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Places in news: Singalila National Park
The Singalila National Park, the highest protected area in West Bengal, will soon wild Red Panda.

Singalila National Park
- Singalila National Park is located on the Singalila Ridge at an altitude of more than 7000 feet above sea level, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
- It is well known for the trekking route to Sandakphu that runs through it.
- The Singalila area in Darjeeling was purchased by the British Government from Sikkim Durbar in 1882, and notified a Reserve Forest under the Indian Forest Act 1878.
- It was notified as a National Park in 1992 and was also officially opened up for tourism.
Why introduce Red Panda?
- The number of red pandas has been declining in the wild, even in the Singalila and Neora Valley National Parks, the two protected areas where the mammal is found in the wild in West Bengal.
- Recent studies estimate that there are 38 of them in Singalila and 32 in Neora.
- The zoological park who is at the centre of the Red Panda Augmentation Programme.
- Conservation breeding of red pandas is only one part of the programme.
About Red Panda

IUCN Red List: Endangered
- The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
- It was first formally described in 1825.
- The red panda inhabits coniferous forests as well as temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, favouring steep slopes with dense bamboo cover close to water sources.
- It is solitary and largely arboreal.
- It feeds mainly on bamboo shoots and leaves, but also on fruits and blossoms.
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July 11, 2022
Japan with India, for Indo-Pacific
Context

The article recounts the contribution of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in strengthening India-Japan ties.

Indo-Japan ties: Background
- Japan-India ties are 70 years old this year.
- For the first five post-war decades of the 20th century, bilateral ties were friendly.
- India was not among the signatories of the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which brokered post-war relations between the defeated Axis power and the Allies.
- Instead, Delhi established an independent peace treaty and bilateral relations with Japan.
- Nehru’s decision to accept Japanese Overseas Development Aid, the first country to do so, also generated a lot of goodwill in the bilateral relationship. Several collaborations took place.
- But it was only in the 21st century that bilateral ties climbed up to the next level.
India-Japan ties during Shinzo Abe’s premiership
- While Prime Ministers Yoshiro Mori had signed the Global Partnership for the 21st Century Agreement in 2000, to Abe goes much of the credit for the transformation of India-Japan ties in the last two decades.
- This period witnessed the Japanese funding for ambitious projects such as the Mumbai-Delhi Industrial Corridor and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train.
- The two countries upgraded the relationship to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
- After a waiver to India from the Nuclear Suppliers Group following the India-US civil nuclear deal, Abe — and his Liberal Democratic Party successors — had begun to consider a similar deal with India, and a round of negotiations was held in that period.
- The deal was eventually signed in 2016, and became operational a year later.
- It was during his tenure that the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (constitutionally, the Japanese military exists only for self-defence purposes) began naval exercises with friendly powers — India and Japan held their first naval exercise in December 2013 — and the country appointed its first National Security Advisor.
Conclusion

Abe believed that he was both destined and better equipped than many of his peers to play a transformational role in Japan’s politics and foreign affairs. He certainly achieved that with India. His passionate advocacy of closer ties with India will be missed.

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July 9, 2022
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July 9, 2022
Consistency comes from Discipline | If discipline is your #1 struggle, let us help plan a strategy for you | Get CD special Prelims Package for FREE – Fill Samanvaya form for IAS 2023 (closing soon)
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July 9, 2022
[Sansad TV] Perspective: India’s Toy Story
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Context
- The Make-in-India initiative has yielded many positive results.
- The import of toys is down by 70% in the last three years.
- Exports have jumped by over 61% over the same period.
In this article, we shall discuss what’s behind the ‘Rebranding of the Indian Toy Story’.

Toy Industry in India
- Presently, the Indian toy industry is only 0.5% of the global industry size indicating a large potential growth opportunity.
- The domestic toy demand forecasted to grow at 10-15% against the global average of 5%.
- The report ‘State of play: India’s toy story- Unboxing fun and beyond’ said India could also target a 2% share of global exports by 2025.
- There is high growth potential for India in exports of plastic toys and board games in the US, EU, and the Middle East among other markets.
Significance of Toy Industries
- According to a report by the National Productivity Council, India’s toy industry employs 3 million workers, of which 70 percent are women.
Toy Industries & Women Empowerment
- Employment in the toy manufacturing sector offers its female-majority workforce avenues for socio-economic empowerment, financial security, and skill development.
- It also offers opportunities for women to act as agents of change by preserving local toy forms, intrinsic to their regions.
- Toy manufacturing also creates possibilities for men and women artisans to work together, thereby promoting equal task division and partnerships.
- For instance, in Tamil Nadu, the manufacturing processes of ‘Vilachary‘ clay toys are divided between men and women.
Challenges
- Unorganized and fragmented: It continues to be significantly fragmented, with 90 percent of the market being unorganized.
- Small scale: 75 percent of domestic manufacturing originates in micro-industries, while 22 percent comes from MSMEs. Less than 3 percent of the domestic toy manufacturing processes come from large units.
- Less competitive: The retail value of the Indian toy market is INR 16, 000 crores of which close to three-fourths are Chinese imports.
- Chinese incursion: Consumers are habituated for long to cheap Chinese toys.
Govt Initiatives
- Toycathon: In January 2021, it launched ‘Toycathon’, a hackathon to develop toys and games based on Indian culture and ethos.
- Atmanirbhar Bharat: To promote the indigenous toy manufacturing industry, this multi-Ministerial effort sought to create an ‘Aatmanirbhar’ eco-system for local manufacturers by exploring their untapped potential.
- Formal recognition in years: Toy manufacturing clusters across the country have come to be formally recognized and supported by the govt.
- Cluster-based production: State govt. are in the process of allocating spaces for toy parks. For instance, Koppal District in Karnataka has recently been recognized as the country’s first toy manufacturing cluster.
- Tax incentives: Basic Custom Duty (BCD) on Toys-HS Code-9503 has been increased from 20% to 60% in February 2020.
- GI tags: The Toys bearing GI tags such as Chennapatna, Varanasi, etc. are also being exported.
Way forward
- Toy industry has its own small-scale industry, artisans comprising rural population, dalits, poor people and tribal population.
- In order to take the benefits to these segments, we need to be vocal for local toys.
- There is a need for new ideas to be incubated, new start-ups promoted, taking new technology to traditional toy makers and creating new market demand.
- The 75th anniversary of India’s Independence is a huge opportunity for the innovators and creators of the toy industry.
- Many incidents, stories of our freedom fighters and their valour and leadership can be created into gaming concepts.
- There is a need to create interesting and interactive games that ‘engage, entertain and educate’.
Conclusion
- As India looks to build its ‘toyoconomy — women workers will continue to play a significant role in fulfilling domestic demand, reducing imports and raising India’s share of toy manufacturing in the global marketplace.
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July 9, 2022
India-Japan ties under Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot dead.

Japan under Abe
- Abe, one of the most consequential leaders of Japan in its post-war history — was the country’s longest serving PM.
- During his time in office, Abe was a great friend of India, and a relationship that he invested personally in.
- He also had a special rapport with PM Modi, which came out on multiple occasions.
Transformation in India-Japan ties

(1) Personal visits
- During his first stint in 2006-07, Abe visited India and addressed Parliament.
- He visited India thrice: in January 2014, December 2015, and September 2017.
- No other Prime Minister of Japan has made so many visits to India.
- He was the first Japanese PM to be Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade in 2014.
(2) Bilateral talks
- The foundation for “Global Partnership between Japan and India” was laid in 2001, and annual bilateral summits were agreed in 2005, Abe accelerated the pace of ties since 2012.
- In August 2007, when Abe visited India for the first time as PM, he delivered the now-famous “Confluence of the Two Seas” speech — laying the foundation for his concept of Indo-Pacific.
- This concept has now become mainstream and one of the main pillars of India-Japan ties.
(3) Nuclear deal
- In September 2014, Modi and Abe agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship to “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.
- The relationship grew and encompassed issues from civilian nuclear energy to maritime security, bullet trains to quality infrastructure, Act East policy to Indo-Pacific strategy.
- When Modi went to Japan in 2014, the Indo-Japan nuclear deal was still uncertain, with Tokyo sensitive about a pact with a non-Nuclear-Proliferation-Treaty member country.
- Abe convinced the anti-nuclear hawks in Japan to sign the agreement in 2016.
(4) Defence cooperation
- While the security agreement was in place since 2008, under Abe the two sides decided to have Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting (2+2).
- They started negotiations on the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement — a kind of military logistics support pact.
- In November 2019, the first 2+2 was held in New Delhi.
- A pact for transfer of defence equipment and technology was also signed in 2015, an uncommon agreement for post-War Japan.
(5) Indo-Pacific narrative
- During Abe’s tenure, India and Japan came closer in the Indo-Pacific architecture.
- Abe had spelt out his vision of the Confluence of the Two Seas in his 2007 speech when the Quad was formed.
- It collapsed soon, but in October 2017, as Chinese aggression grew in the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and India’s borders in Doklam, it was Abe’s Japan that really mooted the idea of reviving the Quad.
(6) Development cooperation
- During Abe’s visit in 2015, India decided to introduce the Shinkansen System (bullet train).
- Under Abe’s leadership, India and Japan also formed the Act East Forum and are engaged in projects in the Northeast, closely watched by China.
- The two countries also planned joint projects in Maldives and Sri Lanka among others to counter Beijing’s influence.
(7) Stand against China
- Since 2013, Indian and Chinese soldiers have had four publicly known border-stand-offs — April 2013, September 2014, June-August 2017, and the ongoing one since May 2020.
- Abe’s Japan has stood with India through each of them.
- During the Doklam crisis and the current stand-off, Japan has made statements against China for changing the status quo.
Conclusion: A leader India always missed
- Abe was a valuable G-7 leader for India, focused on strategic, economic and political deliverables, and not getting distracted by India’s domestic developments — much to New Delhi’s comfort.
- Having hosted Modi at his ancestral home in Yamanashi, the first such reception extended to a foreign leader, Abe was feted at a roadshow in Ahmedabad.
- Quite befittingly, the Indian government in January 2021 announced the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour, for Abe.
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July 9, 2022
CAATSA: the US law to sanction transactions with Russia
A US senator has said the US government must not impose sanctions on India under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for its purchase of S-400 missile weapons system from Russia.

What is the CAATSA?
- CAATSA is a law that came into effect in the US in 2017, meant to punish countries having deep engagements with Russia, North Korea, and Iran using economic sanctions.
- It said countries having a “significant transaction” with Russian intelligence and military agents will be subject to at least five kinds of sanctions.
- Ordinary transactions will not invite sanctions, and the decision of who has sanctions imposed on them comes down to the interpretation of “significant transaction”.
- This is one of the various waivers or exemptions mentioned, such as the transaction not affecting US strategic interests, not endangering the alliances it is a part of, etc.
Could it apply to India?
- India has purchased the S-400 Triumf missile systems, which have advanced capabilities to judge the distance from a target and launch a surface-to-air missile attack.
- Five such systems were bought by India in 2018 for US$ 5.5 billion and in November last year, their delivery began.
- They were deployed in Punjab.
- However, the application of CAATSA is not limited to the S-400, and may include other joint ventures for manufacturing or developing weapons in the future, or any other kinds of major deals with Russia.
Why did the US enact a law like CAATSA?
- The US flagged issues of Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 Presidential elections, and its role in the Syrian war as some of the reasons for punishing engagement with it.
- EU countries that had even more significant ties with Russia for oil and gas supply before the Ukraine-Russia conflict in 2022, had also criticised CAATSA.
Countries facing sanctions
- The US has placed sanctions on China and Turkey for purchase of the S-400.
- The sanctions included denial of export licences, ban on foreign exchange transactions, blocking of all property and interests in property within the US jurisdiction and a visa ban.
Likely impacts after India’s purchase
- The Biden administration has no firm indication on where it leans on India’s case.
- However, several senators (US parliamentarians) have called upon the Biden administration to consider a special waiver for India.
- This is on account of India’s importance as a defence partner, and as a strategic partner on US concerns over China and in the Quad.
- Other US leaders thinks that giving a waiver to India would be the wrong signal for others seeking to go ahead with similar deals.
Why is the S-400 deal so important to India?
- Security paradigm: S-400 is very important for India’s national security considerations due to the threats from China, Pakistan and now Afghanistan.
- Air defence capability: The system will also offset the air defence capability gaps due to the IAF’s dwindling fighter squadron strength.
- Russian legacy: Integrating the S-400 will be much easier as India has a large number of legacy Russian air defence systems.
- Strategic autonomy: For both political as well as operational reasons, the deal is at a point of no return.
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July 9, 2022
KHADC to invite talks on Instrument of Accession
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in Meghalaya has called for a meeting of traditional heads to revisit the Instrument of Accession that made the Khasi domain a part of the Indian Union.

About KHADC
- KHADC is an autonomous district council in the state of Meghalaya in India.
- It is one of the three autonomous district councils within Meghalaya, and one of twenty-five autonomous regions of India.
- Meghalaya is divided into three regions dominated by as many matrilineal communities — the Khasis, Garos and Jaintias.
- The Khasi hills straddle 25 Himas or States that formed the Federation of Khasi States.
Why in news?
- Some members of the KHADC agreed that the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement signed with the Dominion of India between December 15, 1947 and March 19, 1948, should be studied.
- The treaty was signed by Governor General of India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, on August 17, 1948.
What is Instrument of Accession?
- It was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act, 1935.
- It was used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of India or Pakistan created by the Partition.
- The instruments of accession executed by the rulers, provided for the accession of states to the Dominion of India (or Pakistan) on three subjects, namely, defence, external affairs and communications.
Back2Basics: Autonomous District Council (ADC)
- The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution allows for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions which have been given autonomy within their respective states.
- Most of these ADC are located in North East India with the exception of two in Ladakh and one in West Bengal.
- Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule with the rest being formed as a result of other legislations.
Powers and competencies

(1) Executive and legislative powers

Under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule, ADCs can make laws, rules and regulations in the following areas:
- Land management
- Forest management
- Water resources
- Agriculture and cultivation
- Formation of village councils
- Public health
- Sanitation
- Village and town level policing
- Appointment of traditional chiefs and headmen
- Inheritance of property
- Marriage and divorce
- Social customs
- Money lending and trading
- Mining and minerals
(2) Judicial powers
- ADCs have powers to form courts.
- They can hear cases where both parties are members of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the maximum sentence is less than 5 years in prison.
(3) Taxation and revenue
- Autonomous district councils have powers to levy taxes, fees and tolls on: building and land, animals, vehicles, boats, entry of goods into the area, roads, ferries, bridges, employment and income and general taxes for the maintenance of schools and roads.
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July 9, 2022
Ex-NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant is new G-20 Sherpa
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has been picked as India’s new Sherpa for the G-20.

Who is a Sherpa (in IR context)?
- A Sherpa is the personal representative of a head of state or government who prepares an international summit, particularly the annual G7 and G20 summits.
- Between the G7 summits, there are multiple Sherpa conferences where possible agreements are laid out.
- This reduces the amount of time and resources required at the negotiations of the heads of state at the final summit.
- The name Sherpa—without further context—refers to Sherpa for the G7 summit, but the designation can be extended to different regular conferences where the participation of the head of state is required.
- The Sherpa is generally quite influential, although they do not have the authority to make a final decision about any given agreement.
Etymology
- The name is derived from the Sherpa people, a Nepalese ethnic group, who serve as guides and porters in the Himalayas, a reference to the fact that the sherpa clears the way for a head of state at a major summit.
- They are Tibetan Buddhists of the Nyingmapa sect, and have drawn much of their religious tradition from the Rongphu monastery, located at 16,000 feet on the north side of Mount Everest.
About G20
- Formed in 1999, the G20 is an international forum of the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies.
- Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 85 percent of the Gross World Product (GWP), 80 percent of world trade.
- To tackle the problems or address issues that plague the world, the heads of governments of the G20 nations periodically participate in summits.
- In addition to it, the group also hosts separate meetings of the finance ministers and foreign ministers.
- The G20 has no permanent staff of its own and its chairmanship rotates annually between nations divided into regional groupings.
Aims and objectives
- The Group was formed with the aim of studying, reviewing, and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.
- The forum aims to pre-empt the balance of payments problems and turmoil on financial markets by improved coordination of monetary, fiscal, and financial policies.
- It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization.
Members of G20

The members of the G20 consist of 19 individual countries plus the European Union (EU).
- The 19 member countries of the forum are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
- The European Union is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank.
Its significance
- G20 is a major international grouping that brings together 19 of the world’s major economies and the European Union.
- Its members account for more than 80% of global GDP, 75% of trade and 60% of population.
India and G20
- India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.
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July 9, 2022
What are Cloudbursts?
At least eight people have died after a cloudburst occurred at the Amarnath Cave Shrine near Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

What is a Cloudburst?
- Cloudbursts are short-duration, intense rainfall events over a small area.
- According to the IMD, it is a weather phenomenon with unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm/h over a geographical region of approximately 20-30 square km.
What causes Cloudburst?
- A study published last year studied the meteorological factors behind the cloudburst over the Kedarnath region.
- They analysed atmospheric pressure, temperature, rainfall, cloud water content, cloud fraction, cloud particle radius, cloud mixing ratio, total cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, and relative humidity during the cloudburst, before as well as after the cloudburst.
- The results showed that during the cloudburst, the relative humidity and cloud cover was at the maximum level with low temperature and slow winds.
- It is expected that because of this situation a high amount of clouds may get condensed at a very rapid rate and result in a cloudburst.
Impact of climate change
- Several studies have shown that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts in many cities across the globe.
- As temperatures increase the atmosphere can hold more and more moisture and this moisture comes down as a short very intense rainfall for a short duration.
- This results in flash floods in the mountainous areas and urban floods in the cities.
- Also, there is evidence suggesting that globally short-duration rainfall extremes are going to become more intense and frequent.
Try this PYQ

Q.During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the:
1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
3. violent upward movement of air and water particles
Select the correct option using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) None of the above

Post your answers here.
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July 9, 2022

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