non-tariff barriers that he said had hurtIndian exports disproportionately since the pact wasoperationalised in 2010.



Detailsq “It is unfortunate that in the recent past, we had to deal with

several restrictive barriers on our exports in the ASEAN region,particularly in the agriculture and auto sectors,” Mr. Goyal said ata session with ASEAN trade and finance ministers hosted by CII onFriday.”

q The focus needed to be on new rules to eliminate misuse ‘by thirdparties outside ASEAN’, the minister said, hinting at China. Bothsides also needed to bring down non-tariff barriers to boostconfidence,



Free Trade Agreement (FTA)q A FTA is a pact between two or more nations to reduce barriers

to imports and exports among them.q Under a free trade policy, goods and services can be bought and

sold across international borders with little or no governmenttariffs, quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions to inhibit their exchange.

q The concept of free trade is the opposite of trade protectionismor economic isolationism.



q India has signed it’s first Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with SriLanka in 1998.

q Likewise, India had FTAs with: Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand,Singapore, ASEAN, Japan and Malaysia.

q India has signed Preferential Trade Agreements such as: AsiaPacific Trade Agreement (APTA) with Bangladesh, China, India,Lao PDR, Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka

q Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP)q India – MERCOSUR PTA etc. with South American countries



ASEANq The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional

organization which was established to promote political andsocial stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.

q The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, OneCommunity”.

q 8th August is observed as ASEAN Day.q ASEAN Secretariat – Indonesia, Jakarta.q Member Nations: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,

Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.




RBI suspends GSAP, holds interest rates (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said it was halting its

bond buying under the G-Sec Acquisition Programme (GSAP) fornow, with Governor Shaktikanta Das stressing that the measurehad succeeded in ensuring adequate liquidity and stabilisingfinancial markets.

q “The total liquidity injected into the system during the first sixmonths of the current financial year through open marketoperations (OMOs), including G-SAP, was ₹2.37 lakh crore, asagainst an injection of ₹3.1 lakh crore over the full financial year2020-21,”



Lowers inflation outlookq The RBI retained its growth forecast for this fiscal at 9.5% and cut

its projection for average inflation for the full year to 5.3%, from5.7% earlier, even as it flagged core inflation that ‘remains sticky’.Elevated global crude oil and other commodity prices combinedwith an acute

q shortage of key industrial components and high logistics costs,were adding to input cost pressures, it added.

q “Headline inflation continues to be significantly influenced byvery high inflation in select items such as edible oils, petrol anddiesel, LPG and medicines,” the RBI Governor said.



Government Securities Acquisition Programme (G-SAP)q The G-Sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) is basically an

unconditional and a structured Open Market Operation(OMO), of a much larger scale and size.

q RBI has called the G-SAP as an OMO with a ‘distinct character’.q The word ‘unconditional’ here connotes that RBI has committed

upfront that it will buy G-Secs irrespective of the marketsentiment.

q To achieve a stable and orderly evolution of the yield curve alongwith management of liquidity in the economy.



Open Market Operationsq Open Market Operations (OMO) is one of the quantitative (to

regulate or control the total volume of money) monetary policytools which is employed by the central bank of a country tocontrol the money supply in the economy.

q OMOs are conducted by the RBI by way of sale or purchase ofgovernment securities (g-secs) to adjust money supplyconditions.

q The central bank sells g-secs to remove liquidity from the systemand buys back g-secs to infuse liquidity into the system.



Government Securitiesq These are debt instruments issued by the government to borrow

money.q The two key categories are:

ü Treasury bills (T-Bills) – short-term instruments which maturein 91 days, 182 days, or 364 days, and

ü Dated securities – long-term instruments, which matureanywhere between 5 years and 40 years

q T-Bills are issued only by the central government, and theinterest on them is determined by market forces.


Geographical Indication Tag for Kanniyakumari clove (Prelims)

What's in News?q The spices growers of Kanniyakumari have obtained the

Geographical Indication Tag for the clove being grown in the hillyregions of the district as it is known for its rich aromatic oilcontent.

q Clove, one of the prominent spice crops of the district, is grownon 760 hectares in the densely wooded areas of Maaraamalai,Black- rock and Velimalai in the Western Ghats of the VeerapuliReserve Forests and Mahendragiri. The district represents about73% of the area under clove in Tamil Nadu.



Detailsq Of the total production of 1,100 tonnes of cloves in India, Tamil

Nadu accounts for close to 1,000 tonnes, of which over 65% isgrown in the district. “The climate in the hilly regions ofKanniyakumari district is ideal for clove cultivation.

q This region benefits from both the southwest and north-eastmonsoons. Also, the ‘sea mist’ comes in and works up themoisture needed for the crop. The black soil here, rich in organicnutrients, is suitable for clove cultivation. This makes the clovesgrown in the region unique,”



q “While the typical volatile oil content is about 18%, the volatile oilcontent in the Kanniyakumari clove buds is 21%, resulting in 86%of eugenol. Furthermore, drying happens naturally at theplantations located at an altitude of about 800 metres andhaving moderate temperature. This means a limited loss ofessential oils and an increase in their concentration,”

q The flower buds, stalks and fallen leaves are used in essential oilpreparation. The clove bud and its oils are also used in themedical, pharmaceutical and perfumery industries. The clovebuds from Kanniyakumari is preferred for the presence of highervolatile oils.




Karuppur kalamkari paintings, wood carvings of Kallakurichi get GI tag (Prelims)

q The traditional dye-painted figurative and patterned cloth calledKaruppur kalamkari paintings and the wood carvings ofKallakuri- chi have received geographical indication (GI) tags.

q Kalamkari paintings are done in Karuppur and its surroundingvillages in the Udayarpalayam taluk in Ariyalur district, and in andaround Sickhanayakanpatti and Thirupanandal inThiruvidaimaruthur taluk, Thanjavur district, while Kallakurichiwood carvings are mainly practised in Kallakurichi, Chinnaselamand Thirukkovilur taluks in Kallakurichi district.



Geographical Indication (GI) Tagq A Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign used on products that

have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or areputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as aGI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.

q In addition, the qualities, characteristics or reputation of theproduct should be essentially due to the place of origin.Since the qualities depend on the geographical place ofproduction, there is a clear link between the product and itsoriginal place of production.



q It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods.Benefit of GI tagq Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse

the name to market similar products. It also provides comfort tocustomers about the authenticity of that product.

q A registered Geographical Indications prohibits a third party touse such GI by any means in the designations or presentations ofgoods indicating that such goods originate in a geographical area.



GI Protection in Indiaq India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO),

enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration &Protection) Act, 1999 which came into force with effect from2003.

q The Act provides registration and also protection of GI goods inIndia.

q This Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents,Designs, and Trademarks, who is also the Registrar ofGeographical Indications.

PREAMBLE IAS

10OCTOBER


Global pact on minimum corporate tax of 15% (GS-3)

What's in News?q A milestone global deal to ensure big companies pay a minimum

tax rate of 15% and make it harder to avoid taxation has beenagreed after Ireland, Estonia and Hungary signed up to anaccord, which U.S. President Joe Biden said levelled the playingfield.

q The deal aims to end a four-decade-long “race to the bottom” bygovernments that have sought to attract investment and jobs bytaxing multinational companies only lightly and allowing themto shop around for low tax rates.



Detailsq Negotiations have been going on for four years, moving online

during the pandemic, with support for a deal from U.S. PresidentBiden and the costs of the CO- VID-19 crisis giving it additionalimpetus in recent months.

q The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD), which has been leading the talks, said thedeal would cover 90% of the global economy.





Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developmentq The OECD is an intergovernmental economic organisation,

founded to stimulate economic progress and world trade.qMost OECD members are high-income economies with a very

high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded asdeveloped countries.

q Headquarters: Paris, France.q Total Members: 36.q India is not a member, but a key economic partner.



q Reports and Indices by OECDü Government at a Glance 2017 report.ü International Migration Outlook.ü OECD Better Life Index.


Himachal getting less snow: study (GS-1)

What's in News?q The hill State of Himachal Pradesh has been gradually witnessing

less snow in the past decade and the area under snow is alsodecreasing.

q The trend triggered by climate change has alarmedenvironmentalists, considering the importance of seasonal snowcover as a major input in controlling the hydrology of the riverbasins in the ecologically fragile State.



Detailsq A recent study, conducted jointly by the State Centre on Climate

Change and the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, usingAdvanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) satellite data has revealedthat all major river basins, including the Satluj, Ravi, Chenab andBeas, have witnessed an overall decrease of 18.5% in area undersnow in 2020-21 winters in comparison to 2019-20.



q “Based on the average snowfall data available between 2010-2014, we started to assess the spatial extent of seasonal snowcover in 2015- 16. Since then, every year, we have been analysingthe snowfall trend, which shows that by and large there has beena negative [reducing] trend in the past decade, but for one oddyear.

q The results also show that there is a gradual shift in the snowfalloccurrence pattern as well. The snowfall in peak winter isreducing slightly and, in fact, is shifting towards the late wintermonths or even the early summer months.”


Green pacts inked at India, Denmark summit (GS-2)

What's in News?q India and Denmark signed two agreements on research in

climate change, while another MoU on setting up a “greenhydrogen” electrolyser plant was signed between RelianceIndustries and Danish company Stiesdal Fuel Technologies asPrime Minister Narendra Modi met with Prime Minister ofDenmark Mette Frederiksen on Saturday.

q This was the first summit- level visit to India since the onset of thepandemic, and the first State visit by a Danish leader since abilateral freeze on ties a decade ago.



‘New dimensions’q “We also took a decision today that we will continue to expand

the scope of our cooperation, adding new dimensions to it. Wehave initiated a new partnership in the field of health.

q In order to increase the agricultural productivity and income offarmers in India, we have also decided to cooperate inagriculture-related technology,” said Mr. Modi after the bilateralsummit, adding that joint ventures on food safety, cold chains,food processing and water management would be explored as aresult of their discussions.



q The government agreements, including one between the Councilof Scientific and Industrial Research and the Geological survey ofDenmark to conduct groundwater mapping and the otherbetween the Indian Institute of Science and Danfoss Industries toset up a research centre on carbon-based cooling systems are partof the “Green Strategic Partnership” that India and Denmarkforged after a virtual summit between Mr. Modi and Ms.Frederiksen in September 2020.


Boom! A spraying solution is here to stem stubble burning in Haryana fields (GS-3)

What's in News?q There’s a different sort of machine at work in Bhupinder Singh’s

30-acre farm off the Delhi-Karnal highway. The boom sprayer, asit’s called, looks like a hybrid between a tractor and an autobotfrom the Transformers; its definitive features are two 20 ft boomsthat spread out like outstretched wings.

q On them are equally spaced nozzles that spray bio-decomposerson the freshly harvested rice field.



Detailsq The decomposers are a powder mixed in water meant to

accelerate the process of turning rice stubble into compost.Untreated rice straw takes 4-8 weeks to disintegrate, which is toolong for the average farmer to wait to be able to sow the winterwheat crop.

q The other option is to employ labour, who will cut the stalk andpile it into bundles, but that’s expensive and unaffordable formore than 95% of the farmers.



Open to other solutionsqWith pressure from the Centre, States such as Punjab, Haryana

and Uttar Pradesh have been cajoling, threatening and finingfarmers in recent years.

qWhile the success of these efforts has been limited, manyfarmers, while less concerned about the environmental effects ofthe practice on urban Delhi, are open to trying other solutions.



qWhich is where the lessthan two year old, Bengaluru-basedagritech firm, nurture. farm, comes in with its boom sprayer.

q In an ambitious exercise, 700 of these machines will be at workacross 5 lakh acres in Punjab and Haryana, spraying a bio-decomposer called ‘PUSA spray’.

q A bio-enzyme developed by the Indian Agricultural ResearchInstitute, Pusa, Delhi, this was initially formulated as a capsule.



Pusa Bio-decomposerq It is a solution developed by the scientists at the Indian

Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, which can turn crop residueinto manure in 15 to 20 days and therefore, can prevent stubbleburning.

q It involves making a liquid formulation using Pusa decomposercapsules and readily available inputs, fermenting it over 8-10 days,and then spraying the mixture on fields.

q It is a mix of seven fungi that produce enzymes to digestcellulose, lignin and pectin in paddy straw.



q The fungi thrive at 30-32 degree Celsius, which is the temperatureprevailing when paddy is harvested and wheat is sown.

Benefits of PUSA decomposersq Improves the fertility and productivity of the soil as the stubble

works as manure and compost for the crops and lesser fertiliserconsumption is required in the future.

q It is an efficient and effective, cheaper, doable and practicaltechnique to stop stubble burning.

q It is an eco-friendly and environmentally useful technology.


Daring dragonflies (GS-3)

How far can globe skimmer dragonflies fly?q In 2009, it was hypothesised that globe skimmer dragonflies

(Pantala flavescens) can migrate thousands of kilometres acrossthe Indian Ocean, from India via the Maldives to Africa, andback again. Now, an international research team led by LundUniversity in Sweden used models and simulations to verify this.

qMarine biologist Charles Anderson observed globe skimmerdragonflies in Maldives, which had flown in from, he assumed,India. When they flew off again, it was towards East Africa.



q Since the dragonflies are too small to be fitted with transmitters,the researchers examined physiological aspects and calculatedhow long a globe skimmer dragonfly could stay airborne usingthe energy that can be stored in its body. In addition, theresearchers used meteorological wind models to determine ifthere are winds that can facilitate the migration.

q The found that it was indeed possible for the dragonflies tomigrate from India to East Africa and return to India. The globeskimmer dragonfly does not rely on fat stored in its body to flysuch long distances.



q Instead, it takes advantage of favourable winds present duringcertain periods of the year.

q According to the simulated migration experiments using windmodels, about 15% of the dragonflies could manage themigration from India to Africa in the spring. In the autumn, 40%could make the same journey in the opposite direction.


Lunar samples brought by Chinese mission studied (GS-3)

What's in News?q Remnants of solidified lava brought back by a Chinese lunar

mission were 1 billion years younger than material acquired byother missions decades ago, according to an article in Science,suggesting the moon cooled down later than thought.

q Samples brought back by U.S. and Soviet missions were morethan 2.9 billion years old. The samples acquired on China’sChang'e-5 mission late last year were around 1.96 billion yearsold suggesting volcanic activity persisted longer than believed.


Lunar samples brought by Chinese mission studied (GS-3)

q Last December, the uncrewed Chinese probe touched down on apreviously unvisited part of a massive lava plain, the OceanusProcellarum or “Oceans of Storms,” bringing back lunar samples.

q One of the main objectives of Chang'e-5, was to find out howlong the moon remained volcanically active. “The OceanusProcellarum region of the Moon is characterised by highconcentrations of potassium, thorium, and uranium, elementsthat generate heat through long-lived radioactive decay and mayhave sustained prolonged magmatic activity on the nearside ofthe Moon,” wrote the article’s authors.


Revolutionising the construction of molecules (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been awarded to German

scientist Benjamin List of the Max Planck Institute and Scotland-born scientist David W.C. MacMillan of Princeton University “forthe development of asymmetric organocatalysis”.

q Developed by the duo in 2000, this novel technique of catalysis isan efficient, “precise, cheap, fast and environmentally friendly”way to develop new molecules.



What is catalysis?q Catalysis is a term used to describe a process in the presence of

a substance (the catalyst) that controls and influences the rateand/or the outcome of the reaction. The substance the catalystwhich helps in achieving this remains intact and is not consumedduring the reaction and neither becomes a part of the finalproduct.

q The catalyst is subsequently removed so as not to add impurity tothe final product. Catalysts are often used to produce new andfunctional molecules that are utilised in drugs and other everydaysubstances.



What were the conventional catalysts used before the discovery ofasymmetric organocatalysis?q Two very different catalysts metals and enzymes were routinely

used by chemists before Dr. List and Dr. MacMillan developed theasymmetric organocatalysts. As the name denotes, metalcatalysts often use heavy metals.

q This makes them not only expensive but also environmentallyunfriendly as sufficient care needs to be taken to ensure the finalproduct does not contain even traces of the catalyst. There areseveral other challenges when metal catalysts are used.



q The heavy metals used in these catalysts are often highlysensitive to the presence of oxygen and moisture. Hence,industrial application of this class of catalysts required equipmentthat ensured no contact with either oxygen and moisture, whichmade the process expensive.

q In the case of enzyme catalysts, the problem arises from theirvery large sizes. They are often 10,000 times larger than theactual target medicine and can take just as long to make.Enzymes, which are proteins found in nature, are wonderfulcatalysts. Our bodies also contain thousands of such enzymecatalysts which help make molecules necessary for life.



qMany molecules exist in mirror images — left-handed and right-handed. But the molecules of interest will be one of the twomirror images. Many enzymes engage in asymmetric catalysis,which help in producing only one mirror image.

q They also work in a continuous fashion — when one enzyme isfinished with a reaction, another one takes over. In this way, theycan build complicated molecules with amazing precision.



What makes asymmetric organocatalysts superior to metal andenzyme catalysts?q Unlike enzyme catalysts which are huge, asymmetric

organocatalysts are made of a single amino acid. They are notonly environmentally friendly but also quicken the reaction andmake the process cheaper.

q Most importantly, asymmetric organocatalysts allow only onemirror image of the molecule to form as the catalysts are madefrom a single, circular amino acid. Chemists often want only oneof these mirror images, particularly when producing drugs.



q Organic catalysts have a stable framework of carbon atoms, towhich more active chemical groups can attach. These oftencontain common elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur orphosphorus. This means that these catalysts are bothenvironmentally friendly and cheaper to produce.

q Organocatalysts can allow several steps in the moleculeproduction process to be performed in an unbroken sequence.This is achieved by cascade reactions in which the product of thefirst reaction step is the starting material for the subsequent one,thus avoiding unnecessary purification operations between eachreaction step.



q This helps in considerably reducing waste in chemicalmanufacturing. Before organocatalysts could be used, it was oftennecessary to isolate and purify each intermediate product toprevent the accumulation of a large volume of unnecessarybyproducts. This led to loss of some of the substance at everysingle stage of the process.

How have asymmetric organocatalysts been utilised by chemistsand other industries?q Ever since the two laureates developed the novel concept of

asymmetric organocatalysis, the field has witnessed rapiddevelopment.



q Since 2000, the asymmetric organocatalysis research area hasflourished. A huge number of cheap and stable organocatalysts,which can be used to drive a huge variety of chemical reactionsand applications, has been developed.

q This period is referred to as the ‘organocatalysis gold rush’.Currently, the area is “well established in organic chemistry andhas branched into several new and exciting applications”.



q Besides helping the generation of novel molecules used in variousindustries, pharmaceutical companies have used asymmetricorganocatalysis to “streamline the production of existingpharmaceuticals”.

q Thanks to a multitude of catalysts that can break down moleculesor join them together, “they can now carve out the thousands ofdifferent substances we use in our everyday lives, such aspharmaceuticals, plastics, perfumes and food flavourings”. Thefact is, according to the release, it is estimated that 35% of theworld’s total GDP in some way involves chemical catalysis.


Explaining the global warming phenomenon (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Nobel Prize for Physics for 2021 has been awarded to

climatologists Syukuro Manabe of Princeton University, U.S., andKlaus Hasselmann of Max Planck Institute for Meteorology,Hamburg, Germany, and physicist Giorgio Parisi of SapienzaUniversity of Rome, Italy.

q The prize has been given for their “groundbreaking contributionsto our understanding of complex physical systems”. ProfessorsManabe and Hasselmann will share half the prize and ProfessorParisi will receive one-half of the prize.



q The prize has been given for their “groundbreaking contributionsto our understanding of complex physical systems”. ProfessorsManabe and Hasselmann will share half the prize and ProfessorParisi will receive one-half of the prize.

q Professors Manabe and Hasselmann bagged the Prize “for thephysical modelling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability andreliably predicting global warming”. Professor Parisi won “for thediscovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physicalsystems from atomic to planetary scales”.



How is their work linked?q Though the prize-winning work done by the laureates are in

different areas, they are broadly linked, as they fall under theumbrella of complex systems, climate on the one hand, and spinliquids on the other, the former a phenomenon that spans lengthscales ranging from centimetres to the size of the planet and thelatter a description of what goes on at a microscopic level.



q The Nobel is being given to climatologists for the first time sinceits inception in 1901, and this sends out a message that cannot berepeated too often: there is a solid physics basis to climatescience, on which the laureates have spent decades, and manyother scientists have striven to establish.

What is the context of Syukuro Manabe’s work?q The incoming short wavelength radiation from the Sun is

absorbed by the Earth and re-emitted outwards as longwavelength radiation. The atmosphere absorbs a part of thisoutgoing radiation and warms up. This is known as the green-house effect.



q The green-house effect has been known from the work of Frenchmathematician Joseph Fourier two hundred years ago, although itwas given its name much later. This warming of the atmosphereand the ground below it is affected by greenhouse gases — watervapour, carbon dioxide, methane and other such.

q The greenhouse effect also has a positive impact: it keeps thesurface of the earth warm and makes life possible. However,when the percentage of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphereincreases, this warming also increases and can rise to a degreethat is harmful to life itself.



q Around the close of the 19th century, Swedish scientist SvanteArrhenius estimated that should the carbon dioxide in theatmosphere double, this would cause its temperature to increaseby 5-6 degrees.

What is Manabe’s key contribution to climate science?q In the 1950s and 1960s, Professor Manabe and collaborators

made pioneering attempts at modelling atmospheric warming dueto the increase in carbon dioxide. He estimated that a doubling ofcarbon dioxide would lead to a temperature rise of 2 degrees.



q His model confirmed that the rise in temperature was, indeed,due to the increase in carbon dioxide, because it predicted risingtemperatures close to the ground and cooling of outer layers ofthe atmosphere. If the warming had been due to the Sun’sradiation, it would have been uniform. It was Professor Manabe’smodel that pinned the quantitative impact of warming due tocarbon dioxide.

What are the important aspects of Hasselmann’s work?q The term, weather, refers to day-to-day variations in temperature

and rainfall, whereas climate describes long-time effects and alsoseasonal and average behaviour over a long time.



qWhile it is very difficult to predict the former, the latter appearspredictable, as for instance, in the anticipated regularity ofmonsoons year after year.

q The striking aspect of Professor Hasselmann’s work is that he builta connection between the rapid, randomly varying, “noise-like”weather patterns and inferred from these the “signal” of climate.He built a stochastic climate model that connects the two. He didthis around 1980.



q According to information released by the Nobel Academy,Professor Hasselmann later developed methods to identify thehuman fingerprint on climate change.

q The models that he built carried information about warming dueto solar radiation, the greenhouse gases and other causes, eachof which could be separated. His study, followed by that ofothers, demonstrated the human impact on climate changethrough several observations.



Parisi was rewarded for his work on spin liquids. What are these?q To understand the work of Giorgio Parisi, it is necessary to

understand four concepts with a dash of abstraction to them —spins, frustration, spin glasses and replica symmetry. Spins are likeminimalistic line drawings of magnets.

q Just as magnets point in the north-south direction, spins arearrows that point along one direction. Consider a triangular arrayof spins that can either point up or down.



q Let us say that the neighbouring pairs of spins always like to pointin opposite directions. In a triangular array with spins A, B and C,if A points up, and to satisfy the condition, B points down, whatwill be the direction in which C must point — up or down? If Cpoints down, it will be parallel to B, thus violating that bond.

q If it points up, it will become parallel to A, thus violating the A-Cbond. So, the spin C does not know how to align itself. This is theclassic situation called “frustration”.



q If you extend the description of a triangular arrangement of spinsto a triangular mesh or net (triangular lattice) and place spins oneach intersection, you will see that it is impossible to find a statewhere all neighbouring spins are aligned opposite to one another.This is a frustrated system.

What was the breakthrough made by Parisi?q In the 1970s, many physicists tried to calculate meaningful

quantities out of spin glasses by using “a replica trick” — this is amathematical technique in which many copies of the system (orreplicas) are processed at the same time.



q However, they were not quite successful. Parisi, in a breakthroughin 1979, was able to identify a structure to the replicas anddescribe it mathematically. This led to the method being usedeventually to solve problems in the field of complex systems. Thiswent beyond physics and helped in solving problems inmathematics, biology, neuroscience.

What are the physical examples of Parisi’s work?q Parisi has also studied other phenomena in which simple

behaviours give rise to complex collective behaviour likemurmurations of starlings.



q This is a phenomenon that arises when hundreds or thousands ofstarlings fly together in co-ordinated patterns across the sky.

q Phillip Anderson’s words aptly describe the philosophy of studyingsuch systems, as quoted in the Academy’s release: “The history ofspin glasses may be the best example I know of the dictum that areal scientific mystery is worth pursuing to the ends of the Earthfor its own sake, independently of any obvious practicalimportance or intellectual glamour.”


Heat and touch (GS-3)

What's in News?q The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly

awarded to David Julius, 66, at the University of California, SanFrancisco, and Ardem Patapoutian, 54, at Scripps Research, LaJolla, California, “for their discoveries of receptors fortemperature and touch”.



What is the significance of their work?q The two researchers discovered the molecular mechanism by

which our body senses temperature and touch. Being able to dothis opens the field for a lot of practical chemistry wherebyindividual cells and pathways can be tweaked, suppressed oractivated to quell pain or sensation.

q How the body senses external stimuli is among the oldestexcursions of natural philosophy. Entire schools of philosophywere based on speculating how the senses influenced the natureof the reality we perceive.



q Only when physiology developed as an independent disciplineand anatomy came into its own did it become widely acceptedthat specific sensations were the result of different categories ofnerves getting stimulated.

q Thus, a caress or a punch induces cells in our bodies to reactdifferently and convert into specific patterns of electricalstimulation that is then conveyed via the nerves to the centralnervous system. Since the Nobel Prizes came to be, at least threeof them were for establishing key principles for how sensationstravelled along skin and muscle sensory nerve fibres.



qMuch like the length, thickness, material and incident force ontheir strings elicit specific tones out of a guitar or a piano, thereare specific nerve fibre types that in tandem create a response totouch, heat and proprioception, or the sense of our body’smovement and position in space.

q However, the prominence of molecular biology means thatphysiology wanted to go a level deeper and find out what specificproteins and which genes are responsible in this symphony of thenerves.



What is the contribution of David Julius towards this?q Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide), the active

component of chili peppers, generates the burning sensationwhen eating spicy food. Studies on capsaicin showed that when itacted on sensory nerves it induced ionic currents, or the gush ofcharged particles along a membrane.

q In the late 1990s, Professor Julius pursued a project to identify anerve receptor for capsaicin. He thought that understanding theaction of capsaicin could provide insights into how the bodysensed pain.



q He and his team went about this by looking for a gene that couldinduce a response to capsaicin in cells that usually wouldn’t reactto it. They found one in a novel ion channel protein, later calledTRPV1, where TRP stands for transient receptor potential, andVR1 is vanilloid receptor1.

q They were part of a super family of TRP and it was found thatTRPV1 was activated when temperatures were greater than 40degrees Celsius, which is close to the body’s pain threshold.Several other TRP channels were found, and this ion channelcould be activated by various chemical substances, as well as bycold and heat in a way that differs between mammalian species.



What did Ardem Patapoutian find?q Growing up in Beirut as an Armenian, during the Lebanese Civil

War, Patapoutian has related stories of being captured bymilitants at university, before he moved to the United States.Patapoutian and his colleagues were working on how pressureand force affected cells.

q Following an approach similar to that of Professor Julius, theyidentified 72 potential genes that could encode an ion channelreceptor and trigger sensitivity to mechanical force, and itemerged that one of them coded for a novel ion channel protein,called Piezo1.



q Via Piezo1, a second gene was discovered and named Piezo2.Sensory neurons were found to express high levels of Piezo2 andfurther studies firmly established that Piezo1 and Piezo2 are ionchannels that are directly activated by the exertion of pressure oncell membranes.

q The breakthrough by Professor Patapoutian led to a series ofpapers from his and other groups, demonstrating that the Piezo2ion channel is essential for the sense of touch. Moreover, Piezo2was shown to play a key role in proprioception as well asregulate blood pressure, respiration and urinary bladder control.



q Independently of one another, Professor Julius and ProfessorPatapoutian used the chemical substance menthol to identifyTRPM8, a receptor activated by cold.

What applications do these discoveries have?q Along with the discoveries of specific genes, proteins and

pathways, the scientists pioneered experimental methods thatallow insight into the structure of these pain and temperaturesensors. The challenge for pain relieving drugs is to preciselytarget regions without causing imbalance in other necessaryfunctions. These scientists’ work, the Nobel Prize committee said,significantly helped towards reaching that goal.

PREAMBLE IAS

11 OCTOBER


India, China discuss next steps of LAC disengagement (GS-2)

What's in News?q India and China held the 13th round of Corps Commander talks

on Sunday at Moldo on the Chinese side with focus on workingout the third phase of disengagement from patrolling Point 15 inHot Springs as part of overall disengagement and de-escalationalong the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.


India, China discuss next steps of LAC disengagement (GS-2)

Friction pointsq The other friction areas that remain are Demchok and Depsang.

Officials said while an agreement for resolving Hot Springs iswithin reach, Demchok and Depsang are legacy issues and aretough to resolve. While Demchok is one of the two mutuallyagreed disputed areas in Eastern Ladakh, Depsang is one of theeight friction points in the area.

LAC has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS September 2021 CurrentAffairs Monthly Compilation https://t.me/preambleias/6343



U.S. outlines a softer focus for Quad (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Quad is a “non-defence, non-military” arrangement, U.S.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said during her visitto India and Pakistan last week, indicating at two separateinteractions that the purpose of the Australia-India-Japan-U.S.grouping is meant to cooperate on what are considered “softer”issues. “The Quad is [a] vehicle which largely operates in securityrealms that are non- military, non-defence.



q Things we do together on vaccines, and infrastructure, supplychains, technology and climate all the forward-thinking areas inwhich we need to gain confidence and ensure security for ourpeople,” Ms. Sherman said at an event organised by the think-tankAnanta in Mumbai. “The Quad has not been downgraded, but weare seeing it being purposed differently from the AUKUS,” said anofficial aware of the discussions.

q Asked about the difference between the Quad and AUKUS at theAnanta interaction, Ms. Sherman replied that the two were non-competing “pieces of a puzzle”.



AUKUS Allianceq Under it, the U.S., U.K will help Australia deploy nuclear-powered

submarines in the Pacific region.q Focus: The focus of AUKUS will be on integrating all defence and

security related science, supply chains, industrial bases andtechnology.

q It will also focus on protecting shared values and promotingsecurity and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.



q It will help Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines(SSNs) in cooperation with the UK & the US.

q It will involve a new architecture of engagements across emergingtechnologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies,cyber capabilities, and additional undersea capabilities.

q It will enhance Australia’s contribution to its other partnerships,including the QUAD.

q The deal is seen as a step towards curtailing China, which hasmade significant aggressive manoeuvres in the Pacific region,especially in and around the South China Sea, where it hasexpansive territorial claims.


There is consensus over Kalapani: ex-Nepal Minister (GS-2)

What's in News?q Nepalese political parties have a general consensus over the fact

that Kalapani in Uttarakhand is part of Nepal’s sovereignterritory, said former Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat.

qMr. Mahat blamed the previous government of Prime MinisterK.P. Sharma Oli for not holding dialogue on this issue with India,and said the Nepali Congress (NC), which is leading the currentcoalition government steered by Prime Minister Sher BahadurDeuba, is interested for a national consultation on amending theconstitution to reflect Nepal’s Hindu identity.



Detailsq “There is general consensus or common understanding across

political parties over Kalapani. But we are confident that theterritorial dispute can be solved through dialogue,”

qMr. Deuba replaced Mr. Oli in July after the Supreme Courtdismissed Mr. Oli’s government for decisions that violated theConstitution of Nepal. India-Nepal relations were disturbed during2020 because of Mr. Oli’s decision to include the Kalapani regionin the map of Nepal but Mr. Mahat’s comments show thatKathmandu’s position on the dispute has remained unaffected bythe change of government.



Kalapaniq Located in the easternmost corner of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh

district.q Shares a border on the north with the Tibet Autonomous Region

of China and Nepal in the east and south.q It is wedged in between Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani.q The area is the largest territorial dispute between Nepal and

India consisting of at least 37,000 hectares of land in the HighHimalayas.



What is the cause of the dispute?q The Kalapani region derives its name from the river Kali. Nepal’s

claims to the region is based on this river as it became the markerof the boundary of the kingdom of Nepal following the Treaty ofSugauli signed between the Gurkha rulers of Kathmandu and theEast India Company after the Gurkha War/Anglo-Nepal War(1814-16). The treaty was ratified in 1816.

q According to the treaty, Nepal lost the regions of Kumaon-Garhwal in the west and Sikkim in the east.



q According to Article 5, the King of Nepal gave up his claims overthe region west of the river Kali which originates in the HighHimalayas and flows into the great plains of the Indiansubcontinent.

q According to the treaty, the British rulers recognised Nepal’s rightto the region that fell to the east of the river Kali.

q According to Nepal’s experts, the east of the Kali river shouldbegin at the source of the river. The source according to them isin the mountains near Limpiyadhura, which is higher in altitudethan the rest of the river’s flow.



q Nepal claims that a land mass, high in the mountains that falls tothe east of the entire stretch starting from Limpiyadhuradownwards, is theirs.

q India on the other hand says the border begins at Kalapani whichIndia says is where the river begins.

q The dispute is mainly because of the varying interpretation of theorigin of the river and its various tributaries that slice throughthe mountains.

qWhile Nepal’s claim of the territory east of Kali is based on theLimpiyadhura origin, India says the river actually takes the nameKali near Kalapani.



Where have Nepal and India erred?q India and China were in clear violation of Nepal’s concerns

during the 2015 Lipulekh agreement between India and Chinawhich renewed India’s Mansarovar pilgrimage connection.

q Neither side consulted Nepal or sought its opinion before thatagreement that boosted pilgrimage and trade to Tibet.



What is the current position?q Nepal has published a revised official map incorporating the

territory from the Limpiyadhura source of the Kali to Kalapaniand Lipulekh pass in the northeast of the triangular region as itsterritory.

q On May 22, the Cabinet led by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oliregistered a constitution amendment motion to grantconstitutional status to the map.



Kali Riverq It is also known as Sharda river or Kali Ganga in Uttarakhand.q It joins Ghagra river in Uttar Pradesh, which is

a tributary of Ganga.q River Projects: Tanakpur hydro-electric project, Chameliya hydro-

electric project, Sharda Barrage.




Libyan rivals agree on pullout of mercenaries (GS-2)

What's in News?q Libya’s rival sides reached an initial agreement on the

withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries from the NorthAfrican nation, the United Nations said. It is a key step towardunifying the violence-wracked country.

q The dispute over mercenaries and foreign fighters has long beenan obstacle, particularly ahead of Libya’s landmark generalelections due in December.



Detailsq Libya has been engulfed in chaos since a NATO- backed uprising

toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich country was for years split between rival governments, onebased in the capital of Tripoli and the other in the eastern partof the country. Each side is backed by different foreign powersand militia groups.

q The UN mission mediating between the rivals said a 10- memberjoint military commission, with five representatives from eachside, signed a “gradual and balanced” withdrawal deal on Friday.




Iran makes 20% more enriched uranium (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q Iran has produced more than 120 kg of 20% enriched uranium,

the country’s nuclear chief said, far more than what the UNnuclear watchdog reported last month.

qMohammad Eslami said in an interview with state TV late onSaturday that under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers,the other signatories were to provide Iran with 20% enricheduranium needed for its research reac- tor. “But it was notdelivered,” he said.



q Under the terms of the nuclear deal, Iran was prohibited fromenriching uranium above 3.67% with the exception of its researchreactor activities. Enriched uranium above 90% can be used in anuclear weapon.

q In September, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’sstockpile of uranium enriched to up to 20% fissile purity wasestimated at 84.3 kg up from 62.8 kg three months earlier.

q The nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan ofAction, or JCPOA, promises Iran economic incentives in exchangefor limits on its nuclear programme, and is meant to preventTehran from developing a nuclear bomb.



Iran nuclear dealq Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear programme in a 2015 deal struck

with the US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany.q Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) Tehran

agreed to significantly cut its stores of centrifuges, enricheduranium and heavy-water, all key components for nuclearweapons.

q The JCPOA established the Joint Commission, with thenegotiating parties all represented, to monitor implementationof the agreement.



What’s the concern now?q In January 2020, following the drone strike on Islamic

Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Gen. Qasem Soleiman,Iran announced that it would no longer observe the JCPOA’srestraints.

q The collapse of the JCPOA drags Iran towards nuclearbrinkmanship, like North Korea, which has created majorgeopolitical instability in the region and beyond.



Significance of the deal for Indiaq Removing sanctions may revive India’s interest in the Chabahar

port, Bandar Abbas port, and other plans for regionalconnectivity.

q This would further help India to neutralize the Chinese presencein Gwadar port, Pakistan.

q Restoration of ties between the US and Iran will help India toprocure cheap Iranian oil and aid in energy security.



Uraniumq Uranium occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and

water. It is a hard, dense, malleable, ductile, silver-white,radioactive metal.

q Uranium metal has a very high density.qWhen finely divided, it can react with cold water. In air it is

coated by uranium oxide, tarnishing rapidly.q It can form solids solutions and intermetallic compounds with

many of the metals.


Farmers in east see little hope in stir (GS-3)

What's in News?q As the movement against the agricultural reform laws builds

towards its one-year anniversary, it is clear that the bulk offarmers in eastern States have not been as motivated to join theagitation as their counterparts in the northwest, as they havenot even experienced many of the benefits that the laws threatento take away.



Detailsq In fact, farmers in these States, with densely populated rural

areas, bear the double burden of low procurement as well as lowprices in the open market, partly because grains procured in thenorthern and western States are dumped into the eastern regionat subsidised rates via the public distribution system (PDS), asituation exacerbated by additional free grain distribution asCOVID-19 relief.



q Experts and farm leaders say reforms are needed in bothprocurement as well as PDS, to allow for more effectivedecentralised procurement, which will benefit both farmers andconsumers in the region.

q Analysis of procurement and PDS data from 2020-21 highlightsthe stark divide. Government procurement of wheat and paddyin Bihar and West Bengal each account for just 2% of thenational total, despite the fact that the latter is the country’slargest rice producer.



Public distribution system (PDS)q The Public distribution system (PDS) is an Indian food Security

System for the poor people established by the Government ofIndia under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and PublicDistribution.

qWhile the Central government is responsible for procurement,storage, transportation, and bulk allocation of food grains, theState governments hold the responsibility for distributing thesame to the consumers through the established network ofapproximately 5 lakh Fair Price Shops. Major commoditiesdistributed include wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene.



How PDS system functions?q The Central and State Governments share responsibilities in order

to provide food grains to the identified beneficiaries.q The centre procures food grains from farmers at a minimum

support price (MSP) and sells it to states at central issue prices. Itis responsible for transporting the grains to godowns in each state.

q States bear the responsibility of transporting food grains fromthese godowns to each fair price shop (ration shop), wherethe beneficiary buys the food grains at the lower central issueprice. Many states further subsidise the price of food grains beforeselling it to beneficiaries.




Restoration of murals at Thiruvattaru temple in limbo (GS-1)

What's in News?q The restoration and conservation of the paintings on the walls of

the sanctum sanctorum of the Adikesavaperumal temple atThiruvattaru in Kanniyakumari district is in limbo after the workwas stopped following public objections.

q The temple, one of the 108 Vaishnava Divya Desams, is beingreadied for kumbabhishekam after a gap of over 400 years. TheDepartment of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments hascompleted 80% of the work. But what comes in the way ofscheduling kumbabhishekam is uncertainty over the restorationand conservation of the murals.



Mural/Wall PaintingqMural comes from the Latin word ‘murus’ which means wall.qMurals are significant as they bring art into a large public sphere

as they are put up on a large wall and hence an effective tool forsocial emancipation.

q Also murals can add to the scenic beauty of a place where theyare painted.

q It started from around 2nd century BC to 10th century AD.q They were basically rock cut chambers.q They were also found in natural caves earlier.



q Examples of mural paintings include Jogimara caves, Ajanta cavesetc.

q In India they are of sheer size, found in Ajanta, Ellora, caves andtemple walls etc

Kerala Murals (16th – 18th centuries)q The distinct style was developed but a lot of the features of the

Nayaka and Vijayanagara styles were adopted.q The artists took ideas from the contemporary traditions of

Kathakali and Kalam Ezhuthu.



q Vibrant and luminous colours, human figures have shown 3-dimensionally.

q Paintings on the walls of the shrines, on cloister walls of temples,also in palaces.

q The theme of the paintings – from locally popular episodes ofHindu mythology, local versions of the Mahabharata andRamayana through oral traditions.


Ashish Mishra sent to 14-day judicial custody (GS-2)

What's in News?q Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, was sent to

14-day judicial custody by a local court after he was arrested lateon Saturday in connection with the October 3 violence inLakhimpur Kheri district. A petition for his police custody wouldbe heard on Monday, the police said.



Judicial custodyq According to Section 167(2) in The Code of Criminal Procedure,

1973, when police officer presents the arrested person in front ofMagistrate, Magistrate can order to send him to police custodyor judicial custody.

qWhen Magistrate orders to send the person to police custody,police will have actual physical custody of the arrested person.Police will detain arrested person in police lock-up and interrogatehim to collect necessary information.



q In judicial custody, Magistrate will have the custody of thearrested person and he will be sent to jail. During this custody,police can interrogate the arrested person only after thepermission of Magistrate.

q In case of Gian Singh v State of Delhi Administration it wasdecided that only interrogation during judicial custody does notchange the nature of custody.

Police custodyq It is the arrest of a suspected person in crime to collect more

information by the police officer in case of cognizable offence.



q Another aim of the police custody is to prevent evidence fromdestruction. During this period, police officer who is in charge caninterrogate the arrested person.

q According to section 57 of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973,without the order of magistrate it cannot exceed more than 24hours.

q Person who was arrested should be produced before theMagistrate nearest from place of arrest within 24 hours. Time forthe journey from place of arrest to the Magistrate can be excludedfor this.

PREAMBLE IAS

12OCTOBER


5 Army men, 2 militants killed in four gunfights in J&K in a day (GS-3)

What's in News?q Five Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer

(JCO), and two militants were killed in four encounters thatraged between security forces and militants in different parts ofJammu and Kashmir within 12 hours on Monday.

q A massive combing operation was launched in the Pir PanjalValley’s Surankote- Shahadra belt on Sunday night but the searchparty came under heavy fire on Monday morning from themilitants, who may have infiltrated recently through the Line ofControl in Poonch district.



Detailsq “Based on intelligence inputs, the Army on Monday launched a

cordon and search operation in villages close to Dera Ki Gali inSurankote area of Poonch. In the ensuing firefight, one JCO andfour jawans suffered critical injuries.

q In another operation in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, anunidentified militant was killed in the Khagund area. “On specificinformation, when the police went to pick up an over groundworker, the militant opened fire, and an gunfight followed,”



Pir Panjal rangeq The Pir Panjal range in Kashmir is the longest and the most

important range.q It extends from the Jhelum river to the upper Beas river for over

300 km.q It rises to 5,000 metres and contains mostly volcanic rocks.



Passes in Pir Panjalq Pir Panjal Pass (3,480 m), the Bidil (4,270 m), Golabghar Pass

(3,812 m) and Banihal Pass (2,835 m).q The Banihal Pass is used by the Jammu-Srinagar highway and

Jammu-Baramula railway.q The Kishanganga, the Jhelum and the Chenab cut through the

range.q Southeast of the Ravi, the Pir Panjal continues as Dhaola Dhar

range, passing through Dalhousie, Dharmshala, and Shimla.




Industry seeks clarity on space policy (GS-3)

What's in News?q Industrialists told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday

that for the space industry to grow, the government should helpsmall and medium sector enterprises (SME) access more capitalas well as move faster on finalising its space policy.

q The industry leaders were speaking at the inauguration of theIndian Space Association, an organisation meant to represent theinterests of the space sector with government and private sectorbodies across the board, including the Indian Space ResearchOrganisation, Walchandnagar Industries, TATA Nelco, Pixxel,Mapmy India and Bharti Airtel.



Detailsq In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government

was “the most decisive one in history” and that in sectors wherethe government “wasn’t needed” the private sector ought to bestepping in. He cited the example of the recent decision of thegovernment giving up its stake in Air India to a Tata groupcompany.

q The government’s approach to space reforms, Mr. Modi said, isbased on four pillars. First is the freedom of innovation to theprivate sector.



The Indian Space Association (ISpA)q It is an industry body representing the various stakeholders in the

Indian space domain with members comprising the Indian SpaceResearch Organisation (ISRO), Bharti Airtel, OneWeb, TataGroup’s Nelco, L&T, MapMyIndia among others.

q Along the lines of the US, now several private sector companiesboth global and domestic have taken interest in India’s spacedomain, with space-based communication networks coming tothe fore.



Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)q IN-SPACE will be a separate vertical within the Department of

Space (DoS) that will make independent decisions for permittingand regulating activities of the private sector.

q It will have its own legal, technological, activity promotion andmonitoring directorates and its Board will comprise membersfrom the private industry, academia and government of India

q It will act as a national nodal agency for hand-holding andpromoting private industry in the space sector and will even helpprivate players build facilities within DoS premises.



New Space India Limitedq NSIL is a Central Public Sector Enterprise of the Government of

India.q It was established in 2019 under the administrative control of the

Department of Space.q NSIL is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation

(ISRO) with the primary responsibility of enabling Indian industriesto take up high technology space related activities and is alsoresponsible for promotion and commercial exploitation of theproducts and services emanating from the space industry.



q The new company will also look after the production andmarketing of space-based products and services, including launchand application, developed by ISRO centres and the constituentunits of the Department of Space and marketing spin-offtechnologies and products and services both in India and abroad.




U.K. asks India to update climate goals (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Prime Minister

Narendra Modi on Monday, urging India to announce a “moreambitious” Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ahead of aUnited Nations climate change summit in the U.K. in a few weeks.The two leaders also spoke about the issue of vaccinecertifications and the Afghanistan situation.



q “Prime Minister conveyed India’s commitment to Climate Action,as seen in its ambitious target for expansion of renewableenergy and the recently announced National Hydrogen Mission,”a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement said.

q As president of the coming climate change conference, the U.K. isasking all countries to update their NDCs to reflect climate targetsfor the next few decades. “Prime Minister Johnson underlined theimportance of making concrete progress on climate change aheadof and at the upcoming COP26 Summit.



q One hundred and ninety three countries filed their first NDCs, butonly 19 have so far updated them. India filed its first NDC in 2016,committing at the time to cut emissions by 33% by 2030 (from2005 levels) and to ensure that about 40% of its installed powercapacity comes from renewable energy, targets that thegovernment says it is on track to reach.



q However, the U.K. and the U.S. have been asking India to do morein terms of declaring its second NDC, which includes India’spromise of installing 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030, andto declare firm deadlines for achieving Net Zero carbonemissions and ending the use of coal for generating electricity, soas to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.


Modi to attend G20 virtual meeting on Afghanistan (GS-2)

What's in News?q Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend an extraordinary

virtual meeting of G20 leaders on Afghanistan to be held onOctober 12. Mr. Modi had urged the international community tocarefully act on the recognition of the Taliban as the legitimaterulers of Afghanistan and the G20 meeting is likely to deliberateon both political and humanitarian issues regarding the country.



Detailsq Ahead of the meeting, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and

Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi reminded the world about themultilateral norms that have been set in place regarding theAfghan crisis.

q The G20 meeting comes soon after the United States held around of discussion on assisting the Taliban deal with theunfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as winter isdeepening amid shortage of essential commodities and acollapse of the banking system.



Italy holds talksq Italy, the current chair of G20, has discussed the situation in Kabul

and other cities of Afghanistan with world powers like Russia andChina. Prime Minister Mario Draghi observed in September lastweek that the immediate aim of the world community was toensure that human lives were saved in that country.

q Italy believes that the Taliban’s denial of women’s rights makes itdifficult for the world to recognise it as a legitimate politicalentity but maintains that people should receive financialsupport.


Killing of minorities a threat to democratic fabric of India: NHRC (GS-2)

What's in News?q The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued

notices to the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the policeover the recent spate of targeted killings of civilians fromminority communities.

q The NHRC issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police (DGP) of the Union Terri- tory on October 9after taking suo motu cognisance of media reports the previousday. The officials were asked to respond within four weeks,according to the proceedings.



Detailsq The painful incidents of killing of civilians allegedly by terrorists

were a serious threat to the democratic fabric of the country andpeople’s right to life, liberty, equality and dignity, it observed.

q “Targeted killings of those who are not Kashmiri Muslims is anattempt to keep non-Muslims out of the Valley. It is a grossviolation of human rights of minority communities in the Valley,”



National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) q It is a statutory body established on 12th October, 1993 under

the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993.Composition:q The chairperson is a retired chief justice of India or a judge of

the Supreme Court.



q They are appointed by the President on the recommendations ofa six-member committee consisting of:ü Prime Minister (head)ü Speaker of the Lok Sabhaü Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabhaü Leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliamentü Union Home Minister.

q The Chairperson or the Members of the National Human RightsCommission holds office for a term of three years or until theyattain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.


Key UN biodiversity summit opens in China (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q A key UN summit tasked with protecting biodiversity opened in

China and online on Monday, as countries meet to protectecosystems and prevent mass extinction weeks before the COP26climate conference.

q Beijing, the world’s biggest polluter, has sought to position itselfin recent years as a world leader on environmental issues afterWashington’s withdrawal from international commitments underformer President Trump’s administration.



Detailsq The online summit setting the stage for a face-to- face meeting in

April will see parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) discuss new targets for protecting ecosystems by 2030.

q Up for debate are the “30 by 30” plan to give 30% of land andoceans protected status by 2030 a measure supported by a broadcoalition of nations, as well as a goal to halve the use of chemicalsin agriculture and stop creating plastic waste.



Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)q The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a legally binding

treaty to conserve biodiversity has been in force since 1993. Ithas 3 main objectives:ü The conservation of biological diversity.ü The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity.ü The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of

the utilization of genetic resources.q Nearly all countries have ratified it (notably, the US has signed but

not ratified).



q The CBD Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada and it operatesunder the United Nations Environment Programme.

q The Parties (Countries) under Convention of Biodiversity (CBD),meet at regular intervals and these meetings arecalled Conference of Parties (COP).

q In 2000, a supplementary agreement to the Convention known asthe Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted. It came intoforce on 11th September 2003.


‘DoT, TRAI working on optimal use of spectrum’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Telecom Ministry is engaged in discussions with regulator

TRAI to work out ways for optimum utilisation of “finite resource”spectrum, especially for airwave bands sought for both 5Gservices as well as satellite communication, a senior official saidon Monday.

q “The demand for satellite-based and terrestrial telecom serviceshave put unprecedented demands on radio spectrum, inparticular the C band and the Ka band frequencies are needed forboth space-based as well as terrestrial telecommunicationsservices,” Telecom Secretary K. Rajaraman said.



Detailsq Speaking at an event organized by newly-formed industry body

Indian Space Association, the Secretary added that sincespectrum is a finite resource, its value can be augmented throughsharing and with coexistence by different services.

q “Thus, it is necessary to ensure efficient use of spectrum includingrevisiting the uses in the existing frequency bands as well as inthe new frequency bands. We are engaged in this exercise inconsultation with TRAI.”



Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) q Established in 1997q Established by an Act of Parliament, called the Telecom

Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997q TRAI is an independent regulator of Telecom Business in India.q Aims to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of

tariffs for telecom services which were earlier vested in theCentral Government.


‘OneWeb likely to use ISRO’s platforms for 2022 launches’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal on Monday said the

“space race” had truly begun and the private sector shouldensure that India remained on the cutting edge of the spaceindustry.

q Speaking at the unveiling of the Indian Space Association, Mr.Mittal added that Bharti-backed OneWeb, which already had 322satellites in orbit, will use India- built PSLV (Polar SatelliteLaunch Vehicle) and the heavier GSLV-MkIII (GeosynchronousSatellite Launch Vehicle) as potential platforms to launchOneWeb’s satellites in India from 2022.



Detailsq He added that OneWeb had entered into an arrangement through

Letter of Intent with New Space India Ltd. the commercial arm ofthe Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), to use PSLV andthe GSLV-MkIII as potential platforms to launch OneWeb’ssatellites in India from 2022.



PSLVq Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is an indigenously-developed

expendable launch system of the ISRO.q It comes in the category of medium-lift launchers with a reach up

to various orbits, including the Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit,Lower Earth Orbit, and Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit.

q All the operations of PSLV are controlled from the Satish DhawanSpace Center, Sriharikota.



Difference between PSLV and GSLVq India has two operational launchers- Polar Satellite Launch

Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV).

q PSLV was developed to launch low-Earth Orbit satellites into polarand sun synchronous orbits. It has since proved its versatility bylaunching geosynchronous, lunar and interplanetary spacecraftsuccessfully.



q On the other hand, GSLV was developed to launch the heavierINSAT class of geosynchronous satellites into orbit. In its thirdand final stage, GSLV uses the indigenously developed cryogenicupper stage.


‘India invited to become full-time IEA member’ (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited India, the world’s

third-largest energy consumer, to become its full-time member aproposal, if accepted, will require New Delhi to raise strategic oilreserves to 90 days’ requirement.

q “As a natural corollary to the India-IEA strategic partnership, Dr.Birol invited India to deepen its cooperation with IEA by becominga full Member,” Mr. Puri tweeted without saying if the full-timemembership proposal was acceptable to the Centre or not.



International Energy Agency (IEA)q It is a Paris based autonomous intergovernmental organisation

established in the framework of the Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake ofthe 1973 oil crisis.

q The IEA acts as a policy adviser to its member states, but alsoworks with non-member countries, especially China, India, andRussia.

q The Agency's mandate has broadened to focus on the "3Es" ofeffectual energy policy: energy security, economic development,and environmental protection.



q IEA member countries are required to maintain total oil stocklevels equivalent to at least 90 days of the previous year's netimports.

q India became an associate member of International EnergyAgency in 2017.

q Mexico officially became the 30th member country of IEA in 2018,and its first member in Latin America.

q Clean Energy Transitions Programme (CETP): The IEA CETPleverages the IEA’s unique energy expertise across all fuels andtechnologies to accelerate global clean-energy transitions,particularly in major emerging economies.


Nobel for research on wages, jobs (Prelims)

What's in News?q The Nobel prize for economics was awarded on Monday to U.S.-

based economist David Card for pioneering research thatshowed an increase in minimum wage does not lead to lesshiring and that immigrants do not lower pay for native-bornworkers, challenging commonly held ideas.

Nobel Prize has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 6th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6381




Detailsq Canadian-born Dr. Card of the University of California, Berkeley,

was awarded one half of the prize for his research on howminimum wage, immigration and education affect the labourmarket, while the other half was shared by Joshua Angrist fromthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dutch-born GuidoImbens from Stanford University for their framework for studyingissues that can’t rely on traditional scientific methods.



PREAMBLE IAS

13OCTOBER


Retail inflation falls to 4.35%; industrial output growth up (GS-3)

What's in News?q India’s retail inflation cooled off to a five-month low of 4.35% in

September, thanks to a sharp dip in food price inflation, whileindustrial output growth accelerated to 11.9% in August, drivenlargely by a statistical effect of a low base August 2020 hadrecorded a 7.1% contraction.

q Economists cautioned against reading too much into theseencouraging official data prints yet, with adverse headwindslurking on both fronts.



Detailsq Food inflation based on the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)

fell to just 0.68% in September after having declined to a seven-month low of 3.1% in August.

qWhile vegetables recorded a negative inflation of 22.5%, price risein oils and fats remained sticky at 34.2% and in the range of 7%-8.75% for key protein sources such as pulses, eggs and meat.



q In India, the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics and ProgrammeImplementation measures inflation.

q qIn India, inflation is primarily measured by two main indices —WPI (Wholesale Price Index) and CPI (Consumer Price Index)which measure wholesale and retail-level price changes,respectively.

Consumer Price Indexq It measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer.q The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and

services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc,which Indian consumers buy for use.



q The CPI has several sub-groups including food and beverages,fuel and light, housing and clothing, bedding and footwear.


PM slams ‘selective’ reading of rights issues (GS-2)

What's in News?q Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday noted that the

biggest infringement of human rights occurred when seenthrough a political prism, and warned against a “selective”interpretation of rights’ issues.

q Addressing the 28th foundation day of the National Human RightsCommission (NHRC) virtually, Mr. Modi “cautioned against theselective interpretation of human rights and using human rights todiminish the image of the country,” according to a statementreleased by the Prime Minister’s Office.


PM slams ‘selective’ reading of rights issues (GS-2)

Rights Issueq It is an offering of shares made to existing shareholders in

proportion to their existing shareholding.q Companies often offer shares in a rights issue at a discount on the

market price.q Rights issues are used by companies seeking to raise capital

without increasing debt.q Shareholders are not obliged to purchase shares offered in a

rights issue.


Malabar exercise could expand: U.S. Admiral (GS-3)

What's in News?q As the Quad group of countries began Phase II of the Malabar

naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, U.S. Chief ofNaval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday said the exercise couldexpand and it was up to the “partners inside the Quad” to discussthat.

High-end operationsq “Cyber would be among an area that we want to continue to

refine in terms of working together as well as high-endoperations, whether they be in the air, on the sea and under thesea.”



Detailsq India had now signed all four foundational agreements with the

U.S. the logistics agreement in 2016, the CommunicationsCompatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018 andthe Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatialcooperation (BECA) in 2020.

qWhile the General Security of Military Information Agreement(GSOMIA) was signed a long time ago, an extension to it, theIndustrial Security Annex (ISA), was signed in 2019.



Malabar Phase-IIqWhile Phase-I of Malabar was held in August and hosted by the

U.S. Navy near Guam, Phase-II was being held between October12 and 15 in the Bay of Bengal.

q Phase-II would build upon the synergy, coordination and inter-operability developed during Phase-I of the exercise and wouldfocus on advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises,seamanship evolutions and weapon firings, the Navy said.


Modi to launch master plan for multimodal connectivity (GS-3)

What's in News?q Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a national master

plan for multimodal connectivity called ‘PM Gati Shakti’ onWednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Tuesday.

q The PMO said infrastructure development had faced manyproblems for decades, including a lack of coordination betweendepartments leading to multiple agencies digging up roads forlaying cables, pipelines, etc.



Detailsq PM Gati Shakti will address the past issues through

institutionalising holistic planning for stakeholders for majorinfrastructure projects.” Infrastructure plans would be designedand executed with a common vision, instead of being made insilos, it said.

q The master plan would cover projects of many Ministries andState Governments, including Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inlandwaterways, dry/land ports, UDAN, textile clusters, defencecorridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clustersand agricultural zones.



Gati Shakti Master Planq The PM has pegged the project as a source of employment

opportunities for the youth in the future.q The plan will make a foundation for holistic infrastructure and

give an integrated pathway to our economy.qMore details and the launch date of the project are awaited.

Gati Shakti has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 5th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6374



Govt. nod for fertilizer subsidy (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Centre has approved an additional fertilizer subsidy of

₹28,655 crore for the rabi or winter planting season, which runsfrom October 2021 to March 2022. The Cabinet Committee onEconomic Affairs approved the new nutrient based subsidy ratesfor phosphatic and potassic fertilizers on Tuesday.

q Unlike urea where the Centre sets a fixed maximum retail price,non-urea fertilizer prices are decontrolled, with the governmentfixing nutrient-based subsidy rates instead.



Detailsq The subsidy is paid to fertilizer companies as compensation for

selling their products to farmers below market prices. Thus, theprice a farmer pays for a 50-kg bag of di-ammonium phosphate(DAP), the most popular fertilizer after urea, would continue toremain at ₹1,200. The increased subsidy would off set the hikein global rates of DAP, nitrogen, phosphate and potassicfertilizers.



q The Cabinet also approved the ₹2.77-lakh crore Atal Mission forRejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 and the₹1.41-lakh crore Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 — both ofwhich were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi onOctober 1. It also gave the green signal to a proposal to affiliate100 government and private schools with the Sainik SchoolSociety, run by the Defence Ministry.

AMRUT has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 1st October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6342



Govt. announces plastic waste recycling targets (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Environment Ministry has issued draft rules that mandate

producers of plastic packaging material to collect all of theirproduce by 2024 and ensure that a minimum percentage of it berecycled as well as used in subsequent supply.

q It has also specified a system whereby makers and users ofplastic packaging could collect certificates called ExtendedProducer Responsibility (EPR) certificates and trade in them. Thenotification was expected to come into force by December 6 and,as of now, was open to public feedback.



Detailsq Only a fraction of plastic that cannot be recycled such as multi-

layered multi- material plastics would be eligible to be sent forend-of- life disposal such as road construction, waste to energy,waste to oil and cement kilns.

q Only methods prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB) would be permitted for their disposal. Plastic packaging, asper the rules made public on October 6, fall into three categories.



q The first is “rigid” plastic; category 2 is “flexible plastic packagingof single layer or multilayer (more than one layer with differenttypes of plastic), plastic sheets and covers made of plastic sheet,carry bags (including carry bags made of compostable plastics),plastic sachet or pouches; and the third category is called multi-layered plastic packaging, which has at least one layer of plasticand at least one layer of material other than plastic.

q Producers of plastic would be obliged to declare to thegovernment, via a centralised website, how much plastic theyproduce annually. Companies would have to collect at least 35%of the target in 2021-22, 70% by 2022- 23 and 100% by 2024.



Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)q Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach under

which producers are given a significant responsibility – financialand/or physical – for the treatment or disposal of post-consumerproducts.

q Assigning such responsibility could in principle provide incentivesto prevent wastes at the source, promote product design for theenvironment and support the achievement of public recycling andmaterials management goals.



Plastic Waste Management Rulesq The Government had notified the Plastic Waste Management

Rules, 2016, in suppression of the earlier Plastic Waste(Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.

q It expanded its jurisdiction of applicability from the municipal areato rural areas.

q Earlier, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was left to thediscretion of the local bodies.

q First time, under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016,producers and brand owners have been made responsible forcollecting waste generated from their products.



q They have to approach local bodies for formulation of plan/systemfor the plastic waste management within the prescribedtimeframe.

q Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been mandated toformulate the guidelines for thermoset plastic (plastic difficult torecycle). In the earlier Rules, there was no specific provision forsuch type of plastic.

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018q The amended Rules lay down that the phasing out of Multilayered

Plastic (MLP) which are non-recyclable, or non-energy recoverable,or with no alternate use.



q The amended Rules also prescribed a Central RegistrationSystem for the registration of the producer/importer/brandowner.

q The Rules also lay down that any mechanism for the registrationshould be automated and should take into account ease of doingbusiness for producers, recyclers and manufacturers.

q A national registry has been prescribed for producers with apresence in more than two states; a state-level registration hasbeen prescribed for smaller producers/brand owners operatingwithin one or two states.


Anticipatory bail can be set aside: SC (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Supreme Court has held that a superior court can set aside

an anticipatory bail order if there was enough material tosuggest that factors like gravity of the offence and the role of theaccused in the crime were not considered by the lower court.



Detailsq A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said a court, while

considering an application for grant of anticipatory bail, had toconsider the nature of the offence, the role of the person, thelikelihood of his influencing the course of investigation, etc.

q The apex court judgment set aside an anticipatory bail granted bythe Madhya Pradesh High Court in a murder case. The High Courthad granted the bail, despite refusal by the trial court earlier. Aman was shot dead by two men while a third held him down overa rivalry.



Anticipatory Bailq The provision of anticipatory bail under Section 438 was

introduced when CrPC was amended in 1973.q Section 438 is a procedural provision concerned with personal

liberty of each individual, who is entitled to the benefit of thepresumption of innocence.

q As opposed to ordinary bail, which is granted to a person who isunder arrest, in anticipatory bail, a person is directed to bereleased on bail even before arrest made.



q Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, lays downthe law on anticipatory bail.

q Sub-section (1) of the provision reads: “When any person hasreason to believe that he may be arrested on an accusation ofhaving committed a non-bailable offence, he may apply to theHigh Court or the Court of Session for a direction under thissection; and that Court may, if it thinks fit, direct that in theevent of such arrest, he shall be released on bail.”

q The provision empowers only the Sessions Court and High Courtto grant anticipatory bail.



What is bail?q Bail means temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial,

sometimes on condition that a sum of money is lodged toguarantee their appearance in court. In other words release orsecure the release of a prisoner on payment of bail.

q It may be defined as Security such as cash, a bond, or property,pledged or given to a court by or on behalf of one accused ofcommitting a crime, to obtain release from incarceration and toensure the person's future appearance in court when requiredduring the criminal proceeding.


‘Seas will rise for centuries to come’ (GS-1/3)

What's in News?q Even if humanity beats the odds and caps global warming at 1.5

degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, seas will rise forcenturies to come and swamp cities currently home to half-a-billion people, researchers warned Tuesday.

q In a world that heats up another half-degree above thatbenchmark, an additional 200 million of today’s urban dwellerswould regularly find themselves knee- deep in sea water andmore vulnerable to devastating storm surges, they reported inEnvironmental Research Letters.


‘Seas will rise for centuries to come’ (GS-1/3)

q Worst hit in any scenario will be Asia, which accounts for nine ofthe 10 mega-cities at highest risk. Land home to more than halfthe populations of Bangladesh and Vietnam fall below the long-term high tide line, in a world with even a 2 degrees Celsius rise.Built-up areas in China, India and Indonesia would also facedevastation.

q Most projections for sea level rise run to the end of the century.But oceans will continue to swell for hundreds of years beyond2100 — fed by melting ice sheets, heat trapped in the ocean andthe dynamics of warming water no matter how aggressivelygreenhouse gas emissions are drawn down.


China launches biodiversity fund (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q China on Tuesday pledged to inject $233 million into a new fund

to protect biodiversity in developing countries during a key UNconservation summit, despite disagreements among majordonors on the initiative. Beijing the world’s biggest polluter hassought to play a more prominent role internationally onbiodiversity conservation in recent years.



Detailsq Its pledge came as delegates from about 195 countries gathered

in the southern Chinese city of Kunming for the first of a two-partsummit on safeguarding plants, animals and ecosystems.

q The summit aims to establish a new accord setting out targetsfor 2030 and 2050. “China will take the lead in establishing theKunming biodiversity fund with a capital contribution of 1.5 billionyuan ($233 million) to support the cause of biodiversityconservation in developing countries,” Chinese President XiJinping said during a speech delivered via video link at the COP15leaders’ summit.



‘30 by 30’ agendaq A key proposal being debated at the conference is the “30 by 30”

agenda that would afford 30% of the Earth’s land and oceansprotected status by 2030.

q Global spending to protect and restore nature needs to triplethis decade to about $350 billion annually by 2030 and $536billion by 2050 to meet this target, a UN report said in May.

q But some rich country donors say a new fund for conservation isunnecessary because the United Nations’ Global EnvironmentFacility already helps developing nations finance green projects.


France unveils $35 bn revival plan (GS-2)

What's in News?q French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled a five-

year, €30 billion ($35 billion) investment plan for developinginnovative technology and industrial activity, including buildingsmall nuclear reactors, electric cars and greener airplanes.

q The goal of the state-funded France 2030 plan is to boostFrance’s economic growth over the next decade amid growingglobal competition with China and the U.S., Mr. Macron said. Themoney will start being spent next year, he said.



Detailsq The plan includes €8 billion to develop energy technology that

would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Macron saidthe funding would finance the building of small, modular nuclearreactors in France, which relies on nuclear power for 70% of itselectricity.

Carbon-neutralq EU leaders have agreed that nuclear energy could be part of the

27-nation bloc’s commitment to making its economy carbon-neutral by 2050, giving member countries the option of using itin their national energy mixes.



q The issue led to heated debates within the EU, however, withGermany and some other countries arguing that nuclear powershould not be included in plans to finance greener energybecause it requires mining and long-term storage of radioactivewaste.

q In addition, France will “massively invest” in building its first“low-carbon plane” by 2030. The plan also provides money todevelop by 2026 a reusable launch system to propel spacecrafts.




Environmental group pulls up Bolsonaro (GS-2)

What's in News?q Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was accused on Tuesday of

“crimes against humanity” at the International Criminal Court(ICC) for his alleged role in the destruction of the Amazon.

q Austrian environmental group Allrise asked for legal proceedingsagainst Mr. Bolsonaro for actions “directly connected to thenegative impacts of climate change around the world".



International Criminal Courtq The ICC is an intergovernmental organization and international

tribunal that sits in The Hague, Netherlands.q It is the first and only permanent international court with

jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimesof genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crimeof aggression.

q It is intended to complement existing national judicial systemsand it may therefore exercise its jurisdiction only when nationalcourts are unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals.



q The ICC lacks universal territorial jurisdiction, and may onlyinvestigate and prosecute crimes committed within memberstates, crimes committed by nationals of member states, orcrimes in situations referred to the Court by the UNSC.

Composition and voting powerq The Court’s management oversight and legislative body, the

Assembly of States Parties, consists of one representative fromeach state party.



q Each state party has one vote and “every effort” has to be madeto reach decisions by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached,decisions are made by vote.

q The Assembly is presided over by a president and two vice-presidents, who are elected by the members to three-yearterms.




Govt. tells utilities to import coal (GS-3)

What's in News?q India has asked power producers to import up to 10% of their

coal needs amid fuel shortages, and has warned States thatfederal companies will curb their power supplies if they are foundselling electricity on power exchanges to cash in on surging prices.

q India is the world’s second largest coal producer, with theworld’s fourth largest reserves, but a steep surge in powerdemand that has outstripped pre-pandemic levels means state-run Coal India’s supplies are no longer enough.



Detailsq Increased economic activity after the second wave of the

pandemic has driven up demand for coal leading to a supplyshortage, forcing north Indian States like Bihar and Jharkhand toundertake power cuts for up to 14 hours a day.

q On Tuesday, the Power Ministry asked utilities, reliant on localcoal, to import up to 10% of coal needs to blend with thedomestic grade to meet increased power demand, a Ministrynote reviewed by Reuters said. The move could push up alreadyhigh global coal prices.



q These power plants usually only import small amounts of coal.Over half of India’s 135 coal-fired power plants, which supplyabout 70% of the country’s electricity, have fuel stocks that willlast three days or less.

q Central government-controlled power producers such as NTPCLtd. sign long- term power-purchase agreements with distributionfirms for the sale of most of their power output. But 15% of theirpower is controlled by the Centre, which sells this so-called‘unallocated’ power to the States.



Coalq Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock

with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons.q Coal is classified as a non-renewable energy source because

it takes millions of years to form. Coal contains the energy storedby plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampyforests.

q Coal is also called black gold.q Coal contains carbon, volatile matter, moisture, and ash & [in

some cases Sulphur and phosphorous].



qMostly used for power generation and metallurgy.q Different varieties of coal arise because of differences in the kinds

of plant material (coal type), degree of coalification (coal rank),and range of impurities (coal grade).

q The distribution of coal in Indian is in two categories:ü Gondwana Coalfields that are 250 million years oldü Tertiary Coalfields that are 15 to 60 million years old.

q Top 5 States in terms of total coal reserves in India are: Jharkhand> Odisha > Chhattisgarh > West Bengal > Madhya Pradesh.



Classification of Coalq Classification of Coal can be done on the basis of carbon content

and time period.q On the basis of carbon content it can be classified into following

three types:q Anthracite: It is the best quality of coal with highest calorific

value and carries 80 to 95% carbon content. It ignites slowly witha blue flame and found in small quantities in Jammu and Kashmir.



q Bituminous: It has a low level of moisture content with 60 to 80%of carbon content and has a high calorific value. Jharkhand, WestBengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have depositsof Bituminous.

q Lignite carries 40 to 55% carbon content and is often brown incolour with high moisture content thus, gives smoke whenburnt. Rajasthan, Lakhimpur (Assam) and Tamil Nadu hasdeposits of Lignite.

q Peat is the first stage of transformation from wood to coalwith low calorific value and less than 40% carbon content.




IMF pegs India growth at 9.5%, urges lower debt-to-GDP ratio (GS-3)

What's in News?q The IMF has projected that India will grow at 9.5% and 8.5% this

fiscal year and next, after a contraction of 7.3% last year. It hasprojected global growth at 5.9% this year and 4.9% in 2022 in itslatest World Economic Outlook, unveiled at the start of the WorldBank IMF Annual Meetings.

qWhile the India numbers remain unchanged from the IMF’s Julyforecast which had already incorporated a downgrade of 3percentage points from the April forecast there has been anominal downward revision for world output growth in 2021(from 6%).


IMF pegs India growth at 9.5%, urges lower debt-to-GDP ratio (GS-3)

World Economic Outlookq It is a survey by the IMF that is usually published twice a year in

the months of April and October.q It analyzes and predicts global economic developments during

the near and medium term.q In response to the growing demand for more frequent forecast

updates, the WEO Update is published in January and Julybetween the two main WEO publications released usually inApril and October.

PREAMBLE IAS

14OCTOBER


Punjab unhappy after Centre enhances powers of BSF (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Union Home Ministry has enhanced the powers of the

Border Security Force (BSF) to “arrest, search and seize” within50 km from the international boundary in Assam, West Bengaland Punjab.

q Such operational powers to the BSF, a Central Armed Police Forceunder the Union, will also be applicable to the newly createdUnion Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, according toa notification published in the Gazette of India on October 11.



Central Industrial Security Forceq It is a central armed force the Union raised under an Act of

Parliament namely Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968.q It is directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.q The CISF provides security cover to industrial units, government

infrastructure projects and facilities and establishments locatedall over India.

q Other central armed forces in India include Central Reserve PoliceForce (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan BorderPolice (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National SecurityGuard (NSG) and Assam Rifles (AR).



Border Security Force (BSF)q BSF is primary border guarding organization of India and termed

as First Line of Defence of Indian Territories.q It is the sentinels of Indian borders with Pakistan and

Bangladesh.q It came into existence on 1st December, 1965.q It was created by merging various State Armed Police Battalions

for achieving a better coordinated synergy between the borderguarding functions in peace time and fighting the war during theeventuality on both Western and Eastern fronts.



q BSF is deployed on Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, Line of Control (LoC) along withIndian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations.

q Since its inception, BSF has proven its credentials during variouscounter insurgency and anti-militancy operations, internalsecurity duties, natural calamities etc.

q BSF currently stands as the world’s largest border guarding force.


India, Iran discuss ways to fight drug trafficking from Afghanistan (GS-2)

What's in News?q Illegal production of drugs in Afghanistan has impacted Iran

severely for several decades, the Embassy of Iran said onWednesday. The statement came after Indian and Iranian officialsheld a virtual meeting on Wednesday following the largest seizureof heroin at the Mundra port in Gujarat on September 15.



Detailsq The discussion is important because of the seizure of around

3,000 kg heroin in the Mundra port managed by the Adani Ports,on September 15.

q The operation led to the largest drug haul in the history of theDirectorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). Initial reports hadindicated that the containers carrying the substance originatedfrom the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.



Kandla Portq Kandla port's started in 1931 with the development of a jetty by

Maharao Khengarji. Progressively, this port in Gujarat turned intothe number one port in India.

q Kandla port was constructed in the 1950s as the main seaport toserve in western India, after the partition of Pakistan from India.

q The Port is located on the Gulf of Kutch on the north-westerncoast of India some 256 nautical miles southeast of the Port ofKarachi in Pakistan and over 430 nautical miles north-northwestof the Port of Mumbai (Bombay).



q The Kandla port, which now renamed as the Deendayal Port Trustis a seaport in the Kutch District of Gujarat state in western India,near the city of Gandhidham.

q Located on the Gulf of Kutch, it is one of the major ports on thewest coast.

q Kandla port is the largest port of India by volume of cargo ithandles.

Mundra PortqMundra is located on the north shores of the Gulf of Kutch in the

kutch district of Gujarat.



Adani Portq Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) is India’s

largest private multi-port operator. APSEZ is a part of the AdaniGroup, an integrated infrastructure corporation.

q The company (earlier known as Mundra Port & Special EconomicZone Ltd) changed its name to “Adani Ports and Special EconomicZone Limited” on January 6, 2012.

qWhile earlier the company had one operational port at Mundra, ittoday operates across eight ports in India and is currentlyconstructing a trans shipment hub in Kerala.




‘Gati Shakti’ will boost infra projects: PM (GS-3)

What's in News?q Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday kicked off ‘PM Gati

Shakti’, a national master plan for synchronising connectivityinfrastructure projects across modes of transport, and said it willhelp India realise its dream of becoming the “business capital” ofthe world.


‘Gati Shakti’ will boost infra projects: PM (GS-3)

Detailsq Referring to common instances of roads being built only to be dug

up afresh for work necessitated by other utilities like water, thePrime Minister said there was a wide gap between macroplanning and micro implementation due to the lack ofcoordination and advance information sharing as departmentsthink and work in silos. This, he said, was leading to hamperedconstruction and wastage of budget resources.

Gati Shakti has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 5th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6374



Sri Lankan fishermen seek India’s action over disputes (GS-2)

What's in News?q Sri Lanka’s northern fishermen want the authorities in India and

Sri Lanka to urgently step up action to resolve the long-persisting conflict in the Palk Strait, fearing tensions with Indianfishermen could escalate.



Detailsq The fisher associations have also sought compensation from the

Indian authorities to cope with the financial losses. Having bravedthe civil war and the displacement and dispossession that camewith it, the northern fishermen have been struggling to rebuildtheir livelihoods post-war.

q However, the ongoing conflict with Indian fishermen mostly fromTamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts — hasseverely impacted the revival of their livelihoods.




India’s trade with China set to exceed $100 billion in 2021 (GS-3)

What's in News?q India’s trade with China is set to cross the $100 billion mark for

the first time in 2021, with shipments hitting $90 billion afterthree quarters, an almost 30% jump from pre-pandemic levels.

q Data from China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC)showed two-way trade jumped 49% in the first nine months to$90.37 billion. India’s imports from China surged 51.7% to $68.4billion, while India’s exports rose 42.5% to $21.9 billion.


India’s trade with China set to exceed $100 billion in 2021 (GS-3)

Detailsq Two-way trade was substantially higher than prepandemic levels,

with bilateral trade up 29.7% compared to the same period in2019, with India’s imports up 21.5% and exports to China up64.5%.

q India’s biggest exports to China are iron ore, cotton, and otherraw material- based commodities. India imports mechanical andelectrical machinery in large quantities, while imports of medicalsupplies have soared in the past two years.

PREAMBLE IAS

16OCTOBER


TB deaths up in pandemic: WHO (GS-2)

What's in News?q The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of global progress in

tackling tuberculosis and for the first time in over a decade, TBdeaths have increased, according to the 2021 Global TB reportre- leased recently by the World Health Organization (WHO).

q Worse, India (41%) was on the list of countries that toppedthose which contributed most to the global reduction in TBnotifications between 2019 and 2020. India, along with Indonesia(14%), the Philippines (12%), China (8%) and 12 other countries,accounted for 93% of the total global drop in notifications.



Detailsq The WHO estimated that some 4.1 million people currently suffer

from TB but had not been diagnosed with it or had not officiallyreported to the national authorities. This figure is up from 2.9million in 2019.

q There was also a reduction in the provision of TB preventivetreatment. “Some 2.8 million people accessed this in 2020, a21% reduction since 2019. In addition, the number of peopletreated for drug-resistant TB fell by 15%, from 1,77,000 in 2019 to1,50,000 in 2020, equivalent to only about 1 in 3 of those inneed,’’ it pointed out.



Tuberculosisq Cause: It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (bacteria) and

it most often affects the lungs.Transmissionq TB is spread through the air when people with lung TB cough,

sneeze or spit. A person needs to inhale only a few germs tobecome infected.

qWith TB infection, a person gets infected with TB bacteria that lieinactive in the body. This infection can develop into TB disease iftheir immune system weakens.



Symptomsq Prolonged cough, chest pain, weakness/fatigue, weight loss, fever,

etc. Often, these symptoms will be mild for many months, thusleading to delays in seeking care and increasing the risk ofspreading the infection to others.

Treatmentq TB is a treatable and curable disease. It is treated with a standard

6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided withinformation, supervision and support to the patient by a healthworker or trained volunteer.



q Anti-TB medicines have been used for decades and strains thatare resistant to 1 or more of the medicines have beendocumented in every country surveyed.

q Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB causedby bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable andcurable by using second-line drugs.

q Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a more serious form ofMDR-TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the mosteffective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients withoutany further treatment options.


Mudumalai tiger captured after 22-day operation (GS-3)

What's in News?q After a 22-day-long operation, a tiger nicknamed MDT23

believed to have been responsible for the death of two herdersin the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Gudalur, was tranquillised bythe Forest Department on Friday afternoon.

q The tiger was seen along Masinagudi-Theppakadu Road onThursday night and tracked to Masinagudi and the surroundingSingara area on Friday morning.



Mudumalai Tiger Reserveq The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary also a

declared tiger reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the NilgiriHills in Nilgiri District, in Tamil Nadu, India.

q It shares its boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala.q It is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Wayanad

Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the West, Bandipur National Park(Karnataka) in the North, Mukurthi National Park and SilentValley in the South.



q The sanctuary is divided into five ranges – Masinagudi,Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota.

q The protected area is home to several endangered and vulnerablespecies including Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Malabar GiantSquirrel, gaur and Indian leopard.

q There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, includingcritically endangered Indian white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture.




Farmers, experts urge Govt. not to allow field trials of Bt cotton (GS-3)

What's in News?q Karnataka is witnessing a fresh round of opposition to

Genetically Modified (GM) crops and technology with variousgroups comprising farmers, organic farming associations, andexperts petitioning the government against issuing no-objectioncertificate (NOC) to a private company to carry out restrictedfield trials of Bt cotton and Bt maize.



Bt cottonq Bt cotton is a genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically

modified pest resistant plant cotton variety, which produces aninsecticide to combat bollworm.

q Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton has been commercially grown inIndia for the past 19 years.

q The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) approvedthe release of Bt cotton for commercial cultivation in 2002 inwestern and southern parts of the country.



q In Punjab, Bt cotton was released for cultivation in 2005. Beforethe release, it was adopted by 72% farmers on 22% of the cottonarea.

Benefitsq Reduction in insecticide use: Reduction in the use of highly

hazardous and riskiest insecticides by volume and theirapplications.

q Reducing Impacts: Decline in environmental and human healthimpact associated with insecticide use.



q More profits and income: Reduction in the expenses associatedwith insecticide use. With reduced investment on insecticides andpesticides, farmers are able to save more even after paying highfor Bt Cotton seeds.

q Employment to Women: Traditionally, plucking the flower ofcotton had been the task of Women. It has led to better incomeopportunities for women.

q Better Soil Health: Soil health remains intact by their use. In anormal scenario, a lot of tilling has to be done thereby making thesoil prone to soil erosion.



Disadvantages of Bt Cropsq Bt crops are costlier than naturally grown crops.q It can disrupt the natural process of gene flow.q The pests might become resistant to the toxins produced by these

crops and the crop production might decline.


Bhutan, China sign MoU for 3-step process to expedite boundary talks (GS-2)

What's in News?q In a step towards resolving their boundary disputes, Bhutan and

China signed an agreement on a three-step roadmap to helpspeed up talks, at a meeting of Foreign Ministers held viavideoconference on Thursday, a development that New Delhi saidit has ‘noted’.

q The roadmap “for Expediting the Bhutan-China BoundaryNegotiations”, is expected to kickstart the progress on theboundary talks process that has been delayed for five years, firstdue to the Doklam standoff in 2017 and then by the pandemic.



q The timing of the agreement is particularly significant for NewDelhi, given the border talks on their 17- month old standoff atthe Line of Actual Control appear to have hit an impasse thisweek.

q “The [Bhutan-China] Memorandum of Understanding on thethree-step roadmap will provide a fresh impetus to theboundary talks. It is expected that the implementation of thisroad- map in a spirit of goodwill, understanding andaccommodation will bring the boundary negotiations to asuccessful conclusion that is acceptable to both sides,”




Hunger Index: poor ranking devoid of ground reality and facts, (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Government on Friday challenged India’s poor ranking in

the the Global Hunger Index 2021 and the methodology usedcalling it “devoid of ground reality and facts”.

q The Index launched on Thursday ranked India at 101 position of116 countries. India is also among the 31 countries where hungerhas been identified as serious. India ranked 94 among 107countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) released last year.



‘Unscientific method’q “The publishing agencies of the Global Hunger Report, Concern

Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe have not done their duediligence before releasing the report. The methodology used byFAO is unscientific. They have based their assessment on theresults of a ‘four question’ opinion poll, which was conductedtelephonically by Gallup,” the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment said in a statement.



q According to the Index, only 15 countries fare worse than India.They are Papua New Guinea (102), Afghanistan and Nigeria (103),Congo (105), Mozambique and Sierra Leone (106), Timor-Leste(108), Haiti (109), Liberia (110), Madagascar (111), DemocraticRepublic of Congo (112), Chad (113), Central African Republic(114), Yemen (115) and Somalia (116).

q India was also behind most of the neighbouring countries.Pakistan was placed at 92, Nepal and Bangladesh at 76 and SriLanka at 65.



q “It is noted with surprise, from the FAO report ‘The State of FoodSecurity and Nutrition in the World 2021’, that other fourcountries of this region Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and SriLanka have not been affected at all by COVID-19 pandemicinduced loss of job/business and reduction in income levels,rather they have been able to improve their position on theindicator ‘proportion of undernourished population’ by 4.3%,3.3%, 1.3% and 0.8% points respectively during the period 2018-20 over 2017- 19," the statement adds.



q The GHI scores are based on the values of four componentindicators — undernourishment, child wasting, child stuntingand child mortality. Each country’s GHI score is classified byseverity, from low to extremely alarming.

Figures on the riseq The Government has questioned the poll-based assessment that

“has increased the value of ‘proportion of populationundernourished’ from 14.0% for the previous period 2017-19 to15.3% for the latest period 2018-20,” according to an official.





Global Hunger Indexq The Global Hunger Index aims to track hunger at the world,

regional, and country-level. It is an annual report (peer-reviewed) published by Concern Worldwide of Ireland andWelthungerhilfe (a German non-profit organization).

q It was first produced in 2006.q High-income countries are not included in the GHI.q Calculation: The GHI scores are calculated each year to assess

progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is calculated on thebasis of four indicators:



ü Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficientcaloric intake.

ü Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have lowweight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.

ü Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have lowheight for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.

ü Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age offive.



Scoringq Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines

hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possiblescore (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.

q Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low toextremely alarming.




Fall in stubble burning incidents in Punjab & Haryana, says panel (GS-3)

What's in News?q There is a 70% reduction so far in instances of stubble burning in

Punjab and 18% in Haryana from last year, according to a reporton Friday by the Commission for Air Quality Management.

q Last year in Punjab, there were 4,216 instances of stubble burningfrom September 15 to October 14. This dropped to 1,286 in thecorresponding period this year. There were 487 incidents thisyear compared with 596 last year, a press statement by thecommission claimed.



q In eight districts of Uttar Pradesh, there were 22 instances ofburning this year compared with 42 last year. This, however, is apreliminary analysis as harvesting is still under way and the day-to-day variation in the number of fires is extremely high.

q The CAQM made a similar observation last week reporting that a7% decrease in the area allotted to paddy and moving crops awayfrom the popular variety PUSA 44 (that leaves behind morestubble in its wake) along with measures by the governments ofPunjab and Haryana were likely to reduce fire count instances.



q This year the major districts in Punjab that reported instances ofburning were Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Patiala and Ludhiana thataccounted for 72% of burning events. In Haryana, Kaithal, Karnaland Kurukshetra accounted for 80% of the instances.

q Of the total 1,795 sites where burning had been reported, 663fields had been inspected by officials and fines, or “environmentalcompensation” as they are called, were imposed on 252.

Pusa Bio-decomposer has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 10th

October 2021 Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6417



U.S.-India ministerial dialogue adds focus on climate finance (GS-3)

What's in News?q Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and U.S. Treasury

Secretary Janet Yellen met on Thursday for the eighth ministerialmeeting of the U.S.-India Economic and Financial partnership.Also in attendance were Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell andRBI Governor Shakti kanta Das (who attended virtually).



Detailsq In the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in

Glasgow at the end of the month, India has been pushing for richcountries to meet their Paris Accord climate financecommitment of $100 billion per year.

q The two sides “reaffirmed the collective developed country goalto mobilise $100 billion annually for developing countries frompublic and private sources, in the context of meaningfulmitigation actions and transparency on implementation,” thestatement said.



qWe intend to engage further on addressing climate changebetween our two ministries, as well as through the FinanceMobilization pillar of the recently launched Climate Action andFinance Mobilization Dialogue under the U.S.-India Climate andClean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership.”

q India has been under pressure, including from the U.S. and U.K.,to provide a deadline to reach ‘Net Zero’ emissions. India has sofar not made commitments beyond its Paris-related goals and hasargued that rich countries must move towards ‘net minus’commitments.


India showing signs of steady economic recovery, says FM (GS-3)

What's in News?q Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the Development

Committee i.e., the Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards ofGovernors of the World Bank and IMF on Friday and told theCommittee that the Indian economy was showing signs of steadyrecovery despite pandemic-related challenges, the Ministry ofFinance said.



Detailsq The International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC)

which directs the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and sets itsagenda had met on Thursday as part of the annual meetings ofthe IMF and World Bank.

q The IMFC also welcomed the new SDR (Special Drawing Rights)allocation, reserve assets of the IMF, $650 billion of which werenewly created this year.



International Monetary and Financial Committeeq It is the Ministerial-level committee of the International

Monetary Fund (IMF).q It meets twice a year, once during the Fund-Bank Annual

Meetings in October and once during the Spring Meetings inApril.

q It discusses the management of the international monetary andfinancial system.

q It advises the IMF on any other matters of commonconcern affecting the global economy.



q Composition: The IMFC has 24 members, drawn from the pool of187 governors. Its structure mirrors that of the Executive Boardand its 24 constituencies. As such, the IMFC represents all themember countries of the Fund.

Special Drawing Right (SDR)q The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in

1969 to supplement its member countries’ official reserves.q The value of the SDR is based on a basket of five currencies—the

U.S. dollar, the euro, the Chinese renminbi, the Japanese yen,and the British pound sterling.



q So far SDR 204.2 billion (equivalent to about US$281 billion) havebeen allocated to members, including SDR 182.6 billion allocatedin 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis.

The role of the SDRq The SDR was created as a supplementary international reserve

asset in the context of the Bretton Woods fixed exchange ratesystem.

q The SDR serves as the unit of account of the IMF and some otherinternational organizations.



q The SDR is neither a currency nor a claim on the IMF. Rather, itis a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMFmembers.

q SDRs can be exchanged for these currencies.Reviewq The SDR basket is reviewed every five years, or earlier if

warranted, to ensure that the basket reflects the relativeimportance of currencies in the world’s trading and financialsystems.


Clinical Super Kings outplay Knight Riders, clinch fourth IPL title (Prelims)

What's in News?q Marshalled expertly by M.S. Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings

overcame Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs to win its fourth titlein the Indian Premier League, at Dubai, on Friday.

q Defending a combative 192 on a good batting surface, Dhoni rangin the changes cleverly, closed down the angles in the field, andkept finding wickets after a blistering 91-run partnership in 10.4overs between the exciting Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill.



Indian Premier Leagueq IPL 2021 will be the 14th edition of the league.q Indian Premier League is a Twenty – 20 Cricket league held in

India annually.q It was founded by the BCCI – Board of Control for Cricket in India

(BCCI) in 2007 which is responsible for the operation andfunctioning of the league.

q The first Tournament of Indian Premier League was held in 2008in India across various parts of the country.



q The tournament is played with 8 teams namely – RajasthanRoyals, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, SunrisersHyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, KolkataKnight Riders, Delhi Capitals.

q The top four teams receive cash prizes at the end of thetournament

q The current IPL title holders are the Chennai Super Kings, whowon the 2021 season.

PREAMBLE IAS

17OCTOBER


8 killed in rain fury; Army, NDRF deployed (GS-3)

What's in News?q Torrential rain, powered by a low pressure system in southeast

Arabian Sea, pummelled southern and central Kerala districtsthroughout Saturday, triggering landslips and floods which lefteight dead and wreaked havoc across Pathanamthitta, Kottayamand Idukki districts.

q Six of a family were killed while 15 others were reported missingin landslips in Plapally and Kavali in Koottickal panchayat ofKottayam. Search and rescue operations were hindered by heavyrainfall and poor light.



q A man and a woman from Koothattukulam were killed after theircar was washed away by the floodwaters at Kanjar in Thodupuzhain Idukki. Also in Idukki, seven people were feared missing in alandslip at Kokkayar. In Thiruvananthapuram, a migrant labourerwent missing in the Amayizhanjan canal.

qWith flood waters cutting off roads and access to several regions,the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) weredeployed in various districts to coordinate rescue operations. TheAir Force also is on standby.



National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)q The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is

an Indian specialized force constituted “for the purpose of specialresponse to a threatening disaster situation or disaster” underthe Disaster Management Act, 2005

q The “Apex Body for Disaster Management in India is the NationalDisaster Management Authority (NDMA).

q The Chairman of the NDMA is the Prime Minister.



q The head of the NDRF is designated as Director General. TheDirector Generals of NDRF are IPS officers on deputation fromIndian police organisations. Director General is a three-starofficer.

q The NDRF is a top-heavy organisation which in addition to theDirector General has several Inspector Generals (IG) and DeputyIGs, who are flag officers and wear badges of rank

q The ‘Nodal Ministry’ in the central government for managementof natural disasters is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).



q The responsibility of managing disasters in India is that of theState Government.

q When ‘calamities of severe nature’ occur, the CentralGovernment is responsible for providing aid and assistance tothe affected state, including deploying, at the State’s request, ofArmed Forces, Central Paramilitary Forces, National DisasterResponse Force (NDRF), and such communication, air and otherassets, as are available and needed.


Farmers in Kuttanad shifting to new rice varieties (GS-3)

What's in News?q Uma, the most popular rice variety in the State, is being

cultivated in about 60% of the paddy fields across Kerala. InKuttanad, the rice bowl of the State, it is well liked and grown inover 90% of the fields.



Detailsq However, after remaining a farmer-favourite for the past several

years due to its relative high-yield and pest resistance, paddyfarmers in the region appear to be ready to ditch Uma for morehybrid varieties.

q The 200-acre Vadakara Edassery Varabinakam padasekharam(paddy field) at Edathua is among the first to cultivate Manuratna,a rice variety developed by the Agricultural Research Stationunder Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) in the region.



q “In the last 20-odd years, we have only cultivated the Uma variety.Over the years, its resistance started to decline and we shifted toManuratna variety in the additional (second) crop season(May/June-September/ October).

q One big advantage is that Manuratna has a shorter duration forharvesting. While Uma takes around 145 days for harvest in thesecond crop season, Manuratna takes only 100-105 days. The newvariety is also highly resistant to pest attacks,”


‘Shift focus to demand management of water’ (GS-3)

We have had a National Water Policy in 1987, 2002, 2012 and nowthe latest one that is in the works. Why do we need a new one, oris it necessary to have a review once a decade?qWe need to take very serious cognisance of the current context of

climate change and the grave crisis of water facing the country.q Recent estimates suggest that if the current pattern of demand

continues, about half of the national demand for water willremain unmet by 2030. With water tables falling and waterquality deteriorating, a radical change is needed in the approachto water management.



q Changing patterns and intensity of precipitation, as also rates ofdischarge of rivers, show that it can no longer be assumed thatthe water cycle operates within an invariant range ofpredictability. This requires greater emphasis on agility, resilienceand flexibility in water management, so that there could be anadequate response to the heightened uncertainty andunpredictability of the future.

What are two major recommendations of the proposed NWP?q The two major recommendations are one: shift focus from

endlessly increasing supply of water towards measures fordemand-management.



q This means diversifying cropping pattern to include less water-intensive crops. It also needs lowering the industrial water foot-print, among the highest in the world by reducing fresh water useand shifting to recycled water. Cities must mandatorily shift allnon- potable uses, such as flushing, fire protection, vehiclewashing, landscaping etc. to treated wastewater.

q Two: shift in focus within the supply-side also because thecountry is running out of sites for further construction of largedams, while water tables and groundwater quality are falling inmany areas.



q There is mounting evidence across the globe in favour of “nature-based solutions” for water storage and supply.

q Thus, the NWP places major emphasis on supply of water throughrejuvenation of catchment areas, which needs to be incentivisedthrough compensation for ecosystem services, especially tovulnerable communities in the upstream, mountainous regions.



Does the policy have recommendations on having ‘more peoplepay’, or ‘some people pay more’ models for the use of water?qWe propose that economic services (like industrial and

commercial use) be charged at a rate where the O&M (Operationand Management) costs and part of the capital cost would be thebasis for the water service fees. At the same time, concessionalrates should be provided for vulnerable social sections.


Army Air Defence steps up procurement (GS-3)

What's in News?q After several delays in its modernisation process, the Army Air

Defence (AD) is looking at major progress in the next fewmonths in terms of deals and trials.

q These include additional indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile(SAM) systems, the under development medium range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) and Igla-S very short range air defence(VSHORAD) systems from Russia, according to defence officials.



Detailsq The Army had contracted a small number of Igla-S systems from

Russia under emergency procurement through the Vice-Chiefsemergency financial powers and deliveries were expected soon,two officials confirmed. Akash is the indigenously designed anddeveloped medium-range SAM system with a range of 25 km.

q In addition, the Army variant of the MRSAM, being jointlydeveloped by the Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), isnearing induction with the final stage of trials scheduled to beheld in the next few months



q “It’s in the penultimate state of induction,” the official said. Airdefence functions at three levels – gun/missile system, mediumrange and high range.

q Within this, the AD guns are of two types: AD gun missilesystem and the AD self-propelled guns. The Army is looking forguns in both the categories. In the medium segment, it has theindigenous Akash SAM, while MRSAM fits in the high range.

q Last month, the first deliverable firing unit of the MRSAM Systemwas handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF), which can engagetar- gets up to arrange of 70km.



q The repeatedly delayed Igla-S VSHORAD deal, which has seenseveral controversies over the past few years, was on track andclose to conclusion, the two officials said. The contract should beconcluded by January, one of them said.

q The Igla-S bid from Rosoboronexport of Russia was declared thelowest bid (L1) in the tender in 2018 from among threecontenders. The other contenders, MBDA of France and SAAB ofSweden, lodged a protest after Igla-S was declared the winner.Further, SAAB lodged an official complaint detailing proceduralviolations in the evaluation process.


Sri Lanka eyeing green agriculture (GS-3)

What's in News?q President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a task force on

‘green agriculture’, his office said on Saturday, while Sri Lanka’sfarmers continue protesting his government’s abrupt ‘organicfertilizer only’ policy shift since May this year.

q The ‘Presidential Task Force’ will be responsible for looking intothe requirement of fertilizers and improving the quality of organicfertilizer produced in the country, a statement from thePresidential Media Division said, listing the panel’s 14 members, amajority of whom are private sector representatives.



q No farmers’ organisation was part of it. The move comes aboutfive months after the government banned all chemicalfertilizers, shifting immediately to organic fertilizers.

q Agriculture experts have slammed the move as “ill-advised” and“unscientific”, while farmers anticipate that the drastic policychange could slash their yield. Paddy farmers anticipate a 25 %production slump, while growers of tea, which is a key foreignexchange earner for Sri Lanka, fear a likely 40 - 60 % fall in output.



Import billq The ruling administration sought to justify the decision by citing

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s poll pledge in 2019, and anurgent need to bring down the country’s import bill as theeconomy reels under the impact of the pandemic. Until now, SriLanka spent an estimated $300-$400 million annually onfertilizer imports.

q If the government’s policy shift took the country by shock, thenewly appointed panel has drawn attention for its composition.



q Organic fertilizers, whether produced locally or imported, aresubject to quality checks by authorities. Last month, Sri Lankahalted a 96,000-tonne shipment of fertilizer from a Chinesecompany, citing poor quality.

q In a tweet on the development, the Chinese Embassy said the SriLankan authorities’ “hasty conclusion” lacked scientific basis andwas “questionable”. Mean- while, Sri Lanka is mulling importingliquid nitrogen from China and India, even as the country’ssecond major agricultural season, the ‘Maha season’ began onOctober 15.


Did Venus ever have oceans? (GS-3)

What's in News?q While previous studies have suggested that Venus may have

been a much more hospitable place in the past, with its ownliquid water oceans, a recent study by astrophysicists led by theUniversity of Geneva found that Venus is unlikely to haveharboured any ocean anytime in the past.



q The researchers simulated the climate of the Earth and Venus atthe very beginning of their evolution, when the surface of theplanets was still molten. The high temperatures seen in Venusmeant that any water would have been present in the form ofsteam.

q Using sophisticated three-dimensional models of theatmosphere, similar to those scientists use to simulate theEarth's current climate and future evolution, the team studiedhow the atmospheres of the two planets would evolve over timeand whether oceans could form in the process, a release says.



q This means the temperatures never got low enough for the waterin its atmosphere to form raindrops that could fall on its surface.Instead, water remained as a gas in the atmosphere, and oceansnever formed.

q “One of the main reasons for this is the clouds that formpreferentially on the night side of the planet. These clouds causea very powerful greenhouse effect that prevented Venus fromcooling as quickly as previously thought,”


New class of object (GS-3)

What's in News?q University of Sydney astronomers have discovered unusual signals

coming from the direction of the Milky Way's centre. The radiowaves fit no currently understood pattern of variable radiosource and could suggest a new class of stellar object.

q The light from the new signal oscillates in only one direction andthat direction rotates with time. The brightness also variesdramatically.


Age of moon rock (GS-3)

What's in News?q A lunar probe launched by the Chinese space agency recently

brought back the first fresh samples of rock and debris from themoon in more than 40 years.

q Now an international team of scientists has determined the ageof these moon rocks at close to 1.97 billion years old. All of thevolcanic rocks collected by Apollo were older than 3 billionyears.


What is the extent of India’s coal crisis? (GS-3)

What's in News?q India could be on the verge of a power crisis as the stock of coal

held by the country’s thermal power plants has hit critically lowlevels. Many power plants are operating with zero reserve stockor with stocks that could last just a few days. Some States havewitnessed partial load-shedding aimed at saving power.

q Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, however, is reported tohave termed worries about a possible shortage of coal and powersupplies “absolutely baseless” and is said to have asserted duringthe course of a trip to the U.S. that India is now a power-surpluscountry.



How bad is the problem?q According to data released by the Central Electricity Authority, as

of Wednesday, India’s 135 thermal power plants overall had onaverage coal stock that would last just four days. In all, 112 of the135 power plants are operating with stocks that are at critical orsuper-critical levels.

q The government usually mandates the power plants to holdstocks that would last at least two weeks. It has, however,reduced this requirement to 10 days now to avoid hoarding andensure more equitable distribution of coal among the plants.



q India relies on coal to meet over 70% of its power needs, andCoal India Limited (CIL) supplies over 80% of the total coal. Thecurrent coal crisis comes amid a broader energy crisis across theworld with the prices of natural gas, coal and oil rising sharply inthe international market.

What has caused it?q The current crisis in the availability of coal has been the result of

lacklustre domestic production and a sharp drop in imports overthe last few years.



q According to BP Global Energy Statistics, domestic coalproduction in India has stagnated since 2018. It peaked at 12.80exajoules (EJ) worth of coal in 2018.

q At the same time, the amount of coal imported from othercountries to meet domestic demand, too, has droppedsignificantly.

q Coal imports have dropped from the peak of 6.46 EJ in 2016 to4.22 EJ in 2020. Stagnating supply did not cause trouble last yearwith the economy shut down to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.



q But the rise in power demand this year has exposed thegovernment’s inability to push domestic production orcompensate for insufficient domestic production by increasingimports. In fact, the government last year said it would stop allcoal imports by FY24.

qMany factors have been blamed for the insufficient supply of coalthis year. These include short-term issues like flooding in coal-mining areas, transport issues, labour disruptions in major coal-mining countries and the sudden rise in power demand as theeconomy revives from the pandemic.



q But it should be noted that deeper structural problems haveplagued the power industry in general for long. Populist politicshas ensured that the price that many consumers pay for power isnot commensurate with the production costs. In FY19, forinstance, the revenues of distribution companies covered onlyabout 70% of their total costs.

q This has discouraged private investment in power generation anddistribution even as the demand for power continues to rise eachyear. It has also increased the debt burden on public sectordistribution companies as they have not been compensated forthe losses they incur while selling power at subsidised rates.



q According to the credit rating agency ICRA, the consolidated debtof public sector distribution companies is expected to hit ₹6trillion in FY22.

q It should also be noted that the mining of raw materials such ascoal is nearly monopolised by public sector companies like CILthat are not run primarily for profits. In fact, CIL has kept the priceof its coal low even as international prices have risen significantlythis year. It has also been forced to share some of the pain ofpower generation and distribution companies.



What lies ahead?q In recent years, many countries have been trying to cut down on

their fossil fuel consumption in order to meet emission targets.But with the current energy crunch, which is prevalent not just inIndia, fossil fuels are likely to make a strong comeback.

q India and China, the top two consumers of coal in the world, areexpected to further increase production of fossil fuels. TheIndian government has been pushing CIL to ramp up productionto meet the rising demand and cut down on the country’s relianceon imported coal.



q However, it is expected to ease restrictions on imported coal inthe near future to tide over the crisis. The government last weekmandated the thermal power plants to blend imported coal withdomestic coal up to a limit of 10%.

qMeanwhile, China, which consumes half of the world’s coaloutput and has committed itself to reducing its carbon emissionsby 65% by 2030, is set to install more coal-powered power plantsto meet its rising energy needs.



q Structural problems that have plagued the Indian power industry,however, are unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Allowing theprice that consumers pay for power to be determined by marketforces is likely to remain politically unpopular, so fundamentalpricing reform is unlikely.

q But with coal selling at high prices in the international market andCIL unable to meet production targets, many power generatorsmay be unable to increase their output unless they are allowed toprice their output freely.


Vaccine for malaria (GS-3)

What's in News?q On October 6, the World Health Organization made a historic

announcement, endorsing the first-ever malaria vaccine, RTS,S,among children in sub-Saharan Africa, and in other regions withmoderate-to-high Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission.

q It made its recommendations based on the results from a pilotprogramme administering the vaccine to children in Ghana,Kenya and Malawi.



Why is this significant?qMalaria is a life-threatening disease caused by micro-organisms

that belong to the genus Plasmodium, and is transmitted byinfected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

q In 2019, according to the WHO, there were an estimated 229million cases of malaria, and the estimated deaths were4,09,000. About 67% of the deaths were among children agedunder five, the group most vulnerable to malaria. Furthermore,94% of the cases and deaths due to malaria occurred in theWHO African region, a disproportionately high share of theburden.



q But the WHO says its regions of Southeast Asia, easternMediterranean, western Pacific, and the Americas are also at risk.While research for a vaccine and therapeutics for malaria hadbeen on for nearly half-a-century, success has been elusive untilrecently.

qWhile preventive and treatment interventions have continued(bed nets and indoor residual insecticide spraying) over the years,it was clear that the best tool against the constantly mutatingpathogen would not emerge until an effective vaccine was athand.



q Pilot projects rolled out in sub-Saharan Africa showed thatamong children aged 5-17 months who received therecommended four doses of RTS,S, the vaccine preventedapproximately 4 in 10 (39%) cases of malaria over four years offollow-up; about 3 in 10 (29%) cases of severe malaria, with asignificant reduction in overall hospital admissions due tomalaria or severe anaemia (a side effect).

q The need for blood transfusions to correct life-threateninganaemia also came down by 29%.



What path did the RTS,S vaccine take?q RTS,S/AS01 is a recombinant protein-based vaccine that acts

against P. falciparum, believed to be the deadliest malariaparasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. It reportedlyoffers no protection against P.vivax malaria, found in manycountries outside Africa.

q The development of the vaccine was led by pharma major GSKover 30 years ago. In 2001, GSK began collaborating with PATH’sMalaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI).



q A five-year Phase 3 efficacy and safety trial that concluded in2014 was implemented through a partnership between GSK andMVI, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation anda network of African research centres. In July 2015, the EuropeanMedicines Agency authorised the use of the vaccine, concludingthat the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks.

q Known side-effects include pain and swelling at the injectionsite and fever, similar to the other children’s vaccines. It isassociated with an increased risk of febrile seizures within sevendays of administration.



q In the Phase 3 trial, children who had febrile seizures aftervaccination recovered completely, and there were no long-lastingconsequences, the WHO reported.

q Pilots were launched in Malawi, Ghana, and Kenya over 2019.Health workers reported that the vaccine was easy to introduceand integrate into their schedule. The data were submitted tothe WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisationand the Malaria Policy Advisory Committee that gave the go-ahead for the first ever anti-malarial vaccine.



Will India use it too?qMalaria is a major public health problem in India, endemic to

many States, and involves multiple Plasmodium species,including P. falciparum, said the authors of a paper in ActaTropica, an international journal on infectious diseases.

q India will therefore benefit from the vaccine, and Bharat Biotechhas entered into a partnership with GSK for technology transferand production. This vaccine is likely to be ready for use in India,in a couple of years, as per reports.

PREAMBLE IAS

18OCTOBER


Kottayam, Idukki worst hit; Kerala rain toll at 27 (GS-3)

What's in News?q The death toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala rose to 27 on

Sunday, with the recovery of more bodies from the landslip-ravaged areas of Kottayam and Idukki districts.

qWhile the State experienced a marked reduction in rain onSunday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan advised continued cautionas the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecastwidespread rain again from Wednesday. The disastermanagement machinery in the State would function round theclock, he said, urging the public to avoid unnecessary travel.


Kottayam, Idukki worst hit; Kerala rain toll at 27 (GS-3)


Indian tourists help Maldives recover from pandemic blues (GS-2)

What's in News?q After COVID-19 hammered a 33.2% contraction on the Maldives’

tourism-dependent economy in 2020, the country’s growthprospects for this calendar year have seen the biggest upgradesfrom the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) atleast five percentage points thanks to Indian hodophiles.

q Last week, the World Bank raised its 2021 growth projection forthe Maldives from 17.1% to 22.3%. The ADB had pegged 2020’sGDP fall for the Maldives at 32% and expected it to rebound witha 13% uptick this year, but has now raised growth hopes to 18%.



Detailsq The Maldives’ travel receipts rose by 104.5% in the first half of

the year, which the ADB has attributed to a “strong rebound” intourist arrivals from India and Russia even as traditionally largevisitor sources like China and Europe remained wary.

q Tourist arrivals had crossed half a million, rising 33.4% from 2020levels, boosted by very large increases in visitors from the RussianFederation and India who now have a combined share of 42% inwayfarers welcomed by the Maldives, from just 16.7% a year ago,



Unique appealq The Maldives’ unique appeal of a “one island, one resort” model

that helps assuage concerns about the risks of COVID-19infections has played no small part in its attractiveness as a go-todestination for travel-starved wanderers, while other tourism-driven economies like Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are yet to see arecovery.

Asian Development Bank has been covered in PREA,BLE IAS 7th






Bid to get UNESCO tag for Golconda Fort (GS-1)

What's in News?q Bolstered by the World Heritage Site status for the Ramappa

Temple in Palampet, the Telangana Government has made itsintentions clear about securing UNESCO status for the GolcondaFort and the Qutb Shahi Tombs complex.



DetailsqWe need to do a lot of work. We have to work on the Golconda

Fort as well as restore the pathway to connect the fort with thetombs complex. The Quli Qutb Shah Development Authorty willhave to play an important role for this work,” said Mr. Rao,drawing a road map for site management, which is one of the keycriteria for UNESCO WHS status.

q The conservation effort at the Qutb Shahi tombs has beenhampered by litigations with over 40 cases being filed from 2007to stop the work.



Ramappa Templeq The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is situated in Palampet

Village, around 67 km from the city of Warangal (Telangana).q Constructed over 800 years ago, in 1213 AD, by Recharla Rudra, a

general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Devaq The Rudreswara Temple is popularly known as Ramappa temple

in honour of the sculptor who worked on the project for 40 years.q An engineering marvel, the Ramappa Temple is a manifestation of

a distinct style, technology and decoration, standing as atestimonial to the Kakatiyan creative genius.



q Kakatiya Dynasty was the South Indiandynasty that ruled Andhra Pradesh inIndia from 1083 CE to 1323 CE.

q The temple stands on a 6-feet tall star-shaped platform with walls, pillars andceilings adorned with intricate carvingsthat attest to the unique skill of thesculptors.

q The foundation is built with the “sandboxtechnique”, the flooring is granite and thepillars are basalt.



Sandbox Techniqueü The technique involves filling the pit — dug up for laying

foundation — with a mixture of sand lime, jaggery (for binding)and karakkaya (black myrobalan fruit), before the buildings wereconstructed on these ‘sandboxes’.

ü The sandbox in the foundation acts as a cushion in case ofearthquakes.

q The lower part of the temple is red sandstone while the whitegopuram is built with light bricks that reportedly float on water.



Golconda Fortq Location – Hyderabad, Telangana.q It was originally known as Mankal, and built on a hilltop in the

year 1143.q The fort was built by the Kakatiya dynasty.q India’s one of the most outstanding citadels, the Golconda fort

epitomises the sumptuous ‘Nawabi’ culture of the time.q The Golconda fort came into the possession of the Bahmani

dynasty.q Later, the Qutub Shahi dynasty took over and made Golconda its

capital.



q Golconda fort owes much of its present grandeur to MohammadQuli Qutub Shah.

q By the 17th century, Golconda was famous as a diamond market. Itgave the world some of the best-known diamonds, including the‘Kohinoor’.



Qutb Shahi Tombsq Lying two kilometers from the Golconda Fort, the Qutb Shahi

Tombs are built in Persian, Hindu and Pathani styles ofarchitecture.

q The tombs were planned and built by numerous monarchs whoruled the state during the 18th century.

q The grandeur of the tombs is ensconced amidst the beautiful andpicturesque landscape and gardens of Ibrahim Bagh, and thetombs themselves are dedicated to the seven Qutub Shahi kingswho ruled Golconda for nearly 170 years.



q One of the most impressive tombs belongs to the founder ofHyderabad, Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah which rises to a heightof 42 meters.



World Heritage Sites in Indiaq The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are the importantplaces of cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCOWorld Heritage Convention

q The Convention was established in 1972.q India accepted the convention on 14 November 1977, making it's

sites eligible for inclusion on the list.q The latest site to be inscribed is Ramappa Temple, Telangana in

2021.



q As of July 2021, 19 of the 36 States and union territories of Indiaare home to the World Heritage Sites

q Maharashtra having the highest number of sites (6).q Presently, there are 39 World Heritage Sites located in India.

ü 31 are cultural,ü 7 are natural, andü 1 is mixed (meeting both cultural and natural criteria),

q India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world.




Unorganised workers’ portal sees good traffic (GS-3)

What's in News?q Over four crore unorganised sector workers had been registered

on the e- Shram portal in under two months of its launch, La-bour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav said onOctober 17.

qMarking the milestone, the Minister said in a tweet that onceregistered on the portal, the unorganised workers would be ableto access the benefits of various welfare schemes easily.

e- Shram portal has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 17th OctoberPIB https://t.me/preambleias/6468



‘Only 3.9% children malnourished’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q The value of a key indicator used in the Global Hunger Index is

‘inflated’ as only 3.9% of the anganwadi children were found tobe undernourished, the Union Government said on Sunday.

q “The real-time data of beneficiaries registered on the Anganwadiplatform include 7.79 crore children aged between 6 months to6 years as per real-time Poshan Tracker data [as on 16-10-2021].



Detailsq Corresponding number of undernourished children reported on

Poshan Tracker is 30.27 lakh which comes to only 3.9%,”according to a reply from the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment to a report

q The GHI 2021 ranked India at 101 out of 116 countries. Theindex is based on four indicators — undernourishment,wasting, stunting and under-five mortality. Of these, India’sperformance is shown to deteriorate only for undernourishment,which is what the Government has challenged.



q According to FAO’s data, which is used in the Index, theprevalence of undernourishment in India rose from 14% in 2017-2019 to 15.3% in 2018-2020 which the Government has calledexaggerated.

q However, undernourishment and undernutrition used assynonyms by the Government are treated as two differentindicators by FAO and in the GHI.

Global Hunger Index has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 16th




‘165 Yemen rebels killed near Marib’ (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen’s government

said on Sunday it had killed at least 165 Huothi rebels in strikessouth of Marib, as the battle for the strategic city rages.

q The strikes “destroyed 10 military vehicles and killed more than165” rebels in the past 24 hours in the Abdiya district, thecoalition said in a statement cited by the official Saudi PressAgency.

q The coalition has said it has killed around 1,000 Iran- backedrebels in strikes in the area in the past week, making dailyannouncements of at least dozens of rebel deaths.



Backgroundq Yemen was previously under the authoritarian regime of

President Ali Abdullah Saleh.q As the result of the Arab spring, a series of protests and armed

rebellions that spread across North Africa and the Middle East inthe early 2010s, Yemen underwent a political transition.

q In 2011, president Saleh’s was forced to hand over the power tohis deputy Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.



q President Hadi, during the initial stages of his regime, facedseveral problems like: Terrorism, The separatist movement insouth Yemen, Corruption, Unemployment, Scarcity of food,Military’s loyalty to President Saleh

q President Hadi failed to solve these problems efficiently.q The Houthi movement, officially called the Ansar Allah

(Supporters of God), is an Islamic, religious-political ArmedMovement that originated in Northern Yemen in the 1990s.



q This movement, which champions Yemen’s Zaidi, a Shia Muslimminority, took advantage of President Hadi’s weaknessand annexed the northern Saada province and the neighbouringregions in 2014.

q The Houthis further took control of Sana’a, the capital of Yemen.q This forced President Hadi into exile.q This conflict escalated when Saudi Arabia along with other Sunni

Arab countries began airstrike against the Houthis in March2015. These countries were backed by the US, the UK and France.

q This coalition justified this move by stating that they are aimingto restore Mr.Hadi’s government.



Why is Saudi Arabia involved?q To Saudi Arabia, Houthis’ success in the on-going Yemen war is a

liability.q This is because the Houthis are backed by its regional rival, Iranq Saudi Arabia and UAE have conducted an airstrike against the

Houthis in the Yemen territory.q Other Arab countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco,

Egypt and Jordan have backed this move.q The US and the UK have provided Saudi Arabia with the military,

logistic and intelligence support.



Yemenq Yemen is a country located at the southern end of the Arabian

Peninsula in Western Asia.q It shares a boundary with Saudi Arabia in the north, has the Red

Sea to the west, the Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel to thesouth and the Arabian Sea and Oman in the East.

q It is the member of UN, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab Leagueand Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

q Yemen houses about 200 islands that include the largest island inthe Middle East, Socotra.



Concernsq Yemen is strategically important because it sits on a strait linking

the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, through which much ofthe world's oil shipments pass.

q It also worries the West because of the threat of attacks - such asfrom al-Qaeda or IS affiliates-emanating from the country as itbecomes more unstable.

q The Houthis have escalated cross-border attacks on the kingdomeven after the United States delisted the rebels as terrorists andstepped up efforts to de-escalate the six-year conflict.



India’s Interestq For India, it is a challenge which cannot be washed away taking

into consideration the oil security and 8 million expats living inthe region with more than USD 80 billion of incomingremittance annually.

Indian InitiativesOperation Rahatq India launched a massive air and sea operation to evacuate over

4000 Indian nationals from Yemen in April 2015.




China tested ‘nuclear capable hypersonic missile’, says report (GS-2)

What's in News?q China’s military has carried out its first-ever test of a “nuclear

capable hypersonic missile”, according to a report on October 17.q The missile in August “circled the globe before speeding towards

its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability thatcaught U.S. intelligence by surprise,” the Financial Timesreported.


China tested ‘nuclear capable hypersonic missile’, says report (GS-2)

Detailsq The newspaper quoted five people familiar with the test as saying

the Chinese military launched a rocket that carried a hypersonicglide vehicle “which flew through low-orbit space beforecruising down towards its target.”

q It noted that the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology,which carries out launches, had in July announced its 77th launchof a Long March rocket, and in end-August said it had carried outa 79th flight, sparking speculation about a secretive 78th launchthat had not been reported.


Dip in air quality spurs Delhi CM to seek action (GS-1)

What's in News?q As Delhi’s air quality deteriorates with several areas recording

“very poor” air quality, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealedto the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh tounderstand their responsibilities towards reducing stubbleburning and controlling pollution.



Detailsq The average air quality index (AQI) in the Capital, which is based

on the readings of 31 weather stations, stopped two notchesshort of the “very poor” category on Sunday at 298.

q Other parts of the NCR such as Gurugram, Faridabad andGhaziabad entered the “very poor” category with AQI readings of332, 312 and 310 respectively.



‘Pollution on the rise’q Pollution has increased in the last 3-4 days and it is due to

stubble burning in neighbouring States. Farmers in neighbouringStates are compelled to burn stubble as their Governments aredoing nothing to provide an alternative.”

q Delhi Government was doing its bit to curb vehicular pollution andpollution from stubble burning by spraying bio-decomposer, butcould not do much to stop the air quality from deteriorating asneighbouring States were yet to act on stubble burning.

PREAMBLE IAS

19OCTOBER


Yellow alert in districts from Wednesday (GS-1)

What's in News?q The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put most of the

districts on yellow alert for three days starting Wednesday forheavy rainfall.

q Isolated very heavy rainfall(11cm to 20cm in 24 hours) is likely inthe State on Thursday and Friday, the weather agency said onMonday. Kerala can expect widespread rainfall on these days dueto the likelihood of a fresh spell of easterly wave affecting thesouth peninsular India from Wednesday.


Yellow alert in districts from Wednesday (GS-1)

Excess rainfallq The northeast monsoon is yet to officially commence over Kerala,

but the first 18 days of October were extraordinarily active for theState in terms of rainfall.

q In the IMD calendar, the northeast monsoon season officially lastsfrom October 1 to December 31. During this period, Kerala isexpected to receive 491.6 mm of rainfall. During the first 18 daysof the month, Kerala recorded 444.9 mm, show IMD data.

q The State recorded 142% excess rainfall during the 18- dayperiod. This, in IMD terms, is a 'large excess' as the percentagedeparture is above 60%.


New proposal for sanctuary eco-zone (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Kerala Government has submitted a proposal to the Ministry

of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to declare an extentof 88.21 sq km around the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary as aneco- sensitive zone (EZ).

q According to a draft notification published on January 28 this year,an extent of 3.4 km around the boundary of the sanctuary hadbeen notified as its EZ.



Detailsq The EZ, according to the draft notification, covered an area of

118.59 sq km, of which 99.5 sq km is outside the sanctuary thatincludes 8.89 sq km of the Thirunelly Reserve Forest of northWayanad and 17.67 sq km of the vested forest of the ChedelayathRange of the south Wayanad Forest Division.

q The sanctuary, spread over an area of 344.53 sq km in theWayanad Wildlife Division, is a component of the Nilgiri BiosphereReserve (5,520 sq km) and is a vital component of the ElephantReserve No.7 of south India.



Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuaryq It is located in Wayanad, Kerala.qWayanad Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1973. It is the

second largest wildlife park in Kerala. It was notified as anElephant Reserve under Project elephant in 1991-92.

qWayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) is an integral part of theNilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Mudumalai WildlifeSanctuary, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park,Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley.



q Kabini river (a tributary of Cauvery river) flows through thesanctuary.

q The forest types include South Indian Moist Deciduous forests,West coast semi-evergreen forests and plantations of teak,eucalyptus and Grewelia.

q Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Panther,Sambar, Spotted deer, Barking deer,Wild boar, Sloth bear, Nilgiri langur, Bonnet macaque, Commonlangur, Wild dog, common otter, Malabar giant squirrel etc are themajor mammals.





Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs)q Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within

10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and WildlifeSanctuaries.

q ESZs are notified by MoEFCC, Government of India underEnvironment Protection Act 1986.

q In case of places with sensitive corridors, connectivity andecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, evenarea beyond 10 km width can also be included in the eco-sensitivezone.



q The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around NationalParks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negativeimpacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassingthe protected areas.

q Permitted activities: Ongoing agricultural or horticulturalpractices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewableenergy sources, adoption of green technology for all activities.



q Prohibited activities: Commercial mining, saw mills, industriescausing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), establishment ofmajor hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood,Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park,discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production ofhazardous substances.

q Regulated activities: Felling of trees, establishment of hotels andresorts, commercial use of natural water, erection of electricalcables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g. adoption ofheavy technology, pesticides etc, widening of roads.


Trade talks between India, Israel to resume (GS-2)

What's in News?q India and Israel agreed to resume long-pending negotiations on

a free trade agreement, as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankarmet his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid in Jerusalem on Monday.

q The quadrilateral meeting, seen as an outcome of last year’sAbraham Accords brokered by the U.S. that saw the UAE andIsrael establish diplomatic relations, also underlines India’s closerelationships with both the West Asian countries and Washington.



Abraham Accordsq The Israel–UAE normalization agreement is officially called the

Abraham Accords Peace Agreement.q It was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States,

Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020.q The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979

and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationshipwith Israel as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so.

q Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing partsof the West Bank. The agreement normalized what had long beeninformal but robust foreign relations between the two countries.




Kushinagar connect to Sri Lanka (GS-1)

What's in News?q When Prime Minister Narendra Modi declares open the

Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh on October20, a sizeable Sri Lankan contingent, led by a member of the firstfamily, will be present.

q Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, nephew of President GotabayaRajapaksa and son of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, willtravel to Uttar Pradesh, along with ministerial colleagues and agroup of 100 Buddhist monks to attend the event, according toofficials in Colombo.



Buddhist circuitq The airport is expected to provide seamless connectivity to

tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China,Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and so on.

q Kushinagar is the centre of the Buddhist circuit, which consistsof pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath and Gaya. Buddhistpilgrims consider Kushinagar a sacred site where, they believe,Gautama Buddha delivered his last sermon and attained‘Mahaparinirvana’ or salvation.



q One of the murals depicts ‘Arahat Bhikkhu’ Mahinda, son ofEmperor Ashoka delivering the message of the Buddha to KingDevanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka.

q The other shows the arrival of ‘Theri Bhikkhuni’ Sanghamitta, thedaughter of the Emperor, in Sri Lanka, bearing a sapling of the‘sacred Bodhi tree’ under which Siddhārtha Gautama is believedto have obtained enlightenment.

q The gesture comes at a time when Sri Lanka and India haveagreed to strengthen ties through their shared Buddhist heritage.



Buddhist Circuitq It is a Buddhism themed tourism circuit under the Swadesh

Darshan Scheme, which involves tour to Buddhist sites in thecountry.

q Initially, it was envisaged only to seven major Buddhistpilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

q Recently, Ministry of Tourism has decided to expand it to 21more states to make it India’s first trans- national tourist circuit.

q It has identified stupas and viharas in these 21 states, aroundwhich small intra-state Buddhist zones will be developed.



q The states now that will be covered includes Madhya Pradesh,Rajasthan, Kerala, West Bengal, Goa, Gujarat and Jammu &Kashmir.

Swadesh Darshan Schemeq The Swadesh Darshan Scheme was launched by the Ministry of

Tourism in 2014-15 to develop theme based tourist circuits inthe country.

q Under this scheme, 13 thematic circuits have been identified fordevelopment.



q They are Buddhist Circuit, North-East India Circuit, CoastalCircuit, Himalayan Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, EcoCircuit, Wildlife Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Rural Circuit, SpiritualCircuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.

q It is 100% centrally funded scheme for project componentsundertaken for public funding.

q It also has provision for leveraging voluntary fundingunder Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of CentralPublic Sector Undertakings and corporate sector.


Panel to study Indian culture did not submit report: ASI (GS-1)

What's in News?q A committee formed in 2016 to “study evolution of Indian

culture from 12,000 years ago” did not submit any report to theArchaeological Survey of India (ASI), the government body saidin a Right to Information (RTI) reply recently.


Panel to study Indian culture did not submit report: ASI (GS-1)

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)q ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization

for the archaeological research and protection of the culturalheritage of the nation.

q Its activities include carrying out surveys of antiquarian remains,exploration and excavation of archaeological sites, conservationand maintenance of protected monuments etc.

q It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham- the firstDirector-General of ASI.

q Alexander Cunningham is also known as the “Father of IndianArchaeology”.


China denies testing ‘hypersonic missile’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q China’s government on Monday denied a recent report saying it

had carried out a test of a nuclear capable hypersonic missile,stating that the launch was a “routine test of a space vehicle”.

q On Sunday, the Financial Times reported China’s military inAugust carried out its first ever test of a “nuclear capablehypersonic missile”, adding that the test “circled the globe beforespeeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced spacecapability that caught U.S. intelligence by surprise”.


China denies testing ‘hypersonic missile’ (GS-3)

Hypersonic Missileq Hypersonics are defined as being able to travel at velocities of at

least five times the speed of sound — Mach 5, or more than6,100 kilometres (3,800 miles) per hour.

q They can also manoeuvre in mid-flight, making them muchharder to track and intercept than traditional projectiles.

q By cutting flight times, they also reduce the opportunity torespond.

q Depending on the design, they can be capable of carrying nuclearwarheads or conventional only, and have the potential to alterthe strategic balance.

PREAMBLE IAS

20OCTOBER


Uttarakhand rain toll touches 47 (GS-3)

What's in News?q Forty-two more people were reported killed in Uttarakhand’s

Kumaon region on Tuesday as several houses collapsed followingthe incessant downpour, taking the toll due to rain-relatedincidents to 47.

q “The number of casualties in the Kumaon region alone hascrossed 40,” DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne said.

q Twenty-eight people were killed in Nainital district, six each inAlmora and Champawat, and one each in Pithoragarh and UdhamSingh Nagar districts, the official said.


Uttarakhand rain toll touches 47 (GS-3)


EU food recall linked to GM rice from India (GS-3)

What's in News?q When candy giant Mars Wrigley carried out a mass recall of

several batches of its Crispy M&Ms across Europe this August, itwas due to the use of one ingredient: rice flour with geneticallymodified (GM) contamination that allegedly originated in India,according to notifications on the European Commission’s rapidalert system.



Detailsq However, the Commerce Ministry pointed out that GM rice is not

grown commercially in India, let alone exported, and promised athorough enquiry by its agricultural exports authority. TheMinistry alleged that the case was a “futile conspiracy to malignthe image of India as a reliable food security provider”.

qWorried farmers’ groups and environmental activists, however,noted that multiple GM rice varieties had been approved forconfined field trials, and warned that any cross-contaminationcould dampen the country’s agricultural export ambitions.



q India’s annual rice exports amount to 18 million tonnes worth₹65,000 crore, and reach more than 75 countries, according tothe Ministry.



Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)q They are living organisms whose genetic material has

been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through geneticengineering in order to favour the expression of desiredphysiological traits or the generation of desired biologicalproducts

q This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virusgenes that do not occur in nature or through traditionalcrossbreeding methods.

qMost GMOs have been engineered to withstand the directapplication of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide.



q However, new technologies are now being used to artificiallydevelop other traits in plants, such as a resistance to browning inapples, and to create new organisms using synthetic biology.

Genetically Modified( GM )Cropsq They are that type of plants whose DNA has been modified

through genetic engineering for embedding a new trait tothe plant which does not occur naturally in the species.

q Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrierby introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desiredeffects and the alien gene could be from a plant, an animal oreven a soil bacterium.



Advantagesq It improves production and raises the farmer’s income.q It reduces the use of pesticide and insecticide during farming that

might be great moves for the betterment of the food supply.q It can feed a rapidly increasing population because it

shows dramatically increased yields.q It can produce more in small areas of land.



Disadvantagesq The production imposes high risks to the disruption of

ecosystem and biodiversity because the “better” traits producedfrom engineering genes can result in the favouring of oneorganism.

q Hence, it can eventually disrupt the natural process of gene flow.q It increases the cost of cultivation and more inclined

towards marketization of farming that works on immoral profits.q The transgenic crops endanger not only farmers but also the

trade, and the environment as well.


Strategy meet discusses Chinese cyberattacks (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q The rising cyberattacks from China on critical installations was

discussed at the National Security Strategies Conference chairedby Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. The Madhya Pradeshpolice gave a presentation on various lacunae in the legal andadministrative sphere that were an impediment in investigatingsuch cases.


Strategy meet discusses Chinese cyberattacks (GS-2/3)

q The participants were told that while the Pakistani cyberattacksfocused on stealing identity and personal data, the Chinesehackers were more sophisticated and they settled down in anynetwork, striking at will.

Malware suspectedq The U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence firm Recorded Future

discovered that Chinese state-sponsored actors may havedeployed malware into Indian power grids and seaports afterborder tensions between India-China began escalating in May2020.


Bhaskarabda to be added to official calendar of Assam (GS-1/2)

What's in News?q Bhaskarabda, an era counted from the date of the ascension of

a seventh century local ruler, will be added to Saka andGregorian eras in the official calendar of the AssamGovernment. This was decided at a meeting that Chief MinisterHimanta Biswa Sarma held with officials of the GeneralAdministration Department on October 18.



Detailsq Bhaskarabda began when Bhaskara varman was crowned ruler

of the Kamrupa kingdom. He was a contemporary and politicalally of northern Indian ruler Harsha vardhana. “We have decidedthat in addition to Saka and Gregorian, Bhaskarabda will be usedin the official calendar by the Assam Government.



National Calendar of India - Saka Calendarq The Saka Era marked the beginning of the Saka Samvat, a historic

Hindu calendar which was later introduced as ‘Indian NationalCalendar’ in 1957.

q The Saka Era is believed to was founded by King Shalivanhana ofShatavahana dynasty. The Saka calendar consists of 365 days and12 months which is similar to the structure of the GregorianCalendar.

q The first month of the Saka Satvam is Chaitra which begins onMarch 22 which corresponds with March 21 during the leapyear.



Factsq It is a historical calendar era corresponding to Julian year 78.q It is also known as Shalivahana Saka era or Mahasakkarat Era.q Saka era marks the remembrance of King Shalivahana’s chief

military triumphs.q The first indication of a relationship between King Shalivahana

and the Saka era was authenticated by the Kannada workUdbhatakavya by Somaraja.

q The Saka calendar is used also by the Indonesian Hindus in Baliand Java.



Gregorian Calendarq The Gregorian calendar which was developed as a correction to

the Julian Calendar was introduced in October 1582. Thiscalendar is named after Pope Gregory XIII and is the most usedcalendar in the world.

q This calendar determines the Earth's revolution around the Sunand spaces leap years to make the average year 365.2425 dayslong.



Some of the unique features of the Gregorian calendar areq The Gregorian calendar is used as the civil calendar.q It began to be used from 1582.q It is named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced the calendar.q It substituted the earlier Julian calendar because the Julian

calendar had a miscalculation regarding leap year.q The Julian year had 365.25 days.q The Gregorian calendar sustained to employ the Julian months.


India, Israel, UAE and U.S. launch quad forum (GS-2)

What's in News?q India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States

have decided to launch a new quadrilateral economic forum, asExternal Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar joined his counter parts ata videoconference from Jerusalem, where he is on a five-day visit.

q The quadrilateral, which followed his bilateral meeting withIsraeli Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid,builds on ongoing cooperation between the U.S., Israel and theUAE after the Abraham Accords last year, and the India, Israel andUAE cooperation that was launched since.



Infrastructure projectsqMr. Lapid added that the grouping had decided to establish an

international forum for economic cooperation, and specificallydiscussed “possibilities for joint infrastructure projects”.

q The U.S. State Department said that during the meeting onMonday, the four Ministers discussed “expanding economic andpolitical cooperation in the Middle East and Asia, includingthrough trade, combating climate change, energy cooperation,and increasing maritime security,” as well as ways to counter theCOVID-19 pandemic.



q Foreign Ministers of the U.S., Israel and the UAE had met inWashington on October 13 to discuss modalities of trilateralcooperation, and set up two working groups: on religiouscoexistence and the other on water and energy.

q Business groups in India, the UAE and Israel have also been in talksfor trilateral cooperation since diplomatic ties were established,and the International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers ofCommerce (IFIIC) has predicted that the potential for agreementsbacked by Israeli innovation, UAE funding and Indianmanufacturing, given India’s close ties and strategic partnershipwith the two other countries could cross $100 billion by 2030.



q In the first such venture, a UAE project for robotic solar panelcleaning technology was signed by Israeli company Ecoppia thathas a manufacturing base in India.

q Significantly, neither the quadrilateral meeting, nor the trilateralmeeting discussed the issue of Palestine and resuming the“Middle East peace process”, although the Joe Bidenadministration has expressed support for a “two-state solution”,that is in line with India’s broader position.


‘The focus will be on economic cooperation’ (GS-2)

The big announcement after the bilateral meeting betweenExternal Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Israel Foreign MinisterYair Lapid was the decision to resume negotiations on the FreeTrade Agreement. There have been several attempts to do thissince 2007; where do the blocks to the agreement lie?q The struggle on both sides is on bureaucratic issues. Former

Ambassador Ron Malka has gone from being Ambassador here toDirector-General at the Ministry of the Economy, and maybe he’llbe able to push things forward since he has a personal interest inIndia.



Will it be essentially an agreement on goods? Or will services beincluded in the FTA negotiations?qWe will have to see how that’s resolved. Israel is more interested

in seeing it purely on goods. We have to see how the negotiationswork out. I think [the deadline in 2022] will put a little bit morepressure on the two sides to, you know, make it work.

Where did the idea for the India-Israel-UAE-U.S. quadrilateral comefrom and where is this headed?qWe understand that Minister Lapid was in the United States, and

he had talks with his counterparts there. And the UAE Ministerwas also there at the time.



q So it came up in a conversation and they agreed on having somesort of a structure like that. Since India is such a close andimportant strategic partner and Dr. Jaishankar planned to visit theweek after Mr. Lapid was in the U.S.

Does a quadrilateral like this also have a strategic purpose when itcomes to West Asia?q I think right now we’re talking more about the economic

opportunities here and less about the strategic ones.



The U.S. State Department spokesperson spoke about thequadrilateral being an area for economic and political coordination.Now UAE by its own admission already plays a role in mediatingtalks between India and Pakistan. Do you see a role for India in theMiddle East [Israel-Palestine] peace process?q I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t know if there is any specific role

right now.



Israel will participate at the Dubai Expo, where India has a pavilionas well. Will there be discussions on avenues for India-Israel-UAEtrilateral cooperation, and in what fields?qWell, I think we can see [trilateral cooperation] in a number of

different fields. We’re talking about water, we’re talking aboutagricultural opportunities, we’re talking about healthopportunities. The fact that India and Israel have neighbouringpavilions at Dubai at the Expo, and we already have joint eventsthere with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce andIndustry (FICCI), will help to organise these events.


N. Korea fired ‘ballistic missile’: Seoul (GS-3)

What's in News?q North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)

from off its East Coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said,pulling Japan’s new Prime Minister off the campaign trail andover- shadowing the opening of a major arms fair in Seoul.


N. Korea fired ‘ballistic missile’: Seoul (GS-3)

Detailsq The launch, reported by officials in South Korea and Japan, came

after U.S. and South Korean envoys met in Washington to discussthe nuclear standoff with North Korea on Monday. Meanwhile,the intelligence chiefs of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan werereported to be meeting in Seoul on Tuesday as well.

q The North Korean launch would be the latest weapons test by thecountry, which has pressed ahead with military development inthe face of international sanctions imposed over its nuclearweapons and missile programmes.

PREAMBLE IAS

21OCTOBER


Maharashtra firm sold ‘GM-contaminated’ rice (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Centre has identified a Maharashtra-based exporter as the

source of the broken rice flagged in Europe as contaminatedwith genetic modifications (GM) earlier this year, the CommerceMinistry said on Wednesday.


Maharashtra firm sold ‘GM-contaminated’ rice (GS-3)

Detailsq It added that the 500- tonne consignment was given a non-GMO

certification by an independent agency. While reiterating that GMrice is not grown commercially in India, the Ministry asked geneticand rice experts, including the Indian Agricultural ResearchInstitute (IARI), to investigate.

GM Crop has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 20th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6482



Pandemic fuelled rise in child sexual abuse online: report (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Global Threat Assessment report 2021, by WeProtect Global

Alliance, launched on Tuesday, said COVID-19 had contributed toa significant spike in child sexual exploitation and abuse online.

qWeProtect Global Alliance is a global movement of more than200 governments, private sector companies and civil societyorganisations working together to transform the global responseto child sexual exploitation and abuse online.



Detailsq The report was a meta study that distils findings from multiple

international studies on the issue. The findings show that in thepast two years, the reporting of child sexual exploitation andonline abuse has reached its highest level. “COVID-19 created a‘perfect storm’ of conditions that fuelled a rise in child sexualexploitation and abuse across the globe,”

q The rise in child ‘self-generated’ sexual material is another trendthat challenges the existing response, with the Internet WatchFoundation observing a 77% increase in child ‘self-generated’sexual material from 2019 to 2020.



q As part of the report, a global study of childhood experiences ofmore than 5,000 young adults (aged 18 to 20) across 54 countrieswas done by Economist Impact.

q About 54 % of the respondents had experienced at least oneonline sexual harm incident during childhood. More than a thirdof respondents (34%) had been asked to do something sexuallyexplicit online they were uncomfortable with during theirchildhood.

q Respondents who identified as transgender/non-binary, LGBQ+and/or disabled were more likely to experience online sexualharms during childhood, it said.



q The report also featured a survey of technology companies thatshowed most were using tools to detect child sexual abusematerial, but only 37% currently use tools to detect onlinegrooming.

q During the pandemic, the National Center for Missing andExploited Children (NCMEC) indicated 106% increase in reportsof suspected child sexual exploitation to its global CyberTipline.During the lockdown, there was a 95% rise in searches for childsexual abuse material, the NCMEC reported.



National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)q The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a

private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by theUnited States Congress.

q NCMEC handles cases of missing or exploited children frominfancy to young adults through age 20.

q The NCMEC operates the CyberTipline which was established byCongress to process reports of child sexual exploitation (includingchild pornography, online enticement, and contact offenses).



q The NCMEC reviews these reports and shares them with theappropriate law enforcement agency or Internet Crimes AgainstChildren (ICAC) task force.


House panel to study ‘border management’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs headed

by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma has decided to study“border management”, which will also entail deliberations onthe contentious extension of jurisdiction of the Border Securityforce (BSF) up to 50 km inside the international borders inPunjab, West Bengal and Assam.

BSF & CAPF has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 14th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6446



House panel to study ‘border management’ (GS-3)

Detailsq The Home Ministry, through a notification published on October

11, amended the BSF Act of 1968. The BSF’s powers whichinclude arrest, search and seizure were till now only up to 15 kmin these States. Punjab and West Bengal have objected to thechange.

q The parliamentary panel met to discuss the agenda. Other thanthe pending issues, it has added “border management” to the list,which will include deliberations of all borders protected by theCentral Armed Police Forces.


Kushinagar now hub of Buddhist tourist circuit (Prelims)

What's in News?q Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the

Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, which willhelp connect key Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Kushinagar is animportant Buddhist pilgrim destination, and is believed to be thefinal resting place of Gautam Buddha.

Buddhist circuit has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 19th October2021 Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6476




Detailsq An inaugural flight of Sri Lankan Airlines landed at the airport

earlier in the day, bringing a large contingent of Buddhist monksand Sri Lankan Ministers, including Sports Minister NamalRajapaksa, nephew of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and son ofPrime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

q Diplomats from 12 countries where Buddhism is practised,including Mongolia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand,Bhutan, Republic of Korea, Nepal and Japan, were also present.



Importance of Kushinagarq Kushinagar is an International Buddhist Pilgrimage

Centre where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha delivered hislast sermon and attained ‘Mahaparinirvana’ or salvation.

q Kushinagar is also the centre of the Buddhist circuit whichconsists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath and Gaya.

q On the occasion of Airport's inauguration, Sri Lanka will presentto India photographs of two mural paintings:



ü One Mural Painting shows Arahat Bhikkhu’ Mahinda, son ofEmperor Ashoka delivering the message of the Buddha to KingDevanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka.

ü The other shows the arrival of ‘Theri Bhikkhuni’ Sanghamitta,the daughter of the Emperor, in Sri Lanka, bearing a sapling of the‘sacred Bodhi tree’ under which Siddhārtha Gautama is believedto have attained enlightenment.

q The Buddhist circuit reflects the use of soft power in India'sforeign policy.




Jailed Russian Opposition leader wins top EU prize (GS-2)

What's in News?q Imprisoned Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny was

awarded the European Union’s top human rights prize onWednesday in a clear slap to President Vladimir Putin.

q In awarding the Sakharov Prize to Mr. Navalny, the EuropeanParliament praised his “immense personal bravery”. The 45-year-old activist was poisoned with a nerve agent last year andpromptly arrested upon his return to Moscow from treatment inGermany and later imprisoned.


Jailed Russian Opposition leader wins top EU prize (GS-2)

Detailsq “He has campaigned consistently against the corruption of

Vladimir Putin’s regime, and through his social media accountsand political campaigns, Navalny has helped expose abuses andmobilise the support of millions of people across Russia. For this,he was poisoned and thrown in jail,” Parliament President DavidSassoli said in a statement.


Pentagon chief urges more Black Sea security ties (GS-2)

What's in News?q U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin urged more defence

cooperation among Black Sea allies on Wednesday ahead of aNATO Ministers summit. Following talks in Bucharest withRomanian Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca, Mr. Austin said actionwas needed by littoral states of the Black Sea amid Russia“militarisation” of the region.



Detailsq “The security and stability of the Black Sea are in the U.S.’s

national interest and critical for the security of NATO’s easternflank,” he said. “The region is vulnerable to Russian aggressionand we’ve seen evidence of that by ongoing actions in easternUkraine (and) the occupations of parts of Georgia,” he toldreporters.

qMr. Austin was in Bucharest on the third stop of a tour of theregion to build confidence among allies, including Georgia andUkraine, both of which are hoping to join NATO, and to promotegreater cooperation among military forces.



Black Seaq Black Sea is an inland sea located between far-south eastern

Europe and the far-western edges of the continent of Asia andthe country of Turkey.

q Bordering Countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia,Georgia, and Turkey.

q It connects to the Mediterranean Sea first through the BosporusStrait, then through the Sea of Marmara and the DardanellesStrait, then south through the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Crete.

q The Black Sea is also connected to the Sea of Azov by the Strait ofKerch.




‘High oil prices will sap global recovery’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, on Wednesday

warned that high oil prices will undermine global economicrecovery, and nudged Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations towork towards affordable and reliable supplies. Petrol and dieselprices have hit record highs across the country after relentlessprice increases since May.



Detailsq “If energy prices remain high, global economic recovery will be

undermined,” Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep SinghPuri said at the India Energy Forum by CERAWeek.

q Global oil prices crashed to $19 per barrel in April 2020 asdemand evaporated with most nations clamping lockdowns tocontrol the spread of the novel coronavirus.



‘Energy access crucial’q “India believes energy access has to be reliable, affordable and

sustainable,” he said adding economic recovery after adevastating pandemic had been fragile and it was further beingthreatened by the high prices.

q India, which imports almost two-thirds of its oil needs fromWest Asia, has told oil producers, including the Organisation ofPetroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), that high crude priceswill hasten the transition to alternate fuels and such rates willbe counter-productive for the producers.

PREAMBLE IAS

22OCTOBER


Do you want to revisit ₹8 lakh slab, SC asks Govt.(GS-2)

What's in News?q The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Government if it

wants to revisit the limit of ₹8 lakh annual income fixed fordetermining the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) categoryfor reservation in NEET admissions for medical courses underthe all-India quota.

q A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud expressed its annoyanceat the Government for not filing an affidavit explaining how itreached the ₹8 lakh figure to identify the EWS category for grantof reservation.


Do you want to revisit ₹8 lakh slab, SC asks Govt.(GS-2)

103rd Constitutional Amendment Actq It introduced an economic reservation (10% quota) in jobs and

admissions in education institutes for Economically WeakerSections (EWS) by amending Articles 15 and 16.

q It inserted Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6).q It was enacted to promote the welfare of the poor not covered by

the 50% reservation policy for SCs, STs and Socially andEducationally Backward Classes (SEBC).

q It enables both Centre and the states to provide reservation to theEWS of society.


PM to attend climate meet (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Glasgow on October

31 to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), Indiahas conveyed to the British Government this week, sourcesconfirmed.

q The decision comes even as climate negotiation delegations fromthe United States, the European Union and the United Kingdomtravelled to Delhi to discuss India’s climate goals.



Conference of Parties (CoP)q The CoP comes under the United Nations Climate Change

Framework Convention (UNFCCC) which was formed in 1994.q The UNFCCC was established to work towards “stabilisation of

greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.”q It laid out a list of responsibilities for the member states which

included:ü Formulating measures to mitigate climate changeü Cooperating in preparing for adaptation to the impact of climate

change



ü Promoting education, training and public awareness related toclimate change

q The UNFCCC has 198 parties including India, China and the USA.COP members have been meeting every year since 1995.

COP1 to COP25q COP members have been meeting every year since 1995. The

UNFCCC has 198 parties including India, China and the USA.q The first conference (COP1) was held in 1995 in Berlin. At COP3

held in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, the famous Kyoto Protocol wasadopted. It commits the member states to pursue limitation orreduction of greenhouse gas emissions.



q It entered into force on 16 February 2005 and there are 192Parties in the Kyoto Protocol.

q India hosted the eighth COP from October 23 to November 1,2002 in New Delhi.

q The conference laid out seven measures including, ‘strengtheningof technology transfer… in all relevant sectors, including energy,transport…and the promotion of technological advances throughresearch and development…and the strengthening of institutionsfor sustainable development.’



q One of the most important conferences, COP21 took place fromNovember 30 to December 11, 2015, in Paris, France.

qMember countries agreed to work together to ‘limit globalwarming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius,compared to pre-industrial levels.’



COP26 goalsq According to the UNFCCC, COP26 will work towards four goals:Secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees withinreachq The UNFCCC recommends that countries ‘accelerate the phase-out

of coal, curtail deforestation, speed up the switch to electric vehiclesand encourage investment in renewables’ to meet this goal.

Adapt to protect communities and natural habitatsq Countries will work together to ‘protect and restore ecosystems and

build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure andagriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives.’



Mobilise financeq To deliver on first two goals, developed countries must make good

on their promise to mobilise at least $100bn in climate financeper year by 2020.

Work together to deliverq Another important task at the COP26 is to ‘finalise the Paris

Rulebook’. Leaders will work together to frame a list of detailedrules that will help fulfil the Paris Agreement.


Gene editing guidelines facing delay (GS-3)

What's in News?q Even as the Centre investigates allegations that unauthorised

genetically modified (GM) rice was exported to Europe, it is yetto decide on a research proposal from its own scientists whichwould allow plants to be genetically modified without the needfor conventional transgenic technology.

q Scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute are in theprocess of developing resilient and high- yield rice varieties usingsuch gene editing techniques, which have already been approvedby many countries, and they hope to have such rice varieties inthe hands of the Indian farmers by 2024.



q However, the proposal for Indian regulators to consider thistechnique as equivalent to conventional breeding methods, sinceit does not involve inserting any foreign DNA, has been pendingwith the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee for almost twoyears.

q The IARI has previously worked on golden rice, a traditional GMvariety which inserted genes from other organisms into the riceplant, but ended trials over five years ago due to agronomicissues, said Director A.K Singh.

GM Rice has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 20th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6482




Genome Editingq Genome editing (also called gene editing) is a group of

technologies that give scientists the ability to change anorganism’s DNA.

q These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed,or altered at particular locations in the genome.

q Genome editing is of great interest in the prevention andtreatment of human diseases.



Agricultureq It is being tried out in agriculture primarily to increase plant

yield, quality, disease resistance, herbicide resistance anddomestication of wild species.

q The huge potential to edit genes using this tool has been used tocreate a large number of crop varieties with improved agronomicperformance; it has also brought in sweeping changes to breedingtechnologies.



CRISPRq CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short

Palindromic Repeats.q Crispr is repeating sequences of genetic code and serve as part of

the bacterial immune system, defending against invading viruses.q CRISPR is a genome-editing technology to diagnose diseases.q CRISPRs are specialized stretches of DNA.q The protein Cas9 (or “CRISPR-associated”) is an enzyme that acts

like a pair of molecular scissors, capable of cutting strands of DNA.



q CRISPR technology was adapted from the natural defencemechanisms of bacteria and archaea (the domain of single-celledmicroorganisms).

q These organisms use CRISPR-derived RNA and various Casproteins, including Cas9, to foil attacks by viruses and otherforeign bodies. They do so primarily by chopping up anddestroying the DNA of a foreign invader.


Pakistan retained on FATF’s ‘greylist’ again (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Thursday retained

Pakistan in the ‘greylist’ yet again, observing that it needed tofurther demonstrate that investigations and prosecutions werebeing pursued against the senior leadership of UN-designatedterror groups, which include the Lashkar-e- Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed ( JeM), al-Qaeda and the Taliban.



Detailsq “The Pakistan Government has two concurrent action plans with

a total of 34 action plan items. It has addressed or largelyaddressed 30 of the items. Its most recent action plan from Junethis year, which largely focused on money launderingdeficiencies, was issued after the FATF’s regional partner APG,that is the Asia Pacific Group, identified a number of seriousissues,” said Dr. Pleyer.



q “The FATF recognises Pakistan’s progress and efforts to addressthese CFT [Combating the Financing of Terrorism] action planitems and notes that since February 2021, Pakistan has madeprogress to complete two of the three remaining action items ondemonstrating that effective, proportionate and dissuasivesanctions are imposed for TF [Terror Financing] convictions andthat Pakistan’s targeted financial sanctions regime was beingused effectively to targeted terrorist assets,”



FATFq The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental

body established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7.q It is a “policy-making body” which works to generate the

necessary political will to bring about national legislative andregulatory reforms in various areas.

q Its Secretariat is located at the Organisation for EconomicCooperation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris.



Lists under FATFGrey Listq Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror

funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list.q This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter

the blacklist.



Black Listq Countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories

(NCCTs) are put in the blacklist.q These countries support terror funding and money laundering

activities.q The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.


No raid at Shah Rukh’s house: NCB (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday visited

‘Mannat’, actor Shah Rukh Khan’s house, to collect certainmaterial related to the investigation in the case of his son, AryanKhan, who is in judicial custody over his alleged chats related todrugs on WhatsApp.



Narcotics Control Bureauq Narcotics Control Bureau was constituted by the Government of

India in 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs and PsychotropicSubstances Act, 1985.

q It is the apex coordinating agency falling under the Ministry ofHome Affairs.

q The NCB was part of a global operation ‘Operation Trance’(2019), which is a joint intelligence-gathering action oninternational postal, express mail and courier shipmentscontaining psychotropic drugs.



q The law was passed based on Article 47 of the IndianConstitution which directs the State to endeavor to bring aboutprohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, ofintoxicating drugs injurious to health.

q The Act provides for a Fund to be called the National Fund forControl of Drug Abuse to meet the expenditure incurred inconnection with the measures taken for combating illicit traffic in,or controlling abuse of, narcotic drugs and psychotropicsubstances.



qMinimum term of rigorous imprisonment of 10 years, which mayextend to 20 years for offenders, and also a fine which shall not beless than one lakh rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees.

q The Act made an express provision for constituting a CentralAuthority for the purpose of exercising the powers and functions ofthe Central Government under the Act.

q India is a signatory to the single Convention on Narcotic Drugs1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the Conventions onPsychotropic Substances, 1971 and the United Nations Conventionagainst Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances,1988.


SC panel tells Assam to act on illegal construction (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the

Supreme Court, has asked the Assam Government to take actionon illegal construction in the identified wildlife corridors of theKaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.



Detailsq The CEC had taken note of an inspection report submitted by

Hemen Hazarika, scientist and head of the Guwahati-basedIntegrated Regional Office of the Minister of Environment, Forestand Climate Change on September 10.

q The report on violation of the court’s order on April 12, 2019, wasbased on the inspection conducted by Laetitia J. Syiemiong,Deputy Inspector-General of Forest (Central).



Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserveq The KNTPR is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and

Nagaon districts of the state of Assam.q The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-

horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site.q It was declared as a National Park in 1974.q It has been declared a tiger reserve since 2007. It has a total tiger

reserve area of 1,030 sq km with a core area of 430 sq. km.q It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.q It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife

International.



q It is the home of the world's most one-horned rhinos.qMuch of the focus of conservation efforts in Kaziranga are focused

on the 'big four' species— Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tigerand Asiatic water buffalo.

q As per the figures of tiger census conducted in 2014, Kazirangahad an estimated 103 tigers, the third highest population inIndia after Jim Corbett National Park (215) in Uttarakhand andBandipur National Park (120) in Karnataka.




‘Govt. failed to measure scale of hunger to tailor its responses’ (GS-2)

What's in News?qWhile the Government has launched a scathing attack against the

publishers of the Global Hunger Index for India’s poor ranking,experts argue that not only were steps taken by the Governmentto check rising levels of hunger in a pandemic year inadequate,it also failed to measure the scale of hunger to tailor itsresponses.

q Following the launch of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021,which ranks India 101 out of 116 countries, and worse thanPakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the Governmentquestioned the methodology used.


‘Govt. failed to measure scale of hunger to tailor its responses’ (GS-2)

Detailsq “We should have given 10 kg of food grains and not five kg, and

we should have been continuing to offer them today. We shouldimmediately bring back functional anganwadis providing food,and open schools and provide mid-day meals. These are stepsthat should have been taken months ago. We should also look atthe issue of livelihoods, by massively expanding the ruralemployment guarantee scheme,”

Global Hunger Index has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 16thOctober 2021 Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6453



UN unveils fund for ‘people’s economy’ in Afghanistan (GS-2)

What's in News?q The United Nations said on Thursday it had set up a special trust

fund to provide urgently-needed cash directly to Afghansthrough a system tapping into donor funds frozen since theTaliban takeover last August. With the local economy“imploding”, the aim is to inject liquidity into Afghan householdsto permit them to survive this winter and remain in theirhomeland despite turmoil, it said.



Detailsq Achim Steiner, the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP)

administrator said that Germany, a first contributor, had pledged€50 million ($58 million) to the fund, and that it was in touchwith other donors to mobilise resources.

Economy set to contractq The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday that

Afghanistan’s economy is set to contract up to 30% this year andthis is likely to further fuel a refugee crisis that will affect itsneighbouring countries, Turkey and Europe.



q Kanni Wignaraja, director of UNDP’s regional bureau for the AsiaPacific, said that cash will be provided to Afghan workers in publicworks programmes, such as drought and flood controlprogrammes, and grants given to micro-enterprises. Temporarybasic income would be paid to the vulnerable elderly anddisabled, she said.

q The UNDP had costed activities to be covered over the first 12months at approximately $667 million, she added.



UNDPq United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United

Nations’ global development network.q It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations

and advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge,experience and resources to help people build a better life forthemselves.

q Formation 22 November 1965q Headquarters New York city



q The UNDP provides expert advice, training and grants support todeveloping countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance tothe least developed countries.

q UNDP works with nations on their own solutions to global andnational development challenges. As they develop local capacity,they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners.

q However UNDP offers to help only if the different nations requestit to do so.

q The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UNmember states.



q The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works withlocal governments to meet development challenges and developlocal capacity.

q It works internationally to help countries achieve the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs).

PREAMBLE IAS

23OCTOBER


India weighs ‘net zero’ target ahead of CoP (GS-3)

What's in News?q India has not entirely ruled out the possibility of agreeing to a

“net zero” climate target, though it will not budge on demandingthat developed nations make good their commitments, such asproviding an annual $100 billion to developing countries formitigating the impacts of climate change, facilitating technologytransfer and putting in place a tangible market-based mechanismto activate the moribund carbon credit markets, senior officialssaid.



q Ahead of the 26th meeting of the United Nations Conference ofParties (CoP) that begins in Glasgow on November 1, the focus onmaking the meet a success is to have all nations commit to “netzero”, or a year by when a country’s fossil fuel emissions willpeak and at some point be neutralised by taking out excesscarbon from the atmosphere.

Impact on developmentq All countries doing this by 2050, scientists say, will mean a chance

of restricting the average temperature rise to 1.5 degreesCelsius, provided emissions fall to around 45% of the 2010 levelsby 2030.



q This, however, means deep and significant cuts to fossil fuel usethat can affect the development trajectory of India and otherdeveloping countries.

q A study by the think tank Council for Energy Environment andWater projects said that for India to achieve the net zero targeteven by 2070, usage of coal, especially for power generation,will need to peak by 2040 and drop by 99% between 2040 and2060.

q The consumption of crude oil across sectors will need to peak by2050 and fall substantially by 90% between 2050 and 2070.




Rocket systems, BrahMos add offensive punch along LAC (GS-3)

What's in News?q India’s military posture in the Tawang sector of Arunachal

Pradesh has added an offensive punch with the Army deployingPinaka and Smerch long-range, multi barrel rocket launch systemsas well as BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles in the region.



Detailsq In a rare demonstration, the Army showcased its Pinaka and

Smerch units deployed on the Arunachal Pradesh-Assam border toa group of visiting journalists from Delhi.

q In addition to the rocket systems, deployment of BrahMosmissiles, which have a range of over 290 km, gives the Army theability to hit targets deep inside China in case of any Chinese mis-adventure in this sector.



Pinaka Rocketq Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

successfully test fired extended range version of indigenouslydeveloped Pinaka rocket from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher(MBRL) on 24th and 25th June 2021.

q The test conducted at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur offthe coast of Odisha.

q Twenty-five Enhanced Pinaka Rockets were launched in quicksuccession against targets at different ranges. All the missionobjectives were met during the launches.



q The enhanced range version of Pinaka Rocket System can destroytargets at distances up to 45 kms.

Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcherq Pinaka is a multiple rocket launcher produced in India and

developed by the Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army.

q The system has a maximum range of 40 km for Mark-I and 60 kmfor Mark-I enhanced version, and can fire a salvo of12 HE rockets in 44 seconds.

q The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility.



q Pinaka saw service during the Kargil War, where it was successfulin neutralising enemy positions on the mountain tops.

q It has since been inducted into the Indian Army in large numbers.q As of 2019, an upgraded guided missile version of the system has

been test-fired, with a range of over 90 km.



BrahMos Missileq An amalgam of the names of the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva,

BrahMos is being produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a jointventure company set up by DRDO and Mashinostroyenia ofRussia in 1998.

q The first version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile wasinducted into the Indian Navy in 2005, meant to be fired from INSRajput.

q It is a cruise missile, meaning it can be guided towards a pre-determined land- or sea-based target.



qWith a capability to attain speeds 2.8 times that of sound (Mach2.8), BrahMos is classified as supersonic cruise missile.

q A newer version under development is aimed at flying at speedsgreater than Mach 5. These are called hypersonic cruise missiles.

q Besides decreasing the reaction time of the enemy, higher speedsalso substantially reduce the chances of the missile gettingintercepted.


‘India-U.K. ties vital in coming decades’(GS-2)

What's in News?q Relation between the United Kingdom and India is vital over the

coming decades, U.K. Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss said hereon Friday. Ms. Truss, who is on a three-day visit to India, metExternal Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and is scheduled to be aspecial guest at a ceremony to mark the visit of the U.K. CarrierStrike Group in Mumbai.


‘India-U.K. ties vital in coming decades’(GS-2)

q “India is our great friend, an economic powerhouse and theworld’s largest democracy. Our relationship will be vital over thecoming decades,” Ms. Truss said after meeting Mr. Jaishankarwhere the two discussed closer collaboration. Ms. Truss said hervisit would boost the partnership, and pointed out technologyand infrastructure, security and defence, and “building back afterCOVID” as the areas of collaboration between the two sides.

q Both Ministers agreed on the need for launching FTA negotiations“at the earliest, with a focus on negotiating an interimagreement that can deliver quick gains to businesses in bothIndia and the U.K.”


43 countries call on China at UN to respect Uighur rights (GS-2)

What's in News?q Forty-three countries have called on China to “ensure full

respect for the rule of law” for the Muslim Uighur community inXinjiang, in a statement read at the United Nations on Thursdaythat sparked outrage from Beijing.



Detailsq The declaration, signed by the United States as well as several

European and Asian member states and others, accused China ofa litany of human rights violations against the Uighurs, includingtorture, forced sterilisation and forced disappearances.

q “We call on China to allow immediate, meaningful and unfetteredaccess to Xinjiang for independent observers, including the UNHigh Commissioner for Human Rights and her office,” thecountries said in a joint statement, read at the United Nations byFrance.



Who are the Uighurs?q There are about 12 million Uighurs, mostly Muslim, living in

north-western China in the region of Xinjiang, officially knownas the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

q The Uighurs speak their own language, similar to Turkish, andsee themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asiannations.

q They make up less than half of the Xinjiang population.



q In recent decades, there’s been a mass migration of Han Chinese(China’s ethnic majority) to Xinjiang, and the Uighurs feel theirculture and livelihoods are under threat.

q In the early 20th Century, the Uighurs briefly declaredindependence, but the region was brought under completecontrol of mainland China’s new Communist government in 1949.



Xinjiang regionq Xinjiang lies in the north-west of China and is the country’s

biggest region.q Like Tibet, it is autonomous, meaning – in theory – it has some

powers of self-governance. But in practice, both face majorrestrictions by the central government.

q It is a mostly desert region, producing about a fifth of theworld’s cotton.

q It is also rich in oil and natural gas and because of its proximity toCentral Asia and Europe is seen by Beijing as an important tradelink.




Barbados elects its first President (GS-2)

What's in News?q Barbados has elected its first President, a key step in

preparations to become a republic and remove Britain’s QueenElizabeth II as head of state of the Caribbean island.

q Sandra Mason, the current governor-general, is set to be sworn inas President on November 30, the country's 55th anniversary ofindependence from Britain. In September 2020, Ms. Mason, 72,announced the break with Britain, saying “the time has come tofully leave our colonial past behind.”



Barbadosq Barbados, a former British colony, gained its independence

in 1966.q Although it is an independent state, Queen Elizabeth remains its

constitutional headq It shall remain a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.Commonwealth of Nationsq It is an international intergovernmental organization of countries

that were mostly former territories of the British Empire anddependencies.



q It was established by the London Declaration in 1949.q Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Commonwealth.q The current membership includes 54 Countries.qMaldives becomes 54th member of Commonwealth.q The membership is based on free and equal voluntary co -

operation.q The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial

summit meeting of the heads of government from allCommonwealth nations.




‘Energy transition poses inflation risks’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q The ongoing worldwide transition to green energy poses a

significant risk of triggering energy price shocks similar to the1970s, which would accelerate inflation, said Jayanth Varma, thesole member of the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) tovote against continuing with the central bank’s ‘accommodative’policy stance.



Detailsq “This means that the up- side risks to long term inflation and to

inflation expectations are now more aggravated,” Mr. Varma saidat the last MPC meeting, the minutes of which were released onFriday.

q “A pattern of policy making in slow motion that is guided by anexcessive desire to avoid surprises is no longer appropriate,” heasserted, adding that he was in favour of raising the reverse reporate from the current 3.35% towards 4% so as to ‘demonstratethe MPC’s commitment to the inflation target, help anchorexpectations and enhance macroeconomic stability’.



MPCq The RBI has a government-constituted Monetary Policy

Committee (MPC) which is tasked with framing monetary policyusing tools like the repo rate, reverse repo rate, bank rate, cashreserve ratio (CRR).

q It has been instituted by the Central Government of India underSection 45ZB of the RBI Act that was amended in 1934.

q The MPC is entrusted with the responsibility of deciding thedifferent policy rates including MSF, Repo Rate, Reverse RepoRate, and Liquidity Adjustment Facility.



Composition of MPCq The committee will have six members. Of the six members, the

government will nominate three. No government official will benominated to the MPC.

q The other three members would be from the RBI with thegovernor being the ex-officio chairperson.

q Deputy governor of RBI in charge of the monetary policy will be amember, as also an executive director of the central bank.


Amur falcons in Manipur for annual migration (GS-3)

What's in News?qWith the arrival of the migratory Amur falcons to Tamenglong

district of Manipur for the annual stopover, State Forest andEnvironment Minister Awangbow Newmai has appealed to thepeople not to hunt the seasonal visitors.

q These falcons visit the district every year from breeding groundsin China and Russia before beginning their onward voyage toAfrica for the winter a journey of more than 30,000 km.



Satellite taggingq Officials who have been tracking the travel routes of these birds

through satellite tagging said one Amur falcon had reached thedistrict for the third year in a row.

qMr. Newmai, in a statement, warned that the hunting of the birdwas punishable under the Manipur Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972 and could lead to three years of imprisonment and a fineof ₹25,000



Amur Falconq The Amur falcon is a small raptor of the falcon family.q It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China before

migrating in large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea towinter in Southern Africa

qMuch is still unknown about the patterns of their estimated22,000 km journey.

q The wide breeding range and large population size of the Amurfalcon have led to the species being assessed as being of leastconcern.

PREAMBLE IAS

24OCTOBER


India-made spray linked to rare illness in U.S. (GS-2)

What's in News?q A made-in-India aromatherapy spray is being pulled off retail

giant Walmart’s shelves in the United States after a medicalinvestigation linked it to melioidosis, a rare disease that hassickened at least four, and may have caused two deaths, in thecountry.

q The spray was reported to contain a bacterium, Burkholderiapseudomallei, that causes a rare but deadly disease calledmelioidosis, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) said in a statement on Friday.



Detailsq The spray, “Better Homes and Gardens Lavender & Chamomile

Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones”,was found on October 6 in the home of a Georgia resident whobecame ill with melioidosis in late July. Other than mentioningthat the spray was manufactured in India, no other details on thespray’s origins were disclosed.

q The contaminated spray was sold at 55 Walmart stores fromFebruary to October 21 of this year, when the retail giant pulledthe remaining bottles and related products from its shelves in allstores.



MelioidosisqMelioidosis (also called as Whitmore’s disease) is a highly

infectious disease caused by the gram-negative bacteriumBurkholderia (Pseudomonas) pseudomallei, also calledWhitmore bacillus.

q The bacterium is commonly found in soil and fresh surface waterin South Asia, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia. Thedisease is contracted through the skin and lungs or by drinkingcontaminated water.



q The symptoms of the disease include fever, convulsions, andshortness of breath.

q Patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease orexcessive alcohol intake people are more likely to contractmelioidosis.

q The risk is also more for people who are regularly exposed to soiland water contact like rice farmers.

q The disease still has no licenced vaccine.



q The diagnosis of the disease is difficult as the disease mimicsother diseases and it requires a good microbiology laboratoryfor identification of bacterial culture and to make an accuratediagnosis.

q As the bacterium is resistant to many of antimicrobials, anytreatment which is inadequate may lead to fatality ratesexceeding 70%.


Ban on online gaming challenged in court (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q The Karnataka High Court will hear on October 27 a batch of

petitions filed by the All-India Gaming Federation and individualonline gaming operators questioning the legality of severalprovisions of the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021, whichprohibits and criminalises the playing of games of skill, includingonline games, by risking money or otherwise.


Ban on online gaming challenged in court (GS-2/3)

q Justice Krishna S. Dixit, before whom the petition filed by thefederation (a not- for-profit society) came up for hearing on Friday,said the interim plea for stay of the operation of the new lawwould be considered on October 27 along with other petitions.

q Pointing out that it was settled law that games of skill (involvingrisking of money or otherwise) did not amount to wagering orbetting as interpreted by the apex court, and therefore the Statecould not prohibit such activities, the federation contended thatthe amendments made to the Police Act “unlawfully prohibit thelawful and legitimate business of the members of the federationin providing games of skill”.


Himachal’s women farmers expand their horizons, without hurting nature (GS-3)

What's in News?q Women farmers in the hill State of Himachal Pradesh are

gradually turning to non-chemical, low cost “natural farming”,which has not only provided them with a sustainable livelihoodbut also empowered them better.

q Launched in 2018, the State’s Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Yojana(PK3Y) is promoting the climate resilient Subhash Palekar NaturalFarming (SPNF), also called ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming’.



Detailsq Over 1.5 lakh farmers have been trained in natural farming in the

State so far, with substantial numbers of women participants.Moreover, the coming together of women from the hill regions fornatural farming, regardless of their level of education, has helpedthem gain confidence in matters beyond agriculture.

q Practical training in natural farming is helping rural women inHimachal Pradesh gain confidence by supplementing familyincomes.



‘New empowerment’q “It is a different kind of empowerment. Since I shifted to the

natural farming technique, the government’s AgricultureTechnology Management Agency (ATMA) staff is regularly intouch with me.

q They motivate me and help me stay connected with the latesthappenings in the field on a regular basis personally, and onWhatsApp groups, which is happening for the first time.



Prakritik Kheti Khushshal Kissan Yojana (PKKKY)q The Prakritik Kheti Khushshal Kissan Yojana (PKKKY) was launched

by the Himachal Pradesh government to promote organic / ZeroBudget Natural Farming (ZBNF) system.

q Under the scheme, farmers has been provided training,necessary equipment's, bio-pesticides, bio-insecticides, etc.

q The Natural farming is a technique of farming that requires noploughing or tilting or use of chemical fertilizers.



Zero Budget Natural Farmingq Zero budget natural farming is a method of chemical-free

agriculture drawing from traditional Indian practices.q It was originally promoted by agriculturist Subhash Palekar, who

developed it in the mid-1990s as an alternative to the GreenRevolution’s methods that are driven by chemical fertilizers andpesticides and intensive irrigation.



q It is a unique model that relies on Agro-ecology.q It aims to bring down the cost of production to nearly zero and

return to a pre-green revolution style of farming.q It claims that there is no need for expensive inputs such as

fertilisers, pesticides and intensive irrigation.q ZBNF was also highlighted in budget 2019 in the bid to double

farmer's income by 2022.



Agricultural Technology Management Agency (A T M A)q ATMA is a society of key stakeholders involved in agricultural

activities for sustainable agriculture development in the district.It is a focal point for integrating Research and Extension activities.

q It is a registered society responsible for technology disseminationat the district level. As a whole, the ATMA would be a facilitatingagency rather than implementing Agency.



q The scheme is supported by the Central Government. Thefunding pattern is 90% by the central Government and 10% bythe state government.

q The 10% state’s share shall consist of cash contribution of theState, beneficiary contribution or the contribution of other non-governmental organizations.


Russia, China hold first joint patrol in western Pacific Ocean (GS-2)

What's in News?q Russian and Chinese warships held their first joint patrols in the

Western part of the Pacific ocean on October 17-23, Russia’sDefence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

qMoscow and Beijing, which staged naval cooperation drills in theSea of Japan earlier in October, have cultivated closer militaryand diplomatic ties in recent years at a time when their relationswith the West have soured.



Detailsq The naval manoeuvres have been closely watched by Japan,

which said earlier this week that a group of 10 vessels from Chinaand Russia sailed through the Tsugaru Strait separating Japan’smain island and its northern island of Hokkaido.

q “The tasks of the patrols were the demonstration of the Russianand Chinese state flags, maintaining of peace and stability in theAsia-Pacific region, and guardianship of the subjects of maritimeeconomic activities of the two countries,” the Ministry added.



Kuril Islandsq The Kuril Islands is a chain of islands that stretch between

the Japanese island of Hokkaido at the southern end andthe Russian Kamchatka Peninsula at the northern end.

q The islands separate the Sea of Okhotsk from the North PacificOcean.

q There are 56 islands and many minor rocks.




Is genetically modified rice grown in India? (GS-3)

What's in News?q A French manufacturer of rice flour claimed it had found

unauthorised genetically modified rice in a consignment of 500tonnes of broken rice imported from India this June.



q Since the European Union does not permit any use of GM rice,manufacturers of confectionery items and baked goods which hadused the rice flour were then forced to carry out a mass recall ofproducts.

q After a complaint letter from farm and environmental groupsearlier this week, Indian authorities said they were investigatingthe allegations, but added that any contamination was unlikely asIndia does not allow commercial cultivation of GM rice either.



What is GM rice?q GM foods are derived from plants whose genes are artificially

modified, usually by inserting genetic material from anotherorganism, in order to give it a new property, such as increasedyield, tolerance to a herbicide, resistance to disease or drought,or to improve its nutritional value.

q Probably the best known variety of GM rice is golden rice, whichinvolves the insertion of genes from a plant — both daffodils andmaize have been used — and a soil bacterium to create a grainthat is enriched with Vitamin A.



q India has approved commercial cultivation of only one GM crop,Bt cotton. No GM food crop has ever been approved forcommercial cultivation. However, confined field trials have beenallowed for at least 20 GM crops.

q That includes varieties of GM rice which would have improvedresistance to insects and diseases, as well as hybrid seedproduction and nutritional enhancements such as golden rice.

q Trials have been carried out by public universities and researchinstitutions such as the Indian Agricultural Research Institute(IARI) and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, as well as privatefirms such as Bayer Bioscience and Mahyco.



Was GM rice exported from India?q The Commerce Ministry has said that as commercial cultivation

of GM rice is banned, “there is no question of export of GM ricefrom India”. It said the EU was not sure of the exact source ofcontaminant, adding that contamination could have occurredduring the processing of the rice flour in Europe.

q Despite the outrage, it initiated an investigation by APEDA(Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export DevelopmentAuthority) which identified a Maharashtra-based trader as thesource of the rice consignment, which had been given a non-GMO certification by a testing agency just before shipping.



q It also demanded that the EU provide details of specific geneticmarkers in the consignment. Farm and environmental activistsallege that plants or seeds from the GM rice field trials couldhave contaminated non-GM crops, noting that illegal varieties ofGM cotton and brinjal are freely circulating among sections ofIndian farmers.

What are the implications for Indian farmers?q India is the world’s top rice exporter, earning ₹65,000 crore last

year by selling 18 million tonnes of grain, about a quarter ofwhich is premium basmati.



q Among the 75 countries which buy Indian rice, West Asiannations, the U.S. and the U.K. are the biggest importers ofbasmati, while the majority of non-basmati rice goes to Africancountries and Nepal and Bangladesh.

q For Indian farmers, the nightmare scenario could be whathappened in the U.S. in 2006, when trace amounts of a GM ricevariety being tested by Bayer were found in shipments ready forexports.

q Trading partners such as Japan, Russia and the EU suspendedrice imports from the U.S., hitting farmers hard and forcingBayer to pay $750 million in damages.



q Under pressure from the rice export lobby at the time, Indiadrafted policies to ban GM rice trials in the basmati belt.

What lies ahead?q In the face of new advances in rice research, scientists and

farmers say the regulatory regime needs to be strengthened forthe sake of domestic and export consumers.


Why is India facing bouts of extreme weather? (GS-1/3)

What's in News?q Even as the southwest monsoon began to retreat from the

subcontinent, Kerala and Uttarakhand received record rainfall inOctober. In both these States and others, over the last few years,there have been variations in the pattern and intensity of rainfall.Kerala had seen a severe spell in 2018, which caused havoc. Thisyear’s rain, too, claimed lives in Kerala and Uttarakhand.



What is the quantity of rainfall?q According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the

Kerala and Mahe region received 124% excess rainfall fromOctober 14 to October 20. Against the normal 72.1 mm rainfallfor the period, the region had received 161.2 mm.

q Lakshadweep received 15% excess rainfall. From October 1 toOctober 22, Kerala recorded 121% excess rainfall, with alldistricts, except Alappuzha, recording above 70% excess rainfall.Alappuzha recorded 52% excess for the period.



q The latest fortnightly forecast from the agency says “abovenormal” rainfall is expected over the next fortnight. Uttarakhandrecorded 192.6 mm against the usual 35.3 mm from October 1 toOctober 20, with several districts reporting 24-hour highs thatexceeded the figures from over a century.

What explains the torrential rain?q There are different factors at play in Kerala and Uttarakhand.

There have been two rain-bearing ‘low pressure systems’ thatare active in the Arabian Sea as well as the Bay of Bengal sincethe past week.



q The low pressure system in the Arabian Sea contributed to theheavy rain in Kerala, whereas western disturbances, which areperiodic influxes of moisture-laden clouds from theMediterranean, and common during winter, are what caused therain in northern India.

q The Bay of Bengal is still warm and strong winds from there arereaching as far as Uttarakhand and will contribute to rainfall inseveral parts of north-eastern India. October is the month whenthe southwest monsoon entirely retreats from India and thenortheast monsoon sets in, bringing rain over Tamil Nadu,Puducherry, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.



q Both low pressures as well as western disturbances aretangentially connected to the larger pattern of global warming.The Bay of Bengal is historically the warmer ocean that seeds lowpressures and cyclones that bring rain to India. In recent yearshowever, the Arabian Sea, too, has been warmer than normal,and leading to significant cyclonic activity.

q Overall elevated temperatures are also contributing to warmerwaters in the Arctic Ocean and drawing colder air from the poleswith greater intensity. This added to the increased moisture,thereby seeding more intense western disturbance activity overnorth India.



Is the delayed monsoon withdrawal responsible?q This year, the monsoon began its retreat on October 6 and though

it was expected to fully retreat by October 16, it is yet tocompletely withdraw, with the associated clouds still lingering on.

q The IMD’s latest assessment is that the monsoon will completelywithdraw by October 26 and that will also herald the beginningof the northeast monsoon.



qWhen the atmosphere and the ocean is considered as a whole,rain everywhere is the result of moisture rushing up to filldifferences in temperature between oceans and the land andwhile there is a broad agreement that warming oceans arecontributing to intense spells of rainfall in pockets followed bylong rainless spells, specific instances such as what is being seenin Kerala and Uttarakhand aren’t unprecedented.

q The monsoon cycle is prone to large variations, and every yearregional factors get accentuated — it’s hard to predict which inadvance — that then lead to extreme climate events.



What are the factors responsible for the disasters?q This year, India was poised to receive below normal rainfall until

August when global meteorological factors changed and caused atorrential September that largely repaired the monsoon deficit.

q However, the vagaries in climate reveal their impact in thedamage that they cause and the latter is due to society’senvironmental choices. Kerala and Uttarakhand have large tractsof hilly terrain that are prone to landslips.



q But construction has continued unabated even on land unsuitedfor human habitation. Several ecologists and environmentalistshave for years warned of the consequences of unplanneddevelopment and, in the context of an increasingly erraticclimate, it is only logical that more inhabitants of these regionswill be exposed to greater climate risk.


What is ‘conscious possession’ of drugs? (GS-3)

What's in News?q On Wednesday, a special court in Mumbai denied bail to Aryan

Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, though theNarcotics Control Bureau (NCB) did not find any drugs on himduring his arrest on October 3 after a raid on a cruise ship offMumbai.

q The arrest of Aryan, along with several others, has highlighted thestiff nature of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances(NDPS) Act, 1985, and the nuances that go into the detection andseizure of narcotics, and how the matter is investigated andprosecuted.



Why was Aryan Khan denied bail?q The court rejected his bail application on the ground that he had

“conscious possession” of drugs. He has been accused under thesame Sections of the NDPS Act as his friend Arbaaz Merchant andmodel Munmun Dhamecha, on whom six grams and five grams ofhashish, respectively, were allegedly found.

q The court presumed that Aryan had “intention, motive,knowledge” of the contraband said to be found on Merchant andDhamecha. This means the onus is now on him to proveotherwise.



q Besides “conscious possession”, the 23-year-old is accused ofconsumption, attempt to commit offences under the Act,abetment/conspiracy and offences under Section 8(c).

What does the law say?q Section 35 of the Act recognises the ‘presumption of culpable

mental state’. Possession need not be physical and could be‘constructive’. The Supreme Court defines the word ‘conscious’as “awareness of a particular fact” — a state of mind which isdeliberate or intended.



q That is, a person can still have power and control over the articlein question, while another to whom physical possession is givenholds it, subject to that power or control.

q An illustration of ‘conscious possession’ is if a person keeps hisgun in his mother’s flat, which is safer than his own home, hemust be considered to be in possession of the firearm.

q The liability is on the accused to dispel the court’s presumption ofhis culpable mental state. Section 54 also allows for a similarpresumption in the possession of illicit articles.



What quantity of drugs will attract penal provisions?q The NDPS Act treats drug offences very seriously and penalties

are stiff. Penalties depend on the quantity of drugs involved. TheCentre has notified the small and commercial quantities for eachdrug. For hashish, the commercial quantity is 1 kg.

q A small quantity of cocaine is two grams and commercial quantityis 100 grams; heroin is five grams and 250 grams respectively. Formethamphetamine, the corresponding figures are two gramsand 50 grams; and for MDMA, 0.5 gram and 10 grams.



q Abetment and criminal conspiracy and even an attempt tocommit an offence under the Act attracts the same punishmentas the offence itself.

q Preparation to commit an offence attracts half the penalty.Repeat offences attract one-and-a-half times the penalty and insome cases even the death penalty.

q Consumption of drugs like cocaine, morphine and heroin attractsrigorous imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to ₹20,000 orboth. For other drugs, the punishment is imprisonment up to sixmonths or a fine up to ₹10,000 or both.



q Addicts volunteering for treatment enjoy immunity fromprosecution. Production, manufacture, possession, sale,purchase, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State or useof narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in smallquantities involve rigorous imprisonment up to six months or afine up to ₹10,000 or both.

qMore than small quantity but less than commercial quantityinvolves rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine up to ₹1lakh.



What is the Centre’s role in implementing this law?q This law has “stringent” provisions for the control and regulation

of operations relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropicsubstances. These include forfeiture of property derived from, orused in, illicit traffic.

q The law has been made in adherence to internationalconventions, including those of the United Nations, on narcoticdrugs and psychotropic substances. Human rights advocates havecriticised the NDPS Act as a severe law which leans towardsincarceration rather than bail.



q Section 37(1) mandates that an accused person should not begranted bail unless the court has reasonable grounds to believethat he is not guilty and that he is not “likely to commit anyoffence while on bail”. The provision is on the same terms as anti-terror laws.

What is the NCB’s role?q One of the Directive Principles in the Constitution (Article 47)

directs the state to act against narcotic activities injurious tohealth.



q The NDPS Act mandates the formation of a central authority toexercise its powers and functions under the statute. Thegovernment constituted the NCB on March 17, 1986, tocoordinate with other departments and ministries to fight illicittraffic in drugs and drug abuse.

PREAMBLE IAS

25OCTOBER


Pinarayi urges Stalin to drain water from Mullaperiyar (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to his Tamil

Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin, stressing the “urgent need forthe gradual release of water from the Mullaperiyar dam throughthe tunnel to Tamil Nadu”.



DetailsqMr. Vijayan said 2,109 cusecs of water was accumulating in the

reservoir even after diversion from the Tamil Nadu side.q Given the current inflow, the water level would reach the safety

threshold of 142 feet if the rain intensified, the Kerala ChiefMinister added.

q He requested Mr. Stalin to “give immediate directions to theauthorities to ensure that the maximum quantity of water isdrawn from Mullaperiyar dam through the tunnel to Vaigai damand gradually release the water downstream”.



Mullaperiyar Damq It is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Indian

state of Kerala.q It is located 881 m above mean sea level, on the Cardamom Hills

of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala.q It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick

and also reached in an agreement to divert water eastwards tothe Madras Presidency area (present-day Tamil Nadu).

q The dam stands at the height of 53.66 metres and 365.85 metresin length.



q It is operated and maintained by the Tamil Nadu for meeting thedrinking water and irrigation requirements of five of its southerndistricts.

q According to a 999-year lease agreement made during the Britishrule the operational rights were handed over to Tamil Nadu.

q The dam intends to divert the waters of the west-flowing riverPeriyar eastward to the arid rain shadow regions of the TamilNadu.



Periyar Riverq It originates in the Sivagiri Hills of Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu

and is known as the Lifeline of Kerala.q It flows north through Periyar Tiger Reserve into Periyar Lake

(artificial reservoir created in 1895) and then Vembanad Lake andout to the Arabian Sea coast.

q The Idukki Dam on the Periyar generates a significant proportionof Kerala's electrical power.

q Its largest tributaries are the Muthirapuzha River, the MullayarRiver, the Cheruthoni River, and the Edamala River.




‘Pravasi Bhadratha Micro’ scheme (Prelims)

What's in News?q Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal will formally launch the

NORKA ‘Pravasi Bhadratha Micro’, an entrepreneurship schemefor small enterprises implemented through the Kerala StateFinancial Enterprises (KSFE), on Tuesday. ‘Pravasi BhadrathaMicro’ envisages self-employment loans up to ₹5 lakh.



Capital subsidyq Upto 25% of the project cost (up to a maximum of ₹1 lakh) will

be provided as capital subsidy. An interest subsidy of 3% is onoffer for the first four years to beneficiaries whose repayments areprompt.

q Applications can be filed through the 600-plus KSFE branches. TheState Government has also plans to expand the ‘PravasiBhadratha Micro’ scheme through the Kerala Bank andcooperative societies and nationalised banks.



Assistance schemeq ‘Pravasi Bhadratha Micro’ is one of three entrepreneurship

assistance schemes envisaged by NORKA and announced by theState Government in August designed for helping non-residentKeralites rendered jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic.

q The Pravasi Bhadratha Pearl scheme that offers loans up to ₹2lakh and implemented through the Kudumbashree Mission waslaunched in August.


Punjab uses tech against illicit brewing (GS-3)

What's in News?q In 2020, Punjab’s Excise Department launched Operation Red

Rose to curb illicit liquor trading and nail excise-related crimes. Ayear-and-a-half later, with the use of precise tracking andmonitoring systems to check illicit distillation and smuggling ofliquor, the results in terms of the number of suspects booked forcrimes, convictions and rise in revenues are encouraging.



q In December 2020, the department busted an illegal bottlingplant at Rajpura in Patiala district using the Global PositioningSystem (GPS) technology. It has been made compulsory fortransporters of extra neutral alcohol (ENA) and spirits to installGPS systems in their vehicles.

q “The basic idea behind Operation Red Rose was to ensure thatthere should not be illicit or illegal movement of liquor inPunjab. We have adopted zero tolerance on this front. Ourconviction rate for 2021-22 (till April-August) is 90%, which in2019- 20 was at around 67%; and in 2020-21, the conviction ratewas 77%,” Rajat Agarwal, Punjab’s Excise Commissioner.



Global Positioning Systemsq GPS Stands for Global Positioning Systems and they are now

used throughout the world. A GPS unit is actually a receiver thatcollects signals from satellites.

q Global Positioning System satellites transmit signals to GPSreceivers on the ground. Receivers require a clear view of the sky,so they are only used outdoors and do not perform well in forestsor near tall buildings.



GPS Usesq Clock synchronization: The GPS time signals use highly accurate

atomic clocks. This technology can be used for things likeautomatic updates of daylight saving times on cell phones

q Disaster relief and emergency services: Depend upon GPS forlocation

q Tracking a vehicle, person, pet or aircraft: Receivers providecontinuous tracking and can provide an alert if the receiver leavesa set area. Pets can be chipped so they can be found if theybecome lost.



q Geotagging: Applying location coordinates to digital objects suchas photographs and other documents for purposes such ascreating map overlays.

q Bus tour commentary: your location will determine whatinformation is displayed about approaching points of interest

q Bus stops: to show how long the bus will take to arrive at a busstop

q Navigation: eg Navman. The device uses voice activation todescribe a preferred route based on the position of the receiver,the position of the destination and a street map.



q Personal Locator Beacons (PLB): used to inform search and rescueauthorities of your exact location in the event of an emergency

q Recreation: For example, geocaching and waymarkingq Surveying: Surveyors use absolute locations to make maps and

determine property boundariesq Tectonics: enables fault motion measurement in earthquakes


‘U.S. sabotaging CPEC with India’s support’ (GS-2)

What's in News?q The chief of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Authority has accused the U.S. of sabotaging the multi-billiondollar project, the economic lifeline of Pakistan, a media reportsaid.

q The ambitious CPEC was launched in 2015 when ChinesePresident Xi Jinping visited Pakistan. It aims to connect westernChina with the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan through anetwork of roads, railways and other projects of infrastructureand development.



Detailsq “From the point of view of the emerging geo-strategic situation,

one thing is clear: the United States supported by India is inimicalto CPEC. It will not let it succeed. That’s where we have to take aposition,” Khalid Mansoor, the Special Assistant to Pakistan PrimeMinister Imran Khan on CPEC affairs said while addressing theCPEC Summit in Karachi on Saturday. Islamabad is the seventhlargest recipient of Chinese overseas development financingwith 71 projects worth $27.3 billion under way as part of theCPEC.



CPECq China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a collection of

infrastructure projects that are under construction throughoutPakistan since 2013.

q It is an extension of the Belt and Road Initiative of China.q It intended to upgrade Pakistan’s required infrastructure and

strengthen its economy by the construction of moderntransportation networks, numerous energy projects, and specialeconomic zones.



q On 13 November 2016, CPEC became partly operational whenChinese cargo was transported overland to Gwadar Port foronward maritime shipment to Africa and West Asia.

India’s concerns with CPECq CPEC passes through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (Gilgit-Baltistan)

which is an Indian territory illicitly occupied by Pakistan. ThusCPEC undermines India’s strategic interests and territorial integrity.

qMore importantly, with CPEC, China will get access to the westernIndian Ocean through Gwadar port. This will help China incontrolling maritime trade and would affect the freedom ofnavigation and trade-energy security of India.




HC raps officials as Sabarmati river remains highly polluted (GS-1/2)

What's in News?q Gujarat’s Sabarmati river remains highly polluted despite the

spending of nearly ₹200 crore that the Centre had allocated tocurb pollution in the river from 2014-15 to 2017-18. But thesituation has only worsened, inviting wrath from the High Court.



Detailsq The Gujarat High Court has reprimanded the Ahmedabad

Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the Gujarat Pollution ControlBoard (GPCB) for the pollution on the Sabarmati riverfront, andadmonished that officials accountable for the functioning oflaboratories in sewage treatment plants (STP), who failed to keepa check on polluted water dumped into the riverfront, will be“dealt with strictly”.



q The High Court observed that the root cause of pollution in theSabarmati was the lack of accountability on part of theauthorities, as there appears to be a nexus between the officialsand industries that discharge untreated effluents into the riverstream, polluting its water.



q This is not for the first time the issue of critical levels of pollutionin the Sabarmati has surfaced. In 2019, a report by non-governmental organisation Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS)revealed that 120 km of the river, before it meets the Arabian Seain Gujarat, was ridden with industrial effluents and sewage.

q Originating from the Aravalli hills in neighbouring Rajasthan, theSabarmati meets the Arabian Sea in the Gulf of Khambhat area,after traversing a distance of 371 km, passing through districtslike Udaipur in Rajasthan, and Aravalli, Sabarkantha,Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and Kheda in Gujarat. It has a totalcatchment area of 21,674 sq. km.



Sabarmati riverq The Sabarmati is the name given to the combined streams

the Sabar and Hathmati.q The Sabarmati basin extends over states of Rajasthan and Gujarat

having an area of 21,674 Sq km.q The basin is bounded by Aravalli hills on the north and north-

east, by Rann of Kutch on the west and by Gulf of Khambhat onthe south.



q The basin is roughly triangular in shape with the Sabarmati Riveras the base and the source of the Vatrak River as the apex point.

q Sabarmati originates from Aravalli hills at an elevation of 762 mnear village Tepur, in Udaipur district of Rajasthan.

q The total length of river from origin to outfall into the ArabianSea is 371 km.

q The major part of basin is covered with agriculture accounting to74.68% of the total area.

q Rainfall varies from a meager few mm in Saurastra to over 1000mm in southern part.



q Left bank tributaries: the Wakal, the Hathmati and the Vatrak.q Right bank tributaries: the Sei.q Projects: Sabarmati reservoir (Dharoi), Hathmati reservoir and

Meshwo reservoir project are major projects completed duringthe plan period.



PREAMBLE IAS

26OCTOBER


SC tells panel to fix maximum water level at Mullaperiyar dam (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Supreme Court on October 25 directed the Supervisory

Committee to take an immediate and firm decision on themaximum water level that can be maintained at Mullaperiyardam, amid torrential rain in Kerala.

Mullaperiyar Dam has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 25th October2021 Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6517



SC tells panel to fix maximum water level at Mullaperiyar dam (GS-2)

Detailsq Kerala said the water level should not go above 139 feet, the

same as what the court had ordered on August 24, 2018, whenthe State was hit by floods.

q Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, informed the court that the levelin the dam was 137.2 ft at 9 a.m. on October 25. Tamil NaduAdditional Advocate-General V. Krishnamurthy said officials of hisState were interacting with those from Kerala on the groundsituation. The Kerala Chief Minister has written to his Tamil Naducounterpart.


First tip-off on militants in Poonch came from a labourer (GS-3)

What's in News?q A day before five soldiers were killed by unidentified terrorists in

Poonch on October 11, security agencies had intercepted phonechatter confirming their presence in the area.


First tip-off on militants in Poonch came from a labourer (GS-3)

Detailsq The Poonch encounter, which has continued for 15 days, is one of

the longest such operations in the dense forests south of the PirPanjal range in more than a decade. The terrorists have so farkilled nine Army soldiers and injured three others, including twoJ&K policemen in three separate incidents in the Poonch-Mendhar-Rajouri region since October 11.

Pir Panjal range has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 12th October2021 Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6433



Southwest monsoon withdraws from India (GS-1)

What's in News?q The southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the country, the

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. It is along- drawn-out process that typically begins in Rajasthan fromSeptember 17 and ends by October 15. This year, however, thewithdrawal began only on October 6.



Detailsq The IMD stated that from 1975 to 2021, only seven times had the

monsoon withdrawn after October 25. Interestingly, six of themhave been since 2000. Last year, which saw a record- breakingrainfall in India that was 9% more than the long period average,the southwest monsoon fully withdrew only on October 28.

qWhile September is usually the month that marks the beginningof the end, for the monsoon’s four- month sojourn over India,2021 has seen significant rainfall: the country posted 135% morerainfall than what is normal for the season.



South West Monsoonq South West Monsoon Season – June to mid-September.q South West Monsoon Season is also known as hot-wet season.q Sudden onset is the important feature of South West Monsoons.qWith the onset of monsoons, temperature falls drastically and

humidity levels rise.q Sudden onset of South West Monsoons leads to significant fall in

temperature [3° to 6°C].q Three fourths of the total annual rainfall is received during this

season.



q The average rainfall over the plains of India in this season is about87 per cent.

q Normal date of the arrival of the monsoon is 20th May inAndaman and Nicobar Islands.

q The advance of the monsoon is much faster in the Bay of Bengalthan in the Arabian Sea.

qMajor part of monsoon rains are received between June andSeptember.

qMonsoonal rainfall is largely governed by relief and isorographic in its mode.



q The amount of rainfall decreases with increasing distance fromthe sea.

q The rainless interval during south west monsoon season is knownas ‘breaks’. The breaks in rainfall are related to tropical cycloneswhich originate in the Bay of Bengal.

q There are large scale spatial variations in the distribution ofrainfall.

qMonsoons often fail to keep date. Sometimes the monsoonswithdraw before the scheduled time causing considerable damageto the crops.


Thespian Rajinikanth given Dadasaheb Phalke Award (Prelims)

What's in News?q Actor Rajinikanth was presented the Dadasaheb Phalke Award

by Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu at the National Film Awardsceremony in Delhi. He dedicated the award to his family andassociates.

q Dhanush, for his lead role in Asuran, and Manoj Bajpayee, forBhonsle, received the best actor award. Kangana Ranaut wasawarded the best actor (female) award for her role inManikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi (Hindi) and Panga (Hindi).Malayalam movie Marakkar Arabikka- dalinte Simham receivedthe best film award.



Dadasaheb Phalke Awardq The Award is a part of the ‘National Film Awards’, themselves a

highly coveted collection of honours in the film industry.q It is awarded for “outstanding contribution to the growth and

development of Indian cinema”.q It is presented annually by the ‘Ministry of Information and

Broadcasting’.q The award was instituted by the government in 1969.q The first recipient of the award was Devika Rani Roerich in 1969.



q It consists of a ‘Swarna Kamal’ (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs10 lakh, a certificate, a silk roll, and a shawl.

q The award is presented by the President of India in the presenceof Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and others.

Who was Dadasaheb Phalke?q ‘Dhundiraj Govind Phalke’ is the pioneering filmmaker who gave

India its first film, ‘Raja Harishchandra’, in 1913.q The Award is named after him and it is the Indian cinema’s

highest honour.q He was born in 1870 at Trimbak in Maharashtra, Phalke was

drawn towards creative arts since childhood.



q Before venturing into films, Phalke worked as a photographer,and had even worked with the famed painter ‘Raja Ravi Varma’.

q In 1913, Phalke wrote, produced, and directed India’s firstfeature film, the silent ‘Raja Harishchandra’.


‘Indo-Pacific will become centre of the world’ (GS-2)

The port stop of HMS Queen Elizabeth in Mumbai was termed theU.K.’s Indo-Pacific tilt in action. Could you elaborate on the needfor ensuring an open Indo-Pacific?q The U.K. has significant interests in this part of the world. The

Indo-Pacific will become ever more the centre of the world. Thatis why we have invested so much in the region in different ways.There are a few countries in the world that essentially determinethe world’s climate. India is one of them, China is another —both in this region.



What is your response to the contention that multinationalmilitary activities in the Indo-Pacific are primarily aimed againstChina?q They are aimed for something, which is having an open and

secure Indo-Pacific. And you are right to refer to the fact that theCarrier Strike Group itself has more than one country. It has aDutch destroyer. It has some American marines. So, this isworking with a lot of countries — some old friends, some newpartners. And we have all realised that a lot more of the future ofthe world sits here.



Is it possible to isolate China, which the global supply chains areheavily dependent on?q It is about working for something — which is having an open and

secure Indo-Pacific. And a lot of this has a brand trust, buildingrelationships with trust with India and with other partners —Japan, Australia and with others in the region. With China, wewill always have a mix. Sometimes we will cooperate in what weare trying to do on climate change. Sometimes we will compete,and occasionally we may have to contest.



q This is not the Cold War. This is a different kind of world. Butevery country, I think, has to adapt to the consequences of both apowerful China and also a more assertive China. And we havehad to adapt ourselves to this as well. And that is usually theresult of Chinese behaviour. The facts change and we have tochange with them.

q But that is not just true for the U.K. India is going through exactlythe same phenomena. So, we are always finding this blend ofdifferent approaches, according to the issue.



What are the major issues which the COP in Glasgow hopes toachieve?qWe have a good agreement of Paris and we have to take a further

step down that path. One important thing about this COP is thatit is about everyone’s contribution. India has an incrediblyimportant role to play. I think that India’s scale obviously makes ita huge actor in this area. But one great advantage India has is[that] to an extent it has the solutions in its own hands.



Certain decisions were made by the British and IndianGovernments, which affected travellers and businessmen of thesecountries. They are resolved now. Do you think everything is backto normal now?q There are still restraints on the number of flights between U.K.

and India, which we want to change. The demand is enormouswith people wanting to travel between the two countries, whichis a good sign. We would like to have electronic visas available fortourists and for business people going from U.K. to India.


‘CO2 emissions in 2020 above decadal average’ (GS-3)

What's in News?q A report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on

Monday said the increase in CO2 from 2019 to 2020 was slightlylower than that observed from 2018 to 2019 but higher than theaverage annual growth rate over the past decade. This is despitethe approximately 5.6% drop in fossil fuel CO2 emissions in 2020due to restrictions related to the pandemic.



q Ahead of the crucial talks in Glasgow next week, where thecountries will attempt to negotiate ways to stem globalgreenhouse gas emissions, updated data shows that thepandemic disruption in 2020 didn’t significantly dent overallgreenhouse gas emissions.

Emissions on the riseq For methane, the increase from 2019 to 2020 was higher than

that observed from 2018 to 2019 and also higher than theaverage annual growth rate over the past decade.



q For nitrous oxides also, the increase was higher and also than theaverage annual growth rate over the past 10 years. The NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) AnnualGreenhouse Gas Index (AGGI) shows that from 1990 to 2020,radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases (LLGHGs)increased by 47%, with CO2 accounting for about 80% of thisincrease.

q Concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most significantgreenhouse gas, reached 413.2 parts per million in 2020 and is149% of the pre-industrial level.



q Methane (CH4) is 262% and nitrous oxide (N2O) is 123% of thelevels in 1,750 when human activities started disrupting earth’snatural equilibrium.

q The Bulletin shows that from 1990 to 2020, radiative forcing thewarming effect on our climate by long- lived greenhouse gasesincreased by 47%, with CO2 accounting for about 80% of thisincrease. The numbers are based on monitoring by WMO’s GlobalAtmosphere Watch network.






Rare butterfly species spotted in Virudhunagar (Prelims)

What's in News?qWithin a span of five weeks, a rare butterfly species, named

Silver Forget-Me-Not (FMN), has been spotted twice inside theSrivilliputhur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve in Virudhunagar district.

q The butterfly was first sighted on September 5 inside theSrivilliputhur grizzled squirrel sanctuary, and was then seen againon October 9 near the Ayyanar Falls by a team from theRhopalocera and Odonata Association of Rajapalayam (ROAR).



Detailsq “We are thrilled to submit the first photographic evidence of the

Silver FMN in Tamil Nadu,” ROAR founder Sharan Venkatesh toldThe Hindu. The team has been visiting the tiger reserve for thepast six years to study butterfly diversity.

qMr. Venkatesh sent his photographs to butterfly experts forreconfirmation, and also uploaded the images on ifoundbut-terflies.org, a peer-reviewed citizen science platform. It wasvalidated as the 318th species of butterflies found in TamilNadu.



q “The common FMN is bluish-silverwith a spot in the middle of its twostraight discal bands. The Silver FMN ispale silvery with slightly curved bandsand the spot is near the upper band,”Mr. Kalesh said, and added, “It requiresa close-up view and a discerning eye tospot the difference.”



Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserveq It was established in February 2021. It was jointly declared by the

Centre and Tamil Nadu governments.q For this, the Megamalai WLS and the adjoining Srivilliputhur

WLS were clubbed together.q Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve is the fifth Tiger Reserve

of Tamil Nadu, and 51th tiger reserve of India.q Animals seen here are Bengal tiger, elephants, gaur, Indian giant

squirrel, leopard, Nilgiri Tahrs, etc.



q It has a mix of tropical evergreen forests and semi-evergreenforests, dry deciduous forests and moist mixed deciduousforests, grassland.

Vaigai Riverq It originates in the Western Ghats (Varushanad Hills).q It travels through the Pandya Nadu region of Tamil Nadu.q Its main tributaries are Suruliyaru, Mullaiyaru, Varaganadhi,

Manjalaru, Kottagudi, Kridhumaal and Upparu.q The Vaigai is 258 kms long and finally empties into the Palk

Strait near the Pamban Bridge inRamanathapuram district.



PREAMBLE IAS

27OCTOBER


Kerala wants to fix water level at 137 ft (GS-2)

What's in News?q At a meeting of the high- power committee appointed by the

Supreme Court on the Mullaperiyar dam held online on Tuesday,Kerala sought to fix the water level in the dam at 137 ft and TamilNadu take maximum water from the dam.

q But the representative of Tamil Nadu wanted to set the waterlevel at 142 ft. The Kerala representative said that in 2018, theSupreme Court had directed to fix the water level in thereservoir at 139.99 ft.


Kerala wants to fix water level at 137 ft (GS-2)

Detailsq The State is facing a serious problem now when compared with

2018. If water is released from the dam, the Idukki reservoir,which is almost in full reservoir level now, cannot store morewater. In the present situation, Tamil Nadu should draw morewater from Mullaperiyar and store it in the Vaigai and Maduraidams, the Kerala representative said.

q The meeting also came to a consensus on opening the shutters ofthe dam when the water level crosses 138 feet, as per the rulecurve approved by Tamil Nadu.


Framework to manage drone traffic notified (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Ministry of Civil Aviation has notified a traffic management

policy framework for drones, which envisages private, third-party service providers for ensuring safe operations.

q Under the framework, these Unmanned Traffic ManagementService Providers (UTMSP) will extend automated, algorithm-driven software services instead of voice communication as inthe traditional Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems. They willprimarily be responsible for segregating and separating a dronefrom other drones and manned aircraft in the airspace below1,000 feet in the country.



q The traffic management providers will be assisted bySupplementary Service Providers (SSPs), who will maintain dataabout terrain, weather, location of manned aircraft and provideservices such as insurance, data analytics and drone fleetmanagement.

q The drone traffic management policy also requires integration ofUTM with ATM so that flight plans and real- time location ofmanned aircraft can be recorded as well in order to continuouslyseparate manned and unmanned aircraft from each other. Lawenforcement and security agencies will also have access to someinformation in the UTM ecosystem on a need-to-know basis.



Service feeq The policy also allows UTMSPs to levy a service fee on users, a

small portion of which will also be shared with the AirportsAuthority of India.

q In order to implement this policy, the government is likely to carryout UTM- based experiments in the country and then float a re-quest for proposal for onboarding UTMSPs.

q Following which an evaluation process will be undertaken andsuccessful participants will be awarded regions for establishmentof UTM services.


Sudan General defends power grab (GS-2)

What's in News?q Sudan’s top General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan defended the Army’s

seizure of power on Tuesday, saying he had ousted theGovernment of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to avoid civilwar.

q Speaking at his first news conference since he announced thetakeover on Monday, Gen. Burhan accused politicians ofincitement against the armed forces. He said Mr. Hamdok wasconfined in his own home and had not been harmed.



Detailsq Soldiers arrested the Prime Minister and other members of his

Cabinet on Monday, hours before Gen. Burhan appeared on TV toannounce the dissolution of the Sovereign Council, a body set upto share power between the military and civilians.

q An official at the Health Ministry said seven people were killed inclashes between protesters and the security forces on Monday.On Tuesday, life was halted in Khartoum and its twin cityOmdurman across the Nile, with shops shut and plumes of smokerising from where protesters were burning tyres.




Expedite talks on South China Sea: Beijing (GS-2)

What's in News?q China’s Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday called for an expedition

in negotiations with ASEAN countries on a code of conductframe- work for the South China Sea, according to the officialXinhua agency.

q China hopes the two sides can expand practical maritimecooperation, expedite COC negotiations, and strive for its earlyconclusion to make the South China Sea a sea of peace-,friendship and collaboration, Xinhua quoted Mr. Li as saying atthe 24th ASEAN-China Summit.



Detailsq “Next year is the 20th anniversary of the signing of the

Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea(DOC). China wishes to work with ASEAN countries to mark theoccasion with commemorative activities,” he said.

q China, which has for years been locked in maritime disputes withother coastal states in the South China Sea, has in recent yearsboosted its presence and held exercises in disputed parts of thestrategic waterway. The COC has been a stated goal of ASEAN andChina for nearly two decades.



The South China Seaq The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the West Pacific Ocean.q Bordering Countries: The South China Sea is bordered by China,

Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, andVietnam.

q Location: The sea is bounded by the shores of South China in thenorth, the Indo-Chinese Peninsula in the west, islands of Taiwanand Philippines in the east, and Borneo, Sumatra, and BangkaBelitung Islands in the south.



It is connected toq The East China Sea in the north, via Taiwan Strait (or Formosa

Strait between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan),q Philippines Sea in the east by Luzon Strait (between Luzon island

of the Philippines and Taiwan),q The Sulu Sea in the southeast by Mindoro (between Busuanga

and Mindoro islands of Philippines) and Balabac (between Balbacisland of Philippines and Balambangan and Banggi islands northof Borneo which are part of Sabah state of Malaysia) Straits,Strait of Singapore in the southwest, and



q The Java Sea in the south by the Karimata Strait (betweenIndonesian islands of Belitung and Borneo) and Bangka Strait(between Bangka and Sumatra islands of Indonesia)

Important islands located in the South China Sea are as followsq Pratas Islandq Paracel Islands (or Xisha Islands or Hoang Sa Archipelago),

disputed between China, Taiwan & Vietnam;q The Spratly Islands, disputed between China, Taiwan, Vietnam,

Philippines, and Malaysia;



q Macclesfield Bank, an elongated atoll of underwater reefs,located to the east of Paracel Islands, southwest of Pratas Islandand north of Spratly Island, and disputed between China andTaiwan;

q Scarborough Shoal (or Huangyan Island or Panatag Shoal),located between Macclesfield Bank & Luzon island and disputedbetween China, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

q The Nine-dash line is a vaguely defined demarcation line used byChina and Taiwan for their claims of a major part of the SouthChina Sea.




India needs to bolster its health infrastructure: Jin (GS-3)

What's in News?q India should strike a balance between ramping up physical

infrastructure and the social infrastructure such as healthcaresystems, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) presidentJin Liqun said on Tuesday.



Detailsq Stressing that the country faces a ‘huge need’ to strengthen its

healthcare infrastructure, the AIIB president said that themultilateral lender would look to fund both social as well asclimate-resilient infrastructure in India in the coming years.

q The AIIB will align its operations with the goals of the ParisAgreement to cope with climate change by July 2023, andexpects to finance infrastructure projects to mitigate and adaptto climate change worth $50 billion by 2030, Mr. Jin said at apress conference ahead of the governors’ board meet.



Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)q Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral

development bank with a mission to improve social andeconomic outcomes in Asia and beyond.

q The Parties (57 founding members) to agreement comprise theMembership of the Bank.

q It is headquartered in Beijing.q It commenced operations in January 2016.



q Aim: By investing in sustainable infrastructure and otherproductive sectors today, it aims to connect people, services andmarkets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build abetter future.

q There are more than 100 members now.q Fourteen of the G-20 nations are AIIB members including France,

Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.q China is the largest shareholder with 26.61 % voting shares in the

bank followed by India (7.6%), Russia (6.01%) and Germany (4.2%). The regional members hold 75% of the total voting power inthe Bank.


Thermal Plants Emit High Levels Of Noxious Gas (GS-3)

What's in News?q People in Tamil Nadu are suffering high levels of pollution

because of the toxic gases emitted by thermal power plants.Particularly, Chennai is on the cusp of an environmental disasteras several thermal plants are located in the northern part of thecity.

q In a State where the demand is around 16,500 MW, thermalpower plants account for 13,600 MW. The high levels of toxicgases being emitted by the thermal power plants have caused anirreparable damage to the environment, says a study conductedby Poovulagin Nanbargal, along with CREA and ASAR.



Detailsq The study also points to the lack of will to cut air pollution. The

report, ‘Emission Watch-Status assessment of SO2 emissions andFlue Gas Desulfuriser (FGD) installation for coal-based powerplants in Tamil Nadu,’ was authored by Prabhakaran Veeraarasu,Satheesh Lakshmanan and Sunil Dahiya.

q It brings out the level of toxic emissions from the thermal powerplants, the mismatch between the actual and projected peakelectricity demands, the discrepancies in the data provided by thepollution control board and the failure to install FGD at thethermal plants.



q It shows the way forward to reduce pollution from the coal-basedpower plants by stopping the construction of new ones.

q According to the OCEMS data, SO2 emissions at several State-and Central Government-owned plants exceed the permissiblelimit. According to the CREA and Greenpeace 2020 globalemission ranking, Neyveli, where the thermal power plantsemitted 299 kilo tonnes of SO2, was ranked 14th in the hotspotemission list. Chennai stood at the 36th place, with the NorthChennai and Vallur plants having emitted 142 kilo tonnes,Thoothukudi ranked 131 by emitting 52 kilo tonnes and Metturstood 144 with the emission of 47 kilo tonnes.



Non-complianceq The study also mentions the failure of the State power utility to

comply with notifications issued by the Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change in December 2015 to retrofit all coal-based plants with the Flue Gas Desulfuriser so as to control SO2and NOx pollution.

q Even as the Environment Ministry has been extending thedeadlines and diluting the emission standards, no thermal plant inthe State has complied with the norms. The Supreme Court hasalso given several warnings, the report states.



q The study finds that except for two thermal plants of ITPCL (IL&FSTamilnadu Power Corporation Limited) having a capacity of 1,200MW, all other plants belonging to the State and UnionGovernments and private entities have not commissioned theFlue Gas Desulfuriser, which is mandated by the EnvironmentMinistry to reduce emissions.



PREAMBLE IAS

28OCTOBER


SC sets up committee to examine Pegasus allegations (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q Stressing that the power of the state to snoop in the name of

national security into the “sacred private space” of individuals isnot absolute, the Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed anexpert technical committee overseen by former Supreme Courtjudge R.V. Raveendran to examine allegations that the Centreused Israeli software Pegasus to spy on citizens.



Detailsq A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana,

said it decided to refuse the Centre’s offer to appoint an expertcommittee to investigate the allegations because “such a courseof action would violate the settled judicial principle against bias,i.e., that ‘justice must not only be done, but also be seen to bedone’.”



Pegasusq It is a spyware tool developed by an Israeli firm, the NSO Group.q Spyware spy on people through their phones.q Pegasus works by sending an exploit link, and if the target user

clicks on the link, the malware or the code that allows thesurveillance is installed on the user’s phone.

q Once Pegasus is installed, the attacker has complete access tothe target user’s phone.

q Pegasus can “send back the target’s private data, includingpasswords, contact lists, calendar events, text messages, andlive voice calls from popular mobile messaging apps”.



q The target’s phone camera and microphone can be turned on tocapture all activity in the phone’s vicinity, expanding the scope ofthe surveillance.

Zero-click Attackq A zero-click attack helps spyware like Pegasus gain control over a

device without human interaction or human error.q So all awareness about how to avoid a phishing attack or which

links not to click are pointless if the target is the system itself.qMost of these attacks exploit software which receive data even

before it can determine whether what is coming in istrustworthy or not, like an email client.


Don’t use new law to justify LAC moves, India tells China (GS-2)

What's in News?q China must not use its new “Land Boundary Law” to justify any

actions that alter the situation at the Line of Actual Control(LAC), said India, in a strongly worded statement that expressed“concern” over the law.

q The Government called the law a “unilateral move”, and said itcould have no bearing on existing arrangements between bothsides, as India and China have not resolved their boundary issuesthus far.



Detailsq It also reaffirmed India’s rejection

of the China-Pakistan 1963agreement, in which Pakistanhanded over the Shaksgam Valleyof Aksai Chin to China.

q India claims all of Jammu andKashmir, which includes AksaiChin, and has maintained that theagreement is “illegal and in-valid”.



q In addition, New Delhi’s latest statement indicates someapprehension that Beijing could use its new law, which authorisesthe state to combat any attempts on its land boundaries and tostrengthen border defences and infrastructure, as a “pre- text” toformalise the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) incursions into theLAC and building infrastructure along Indian territory since April2020.


Centre wants to keep birth, death database (GS-1/2)

What's in News?q The Centre has proposed amendments to a 1969 law that will

enable it to “maintain the database of registered births anddeaths at the national level”.

q Presently, the registration of births and deaths is done by thelocal registrar appointed by the States. It is proposed that theChief Registrar (appointed by the States) would maintain a unifieddatabase at the State level and integrate it with the data at the“national level,” maintained by the Registrar General of India(RGI). The amendments will imply that the Centre will be aparallel repository of data.





Registrar General of Indiaq Registrar General of India was founded in 1961 by the

Government of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs.q It arranges, conducts and analyses the results of the demographic

surveys of India including Census of India and Linguistic Survey ofIndia.

q The position of Registrar is usually held by a civil servant holdingthe rank of Joint Secretary.


At 6, Kerala’s single-digit IMR a great achievement (GS-3)

What's in News?q Kerala’s achievement of consistently maintaining a single digit

infant mortality rate (IMR) and bringing it down from 7 in 2018to 6 (as per latest Sample Registration System bulletin for 2019) isa result of the State’s single-minded initiatives and investment inthe area of neonatal care.

q Among bigger States, Kerala is the lone one with a single digitIMR (per 1,000 live births), far ahead of other States — theclosest being Delhi with an IMR of 11 — and against the nationalaverage of 30.



Detailsq It is commendable that the State has managed to close the gap

between the IMR in rural (9) and urban areas(5) in 2018 to 7and 5 respectively in 2019. It was in 2018 that the State firstachieved the distinction of the single digit IMR of 7.

q “Single digit IMR” had been a project that the Health Departmentand the State branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics hadbeen determinedly pursuing since 2010, as for long, the State’sIMR had been stagnating at 12.



q About 4.7-5 lakh births take place in the State annually. A studyby the State IAP in 2013 found that 75% of the infant deathsoccurred during the neonatal period and of this, 59% occurredduring the first week. Prematurity accounted for 35% of thedeaths while congenital anomalies, especially critical congenitalheart diseases, accounted for 28%.

Issues identifiedq “Kerala’s success was in identifying the issues correctly and

effectively implementing focussed interventions to improveneonatal care.



q The interventions were aimed at ensuring the survival ofpremature babies, even those with very low birth weight of1,000-1,100 gm. Tribal mothers were given special attention.

q The State launched a new- born screening programme. Allnewborns undergo screening for visible birth defects, congenitalanomalies, hearing and vision issues and metabolic disorders.

q This was followed by the launch of Hridyam in 2017, whereininfants with critical congenital heart anomalies were identifiedearly and treated without delay.





Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)q The infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of deaths per 1,000

live births of children under one year of age.q The rate for a given region is the number of children dying under

one year of age, divided by the number of live births during theyear, multiplied by 1,000.

q The infant mortality rate (IMR) in the country currently standsat 33 per 1,000 live births.


‘India respects UNCLOS rights’ (GS-2)

What's in News?q India is committed to respecting the rights of all nations as laid

down in the UN Convention on the Law of Seas (UNCLOS),Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, whilereiterating that India is determined to protect its legitimatemaritime rights and interests.



Detailsq “We are fully determined to protect the legitimate rights and

interests of our country in relation to our territorial waters andExclusive Economic Zone, while supporting the maintenance ofrule-based maritime systems, as mandated under UNCLOS,1982,” Mr. Singh said while addressing the Indo-Pacific RegionalDialogue being organised by the Navy and National maritimeFoundation.



q Stating that while competition over resources had intensified,Mr. Singh said the rise of serious threats such as terrorism, piracy,drug trafficking and climate change had thrown new challengesfor the Indo-Pacific region.

q “The nature of these challenges in the region has considerabletransnational implications, which require a cooperative response.There is, therefore, a need to find convergence of interests andcommonality of purpose on maritime issues,” he stated.



United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)q Adopted and signed in 1982. It became effective in the year

1994.q It replaced the four Geneva Conventions of April, 1958, which

respectively concerned the territorial sea and the contiguouszone, the continental shelf, the high seas, fishing andconservation of living resources on the high seas.

q The Convention has become the legal framework for marine andmaritime activities.



q Also known as Law of the Sea, it divides marine areas into fivemain zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, ContiguousZone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas.

q UNCLOS is the only international convention which stipulates aframework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces. It provides adifferent legal status to different maritime zones.


AY4.2 ‘infrequent’ in India: INSACOG (GS-2)

What's in News?q The latest mutation of the coronavirus variant, AY4.2, which has

been linked to a rise in cases in the United Kingdom, is “veryinfrequent” in India, according to a weekly report by the IndiaSARS-CoV-2 Genome Consortium (INSACOG), the body thattracks the emergence of new variants, on Wednesday.



q AY4.2 was responsible for a “slowly increasing” proportion ofcases in the U.K., according to Public Health England (PHE) onOctober 22. It is also present in multiple other countries and isseen in travellers to the U.K. from a large number of countries. Itis not clear where AY4.2 originated or when.

q This lineage of the coronavirus has the mutations of Delta — thedominant global variant — and AY.4, a sub- lineage. Thecharacteristic mutations were S:A222V on the spike protein; andY145H, which were mutations are in the N terminal domain, orthe region of the coronavirus that doesn’t bind to the humancells.



INSACOGq INSACOG is a national multi-agency consortium of Regional

Genome Sequencing Laboratories (RGSLs) set up by the IndianGovernment in December 2020 to monitor the genomicvariations in the covid-19 causing SARS-CoV-2 virus.

q Initially, there were ten laboratories in the consortium but now,the number has been expanded to include 28 laboratories.

q RGSLs are responsible for genome sequencing and identificationof variants of concern/variants of interest, potential variants ofinterest, and other mutations.



q The idea behind the establishment of the INSACOG is to expandthe whole genome sequencing of the coronavirus to understandhow it spreads and evolves.

q It is set up under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,GOI.

q INSACOG is a joint initiative of the Health Ministry, theDepartment of Biotechnology (DBT), Council of Scientific andIndustrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR).

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29OCTOBER


India will stress ‘climate justice’ at global summit, says Minister (GS-3)

What's in News?q India will emphasise climate justice and exhort developed

countries to transfer the finance and technology necessary todeal with the fallout of global warming, Environment MinisterBhupender Yadav told The Hindu on the eve of his departure toGlasgow to participate in the 26th edition of the United NationsConference of Parties (COP).



Detailsq “In the forthcoming COP, the assistance that developing countries

such as India need for mitigating carbon emissions, adapting to awarming world, and insisting on a firm, transparent frameworkthat lays out how this can be met, will be the points ofdiscussion,”

qMr. Yadav said the world had publicly acknowledged India’scommitment to install 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030 as“ambitious”. There was also similar acknowledgement of India’selectric vehicle policy, its commitment to increase forest cover aswell as the national hydrogen policy, he said.



q These steps by India, which were in line with achieving thetarget of the 2015 Paris Agreement, would be raised at theconference, the Minister added.

q The COP26 is expected to be fractious with many developedcountries, led by the United States, likely to push for a deadline bywhich all countries agree to cease net carbon dioxide emissions.

q India is among the major emitters, the third largest in the world,not to have indicated any deadline or even a tentative pathwaytowards such a “net zero”' goal. China and the United States, theother two major polluters have indicated 2060 and 2050 aspotential deadlines for capping net emissions.


Key U.S. lawmakers bat for CAATSA sanctions waiver (GS-3)

What's in News?q Key lawmakers continue to voice their support for a sanctions

waiver for India for its purchase of the S-400 missile defencesystem from Russia. India is likely to begin taking delivery of theS-400 in November, potentially activating U.S. sanctions under a2017 law, Countering America’s Adversaries Through SanctionsAct (CAATSA).



Detailsq Senate India Caucus Co-Chair John Cornyn and Mike Waltz, a

member on the House Armed Services Committee and vice-chairof the Congressional India Caucus, were among the lawmakerswho have addressed the issue this week. Their comments weremade on Wednesday evening at a virtually held event, organisedby the U.S. India Business Council and the U.S. India FriendshipCouncil.

q Congressman Brad Sher- man, a California Democrat and Co-Chairof the Congressional India Caucus, also spoke of the strength ofIndia-U.S. ties.



CAATSAq CAATSA stands for Countering America’s Adversaries through

Sanctions Act (CAATSA).q It is a US federal law that imposed sanctions on Iran, North

Korea, and Russia.q The Act empowers the US President to impose at least five of the

12 listed sanctions on persons engaged in a “significanttransaction” with Russian defence and intelligence sectors.


Centre releases final tranche of GST recompense loans (GS-3)

What's in News?q The Union Government released ₹44,000 crore to the States and

the Union Territories on Thursday as back-to- back loans in lieuof their GST compensation dues, thus completing the transfer ofan estimated compensation shortfall of ₹1.59 lakh crore throughthis mechanism this financial year.



Detailsq The early disbursal of GST compensation dues this year, with five

months still remaining in the financial year, will help the Statesmanage their finances better than in 2020-21 when ₹1.1 lakhcrore was transferred to them in smaller instalments till thelatter half of the year.

q This year’s estimated GST compensation shortfall has beenreleased in three tranches — ₹75,000 crore on July 15, ₹40,000crore on October 7 and the latest payout of ₹44,000 crore.



q The Finance Ministry said the ₹1.59 lakh crore would be over andabove the compensation in excess of ₹1 lakh crore, estimated tobe released to the States and the Union Territories during thisfinancial year, based on actual cess collections. Those fundsaccruing as “normal GST compensation” are released every twomonths.

q “The sum total of ₹2.59 lakh crore is expected to exceed theamount of GST compensation accruing in FY 2021-22,” it added,indicating this may make up for some of the compensationshortfall still pending for 2020-21.



GSTq GST is an indirect tax that has replaced many indirect taxes in

India such as excise duty, VAT, services tax, etc.q The Goods and Service Tax Act was passed in Parliament on 29th

March 2017 and came into effect on 1st July 2017.q It is a single domestic indirect tax law for the entire country.q It is a comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based tax that is

levied on every value addition.



q Under the GST regime, the tax is levied at every point of sale. Inthe case of intra-state sales, Central GST and State GST arecharged. All the inter-state sales are chargeable to the IntegratedGST.

q There are three taxes applicable under this system:✓CGST: It is the tax collected by the Central Government on anintra-state sale (e.g., a transaction happening within Maharashtra)✓ SGST: It is the tax collected by the state government on anintrastate sale (e.g., a transaction happening within Maharashtra)✓ IGST: It is a tax collected by the Central Government for aninter-state sale (e.g., Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu)


India-EU trade talks to resume by December (GS-2)

What's in News?q After an eight-year hiatus, India and the European Union (EU)

are set to resume negotiations for a Bilateral Trade andInvestment Agreement (BTIA) by December, according to aGovernment official.

q Another official termed the India-EU connectivity partnership,announced in May, as a “counterfoil” to other such initiatives inan indirect reference to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).



Detailsq “India-EU trade talks are set to start anytime by end of the year.

We have prioritised and discussions will now go forward. It willbe comprehensive talks,” the official said on the sidelines of areport launch on Thursday.

q He was speaking at the launch of the report ‘India- EUConnectivity: Partnership for Development, Demand andDemocracy’ organised by the think tank Research andInformation System (RIS) for Developing Countries.



Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)q In June 2007, India and the EU began negotiations on a broad-

based Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) inBrussels, Belgium.

q These negotiations are pursuant to the commitment made bypolitical leaders at the 7th India-EU Summit held in Helsinki on13th October 2006 to move towards negotiations for a broad-based trade and investment agreement on the basis of thereport of India-EU High Level Technical Group.



Significanceq India and the EU expect to promote bilateral trade by removing

barriers to trade in goods and services and investment across allsectors of the economy.

q Both parties believe that a comprehensive and ambitiousagreement that is consistent with WTO rules and principleswould open new markets and would expand opportunities forIndian and EU businesses.



India-EU Relationsq India was one of the first countries to develop relations with the

European Union. Relations between the Republic of India and theEuropean Union are currently defined by the 1994 EU-IndiaCooperation Agreement.

q In 2004, India and European Union became "Strategic Partners".q The EU is a significant trade partner for India and the two sides

have been attempting to negotiate a free trade deal since 2007.q Indo-EU bilateral trade (excluding services trade) stood at

US$104.3 billion in the financial year 2018–19.



q The EU is India's largest trading partner with 12.5% of India'soverall trade between 2015 and 2016, ahead of China (10.8%)and the United States (9.3%).

q India is the EU's 9th largest trading partner with 2.4% of the EU'soverall trade.

q India is among the few nations in the world that run a surplus inservices trade with the EU. France, Germany and UK collectivelyrepresent the major part of EU-India trade.


Tushar Gandhi challenges Sabarmati Ashram revamp (GS-1)

What's in News?q Mahatma Gandhi’s great- grandson Tushar Gandhi has moved

the Gujarat High Court against the State Government’s ₹1,200-crore plan to redevelop Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

q In a PIL plea, Mr. Gandhi has challenged the proposal, underwhich the Government has started the redevelopment processthat involves extending its area from five to 55 acres by relocatingresidents to nearby areas. He claimed that the project proposedwas ‘diametrically opposed’ to the personal wishes of MahatmaGandhi, who set up the ashram and lived there from 1917 to1930.



Sabarmati Ashramq On his return from South Africa, Gandhi established the first

ashram at Kochrab in 1915 which he shifted after the plague to apiece of open land on the banks of the river Sabarmati in 1917for experiments in farming, animal husbandry, cow breeding,Khadi and related activities.

q Sabarmati Ashram (also known as Gandhi Ashram) is thuslocated in the Sabarmati suburb of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on thebanks of the River Sabarmati.



q This was one of the many residences of Mahatma Gandhi wholived at Sabarmati (Gujarat) and Sevagram (Wardha,Maharashtra) when he was not travelling across India or inprison.

q He lived in Sabarmati or Wardha for a total of twelve years withhis wife Kasturba Gandhi and followers, including Vinoba Bhave.

q The Bhagavad Gita was recited here daily as part of the Ashramschedule.

q It was from here that Gandhi led the Dandi march also known asthe Salt Satyagraha on 12 March 1930.



q In recognition of the significant influence that this march had onthe Indian independence movement, the Indian government hasestablished the ashram as a national monument.


Biden proposes $1.85 tn social security and climate plan (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q In a bid to unite Democrats on Capitol Hill around an agenda-

defining social security and climate action Bill, U.S. President JoeBiden visited Capitol Hill on Thursday morning, proposing a$1.85 trillion legislative package.

q The President delayed his departure to Rome for the G20meetings, as the White House scrambled to bring conservative(centrist) and progressive Democrats together, so Mr. Biden hadsomething to show the international community in Rome andthen in Scotland, where nations will meet for the UN climateconference (COP26).


Biden proposes $1.85 tn social security and climate plan (GS-2/3)

Key elements left outq The new ‘Build Back Better’ proposal, which has been linked to a

$1 trillion infrastructure Bill that passed the Senate and isawaiting passage by the House of Representatives, leaves out keyelements of Mr. Biden’s initial request of Congress, including paidfamily leave, free community college tuition and provisions forthe government to negotiate lower drug prices.

q It will nevertheless include significant social spending measuressuch as expanded access to preschool for 3 and 4 year olds,making them universal, and the largest federal investment inclean energy and tech of the order of $555 billion.

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30OCTOBER


No money left in MGNREGA coffers; 21 States in the red (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Centre’s flagship rural employment scheme has run out of

funds halfway through the financial year, and supplementarybudgetary allocations will not come to the rescue for at leastanother month when the next Parliamentary session begins.According to its own financial statement, the Mahatma GandhiNational Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) schemeshows a negative net balance of ₹8,686 crore.



q This means that payments for MGNREGA workers as well asmaterial costs will be delayed, unless the States dip into their ownfunds. Activists say the Centre is condemning workers to “forcedlabour” by delaying wage payments at a time of economicdistress. However, the Centre is now accusing many States of“artificially creating demand” for work on the ground.

q The MGNREGA is a demand-driven scheme, guaranteeing 100days of unskilled work to any rural household that wants it.During last year’s COVID-19 lockdown, the scheme wasultimately given its highest budget of ₹1.11 lakh crore.





Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA)q The MGNREGA stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural

Employment Guarantee Act of 2005.q This is labour law and social security measure that aims to

guarantee the ‘Right to Work’.q The act was first proposed in 1991 by P.V. Narasimha Rao.



Objectives of the schemeü Generation of paid rural employment of not less than 100 days

for each worker who volunteers for unskilled labourü Ensuring social inclusion by strengthening livelihood andü Creation of durable assets in rural areas such as wells, ponds,

roads and canals etc.q It gives a significant amount of control to the Gram

Panchayats for managing public works, strengthening PanchayatiRaj Institutions.

q Gram Sabhas are free to accept or reject recommendations fromIntermediate and District Panchayats.



q Every rural household has the right to register under MGNREGA.q The work shall be provided within 5 kms jurisdiction from the

villageq If the work provided is beyond 5 Kms, the job seekers shall be

given 10% of the minimum wages as additional amountq Equal payment for men and womenqWages to be paid within a fortnight (15 days)q 1/3 beneficiaries should be womenqWork site facilities such as creche, drinking water and shade have

to be provided


Suicides among farm workers rose 18% in 2020 (Prelims)

What's in News?q The number of agricultural labourers who died by suicide in 2020

was 18% higher than the previous year, according to the NationalCrime Records Bureau (NCRB) report released on Thursday.However, suicides among landowning farmers dropped slightlyduring the pandemic year.



q The farm sector was one of the few bright spots in the Indianeconomy last year, recording growth on the back of a healthymonsoon and the continuation of agricultural activities during alockdown that crippled other sectors. However, landlessagricultural labourers,

q who did not benefit from income support schemes such as PMKisan, may have faced higher levels of distress during thepandemic. The NCRB report does not include any indication ofthe specific causes of suicide among the farm community.Overall, 10,677 people engaged in the farm sector died bysuicide in 2020.





National Crime Record Bureauq NCRB, headquartered in New Delhi, was set-up in 1986 under the

Ministry of Home Affairs to function as a repository ofinformation on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigatorsin linking crime to the perpetrators.

q It was set up based on the recommendations of the NationalPolice Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Task Force (1985).

q NCRB brings out the annual comprehensive statistics of crimeacross the country (‘Crime in India’ report).


UIDAI seeks indemnity from Data Bill (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asked for

exemption from the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law. In aninteraction with the Joint Parliamentary Committee on DataProtection Bill 2019 on Thursday at its office in Bengaluru, UIDAIfunctionaries said the authority is already being governed by theAadhaar Act and there cannot be duplicity of laws.



Detailsq Ironically, it was making Aadhaar compulsory for many key

services including the banks that first triggered the data privacydebate. The genesis of this Bill lies in the report prepared by aCommittee of Experts headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna.

q The committee was constituted by the government in the courseof hearings before the Supreme Court in the right to privacy case(Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India).



q The Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill 2019 has a contentioussection 35, which invokes “sovereignty and integrity of India,”“public order”, “friendly relations with foreign states” and“security of the state” to give powers to the Central governmentto suspend all or any of the provisions of this Act for governmentagencies.

q The UIDAI during the interaction with the Joint ParliamentaryCommittee, sources said, demanded that it should get a blanketexemption from the act under this section. It further argued thatit already is being governed by the Aadhaar Act and the PDP billcould be counter productive.


Document with NPR form removed from Census site (GS-1/2)

What's in News?q The Registrar General of India (RGI) under the Union Home

Ministry pulled down a document with the latest form of theNational Population Register (NPR) from its website.

q The NPR schedule (form) generated through an online system onAugust 18 was part of a handbook, Census of India 2021 -Handbook for Principal/District Census Officers and ChargeOfficers, that was shared with all the States.



Detailsq Though NPR was first compiled in 2010 and updated in 2015, the

new questions were added during a trial exercise in September2019.

q The exercise has been opposed by some States and citizen groupsas NPR is the first step toward compilation of the NationalRegister of Indian Citizens (NRC) according to Citizenship Rules,2003. NPR already has a database of 119 crore residents.



q The NPR is to be conducted along with the first phase of Census.The House listing and Housing Census and NPR update were tobe conducted simultaneously from April-September 2020 but theexercise was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19pandemic.

Registrar General of India (RGI) has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS28th October 2021 Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6533




National Population Register (NPR)q The NPR is a database containing a list of all usual residents of

the country.q Its objective is to have a comprehensive identity database of

people residing in the country.q It is generated through house-to-house enumeration during the

“house-listing” phase of the census, which is held once in 10years.

q The last census was in 2011, and the next will be done in 2021(and will be conducted through a mobile phone application).



q A usual resident for the purposes of NPR is a person who hasresided in a place for six months or more and intends to residethere for another six months or more.

How it is different from the Census?q The census involves a detailed questionnaire and there were 29

items to be filled up in the 2011 census.q They aimed at eliciting the particulars of every person, including

age, sex, marital status, occupation, birthplace, mother tongue,religion, whether they belonged to any SC or ST etc.

q On the other hand, NPR collects basic demographic data andbiometric particulars.


India, Israel to boost military cooperation (GS-2/3)

What's in News?q To further advance the bilateral defence cooperation, India and

Israel have agreed to form a task force to formulate acomprehensive 10-year roadmap to identify new areas ofcooperation.

q This was agreed at the 15th India-Israel Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on bilateral defence cooperation held on October27 in Tel Aviv, Israel, a Defence Ministry statement said on Friday.The JWG is the apex review body of the Defence Ministries of thecountries.


Modi holds talks with top EU leaders (GS-2)

What's in News?q Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held wide ranging talks

with the top leaders of the European Union here during whichthe two sides discussed deepening the India-EU friendship,particularly in areas such as political and security relations, trade,culture and the environment.

q Prime Minister Modi, who arrived here earlier in the day toparticipate in the G20 Summit, began his official engagements inRome with a “productive interaction” with President of theEuropean Council Charles Michel and President of the EuropeanCommission Ursula von der Leyen.


Modi holds talks with top EU leaders (GS-2)

Detailsq “An extensive discussion covering trade & investment ties, climate

change, COVID-19, global & regional developments,” Mr.Bagchitweeted. They also reviewed India-EU cooperation in coveringpolitical and security relations, trade and investment as well asthe Roadmap 2025 agreed at the last India-EU Summit.

q In a press release, the MEA stated that they “recalled theirproductive virtual engagements in the form of India-EU Leaders’meeting in the form of EU+27 in May 2021 and 15th India- EUSummit in July, 2020.”


U.S. to deepen relations with Taiwan (GS-2)

What's in News?q The U.S. wants to deepen its relationship with Taiwan, the self-

ruled island that has become a major point of conflict in thestrained U.S.-China relationship, and will work to counterBeijing’s “malign” influence, a U.S. diplomat said on Friday.

q In her first public news conference, Sandra Oudkirk, the newdirector of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de factoembassy, reiterated that the U.S. remains deeply committed toTaiwan and is actively working on new areas of cooperation, suchas cybersecurity and supply chains.


U.S. to deepen relations with Taiwan (GS-2)

Detailsq “The value of our partnership and our support for Taiwan is rock

solid,” Ms. Oudkirk said. “We are committed to deepening ourties with Taiwan.”

q The U.S. support for Taiwan comes as tensions between Chinaand the island are now at the highest in decades, with Beijingstepping up its military harassment by flying fighter jets towardTaiwan. China has not ruled out force to reunify with Taiwan,which split from the mainland during a civil war in 1949.


Core sector growth decelerated to 7-month low of 4.4% in September (GS-3)

What's in News?q Output from India’s eight core sectors grew 4.4% in September,

the slowest pace of year-on-year growth in seven months. Thatreversed two months of accelerating production, with Augustlogging an expansion of 11.5%.

q On a sequential basis, September saw the second successivemonthly decline in the Index of Eight Core Industries compiled bythe Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT). The index, which stood at 134.7 in July, slid almost 1% inAugust and slumped 5% in September.



Detailsq In September 2020, when the economy had largely opened up

after the national COVID-19 lockdown, core sector output hadgrown 0.6%. While five sectors posted distinct year-on-yeargrowth last month, crude oil output shrank 1.7% and fertilisersand electricity barely remained in positive territory, with growthrates of 0.02% and 0.3%, respectively.

q Natural gas production surged 27.5% in September after a 10.6%contraction in 2020, while cement output rose 10.8% aftersuffering a 3.4% fall a year earlier.



Core Sector Industriesq The eight-core sector industries include coal, crude oil, natural

gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricityq The eight Core Industries in decreasing order of their weightage:

Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> NaturalGas> Cement> Fertilizers.

q The eight core industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of itemsincluded in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

q These core industries are considered as main or key industries ofthe economy and serve as the backbone of all other industries.



Index of Industrial Productionq It is an index that tracks manufacturing activity in different

sectors of an economy.q All India IIP is a composite indicator that measures the short-term

changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrialproducts during a given period.

q It is compiled and published monthly by the Central StatisticsOffice (CSO).


North, South Blocks to turn museums (GS-1)

What's in News?q The Central Government has informed the Supreme Court that

the North and South Blocks, which house core Ministries and thePrime Minister’s Office, will be turned into “national museums”based on a theme called “India in making: pre- historic to presentdate”, as part of the Central Vista redevelopment plans.


North, South Blocks to turn museums (GS-1)

Detailsq The future museums would be a “public space”. Presently, the

nation’s most important decisions are made in these buildings,where access is limited.

q “Museums will be open to the public at large and serveimportant public purposes,” an affidavit submitted by the CentralPublic Works Department, which is part of the Ministry of Housingand Urban Affairs, disclosed to the top court.


ASI seeks funds to renovate Pallava period temple (GS-1)

What's in News?q The Vanadurga temple in Pakkam village near Gingee, which is

in ruins and belongs to the Pallava period, is likely to get a newlease of life as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), ChennaiCircle, has sought funds for its restoration.

q “The temple is very worthy on the aspect of its historicity anduniqueness. As the temple is dilapidated and also in much ruinedcondition, it is in urgent need of conservation on priority basis,”said M. Kalimuthu, Superintending Archaeologist, in his letter tothe Director-General, ASI.


ASI seeks funds to renovate Pallava period temple (GS-1)

q He has requested funds “under non-protected monumentcategory to preserve the temple and its paintings withoutaltering its originality and authenticity.”

q The pathetic condition of the temple was brought to theattention of the ASI by Raj Panneerselvam, president of theTiruvannamalai Heritage Foundation.

q “The important feature of this temple is it could be an early bricktemple of Pallava period, so far documented in Tamil Nadu afterTalagiriswara temple, Panamalai in Villupurm district and Kaila-sanatha temple, Kancheepuram,” Mr. Kalimuthu said.

PREAMBLE IAS

31 OCTOBER


PM calls for united fight against COVID at G20 (GS-2)

What's in News?q Addressing the first session of the G20 summit on “Global

Economy and Global Health” in Rome, Prime Minister NarendraModi spoke about the need for a collaborative approach to fightthe COVID-19 pandemic.

q At the summit of the leaders of world’s major economies, Mr.Modi highlighted India’s contribution during the COVID-19pandemic as it ensured medical supplies to over 150 countries.


PM calls for united fight against COVID at G20 (GS-2)

Detailsq Highlighting the need for resilient global supply chains, Mr. Modi

invited G20 countries to invest in India for supply chaindiversification and global recovery from the pandemic.

q “Prime Minister spoke for the resilient global supply chains andmentioned India’s bold economic reforms and lowering of thecost of doing business in India,” Foreign Secretary Harsh VardhanShringla said, briefing the media in Rome.


MGNREGS funding to continue: Govt. (GS-2)

What's in News?q The Centre is committed to releasing funds for proper

implementation of its flagship Mahatma Gandhi National RuralEmployment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the RuralDevelopment Ministry said on Saturday. The statement comes aday after The Hindu had reported that the scheme faces anegative net balance of ₹8,686 crore, including payments due.


MGNREGS funding to continue: Govt. (GS-2)

Detailsq “The Government of India is committed to release funds for wage

and material payments for proper implementation of the scheme,as per the provisions of the Act and guidelines applicable for theCentral Government and the State Governments. Wheneveradditional fund is required, the Ministry of Finance is requested topro- vide the funds,”

MGNREGS has been covered in PREAMBLE IAS 30th October 2021Current Affairs https://t.me/preambleias/6551



‘Chinese build-up in RALP a matter of concern’ (GS-2)

What's in News?q While India has strengthened its defences and added offensive

elements to its military posture in the Tawang sector ofArunachal Pradesh, the massive Chinese infrastructuredevelopment and troop build-up in the Rest of Arunachal Pradesh(RALP) area is a matter of concern, and efforts are on by theIndian side to address it, according to several officers.



Detailsq There has been an increase in Chinese patrols in the RALP,

especially in the Asaphila area, along with massive developmentof infrastructure, at least two officers independently said. “Theycome for patrols and make a mess of the area.

q They leave stuff behind; in some instances, they had left tents andspades,” one of the officers with the knowledge of the mattersaid. “They have built extensive road construction all across,” theother officer noted.



1,600-km highwayq In a broader national effort, work is also under way on the 1,600-

km Trans-Arunachal highway with the alignment running alongthe LAC up to the Myanmar border. The highway, which had beendelayed, was now gathering pace, at least two officials said.

q Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh,said on Facebook in March 2019 when he was the Minister ofState for Home, that one of his biggest dream projects to connectthe remote locations of Arunachal Pradesh was finally approvedand a tender for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was invited.


Abortion rules to aid minors (GS-2)

What's in News?q The new abortion rules notified by the Union Government

recently recognise minors as a vulnerable category and seek tomake services more accessible to them. But social stigma andconflict with the POCSO Act, 2012, or the law against child sexualabuse, pose hurdles.

q The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Rules, 2021,define new categories of vulnerable women who are allowedtermination up to 24 weeks upon meeting certain conditions andwith the permission of two doctors.



New categoriesq These include minors, survivors of sexual assault and those with

foetal malformation. Others may seek abortion up to 20 weekswith the permission of one doctor upon meeting certain criteria— earlier you needed the permission of one doctor fortermination up to 12 weeks, and two doctors for 12 to 20 weeks.

q The amended law provides for setting up of State-level medicalboards to decide if a pregnancy may be terminated after 24weeks.



q There is a need to fight stigma around adolescent sex.Contraception services rarely reach adolescents. Medicalpractitioners also rue the obstacles posed by the POCSO Act,2012, in providing services.

q Section 19 of the Act requires any person aware of a minorengaging in sex to report the matter to the local police even if itwas a consensual act as the law pegs the age of consent at 18.



Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012q The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act)

2012 was established to protect the children against offenceslike sexual abuse, sexual harassment and pornography.

q It was formed to provide a child-friendly system for trialunderneath which the perpetrators could be punished.

q It also makes provisions for avoiding the re-victimisation of thechild at the hands of the judicial system.



Featuresq The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of

age.q The Act defines different forms of sexual abuse which includes

penetrative and non-penetrative assault.q It makes it the legal duty of a person aware of the offence to

report the sexual abuse.q In case he fails to do so, the person can be punished with six

months’ imprisonment or fine.q The Act further states that the evidence of the child should be

recorded within a period of thirty days.



q The Special Court taking cognizance of the matter should be ableto complete the trial within the period of one year from thedate of taking cognizance of the abuse.

q It prescribes rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not beless than ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for lifeand also fine as punishment for aggravated penetrative sexualassault.

q It also prescribes punishment to the people who traffic childrenfor sexual purposes.


Indian farming practices: Learning from elsewhere in the world (GS-3)

What's in News?q A paper has appeared recently in Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS) titled: “Integrated farming withintercropping increases food production while reducingenvironmental footprint”

q This work found that (1) “relay planting” enhances yield, (2) with-in-field rotation or “strip rotation”, allowing strips for plantingother plants (such as grass, fruits) besides the major crop wasmore fruitful, (3) “soil munching,” that is, available means suchas crop straw, in addition to the major crop such as wheat or rice,



q (4) “no-till” or a reduced tillage, which increases the annual cropyield up by 15.6% to 49.9%, and decreasing the environmentalfootprint by 17.3%, compared with traditional monoculturecropping. This led to the conclusion that small farm holders cangrow more food and have reduced environmental footprint.

q How do these factors apply to the small farmers of India?Current statistics reveal that our country has a significantpopulation of small farmers, many owning less than 2 hectares ofland. About 70% of its rural households still depend primarily onagriculture for their livelihood, with 82% of farmers being smalland marginal.



q The total production of food- grains in 2017-18 was estimated tobe 275 million tons. Some others have pointed out that only 30%of all farmers borrow from formal sources.

q The farm loan waivers from the state governments have beenhelpful in this regard, but yet, over 50% struggle to borrow fromShylockian sources.

Relay plantingq The site “Relay Cropping- GK Today” explains this in some detail.

Relay planting means the planting of different crops in the sameplot, one right after another, in the same season.



q Examples of such relay cropping would be planting rice (orwheat), cauliflower, onion, and summer gourd (or potato onion,lady’s fingers and maize), in the same season. Why do this? Well,less risk since you do not have to depend on one crop alone. Italso means better distribution of labour, insects spread less, andany legumes actually add nitrogen to the soil.

Strip croppingq Strip cropping has been used in the U.S. (where the fields are

larger than those in India), where they grow wheat, along withcorn and soyabean, in the same farm in an alternative manner.



q However, this needs large lands. In India, where there are largefields (such as the ones owned by cities and state governments),the land is divided into strips, and strips of grass are left to growbetween the crops. Planting of trees to create shelters hashelped in stabilising the desert in Western India.

Soil mulching and no-tillqWhile these methods are not easy for small farmers in India, they

could be practised at least in larger farms such as the ones ownedby industry and governments.



q Soil mulching requires keeping all bare soil covered with straw,leaves, and the like, even when the land is in use. Erosion iscurtailed, moisture retained, and beneficial organisms, such asearthworms, kept in place.

q The same set of benefits are also offered by not tilling the soil.These four methods suggested by the international group areworth following in India.


Scientists find a mineral seen in the depths of the Earth in a meteorite (GS-3)

What's in News?q The key findings of a study led by IIT Kharagpur researchers

could help us understand the formation and evolution of theEarth.

q They have studied a meteorite that fell near the town of Katol inNagpur District of Maharashtra on May 22, 2012, reporting forthe first time, presence of veins of the mineral bridgmanite, whichis the most abundant mineral in the interior of the Earth, withinthe Katol L6 Chondrite meteorite. This finding adds evidence tothe Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis.



Abundant mineralq “Bridgmanite is the most volumetrically abundant mineral of the

Earth’s interior. It is present in the lower mantle (from 660 to2700 km), and it is important to understand its formationmechanism to better comprehend the origin and evolution ofplanetary interiors,”

q The Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis is that long ago,nearly 4.5 billion years ago, the Earth collided with a planet thesize of Mars named Thela, and the force of this impact was sohuge as to melt the Earth down from the surface to a depth of750 km to 1,100 km.



q The hypothesis goes that this caused the Earth to be bathed in amagma ocean, and the ejecta from the collision led to theformation of the Moon.

Magma oceanq "Earth was an ocean of magma in the past. The heavier iron and

nickel went to the core while the lighter silicates stayed in themantle. By studying the meteorite, we can understand moredetails about the formation of the Earth and other planets," saysKishan Tiwari, research scholar from the Department of Geologyand Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and anauthor of the paper, in an email to The Hindu.



q “Bridgmanite consists of magnesium, iron, calcium aluminumoxide and has a perovskite structure,” says Dr Ghosh. He furtherexplains that while the crystal structure of natural bridgmanitehas been reported in other meteorites such as the Tenham andSuizhou meteorites, their chemical composition does not fullymatch with the terrestrial bridgmanite present in the Earth'sinterior between 660 and 2700 km depth.


What is the controversy over Mullaperiyar? (GS-1/2)

What's in News?q Coinciding with an episode of erratic, cataclysmic rain in Kerala’s

high-ranges, the Supreme Court last week considered a publicinterest litigation petition filed by a Kerala physician and twoformer local body representatives on the operation of theMullaperiyar dam over which Kerala and Tamil Nadu have beensparring for long.



qWith the threat of floods looming large and the reservoirs fillingup, the court asked both States to abide by the rule curve for theperiod set by the Supervisory Committee constituted at itsinstance.

q Accordingly, the water level in the dam would be limited to 138feet till October 31 and 139.5 feet till November 10. The courtwill hear the case again on November 11.



What is the status now?q Three shutters of the dam were opened on October 30 to release

water. While people living downstream were evacuatedbeforehand, water release from the Mullaperiyar dam did notalter the level in the much larger Idukki reservoir, at over 94% ofits storage capacity, located 35 km downstream.



Why is Mullaperiyar dam a sore point?q The Maharaja of Travancore signed a 999-year Periyar Lake lease

agreement with the British government on October 29, 1886, forthe construction of the Mullaperiyar dam across the Periyar in thepresent Idukki district. The dam became a reality nine years later.

q The water supplied from it through a tunnel to the water-scarcesouthern region of Tamil Nadu, especially the Vaigai basin, wouldbe the lifeline for farmers of Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangaand Ramanathapuram districts.



q On an average, 22 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water isdiverted, irrigating about 2.20 lakh acres and meeting thedrinking water requirements of people in the region. Concernsover the safety of the gravity dam built using lime-surkhi (burntbrick powder) mortar came to the fore in 1979.

q In November that year, a tripartite meeting chaired by the thenchairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), K.C. Thomas,decided that the level had to be brought down from the fullreservoir level of 152 feet to 136 feet to enable Tamil Nadu,which owns and maintains it, to carry out dam strengtheningworks.



What happened in the legal battles?q The Central Government set up an expert committee in 2000 to

look into the dam's safety. The committee recommended raisingthe level to 142 feet, which was endorsed by the Supreme Courtin February 2006.

q Kerala sought to restrict the level to 136 feet by way of anamendment to the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act,prompting the Tamil Nadu Government to move the SupremeCourt.



q In February 2010, the court constituted an empoweredcommittee to study the whole gamut of issues concerning thedam. Based on the committee’s finding that the dam was“structurally and hydrologically safe”, the court, in May 2014,struck down Kerala’s Act and allowed Tamil Nadu to maintain thelevel at 142 feet.

q It also asked the Central Government to set up a three-memberSupervisory Committee to monitor dam safety.



Why is it a social issue?q Commissioned by the Kerala Government in the latter part of the

2000s, a study by IIT-Roorkee raised questions about the survivalof the dam, located in seismic zone-3, in the event of anearthquake of a fairly high magnitude.

q A series of tremors felt in the area in 2011 caused alarm.Subsequently, the floods of 2018 and the erratic nature ofannual monsoons ever since brought the focus back on the 126-year-old dam.



Why is the case in the Supreme Court again?q Joe Joseph, a doctor who was the candidate of the corporate-

backed Twenty20 in the recent Kerala Assembly election fromKothamangalam, downstream of the Mullaperiyar and Idukkidams, moved the court, along with two others, last yearcontending that the Supervisory Committee had abdicated itsresponsibilities to a sub-committee constituted at the direction ofthe court for water management in the dam.



q They also urged the court to ask the CWC to fix the ‘rule curve’,‘instrumentation scheme’ and ‘gate operation schedule’ of thedam. Massive landslides had devastated the hilly regions incentral Kerala and weather prediction was ominous when thecourt’s attention was drawn to a report prepared by the UnitedNations University-Institute for Water, Environment and Health,which cited “significant structural flaws” in the dam and said it“may be at risk of failure”.

q “Leaks and leaching are also concerning, as the methods andmaterials used during construction are considered outdated,compared to the current building standards,” it said.



What’s on the cards?q Design of a new dam by Kerala’s Irrigation Design and Research

Board is in the final stages. However, without Tamil Nadu onboard, this is not going to be a reality.

qMeanwhile, in the backdrop of bad weather forecast, Kerala ChiefMinister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpartM.K. Stalin, urging him to draw maximum quantum of water fromthe dam through the tunnel so that a large volume release wouldbe avoided altogether.



q Assuring Mr. Vijayan of all support, Mr. Stalin informed him thatthe level in the dam was being closely monitored and thecurrent storage was well within the level permitted by theSupreme Court. A meeting between the Chief Ministers to discussthe issue is being planned in December.

Documents

Monthly Compilation - Preamble IAS