Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MSP calculation
Mains level: Fixation of MSP and its legal backing
Talks between farmer unions and the government failed to reach a resolution. The main bone of contention in these talks is the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, which farmers fear the new laws will do away.
Try this:
Q.There is also a point of view that agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) set up under the state acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine. (CSM 2014)
What is MSP?
- The MSP assures the farmers of a fixed price for their crops, well above their production costs.
- MSP, by contrast, is devoid of any legal backing. Access to it, unlike subsidised grains through the PDS, isn’t an entitlement for farmers.
- They cannot demand it as a matter of right. It is only a government policy that is part of administrative decision-making.
- The Centre currently fixes MSPs for 23 farm commodities based on the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommendations.
Why in news yet again?
- The Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced that MSP would be kept at levels of one and half times of the cost of production.
- This year the govt. has increased the MSP for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a return of at least 50 per cent of the cost of production for the agricultural year 2018-19 and 2019-20.
- This is the ambiguity from where this 1.5 times formula arrived at.
How did the government fix the MSPs of crops before every planting season?
- The CACP considered various factors while recommending the MSP for a commodity, including the cost of cultivation.
- It also takes into account the supply and demand situation for the commodity; market price trends (domestic and global) and parity vis-à-vis other crops; and implications for consumers (inflation), environment (soil and water use) and terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture sectors.
What changed with the 2018 budget?
- The Budget for 2018-19 announced that MSPs would henceforth be fixed at 1.5 times of the production costs for crops as a “pre-determined principle”.
- Simply put, the CACP’s job now was only to estimate production costs for a season and recommend the MSPs by applying the 1.5-times formula.
How was this production cost arrived at?
- The CACP projects three kinds of production cost for every crop, both at the state and all-India average levels.
- ‘A2’ covers all paid-out costs directly incurred by the farmer — in cash and kind — on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, leased-in land, fuel, irrigation, etc.
- ‘A2+FL’ includes A2 plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour.
- ‘C2’ is a more comprehensive cost that factors in rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets, on top of A2+FL.
Now try this PYQ:
Q.The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus:
(a) Transportation cost only
(b) Interest cost only
(c) Procurement incidentals and distribution cost
(d) Procurement incidentals and charges for godowns
Which production costs were taken in fixing the MSPs?
- In 2018, then FM Arun Jaitley’s did not specify the cost on which the 1.5-times formula was to be computed.
- But the CACP’s ‘Price Policy for Kharif Crops: The Marketing Season 2018-19’ report stated that its MSP recommendation was based on 1.5 times the A2+FL costs.
What are the farmer’s demands?
- Farm activists, however, had said that the 1.5-times MSP formula should have been applied on the C2 costs.
- CACP considers A2+FL and C2 costs, both while recommending MSP. It reckons only A2+FL cost for return.
- However, C2 costs are used by CACP primarily as benchmark reference costs (opportunity costs) to see if the MSPs recommended by them at least cover these costs in some of the major producing States.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Vaccine for COVID
Mains level: Universalization of vaccines and associated challenges in India
The US drugmaker Moderna said it was applying for emergency use authorisation for its vaccine in India.
Practice question for Mains:
Q. What is Vaccine Nationalism? Discuss various ethical issues involved and its impact on vulnerable populations across the globe.
Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA)
- Vaccines and medicines, and even diagnostic tests and medical devices, require the approval of a regulatory authority before they can be administered.
- In India, the regulatory authority is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
- The approval is granted after an assessment of their safety and effectiveness, based on data from trials. In fact, approval from the regulator is required at every stage of these trials.
- This is a long process, designed to ensure that medicine or vaccine is absolutely safe and effective.
- The fastest approval for any vaccine until now — the mumps vaccine in the 1960s — took about four-and-a-half years after it was developed.
Exceptions for emergency
- In emergency situations, like the current one, regulatory authorities around the world have developed mechanisms to grant interim approvals.
- However, there should sufficient evidence to suggest a medical product is safe and effective.
- Final approval is granted only after completion of the trials and analysis of full data; until then, EUA allows the medicine or the vaccine to be used on the public.
What is the process of getting a EUA in India?
- India’s drug regulations do not have provisions for a EUA, and the process for receiving one is not clearly defined or consistent.
- Despite this, CDSCO has been granting emergency or restricted emergency approvals to Covid-19 drugs during this pandemic — for remdesivir and favipiravir in June, and itolizumab in July.
Associated risks
- The public has to be informed that a product has only been granted a EUA and not full approval.
- In the case of a Covid-19 vaccine, for example, people have to be informed about the known and potential benefits and risks.
Not a compulsion
- There has been an ongoing debate over whether people have the option of refusing to take the vaccine.
- Incidentally, no country has made vaccination compulsory for its people.
- Initially, all vaccines are likely to be deployed on emergency use authorizations only. Final approval from may take several months, or years.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Octane number
Mains level: India's oil sector
The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has launched world-class premium-grade Petrol (with Octane number 100) in the country.
What is XP100?
- It is petrol developed by Indian Oil with octane number 100.
- The availability of XP100 puts India in an elite group of countries, having access to such high-quality oil. It will provide high quality and power to the engine.
- It will be rolled out in 15 identified cities across the country in two phases.
- Worldwide, 100 Octane petrol has a niche market for luxury vehicles that demand high performance and is available only in six countries like Germany, USA, etc.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Lead, ingested or inhaled, is a health hazard. After the addition of lead to petrol has been banned, what still are the sources of lead poisoning?
- Smelting units
- Pens pencils
- Paints
- Hair oils and cosmetics
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
What is Octane numbering of Petrol?
- Octane number, also called Antiknock Rating, a measure of the ability of a fuel to resist knocking when ignited in a mixture with air in the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine.
- Engine knock is a tapping, pinging sound that gets louder and more obnoxious as we accelerate.
- The octane number is determined by comparing, under standard conditions, the knock intensity of the fuel with that of blends of two reference fuels: iso-octane, which resists knocking, and heptane, which knocks readily.
- The octane number is the percentage by volume of iso-octane in the iso-octane–heptane mixture that matches the fuel being tested in a standard test engine.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS)
Mains level: Old irrigation systems in India
Four sites in India have received the World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) tag this year.
Try this PYQ:
Q.The FAO accords the status of ‘Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)’ to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative?
- To provide modern technology, training in modern farming methods and financial support to local communities of identified GIAHS so as to greatly enhance their agricultural productivity.
- To identify and safeguard eco-friendly traditional farm practices and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems of the local communities.
- To provide Geographical Indication status to all the varieties of agricultural produce in such identified GIAHS.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS)
- The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) annually recognizes irrigation structures of international significance like UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
- The recognition is aimed at recognizing and tracing the history of and understanding the evolution of irrigation in civilizations across the world.
- It also aims at understanding the philosophy and wisdom on sustainable irrigation from these structures and to preserve them for posterity.
Criteria for consideration
- Major criteria for WHIS entail that a structure should be more than 100 years old, should be functional, achieving food security and have archival value.
- Each site is evaluated based on its merits first by the state government.
- The proposal is then sent to the Centre and a team from CWC carries out an on-ground survey to verify details.
Which are the Indian sites?
- The sites are Cumbum Tank, Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal, Porumamilla Tank (Anantharaja Sagaram) in Andhra Pradesh and 490-year-old Dhamapur Lake in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district.
- In 2018, Pedda Cheru Tank in Kamareddy district and Sadarmat Anicut in Nirmal district, both in Telangana, were named as WHIS sites.
Other sites
- The rest include Tianbao Weir in China at number one followed by Longshou Canal and ancient Luohe river irrigation district, China.
- It also includes Zarch and Moon Qanat both in Iran and Tenguiwa, Bizenkyo and Jyosai Gokuchi irrigation systems in Japan with Goseong Dumbeong in the Republic of Korea.
About ICID
- The ICID, established in 1950 is a leading scientific, technical, international not-for-profit, non-governmental organization.
- It is a professional network of experts from across the world in the field of irrigation, drainage, and flood management.
- The main mission is to promote ‘Sustainable agriculture water management’ to achieve ‘Water secure world free of poverty and hunger through sustainable rural development’.
- ICID mission covers the entire spectrum of agricultural water management practices ranging from rainfed agriculture to supplemental irrigation, land drainage, deficit irrigation to full irrigation, etc.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Countries of the Middle East
Mains level: Paper 3- Trends from the Middle East and implications for the Indian subcontinent
Three broad trends emerging from the Middle East and its implication for the region have been discussed here.
Growing vulnerability of Iran and implications for subcontinent
- The brazen murder of a top Iranian nuclear scientist highlights the Islamic Republic of Iran’s growing strategic vulnerabilities.
- This geopolitical turbulence in the Middle East has major consequences for the subcontinent.
- Whether they want to or not, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh must deal with three broad trends that define the new Middle East.
3 Trends in the Middle East
1) Iran’s growing isolation
- The Trump administration and the Republicans, Israel and the Gulf Arabs have a shared interest in preventing the next US President from renewing nuclear diplomacy with Iran and ending Tehran’s isolation.
- The assassination of Fakhrizadeh is about achieving that political objective.
- If Iran retaliates vigorously, it will invite an all-out confrontation with Israel and the US.
- Holding back will expose Iran’s weakness and sharpen internal divisions between pragmatists who want to engage the US and the hardliners.
- The frequent attacks on high-profile Iranian targets indicate hostile penetration of its society such that domestic opponents of the regime are now willing to collaborate with foreign security agencies, including Israel’s Mossad.
- Iran’s internal political weakness is compounded by the massive economic pain imposed by the Trump administration through sanctions.
- Iran has much goodwill in South Asia, but India and its neighbours have no desire to get sucked into Tehran’s conflicts with the Arabs or the US.
2) Transformation of Arab relations with Israel
- The fear of Iran has been driving Gulf Arabs to embrace Israel.
- In the last few months, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have normalised ties with Israel.
- There is speculation of an impending normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
- Pakistan’s Prime Minister has talked of pressure, apparently from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, on recognising Israel.
- If Pakistan recognises Israel, Bangladesh would not want to be left behind.
- Economic and technological collaboration with Israel will give Bangladesh’s economy and foreign policy a big boost.
- For Israel, having Bangladesh and Pakistan, two of the world’s largest Islamic nations, recognise it would be a great ideological and political bonus
- An India that proclaims the virtues of engaging all sides in the Middle East can’t grudge the same privilege for Israel in South Asia.
3) Rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Turkey
- While Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE want to return the Middle East towards political and religious moderation, the once secular Turkey has become the new champion of political Islam.
- Turkey’s contestation with Saudi Arabia is already having an impact on India and Pakistan.
- Turkey is now hostile to India and has joined Pakistan in taking up the Kashmir question at international forums.
- For Pakistan, this seemed a useful counter to the Gulf Arabs, who were ramping up strategic ties with India.
- However, UAE and Saudi Arabia have the option to put massive costs on the Pakistani economy that can’t be plugged by Turkey or Malaysia.
Conclusion
Although India has made some important adjustments to its engagement with the Middle East in recent years, Delhi can’t take its eyes off the rapid changes in the region.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Recalibrating India-Nepal ties
The article suggests the need for a relook at the India-Nepal ties in the changing geopolitical circumstances.
Unchanging perspective on of each other
- Many in Nepal continue to equate being anti-India with being nationalistic.
- Politicians and political parties whip up such sentiment especially before an election.
- Prime Minister K.P. Oli won the 2017 election partly because he projected himself as someone who stood up to India during the blockade.
- He again whipped up nationalistic sentiments when he got the Nepal map amended to add new territory.
- India continues to think that by providing aid and development projects in Nepal, it can win Nepali hearts.
- But despite pouring billions of rupees into Nepal over decades, it has still not been able to do so.
- Therefore, it needs to reflect on what it is not doing right.
India’s aid Vs Chines aid to Nepal
- Two issues are important to understand here.
- First, all aid to Nepal from countries other than India and China go through the Plans of the Government of Nepal.
- Indian aid is seen in Nepal as a favour bestowed on a constituency it wants to garner support from rather than a contribution to Nepal’s planned development.
- Second, India competes with China in providing aid outside government budgets.
- And China picks up projects of visibility and strategic location.
- Chinese involvement in Nepal has increased since the April 2015 earthquake and Nepal is surely an area of strategic influence in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
People-to-people ties
- In the past two decades, two significant changes have happened.
- 1) Indian workers in Nepal constitute a big part of the workforce and send about $3 billion to India every year.
- In terms of remittances to India, Nepal ranks eighth.
- So, the Government of India needs to keep in mind that many households in India are being run with remittances from Nepal.
- 2) Nepalis have migrated in the past 20 years to more than a hundred countries; India is not the only country that Nepalis rely on for jobs or education.
- This is a new Nepal comprising young people with global aspirations.
- Meanwhile, Nepal needs to plan how it engages with the youth in mainland India for whom Nepal is just like Bangladesh or Myanmar.
Consider the question “The unchanging perspective of each other in both countries calls for the recalibration of India-Nepal ties. Examine the factors that India should consider while having a relook at its ties with Nepal”
Conclusion
There are some fundamentals that we simply cannot forget: geography will not change, the border will remain open as millions of livelihoods on both sides depend on it, and China is going to be a big global player with varied interests in the neighbourhood. Therefore, the India-Nepal relationship has to be recalibrated.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FPTC Act 2020
Mains level: Paper 3- Agri marketing and related issues.
The article examine issue of agriculture produce marketing. The passage of FPTC Act 2020 sought to address the challenges faced by the farmers. However, these are several issues the Act fails to resolve. These issues are discussed here.
Why do farmers sell outside mandis?
- Official data show that even for paddy and wheat, respectively, only 29% and 44% of the harvest is sold in a mandi.
- In other words a large proportion of Indian harvest is not directly sold in a mandi.
- Farmers are forced to sell outside the mandis for two reasons.
1) There are not enough mandis
- The National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) had recommended that every Indian farmer should be able to reach a mandi in one hour by a cart.
- Thus, the average area served by a mandi was to be reduced to 80 km2.
- For this, the number of mandis was to increase to at least 41,000.
- But there were only 6,630 mandis in 2019 with an average area served of 463 km2.
- Using another set of criteria, a government committee in 2017 had recommended that India should have at least 10,130 mandis.
- So, by all counts, India needs not less but more mandis.
2) Transport cost
- Most small and marginal farmers, do not find it economical to bear the transport costs to take their harvests to mandis.
- Thus, they end up selling their harvest to a village trader even if at a lower price.
- Even if private markets replace mandis, small and marginal farmers will continue to sell to traders in the village itself.
- The situation will change only if economies of scale rise substantially at the farm-level.
Why there is poor private investment in markets?
- Already, 18 States have allowed the establishment of private markets outside the APMC; 19 States have allowed the direct purchase of agricultural produce from farmers; and 13 States have allowed the establishment of farmer’s markets outside the APMC.
- Despite such legislative changes, no significant private investment has flowed in to establish private markets in these States.
- The reason for poor private investment in markets is the presence of high transaction costs in produce collection and aggregation.
- When private players try to take over the role of mandis and the village trader, they incur considerable costs in opening collection centres and for salaries, grading, storage and transport.
- Corporate retail chains face additional costs in urban sales and storage, as well as the risk of perishability.
- This is why many retail chains prefer purchasing from mandis rather than directly from farmers.
Issue of mandi tax
- Many commentaries treat taxes in mandis as wasteful. This assertion is not fully true for two reasons:
- 1) Much of the mandi taxes are reinvested by APMCs to improve market infrastructure.
- A fall in mandi taxes would reduce the surplus available with APMCs for such investment.
- 2) In States such as Punjab, the government charges a market committee fee and a rural development fee.
- The Punjab Mandi Board uses these revenues to construct rural roads, run medical and veterinary dispensaries, supply drinking wate etc.
- Such rural investments will also be adversely affected if mandis are weakened.
Weakening of MSP regime
- Many policy signals point to a strategic design to weaken the MSPs.
- 1) Rising input and labour costs necessitates a regular upward revision of MSPs to keep pace with costs of living.
- However, MSPs are rising at a far slower rate over the past five to six years than in the past.
- 2) The government has not yet agreed to fix MSPs at 50% above the C2 cost of production.
- As a result, farmers continue to suffer a price loss of ₹200 to ₹500 per quintal in many crops.
- 3) The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has been recommending to the government that open-ended procurement of food grains should end.
- These policy stances have set alarm bells ringing among farmers.
- The farmers Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh feel that if mandis weaken and private markets with no commitment to MSPs expand, they fear a gradual erosion of their entitlement to a remunerative price.
Steps to be taken
- 1) India needs an increase in the density of mandis, expansion of investment in mandi infrastructure and a spread of the MSP system to more regions and crops.
- 2) This increase in density should happen hand-in-hand with a universalisation of the Public Distribution System.
- 3) APMCs need internal reform to ease the entry of new players, reduce trader collusion and link them up with national e-trading platforms.
- The introduction of unified national licences for traders and a single point levy of market fees are also steps in the right direction.
Consider the question “The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 was passed with a view to address the challenges faced by the farmers in selling their produce. However, there are concerns with the provision of the Act and its efficacy to addresss these challenges. What are the issues with the Act? Suggest the measures to address these issues.”
Conclusion
The government’s must try to allay the fears of farmers over the Farm Bills and it is never too late to rethink. Unconditional talks with farmers would be an appropriate starting point.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: OIC
Mains level: Internationalization of Kashmir Issue
India has hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for making factually incorrect and unwarranted references to Jammu and Kashmir.
What is OIC?
- The OIC — formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference — is the world’s second-largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN, with a membership of 57 states.
- The OIC’s stated objective is “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 has reserved membership for Muslim-majority countries. Russia, Thailand, and a couple of other small countries have Observer status.
India’s relationship with OIC
- At the 45th session of the Foreign Ministers’ Summit in 2018, Bangladesh suggested that India, where more than 10% of the world’s Muslims live, should be given Observer status.
- In 1969, India was dis-invited from the Conference of Islamic Countries in Rabat, Morocco at Pakistan’s behest.
- Then Agriculture Minister Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was dis-invited upon arrival in Morocco after Pakistan President Yahya Khan lobbied against Indian participation.
Recent developments
- In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Abu Dhabi, as a “guest of honour”.
- Then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed the Inaugural Plenary.
- This first-time invitation was seen as a diplomatic victory for New Delhi, especially at a time of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pulwama attack.
- Pakistan had opposed the invitation to Swaraj and it boycotted the plenary after the UAE turned down his demand to rescind the invitation.
What is the OIC’s stand on Kashmir?
- It has been generally supportive of Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir and has issued statements criticizing India.
- These statements over the last three decades became an annual ritual, of little significance to India.
- Last year, after India revoked Article 370 in Kashmir, Pakistan lobbied with the OIC for their condemnation of the move.
- To Pakistan’s surprise, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — both top leaders among the Muslim countries — issued nuanced statements, and were not as harshly critical of New Delhi as Islamabad had hoped.
- Since then, Islamabad has tried to rouse sentiments among the Islamic countries, but only a handful of them — Turkey and Malaysia — publicly criticised India.
How has India been responding?
- India has consistently underlined that J&K 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.
- It has maintained its “consistent and well known” stand that the OIC had no locus standi,
- This time, India went a step ahead and said the grouping continues to allow itself to be used by a certain country “which has a record on religious tolerance, radicalism and persecution of minorities”.
OIC members and India
- Individually, India has good relations with almost all member nations. Ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, especially, have looked up significantly in recent years.
- The OIC includes two of India’s close neighbours, Bangladesh and Maldives.
- Indian diplomats say both countries privately admit they do not want to complicate their bilateral ties with India on Kashmir but play along with OIC.
What lies ahead with OIC?
- India now sees the duality of the OIC untenable, since many of these countries have good bilateral ties and convey to India to ignore OIC statements.
- But these countries sign off on the joint statements which are largely drafted by Pakistan.
- South Block feels it is important to challenge the double-speak since Pakistan’s campaign and currency on the Kashmir issue has hardly any takers in the international community.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Swasthya Sathi
Mains level: Ayushman Bharat
West Bengal CM has recently extended the Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme to cover the entire population of the state.
Do you know?
Delhi, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have not implemented the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
Swasthya Sathi
- The scheme was launched in West Bengal in 2016.
- It is a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs five lakh per annum per family.
- It is quite popular among rural and economically deprived sections of the state’s population.
Highlights of the expanded scheme
- Every family, every citizen irrespective of the age group will be included in this scheme
- This is a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs 5 lakh per annum per family
- The scheme is completely funded by the state government
- To cover the entire population of the state, each and every family will be given one smart card to avail the benefits under this scheme, where they will get cashless treatment
- All state-run and private hospitals are going to come under the Swasthya Sathi
- The card will be issued to the female guardians of families
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: 5G Technology
Mains level: 5G Technology and the Huawei issue
India, which has the highest average monthly mobile data traffic per smartphone, is expected to surpass 350 million 5G subscriptions by 2026, according to a report by Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson.
Also read:
[Burning Issue] 5G Technology
Ericsson Mobility Report, 2020
- As per the report, four out of every ten mobile subscriptions in 2026 will be 5G globally with 5G subscriptions forecast to reach 3.5 billion.
- In the India region, LTE (long-term evolution technology) subscriptions are forecast to increase from 710 million in 2020 to 820 million in 2026” by which time 3G will be phased out.
- LTE remains the dominant technology in 2020, accounting for 63%.
- Based on the reported timeline for spectrum auction for 5G services, India could have its first 5G connection in 2021.
Internet usage in India
- In India, the reliance of people on mobile networks to stay connected as well as work from home during the pandemic has resulted in average traffic per smartphone is the global highest.
- Low prices for mobile broadband services, affordable smartphones and increased time spent by people online all contribute to monthly usage growth in India.
Back2Basics: 5G Technology
- It is the next-generation cellular technology that will provide faster and more reliable communication with ultra-low latency.
- A government panel report points out that with 5G, the peak network data speeds are expected to be in the range of 2-20 Gigabits per second (Gbps).
- This is in contrast to 4G link speeds in averaging 6-7 Megabits per second (Mbps) in India as compared to 25 Mbps in advanced countries.
- Once 5G becomes commercial, users will be required to change their current devices in favour of 5G-enabled ones.
- However, it is likely that the primary use of the technology will go beyond the delivery of services on personal mobiles devices.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Hayabusa2 Probe
Mains level: Not Much
A Japanese spacecraft is nearing Earth after a yearlong journey home from a distant asteroid with soil samples. It is set to land in Australia.
Try this PYQ:
Which of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidence for the continued expansion of the universe?
- Detection of microwaves in space
- Observation of redshirt phenomenon in space
- Movement of asteroids in space
- Occurrence of supernova explosions in space
Codes:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) None of the above can be cited as evidence.
Hayabusa2 Probe
- Hayabusa2is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japanese space agency, JAXA.
- It follows on from the Hayabusa mission which returned asteroid samples in 2010.
- It was launched on 3 December 2014 and rendezvoused with near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu on 27 June 2018.
- It surveyed the asteroid for a year and a half and took samples. It left the asteroid in November 2019.
- It carries multiple science payloads for remote sensing, sampling, and four small rovers that investigated the asteroid surface to inform the environmental and geological context of the samples collected.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Arunachal Kiwi
Mains level: Organic farming in India
Recently, the ‘Wild’ Arunachal Kiwi has received organic certification by the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North East Region.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?
(a) Spices
(b) Fresh fruits
(c) Pulses
(d) Vegetable oils
Arunachal Kiwi
- The kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Chev.) is a deciduous fruiting vine native to Yangtze River valley of south and central China.
- In Arunachal Pradesh, a domesticated variety of kiwi was introduced as a commercial fruit only in 2000.
- The Ziro Valley specifically located at 1,500-2,000 metres above sea level is the most ideal for kiwi.
- It is also called “China’s miracle fruit” and “Horticulture wonder of New Zealand”.
Benefits of certification
- Certification helps producers and handlers; they receive premium prices for the products and have access to fast-growing, local, regional and international markets.
Organic certification in India
- An agricultural practise/product is considered organic when there are no chemical fertilizers or pesticides involved in its cultivation process.
- Such certifications in India can be obtained after a strict scientific assessment done by the regulatory body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Zebrafish
Mains level: Not Much
Indian scientists have used the Zebrafish model and identified its genes that can promote heart regeneration.
Try this PYQ:
Q.With reference to India’s Biodiversity, Ceylon frogmouth, Coppersmith Barbet, Gray-chinned minivet and White-throated redstart are-
(a) Birds
(b) Primates
(c) Reptiles
(d) Amphibians
Zebrafish
- Zebrafish is a small (2-3 cm long) freshwater fish found in the tropical and subtropical regions.
- The fish is native to South Asia’s Indo-Gangetic plains, where they are mostly found in the paddy fields and even in stagnant water and streams.
- The fish become adults at three months and survive 2-3 years in a laboratory condition.
- Its unique characteristics lie in its transparency during its embryonic stages, allowing observing all organs, including beating heart and blood circulation.
Ability to heal their heart
- The ability of Zebrafish to heal their heart after injury makes them an attractive model to investigate mechanisms governing the regenerative process.
- Researchers worldwide are actively working to understand the mechanism behind the heart regeneration in Zebrafish for the last two decades.
- Years of efforts have helped them identify the cellular communication network factor 2a (ccn2a), a gene that can promote heart regeneration by enhancing cardiomyocyte proliferation.
- They have also observed that this gene resolves the transient collagenous fibrotic scar resulting in faster regeneration.
Significance for humans
- Cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of deaths globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, according to the World Health Organisation.
- Humans cannot regenerate their hearts upon myocardial damage and a person who suffered a heart attack cannot functionally heal the damaged heart muscle, resulting in reduced pumping efficiency.
- While on the other hand, this unique fish has the full potential to regenerate its heart and restore its function after injury.
- Till now, there is no treatment available to restore the damaged heart function in humans. Hence scientists have sought to decode the heart regeneration processes using this model animal.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Annapurna idol
Mains level: Not Much
PM has announced that an ancient idol of the goddess Annapurna, stolen from India about a century ago, is being brought back from Canada.
Must revise: Gandhara and Mathura school of Art
[Static Revision] Chapter 6 | Post Mauryan Period (200BC to 300AD)
Annapurna Idol
- Annapurna, also spelt Annapoorna, is the goddess of food.
- This 18th-century idol, carved in the Benares was stolen from a temple of Varanasi and smuggled out around 100 years ago somewhere around 1913.
- Now is part of the University of Regina, Canada’s collection at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
- The idol holds a bowl of kheer in one hand and a spoon in the other.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: JCPOA
Mains level: Paper 2- Peace and stability in the middle east
The assassination of Iran’s nuclear scientist has implication for the future of JCPOA and the peace and the stability of the region. The article explains why.
Context
- Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Iranian scientist who led Iran’s nuclear weapons programme until it was disbanded, was assassinated last week.
JCPOA and U.S. Presidential election’s link with the
- Assassinations in which Israeli hands were suspected had stopped after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed.
- The U.S. withdrew from the agreement when Trump became the U.S. President.
- In retaliation of the withdrawal, Iran began enriching uranium and stockpiling it beyond JCPOA limits.
- With that, the strategy of targeted assassinations seems to be back.
- This strategy has assumed urgency with the election of Joe Biden in the U.S., who has expressed his desire to return to the JCPOA.
Understanding the Israel link
- Israel government is apprehensive that Mr. Biden will imperil Israel’s nuclear monopoly in West Asia.
- The assassination of Fakhrizadeh appears to be part of a larger Israeli plan in conjunction with Saudi Arabia to force the U.S. into taking military action against Iran.
- An Israeli-Saudi nexus on this issue, when combined with President Trump’s, could culminate in a major military strike on Iran before he leaves office.
Win-win situation for Israel
- If the Iranian government launches revenge attacks Mr. Netanyahu would be able to persuade the U.S. to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
- If Iran shows restraint, Israel would have shown up the Iranian regime as weak while augmenting anti-American feelings in the country.
- That anti-American feeling would make it difficult for the Biden administration to resume negotiations with Tehran on reviving JCPOA.
Conclusion
The fallout of the assassination, while benefiting Israel, will add to the instability in the region.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kyoto Protocol, Rio Declaration, Copenhagen Accord etc
Mains level: Paper 3- Paris Agreement and issues with it
The article highlights the fact that the provisions of the Paris Agreement would not be enough to avert the catastrophic and irreversible changes resulting from the global emissions.
Past efforts for environmental protection
- The most hopeful time for global cooperation in protection of the planet was between the time of the Stockholm Conference (1972) and the time of the Rio Conference (1992).
- Scientific evidence about role anthropogenic emission in global warming led to political initiatives to harmonise development and environment.
- The historic consensus in Rio led to the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
- A distinction was made between the “luxury emissions” of the developed countries and the survival emissions of the developed countries, which were allowed to increase.
- Moreover, a huge financial package was approved to develop environment-friendly technologies in developing countries.
Copenhagen Accord: Abandonment of Rio Principles
- After the adoption of UNFCC, Conference of the Parties was held in Berlin in 1995 where developed countries backed off from their commitments.
- Though the G-77 was split, the Rio principles were maintained.
- The Kyoto Protocol enshrined the Rio principles.
- It fixed emission targets for developed countries and a complex set of provisions was included to satisfy their interests.
- The end of the Kyoto Protocol and the abandonment of the spirit of the Rio principles were reflected in the Copenhagen Accord (2009).
- Argument given was that a global climate action plan would be possible only if all reductions of the greenhouse gases were made voluntary.
Paris Agreement: Making emission reduction voluntary
- The Paris Agreement moved away from the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
- All countries were placed on an equal footing by making reduction of greenhouse gas emissions voluntary.
- It requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
Shortcomings in Paris Agreement
- The NDCs so far submitted will not result in the desired objective of limiting increase of global warming to below 2°C.
- The Paris Agreement requires that all countries — rich, poor, developed, and developing — slash greenhouse gas emissions.
- But no language is included on the commitments the countries should make.
- Nations can voluntarily set their emissions targets and incur no penalties for falling short of their targets.
- Further temperature rise, even of 1.5°C, may result in catastrophic and irreversible changes.
- Even a 1°C hotter planet is not a steady state, says a report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Conclusion
The IPCC report acknowledges that “the pathways to avoiding an even hotter world would require a swift and complete transformation not just of the global economy but of society too”. This will only be possible if the world rejects nationalism and parochialism and adopts collaborative responses to the crisis. The Paris Agreement falls short of that imperative.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Recent Agricultural bills, MSP
Mains level: Concerns of farmers over this bill
Farmers all across the Punjab and Haryana have marched to New Delhi over the new legislations.
Major cause of Farmers’ protest
- Much of the opposition really is just to one of the three laws. It is the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and its provisions that are seen as weakening the APMC mandis.
- Even in that one — the act — there are only some contentious provisions, which, although key, can still leave doors open for negotiation.
A fight for privilege
- Farmers, if anything, would gain from removal of stocking restrictions on the trade, as it potentially translates into unlimited buying and demand for their produce.
The contentious one: FPTC Act
- The FPTC Act is a bone of contention. It permits sale and purchase of farm produce outside the premises of APMC mandis.
- Such trades (including on electronic platforms) shall attract no market fee, cess or levy “under any State APMC Act or any other State law”.
- An issue here is the very right of the Centre to enact legislation on agricultural marketing.
- Article 246 of the Constitution places “agriculture” and “markets and fairs” in the State List.
- But entry 42 of the Union List empowers the Centre to regulate “inter-State trade and commerce”.
An example of Central hegemony
- While trade and commerce “within the State” is under entry 26 of the State List, it is subject to the provisions of entry 33 of the Concurrent List.
- Under this, the Centre can make laws that would prevail over those enacted by the states.
- Entry 33 of the Concurrent List covers trade and commerce in “foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils”, fodder, cotton and jute.
- The Centre, in other words, can very pass any law that removes all impediments to both inter- and intra-state trade in farm produce, while also overriding the existing state APMC Acts. The FPTC Act does precisely that.
Farmers question
- Some experts make a distinction between agricultural “marketing” and “trade”.
- Agriculture per se would deal with everything that a farmer does — right from field preparation and cultivation to also sale of his/her own produce.
- The act of primary sale at a mandi by the farmer is as much “agriculture” as production in the field.
- “Trade” begins only after the produce has been “marketed” by the farmer.
The centre’s overriding logic behind
- Going by this interpretation, the Centre is within its rights to frame laws that promote barrier-free trade of farm produce (inter- as well as intra-state) and do not allow stockholding or export restrictions.
- But these can be only after the farmer has sold.
- Regulation of first sale of agricultural produce is a “marketing” responsibility of the states, not the Centre.
What do farmers’ want?
- Farmers would want no restrictions on the movement, stocking and export of their produce.
- For example, Maharashtra’s onion growers have vehemently opposed the Centre’s resort to ban on exports and imposition of stock limits whenever retail prices have tended to go up.
- But these restrictions relate to “trade”.
- When it comes to “marketing” — especially dismantling of the monopoly of APMCs — farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana, aren’t very convinced about the “freedom of choice to sell to anyone and anywhere” argument.
Where lies the major issue?
- Much of government procurement at minimum support prices (MSP) — of paddy, wheat and increasingly pulses, cotton, groundnut and mustard — happens in APMC mandis.
- In a scenario where more and more trading moves out of the APMCs, these regulated market yards will lose revenues.
- They may not formally shut, but it would become like BSNL versus Jio.
- And if the government stops buying, farmers will be left with only the big corporates to sell to.
What could be negotiated?
- If the protesting farmer union leaders were to sit down at the negotiating table, the government can possibly get them to agree to drop the demand on repealing all the three laws.
- Their problem is essentially about the FPTC Act and its provisions that they see as weakening the APMC mandis.
- These may be just fears, but they aren’t small.
- From the government’s standpoint, the elephant in the room would be if the farmers insist on an additional demand: Making MSP a legal right.
- This would be still impossible to meet, even if the three farm laws were to be put on hold.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Ways to counter shortage of doctors in India
The Central Council of Indian Medicine, a statutory body set up under the AYUSH Ministry has allowed postgraduate (PG) Ayurvedic practitioners to receive formal training for a variety of general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology and dental procedures.
Debate over Ayurvedic surgeries
- The Indian Medical Association (IMA) decrying it as a mode of allowing mixing of systems of medicine by using terms from allopathy.
- The debate revolves Ayurveda doctors allowing ‘Shalya’ (general surgery) and ‘Shalakya’ (dealing with eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck, oro-dentistry) to perform 58 specified surgical procedures.
- The AYUSH Ministry has clarified that the ‘Shalya’ and ‘Shalakya’ postgraduates were already learning these procedures in their (surgical) departments in Ayurvedic medical colleges as per their training curriculum.
Broader issue
- The broader issue is the feasiblity of short-term training equip them to conduct surgeries and if this dilutes the medicine standards in India.
- As such, the postgraduate Ayurvedic surgical training is not short-term but a formal three-year course.
- Whether the surgeries conducted in Ayurvedic medical colleges and hospitals have the same standards and outcomes as allopathic institutions requires explication and detailed formal enquiry, in the interest of patient safety.
Why such a move?
- The shortage and unwillingness of allopathic doctors, including surgeons, to serve in rural areas is now a chronic issue.
- The government has tried to address this by mechanisms such as rural bonds, a quota for those who have served in rural service in postgraduate seats.
- However, it would probably still continue to fall short of enough trained specialists in rural areas.
Are there any restrictions on Ayurveda practitioners?
- As of now, no such restriction exists that limits non-allopathic doctors, including those doing Ayurvedic surgical postgraduation, to rural areas.
- They have the same rights as allopathic graduates and postgraduates to practise in any setting of their choice.
Is it sensible to allow Ayurvedic surgeons to only assist allopathic surgeons, rather than perform surgeries themselves?
- The AYUSH streams are recognised systems of medicine, and as such are allowed to independently practise medicine.
- They have medical colleges with both undergraduate and postgraduate training, which include surgical disciplines for some systems, such as Ayurveda.
- There is, however, a difference in approach in the systems of medicine, and hence models, which allow for cross-pathy.
Various risks associated
- An apprenticeship model for Ayurvedic surgeons working with allopathic surgeons might fall into a regulatory grey zone.
- It might require re-training Ayurvedic practitioners in the science of surgical approaches in modern medicine.
- Even then, there might be a limit to what they are allowed to do. Any such experiment can put patient safety in peril, and hence, will need careful oversight and evaluation.
Can this lead to substandard care?
- Many patients prefer to receive treatment exclusively from AYUSH providers, while some approach this form of treatment as a complement to the existing allopathic treatment they are receiving.
- For invasive procedures, like surgery, the risk element can be high.
A matter of rights
- Patients have a right to know and understand who their surgeon would be, what system of medicine they belong to, and their expertise and level of training.
- There should not be a difference in quality of care between urban and rural patients — everyone deserves a right to quality and evidence-based care from trained professionals.
Way forward
- We need to explore creative ways of addressing this gap by evidence-based approaches, such as task-sharing, supported by efficient and quality referral mechanisms.
- The advent of mid-level healthcare providers, such as Community Health Providers in many States, is also an opportunity to shift some elements of healthcare (preventive, promotive, and limited curative) to these providers, while ensuring clarity of role and career progression.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: RT-PCR, LAMP
Mains level: COVID testing issues
Indian Council of Medical Research has recently validated the LAMP technology for COVID-19 testing.
What is RT-LAMP?
- RT-LAMP stands for Reverse Transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technology.
- Agappe Diagnostics has recently developed the technology indigenously, and their kit has been validated and approved by the ICMR for marketing.
- It is named LUME Screen nCoV.
How does it work?
- RT-LAMP technology is a one-step nucleic acid amplification method to multiply specific sequences of RNA of the coronavirus.
- The RNA is first made into cDNA (copy DNA) by the usual reverse transcription. Then, the DNA is amplified by the LAMP technique.
Current method
- •The current method diagnosis is the real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test which detects the presence of viral nucleic acids in nasopharyngeal swab samples.
- But it has certain shortcomings.
- The test requires complex and costly equipment. It requires extensive training for potential users.
Benefits of LAMP over RT-PCR
- The LAMP technology is superior to the PCR technology–based COVID-19 kits where specificity is around 95% only.
- As the specificity and sensitivity of the test is about 95%, there is a possibility of false negative results.
- The turnaround time is about 10 hours, so that the result will be available only by the next day.
- In remote places, the turnaround time further increases depending on the distance the samples need to travel.
- In short, the RT-PCR does not have the capacity to keep pace with the increasing demand.
- The LAMP technology does not need laborious preparation as in the case of RT-PCR. LAMP is cost effective and does not need complex expensive equipment.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Quad needs naval heft
The article suggests projection of naval power to ensure the stability in the Indian Ocean.
Quad conducts Malabar exercise
- In November, the Quad converged to continue the Malabar series, with a total of just eight ships.
- The idea of Quad is to form a grouping of democratic nations in the Indian Ocean, and use naval power to convey a message to Beijing.
- The message a grouping of eight ships would convey to a nation thinking in terms of five aircraft carriers remains would not be taken seriously.
Importance of naval power in ensuring oceanic stability
- There is no substitute for naval power to ensure oceanic stability, but one alternative lies in the area of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
- Perhaps, some thought may already have been given to MDA in the twin agreement to BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement), and Maritime Information Sharing Technical Agreement (MISTA) signed between India and the US.
- There is little information available in the public domain about MISTA.
- But MISTA should cover an omnibus agreement for Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) operating and information sharing for the entire Indo-Pacific.
- The Pacific has a high density of MPA assets, while they are sparse in the Indian Ocean, particularly the western Indian Ocean.
- The Australians can cover the Malacca Straits, but for the west Indian Ocean, the US will probably have to base a squadron of P-8 aircraft at Masirah or Diego Garcia.
- Today, the primary weapon system of most warships is the surface-to-surface missile, with ranges of up to 200 km.
- The ships’ sensor range is only up to 100 km.
- So, accurate target information has to be supplied beyond 100 km by aircraft or helicopters in what is called Over the Horizon Targeting (OTHT).
- With the Indo-Pacific fully covered by the MPAs of the Quad, a PLAN ship in the Indian Ocean is in imminent danger of being sunk at will
Conclusion
A public announcement of a division of the Indo-Pacific into areas of responsibility for MDA, between members of the Quad will send an unmistakable signal to Beijing. With a desultory Quad naval exercise, once a year of a few ships, Beijing will only be amused that a “threat” exists to its ambition to become a global power.
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