CIVIL

SERVICES

MONTHLY

ON

E ST

OP

SOLU

TIO

N F

OR

CIV

IL S

ERV

ICES

EDGE COMPUTING

ORGANOID

INDIA-CHINA SUMMIT

NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM) SUMMIT DRAFT SEED

BILL, 2019

AAREY FOREST CASE

BAUL MUSIC

DHRUV PROGRAMME

NAGA PEACE DEAL

SECTION 124-A

MSMES

OCTOBER 2019

INDEX

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

NAGA PEACE DEAL 1

SC AND ST (PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES) ACT, 1989 2

RTI VIOLATIONS GO UNPUNISHED 2

CRIME IN INDIA REPORT 2017 RELEASED 3

SECTION 124-A

5

TWO-CHILD POLICY IN INDIAN STATES 6 COMMUTATION 7

ECONOMY

WORLD BANK’S EASE OF DOING BUSINESS REPORT 8

MSMES 13

IMF CUTS WORLD AND INDIA GROWTH RATES 15

MONETARY TRANSMISSION CONUNDRUM 16

SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME FOR GIG WORKERS 19

GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS

21

23

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

EDGE COMPUTING 26

NOBEL PRIZE FOR PHYSICS 28

NOBEL PRIZE FOR CHEMISTRY 30

THE DNA TECHNOLOGY REGULATION BILL 32

EVALUATION OF NANOPHARMACEUTICALS IN INDIA 34

ORGANOID 37

NASA'S ICON SATELLITE 38

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INDIA-CHINA SUMMIT 40

NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM) SUMMIT 42

ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION (OIC): ON KASHMIR 45

DEATH OF ABU BAKR AL-BAGHDADI 47

BANGLADESH'S PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH HASINA VISITS INDIA 50

THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, 2019 52

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY

HUMANS POLLUTE MORE THAN VOLCANOES: STUDY 53

DRAFT SEED BILL, 2019 54

INVASIVE WEEDS THREATENING TIGER HABITATS IN ADILABAD, TELANGANA 55

PLOGGING 56

AAREY FOREST CASE 56

CARBON PRICING 57

WASTE TO WEALTH: COOKING OIL-TO-BIODIESEL 57

2019 OZONE HOLE 58

ART AND CULTURE

BAUL MUSIC 59

REMBRANDT 59

PETTATHULLAL 59

SOCIETY 60

NITI AAYOG'S EDUCATION INDEX 60

DHRUV PROGRAMME 61

SURAKSHIT MATRITVA AASHWASAN (SUMAN) 61

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POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

MANIPUR, ARUNACHAL WANTS

TO BE KEPT OUT OF NAGA PEACE

DEAL. Why in News?

Arunachal Pradesh has echoed Manipur in demanding to be kept out of any “territorial changes” that might be incorporated in the settlement of the Naga political problem.

The Central government has been discussing with National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) as well as a rival conglomerate named Naga National Political Groups for the “final solution” on the peace accord by October 31.

The outfit, as well as rival factions, claim these areas, primarily Changlang, Longding and Tirap districts are dominated by Nagas.

About National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM)

NSCN-IM’s vision of Nagalim or Greater Nagaland would entail redrawing of boundaries to bring all Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast under one administrative umbrella.

The NSCN-IM’s map of Nagalim spreads over 1,03,473 sq km beyond the 16,527 sq km area of Nagaland. It includes much of eastern Arunachal.

Naga Framework Agreement, 2015

On Aug 3, 2015, the latest agreement was signed with NSCN (Isak-Muivah)and other Naga armed groups such as NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) with the Union government. (however, NSCN (Khaplang) was excluded)

Idea of a pan-Naga Hoho (a proposed statutory body as part of the Framework Agreement) that will enjoy independent executive and budgetary powers to look after the welfare of Naga inhabited areas outside Nagaland was mooted to bring long lasting solution to Naga peace process

The biggest breakthrough is that the NSCN (I-M), and other Naga armed groups such as NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) have agreed to give up violence and resolve all issues peacefully.

Current status 2018:

The accord being finalised “does not change the boundary of states; Provides autonomous Naga territorial councils for Arunachal and Manipur; A common cultural body for Nagas across states; Specific institutions for state’s development, integration, rehabilitation of non-state Naga militia The removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act”.

Other issue

The government and the NSCN(I-M) have failed to agree on issues relating to a separate Naga flag and a constitution.

NSCN(I-M) has said it will not budge from the demand for the flag and the constitution — and that it is looking for a lasting solution.

INTER-STATE PORTABILITY FOR

RATION CARDS LAUNCHED Why in News?

An inter-State portability for ration cards has been launched for Rajasthan and Haryana to facilitate the distribution of foodgrains to beneficiaries of the National Food Security scheme.

Labourers in the unorganised sector, migrating from one State to the other in search of work, will mainly benefit from the scheme.

About

In August 2019, Government of India launched the One Nation-One Ration Card scheme on a pilot basis in four States namely Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.

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SCHEDULED CASTES AND

SCHEDULED TRIBES

(PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES)

ACT, 1989 Why in news?

The Supreme Court partially upheld the amendments which forbade automatic arrest in cases under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989.

Background

Three issues came in front of the Supreme Court in March, 2018 related to the instances of exploiting of the SC/ST Act against government servants.

It held that a public servant can only be arrested after approval of the appointing authority. Whereas a non-public servant can be arrested after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) which may be granted in appropriate cases if considered important for the noted reasons.

A brief inquiry will also have to be conducted before an FIR is filed and it is to be made sure that the charges fall under the Act or is a result of political and/or personal reasons.

The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act, 1989

It was amended to ensure speedy justice to victims. This Act seeks to stop people from committing such oppression and providing victims with special rights and privileges.

A fast-track court for complaints made by anyone from the SC and ST community is also established with respect to this.

Not only does the Act increase punishment in some instances for crimes under Indian Penal Code (IPC) but also targets specific crimes - generally humiliating in nature - against SC and ST communities.

Examples of atrocities in independent India

Kizhavenmani, Tamil Nadu (1958) in which 44 SCs were burnt to death in a confined building because scheduled castes agricultural labourers sought a little raise in their very low wages.

Karamchedu, Andhra Pradesh, 1984: Five SCs were massacred.

Tsunduru, Andhra Pradesh, 1991: Eight SCs were massacred.

Six cases of Bihar including the Bathani Tola (1996) and Laxmanpur Bathe (1997). In most of these, the trial court convicted the accused. In all of these, the high court acquitted the accused.

Indian Constitution

Article 17 seeks to abolish ‘untouchability’

Article 46 – promote the educational and economic interests of SCs, STs, and other weaker sections of the society and to protect them from social injustice and exploitation

Article 338 – National Commission for Scheduled Castes: Its functions include among others:

1. investigate and monitor all matters relating to the constitutional and other legal safeguards for the SCs and to evaluate their working;

2. inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the SCs.

Article 338-A – National Commission for Scheduled Tribes functions are related to ST than SC

RTI VIOLATIONS GO UNPUNISHED

Why in News? A report card analysing RTIs performance showed that government officials face hardly any punishment for violating the law by denying applicants the legitimate information sought by them. About

As the RTI Act marks its 14th anniversary, the ‘Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India’ was prepared by the Satark Nagrik Sangathan and the Centre for Equity Studies.

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Highlights of the report

It analysed information from 22 commissions, which disposed of almost 1.17 lakh cases between January 2018 and March 2019.

The State and Central Information Commissions, which are the courts of appeal under the Act, failed to impose penalties in about 97% of the cases where violations took place in 2018-19.

The State Commissions of Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Mizoram and Tripura did not impose penalties in any cases at all.

The report showed that there were 2.18 lakh cases pending with the commissions in March 2019, in comparison with 1.85 lakh pending cases a year earlier.

Any new appeal would have to wait more than one-and-a-half years for resolution. The backlog is exacerbated by the fact that four out of 11 CIC posts are yet to be filled.

This destroys the basic framework of incentives and disincentives built into the RTI law, promotes a culture of impunity and exasperates applicants who seek information at a high cost and often against great odds.

CRIME IN INDIA REPORT 2017

RELEASED Why in news?

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released the annual “Crime in India Report 2017” which has been released after a delay of 2 years.

Highlights

According to the report, 3.59 lakh cases of crime against women were reported in the country in which Uttar Pradesh topped the list followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Majority of cases under crimes against women were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or his Relatives’ followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’, ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ and ‘Rape’.

Report also cited incidents of rioting in 2017. Maximum incidents of rioting were reported from Bihar, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The incidents registered under the Scheduled Caste Prevention of Atrocities Act saw an increase from 5,082 incidents reported in 2016 to 5,775 in 2017.

Incidents of crime related to Scheduled Tribes decreased from 844 in 2016 to 720 in 2017.

A total of 95,893 cases of kidnapping and abduction were registered during 2017.

The NCRB for the first time collected data on circulation of “false/fake news and rumours”. Under the category, maximum incidents were reported from Madhya Pradesh followed by Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.

A total of 28,653 murder cases were registered across the country in 2017 and enmity cited as the maximum triggers for such murders. Among Union Territories, Delhi recorded the most murder cases in 2017.

NCRB

It was set-up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators, based on the recommendations of the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Task Force (1985).

FAKE NEWS MENACE IN INDIA

Why in news?

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, fake news is more dangerous than paid news and there is a need to combat it jointly government and media.

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Fake news

Fake news is news, stories or hoaxes created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers. Fake news, defined by the New York Times as “a made-up story with an intention to deceive”.

The internet and social media have made it very easy for anyone to publish content on a website, blog or social media profile and potentially reach large audiences.

With so many people now getting news from social media sites, many content creators/publishers have used this to their advantage.

Fake news can be a profitable business, generating large sums of advertising revenue for publishers who create and publish stories that go viral.

Usually, these stories are created to influence people’s views, push a political agenda or cause confusion and can often be a profitable business for online publishers.

Fake news stories can deceive people by looking like trusted websites or using similar names and web addresses to reputable news organizations.

There are three elements to fake news; Mistrust, misinformation and manipulation.

In India, WhatsApp is the platform most vulnerable to fake news. Millions of Indians (mainly uneducated) using mobile internet innocently forwarding ‘good morning’ messages every day are seen as most vulnerable to fake news.

In the recent Karnataka Assembly elections (2018) fake news about rival parties and candidates flooded the media.

It may not be a coincidence that India has the highest number of selfie deaths (person dying while trying to take a selfie) in the world (76 deaths out of 127 reported globally between March 2014 and September 2016). Use and abuse of mobile and internet remain a concern.

Popular Fake Examples from India: 1. Muzzafarnagar riots of 2013:

fake video fuelled communal passions

2. UNESCO has declared ‘Jana Gana Mana’ best national anthem in the world (WhatsApp)

3. GPS tracking nanochip in 2000 Rupee notes (Nov 2016)

4. Child kidnapping rumours lead to lynchings by a mob in Jharkhand

5. Missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed has joined the ISIS

Laws Governing Fake News

Free publication of news flows from Article 19 of the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech.

Press Council of India, a regulatory body, can warn, admonish or censure the newspaper, the news agency, the editor or the journalist or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the journalist if it finds that a newspaper or a news agency has violated journalistic ethics.

News Broadcasters Association (NBA) represents the private television news and current affairs broadcasters. The self-regulatory body probes complaints against electronic media.

Indian Broadcast Foundation (IBF) also looks into the complaints against contents aired by channels.

Broadcasting Content Complaint Council (BCCC) admits complaints against TV broadcasters for objectionable TV content and fake news.

Indian Penal Code (IPC) has certain sections which could curb fake news: Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and section 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) can be invoked to guard against fake news.

Civil or Criminal Case for Defamation is another resort against fake news for individuals and groups hurt by the fake news. IPC Section 499 (defamation) and 500 (whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) provide for a defamation suit.

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SECTION 124-A (SEDITION LAW)

Why in news?

An FIR has been lodged in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur against a group of eminent personalities, including historian Ramchandra Guha, filmmakers Shyam Benegal and Aparna Sen among others, who had written an open letter to PM Narendra Modi against the incidents of lynching in the country.

The FIR filed under various sections of IPC related to sedition, breach of peace and hurting religious sentiment.

What is sedition?

The Indian Penal Code defines sedition (Section 124A) as an offence committed when "any person by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India".

Disaffection includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity. However, comments without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, will not constitute an offence under this section.

Punishment for the offence of sedition

Sedition is a non-bailable offence. Punishment under the Section 124A ranges from imprisonment up to three years to a life term, to which fine may be added.

A person charged under this law is barred from a government job. They have to live without their passport and must produce themselves in the court at all times as and when required.

Origin of sedition law in modern India

The law was originally drafted in 1837 by Thomas Macaulay, the British historian-politician, but was inexplicably omitted when the IPC was enacted in 1860.

Section 124A was inserted in 1870 by an amendment introduced by Sir James Stephen when it felt the need for a specific section to deal with the

offence. It was one of the many draconian laws enacted to stifle any voices of dissent at that time.

Arguments in support of Section 124A:

Section 124A of the IPC has its utility in combating anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements

It protects the elected government from attempts to overthrow the government with violence and illegal means. The continued existence of the government established by law is an essential condition of the stability of the State

If contempt of court invites penal action, contempt of government should also attract punishment

Many districts in different states face a Maoist insurgency and rebel groups virtually run a parallel administration. These groups openly advocate the overthrow of the state government by revolution

Against this backdrop, the abolition of Section 124A would be ill-advised merely because it has been wrongly invoked in some highly publicized cases

Arguments against Section 124A:

Section 124A is a relic of colonial legacy and unsuited in a democracy. It is a constraint on the legitimate exercise of constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and expression.

Dissent and criticism of the government are essential ingredients of robust public debate in a vibrant democracy. They should not be constructed as sedition. Right to question, criticize and change rulers is very fundamental to the idea of democracy.

The British, who introduced sedition to oppress Indians, have themselves abolished the law in their country. There is no reason, why should not India abolish this section.

The terms used under Section 124A like 'disaffection' are vague and subject to different interpretation to the whims and fancies of the investigating officers.

The disutility of the sedition law:

The data released by the National Crime Records Bureau for the year between 2014 and 2016 reflect the

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disutility of the law for the criminal justice system.

Under the title 'offences against the State' the report shows a total of 179 arrests for sedition. However, no charge sheets were filed by the police in over 70% of the cases, and only two convictions during this time period. This data belie the claim for retaining the Section 124A of IPC.

What is the viewpoint of the Law Commission of India?

In August 2018, the Law Commission of India published a consultation paper recommending that it is time to re-think or repeal the Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code that deals with sedition.

In its 39th Report (1968), the Law Commission had rejected the idea of repealing the section.

In its 42nd Report (1971), the panel wanted the scope of the section to be expanded to cover the Constitution, the legislature and the judiciary, in addition to the government to be established by law, as institutions against which 'disaffection' should not be tolerated.

In the recent consultation paper on the sedition, the Law Commission has suggested invoking 124A to only criminalize acts committed with the intention to disrupt public order or to overthrow the Government with violence and illegal means.

Sedition laws in international jurisdiction

The United Kingdom deleted the seditious libel through the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

In Australia, following the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) the term sedition was removed and replaced with references to 'urging violence offenses'.

Conclusion:

India is the largest democracy of the world and the right to free speech and expression is an essential ingredient of democracy. The expression or thought that is not in consonance with the policy of the government of the day should not be considered as sedition. The Law Commission has rightly said, "an expression of frustration over the state of affairs

cannot be treated as sedition". If the country is not open to positive criticism, there would be no difference between the pre- and post-Independence eras.

Of course, it is essential to protect national integrity. Given the legal opinion and the views of the government in favour of the law, it is unlikely that Section 124A will be scrapped soon. However, the section should not be misused as a tool to curb free speech. The SC caveat, given in Kedar Nath case, on prosecution under the law can check its misuse.

TWO-CHILD POLICY IN INDIAN

STATES

Why in news?

Assam Cabinet has decided that those with more than two children will be ineligible for government jobs from 2021.

India was among the first countries to launch a family planning programme in 1951.

Other states with similar norms

Rajasthan: The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act 1994 says that if a person has more than two children, he will be disqualified from contesting election as a panch or a member.

Madhya Pradesh: Under Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (General Condition of Services) Rules, if the third child was born on or after January 26, 2001, one becomes ineligible for government service. The rule also applies to higher judicial services. MP followed the two-child norm for candidates of local body elections until 2005, when it was discontinued by the then BJP government after objections were raised on the ground that such a rule was not applicable in assembly and parliamentary elections.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh: Under Section 19 (3) read with Sections 156 (2) and 184 (2) of Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, a person with more than two children shall be disqualified from contesting election. However, if a person had

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more than two children before May 30, 1994, he or she will not be disqualified. The same sections in the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, apply to Andhra Pradesh, where a person having more than two children shall be disqualified from contesting election.

Gujarat: In 2005, the government amended the Gujarat Local Authorities Act which disqualifies anyone with more than two children from contesting elections for bodies of local self-governance — panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations.

Maharashtra: The Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act disqualifies people who have more than two children from contesting local body elections (gram panchayats to municipal corporations). The Maharashtra Civil Services (Declaration of Small Family) Rules, 2005 states that a person having more than two children is disqualified from holding a post in the state government. Women with more than two children are also not allowed to benefit from the Public Distribution System.

Uttarakhand: The state government had decided to bar people with more than two children from contesting panchayat elections and had passed a Bill in Vidhan Sabha in this regard. But the decision was challenged in the High Court by those preparing for village pradhan and gram panchayat ward member elections, and they got relief from the court. Hence, the condition of two-child norm was applied to only those who contested the elections of zila panchayat and blocks development committee membership.

Karnataka: The Karnataka (Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj) Act, 1993 does not bar individuals with more than two children from contesting elections to local bodies like the gram panchayat. The law, however, says that a person is ineligible to contest “if he does not have a sanitary latrine for the use of the members of his family”.

Odisha: The Odisha Zilla Parishad Act bars those individuals with more than two children from contesting.

Aims behind the Two Child Policy

The population continues to increase in the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. These states, excluding Odisha, will account for nearly two-thirds of the increase in India’s population during 2021-41.

This policy can force prospective parents to limit the children in order to continue to avail the benefits. It would control the population growth as has been done in China through its One Child Policy.

COMMUTATION

Why in news?

The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, to life imprisonment. Beant Singh, credited for ending terrorism in Punjab, was assassinated on August 31, 1995, in an explosion in Chandigarh.

Presidential Pardoning Powers According to Article 72, the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, Respite or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence.

1. Commutation: ‘Commutation’ means reducing the punishment by changing the nature of punishment. For example, punishment to death may be changed to life imprisonment. It is different from Pardon and Remission.

2. Pardon: The effect of Pardon is to abolish punishment and to absolve the convicted of all charges. If Pardon is granted, it is assured as if the convict has not committed any crime. The convict will not face any disabilities due to the allegations and charges

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made against him.

3. Remission: ‘Remission’ means reducing the punishment without changing the nature of punishment. For example, the imprisonment for 20 years may be reduced to the imprisonment for 10 years.

4. Respite: It denotes awarding a lesser sentence in place of one originally awarded due to some special fact, such as the physical disability of convict or the pregnancy of a woman offender.

5. Reprieve: It implies a stay of the execution of a sentence (especially that of death) for a temporary period. its purpose is to enable the convict to have time to seek pardon or commutation from the President.

ECONOMY

WORLD BANK’S EASE OF DOING

BUSINESS REPORT

Why in news?

The World Bank released its latest Doing

Business Report (DBR, 2020) on24th October

2019.

About the Ease of doing business index

Ease of doing business is an index

published by the World Bank. It is an

aggregate figure that includes different

parameters which define the ease of

doing business in a country.

For each of the indicators that form a

part of the statistic ‘Ease of doing

business,’ a distance to frontier score

is computed and all the scores are

aggregated. The aggregated score

becomes the Ease of doing business

index.

The indicator measures the

performance of countries across 10

different dimensions in the 12-month

period ending May 1, 2019.

The ten areas of study are defined as:

starting a business, dealing with

construction permits, getting

electricity, registering property,

getting credit, protecting minority

investors, paying taxes, trading

across borders, enforcing

contracts, and resolving

insolvency.

An 11th area — employing workers, is

measured but not factored into the

score. A total of 294 reforms had been

enacted by 115 countries, the Bank

said.

The indicator, however, is not

necessarily representative of each

country. For 11 countries, two cities

were selected to construct the

indicator — Delhi and Mumbai in the

Indian case.

The index was created jointly by

Simeon Djankov and Gerhard Pohl,

two leading economists at the Central

and Eastern Europe sector of the

World Bank Group.

The Doing Business assessment

provides objective measures of

business regulations and their

enforcement across 190 economies

on ten parameters affecting a

business through its life cycle. The

DBR ranks countries on the basis of

Distance to Frontier (DTF), a score

that shows the gap of an economy to

the global best practice.

India's Performance:

India placed 63rd out of 190 countries

— an improvement of 14 places from

its 77th position last year.

The country’s score improved from

67.3 last year to 71.0 this year, as per

The Doing Business 2020 study,

released by the World Bank.

India also featured –— for the third

consecutive year - in the list of ten

economies where business climates

had improved the most.

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This list is comprised of Saudi Arabia,

Jordan, Togo, Bahrain, Tajikistan,

Pakistan, Kuwait, China, India, and

Nigeria.

The Report called India’s reform

efforts “particularly commendable” ,

given the country’s size.

From being ranked 142 in 2014 to 63

in 2020, it has been a significant

upward journey for the country in a

rank list that is an important input in

the plans of global investors.

The latest improvement has come on

the back of the implementation of the

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

(IBC). India’s rank has improved from

108 to 52 in the “resolving insolvency”

category with the overall recovery rate

for lenders moving up from 26.5 cents

to 71.6 cents to the dollar according to

the World Bank.

India has improved its rank in 7 out of

10 indicators and has moved closer to

international best practices (Distance

to Frontier score). Significant

improvements have been registered in

‘Resolving Insolvency’, 'Dealing with

Construction Permits', ‘Registering

Property’, ‘Trading across Boards’ and

‘Paying Taxes’ indicators.

The changes in seven indicators

where India improved its rank are as

follows:

The important features of India's

performance this year are:

The World Bank has recognized India

as one of the top 10 improvers for the

third consecutive year.

Recovery rate under resolving

insolvency has improved significantly

from 26.5% to 71.6%.

The time taken for resolving

insolvency has also come down

significantly from 4.3 years to 1.6

years.

India continues to maintain its first

position among South Asian countries.

It was 6th in 2014.

India's improved ranking was on the back

of four reforms:

Starting a business, dealing with

construction permits, trading across

borders and resolving insolvency.

As a case in point, the report says

there were improvements in the

efficiency of acquiring building permits.

Building a warehouse, for example,

cost 4% of the warehouse value

compared to 5.7% in the preceding

year.

Importing and exporting became

easier with a single electronic platform

for trade stakeholders, improved

electronic submission methods for

documents and upgrades to port

infrastructure.

The ‘resolving insolvency’ indicator,

however, was mixed : the Report

noted that reorganization proceedings

had been promoted in practice, a

positive for the indicator, but resolving

insolvency had also been made harder

because dissenting creditors would

receive would receive less under

reorganisation than under liquidation.

Delhi and Mumbai showed

improvements in the ‘starting a

business’, ‘trading across borders’ and

‘resolving insolvency’ dimensions.

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On the ‘dealing with construction

permits’ front, both cities streamlined

and made less expensive the process

of getting a permit but Delhi also

improved professional certification

requirements for constructing

buildings.

Global Performance:

The ten top ranking countries with

respect to the indicator were: New

Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR

China, Denmark, Republic of Korea,

United States, Georgia, United

Kingdom, Norway, and Sweden. Each

country is scored and also ranked (a

comparison).

The 0-100 score measures any given

country’s performance with respect to

the best practice across the entire set

of countries. A score of zero signifies

worst regulatory performance and 100,

the best.

China (rank 31, score 77.9) made it to

the top ten list for the second such

year. New Zealand and Somalia

retained their 1st and 190th spot

respectively.

The commonalities among economies

that ranked highest included the

“widespread” use of electronic

systems and online platforms for

facilitating regulatory requirements.

On the other hand, resolving

insolvency was the least reformed

area, as per the report. On average, it

takes six times as long to start a

business in countries ranked in the

bottom 50 than it does in the top 20

countries.

South Asia’s poor performance:

As far as India’s neighbourhood is

concerned, Pakistan carried out the

most reforms in the South Asia, a

press release from the Bank said.

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives

and Afghanistan made zero regulatory

changes. South Asian region generally

underperforms with regard to

enforcing contracts and registering

property, as per the Bank.

For instance, it takes 108 days for a

business to register a property transfer

in South Asia , compared to the 24

days it takes in OECD high-income

countries.

Resolving a commercial dispute, the

Bank said, takes three years in South

Asia – twice as long as the OECD

high-income country statistic.

Challenges for India Ahead:

While the improvements are

impressive and the rise in overall

rankings in the last few years is

noteworthy, the fact is that India is still

below its competitors for global capital,

particularly China, which at rank 31 is

one level above France.

The country lags in key metrics such

as “Starting a business’, “Enforcing

contracts” and “Registering property”.

It should also be borne in mind that

the rankings are based on samples

and audits done in Mumbai and Delhi

only (the World Bank has said it would

be covering Bengaluru and Kolkata

too from next year).

Starting, running or shutting down a

business may be easier in Delhi and

Mumbai compared to Coimbatore or

Hyderabad where it is probably more

difficult.

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Admittedly, it is not easy to streamline

processes across the country given

India's federal set up where States

have a big say in several parameters

that go into the ranking such as

securing building permits, land

approvals, electricity connections,

registering assets etc.

Yet, this is the ideal that the country

should be striving for. The easier part

is now done and rise in rankings from

hereon will depend on how much the

Centre is able to convince the States

to reform their systems.

THE 2019 NOBEL PRIZE IN

ECONOMICS

Why in news?

Nobel Economics Prize for 2019 has been

awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and

Michael Kremer "for their experimental

approach to alleviating global poverty".

Why have Banerjee, Duflo, and Kremer won

the Nobel Prize?

Both Banerjee and Duflo, who

incidentally are a couple and have

written a noted book titled “Poor

Economics”, are associated with the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

while Kremer is with the Harvard

University.

The Nobel citation states “The

research conducted by this year’s

Laureates has considerably improved

world's ability to fight global poverty.

In just two decades, their new

experiment-based approach has

transformed development economics,

which is now a flourishing field of

research”.

The Prize committee noted that these

economists "introduced a new

approach to obtaining reliable answers

about the best ways to fight global

poverty." The new Nobel laureates are

considered to be instrumental in using

randomised controlled trials to test

the effectiveness of various policy

interventions to alleviate poverty.

What is a Randomised Controlled Trial?

A randomised controlled trial is an

experiment that is designed to isolate

the influence that a certain intervention

or variable has on an outcome or

event. A social science researcher

who wants to find the effect that

employing more teachers in schools

has on children’s learning outcomes,

for instance, can conduct a

randomised controlled trial to find the

answer.

The use of randomised controlled

trials as a research tool was largely

limited to fields such as biomedical

sciences where the effectiveness of

various drugs was gauged using this

technique.

Mr. Banerjee, Ms. Duflo and Mr.

Kremer, however, applied RCT to the

field of economics beginning in the

1990s. Mr. Kremer first used the

technique to study the impact that free

meals and books had on learning in

Kenyan schools.

Mr. Banerjee and Ms. Duflo later

conducted similar experiments in India

and further popularised RCTs through

their book Poor Economics, published

in 2011.

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The Approach of RCTs:

If one wanted to understand whether

providing a mobile vaccination van

and/or a sack of grains would

incentivise villagers to vaccinate their

kids, then under an RCT, village

households would be divided into four

groups.

Group A would be provided with a

mobile vaccination van facility

Group B would be given a sack of

foodgrains

Group C would get both, and Group D

would get neither.

Households would be chosen at

random to ensure there was no bias,

and that any difference in vaccination

levels was essentially because of the

“intervention”.

Group D is called the “control” group

while others are called “treatment”

groups. Such an experiment would not

only show whether a policy initiative

works, but would also provide a

measure of the difference it brings

about.

It would also show what happens

when more than one initiatives are

combined. This would help

policymakers to have the evidence

before they choose a policy.

Significance of Randomised Controlled

Trial:

RCTs allow economists and other

social science researchers to isolate

the individual impact that a certain

factor alone has on the overall event.

For instance, to measure the impact

that hiring more teachers can have on

children’s learning, researchers must

control for the effect that other factors

such as intelligence, nutrition, climate,

economic and social status etc., which

may also influence learning outcomes

to various degrees, have on the final

event.

Randomised controlled trials promise

to overcome this problem through the

use of randomly picked samples.

Supporters of RCTs believe that since

all random samples are subject to the

same array of "confounding" factors,

they are essentially identical to one

another.

Using these random samples, they

believe, researchers can then conduct

experiments by carefully varying

appropriate variables to find out the

impact of these individual variables on

the final event.

A researcher, for instance, may supply

one random set of schools with more

teachers while other schools are left

alone. This will allow him to gauge the

effect of hiring more teachers on

learning.

Many development economists

believe that RCTs can help

governments to find, in a thoroughly

scientific way, the most potent policy

measures that could help end poverty

rapidly.

Criticisms of Randomised Controlled

Trials?

A popular critic of randomised

controlled trials is economist Angus

Deaton, who won the economics

Nobel Prize in 2015. Mr. Deaton has

contended in his works, including a

paper titled "Understanding and

misunderstanding randomised control

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CHAHALACADEMY

trials" that simply choosing samples

for an RCT experiment in a random

manner does not really make these

samples identical in their many

characteristics.

While two randomly chosen samples

might turn out to be similar in some

cases, he argued, there are greater

chances that most samples are not

really similar to each other. Other

economists have also contended that

randomised controlled trials are more

suited for research in the physical

sciences where it may be easier to

carry out controlled experiments.

They argue that social science

research, including research in the

field of development economics, may

be inherently unsuited for such

controlled research since it may be

humanly impossible to control for

multiple factors that may influence

social events.

DEFINING MSMEs

Why in news?

The government will soon make changes to

the definition of a micro, small and medium

enterprise, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said

recently and hoped to generate five crore jobs

in the MSME sector in five years.

What are Micro, Small & Medium

Enterprises ?

Definitions of Micro, Small & Medium

Enterprises: In accordance with the provision

of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises

Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 the Micro,

Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are

classified in two Classes:

1. Manufacturing Enterprises-The

enterprises engaged in the manufacture or

production of goods pertaining to any industry

specified in the first schedule to the industries

(Development and regulation) Act, 1951) or

employing plant and machinery in the process

of value addition to the final product having a

distinct name or character or use. The

Manufacturing Enterprise are defined in terms

of investment in Plant & Machinery.

2. Service Enterprises:- The enterprises

engaged in providing or rendering of services

and are defined in terms of investment in

equipment.

How are MSMEs defined at present?

There has been no uniformity over the

years about the definition of what

exactly one means by “small scale

industries” in India. Moreover, the

definition also changes from one

country to another.

In India, for instance, under the

Industrial Development and

Regulation (IDR) Act, 1951, small

industries were conceived in terms of

“number of employees”. But it was

found that obtaining reliable data on

the number of employees was difficult.

As such, a proxy was found – and this

was to look at the investments in plant

and machinery; it was relatively easy

to reliably ascertain and verify this

data.

So at present, the classification of

MSMEs is done based on investment

in plant & machinery/equipment (see

table) in accordance with the provision

of Section 7 of the MSMED Act, 2006.

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CHAHALACADEMY

Why the govt wants to change the

definition of MSMEs?

Definitions based on investment limits

in plant and machinery/ equipment

were decided when the Act was

formulated in 2006. But such a

definition “does not reflect the current

increase in price index of plant and

machinery/equipment,” stated the RBI

report. Moreover, MSMEs, thanks to

their small scale of operations and

informal organisation, MSMEs don’t

always maintain proper books of

accounts. This essentially results in

their not being classified as MSMEs.

The change of definition is likely to

improve the ease of doing business for

MSMEs, and in the process, make it

easier for them to pay taxes, attract

investments and create more jobs.

Gadkari said that MSMEs have

created 11 crore jobs till now, but

“now, the mission for five years is that

we need to create more than five crore

jobs in five years, particularly in tribal,

rural and agricultural areas”.

The clear and unambiguous definition

– that is also in consonance with

global norms and learns from the best

practices across countries – is the

starting point to reforming this crucial

sector of the economy.

Global Practices on Defining MSMEs:

According to the World Bank, a

business is classified as an MSME

when it meets two of the three

following criteria: employee strength,

assets size, or annual sales.

According to a 2014 report, as many

as 267 definitions were used by

different institutions in 155 economies.

But the most widely used variable for

defining an MSME was the number of

employees — 92% of the institutions

use this. Other definitions were based

on turnover as well as the value of

assets (49% and 36%, respectively).

Around 11% used other variables like

loan size, formality, years of

experience, type of technology, size of

the manufacturing space, and initial

investment amount etc.

The crucial thing, however, is that

most of the countries used only one

variable to define MSMEs.

Significance of MSMEs:

more than 28% of the GDP and about

45% to manufacturing output. It is also

a true reflection of economics where

people really matter. Providing

employment to about 111 million

people, the sector’s health is crucial to

the economy’s vitality and society’s

well being.

According to a Reserve Bank of India

report, the MSMEs are amongst the

strongest drivers of economic

development, innovation and

employment. Looking back at data

since 2000-01, MSME sector growth

has almost every year outstripped

overall industrial growth in the country.

The micro, small and medium

enterprises (MSME) sector in India a

key engine of growth, contributing

significant way to the growth of the

Indian economy with a vast network of

about 63.38 million enterprises. The

sector contributes about 45% to

manufacturing output, more than 40%

of exports, over 28% of the GDP while

creating employment for about 111

million people, which in terms of

volume stands next to agricultural

sector. The sector’s health is crucial to

the economy’s vitality and society’s

well being.

However, the RBI report also noted

that at present the sector is

“exceedingly heterogeneous in terms

of size of the enterprises and variety of

products and services, and levels of

technology employed” and that it has

the potential to grow at a much faster

rate. One of the key attractions of this

sector is that it huge employment

generation potential at relatively lower

capital investment.

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CHAHALACADEMY

IMF CUTS WORLD AND INDIA

GROWTH RATES

Why in news?

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

recently slashed its economic growth forecast

for India to 6.1% for the current fiscal from its

July projection of 7%, citing weaker than

expected outlook for domestic demand. IMF

also lowered India's FY21 GDP growth

forecast by 20 bps to 7.2%

More on news:

The World Bank-International

Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings

took place recently, with the IMF

downgrading global growth in 2019 to

3%, the slowest since the global

financial crisis.

India’s growth projections have also

been downgraded to 6.1% and 7.0%

in 2019 and 2020 respectively, down

by 1.2 percentage points and 0.5

percentage points relative to April

projections, owing to weaker than

expected domestic demand.

Global Growth Projection:

The IMF downgrading global growth in

2019 to 3%, the slowest since the

global financial crisis.

World output is projected to increase

to a modest 3.4% in 2020 — still lower

by 0.2% than the April projection.

Unlike the slowdown this recovery is

expected to be “precarious” and “not

broad based” as per the IMF.

Emerging economies will show

increased growth — from 3.9% in

2019 to 4.6% in 2020, while advanced

economies will slow to 1.7% in 2019

and 2020. The report called for

defusing trade tensions,

“reinvigorating” multilateral

cooperation and “providing timely

support to economic activity where

needed”.

Reasons Cited for lower Growth:

Globally, rising trade barriers,

heightened uncertainty around trade

and geopolitics, idiosyncratic factors

that have strained several emerging

markets and structural factors such as

advanced economies’ ageing

population and low productivity growth

were the causes behind a

“synchronized slowdown” the IMF said

in its 2019 World Economic Outlook

(WEO) Global Manufacturing

Downturn, Rising Trade Barriers

report, released on Tuesday morning

Indian Slowdown:

India’s growth rate in the April-June

quarter had hit 5% , the lowest in six

years, as per government data.

Consumption, investment and exports

were down. The World Bank too

recently had projected that India’s

growth rate would fall to 6.0% from

6.9% in 2018.

The Index of Industrial Production for

India was 1.1%, month on month, in

September — its lowest since

February 2013.

In the case of India there has been a

negative impact on growth that’s come

from financial vulnerabilities in the

non-bank financial sector and the

impact that’s had on consumer

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CHAHALACADEMY

borrowing and borrowing of small and

medium enterprises

Measures Taken:

The projected growth in India’s case

will be supported by lagged effects of

monetary policy easing, cuts to

corporate tax, measures to address

environmental and corporate

uncertainty, and government programs

to boost rural consumption, as per the

WEO.

Faced with a slowdown in several

sectors of the economy, Finance

Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had

announced a number of policy

measures to support a recovery

including slashing the corporate tax

rate and a rollback of surcharges on

foreign portfolio investors. This is

expected to cost ₹1,45,000 crore a

year — putting at risk the

government’s ability to stick to its fiscal

deficit target of 3.3% of GDP this year.

IMFs Recommendations:

The WEO recommended broad based

structural reforms to strengthen

confidence and address cyclical

weakness. The report called for a

“credible fiscal consolidation path”

over the medium term to bring down

elevated public debt, supported by

measures to enhance the tax base

and rationalize subsidy-spending.

The report also recommended

“reforms to hiring and dismissal

regulations” to help incentivize job

creation and “land reforms …to

encourage and expedite infrastructure

development.” It called for a

strengthening of governance of public

sector banks and greater efficiency of

their credit allocation.

Projection on US-China:

The IMF projected the U.S. would

grow at 2.4% and 2.1% in 2019 and

2020 respectively – marginally revised

upwards by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage

points respectively from April

projections.

The Federal Reserve’s rate cuts and a

two year budget deal ( a bipartisan

budget package agreed in August),

offset the negative impact of trade-

related uncertainties, the WEO report

said.

For China, growth was projected to

grow at 6.1% and 5.8% in 2019 and

2020 (down from 6.3% and 6.1% April

projections) due to escalating tariffs

and weakening external demand.

MONETARY TRANSMISSION

CONUNDRUM

Why in news?

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India reduced

the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.15% to boost

growth while keeping the policy stance

accommodative. In its Monetary policy meet

RBI noted, monetary transmission has been

staggered and incomplete.

Since February, RBI has cut its interest rate by

135 basis points. Yet, bank lending rates for

new loans have not fallen by much while

interest rates on many existing loans have

actually gone up.

Highlights of RBI’s Monetary Policy

Statement:

Repo rate or short-term lending rate

reduced by 25 bps to 5.15%

It is fifth rate cut in 2019

GDP growth forecast lowered for

current fiscal to 6.1% from 6.9%

RBI continues with its accommodative

monetary stance to revive economic

growth

Government stimulus measures to

help strengthen private consumption

and spur investments

Continuing slowdown warrants

intensified efforts to restore growth

momentum

Retains retail inflation projection for

second half of year at 3.5-3.7%

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CHAHALACADEMY

RBI notes monetary transmission has

been staggered and incomplete

Foreign exchange reserves stood at

$434.6 bn on Oct 1, up $21.7 bn over

March-end 2019

All members of Monetary Policy

Committee (MPC) voted for rate cut

Next monetary policy review meet

scheduled during December 3-5, 2019

What is monetary transmission?

To put it simply, monetary

transmission is the process through

which changes in a central bank’s

monetary policy gets reflected in the

real economy.

So, for instance, if a central bank

reduces interest rates it charges from

borrowing banks, it would expect that

reduction to be passed on to eventual

customers as a result of the monetary

transmission process.

Usually, there is a lag between the

actions of the central bank and those

of the commercial banks. The lag is

less when central banks raise interest

rates.

Why is monetary transmission being

mentioned now?

Since February, the RBI has

aggressively cut the repo rate (Repo

Rate is the interest rate that the RBI

charges the banks when it lends them

money).

By cutting the repo rate, the RBI has

been sending a signal to the rest of

the banking system that the lending

rates in the system – the interest rates

that banks charge from you and me

when we take a loan – should come

down.

This process of repo rate cuts leading

to interest rate cuts across the banking

system is called “monetary policy

transmission”.

The trouble is, in India, this process is

rather inefficient.

For example, between February and

August, the RBI cut repo rate by 110

basis points — 100 basis points make

a percentage point — from 6.5% to

5.4%. But, the interest rate charged by

banks on fresh loans that they

extended during this period fell by just

29 basis points – that is just 27% of

the amount by which the repo rate

came down.

Disappointed by the by the sluggish

transmission, the RBI decided to cut

the repo rate by another 25 basis

points in October and urged banks to

link their lending rates to the repo rate.

Yet, for the most part, the banking

system has ignored the signalling and

only some banks have reduced

lending rates on new loans by 10

basis points.

In essence, while the RBI has cut its

lending rate to the banks by 135 basis

points (or 1.35 percentage points) in

the nine months since February, the

interest rates being charged to the

common consumer have come down

by only about 40-odd basis points.

Importance of Lower Interest Rates:

Since February, India’s economic growth

momentum has rapidly decelerated.

Projections of GDP growth rate have come

down from roughly 7.2%-7.5% in February to

5.8%-6.0%. And a lower interest rate regime is

expected to help in resolving both.

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Firstly, the argument is that if banks

reduce their lending rates, they would

also have to reduce their deposit rates

(the interest rate banks pay when we

park our money with them in a savings

bank deposits or a fixed deposit). This,

in turn, will incentivise people to save

less and spend more.

Secondly, the major in the economy at

present is that businesses are not

investing in existing or new facilities.

Part of the reason is that the interest

rate charged on loans is quite high. If

banks reduce the interest rates on

loans, more businesses are likely to

be enthused to borrow new loans for

investment. This is particularly so as

the government has recently cut

corporate tax rates in the hope that it

will boost the corporate sector’s

profitability and get it thinking of

investing more.

So, why aren’t interest rates coming down?

Because repo rates have little impact

on a bank’s overall cost of funds, and

reducing lending rates just because

the repo has been cut is not feasible

for banks.

For Example: To attract deposits,

banks pay a high deposit rate. Such

deposits make up almost 80% of all

banks’ funds from which they then

lend to borrowers. Banks borrow a

minuscule fraction under the repo. So

even sharply reducing the repo rate

doesn’t change the overall cost of

funds. Unless banks reduce their

deposit rates, they will not be able to

reduce their lending rates.

For any bank to be viable, there must

be a clear difference between the

interest rate it charges from borrowers

on loans it provides and the interest

rate it gives to consumers on deposits

it accepts. The difference between

these two sets of interest rates has to

be not only positive but also big

enough for the bank to make profits.

Why are banks not reducing their deposit

rates?

That’s because if a bank were to

reduce its deposit rates, depositors

would shift to a rival bank that pays

better interest rates or park more and

more of their savings in small saving

instruments such as public provident

fund, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana etc

that pay much higher interest rates.

There is another aspect. Even if banks

wanted to reduce their deposit rates,

they can’t always reduce them

immediately. Miren Lodha, Director,

CRISIL Research, said 65% of total

deposits are “term” deposits (fixed for

a certain duration) and take, on an

average, up to two years to get

repriced at fresh rates. “Therefore,

banks generally go slow on reducing

the interest rates on advances as

deposits take longer to get repriced.”

Why Monetary Transmission has so far

been ineffective?

Because the banks cannot link their

lending to the repo rate because repo

doesn’t determine their cost of funds.

For a repo-linked regime to work, the

whole banking system would have to

shift to that – in other words, along

with banks’ lending rates, their deposit

rates too must go up and down with

the repo. But if such a regime were in

place, depositors would have earned

1.10 percentage points less interest

rate on their savings account.

Way Forward: Are there any innovative ways

to make both sides of the banks’ balance

sheet flexible so that transmission could be

faster?

Accepting bulk deposit at variable rate

may not be sufficient to impart cost-

flexibility as the size of such deposits

is small compared to total deposits.

An innovative way to make both asset

and liability sides of bank balance

sheet flexible is to link both deposit

and lending rates to average inflation

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CHAHALACADEMY

rate of the previous quarter with

appropriate mark-up — 2 per cent for

a one-year deposit and 4 per cent for

one-year lending, excluding

idiosyncratic risk.

In order to incentivise depositors to opt

for inflation linked deposit rate, 25

basis points extra may be loaded to

the fixed rate deposits, while all fixed

rate loans over one quarter may be

penalised by 25 bps. This proposal,

besides improving monetary policy

transmission, will call upon banks to

strive for efficiency.

SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME FOR

GIG WORKERS

Why in news?

The Union government is seeking to regulate

India’s booming gig economy by bringing lakhs

of workers hired by food delivery firms, Swiggy

and Zomato, and ride hailing firms, Uber and

Ola, under draft Code on Social Security.

About the Draft Code on Social Security for

Gig Economy Workers:

The move forms a key part of the new

‘Code on Social Security’ drafted by

the government and is aimed at

ensuring the social security needs of

gig workers.

The Central Government may

formulate and notify from time to time

suitable social security schemes for

gig workers and platform workers on

matters relating to life and disability

cover; health and maternity benefits;

old age protection; and any other

benefit as may be determined by the

Central Government,” the government

wrote in the Code on Social Security in

the section dealing with social security

for unorganised workers.

Every such scheme formulated and

notified may provide for the manner of

administration of the scheme; the

agency or agencies for implementing

the scheme; the role of aggregators in

the scheme; the sources of funding of

the scheme and any other matter as

the Central Government may consider

necessary for the efficient

administration of the scheme,

according to the draft Code on Social

Security.

What Is the Gig Economy?

In a gig economy, temporary, flexible

jobs are commonplace and companies

tend toward hiring independent

contractors and freelancers instead of

full-time employees.

A gig economy undermines the

traditional economy of full-time

workers who rarely change positions

and instead focus on a lifetime career.

In a gig economy, large numbers of

people work part-time or temporary

positions. The result of a gig economy

is cheaper, more efficient services,

such as Uber or Airbnb, for those

willing to use them. Cities tend to have

the most highly developed services

and are the most entrenched in the gig

economy.

There is a wide range of positions that

fall into the category of a gig. For

example, adjunct and part-time

professors are contracted employees

as opposed to tenured or tenure-track

professors. Colleges and universities

can cut costs and match professors to

their academic needs by hiring more

adjunct and part-time professors.

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CHAHALACADEMY

Criticisms of the Gig Economy:

Despite its benefits, there are some

downsides to the gig economy. While

not all employers lean toward hiring

contracted employees, the gig

economy trend can make it harder for

full-time employees to develop fully in

their careers since temporary

employees are often cheaper to hire

and more flexible in their availability.

Workers who prefer a traditional

career path and the stability and

security that come with it are being

crowded out in some industries.

For some workers, the flexibility of

working gigs can actually disrupt work-

life balance, sleep patterns, and

activities of daily life.

Need for the Social Security for Gig

Economy Workers:

India’s tech-enabled gig economy is

currently largely unregulated with

drivers and delivery boys working with

little job security and few benefits.

The gig economy companies have

built their businesses on inexpensive

and independent labour that offers no

social security, insurance or other

benefits.

In the gig economy, workers take up

short-term contracts or freelance work

and get paid for the gigs they do.

There is no formal contract signed

between the employer and the

employee.

The gig economy consists of platforms

which connect service providers with

consumers. They raise concerns that

defy classification in the pre-existing

legal frameworks.

Companies which own these

platforms claim that the service

providers are not really workers or

employees, but, in fact, “independent

contractors”, who enjoy flexibility of

work hours and freedom to choose

nature of work.

These “gigs” allow people to step in

and out of paid work at their

convenience, while also doing away

with the requirement of a fixed

workplace.

However, workers are always under

surveillance with ratings systems, and

face threats of deactivation via non-

transparent means.

Their earnings are also volatile, as far

as monthly incomes are concerned.

This is specifically disadvantageous to

women, who cannot avail of benefits,

like maternity leaves available under

traditional laws.

These concerns co-exist with

workplace safety issues. In India, apps

such as Urban Clap pose new

challenges in terms of safe

workplaces.

Gig Economy in India:

An estimated 56 per cent of new

employment in India is generated by

the gig economy companies, across

both the blue-collar and white-collar

workforce, according to TeamLease.

The exact number of gig workers is

unknown, but a 2017 study by

consulting firm EY said nearly one out

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CHAHALACADEMY

of four gig workers in the world are in

India.

The draft proposal comes in the wake

of California recently approving a law

for wage benefit and protection for gig

workers, including those working in

taxi aggregating companies such as

Uber and Lyft, which is a popular tax

aggregator in the US.

Concerns:

While there are calls to introduce

radical changes in India’s labour laws,

some policy experts argue that

regulating emerging start-ups would

cause turmoil.

Regulating the gig economy has

caught the world’s attention after law

makers in California passed a

landmark bill on September 10 that

threatens to reshape how companies

do business. The legislation, known as

Assembly Bill 5, would require gig

economy workers to be reclassified/

treated as employees instead of

contract workers.

Industry experts were cautious about

the move and said that while the

government seems to mean well, it will

bring challenges for policy

implementation and growth of gig

players such as taxi aggregators, food

apps, and workforce supplier

platforms.

India’s labour market is complex with

less than 10% of the workers in formal

jobs. Universal social security will

benefit millions, provided there is a

proper actionable roadmap, which at

this point is not clear though the draft

proposes unorganised sector social

security boards at the Centre and

state levels for putting the plan into

effect.

GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

INDEX

Why in news?

The Global Competitiveness Index was

recently released by the World Economic

Forum (WEF). Singapore has become the

world’s most competitive economy in 2019,

pushing the U.S. to the second place. Hong

Kong SAR is ranked 3rd, Netherlands is 4th

and Switzerland is ranked 5th.

About Global Competitiveness Index(GCI):

The Global Competitiveness Report

(GCR) is a yearly report published by

the World Economic Forum.

The Global Competitiveness Index

(GCI), which was launched in 1979,

maps the competitiveness landscape

of 141 economies through 103

indicators organised into 12 pillars.

The report "assesses the ability of

countries to provide high levels of

prosperity to their citizens".

This in turn depends on how

productively a country uses available

resources. Therefore, the Global

Competitiveness Index measures the

set of institutions, policies, and factors

that set the sustainable current and

medium-term levels of economic

prosperity

About the latest edition of the Global

Competitiveness Report:

The latest edition of the Global

Competitiveness Report is the fourth

version of the global competitiveness

index – hence referred to as GCI 4.0 –

and it was introduced in 2018. The

141 countries mapped by this year’s

GCI account for 99 per cent of the

world’s GDP.

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The basic notion behind the GCI is to

map the factors that determine the

Total Factor Productivity (TFP) in a

country. The TFP is essentially the

efficiency with which different factors

of production such as land, labour and

capital are put to use to create the

final product. It is believed that it is the

TFP in an economy that determines

the long-term economic growth of a

country.

According to the report, the GCI 4.0 is

“the product of an aggregation of 103

individual indicators, derived from a

combination of data from international

organizations as well as from the

World Economic Forum’s Executive

Opinion Survey”.

The GCI 4.0 tracks data and/or

responses on 12 factors divided into 4

broad categories.

1. The first category is the “Enabling

Environment” and this includes

factors such as the state of

infrastructure, institutions, the

macroeconomic stability of the

country and its ability to adopt new

technology.

2. The second category is “Human

Capital” and includes health and

level of skills in the economy.

3. The third is the state of “Markets”

such as those for labour, product,

financial and the overall market

size.

4. The last category is “Innovation

Ecosystem” which includes

business dynamism and

innovation capability.

Each of these 12 factors will further

include sub-factors. For example,

within “Institutions” under the

“Enabling Environment” category, the

GCI tracks the performance on

detailed factors such as the

performance of the public sector, the

level of transparency and corruption,

the state of corporate governance, the

incidence of terrorism etc.

Overall, there are a total of 103

individual factors that GCI 4.0 maps to

arrive at the final result.

India's Performance:

As many as 141 countries were

surveyed for the index.

India has moved down 10 places to

rank 68th in the index as it fared

poorly in most parameters such as

infrastructure, the adoption of

information, communications and

technology (ICT), financial markets,

skills, and innovation capability,

compared to last year.

India, which was ranked 58th in the

annual Global Competitiveness Index

(2018) compiled by Geneva-based

World Economic Forum (WEF), is

among the worst-performing BRICS

nations along with Brazil (ranked even

lower than India at 71st this year).

On the crucial financial sector

parameter, India's position

deteriorated to 40th from 35th.

However, the WEF said India's

financial sector was relatively deep

and stable despite the high

delinquency rate (10 per cent of the

loan portfolio -- ranked at 106th),

which contributed to the weakening of

its banking system.

Besides, the country could not keep

pace with many small but closely

positioned nations such as Colombia,

Azerbaijan, and Turkey, showed the

Global Competitiveness Report 2019.

In the overall index, India scored 61.4

out of 100, as against 62.1 last year.

Within the BRICS (Brazil, Russia,

India, China and South Africa) nations,

India trailed China by 40 places and

14 points. South Africa was at 60th

position with 62.4 points. Along with

Brazil, India was among the low-

performing countries in the grouping,

said the WEF. Brazil was placed at

71st with 60.9 points. Russia was at

the 43rd rank with 68.7 score.

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Positive Developments:

India ranks high in terms of

macroeconomic stability and market

size, while its financial sector is

relatively deep and stable despite the

high delinquency rate, which

contributes to weakening the

soundness of its banking system.

India is ranked also high at 15th place

in terms of corporate governance,

while it is ranked second globally for

shareholder governance, the WEF

study showed.

In terms of the market size, India is

ranked third, while it has got the same

rank for renewable energy regulation.

Besides, India also punches above its

development status when it comes to

innovation, which is well ahead of

most emerging economies and on par

with several advanced economies, the

report said.

But, these positive metrics contrast

with major shortcomings in some of

the basic enablers of competitiveness

in case of India, the WEF said, while

flagging limited ICT (information,

communications and technology)

adoption, poor health conditions and

low healthy life expectancy.

Low healthy life expectancy:

The WEF said the healthy life

expectancy, where India has been

ranked 109th out of total the 141

countries surveyed for the index, is

one of the shortest outside Africa and

significantly below the South Asian

average.

Besides, India needs to grow its skills

base, while its product market

efficiency is undermined by a lack of

trade openness and the labour market

is characterised by a lack of worker

rights’ protections, insufficiently

developed active labour market

policies and critically low participation

of women.

With a ratio of female workers to male

workers of 0.26, India has been

ranked very low at 128th place. India

is also ranked low at 118th in terms of

meritocracy and incentivisation and at

107th place for skills.

GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS

Why in news?

Recently, the World Bank released a report

titled “World Development Report 2020:

Trading for Development in the Age of Global

Value Chains” in which the bank argues that

these reforms can help developing countries

expand from commodity exports to basic

manufacturing, while ensuring that economic

benefits are shared more widely across

society.

What is Value Chain?

The concept of a value chain has been

used to analyse international trade in

global value chains and comprises

“the full range of activities that are

required to bring a product from its

conception, through its design, its

sourced raw materials and

intermediate inputs, its marketing, its

distribution and its support to the final

consumer.

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CHAHALACADEMY

Value Chain is different from a Supply

Chain, a ‘supply chain’ refers to the

system and resources required to

move a product or service from

supplier to customer.

The ‘value chain’ concept builds on

this to also consider the manner in

which value is added along the chain,

both to the product / service and the

actors involved.

From a sustainability perspective,

‘value chain’ has more appeal, since it

explicitly references internal and

external stakeholders in the value-

creation process.

It also encourages a full-lifecycle

perspective and not just a focus on the

(upstream) procurement of inputs.

Value is generally used in a narrow

economic sense, but it can be

interpreted to encompass ‘values’, ie

ethical and moral concerns as well as

other non-monetary utility values such

as closing material loops, the provision

of ecosystem services and added

customer value.

"Value chains are an integral part of

strategic planning for many

businesses today. A value chain refers

to the full lifecycle of a product or

process, including material sourcing,

production, consumption and

disposal/recycling processes.”

About Global Value Chain:

In development studies, the global

value chain (GVC) describes the

people and activities involved in the

production of a good or service and its

supply, distribution, and post-sales

activities (also known as the supply

chain) when activities must be

coordinated across geographies.

GVC is similar to Industry Level Value

Chain but encompasses operations at

the global level.

According to the World Bank, “a global

value chain (GVC) is the series of

stages in the production of a product

or service for sale to consumers. Each

stage adds value, and at least two

stages are in different countries. For

example, a bike assembled in Finland

with parts from Italy, Japan, and

Malaysia and exported to the Arab

Republic of Egypt is a GVC. By this

definition, a country, sector, or firm

participates in a GVC if it engages in

(at least) one stage in a GVC”.

About the Report “World Development

Report 2020: Trading for Development in

the Age of Global Value Chains”: On Global

trade.

According to the Report:

The global value chains today account

for nearly 50 per cent of trade

worldwide, but their growth has

plateaued since the financial crisis of

2008,”.

Creation of the European single

market — together with the integration

of China, India, and the Soviet Union

into the global economy — created a

huge new product and labour markets,

and so firms could sell the same

goods to more people and take

advantage of economies of scale,

leading to the further deepening of

GVCs.

The new supply of cheap labour

encouraged profit-seeking companies

to either reallocate their production

facilities or find local suppliers in low-

wage countries.

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CHAHALACADEMY

A one per cent increase in

participation is estimated to boost per

capita income levels by more than one

per cent — about twice as much as

standard trade.

In Ethiopia, firms participating in global

value chains are more than twice as

productive as similar firms that

participate in standard trade.

In an era of slowing trade and growth,

developing countries can achieve

better outcomes for its people through

reforms to boost their participation in

global value chains.

Global value chains have played an

important part in the growth, by

enabling firms in developing countries

to make significant gains in

productivity, and by helping them

transition from commodity exports to

basic manufacturing

Importance of Global Value Chains:

The GVCs exploit hyper specialisation,

and to do so they break down the

production process across countries.

This has resulted in firms across a

variety of countries benefiting from

trade.

World Bank states, “These gains were

driven by the fragmentation of

production across countries and the

growth of connections between firms.

Parts and components began

crisscrossing the globe as firms looked

for efficiencies wherever they could

find them. Productivity and incomes

rose in countries that became integral

to GVCs—Bangladesh, China, and

Vietnam, among others. The steepest

declines in poverty occurred in

precisely those countries”.

Also: “GVCs allow resources to flow to

their most productive use, not only

across countries and sectors, but also

within sectors across stages of

production. As a result, GVCs magnify

the growth, employment, and

distributional impacts of standard

trade.

In summary, unlike traditional

international trade whose transactions

involve only two countries (an

exporting country multiple times. This

approach to trade not only leads to the

rich set of determinants and

consequences of GVC participation for

measuring GVC activity in the world”.

Impact on poverty:

Since gains in growth from global

value chains are larger than from trade

in final products, their impact on

poverty reduction is also larger.

Regions in Mexico and Vietnam that

participated more intensively in global

value chains experienced greater

reductions in poverty, the report said.

Further, firms in global value chains

draw people into more productive

manufacturing and services activities

and tend to employ more women,

supporting structural transformation in

developing countries, it said.

The report notes that global value

chains can continue to be a force for

sustainable growth — if developing

countries undertake environmental

protection measures, particularly

efforts to reduce production subsidies

and carbon pricing, deeper policy

reforms and advanced economies

pursue open, predictable policies.

The report shows how countries can

take the initiative to achieve better

outcomes — by choosing from a range

options customised for their specific

stage of development.

The report also highlights the steps

countries can take to attract GVC

investments, even if they have been

largely left out of the value chain

revolution.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

EDGE COMPUTING

Why in news?

According to a recent research, by 2025,

companies will generate and process more

than 75% of their data outside of traditional

centralised data centres — that is, at the

“edge” of the cloud.

More about the news:

Cloud computing — by which remote

servers hosted on the Internet store

and process data, rather than local

servers or personal computers — is

ready to move to the next level.

Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet, the

parent company of Google — the

technology giants that provide cloud

computing infrastructure to major

corporates and governments — want

to leverage 5G wireless technology

and artificial intelligence to enable

faster response times, lower latency

(ability to process very high volumes

of data with minimal delay), and

simplified maintenance in computing.

This is where Edge Computing comes

in — which many see as an extension

to the cloud, but which is, in fact,

different in several basic ways.

By 2025, says the global research and

advisory firm Gartner, companies will

generate and process more than 75%

of their data outside of traditional

centralised data centres — that is, at

the “edge” of the cloud.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the delivery of

computing services—including

servers, storage, databases,

networking, software, analytics, and

intelligence—over the Internet (“the

cloud”) to offer faster innovation,

flexible resources, and economies of

scale.

Cloud computing, in layman’s

language, refers to remotely running

workloads in a commercial provider’s

data centre over the Internet. It is

becoming increasingly popular today.

We can typically pay only for cloud

services you use, helping lower your

operating costs, run your infrastructure

more efficiently and scale as your

business needs change.

This approach eliminates costs related

to the development, deployment, and

maintenance of IT resources while

simultaneously extending an

organisation the most cutting-edge

features and technologies.

Moreover, this equips businesses with

greater flexibility in upscaling and

downscaling operations or modifying

subscription of a critical service as per

business conditions. But, this flexibility

is unobtainable through other

traditional methods.

Big businesses wanting to curtail their

expenditure, and small-budget

enterprises, looking for more

computing capacity, no longer have to

spend on servers and expensive

hardware. Cloud companies, with their

network of data centres, deliver these

services over the Internet.

Along with global leaders Amazon,

Microsoft and Google, local players,

too, are foraying into to this growing

market.

Cloud computing is currently witnessing

massive global adoption given its cost-

effective model that focuses on operational

expenditure. However, as cloud solutions

continue to proliferate, they are

simultaneously creating three major

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CHAHALACADEMY

challenges for organisations.

The Exponential data:

Cloud-based applications and devices

constantly generate data that needs to

be processed with respect to a certain

predefined function. But IoT devices

and sensors also generate additional

data that is not relevant for the

particular function for the same. This

superfluous data, in any case, utilise

cloud resources and increases related

costs.

Data security:

Data centres lead to centralisation of

the network as well as the data for

organisations. This centralisation

leads to a network arrangement that

creates a single point of failure.

If this point of failure collapses, it

makes the whole network unviable.

Similarly, the data in transit can also

be attacked by a cyber attacker.

Events such as these can compromise

critical information of businesses and

lead to substantial losses.

Data latency:

Today, cloud technology is enabling

the automation of a majority of day-to-

day processes. This is bringing

greater precision, effectiveness, and

efficiency in managing operations.

Some of these cloud-driven solutions

include automated surveillance

devices, healthcare monitors,

industrial robots, drones, droids, and

so forth. They need a constant flow of

information with the data centre.

However, long-distance

communication is known to cause

data latency that results in

transmission delays. Such delays can

be very unfavourable in multiple cloud

applications. For instance, if the

sensor data is not timely processed in

a self-driving car or in an industrial

robot, it can lead to a catastrophic

event.

This is where Edge Computing comes in to

make a difference

What is Edge Computing?

Simply put, edge computing enables data to

be analysed, processed, and transferred at the

edge of a network. The idea is to analyse data

locally, closer to where it is stored, in real-time

without latency, rather than send it far away to

a centralised data centre. So whether you are

streaming a video on Netflix or accessing a

library of video games in the cloud, edge

computing allows for quicker data processing

and content delivery.

How is edge computing different from

cloud computing?

The basic difference between edge

computing and cloud computing lies in

where the data processing takes place

.

At the moment, the existing Internet of

Things (IoT) systems perform all of

their computations in the cloud using

data centres.

Edge computing, on the other hand,

essentially manages the massive

amounts of data generated by IoT

devices by storing and processing

data locally.

That data doesn’t need to be sent over

a network as soon as it processed;

only important data is sent —

therefore, an edge computing network

reduces the amount of data that

travels over the network.

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CHAHALACADEMY

Advantages of Edge Computing:

There are numerous advantages to using edge

computing:

Primarily, it decreases the total

distance that data has to travel in

order to get processed, which

subsequently decreases transmission

costs, reduces latency, and enhances

Quality of Service (QoS).

Secondly, it limits the dependency on

a singular IT resource and leads to

decentralisation of the network. This

eliminates a singular point of failure,

which can cause major service

disruption.

Edge computing also increases the

security and compliance since

sensitive data can be filtered out at

network edges and only the relevant

data-model-building information can

be transmitted to the cloud.

NOBEL PRIZE FOR PHYSICS

Why in news?

The 2019 Physics Nobel awarded to 3

scientists for discoveries in

cosmology.

It was awarded with one half to James

Peebles “for theoretical discoveries in

physical cosmology” and the other half

jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier

Queloz “for the discovery of an

exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.”

Why did James Peebles get the Prize?

No one knows much about the earliest

states of the universe, but theories

hold that it was a compact, hot and

opaque particle soup. Modern

cosmology assumes that the universe

formed as a result of the Big Bang.

The Theory: About 400,000 years

after the Big Bang, the universe

expanded and cooled to a few

thousand degrees Celsius. This

caused it to become transparent,

allowing light to pass through it. This

ancient afterglow of the Big Bang, the

remnants of which still can be

observed, is known as the cosmic

microwave background (CMB). The

universe continued to expand and cool

and its present temperature is close to

2 kelvin. That is, approximately minus

271 degrees Celsius.

Microwaves have wavelengths in the

range of millimetres which has been

long compared to visible light. The

CMB consists of light in the microwave

range because the expansion of the

universe stretched the light so much.

Microwave radiation is invisible light.

The CMB was detected first in 1964,

winning for its discoverers a Nobel

Prize in 1978.

Peebles realised that measuring the

CMB’s temperature could provide

information about how much matter

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CHAHALACADEMY

had been created in the Big Bang. He

also saw that the release of this light

played a role in how matter could form

clumps creating what we now see as

galaxies. This was a major

breakthrough.

In decades of work since the 1960s,

Peebles used theoretical physics and

calculations to interpret what

happened after Big bang.

His work is focused largely on Cosmic

Microwave Background (CMB)

radiation, which is electromagnetic

radiation left over from the early

universe once it had cooled sufficiently

following the Big Bang.

This discovery by Peebles heralded a

new era of cosmology. Many

questions — how old is the universe?

What is its fate? How much matter and

energy does it contain? These could

be answered by studying the variation

of the CMB. The news release of the

Nobel academy describes these

variations as wavelets on the sea

surface — small from a distance but

significant when close.

Why did Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor

and Didier Queloz get the Prize?

One half of the Nobel Prize was

shared by Michel Mayor and Didier

Queloz of the University of Geneva,

for discovering for the first time a

planet outside our solar system

orbiting a Sun-like star.

The planet discovered by Mayor and

Queloz in 1995 is 50 light years away,

orbiting the star 51 Pegasus that is

similar to our Sun.

Called 51 Pegasus b, the exoplanet is

not habitable either, but it challenged

our understanding of planets and laid

the foundation for future discoveries.

Using a spectrograph, ELODIE, built

by Mayor and collaborators and

installed at the Haute-Provence

Observatory in France, they predicted

the planet by observing the “Doppler

effect” — when the star wobbles as an

effect of a planet’s gravity on its

observed light.

About planet is 51 Pegasi b:

The constellation Pegasus has a star

51 Pegasi which is some 50 light

years away from earth. On October 6,

1995, the prize-winning duo

discovered a planet orbiting it.

It was named 51 Pegasi b, as per

astronomical conventions. It is a gas

giant, about half the size of Jupiter,

which is why it was given the name

Dimidium, meaning one-half. It orbits

its star in just four days. It is unlikely

that we can survive that.

It is a gas giant comparable to Jupiter,

yet it very hot, unlike icy cold Jupiter;

51 Pegagsus b is even closer to its

star than Mercury is to our Sun.

Until then, gas giants were presumed

to be cold, formed a great distance

from their stars.

Today, it is accepted that these hot

gas giants represent what Jupiter

would look like if it were suddenly

transported closer to the Sun. The

discovery of the planet “started a

revolution in astronomy”, as described

in the official Nobel Prize website.

“Strange new worlds are still being

discovered… forcing scientists to

revise their theories of the physical

processes behind the origins of

planets,” it said.

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What are Exoplanets?

The word planet is a general term that

describes any celestial body that

moves around a star. Well, there are

also “rogue” planets that do not orbit

stars. An exoplanet is a planet outside

our solar system. It is an extrasolar

planet.

The hunt for extraterrestrial life, if any

exists, depends on finding habitable

planets, mainly outside our Solar

System.

Today, exoplanets are being

discovered very frequently — over

4,000 are known — which is

remarkable progress from three

decades ago, when not even one

exoplanet was known. The first

confirmed discoveries came in 1992,

but these were orbiting not a star but

the remains of one.

Why did it take so long for exoplanets to be

discovered?

51 Pegasi b was the first exoplanet to

be discovered by Mayor and Queloz in

December, 1995. The delay was due

to the lack of good telescopes or a

suitable method. Indirect methods that

used slight wobbling in the orbits of

binary stars or variations in the

brightness of isolated stars – none

yielded correct results and was

rejected by the astronomy community.

According to the NASA exoplanet

archive, as of October 10, 2019, there

are 4,073 confirmed exoplanets.

This webpage hosts one of the

archives that has such lists and data.

Today, there are not just ground-

based telescopes but space missions

that search for exoplanets, such as the

Kepler Space Telescope.

NOBEL PRIZE FOR CHEMISTRY

Why in news?

Scientists John Goodenough, Stanley

Whittingham and Akira Yoshino won the 2019

Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Wednesday for

the development of lithium-ion batteries, an

important technology in enabling the world to

move away from fossil fuels.

More about the news:

The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

has been awarded to Stanley

Whittingham, John Goodenough and

Akira Yoshino for their development of

the lithium-ion battery..

The three scientists over their

respective careers have shaped up

what is the now the most-preferred

battery across all rechargeable

devices such as smartphones, laptops

and electric vehicles.

These batteries are lightweight,

rechargeable and powerful and,

besides being compact in size, they

can store significant amounts of

energy from solar and wind power.

American Goodenough, at 97,

becomes the oldest winner of a Nobel

prize. He shared the award equally

with Whittingham from Britain and

Yoshino of Japan.

Whittingham developed the first functional

lithium-ion battery in 1976, Goodenough

brought in a major improvement in 1980, while

Yoshino made the first practical-use lithium-ion

battery in 1985. Commercially manufactured

lithium-ion batteries, based on what Yoshino

had developed, made their first appearance in

1991.

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CHAHALACADEMY

How batteries work?

Batteries convert chemical energy into

electricity.

A battery comprises two electrodes, a

positive cathode and a negative

anode, which are separated by a liquid

chemical, called electrolyte, which is

capable of carrying charged particles.

The two electrodes are connected

through an electrical circuit.

When the circuit is on, electrons travel

from the negative anode towards the

positive cathode, thus generating

electric current, while positively

charged ions move through the

electrolyte.

Single-use batteries stop working once

a balance is established between the

electrical charges. In rechargeable

batteries, an external power supply

reverses the flow of electric charges,

so that the battery can be used again.

Lithium-ion batteries:

A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is

a type of rechargeable battery.

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly

used for portable electronics and

electric vehicles and are growing in

popularity for military and aerospace

applications.

In the batteries lithium ions move from

the negative electrode through an

electrolyte to the positive electrode

during discharge, and back when

charging. Li-ion batteries use an

intercalated lithium compound as the

material at the positive electrode and

typically graphite at the negative

electrode.

The batteries have a high energy

density, no memory effect (other than

LFP cells) and low self-discharge.

Lithium-ion batteries have

revolutionised our lives and are used

in everything from mobile phones to

laptops and electric vehicles.

Through their work, this year’s

Chemistry Laureates have laid the

foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-

free society, the Nobel Committee said

in a statement.

Contributions of Stanley Whittingham ,

John B Goodenough and Akira Yoshino:

Stanley Whittingham:

When Whittingham began working on

batteries in the 1970s, rechargeable

batteries were already available, but

were bulky and inefficient.

Whittingham worked with newer

materials to make his battery lighter

and more efficient.

The older rechargeable batteries used

to have solid materials in the

electrodes which used to react with

the electrolyte and damage the

battery.

Whittingham’s innovation came from

the fact that he used the atom-sized

spaces within the cathode material,

titanium disulphide, to store the

positive lithium ions.

The choice of lithium was dictated by

the fact that it let go of its electron

quite easily and was also very light.

John B Goodenough:

Whittingham’s battery worked at room

temperature, making it practical, but

was prone to short-circuits on

repeated charging.

An addition of aluminium, and a

change of electrolyte, made it safer,

but the big breakthrough was made by

Goodenough who changed the

cathode to a metal oxide instead of

metal sulphide (titanium disulphide)

that Whittingham had been using.

Goodenough’s battery was almost

twice as powerful as Whittingham’s.

Akira Yoshino:

Yoshino started working on

Goodenough’s battery and tried using

various lighter carbon-based materials

as the anode in order to bring down

the weight further.

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CHAHALACADEMY

He got excellent results with petroleum

coke, a byproduct of the oil industry.

This battery was stable, lightweight,

and as powerful as Goodenough’s.

Dr. Yoshino succeeded in eliminating

pure lithium from the battery, instead

basing it wholly on lithium ions, which

are safer than pure lithium. This made

the battery workable in practice.

The result was a lightweight,

hardwearing battery that could be

charged hundreds of times before its

performance deteriorated. The

advantage of lithium-ion batteries is

that they are not based upon chemical

reactions that break down the

electrodes, but upon lithium ions

flowing back and forth between the

anode and cathode.

Researchers have continued to look for other

materials to make more efficient batteries, but

so far none of these has succeeded in

outperforming lithium-ion battery’s high

capacity and voltage. The lithium-ion battery

itself has, however, gone several modifications

and improvements so that it is much more

environment friendly than when it was first

developed.

THE DNA TECHNOLOGY (USE AND

APPLICATION) REGULATION BILL

- 2019

Why in news?

Recently, the DNA Technology Regulation Bill,

which seeks to control the use of DNA

technology for establishing the identity of a

person, has been referred to a parliamentary

standing committee for examination, the Lok

Sabha secretariat has said.

Background:

The Bill that seeks to control the use

and application of the

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

technology for establishing the identity

of certain categories of persons,

including offenders, victims, suspects

and undertrials, was passed by the

Lok Sabha in July.

A similar bill was passed in the Lok

Sabha in January last year but it could

not be cleared in the Rajya Sabha.

The Bill had then lapsed with the

dissolution of the previous Lok Sabha

The Bill has been referred to the

Parliamentary Standing Committee on

Science and Technology, Environment

and Forests by Rajya Sabha

Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu.

About the DNA Technology:

The Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is a

set of instructions found in a cell.

These instructions are used for the

growth and development of an

organism.

The DNA of a person is unique, and

variation in the sequence of DNA can

be used to match individuals and

identify them.

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DNA technology, therefore allows for

accurate establishment of an

individual’s identity.

DNA Profiling: DNA profiling (also

called DNA fingerprinting) is the

process of determining an individual's

DNA characteristics, which are as

unique as fingerprints.

In other words, it is the process where

a specific DNA pattern, called a

profile, is obtained from a person or

sample of bodily tissue and used to

identify a person's identity.

About the DNA Technology Regulation Bill,

2019:

1. The Bill regulates the use of DNA

technology for establishing the identity

of persons in respect of matters listed

in a Schedule. These include criminal

matters (such as offences under the

Indian Penal Code, 1860), and civil

matters such as parentage disputes,

emigration or immigration, and

transplantation of human organs.

2. The Bill establishes a National DNA

Data Bank and Regional DNA Data

Banks. Every Data Bank will maintain

the following indices: (i) crime scene

index, (ii) suspects’ or undertrials’

index, (iii) offenders’ index, (iv)

missing persons’ index, and (v)

unknown deceased persons’ index.

3. The Bill establishes a DNA Regulatory

Board. Every DNA laboratory that

analyses a DNA sample to establish

the identity of an individual, has to be

accredited by the Board.

4. The Bill provides for the removal of

DNA profiles of suspects on filing of a

police report or court order, and of

undertrials on the basis of a court

order. Profiles in the crime scene and

missing persons’ index will be

removed on a written request.

5. Written consent by individuals is

required to collect DNA samples from

them. Consent is not required for

offences with punishment of more than

seven years of imprisonment or death.

Need for the DNA Technology Regulation

Bill in India:

DNA-based technology can be used to

aid criminal investigations. For

example, the identity of a criminal

offender may be determined by

matching DNA found at the crime

scene with the DNA of a suspect.

In addition, DNA-based technology

helps in identification of victims in the

event of terrorist attacks or natural

disasters such as earthquakes. For

example, DNA technology has been

used to identify victims of terrorist

attacks on the World Trade Centre in

2001, and disasters such as the Asian

tsunami in 2004.

Further, DNA profiling can be used in

civil matters, such as parentage

disputes, issues related to pedigree,

immigration or emigration, assisted

reproductive technologies,

transplantation of human organs, and

for the establishment of individual

identity.

The incidences of crimes involving

offences that are categorized as

affecting the human body (such as

murder, rape, human trafficking, or

grievous hurt), and those against

property (including theft, burglary, and

dacoity) has been raising in the

country, as per the statistics of the

National Crime Records Bureau

(NCRB) for 2016, is in excess of 3

lakhs per year.

Of these, only a very small proportion

is being subjected to DNA testing at

present. It is expected that the

expanded use of this technology in

these categories of cases would result

not only in speedier justice delivery but

also in increased conviction rates,

which at present is only around 30%

(NCRB Statistics for 2016).

In the past, several expert groups

including the Law Commission, have

looked at the use and regulation of

DNA technology. The Commission

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submitted its report as well as a draft

Bill in July 2017.

Currently, the use of DNA technology

for identification of individuals is not

regulated.

In this context, the DNA Technology

(Use and Application) Regulation Bill,

2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha on

August 9, 2018 and was passed in

jaunary 2019.

Key Issues and Concerns:

Right to Privacy: DNA laboratories

are required to share DNA data with

the Data Banks. It is unclear whether

DNA profiles for civil matters will also

be stored in the Data Banks. Storage

of these profiles in the Data Banks

may violate the right to privacy.

No guarantee of Data Security:

Numerous examples have testified

how easily AADHAAR data can be

accessed. DNA Database could be

another AADHAAR like database,

without adequate protection and

safeguards. Moreover, there is no

linkage shown in the bill between the

government’s other cyber security

projects and regulations, and the

present law.

Profiling of an individual: DNA

samples can reveal not just how a

person looks, or what their eye colour

or skin colour is, but also more

intrusive information like their

allergies, or susceptibility to diseases.

As a result, there is a greater risk of

information from DNA profiling getting

misused to create a profile of an

individual and use it for surveillance as

well as for making profits.

Consent Clause: The Bill requires

consent of the individual when DNA

profiling is used in criminal

investigations and identifying missing

persons. However, consent

requirements have not been specified

in case of DNA profiling for civil

matters.

Removal of Profiles: DNA

laboratories prepare DNA profiles and

then share them with DNA Data

Banks. The Bill specifies the process

by which DNA profiles may be

removed from the Data Banks.

However, the Bill does not require

DNA laboratories to remove DNA

profiles. It may be argued that such

provisions be included in the Bill and

not left to regulations.

GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION OF

NANOPHARMACEUTICALS IN

INDIA

Why in news?

The Minister for Science and Technology,

Earth Sciences and Health and Family

Welfare, recently released guidelines for

evaluation of nano-pharmaceuticals, which are

emerging as more potent tools for treating

various diseases.

More about the news:

The document, which covers all the

aspects of evaluation from the

definition and categorisation of

Nanopharmaceuticals to pharma

covigilance of the new set of

therapeutics, has been prepared as a

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joint project by the Department of

Biotechnology in the Ministry of

Science and Technology, and Indian

Council of Medical Research and

Central Drugs Standard Control

Organisation in the Ministry of Health

and Family Welfare.

The guidelines apply to the

Nanopharmaceuticals in the form of

finished formulation as well as Active

Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) of a

new molecule or an already approved

molecule with altered nanoscale

dimensions, properties or

phenomenon associated with the

application of nanotechnology

intended to be used for treatment, in

vivo diagnosis, mitigation, cure or

prevention of diseases and disorders

in humans

About Nanoscience:

Nanoscience is the study of materials,

which are in nanoscale range.

Conversion of any material in

nanoscale results in alteration of its

physiochemical, biological,

mechanical, optical, electronic and

other properties.

These newly acquired (novel)

properties of the materials due to

conversion into nanoscale can be

utilized for different useful activities.

Thus, it is relevant for diverse sectors,

such as health, energy, chemicals,

consumer products, various other

industries and environmental

remediation

About Nanotechnology:

Nanotechnology is an enabling

technology for various incremental and

disruptive innovations.

Application of this technology has

tremendous potential in

pharmaceutical industry where it can

improve the therapeutic efficacy and

reduce toxicity due to improved

(actively or passively targeted /

sustained / controlled / triggered /

enhanced / prolonged) delivery of the

drugs.

There may be a concurrent reduction

of the dose of the drug with

enhanced/sustained bioavailability and

lowering of toxicity.

About Nanopharmaceuticals:

A nanopharmaceutical is defined as a

pharmaceutical preparation containing

nanomaterials intended for internal

use or external application on human

for the purpose of therapeutics,

diagnostics and health benefits.

They are a relatively new class of

therapeutic-containing nanomaterials

that often have unique”

nanoproperties” (physiochemical

properties) due to their small size

(compared with their bulk-phase

counterparts) a high surface-to-volume

ratio and the possibility of modulating

their properties.

The nanomaterial is generally defined

as material having particle size in the

range of 1 to 100 nm in at least one

dimension. However, if a material

exhibits physical, chemical or

biological phenomenon or activity

which are attributable to its dimension

beyond nanoscale range up to 1000

nm, the material should also be

considered as nanomaterial.

Therefore, any pharmaceutical

containing such material should also

be considered as nanopharmaceutical

Nanopharmaceuticals present novel

reformulation opportunities for active

agents (e.g., single molecule drugs,

proteins, nucleic acids, etc.) that were

previously insoluble or could not be

targeted to a specific site of the body

where they were needed.

Nanopharmaceuticals can also

increase drug half-life by reducing

immunogenicity and diminishing drug

metabolism.

With these advantages,

Nanopharmaceuticals have the ability

to extend the economic life of

proprietary drugs, thereby creating

additional revenue streams.

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Nanopharmaceuticals is an

emerging area that combines

nanotechnology with biomedical and

pharmaceutical science with the goal

of improved/ targeted drug delivery.

The concept of 5 R’s: ‘right target

/efficacy’, ‘right tissue/exposure’, ‘right

patients’, ‘right safety’ and ‘right

commercial potential’ may help in

successful development of

Nanopharmaceuticals.

Need for these guidelines:

Nano-pharmaceuticals, which are

derived by application of

nanotechnology in medical

therapeutics are expected to bring

about a revolution in treatment

strategies as they would enable target

specific delivery of drugs and

therapeutic molecules and thus offer

higher efficacy and lower toxicity in

many disease conditions. They are

expected to be great use particularly in

cancer treatment.

Development of a nano scale drug

delivery system / nano API may

significantly alter the pharmacokinetic,

biodistribution and toxicokinetic

parameters of the

conventional/traditional drugs, raising

various concerns related to quality,

safety and efficacy of the

nanopharmaceutical products.

Every year several new nano-

pharmaceuticals are being developed

and marketed across the world. India

too has a sizable pool of nano-

scientists generating large number of

scientific publications in this domain.

However, regulatory approval is the

most important factor for translating

laboratory research into bedside

medicine.

Efforts have been made for developing

regulatory guidelines for

nanopharmaceuticals in different

countries.

Since, there are no specific guidelines

for development and evaluation of

nanopharmaceuticals in India, there is

a need to formulate comprehensive

guideline focusing on the quality,

safety and efficacy of

nanopharmaceuticals for their

therapeutic use

Significance of the guidelines:

Nanocarrier based targeted drug

delivery is an emerging field with

introduction of nanopharmaceuticals in

the market. These nanoformulations

have higher efficacy, lower toxicity and

are safer than the conventional drugs.

Indian researchers would be facilitated

to undertake research in line with the

regulatory guidelines and is expected

that Industry would be keen to

participate from the beginning of the

research pipeline towards product

development and commercialisation.

Further, private investments would

also be attracted since these

guidelines would strengthen the

regulatory system.

The guidelines would facilitate

translational research in line with the

regulatory requirements.

Guidelines will also facilitate the

decision making by regulator during

clearances to newer products based

on nanotechnology and similarly to

researchers to get clearance for their

products to launch in market.

End users will also be benefited by the

quality assured anticipated products in

the market in accordance to the

guidelines.

This document will give impetus to

initiate activities for developing safety

guidelines for other domains like agri-

inputs and agri-products, cosmetics,

implantable devices, through

interventions of nanotechnology.

The guidelines will pave the way for

significant benefits through such

cutting edge technology and contribute

to the mission on “Affordable Health

Care for All”.

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ORGANOIDS

Why in news?

On October 21, at Neuroscience 2019, the

Society for Neuroscience’s 49th annual

meeting, held in Chicago, U.S., two

neuroscientists warned the gathering that

fellow scientists are “perilously close” to

crossing the ethical red line of growing mini-

brains or organoids in the laboratory that can

perceive or feel things.

More about the news:

In some cases, scientists have already

transplanted such lab-grown brain

organoid to adult animals.

The transplanted organoid had

integrated with the animal brain, grown

new neuronal connections and

responded to light.

Similarly, lung organoid transplanted

into mice was able to form branching

airways and early alveolar structures.

These are seen as a step towards

potential “humanisation” of host

animals.

What is an Organoid?

Organoids are a group of cells grown

in laboratories into three-dimensional,

miniature structures that mimic the cell

arrangement of a fully-grown organ.

They are tiny (typically the size of a

pea) organ-like structures that do not

achieve all the functional maturity of

human organs but often resemble the

early stages of a developing tissue.

Most organoids contain only a subset

of all the cells seen in a real organ, but

lack blood vessels to make them fully

functional.

In the case of brain organoids,

scientists have been able to develop

neurons and even make specific brain

regions such as the cerebral cortex

that closely resemble the human brain.

The largest brain organoids that have

been grown in the laboratory are about

4 mm in diameter.

How Organoids are developed?

Organoids are grown in the lab using

stem cells that can become any of the

specialised cells seen in the human

body, or stem cells taken from the

organ or adults cells that have been

induced to behave like stem cells,

scientifically called induced pluripotent

stem cells (iPSC).

Stem cells are provided with nutrients

and other specific molecules to grow

and become cells resembling a

specific organ.

The growing cells are capable of self-

organising into cellular structures of a

specific organ and can partly replicate

complex functions of mature organs —

physiological processes to

regeneration and being in a diseased

state.

Organoids of the brain, small intestine,

kidney, heart, stomach, eyes, liver,

pancreas, prostate, salivary glands,

and inner ear to name a few have

already been developed in the

laboratory.

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Importance and Uses of Organoids:

Organoids can be used to study the

safety and efficacy of new drugs and

also test the response of tissues to

existing medicines.

Organoids will bring precision

medicine closer to reality by

developing patient-specific treatment

strategies by studying which drugs the

patient is most sensitive to.

Since the use of animals during drug

development studies is becoming

increasingly difficult, the focus has

been on refining, reducing and

replacing them.

While scientists have been

increasingly using human cell lines

and other methods, such alternatives

have some inherent limitations — they

cannot mimic the whole organ system.

Organoids are a far superior

alternative to cell lines.

Role of Organoids in Understanding

Diseases:

Organoids offer new opportunities to

studying proteins and genes that are

critical for the development of an

organ. This helps in knowing how a

mutation in a specific gene causes a

disease or disorder.

In a study in Europe using intestinal

organoids from six patients with an

intestine disorder, it became possible

to identify the mutation in a gene that

prevented the formation of a healthy

intestine.

Researchers have used brain

organoids to study how the Zika virus

affects brain development in the

embryo.

Scientists are already using stem cells

taken from tumours to grow organoids

that are poised to develop cancer.

The ability to grow organoids using

cancer stem cells allows researchers

to study the genes, proteins and

signalling pathways that cancer cells

use to develop and grow.

They are also using healthy organoids

to identify and verify the gene

mutations that cause cancer.

Ethical Challenges:

In an opinion piece in Nature,

scientists argued that the largest brain

that has been grown in the laboratory

is only 4 mm in diameter and contains

only 2-3 million cells. In comparison,

an adult human brain measures 1,350

cubic centimetres, and has 86 billion

neurons and another 86 billion non-

neuronal cells and a similar number of

non-neuronal cells.

The authors argue that organoids do

not have sensory inputs and sensory

connections from the brain are limited.

Isolated regions of the brain cannot

communicate with other brain regions

or generate motor signals.

They wrote: “Thus, the possibility of

consciousness or other higher-order

perceptive properties [such as the

ability to feel distress] emerging

seems extremely remote.”

With organoids transplanted into mice

exhibiting neural activity when

activated with light, the future

possibility of sensory input and output

increasing is real as organoids

become increasingly complex. Arguing

that transplanting brain organoids into

animals is allow blood supply so

organoids can grow bigger, they say

that the “size of rodent models

restricts the degree to which human

brain organoids can grow within them”

NASA'S ICON SATELLITE

Why in news?

NASA recently launched a satellite — called

ICON, short for Ionospheric Connection

Explorer — rocketed into orbit following a two-

year delay.

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About Ionospheric Connection Explorer

(ICON) Satellite:

Ionospheric Connection Explorer

(ICON) spacecraft is a first-of-its-kind

mission to study Ionosphere, a region

of space where changes can disrupt

communications and satellite orbits,

and even increase radiation risks to

astronauts.

The satellite was packed in Northrop

Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, which

was released in midair from its carrier

plane Stargazer L-1011.

The probe is going right into the thick

of the ionosphere, heading for a

circular orbit 357 miles (575

kilometers) above Earth's surface.

Equipped with various instruments that

are designed to measure winds and

particles, ICON will also measure how

dense the atmosphere is and analyze

its chemical composition.

While in space, ICON will work in

tandem with another NASA mission

called GOLD (Global-scale

Observations of the Limb and Disk),

which launched as a tagalong payload

aboard a commercial communications

satellite in January 2018.

From its orbital perch 22,000 miles

(35,400 km) above the Earth, GOLD

has been monitoring the ionosphere

from above. The two missions will

work together to provide a complete

picture of the inner workings of the

ionosphere.

Earth's Atmospheric Layers:

Troposphere

The troposphere starts at the Earth's

surface and extends 8 to 14.5

kilometers high (5 to 9 miles). This

part of the atmosphere is the most

dense. Almost all weather is in this

region.

Stratosphere

The stratosphere starts just above the

troposphere and extends to 50

kilometers (31 miles) high. The ozone

layer, which absorbs and scatters the

solar ultraviolet radiation, is in this

layer.

Mesosphere

The mesosphere starts just above the

stratosphere and extends to 85

kilometers (53 miles) high. Meteors

burn up in this layer

Thermosphere

The thermosphere starts just above

the mesosphere and extends to 600

kilometers (372 miles) high. Aurora

and satellites occur in this layer.

Ionosphere

The ionosphere is an abundant layer

of electrons and ionized atoms and

molecules that stretches from about

48 kilometers (30 miles) above the

surface to the edge of space at about

965 km (600 mi), overlapping into the

mesosphere and thermosphere.

This dynamic region grows and

shrinks based on solar conditions and

divides further into the sub-regions: D,

E and F; based on what wavelength of

solar radiation is absorbed. The

ionosphere is a critical link in the chain

of Sun-Earth interactions. This region

is what makes radio communications

possible.

Exosphere

This is the upper limit of our

atmosphere. It extends from the top of

the thermosphere up to 10,000 km

(6,200 mi).

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Significance of the Mission:

The ionosphere is the charged part of

the upper atmosphere extending

several hundred miles (kilometers) up.

It’s in constant flux as space weather

bombards it from above and Earth

weather from below, sometimes

disrupting radio communications.

Until about a decade ago, scientists

thought the sun caused most of the

changes in the ionosphere, but more

recent research suggests that is not

the case; daily changes in the region

are observed even when the sun isn't

generating powerful storms. It is

suggested that this is because

terrestrial weather patterns and

extreme events such as hurricanes

also cause changes in the ionosphere.

This dynamic region where Earth

weather meets space weather is home

to the International Space Station and

is a critical pathway for

communications satellites

Radio waves and Global Positioning

System (GPS) signals pass directly

through this turbulent layer, and those

signals can be distorted by patches of

ionized material.

This is an issue because space

weather can not only have an impact

on communications systems but also

electronics and even power grids. To

mitigate these effects, scientists are

hoping to better understand the sun

and its many processes. And ICON

can help with that.

ICON will make its way to Earth orbit

on a mission to study the planet's

ionosphere, a massive layer of our

atmosphere that overlaps with the

boundary of space. The spacecraft's

measurements will help scientists

better understand the link between

space weather and terrestrial weather,

and how the two interact in the

ionosphere.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INDIA-CHINA INFORMAL SUMMIT

Why in news?

Recently, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are met in the ancient coastal town of Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, some 50 kilometres south of Chennai, for a second Informal Summit on October 11-12.

What is an ‘Informal’ Summit?

Informal Summits act as supplementary exchanges to annual Summits and other formal exchanges and allow for “direct, free and candid exchange of views” between countries, something that may not be possible to do through formal bilateral and multilateral meetings that are agenda driven, where specific issues are discussed, and outcomes are more concretely defined.

Informal Summits may not take place on a fixed annual or biennial schedule; they are impromptu in the sense that they take place when a need for them is perceived by the concerned nations.

This means that the protocol trappings – a red carpet or flags on the table – remain, but there won’t be days of

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CHAHALACADEMY

negotiations to announce a slew of agreements or issue a joint statement. Instead, both sides will issue separate joint press releases summarising the content of the discussions as per their national priorities.

Since Informal Summits allow discussion on wide-ranging issues, they are not particularly purpose-specific, and are sometimes considered to play bigger roles in diplomatic dialogue than formal exchanges — the reason is that they tend to be more in-depth, and relatively flexible in intent and the scope of discussion.

India and Informal Summits:

China is not the only country with which India has had an Informal Summit. In May 2018, Modi met Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for their first Informal Summit in Russia’s Sochi to discuss international matters in a “broad and long-term perspective”.

And in November 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ASEAN-India Informal Breakfast Summit in Singapore.

In June 2019, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Russia, India and China convened together for the “Russia-India-China (RIC) Informal Summit” where they discussed issues related to the economic, security and political situation of the world.

India-China Informal Summit:

This is the second informal summit between the two world leaders, with the first one held at Wuhan, China, last year.

In April 2018, the first summit took place in Wuhan in the wake of the Doklam crisis. The recent meeting was held in the midst of China reacting strongly to the Indian government’s decision on Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir.

In the second Summit PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on an informal summit at Mamallapuram, a coastal town near Chennai, on October 11-12.

The most important takeaway from the informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping

at Mamallapuram, formerly Mahabalipuram is that the two biggest nations with a deep civilisational legacy could successfully explore the areas of detente and cooperation independently of the third party influences. The scale of welcome accorded to the Chinese President reflected the cultural content of Indian hospitality that would not would not go unnoticed in terms of the message of willingness to work for mutually beneficial relationship that it put out for the visiting dignitary.

Why was Mamallapuram chosen as the venue?

The name Mamallapuram or Mamalla, derives from Mamallan, or 'great warrior', a title by which the Pallava King Narasimhavarman I was known.

It is a historical venue, which had proven links with China going back to as many as 1,300 years.

There are indications that the Chinese monk Hiuen Tsang, who visited the Pallavan capital of Kanchipuram, may have also visited Mamallapuram.

The last well-known Chinese leader to visit the town was Chinese premier Zhou Enlai in 1956.

China president Xi Jinping was also a governor of Fujian, where newly-discovered Tamil inscriptions and sculptures show the presence of thriving and prosperous Indian trading community from the 10th to 13th centuries.

Tamil Nadu is also a hub of Chinese investment, with several Chinese firms having their factories in the industrialised southern state.

According to Archeological Survey of India (ASI), it was a sea-port during the time of Periplus (AD 1) and Ptolemy (AD 140), and many Indian colonists sailed to South-East Asia through this port town. While there is some evidence of architectural activity going back to the period of Mahendravarman-I (AD 600-30).

It appears that this is a place with which the Chinese were very familiar a long time ago when this was a busting town for trade

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Modi-Xi informal summit: Key Highlights:

One of the main issues between India and China is trade. During this summit, Modi and Xi reinforced their commitment to improve trade relations. This was one of the key agreements of the Wuhan summit. The leaders agreed to a new set up new mechanisms to achieve this goal.

Modi and Xi agreed that there must be a rules-based and inclusive international order, the MEA statement said. They agreed that there must be reforms that reflects the new realities of the 21st century.

They also agreed that rules-based multilateral trading systems must be supported and strengthened. The nations also reinforced their commitment to work together for open and inclusive trade arrangements that will benefit all countries. They also made a commitment to address global developmental challenges, including climate change and meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

To celebrate the 70th year of diplomatic relations between the two nations, the year 2020 will be designated as Year of India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges, the MEA said. To mark the occasion, many events will be planned, it added.

To celebrate the civilisational ties between the nations, the MEA said that the two leaders have decided to form a 'Sister-state relationship' between Tamil Nadu and Fujian Province. There is also a proposal to set up an academy to study these links.

In his address at the delegation-level talks, Modi said that the summit had set the path for future discussions. He said that they discussed bilateral and global matters. "The Wuhan spirit has given our relations new momentum and trust. Today, our Chennai vision will begin a new age in relations between our two countries," Modi said.

Xi said that he was happy with the welcome he received and said that invited Modi for another round of discussion China next year. The two leaders also made a commitment to manage differences in such a way that they would "not allow differences

on any issue to become disputes", the MEA statement said.

The discussion, or the lack of it, is the reason for Jammu and Kashmir to figure in this list.

In August, India scrapped Article 370, which gave special status to the state. This irked China, which has several interests in the state (they have invested in PoK, and claim a portion of the state). They lent their support to their "all-weather friend" Pakistan, when the latter raised this in multiple international forums, including the UNSC. However, India had responded to them saying that the matter was an internal one and the move was done to improve the lives of the people of the state, and most nations sided with India on this matter.

This issue happened right before the summit, and many believed that India should raise this matter with China. But it was not even a part of the discussion.

NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM)

SUMMIT

Why in news?

Recently, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu represented India at the 18th Non-Aligned Movement summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

About Non-Aligned Movement (NAM):

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide

The roots of NAM went back to the friendship between three leaders — Yugoslavia’s Josip Broz Tito, India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, and Egypt’s leader Gamal Abdel Nasser — who held a meeting in 1956. Indonesia’s Sukarno and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah strongly supported them.

These five leaders came to be known as the five founders of NAM.

Drawing on the principles agreed at the Bandung Conference in 1955, the

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NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The first non-aligned summit was also held in Belgrade in 1961.

The Concept of Non-Alignment:

The policy of staying away from alliances should not be considered isolationism or neutrality.

Non-alignment is not isolationism since isolationism means remaining aloof from world affairs. Isolationism sums up the foreign policy of the US from the American War of Independence in 1787 up to the beginning of the First World War. In comparison, the non-aligned countries, including India, played an active role in mediating between the two rival alliances in the cause of peace and stability. Their strength was based on their unity and their resolve to remain non-aligned despite the attempt by the two superpowers to bring them into their alliances

Non-alignment is also not neutrality. Neutrality refers principally to a policy of staying out of war. States practising neutrality are not required to help end a war. They do not get involved in wars and do not take any position on the appropriateness or morality of a war. Non-aligned states, including India, were actually involved in wars for various reasons. They also worked to prevent war between others and tried to end wars that had broken out.

Origin of NAM:

After the end of Second World War, the two power bloc was raising in world politics and the revelry between the blocs was on top.

The Cold War politics emerged as a bitter experience of international relations. Both blocs were mollifying the other countries of the world. It had to become stronger because of many newly independent countries.

For the sake their independence many countries choose the third path to avoiding war and keeping their independence, they framed NAM (Non-alignment Movement).

Most of these countries was belong to Asia and Africa and also newly independent. The US (United States) and European countries criticized NAM and revoked it as a group of opportunist countries.

The NAM emerged as an international platform as a third alternative of two power blocs. The NAM was the international phenomenon of developing and third world countries.

Non-alignment grew out of the cold war bitter relationship between US and USSR.

Some developing and third world newly independent countries refused to post Second World War world politics through the eyes of their erstwhile colonial rulers.

Indian Prime Minister Nehru was one of the paramount leaders of NAM since its inception.

NAM during Cold War:

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was created and founded during the collapse of the colonial system and the independence struggles of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Latin America and other regions of the world and at the height of the Cold War.

During the early days of the Movement, its actions were a key factor in the decolonization process, which led later to the attainment of freedom and independence by many countries and peoples and to the founding of tens of new sovereign States.

Throughout its history, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries has played a fundamental role in the preservation of world peace and security.

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The Founders of NAM have preferred to declare it as a movement but not an organization in order to avoid bureaucratic implications of the latter.

Since its inception, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries has waged a ceaseless battle to ensure that peoples being oppressed by foreign occupation and domination can exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries played a key role in the struggle for the establishment of a new international economic order that allowed all the peoples of the world to make use of their wealth and natural resources and provided a wide platform for a fundamental change in international economic relations and the economic emancipation of the countries of the South.

Non-alignment as India’s Foreign Policy:

Non-alignment has been regarded as the most important feature of India’s foreign policy. The policy of non-alignment won many supporters in the developing countries as it provided an opportunity to them for protecting their sovereignty as also retaining their freedom of action during the tension ridden cold war period.

India played an important role in forging the non-aligned movement (NAM). The concept of NAM emerged through a gradual process. Nehru took the initiative to convene the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in 1947.

Non-aligned India and the World movement is anti-imperialist in approach. India as the prime architect of non-alignment and as one of the leading members of the non-aligned movement has taken an active part in its growth.

India’s policy was neither negative nor passive. As Nehru reminded the world, nonalignment was not a policy of ‘fleeing away’. On the contrary, India was in favour of actively intervening in world affairs to soften Cold War rivalries.

India tried to reduce the differences between the alliances and thereby prevent differences from escalating into a full-scale war.

Indian diplomats and leaders were often used to communicate and mediate between Cold War rivals such as in the Korean War in the early 1950s.

During the Cold War, India repeatedly tried to activate those regional and international organisations, which were not a part of the alliances led by the US and USSR.

Nehru reposed great faith in ‘a genuine commonwealth of free and cooperating nations’ that would play a positive role in softening, if not ending, the Cold War.

Non-alignment was not, as some suggest, a noble international cause which had little to do with India’s real interests. A non-aligned posture also served India’s interests very directly, in at least two ways:

First, non-alignment allowed India to take international decisions and stances that served its interests rather than the interests of the superpowers and their allies.

Second, India was often able to balance one superpower against the other. If India felt ignored or unduly pressurised by one superpower, it could tilt towards the other. Neither alliance system could take India for granted or bully it.

Criticism of India’s Policy of Non-Alignment:

India’s policy of non-alignment was criticised on a number of counts. Here we may refer to only two criticisms:

First, India’s non-alignment was said to be ‘unprincipled’. In the name of pursuing its national interest, India, it was said, often refused to take a firm stand on crucial international issues.

Second, it is suggested that India was inconsistent and took contradictory postures.

Having criticised others for joining alliances, India signed the Treaty of Friendship in August 1971 with the USSR for 20 years. This was regarded, particularly by outside observers, as virtually joining the Soviet alliance system.

The Indian government’s view was that India needed diplomatic and possibly military support during the Bangladesh crisis and that in any case the treaty did not stop India from

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having good relations with other countries including the US.

Relevance of NAM in Contemporary World Politics:

Non-alignment as a strategy evolved in the Cold War context. With the disintegration of the USSR and the end of the Cold War in 1991, non-alignment, both as an international movement and as the core of India’s foreign policy, lost some of its earlier relevance and effectiveness.

Since the end of the Cold War and the formal end of colonialism, the Non-aligned Movement has been forced to redefine itself and reinvent its purpose in the current world order.

A major question has been whether many of its foundational ideologies, principles can be applied to the contemporary issues.

However, nonalignment contained some core values and enduring ideas. It was based on a recognition that decolonised states share a historical affiliation and can become a powerful force if they come together.

It meant that the poor and often very small countries of the world need not become followers of any of the big powers, that they could pursue an independent foreign policy.

It was also based on a resolve to democratise the international system by thinking about an alternative world order to redress existing inequities. These core ideas remain relevant even after the Cold War has ended.

The NAM has emphasized its principles of multilateralism, equality and mutual understanding in attempting to become a stronger voice of developing and third world countries as well as an instrument that can be utilized and promote the needs of member countries.

About 18th NAM Summit:

The conference of Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned Countries, often referred to as Non-Aligned Movement Summit is the main meeting within the movement and are held every few years. A variety of ministerial meetings are also held between the summit meetings.

The 18th Non-Aligned Movement summit was recently held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Theme of the 18th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit: ‘Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of contemporary world’.

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu represented India at the 19th Non Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Baku, Azerbaijan on October 25 and 26, marking the second time in a row that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give the summit a miss.

Mr. Modi’s absence indicates a decisive move away from past practice at the 60-year-old organisation that India was a founding member of, by the NDA government. In 2016 as well, India was represented by then Vice-President Hamid Ansari at the NAM summit in Venezuela.

ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC

COOPERATION (OIC): ON

KASHMIR

Why in news?

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently asked India to “rescind” its actions in Kashmir and abide by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions following New Delhi’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

More on news:

The Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Kashmir discussed the Indian government’s decision to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the state’s bifurcation into two Union Territories during a meeting on the sidelines of the 74th session of UN General Assembly.

In a draft communique that was released later, the group voiced concern over the human rights situation in Kashmir.

They also discussed the communication restrictions put in place in Kashmir.

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The group demanded that India “rescind” its actions in Kashmir and reiterate its commitment to abide by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

It also said India should allow access to Jammu and Kashmir to human rights organisations and international media to ascertain and report on the situation there

About Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC):

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents.

The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 25 September 1969.

In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah.

The Organization claims that it is the collective voice of the Muslim world and endeavours to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.

OIC and its views on Kashmir:

Since its inception, OIC has flagged issues, although with a varying degree of success, which it conceives threaten the wellbeing of Ummah or the brotherhood among Muslims.

Several OIC member states, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, have a strong Islamic identity; hence, issues that invoke Muslim solidarity have become part of OIC’s Islamic Summits and its Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM).

While there remains a view that the crisis in Kashmir is rooted in the colonial insensitivity and mismanagement to render an amicable arrangement between India and Pakistan, the Kashmir issue captures the popular imagination of Muslim leaders globally — a dynamic

that Pakistan has sought to exploit at the OIC.

Considering Pakistan’s Islamic credentials that give it a prominent status in the OIC, Islamabad has sought to establish consensus among OIC member states in condemning New Delhi’s Kashmir policy that it argues seeks to undermine the rights of the Muslim population in the state.

In OIC, Pakistan has aggressively pursued the Kashmir issue to isolate India in the Islamic world.

Within the OIC, Turkey, alongside Pakistan, has periodically raised concerns regarding the situation in Kashmir. Pakistan’s continued support to Ankara in its dispute with Cyprus, it seems has shaped Turkish opinion on the Kashmir dispute.

Recently, the OIC also appointed Yousef Aldobeay of Saudi Arabia, an assistant secretary general of the organisation, a special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir during the 14th OIC summit held in Makkah.

In a strong reaction, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that the state is an integral part of India.

He also said the OIC should refrain from making such "unwarranted references".

India and OIC:

At the inaugural session of OIC held in Rabat, Moroccoin 1969,India was denied membership of the OIC despite its insistence that as the country with the third largest Muslim population in the world deserved a seat at the “Islamic” table.

India’s membership in the group has become more important in the recent times as ever since the OIC’s inception, Pakistan has used the platform to spread canards about the so-called mistreatment of Muslims in India and to alienate India from the Islamic world. Moreover, Islamabad has used the forum to internationalize issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

However, the recent remarks of OIC on J&K is being considered as major diplomatic setback for India. India has

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been consistently criticised by the OIC for its alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, often seen at the behest of Pakistan.

Moreover, Pakistan has always avoided India’s observer status to the OIC, on its part Pakistan had objected stating that any country wishing to get observer status should not be involved in any dispute with an OIC member state the reference being to the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir.

However India's stand on OIC's statements has always been crystal clear and time and again India has stated that the OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

India has consistently and emphatically underlined that Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India”. The strength with which India has made this assertion has varied slightly at times, but never the core message.

Importance of OIC to India:

OIC Countries are important for Economic and Energy Independence of India, which is emerging as the world’s third-largest economy and one of the biggest hydrocarbon importers and labour exporters.

India has one of the world’s largest Muslim populations and hence it becomes important to engage with OIC and OIC rightly provides a platform and framework for India’s engagement with the Muslim world and the Middle East.

OIC has always been used as a forum by Pakistan to spread Anti-India propaganda which very well reflects in the statements of OIC in reference to the J&K issue. Good ties with OIC may help India to minimise the Pakistan's efforts to demean India in Summits.

Way Forward:

The Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan has attracted attention at various multilateral forums, including the OIC, and has become an intrinsic feature in Pakistan’s diplomacy to muster support against India in the Islamic world. Influenced by Pakistan, OIC — a prominent organisation of

Islamic countries — has consistently commented on the situation in Kashmir much to India’s dismay.

India should engage more with the member states of OIC as Article 4 (1) of the OIC Charter states the need for consensus among the OIC Council of Ministers for deciding on granting observer status to a state. Consensus-building for India’s entry in the grouping without Pakistan’s support is inconceivable. Thus, it remains in India’s interest to engage positively with Pakistan on this issue and collectively work for the ideals to which the OIC is committed.

Recently, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj addressed the inaugural session of the 46th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on March 1, 2019, in Abu Dhabi as a “guest of honor” invited by this year’s OIC host country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)During the plenary session, India was able to voice its concerns with respect to the menace of terrorism, which affects the entire world. Pakistan should heed to India’s concerns with respect to terrorism, which find similarity with that of its other two neighbors, Afghanistan and Iran. With mushrooming concerns like the rise of Islamophobia, cross-border terrorism, extremism, and instability in the world order, the OIC has become more relevant than ever before. Active engagement in the grouping by India, home to around 10 percent of the Muslims in the world, can add more substance to the existence and working of the OIC.

DEATH OF ABU BAKR AL-

BAGHDADI Why in news?

On Oct. 26, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, arguably the most wanted terrorist in the world, detonated a suicide belt to avoid capture by U.S. forces. His death, an important and symbolic event in the fight against the Islamic State, was soon followed by the announcement of a successor.

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Who was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?

Baghdadi, who was believed to have been born in Iraq perhaps in 1971, proclaimed himself Caliph of the Islamic State in 2013.

The leader of the Islamic State was often described as the most wanted individual in the world. The United States designated him a terrorist some eight years ago, and declared a bounty of $10 million (more than Rs 70 crore) on his head.

He made his first known public appearance the following year, delivering a Ramadan sermon at the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul in northern Iraq, at which the Islamic State declared itself to be a worldwide Caliphate with al-Baghdadi at its head. The best known among the ISIS leader’s few publicly available pictures are from a video of this sermon at the al-Nuri mosque.

Rise of ISIS and Baghdadi:

In early 2014, al-Baghdadi’s fighters had taken control over western Iraq, and over the next year and a half, the Islamic State ran a sweeping campaign of terror and brutality across a vast swathe of Iraq and Syria, terrifying the world with grisly videos of beheadings and shaking up governments everywhere.

By the end of 2015, it had control over an estimated 8-12 million people over which it imposed an unforgiving version of Sharia law, attracting jihadists from across the world, including a few from India.

The terrorist organisation and empire that Baghdadi headed was estimated at the time to have been the size of Great Britain, with an annual budget of over a billion dollars and an army of more than 30,000 jihadists.

ISIS had huge oil and tax revenues from the regions it controlled and once controlled 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) of territory stretching from western Syria to eastern Iraq.

It imposed its brutal rule on almost eight million people, generating billions

of dollars in revenue from oil, extortion, robbery and kidnapping.

In Iraq, IS slaughters thousands of Yazidis in Sinjar and forces more than 7,000 women and girls into sexual slavery. In Syria, it had massacred hundreds of members of the Sheitaat tribe. IS had beheaded Western hostages in grotesquely choreographed films.

Fall of ISIS:

The ISIS started to weaken from 2016 onward as the international coalition, backed by regional allies including, most importantly, Syrian Kurdish peshmerga fighters, gained ground in Syria and Iraq.

In 2017, Islamic State suffers a year of catastrophic defeats. In June, it loses Mosul to Iraqi forces after months of fighting and Baghdad declares the end of the caliphate. In September the Syrian army races eastwards backed by Russia and Iran to relieve Deir al-Zor and re-extend state control at the Euphrates River. In October, the SDF drives IS from Raqqa.

In 2018, the Syrian government retakes IS enclaves in Yarmouk, south of Damascus, and on the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The SDF advances further down the Euphrates and Iraqi forces take the rest of the border region. The United States vows to withdraw troops.

In 2019, IS fighters are defeated at their last enclave on the Euphrates at

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the village of Baghouz, the SDF says. The SDF declares the “caliphate” eliminated.

As the formal structure of ISIS crumbled, thousands of its fighters went underground, even though local groups continued to carry out isolated terrorist incidents across the world in the name of ISIS and al-Baghdadi. Among the biggest of these attacks were carried out in Paris in November 2015, and in Sri Lanka in 2019.

Does Baghdadi's Death Signifies the End of ISIS?

Isis was battling a heavily outnumbered Kurdish force to take control of Kobane. It was a one-sided battle till the Americans began heavy aerial attacks on Isis forces and started pounding the caliphate.

ISIS couldn’t match the combined might of the US, the Turks, Iranian-sponsored Shia militias, the Syrian state and various other fighting forces like the Kurdish YPG which was the fighting arm of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Baghdadi was successful in institutionalizing essential organizational structures Baghdadi’s death will result in substantial weakening and perhaps the demise of ISIS. Advocates of this view argue that Baghdadi is irreplaceable, given his claim of lineage to the prophet Muhammad, religious credentials and education in Koranic studies, and operational success in creating an Islamic State.

Although the group no longer operates as a proto-state governing vast amounts of land, it remains active, with estimates of between 10,000 and 15,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.

There are, inevitably, lieutenants who might take over the top job now that Baghdadi’s gone. One is a Tunisian named Abu Othman al-Tunsi and the other a Saudi, Abu Saleh al-Juzrawi. But terrorism experts speculate their nationalities may work against them because they aren’t Syrian or Iraqi.

The Islamic State and India:

In 2015, the Home Ministry notified Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as a banned terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, stating that it is involved in radicalisation and recruitment of vulnerable youths.

The ISIS has attracted foreign fighters from South Asia, mainly Pakistanis, Afghans, Maldivians and Bangladeshis. Though not many were known to have gone from Sri Lanka, the Easter attacks showed potential of violence even by a small group of committed cadres with support of the ISIS network. In

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Bangladesh three years ago, ISIS did create an effective but small network, with active support of western nationals of Bangladeshi origin. The security apparatus has broken up the network, but Bangladesh remains vulnerable.

Though less than 100-200 Indians are believed to have traveled to Syria and Iraq and much less to Afghanistan to join ISIS, this creates potential for more recruitment as well as aiding attacks on Indian soil or interests. The fresh round of radicalisation and recruitment that ISIS will surely embark on under its new leader, will pose further threats to India as well as to South Asia. A few weeks ago, ISIS propaganda has called for jihad pegged on sentiments around Kashmir and has specifically called for attacks on Indian interests in the Arabian Peninsula.

BANGLADESH'S PRIME MINISTER

SHEIKH HASINA VISITS INDIA

Why in news?

At the invitation Prime Minister of India, H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, paid an official visit to India on 05 October 2019.

Apart from her official engagements in New Delhi, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also invited as the Chief Guest at the India Economic Summit organized by the World Economic Forum on 03-04 October 2019.

This is her first visit to India since parliamentary elections were held in Bangladesh and India.

Key Highlights of the Visit:

India and Bangladesh inked seven pacts and launched three projects after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

Major Pacts:

1. The use of the Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh for movement of goods to and from India, particularly from Northeastern India.

2. Dhaka also allowed New Delhi to withdraw 1.82 cusecs of water from

Feni River for a drinking water supply scheme for Sabroom town in Tripura.

3. Exchange of data and information to prepare a framework of interim sharing agreements for six rivers — Manu, Muhuri, Khowai and Gomati rivers of Tripura and Dharla river of Bangladesh and Dudhkumar river of West Bengal.

4. Daudkanti (Bangladesh)-Sonamura (Tripura) inland water trade route to be included under Protocol of the Inland Water Transit and Trade.

5. Consensus on lifting restrictions on entry and exit from land ports in India for Bangladeshi citizens travelling on valid documents

6. Implementation of the Lines of Credit (LoCs) committed by India to Bangladesh

Projects Launched:

1. Import of bulk Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Bangladesh

2. Inauguration of Vivekananda Bhaban (students hostel) at Ramakrishna Mission, Dhaka.

3. Inauguration of Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute (BIPSDI) at the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB), Khulna, Bangladesh.

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Other important Highlights:

Both Leaders agreed to early operationalization of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement

The leaders directed their officials to expedite establishment of twelve Border Haats which have been agreed to by both countries

The Bangladesh Prime Minister raised concerns over roll out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, an exercise carried to identify genuine Indian citizens living in Assam and weed out illegal Bangladeshis.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister requested the Indian counterpart to use his “good relations” with the Myanmar government to facilitate the return of all the refugees (Rohingyas), while appreciating the aid India has given to refugees in Bangladesh as well as 250 homes built for them in Myanmar.

Significance of the Visit:

Border Security and Management:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated the zero-tolerance policy of the Government of Bangladesh against terrorism and commended Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her resolute efforts to ensure peace, security and stability in the region.

The two Prime Ministers reiterated their strong commitment to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stressed that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terror.

Boosting Connectivity – on land, on the waters, in the skies:

Both sides recognized that increasing connectivity through air, water, rail, road offers mutually beneficial opportunity for enhancing economic cooperation between Bangladesh and the North Eastern States of India and beyond.

Both leaders underlined the immense potential of movement of cargo using the inland water and coastal shipping trade. Towards this, they welcomed the decision to operationalize the

Dhulian-Gadagari-Rajshahi-Daulatdia-Aricha Route (to and fro) and include Daudkandi-Sonamura Route (to and fro) under Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade.

As a further step to enhance road connectivity between both the countries, both Leaders welcomed plans for commencement of Dhaka-Siliguri Bus service.

To facilitate better connectivity and simplify movement of passengers and goods between both the countries, both Leaders agreed to early operationalization of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement for movement of goods and passengers between the member countries who are willing and ready; or to work towards a bilateral India-Bangladesh Motor Vehicles Agreement, as appropriate.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked Prime Minister Modi for considering the supply of a number of broad-gauge and meter-gauge locomotives to Bangladesh, on a grant basis. This would help in enhancing trade between both the countries.

Harnessing Defense Cooperation:

The two leaders recognized the need for increased cooperation in defence for a more integrated and secure neighborhood, taking into account the illustrious history of their cooperation from the joint operation of both forces during Bangladesh's Great Liberation War in December 1971.

Both Prime Ministers welcomed the initiatives for development of closer Maritime Security Partnership, and appreciated the finalization of an MoU on Establishment of Coastal Surveillance Radar System in Bangladesh.

Both leaders also agreed to expedite work towards drawing upon a US$ 500 mn Defence Line of Credit extended by India to Bangladesh, for which implementation arrangements have been finalized in April 2019.

Consolidating Development Cooperation:

Prime Minister Hasina thanked the Government of India for undertaking various High Impact Community

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Development Projects (HICDPs) in Bangladesh as grant-in-aid projects, as a contribution to taking socio-economic development to the grassroots of Bangladesh

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the ongoing bilateral cooperation in capacity building of civil servants of Bangladesh. The Government of India, given the common legacy of jurisprudence, would work toward increasing the number of training programs for Bangladesh judicial officers for the future.

Cross-border Energy Cooperation

Both the Prime Ministers inaugurated a project on Sourcing of bulk LPG from Bangladesh to Tripura by using Bangladesh Trucks and hoped that such energy links will boost cross border energy trade.

Both sides welcomed the agreement reached at the 17th JSC meeting on Indo-Bangladesh cooperation in Power Sector held in Dhaka recently, to develop a 765kV Double Circuit cross-border electricity interconnection between Katihar (India), Parbotipur (Bangladesh) and Bornagar (India).

While implementation modalities will be finalized, the Leaders noted that this additional capacity would enable more intra-regional electricity trade, including competitively-priced power generated from Hydro-electric power projects in India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Partners in the Region and the World:

The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to work closely in the UN and other multilateral organisations.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to work together particularly in the international arena, to call upon developed countries to fulfill their commitments on the means of implementation as enshrined in the Agenda 2030.

Both leaders agreed that Regional and sub-regional cooperation is a priority area for the two countries. Towards this goal, they agreed to streamline the activities of BIMSTEC to make it an effective vehicle for sub-regional cooperation to achieve the aim of

collective prosperity of all member countries.

THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, 2019.

Why in news?

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 has been awarded to Prime Minister of Ethiopia for resolving Ethiopia-Eritrea border conflict.

History of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Conflict:

Conflict between the two countries has a longer history. Eritrea, once an Italian colony, was merged with Ethiopia in 1936 during Benito Mussolini’s regime, then taken over by the British during the Second World War.

After the War, a United Nations declaration in 1950 made Eritrea part of a federation with Ethiopia.

When Eritrean groups launched a struggle for independence in 1961, Ethiopia dissolved the federation and annexed Eritrea in 1962.

From 1961 until 1991, Eritrea had fought a long war of independence against Ethiopia

After a war that lasted 30 years, Eritrea gained international recognition as an independent country in 1993.

Just over five years after Independence, however, war broke out between the two countries over the control of Badme — a border town of no apparent significance, but which both Addis Ababa and Asmara coveted.

Massive displacements of population followed, families were torn asunder, and the local trading economy was utterly destroyed. As the conflict evolved into a major refugee crisis, thousands of Eritreans fled to Europe.

The violence, which went on until an agreement to cease hostilities in 2000, claimed 80,000 lives and separated countless families. Since then, the two countries were in a state the Nobel Committee described as “no peace, no war”.

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End of war and Stalemate:

In June 2000, the two countries signed an Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities. It was followed, in December that year, by a Peace Agreement in Algiers, Algeria. This agreement formally ended the war and established a Boundary Commission to settle the dispute.

The Commission gave its “final and binding” ruling in April 2002. Badme was awarded to Eritrea.

However, Ethiopia refused to accept the decision without additional conditions, and a stalemate ensued. Ethiopia refused to give up control over Badme, and the border kept erupting in clashes.

Efforts of Abiy Ahmed Ali to Resolve Ethiopia’s conflict with Eritrea:

In April 2018, Abiy Ahmed, then a 41-year-old former Army officer who had fought in the war, became Prime Minister. Things picked up pace immediately.

In June, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed broke the nearly two-decade stalemate, announcing that Addis Ababa would abide by the full terms of the 2000 agreement.

On July 8, 2018, a day before he travelled to meet President Afwerki in Asmara, Prime Minister Ahmed made a rousing declaration: “There is no longer a border between Eritrea and Ethiopia because a bridge of love has destroyed it”.

The Nobel Committee noted how Abiy, in cooperation with Afwerki, worked out the principles of a peace agreement, set out in declarations the two leaders signed in Asmara during that July visit and in Jeddah in September. It also listed domestic achievements by Abiy in his first 100 days as Prime Minister — lifting Emergency, granting amnesty to thousands of political prisoners, discontinuing media censorship, legalising outlawed opposition groups, dismissing military and civilian leaders suspected of corruption, and increasing the influence of women in political and community life.

Significance of the Peace Deal:

For Ethiopia:

Ethiopia is landlocked, and through the years of the war with Eritrea, had been dependent heavily on Djibouti, which sits on the Bab al-Mandab strait, for access to the Gulf of Aden and onward to the Arabian Sea.

The peace deal with Eritrea opened up Eritrean ports for Ethiopian use, most prominently the port of Assab, located at the tip of the country’s ‘tail’, to balance its reliance on Djibouti.

For Eritrea:

President Afwerki had used the war with Ethiopia to keep himself in power since the country’s independence in 1993. Over the past two decades, even as Eritrea sank steadily into economic stagnation and social and diplomatic isolation, he had built and maintained a large conscription army, kept the constitution under suspension, and muzzled the press, all in the name of fighting the “continuous occupation of Eritrean territories by Ethiopia”.

The UN Human Rights Commission had repeatedly accused Eritrea of serious violations. The international pressure on its government had increased greatly after Eritreans fleeing the war and compulsory military service flooded European shores at the height of the refugee crisis in 2015-16.

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Challenges Ahead:

While the peace effort is a step forward, ethnic rivalries in Ethiopia have flared in recent years and the country has millions of internally displaced refugees. “No doubt some people will think this year’s prize is being awarded too early. The Norwegian Nobel Committee believes it is now that Abiy Ahmed’s efforts deserve recognition and need encouragement,” the Committee said.

It acknowledged Afwerki too: “Peace does not arise from the actions of one party alone. When Prime Minister Abiy reached out his hand, President Afwerki grasped it…”

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND

BIODIVERSITY

HUMANS POLLUTE MORE THAN

VOLCANOES: STUDY Why in news?

According to a recent study, human activity churns out up to 100 times more planet-warming carbon each year as all the volcanoes on Earth.

The findings were published in the journal Elements.

Highlights of the study

The Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO), a 500-strong international team of scientists, released a series of papers outlining how carbon is stored, emitted and reabsorbed by natural and manmade processes.

They found that manmade carbon dioxide emissions drastically outstrip the contribution of volcanoes — which belch out gas and are often fingered as a major climate change contributor — to current warming rates.

Manmade emissions in 2018 alone topped 37 gigatonnes.

By comparison, the CO2 released annually by volcanoes hovers around 0.3 and 0.4 gigatonnes — roughly 100 times less than manmade emissions.

DRAFT SEED BILL, 2019 Why in news?

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare placed the revised draft Seeds Bill 2019, in the public domain for suggestions and comments.

Features of the bill

It aims to regulate the quality of seeds for sale, import, export, and replace the Seeds Act, 1966.

It aims to replace other legislations governing the seed market like Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 (PPVFR Act) and Seeds Control Order, 1983.

All varieties of seeds for sale have to be registered and are required to meet certain prescribed minimum standards. If a registered variety of seed fails to perform up to expected standards, the farmer can claim compensation from the producer or dealer.

Transgenic varieties of seeds can be registered only after the applicant has obtained clearance under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

The Bill exempts farmers from the requirement of compulsory registration. Farmers are allowed to sow, exchange or sell their farm seeds and planting material without having to conform to the prescribed minimum limits of germination, physical purity

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and genetic purity (as required by registered seeds). However, farmers cannot sell any seed under a brand name.

Penalties have been proposed for contravening any provision of the Act for those selling misbranded or substandard seeds.

Key shortfall

The Bill contains provisions for the Centre and states to introduce capping of prices.

It seems that the government is willfully ignoring the lessons of the recent Shetkari Sanghatana (SS) ‘civil disobedience’ protest. In consequence of this, Monsanto withdrew one of its most advanced GM offerings from approval. As the Shetkari Sanghatana protest shows, the fact is that the farmers are aware of the benefits of GM technology.

They are even willing to pay a premium as long as the GM seeds deliver the promised increase in yields, which translates into profits.

Moreover, companies such as Monsanto invest heavily in R&D to develop products. These not only drive up farm profits but also are fast emerging as a key need as climate change effects threaten agriculture. So, any move to discourage seed-tech will be anti-farmer.

Disincentivizing seed-tech companies will have the same effect that the price-caps in pharma and medical devices have had. In these sectors, companies have just kept their latest offerings out of the market. In many ways, losing access to advanced GM tech could seriously undermine Indian agriculture.

INVASIVE WEEDS THREATENING

TIGER HABITATS IN ADILABAD,

TELANGANA Why in News?

Invasive weeds affect population of herbivores which are prey to the big cats As a result, there is an increase in influx of tigers from forests across the border in Maharashtra.

The Rio de Janeiro Convention on Biodiversity (1992) had recognised the

biological invasion of alien species of plants as the second-worst threat to the environment after habitat destruction.

About Invasive Species

Those species whose introduction into an ecosystem successfully out-compete native organisms and harms ecosystems.

Common characteristics are: 1. Rapid reproduction and

growth, 2. High dispersal ability, 3. Phenotypic plasticity (ability to

adapt physiologically to new conditions)

International Instruments and Programmes on Invasive Species

1. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2000)

It seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by Living Modified Organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.

2. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

It was one of the key agreements adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Article 8 (h) of the Convention calls on Parties to prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species.

3. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) or Bon Convention (1979)

It is an intergovernmental treaty that aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range.

It also aims to control or to eliminate already present invasive alien species.

4. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

It is an international agreement adopted in 1975 that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

It also consider the problems of invasive species when it is involved in trade and threatens the survival of live animals or plants.

5. Ramsar Convention (1971)

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

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of International Importance is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

It also addresses the environmental, economic and social impact of invasive species on wetlands within their jurisdictions and to take account of the methods of control and solutions for combating invasive species.

PLOGGING Why in News?

During his morning walk on a beach in Mamallapuram on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen picking up plastic litter, bottles and other items. In a tweet shortly after, Modi announced: “Plogging at a beach in Mamallapuram. It lasted for over 30 minutes.”

What does it mean?

'Plogging' means picking up trash such as used plastic bottles while jogging or running.

The Swedish phenomenon of plogging went global recently as both environment and fitness fanatics benefit from the trend.

Background

Started in 2016 by Erik Ahlstrom in the Swedish town of Are, which hosted the recent Alpine skiing world championships, the plogging craze has spread around the world including in India.

"In Swedish 'plocka' is pick, and then jog of course. It's a combination word, it's two words put together - pick and jog," Ahlstrom explained at a plogging event in Stockholm.

In India, the government organised the Fit India Plog Run on October 2, as part of the Fit India Movement launched by the Prime Minister on August 29.

In his Mann Ki Baat address on September 29, PM Modi urged people to start plogging for a litter-free India.

According to Ahlström, plogging for half an hour will burn at least 288 calories on an average as compared to 235 calories from regular jogging

AAREY FOREST CASE

Why in news?

The Supreme Court will hear a plea against the felling of 2,646 trees at the Aarey colony by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) to make way for a Metro car shed.

The top court decided to pursue it as public interest litigation (PIL) and constituted a “Special Bench” to hear the case.

What has happened?

The MMRCL began axing the trees hours after the Bombay High Court had rejected a bunch of petitions by NGOs and activists against the felling of trees in the prime green area of the city.

MMRC had approached the Authority to seek permission for felling the trees to make way for a car shed which is a part of the Mumbai Metro project.

As soon as the move was announced, it caught the attention of aware citizens and environmentalists who decided to stand together against it.

The Bombay High Court refused to stay the cutting of 2,646 trees at Aarey colony by the MMRCL to make way for a car shed for Metro 3.

Why saving Aarey Forest is important for Mumbai?

Aarey colony, being a riparian forest (interface between land and a river or stream) is home to a variety of different species, which have not yet been documented while at the same time the 16 sq km area is under-researched and can be a source of new species.

Aarey forests are known as the 'lungs' of Mumbai. Hence, cutting down these trees only means depriving Mumbai of a vital organ that has been shielding it from increasing air pollution.

Aarey forest is a vital part of the ecosystem. Falling down these trees will deprive many animals of their shelter and a probable increase man-animal conflict.

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CARBON PRICING

Why in news?

A report has been published by the High Level Commission on Carbon Pricing and Competitiveness which puts a price on carbon, whether in the form of a tax or an emissions trading system (ETS) which may adversely affect the competitiveness of businesses and economies.

What is Carbon Pricing?

Carbon pricing is an instrument that captures the external costs of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—the costs of emissions that the public pays for, such as damage to crops, health care costs from heat waves and droughts, and loss of property from flooding and sea level rise—and ties them to their sources through a price, usually in the form of a price on the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted.

Benefits of Carbon Pricing

A price on carbon helps shift the burden for the damage from GHG emissions back to those who are responsible for it and who can avoid it.

Instead of dictating who should reduce emissions where and how, a carbon price provides an economic signal to emitters, and allows them to decide to either transform their activities and lower their emissions, or continue emitting and paying for their emissions.

In this way, the overall environmental goal is achieved in the most flexible and least-cost way to society. Placing an adequate price on GHG emissions is of fundamental relevance to internalize the external cost of climate change in the broadest possible range of economic decision making and in setting economic incentives for clean development.

It can help to mobilize the financial investments required to stimulate clean technology and market innovation, fueling new, low-carbon drivers of economic growth.

Two major types of Carbon Pricing

An ETS – sometimes referred to as a cap-and-trade system – caps the total level of greenhouse gas emissions and allows those industries with low emissions to sell their extra allowances to larger emitters. By creating supply and demand for emissions allowances, an ETS establishes a market price for greenhouse gas emissions. The cap helps ensure that the required emission reductions will take place to keep the emitters (in aggregate) within their pre-allocated carbon budget.

A carbon tax directly sets a price on carbon by defining a tax rate on greenhouse gas emissions or – more commonly – on the carbon content of fossil fuels. It is different from an ETS in that the emission reduction outcome of a carbon tax is not predefined but the carbon price is.

WASTE TO WEALTH: COOKING

OIL-TO-BIODIESEL

Why in News?

Restaurant aggregator and food delivery service Zomato and biodiesel manufacturer BioD Energy have inked a partnership to collect used cooking oil from restaurants around the country so that it can be converted into biodiesel, which will then be sold to oil marketing companies that will blend it with regular diesel.

Advantages of this step

Through the partnership, Zomato and BioD are aiming to collect 1,000 tonnes of used cooking oil per month and converting this into biodiesel.

According to FSSAI regulations, the maximum permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set at 25%, beyond which the cooking oil is unsafe for consumption.

Reducing the re-use of cooking oil in the food industry will have positive public health

outcomes and also reduces import demand of crude oil

The deal assumes significance in the light of government’s Repurpose Cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative. The government has been pushing hard for used cooking oil in the country to be

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converted into biodiesel as an environmentally friendly measure.

The government recently announced a scheme wherein the State-run oil marketing companies would offtake the entire biodiesel production from companies using used cooking oil as raw materials.

The National Policy on Biofuels 2018, released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has set a target of 5% for biodiesel blending in diesel by 2030.

About RUCO

It was launched by The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in Feb 2019 to collect and convert used cooking oil into biofuel.

As many as 64 companies in 101 locations across the country have been identified for the purpose by FSSAI. By 2020, it should be possible to recover about 220 crore litres of used cooking oil for conversion into biofuel.

2019 OZONE HOLE IS THE

SMALLEST ON RECORD

Why in News?

The ozone hole over Antarctica is the smallest observed since 1982, due to abnormally warm temperatures in the upper atmosphere that dramatically limited ozone depletion in September and October this year, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite measurements.

The annual ozone hole reached its peak extent of 16.4 million square kilometers on September 8, and then shrank to less than 10 million square kilometers for the remainder of September and October 2019.

Role of Ozone

Ozone is a molecule that is composed of three oxygen atoms that occurs naturally in small amounts. It is responsible for filtering out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

The gas is constantly being made and destroyed in the stratosphere, about 20-30km above the Earth.

Roughly seven to 25 miles above Earth's surface, in a layer of the

atmosphere called the stratosphere, the ozone layer is a sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts, suppress immune systems and also damage plants.

The Antarctic ozone hole forms during the Southern Hemisphere's late winter as the returning Sun's rays start ozone-depleting reactions.

These reactions involve chemically active forms of chlorine and bromine derived from man-made compounds.

The chemistry that leads to their formation involves chemical reactions that occur on the surfaces of cloud particles that form in cold stratospheric layers, leading ultimately to runaway reactions that destroy ozone molecules.

In warmer temperatures fewer polar stratospheric clouds form and they don't persist as long, limiting the ozone-depletion process.

Ozone Hole

This is the third time in the last 40 years that weather systems have caused warm temperatures that limit ozone depletion.

Similar weather patterns in the Antarctic stratosphere in September 1988 and 2002 also produced atypically small ozone holes.

In an unpolluted atmosphere, this cycle of production and decomposition is in equilibrium. But chlorine and bromine-containing chemicals released by human activity have unbalanced the process, resulting in a loss of ozone that is at its greatest in the Antarctic spring in September/October.

Nearly 200 countries agreed to ban the chemicals most damaging to the ozone under the Montreal Protocol of 1987.

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ART AND CULTURE

BAUL MUSIC

Why in News?

A three day long festival of Baul songs named Indo-Bangla Baul Music Festival concluded in Dhaka which was organised to observe the 129th death anniversary of Baul saint Fakir Lalon Shah.

About

Baul music represents a particular type of folk song, carrying influences of Hindu bhakti movements as well as the shuphi, a form of Sufi song. Songs are also used by the spiritual leader to instruct disciples in Baul philosophy, and are transmitted orally.

The word Baul means “afflicted with the wind disease” and the Baul singers are traditionally wandering minstrels singing their particular form of folk music.

The language of the songs is continuously modernized thus endowing it with contemporary relevance.

It is unique to Bangladesh and West Bengal of India. In 2005, the Baul tradition of Bangladesh was included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

REMBRANDT

Why in News?

In 2019, India and the Netherlands will commemorate Rembrandt’s 350th death anniversary with a showcase that will celebrate the two countries’ culture and heritage. The art on display will feature some of Rembrandt’s original works.

About

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606 – 1669) was a Dutch draughtsman, painter and printmaker. he is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of

art and the most important in Dutch art history.

The Night Watch is a 1642 painting by Rembrandt van Rijn. It is one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings.

Rembrandt’s foremost contribution in the history of printmaking was his transformation of the etching process from a relatively new reproductive technique into a true art form. He is regarded as the greatest etcher in the history of the medium.

Indian Miniatures

Rembrandt was interested in Mughal miniatures, especially around the 1650s.

He made 25 drawings based on Mughal miniatures from India during 1656 to 1661, at the height of his career. This is in spite of the fact that the Dutch artist never set foot on Indian soil.

These miniatures include paintings of Shah Jahan, Akbar, Jahangir and Dara Shikoh.

They may also have influenced the costumes and other aspects of his works.

PETTATHULLAL

Why in News?

Blanket ban has been mooted on chemical powder, the bespattering of which constitutes an indispensable part of the PettaThullal ritual.

A study by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has pointed to the presence of hazardous metals, including lead, arsenic, and cadmium, in this powder.

PettaThullal

PettaThullal, ritualistic sacred dance to celebrate the victory of good over evil in the legend of Lord Ayyappa who killed the demon princess Mahishi, which denotes the beginning of the last leg of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season.

Petta Thullal will be started first by the Ambalappuzha team

About an issue

Besides causing skin troubles, chemical powder pollutes the soil and

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often gets washed into the water bodies where the chances of these potent chemicals entering the human body are very high

Plans are afoot to promote organic varieties of the brightly coloured powder as an alternative to chemical powder.

SOCIETY

VAYOSHRESHTHA SAMMAN Why in News?

“Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019” was conferred on the eminent senior citizens and institutions in recognition of their services towards the cause of the elderly persons to mark ‘International Day of older Persons’ at a function organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 3rd October, 2019.

About

This year Tamil Nadu is given the award for the best State in implementing the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007

Tamil Nadu State has set up maintenance tribunals under the Act in each sub-division, but half of the cases are resolved through conciliation.

The municipal council of Unhel, in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, will receive the award for the best urban local body for its provision of medical services, income generation schemes and pension to seniors.

Vayoshreshtha Samman

It is a Scheme of awards instituted by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and gradually upgraded to the status of National Awards, for institutions involved in rendering distinguished service for the cause of elderly persons especially indigent senior citizens and to eminent citizens in recognition of their service/achievements.

These awards are presented as part of the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) on 1st

October.

The National Awards are intended to showcase the Government's concern for senior citizens and its commitment towards them with the aim of strengthening their legitimate place in society.

It is also intended to provide an opportunity for the younger generation to understand the contribution of the elderly in the building of the society and the nation.

The awards are intended to be conferred on eminent senior citizens and institutions involved in rendering distinguished services for the cause of elderly persons especially indigent senior citizens. The recipients are drawn from diverse fields.

The Awards are given to institutions/organisations/individuals from any part of the country. Nominations are invited from Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies.

NITI AAYOG'S EDUCATION

INDEX

Why in news?

School Education Quality Index (SEQI) was developed by NITI Aayog to evaluate the performance of States and Union Territories (UTs) in the school education sector.

Kerala, Manipur and Chandigarh top in overall performance Haryana, Meghalaya, Daman & Diu show most improvement in the first edition of index.

Background

The index aims to bring an ‘outcomes’ focus to education policy by providing States and UTs with a platform to identify their strengths and weaknesses and undertake requisite course corrections or policy interventions.

In line with NITI Aayog’s mandate to foster the spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism, SEQI strives to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and best practices across States and UTs.

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Developed through a collaborative process, including key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), the World Bank and sector experts, the index consists of 30 critical indicators that assess the delivery of quality education.

Indicators

The indicators are categorized into Outcomes and Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes (GPAO).

Outcomes include learning outcomes, access outcomes, infrastructure and facilities for outcomes and equity outcomes,

GPAO includes the support system necessary for learning to take place like training and availability of teachers, attendance of students and teachers, administrative adequacy etc.

Highlights of the index

To facilitate a like-for-like comparison, States and UTs have been grouped as Large States, Small States and UTs. Within each of these groups, the indicator values have been appropriately scaled, normalized and weighted to generate an overall performance score and ranking for each State and UT.

Of the 20 Large States, 10 perform better on the Outcomes category, with the most noticeable performance differences observed in the cases of Karnataka, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

The other Large States perform better on the Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes category, with the most noticeable performance differences observed in the cases of Odisha, Punjab and Haryana.

Of the eight Small States, seven perform better on the Outcomes category, with the most noticeable performance differences observed in the cases of Manipur, Tripura and Goa.

Sikkim is the only Small State that performs better on the Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes category.

Of the seven UTs, four perform better on the Outcomes category, with the most noticeable performance differences observed in Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

Delhi, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep perform better on the Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes category

DHRUV PROGRAMME

Why in News?

The Ministry of Human Resource and Development launches a unique initiative for talented students ‘Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme- DHRUV’.

DHRUV Programme

It is a 14-day learning programme launched by Ministry of HRD in ISRO HQ in Bengaluru.

It aims to further sharpen innovative imagination, skills and knowledge of the students to bring solutions to socio-economic, political and environmental issues in the country.

has been started to identify and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge. In centres of excellence across the country, gifted children will be mentored and nurtured by renowned experts in different areas, so that they can reach their full potential. It is expected that many of the students selected will reach the highest levels in their chosen fields and bring laurels to their community, State and Nation.

60 brightest and most talented students from Science, Mathematics and Performing Arts have been chosen for the programme through rigorous selection process.

Every student to be called 'DHRUV TARA’ will be mentored by renowned experts.

SURAKSHIT MATRITVA

AASHWASAN (SUMAN)

Why in News?

Government launches Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan, SUMAN, an initiative for quality health care at no cost.

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About

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with several State Health Ministers launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan, SUMAN, initiative. The initiative was launched during the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare.

The initiative aims at assuring dignified, respectful and quality health care at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility in order to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

It also provides a positive birth experience for both mother and infant.

As per survey conducted in the recent past, the number of cases of blindness in the country has decreased from 0.68 per cent to 0.38 per cent.

Eligibility

All pregnant women, newborns and mothers up to 6 months of delivery will be able to avail several free health care services

Features and Benefits

The scheme will enable zero expense access to the identification and management of complications during and after the pregnancy.

The government will also provide free transport to pregnant women from home to the health facility and drop back after discharge (minimum 48 hrs).

The pregnant women will be able to avail a zero expense delivery and C-section facility in case of complications at public health facilities.

The scheme will ensure that there is zero-tolerance for denial of services to such patients.

Published onNOV / 2019