DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019

19-AUGUST-2019 CURRENT AFFAIRS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

B. GS2 RelatedCategory: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS1. ‘India, Bhutan are natural partners’Context:Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two day visit to Bhutan. It is his first to Bhutan since the 73-day India-China standoff in 2017 triggered by an intrusion by Chinese troops into territory claimed by Bhutan.Details:

Addressing the students of the prestigious Royal University of Bhutan he emphasised the natural partnership that India and Bhutan share.

The Prime Minister emphasised on the fact that besides geography, history, culture and spiritual traditions have created unique and deep bonds between the peoples and nations, of India and Bhutan.

The Prime Minister invited more students to visit India for studies in traditional areas such as Buddhism 10 MoUs in the fields of space research, aviation, IT, power and education were inked to infuse new energy in

ties. One of the key outcomes of the visit was Modi and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering inaugurating

the 720 megawatts Mangdechhu hydel power project.

The Mangdechhu hydel power project is a run-of-river hydroelectric project. The project is funded by the Indian Government through a 70% loan and a 30% grant.

Modi and Tshering also jointly inaugurated the Ground Earth Station and SATCOM network, developed with assistance from ISRO for utilization of South Asia Satellite in Bhutan.

The South Asia Satellite, also known as GSAT-9, is a geostationary communications and meteorology satellite operated by the ISRO for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region.

The satellite was launched on 5 May 2017. Both sides reaffirmed their shared security interests and reiterated their commitment to maintain close co-

ordination on matters affecting each other’s security and national interests.Category: HEALTH1. Doctors’ federation pushes to check hysterectomy ratesContext:There are rising concerns about increasing number of women opting for hysterectomies in Beed district.Concerns:

The Beed district in drought-stricken Marathwada came into focus in May after media reports highlighted that a large number of women, especially those who migrated for sugarcane-cutting work, have had their uterus removed.

A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman’s uterus. Data collected by the government showed that 4,605 hysterectomies were carried out in Beed in a span of

three years in 99 private hospitals. Activists have alleged that the rate of hysterectomies in Beed is 14 times higher than other parts of the State or

the country.Details:

The high rate of hysterectomies in Beed district has put the medical fraternity in a spot for carrying out unwanted procedures.

The Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), has decided to sensitise its members and reach out to the community and the government.

Through its ‘save the uterus’ campaign, FOGSI is reaching out to all members and talking about how a hysterectomy can be avoided.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 The doctors assert that there are so many new medical treatments and other surgeries that can be opted for

instead of a hysterectomy. They are working towards raising awareness among people with respect to the alternate treatments that can be

offered.C. GS3 RelatedCategory: ECONOMY1. Home loans linked to repo rate are cheaper, but carry risksContext:India’s largest lender, the State Bank of India, launched repo-rate linked home loans that came into the market on July 1 2019.Issue:

The interest rate for normal home loans given by banks are calculated based on the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR), which is an internal reference rate set by banks.

This rate is nominally based on the RBI’s repo rate — which itself is the rate of interest the central bank charges banks — but in practice the calculation of the MCLR by each bank is opaque and complex.

The MCLR could be different for different banks, and be influenced by various factors such as the risk assigned to the loan taker and other factors.

There was a constant complaint from customers that even under the MCLR regime and before that the base rate regime, the benefits of the cuts of the policy rate were not getting transmitted to the end consumer. But, whenever there was an increase in interest rates by the regulator, the banks were very quick to pass that on.

The RBI has, over four actions, cut the repo rate by 110 basis points, whereas, according to some estimates, banks have transmitted only a 29 basis point cut to the consumers.

Details:

India’s largest lender, the State Bank of India, launched repo-rate linked home loans. This was swiftly followed by several other public sector banks, such as Syndicate Bank, Bank of India, Union

Bank and Allahabad Bank, who each announced home loan products that would be directly linked to the central bank’s repo rate.

Advantages of repo-linked home loans:

It is believed that the new repo rate-linked home loans being offered by banks could be cheaper for homebuyers and more transparent.

A repo rate-linked home loan is one way to speed up this process of transmission of rate cuts by RBI so that the end user can benefit from the RBI action.

It is opined that it is a pro-investor move.Concerns about repo-linked home loans:

Some consumers have the apprehension that a repo rate-linked product will mean that the effective interest rate of the loan would change as constantly as the repo rate itself does, thereby making it more difficult for the loan taker to systematically make the payments.

In the case of the repo rate linked loans, the changes in the interest rate can be more frequent and it could result in changes in the instalment amount itself, which was not the case in the MCLR regime

There is a higher chance, if the repo rate is increased significantly over a short time, that the instalment amount itself could be increased.

2. Finance Ministry asks PSBs to align with national prioritiesContext:A recent note from the Finance Ministry note has asked banks to align themselves to the national priorities.Details:

The note has asked the banks to seek feedback on several issues such as the rise in bad loans and slow credit growth in the last five years, and to prepare a roadmap for the coming years.

PSBs have been asked to involve all their approximately 1 lakh branches in the exercise. This is part of an initiative taken by the government to find out ways in which banks can align with its

national objectives. Some of the national priorities to which banks need to align include doubling farm income, Jal Shakti

Mission, housing for all, education loans, ease of living, corporate social responsibility and financial inclusion.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 The exercise, termed as “bottom-up consultative process” for PSBs, is the first comprehensive review of PSBs

after Nirmala Sitharaman took charge of the Finance Ministry. It will also provide a direction to the banks for the next five years. The process will provide a platform for field personnel to represent and bring forward the grassroot-level

challenges in their respective areas.Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY1. Odisha to conserve two of its largest lakesContext:The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved implementation of an integrated management plan for Lake Chilika and Lake Ansupa.Details:

Lake Ansupa was sustaining from the freshwater supply during the rainy season from the Mahanadi river. With reduced inflow over the years, the lake’s hydrology has undergone serious and visible changes. The water spread area has reduced and fishery resource is almost non-existent. The five-year management of lakes is intended at strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying

on the two water-bodies. Besides, tourism promotion and conservation of ecology will be taken up. During past two years, the Chilika Development Authority has managed to make 172 sq km free from

encroachment which resulted in increase in fish catch by 20%.Chilika Lake:

Chilika Lake is India’s largest brakish water lagoon. It is spread over 1,100 sq km. Lakhs of tourists visit the lake to watch endangered Irrawaddy dolphins and migratory birds during winter. About 151 villages carry out fishing, the principal livelihood for two lakh traditional fishermen. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowls on the Indian subcontinent. In 1981, Chilika became the first Ramsar site in India.

Lake Ansupa:

Lake Ansupa is Odisha’s largest freshwater lake. The lake spread over almost 2 sq km is also the wintering ground for 32 species of migratory birds. Its calmness, scenic beauty and forest coverage behold the visitors. Ansupa is famous for its sweet water fish, especially labeo bata  locally known as pohala.

E. EditorialsCategory: HEALTH1. Taking on TBContext:The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the anti-tuberculosis drug pretomanid.Tuberculosis:

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that caused about 1.6 million deaths globally in 2017. When TB infection becomes resistant to the first line of treatment — isoniazid and rifampicin, it is called

MDR-TB. However, when the infection becomes resistant even to the second-line treatment, it is called XDR-TB.

New BPaL regime:

The recently approved anti-tuberculosis drug pretomanid will be a game changer for treating people with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) and those who do not tolerate or respond to now available multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) drugs.

Pretomanid was developed by TB Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation, funded by governments of Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the US, as well as philanthropic sources.

The treatment involves pretomanid tablets in combination with bedaquiline and linezolid, collectively referred to as the “BPaL regimen”.

The all-oral, three-drug regimen of bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid (BPaL) has a 90% cure rate. Importantly, the regimen was found to be safe and effective in curing TB in people living with HIV. Unlike 18-24 months needed to treat highly-resistant TB using nearly 20 drugs, the BPaL regimen took just

six months, was better tolerated and more potent in clearing the bacteria.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 The shorter duration is more likely to increase adherence to therapy and improve treatment outcomes. Pretomanid is only the third drug in the last 40 years to get FDA approval. Though the total number of people who will require the new drug may not be high, these are people who have

very little alternative treatment options that are safe and efficacious.Details:

TB bacteria is rapidly developing resistance against most available drugs. That pretomanid is only the third drug in the last 40 years to get FDA approval highlights the scarcity of new

drugs to treat multidrug-resistant TB. While BPaL has a 90% cure rate, the current treatment success rate for XDR-TB and MDR-TB is about 34%

and 55%, respectively. They also had severe side-effects like deafness, numbness, joint pain, renal failure hormonal imbalance,

vertigo, among others. Studies have shown an increase in the number of new patients who are directly infected with drug-resistant

bacteria. The number of those who would need a pretomanid-based regimen is increasing due to rising drug resistance. With only a low percentage of MDR-TB cases being treated, the actual number of people who do not tolerate

or respond to available MDR-TB drugs and so will be eligible to receive the BPaL regimen is unknown. The new drug regimen is important for countries like India, which has the second-highest burden to XDR-TB

patients in the world, after Russia.Way forward:

This is an important development for India. While the availability of a potent drug is welcome news, it remains to be seen if it would be made affordable,

particularly in the developing countries where the burden of XDR-TB and MDR-TB is the highest. TB Alliance, has already signed an exclusive licensing agreement with a generic-drug manufacturer for high-

income markets. Unlike in the case of bedaquiline, where its prohibitive cost has severely restricted access especially in the

developing countries, pretomanid might become affordable. In line with the TB Alliance’s commitment to affordability and sustainable access, the drug will be licensed to

multiple manufacturers in about 140 low- and middle-income countries, including India. Making the drug affordable to those with extreme form of drug resistance will be highly commendable and a

desperately needed model to be followed. After all, there is a compulsion to keep the prices low and increase treatment uptake to stop the spread of

highly drug-resistant TB bacteria.Category: GOVERNANCE1. A law for those who testify – On protection of WitnessContext:The conspiracy theory over the car crash involving the Unnao rape survivor has turned into a major political controversy. Events of attacks on witnesses highlights the urgent need for measures and legislation on witness protection.Cases of attack on witnesses:

The woman, who had accused an Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape, was travelling in a car with her family and lawyer.

The car was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli killing two members while leaving her and the advocate critically injured.

Consequent to the death of the two individuals, one of whom was also a witness in the case, charges pertaining to attempt to murder were added to those already present against Sengar.

On June 2 2019, Assistant Sub Inspector Suresh Pal, assigned to protect murder witness Rambir, was accidentally killed when the assailants missed their aim while attempting to kill the witness.

In 2017, in the Asaram Bapu case concerning the rape of some women devotees, three witnesses were killed and as many as 10 attacked in an attempt to weaken the case.

Details:

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 It was the killing of the three Asaram Bapu case witnesses followed by a Public Interest Litigation, which

prompted the apex court to issue directions to the Centre and the States to frame laws for protection of witnesses.

Following this, Maharashtra came out with the Maharashtra Witness and Protection and Security Act 2017, which was notified in January 2018.

However, the Centre, and most other States, are yet to act on the directive. Meanwhile, the apex court gave its assent last year to the Witness Protection Scheme, which was drafted by

the Centre in consultation with the Bureau of Police Research and Development and the National Legal Services Authority.

Witness Protection Scheme, 2018 provides for protection of witnesses based on the threat assessment and protection measures inter alia include protection/change of identity of witnesses, their relocation, installation of security devices at the residence of witnesses, usage of specially designed Court rooms, etc.

The Centre was to implement the scheme after circulating it among all States and Union Territories and obtaining their comments.

However, the scheme was meant to be a measure in force only till the government brought out its own law on the issue.

Concerns:

Though the Centre is scheduled to bring an Act on the subject by the end of this year, it has not made much progress.

What emboldens the criminals the most is the support they get from the police. The politician-police nexus is so strong that no policeman, at the mercy of political leaders for his career progression, dares take any action against his master. As long as this nexus continues, the delivery of criminal justice in India will remain a casualty.

Further, though the scheme provides for police personnel to be deployed to protect the witness on the basis of threat perception, it is silent on the punishment to be given to those policemen who, while being charged with providing security, themselves threaten the witnesses.

Way forward:

As regards the existing measure, though its objective is to ensure the safety of witnesses, so that they are able to give a true account of the crime without any fear of violence or criminal recrimination, its implementation on the ground leaves much to be desired.

The Witness Protection Scheme calls for more elaborate and stricter laws to be incorporated so that criminals find no loopholes that can be exploited to their advantage.

The sooner the Centre comes up with a legislation codifying the protection to be given to witnesses, the better it is for India’s criminal justice system.

Category: SECURITY1. An intervention that leads to more questionsThe editorial talks about India’s Nuclear doctrine and its “No first use” policy.Context:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, appears to have altered a key pillar of India’s nuclear doctrine when he tweeted that India’s future commitment to a posture of No First Use of nuclear weapons ‘depends on the circumstances’.

On the first death anniversary of former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, and in the nuclear proving ground in Pokhran, the Minister said two things: that the no-first-use has served India well so far, and that what happens in future depends on circumstances.

Background:

On August 17, 1999, the then caretaker Bharatiya Janata Party government released a draft Nuclear Doctrine in order to generate discussion and debate on India’s nuclear posture.

There was much discussion and criticism of the doctrine, as indeed of the timing of the release of the draft, coming as it did just weeks before a national election.

It was known that the first National Security Advisory Board, a group of 27 individuals convened by K. Subrahmanyam, and comprising strategic analysts, academics, and retired military and civil servants, had completed their draft some months earlier.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Following criticism of the draft doctrine, the government appeared to move away from it. It was never

discussed in Parliament and its status remained unclear for three and a half years until it was abruptly adopted by the CCS with minor modifications in 2003.

The draft’s emphasis on NFU, however, remained unchanged. The adoption of the nuclear doctrine came soon after Operation Parakram (2001-02), when the threat of a

nuclear exchange on the subcontinent had figured prominently in international capitals, if not in New Delhi and Islamabad.

The public adoption of the doctrine was in part an attempt by New Delhi to restate its commitment to restraint and to being a responsible nuclear power.

Details:

The announcement marks a significant revision of India’s nuclear stance, seemingly without any prior structured deliberation or consultation.

The nuclear doctrine, like any directive guiding national security, needs to be a dynamic concept that responds to changing circumstances. However, this raises the question of what has changed in India’s strategic outlook that requires a revision of one of the two foundational pillars of its nuclear doctrine.

India is one of two countries, China being the other — that adheres to a doctrine of No First Use (NFU). A statement circulated on January 4, 2003 by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), said that it had

‘reviewed progress in operationalizing India’s nuclear doctrine’, and was making public the relevant details as appropriate. It said:

India would maintain a credible minimum deterrent. “No First Use”: nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation. The remaining five points flow mainly from these two points mentioned.

India has maintained that it will not strike first with nuclear weapons but reserves the right to retaliate to any nuclear first strike against it (or any major use of weapons of mass destruction against Indian forces anywhere) with a nuclear strike that will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage.

With two nuclear neighbours, the NFU simply raises the nuclear threshold in order to bring stability into a volatile environment.

Restraint as a pivotal point:

Restraint has served India well. India used the strategic space offered by its repeated proclamations of restraint to repulse the intruders in

Kargil 20 years ago and regain occupied land despite the nuclear shadow created by India and Pakistan’s nuclear tests of 1998.

Raising the nuclear threshold gave India the space for conventional operations and gained it sympathy in foreign capitals despite the fears of nuclear miscalculation that were widespread from Washington DC to London to Tokyo.

India’s self-proclaimed restraint has formed the basis for its claims to belong to the nuclear mainstream — from

the initial application for the waiver in 2008 from the Nuclear Suppliers Group in order to carry out nuclear commerce with the grouping

its membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime its membership in the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group to its ongoing attempts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Consequences of revoking the commitment to NFU:

While revoking the commitment to NFU does not necessarily equate with abandoning restraint, it does leave India’s doctrine more ambiguous.

Ambiguity, in turn, can lead to miscalculations. Neither does adhering to the NFU symbolise weakness, for India is committed to a devastating response to

nuclear first use — a stance which underscores India’s understanding of nuclear weapons as meant primarily to deter.

But there is a danger that the minister’s remark could spark off a nuclear arms race, given the strategic paranoias that have been at work in this part of the world for over half a century.

It is conceivable that nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of non-state actors in Pakistan, but even in such scenarios that warrant pre-emptive action, a nuclear strike cannot be a viable option.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Conclusion:

NFU has had its critics among those who advocate a more muscular nuclear policy for India. Bharat Karnad, a member of the first National Security Advisory Board that drafted the basis of this current

nuclear doctrine, made it known that NFU would be ‘the first casualty’ if war were to break out. However, consensus among the remaining members of the board clearly coalesced around an understanding of

nuclear weapons as weapons of last resort, meant to deter the threat and use of nuclear weapons. It is also this understanding that has formed the basis of India’s nuclear posture, from force structure to

numbers to its overall nuclear All of these points are up for revision with the announcement by the defence minister at Pokhran. It would have been much better if Mr. Singh had elaborated on his thoughts so that a debate could have taken

place. In this respect it is a good idea for the government to make public any periodic review in its strategic posture. The no-first-use policy comes with being a confident nuclear power. In matters of nuclear doctrine, it is

important to be clear above all else. Nothing must be left to interpretation.F. Tidbits1. UAE to give Modi highest civilian award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the UAE on August 23 and 24 2019. During his visit, he will receive the Order of Zayed. Order of Zayed is the highest civilian award of the country. It is in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE. The highest civil decoration of the UAE was conferred earlier in April 2019 in recognition of the

distinguished leadership of Prime Minister Modi for giving a big boost to bilateral relations between the two countries.

It acquires special significance as it was awarded to Prime Minister Modi in the year of the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed.

The visit acquires importance as it would be the first by Mr. Modi to a leading member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries after India had changed the status of Kashmir.

Modi’s visit to Bahrain will be the first ever Prime Ministerial visit from India.2. Talks, if any, with Pakistan would focus only on PoK

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has asserted that, any future talks with Pakistan would focus only on the status of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He also asserted that there would be no talks with the country unless it acted against terrorists and stopped supporting terror activities.

Singh said Article 370 and 35A have been revoked from Jammu and Kashmir, to remove all obstacles in the path of holistic development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

G. Prelims FactsNothing here for today!!!H. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. Lake Chilka is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia.2. It was the first lake from India to be designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar

Convention.Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?a. 1 onlyb. 2 onlyc. Both 1 and 2d. Neither 1 nor 2SEEAnswerAnswer: bExplanation:It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest coastal lagoon in the world.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Q2. Consider the following pairs:

a. Palani Panchamritam : Tamil Nadub. Tawlhlohpuan: Assamc. Mizo Puanchei : Mizoramd. Tirur betel: KeralaWhich of the pairs is not correctly matched?SEEAnswerAnswer: bExplanation:The Geographical Indication (GI) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has recenly registered 4 new GIs.

Palani Panchamirtham from Palani Town in Tamil Nadu Tawlhlohpuan from Mizoram Mizo Puanchei from Mizoram Tirur Betel leaf from Kerala

Q3. Consider the following statements:

1. ‘Shyamoli’ is an experimental mud-house built at Santiniketan in 1935.2. It is the heritage house of Rabindranath Tagore.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?a. 1 onlyb. 2 onlyc. Both 1 and 2d. Neither 1 nor 2SEEAnswerAnswer: cExplanation:Shyamoli is an experimental mud-house built at Santiniketan in 1935. It is the heritage house of Rabindranath Tagore that house has been recently renovated by the Archaeological Survey of India as a deposit work and is a property of Visva-Bharati at present.Rabindranath, out of a traumatic and claustrophobic childhood-experience of his own education at school within the boundaries of four walls, set up a school for children at Santiniketan in 1901. He then built 5 new houses at the Northern corner of the Santiniketan ashram which is now known as Uttarayana and named them Konark, Udayan, Shyamali, Punascha and Udichi.

 Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is a defence contractor owned by the Indian government.2. It is called the Fourth Arm of Defence.3. It is the largest defence equipment manufacturer in India.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?a. 1 onlyb. 2 onlyc. 1 and 2 onlyd. 1, 2 and 3SEEAnswerAnswer: dExplanation:Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is a defence contractor owned by the Indian government. It is often called the “Fourth Arm of Defence” and the “Force Behind the Armed Forces” of India. OFB is the 37th largest defence equipment manufacturer in the world, 2nd largest in Asia, and the largest in India.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-201919th August 2019Iran-West tensionsPart of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International relations An Iranian oil supertanker that was seized by the UK nearly a month ago amid escalating tension between

Tehran and the West, was released on Sunday and was moving away from Gibraltar. The ship, now renamed Adrian Darya 1, was previously known as Grace 1. It has a cargo of at least $130m

worth of light crude oil.  British Royal Marines had seized the vessel in Gibraltar in July on suspicion that it was carrying oil to Syria, a

close ally of Iran, in violation of EU sanctions. The decision came after Gibraltar’s government said it had received written assurances from Iran that the ship

would not be headed for countries “subject to European Union sanctions”.Do You Know? Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and headland, on Spain’s south coast.  In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession on behalf

of the Habsburg claim to the Spanish throne. The territory was ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713

The seizure of Grace 1 triggered a sharp deterioration in relations between Iran and the United Kingdom.  Tehran subsequently detained the British-flagged tanker in what was seen as a tit-for-tat move. That tanker,

the Stena Impero, is still in Iranian custody. US court had issued a warrant for the seizure of the Iranian Oil tanker, on the grounds that it had links to Iran’s

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which US has designated a “terrorist” organisation. Gibraltar’s government however said that it could not comply with the US court’s warrant because of European

law.

India-BhutanPart of: GS Prelims and Mains GS II – International relationsIn News PM Modi during his recent visit to Bhutan has said that that India and Bhutan are “natural partners” in

bringing prosperity to their peoples The two countries also signed 10 MoUs to expand their bilateral relationship and infuse new energy in their ties.

Some of the key MoUs include: Inauguration of the Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant. Most of the electricity generated by it will meet the

energy requirements of Bhutan and the surplus electricity will be exported to India.  Launch of the RuPay Card in Bhutan to further enhance bilateral relationship in digital payments, and trade and

tourism.  Currency Swap limit increased: additional $100 million will be available to Bhutan under a standby swap

arrangement to meet the foreign exchange requirement. Space cooperation: Inauguration the Ground Earth Station and SATCOM network, developed with assistance

from ISRO for utilization of South Asia Satellite in Bhutan.  MoU signed for interconnection between India’s National Knowledge Network and Bhutan’s Druk Research and

Education Network. 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Geographical indication (GI)Part of: GS PrelimsIn News The Geographical Indication (GI) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has recently

registered 4 new GIs. Palani Panchamirtham:

o Palani Panchamirtham, an abishega Prasadam, is one of the main offerings for the presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple, situated in palani Hills in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu.

o It is a combination of five natural substances, namely, banana, jaggery sugar, cow ghee, honey and cardamom in a definite proportion.

o This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu has been bestowed with the GI tag. Tawlhlohpuan:

o Tawlhlohpuan is a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram.o It is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand.o Tawlhloh, in Mizo language, means ‘to stand firm or not to move backward’

 Mizo Puanchei:o Mizo Puanchei is a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram.o It is an essential possession for every Mizo lady and an important marriage outfit in the state. It is also the

most commonly used costume in Mizo festive danceso The weavers insert the designs and motifs by using supplementary yarns while weaving to create this textile

 Tirur Betel leaf:o Tirur betel mainly cultivated in Malappuram District of Kerala, is valued both for its mild stimulant action

and medicinal properties.o Even though it is commonly used for making pan masala for chewing, it has many medicinal, industrial and

cultural usages.Know India programme (KIP)Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS I – Indian SocietyIn News A group of Indian Origin youth have visited India under the 54th Edition of KIP, scheduled from 1st August to

25th August, 2019 in association with the partner sates of Punjab and Haryana KIP is a 25-day orientation programme organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the

states of India. The objective of the programme is to make Indian diaspora (aged between 18-30 years) aware about India, its

cultural heritage, art and to promote awareness about the progress made by India in various fields such as Industry, Education, ICT, Climate and Power & Renewable Energy etc.

Since 2004, the Ministry has conducted 53 editions of KIP with participation of 1821 Overseas Indian youth.  In 2016, the scheme was revamped to increase duration from 21 to 25 days, with a 10-day visit to one or two

States and preference given to PIOs from Girmitiya countries.  Since 2016, six KIPs are being organised in a year. A maximum of 40 Indian Diaspora youth are selected for each programme and provided full hospitality in India.Do You Know? “Girmitiyas” or Indentured Labourers, is the name given the Indians who left Indian in the middle and late 19th

Century to serve as labourers in the British colonies, where the majority eventually settled. Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago are known as Girmitiya Countries.  (MAINS FOCUS)ENVIRONMENTTOPIC: General Studies 3 Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessmentPlastic PollutionContext: Worldwide, 75 per cent of all plastic produced is waste, and 87 per cent of this is leaked into the environment. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for freeing India from “single-use plastic”.Concerns: A study by the University of Newcastle, Australia, and published by the World Wildlife Foundation this year

concluded that an average person may be ingesting 5 grams of plastic every week.  Over one-third of plastic waste ends up in nature, especially water, which is the largest source of plastic ingestion

according to the report. 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 India ranks number three in terms of plastic fibres found in a sample of tap water – 82.4 per cent of tap water

sampled in India contained over four plastic fibres per 500 mlWhat is the present scenario of plastics? Plastics are organic polymers of high molecular mass and are usually synthetic, mainly derived from

petrochemicals. Due to their low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, non-corrosiveness and imperviousness to water, plastics are

used for multiple purposes at different scales. Presently, over one million plastic bags and one million plastic bottles are used every minute worldwide. About 50% of the plastics used are single use (disposable) which constitute 10% of the total waste generated. And of the 7 billion tons of plastic waste generated, only 9% was recycled, 12% incinerated, and 79%

accumulated in landfills or the environment.What is the impact of plastics on environment? The plastics, mostly single use plastics are carried down the rivers to the oceans and this accounts for two thirds of

the plastic waste present in the oceans. This affects the marine ecosystem as fishes are killed when they swallow plastic particles. Also the economic impact due to plastic pollution is high especially in fisheries and tourism sector. Another direct impact of plastic pollution is on the land, as it degrades slowly and leaches chemicals into

surroundings and groundwater. Drinking water samples in different parts of the world including India reveal presence of up to 83% micro plastic

concentrations.What measures can be taken to reduce plastic pollution? Plastic use cannot be entirely eliminated from day to day activities, but safe disposal, reuse and reducing the

quantity can be done. Policies should be made to restrict plastic production and encourage recycling. Since plastics are used by the common man, a behavioural change is necessary and segregation of household

waste must be made mandatory. Awareness has to be created on the dangers of plastics hazards and to opt for sustainable and biodegradable

products. Incentives for developing eco-friendly substitutes (cloth/paper/jute bags, leaves/areca leaf plates, paper straws),

scientific as well as financial support must be provided.India’s Stand: India went big in their commitment to Beat Plastic Pollution today, with an announcement to eliminate all single-

use plastic in the country by 2022. This unprecedented ambitious move against disposable plastic will drastically stem the flow of plastics from 1.3 billion people and business in the fasted growing economy in the world.

India has 7,500 km of coastline – the 7th longest in Asia. As part of this commitment, the government will establish a national and regional marine litter action campaign as well as a program to measure the total marine plastic footprint in India’s coastal waters.

Partnership between UN Environment and BCCI to ‘green cricket’ across the country – aims to reduce cricket’s environmental impact by greening operations and engaging fans and cricketers in green initiatives

Government to begin a five-year exercise to compute district-level data of the country’s environmental wealth. The data will be used to calculate every State’s ‘green’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The government has also launched a ‘green skilling’ programme – Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP), under which youth, particularly school dropouts, would be trained in a range of ‘green jobs’. GSDP aims to get 80, 000 people imparted green skills and in filling the skill gaps in the environment sector. Green Skill Development Programme will go a long way in reaping the demographic dividend of the country; GSDP to cover nearly 5 lakh people by 2021.

Pledge to make 100 national monuments litter-free.What is the way forward?As individuals: We can reduce our plastic pollution and be more environmentally conscious by avoiding single-use plastics (e.g. straws, cups, cutlery, etc.) and packaging materials (e.g. polybags). Instead we can use jute bags, glass bottles or jars, steel or ceramic cutleries and utensils, and paper-made tetra packs.The private sector needs to invest more in producing alternatives and biodegradable plastics and in phasing out the production of plastic. More research and technology investment and development is required to make alternatives to plastic that are economically viable and affordable.The government should play a leading role by enacting strong policies and regulations that will encourage a more sustainable model for the design and production of plastics – Local bodies mandated under rules to ensure segregation, collection and transfer of waste to registered recyclers have spectacularly failed to fulfil their responsibilities. 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019The State Level Monitoring Committees provided for under the rules have not been made accountable. The waste management framework is dysfunctional.Technical and financial incentives from the government are instrumental for the transformation of the existing production system to a more sustainable one.Connecting the dots:

1. “India’s environmental diversity and riches are universally recognised but have never been quantified.” Discuss this in context of the decision taken to calculate every State’s ‘green’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

2. What do you mean by plastic roads? What are its benefits?POLITYTopic: General studies 2 Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal

structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.How states are split into seatsContext: With J&K reorganised, all eyes are on how Election Commission will proceed with delimitation of constituencies Since the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir state into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, delimitation of

their electoral constituencies has been inevitable. While the government has not formally notified the Election Commission yet, the EC has held “internal discussions” on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, particularly its provisions on delimitation.

What is Delimitation? Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and state Assembly seats to represent changes in

population. In this process, the number of seats allocated to different states in Lok Sabha and the total number seats in a Legislative Assembly may also change. 

Objective of delimitation The main objective of delimitation is to provide equal representation to equal segments of a population.  It also aims at a fair division of geographical areas so that one political party doesn’t have an advantage over

others in an election. Delimitation is carried out by an independent Delimitation Commission.  The Constitution mandates that its orders are final and cannot be questioned before any court as it would hold up

an election indefinitely.How is delimitation carried out? Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census. Once the Act is in force, the Union

government sets up a Delimitation Commission made up of a retired Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner and the respective State Election Commissioners. 

The Commission is supposed to determine the number and boundaries of constituencies in a way that the population of all seats, so far as practicable, is the same. 

The Commission is also tasked with identifying seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; these are where their population is relatively large. 

All this is done on the basis of the latest Census and, in case of difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the opinion of the majority prevails.

The draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission are published in the Gazette of India, official gazettes of the states concerned and at least two vernacular papers for public feedback. 

The Commission also holds public sittings. After hearing the public, it considers objections and suggestions, received in writing or orally during public sittings, and carries out changes, if any, in the draft proposal. The final order is published in the Gazette of India and the State Gazette and comes into force on a date specified by the President.

How often has delimitation been done in the past? The first delimitation exercise in 1950-51 was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election

Commission), as the Constitution at that time was silent on who should undertake the division of states into Lok Sabha seats. 

This delimitation was temporary as the Constitution mandated redrawing of boundaries after every Census. Hence, delimitation was due after the 1951 Census. Pointing out that the first delimitation had left many political parties and individuals unhappy, the EC advised the government that all future exercises should be carried out by an independent commission. 

This suggestion was accepted and the Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952. Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002. There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Why was there no delimitation then? The Constitution mandates that the number of Loksabha seats allotted to a state would be such that the ratio

between that number and the population of the state is, as far as practicable, the same for all states.  Although unintended, this provision implied that states that took little interest in population control could end up

with a greater number of seats in Parliament.  The southern states that promoted family planning faced the possibility of having their seats reduced. To allay

these fears, the Constitution was amended during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency rule in 1976 to suspend delimitation until 2001.

Despite the embargo, there were a few occasions that called for readjustment in the number of Parliament and Assembly seats allocated to a state. These include statehood attained by Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in 1986, the creation of a Legislative Assembly for the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and creation of new states such as Uttarakhand.

Although the freeze on the number of seats in Loksabha and Assemblies should have been lifted after the 2001 Census, another amendment postponed this until 2026. 

This was justified on the ground that a uniform population growth rate would be achieved throughout the country by 2026. 

So, the last delimitation exercise — started in July 2002 and completed on May 31, 2008 — was based on the 2001 Census and only readjusted boundaries of existing Loksabha and Assembly seats and reworked the number of reserved seats.

Why is delimitation for Jammu and Kashmir in the news now? Delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir’s Lok Sabha seats is governed by the Indian Constitution, but delimitation of

its Assembly seats (until special status was abrogated recently) was governed separately by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957. 

As far as delimitation of Loksabha seats is concerned, the last Delimitation Commission of 2002 was not entrusted with this task. Hence, J&K parliamentary seats remain as delimited on the basis of the 1971 Census.

As for Assembly seats, although the delimitation provisions of the J&K Constitution and the J&K Representation of the People Act, 1957, are similar to those of the Indian Constitution and Delimitation Acts, they mandate a separate Delimitation Commission for J&K.

In actual practice, the same central Delimitation Commission set up for other states was adopted by J&K in 1963 and 1973.

While the amendment of 1976 to the Indian Constitution suspended delimitation in the rest of the country till 2001, no corresponding amendment was made to the J&K Constitution. 

Hence, unlike the rest of the country, the Assembly seats of J&K were delimited based on the 1981 Census, which formed the basis of the state elections in 1996. 

There was no census in the state in 1991 and no Delimitation Commission was set up by the state government after the 2001 Census as the J&K Assembly passed a law putting a freeze on fresh delimitation until 2026. This freeze was upheld by the Supreme Court. 

The J&K Assembly has 87 seats — 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and 4 in Ladakh. Twenty-four seats are reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The freeze, some political parties argue, has created inequity for Jammu region.

Conclusion:This month, the Union government scrapped the state’s special status and turned J&K into a Union Territory. Under this law, delimitation of Loksabha and Assembly seats in J&K UT will be as per the provisions of the Indian Constitution. The Act also states that in the next delimitation exercise, which is expected to kick start soon, the number of Assembly seats will increase from 107 to 114. The increase in seats is expected to benefit Jammu region.Connecting the dots:

1. Discuss the problems with Delimitation? suggest the measures to over the problems?Q.1) Know India Programme is organised by which Union Ministry?

a. Ministry of Human Resource Developmentb. Ministry of Culturec. Ministry of External Affairsd. Ministry of Home Affairs

Q.2) Consider the following statements about Geographical Indication Tag1. GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation

that are due to that origin.2. GI products can benefit the rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing the incomes of artisans, farmers,

weavers and craftsmen.3. Palani Panchamirtham is the first temple ‘prasadam’ in India to have been bestowed with the GI tag.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Which of the statements given above are correct?

a. 1 and 2 onlyb. 2 and 3 onlyc. 1 and 3 onlyd. 1,2 and 3

Q.3) Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant is located in which country?a. Indiab. Nepalc. Bhutand. Bangladesh

Q.4) Strait of Gibraltar connects which two water bodies ?1. Atlantic Ocean2. Pacific Ocean3. Mediterranean Sea4. Red Sea

Select the correct answers from the codes given below.a. 1 and 2 onlyb. 2 and 3 onlyc. 1 and 3 onlyd. 2 and 4 only

Current Affairs + PIB: 19 August 2019Relevant articles from PIB:GS Paper 2:Topics covered:Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.BASIC countries

What to study?

For prelims: BASIC Nations.

For mains: Need for, significance and challenges before the grouping.

Context: The BASIC countries recently held their 28th Ministerial meeting on Climate Change in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Who are the BASIC?

The BASIC group was formed as the result of an agreement signed by the four countries on November 28, 2009.

They are a bloc of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China.

Significance of the grouping:

1. The signatory nations have a broadly common position on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and raising the massive funds that are needed to fight climate change.

2. The BASIC countries constituted one of the parties in the Copenhagen Accord reached with the US-led grouping; the Accord, was, however, not legally binding.

3. The BASIC group wields considerable heft purely because of the size of the economies and populations of the member countries.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-20194. Brazil, South Africa, India and China put together has one-third of the world’s geographical area and nearly

40% of the world’s population, and when they unitedly speak in one voice this shows their determination.

5. BASIC is one of several groups of nations working together to fight climate change and carry out negotiations within the UNFCCC.

Need for this grouping:

In light of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C released in October last year, the group took note of its findings that highlight the “high vulnerability of developing countries to climate change effects and high resultant costs of adaptation”.

The findings of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming make it incredibly clear that the impacts of an already warming world are significant, and that impacts at 2°C are catastrophic compared to those of 1.5°C. Yet, the BASIC ministers recalled the Paris goal of limiting the temperature rise to well under 2°C, and aspiring to limit it to 1.5°C, suggesting their continued pursuit of 2°C as the target temperature limit.

The BASIC countries also contend that their nationally determined contributions (NDCs)— voluntary pledges of national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—have demonstrated “a high level of ambition in the context of poverty and sustainable development”.

Way ahead:

While developed countries must take the lead to reduce GHG emissions and enable developing countries to scale climate action. It is critical that all countries actively step-up to rapidly reduce global GHG emissions within their own jurisdictions and collectively work with each other to limit warming to 1.5°C.

Relevant articles from various news sources:GS Paper 2:Topics covered:Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Legislative Council

 What to study?

For Prelims: Features, composition and formation of legislative councils.

For Mains: Significance and issues related.

 Context: The Madhya Pradesh government has indicated that it plans to initiate steps towards creation of a Legislative Council.

 What are the Legislative Councils, and why are they important?

India has a bicameral system i.e., two Houses of Parliament. At the state level, the equivalent of the Lok Sabha is the Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assembly; that of the Rajya Sabha is the Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council.

A second House of legislature is considered important for two reasons: one, to act as a check on hasty actions by the popularly elected House and, two, to ensure that individuals who might not be cut out for the rough-and-tumble of direct elections too are able to contribute to the legislative process.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Why do we need a second house?

1. They can be used to park leaders who have not been able to win an election.

2. They can be used to delay progressive legislation.

3. They would strain state finances.

4. Having a second chamber would allow for more debate and sharing of work between the Houses.

 Criticism:

1. Rather than fulfilling the lofty objective of getting intellectuals into the legislature, the forum is likely to be used to accommodate party functionaries who fail to get elected.

2. It is also an unnecessary drain on the exchequer. 

3. Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack the constitutional mandate to do so. Legislative Assemblies have the power to override suggestions/amendments made to a legislation by the Council.

4. While Rajya Sabha MPs can vote in the election of the President and Vice-President, members of Legislative Councils can’t. MLCs also can’t vote in the elections of Rajya Sabha members.

5. As regards Money bills, only fourteen days’ delay can be caused by the Council, which is more or less a formality rather than a barrier in the way of Money Bill passed by the Assembly. 

 Creation of a legislative council:

Under Article 169 of the constitution, Parliament may by law create or abolish the second chamber in a state if the Legislative Assembly of that state passes a resolution to that effect by a special majority.

Currently, six states have Legislative Councils. Jammu and Kashmir too had one, until the state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

 Strength of the house:

As per article 171 clause (1) of the Indian Constitution, the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall not exceed one third of the total number of the members in the legislative Assembly of that state and the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall in no case be less than 40.

 How are members of the Council elected?

1. 1/3rd of members are elected by members of the Assembly.

2. 1/3rd by electorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards and other local authorities in the state.

3. 1/12th by an electorate consisting of teachers.

4. 1/12th by registered graduates.

5. The remaining members are nominated by the Governor from among those who have distinguished themselves in literature, science, art, the cooperative movement, and social service.

Legislative Councils are permanent Houses, and like Rajya Sabha, one-third of their members retire every two years.

 Do Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishads have similar powers?

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Not really. The constitution gives Councils limited legislative powers. Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack the constitutional mandate to do so. Legislative Assemblies have the power to override suggestions/amendments made to a legislation by the Council.

 Way ahead:

There is need of a National Policy on having Upper House in State Legislatures. The provision of the law for Councils to have seats for graduates and teachers should also be reviewed.

There is a need for wide range of debates and public and intellectual opinion to have an Upper House in all state legislatures. Legislative councils should be a responsible body that can also form their part in policies and programmes for the development of states.

 Sources: the hindu.

 Mains Question: Why Some States in India have Bicameral Legislatures? Discuss the relevance of the Legislative Councils in the States in the backdrop of recent demand of certain states to create the second house. 

GS Paper 3:Topics covered:  

1. Awareness in space. Parker Solar Probe What to study?For Prelims: Features of the probe.

For Mains: Significance of the mission, why study sun and the Corona?

 Context: On August 12, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed a year in service. It is part of NASA’s “Living With a Star” programme that explores different aspects of the Sun-Earth system.

The probe seeks to gather information about the Sun’s atmosphere and NASA says that it “will revolutionise our understanding of the Sun”. It is also the closest a human-made object has ever gone to the Sun.

 About the mission:

What is it? NASA’s historic Parker Solar Probe mission will revolutionize our understanding of the sun, where changing conditions can propagate out into the solar system, affecting Earth and other worlds. Parker Solar Probe will travel through the sun’s atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it, facing brutal heat and radiation conditions — and ultimately providing humanity with the closest-ever observations of a star.

Journey: In order to unlock the mysteries of the sun’s atmosphere, Parker Solar Probe will use Venus’ gravity during seven flybys over nearly seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the sun. The spacecraft will fly through the sun’s atmosphere as close as 3.9 million miles to our star’s surface, well within the orbit of Mercury and more than seven times closer than any spacecraft has come before.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Goals: The primary science goals for the mission are to trace how energy and heat move through the solar corona and to explore what accelerates the solar wind as well as solar energetic particles.

 

Parker Solar Probe has three detailed science objectives:

1. Trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind.

2. Determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind.

3. Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles.

 

Why study corona?

The corona is hotter than the surface of the sun. The corona gives rise to the solar wind, a continuous flow of charged particles that permeates the solar system. Unpredictable solar winds cause disturbances in our planet’s magnetic field and can play havoc with communications technology on Earth. Nasa hopes the findings will enable scientists to forecast changes in Earth’s space environment. Why do we study the sun and the solar wind?

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-20191. The sun is the only star we can study up close. By studying this star we live with, we learn more about stars

throughout the universe.2. The sun is a source of light and heat for life on Earth. The more we know about it, the more we can

understand how life on Earth developed.3. The sun also affects Earth in less familiar ways. It is the source of the solar wind; a flow of ionized gases

from the sun that streams past Earth at speeds of more than 500 km per second (a million miles per hour).4. Disturbances in the solar wind shake Earth’s magnetic field and pump energy into the radiation belts, part

of a set of changes in near-Earth space known as space weather.5. Space weather can change the orbits of satellites, shorten their lifetimes, or interfere with onboard

electronics. The more we learn about what causes space weather – and how to predict it – the more we can protect the satellites we depend on.

6. The solar wind dominates the space environment. As we send spacecraft and astronauts further and further from home, we must understand this space environment just as early seafarers needed to understand the ocean.

 Sources: the Hindu.

GS Paper 2:Topic covered:Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. Delimitation of Constituencies What to study?For prelims and mains: What is delimitation, why is it needed, how is it carried out and special provisions w.r.t to J&K. Context: Since the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir state into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, delimitation of their electoral constituencies has been inevitable. While the government has not formally notified the Election Commission yet, the EC has held “internal discussions” on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, particularly its provisions on delimitation. Delimitation provisions of the J&K Constitution:

1. Delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir’s Lok Sabha seats is governed by the Indian Constitution, but delimitation of its Assembly seats (until special status was abrogated recently) was governed separately by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957.

2. As far as delimitation of Lok Sabha seats is concerned, the last Delimitation Commission of 2002 was not entrusted with this task. Hence, J&K parliamentary seats remain as delimited on the basis of the 1971 Census.

3. As for Assembly seats, although the delimitation provisions of the J&K Constitution and the J&K Representation of the People Act, 1957, are similar to those of the Indian Constitution and Delimitation Acts, they mandate a separate Delimitation Commission for J&K. In actual practice, the same central Delimitation Commission set up for other states was adopted by J&K in 1963 and 1973.

4. While the amendment of 1976 to the Indian Constitution suspended delimitation in the rest of the country till 2001, no corresponding amendment was made to the J&K Constitution.

5. Hence, unlike the rest of the country, the Assembly seats of J&K were delimited based on the 1981 Census, which formed the basis of the state elections in 1996.

6. There was no census in the state in 1991 and no Delimitation Commission was set up by the state government after the 2001 Census as the J&K Assembly passed a law putting a freeze on fresh delimitation until 2026. This freeze was upheld by the Supreme Court.

 Why is delimitation needed?Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and state Assembly seats to represent changes in population.In this process, the number of seats allocated to different states in Lok Sabha and the total number seats in a Legislative Assembly may also change.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019The main objective of delimitation is to provide equal representation to equal segments of a population.It also aims at a fair division of geographical areas so that one political party doesn’t have an advantage over others in an election. How is delimitation carried out?Delimitation is carried out by an independent Delimitation Commission.

1. The Constitution mandates that its orders are final and cannot be questioned before any courtas it would hold up an election indefinitely.

2. Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.3. Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission.4. Composition: The commission is made up of a retired Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner

and the respective State Election Commissioners.5. Functions: The Commission is supposed to determine the number and boundaries of constituencies in a way

that the population of all seats, so far as practicable, is the same. The Commission is also tasked with identifying seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; these are where their population is relatively large.

6. All this is done on the basis of the latest Census and, in case of difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the opinion of the majority prevails.

7. The draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission are published in the Gazette of India, official gazettes of the states concerned and at least two vernacular papers for public feedback.

8. The Commission also holds public sittings. After hearing the public, it considers objections and suggestions, received in writing or orally during public sittings, and carries out changes, if any, in the draft proposal.

9. The final order is published in the Gazette of India and the State Gazette and comes into force on a date specified by the President.

 How often has delimitation been done in the past?The first delimitation exercise in 1950-51 was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission), as the Constitution at that time was silent on who should undertake the division of states into Lok Sabha seats.This delimitation was temporary as the Constitution mandated redrawing of boundaries after every Census. Hence, another delimitation was due after the 1951 Census. Subsequently, the Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002. There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. Why there has been no delimitation in recent past?The Constitution mandates that the number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to a state would be such that the ratio between that number and the population of the state is, as far as practicable, the same for all states. Although unintended, this provision implied that states that took little interest in population control could end up with a greater number of seats in Parliament. The southern states that promoted family planning faced the possibility of having their seats reduced.To allay these fears, the Constitution was amended during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency rule in 1976 to suspend delimitation until 2001.Although the freeze on the number of seats in Lok Sabha and Assemblies should have been lifted after the 2001 Census, another amendment postponed this until 2026. This was justified on the ground that a uniform population growth rate would be achieved throughout the country by 2026.So, the last delimitation exercise — started in July 2002 and completed on May 31, 2008 — was based on the 2001 Census and only readjusted boundaries of existing Lok Sabha and Assembly seats and reworked the number of reserved seats. Sources: Indian Express.

GS Paper 1:Topics covered:Issues related to women.New rights for Saudi women:

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Context: Women in Saudi Arabia scored a significant victory earlier this month, after they were allowed to travel abroad without obtaining permission from a male guardian, apply for passports, and register their marriages and divorces.The new rules allow any person 21 and older to travel abroad without prior consent and any citizen to apply for a Saudi passport on their own. Significance:In highly conservative Saudi Arabia, these steps, deemed natural almost everywhere else in the world, constitute key social reforms.The changes are a potential game-changer for Saudi women’s rights in the kingdom. The legal system was long criticized because it treated women as minors throughout their adult lives, requiring that they have a husband or father’s permission to obtain a passport or travel abroad. In some cases, the male guardian was a woman’s own son granting her the necessary travel permissions. Sources: the Hindu.

 Facts for prelims: 2 new species of freshwater fish found:Context: Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India have discovered two new species of freshwater fish from the north-eastern and northern parts of the country.Key facts:

1. Glyptothorax gopii is a new species of catfish. It was found in Mizoram’s Kaladan river. It is dark brown on its dorsal surface, and its ventral surface is of a yellowish-light brown. 

2. Garra simbalbaraensiswas found in Himachal Pradesh’s Simbalbara river. It has a yellowish-grey colour fading ventrally.

Both fish, measuring less than seven centimetres, are hill stream fauna and are equipped with special morphological features to suit rapid water flow. National Sports Awards:Context: National Sports Awards 2019 have been announced.Key facts:National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.

1. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award  is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four year.

2. Arjuna Award  is given for consistency outstanding performance for four years.3. Dronacharya Award for coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events.4. Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development.5. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskaris given to the corporate entities (both in private and public sector) and

individuals who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development.6. MAKA Trophy:Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments is given Maulana Abul

Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy. Odisha to Set Up Maritime Board:Context: A proposal for establishment of the Odisha Maritime Board for administration, control and management of non-major ports and non-nationalised inland waterways was recently approved by the State Cabinet.Functions:

1. The Board will function as a single window facilitator for the overall maritime development of the State.2. The Board will provide policy, guidelines and directions for the integrated development of ports and inland

water transport keeping in view of the country’s security and defence related concerns.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Need: Odisha is endowed with a vast coastline of 480 km, having rich, unique and natural port locations and perennial rivers. Mangdechhu Project:Context: In his second visit to Bhutan, the Indian Prime Minister has inaugurated the Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant.Key facts:

1. The Mangdechhu hydroelectric project is a 720MW run-of-river power plant built on the Mangdechhu River in Trongsa Dzongkhag District of central Bhutan.

2. Mangdechhu is one of the ten hydroelectric projects planned under the Royal Government of Bhutan’s initiative to generate 10,000MW hydropower by 2020 with support from the Indian Government.

 Publicity Rath:

1. It is a vehicle to be used for creating awareness about Bihar State government’s water resources schemes and steps to save and conserve water.

2. The vehicle will create awareness on the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali (water-life-greenery) campaign via the audio-visual medium.

3. The Publicity Rath will also make people aware of the fact that groundwater is the only source of water in the event of less rainfall and people will have to go for rainwater harvesting to conserve water.

Summaries of important Editorials: Why minimum wage won’t fix India’s woes?Context: The new Parliament passed the Code on Wages Bill, 2019 mandating a minimum wage across the country in its first session itself. This law mandates a universal minimum payment of    178 a day₹ . Issues with the bill:

1. The wage prescribed is less than half the   375 a day recommended by a high-powered labour ministry panel.₹2. It is also miles away from the   700 fair wage that the₹  7th Central Pay Commission had arrived at.3. The justification for a marginal increase is that this   178 is now a definitive minimum for all workers, and ₹

will be universal across the country, across all sectors. It will, therefore, allow for wages to rise in informal sectors and will address the issue of gender-based disparities as well.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019What’s the issue?It is widely acknowledged that India has a serious wages problem. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-18, 45% of regular workers (those who are in the relatively stable, formal sector) are paid less than the minimum wage.Need for labour law reforms:Indian industry is shackled by a number of socialist-era laws that prevent Indian companies from becoming competitive: workers cannot be fired, organization structures are not flexible, transfer policies are not nimble enough, and a high human resource cost prevents companies from growing bigger. More than 45 central laws and at least 100 state-level legislations create confusion, complexity, and chaos. The burden of compliance is huge is the conventional wisdom.The process of determining the minimum wage is complex to say the least. The level of compliance too is abysmal. It is to address these issues that this new law was passed. Origin of minimum wage:The debate on minimum wages started 80 years ago in the US when the Federal minimum wage was fixed at 25 cents an hour. In 2009, the wage went up to $7.25 a year.India’s minimum wage system, according to the Economic Survey 2018-19, comprises of 1,915 minimum wages defined for various scheduled job categories across different states in the country. Challenges ahead:

1. The Indian government has chosen to increase minimum wages and push costs to businesses. The Centre will set standards and define minimum wages across industry, including for small businesses.

2. Given our diversity, this will not be easy.3. Beyond the complications that such calculations bring, the government must grapple with costs and

requirements changing significantly across the country, from the low-wage economy of Tripura to highly labour scarce areas like Kerala.

4. It must also address questions on what constitutes fair wage and what defines a living wage.5. In India, small and unorganized businesses employ more than 90% of the workforce, an estimated 500 million

people. This may lead to the threat of harassment from labour officials.6. 50% of the workforce is self-employed. Nearly 30% work on a causal basis, approaching the labour market in

bursts and spurts. The new code therefore will actually only work for 20% of the total workforce. Even within this, more than half belong to very small enterprises that hire between one and five people. Making these tiny enterprises comply with new laws is, in any case, a tall order.

 What needs to be done?A single mandate on minimum wages will not be enough to tackle inequality. There are two other ideas that could possibly be introduced to address some of India’s persistent economic woes:

1. Phelps idea of wage subsidies: Rather than state governments like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and 2. Karnataka mandating jobs quota for locals, they could actually provide wage support to companies, thus

incentivising investment and local hiring, while keeping wage bills low for firms operating in competitive environments.

3. The other idea comes from the labour ministry panel that had suggested a   1,430 housing₹

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-201920th August 2019Sulphur dioxide PollutionPart of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Environmental PollutionIn News A new report by Greenpeace India shows that India is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide in the world More than 15% of all the anthropogenic sulphur dioxide hotspots detected by the NASA OMI satellite (Ozone

Monitoring Instrument) lies in India Almost all of these emissions in India are because of coal-burning The vast majority of coal-based power plants in India lack flue-gas desulphurisation technology to reduce air

pollution The Singrauli, Neyveli, Talcher, Jharsuguda, Korba, Kutch, Chennai, Ramagundam, Chandrapur and Koradi

thermal power plants or clusters are the major emission hotspots in India India had introduced, for the first time, sulphur dioxide emission limits for coal-fired power plants in December

2015.  But the deadline for the installation of flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) in power plants has been extended from

2017 to 2022. Of the world’s major emitters, China and the United States have been able to reduce emissions rapidly. They have

achieved this feat by switching to clean energy sources.

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Direct Tax Code 2.0Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – EconomyIn News The Task force headed by Akhilesh Ranjan submitted its Direct tax code (DTC) report to Finance Minister  In order to review the Income-tax Act, 1961 and to draft a new direct tax law in consonance with the economic

needs of the country, a Task Force was constituted by the Government in November, 2017. Proposed DTC to have far fewer sections than over 700 in the Income Tax Act Addressing disruption caused by the US tax reforms last year, the panel has pressed for a corporate tax cut for

domestic and foreign firms to 25 per cent. Presently it is 30 per cent for large companies and 40 per cent for foreign firms.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 However, foreign firms may have to pay branch profits tax on the amount repatriated to their foreign partner.  The panel has recommended Dividend distribution tax may be done away with. The task force suggested replacing the concept of assessing officer with assessment units, besides faceless

scrutiny of cases picked through centrally and randomly allotted mechanism. Aimed at reducing tax litigation, it proposes a new concept of settling disputes through mediation between the

taxpayer and a collegium of officers.Do You know? The US had cut the rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent last year FM in 2019-20 Union budget had cut corporate tax for firms with an annual turnover of up to Rs 400 crore to 25

per cent from 30 per cent, covering 99.3 per cent companies.  Large companies (turnover larger than Rs 400 Crore) continue to be taxed at 30% along with surcharges & cess.

Legislative CouncilsPart of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Indian FederalismIn News The Madhya Pradesh government has indicated that it plans to initiate steps towards creation of a Legislative

Council.  Currently, only six states have Legislative Councils  Under Article 169, Union Parliament has the power to create or abolish the Legislative Council on the basis of

resolutions adopted by special majority in the Assembly of the concerned State. Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the Legislative Council of a state shall not have more than one-third of the

number of MLAs of the state, and not less than 40 members.  Like Rajya Sabha, it is a permanent House and its members are elected indirectly by people Favour of Second House: It can help check hasty actions by the directly elected House, and also enable non-

elected individuals to contribute to the legislative process Against Second House: A Legislative Council can be used to delay legislation, and to park leaders who have not

been able to win an election.Do You Know? Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack a

constitutional mandate to do so; Assemblies can override suggestions/amendments made to a legislation by the Council

Andhra Pradesh’s Legislative Council, set up in 1958, was abolished in 1985, then reconstituted in 2007. The Odisha Assembly recently passed a resolution for a Legislative Council.  Proposals to create Councils in Rajasthan and Assam are pending in Parliament.

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DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Parker Solar ProbePart of: GS Prelims and Mains GS III – Science and TechnologyIn News On August 12, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed a year in service. It is part of NASA’s “Living With a Star” programme that explores different aspects of the Sun-Earth system. The probe seeks to gather information about the Sun’s atmosphere which will help better understand Sun It is also the closest a human-made object has ever gone to the Sun. The mission’s central aim is to trace how energy and heat move through the Sun’s corona and to study the source

of the solar wind’s acceleration. The mission is likely to last for seven years during which it will complete 24 orbitsDo You know? Arranged in layers, the sun varies in temperature: It is hottest at its center, and cooler in its outer layers — until it

strangely reheats at the fringes of the sun’s atmosphere (Corona) The centre of the Sun: about 15 million kelvin (K). Radiative Zone: Temperature falls from about 7 million to about 2 million K across this zone. Convection Zone: drops from 2 million K to 5800K in this zone. Photosphere: about 5800K, although sunspots are about 3800 K  Chromosphere: 4300 to 8300 K from inside edge to outside edge Corona (outermost layer of the Sun): about 2 million K (MAINS FOCUS)ENERGYTOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting

India’s  interests General Studies 3: Infrastructure: EnergyRenewable hybrid energy systems as a game changer Context: India recently conducted two auctions for wind/solar hybrid projects. Both the auctions were under-subscribed,

with bids totalling 1.56GW awarded to SB Energy, Adani Green Energy and Renew Power, against a total of 2.4GW on offer.

Renewable hybrids can play a key role in helping India accelerate the decarbonisation of power generation and lowering the cost of electricity in the medium term.

India has added 65-70GW of wind and solar capacity so far, with wind and solar contributing 9.5% of generated energy in May 2019. If the government target of 175GW is achieved by 2022, this share could exceed 15-16%.Renewable energy has three inherent challenges First, it relies on intermittent sources, producing energy only when the sun is shining or wind is blowing Second, its output is constrained to specific hours of the day;  Third, its use leads to lower utilization of transmission lines. This can create issues in matching peak power

demand with renewable output (e.g. in evening hours when solar energy is not available), and raise costs of transmission. 

Renewable hybrids can be one solution to the above issues.  A hybrid system can combine wind, solar with an additional resource of generation or storage. Let us take an example: in India, we observe that solar output is maximum between 11am and 3pm, while wind

output is highest in late evening and early morning. Peak demand for power is reached in the evening hours of 6-9pm, which cannot be catered to by either wind or solar. If we can store some energy during excess renewable generation hours and release it into the grid during peak demand hours, the combined “hybrid” system can produce 24×7 clean energy in response to varying levels of demand through the day.

The storage can take many forms, such as batteries, pumped hydro or mechanical storage through flywheels.  The intermittency of wind and solar could also be balanced by adding a fast ramping source of power; for

example, an open cycle gas turbine.  The overall output of the hybrid system can thus be matched against a required load on an hourly basis. In this

way, it can provide both base load and flexible power.Key notes: Hybrid systems are expected to become increasingly cost competitive, driven by reducing costs of battery storage

and solar energy. India’s ministry of new and renewable energy released a solar-wind hybrid policy in 2018. This provides a

framework to promote grid-connected hybrid energy through set-ups that would use land and transmission infrastructure optimally and also manage the variability of renewable resources to some extent.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 India is not the only country planning hybrid projects; 50-plus hybrid projects of MW-scale have already been

announced or are under construction globally, with Australia and US being the leaders.  For larger capacities or longer duration balancing, pumped hydro is a viable storage solution, but is restricted by

the lack of suitable physical locations. If the economics of hybrid systems do approach the above levels, our analysis indicates that they can potentially

be competitive with 30-40% of existing coal-fired stations in India.  They can therefore become a viable solution to meeting future baseload power requirements, all at zero carbon

emissions and future cost-inflation proof. Several leading Indian corporates are also showing active interest in increasing their usage of clean power if

round-the-clock solutions are available.Connecting the dots:

1. What policy and regulatory changes need to be made so that India can fully capture the potential of this interesting disruption in the energy sector?

2. Should India continue to build new coal-fired plants to meet base load requirements, or could renewable hybrids take a significant share? Discuss.

ECONOMYTOPIC: General Studies 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interestsBonds, yields, and inversionsAs talk of a recession gets louder globally, bond yields are being keenly watched. A government bond yield curve most accurately reflects what investors think about current and future economic growth prospects.What are bonds? A bond is an instrument to borrow money. It is like an IOU.  A bond could be floated/issued by a country’s government or by a company to raise funds. Since government

bonds (referred to as G-secs in India, Treasury in the US, and Gilts in the UK) come with the sovereign’s guarantee, they are considered one of the safest investments. 

As a result, they also give the lowest returns on investment (or yield). Investments in corporate bonds tend to be riskier because the chances of failure (and, therefore, the chances of the company not repaying the loan) are higher.

What are bonds yields? Simply put, the yield of a bond is the effective rate of return that it earns. But the rate of return is not fixed — it

changes with the price of the bond. But to understand that, one must first understand how bonds are structured. Every bond has a face value and a

coupon payment. There is also the price of the bond, which may or may not be equal to the face value of the bond.What is happening to US govt bond yields at present? What does it signify? The global economy has been slowing down for the better part of the last two years. Some of the biggest

economies are either growing at a slower rate (such as the US and China) or actually contracting (such as Germany).

As a result, last week, US Treasury bond yields fell sharply as there was confirmation of slowdown in Germany and China.

Reason: investors, both inside the US and outside, figured that if growth prospects are plummeting, it makes little sense to invest in stocks or even riskier assets. It made more sense rather, to invest in something that was both safe and liquid (that is, something that can be converted in to cash quickly). US Treasury bonds are the safest bet in this regard. So, many investors lined up to buy US Treasury bonds, which led to their prices going up, and their yields falling sharply.

The fall in the yields of 10-year government bonds showed that the bond investors expected the demand for money in the future to fall. That is why future interest rates are likely to be lower.

A lower demand for money in the future, in turn, will happen only when growth falters further.  So government bond yields falling typically suggest that economic participants “expect” growth to slow down in

the future.And what is a yield curve, and what does it signify? A yield curve is a graphical representation of yields for bonds (with an equal credit rating) over different time

horizons. Typically, the term is used for government bonds — which come with the same sovereign guarantee. So

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019the yield curve for US treasuries shows how yields change when the tenure (or the time for which one lends to the government) changes.

If bond investors expect the US economy to grow normally, then they would expect to be rewarded more (that is, get more yield) when they lend for a longer period. This gives rise to a normal — upward sloping — yield curve 

What then is yield inversion, and what does it mean? Yield inversion happens when the yield on a longer tenure bond becomes less than the yield for a shorter tenure

bond. This, too, happened last week when the 10-year Treasury yield fell below the 2-year Treasury yield. A yield inversion typically portends a recession. An inverted yield curve shows that investors expect the future

growth to fall sharply; in other words, the demand for money would be much lower than what it is today and hence the yields are also lower.

How good is yield inversion at predicting a recession? Although US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was quoted as saying Monday that “eventually there’ll be a

recession but this inversion is not as reliable, in my view, as people think”, yet US data show historically that barring one episode in the mid-1960s, a yield inversion has always been followed by a recession.

Connecting the dots: What are bond yields? Why are bond yields tumbling around the world? How rising bond yields will impact the

savings?Model questions: Q.1) Consider the following statementsAssertion (A): India is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide in the worldReason (R): India does not have sulphur dioxide emission limits for coal-fired power plants.Select the correct answer from the codes given below?

a. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation for Ab. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of Ac. A is true but R is false.d. A is false but R is true.

Q.2) Consider the following statements1. Nearly half of all States in India have legislative Council2. Under Article 169, President has the power to create or abolish Legislative Council

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?a. 1 onlyb. 2 onlyc. Both 1 and 2d. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.3) Consider the following statements about Parker Solar Probe1. It is launched by NASA as part of “Living With a Star” programme2. It is the closest a human-made object has ever gone to the Sun 3. The mission’s central aim is to trace how energy and heat move through the Sun’s corona

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?a. 1 and 2 onlyb. 2 onlyc. 1 and 3 onlyd. 1,2 and 3

Current Affairs + PIB: 20 August 2019Relevant articles from PIB:GS Paper 2:Topics Covered:

1. Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate. UN Security Council What to study?For Prelims: About UNSC- composition, objectives and functions.For Mains: Role and significance of UNSC, need for UNSC reforms, why India should be given permanent membership?

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Context: Vice President calls for renewed efforts for India to gain permanent membership of the UN Security Council. About UNSC:What is it?The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions; it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.Members: The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members. These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members. Role and Significance of UNSC:

1. The Security Council is the United Nations’ most powerful body, with “primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

2. Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions.

3. It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.4. Under the UN Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council s decisions.

 Proposed reforms:Reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) encompasses five key issues: categories of membership, the question of the veto held by the five permanent members, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Council and its working methods, and the Security Council-General Assembly relationship. There is also a proposal to admit more permanent members. India’s demands:India has been calling for the reform of the UN Security Council along with Brazil, Germany and Japan for long, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member. Why India should be given a permanent seat in the council?

1. India was among the founding members of United Nations.2. It is the second largest and a one of the largest constant contributor of troops to United Nations Peacekeeping

missions.3. Today, India has over 8,500 peacekeepers in the field, more than twice as many as the UN’s five big powers

combined.4. India, since long time, has been demanding expansion of UNSC and its inclusion as permanent member in it.

It has been a member of UNSC for 7 terms and a member of G-77 and G-4, so permanent membership is a logical extension.

GS Paper 3:Topics covered:

1. Conservation related issues. DRAFT NATIONAL RESOURCE EFFICIENCY POLICY What to study?For Prelims: Key features of the policy.For Mains: Resource efficiency- need, significance, challenges and means to achieve it, NITI Aayog’s strategy on resource efficiency. Context: Driven by serious sustainability concern, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had proposed a draft National Resource Efficiency Policy 2019.It aims to streamline the efficient use of these resources with minimum negative impact on environment.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Key features of the policy:

1. It seeks to set up a National Resource Efficiency Authority (NREA) with a core working group housed in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and a members group with representations from different ministries, state/union territory, and other stakeholders.

2. The authority would be supported by an Inter-Ministerial National Resource Efficiency Board to guide on the aspects critical to its implementation.

3. It also plans to offer tax benefits on recycled materials, green loans to small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) and soft loans to construct waste disposal facilities, apart from setting up Material Recovery Facilities (MRF).

4. Manufacturers and service providers would also be required to use more recycled or renewable materials and awareness would be created among consumers to indicate the shift.

5. Idea of the national policy is to drive the country towards circular economy through efficient use of available material resources, based on principle of 6R and ‘green public procurement’.

6. The 6R stands for reduce, reuse, recycle, redesign, re-manufacture and refurbish while the very premise of ‘green public procurement’ is to procure products with lower environmental footprints such as secondary raw materials and locally sourced materials.

7. It also pitches for moving towards ‘zero landfill’ approach  in the country, hinting at possibility of imposing ‘landfill taxes’ and ‘high tipping fees’ for bulk generators of waste so that they can move towards optimal use of materials and better waste management.

 Functions of NERA:

1. Develop and implement resource efficient strategies for material recycling, reuse and land-filling targets for various sectors.

2. Set standards for reuse of secondary raw materials to ensure quality.3. Maintain a database of material use and waste generated, recycled and land filled, across various sectors and

different regions and monitor the implementation. What is Resource Efficiency?Resource efficiency very simply put is making more with fewer materials. In practice, through a life-cycle approach, it leads to minimizing impact on environment & the associated societal burdens, transforming ‘waste’ into ‘resources’ fostering circular economy, and strengthening resource security.Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy are important goals and central principles for achieving sustainable development. Sustainability is a global priority and SDGs commitment and 11th Five year plan also clearly enunciate importance of Resource efficiency (RE). Why ensure resource efficiency?India’s large population, rapid urbanization and expanding industrial production have led to exploitation of available limited natural resources with concerns regarding resource depletion and future availability becoming more pronounced.Therefore, Enhancing resource efficiency (RE) and promoting the use of secondary raw materials (SRM) is a pertinent strategy to address these challenges and reduce dependence on primary resource. Challenges before India:

1. According to data available, India’s resource extraction of 1580 tonnes/acre is much higher than the world average of 450 tonnes/acre, while material productivity remains low.

2. Water  is fast becoming scarce while deteriorating air quality has emerged as a major threat to human life.3. There has been massive soil degradation, with 147 million hectares (Mha) of a total of 329 Mha land area hit.4. Import dependency is nearly 100% for the majority of the ‘most critical’ materials -cobalt, copper and

lithium that find extensive application in high-end technology industry.5. Over 80% of crude oil that is processed in the economy is imported, alongwith 85% of its coking coal

demand. Extraction of non-metallic minerals is crippled with challenges.6. To add to the problems, the country’s recycling rate is just about 20-25% compared with 70% in developing

countries in Europe. The situation will only aggravate as India is likely to double its material consumption by 2030.

 Strategy on Resource Efficiency:

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-20191. NITI Aayog in collaboration with the European Union delegation to India have released the Strategy on

Resource Efficiency. The strategy aims to promote resource efficiency in India.2. This strategy is the first policy document to emphasize resource productivity in the country. The Strategy

emphasizes on Sustainable Public Procurement (SSP) as an action agenda which will be the market transformation tool to transform to a resource efficient economy.

3. It is developed with the recommendations from the Indian Resource Efficiency Programme (IREP), launched by the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Indian Resource Panel (InRP) in April 2017.

GS Paper 2 and 3:Topics Covered:

1. Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.2. Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism.

 Information Fusion Centre (IFC) for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) What to study?For Prelims: Key facts on IOR.For Mains: IOR- significance, potential, challenges to its security and the need for international collaboration. Context: The capabilities of Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) are being enhanced under the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project.The NMDA project was launched in accordance with the vision of PM on SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). About IFC- IOR:The IFC-IOR was established with the vision of strengthening maritime security in the region and beyond, by building a common coherent maritime situation picture and acting as a maritime information hub for the region.The IFC has been established at the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram, which is the single point centre linking all the coastal radar chains to generate a seamless real-time picture of the nearly 7,500-km coastline.Through this Centre, information on “white shipping”, or commercial shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean. 

Significance and the need:

1. The IOR has a diverse set of littorals and island nations, each with their unique needs, aspirations, interest and values.

2. It is necessary to counter the Rise in maritime piracy in the region.3. IFR-IRO would also ensure that the entire region is benefited by mutual collaboration and exchange of

information and understanding the concerns and threats which are prevalent in the region.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Why is the Indian Ocean is important?

1. It enjoys a privileged location at the crossroads of global trade, connecting the major engines of the international economy in the Northern Atlantic and Asia-Pacific. This is particularly important in an era in which global shipping has burgeoned.

2. Indian Ocean is also rich in natural resources. 40% of the world’s offshore oil production takes place in the Indian Ocean basin.

3. Fishing in the Indian Ocean now accounts for almost 15% of the world’s total.4. Mineral resources are equally important, with nodules containing nickel, cobalt, and iron, and massive

sulphide deposits of manganese, copper, iron, zinc, silver, and gold present in sizeable quantities on the sea bed.

5. Indian Ocean coastal sediments are also important sources of titanium, zirconium, tin, zinc, and copper. Additionally, various rare earth elements are present, even if their extraction is not always commercially feasible.

 Relevant articles from various news sources:GS Paper 3:Topics covered:

1. Awareness in space.Interplanetary pollution What to study?For prelims: Beresheet mission- objectives and key features.For mains: Interplanetary pollution- concerns, effects and solutions. Context: On April 11, the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet attempted to land on the Moon, but crashed on the surface. It was carrying a number of items — including thousands of specimens of a living organism called tardigrade.The question is: did the thousands of dehydrated tardigrades on Beresheet survive the crash? And if they did, are they now living on the Moon? 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019

First of all, what are Tardigrades?

1. The tardigrade, also known as water bear, is among the toughest and most resilient creatures on Earth.2. The tardigrade can only be seen under a microscope.3. Half a millimetre long, it is essentially a water-dweller but also inhabits land and, a 2008 study found, can

survive in the cold vacuum of outer space.4. The tardigrade can endure extreme hot and cold temperature levels.5. They themselves expel water from their bodies and set off a mechanism to protect their cells, and can still

revive if placed in water later. The organism is known to “come back to life” on rehydration.6. The tardigrade derives its name from the fact that it looks like an eight-legged bear, with a mouth that can

project out like a tongue.7. A tardigrade typically eats fluids, using its claws and mouth to tear open plant and animal cells, so that it can

suck nutrients out of them.8. It is also known to feast on bacteria and, in some cases, to kill and eat other tardigrades.

 Did any of them survive the impact? If they did, what happens to them now?

1. When the tardigrades were placed on the Israeli moon mission Beresheet, they were in a tun state — dehydrated, with their chubby limbs and heads retracted and all metabolic activity temporarily suspended.

2. Their arrival on the moon was unexpectedly explosive; Beresheet’s crash landing on April 11 may have scattered the microorganisms onto the lunar surface. 

3. But as long as the tardigrades remain on the moon, their chances of spontaneously awakening are low. Without liquid water, the tiny creatures will remain in a tun state, and while there’s evidence of ice on the moon, liquid water is nowhere to be found. 

4. Even if the lunar tardigrades did somehow encounter liquid water while still on the moon, without food, air and a moderate ambient temperature, they wouldn’t last very long once they revived.

 What’s the concern now? Are we polluting the moon’s atmosphere?Scientists have yet to find any evidence that the moon ever hosted living organisms(other than visiting astronauts and microbial hitchhikers from Earth) that could be threatened by microscopic invaders. However, contamination could carry serious consequences for missions to planets where life might yet be found.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019There is already a fairly sizeable amount of debris from redundant spacecraft and litter left behind by astronauts. As more missions are planned to the moon, eventually with human passengers and perhaps even settlements, we must learn to clean up as we go along. Otherwise, we are going to have the sort of crisis that we are seeing on Earth with the outcry about environmental damage from plastics. 

Beresheet: Israel’s First Lunar Lander-  Beresheet– was launched on board Falcon 9. Beresheet attempted to become the first Israeli spacecraft, and the first privately-operated mission, to land

on the Moon. So far, only three other nations have carried out controlled “soft” landings on the moon –  the United

States, the former Soviet Union and China. Sources: the Hindu.

GS Paper 3:Topics covered:

1. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. India largest emitter of SO2 in world Context: India is the largest emitter of anthropogenic sulphur dioxide in the world, as per the data released by environmental NGO Greenpeace on August 19, 2019.Anthropogenic sulphur dioxide is produced from burning of coal and it is known to largely contribute to air pollution. Key findings:

1. SO2 hotspots across the world have been mapped.2. The SO2 hotspots were detected by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite.3. India has over 15 percent of all anthropogenic sulphur dioxide (SO2) hotspots in the world.4. The main SO2 hotspots in India include Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Talcher and

Jharsuguda in Odisha, Neyveli and Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Kutch in Gujarat, Ramagundam in Telangana and Chandrapur and Koradi in Maharashtra. 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-20195. Norilsk smelter complex in Russia is the largest SO2 emission hotspot in the world, followed by Kriel in

Mpumalanga province in South Africa and Zagroz in Iran.  How to control the SO2 emission?

1. SO2 emission is a significant contributor to air pollution and the largest source of SO2 in the atmosphere is burning of fossil fuels in power plants and other industrial facilities.

2. The primary reason for India’s high emission output is the expansion of coal-based electricity generation over the past decade.

3. India should take stricter action against coal power plants and should not give them a free to hand to continue polluting the atmosphere and cause a public health emergency.

Efforts in this regard: The Environment Ministry had introduced SO2 emission limits for coal power plants in December 2015 and

set the initial deadline to control SO2 emissions from power generation by December 2017. The deadline was later extended till December 2019 after a request from the Ministry of Power and power

plant operators in Delhi-NCR and till 2022 for some other power plants across the country through a Supreme Court order.

 Sources: Indian Express.

GS Paper 2:Topics Covered:Schemes for the vulnerable sections of the society. PMUY What to study?For Prelims: PMU- key features.For Mains: PMUY- objectives, features, significance and measures needed to sustain the momentum. Context: The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana  is hailed as a timely intervention to rectify the harm caused by Household Air Pollution (HAP).  Challenges that India is currently facing:

1. The single greatest contributor to air pollution in India is the burning of solid fuels in households.2. Burning of such solid fuels, like firewood, impacts the health of household members and accounts for

somewhere between 22% to 52% of all ambient air pollution in India.3. One of the many pollutants produced on the burning of such solid fuels is fine particulate matter. Such

particles can travel deep into the respiratory system, and exposure to them can cause several adverse health effects, both short-term and long-term, including respiratory problems and heart disease.

 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana:It aims to provide LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to poor households.Who is eligible? Under the scheme, an adult woman member of a below poverty line family identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) is given a deposit-free LPG connection with financial assistance of Rs 1,600 per connection by the Centre.Identification of households: Eligible households will be identified in consultation with state governments and Union territories. The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Key objectives of the scheme are:

1. Empowering women and protecting their health.2. Reducing the serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuel.3. Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.4. Preventing young children from significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to indoor air

pollution by burning the fossil fuel. What makes LPG adoption necessary?

1. A large section of Indians, especially women and girls, are exposed to severe household air pollution (HAP) from the use of solid fuels such as biomass, dung cakes and coal for cooking.

2. A report from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare places HAP as the second leading risk factor contributing to India’s disease burden.

3. According to the World Health Organization, solid fuel use is responsible for about 13% of all mortality and morbidity in India (measured as Disability-Adjusted Life Years), and causes about 40% of all pulmonary disorders, nearly 30% of cataract incidences, and over 20% each of ischemic heart disease, lung cancer and lower respiratory infection.

 Way ahead:The PMUY is a bold and much-needed initiative, but it should be recognised that this is just a first step. The real test of the PMUY and its successor programmes will be in how they translate the provision of connections to sustained use of LPG or other clean fuels such as electricity or biogas.Truly smokeless kitchens can be realized only if the government follows up with measures that go beyond connections to actual usage of LPG. This may require concerted efforts cutting across Ministries beyond petroleum and natural gas and including those of health, rural development and women and child welfare. Sources: Indian Express.

Facts for Prelims: What is Debenture Redemption Reserve (DRR)?It is a provision stating that any Indian corporation that issues debentures must create a debenture redemption service in an effort to protect investors from the possibility of a company defaulting.

This provision was tacked onto the Indian Companies Act of 1956, in an amendment introduced in the year 2000.

Why in News? Government removes Debenture Redemption Reserve requirement for Listed Companies, NBFCs and HFCs by amending the Companies (Share Capital & Debentures) Rules.

Significance: The measure has been taken by the Government with a view to reducing the cost of the capital raised by companies through issue of debentures and is expected to significantly deepen the Bond Market.

 Okjokull glacier:Context: Iceland’s Okjokull glacier commemorated with plaque.The glacier was officially declared dead in 2014 when it was no longer thick enough to move.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019

4. allowance for city-based workers. This would allow for labour mobility and address the housing concern.

21st August 2019Aadhaar-social media profile linkingPart of: GS Mains II – Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountabilityIn News There is growing demand to link social media profiles of users with their Aadhaar

numbers to check circulation of fake, defamatory and pornographic content, as well as material that is anti-national or related to terror activities.

As a result, petitions – to link aadhar & user profile – have been filed against Social media platforms (like Facebook) in different High Courts of India

Facebook has in turn filed a plea in Supreme Court, to transfer all such petitions pending before different high courts to Supreme Court for adjudication.

Facebook contended that there were four petitions – two in the Madras High Court and one each in the Bombay and the Madhya Pradesh High Courts – on the issue.

There was a risk that the different High Courts may arrive at conflicting decisions on the issue of Aadhaar linkage. It would be better to have the SC take the final call. 

The Supreme Court stressed the need to find a balance between the right to online privacy and the right of the State to detect people who use the web to spread panic and commit crimes.

Governments response on the issue is crucial given that SC has upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right in 2017

Electric VehiclesPart of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – EconomyIn News Low-quality Chinese batteries could slow down India’s EV drive Chinese government has nudged its battery makers to move up the value chain by

recalibrating its subsidy regime. China used to provide subsidies to e-scooters with small batteries of short range and

with 25kmph speed. Now they have stopped the subsidies on those low-technology EVs and are providing

subsidies only to high-range, high-density batteries and to EVs with a longer range As a result, manufacturers of older models unable to sell their products in their

domestic market (China) are exporting their low quality batteries to India As batteries dominate costs of electric vehicles, some Indian developers tend to

buy poor quality Chinese modules to meet cost pressures and timelines. This comes against the backdrop of India’s FAME 2 scheme—to expand commercial

vehicle fleet—announced with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore in March. It is imperative to get cell cost and parameters like energy density (size and weight),

lifecycles, safety, temperature tolerance right, so that its batteries are manufactured in India and suited to Indian conditions.

Do You know? India is currently giving final touches to a plan to build Tesla-style giga factories to

develop its own domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem.  This involves a raft of incentives such as concessional financing options, friendly tax

regimes and a suitable basic customs duty safeguard According to NITI Aayog, India will need six such gigawatt-scale facilities (of 10GWh

each) by 2025 and 12 by 2030.  Besides electric vehicles, such battery storages will cater to electricity grids, given the

intermittent nature of electricity from clean energy sources such as solar and wind. 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Lake ConservationPart of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Environmental ConservationIn News The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved implementation of an integrated

management plan for Chilika and Ansupa lakes at an estimated cost of Rs 180 Crore. Chilika, country’s largest brackish water lagoon, is spread over 1,100 sq km.

Lakhs of tourists visit the lake to watch endangered Irrawaddy dolphins and migratory birds during winter

Ansupa, Odisha’s largest freshwater lake, is spread over almost 2 sq km. Ansupa is famous for its sweet water fish and is also the wintering ground for 32 species of migratory birds.

The five-year management of lakes is intended at strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying on the two water-bodies. Besides, tourism promotion and conservation of ecology will be taken up.

Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) & Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB)Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS III – Science and TechnologyIn News Treating drug-resistant tuberculosis – like MDR-TB and XDR-TB – got a boost after

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug Pretomanid.  Pretomanid is only the third new anti-TB drug approved for use by FDA in more than

40 years. The drug was developed and tested in clinical trials by New York-based non-profit

organisation TB Alliance The duration of treatment for drug-resistant TB can be drastically cut from 18-24

months to just six-nine months when pretomanid drug is used along with two already approved drugs — bedaquiline and linezolid.

 The all-oral, three-drug regimen can also vastly improve the treatment success rate (presently it is 30% -50%) and potentially decrease the number of deaths due to better adherence to treatment.

Do You know? Worldwide, TB has surpassed HIV-AIDS as the leading cause of death due to

infectious diseases. In 2017, over 13 lakh people died of the disease. People with TB who do not respond to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, which are first-

line TB drugs are said to have MDR-TB.  People who are resistantto isoniazid and rifampin, plus any fluoroquinolone and at

least one of three injectable second-line drugs (amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin) are said to have XDR-TB.

 According to WHO reports an estimated 4.5 lakh people across the world have MDR-TB and nearly 37,500 people have XDR-TB. 

India has 24% of MDR-TB cases in the world.URBANISATION   Topic: General studies 2 Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the

Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Urbanise India to eliminate   poverty CONTEXT: Sustainable urbanisation can mobilise India’s potential. The world is at 55.3%

urbanisation on average, whereas India lags at 34%.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 India must systematically urbanise and provide mass-employment to its large

population in high-growth sectors like industry and services. Can we grow enough food with a reduced agriculture workforce? World Bank data shows that with only 1.3% of its workforce in farms, the US produces

enough food to feed double its population.  In 2017, median farming household income was $75,994, which exceeded the $61,372

US household median.  China, with 27% of its workforce involved in farming, produces 500 million tonnes of

food every year with less arable land than India. India, in comparison, produces 290 million tonnes of food with a 43% agriculture

workforce when 20% would suffice.  With higher yield and productivity, a smaller agriculture workforce will earn

comparably with industry and services.The case for urbanisation is evident when we examine state-wise data.  The accompanying graphic shows urban percentage, per-capita GSDP, higher

education Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), and Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for representative states. 

GER is an indicator of human capital development; crucial for high-growth sectors like services. 

TFR indicates whether a population is shrinking or expanding and is vital to policy planning, 

States in the South-West zones: These states are more urbanised. All above the 31% all-India average. These states also have low TFR, considerably

below the national average of 2.18. Low fertility and high GER has resulted in better educated, smaller populations that

are earning more than their northern counterparts.Tamil Nadu (TN): It has India’s highest GER, at 48.6, and one of the lowest TFRs, at 1.7. In 2011 itself,

we can see TN is most urbanised at 48.4%, with an already-high GER of 40. No other big Indian state attained a GER of 40 even in 2017-18.

Rapid urbanisation has boosted TN’s enrolment in higher education. However, regressive focus on caste politics has taken away from growth. 

Though TN had the second-highest per-capita GSDP in 2011-12, growth is lower compared to states like Karnataka and Telangana, which are driven by services. 

The TN government must converge on using high GER and urbanisation to drive its strong industry legacy and build a large services sector.

Karnataka: Karnataka is an intriguing case. With one of the highest per-capita GDPs at Rs 2 lakh in

2017-18 and a reasonably high urban percentage at 38%, a reality check indicator is its lower GER of 27.8. 

Data from RBI and the Economic Survey show 60% of Karnataka’s GDP comes from Bengaluru and the services sector—driven by IT and other technological drivers. 

Like most southern states, TFR is low; but, the state sees significant immigration. Despite its large services sector, by defocusing on human capital 

Karnataka’s government is placing natives in an unfortunate situation of being unable to compete for the best jobs in their state. 

Karnataka must focus on urbanisation and development of human capital to remedy this, which will further boost the state’s impressive growth trajectory.

Gujarat: Gujarat is another unusual case—high urbanisation at 43% but lower-than-average

GER of 20.1. Gujarat’s steady growth and high per-capita GSDP of Rs 2 lakh are driven by its phenomenal industry sector, which accounts for more than half of GVA. 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 High dependency on industry, and not services, which contribute only 35% of GVA,

means Gujarat’s growth will start slowing down when automation and other factors kick in. 

With a TFR of 2.03, Gujarat’s population downturn is not as steep as southern states. Without the development of human capital, Gujarat is in danger of lagging in the future. 

The answer to this is investing in higher education and building a strong services sector to complement its industry.

Northern states Punjab: Punjab stands out among northern states. It boasts a high urban percentage (37.5%),

high GER (30.3) in 2017-18, and one of the lowest TFRs (1.62).  Despite this, Punjab still relies heavily on agriculture; its services and industrial output

is lower than that of southern states.  With indicators of high urbanisation, high GER and low population growth, Punjab can

easily make the transition to a high-growth economy focused on services, with the right policies.

North-Central-East zones  Other states in the North-Central-East zones mostly have low urbanisation and low

GER. The lack of urbanisation has resulted in a shortage of industry and services sectors and low per-capita GDP. 

The populations in these states will keep growing in the foreseeable future, indicated by higher TFRs.

Without employment options in high-growth sectors, these large populations cannot rely on agriculture or industry alone for growth. Services are a must. Uttar Pradesh has made a valiant effort to develop human capital—GER rose from 17.4 to 25.9 in six years. 

Now, policies to boost output with labour-intensive industries (LIIs) and services to provide formal employment can increase growth.

Bihar : Bihar is a troubling case study on the effects of low urbanisation and human capital.

Only 11.3% of the population is urban. GER is the lowest in India and hardly growing—from 12.5 to 13 in six years.

Per-capita GSDP is lowest, at `42,000 in 2017-18. Despite having fertile land, Bihar’s agriculture sector cannot grow because it is disorganised with a large number of dependents. 

With India’s highest TFR—3.41—Bihar’s expanding population is condemned to a sub-aspirational existence due to the state’s stagnant economy. 

Bihar needs special attention from the Centre, with focused schemes to organise the agricultural industry, urbanise and educate the masses, and provide mass employment through LIIs.

Madhya Pradesh has set a good example here by prioritising agrarian growth as well as instituting LIIs to provide mass employment

Conclusion: It is clear that every state—irrespective of prosperity or geographical location—is

diverse. We are now in an era where the role of the Centre is increasingly limited, and state spending is growing. Each state must evaluate its economy—workforce distribution, sectoral contribution, demographics, formal employment, higher education and specialisation, unique growth drivers—and set a development plan.

Connecting the dots:1. For India to make urbanisation sustainable, it must first tackle the problems of

multiplicity of jurisdictions, weak revenue base and human resource capacity deficit that impact most of its cities. Analyse.

2. How to harness the benefits of Urbanisation for more economic development. Discuss

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019

AADHAARTOPIC: General Studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and

issues arising out of their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and

States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Aadhaar –social media linkContext: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stressed the need to find a balance between the right

to online privacy and the right of the State to detect people who use the web to spread panic and commit crimes.

A Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Ghose expressed concern over the dangers of the dark web.

The Bench’s comments were in response to submissions by Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government along with advocate Balaji Srinivasan, about the need to link social media profiles of registered users with their Aadhaar numbers, and if required, have platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp share the 12-digit unique identity with law enforcement agencies to help detect crimes.

Arguments of Mr.venugopal in favour of linking Aadhaar with social media profiles: The linking of social media profiles with Aadhaar is needed to check fake news,

defamatory articles, pornographic materials and anti-national and terror contents in the online media.

He said the government found it a challenge to trace the ‘originator’ of such online content. The services of social media platforms, which were used to circulate such content, was the need of the hour.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Kapil Sibal, representing social media platforms, said they had moved the Supreme Court for the sole purpose of transferring the proceedings pending in High Courts to the apex court for adjudication.

Multiple cases: Facebook contended that there were four petitions — two in the Madras High Court

and one each in the Bombay and the Madhya Pradesh High Courts — on the issue.  The court, as the highest court in the country, and not the High Courts, should decide

the issue that affected the privacy of an online user.  A decision of the top court would cover the entire span of the country and would

uniformly apply to all the States. Mr. Sibal said a decision of the Indian courts would have global ramifications. Both lawyers pointed out that a nine-judge Constitution Bench had declared privacy as

a fundamental right associated with life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Mr. Venugopal asked why social media platforms have decided to approach the Supreme Court at this point of time.

 Aadhaar : It is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by UIDAI (Unique identification

authority of India) on behalf of Government of India  It will serve as identity and address proof anywhere in India.  It is available in 2 forms, physical and electronic form i.e. (e-Aadhaar).  Any resident (a person who has resided in India for 182 days, in the one year

preceding the date of application for enrollment for Aadhaar) of India irrespective of age, sex, class can avail it. 

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 The UID authority will authenticate the Aadhaar number of an individual, if an entity

makes such a request.  A requesting entity (an agency or person that wants to authenticate information of a person) has to obtain the consent of an individual before collecting his information.

Benefits of Aadhaar  JAM trinity –  Jan DhanYojana, Aadhaar and Mobile numbers – This will make the

government support to poor more targeted and less distortive. Identification of the beneficiaries of the government’s welfare schemes – Aadhar will

help to remove fake and duplicates identities. It can be used to filter the list of beneficiaries and stop the leakage of public money.

To tackle the black money issue – Use of Aadhar in financial transactions can reduce the menace of black money in the country.

In Income tax return – Use of Aadhar in income tax filing will reduce the number of documents needed. It can make the process more efficient and cost-effective way.

In Opening a bank account – There is no need to collect multiple identity proofs or run around for documentation. Your humble Aadhaar Card is ample proof of your identity and address.

In getting subsidies directly to the bank account – By linking Aadhar with bank accounts, subsidies like LPG will get credited to bank account directly.

To get pension money on time – By just registering with the Aadhaar number, pension-related documentation process will be eased and a timely payout of pension money can be ensured.

The issue of digital Life certificate – Aadhar number can be used to get a digital life certificate. It will help pensioners without the hassle of physically going to the bank and submitting the life certificate.

Easy Provident Fund disbursement – The Aadhaar will ensure that the Provident Fund money is not diverted and is disbursed directly to the pensioner’s account.

Accepted as a proof of address by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for investing in stock market.

Mapping development parameters – In critical sectors of the country like healthcare and education, Aadhar can be used to map the development process.

It can help to map skilled manpower, based on the vocational training acquired by the individual, to suitable job vacancies/ skill requirements of the State.

 Legislative Backing for Aadhaar: How will it help? The Narendra Modi government introduced the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of

Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The legislation seeks to provide statutory backing to Aadhaar and enable targeted delivery of subsidies and other benefits to the intended beneficiaries.

The Bill was introduced as a money Bill in the Lower House as it can be tabled and passed only in the Lok Sabha. However opposition parties have expressed concerns about calling Aadhar as Money bill. The issue of privacy has also been one of the sticky points in this regard. The article briefly deals with the issues involved.

What makes the Aadhaar platform suitable for direct benefit transfer? It is transparent and has the potential to eliminate leakage. It does so by assigning a

unique identity number to each resident. The identity remains unique because of the inclusion of biometrics like finger prints

and iris. The platform offers benefits like portability to the beneficiaries.There are three important issues that are debated around: Tabling the Aadhaar as money bill the government is setting up a dangerous

precedent. With this, the Rajya Sabha cannot make amendments to money bill passed by the Lok Sabha and can only make recommendations. It also has to return money bills to the Lok Sabha within 14 days from the date of their receipt, thus ensuring a time-bound process.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Privacy concerns around the Aadhaar project have been numerous, given that it

requires the use of biometric information such as fingerprints and iris scans of citizens. Critics claim that without appropriate checks and balances, this information isn’t secure, and that it can be misused by the state itself—to profile people. There needs to have a effective robust law to protect privacy of the citizens.

The efficacy of biometric finger print is another issue that is not properly addressed. UIDAI in its various reports has come up with certain glitches that it faced during taking biometric details of a person. There are instances where people (especially in Villages) fail get proper thumb impression, apparently making them not eligible for subsidies. The government should come up with innovative solutions to address this issue

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of India’s ambitious biometric identity project, ‘Aadhaar’, saying it benefited the marginalized and poor, but sharply reined in a government push to make it mandatory for various services. Aadhaar is meant to help benefits reach the marginalised sections of the society and

takes into account the dignity of people not only from personal but also from community point of view.

The panel ruled the programme had merits, but struck down provisions in the act that made its use mandatory in applications for services ranging from bank accounts to mobile telephone connections and school admissions.

The court also ruled unconstitutional the use of Aadhaar by companies to establish an individual’s identity.

Where is Aadhaar going to be required? Section 7 which states Aadhar is mandatory for any government scheme that draws

out of the consolidated fund of India. This means that if you want to avail benefits such as ration, LPG subsidy, MGNREGA, you have to furnish your Aadhaar number or your Aadhaar enrollment ID.

An individual has to furnish their Aadhaar number or the enrollment ID while filing Income Tax returns.

It has made Aadhaar-PAN card linking mandatory as well as the requirement of Aadhaar when applying for PAN card. This is an indirect link to banks, where PAN card number is mandatory. It is this part that, in a way, makes it mandatory for you to obtain an Aadhaar number.

What of the Aadhaar Act has the court struck down? Section 33(1) which allows disclosure of information, including identity and

authentication records, if ordered by a court not inferior to that of a District Judge. Individuals should be given the opportunity of a hearing.

Section 33(2) which allowed identity and authentication data to be disclosed in the interest of national security on direction of an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India. A Judicial Officer (preferably a sitting High Court Judge) should be associated with it and that the government should bring in legislation to this effect.

Section 47 which referred to cognizance of offences. Under this Section, no individual was allowed to file a complaint if he/she felt their data was leaked or misused. The law only allowed the court to take cognizance of a complaint filed by UIDAI or anyone authorised by it. Any individual will now be allowed to file a complaint if he/she feels their data has been compromised.

Section 57 refers to the use of Aadhaar data by any “body corporate or person” to establish the identity of an individual. Justice Sikri, in his judgment, found this section to be unconstitutional. It was under this provision that private companies like Paytm and Airtel Payments Bank sought Aadhaar details from customers.

The court also ruled that authentication record should not be kept beyond the period of six months and the provision that allowed archive records for five years has been struck down. It has excluded storage of meta-data of transactions by individuals. This

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019banning means UIDAI cannot collect data sets and mine it for more data or analysis. It has also struck down data sharing with corporates.

The Supreme Court also called for Parliament to draft and pass a data protection law immediately. “We have also impressed upon the respondents to bring out a robust data protection regime in the form of an enactment on the basis of Justice BN Srikrishna (Retd.) Committee Report with necessary modifications thereto as may be deemed appropriate.”

22nd August 2019Kutch DesertPart of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I – Ancient HistoryIn News

o A recent study has shown that the hot arid desert of Kutch was once a humid sub-tropical forest with a variety of birds, freshwater fish and possibly giraffes and rhinos.

o The fossils, consisting mostly of ribs, and parts of teeth and bones, were unearthed from Palasava village of Rapar taluk in Kutch, Gujarat.

o Overall, the fossil finds from Palasava suggest that a rich diversity of fauna and flora sustained in warm, humid/wet, tropical to sub-tropical environmental conditions during the Middle Miocene (14 Million years ago)

o The bulk of fossils unearthed in Kutch have so far been mainly marine organisms, due to their proximity to the Arabian Sea. 

o Geological changes eventually closed off the salt-flats’ connection to the sea and the region turned into a large lake, eventually becoming salty wetlands.

Significance of the findingso Kutch is a potential treasure trove of mammal fossils with possible continuity to vertebrate fossils in

the Siwalik, spanning Pakistan to Nepal.o It also points to clues on how mammals dispersed between Africa and the Indian subcontinent when

part of India was in the Gondwanaland supercontinent that existed nearly 300 million years ago.State rooftop solar attractiveness Index (SARAL)Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Environmental ConservationIn News SARAL Index evaluates Indian states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development It has been designed collaboratively by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Shakti

Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Ernst & Young (EY).

SARAL currently captures five key aspects –1.

1. Robustness of policy framework2. Implementation environment3. Investment climate4. Consumer experience5. Business ecosystem

The Index would incentivise rooftop solar by creating healthy competition among the States.Do You know? India has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, of which 100 GW solar power

is to be operational by March 2022, of which 40 GW is expected to come from grid connected solar rooftops. 

Karnataka has been placed at the first rank in SARAL Index. Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have got 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank respectively.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019NISHTHAPart of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Issues relating to EducationIn News Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister launched NISHTHA to build capacities of 42

Lakh government teachers across the country. National Mission to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary level (NISHTHA) is the world’s

largest teachers training programme of its kind Under it, teachers will develop their skills on various aspects related to Learning Outcomes, School

Safety and Security, ICT in teaching-learning including Artificial Intelligence, Environmental Concerns and School Based Assessment in a joyful learning manner. 

Training will be conducted directly by 33120 Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and State Resource Persons (SRP) identified by the State and UTs, who will in turn be trained by 120 National Resource Persons identified from NCERT, NIEPA, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), CBSE and NGO. 

It objective is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.  (MAINS FOCUS)CITIZENSHIPTOPIC: General Studies 2 Refugee issue; Citizenship Amendment Bill. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of

their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the

performance of these schemes. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian

diaspora.How an Indian citizen is definedContext: In the run-up to the publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, citizenship

has become the most talked about topic in the country.Concerns: The Assam government has been taking various steps in relation to those who will be left out of the

NRC, while the Supreme Court last week rejected a plea to include those born in India between after March 24, 1971 and before July 1, 1987 unless they had ancestral links to India. In any other Indian state, they would have been citizens by birth, but the law is different for Assam

How is citizenship determined? Citizenship signifies the relationship between individual and state. It begins and ends with state and law,

and is thus about the state, not people. Citizenship is an idea of exclusion as it excludes non-citizens. There are two well-known principles for grant of citizenship. While jus soli confers citizenship on the

basis of place of birth, jus sanguinis gives recognition to blood ties. From the time of the Motilal Nehru Committee (1928), the Indian leadership was in favour of the enlightened concept of jus soli. The racial idea of jus sanguis was rejected by the Constituent Assembly as it was against the Indian ethos.

Citizenship is in the Union List under the Constitution and thus under the exclusive jurisdiction of Parliament. 

The Constitution does not define the term ‘citizen’ but gives, in Articles 5 to 11, details of various categories of persons who are entitled to citizenship. 

Unlike other provisions of the Constitution, which came into being on January 26, 1950, these articles were enforced on November 26, 1949 itself, when the Constitution was adopted. However, Article 11 itself confers wide powers on Parliament by laying down that “nothing in the foregoing provisions shall derogate from the power of Parliament to make any provision with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship and all matters relating to citizenship”. Thus Parliament can go against the citizenship provisions of the Constitution.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 The Citizenship Act, 1955 was passed and has been amended four times — in 1986, 2003, 2005, and

2015. The Act empowers the government to determine the citizenship of persons in whose case it is in doubt. 

However, over the decades, Parliament has narrowed down the wider and universal principles of citizenship based on the fact of birth. Moreover, the Foreigners Act places a heavy burden on the individual to prove that he is not a foreigner.

So who is, or is not, a citizen of India? Article 5: It provided for citizenship on commencement of the Constitution. All those domiciled and

born in India were given citizenship. Even those who were domiciled but not born in India, but either of whose parents was born in India, were considered citizens. Anyone who had been an ordinary resident for more than five years, too, was entitled to apply for citizenship.

Article 6: Since Independence was preceded by Partition and migration, Article 6 laid down that anyone who migrated to India before July 19, 1949, would automatically become an Indian citizen if either of his parents or grandparents was born in India. But those who entered India after this date needed to register themselves.

Article 7: Even those who had migrated to Pakistan after March 1, 1947 but subsequently returned on resettlement permits were included within the citizenship net. The law was more sympathetic to those who migrated from Pakistan and called them refugees than to those who, in a state of confusion, were stranded in Pakistan or went there but decided to return soon.

Article 8: Any Person of Indian Origin residing outside India who, or either of whose parents or grandparents, was born in India could register himself or herself as ab Indian citizen with Indian Diplomatic Mission.

1986 amendment: Unlike the constitutional provision and the original Citizenship Act that gave citizenship on the principle of jus soli to everyone born in India, the 1986 amendment to Section 3 was less inclusive as it added the condition that those who were born in India on or after January 26, 1950 but before July 1, 1987, shall be Indian citizen. Those born after July 1, 1987 and before December 4, 2003, in addition to one’s own birth in India, can get citizenship only if either of his parents was an Indian citizen at the time of birth.

2003 amendment: The then NDA government made the above condition more stringent, keeping in view infiltration from Bangladesh. Now the law requires that for those born on or after December 4, 2004, in addition to the fact of their own birth, both parents should be Indian citizens or one parent must be Indian citizen and other should not be an illegal migrant. With these restrictive amendments, India has almost moved towards the narrow principle of jus sanguinis or blood relationship. This lays down that an illegal migrant cannot claim citizenship by naturalisation or registration even if he has been a resident of India for seven years.

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: The amendment proposes to permit members of six communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — to continue to live in India if they entered India before December 14, 2014. It also reduces the requirement for citizenship from 11 years out of the preceding 14 years, to just 6 years. Two notifications also exempted these migrants from the Passport Act and Foreigner Act. A large number of organisations in Assam protested against this Bill as it may grant citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindu illegal migrants.

What is different in Assam? The Assam Movement against illegal immigration eventually led to the historic Assam Accord of 1985,

signed by Movement leaders and the Rajiv Gandhi government.  Accordingly, the 1986 amendment to the Citizenship Act created a special category of citizens in

relation to Assam.  The newly inserted Section 6A laid down that all persons of Indian origin who entered Assam before

January 1, 1966 and have been ordinary residents will be deemed Indian citizens.  Those who came after 1 January, 1966 but before March 25, 1971,and have been ordinary residents, will

get citizenship at the expiry of 10 years from their detection as foreigner. During this interim period, they will not have the right to vote but can get an Indian passport.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Identification of foreigners was to be done under the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act,

(IMDT Act), 1983, which was applicable only in Assam while the Foreigners Act, 1946 was applicable in the rest of the country. 

The provisions of the IMDT Act made it difficult to deport illegal immigrants. On the petition of Sarbananda Sonowal (now Chief Minister), the Act was held unconstitutional and struck down by the Supreme Court in 2005. This was eventually replaced with the Foreigners (Tribunals of Assam) Order, 2006, which again was struck down in 2007 in Sonowal II.

In the IMDT case, the court considered classification based on geographical considerations to be a violation of the right to equality under Article 14. In fact, another such variation was already in place. While the cutoff date for Western Pakistan is July 19, 1949, for Eastern Pakistan the Nehru-Liaquat Pact had pushed it to 1950.

Constitutionality of Section 6A A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court is yet to examine the constitutionality of Section 6A under

which the current NRC has been prepared.  The Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur did hold its hearing on April 19, 2017, but it was

dissolved on the retirement of Justice P C Pant in August 2017. The Supreme Court, in its order last week, refused to extend restrictive provisions of amendments to Assam in view of a different dispensation for them in Section 6A.

In Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha (2014) where the constitutionality of the 1986 amendment was challenged (the Mahasangha argues that the cutoff year for Assam should be 1951 instead if 1971), the court referred the matter to the Constitution Bench. 

While Section 6A was inserted in 1986 as a result of the Assam Accord, which has been discussed at length by the court, the court accepted the challenge to its constitutionality in 2014 and referred to the Constitution Bench 13 questions such as whether Section 6A is constitutional and valid though it prescribes a different cutoff date for Assam (1971) from the one prescribed in the Constitution for the rest of the country (1949). But then, this provision was about citizenship on commencement of the Constitution.

Conclusion: Assam has borne the brunt of migration in ways that unsettled so many identities and created distributive

conflicts.  The process of completing the National Register of Citizens is on, and either way its results are going to

leave large numbers of people disaffected and vulnerable.  The real challenge for India will begin after the process of identifying immigrants is done. What do we

do with people we will have declared stateless? How do we address these concerns without a disproportionate burden falling on Assam

Connecting the dots:1. Assam has excluded four million people from its National Register of Citizens (NRC). Now, it doesn’t

know what to do with them. Comment.2. Modern nations are products of migrations and cultural diffusion and all the richer for it. NRC process

doesn’t seem alive to this reality. Discuss.3. Political parties must stop feasting on the complexities of Assam’s demography. Examine.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTTOPIC: General studies 2 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of

their design and implementation. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the

performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

The ‘Kerala Model’ is unsustainableContext:

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019 Over the years, parties have responded to commercial interests over the welfare of peopleConcerns: In 2018 Kerala was overwhelmed by an unprecedented natural event. Flooding combined with landslides

caused many deaths. Floods were not new to Kerala, which receives high rainfall. What was new compared to the times of equally high rainfall in the early part of the last century was the flooding due to inept dam management and the vulnerability of the terrain induced by the pattern of land use. 

In 2019 we have seen some of this repeated. This year it is the landslides that have caused most deaths. They are a relatively recent phenomenon, pointing to the role of uncontrolled economic expansion.

Kerala Model of Development:The positive side, -Kerala has Comparatively low levels of basic gender inequality (reflected, for instance, in a high female-male

ratio), Relatively equitable educational opportunities (indeed, near-universal literacy, especially among the

young),  Extensive social security arrangements (e.g. broad-based entitlements to homestead land, old-age

pensions and the ‘public distribution system Limited incidence of caste oppression (e.g. few violent crimes against scheduled castes),  Low rural-urban disparities. The role of basic education (and. particularly of female literacy) in promoting basic capabilities The favourable position and informed agency of women crucial to a wide range of social achievements;  The access to public utilities;  The role of public action in a wide sense, involving the State and the public at large.  Lauded for the high human development indicators it is believed to have bestowed upon the StateFailures: The foremost is the inability to meet the employment aspirations of the people, pushing them to live

under authoritarian regimes overseas. Second, the laudable public provision of health and education has been financed by borrowing. Kerala has the highest per capita public debt among States, implying that we are passing on the bill for

our own maintenance to future generations. Kerala has not done so well when viewed through the lens of gender justice. High levels of female

education have not led to an equally high participation of women in the labour force or in governance, even though they participate equally in elections.

The extraordinary events that we have witnessed this year range from fountains sprouting out of the earth due to the hitherto unknown ‘water piping’ to constructed structures shifting, physical phenomena not yet widely understood. 

There has been overbuilding in Kerala, with absentee owners having invested in luxury houses they do not always occupy. As a result poorer households are crowded out of safe locations on the plains to precarious ones on the hills.

Public policy has failed miserably to regulate land use including rampant quarrying, which destabilises the earth’s surface, with political patronage. Truth is that public policy is part of the problem

The floodgates were opened in 2015 when the Congress party did away with environmental clearance for quarries in existence for three years. 

Then in 2017 the Pinarayi Vijayan government relaxed the rules for quarrying further.  It also weakened the provisions of the legislation governing conversion of agricultural land into

construction sites.  The rice paddies had both produced food and served as gargantuan sinks for rainwater. Kerala’s principal political parties, irrespective of their ideologies, have responded to commercial

interests over the welfare of ordinary people.Conclusion: To come out of this morass the people of Kerala would have to rely on themselves. They need to

acknowledge that their consumption pattern must change as it has adversely impacted the natural environment, the consequences of which have begun to hurt them. In this task they are unlikely to be guided by the State’s politicians and intellectuals who led them into this cul-de-sac in the first place.

DAILY PRELIMS CUM MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER---22-AUG-2019Connecting the Dots:

1. Compare the kerala model of development with Gujarat model? (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE)Q.1) Palasava recently seen in news is associated with which of the following fields?

a. Fibre crop grown in Manipur which got GI tag recentlyb. Ancient Ayurveda medicine found to be useful in

cancer researchc. Village in Kutch area where fossils have been

discoveredd. None of the above

Q.2) State rooftop solar attractiveness Index (SARAL) is designed by which body/organisation?

a. NITI Aayogb. The Energy and Research Institute (TERI)c. Ministry of Powerd. None of the above

Q.3) NISHTHA scheme is being implemented by which Union Ministry?

a. Ministry of Minority Affairsb. Ministry of Women and Child developmentc. Ministry of Human Resources developmentd. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship