For updates on WhatsApp, share your name & city on ... · Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court s guidelines are inspired by the UN Model Law on Justice in Matters involving Child

https://telegram.me/upscprepmate

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.prepmate.mobile

https://prepmate.in/

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=prepmate

https://prepmate.in/books/

For updates on WhatsApp, share your name & city on WhatsApp No. 75972-40000

Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate

Prepmate Cengage Books Preview: https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech

Table of Contents

Polity & Governance ......................................................................................................... 1

1. Five-judge statute Bench to decide on Aadhaar validity (Relevant for GS Prelims and

Mains Paper II) ...................................................................................................................................................... 1

2. Judicial safe zones: on special deposition centres in courts (Relevant for GS Prelims and

Mains Paper II) ...................................................................................................................................................... 2

3. Speed up trial of politicians, says SC (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) ............... 2

4. Moving up (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) .................................................................. 3

5. The war on TB (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) .......................................................... 4

6. Delhi LG cannot simply sit on files and stultify governance: Justice Chandrachud

(Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) ......................................................................................... 5

7. On NTPC boiler blast: Unsafe boilers (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) ............. 7

8. SC comes to the aid of construction workers (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II, GS Prelims) 8

9. Odd-even scheme called off (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) .................................. 8

10. What is the lowdown on the fight against criminal MPs? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)

...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

11. Money laundering case against retired Orrisa HC judge (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)

................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

12. EPS-OPS group is AIADMK (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ................................ 12

13. More seats for Sikkim Assembly (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ...................... 12

14. Difference of opinion between the Judiciary and the executive over Judicial appointments

(Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) ................................................................................................................ 14

15. 12th Inter-State Council meet held (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) .............. 15

16. On I-T raids at Jayalalithaa s residence (Relevant for GS Mains paper II) ............................... 16

International Organizations and Relations ......................................................... 18

1. 200 dead in N. Korean n-site mishap (Relevant for Mains Paper II)............................................. 18

2. Terror in New York (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) .................................... 18

3. On Rohingya crisis: Suu Kyi in denial (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II) ............ 19

4. India s hopes fade for Farzad-B gas field deal (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)

..................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

5. Change, yet continuity: on Jerome Powell s nomination as US Fed Chief (Relevant for GS

Prelims and Mains Paper II) ........................................................................................................................... 21

6. Royal flush: on the surprise crackdown of Crown Prince of Saudi (Relevant for GS Prelims

and Mains Paper II) ............................................................................................................................................ 22

7. FEMA norms eased to spur investment from overseas (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper III) ................................................................................................................................................................. 23

http://www.prepmate.in/



https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXy_z-FjcG4CcCTYpn2DGhA




8. Pacific trade deal reached, sans U.S. (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ............... 24

9. Navigation rights figure in first Quadrilateral talks (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper II) ................................................................................................................................................................. 24

10. The Hariri mystery: on the former Lebanon PM s absence (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS

Mains Paper II) ..................................................................................................................................................... 25

11. All you need to know about the turmoil in Zimbabwe (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS

Mains Paper II) ..................................................................................................................................................... 26

12. Pacific Ocean s 11: on TPP without U.S. (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ....... 27

13. Pak. court frees Hafiz Saeed (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) ....................................................... 28

14. Evaluation of India s foreign Policy in context of election of Justice Dalveer Bhandari

(Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) .................................................................................................................. 29

15. Pakistan s Law Minister, Zahid Hamid puts resign: The recent protests in Pakistan

(Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) .................................................................................................................. 30

Economics ......................................................................................................................... 32

1. Crypto currencies, ICOs under SEBI lens (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper III) .... 32

2. The lowdown on the stimulus to banks (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ........ 33

3. Centre doubles down on GST s gains for consumers (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains

Paper III) ................................................................................................................................................................. 35

4. Economy gets thumbs-up from Moody s (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS mains Paper III) ...... 36

5. Need for fine balance on GST National Anti-Profiteering Authority (Relevant for GS

Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ........................................................................................................................... 38

6. President signs bankruptcy ordinance (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ......... 39

7. What do amendments to IBC mean to promoters? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III and GS

Prelims) ................................................................................................................................................................... 41

8. TRAI backed Net neutrality (Relevant for GS Prelims, Mains Paper II & III) ............................ 42

9. Hit refresh: on the slashed GST rates (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II and GS Prelims) ...... 44

Environment ..................................................................................................................... 46

1. Mass bathing in Ganga aggravates anti-microbial resistance woes (Relevant for GS

Prelims and Mains Paper III) ........................................................................................................................ 46

2. Excessive rainfall in Bengaluru. What has been impact? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper I)

................................................................................................................................................................................... 47

3. Marooned once more: on Chennai s need for flood management (Relevant for GS Prelims

and Mains Paper III) ........................................................................................................................................ 49

4. 2017 is set to be in top three hottest years: WMO (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains

Paper I) .................................................................................................................................................................. 50

5. About the climate change meet underway in Bonn (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper III) ............................................................................................................................................................... 52








6. Pollution crisis due to paddy stubble burning (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper

III) ............................................................................................................................................................................ 53

7. Chennai, during the northeast monsoon (Relevant for GS Mains Paper I) ............................... 56

8. Warm, warmer: on climate change (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ............. 57

9. Centre to launch BS-VI fuel in Delhi from 2018 to battle smog (Relevant for GS Prelims

and GS Mains Paper III) .................................................................................................................................. 59

Internal Security ............................................................................................................ 60

1. The lowdown on the dengue epidemic (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ....... 60

2. New J&K surrender policy to target local militants (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper III: Internal Security) .......................................................................................................................... 61

3. Why has India struggled to buy fighter aircraft? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III)........... 62

Science & Technology ................................................................................................... 64

1. India-made Falcon will fly in 2022, says Reliance Group (Relevant for GS Prelims and

Mains Paper III) ................................................................................................................................................. 64

2. Secret cavity found in Great Pyramid (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper III)........ 64

3. Air-launched Brahmos missile test-fired for the first time (Relevant for GS prelims, GS

Mains Paper III) ................................................................................................................................................. 67

4. Draft space law has place for private players (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III) ................. 67

Social Issues ..................................................................................................................... 69

1. Indians add more years to their lives (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper I) ..... 69

2. All you need to know about the Kerala love jihad case (Hadiya issue) (Relevant for GS

Mains paper I) ..................................................................................................................................................... 70

Miscellaneous .................................................................................................................. 72

1. Teaching ethics to aspiring civil servants (Relevant for GS Prelims) ............................................. 72

2. Girl power: on the winning of Women Hockey Team (Relevant for GS Prelims) ....................... 73

3. Scientists have discovered new species of Bananas (Relevant for GS Prelims) .......................... 74

4. Under pressure: on Gurugram s Ryan School murder case (Relevant for GS Prelims) ........... 74

5. Demi- Leigh Ne –Peters (South Africa) became Miss Universe 2017 (Relevant for GS

Prelims) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 76

6. Pandit Narayanrao, proponent of Gwalior gharana, passed away (Relevant for GS Prelims)

....................................................................................................................................................................................... 76






1


Prepmate Cengage Books Preview: https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMate Edutech

Polity and Governance

1. Five-judge statute Bench to decide on Aadhaar validity (Relevant for GS Prelims

and Mains Paper II)

Constitution bench for Aadhaar Scheme

Supreme Court decided to constitute a five-judge Constitution Bench to hear petitions

against the validity of the Aadhaar scheme.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India DipakMisra took the step after falsehoods had been

spread about Aadhaar linking.

A separate Bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, meanwhile, issued notice to the

government, challenging the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with mobile numbers.

Urgent mentioning

A Constitution Bench may be set up to decide finally for the various Aadhaar challenges

pending before the court since 2014 instead of passing any interim orders. The government

however did not mention anything about its proposal as it extend the date for the

mandatory linking of Aadhaar with mobile phones, bank accounts and various welfare

schemes from December 31, 2017 to March 31, 2018.

The decision to set up a five-judge Bench comes despite Justice Rohinton Nariman s

separate judgment in the nine-judge Bench declaring privacy as a fundamental right.

Historic judgment

It had referred the legal question to a nine-judge Bench, which came out with the historic

judgment in favour of the common man s fundamental right to privacy against state

intrusions.

The nine-judge Bench verdict has a crucial bearing in the Aadhaar petitions, which have

argued that Aadhaar s use of biometric details like fingerprints and iris scans violate bodily

and informational privacy.

The petitioners argue that mandatory requirement of Aadhaar for these schemes constrict

rights and freedoms which a citizen has long been enjoying unless and until they part with

their personal biometric information to the government .

The petitions have termed the Aadhaar Act of 2016 as unconstitutional and contrary to

concept of limited and accountable governance.






2



(Adapted from The Hindu)

2. Judicial safe zones: on special deposition centres in courts (Relevant for GS

Prelims and Mains Paper II)

What is the Supreme Court direction?

The Supreme Court s direction that within three months there should be at least two

special deposition centres under every high court s jurisdiction is a positive step towards

ensuring a conducive and protective atmosphere for vulnerable witnesses.

What is the need of Deposition centres?

It has long been recognised that children testifying as witnesses find the courtroom

experience intimidating. In many cases, they are victims themselves. Deposition centres

takes forward the principle already contained in laws relating to children. For instance, the

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act provides for child-friendly procedures

during a trial.

Child friendly procedures during a trial

Under this law, the officer recording a child s statement should not be in uniform; also,

during court proceedings steps must be taken to ensure that the child is not exposed to the

accused. The court is allowed to record a child s statement through video conferencing or

using one-way mirrors or curtains.

Present status of Deposition centres in India

At present, Delhi has four such deposition centres, backed by guidelines framed by the

Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court s guidelines are inspired by the UN Model Law on

Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime.

Objective behind these centres

The main objectives include eliciting complete, accurate and reliable testimony from child

witnesses, minimising harm, and preventing secondary victimisation.

Secondary victimisation, or the harm that occurs not due to a criminal act but through the

insensitive response of institutions, systems and individuals, is something that vulnerable

witnesses often experience in cases of sexual violence. The creation of special centres

would have to imply much more than a safe space for recording the testimony of

vulnerable witnesses.


3. Speed up trial of politicians, says SC (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)






3



Setting up of Special Courts for politicians

The Supreme Court asked the government to frame a central scheme for setting up special

courts across the country to exclusively try criminal cases involving political persons.

In a determined effort to cleanse politics of criminality and corruption, the apex court said

it takes years, probably decades, to complete the trial against a politician.

By this time, he or she would have served as a minister or legislator several times over.

Rejects argument

Countering the Centre s argument that setting up such courts would depend on the

availability of funds with the States, Supreme Court bench ordered the government to place

the scheme before the next date of hearing. It said the scheme should provide details of the

funds required to set up such courts.

The Bench said the Supreme Court would directly interact with the State governments on

issues like the appointment of judicial officers, public prosecutors, court staff and other

requirements of manpower and infrastructure for the special courts.

Seeks report card

Giving no quarter, the apex court directed the Centre to submit a report card by December

13 on the status of the 1,581 criminal cases pending against Members of Parliament and

State Legislative Assemblies at the time of the 2014 elections.


4. Moving up (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

India moves up the doing business index, but the challenges remain formidable

India s surge in the latest World Bank report on the ease of doing business around the

world — from the 130th position last year to the 100th — could not have come at a better

time for the government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set for his government the target of entering the top 50

in the Bank s index, from the 142nd rank India was placed at in 2014 soon after he

assumed office.

Steps to move up

Specific steps to cut red tape seem to be paying off, with the Bank recognizing India as one

of the top 10 countries that have made improvement over the past year, and the only large

country to see a significant shift.






4



The introduction of the new insolvency and bankruptcy resolution process, simplifications

in the payment of statutory dues such as provident fund contributions and corporate taxes

and easier access to credit are among the key changes that spurred India s latest ranking. It

is also notable that India is now the fourth best placed in the world for minority investors,

well ahead of several developed nations.

The Bank s report, based on executive actions and ground-level feedback from businesses

in Mumbai and Delhi till June 1 this year does not take into account the impact of the goods

and services tax. The quality and pace of course correction on the GST will determine if

India can hold its 100th position or move up further.

Need reforms

As the country s largest urban agglomerations, Mumbai and Delhi cannot host the kind of

large factories that India needs to generate adequate employment. It is critical that such

procedural reforms reach the hinterland and a road map be drafted for the larger

legislative changes needed in matters such as land acquisition. Lastly, while foreign

investors are important, they often take their cue from the mood of domestic businesses.

Last week, for instance, Sunil Bharti Mittal said the ease of doing business remains a

concern despite the government s best intentions and mooted a structured dialogue

between India Inc. and policy-makers on the irritants to investment. The government, with

great orators in its ranks, could perhaps be a better listener.


5. The war on TB (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

Drop in cases of TB

There is a glimmer of hope with India registering a slight drop in the number of new

tuberculosis cases and TB deaths in 2016 compared with 2015. From an estimated 2.84

million new cases in 2015, the number dropped marginally to 2.79 million in 2016,

according to the World Health Organisation s Global tuberculosis report, 2017.

In terms of mortality, the drop was from 0.51 million in 2015 to 0.43 million in 2016. The

number of deaths and the incidence rate have been falling both globally and in India. The

targets set in the End TB strategy are global reduction of 20% in incidence and 35% in

mortality by 2020, taking 2015 as the base year. To reach that target, the global drop in

incidence has to be 4-5% a year — currently it is about 2% a year. Also, the percentage of

deaths should come down from the current 16% to 10%.






5



Data of India

With India accounting for the highest TB incidence (23%) and mortality (26%) globally,

success in realising the End TB targets hinges largely on the country strengthening its

systems. The first step in defeating the disease and achieving the targets is to record every

diagnosed patient through case notification (that is, when a person is diagnosed with TB, it

is reported to the national surveillance system, and then on to the WHO). There was a 34%

increase in case notifications by health-care providers in the private sector between 2013

and 2015. It improved from 61% in 2015 to 69% in 2016.

Still needs improvement

There is much work remains to improve case notifications as only 1.9 million TB cases in

the public and private sectors were notified in 2016, leaving a 25% gap between incidence

and notification, the largest in the world. Though notification was made mandatory in

2012, multiple surveys and surveillance data still show large under-reporting of detected

TB cases, especially in the private sector.

Steps taken

For the first time, baby steps have been taken to offer preventive TB treatment to a small

(5%) number of people who are HIV-positive, and 1.9% of children below five years who

are household contacts of people recently diagnosed with pulmonary TB. Notably, domestic

funding (74%, $387 million) for anti-TB work has been more than that from international

sources (26%, $124 million). While better funding might help India inch closer to its stated

goal of ending TB by 2025, much more is needed in terms of funding and commitment on

all fronts.


6. Delhi LG cannot simply sit on files and stultify governance: Justice Chandrachud

(Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

A historical Verdict regarding LG

The Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi cannot cancel out proposals or schemes forwarded

by the Council of Ministers to him by simply sitting on them.

He [LG] is bound to pass the difference of opinions [between the LG and the Delhi Council

of Ministers] to the President for early resolution.

What had happened?

The AAP government argued that the High Court declared the LG to have complete control

of all matters regarding National Capital Territory of Delhi, and nothing will happen

without the concurrence of the LG.






6



The Kejriwal government wants the Supreme Court to lay down the law on whether the LG

can unilaterally administer the National Capital without being bound by the aid and

advice of the elected government.

High Court ruling

The Delhi High Court said that LG has special powers greater than the President, greater

than other Governors of States.

About the 69th Amendment of Constitution

The 69th Amendment of the Constitution in 1992 gave the National Capital of Delhi special

status with its own democratically elected government and legislative assembly.

About Article 239AA (4)

Sub-section (4) of Article 239AA mandates that a Council of Ministers shall aid and advice

the LG in his functions regarding laws made by the Legislative Assembly.

Present issue

The focus of the current controversy is a proviso to Article 239AA (4), which mandates that

in case of a difference of opinion between the LG and the Council of Ministers, the former

has to refer the issue to the President. In the meanwhile, while that decision is pending

before the President, the LG, if the matter is urgent, can use his discretion to take

immediate action.

The Constitution Bench, prima facie said that the Delhi government s ability to aid and

advice the LG is limited to subjects other than public order, police and land in the National

Capital. It said that the proviso to Article 239AA (4), on plain reading, seems to give

primacy to the LG.

LG thinks he is supreme law

LG thinks he is suprema Lex [supreme law] on six grounds.

1. One, that Delhi is still a Union Territory.

2. Two, Parliament makes the law for Delhi under Article 246 (4) of the Constitution.

3. Three, Article 239AA has brought in no change to Delhi s status as a Union Territory

simplicity.

4. Four, the proviso gives him the power of defiance.

5. Five, he has to concur to every decision made by the Delhi government.

6. Six, he can take independent decisions.

Unlike other union territories like Puducherry, Delhi was recognised as special through a

constitutional amendment.






7



Article 239AA provided the Delhi Legislative Assembly the same powers as any other State

legislature. The 69th Constitutional Amendment was passed to create legislative

accountability through a democratically elected government. The Legislative Assembly

could make laws for any part of Delhi, except in subjects of public order, police and land.


7. On NTPC boiler blast: Unsafe boilers (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

The boiler explosion at NTPC s Unchahar power plant in Rae Bareli underscores the

importance of inspections and protocols for hazardous industrial operations. It has cost at

least 32 lives and caused severe injuries to scores of personnel.

Indian Boilers Act, 1923

High pressure boilers are hazardous pieces of equipment, which are strictly regulated by

special laws. In fact, the basic objective of the Indian Boilers Act, 1923 is to ensure the

safety of life and protection of property by mandating uniform standards in the quality and

upkeep of these units.

Why it s a big mistake of Govt.?

The accident was entirely preventable because boilers are designed to provide warnings as

soon as dangerous pressure builds up and trigger automatic safety devices at a critical

point. They should undergo periodic inspections to ensure that all these features are

working and intact.

What happened at the Unchahar Plant?

At the Unchahar plant, the blocking of an outlet for waste gases by ash, unusual in a fairly

new boiler, calls for an inquiry into the quality of the equipment and the fuel used. Ideally,

these aspects should be investigated by an external agency and not the NTPC.

Ignorant and Corrupt nature of Govt.

Industrial regulation has, unfortunately, come to be viewed as a barrier to ease of doing

business in India. This is a result of inefficiency and corruption and the typical response of

governments has been to relax crucial safety checks. Self-certification and third-party

certification of facilities has received support from policymakers even in the case of boilers.

The Unchahar accident shows it is in everyone s interest to have a transparent regulatory

mechanism for hazardous industrial activity. The safety and welfare of workers and the

public at large cannot be compromised. A rigorous approach to accident reporting must

become part of the process if the weak spots in regulation are to be addressed.

(Adapted from the Hindu)






8



8. SC comes to the aid of construction workers (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II, GS

Prelims)

Rs. 37,000 crore cess collected should reach the labourers

With over Rs. 37,000 crore collected as cess to be used for the welfare of 2.8 crore

registered construction workers across the country, Supreme Court has a cause of worry —

whether the huge sum of money will really be used for the benefit of labourers in the high-

risk and hazardous construction industry which are mostly controlled by private

companies.

Misuse of construction cess

The Social Justice Bench of the Supreme Court has been closely monitoring the government

over the past two years on the issue. It had once, in a hearing in 2015, vented about how

ridiculous it was that thousands of crores collected as a construction cess for the benefit of

building workers ends up at the mercy of some babus.

Marked hike

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment informed the Bench that the number of

workers registered under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of

Employment and Conditions of Service) Act of 1996 has increased from 2.15 crore to 2.8

crore.

The cess collected has also seen a marked hike from Rs. 25,477 crore to Rs. 37,482 crore.

The Ministry reported to the Court that the utilisation of the cess amount for the welfare of

workers has also increased from Rs. 5,371 crore to Rs. 9,491 crore.

The Ministry said that a national portal to create awareness of schemes for workers is

under construction.


9. Odd-even scheme called off (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)

After NGT asked Delhi govt. not to make exemptions

The Delhi government called off the roll-out of the odd-even scheme that was to remain in

force from November 13 to 17, after the National Green Tribunal allowed it with a rider

that exemptions given to two-wheelers and cars driven by women would have to go.

The Aam Aadmi Party government had announced that it would implement its car-

rationing programme for a third time in order to curb pollution in the city.






9



PM levels down

The air quality index was still in the severe category, but down to 403 from 486, according

to the CPCB. The NGT asked the Delhi government to provide a justification for

implementing odd-even from November 13, when pollution levels were forecast to come

down.

Direction of NGT

The NGT directed the Delhi government to implement the scheme, but on the condition

that there would be no exemption to any person, officer or individual, including two-

wheeler riders from the odd-even scheme.

The government welcomed the NGT s decision to allow odd-even scheme, but decided to

defer its roll-out.


10. What is the lowdown on the fight against criminal MPs? (Relevant for GS Mains

Paper II)

Anti-corruption movement gaining momentum in Hyderabad as many students of Dwaraka

High School Shouts Anti-corrupt

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to come up with a scheme to establish special

courts to try politicians facing criminal cases. The government itself was not averse to the

idea. It will now have to spell out within six weeks the funds that it is ready to earmark for

setting up these courts throughout the country. Thereafter, the court intends to address the

issue of appointing judicial officers, prosecutors, and other manpower and infrastructure

requirements. The court has indicated that it will interact with representatives of the States

too, as it is the State governments that will be prosecuting most of these cases. In addition,

the court has sought details of the status of 1,581 cases involving candidates who had

disclosed details of pending criminal proceedings against them while filing their

nominations for the 2014 elections. As per a March 2014 Supreme Court order, cases

against politicians ought to have been disposed of within one year. In addition, it has

sought details of fresh cases filed since then and the status of their disposal.

How did it come about?

The matter came to court, thanks to a petition filed in public interest by Ashwini Kumar

Upadhyay, an advocate who says he has been active in anti-corruption movements. He is

also a spokesman for the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Last year, he moved the

Supreme Court for a direction to the Centre to come out with steps to debar all convicted

persons from electoral politics for life. Under the present law, a convicted person is

disqualified for contesting elections for six years from the date of release from prison. The






10



petition also demands that special courts be set up to decide criminal cases related to those

in the legislature, the executive and the judiciary within one year. He has submitted that

34% of the Members of Parliament have criminal cases pending against them and the

government is doing nothing to decriminalise the polity. He has cited various reports of the

Law Commission and other documents relating to electoral reforms and criminalisation of

politics to back his claims.

Why does it matter?

Criminalisation of politics is an issue that worries independent institutions such as the

Supreme Court and the Election Commission more than the political parties in the country.

The perception that the political class manages to wriggle out of serious criminal cases

because of a protracted and repeatedly postponed trial adds to the problem. While the law

s delays are quite well-known, it is obvious that such delays have a beneficial effect on

influential accused, who invariably face the case while being free on bail. In most cases,

delayed trials result in poor accused languishing in jail for long. Further, it is seen that

many political leaders facing criminal proceedings continue to engage in routine political

activity, fighting elections or even holding public office. It is not often that some of them

quit office in the interest of a fair trial.

What next?

As the Supreme Court has already fixed a one-year deadline from the date of framing of

charges for completion of trials involving Members of Parliament and Assemblies in an

order passed in 2014, the court can be expected to take a tough stand on delayed trials

against politicians. The establishment of special courts will be subject to the availability of

funds, especially from the States. Some individuals affected by the order may someday

question the validity of subjecting to them to proceedings in special courts rather than the

regular courts of jurisdiction. The Criminal Procedure Code provides for a speedy trial.

Under Section 309, once the examination of witnesses begins, the court should hold day-to-

day hearings until all listed witnesses are examined. However, this provision is hardly

adhered to. Merely complying with this may significantly expedite cases involving

politicians. It is possible that the current proceedings may lead to some legal changes

aimed at decriminalising politics. While the Election Commission has taken the stand that it

may support the plea for debarring convicted persons from electoral contest for life, the

Centre will have to make up its mind on whether it would endorse such a drastic measure.


11. Money laundering case against retired Orrisa HC judge (Relevant for GS Mains

Paper II)

What is the issue?






11



The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case against retired Orissa

High Court Judge I.M. Quddusi and others in connection with an alleged conspiracy to get

the case of a Lucknow-based medical institute that was barred from admitting students

settled in the Supreme Court.

What is the role of CBI?

The case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has been registered on the basis of

an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation in September. Among those named as

accused were Bhawana Pandey, B.P. Yadav, Palash Yadav, Sudhir Giri and Biswanath

Agrawala. The CBI arrested the retired judge and four others, including a hawala

operator.

What are the details?

The case is related to one Prasad Institute of Medical Science of Prasad Education Trust

that was one of the 46 colleges barred by the government from admitting students for one

to two years, owing to substandard facilities and non-fulfilment of set criteria.

It is alleged that accused B.P. Yadav and Palash conspired with Justice (retired) Quddusi,

one Bhawana Pandey and others to get the issue resolved in the Trust s favour. They met

Justice Quddusi and Ms. Pandey through Sudhir Giri of Venkateshwara Medical College in

Uttar Pradesh s Meerut, alleged the CBI FIR.

The accused wanted relief from the Government Order dated August 10, which had

debarred the college from admitting fresh students for two years. The order also

authorised the Medical Council of India (MCI) to encash a bank guarantee of Rs. 2 crore

furnished by the institution.

The Trust moved the Supreme Court against the order but withdrew allegedly at the

instance of Justice Quddusi and filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court.

The High Court instructed that the college not be struck off the list of institutions notified

for counselling till the next date of hearing, August 31. An interim stay on encashment of

bank guarantee was also given. However, the college was not permitted to admit fresh

students.

The MCI challenged the directions in the Supreme Court. That petition was disposed of on

August 29, as the other side did not claim any benefit from the said order.

The Trust then filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court. Justice Quddusi and Ms. Pandey

allegedly assured the Trust representatives that the issue would be resolved in the

Supreme Court through their links.






12



The accused engaged Biswanath Agrawala, a resident of Bhubaneswar, who claimed that he

had close contacts with the relevant senior public functionaries. He allegedly sought huge

gratification for inducing the officials concerned, the CBI has alleged.


12. EPS-OPS group is AIADMK (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)

Which faction has been allowed AIADMK symbol?

The Election Commission of India allotted the AIADMK s popular two leaves symbol to the

ruling faction headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O.

Panneerselvam, holding that this faction was also entitled to use the party name as the

group enjoyed majority in its legislative and organisational wings.

Which is the other faction?

The other faction headed by V.K. Sasikala, jailed former aide of late Chief Minister

Jayalalithaa, and her nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran, lost its claim to represent the real

AIADMK.

This is the second time the AIADMK has managed to reclaim its name and frozen poll

symbol – the previous one being in 1989.

Basis of Election Commission order

The 83-page EC order noted that in the legislative wing, it had the support of 34 Lok Sabha

and eight Rajya Sabha MPs, and 111 Tamil Nadu and four Puducherry MLAs. The Sasikala-

Dhinakaran faction was supported by three Lok Sabha (one of them Vasanthi Murugesan

switched loyalties to Mr. Palaniswami) and three Rajya Sabha MPs and 20 Tamil Nadu

MLAs (including 18 disqualified legislators).

When did the split arise?

The split following Mr. Panneerselvam s rebellion against Sasikala (whose name he had

proposed as leader) when she sought to replace him as CM in February, had led to the

formation of the AIADMK (Amma) and AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) factions.


13. More seats for Sikkim Assembly (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)






13



Why there is a proposal to increase seats in Sikkim assembly?

The Home Ministry has proposed an increase in the number of seats in the Sikkim

Assembly from 32 to 40. The expansion will be the first since the State merged with India in

1975.

The seats are being increased to accommodate people from the Limboo and Tamang

communities, notified as the Scheduled Tribes in Sikkim in January 2003. Of the eight seats

proposed to be increased, five will be reserved for Limboo and Tamangs.

What is the present arrangement of seats?

Now, Sikkim has 12 seats reserved for Bhutias and Lepchas, two for the Scheduled Castes,

one seat for the Sanghas and 17 general seats. As per constitutional provisions, the total

number of seats for STs should be in proportion to the population.

The seats for Bhutia and Lepchas are reserved not on the basis of them being a Scheduled

Tribe, but as a sequel to a political agreement in 1973 between the Government of India,

ex-Chogyal (King) of Sikkim and political parties.

Intervention of the Supreme Court






14



A petition was moved in the Supreme Court that Limboo and Tamangs were not adequately

represented in the Assembly and the apex court on January 4, 2016 directed the Home

Ministry to take necessary action.

Need for change in Representation of Peoples Act

There will be amendments to the Second Schedule to the RP Act, 1950, whereby total seats

in Sikkim Legislative Assembly will be 40 in place of existing 32, reserving five seats for

Limboo and Tamang, while retaining existing reservations for Bhutias, Lepchas, Scheduled

Castes and Sanghas, a draft proposal of the home ministry said.

The proposal also said that Section 5A of the RP Act, 1951 will be amended to provide that

in case of a seat reserved for Limboo and Tamang tribe, he is to be a member of Limboo and

Tamang tribe specified in the Representation of Sikkim Subjects Act, 1974 and elector or an

assembly constituency in the State.


14. Difference of opinion between the Judiciary and the executive over Judicial

appointments (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)

View of Union Law minister

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hold the view that the Supreme Court s 2015

verdict striking down the law creating the National Judicial Appointments Commission

(NJAC) reveals the judiciary s distrust in the Prime Minister and the Law Minister.

His question whether an audit is needed to determine what has been lost or gained since

the collegium system was created in 1993 is not without merit.

View of Supreme Court

Chief Justice Dipak Misra responded that the judiciary reposes the same trust that the

Constituent Assembly had in the Prime Minister, and that the judiciary indeed recognized

and respected the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.

There was really no need for such a public affirmation of first principles in a democracy.

Need for change in collegium system

The present collegium system is flawed and lacks transparency, and there is a clear need to

have a better and more credible process in making judicial appointments. It is clear that

differences over formulating a fresh Memorandum of Procedure for appointments are

casting a shadow on the relationship.

What is the need?






15



It is best if both sides take a pragmatic view of the situation and sink their differences on

the new procedure, even if it involves giving up a point or two that they are clinging to. For

a start, they could both disclose the exact points on which the two sides differ so that

independent experts will also have a chance to contribute to the debate. If it is the right to

veto a recommendation that the government wants on some limited grounds, the

Collegium must not be averse to considering it. Resolution of this matter brooks no further

delay.


15. 12th Inter-State Council meet held (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

Rajnath chaired Inter-State Council meet:

Union Home Minister, Rajnath assured the constructive role of central govt. in promoting

cooperative federalism.

Furthermore, he suggested that the Centre should not charge any cost to the State

government whenever Central forces are deployed at the request of the State government.

What is co-operative federalism?

Cooperative federalism, also known as marble-cake federalism, is a concept of federalism in

which national, state, and local governments interact cooperatively and collectively to solve

common problems, rather than making policies separately but more or less equally (such

as the dual federalism of the 19th-century United States) or clashing over a policy in a

system dominated by the national government.

Opposition to the Commission s Recommendations:

Andhra Pradesh had opposed the recommendation made by the Puncchi Commission that

Central forces could be deployed without the concurrence of the State government.

Details of the Commission:

The Commission was set up by the government under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.)

Madan Mohan Punchhi, former Chief Justice of India, in 2005 to look into Centre-State

issues keeping in view the changes in the polity and economy of India since the Sarkaria

Commission.

It submitted its report in 2010 containing 273 recommendations in 7 volumes.

The subjects discussed at the standing committee meeting included financial transfers from

the Centre to the States, Goods and Services Tax, structure and devolution of functions to

local bodies and district planning.






16



The standing committee considered 118 recommendations contained in Volumes III, IV and

V and finalized its recommendations.

Parties to the meeting held:

Those who attended the meeting included Union Ministers Arun Jaitley (Finance) and

Thawar Chand Gehlot (Social Justice and Empowerment); Chief Ministers Raman Singh

(Chhattisgarh), Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), Vasundhara Raje Scindia (Rajasthan) and Manik

Sarkar (Tripura).


16. On I-T raids at Jayalalithaa s residence (Relevant for GS Mains paper II)

Allegation of influence by central government

Searches and seizures by the Income Tax department following the death of Chief Minister

Jayalalithaa were without doubt integral to the clean-up operation in a State known for

brazen corruption and abuse of power at different levels. But some of the actions of the

enforcement agencies have given the impression that they are selective in nature, leading

to charges that they were motivated by the political interests of the Bharatiya Janata Party,

which heads the government at the Centre.

Nature of recent raids by Income tax officials

In the latest instance, Income Tax officials searched the residence of Jayalalithaa, following

up on seizures made at properties held by the family of her friend V.K. Sasikala. But

curiously, Income Tax officials were insistent that the rooms used by Jayalalithaa were not

the object of inquiry.

Possible strategy of BJP

Jayalalithaa remains a revered figure in Tamil Nadu s politics, and the BJP s efforts over the

last several months have been two-fold: to acknowledge her political legacy and to

denounce the claims of the Sasikala family as its true inheritor. Not surprisingly, in an

attempt to undermine the BJP s control of the narrative, Sasikala s nephew, T.T.V.

Dhinakaran, described the searches as an assault on Jayalalithaa s soul. The credibility of

the searches thus hinges on the Income Tax department widening the net beyond the

Sasikala family and cracking down on corruption at the highest levels.

Other evidences suggesting political motives

Adding to the credibility issue is the evident lack of serious follow-up on searches made

earlier. Within weeks of Jayalalithaa s death, Income Tax officials conducted searches

against the then Chief Secretary, P. Rama Mohana Rao, and claimed to have unearthed






17



assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. But almost a year later, there is

little forward movement in the case.

Similarly, searches at the properties of Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar, a confidant of Mr.

Dhinakaran, have yielded little in terms of framing of charges. Mr. Baskar remains a

Minister, but he is a little warier of associating openly with Mr. Dhinakaran. The political

impact of the searches is infinitely greater than their legal consequences. Both factions of

the AIADMK seem eager to please the BJP, which does not have much more than a toehold

in the State.

What needs to be done?

In the absence of the searches resulting in serious action, the Central enforcement agencies

will appear as no more than political weapons in the hands of the BJP. Widening the scope

of and deepening the probe consequent to the searches are essential for taking the drive

against political corruption to its logical end. Just as important, however, is the need for

enforcement agencies to demonstrate their independence and credibility.







18



International Organisation and Bilateral

Relations

1. 200 dead in N. Korean n-site mishap (Relevant for Mains Paper II)

Consequence of Nuclear testing

More than 200 people are feared to have died when a tunnel caved in at North Korea s

nuclear test site, triggered by its latest explosion.

A tunnel collapsed at Punggye-ri after the North Korea conducted its sixth and largest

underground nuclear test on September 3. Some 100 workers were killed in the initial

collapse.

Radiation concerns

Experts have warned that the underground tests could cause the mountain to collapse and

leak radiation into the atmosphere near China s border.

The latest test — the sixth at the site since 2006 — triggered landslides in the detonation

area and beyond, according to satellite pictures taken the day after.


2. Terror in New York (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

The terrorist attack in New York confirms fears that terrorism, especially in the West, is

becoming more decentralised, with individuals radicalised by terrorist ideology taking up

arms on their own.

Like the lone wolf terrorists in Nice or Berlin, who killed over 100 people last year, the

New York attacker ploughed a pickup truck into a busy bicycle path in Manhattan, killing

eight.

About the terrorist

Officials say SayfulloSaipov, the 29-year-old Uzbek immigrant, was inspired by the Islamic

State and wanted to inflict maximum damage. This is a unique challenge for governments.

Inspired from ISIS

Over the last few years, Western agencies have foiled multiple terror plots. The U.S. is a

case in point. It has not seen any major coordinated terror attack since September 11,

2001. But the chances of detecting and foiling a sophisticated terror plan by a network are

higher than preventing a lone wolf attack. Even before the IS suffered military defeats in its






19



core territories in West Asia, it had outsourced terror to members and sympathisers. This

means that someone inspired by the IS world view and living in, say, New York or Nice

doesn t have to contact IS handlers or wait for orders from Raqqa or Mosul. He or she can

be both planner and executor. That is what happened in Nice, Berlin, Orlando and now New

York.

Challenges before US Govt.

Governments face both political and security challenges.

The political challenge is to find the root causes of radicalisation and address them. This

cannot be done without support from community members and leaders.

The security challenge is to be more efficient when it comes to preventive measures.

There is also a challenge to prevent polarisation along religious or ethnic lines while

sounding the message of unity and resolve to fight terror.


3. On Rohingya crisis: Suu Kyi in denial (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

Nearly three months after the violence escalated against the Rohingya in Myanmar s

Rakhine State, leading to the migration of more than half a million to neighbouring

Bangladesh, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi finally visited the region.

Position of Suu Kyi

This is extremely disappointing. Ms. Suu Kyi endured years of house arrest and unremitting

hostility from the military junta before emerging victorious in a free and fair election two

years ago. But despite taking over a top post after the election, her civilian government s

powers have been clipped as the military still holds sway over defence, home affairs and

border issues.

Minimal Role of Suu Kyi

Ms. Suu Kyi, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, has found it pragmatic that not to

challenge the official rhetoric in Myanmar, which suggests the military s actions were

aimed at tackling terror in Rakhine.

This could be for two reasons.

1. First, she does not want to upset the fragile balance of power in the fledgling democracy

after years of rule by the junta.






20



2. Second, there is a clear lack of empathy for the Rohingya in a country that has seen the

rise of Buddhist and Bamarmajoritarianism that has corresponded with an official othering

of the Rohingya, who are Muslims, as non-citizens.

Despite the widespread international condemnation of her government s actions, Ms. Suu

Kyi has sought to pander to the domestic gallery by defending the military s actions in

Rakhine. Her conduct during her visit to the region this week suggests that she has no

intention of effecting any real or meaningful change in her government s position on the

Rohingya.


4. India s hopes fade for Farzad-B gas field deal (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper II)

What is Farzad-B gas field?

It is an offshore oil field located in Persian Gulf within territorial waters of Iran. It began

production in 2013 and produces natural gas. The total reserves of the Farzad B gas field

are around 21.7 trillion cubic feet of which around 60 percent is recoverable, and

production is slated to be around 1.1 billion cubic feet/day. Indian government is trying to

negotiate a deal to get rights to dig gas.

India and Iran Deal regarding Farzad- B gas field

As India and Iran engage in a blame game, the fate of the multi-billion-dollar Farzad-B gas

field contract that India has been pursuing with Tehran since 2009, seems doomed. Iran

accuses India of inflexibility, while India charges Iran with changing goal posts and

adopting delay tactics in an attempt at negotiating a more favourable deal.

But both sides agree that the future of the contract is uncertain.

Impact of U.S. curbs

The Indian companies has been trying to secure the contract for development of the field

since then but was first hindered by the sanctions against Iran imposed by the U.S. between

1995 and 2016. With the lifting of those sanctions, Indian companies renewed efforts to

secure the rights to the field.

Initially, the deal was meant to be completed by February 2017, but has been delayed due

to extended negotiations, forcing both sides to alter their offers several times.

Gas prices have been steadily falling globally as supply is outstripping demand. Gas prices

at the Henry Hub in the U.S. — one of the factors used in India s gas pricing formula —

averaged $2.98 per MMBtu in October, down from $3.75 in December last year.






21



Geopolitical advantage

Energy analysts say that India desperately needs gas, and that Iran remains one of the best

options. Geographically, Iran is the closest to India of all the countries in that region. It is

the shortest pipeline distance to get gas from there.

Farzad-B- Important in overall context

The Farzad-B deal is important in the overall context of India-Iran relations, as well. While

India bought oil from Iran even during the years of U.S. sanctions, relations recently have

seen a bit of a downturn. The impasse over the deal has affected the oil trade, with India

recently reducing its crude oil purchases from Iran (down 30-40% from a year ago).

Iran, in retaliation, slashed the number of days of credit offered to Indian companies from

90 to 60 days. Unofficial estimates peg Iranian oil as accounting for 15-20% of India s total

oil imports.


5. Change, yet continuity: on Jerome Powell s nomination as US Fed Chief (Relevant

for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II)

Jerome Powell s nomination as Fed chief

President Donald Trump s decision to name Federal Reserve Board Governor Jerome

Powell as his pick to head the central bank signals that the businessman-turned-politician

has plumped for continuity even as he ushers in change.

Background

Mr. Powell, who was appointed by President Barack Obama as Fed Governor in 2012 and

worked alongside the incumbent Chair, Janet Yellen, over the past five years, will represent

policy continuity in the monetary management of the world s largest economy.

What is the reason for choosing Powell?

With the economic engine ticking over nicely and creating jobs, and the markets buoyant,

there was little reason for Mr. Trump to run the risk of choosing someone who may have

altered the calibrated approach the Fed has adopted in overseeing the recovery from the

global financial crisis.

Mr. Powell had served in the Treasury Department during the George H.W. Bush

administration means that he will receive bilateral support in the Senate.

Effect on India






22



Emerging markets, including India, can heave a small sigh of relief with Mr. Trump s choice,

given the influence the Fed s interest rate decisions have on global capital flows.

Mr. Powell delivered a lecture on Prospects for Emerging Market Economies in a

Normalising Global Economy , he acknowledged the challenges the economies faced as a

result of the normalisation of global financial conditions. And crucially, he stressed that

the best thing the Federal Reserve can do — not just for the United States, but for the

global economy at large — is to keep the house in order through the continued pursuit of

the dual mandate of fostering economic conditions that achieve both stable prices and

maximum sustainable employment.


6. Royal flush: on the surprise crackdown of Crown Prince of Saudi (Relevant for GS

Prelims and Mains Paper II)

About Mohammed bin Salman

Ever since he was named the defence minister of Saudi Arabia in 2015, Mohammed bin

Salman has had little patience for the way the kingdom is being ruled. In June two and a

half year into the reign of his father, King, Salman, he replaced Mohammed bin Nayef as

Crown Prince.

In recent weeks, he had taken on the Salafi religious establishment. Recently, he sprang

another surprise by ordering the arrest of senior government ministers, officials and 11

Princes, including the billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal, and the powerful chief of the National

Guard, Mutaib bin Abdullah.

Reason of Arrest

The immediate reason for the arrests is not known. The palace version is that they were

carried out as part of a new campaign against corruption that is spearheaded by Prince

Mohammed.

Personal reason for this move

The recent crackdowns suggest that Prince Mohammed is consolidating his power. He first

had Prince Nayef removed from his path to the throne as Crown Prince. As one of the

richest among Saudi royals, Prince Alwaleed is known for his cosy ties with Western

governments and less conservative views. Prince Mutaib, a favourite son of the late King

Abdullah, is an influential figure within the palace. By arresting both, Prince Mohammed

potentially neutralised the money and power centres that could pose challenges to him in

the future.

Emerge as a Powerful Prince






23



With the latest arrests, at just 32 years of age Prince Mohammed appears to have

established himself as the most powerful Saudi Crown Prince in decades. He is practically

in charge of key policy decisions and has taken control of all branches of the Saudi security

services — the military, internal security and the National Guard.

He clearly has the King s ear. Still, Prince Mohammed is playing a risky game. In a short

span of time, he has opened multiple fronts in the still-unfolding internal power struggle. In

Saudi Arabia, where the rulers traditionally distribute power among the different branches

of the royal family as a balancing tactic and get their decisions approved by the ulema for

legitimacy, Prince Mohammed s moves are upending tradition.

By concentrating power in his own hands and turning against other Princes as well as some

clerics, he has upset the balance in the system. Quick consolidation of power could perhaps

allow him to reshape the governance model.

The anti-corruption campaign, which sounds much like that led by Chinese President Xi

Jinping, will have popular support, which he could use to continue to target his rivals. But

Prince Mohammed s track record so far is devoid of any major achievement. His ambitious

plan to reform the economy has been a non-starter. His foreign policy moves also backfired

with the Yemen war spinning further out of control and the Syrian civil war turning in

favour of President Bashar al-Assad, who is seen as an adversary by Riyadh. With the

Riyadh-Tehran rivalry in West Asia hotting up again, these developments are also bound to

have repercussions beyond Saudi Arabia.


7. FEMA norms eased to spur investment from overseas (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS

Mains Paper III)

Simplification of FEMA for foreign investors

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has simplified the Foreign Exchange Management

(Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations, by putting

all the 93 amendments under one notification, a move that will make it easier for foreign

investors to invest in the country.

The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), introduced in 1999, was amended 93

times.

About the new notification

The new notification combines two regulations on foreign investments –

One which is popularly called investment in an Indian company or a partnership, or in a

limited liability partnership, or FEMA 20,






24



And the other — FEMA 24, investment in a partnership firm.

Another significant change is the introduction of a late submission fee that could allow an

investor to regularise any contravention due to non-reporting, by paying the fee.

Big impact

It is going to impact in a very big manner because 60-70% of the contravention cases which

RBI receives are due to delays in reporting.

In addition, any transfer of investment from non-resident Indians to any non-residents has

been brought under the automatic route and is thus not subject to reporting.


8. Pacific trade deal reached, sans U.S. (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)

A major trade deal between 11 Asia- Pacific countries

Ministers from 11 Asia-Pacific countries agreed to a major trade deal without the U.S., as

the world s largest economy seeks to go it alone under President Donald Trump s America

First policy.

US left TPP

Mr. Trump pulled his country from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) at the start of the

year. In a joint statement, the remaining countries — dubbed the TPP-11 — agreed on the

core elements of a deal at the sidelines of the APEC summit in the Vietnamese city of

Danang.

CPTPP

The further talks would be needed to reach a full consensus before inking the deal, which

now carries an even longer official name — the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement

for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).


9. Navigation rights figure in first Quadrilateral talks (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS

Mains Paper II)

31st ASEAN and 12th East Asia Summit

Beginning a new diplomatic initiative, India participated in the first formal official-level

discussions conducted under the recently mooted regional coalition known as the Quad,

the quadrilateral formation that includes Japan, India, the United States and Australia.






25



Discussion of Quad

The discussions focussed on cooperation based on their converging vision and values for

promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in an increasingly inter-connected region that

they share with each other and with other partners. They agreed that a free, open,

prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries

in the region and of the world at large.

Issue of Navigation rights

The Quad discussed the need for freedom of navigation in South China sea. China is

attempting to control the navigation rights in South China sea.

Why freedom of navigation is important to India?

Freedom of navigation in South China sea is important for India because South China sea

connects India to Japan and South Korea. Both the nations are important trading partners

of India.


10. The Hariri mystery: on the former Lebanon PM s absence (Relevant for GS

Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)

Sudden resignation of Lebanon s PM

Saad Hariri s shock resignation as Lebanon s Prime Minister has not just plunged the

country into another spell of political instability, but also reignited regional tensions

between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Political History of Lebanon

Lebanon has been a theatre for proxy regional battles for years. Eleven months ago, Mr.

Hariri, a Sunni with close business and political ties with Saudi Arabia, had formed a

coalition with Hezbollah, a Shia party-cum-militia that has Iran s support. This had, in turn,

allowed the election of Michel Aoun as Lebanon s President. But since then Riyadh has

become increasingly impatient with Mr. Hariri s failure to confront Hezbollah, whose

militia wing was involved in the Syrian civil war on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad,

another Saudi rival.

Reason for his resignation

It was against this backdrop that Mr. Hariri announced his resignation from the Saudi

capital and blamed Hezbollah and Iran for his decision.

His continued absence has triggered speculation that he was forced by the Saudis to resign

and is being held in Riyadh against his will at a time when the kingdom is turning up the

heat on Hezbollah and Iran.






26



Regional Risks

There are regional stakes involved in this situation. Hezbollah has evolved into a battle-

hardened semi-conventional military force.

In 2006, Israel attacked Lebanon with the aim of destroying Hezbollah, with little success.

Since then, Hezbollah has amassed weapons from Iran and has got battlefield training in

the Syrian civil war.Its political arm has enormous influence in Beirut s corridors of power.

Concern of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is concerned about this growing military and political influence of what it sees

as an Iranian proxy. U.S. President Donald Trump has backed Saudi policies.

Riyadh has the silent support of Israel, which sees Hezbollah as a threat on its northern

border. If the Saudis forced Mr. Hariri to resign, they will prefer another Sunni leader who

takes a more confrontational view of Hezbollah.

Saudi Arabia has also asked its citizens to leave Lebanon, signalling potential military

action.

It is unfortunate that Lebanon is once again becoming a pawn on the West Asian

geopolitical chessboard.


11. All you need to know about the turmoil in Zimbabwe (Relevant for GS Prelims

and GS Mains Paper II)

The military in Zimbabwe launched a coup on November 15, 2017, calling it a bloodless

correction to target criminals surrounding long-time leader Robert Mugabe.

Who is Robert Mugabe?

Robert Mugabe is the only leader Zimbabwe had since it won freedom from British colonial

rule in 1980. At 93, Mr. Mugabe is the world s oldest head of state. His poor health has

fuelled a bitter succession battle as potential replacements jockey for position. His lengthy

rule has been marked by brutal repression of dissent, mass emigration, vote-rigging and

economic collapse since land reforms in 2000.

What triggered the current stand-off between military and the civilian government?

Mr. Mugabe sacked long-time ally and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, widely

expected to succeed the former and take control of the ruling ZANU-PF party. Mr. Mugabe s






27



move is seen as an attempt to install his wife Grace — 41 years younger than her husband — as Vice-President and eventually take over the top job from him.

How intense is the battle to succeed Mr. Mugabe?

Earlier in 2016, the country was gripped by a bizarre spat between Ms. Grace and Mr.

Mnangagwa that included an alleged ice-cream poisoning incident that laid bare the pair s

rivalry. Ms. Grace has become increasingly active in public life in what many say was a

process to help her eventually taking the top job. She was granted diplomatic immunity in

South Africa in August 2017 after she allegedly assaulted a model at an expensive

Johannesburg hotel where the couple s two sons were staying.

What is the military s stand?

Days after Mr. Mnangagwa fled the country after his dismissal, Army chief General

Constantino Chiwenga warned Mr. Mugabe to stop purges of ZANU-PF.

Did the military stage a coup?

Though the action had all the hallmarks of a bloodless coup, the Zimbabwean military

chose to avoid the word coup.

How does the civilian establishment react?

The main opposition MDC party called for civilian rule to be protected. No one wants to see

a coup. If the Army takes over, that will be undesirable. It will bring democracy to a halt.


12. Pacific Ocean s 11: on TPP without U.S. (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper

II)

TPP without US

When Donald Trump abandoned the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in his very

first week after being sworn in as U.S. President, there were doubts whether the trade

agreement, painstakingly negotiated over more than a decade, would survive. Japanese

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had termed the TPP without the United States — which

contributed 60% of the combined Gross Domestic Product of the 12 members — as

Meaningless .

CPTPP: Future of TPP

Ten months on, exactly at a time when Mr. Trump was visiting Vietnam, trade ministers

from the remaining 11 nations agreed in Danang in principle to a new pact, the

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),

revising some of the features of the TPP. For the agreement to take effect, the pact requires

domestic ratification, which is expected to be complete by 2019.






28



Implication for US

As things stand, the pact without the U.S. can only be interpreted as yet another step that

diminishes American power and the international order that it has so far led. Already, Mr.

Trump s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord and his repudiation of the Iran

nuclear deal have raised suspicions about American commitment to well-negotiated

treaties that seek to solve or have solved long-standing issues.

Nature of US policies under Trump

Mr. Trump couches his regime s policies as populist nationalism — protecting labour in

the case of the abandonment of the TPP, promoting jobs in fossil fuel-intensive sectors to

justify the repudiation of the Paris Accord, and retaining American exceptionalism in West

Asian policy in scrapping the Iran nuclear deal.


13. Pak. court frees Hafiz Saeed (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)

About Hafiz Saeed

Saeed, a declared terrorist by the U.N., the U.S. and India for his involvement in the 2008

Mumbai attacks, had been under house arrest since January 2017. Saeed carries a bounty of

$10 million announced by the U.S. for his role in terror activities.

Decision of the court

A Pakistani court ordered the release of Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and

one of the alleged masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed more than

160 people.

A review Board of the Lahore High Court overruled the government s request to extend the

detention citing that Saeed s release may trigger international sanctions against Pakistan.

Concept of justice cannot be brutalised and terrorised in the name of fight against

terrorism, the High Court said in its ruling.

What helped release of Saeed?

Last month, authorities had withdrawn terrorism charges against Saeed and the JuD, a

front of the terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba and kept him in detention under the

Maintenance of Public Order Act, paving the way for his release.

Saeed s detention was extended four times since January when the government cracked

down on the JuD and its charity arm Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation.






29



The Kashmir factor

Analyst and retired Pakistani general Talat Masood told AFP that Saeed is given special

treatment by the government because they think that his organisation was supportive in

Kashmir.

Following a brief period of house arrest in 2008, Saeed led a high-profile public life and

regularly delivered fiery anti-India speeches till January this year.


14. Evaluation of India s foreign Policy in context of election of Justice Dalveer

Bhandari (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)

The election of Justice Dalveer Bhandari to the International Court of Justice for a second

term is a major diplomatic success for India.

About election process at ICJ

Five of the 15 judges of the ICJ are elected every three years. The winning candidates

required a majority in both the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council

in simultaneous voting through secret ballot.

About the recent elections

This year there were six candidates for five slots. While four candidates were elected

smoothly, Justice Bhandari and Christopher Greenwood of the United Kingdom ended in a

dead heat as the former won the UNGA and the latter the UNSC in multiple rounds of

voting.

The U.K. wanted to end the voting and move to a conference mechanism, which involves

selecting a panel of three UNGA members and three UNSC members, who would then elect

the judge. This mechanism has never been used before.

India opposed the move, and the U.K. could not gather adequate support for its demand in

the UNSC. The U.K. then withdrew its candidate, paving the way for Justice Bhandari s re-

election.

Evaluation of the election

India and the U.K. had staked considerable diplomatic goodwill in the election, and the

outcome is significant politically for both.

U.K. s perspective






30



For the first time, the U.K. will not have a judge on the ICJ. It is also the first time that a

permanent member of the UNSC has lost at the ICJ on a vote. In this context, the loss at the

ICJ is being read as confirmation of the U.K. s diminishing role in global affairs.

India s perspective

For India, soon after its failure to gain membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the

lobbying for the ICJ election has different lessons. India s success was built primarily on the

support of developing countries, among whom it has nurtured goodwill over the decades.

Japan also appeared to align with the P-5. India s support in the UNGA was expanding with

subsequent rounds of voting, a reality the U.K. and the U.S. could not brush aside. For India,

the takeaway is clear: to find a louder global voice, it also needs to put more emphasis on

ties with countries away from the high table.


15. Pakistan s Law Minister, Zahid Hamid puts resign: The recent protests in

Pakistan (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)

Zahid Hamid resigned after weeks of big protests staged by the protestors.

Details of the protests held:

Thousands of protesters massed in Pakistan s major cities in response to the government

efforts to disperse an Islamist rally in Islamabad, with the military hesitant.

The Islamist group (Tehreek-e-Labbaik) was demanding the resignation of Pakistan s Law

Minister Zahid Hamid over a hastily-abandoned amendment to Khatm-i-Nabuwwat

(finality of prophethood), the oath which election candidates must swear.

Demonstrators have linked the issue to blasphemy — a highly contentious matter in

Muslim Pakistan that has fuelled violence many times before.

Counter Response:

An Interior Ministry order said the federal government had authorised the deployment of

sufficient troops to control law and order in the capital until further notice.

Background:

Nawaz Sharif was disqualified due to corruption charges, as per law no disqualified person

can hold any public office, so he had to step down as a Prime Minster and also as a Party

Leader of PML(N).

To tackle the judgement PML(N) government passed an Election Reform Bill; that any

disqualified person can hold party leadership that established Nawaz Sharif as Party






31



Leader again. But in the bill, subsequent changes were made that threatens the khatam-e-

Nubuwat clause as per Islamists (finality of prophethood), the oath which election

candidates must swear.

So, Islamists marched to the Islamabad (Capital City) to Protest and blocked main

interchange between Islamabad-Rawalpindi named Faizabad.

Government in apprehension of any terrorist attack blocked all governmental building with

double containers. Therefore, protests are held.







32



Economics

1. Crypto currencies, ICOs under SEBI lens (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper

III)

Regulator examining means to deal with coin offerings

The rising popularity of crypto currencies and the increasing number of entities looking at

raising funds through Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) has caught the attention of the capital

market regulator, which is evaluating whether such instruments and offerings can be

brought under its regulatory purview.

Crypto currencies like bitcoin, Ethereum and such offerings have been under government

radar for long and discussions have been held between various bodies, including SEBI and

the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on the possible ways in which this segment can be

regulated. The central bank is of the view that these instruments are securities and so SEBI

should be the regulating body.

Concrete presentation

The regulator is evaluating whether these instruments can be regulated under the current

SEBI Act or if there is a need for the government to give additional powers or amend the

existing law.

About ICO

An ICO, like an equity initial public offer (IPO), is an issuance of digital tokens that can be

converted into crypto currencies and are mostly used to raise funds by start-up firms

dealing in blockchain technology and virtual currencies like bitcoins and Ethereum.

Unlike an IPO, which is governed by SEBI regulations, there is no regulatory body for ICOs

in India.

According to data from UK-based CoinDesk, nearly $2.7 billion has been raised globally

through ICOs since 2014. Concerns related to ICOs can be gauged from the fact that China

recently banned such offerings after its central bank said that ICOs are illegal public finance

mechanism used for issue of securities and money laundering.

Status of Bitcoins in India

According to a recent study, more than 2,500 Indians invest in bitcoin daily. Start-ups like

Zebpay, Uno coin, Coin secure, Search trade, Belfries and Bit oxo are some of the well-

known players in the bitcoin and blockchain segment in India. While crypto currencies and

ICOs have risks and involve pooling of money, it cannot be regulated by SEBI unless it is






33



relatable to the securities market. Bitcoins are neither commodities derivatives nor

securities under Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.

Concerns regarding Bitcoins

Bitcoin players, meanwhile, feel that instead of a regulator, the industry is in more urgent

need of a self-regulatory organisation (SRO) that could formally lay down principles to take

care of concerns like money laundering and other possible misuse.

US Status

In the US, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) applies a so-called Howey Test to

determine if an instrument is to be considered a security.

Self-Regulatory Regime

SEBI has an extremely well-regulated process in place and there is no need for a new

regulator for ICOs. Bitcoin start-ups such as Zebpay, Unocoin, Coinsecure and Searchtrade

came together to form the Digital Asset and Blockchain Foundation of India (DABFI) to lay

down self-regulatory regimes for trading of bitcoins and other blockchain-based digital

assets apart from standardising Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti Money Laundering

(AML) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR) norms for the member companies.

What are Cryptocurrencies?

A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of

exchange using cryptography to secure the transactions, to control the creation of

additional units, and to verify the transfer of assets. Cryptocurrencies are classified as a

subset of digital currencies and are also classified as a subset of alternative currencies and

virtual currencies.

Bitcoin, created in 2009, was the first decentralized cryptocurrency. Since then, numerous

cryptocurrencies have been created. These are frequently called altcoins, as a blend of

bitcoin alternative. Bitcoin and its derivatives use decentralized control as opposed to

centralized electronic money/centralized banking systems. The decentralized control is

related to the use of bitcoin s blockchain transaction database in the role of a distributed

ledger.

(Adapted from The Hindu & Wikipedia.org)

2. The lowdown on the stimulus to banks (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper

III)

Capital Infusion in Public sector Banks

The government has announced a capital infusion in public sector banks amounting to Rs.

2.11 lakh crore over financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19 through the issue of






34



recapitalisation bonds, enabling the banks to tap the market, and through budgetary

support.

Money comes from Various resources

Of this sum, Rs. 1.35 lakh crore will come through recapitalisation bonds, Rs. 18,000 crore

from the budget and Rs. 58,000 crore that banks can raise from the market. However, the

government is yet to decide on the modalities of the recap bonds.

What are Recapitalisation Bonds?

The government has issued recapitalisation bonds in the past, between 1986 and 2001,

worth over Rs. 20,000 crore. The process typically is that the government issues the bonds

in lieu of capital. After lenders subscribe to these bonds, the money raised by the

government is used to infuse fresh equity into the banks. Except the interest that has to be

paid, there will not be an additional burden on the government. It is likely to have a

marginal impact on fiscal deficit.

Cause of this move

Capital has eroded significantly in public sector banks due to the pressure of bad loans.

These banks are overly dependent on the government for funds due to their limited ability

to tap the capital market because of the subdued valuation of their share price.

Why Govt. chooses the Recap Bonds?

Most of the public-sector banks shares are trading at a discount to their book value.

Moreover, the government is also constrained to make a significant capital allotment from

its budget, since it wants to stick to the path of fiscal discipline. The Finance Ministry has

pegged the fiscal deficit target at 3.2% of the GDP. So, recap bonds were an option which

fulfilled both objectives: supporting banks with their capital needs but without disturbing

the fiscal math.

Background

According to a report by State Bank of India, from 1986 to 2001, the interest paid by the

government on recap bonds worked out to 0.07% of GDP per annum on average. But

during the period, the banks paid dividends to the government amounting to 0.06% of the

GDP on an average. So, the net impact on fiscal deficit was only 0.03% of the GDP.

Consequences of this move

The move will strengthen the capital adequacy of public sector banks, which is required for

provisioning for bad loans and adhering to the Basel-III framework.

Analysts and rating agencies claim the capital infusion will be sufficient for public sector

banks.






35



What is the need of the hour?

While capital infusion is welcome, it must be ensured that the government is not throwing

good money after bad money. Improving credit discipline and risk management systems

are the need of the hour for public sector banks. The governance issues of the banks and

their over-enthusiastic lending in the past need to be addressed.


3. Centre doubles down on GST s gains for consumers (Relevant for GS Prelims and

GS Mains Paper III)

Creation of National Anti- Profiteering Authority

A day after the Centre notified the latest set of cuts in the rate of tax to be levied on a wide

range of goods as part of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Union Cabinet approved the

creation of the National Anti-Profiteering Authority to ensure that businesses pass on the

benefits of GST to consumers.

The decision to set up the enforcement body marks the government s resolve to ensure

that the latest tax rate reductions approved by the GST Council on more than 200 items are

implemented immediately by businesses.

About National Anti- Profiteering Authority and its functioning






36



The chairman and the four members of the authority have to be less than 62 years.

As per the structure of the anti-profiteering mechanism in the GST regime, complaints of

local nature will be first sent to the state-level screening committee, while those of national

level will be marked for the Standing Committee.

If the complaints have merit, the respective committees would refer the cases for further

investigation to the Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS). The DG Safeguards would

generally take about three months to complete the investigation and send the report to the

anti-profiteering authority.

If the authority finds that a company has not passed on GST benefits, it will either direct the

entity to pass on the benefits to consumers or if the beneficiary cannot be identified will

ask the company to transfer the amount to the consumer welfare fund within a specified

timeline.

The authority will have the power to cancel registration of any entity or business if it fails

to pass on to consumers the benefit of lower taxes under the GST regime, but it would

probably be the last step against any violator.

According to the anti-profiteering rules, the authority will suggest return of the undue

profit earned from not passing on the reduction in incidence of tax to consumers along with

an 18 per cent interest, as also impose penalty.

From 18 % to 15 %

The GST Council held that restaurants had failed to pass on the benefit of input tax credit to

customers. It decided to remove restaurants ability to avail themselves of input tax credit

while at the same time slashing the final tax rate to 5%.

(Adapted from The Hindu & ndtv.com)

4. Economy gets thumbs-up from Moody s (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS mains Paper

III)

View of Moody s Credit rating agency

Global credit rating agency Moody s Investors Services raised India s sovereign rating for

the first time in 13 years, citing the country s high growth potential in the years to come,

thanks to economic and institutional reforms.

What is the change in rating?

The agency upgraded the rating from Baa3 with a positive outlook to Baa2 with a stable

outlook.






37



Borrowing obligations rated Baa2 are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered

medium grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. Baa3, by

contrast, was the lowest investment grade rating.

A rebuttal to critics of government

For the government, the upgrade serves as a strong rebuttal for critics who have panned its

handling of the economy — coming on the back of India s rise in the World Bank s ease of

doing business index, and as a culmination of persistent efforts to get rating agencies to

acknowledge India s improved macroeconomic situation.

The financial markets reacted positively to the development, with the BSE Sensex rising

236 points and the rupee rising to Rs. 64.62 per dollar.

Reason for slow growth

Acknowledging that some steps such as the GST and demonetisation have undermined

growth in the near term as reflected by the slower GDP growth of 5.7% in the first quarter

of 2017-18, Moody s said it expects real GDP growth in India to moderate to 6.7% in this

fiscal year. But the agency believes that the disruption effect of these reforms will fade as

the government helps small and medium enterprises and exporters with compliance issues

under the new indirect tax regime and growth will rise to 7.5% in 2018-19, and remain

robust, thereafter.

What needs to be done?

Although the rating agency agreed that a lot remains to be done such as fixing the GST s

implementation challenges, weak private sector investment and the slow resolution of

banks bad loans, Moody s said it expects at least some of these issues to be addressed over

time and will help further improve the Indian government s effectiveness and overall

institutional framework.






38




5. Need for fine balance on GST National Anti-Profiteering Authority (Relevant for GS

Prelims, GS Mains Paper III)

What is National Anti-Profiteering Authority?

Over four months into the troubled implementation of the goods and services tax, the

Centre has operationalised a provision in the GST law that has been worrying industry. The

National Anti-Profiteering Authority, whose constitution was approved by the Cabinet, is

empowered to crack down on firms that fail to pass on the benefits of the tax regime to

consumers.

What can National Anti-Profiteering Authority do?

The authority can order businesses to reduce product prices or refund to consumers

undue benefits; in extreme cases it can impose a penalty on errant firms and cancel their

registration as taxpayers.

Where the consumers are difficult to trace individually, the amount construed by the

authority to be the extent of undue benefit will be deposited in a consumer welfare fund.

What will be the structure of National Anti-Profiteering Authority?






39



The authority will have its own bureaucracy — including a screening committee in each

State that consumers can complain to; a standing committee in which profiteering

allegations with an all-India impact can be taken up; and an investigation wing that will

vet complaints with prima facie merit and report its findings to the NAA.

How has the need for body emerged?

The trigger for setting up the authority is clearly the recent large-scale reduction in tax

rates on more than 300 items, of which about 200 rate changes were to come into effect

from November 15. The government is keen on ensuring that consumers have a better

perception of the GST s ground-level impact.

Problems in implementation of change in order

Union Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has urged companies (especially those in the fast-

moving consumer goods segment) to ensure that new maximum retail prices are inscribed

on products from November 15, even on existing inventory in the market.

While wholesalers can still implement this, reaching every last retailer is a challenge. But

firms have been warned that the entire retail chain must reflect revised prices in order to

avoid anti-profiteering action; and the expectation is that there will be some exemplary

action soon to make industry fall in line.

Restaurant chains are also likely to face the heat for retaining price hikes; even though

their tax rate has dropped, they no longer get any credits for taxes paid on inputs.

What is the need of the hour?

Protecting consumer interest is important, but the prospect of the government monitoring

prices and asking businesses to justify pricing decisions instead of letting market forces

play out is unnerving. The NAA could take a cue from, if not partner, the Competition

Commission of India in this, and focus on firms raising prices indiscriminately in markets

where they enjoy a dominant position or forming pricing cartels.

The government must ensure that the authority s powers are used transparently and only

where there is genuine consumer/public interest at stake. Else, it runs the risk of making

profit itself a bad word.


6. President signs bankruptcy ordinance (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper

III)

President gave his assent to the ordinance approved by the Union Cabinet to amend the

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to strengthen the regime.






40



What are the provisions of the ordinance?

The ordinance aims at putting in place safeguards by prohibiting wilful defaulters, those

associated with non-performing assets (NPAs), and the habitually non-compliant, from

regaining control of the defaulting company or stressed assets through the back door in the

garb of being a resolution applicant. The sale of property to a person who is ineligible to be a resolution applicant … has been barred, an official statement said.

To ensure that the norms are enforced effectively, a new section provides for punishment… [which] is fine, which shall not be less than Rs. 1 lakh but which may extend

to Rs. 2 crore.

Who are Ineligible persons?

According to the statement, a new section has been introduced in the IBC that makes

certain persons ineligible to be a resolution applicant. Those being made ineligible include

wilful defaulters, those who have their accounts classified as NPAs for one year or more

and are unable to settle their overdue amounts including interest thereon.

The ineligible persons also include those who have executed an enforceable guarantee in

favour of a creditor, in respect of a corporate debtor undergoing a Corporate Insolvency

Resolution Process or liquidation process under the IBC.

Also, ineligible are those who are promoters or in management of control of the resolution

applicant, or will be promoters or in management of control of corporate debtor during the

implementation of the resolution plan, the holding company, subsidiary company, associate

company or related party of the above referred persons, the statement said.

What was the need of ordinance?

The ordinance aims at putting in place safeguards to prevent unscrupulous, undesirable

persons from misusing the IBC, the statement said. Actions against defaulting companies to

prevent misuse of corporate structures for diversion of funds, as well as weeding out of

unscrupulous elements from the resolution process would help strengthen the formal

economy and encourage honest businesses and budding entrepreneurs to work in a

trustworthy, predictable regulatory environment, it added.

In addition to putting in place restrictions for such persons to participate in the resolution

or liquidation process, the amendment also provides such check by specifying that the

Committee of Creditors (CoC) should ensure the viability and feasibility of the resolution

plan before approving it.







41



7. What do amendments to IBC mean to promoters? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III

and GS Prelims)

What is bankruptcy? What is the IBC s intent?

A company is bankrupt if it is unable to repay debts to its creditors (banks, suppliers etc).

The inability to repay debts by some Indian firms has resulted in a huge pile of non-

performing assets for the banking system.

The Indian government had introduced the IBC as a method to tackle the issue. Under the

Code, a resolution has to be found for the indebted company within 270 days. Otherwise, a

liquidator is appointed. The company can also opt for voluntary liquidation by a special

resolution in a general meeting.

How has IBC progressed? Why was the amendment needed?

According to Manish Aggarwal, partner and head — resolutions, special situations group,

KPMG in India, the resolution to stressed assets picked up steam under IBC and investors

started warming up to the huge opportunity. The question was whether existing sponsors /

promoters of corporate debtors (ie the company with debt and under the insolvency

proceedings) can directly or indirectly acquire stake in these firms post acceptance of a

resolution plan which would have entailed substantial discount to outstanding loans of

lenders.

He pointed out that the key questions were — can promoters seek a huge cut from lenders

and be back in the business? Does this provide a level playing field to other prospective

bidders?

Does this send the right political and economic signals? The government took note of all

these concerns expressed by investors, and that s what led to the recent (amendment)

ordinance.

What does the recent amendment do?

Nishit Dhruva, managing partner, MDP & Partners, a full-service law firm, said with the

present amendment promoters/directors and guarantors, along with their related parties

of the corporate debtor or company undergoing an insolvency resolution process, are

prohibited or debarred from filing resolution plans.

This was needed to prevent the back-door entry of errant promoters into the company,

thereby taking advantage of the haircuts and thus getting a premium for their own

wrongdoings, he added.

What are the key elements of the amendment?






42



The amendment has inserted two new sections in the insolvency code — Section 29A,

which provides for persons ineligible to be a Resolution Applicant; and Section 235A, which

provides for punishment for contravention of the provisions where no specific penalty or

punishment is provided.

Section 29A says those ineligibles to be a Resolution Applicant include:

Wilful defaulters (i.e., those associated with non-performing assets, or are habitually non-

compliant and, therefore, are likely to be a risk to successful resolution of insolvency of a

company);

Those whose accounts are classified as Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) for one year or more

and are unable to settle overdue amounts including interest and charges relating to the

account before submission of the Resolution Plan;

Those who have executed an enforceable guarantee in favour of a creditor, in respect of a

corporate debtor undergoing a Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process or Liquidation

Process under the Code and others connected to the above, such as promoters or those in

management control of the Resolution Applicant, or those who will be promoters or in

management control of corporate debtor during the implementation of the Plan, the

holding company, subsidiary company, associate company or related party of the above

persons.

Section 235A provides for punishment for contravention of the provisions where no

specific penalty or punishment is provided. The punishment is fine which shall not be less

than one lakh rupees, but which may extend to two crore rupees.

What the amendment means in terms of NPA resolution? What are the key

challenges?

Mr. Dhurva points out that key challenge would be to invite expression of interests and

resolution plans from applicants who are not related to the Corporate Debtor after

conducting due diligence about the creditworthiness of such buyers. KPMG s Aggarwal says

even though there have been concerns about the amendment, it ensures that errant

promoters don t end up getting the business back with all sacrifices being made by the

lenders. As situation evolves, and experience manifests, these clauses can be further

tweaked, however, there was a need to send a strong message for first few large cases that

government means business, he added.


8. TRAI backed Net neutrality (Relevant for GS Prelims, Mains Paper II & III)






43



The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) came out in strong support of Net

neutrality in a series of recommendations following a long process of consultations on the

issue.

Warning has been issued by the TRAI against any discriminatory treatment including

blocking, degrading, slowing down or granting preferential speeds to any content.

TRAI had barred telecom providers from charging differential rates for data services in its

Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016, effectively

blocking such attempts by Facebook and Airtel.

Subjects inclusive in the ruling:

The content mentioned includes all content, applications, services and any other data,

including its end-point information, that can be accessed or transmitted over the Internet.

How have the conclusion been drawn?

These recommendations have been arrived on the pre-consultation paper issued in May

2016 to identify key issues and a detailed consultation paper in January 2017 which

focussed on identifying the requirements, design, scope and implementation of Net

neutrality framework in India. Based on the responses received, open house discussions

were held in three cities.

Stringent clause/warning for Service providers:

The service providers should be restricted from entering into any arrangement that has the

effect of discriminatory treatment based on content, sender or receiver, protocols or user

equipment.

What is net neutrality? Net-Neutrality

Net neutrality refers to the principle that internet service providers should enable access to

all content and applications regardless of the source and without favouring or blocking

particular products or websites.

Net neutrality is also called network neutrality, internet neutrality or net equality. Possible

consequences of lack of Net-Neutrality

1. Lack of net-neutrality may enable certain websites to promote them at cost of others. For

e.g. big e-commerce giants may influence internet service providers to enhance data-access

speed while block other small e-commerce retailers.

2. Information access to people may also be manipulated.

What is TRAI?






44



Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is an independent regulatory body

established by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997 to oversee the

telecommunications industry in India.

TRAI is charged with ensuring the orderly growth of the telecom sector while protecting

the interests of both telecom service providers and consumers. It encourages technological

improvements and makes recommendations for how providers can improve efficiency and

technical compatibility. To that end, TRAI establishes standards for quality of service (QoS)

and supervises how service providers share revenue. TRAI also conducts periodical

surveys to ensure that telecom service providers are acting in the best interest of

consumers and are operating in compliance with universal service obligations.


9. Hit refresh: on the slashed GST rates (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II and GS

Prelims)

The script was altered for the second time in two months but with far greater impact after

Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised far-reaching changes to simplify the goods and

services tax regime, especially for small businesses and consumers

Recent relief measures by GST Council

The Council lowered the tax rates on over 200 products, compared to 27 items in its

previous meeting and about 100 tweaks since GST rates were finalised in May.

Earlier

Over 1,200 products and services had been placed in five tax brackets — 0%, 5%, 12%,

18% and 28%. These rates no longer hold for about a quarter of items, and the highest tax

bracket is left with just 50 products, compared to more than 250 in July.

About small businesses

The ambit of the Composition Scheme for small businesses has been expanded twice —

from an initial turnover threshold of Rs.75 lakh per year to Rs.1 crore (in October), and

now further to Rs.1.5 crore.

Challenge faced by the Finance Ministry

With returns for the first month of the tax yet to be filed by all registered taxpayers and less

than three months to go till the presentation of the Union Budget, Finance Ministry face a

unique challenge on revenue visibility.

In the interest of the exchequer and the taxpayer, whatever other improvements the GST

needs must be implemented at the earliest — whether they are stuck because of a lack of






45



consensus (letting inter-State suppliers avail of the Composition Scheme), poor

implementation (the GST Network) or simply the lack of bandwidth to think through.







46



Environment

1. Mass bathing in Ganga aggravates anti-microbial resistance woes (Relevant for GS

Prelims and Mains Paper III)

Antimicrobial Resistance

Mass-bathing in the Ganga during pilgrimages may be contributing to anti-microbial

resistance (AMR). Such resistance is said to be the reason for certain key antibiotics

becoming ineffective against diseases, including tuberculosis.

Sampled Ganga & its Results

Some years ago, researchers from the Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and the

Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi sampled water and sediments at seven sites along the

Ganga in different seasons.

In 2014, they reported in the peer-reviewed Environmental Science and Technology that

levels of resistance genes that lead to superbugs were found to be about 60 times greater

during the pilgrimage months of May and June than at other times of the year.

The researchers had then said preventing the spread of resistance-genes that promote life-

threatening bacteria could be achieved by improving waste management at key pilgrimage

sites.

Report of Govt.

The government report —— Scoping Report on Antimicrobial Resistance in India — cites

this study too along with a compilation of all scientific studies done in India on the threat

from AMR, causes and sources that aggravate it. The report notes that India has some of the

highest antibiotic resistance rates among bacteria that commonly cause infections in the

community and healthcare facilities.






47



Earlier data

In 2014, India was the highest consumer of antibiotics, followed by China and the United

States. However, the per-capita consumption of antibiotics in India was much lower than in

several other high-income countries.

Other Factors of AMR

Other than cultural factors such as bathing in the Ganga, the drivers of AMR included

excessive use of antibiotics in the livestock industry and unchecked discharge of effluents

by the pharmaceutical industry.


2. Excessive rainfall in Bengaluru. What has been impact? (Relevant for GS Mains

Paper I)






48



With unprecedented rainfall lashing the city over the past couple of months, Bengaluru is

injured and damaged. Not only has the rainfall broken records, making it the city s wettest

year, it may also be one of the deadliest. So far, over 16 persons have died since May, apart

from at least five persons who were killed in road accidents caused by potholes that have

sprouted after the rain abated. Houses collapsed, lakes overflowed, and major roads were

inundated. Is Bengaluru afraid of the rains?

How intense were the rains?

The city has received more than 1,660 mm of rain since January, more than any year since

the India Meteorological Department (IMD) started its monitoring station at the end of the

19th century. Last year, when many parts of Karnataka witnessed drought-like conditions,

it received around 1,100 mm in the whole year. However, this year s rainfall has been

erratic. After strong pre-monsoon spells in May, the first two months of the monsoon were

unusually dull with just 83 mm and the prospect of another drought year raised its head.

These anxieties were washed away in mid-August, with the night of August 14 seeing

nearly 129 mm of rain. For the next two months, near incessant rainfall has lashed the city,

with the rain gauges recording in excess of 1,200 mm — 25% above the average annual

rainfall.

What has the impact been on roads?

Roads were flooded, and then developed potholes — over 35,000, according to the Bruhat

Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Around 90% of the potholes have been fixed, and

most major roads are in a decent state now.

What about the water crisis?

Rain in Bengaluru is not entirely linked to water crisis. Bengaluru gets its drinking water

from the Cauvery basin, which requires rain in the Western Ghats. Water levels in the

reservoirs are much higher than they were last year, so no water crisis is expected.

Why did the city get flooded?

1. Meteorologists point out that heavy spells of rainfall — where over 12 mm is recorded in

an hour — were unusually common this season.

2. Meanwhile, the urban heat island effect also saw some parts of the city — the heavily

concretised landscapes of south and east Bengaluru, for instance — receiving far more rain

than the relatively green north Bengaluru. That the city has expanded beyond its means has

contributed to the problem.

3. Stormwater drains that crucially connect between lakes are badly designed or have been

encroached upon or choked with sewage and garbage.






49



4. Lakes have been lost and whatever exists has been lined with sludge, reducing the

capacity to hold excess rainwater.

5. Layouts and rampant construction have propped up in natural depressions of the city —

all of which leave the water with no place to go but into houses.

What can be done?

Civic experts point out that reviving numerous lakes, including the nearly 1,100-acre

Bellandur and Varthur lakes, is critical to ensuring that the city can sustain rain such as this

year s. Besides allowing for storage of over five thousand million cubic feet of water, these

lakes ensure that more than double their storage capacity percolates to the soil.

Interlinking these lakes is a stormwater drain system that utilises the city s terrain to

transfer water from the catchments to another. However, out of 853 km of stormwater

drains, only 400 km has been strengthened.

Moreover, the completed drains have all-concrete lining. This means the rainwater gushes

to lakes rather than percolate into the surface.

Whether the rain has intensified due to climate change — which means stronger

downpours and more erratic monsoons — or 2017 was just an anomaly, what is for certain

is that unless the infrastructure is overhauled, Bengaluru cannot cope with rain.


3. Marooned once more: on Chennai s need for flood management (Relevant for GS

Prelims and Mains Paper III)

North East Monsoon and Chennai

Chennai s date with a strong northeast monsoon ought to be a cause for all-round relief

since the water fortunes of more than eight million residents of the metropolitan region

depend on this weather system.

People s Fear

Yet, the heavy rains in the meteorological sub-division, exceeding the normal by 93% in the

period of four days from November 1, left tens of thousands of citizens in a state of despair.

Flood waters abandoned them in the rapidly growing suburban housing clusters, with

many having to flee to safer places fearing a repeat of the deluge of 2015.

While there have been efforts to alleviate immediate misery through the distribution of

relief material in some places, the larger issue of how the city deals with flood and drought

cycles remains unaddressed.






50



Need to conserve the traditional lakes and Canals

Chennai is a lower elevation coastal city with global aspirations, and very high population

density.

Scientific management should have ensured the preservation of the many traditional lakes

and canals that existed in the city s core a century ago to absorb the intense downpour of

about 1,300 mm of rain, most of it in an annual window of a few weeks. Successive

governments have allowed the mindless draining of wetlands and their conversion into

expensive real estate, with catastrophic consequences.

Need – Integrated Flood Management System

Chennai and its sprawl extending to two neighbouring districts should return to the

traditional wisdom of creating tanks and lakes for water storage, and rejuvenating old

silted ones, in order to harvest the floods and replenish depleted groundwater.

The finding from a study shows that 27 tanks have totally disappeared and another 400

have lost almost their entire capacity. This underscores the need to revive such natural

sponges

Need of the Infrastructure

Tamil Nadu, one of India s most urbanised States, has a poor record in this area, resulting in

fragile slums. New housing has mushroomed in Chennai s suburbs, where municipal bodies

are mired in incompetence and corruption. It is these localities with little infrastructure

that have borne the brunt this year.

The remedial structures should be built for existing localities. Poor waste management is

exacerbating the problem by blocking drains, canals and lakes, while ill-planned road

projects are cutting off flood flows. These have to be immediately addressed.


4. 2017 is set to be in top three hottest years: WMO (Relevant for GS Prelims and

Mains Paper I)

The year 2017 will be one of the three hottest years on record, with many high-impact

events, including catastrophic hurricanes and floods, debilitating heat waves and drought,

says a provisional statement on the State of the Climate released by the World

Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Reasons/Causes






51



The average global temperature from January to September 2017 was approximately 1.1°C

above the pre-industrial era.

As a result of a powerful El Niño, 2016 is likely to remain the warmest year on record, with

2017 and 2015 being second or third.

The WMO statement, which uses 1981-2010 as the baseline, was released at the United

Nations (UN) climate changeconference in Bonn.

The past three years have all been in the top three years in terms of temperature records.

This is a part of a long term warming trend. Earth has witnessed extraordinary weather,

including temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius in Asia, record-breaking hurricanes in

rapid succession in the Caribbean and Atlantic reach as far as Ireland, devastating monsoon

flooding affecting many millions of people and a relentless drought in East Africa.

Extreme events

Extreme events due to climate change have affected the food security of millions of people,

with agriculture accounting for 26% of all the damage and loss associated with medium to

large scale storms, floods and drought.

Further, between 2000 and 2016, the number of vulnerable people exposed to heatwave

events increased by approximately 125 million.

In 2016, 23.5 million people were displaced during weather-related disasters. In Somalia,

more than 7, 60, 000 internal displacements have been reported by UN agencies.

About India

All-India rainfall for the 2017 monsoon season (June to September) was 5% below average.

However, above average rainfall in the Northeast and adjacent countries led to significant

flooding. Many parts of the Indian subcontinent were affected by monsoonal flooding. The

most serious flooding occurred in mid-August in eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh and

nearby northern India. Mawsynram (India) received more than 1400 mm from August 9 to

12.

Three major and high-impact hurricanes occurred in the North Atlantic in rapid succession,

with Harvey in August, followed by Irma and Maria in September.

Sea level stable

The global mean sea level (GMSL) has been relatively stable in 2017 to date, similar to

levels first reached in late 2015. This is because the temporary influence of the 2015-16 El

Niño continues to unwind and GMSL is reverting to values closer to the long-term trend.






52



However, preliminary data shows that a rise in GMSL may have started to resume from

July-August 2017 onwards.


5. About the climate change meet underway in Bonn (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS

Mains Paper III)

The 23rd conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change under way in

Bonn faces the challenge of raising the ambition of the world s leaders and giving practical

form to the provisions of the Paris Agreement.

US withdraw from the Paris Agreement

Although 169 countries have ratified the accord, and there is tremendous support for

greener, low-risk pathways to growth worldwide, the Trump administration in the U.S., one

of the top emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs), has announced it will withdraw from the

pact.

Even if it will take until 2020 to achieve an actual withdrawal, the U.S. action reverses the

overall momentum achieved in Paris in 2015 and negates President Barack Obama s legacy

of regulations designed to reduce America s GHG emissions, especially from the use of coal.

China- reduce the risk of Climate Change

It is heartening that China, which has achieved rapid economic growth and leads in GHG

emissions, is firmly behind the pact to reduce the risk of climate change. There is steady

progress in the growth of renewable energy sources as they become cheaper and the

efficiency of solar, wind and energy storage technologies improve.

The Agreement has a benchmark of raising $100 billion a year by 2020.

Risks involved

Major risks from climate change, such as extreme weather phenomena, loss of agriculture,

water stress and harm to human health, pose a threat to millions around the world. For

some countries, such as Fiji, which holds the presidency of the Bonn conference, and other

small island-states, the future is deeply worrying because of the fear that sea levels may

rise sharply due to climate change.

Level of India

India s emissions have been rising overall, but it has committed itself to lowering the

emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% by 2030 from the 2005 level. India has been

awarded among the highest levels of multilateral climate funding at $745 million since






53



2013. Securing funds for mitigation and adaptation is a high priority for India, but it must

ensure that States acquire the capacity to absorb such assistance efficiently.

While the emphasis on a giant renewable energy programme has won global acclaim, the

focus is equally on India s readiness to embrace green technologies across the spectrum of

activity, including buildings and transport.


6. Pollution crisis due to paddy stubble burning (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper III)

Impact of Paddy stubble burning

A major reason for the poor air quality is the burning of paddy stubble by farmers in

Punjab and Haryana. This practice comes in handy for farmers as they prepare their fields

for sowing Rabi crops. However, the thick smoke which emanates because of setting fields

on fire poses serious health hazards for people. Burning fields also affects the quality of the

soil, robbing it of vital nutrients. The smoke contains toxic chemicals which causes

respiratory problems and other diseases.

The smoke combined with vehicular emissions make the air we breathe deadly. The

national capital is the most affected by bad air quality as it lies close to Punjab and Haryana.

Burning fields, a common practice

In India, there are two cropping seasons—Rabi and Kharif. The first one generally starts

from April and lasts till October. The Rabi season lasts from November till April. To prepare

their fields quickly for sowing wheat and other Rabi crops, most farmers burn the crop

residues after paddy harvesting gets over. Every year in Punjab, about 7 to 8 million metric

tonnes of paddy residue is burnt openly between October and November. Though erring

farmers have been warned by the state authorities, they continue with this practice as it

involves no cost.

Reason for continuance of Paddy stable burning

Experts say lack of adequate machinery makes strict implementation of not burning fields

impossible. Though farmers are being offered machines on subsidy to clear the stubble,

they continue to resort to burning.

Between the paddy harvesting and wheat sowing seasons, farmers get just 15-20 days. To

clear the paddy stubble, a large number of machines are required at low prices, which is

most often not the case.






54



Source: NASA s Earth Observing System Data and Information System

In this image, the red spots show the approximate locations where paddy fields have been

burnt in Punjab.

Air quality deteriorating

With continuous burning of paddy fields, Delhi s air quality is degrading. Data collected

from October 30 to November 2 shows that there has been a continuous rise in the Air

Quality Index (AQI) of the city. The more the AQI rises, the more people are likely to suffer

from adverse health impacts. The monitored value of AQI from October 30 to November 2

ranges from 201 to 297 which falls under the Very Unhealthy category.






55



Source: US Embassy data calculated as per Indian standards by SAFAR, MoES-IITM-

IMD

Punjab and Haryana are both responsible for causing air pollution due to burning. These

two states contribute to 48 per cent of the total emission due to paddy burning across

India. Burning of crop residues emits traces of carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide,

nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide and particulates which affect human health. It is estimated

that India annually emits 1,44,719 mg of total particulate matter from open burning of

stubble.

Poor air quality is especially bad for the elderly, children, and people with chronic

respiratory conditions. Pollution as a result of paddy stubble burning can affect the

respiratory system and aggravate asthma.

The government s stand

The National Green Tribunal has imposed a complete ban on the open burning of leaves

and other materials which emits toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. The Punjab Pollution

Control Board (PPCB) has recently issued a notification banning the burning of crop

residues across the state. In January this year, Ex- Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had

announced a special grant worth Rs 1 crore to any district which prohibits open burning of

paddy stubble.






56



Though the Punjab and Haryana governments are providing farmers with paddy seeders

and shredders at subsidised rates, using them to remove stubble is not common.

Manpreet Singh, chairman, PPCB, said, it is very difficult to stop this practice of burning as

there is no other alternative available for farmers to recultivate on the same of patch of

land within a short span of 15 days.

(Adapted from The Hindu and downtoearth.org)

7. Chennai, during the northeast monsoon (Relevant for GS Mains Paper I)

It is becoming a standing joke in Chennai that schools might as well write off two months in

the year — November and December.

Chennai since 2015

Since 2015, when the northeast monsoon season descended as a cataclysm on a city that

was scarcely prepared for it, the impending monsoon brings a measure of menacing and

unease to residents.

Three years on, the level of preparedness leaves much to be desired. The first showers

were intense and left many parts in a shamble — water-logging on the roads and water

entering homes in low-lying areas, while on a night of particularly heavy rain, the entire

city slowed down in waters that flowed on the roads, not unlike waves crashing on the

shore.

Why is it so vulnerable?

As the city grew and expanded beyond its core, it was built over water bodies that were

cleared out to make space for human settlements.

As more and more people moved to urban areas, these settlements filled out and the

resources soon grew inadequate for the growing population dependent on them.

Natural draining paths were built over. In addition, years of rampant encroachment on

waterbodies and lake beds did not help. Inadequate monsoon preparation, in terms of

desilting tanks and deepening water channels and storm water drains and removing

encroachment, has not been adequately addressed across the city and suburbs.

Did drought stop the greater damage?

The monsoon of 2017 came after a summer of drought, as the city struggled to find water

from multiple sources to meet its drinking water needs. The Chennai district has so far






57



registered 674.8 mm of rain this season. This is 70% more than the average of 397.9 mm

for the season.

Though in the first heavy spell of November, Chennai recorded 30 cm of rain, on

subsequent days, the volume of rainfall came down, and the rain spells too were relieved

by short dry periods. The city s four reservoirs that had dried out are still only over a third

full.

In many places, inexplicably, roads were dug up to undertake waterline/storm-water and

sewer line repairs though it is common knowledge that the northeast monsoon wings its

way at October-end.

What happened in 2015?

In retrospect, scientists co-related the unprecedented heavy rain between November 30

and December 2 in 2015 to an active El Nino year. It is true that the quantum of rainfall was

high, but it was not the rain alone that was responsible for the disaster that followed.

A key element that is still being pointed out was the reportedly slow release of excess

water from Chembarambakkam lake, which flooded the entire city and led to the loss of

many lives and property worth several crores.

Improper silting of waterways and stormwater drains, rampant encroachments that stood

solidly in the path of the water, giving residents very little or insufficient warning to leave

their homes, as the floodwaters raced to the city. Water entered homes, over several floors,

and washed out people and their possessions.

What next?

Environmental activists insist that drastic action to evict encroachers and those who sit on

water bodies must be taken. Better preparedness of official machinery to face the floods

across the city, as some pockets faced this November, is crucial. It is the only way a natural

calamity is not exacerbated by man-made errors, they point out.


8. Warm, warmer: on climate change (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III)

As the 23rd conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn shifts

into high gear, developing countries including India are focussing on the imperatives of

ensuring adequate financing for mitigation and adaptation. They are moving ahead with

specific instruments for loss and damage they suffer due to destructive climate-linked

events.






58



India in Greenhouse Gas Emission

India s progress in reducing the intensity of its greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP

by 20-25% from 2005 levels by 2020, based on the commitment made in Copenhagen in

2009, has been positive.

Early studies also suggest that it is on track to achieve the national pledge under the 2015

Paris Agreement for a 33-35% cut in emissions intensity per unit of growth from the same

base year by 2030, and thus heed the 2°C warming goal.

Since this performance is based on a growth rate of just over 7%, and the parallel target for

40% share of renewable energy by that year, the national road map is clear.

Need to change the Approach by Developed Countries

What is not clear is the impact of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods that

would have a bearing on economic growth. It is in this context that the rich countries must

give up their rigid approach towards the demands of low and middle-income countries and

come to an early resolution on the question of financing of mitigation, adaptation and

compensation.

Promises made by India

India could further raise its ambition in the use of green technologies and emissions cuts,

which would give it the mantle of global climate leadership. The climate question presents

a leapfrog era for India s development paradigm.

Already, the country has chalked out an ambitious policy on renewable energy, hoping to

generate 175 gigawatts of power from green sources by 2022. This has to be resolutely

pursued, breaking down the barriers to wider adoption of rooftop solar energy at every

level and implementing net metering systems for all categories of consumers.

About Transport Decarbonisation Alliance

At the Bonn conference, a new Transport Decarbonisation Alliance has been declared. It is

aimed at achieving a shift to sustainable fuels, getting cities to commit to eco-friendly

mobility and delivering more walkable communities, all of which will improve the quality

of urban life. This presents a good template for India, building on its existing plans to

introduce electric mobility through buses first, and cars by 2030. Such measures will have a

beneficial effect not just on transport choices, but on public health through pollution

abatement. A national law to raise the efficiency of transport could well be the answer,

which the States will readily adopt if supportive financial arrangements are built in.







59



9. Centre to launch BS-VI fuel in Delhi from 2018 to battle smog (Relevant for GS

Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)

In a bid to deal with the critical pollution situation in the national capital, the Ministry of

Petroleum has brought forward the date for the rollout of BS-VI fuel for Delhi to April 1,

2018 instead of the original deadline of April 1, 2020.

BS VI fuel Move in Delhi

Taking into account the serious pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining areas, the Petroleum

Ministry in consultation with Public Oil Marketing Companies has decided for preponement

of BS-VI grade auto fuels in NCT of Delhi with effect from April 1, 2018 instead of April 1,

2020.

OMCs have also been asked to examine the possibility of introduction of BS-VI auto fuels in

the whole of NCR area with effect from April 1, 2019.

Benefits of BS VI fuel

The rollout of BS-VI fuel in Delhi works well for the auto manufacturers as they can test

their vehicles using the fuel, and it also serves as the first stage in shifting the entire

country onto BS-VI from BS-IV.

Availability of BS-VI fuel in Delhi from April 2018 also gives an opportunity to the vehicle

manufacturers in this region to test and validate the BS-VI vehicles being developed by the

auto industry so as to be fully ready for the April 2020 deadline.

Background

Bharat stage emission standards (BSES) are emission standards instituted by the

Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion

engines and Spark-ignition engines equipment, including motor vehicles. The standards

and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under

the Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change.

The standards, based on European regulations were first introduced in 2000. Progressively

stringent norms have been rolled out since then. All new vehicles manufactured after the

implementation of the norms have to be compliant with the regulations. Since October

2010, Bharat Stage (BS) III norms have been enforced across the country. In 13 major

cities, Bharat Stage IV emission norms have been in place since April 2010 and it has been

enforced for the entire country since April 2017. In 2016, the Indian government

announced that the country would skip the BS-V norms altogether and adopt BS-VI norms

by 2020.

(Adapted from The Hindu & Wikipedia.org)






60



Internal Security

1. The lowdown on the dengue epidemic (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper

III)

What is it?

The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) records show that

1,29,329 people fell sick with dengue this year, while 200 died. India s official numbers are

well known to be gross underestimates, with private hospitals often not reporting the

disease.

In fact, a 2014 study calculated that the actual number of cases between 2006 and 2012

was 282 times the NVBDCP number.

But even if one were to factor in the undercounting, 2017 is an extraordinary year.

This is due to three reasons. First, India is getting better each year at reporting dengue,

leading to more cases being counted.

Second, dengue itself is becoming more endemic due to urbanisation. The dengue mosquito

thrives in urban habitats, in water pooled under a flower pot for example. As population

explodes in rural areas, what was initially an urban disease has moved to these regions too,

says Arunkumar Govindakarnavar, a virologist at the Manipal Centre for Virus Research

who runs a surveillance project for febrile illnesses in 10 States.

Third, dengue epidemics follow a natural cycle as population immunity waxes and wanes.

But given our patchy data collection, it has been hard to glean out such cycles.

How did it come about?

As dengue burden rises in the country, the likelihood of more people becoming severely ill

grows.

This is because more infections raise the chances of the virus mutating to a more virulent

form. It also raises the risk of a phenomenon called antibody-dependent enhancement.

The dengue virus has four serotypes, or types that are classified by the type of antigen (a

molecule on the viral surface which human antibodies recognise) they have.

These serotypes are DENV-1, DENV2, DENV-3 and DENV-4. When a person is affected by

one dengue serotype, she develops antibodies against it, which protect her for the rest of

her life. If the same person is then infected by a different serotype, she is likely to develop

severe disease.






61



This is because, in some cases, antibodies against the first serotype worsen the second

infection, instead of protecting against it.

This phenomenon is called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) and results in a more

dangerous illness called dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF).

Why does it matter?

Severe dengue haemorrhagic fever causes blood vessels to leak, which leads to a loss of

blood pressure. If this isn t treated quickly by replacing bodily fluids, the person can go into

shock and can die. But treating a patient of DHF is a delicate balance, and hard to do in the

high-pressure environment of an outbreak, says Mr Arunkumar. First, doctors must learn

to spot severe cases and avoid indiscriminate admission of mild cases. For this, they need

to look beyond easily-measured parameters like platelet counts, to symptoms that need

careful observation. Haemorrhagic fever shows up as a puffy face, loss of blood pressure,

low pulse rate and a range of other symptoms. Once it develops, fluids need to be given

with care. It often happens, says Mr Arunkumar,that doctors give patients too much fluid,

which too has dangerous consequences.

What next?

Given the burden of dengue, the economic cost for India is huge. One calculation based on

data from Madurai estimated the 2012 medical cost of dengue for India to be $548 million.

According to the study, a hospitalised person spent an average of $235.20, usually out of

her own pocket. Costs like this are a blow to daily-wage earners, because hospitalisation

also means a loss of income. The good news is that, across the world, early treatment keeps

mortality levels as low as 2%. India is still pondering over introducing the world s first

dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, and for good reason. Studies show that people who have never

been exposed to dengue can develop severe disease if they get dengue a few years after

vaccination. This is thought to be due to ADE. So, for vaccination to be helpful, between 50

and 70% of the population needs to have been exposed to the virus. India is conducting

seroprevalence studies to calculate exposure rates before it takes a call.


2. New J&K surrender policy to target local militants (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS

Mains Paper III: Internal Security)

Call to local militants to surrender

With a fresh surrender policy being framed by the government, the Army and the J&K

Police asked all local militants to give up arms and assured them full cooperation to join the

mainstream. Over 130 local militants are still active in the Valley. We are after foreign

terrorists. said J&K DGP.






62



They said local militants could use the helpline if they want to come back. A police official

said the government has taken inputs from all security agencies to frame the fresh policy.

Difference with earlier policy

Earlier, the surrender policy was limited to those who crossed the Line of Control into

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early 1990s and were stuck there.

The new surrender policy is considering provision of passports and jobs to any local youth

who gives up the gun and support for his full assimilation into society, official sources said.

Result of new policy

Around 60 boys have already been brought back into the fold, said the police. At least 190

militants have been killed this year. Of these, 66 were locals.


3. Why has India struggled to buy fighter aircraft? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III)

Why is the IAF looking for new jets?

The Indian Air Force, one of the largest in the world, operates a diverse mix of legacy and

modern fighter jets, including MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, Su-30MKI and

Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

India sees the possibility of a two-front war — with Pakistan in the west and China in the

north — and to be able to tackle it, the IAF has a projected requirement of 44 fighter

squadrons. However, it now has 33 squadrons, much lower than the sanctioned strength of

42 squadrons. With the IAF set to phase out 11 squadrons of the ageing MiG-21s and MiG-

27s, the number may dip to 25 squadrons, according to a report of the Parliamentary

Standing Committee on Defence released early this year.

Have we tried in-house?

The LCA programme was launched in the early 1980s to indigenously build a single-engine

lightweight fighter jet to replace MiG-21s. But delays in development, coupled with

sanctions, meant time and cost overruns. After a long development cycle, the Tejas is now

in the process of being inducted. The IAF has placed orders for 40 of them in the basic

configuration and constituted its first squadron last year with three aircraft. It is scheduled

to place orders for 83 aircraft in the Mk-1A configuration with specific improvements. So,

by 2024, the service is likely to have 123 Tejas aircraft, making up six squadrons.

Is there need to import jets?






63



The delay in the development of Tejas and its induction meant looking for the alternatives

from abroad. The idea to buy new fighters to replace the single-engine MiG-21s came up in

2000. After several iterations, the search for a single- engine fighter metamorphosed into

the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contest for which both single- and twin-

engine aircraft were evaluated. The request for proposal (RFP) for 126 MMRCA was issued

in 2007, and after extensive evaluation, the twin-engine Rafale, built by Dassault Aviation

of France, was selected as the lowest bidder in 2012 and contract negotiations began. The

aircraft was supposed to be built in India under technology transfer, but after several years

of negotiations there was a gridlock.

What is the deal for Rafale?

In 2015, visiting Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise announcement to

buy 36 Rafale jets in a fly-away condition through an inter-governmental agreement, citing

critical operational necessity of the IAF. After some tough negotiations in September

2016 the two countries concluded a € 7.87-billion deal for 36 aircraft, spares, weapons and

a five-year maintenance guarantee. This was the first fighter aircraft deal India had signed

since the purchase of Sukhoi from Russia in the late 1990s. Deliveries are scheduled

between 2019 and 2022. However, 36 is too small a number to meet the requirements or

even make operational viability for maintenance and support. Over the last few weeks, a

controversy has been raging over the Rafale deal for 36 jets. The Congress has raised

questions about the high cost per aircraft, about Rs. 1,640 crore, without any technology

transfer, the relatively small number, and also alleged that procedures were circumvented

in the announcement.

What is the way forward?

In the next couple of months, the IAF is scheduled to issue the tender under the strategic

partnership model of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) for selecting a single-

engine fighter over a 100 of which will be built in India by a private sector player with

technology transfer by the foreign original equipment manufacturer. However, given the

convoluted procurement process and the inexperience of the private sector in defence

manufacturing, it has to be seen how soon the deal is concluded.

In addition, India and Russia have been negotiating the joint development of the Fifth

Generation Fighter Aircraft. But talks have protracted over high cost and the work share.

Given the current trend, the travails of the IAF to make up the fighter strength are likely to

continue.







64



Science and Technology

1. India-made Falcon will fly in 2022, says Reliance Group (Relevant for GS Prelims

and Mains Paper III)

The Reliance Group s joint venture with Dassault Aviation to manufacture components for

Rafale fighter aircraft is much talked about.

However, the group is also harbouring ambitions to fly out business jets and passenger

planes made entirely in India.

About the Joint Venture Reliance, in a joint venture with the €3.6 billion Dassault Aviation, will start making the business jet Falcon from January 2018 at the Dassault Reliance Aviation Limited (DRAL)

facility in Mihan, Nagpur and the first Falcon is expected to fly out of Mihan as early as

2022 for the global markets.

About Falcons

Falcons play in the wide-cabin, long-range aircraft segment as they can fly distances

between 6000-12000 km, covering a range of travel needs.

The Falcon aircraft assembled at the DRAL facility will be the first to be manufactured for

the export market by an Indian-owned facility.

The manufacturing facility at the Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park is located in the Mihan

SEZ. It is a 51:49 venture between Reliance Aerostructure and Dassault Aviation.

The company expects to make 20 Falcons a year, with 2,500 Falcons delivered in the last 50

years, of which 2,100 Falcons are operational in 80 countries.

Employment plans

It will directly employ over 700 engineers for the Falcon assembly-line alone, giving

indirect employment to 3,000 others.

Revenue & Expenditure

A Falcon 2000S costs $30 million-$40 million, while the Falcon 8X costs upwards of $60

million. The company expects revenues of Rs.800 crore a year from the venture.


2. Secret cavity found in Great Pyramid (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper III)






65



What lies beneath: A 3D artistic view shows a hidden internal structure in Khufu s Pyramid.

AFP/Nature Publishing Group/Scan Pyramids Mission AFP/Nature Publishing Group/Scan

Pyramids Mission

A passenger plane-sized void has been discovered in the middle of the Great Pyramid of

Egypt, where it has lain secret and untouched for 4,500 years.

About the Secret cavity

The space is one of four cavities, along with the king and queen s chambers and Grand

Gallery , now known to exist inside the giant monument constructed under Pharaoh Khufu

of ancient Egypt.

It is big, said co-discoverer Mehdi Tayoubi of the ScanPyramids project, which has been

exploring Khufu s pyramid since October 2015 with non-invasive technology using

subatomic particle scans. The discovery was published in science journal Nature.

It s the size of a 200-seater airplane, in the heart of the pyramid.

Khufu Pyramid of Egypt

The Khufu pyramid is the oldest and only surviving construction among the Seven

Wonders of the Ancient World, and one of the largest buildings ever erected on Earth.






66



1st major Structure- Inside the Great Pyramid

The cavity is the first major structure found inside the Great Pyramid since the 19th

century, the research team said.

The exact shape and size of the void is fuzzy — its purpose and possible contents a

mystery.

But it is thought to be at least 30 metres long, and located above the Grand Gallery — a

sloped corridor almost 50 m long and 9 m high — that links Khufu s burial chamber at the

pyramid s centre to a tunnel leading outside.

The monument — 139 metres high today, and 230 metres wide — was erected as a tomb

for Khufu, also known as Cheops.

Completed closed

The big void is completely closed, which means anything inside it would not have been

touched by anyone after the pyramid (was) built.

The monarchs of ancient Egypt built these monumental tombs for themselves, complete

with coffin to hold their embalmed mummies, and stocked with everything they could

require for the afterlife — food, clothing and jewellery.

Khufu s pyramid was plundered long before it was visited by modern archaeologists, and

no relics remain from any of the known chambers.

Technique used

The team used a technique called cosmic-ray muon radiography, which allowed them to

visualise known and potentially unknown voids in the pyramid without having to touch a

single stone.

What are Muons?

Muons are charged, heavy particles formed from the interactions of cosmic rays with atoms

in the upper atmosphere.

Similar to X-rays, which can penetrate the human body and allow bone imaging, these

particles can follow a mostly straight line through several hundreds of metres of stone

before decaying or being absorbed.

Contents unknown






67



By recording the position and direction of each muon as it travels through the pyramid,

muon detectors can distinguish cavities from stone.

The muon imaging technology can t confirm (whether) there are some artefacts or not.

Anything inside would be too small for muon imaging.

The team is already turning its attention to new technology for the next step — possibly a

miniature robot that can travel through tiny holes to examine the inside of the void without

disturbing anything.


3. Air-launched Brahmos missile test-fired for the first time (Relevant for GS prelims,

GS Mains Paper III)

About the test

In a milestone, a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was fired succesfully for the first time

from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

The missile was gravity dropped from the Su-30MKI from its fuselage, and the two-stage

missile s engine fired up and was propelled towards the intended target in the Bay of

Bengal.

Brahmos ALCM, which weighs 2.5 tonnes, is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India s

Su-30 fighter aircraft. It has a range of 290 km.

Completes tactical cruise missile triad

Brahmos, the world class weapon with multi-platform, multi-mission role is now capable

of being launched from land, sea and air, completing the tactical cruise missile triad for

India, the statement noted.

The land and sea variants of Brahmos are already operational with the Army and the Navy.

Recently, the range variants were upgraded from 290 km to 450 km after India joined the

Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia and named after the Brahmaputra and

Moskova rivers.


4. Draft space law has place for private players (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III)






68



It will legally allow commercial, private players

The draft of the future Indian space law will legally allow commercial and private space

players.

The Department of Space put out a 20-page draft of the Space Activities Bill, 2017, for

public feedback.







69



Social Issues

1. Indians add more years to their lives (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper

I)

A first-of-its kind report on the India State-Level Disease Burden, released. It has revealed

severe inequalities in the disease burden in different States.

Improvement in Life Expectancy

For instance, life expectancy at birth in the country improved significantly during 1990 to

2016 — from 59.7 years and 58.3 years for females and males, respectively in 1990 to 70.3

years for females and 66.9 years for males in 2016.

Huge difference between States

But in a measure of the continuing inequalities, the life expectancy for females in Uttar

Pradesh was 66.8 years — below the national average and 12 years less than in Kerala,

where it was 78.7 years.

Again, men in Kerala enjoyed a life expectancy of 73.8 years, but the corresponding figure

for men in Assam was 63.6 years.






70



The study found that while under-5 mortality was improving in every State, there was a

four-fold difference in the rate of improvement among States, which again indicated health

inequalities.

Health issues in India

The per person burden from many of the leading infectious and non-communicable

diseases varies 5-10 times between different States and malnutrition continues to be the

single largest risk for health loss in India, which is higher among females and is particularly

severe in the empowered action group States [Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,

Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand] and Assam.

Report

The report was prepared under the India State-level Disease Burden Initiative, a joint

project between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Public Health

Foundation of India (PHFI), and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), in

collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The report s findings were

published in the journal Lancet.


2. All you need to know about the Kerala Ǯlove jihadǯ case Hadiya issue Relevant for GS Mains paper I)

What is the case about?

The case pertains to the marriage of a Muslim with a Hindu woman after she allegedly

converted to Islam. The Kerala High Court ruling on a Habeas Corpus plea, on May 24,

2017, declared the marriage null and void. The marriage was allegedly conducted on

December 19, 2016 at the Puthur Juma Masjid near Kollam. The woman, a homeopathy

student, allegedly changed her name. Shafin Jahan had met her with his family in August

2016 in response to her advertisement on a marriage website.

What happened after that?

Mr. Jahan moved the Supreme Court against the High Court ruling and requested the apex

court to order the woman s father to produce her. He claimed that her father is holding her

in illegal confinement after the High Court arbitrarily annulled their marriage, condemning

it as love jihad. It is not love jihad if an adult Hindu woman, on her own volition, converts

to Islam and marries a Muslim man according to Islamic rites, Mr. Jahan told the Supreme

Court.

What does the father say?

According to her father, the woman is a helpless victim trapped by a well-oiled racket that

uses psychological measures to indoctrinate people and convert them to Islam. He claims






71



that Mr. Jahan is a criminal and his daughter was trapped by a network with connections to

Popular Front of India and even the Islamic State. My daughter once told me that she wants

to do sheep-farming in Syria… even the most liberal of fathers would be shocked to hear this, the father told the Supreme Court, adding that such conversions and marriages were

not rare in Kerala. His daughter s case was only the tip of the iceberg, he said.

What does the Supreme Court say?

The Supreme Court first ordered the National Investigation Agency to investigate the issue.

On October 3, it, however, questioned the very annulment of the marriage by the High

Court and the legality of the girl s father keeping her in his custody for the past several

months.

What did the NIA tell the court?

The NIA had told the Supreme Court that the marriage is not an isolated incident and it had

detected a pattern emerging in Kerala. It submitted that it had found that the same people

were behind the women s conversion and marriage. There is the same lady. The entities

behind this are the same. The girls convert, and they refuse to stay with their relatives. These people take them in and the marriage is done during that time… This

matter requires further investigation.







72



Miscellaneous

1. Teaching ethics to aspiring civil servants (Relevant for GS Prelims)

Issue of Cheating by an IPS

The arrest in Chennai of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer on probation, for cheating

during the civil service examination, raises questions on future recruitments to the All

India Services and the training of officers.

The incident also took place some months after the government approved all the

recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, which was done in the hope that more

pay would mean greater levels of honesty and dedication on the part of public servants.

What should be the proceedings against him?

Unlike in normal criminal justice matters, the burden here of proving innocence rests with

the offender, as long as the decision is to proceed against him in an internal inquiry and

terminate his services thereafter. However, going by the severity of the offence, it is

doubtful whether the ends of justice will be met by resorting only to departmental action.

There is always a public perception that double standards are applied when punishing

criminals in high places. This is why there is no option but to prosecute the officer in a

court of law. Of course, he should be given every opportunity to defend himself, but the dice

seem heavily loaded against him. The punishment aside, what needs to be revisited in this

context is the provision in civil service rules that permits a serving officer to constantly

look for opportunities outside the service to which he or she had been allotted in the first

instance.

Impart Instruction on Ethics also

The pride of the Indian Police is the National Police Academy in Hyderabad that trains IPS

recruits. It offers comprehensive training to shape the profile of police officers. In recent

years, some measures have been initiated to impart instructions in ethics. The Chennai

incident throws serious doubts over the quality of such inputs aimed at character-building.

The NPA faculty, including its director, must enhance the quality of instruction in ethics. In

sum, there must be the instruction of trainees in ethical behaviour.

Further, supervisors in the State Police do not play the role required of them to train IPS

probationers once they are assigned for field training after finishing the course at the NPA.

Only a few senior officers take interest in instilling the right values in IPS trainees. This is

not only because of sheer indolence and the low priority accorded to responsibility of






73



monitoring training, it is also because of the declining moral standards of senior police

officers themselves.


2. Girl power: on the winning of Women Hockey Team (Relevant for GS Prelims)

India may have won the final of the women s Asia Cup hockey tournament against China in

a penalty shootout, but it was a fully deserving victory. Throughout their campaign in

Japan, team members played out of their skin to register the win, which has secured them a

spot in next year s World Cup emphasis on merit, not as wild-card entrants.

Earlier position of Indian women in Hockey

The triumph came against formidable hurdles, and in the absence of any expectations.

Indian women were never the favourites, going into the tournament ranked 12th in the

world and fourth in Asia — behind World No. 8 China, Korea and Japan.

Hurdles in the path

India defeated defending champion Japan in the semi-finals. This happened despite a

degree of pre-tournament disarray. The team lost its second coach in the space of a year,

and Harendra Singh came in the assignment just a month before the Asia Cup, that too with

no previous experience of having worked with a women s hockey team. The team had other

issues to grapple with as well; the fitness and skill levels had slipped. The lack of

expectations, sadly, was clear from the fact that there was no live telecast, not even online

streaming. Such live updates as there were came via social media.

India needs to boost the Women hockey Team

The hockey federations must heed this victory and use this occasion to considerably scale

up support to the women s game. The insistence on appointing foreign coaches, despite the

clear discomfort and disconnect among the women in matters of communication, has

unnecessarily cost India too much time. The inadequate competitive exposure made

available for the team was unfortunate.

About the Coach- Harendra Singh

Harendra Singh has his work cut out too. He has a reputation for being obsessed with

results. He is a disciplinarian who has the ability to coax the best from his players, lead

from the front and put in the hard yards. In fact, it is a reflection of the team s hard work,

dedication, discipline and focus on the game that someone who is regarded as the most

difficult Indian coach to work with is already in awe of his players. The road ahead is

arduous, and 2018 will be crucial for the women and men, with the World Cup and the

Commonwealth Games as well as an Olympic spot to be secured through the Asian Games.

Captain Rani Rampal s girls have shown they can do it.






74




3. Scientists have discovered new species of Bananas (Relevant for GS Prelims)

Botanists in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been looking for banana species. The

islands are a biodiversity hotspot that hosts seven different species of wild banana that we

know of, not to mention numerous, yet undocumented, others.

Musa Paramjitiana- a species of wild banana

The latest discovery, published in the Nordic Journal of Botany, is of a species of wild

banana named Musa paramjitiana, in honor of Paramjit Singh, who happens to be the

director of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). The species was found in North Andaman s

Krishnapuri forest, 6 kilometers from any human habitation.

About this species

The plant grows to a height of nine metres and bears an edible, sweet-and-sour tasting fruit

that is boat-shaped and has numerous bulb-shaped seeds. Its conservation status has been

declared as Critically Endangered as it has so far been spotted in only two locations on the

islands, each with 6 to 18 plants in a clump.

Critically endangered

No population has been located in the other regions of the Andaman Islands, and the

drastic disappearance of its mixed forest habitat indicates that the species should be

considered Critically Endangered, based on IUCN Red List categories and criteria.

Conserve germplasm

These discoveries present a great opportunity for plant breeders and horticulture experts

to improve the existing banana crop. The germplasm of all the wild banana species needs to

be conserved on an urgent basis, since most of these are found in very small habitats and at

risk of extinction.

In 2014, botanists discovered Musa indandamanensis, another wild banana, in a remote

tropical rain forest on the Little Andaman island. It has dark green cylindrical flower buds.


4. Under pressure: on Gurugram s Ryan School murder case (Relevant for GS

Prelims)






75



Why police investigators should not jump to conclusions, influenced by public outrage the

poor quality of police investigation in the country has once again come under focus. The

twist in the probe into the murder of a seven-year-old boy at a school in Gurugram,

Haryana exposes how unreliable the police can be when it comes to investigating grave

crimes amidst a public outcry and close media scrutiny.

Change of stand by CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation now claims that it was a 16-year-old student who

murdered Pradyuman Thakur at the Ryan International School, and not the bus conductor

arrested earlier for the offence by the local police. If the latest account is true, the police

must explain why it made the sensational claim that Ashok Kumar, the conductor of the

school bus, had committed the murder in the school s washroom on September 8, and that

he had confessed to it. The motive, the police had claimed, was that the child had resisted

his attempt to sexually assault him.

Recent claim by CBI

The CBI says that in fact a Class XI student had killed his junior school mate in a bid to get

examinations postponed and a parent-teacher meeting called off. Closed-circuit television

footage is cited as a crucial piece of evidence against the senior student, who is now under

arrest, although the CBI says the role of Ashok Kumar remains under investigation. In their

eagerness to show results and demonstrate their efficiency, the Gurugram police

announced the bus conductor s arrest on the very night of the murder. Reports that the

school s bus driver was under pressure to identify the knife allegedly used in the murder to

be part of the bus toolkit add to the suspicion that the police were trying to frame the

conductor.

Pressure of media

Given the media glare that accompanies such tragedies, the police must learn not to

succumb to the temptation to wrap up probes under public pressure. That the police had to

extract a false confession is downright disgraceful, but it is not an isolated case in a country

known for its primitive investigative methods.

Need of Police reforms

Studies on police reforms have highlighted the need to make the investigation process

more scientific and more rooted in forensic analysis, but custodial torture and extracted

confessions continue to be reported.

The muddle in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case probe is a telling example of how both the

local police and the CBI can botch up the investigation and lead to unfair incarceration.

When two narratives emerge from different police agencies for a heinous murder, a sense

of disquiet among the public is inevitable. The onus is now on the CBI to avoid such pitfalls






76



and show that the initial narrative was false, and its subsequent account is closer to the

truth.


5. Demi- Leigh Ne –Peters (South Africa) became Miss Universe 2017 (Relevant for GS

Prelims)

The woman representing South Africa won the Miss Universe crown.

Details:

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, was crowned during the event at the Las Vegas, USA.

This year s edition had the most contestants ever, including the first ever representatives of

Cambodia, Laos and Nepal.

Prize Awarded:

The 22-year-old Nel-Peters has earned a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York

City for the duration of her reign and more prizes.

About Miss Universe Contest:

Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by the Miss Universe

Organization. Along with Miss World and Miss Earth, Miss Universe is one of the most

important and publicized beauty pageants in the world. The group is three three events

along with Miss International are known as pageants. Miss Univerese is held in more than

190 countries worldwide and seen by more than half a billion people annually.


6. Pandit Narayanrao, proponent of Gwalior gharana, passed away (Relevant for GS

Prelims)

Eminent exponent of the Gwalior gharana of Hindustani classical music, Pandit Narayanrao

Bodas, passed away at 84 after a brief illness. He belonged to Gwalior Gharana.

Hindustani Music

Hindustani music originated in the Vedic times. It has Persian, Afghan and Turk influence

due to the continuous Islamic invasions in northern India. It is associated with the northern

part of India whereas the Carnatic music is associated with the southern part of India. The

artist is independent under hindustani music to innovate and improvise the music. This led

to emergence of multiple gharanas. It has only six principle ragas. The ragas under this

music are time, mood and season specific. It gives more emphasis on musical instruments.






77



The tempo is slow to fast under this music. It includes the instruments, namely Tabla, Sitar,

Sarangi and flute.






Documents

For updates on WhatsApp, share your name & city on ... · Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court s guidelines are inspired by the UN Model Law on Justice in Matters involving Child