Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Project Seabird
Mains level: Need for a naval base
Defence Minister has recently visited the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka to inspect infrastructure development under Phase II of “Project Seabird”.
Project Seabird
- The largest naval infrastructure project for India, Project Seabird involves the creation of a naval base at Karwar on the west coast of India.
- INS Kadamba is an Indian Navy base located near Karwar in Karnataka.
- The first phase of construction of the base was code-named Project Seabird and was completed in 2005.
- INS Kadamba is currently the third-largest Indian naval base and is expected to become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after the completion of expansion Phase IIB.
Why need such a base?
- During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, the Indian Navy faced security challenges for its Western Fleet in Mumbai Harbour due to congestion in the shipping lanes from commercial shipping traffic, fishing boats and tourists.
- At the end of the war, various options were considered on addressing these concerns
- Upon completion, it will provide the Indian Navy with its largest naval base on the west coast and also the largest naval base east of the Suez Canal.
- The Navy’s lone aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is based at Karwar.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Agni Missiles
Mains level: India's missile arsenal
A new generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-P (Prime) was successfully test-fired by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
Agni-Prime Missile
- Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.
- It is a canisterised missile with a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km.
- Many advanced technologies including composites, propulsion systems, innovative guidance and control mechanisms and state-of-the-art navigation systems have been introduced.
- The missile strengthens India’s credible deterrence capabilities.
What is the upgrade?
- Agni-P has improved parameters including manoeuvring and accuracy.
- Canisterisation of missiles reduces the time required to launch the missile while improving its storage and mobility.
What are Agni Missiles?
- Agni class of missiles are the mainstay of India’s nuclear launch capability which also includes the Prithvi short-range ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft.
- The longest of the Agni series, Agni-V, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km, has already been tested several times and validated for induction.
An arsenal for peace
- In the last few years, India has also operationalized its submarine-based nuclear launch capability, completing the nuclear triad.
- This is especially important given India’s No-First-Use policy while reserving the right of massive retaliation if struck with nuclear weapons first.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fertilizers
Mains level: Fertilizer subsidies in India
The Department of Fertilisers is ready with an Action Plan to make India Aatmanirbhar in Rock Phosphate, the key raw material of DAP and NPK Fertilizers.
What are Phosphatic Fertilizers?
- Phosphorus is the eleventh most abundant element on the earth. Commercial phosphate fertilizers are manufactured using phosphate rock.
- Approximately two-thirds of the world’s phosphate resources are derived from sedimentary and marine phosphate rock deposits.
- Ground rock phosphate has been used as a source of phosphorous for soils in the past.
- However, due to the low concentration of phosphorous in this native material, high transportation costs, and small crop responses, the usage of rock phosphate has reduced considerably in agriculture.
- On the other hand, the usage of phosphorous based fertilizers has grown significantly.
Which are the most common Ph fertilizers?
- The most commonly used phosphatic fertilizers are Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP), NPKs, and SSP.
- DAP is the world’s most widely used phosphorus fertilizer. It is popular due to its relatively high nutrient content and its excellent physical properties.
- DAP is an excellent source of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) for plant nutrition.
- It provides the correct proportion of phosphorous and nitrogen for the farming of grains such as wheat, barley, fruits, and vegetables.
- NPKs, also called compound fertilizers, are fertilizers that contain all three nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in different proportions.
Also read
[pib] Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) for Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers
Why need Phosphorus?
- Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for plant growth. It helps in root development, plant maturation, and seed development.
- If soils are deficient in phosphorus, food production becomes restricted, unless the nutrient is added in the form of fertilizers.
- Hence, to increase food production, an adequate amount of phosphorus is required.
- Along with nitrogen and potassium, phosphorus is one of the most important elements for plant life.
- Soil gets depleted of phosphorus due to several reasons including being washed away by rain. Therefore, modern farming is reliant on the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers.
Consumption in India
- Rock Phosphate is the key raw material for DAP and NPK fertilisers and India is 90% dependent on imports.
- Volatility in international prices affects the domestic prices of fertilisers and hinders the progress and development of the agriculture sector in the country.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture? (CSP 2020)
1.Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible.
2. Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible.
3. Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible.
4. Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1,2 and 4 only
(c) 1,3 and 4 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Mains level: Literary movements during freedom struggle
The Prime Minister has paid homage to Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay on his birth anniversary.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894)
- Chattopadhyay was a revolutionary novelist, poet and journalist.
- He was the composer of Vande Mataram, originally in Sanskrit, personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring activists during the Indian Independence Movement.
- Chattopadhyay wrote fourteen novels and many serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific and critical treatises in Bengali.
- He is known as Sahitya Samrat (Emperor of Literature) in Bengali.
His literary work
- Anandamath is a political novel that depicts a Sannyasi (Hindu ascetic) army fighting a British force. The book calls for the rise of Indian nationalism.
- The novel was also the source of the song Vande Mataram which, set to music by Rabindranath Tagore, was taken up by many Indian nationalists and is now the National Song of India.
- The plot of the novel is loosely set on the Sannyasi Rebellion.
- He imagined untrained Sannyasi soldiers fighting and defeated the highly experienced British Army; ultimately, however, he accepted that the British could not be defeated.
- The novel first appeared in serial form in Bangadarshan, the literary magazine that Chattopadhyay founded in 1872.
- Vande Mataram became prominent during the Swadeshi movement, which was sparked by Lord Curzon’s attempt to partition Bengal.
- Drawing from the Shakti tradition of Bengali Hindus, Chattopadhyay personified India as a Mother Goddess known as Bharat Mata, which gave the song a Hindu undertone.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Which among the following event happened earliest? (CSP 2018)
(a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj
(b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan
(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath
(d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first India to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fukuoka Prize
Mains level: Not Much
Noted journalist P. Sainath has been selected as one of the three recipients of the Fukuoka Prize for 2021.
Fukuoka Prize
- The Fukuoka Prize is given annually to distinguished people to foster and increase awareness of Asian cultures, and to create a broad framework of exchange and mutual learning among the Asian people.
- The Prize was established in 1990 by the city of Fukuoka in Japan and the Fukuoka City International Foundation.
- The Grand Prize has earlier been awarded to Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh, historian Romila Thapar, and sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan. Eleven Indians have received the Fukuoka Prize so far.
- 115 people from 28 countries and areas have received the Prize in the past 30 years.
Citation for the award
- In a statement issued Mr. Sainath was described as a “very deserving recipient of the Grand Prize of Fukuoka Prize”.
- The Secretariat noted his work for creating a new form of knowledge through his writings and commentaries on rural India and for “promoting civil cooperation”.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SDGs
Mains level: Paper 3- Climate change and its implications for hunger
The article suggests pathways to achieve SDG-2 by the adoption of climate-friendly agriculture practices.
Food and SDG
- Food is a common thread linking all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and critical to achieving overall goals within the timeframe.
- NITI Aayog recently released the SDG India Index 2020-21, highlighting the national and states’ progress on SDGs.
- The report states that 34.7% children aged under five in India are stunted.
- 40.5% of children between 6-59 months are anaemic.
- 50.3% of pregnant women between 15-49 years are anaemic.
- India shares a quarter of the global hunger burden.
- Four out of 10 children in India are not meeting their full human potential because of chronic undernutrition or stunting.
- NFHS-5 shows many states have not fared well on nutrition indicators.
- In addition to the malnutrition challenges, India’s food system faces negative consequences of the Green Revolution technologies.
Pathways to follow in meeting the targets under SDG-2 (Zero Hunger)
- Crop diversification especially in those areas where the existing practices are ecologically unsustainable should be promoted.
- While Indian agriculture is a significant contributor to GHG emissions.
- As per third Biennial Update Report submitted by Government of India to UNFCCC, agriculture sector contributes 14% of the total emissions.
- Some of the climate-smart interventions like conservation agriculture, organic farming and agro-ecological approaches can effectively address the environmental concerns while ensuring food security and nutrition.
- Crop-residue burning has become a huge problem in parts of the country.
- This is mainly propelled by monoculture and a package of subsidies.
- Conservation agriculture offers solutions to such problems with good agronomy and soil management such as zero-tillage or no-till farming, crop rotation, in-situ crop harvest residue management/mulching, etc, and industrial uses like baling and bio-fuel production.
- Use of botanical pesticides, green-manuring, biological pest control, etc. are nature-friendly and such practices lead to eco-conservation.
- The organic movement, fortunately, is catching up in Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and a few other states.
- Modifying consumer behaviour forms an essential ingredient to transform Indian food systems and correlate positively with crop and diet diversity.
- POSHAN Abhiyaan, India’s national nutrition mission, can play an effective role in addressing the issues of persistent malnutrition.
- According to FAO estimates, 40% of the food produced in India is either lost or wasted in every stage of supply chain.
- Winning the fight against food loss and waste can save India $61 billion in 2050 through increased industry profitability and reduced food insecurity, as well as reduced GHG emissions, water usage, and environmental degradation.
- Shifting towards a circular economy can enable India progress towards the SDGs including halving food waste by 2030 and improving resource efficiency.
Conclusion
India’s success is essential to achieve the planetary goal of Zero Hunger. There is a need for transformation towards sustainable, nutritious and resilient food systems to achieve the goal of zero hunger.
Source:-
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/fighting-hunger-needs-fighting-climate-change/2279369/
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: India-Africa Forum Summit
Mains level: Paper 2- India's policy for African countries
The article deals with India’s strategy to deepen the ties with African nations and suggest a critical review of the implementation of India’s strategy.
Need for review of India’s foreign policy for Africa
- Africa is considered a foreign policy priority by India.
- Even as the COVID-19 era began in March 2020, New Delhi took new initiatives to assist Africa through prompt despatch of medicines and later vaccines.
- But now the policy implementation needs a critical review.
Four factors that explain need for a review of policy implementation
1) Declining trade
- Declining trade: Bilateral trade valued at $55.9 billion in 2020-21, fell by $10.8 billion compared to 2019-20, and $15.5 billion compared to the peak year of 2014-15.
- Decline in investment: India’s investments in Africa too saw a decrease from $3.2 billion in 2019-20 to $2.9 billion in 2020-21.
- The composition of the India-Africa trade has not changed much over the two decades.
- Mineral fuels and oils, (essentially crude oil) and pearls, precious or semi-precious stones are the top two imports accounting for over 77% of our imports from Africa.
- India’s top five markets today are South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and Togo.
- The countries from which India imports the most are South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Angola and Guinea.
2) Covid impact
- COVID-19 has brought misery to Africa.
- As on June 24, 2021, Africa registered 5.2 million infections and 1,37,855 deaths.
- A recent World Health Organization survey revealed that 41 African countries had fewer than 2,000 working ventilators among them.
- Despite these shortcomings, Africa has not done so badly.
- Sadly though, with much of the world caught up in coping with the novel coronavirus pandemic’s ill effects, flows of assistance and investment to Africa have decreased.
- While China has successfully used the pandemic to expand its footprint by increasing the outflow of its vaccines.
- Unfortunately India’s ‘vax diplomacy’ has suffered a setback.
3) Global competition for influence
- Africa experienced a sharpened international competition, known as ‘the third scramble’, in the first two decades of the 21st century.
- A dozen nations from the Americas, Europe and Asia have striven to assist Africa in resolving the continent’s political and social challenge.
- These nations, in turn, stand to benefit from Africa’s markets, minerals, hydrocarbons and oceanic resources, and thereby to expand their geopolitical influence.
4) Geopolitical tensions in Asia
- Geopolitical tensions in Asia and the imperative to consolidate its position in the Indo-Pacific region have compelled New Delhi to concentrate on its ties with the United Kingdom, the EU, and the Quad powers, particularly the U.S.
- Consequently, the attention normally paid to Africa lost out.
- This must now change.
Way forward for India-Africa relation
- For mutual benefit, Africa and India should remain optimally engaged.
- The third India-Africa Forum Summit was held in 2015.
- The fourth summit, pending since last year, should be held as soon as possible, even if in a virtual format.
- Fresh financial resources for grants and concessional loans to Africa must be allocated, as previous allocations stand almost fully exhausted.
- The promotion of economic relations demands a higher priority.
- Industry representatives should be consulted about their grievances and challenges in the COVID-19 era.
- To impart a 21st-century complexion to the partnership, developing and deepening collaborations in health, space and digital technologies is essential.
- India should continue its role in peacekeeping in Africa, in lending support to African counter-terrorism operations, and contributing to African institutions through training and capacity-enhancing assistance.
- To overcome the China challenge in Africa, increased cooperation between India and its international allies, rates priority.
- The recent India-EU Summit has identified Africa as a region where a partnership-based approach will be followed.
- When the first in-person summit of the Quad powers is held in Washington, a robust partnership plan for Africa should be announced.
Conclusion
India should review the policy implementation and make changes in line with the changing geopolitical realities.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Article 15
Mains level: Paper 2- Rights of sexual minority
The article highlights the plight of sexual minorities despite the landmark judgments by the Supreme Court.
Role played by the judiciary
- The Delhi High Court’s verdict in Naz Foundation vs Government of NCT of Delhi (2009) was a landmark in the law of sexuality and equality jurisprudence in India.
- The court held that Section 377 offended the guarantee of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, because it creates an unreasonable classification and targets homosexuals as a class.
- In a retrograde step, the Supreme Court, in Suresh Kumar Koushal vs Naz Foundation (2013), reinstated Section 377 to the IPC.
- However, the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. vs Union of India (2018) declared that the application of Section 377 IPC to consensual homosexual behaviour was “unconstitutional”.
- This Supreme Court judgment has been a great victory to the Indian individual in his quest for identity and dignity.
- It also underscored the doctrine of progressive realisation of rights.
No legal sanction to same-sex marriage
- Despite the judgments of the Supreme Court, there is still a lot of discrimination against sexual minorities in matters of employment, health and personal relationship.
- The Union of India has recently opposed any move to accord legal sanction to same-sex marriages in India.
- The Union of India stated that the decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code does not automatically translate into a fundamental right for same sex couples to marry.
- The U.S. Supreme Court, in Obergefell vs Hodges (2015) underscored the emotional and social value of the institution of marriage and asserted that the universal human right of marriage should not be denied to a same-sex couple.
- Indian society and the state should synchronise themselves with changing trends.
Need to amend Article 15 to prohibit discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation
- Article 15 secures the citizens from every sort of discrimination by the state, on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth or any of them.
- The grounds of non-discrimination should be expanded by including gender and sexual orientation.
- In May 1996, South Africa became the first country to constitutionally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
- The United Kingdom passed the “Alan Turing law” in 2017 which ‘granted amnesty and pardon to the men who were cautioned or convicted under historical legislation that outlawed homosexual acts’.
Way forward
- Justice Rohinton F. Nariman had directed in Navtej Singh Johar & Ors., the Government to sensitise the general public and officials, to reduce and finally eliminate the stigma associated with LGBTQ+ community through the mass media and the official channels.
- School and university students too should be sensitised about the diversity of sexuality to deconstruct the myth of heteronormativity.
- Heteronormativity is the root cause of hetero-sexism and homophobia.
Conclusion
It is time for change, but the burden should not be left to the powers that be. The onus remains with the civil society, the citizenry concerned and the LGBTQ+ community itself.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Vaccine hesitancy
In rural India, concerns about COVID-19 vaccines are now increasingly commonplace.
Vaccination dilemma these days
- People voice their concern about what will happen to them if they get vaccinated and have doubts that the government is sending inferior quality vaccines to them.
- Vaccination sessions in local health centers often see very few or no takers.
- In contrast, urban vaccination sites face increased demand, especially in the 18-45 age group, and vaccine shortage is a major issue.
- From a public health and equity perspective, this is a cause for worry.
Why this failure?
- The fear of vaccines and rural communities not only resisting but also outright rejecting vaccination is a reality.
- Efforts by local health authorities to create awareness and convince people are of little avail.
- There are contrasting dimensions to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout: one where people are enthusiastically accepting it and the other of resistance.
- There are many diverse factors at play in this, which may go beyond the health concerns and have more to do with socio-anthropological aspects of health-seeking behavior.
Vaccine hesitancy
- Vaccine hesitancy refers to delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services.
- It is complex and context-specific varying across time, place, and vaccines.
- It is influenced by factors such as complacency, convenience, and confidence.
Its scope
- Vaccine hesitancy is not a recent phenomenon. It is neither limited to a particular community or country nor have we seen it only in the context of COVID-19.
- We have also seen vaccine hesitancy among the urban and the more educated or ‘aware’ populations, with pockets of populations of socio-economically well-off communities refusing to get their kids vaccinated.
- While vaccine hesitancy can lead to a firm rejection of vaccines, there’s also a possibility of people changing their perceptions over time.
Socio-cultural context behind
- Most of our fears and apprehensions stem from a deep impact of something adverse or unfavorable that we have personally experienced or our social circles have experienced.
- Over time these become our beliefs, our innate guards.
- In the context of the concerns described at the beginning of this article, we must look at vaccine hesitancy from a distinct lens of fear and not necessarily skepticism for new vaccines.
- Rather, they seem to indicate deep-seated fears and belief in conspiracies, the fear of perhaps being discriminated and deceived, and of being omitted (from societal benefits).
Building trust
- Communities might not see the impact of a vaccine instantly, as it’s usually preventive in nature rather than curative.
- People are used to taking medications or intravenous fluids when they are unwell or in pain, and they may feel better almost immediately, but that’s not the case with vaccines.
- On the contrary, vaccines administered to a healthy person may lead to occasional side effects like fever, body aches, etc.
- Add to those rumors about deaths post-vaccination, and it may not be so easy for people to get convinced about the vaccines.
Way ahead
- Addressing vaccine hesitancy in rural India would first of all require health systems to be honest and transparent.
- Create awareness, let people know how vaccines work, how they help prevent disease, what are the probable side effects and how they can be managed.
- Health authorities need to be comfortable about people raising questions while providing the answers as best as possible.
- Being cognizant of local cultural sensitivities and working with trusted intermediaries is important in this effort.
- Sustained and meaningful efforts need to be made to build trust, gain the confidence of communities and meet their expectations.
- Even more crucial is to engage communities in planning, execution, and monitoring of health care services at all levels.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Mains level: GoI-Twitter row
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology was locked out of his Twitter account for an hour allegedly over a notice received for violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Why such a move by Twitter?
- The DMCA oversees the implementation of two 1996 treaties signed by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) member nations.
What is the DMCA?
- The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, is a 1998 law passed in the US and is among the world’s first laws recognizing intellectual property on the internet.
- The law oversees the implementation of the two treaties signed and agreed upon by member nations of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1996.
- WIPO members had then agreed upon two treaties, namely the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
- The said protection, accorded by each member state, must not be any less in any way than the one being given to a domestic copyright holder.
- Further, it also obligates those signatories to the treaty to ensure ways to prevent circumvention of the technical measures used to protect copyrighted work.
- It also provides the necessary international legal protection to digital content.
What is WIPO and how does it ensure the protection of content on the internet?
- The rapid commercialization of the internet in the late 1990s started with static advertisement panels being displayed on the internet.
- It became important for website owners to get the user to spend more time on their webpage.
- For this, fresh content was generated by creators and shared over the Internet.
- The problem started when the content would be copied by unscrupulous websites or users, who did not generate content on their own.
- Further, as the Internet expanded worldwide, websites from countries other than the one where the content originated, also started to copy the unique content generated by the websites.
- To avoid this and bring to task the unauthorized copiers, the members of WIPO, which was established in 1967, also agreed to extend the copyright and intellectual property protection to digital content.
- As of date, 193 nations across the world, including India, are members of WIPO.
Who can generate a DMCA notice and how are they sent to companies or websites?
- Any content creator of any form, who believes that their original content has been copied by the user or a website without authorization can file an application citing their intellectual property has been stolen or violated.
- Users can either approach the website on which the content has been hosted, or third-party service providers like DMCA.com, which utilize a team of experts to help take down the stolen content for a small fee.
- In the case of social media intermediaries like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, content creators can directly approach the platform with proof of them being original creators.
- Since these companies operate in nations that are signatories to the WIPO treaty, they are obligated to remove the said content if they receive a valid and legal DMCA takedown notice.
- Platforms, however, also give the other users against whom allegations of content cheating have been made, a chance to reply to the DMCA notice by filing a counter-notice.
- The platform shall then decide which party is telling the truth and shall accordingly, either restore the content or keep it hidden.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Small and Medium Companies
Mains level: MSME sector updates
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has expanded the turnover and borrowing thresholds for Small and Medium-sized Companies (SMC), allowing a larger number of firms to benefit from reporting exemptions under accounting norms.
What is the change?
- The MCA has increased the turnover threshold for SMCs to Rs 250 crore from Rs 50 crore, and the borrowing threshold to Rs 50 crore from Rs 10 crore.
- SMCs are permitted to avail a number of exemptions under the Company (Accounting Standards) Rule 2021 to reduce the complexity of regulatory filings for smaller firms.
- Banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, and listed companies cannot be classified as SMCs.
- Further, any company which is either the holding company or subsidiary of a company that is not an SMC cannot be classified as an SMC.
What are the exemptions available to SMCs that are not available to other firms?
- SMC are completely exempted from having to file cash flow statements and provide a segmental break up of their financial performance in mandatory filings.
- SMCs can also avail partial reporting exemptions in areas including reporting on employee benefits obligations such as pensions.
- SMCs are exempted from having to provide a detailed analysis of benefit obligations to employees, but are still required to provide actuarial assumptions used in valuing the company’s obligations to employees.
- SMCs are also exempted from having to report diluted earnings per share in their filings.
- Diluted earnings per share reflect the per-share earnings of a company assuming that all options to convert other securities into shares are exercised.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q. What is/ are the recent policy initiative(s) of the Government of India to promote the growth of the manufacturing sector?
- Setting up of National Investment and Manufacturing Zones.
- Providing the benefit of single window clearance.
- Establishing the Technology Acquisition and Development Fund.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
How does this impact these firms?
- Experts have noted that the move would promote ease of doing business for the firms that would now be included under the definition of SMC.
- The Accounting Standards for SMC, which were notified in December 2006 and amended from time to time, are much simpler as compared to Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS).
- These accounting standards involve less complexity in their application, including the number of required disclosures being less onerous.
- Ind AS standards are applied to larger firms and are largely similar to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) used in most developed jurisdictions.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Stone age man and his evolution
Mains level: Not Much
Scientists have announced that a skull discovered in northeast China represents a newly discovered human species they have named Homo longi, or “Dragon Man”.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.The word ‘Denisovan’ is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to (CSP 2019):
(a) fossils of a kind of dinosaurs
(b) an early human species
(c) a cave system found in North-East India.
(d) a geological period in the history of Indian subcontinent
Who is the “Dragon Man”, the latest Chinese discovery?
- The cranium found in China has been dubbed the “Dragaon Man” or Homo longi, a name that has been derived from the Long Jiang or Dragon River in the Heilongjiang province of China where the city of Harbin is located.
- The skull was reportedly discovered back in 1933, when a bridge was built over the Songhua River.
- For thousands of years, the skull remained buried in sediments.
- Because of the distinctive shape of the skull, which was found almost complete, some members of the team have suggested that it be declared a part of a new species of the genus Homo.
- Significantly, the size of the skull, which has a considerable brain capacity, is comparable to that of modern humans and Neanderthals.
Why is this discovery being considered significant?
- For one, it brings new knowledge about the evolution of Homo sapiens.
- It might help to bridge the gaps between our ancient ancestors called Homo erectus and us.
- This knowledge is important because there is very little consensus in the scientific community about how different human species are related, and which species are our immediate ancestors.
- Smithsonian for instance notes that some palaeontologists believe Homo heidelbergensis to be our immediate ancestors.
- This species was discovered in 1908, and lived about 700,000 to 200,000 years ago in Europe and possibly China and some parts of Africa.
Back2Basics: Species of Humans
- Modern humans are the only human species that exist in the world today.
- While the exact number of human species is a matter of debate, most scientists believe that there are at least 21 of them.
As per the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, there are over 21 human species. Major among these are:
(1) Sahelanthropus tchadensis
- Sahelanthropus tchadensis is believed to be the oldest member of the human family tree.
- It lived about 7-6 million years ago somewhere around present-day Chad in Africa.
- It had both ape-like and human-like features and was bipedalled, an ability that may have increased its chances of survival.
(2) Homo erectus
- Homo erectus lived about 1.89 million-110,000 years ago, in Northern, Eastern, and Southern Africa and Western and East Asia.
- ‘Turkana Boy’ is the most complete fossil belonging to this species and is dated to be around 1.6 million years old.
(3) Modern man
- Homo neanderthalensis lived about 400,000-40,000 years ago and co-existed with Homo sapiens for a few thousand years.
- They lived in Europe and in southwestern and central Asia.
- Homo sapiens evolved about 300,000 years ago, and are found worldwide.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Euphlyctis Kerala
Mains level: NA
A new species of skittering frog has been identified from the surroundings of the Thattekkad bird sanctuary.
Euphlyctis Kerala
- The new species is named Euphlyctis Kerala in honor of the remarkable biodiversity of the State, which is also known for many endemic species of frogs.
- The new species is known to be found in the freshwater bodies of the foothills of the Western Ghats, south of the Palakkad Gap.
- Although multiple skittering frogs have been described from India for almost two centuries (since 1799), the taxonomic mess within this group created a lot of confusion due to “morphological character crypticity”.
- Members of the genus Euphlyctis (skittering frogs) have their distribution range from Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.
- As of now, Kerala is known to have 180 species of frogs and there could be many more new species awaiting formal descriptions.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Factors affecting currency's value
Mains level: Paper 3- Factors affecting rupee's value
The article explains the factors affecting the Indian rupee’s value against the dollar in implications of change in value for the Indian economy.
Factor’s affecting rupee’s value
- First, India’s foreign exchange reserves need to be considered, which have been increasing quite rapidly.
- Second, there are daily fluctuations caused by foreign portfolio investment (FPI) flows.
- Third, there is the external factor of the dollar, when the US currency strengthens against the euro, the rupee tends to decline and vice-versa.
- Fourth, there is the concept of the real effective exchange rate (REER), a construct of economists in which relative inflation comes into play.
- If inflation in India is higher than in countries associated with its export basket of currencies, then the rupee is overvalued and will correct through depreciation.
- Fifth, at what stage will the RBI intervene by buying or selling dollars to stabilize the Indian currency also matters.
Let’s look at some of these factors in detail.
Impact of the U.S. economy and Fed
- The dollar is driven by the US economy as well as its Federal Reserve’s policies.
- The Fed’s recent indication that it would raise its policy rate of funds in the years ahead was enough to strengthen the dollar and weaken the rupee. As an increase in US rates could see global investor money flocking back to the US, the dollar gained in relative value.
- The dollar should logically be strengthening, given improving US growth, now reinforced by the Fed.
Inflation factor
- The inflation factor, however, has been curious.
- Indian inflation will be high in India and hence also the rupee’s REER.
- To the extent the market understands this concept and uses it for valuation, it should be pushing the rupee downwards.
- But the pressure will be less this time as global inflation is also being raised by rising commodity prices.
- Indian inflation may not be so much higher as to warrant a deep depreciation.
Increase in Forex reserves
- An increase in forex reserves is an indication that India is getting in more dollars than we are spending.
- This also means that our combined current and capital accounts are in surplus zone.
- However, India’s current account will go into a deficit this year, as imports will be greater than exports, but will not be very high. Maybe 0.5-1% of GDP.
- The capital account can get tricky.
- Inward foreign direct investment was high in 2020-21.
- At $60 billion in equity and $80 billion overall, it was one of the world’s highest.
- Therefore, capital flows should remain strong.
- External commercial borrowings could slow down amid weak investment within India.
- So the fundamentals suggest that the rupee should be stable, with a tilt towards depreciation.
The RBI intervention
- The RBI’s surplus liquidity and accommodative stance have not worked in favour of the rupee.
- In response to its April policy, when RBI affirmed its dovish stance, the rupee began falling on expectations that if RBI kept rates low at a time of high inflation and excessive market borrowing by the government, investors will potentially move out.
- This pushed the rupee towards the 75 level against the dollar, but reverted with time as RBI kept infusing liquidity and managed the yield curve.
- In April, RBI bought $4.2 billion worth of the US currency.
- Exports have grown smartly in the first two months of 2021-22, and at this stage, the central bank would not want to that trend by stalling the rupee’s depreciation.
Conclusion
Taking all these factors into account, one can foresee the rupee moving in the range of ₹74-75 to the dollar, unless there’s a shock of some sort, though none looks likely at present.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MFIs
Mains level: Paper 3- Freeing up microfinance institutions
The microfinance institutions (MFI) faced several restrictions by RBI which were not applicable to banks, NBFC and small finance banks. This denied the MFIs level playing field. A recent Consultative document by the RBI frees MFIs from such restrictions. The article explains this in detail.
Background of regulation of MFI’s by RBI
- RBI first allowed informal self-help groups to open savings accounts in banks and bank lending to these groups in 1991-92.
- In 2000, RBI permitted all types of institutions to offer microcredit and bank loans extended to these institutions for on-lending were treated as part of the priority sector lending.
- Beyond these, RBI was unwilling to bring in any regulations on the plea that as long as these are not deposit-taking institutions there is no need to regulate them.
- That was the stand of various RBI-appointed committees too, including the Vyas Committee of 2004.
- Based on the Malegam Committee recommendations, RBI came out with detailed guidelines for microfinance institutions (not the microfinance sector) in 2011.
- These guidelines introduced a new category of NBFCs, viz NBFC-MFIs (microfinance institutions).
- It also set norms for income criteria for clients of MFIs, repayment period, borrower loan limits, interest rate norms and caps, limits on a number of lenders to a borrower and a host of other norms and criteria.
How these norms created the issue of a level playing field?
- After 2015-16, the entry of small finance banks, eight of which were MFIs, into the microfinance space started to create issues.
- MFIs discovered to their dismay that while they had to adhere to a set of regulations, it was a free-for-all for non-MFIs (banks, SFBs and NBFCs).
- The main issue was that non-MFIs need not adhere to the norm of number of lenders (two in the case of NBFC-MFIs) and per-borrower loan limits.
- It prompted non-MFIs to target borrowers identified and nurtured by MFIs with higher loan amounts, leading to high levels of borrower indebtedness.
- In addition, the interest rate cap (2.75 times the base rate declared quarterly by RBI) was squeezing the margins of small and medium MFIs, as none of them get loans from the biggest banks.
Way forward
- The recent Consultative Document by RBI frees MFIs from the restriction imposed by the 2011 regulations and gives them a level-playing field.
- Another important feature for MFIs is that by doing away with the 50% income generation loans criteria and the repayment period norms.
- RBI is facilitating credit flow into lifecycle needs like housing, water sanitation, education, health, renewable energy, etc, which are now as important as income generation.
- On the interest rate front, initially, some upward correction could be there by medium and small MFIs based on their borrowing rates.
- The document enhances the role for the regulator as the adoption of Board-approved policies to determine the norms of household indebtedness and to fix a transparent rate of interest by each institution and their implementation need a rigorous supervisory oversight
Conclusion
Providing a level playing field to the MFI is critical to their development, the document by RBI rightly does that. It will help in providing credit to those who remain outside the formal banking network.
Source:
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/unfettering-microfinance-recent-rbi-consultative-document-frees-mfis-from-shackles-imposed-by-2011-regulations/2277925/
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Delta plus variant
Mains level: COVID
The Maharashtra government has tightened the Covid-19 unlocking process in the wake of a rise in cases of the Delta Plus variant.
What is Delta Plus?
- A variant that has emerged as a new threat, especially in India, Delta Plus (B.1.617.2.1/(AY.1) is a new mutant strain of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.
- It is technically the next generation of SARS-COV-2.
- The Delta variant that was first detected in India eventually became a huge problem for the whole world.
- However, the Delta Plus variant, at present, is limited to smaller areas in the country. This mutant of Delta was first detected in Europe in March 2021, but it came to light on June 13.
- Although it is still under investigation, experts believe that the Delta Plus variant has increased transmissibility.
What is known so far?
- The new Delta plus variant has been formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant.
- Delta Plus (AY.1) is resistant to monoclonal antibodies cocktail.
- Since it’s a new variant, its severity is still unknown.
- 63 genomes of Delta (B.1.617.2) with the new K417N mutation have been identified by the GISAID (global science initiative) so far.
- The mutation is in the spike protein of SARS-COV-2, which helps the virus enter and infect the human cells.
- People reported symptoms like headaches, sore throats, runny noses, and fever.
Are COVID-19 vaccines effective against the Delta Plus variant?
- Medical experts say it is too early to predict the effectiveness of the existing vaccines on the new variant.
- A detailed study would be required to establish any effect of the mutant on the immune system.
- However, Union Health Ministry says that both Indian vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin are effective against the Delta variant.
- There is fear that this new variant Delta Plus may spark the third wave of COVID-19, but there is a very low incidence of such cases, so there is no certainty.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IBC, Registered Valuers
Mains level: Financial frauds these days
A valuation report by a registered valuer is at the heart of the recent controversy surrounding a Rs 4,000 crore share allotment decision by PNB Housing Finance.
Who is a Registered Valuer?
- A registered valuer is an individual or entity which is registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBIBI) as a valuer in accordance with the Companies (Registered Valuers and Valuation) Rules, 2017.
- Under Section 458 of the Companies Act, IBBI has been specified as the authority by the central government.
- The concept of registered valuer was introduced in the Companies Act in 2017 in order to regulate the valuation of assets and liabilities linked to a company and to standardize the valuation procedure in line with global valuation standards.
- Before the concept of registered valuer became part of the Companies Act, valuation was done in an arbitrary manner, often leading to question marks over the authenticity of the valuation.
What does the valuation report comprise?
- As per the Companies (Registered Valuers and Valuation) Rules, 2017, the valuer should, in his/its report, state 11 key aspects including disclosure of the valuer’s conflict of interest, if any.
- Among others, it must include the purpose of valuation; sources of information; procedures adopted in carrying out the valuation; valuation methodology; and major factors that influenced the valuation.
Who can become a registered valuer?
- An individual needs to clear the Valuation Examination conducted by IBBI.
- The rules state that an individual who has completed 50 years of age and has been substantially involved in at least ten valuation assignments of assets amounting to Rs 5 crore rupees or more, during the five years preceding the commencement of these rules, shall not be required to pass the Valuation Examination.
- The individual should, however, have a postgraduate degree in the specified discipline (relevant for valuation of the class of asset for which the registration is sought) and should have at least three years of experience in the discipline thereafter.
- As of March 31, 2021 there were 3,967 registered valuers in the country. Only 40 of them are registered entities; the rest are individuals.
For what assets can a registered valuer undertake valuation?
- A registered valuer can get themselves registered for valuation of assets such as land and building; plant and machinery; and securities and financial assets.
- They can get registered for valuation of all three classes, and can undertake valuation of only the assets for which they have got the registration.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Which of the following statements best describes the- term ‘Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A)’, recently seen in the news? (CSP 2017)
(a) It is a procedure for considering the ecological costs of developmental schemes formulated by the Government.
(b) It is a scheme of RBI for reworking the financial structure of big corporate entities facing genuine difficulties.
(c) It is a disinvestment plan of the Government regarding Central Public Sector Undertakings.
(d) It is an important provision in ‘The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code’ recently implemented by the Government.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ambergris
Mains level: Not Much
In the past few weeks, there have been two cases where the Mumbai Police has arrested five persons trying to sell Ambergris or whale vomit.
What is Ambergris?
- Ambergris, French for grey amber, is generally referred to as whale vomit.
- It is a solid waxy substance that floats around the surface of the water body and at times settles on the coast.
- A sperm whale eats several thousand squid beaks a day.
- Occasionally, a beak makes it way to the whale’s stomach and into its looping convoluted intestines where it becomes ambergris through a complex process, and may ultimately be excreted by the whale.
Is it Ambergris valuable?
- This excretion is so valuable it is referred to as floating gold.
- As per the latest estimates given by Mumbai Police, 1 kg of ambergris is worth Rs 1 crore in the international market.
- The reason for its high cost is its use in the perfume market, especially to create fragrances like musk.
- It is believed to be in high demand in countries like Dubai that have a large perfume market. Ancient Egyptians used it as incense.
- It is also believed to be used in some traditional medicines.
Why are the laws on Ambergris?
- Due to its high value, Ambergris has been a target for smugglers especially in coastal areas.
- There have been several cases where the coastline of Gujarat has been used for such smuggling.
- Since the sperm whale is a protected species, hunting of the whale is not allowed.
- However, smugglers are known to have illegally targeted the fish in order to obtain the valuable Ambergris from its stomach.
- However, Ambergris is produced only by an estimated one per cent of sperm whales.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Black Sea mapping
Mains level: Not Much
Russia accused Britain of spreading lies over a warship confrontation in the Black Sea.
What is the issue?
- Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, a move that was not recognized by most countries in the world.
- Russia has frequently responded at NATO warships visits near Crimea, casting them as destabilizing.
- NATO members Turkey, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria are in the Black Sea, but warships from the US, UK and other NATO allies also have made increasingly frequent visits in a show of support to Ukraine.
About Black Sea
- The Black Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia; east of the Balkans (Southeast Europe), south of the East European Plain in Eastern Europe, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia in Western Asia.
- It is supplied by major rivers, principally the Danube, Dnieper, and Don.
- The watersheds of many countries drain into the sea beyond the six that share its coast.
- The Black Sea is bordered by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Must answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Consider the following pairs:
|
Sea
|
Bordering country
|
| 1. Adriatic Sea |
Albania |
| 2. Black Sea |
Croatia |
| 3. Caspian Sea |
Kazakhstan |
| 4. Mediterranean Sea |
Morocco |
| 5. Red Sea |
Syria |
Which of the pair given above are correctly matched? (CSP 2020)
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Various schemes mentioned
Mains level: Urban transformation
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has commemorated 6 years of the three transformative Urban Missions vis. Smart Cities Mission (SCM), Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U). All these missions were inaugurated in 2015.
[A] Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY)
- PMAY is an initiative in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor with a target of building 2 crore (20 million) affordable houses by 31 March 2022.
- It has two components: for the urban poor and also for the rural poor.
- This scheme is converged with other schemes to ensure houses have a toilet, Saubhagya Yojana electricity connection, Ujjwala Yojana LPG connection, access to drinking water, and Jan Dhan banking facilities, etc.
[B] Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
- AMRUT was launched with the focus to establish an infrastructure that could ensure adequate robust sewage networks and water supply for urban transformation by implementing urban revival projects.
- The components of the AMRUT consist of capacity building, reform implementation, water supply, sewerage and septage management, stormwater drainage, urban transport, and the development of green spaces and parks.
- During the process of planning, the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will strive to include some smart features in the physical infrastructure components.
- Rajasthan was the first state in the country to submit State Annual Action Plan under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
[C] Smart Cities Mission
- National Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen-friendly and sustainable.
- The Union Ministry of Urban Development is responsible for implementing the mission in collaboration with the state governments of the respective cities.
- All the participating cities from West Bengal have withdrawn from the Smart Cities Mission.
- Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from Maharashtra have also been withdrawn from the Smart Cities Mission.
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