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Current Affairs and News Dosage

Initiative (CANDI)

19-21 June 2022

A One Stop Solution for Current Affairs

Our Current Affairs and News Dosage Initiative – CANDI covers the most
important topics from The Hindu, Indian Express, Livemint, PIB, ORF, Yojana,
Kurukshetra, Down to Earth etc. This covers topics important for UPSC Civil
Services Examination in a detailed and crisp perspective helping for MAINS
as well as to boost your PRELIMS score. All the news articles are analysed and
summarized for easy reading and understanding. The news articles are
complemented by infographics and diagrams. We provide summaries of
important editorials from The Hindu and Indian Express in a crisp manner.
Important facts are highlighted for your convenience.
 LEAD ARTICLES

A case of the court straying into the legislative sphere

Context
 Recently, the Allahabad High Court, while allowing two criminal
revisions pertaining to a dowry case, took cognisance of the misuse of Section
498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), proposed certain safeguards and directed the
State authorities of Uttar Pradesh to take the necessary steps for their
implementation in a given time period.
 The Malimath committee in 2003 has also noted that the "general complaint" of
Section 498A of the IPC to be subjected to gross misuse.
Background
 Misuse of dowry provisions: The High Court expressed its concern over the
growing tendency of dowry victims to rope in the husband and all his family
members using general and sweeping allegations.
 HC powers: The High Court (using its inherent powers under Section 482 CrPC)
can quash a criminal proceeding which is not compoundable (after a settlement is
reached between the opposing parties).
 Scepticism related to HC directions: The question is whether the High Court was
well within its jurisdiction to issue such directions when the scheme of investigation
under the CrPC was clearly laid down and there was no ambiguity about or gaps in
the law on arrest, inviting such a fresh interpretation.
About Section 498A of IPC
 The incorporation of section 498A was done by the Indian Parliament in 1983 as
a criminal law.
 It was aimed at preventing cruelty committed upon a woman by her husband and
her in-laws by facilitating rapid state intervention.
 It is defined that if the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjected
such woman towards cruelty then they would be punished with imprisonment for a
term which might extend to 3 years and may also be liable for fine.
 Section 498 A of Indian Penal Code is one of the greatest rescues for Violence
against Woman (VAW), which is a reflection of the pathetic reality of the domestic
violence occurring within the four walls of a house.
High court guidelines
 Constitute family welfare committee: The directions, inter alia, include
constitution of a family welfare committee in each district under the District Legal
Services Authority (DLSA).
 First Information Report: Handing over the first information report to such a
committee immediately after its registration.
 Bar on detention: No arrest shall be made by the police during the “cooling period’
of two months.
 Application of HC directions: The High Court’s directions shall apply to the cases
involving Section 498A IPC, along with no injury – Section 307 (attempt to murder)
and other sections in the IPC in which the imprisonment is less than 10 years.
 In other words, if a woman’s bone is fractured or permanent privation is caused to
any eye or ear or a joint by her husband during the course of a matrimonial fight,

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 the police shall not effect arrest, as the maximum imprisonment prescribed in such
cases of grievous hurt is seven years.
 Peripheral investigation: The police shall only do peripheral investigations such
as collecting the injury report and recording the statements of witnesses, whose
worth is unsure in further proceedings.
Concerns related to HC directions
 Noble intentions: It cannot be refuted that the directions issued by the High Court
were inspired with noble intentions to curb the tendency of reporting cases with
exaggerations and sweeping allegations in the heat of matrimonial discord.
 Judicial overreach: But these directions potentially fall in the sphere of legislature.
The constitutionality of dowry provisions has already been established.
 Unnecessary dilution: Also, the misuse of Section 498A IPC by itself cannot be a
ground to dilute it and issue directions which do not flow from any provision of the
Code.
 Curtail rights: Moreover, these directions might curtail the rights of a genuine
victim of dowry harassment.
 Repeat offense: The judgment is also silent about the role of the police if a repeat
offence is committed during a ‘cooling-period” of two months.
Similar case in Supreme Court
 The High Court specifically mentioned in its judgment of taking guidance from the
judgments of the Supreme Court of India in following cases which dealt with the
growing misuse of dowry provisions as follows:
 Social Action Forum for Manav Adhikar vs Union of India (2018): In this case,
the Supreme Court held constitution of family welfare committee committees and
an embargo on arrest by the police for one month till the submission of report by
the family welfare committee.
 With this, apex court put an end to immediate arrest of the husband and his
family members in the dowry harassment cases filed under Section 498A of Indian
Penal Code (IPC) and directed cases under Section 498A of IPC to be referred to
Family Welfare Committees (FWC).
 These SC directions did not apply to the offences involving tangible physical injuries
or death as noted in Rajesh Sharma (supra) case.
 There will be also no routine impounding of passports or issuance of Red Corner
Notice for the accused NRI.
 Court also held that a third agency (i.e., the family welfare committee) had nothing
to do with the CrPC, and more so in stalling arrest till a report is submitted by the
committee.
 The personal appearance of all family members and particularly outstation
members would also not be required.
 The directions to settle a case after it is registered is not a correct expression of law,
the top court had held.
 Vishaka vs State of Rajasthan (1997): The Supreme Court issued directions to
enforce fundamental rights in the absence of law in certain cases of sexual
harassment at the workplace.
About family welfare committee
 Composition: FWC must comprise 3 members who may be social workers, retired
persons, para-legal volunteers, wives of working officers and other citizens who are

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 found suitable and willing. However, these committee members will not be
considered as witnesses.
 Settle matrimonial dispute: Except for the minor difference in the composition of
the family welfare committees (such as inclusion of a young mediator or an advocate
or a senior law student) as directed by the High Court, the primary role of such
committees remains the same, i.e., settling the matrimonial dispute between the
two parties.
 Significance: By creating the Family Welfare Committee, the court creates one
more layer between the victim and the justice system.
 The creation of an intermediate body that will inspect complaints against cruelty,
before the complaint reaches the formal authority & to check for maliciousness is
to indicate that the judiciary does not trust the very beneficiaries of this legal
provision.
Possible solutions to check misuse
 In order to check false cases of dowry and avoidable incarcerations, following
solutions seem plausible as follows:
 Adherence to guidelines: The police must strictly enforce the Supreme Court’s
directions issued in Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar (2014) and ensure that there
is sufficient reason and credible material against the accused person to necessitate
arrest.
 Training and sensitization: The investigating officers must be imparted rigorous
training with regard to the principles stated by the Court relating to arrest.
 Departmental investigation: The wrong-doers also need to be punished
departmentally.
 Bailable offence: The legislature may deliberate upon and make Section 498A IPC
bailable.
 Legislative action: The legislature can amend and make the offence under Section
498A IPC compoundable so that a compromise could be arrived at with or without
the permission of the competent court. This will not only save cost to the parties in
dispute but also the High Court’s valuable time.
 Institutional support: Once the Mediation Bill, 2021 is enacted, the institutional
mediation mechanism may also help in settling the matrimonial dispute through
the civil route.
Conclusion
Till the time any such amendment is made or law is enacted, the law of the land needs to
be enforced strictly by both the police and the courts, without any dilution. Any such
directions which do not emanate from the provisions of law, are likely to be struck down
by the Supreme Court again.

MAJOR NEWS ARTICLES

Theri Desert

What in News?
There are couple of theories that are being debated regarding the formation of Theri desert
, the most plausible being the role of south west monsoonal winds.

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What is the Theri Desert?
 It is a small desert situated in the state of Tamil Nadu. It consists of red sand
dunes and is confined to Thoothukudi district.
 The red dunes are called theri in Tamil. They consist of sediments dating back to
the Quaternary Period (began 2.6 million years ago) and are made of marine deposits.
 They have very low water and nutrient retention capacity. The dunes are
susceptible to aerodynamic lift. This is the push that lets something move up. It is the
force that is the opposite of weight.
What is the Mineral Composition of Theri?
 The petrographical study (petrography is the study of composition and properties of
rocks) and X-ray diffraction analysis (a method used to determine a material’s
crystallographic structure) of the red sand dunes reveal the presence of heavy and light
minerals.
 These include: Ilmenite, Magnetite, Rutile, Garnet, Zircon, Diopside, Tourmaline,
Hematite,Goethite,Kyanite,Quartz,Feldspar and Biotite.
 The iron-rich heavy minerals like ilmenite, magnetite, garnet, hypersthene and
rutile present in the soil had undergone leaching by surface water and were then
oxidised because of the favourable semi-arid climatic conditions.
 It was due to these processes that the dunes near Tiruchendur, a coastal town of
Thoothukudi district are red-coloured.
How Theri Dunes Were formed?
 Theri appears as gentle, undulating terrain. The lithology (the study of general
physical characteristics of rocks) that the area might have been a paleo (ancient)
coast in the past. The presence of limestone in many places indicates marine
transgression.
 The present-day theris might have been formed by the confinement of beach sand
locally, after regression of the sea. When high velocity winds from the Western Ghats
blew east, they induced migration of sand grains and accumulation of dunes.
 Another view is that these are geological formations that appeared in a period of a
few hundred years.
 There is a lot of red sand spread over these theris. The red sand is brought from the
surface of a broad belt of red loam in the plains of the Nanguneri region (about 57
kilometres from this area in Tirunelveli district) by south west monsoon winds during
May-September.
 Deforestation and absence of vegetative cover are considered to be the major causes of
wind erosion.
 When the dry monsoon wind blows with high velocity, the red loam is churned and
driven east in huge columns of red sand, till they are met by sea breeze near the coastal
tract of Tiruchendur and get deposited there.
 These processes of erosion, transport and deposit of sediments that are caused by
wind at or near the surface of the earth, are called Aeolian processes. They lead to
continual sand redistribution.

Bamboo-Dwelling Bat

What in News?
Recently, Scientists have discovered a new species of bamboo-dwelling bat near
the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary.

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What do we Need to Know about Newly Discovered Species?
 The new species of bamboo-dwelling bat has been named Glischropus
meghalayanus.
o Bamboo-dwelling bats are a particular kind of bat living in the internodes of
bamboo with specialised morphological characters that help them to adapt to the
life inside a bamboo plant.
 It is small in size and has a dark brown colour with sulphur yellow belly.
 The present discovery is the first report of a thick-thumbed bat not only from India
but also from South Asia.
What are Thick-Thumbed Bats?
 This bat has typical fleshy pads on the thumb and soles of feet which aid them to
crawl over smooth surfaces of bamboo internodes.
 Thick-thumbed bats of the genus Glischropus are currently composed of four
recognized species from Southeast Asia.
o G. aquilus is endemic to Sumatra, G. javanus is restricted to western Java,
whereas G. bucephalus is widely distributed north to the Isthmus of Kra and G.
tylopus is widespread south to this zoogeographic boundary.
 Earlier, a new species of thick-thumbed bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Glischropus)
from Meghalaya, north-eastern India was discovered.
What are the Recent Discoveries of Bats from Meghalaya?
 From the same forested patches outside Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, another
species of disk-footed bat Eudiscopus denticulus was found which was a new record
in India.
 In the past few years, three bamboo-dwelling bats have been reported from the area
which highlights the ecological significance of the region.
o Since the bamboo forest around the wildlife sanctuary has a rich bio-diversity there
should be attempts to conserve it.
What is the Number of Bat Species in India?
 Total Number:
o With this new discovery, the total number of bat species known from India stands
at 131.
 Highest Bat Diversity:
o Meghalaya harbors the highest bat diversity in the country with 67
species, which is about 51% of total bat species in the country.
o Meghalaya, because of its unique terrain, vegetation and climate condition, was
a haven for both flora and fauna.
o The unique caves in the northeastern State provided roosting opportunities for a
large number of bats.
o There were a number of cave-dwelling bats species from Meghalaya, the most
common being Horseshoe bat and Leaf-nosed bats.
Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary
 Situated in the Ri-Bhoi district near Lailad village and spread over an area of 29 sq.
kms, Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the famous attractions of Meghalaya.
 The Sanctuary falls in the Eastern Himalayan Global biodiversity hotspot.
 The sanctuary supports different species of fauna such as Royal Bengal Tiger, Clouded
Leopard, Indian Bison, and Himalayan Black Bear etc.
 Among the birds, the rare species which can be spotted here are Manipur Bush Quail,
Rufous Necked Hornbill and Brown Hornbill.

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 Other Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya:

o Siju Wildlife Sanctuary

o Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary
o Baghmara Pitcher Plant Sanctuary
o Nokrek National Park

Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR 2022)

What in News?
Recently the Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR 2022) was released by REN21
(Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century).
 REN21 is a global collective of renewable energy actors.
 It includes scientists, governments such as India’s, non-governmental
organisations and members of the industry who collated data on renewable energy
installations, markets, investments and policies in countries across the world.
What is Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR 2022)?
 The Renewables 2022 Global Status Report documents the progress made in the
renewable energy sector.
 It highlights the opportunities afforded by a renewable-based economy and
society, including the ability to achieve more diversified and inclusive energy
governance through localised energy generation and value chains.
 Countries with higher shares of renewables in their total energy consumption enjoy a
greater level of energy independence and security.
What are the key Highlights of the Report?
 Global Overview:
o This Report sends a clear warning that the global clean energy transition is not
happening, making it unlikely that the world will be able to meet critical climate
goals this decade.
o Although many more governments committed to net zero greenhouse
gas emissions in 2021, the reality is that, in response to the energy crisis, most
countries have gone back to seeking out new sources of fossil fuels and to
burning even more coal, oil and natural gas.
o For the first time, GSR 2022 provides a world map of renewable energy shares
by country and highlights progress in some of the leading countries.
o In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in
November 2021, a record 135 countries pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse
gas emissions by 2050.
 However, only 84 of these countries had economy-wide targets for
renewable energy, and only 36 had targets for 100 % renewables.
 India’s Performance:
o Renewable Energy: India ranked third in renewable energy installations in
2021, after China and Russia.
o Hydropower Capacity: India added 843 MW of hydropower capacity in
2021, raising the total capacity to 45.3 GW.
o New Solar PV Capacity: India was the second largest market in Asia for new
solar PV capacity and third globally (13 GW of additions in 2021).

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 o Total Installations: It ranked fourth for total installations (60.4 GW), overtaking
Germany (59.2 GW) for the first time.
o Wind Power: India ranked third globally for the total installed capacity of wind
power (40.1 GW), behind China, the US and Germany.
What are the Initiatives taken by India to Promote Renewable Energy?
 National Solar Mission (NSM): The 100 GW solar ambition at the heart of the world’s
largest renewable energy expansion programme.
 The Wind Energy Revolution: Leveraging India’s robust wind energy sector to
boost clean energy manufacturing and the rural economy
 National Biofuels Policy and SATAT: Building value chains to reduce fuel imports,
increase clean energy, manage waste, and create jobs
 International Solar Alliance (ISA): Harnessing the infinite power for the Sun for
sustainable human development.
 Small Hydro Power (SHP): Harnessing the power of water to integrate remote
communities into the economic mainstream.
 National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM): Exploring the commercial viability of
a versatile clean fuel.
 Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme: Integrating India into the global clean
energy value chains
What are Hurdles in India’s Transitions towards Renewable Energy?
 Poor Financial Condition of Discoms:
o The most important challenge for further scaling up renewables in India is the poor
financial condition of power distribution companies (discoms), most of which are
owned by state governments. Almost all renewable energy is purchased by such
discoms, resulting in very long and unsustainable payment cycles.
 Variability in its Generation:
o The variability in its generation due to weather conditions makes operating the
transmission grid a technically demanding task. Until recently, RE power
capacity was small, but now RE projects are producing so much power that they
are sometimes required to reduce or switch off generation to ensure that the grid is
operating smoothly.
 Weak Transmission Grid:
o The weak transmission grid in the country has also been a challenge, especially
in the case of RE projects, which are often set up in remote areas, and away from
large cities and consumption centres.
 For example, ambitious plans to build large solar projects in Leh were
recently cancelled citing weak transmission infrastructure.
 Nascent Technology:
o India does not possess the required technology which is needed in this area,
for example India is dependent on foreign players for import of Photovoltaic solar
cells.
 Impact on Environment:
o While RE generation is zero-carbon (barring some biofuels), there are emissions at
other points of its lifecycle, such as during raw material extraction and
equipment manufacturing. There are also RE’s detrimental impacts on
biodiversity and ecology.
 Shortage of Skilled Personnel:

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 o India’s power sector has always faced shortage of skilled personnel, not only in the
private sector but also within DISCOMs, grid management companies, regulators
and policymakers and this problem is being compounded further in the current
scenario.
 Installation Cost Issue:
o The high initial cost of installation is one of the major hurdles in the development
of renewable energy. Although the development of a coal plant requires high
investment, it is known that wind and solar power plants also require huge
investment.
o In addition to this, storage systems of the generated energy are expensive and
represent a real challenge in terms of megawatt production.
Way Forward
 Global Partnerships: Global partnerships can open new channels of support through
technology or financial resources being shared.
 Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE): Distributed RE - in which power from
renewable sources is generated near points of use instead of centralised plants -
can help achieve the Global South’s ambitious renewable energy targets as well as
increase access to reliable and modern energy, if a favourable regulatory and policy
environment is created.
 RE as a Responsible Energy: RE shouldn’t stand merely for renewable energy but also
for responsible energy.
o To avoid negative impacts, the RE industry must act on four principles:
 Actively promoting universal labour, land, and human rights,
 Protecting restoring and nurturing resilient, thriving ecological systems,
 Committing to participatory governance principles,
 Recognising that resilient communities and an inclusive workforce are
critical to their success.
 Climate Financing: It will help energy-poor countries which need funding to
accelerate their carbon-cutting goals and invest in new technologies to decouple their
growth trajectories from fossil fuels.

World Mental Health Report: WHO

What in News?
Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) released the World Mental Health
Report.
What are the highlights of the report?
 WHO has called for more action on addressing mental health issues worldwide,
especially now that the 'Covid-19' pandemic has been cited as contributing
to worsening mental health.
 Almost a billion people, 14% of whom were adolescents, were living with some form of
mental health issues in 2019. For some, this resulted in dying by suicide which
accounted for one in 100 deaths, with more than half of them happening before the age
of 50.
 Depression and anxiety spiked 25 % in the first year of the pandemic (2020).
 All 194 WHO member states have adopted the Comprehensive Mental Health Action
Plan 2013–2030 but progress has been slow.

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 Other structural threats to mental well-being besides the pandemic include social and
economic inequalities, public health emergencies, war and the climate crisis.
 Those living with mental health issues live some two decades less than the general
population.
 Access to mental health services remains poor. Globally, 71% of psychosis patients
don’t receive treatment. High-income countries provide treatment to 70% psychosis
patients and low-income countries manage the same for just 12%.
 The WHO’s report lists three key ‘paths to transformation’ to quicken progress on
the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030.
o These include more focussed investment in mental health, reshaping
environments such as homes, communities, schools, workplaces and health care
services that influence mental health and strengthening the quality of mental
health care by diversifying it.
What is Mental health?
 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of well-
being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution
to his or her community.’
 Like Physical health, Mental health is also important at every stage of life, from
childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
What are the Challenges related to Mental Health?
 High Public Health Burden: An estimated 150 million people across India are in
need of mental health care interventions, according to India’s latest National Mental
Health Survey 2015-16.
 Lack of Resources: Low proportion of the mental health workforce in India (per
100,000 population) include psychiatrists (0.3), nurses (0.12), psychologists (0.07) and
social workers (0.07).
o Low financial resource allocation of just over a percent of Gross Domestic
Product on healthcare has created impediments in public access to affordable
mental healthcare.
 Other Challenges: Poor awareness about the symptoms of mental illness, social
stigma and abandonment of mentally ill, especially old and destitute, leads to social
isolation and reluctance on part of family members to seek treatment for the patient.
o This has resulted in a massive treatment gap, which further worsens the present
mental illness of a person.
 Post-Treatment gap: There is need for proper rehabilitation of the mentally ill
persons post his/her treatment which is currently not present.
 Rise in Severity: Mental health problems tend to increase during economic
downturns, therefore special attention is needed during times of economic distress.
What are the Steps Taken by the Government for Promoting Mental Health?
 Constitutional Provision: SC has held healthcare to be a fundamental right
under Article 21 of the Constitution.
 National Mental Health Program (NMHP): To address the huge burden of mental
disorders and shortage of qualified professionals in the field of mental health, the
government has been implementing the National Mental Health Program (NMHP)
since 1982.

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 o The Program was re-strategized in 2003 to include two schemes, viz.
Modernization of State Mental Hospitals and Up-gradation of Psychiatric Wings of
Medical Colleges/General Hospitals.
 Mental HealthCare Act 2017: It guarantees every affected person access to mental
healthcare and treatment from services run or funded by the government.
o It has significantly reduced the scope for the use of Section 309 IPC and made the
attempt to commit suicide punishable only as an exception.
 Kiran Helpline: In 2020, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched
a 24/7 toll-free helpline ‘Kiran’ to provide support to people facing anxiety, stress,
depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health concerns.
 Manodarpan: The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) launched it
under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. It is aimed to provide psychosocial support to
students, family members and teachers for their mental health and well-being
during the times of Covid-19.
Way Forward
 Mental health situation in India demands active policy interventions and resource
allocation by the government.
 To reduce the stigma around mental health, we need measures to train and sensitize
the community/society.
 When it comes to providing the right care to patients with mental illness, we need
mental health care intervention to the patients, we need innovative models to deepen
the penetration of services and staff.
o One such model is Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) by the ministry of
health and family welfare.
 India needs a constant stream of funds for educating and creating awareness about
mental health and chronic issues around it.
 The need of the hour is to provoke masses to learn about mental health through
campaigns like Swachh Mansikta Abhiyan.

Aspirational District Programme

What in News?
Recently, the Prime Minister has expressed his desire to extend the Aspirational District
Programme to block and city levels.
What is Aspirational Districts Programme?
 About:
o It was launched in 2018 which aims to transform districts that have shown
relatively lesser progress in key social areas.
o Aspirational Districts are those districts in India, that are affected by poor socio-
economic indicators.
 Broad Contours of the Programme:
o Convergence (of Central & State Schemes)
o Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors),
o Competition among districts through monthly delta ranking.
 The delta ranking of the Aspirational Districts combines the innovative use of
data with pragmatic administration, keeping the district at the locus of inclusive
development.
 Objectives:

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 o It focuses on the strength of each district, identifying low-hanging fruits for
immediate improvement and measuring progress by ranking districts on a
monthly basis.
o Districts are prodded and encouraged to first catch up with the best district within
their state, and subsequently aspire to become one of the best in the country,
by competing with, and learning from others in the spirit of competitive &
cooperative federalism.
o The Government is committed to raising the living standards of its citizens and
ensuring inclusive growth for all – “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas aur Sabka Vishwas”.
o The ADP is essentially aimed at localizing Sustainable Development Goals,
leading to the progress of the nation.
 Parameters for Ranking:
o The ranking is based on the incremental progress made across 49 Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) under 5 broad socio-economic themes -
 Health & Nutrition (30%)
 Education (30%)
 Agriculture & Water Resources (20%)
 Financial Inclusion & Skill Development (10%)
 Infrastructure (10%)
 Various Programmes:
o Various programmes such as – Saksham Bitiyan Abhiyan, Anemia Mukt
Bharat and Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum, are some of the flagship initiatives
that have been taken up by NITI Aayog in this regard.
 Challenges Associated with ADP
o Insufficient Budgetary Resources:
 ADP is affected by the issue pertaining to insufficient budgetary resources.
o Lack of Coordination:
 ADP is implemented by multiple ministries which leads to a lack of
coordination.
o Data High-quality administrative data:
 Data High-quality administrative data is critical to improving programme
implementation and design at the local level.
o Ranking Method:
 The Delta ranking itself is largely focused on assessing quantity (that is,
coverage of access) rather than quality.
o Quality of Education:
 Also, the quality of education in India is in a dismal condition, as highlighted
by the ASER report.
Way Forward
 A more simplified ranking index is needed with a few carefully chosen output and
outcome measures which can more clearly signal national development targets.
 Financial autonomy to local governments should be provided.
 Independent surveys can be used to validate administrative data, this will help
improve data quality.
 Building each district’s internal capacity to produce reliable and actionable data,
and promoting a culture of data use, can be made a priority for the ADP.

Amrit Sarovar Mission

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What in News?
The Union government has asked the Ministry of Railways and the National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI) to use the soil/silt excavated from ponds/tanks in all districts
across the country under the Amrit Sarovar Mission for their infrastructure projects.
What is Amrit Sarovar Mission?
 About:
o Amrit Sarovar Mission was launched on 24th April 2022 with a view to conserve
water for the future.
 Aim:
o The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district
of the country as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
o In total, it would lead to the creation of 50,000 water bodies of a size of about an
Acre or more.
o The Mission encourages mobilisation of citizen and non-govt resources for
supplementing these efforts.
 Ministries Involved:
o This Mission has been launched with a whole Government Approach with 6
Ministries/Department namely:
 Department of Rural Development
 Department of land resources
 Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
 Department of Water resources
 Ministry of Panchayati Raj
 Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Changes.
 Technical Partner:
o Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics
(BISAG-N) has been engaged as technical partner for the Mission.
 Refocusing with Various Schemes:
o The Mission works through the States and Districts, through refocusing of various
schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, XV Finance Commission Grants,
PMKSY sub schemes such as Watershed Development Component, Har Khet Ko
Pani besides States’ own schemes.
 Target:
o Mission Amrit Sarovar is to be completed by 15th August 2023.
o Around 50,000 Amrit Sarovar may be constructed in the country.
 Each of these Amrit Sarovar will have approx. area of 1 acre with a water
holding capacity of 10,000 cubic meters.
o People’s participation in the Mission is the focal point.
 Local freedom fighter, their family members, Martyr’s family members,
Padma Awardee and citizens of the local area wherein an Amrit Sarovar is to
be constructed, will be engaged at all stages.
o On every 15th August, National Flag hoisting will be organized on every Amrit
Sarovar site.
 Achievements:
o So far, 12,241 sites have been finalized for construction of Amrit Sarovars by
States/Districts, out of which works has started on 4,856 Amrit Sarovars.

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What is Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav?
 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and
commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people,
culture and achievements.
 This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental
in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the
power and potential to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of activating India
2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
 The official journey of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced on 12th March
2021 which started a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of
independence and will end post a year on 15th August 2023.

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme

What in News?
The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, will
issue Sovereign Gold Bonds in tranches for 2022-23.
 Investment in SGBs went up sharply during Covid-impacted years as investors
looked for safer options amid volatility in equity markets with 2020-21 and 2021-
22 accounting for nearly 75% of total sales of the bonds since the inception of the
scheme in November 2015.
What is the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme?
 Launch:
o The SGB scheme was launched in November 2015 with an objective to reduce
the demand for physical gold and shift a part of the domestic savings - used for
the purchase of gold - into financial savings.
 Issuance:
o The Gold Bonds are issued as Government of India Stock under the Government
Securities (GS) Act, 2006.
o These are issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the Government
of India.
o Bonds are sold through Commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India
Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices and recognised stock exchanges
viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange,
either directly or through agents.
 Eligibility:
o The bonds are restricted for sale to resident individuals, Hindu Undivided
Families (HUFs), trusts, universities and charitable institutions.
 Features:
o Issue Price: Gold bond prices are linked to the price of gold of 999 purity (24 carats)
published by India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA), Mumbai.
o Investment Limit: Gold bonds can be purchased in the multiples of one unit,
up to certain thresholds for different investors.
 The upper limit for retail (individual) investors and HUFs is 4 kilograms (4,000
units) each per financial year. For trusts and similar entities, an upper limit
of 20 kilograms per financial year is applicable.
 Minimum permissible investment is 1 gram of gold.

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 o Term: The gold bonds come with a maturity period of eight years, with an option
to exit the investment after the first five years.
o Interest Rate: A fixed rate of 2.5% per annum is applicable on the scheme, payable
semi-annually.
 The interest on Gold Bonds shall be taxable as per the provision of Income Tax
Act, 1961.
 Benefit:
o Bonds can be used as collateral for loans.
o The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been
exempted.
 Redemption is the act of an issuer repurchasing a bond at or before maturity.
 Capital gain is the profit earned on the sale of an asset like stocks, bonds or
real estate. It results in when the selling price of an asset exceeds its purchase
price.
 Disadvantages of Investing in SGB:
o This is a long term investment unlike physical gold which can be sold
immediately.
o Sovereign gold bonds are listed on exchange but the trading volumes are not
high, therefore it will be difficult to exit before maturity.

Surety Bonds

What in News?
Recently the Ministry for Road Transport & Highways (MORTH) has asked insurance
regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development authority (IRDAI) to develop a model
product on Surety Bonds in consultation with general insurers.
 Several challenging issues which made Surety Bond a complete non-starter with
the insurers have also been discussed and it was proposed to IRDAI that it should
design a model product.
 The issue of Changes to the Indian Contract Act as well as the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was also highlighted so that Surety Bonds are on the same
footing as bank guarantees when it comes to recourse available to them in the case of
default - are also being considered.
What is Surety Bond?
 About:
o A surety bond can be defined in its simplest form as a written agreement to
guarantee compliance, payment, or performance of an act.
o Surety is a unique type of insurance because it involves a three-party
agreement. The three parties in a surety agreement are:
 Principal – the party that purchases the bond and undertakes an obligation to
perform an act as promised.
 Surety – the insurance company or surety company that guarantees the
obligation will be performed. If the principal fails to perform the act as promised,
the surety is contractually liable for losses sustained.
 Obligee - the party who requires, and often receives the benefit of— the surety
bond. For most surety bonds, the obligee is a local, state or federal government
organization.

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 o Surety bond is provided by the insurance company on behalf of the contractor to
the entity which is awarding the project.
 Aim:
o Surety bonds are mainly aimed at infrastructure development, mainly to reduce
indirect cost for suppliers and work-contractors thereby diversifying their options
and acting as a substitute for bank guarantee.
 Benefits:
o Surety bonds protect the beneficiary against acts or events that impair the
underlying obligations of the principal.
o They guarantee the performance of a variety of obligations, from construction or
service contracts to licensing and commercial undertakings.
What are the issues with the Surety Bonds?
 Surety bonds, a new concept, are risky and insurance companies in India are yet to
achieve expertise in risk assessment in such business.
 Also, there’s no clarity on pricing, the recourse available against defaulting
contractors and reinsurance options.
o These are critical and may impede the creation of surety-related expertise and
capacities and eventually deter insurers from writing this class of businesses.
How can it boost the Infra Project?
 The move to frame rules for surety contracts will help address the large liquidity and
funding requirements of the infrastructure sector.
 It will create a level-playing field for large, mid and small contractors.
 The Surety insurance business will assist in developing an alternative to bank
guarantees for construction projects.
o This shall enable the efficient use of working capital and reduce the
requirement of collateral to be provided by construction companies.
 Insurers shall work together with financial institutions to share risk information.
o Hence, this shall assist in releasing liquidity in infrastructure space without
compromising on risk aspects.
What are the IRDAI Guidelines on Surety Bonds?
 IRDAI (Surety Insurance Contracts) Guidelines, 2022 came into force in April 2022.
 The regulator has said the premium charged for all surety insurance policies
underwritten in a financial year, including all installments due in subsequent years for
those policies, should not exceed 10% of the total gross written premium of that
year, subject to a maximum of Rs 500 crore.
 As per Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Insurers
can issue contract bonds, which provide assurance to the public entity, developers,
subcontractors and suppliers that the contractor will fulfil its contractual obligation
when undertaking the project.
o Contract bonds may include: Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Advance Payment
Bonds and Retention Money.
 Bid Bonds: It provides financial protection to an obligee if a bidder is
awarded a contract pursuant to the bid documents, but fails to sign the contract
and provide any required performance and payment bonds.
 Performance Bond: It provides assurance that the obligee will be protected
if the principal or contractor fails to perform the bonded contract. If the
obligee declares the principal or contractor as being in default and terminates

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 the contract, it can call on the Surety to meet the Surety’s obligations under the
bond.
 Advance Payment Bond: It is a promise by the Surety provider to pay the
outstanding balance of the advance payment in case the contractor fails to
complete the contract as per specifications or fails to adhere to the scope of the
contract.
 Retention Money: It is a part of the amount payable to the contractor, which
is retained and payable at the end after successful completion of the contrac.
 The limit of guarantee should not exceed 30% of the contract value.
 Surety Insurance contracts should be issued only to specific projects and not
clubbed for multiple projects.

West Seti Power Project: Nepal

What in News?
India will be taking over West Seti Hydropower Project nearly four years after China
withdrew from it, ending a six-year engagement between 2012 and 2018.
 Earlier, the Indian Prime Minister visited Lumbini, where he
celebrated 2566 Buddha Jayanti celebrations, also Nepal invited India to invest in
th

West Seti Hydropower Project.

What is the West Seti Power Project?
 It is a proposed 750-megawatt
Hydropower Project, which is to be built
on the Seti river in far-western
Nepal, which has remained on the drawing
board for the last six decades.
 Lately, the government has remodeled the
project as West Seti and Seti River (SR-
6), a joint storage project, with the capacity
to generate 1,200 megawatts of electricity.
 This storage or reservoir will fill up during
the monsoon season and the water will
be drawn to generate power during peak
hours each day in the dry season.
 Its success is expected to restore India’s
image in Nepal and give it weightage in future considerations for hydropower
projects, when competition is bound to be tough. West Seti, therefore, has the
potential to be a defining model for Nepal India’s power relations in future.
How have been India-Nepal Power relations?
 Nepal is rich in power sources with around 6,000 rivers and an estimated potential
for 83,000 MW.
 Mahakali treaty was signed back in 1996, to produce 6,480 MW, but India has still
not been able to come out with the Detailed project Report.
 The Upper Karnali project, for which the multinational GMR signed the contract, has
not made any headway for years.
 India’s success in executing the 900-MW Arun Three project in eastern Nepal’s
Sankhuwa Sabha, and whose foundation was laid in 2018 and which is set for
completion by 2023 has helped build faith in India recently.

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 During the Indian PM’s visit to Nepal in 2014, he had said India must start executing
its projects timely.
 Nepal’s Constitution has a provision under which any treaty or agreement with
another country on natural resources will require Parliament’s ratification by at
least a two-thirds majority. That will also mean homework will be required before any
hydro project is signed and given for execution.
 Nepal has a massive power shortfall as it generates only around 900 MW against an
installed capacity of nearly 2,000 MW. Although it is currently selling 364 MW power
to India, it has over the years importing from India.
How have been India-Nepal Diplomatic Ties?
 After a standoff between Nepal and India led to the economic blockade of
2015, equations changed after the new PM Deuba took over Oli, who visited India
recently where he decided to establish Fraternal Ties with India.
 Nepal is an important neighbour of India and occupies special significance in its
foreign policy because of the geographic, historical, cultural and economic
linkages/ties that span centuries.
 India and Nepal share similar ties in terms of Hinduism and Buddhism with
Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini located in present day Nepal.
 The two countries not only share an open border and unhindered movement of people,
but they also have close bonds through marriages and familial ties, popularly known
as Roti-Beti ka Rishta.
 The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the
special relations that exist between India and Nepal.
 Rivers originating in Nepal feed the perennial river systems of India in terms of
ecology and hydropower potential.
 However, the border issue erupted in November 2019 when Nepal had released a new
political map that claims Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh of Uttarakhand as part
of Nepal’s territory. The area of Susta (West Champaran district, Bihar) can also be
noted in the new map.
Way Forward
 Until India agrees to value Nepal’s water and the existing focus on power is not
reviewed, mutual distrust will continue to eclipse the potential for progress of
both sides in the long term.
 Once the projects are made multi-purpose — with flood control, navigation, fisheries,
irrigation contributing to agricultural growth etc, giving due value to water — the cost
of power will be much lower compared to existing rates, and people on both sides
will have multiple benefits.
 The power trade agreement needs to be such that India can build trust in Nepal.
Despite more renewable energy projects (solar) coming up in India, hydropower is the
only source that can manage peak demand in India.

44th Chess Olympiad

What in News?
The 44th Chess Olympiad will be held in Chennai in 2022.
 The prestigious competition, which has been organized since 1927, is being hosted in
India for the first time and in Asia after 30 years.

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 With 189 countries participating, this will be the largest participation in any Chess
Olympiad.
What is FIDE?
 The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of
chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions.
o It's constituted as a non-governmental institution.
 It was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting
Organization in 1999.
 FIDE currently has its headquarters in Lausanne (Switzerland), but it was
initially founded in 1924 in Paris under the motto “Gens Una Sumus” (Latin for “We
are one Family”).
 It was one of the very first International Sports Federations, alongside the governing
bodies of the sports of Football, Cricket, Swimming, and Auto Racing. It is now one of
the largest, encompassing 199 countries as affiliate members, in the form of National
Chess Federations.

Burmagomphus Chaukulensis

What in News?
Recently, a rare dragonfly, Burmagomphus chaukulensis was spotted in Kerala.
 Earlier, a new species of dragonfly ‘Platygomphus benritarum’ was discovered in
Assam.
What are the Findings?
 This is a dragonfly of genus Burmagomphus,
which is represented by three species – B.
Cauvericus, B. Pyramidalis and B. Laidlawi.
o While B. laidlawi is found throughout the
Western Ghats,
o B. cauvericus is more restricted in its
distribution.
o B. pyramidalis is found in the Western Ghats
as well as in Peninsular India.
o All other species of the genus are found in the Western and Eastern Himalayas.
 The new species can be separated from its congeners by the markings on the
lateral thorax and peculiar shape of anal appendages.
 This species is known to be endemic to the Western Ghats.
What are Dragonflies?
 About:
o It is an aerial predator insect most commonly found near freshwater
habitats throughout most of the world.
o Their distinctive colors make them look beautiful. This makes them valuable
subjects for research on insect behavior, both for ecology and art.
 Habitat:
o Most species of dragonflies live in the tropics and particularly in the rainforests.
 Significance:
o Dragonflies act as important bio-indicators of the ecological health of an
area. As they feed on mosquitoes and other insects that are vectors to life-
threatening diseases like Malaria and Dengue.

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 Threats:
o The rapid destruction of their habitat poses a direct threat to their survival making
their conservation urgent.

Operation Sankalp

What in News?
Indian Navy’s stealth Frigate, INS Talwar is presently deployed for Op-Sankalp
commemorating the 3rd continuous year of Indian Navy’s presence in the Gulf.
What is Operation-Sankalp?
 About:
o The Indian Navy has launched ‘Operation Sankalp’ in the Persian Gulf and
the Gulf of Oman as a measure to assure the safety and security of the Indian
vessels.
 Background:
o After the attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf of Oman in June 2019, Indian
Navy had commenced Maritime Security Operations, code named Op-Sankalp, in
the Gulf Region to ensure safe passage of Indian Flag Vessels transiting through
the Strait of Hormuz.
 Deployment:
o Twenty-three warships have been deployed till date for this operation and on an
average 16 Indian-flagged merchant vessels are being provided safe passage each
day in the Gulf region
o Indian Navy’s stealth Frigate, INS Talwar is presently deployed in the Gulf region.
 Significance:
o India is dependent for about 85% of its demand for oil on imports. In 2019-2020,
around 62% of India’s oil imports valued at approximately 66 billion USD came
from the Gulf region.
o Due to the prevailing security situation in the Persian Gulf, it is required to provide
security to Indian-flagged merchant vessels transiting through the region.
INS Talwar
 INS Talwar (F40) is the lead ship of the Talwar-class frigates of the Indian Navy. Its
name means "Sword" in Hindi.
 Built in Russia, commissioned into the Indian Navy in June 2003.
 Features:
o Anti-air operations
o Anti-ship/Land-attack missiles
o Anti-submarine warfare
The Persian Gulf
 Also called the Arabian Gulf, it is a shallow marginal sea of the Indian Ocean that lies
between the Arabian Peninsula and the southwestern Iran.
 Its length is around 990 km and its width varies from a maximum of around 340 km
to a minimum of 55 km in the Strait of Hormuz.
 The area has approximately two-thirds of the world’s estimated proven oil reserves and
one-third of the world’s estimated proven natural gas reserves.
 A considerable amount of sea trade passes through the gulf, leading to heavy traffic of
large tankers that carry oil from the large marine terminals situated in Iran, Kuwait,

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 Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and other locations to all parts of the
world.
The Gulf of Oman
 The Gulf of Oman, northwest arm of the Arabian Sea, lies between the eastern
portion of the Arabian Peninsula (Oman) and Iran.
 It is 560 km long and connects with the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
 It is a shipping route for the oil-producing area around the Persian Gulf.
 It offers the only entrance from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean into the
Persian Gulf. Thus, the world’s major oil exporters and importers have a joint interest
in its security.

National Chambal Sanctuary

What in News?
Recently, the Madhya Pradesh government has proposed to open 292 hectares for mining
in five stretches on Chambal and its tributary Parvati rivers.
 The step is taken to free its forest department from devoting too much time, resources,
and efforts in fighting illegal mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary.
 Sand mining has been banned in the sanctuary since 2006.
Where is National Chambal Sanctuary?
 About:
o It was set up in 1979 as a riverine sanctuary along an approximately 425 km length
of the Chambal River.
o Its ravines stretches over 2-6 km wide along the Chambal River near the tri-point
of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
o The National Chambal Sanctuary is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and is
a proposed Ramsar site.
What are Important Bird Areas (IBAs)?
 Birds are excellent indicators of ecosystem health.
 The IBA programme of Birdlife International aims to identify, monitor and protect a
global network of IBAs for conservation of the world's birds and associated
biodiversity.
 The Bombay Natural History Society and Birdlife International have identified 554
IBAs in India.
 40% of these IBAs fall outside the Protected Area network and thus form an important
tool for landscape-level conservation planning.
 According to Birdlife International, designation of IBAs is based on standardized
criteria, namely:
o A: Global
 A1: Species of Global Conservation Concern:
 The site regularly holds significant numbers of a globally threatened
species, or other species of global conservation concern.
 A3: Biome-Restricted Species:
 The site is known or thought to hold a significant assemblage of the species
whose breeding distributions are largely or wholly confined to one biome.
 A4: Congregations
 The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, ≥ 1% of the
biogeographic population of a congregatory waterbird species.

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  The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, ≥ 1% of the global
population of a congregatory seabird or terrestrial species.
 The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, ≥ 20,000
waterbirds or ≥10,000 pairs of seabird of one or more species.
 Ecological Significance:
o The National Chambal Sanctuary is home to critically
endangered Gharial (small crocodiles), the red-crowned roof turtle and the
endangered Ganges River dolphin.
 Chambal supports the largest population of Gharials in the wild.
o Only known place where nesting of Indian Skimmers is recorded in large numbers.
o Chambal supports 8 rare turtle species out of the 26 found in the country.
o Chambal is one of the cleanest rivers in the country.
o Chambal supports more than 320 resident and migrant birds.
 Economic Support:
o Locals directly depended on various resources of the Sanctuary. They farm along
the river, extract river water for irrigation, practice sustenance and commercial
fishing, and quarry sand.
What are the Other Sanctuaries and National Parks of Madhya Pradesh?
 Madhya Pradesh has 9 National Parks and 25 Sanctuaries spread over an area of
10,862 square km constituting 11.40% of the total forest area and 3.52% of the
geographical area of the state.
 At present, the state has 5 Project Tiger areas in the state namely –
o Kanha National Park
o Panna National Park
o Bandhavgarh National Park
o Pench National Park
o Satpura National Park
 It is also known as the ‘Tiger State’ as it occupies around 19% of India’s Tiger
Population and 10% of the world’s tiger population.
Chambal River
 It is one of the most pollution-free rivers of India.
 It’s a 960 km. long river that originates at the Singar Chouri peak in the northern
slopes of the Vindhya mountains (Indore, Madhya Pradesh). From there, it flows
in North direction in Madhya Pradesh for a length of about 346 km and then follows
a north-easterly direction for a length of 225 km through Rajasthan.
 It enters U.P. and flows for about 32 km before joining the Yamuna River in Etawah
District.
 It is a rainfed river and its basin is bounded by the Vindhyan mountain ranges and
the Aravallis. The Chambal and its tributaries drain the Malwa region of northwestern
Madhya Pradesh.
 Tributaries: Banas, Kali Sindh, Parbati.
 Main Power Projects/ Dam: Gandhi Sagar Dam, Rana Pratap Sagar Dam, Jawahar
Sagar Dam, and Kota Barrage.
 The National Chambal Sanctuary is located along river Chambal on the tri-junction
of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is known for critically
endangered gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle, and the endangered Ganges river
dolphin.

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 Summer Solstice: 21st June

What in News?
21st June is the day of the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere.
 The day is observed as the International Day of Yoga.
What is the Summer Solstice?
 About:
o Solstice is a Latin word that
means ‘stalled sun’. It is a
natural phenomenon that
occurs twice every year, once in
the summer and again during
winter, in each hemisphere of the
earth - Summer and Winter
Solstice.
o It is the longest day and shortest
night of the year in the Northern
Hemisphere.
o During this, countries in the Northern Hemisphere are nearest to the Sun and
the Sun shines overhead on the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° North).
 At latitudes of 23.5° are the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, north and south
of the Equator.
 At 66.5° are the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, to the north and south.
 Latitudes are a measure of a location’s distance from the Equator.
o During the solstice, the Earth’s axis — around which the planet spins,
completing one turn each day — is tilted in a way that the North Pole is tipped
towards the sun and the South Pole is away from it.
o Typically, this imaginary axis passes right through the middle of the Earth from top
to bottom and is always tilted at 23.5 degrees with respect to the sun.

 Greater Amount of Energy:

o This day is characterised by a greater amount of energy received from the sun.
According to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), the
amount of incoming energy the Earth received from the sun on this day is 30%
higher at the North Pole than at the Equator.
o The maximum amount of sunlight received by the Northern Hemisphere
during this time is usually on June 20, 21 or 22. In contrast, the Southern
Hemisphere receives most sunlight on December 21, 22 or 23 when the northern
hemisphere has its longest nights– or the winter solstice.
What is the Geography Behind the Solstice?
 The reason behind it is the changing lengths of the days is the Earth’s tilt.
 The Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of 23.5° to its orbital plane. This
tilt, combined with factors such as Earth’s spin and orbit, leads to variations in the
duration of sunlight, due to which any location on the planet receives different lengths
of days.
o The Northern Hemisphere spends half the year tilted in the direction of the
Sun, getting direct sunlight during long summer days. During the other half of the
year, it tilts away from the Sun, and the days are shorter.

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 The tilt is also responsible for the different seasons on Earth. This phenomenon
causes the movement of the Sun from the northern to the southern hemisphere and
vice versa bringing in seasonal changes in the year.
What is the Equinox?
 Twice each year, during the equinoxes (“equal nights”), Earth's axis is not pointed
toward our Sun, but is perpendicular to the incoming rays.
 It results in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes.
 The vernal or spring equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere on March 20 or 21.
September 22 or 23 marks the northern hemisphere autumnal or fall equinox.

Cyber Safety and National Security

What in News?
Recently, the National Conference on Cyber Safety and National Security concluded in
New Delhi.
 The conference is part of the efforts to create mass awareness for the prevention of
cybercrimes in the country.
 It is also part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate India’s progress and
achievements in the 75th year of India’s Independence.
What is Cyber Safety?
 About:
o A set of activities and other measures intended to protect cyberspace networks,
related hardware and devices software, and the information they contain and
communicate, including software and data from all threats including threats to
national security.
 Relation with National Security:
o Since Cyber-armies have been formed to launch cyberattacks against India, cyber
security is closely connected to national security.
 A cyber-army is a group of soldiers highly skilled in information
technology with cyber skills.
What’s upping India’s Cyber Safety threat?
 Digital India Vision:
o India is one of the fastest-growing markets for digital technologies fuelling the
government's push towards actualising its Digital India mission.
 Whether creating broadband highways or rolling out services such as Digi
Locker and e-governance schemes like the Jan Dhan Yojana, the government
has pushed for as much digital adoption as possible.
 Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana 45 crore new accounts have been
opened and 32 crore RuPay Debit Cards have been distributed in the last 8
years.
 BharatNet is also developing very fast, 5.75 lakh km of fiber cable has been laid
and work has been done to connect 1.80 lakhvillages in the last 8 years which
was less than 10,000 8 years ago.
 Increasing footprint of Digital activities:
o India now has over 1.15 billion phones and more than 700 million internet
users and makes it a large pool of digitally vulnerable targets.
 In January 2020, India had the second largest Internet user base with over
550 million Internet users.

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  In 2021, 40% of the total global digital payments took place in India.
 Digital Inclusion increases the potential of digital threats leading to cyber-
attacks and crimes.
What distinguishes Cybercrime from Traditional Criminal Activity?
 Cybercrime, also called computer crime, the use of a computer as an instrument to
further illegal ends, such as committing fraud, trafficking in child pornography
and intellectual property stealing identities or violating privacy.
o Most cybercrime is an attack on information about individuals, corporations,
or governments.
o Although the attacks do not take place on a physical body as traditional
criminal activity, they do take place on the personal or corporate virtual
body, which is the set of informational attributes that define people and institutions
on the Internet.
What are the challenges behind Cyber Safety?
 Service Providers:
o Rush towards digitisation in almost every sector has led to increased collaborations
with application service providers. This is done to provide customers with the
best apps and services in the shortest possible time.
o Hardware and software being of foreign origin or the terabytes of data that is parked
on servers outside India serve a potential threat to National Cyber space.
 Wide Coverage:
o India has now more than 700 million internet users and makes it a large pool of
digitally vulnerable targets. Considering our nation's size and scale, it serves as a
challenge to monitor and suspect digital threats.
What are the Present Government Initiatives for Cyber Safety?
 Cybercrime portal:
o It aims to enable citizens to report online content pertaining to Child Pornography/
Child Sexual Abuse Material or sexually explicit content such as Rape/Gang
Rape (CP/RGR).
 Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C):
o The prevention of cybercrimes is being handled through seven pillars under I4C
and CIS Division of Ministry of Home Affairs -
o National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit
o National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
o National Cyber Crime Training Centre
o National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation Centre
o Joint Cyber Crime Coordination
o National Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit
o National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory
 CERT-In:
o India's national agency for cybersecurity, The Indian Computer Emergency
Response Team (CERT-In), has led to a reduction in cyber-attacks on government
networks due to its advancements in tackling the nation's cybersecurity.
 Cyber Surakshit Bharat:
o It is an initiative from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY) that aims at creating a robust cybersecurity ecosystem in India. This aligns
with the government's vision for a ‘Digital India’. The National E-Government
Division (NeGD) sponsored this program.

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 Cyber Swachhta Kendra:
o It is an installation under the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) aims to create secure cyberspace for Indian users by detecting
botnet infections and enabling end-users to clean their systems and secure their
systems thereafter to prevent further infections.
 Personal Data Protection Bill:
o Worldwide data breaches served a threat to personal security for Indian citizens,
the PDP Bill was approved by the union government to protect them from global
breaches, focusing on localised data.
Way Forward
 To achieve the goal of cyber-secure nation, India will require a robust cybersecurity
strategy that safeguards government systems, citizens, and the business ecosystem.
This will not only help protect citizens from cyber-threats, but also boost investor
confidence in the economy.
o The university and school curriculum must also emphasise cybersecurity as a
high-decibel awareness subject.
o Pressure also needs to be put on officials in the public domain to carry out regular
vulnerability assessments and create necessary awareness of the growing cyber
threat.
o A dedicated industry forum for cyber security should be set up to develop
trusted indigenous solutions to check cyber-attacks.

Banning Single-Use Plastic

What in News?
Recently, the Centre has defined a list of single-use plastic items that will be banned from
1st July 2022.
 The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of notified single-use
plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be
prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022.
What is single-use plastic?
 About:
o It refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded.
 Highest Shares of Plastic Manufactured and Used:
o Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and
used — from packaging of items, to bottles (shampoo, detergents, cosmetics),
polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc.
 Accounts for a Third of all Plastic Produced Globally:
o According to a 2021 report of the Minderoo Foundation, an Australian philanthropic
organization, single-use plastics account for a third of all plastic produced
globally, with 98% manufactured from fossil fuels.
 The Majority of Plastic Discarded:
o Single-use plastic also accounts for the majority of plastic discarded – 130 million
metric tonnes globally in 2019 — all of which is burned, buried in landfills
or discarded directly into the environmen.
 Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
o On the current trajectory of production, it has been projected that single-use plastic
could account for 5-10% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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 Data for India:
o The report found that India features in the top 100 countries of single-use plastic
waste generation – at rank 94 (the top three being Singapore, Australia and
Oman).
o With domestic production of 11.8 million metric tonnes annually, and import of 2.9
MMT, India’s net generation of single-use plastic waste is 5.6 MMT, and per
capita generation is 4 kg.
Why these items?
 The choice for the first set of single-use plastic items for the ban was based on the
difficulty of collection, and therefore recycling.
 When plastic remains in the environment for long periods of time and does not
decay, it turns into microplastics – first entering our food sources and then the
human body, and this is extremely harmful.
 The largest share of single-use plastic is that of packaging – with as much as 95% of
single use belonging to this category – from toothpaste to shaving cream to frozen
foods.
 The items chosen are of low value and of low turnover and are unlikely to have a big
economic impact, which could be a contributing reason.
How will the ban be enforced?
 Monitored by:
o The ban will be monitored by the CPCB from the Centre, and by the State
Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) that will report to the Centre regularly.
 Directions Issued:
o Directions have been issued at national, state and local levels — for example, to
all petrochemical industries — to not supply raw materials to industries engaged
in the banned items.
o Directions have also been issued to SPCBs and Pollution Control Committees to
modify or revoke consent to operate issued under the Air/Water Act to
industries engaged in single-use plastic items.
o Local authorities have been directed to issue fresh commercial licenses with the
condition that SUP items will not be sold on their premises, and existing
commercial licences will be cancelled if they are found to be selling these items.
 Promoting Compostable and Biodegradable Plastics :
o The CPCB issued one-time certificates to 200 manufacturers of compostable
plastic and the BIS passed standards for biodegradable plastic.
 Penalty:
o Those found violating the ban can be penalised under the Environment Protection
Act 1986 – which allows for imprisonment up to 5 years, or a penalty up to Rs
1 lakh, or both.
o Violators can also be asked to pay Environmental Damage Compensation by the
SPCB.
o There are municipal laws on plastic waste, with their own penal codes.
How are other countries dealing with single-use plastic?
 Sign Resolution:
o In 2022, 124 countries, parties to the United Nations Environment
Assembly, including India, signed a resolution to draw up an agreement which
will in the future make it legally binding for the signatories to address the full
life of plastics from production to disposal, to end plastic pollution.

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 o As of July 2019, 68 countries have plastic bag bans with varying degrees of
enforcement.
 Countries which Ban Plastic:
o Bangladesh:
 Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags in 2002.
o New Zealand:
 New Zealand became the latest country to ban plastic bags in July 2019.
o China:
 China issued a ban on plastic bags in 2020 with phased implementation.
o US:
 Eight states in the US have banned single-use plastic bags, beginning with
California in 2014. Seattle became the first major US city to ban plastic straws
in 2018.
o European Union:
 In July, 2021, the Directive on Single-Use Plastics took effect in the European
Union (EU).
 The directive bans certain single-use plastics for which alternatives are
available, single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton
buds cannot be placed on the markets of the EU member states.
 The same measure applies to cups, food and beverage containers made of
expanded polystyrene, and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.

Gaps in Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

What in News?
A group of environmental scientists, ecologists and policy experts have posited that the
draft of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework fails to account for the totality
of chemical pollutants that threaten ecosystems globally.
What are the Gaps in the Framework?
 Chemical Pollutants: The draft agreement falls short by limiting itself to nutrients,
pesticides and plastics, while many chemicals of high concern and importance are
left out of the equation — including substances that are persistent and toxic, such as
mercury and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), as well as pharmaceuticals.
 LNPP Inside Protected Areas: Currently, LNPP (land where natural processes
predominate) covers around 56% of terrestrial land, excluding permanent ice and rock.
However, only 20% of this land is formally protected. This means that, excluding
permanent ice and rock, only 11% of the world’s land is covered by LNPP inside
protected areas. The group feels that this is a problem since the post-2020
framework proposes at least 30% of land be protected by 2030.
o LNPP refers to land where there is a low human disturbance and / or ecologically
relatively intact vegetation, providing space and habitat for biodiversity to thrive.
What is Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework?
 About:
o It is a new framework that will guide actions worldwide through 2030, to preserve
and protect nature and its essential services to people.
o It aims to spur urgent and transformative action by Governments and all of
society to contribute to the objectives of the Convention on Biological

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 Diversity, its Protocols, and other biodiversity related multilateral agreements,
processes and instruments.
o The framework is built around a theory of change which recognizes that urgent
policy action globally, regionally and nationally is required to transform
economic, social and financial models.
 Goals and Targets:
o Four goals to achieve by 2050:
 To halt the extinction and decline of biodiversity.
 To enhance and retain nature’s services to humans by conserving.
 To ensure fair and equitable benefits to all from use of genetic resources.
 To close the gap between available financial and other means of
implementation and those necessary to achieve the 2050 Vision.
o 2030 Action Targets: The framework has 21 action-oriented targets for urgent
action over the decade to 2030, which includes:
 To bring at least 30% of land and sea under the world’s protected areas.
 A 50% greater reduction in the rate of introduction of invasive alien
species, and controls or eradication of such species to eliminate or reduce their
impacts.
 Reducing nutrients lost to the environment by at least half, and pesticides by
at least two thirds, and eliminating the discharge of plastic waste.
 Nature-based contributions to global climate change mitigation efforts of at
least 10 GtCO2e (gigatonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide) per year, and that
all mitigation and adaptation efforts avoid negative impacts on biodiversity.
 Redirecting, repurposing, reforming or eliminating incentives harmful for
biodiversity, in a just and equitable way, reducing them by at least USD 500
billion per year.
What are the Recommendations?
 There is need to target a wider scope of chemical pollutants for strategies and
action to be implemented in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
o Countries around the world recently agreed to create an intergovernmental
science-policy panel on chemicals and waste to consolidate existing knowledge
and inform policymakers.
 The irrefutable evidence of chemical pollutants found in every ecosystem of the world,
including remote Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayan ecosystems, should compel
negotiators of the new biodiversity framework to include these as threats to global
biodiversity.
 Protecting biodiversity is crucial for availability of food, there should be a net gain in
the area, connectivity, and integrity of natural systems of at least 5% by 2030
and 15% by 2050 to support healthy and resilient populations of all species.
 Shifting diets, increasing crop and livestock productivity, and limiting agricultural land
expansion would help achieve global biodiversity, food security and climate
mitigation goals by 2050.
What is the Convention on Biological Diversity?
 The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a legally binding treaty to conserve
biodiversity has been in force since 1993. It has 3 main objectives:
o The conservation of biological diversity.
o The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity.

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 o The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources.
 Nearly all countries have ratified it (notably, the US has signed but not ratified).
 The CBD Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada and it operates under the
United Nations Environment Programme.
 The Parties (Countries) under Convention of Biodiversity (CBD), meet at regular
intervals and these meetings are called Conference of Parties (COP).
 In 2000, a supplementary agreement to the Convention known as the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety was adopted. It came into force on 11th September 2003.
o The Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by
living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
 The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable
Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) was adopted in 2010 in
Nagoya, Japan at COP10. It entered into force on 12th October 2014.
o It not only applies to genetic resources that are covered by the CBD, and to the
benefits arising from their utilization but also covers traditional knowledge (TK)
associated with genetic resources that are covered by the CBD and the benefits
arising from its utilization.
 Along with the Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resources, the COP-10 also adopted a ten-
year framework for action by all countries to save biodiversity.
 Officially known as “Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020”, it provided a set of
20 ambitious yet achievable targets collectively known as the Aichi Targets for
biodiversity.
 India enacted Biological Diversity Act in 2002 for giving effect to the provisions of
the CBD.

Listing of Terrorist under UNSC 1267 Committee

What in News?
India and the US jointly proposed to list Makki, a top LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba)
Militant, under the UN Security Council's Al-Qaeda and ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant) Sanctions Committee which is also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee.
 But, China, placed a "technical hold" on the proposal to list Makki and this measure
can last for up to six months at a time.
 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) is the Islamic State, transnational Sunni insurgent group operating
primarily in western Iraq and eastern Syria.
What is United Nation Security Council?
 About:
o The UNs Charter established six main organs of the UN, including the UNSC.
Article 23 of the UN Charter concerns the composition of the UNSC.
 The other 5 organs of the UN are—the General Assembly, the Trusteeship
Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice,
and the Secretariat.
o The UNSC has been given primary responsibility for maintaining international
peace and security and may meet whenever peace is threatened.
 Headquarter:
o The council is headquartered at NewYork.

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 Members:
o The UNSC is composed of 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent.
 Five Permanent Members: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
 Ten Non-Permanent Members: Elected for two-year terms by the General
Assembly.
 India, for the eighth time, has entered the UNSC as a non-permanent
member last year (2021) and will stay on the council for two years i.e 2021-
22.
 Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of ten in
total) for a two-year term. The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional
basis.
What is UNSC 1267 committee?
 About:
o It was first set up in 1999, and strengthened after the September, 2001 attacks. It
is now known as the Da’esh and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
o It comprises all permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC).
o The 1267 list of terrorists is a global list, with a UNSC stamp. It is full of Pakistani
nationals and residents.
o It is one of the most important and active UN subsidiary bodies working on efforts
to combat terrorism, particularly in relation to Al Qaeda and the Islamic
State group.
o It discusses UN efforts to limit the movement of terrorists, especially those related
to travel bans, the freezing of assets and arms embargoes for terrorism.
 India has made at least three attempts in the last decade — in 2009, 2016
and 2017 — to list JeM chief as “global terrorist”. All attempts have been blocked
by China at Pakistan’s behest.
 Procedure of Listing:
o Any member state can submit a proposal for listing an individual, group, or
entity.
o The proposal must include acts or activities indicating the proposed
individual/group/entity had participated “in the financing, planning,
facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities” linked to “ISIL
(Da’esh), Al-Qaida or any cell, affiliate, splinter group or derivative thereof”.
o Decisions on listing and de-listing are adopted by consensus. The proposal is sent
to all the members, and if no member objects within five working days, the proposal
is adopted.
 An “objection” means curtains for the proposal.
o Any member of the Committee may also put a “technical hold” on the proposal
and ask for more information from the proposing member state. During this
time, other members may also place their own holds.
o The matter remains on the “pending” list of the Committee until such time as
the member state that has placed the hold decides to turn its decision into an
“objection”, or until all those who have placed holds remove them within a
timeframe laid down by the Committee.

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 o Pending issues must be resolved in six months, but the member state that has
placed the hold may ask for an additional three months. At the end of this period,
if an objection is not placed, the matter is considered approved.
What is Foreign Terrorist Organisation?
 FTO are foreign organizations that are designated by the Secretary of State US.
 This plays a critical role in fight against terrorism and is an effective means of curtailing
support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism
business

12th WTO Ministerial Conference

What in News?
Recently, the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) concluded.
 The key areas of discussions were WTO’s response to the pandemic, Fisheries
subsidies negotiations, Agriculture issues including Public Stockholding for Food
security, WTO Reforms and Moratorium on Custom Duties on Electronic
Transmission.
 The 164-member World Trade Organization held its first ministerial conference in
nearly five years, following Covid-19 postponements.
What are the Key Outcomes of the 12th Ministerial Conference?
 WTO Reform:
o Members reaffirmed the foundational principles of the WTO and committed to
an open and inclusive process to reform all its functions, from deliberation to
negotiation to monitoring.
o Notably, they committed to work towards having a well-functioning dispute
settlement system accessible to all members by 2024.
 Agreement on Curtailing Harmful Fishing Subsidies:
o It would curb ‘harmful’ subsidies on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
for the next four years, to better protect global fish stocks.
o Since 2001, member states have been negotiating the banning of subsidies that
promote overfishing.
o India and other developing countries were able to win some concessions in this
agreement. They successfully lobbied to remove a section of the proposal that would
threaten some subsidies which would assist small-scale artisanal fishing
Artisanal and traditional farmers would not face any restrictions under this
agreement.
 Agreement on Global Food Security:
o Members agreed to a binding decision to exempt food purchased by the
UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) for humanitarian purposes, from any export
restrictions.
o In light of the global food shortages and rising prices caused by the war
between Ukraine and Russia, the group’s members issued a declaration on the
importance of trade in global food security and that they would avoid bans on food
exports.
o However, countries would be allowed to restrict food supplies to ensure domestic
food security needs.
 Agreement on E-commerce Transactions:

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 o From 2017-2020, developing countries lost a potential tariff revenue of around USD
50 billion on imports from only 49 digital products.
o WTO members had first agreed to not impose custom duties on electronic
transmissions in 1998, when the internet was still relatively new. The moratorium
has been periodically extended since then.
o However, all members agreed to continue the long standing moratorium on
custom duties on e-commerce transmissions until the subsequent Ministerial
Conference or until 31st March 2024, depending on whichever comes first.
 Agreement on ‘Covid-19’ Vaccine Production:
o WTO members agreed to temporarily waive intellectual property patents on
Covid-19 vaccines without the consent of the patent holder for 5 years, so that
they can more easily manufacture them domestically.
o This “will contribute to ongoing efforts to concentrate and diversify vaccine
manufacturing capacity so that a crisis in one region does not leave others cut off.”
o The current agreement is a watered down version of the original proposal made
by India and South Africa in 2020. They had wanted broader intellectual property
waivers on vaccines, treatments and tests.
o Rich pharmaceutical companies had strongly opposed this, arguing that IP’s do not
restrict access to Covid vaccines and that the removal of patent protections gives
researchers that quickly produced life saving vaccines, a negative message.
o The waiver agreed by the WTO was criticized by advocacy groups for being narrow
in scope, as it did not cover all medical tools like diagnostics and
treatments. “This agreement fails overall to offer an effective and meaningful
solution to help increase people’s access to needed medical tools during the
pandemic as it does not adequately waive IP on all essential Covid-19 medical tools
and it does not apply to all countries.
What are the Issues Raised by India?
 On WTO Reforms:
o India believes that WTO reforms discussions must focus on strengthening its
fundamental principles.
o At this time, reserving Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT), which
includes consensus-based decision making, non-discrimination, and special and
differential treatment, should not result in the preservation of inherited disparities
or aggravate the imbalances.
o India takes the initiative to suggest reforms for developing countries (Developing
countries reform paper "Strengthening the WTO to Promote Development and
Inclusion").
o India offered a proposal in which it took the lead in criticizing the European
Union and Brazil's suggestions, both on the process and its goals. It was against
an open-ended exercise on WTO amendments.
 E-commerce Transactions:
o India had asked the WTO to review the extension of the moratorium on custom
duties on e-commerce transactions, which include digitally-traded goods and
services.
o It argued that developing countries faced the brunt of the financial consequences
of such a moratorium.
 On Food Security:

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 o WTO should renegotiate subsidy rules for government-backed food purchasing
programs aimed at feeding poor citizens in developing and poor countries.
o India wants assurances that its public stock-holding program, which buys
exclusively from the nation’s farmers and has exported in the past, cannot be
challenged at the WTO as illegal.
What are the Important Facts about the World Trade Organization?
 About:
o It came into being in 1995. The WTO is the successor to the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established in the wake of the Second World War.
 Its objective is to help trade flow smoothly, freely and predictably.
 It has 164 members, accounting for 98% of world trade.
o It was developed through a series of trade negotiations, or rounds, held under
the GATT.
 GATT is a set of multilateral trade agreements aimed at the abolition of
quotas and the reduction of tariff duties among the contracting nations.
o The WTO’s rules – the agreements – are the result of negotiations between the
members.
 The current set is largely the outcome of the 1986- 94 Uruguay Round
negotiations, which included a major revision of the original GATT.
o The WTO Secretariat is based in Geneva (Switzerland).
 WTO Ministerial Conference:
o It is the WTO’s top decision-making body and usually meets every two years.
o All members of the WTO are involved in the MC and they can take decisions on all
matters covered under any multilateral trade agreements

PRELIMS PLUS

Sierra de la Culebra

 Zamora province, Spain

 Wildfires has engulfed the entire region
 Firefighters in Spain struggled to contain wildfires in several parts of the country,
which is suffering a heat wave unusual for this time of the year.

Oromia

 Oromia, Ethiopia
 More than 200 ethnic Amhara have been killed in an attack in the country’s Oromia
region
 Ethiopia is experiencing widespread ethnic tensions in several regions, most of them
over historical grievances and political tensions.
 The Amhara people, the second-largest ethnic group among Ethiopia’s more than
110 million populations, have been targeted frequently in regions like Oromia.
 Ethnic Amhara settled in the area about 30 years ago in resettlement programs

National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)

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  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has curtailed the tenure of the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) and moved him to the
Border Security Force (BSF).
 Earlier this year, Mr. Gupta was given an extension as NATGRID CEO as the post
was upgraded to the rank of Additional Secretary. He is a 1989 batch IPS officer.
 NATGRID is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information from
more than 20 organisations in the field of telecom, tax records, bank, immigration,
etc. to enable the generation of intelligence inputs.
 At least 10 central agencies like IB, R&AW and others will have access to the data
on a secured platform for counter-terror investigations.
 The project was started in 2009 in the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

National e-GOVERNANCE Service Delivery Assessment 2021

(NeSDA 2021)

 The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions released the
second edition of the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment 2021
(NeSDA 2021).
 The NeSDA 2021 report has been prepared covering the assessment of States, Union
Territories with a focus on Central Ministries on their effectiveness in delivering
online services to citizens.
 NeSDA 2021 covers services across seven sectors: Finance, Labour and
Employment, Education, Local Governance and Utility Services, Social Welfare,
Environment and Tourism sectors.
 The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) had
constituted the NeSDA in 2019 as part of its mandate to boost the e-government
endeavours and drive digital government excellence.
 Jammu and Kashmir, assessed for the first time, ranked the highest among Union
Territories with an overall compliance of nearly 90 percent for NeSDA.
 Meghalaya and Nagaland are the leading state portals with an overall compliance of
more than 90 percent across all assessment parameters among the northeast and
hill states.
 Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh had a
compliance of more than 85 percent among the Remaining States category.
 Kerala had the highest overall compliance score amongst all the States and UTs.

Bombay Samachar (Mumbai Samachar)

 Prime minister Narendra Modi addressed the bi-centenary celebration of Mumbai

Samachar Newspaper.
 The Bombay Samachar, now Mumbai Samachar, is the oldest continuously
published newspaper in India.
 Established in 1822 by Fardunjee Marzban, it is published in Gujarati and English.
 The Bombay Samachar is also Asia's oldest continuously published newspaper.

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