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Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu is a martial art based on the ancient knowledge of the human body. It originated in Kerala during 3nd century BC to the 2nd century...

28 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Belum Caves Festival

Why in News Andhra Pradesh Government will be hosting the Belum Caves festival in January 2020 to popularise the Belum caves. The name...

28 Dec 2019 News Analysis
The Big Picture - Rajya Sabha 250th Session – Takeaways

The Winter Session of Parliament was held from November 18, 2019 to December 13, 2019. During this session, Parliament celebrated two milestones:...

27 Dec 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana

This article is based on “UDAY scheme loses power, sharp spike in discom losses”(IE), “Power under pressure”(IE),...

27 Dec 2019 News Editorials
Joint Naval Exercise by China, Russia and Iran

Why in News China, Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills from December 27 to 30 to deepen exchange and cooperation between the navies of the...

27 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Earliest Sanskrit Inscriptions in South India found in A.P.

Why in News The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered the earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India which is also an earliest...

27 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Restructuring of Railway Board

Why in News The Union Cabinet has approved restructuring of the Railway Board. The number of Railway Board members will be reduced to five from...

27 Dec 2019 News Analysis
UGC Issues Norms for Ethics in Higher Education

Why in News Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has adopted the Higher Education Quality Improvement Programme Mandate to improve the...

27 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Dal Lake

Dal is a lake in Srinagar, the capital of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Dal Lake is a misnomer as Dal in Kashmiri means lake. It is...

27 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Solar Eclipse

Why in News On 26th December 2019, India experienced an Annular Solar eclipse of 0.97 magnitude, with 3 minutes and 39 seconds’ maximum...

27 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Frontier Technologies

This article is based on “The tech frontier for developing nations” which was published in Livemint on 25/12/2019. It talks about the...

26 Dec 2019 News Editorials
Disputed Territories of India

Border Disputes of India India has 15,106.7 Km of land border and a coastline of 7,516.6 Km including island territories. The length of our land...

26 Dec 2019 Paper 2
Madan Mohan Malaviya Jayanti

Why in News The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya on his 158th birth anniversary (25th December, 2019). Pt. Madan...

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Hoolock Gibbon

The tailless Hoolock Gibbon is the only ape found in India. The primate is native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India and Southwest China. The...

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Amur Falcon

Amur falcons, the world’s longest travelling raptors start travelling with the onset of winters. The raptors breed in southeastern Siberia...

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Kalka - Shimla Heritage Route

Why in News The Indian Railways has started a seven coach glass-enclosed vistadome train (Him Darshan Express) on the heritage Kalka-Shimla route....

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Locust Invasion in Gujarat

Why in News The migratory insect - locust has swarmed the northern parts of Gujarat, causing significant damage to agriculture. The locusts,...

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Good Governance Day

Why in News The Good Governance Day is observed on 25th December to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On...

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Typhoon Phanfone

Why in News The Philippines was hit by typhoon Phanfone on 25th December 2019. Typhoon Phanfone is known as Ursula in the local language in the...

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis
Bar-headed Goose Spotted in Kerala

Why in News A Bar-headed Goose has been spotted in the wetlands of Karingali Puncha in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala. In general, large...

26 Dec 2019 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Kalaripayattu',
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			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Kalaripayattu is a <strong>martial art</strong> based on the <strong>ancient knowledge of the human</strong> body.</li>
<li>It originated in<strong> Kerala</strong> during <strong>3<sup>nd</sup> century BC to the 2<sup>nd</sup> century AD.</strong> It is now practised in <strong>Kerala</strong> and in some parts of <strong>Tamil Nadu.</strong></li>
<li>The place where this martial art is practised is called a <strong>'Kalari'.</strong> It is a Malayalam word that signifies a <strong>kind of gymnasium.</strong> Kalari literally means <strong>'threshing floor' or 'battlefield'.&nbsp;</strong>The word Kalari first appears in the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/sangam-age-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tamil Sangam literature</strong></a> to describe both a battlefield and combat arena.</li>
<li>It is considered to be one of the <strong>oldest fighting systems</strong> in existence.</li>
<li>It is also considered as the <strong>father of modern Kung - Fu.</strong><strong></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577524167_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577524167_image3.jpg" width="500" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></strong></p>',
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Belum Caves Festival',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Andhra Pradesh Government will be hosting the Belum Caves festival in January 2020 to popularise the Belum caves.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577518540_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577518540_image1.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The name <strong>&lsquo;Kandanavolu Sambaralu&rsquo;</strong> has been proposed for the festival. <strong>Kandanavolu</strong> was the <strong>ancient name of Kurnool</strong> district.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong> Belum Caves, also known as Belum Guhalu in Kurnool district of <strong>Andhra Pradesh</strong> is the <strong>second-longest cave</strong> in the <strong>Indian subcontinent open to the public.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>longest natural cave</strong> in the Indian subcontinent is <strong>Krem Liat Prah caves in Meghalaya.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong> The cave is <strong>more than a thousand year old,</strong> and was formed by the <strong>constant flow of underground water</strong> over a period of time.</li>
<li><strong>Geographical Features:</strong> These caves are renowned for their <strong>speleothem structures</strong> (Speleothems are secondary mineral deposits formed in a cave), such as <strong>stalactite and stalagmite</strong> formations.</li>
<li><strong>Historical Background:</strong> The caves were occupied by <strong>Jain and Buddhist monks</strong> many centuries ago. The presence of 4500 years old vessels from the pre-Buddhism era ensures the same.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Stalactites and Stalagmites</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Stalactites</strong> hang as icicles of different diameters. Normally they are broad at their bases and taper towards the free ends showing up in a variety of forms.</li>
<li><strong>Stalagmites</strong> rise up from the floor of the caves. In fact, stalagmites form due to dripping water from the surface or through the thin pipe, of the stalactite, immediately below it.</li>
<li>The stalagmites and stalactites eventually fuse to give rise to columns and pillars of different diameters.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/festival-to-promote-belum-caves-planned-in-december/article30000402.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture - Rajya Sabha 250th Session – Takeaways',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FFuZjNW1clY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The Winter Session of Parliament was held from <strong>November 18, 2019 to December 13, 2019.</strong> During this session, Parliament celebrated two milestones: first, function held in the Central Hall of Parliament to commemorate the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution</strong> and second, was the <strong>250<sup>th</sup> session of Rajya Sabha</strong>. Marking almost <strong>100% productivity</strong> during its 20 sittings this session, <strong>15 Bills</strong> were passed by Rajya Sabha including the landmark <strong>Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill</strong> (2019) and <strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Bill</strong> (2019). This session also highlighted the wider role of Rajya Sabha in Indian Polity.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Significance of Rajya Sabha</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Formation:</strong> The Rajya Sabha <strong>was first constituted in 1952</strong> as a <strong>permanent body</strong> which is not <strong>subject to dissolution.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, <strong>one-third of its members retire every second year</strong> and are eligible for re-election &amp; renomination any number of times.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strength:</strong> The <strong>maximum strength</strong> of the Rajya Sabha is <strong>fixed at 250,</strong> out of which,<strong> 238</strong> are the representatives of the states and union territories (elected indirectly) and <strong>12 are nominated by the President.</strong> The seats are allotted to the states in the Rajya Sabha on the <strong>basis of the population.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Term of Office:</strong> The <strong>Constitution</strong> has<strong> not fixed the term of office</strong> of members of the Rajya Sabha and left it to the Parliament.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Accordingly, the <strong>Parliament</strong> in the<strong> Representation of the People Act (1951)</strong> provided that the term of office of a member of the Rajya Sabha shall be <strong>six years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Special Powers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rajya Sabha can authorize the Parliament to make a <strong>law on a subject enumerated in the State List (Article 249).</strong></li>
<li>It can authorize the Parliament to <strong>create new All-India Services</strong> common to both the Centre and the states <strong>(Article 312).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577450842_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577450842_image1.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></strong></a></p>
</div>
<h3>Key Takeaways from the 250<sup>th</sup> Session</h3>
<p>Praising the members for their brevity, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha noted that about 9.5 starred questions were answered orally every day of this Session- making a new record since 1971 (previous best was 8.7 during the 198<sup>th</sup> session in 2003).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Difference over Previous Sessions:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Increased Productivity:</strong> Despite being the shorter session, this session remained highly productive over the previous ones. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Rajya Sabha worked for around 92% of its scheduled time, of which 39% of the total functional time was spent on legislative business, 25.4% on raising and discussing matters of urgent public importance under Short Duration Discussion, Calling Attention Notices, Zero Hour and Special Mentions, 13% on Question Hour meant for ensuring accountability of the executive and 5% on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/introduction-of-private-member-s-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Private Members&rsquo; Bills.</strong></a></li>
<li>Significant importance given to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/starred-questions-in-parliamentary-proceedings" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Question Hour,</strong></a> <strong>answering of more oral questions,</strong> short, intense and precise discussions by legislators over <strong>Standing Committees reports,</strong> and the increased<strong> zero hour</strong> submissions reflect the enhanced <strong>accountability.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Absenteeism:</strong> Chairman this time freely discussed over issues like, non-attendance of legislators to target the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-strengthening-parliamentary-institutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>problem of absenteeism.</strong></a> Many a times this leads to halting of Business of the House due to absence of the required <strong>Quorum.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Chairman also asked the members to ensure their presence in the <strong>Parliamentary Standing Committees.</strong> He highlighted that out of 80 members in 8 Parliamentary Standing Committees (under the administrative control of Rajya Sabha), only 18 members had 100% attendance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Charter:</strong> At the beginning of the session, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/point-reforms-charter-for-parliament" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>15 point charter</strong> </a>was released by the Vice-President highlighting the support and reforms Rajya Sabha needed.</li>
<li><strong>Issues Addressed:</strong> The <strong>discussions on contemporary issues</strong> like onion prices, economic slowdown, inter-alia reflects the receptive and compassionate behaviour of the House towards the people. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also a special discussion on 'The <strong>Role of Rajya Sabha in Indian polity</strong> and the way forward&rsquo; was held.</li>
<li><strong>Calling attention motions</strong> on &lsquo;Situation arising out of the dangerous levels of air pollution in the country, particularly in Delhi&rsquo;, &ldquo;Need for completion of National Irrigation Projects to tackle emerging water crisis and to transfer 'Water' to Concurrent List from State List&rdquo; were also taken up in the Rajya Sabha.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Language:</strong> The Chairman expressed his will to<strong> address the language barrier</strong> by allowing less spoken regional languages in the House. He proposed to recruit expert translators who can efficiently translate the regional languages into English and Hindi (as according to <strong>Article 120</strong> the language to be used in the Parliament shall be Hindi or English).</li>
<li>The <strong>Rajya Sabha secretariat</strong> also released the <strong>first-ever analysis</strong> of its legislative work viz., <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/250th-session-of-rajya-sabha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Rajya Sabha: The Journey since 1952&rdquo;</strong> </a>to commemorate the 250<sup>th</sup> session.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input</strong></p>
<p><strong>Parliamentary Mechanisms:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Short Duration Discussion-</strong> also known as <strong>two-hour discussion</strong> as the time allotted for such a discussion should not exceed two hours. The members of the Parliament can raise such discussions on a <strong>matter of urgent public importance.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Calling Attention Notices</strong>- It is introduced in the Parliament by a member<strong> to call the attention of a minister to a matter of urgent public importance,</strong> and to seek an authoritative statement from him/her on that matter.</li>
<li><strong>Special Mentions-</strong> A matter which cannot be raised during question hour, half-an-hour discussion, short duration discussion or under adjournment motion, calling attention notice or under any rule of the House can be raised under the special mention in the Rajya Sabha.</li>
<li><strong>Zero Hour-</strong> It is an <strong>informal device</strong> available to the members of the Parliament to raise matters without any prior notice. The zero hour starts immediately after the question hour and lasts until the agenda for the day (i.e., regular business of the House) is taken up.</li>
<li><strong>Quorum-</strong> Quorum is the minimum number of members required to be present in the House before it can transact any business. It is <strong>one-tenth of the total number of members of the House</strong> (including the presiding officer). If there is no quorum during a meeting of the House, it is the duty of the presiding officer either to adjourn the House or to suspend the meeting until there is a quorum.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Bills Passed in Rajya Sabha:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/prs-capsule/prs-capsule-august-2019#32" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> for the erection of a National Memorial in memory of those killed or wounded on April 13, 1919, in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/transgender-persons-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019</strong></a> defining a transgender person and provides for protection of rights of Transgender persons and their welfare.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chit-funds-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amends the Chit Funds Act, 1982 to increase the commission of the person conducting the chit, and the aggregate amount of chit funds which may be collected.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/promulgation-of-the-prohibition-of-electronic-cigarettes-ordinance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Bill, 2019</strong></a> prohibiting the Production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes and like devices, considering the highly addictive nature of nicotine.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/special-protection-group-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong> </a>amends the Special Protections Group Act, 1988 to provide for security cover to a former Prime Minister, and his immediate family members for a period of five years from the date on which he ceases to hold the office of Prime Minister.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dadra-and-nagar-haveli-and-daman-and-diu-merger-of-union-territories-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019</strong> </a>merging the two UTs to provide better delivery of services to the citizens of both Union Territories by improving efficiency and reducing paperwork.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019</strong> recognising the property rights of residents of certain unauthorised colonies in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxation-laws-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amends the Income Tax Act, 1961, and The Finance (No 2) Act, 2019 to provide domestic companies with an option to opt for lower tax rates.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hong-kong-convention-for-ship-recycling" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</strong></a> restricts the use of hazardous material on ships and regulates the recycling of ships.</li>
<li>The <strong>Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong> amends the definition of illegal migrant, reduces the residency requirement to obtain Indian citizenship through naturalisation, and empowers the central government to cancel registration of OCI card.</li>
<li>The <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/citizenship-amendment-act-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amends the definition of illegal migrant, reduces the residency requirement to obtain Indian citizenship through naturalisation, and empowers the central government to cancel registration of OCI card.</li>
<li>The<strong> Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong> retaining the inclusive character of the Constitution by continuing the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for another ten years ie. upto 25th January, 2030.</li>
<li>The <a href="/prs-capsule/prs-capsule-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amending Part VI of the Order which specifies the Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/international-financial-services-centres-authority-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019</strong></a> establishes the International Financial Services Centre Authority to regulate and develop a market for financial services in India.</li>
<li>The <strong>Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2019</strong> authorizing payment and appropriation of certain sums from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2019-20.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Members need to abide by their commitment and <strong>ensure their presence</strong> for smooth functioning of the House.</li>
<li>The balance between the <strong>government (Executive) business and the Parliamentary business</strong> needs to be maintained by effectively discussing and addressing the contemporary issues concerning the nation.</li>
</ul>
<p>Indeed, Rajya Sabha has all through been a <strong>lively and sagacious institution.</strong> It must continue to function with greater vigor and zeal towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people.</p>',
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		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/uday-scheme-power-discom-losses-6180263/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;UDAY scheme loses power, sharp spike in discom losses&rdquo;(IE)</strong></a>,<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/uday-scheme-narendra-odi-finance-economy-bjp-arun-jaitley-5741261/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Power under pressure&rdquo;(IE)</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/power-minister-lays-out-govts-agenda-for-2020-here-are-reforms-planned-for-power-sector/1802093/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Power Minister lays out govt&rsquo;s agenda for 2020; here are reforms planned for power sector&rdquo;(FE).</strong></a> It talks about issues related to UDAY scheme.</p>
</div>
<p>Government of India launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/discom-losses-and-uday-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY)</strong> </a>in November 2015. It was designed to turn around the precarious financial position of state power distribution companies (discoms). Discoms are responsible for buying electricity from the generation companies and selling them to consumers.</p>
<p>The Discom losses, which had progressively reduced in the first couple of years (since the inception of UDAY), have rebounded in 2019 to nearly double the losses recorded the previous year.</p>
<p>According to PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators) portal, the discoms&rsquo; total outstanding dues to power gencos (power generating companies) rose 48% to Rs 81,010 crore in October 2019.</p>
<p><strong>The primary reason for this is the failure of discom to collect the full cost that they pay for power.</strong></p>
<h3>What are the issues in the power distribution sector?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India now generates more power <strong>than it needs (surplus power).</strong> But, the practical experience signals that the scheduled and unscheduled power cuts are the norms in cities, and the situation in most rural areas is worse.</li>
<li>This means the consumption of power has consistently lagged behind availability.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for financial losses of discoms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The discoms suffer <strong>Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&amp;C) Losses.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Technical Loss:</strong> It is due to the flow of power in transmission and distribution system.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Almost <strong>25%</strong> of the power is lost, and never gets billed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Commercial Loss:</strong> It is due to the theft of electricity, deficiencies in metering, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The gap between the <strong>average per-unit cost of supply (ACS) and average revenue realised (ARR).</strong></li>
<li>The remaining <strong>75%</strong> is sold at prices that are much lower than the discoms&rsquo; procurement costs.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577448010_Image.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577448010_Image.jpg" width="335" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In almost every state, the increase in tariff rates is avoided because of the associated political costs.</li>
<li>Therefore, political unwillingness is at the heart of commercial losses.</li>
<li>Due to this, there has been a gap between ACS and ARR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>As a result, by March 2015, discoms' accumulated losses were approximately Rs 3.8 lakh crore &mdash; more than 3.5% of the GDP.</li>
</ul>
<p>In order to make discoms financially viable, UDAY scheme was launched. The scheme has <strong>three critical components.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The takeover of discoms debt by state governments.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>State governments took over 75% of the debt of their discoms and issued<strong> lower-interest bonds</strong> to service the rest of the debt.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In return, discoms were given target dates (2017-19) to <strong>meet efficiency parameters.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Aggregate technical and commercial (AT&amp;C) losses of discoms, are to be reduced.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This has to be matched up by <strong>timely tariff revisions and elimination of the gap between the average per-unit cost of supply (ACS) and average revenue realised</strong> (ARR) by 2019.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The scheme resulted in some positives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Out of the 28 states that implemented UDAY, 10 states have shown either reduced losses or profits in 2019.</li>
<li>Instead of just focusing on distribution, UDAY focused on interventions in coal, generation and transmission sectors as well.</li>
</ul>
<p>However, the indications are that the turnaround as envisaged by UDAY hasn&rsquo;t materialised, with several targets being missed:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Burgeoning AT&amp;C Losses:</strong> At the aggregate level, the <strong>AT&amp;C losses for major states stood at 19.05%</strong> as against the<strong> target of reducing them to 15% by the end of 2019.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the case of some states, especially in the northern and central parts of the country, the losses are of a much higher magnitude, suggesting that pilferage continues to be rampant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High ACS-ARR Gap:</strong> While the ACS-ARR gap was supposed to be eliminated by 2019, it remains as high as Rs 0.25 per unit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In many states, the gap is even higher. This can be traced to inadequate tariff hikes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mixed Progress:</strong> Operational efficiency targets under UDAY, such as the installation of feeder metering, smart metering and feeder segregation, are still not completely met.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, not much progress has been made in the case of smart metering above 200 and up to 500 kwh and above 500 kwh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inadequate Power Subsidy:</strong> Also, <strong>the power subsidy released by state governments</strong> to discoms appears to be <strong>inadequate.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As a result, discoms have reported financial losses to the tune of Rs 21,658 crore at the end of 2019, reversing the declining trend since the launch of UDAY.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Roadblock:</strong> Further, UDAY bonds were issued at a premium, due to this, the cost of debt servicing has gone up for the UDAY states.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The impact on state finances is likely to continue due to interest payment on UDAY bonds and redemption of these bonds.</li>
<li>This makes for a <strong>grim prospect for most states combating a tight fiscal situation amid a</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/slowdown-in-india-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>continuing slowdown.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Government's announcement of the launch of<strong> UDAY 2.0</strong> which seeks installation of <strong>smart prepaid metres, prompt payment by discoms, making coal available for short term</strong> and <strong>reviving gas-based plants</strong> is a step in the right direction.</li>
<li>There is an urgent need to address the issues of burgeoning outstanding dues of discoms towards power generators and stressed projects that are being dragged under insolvency proceedings.</li>
<li><strong>Formulation of pragmatic power tariff policy</strong> is the need of the hour because without a financially viable power sector and subsequently, socio-economic growth of India will suffer.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Indian government has vowed to provide 24X7 power supply to every village and every house in India. The fulfilment of this dream will rest upon a sustainable power sector. Therefore, the government should proactively address the concerns of these power distribution companies.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 506px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #fc6100; background-color: #ffeddb;"><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana was designed to turn around the precarious financial position of state power distribution companies. However, there are still many underlying issues in it. Discuss.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ujwal-discom-assurance-yojana'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Joint Naval Exercise by China, Russia and Iran ',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577439390_802image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577439390_802image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="422" height="238" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China, Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills from December 27 to 30 to deepen exchange and cooperation between the navies of the three countries.</li>
<li>The exercise is launched from the <strong>southeastern port city of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/chabahar-port-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chabahar</a> in the Gulf of Oman</strong> and is aimed at boosting the <strong>security of the region&rsquo;s waterways.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chabahar port has been <strong>jointly developed</strong> by <strong>India, Iran, and Afghanistan.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a part of &ldquo;normal military cooperation&rdquo; between the three countries.</li>
<li>During the exercise, China would deploy its <strong>guided-missile destroyer</strong> &mdash; the <strong>&ldquo;carrier killer&rdquo;</strong> for its array of anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles.</li>
<li>The exercise comes in the backdrop of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal</strong> </a>and escalated sanctions on Iran by the USA.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/report-iran-kicks-off-joint-naval-drills-with-russia-china/article30409776.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/joint-naval-exercise-by-china-russia-and-iran'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Earliest Sanskrit Inscriptions in South India found in A.P.',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monuments-of-national-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)</strong></a> has discovered the <strong>earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India</strong> which is also an <strong>earliest epigraphic evidence</strong> (Epigraphy is the study of ancient inscriptions) for the <strong>Saptamatrika cult.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Saptamatrikas are a group of <strong>seven female deities</strong> worshipped in <strong>Hinduism</strong> as personifying the energy of their respective consorts.</li>
<li>Another inscription in <strong>Prakrit language and of Brahmi characters</strong> belonging to the <strong>1st century A.D.</strong> was also found.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Inscriptions related to Saptamatrika:</strong> The found inscription records the <strong>construction of a Prasada (temple), a mandapa</strong> and <strong>consecration of images</strong> by a person named Kartika at the temple of <strong>Goddess Saptamatrika</strong> at Tambrape.</li>
<li><strong>Location:</strong> Tambrape is the <strong>ancient name</strong> of <strong>Chebrolou, Andhra Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Earlier References to Saptamatrika:</strong> Earlier references to Saptamatrika worship have been found in the early Kadamba copper plates and the early <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chalukyan-rulers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chalukyas and Eastern Chalukya</strong></a> copper plates<strong> dated around 600 A.D.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Language and Characters:</strong> All the available records proved that the found inscription (also known as <strong>Chebrolu inscription</strong>) is in <strong>Sanskrit and in Brahmi characters.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Issued by: Satavahana king Vijaya in 207 A.D.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>So far the <strong>Nagarjunakonda inscription</strong> of <strong>Ikshavaku king Ehavala Chantamula</strong> issued in the 4<sup>th</sup> century A.D. was considered the earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Satavahanas</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the Deccan, the Satavahanas established their independent rule after the decline of the Mauryas. Their rule lasted for about <strong>450 years.</strong></li>
<li>They were also known as the <strong>Andhras.</strong></li>
<li>The Puranas and the <strong>Nasik and Nanaghad inscriptions</strong> remain important sources for the history of Satavahanas.</li>
<li>The<strong> founder</strong> of the Satavahana dynasty was <strong>Simuka.</strong> The greatest ruler of the Satavahana dynasty was <strong>Gautamiputra Satakarni.</strong></li>
<li>There was remarkable progress in the fields of trade and industry during the Satavahana rule. The greatest port of the Satavahanas was <strong>Kalyani on the western Deccan</strong> and <strong>Gandakasela, Ganjam on the east coast</strong> were the other important seaports.</li>
<li>The Satavahanas <strong>patronized Buddhism and Brahmanism.</strong> Brahmanism was revived by the Satavahanas along with the performance of asvamedha and rajasuya sacrifices.</li>
<li>They also <strong>patronized the Prakrit language and literature.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/earliest-sanskrit-inscription-in-south-india-found-in-ap/article30397972.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/earliest-sanskrit-inscriptions-in-south-india-found-in-a-p'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Restructuring of Railway Board',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has approved <strong>restructuring of the Railway Board.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>number</strong> of <strong>Railway Board members</strong> will be <strong>reduced to five from existing eight.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>eight railway services</strong> will be <strong>integrated</strong> into a central service called the <strong>Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).</strong> All employees at the management level will come into the Railways through one service &mdash; the IRMS.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian Railways is organised into service departments such as traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical, signal &amp; telecom, stores, personnel, and accounts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This is in line with the recommendations of numerous committees, notably <strong>Rakesh Mohan (2001)</strong> and the <strong>Bibek Debroy panel (2015).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Railway Board</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Railway Board was constituted in <strong>1905</strong> as the <strong>chief administrative and executive body</strong> to assist the Minister of Railways.</li>
<li>It consists of a Chairman and<strong> seven members</strong> from different service departments such as traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical and signal &amp; telecom.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Restructured Board</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Board will now consist of <strong>five members &ndash;</strong> Chairman, who will act as a CEO, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance.</li>
<li>There will also be a <strong>Directorate General - Human Resources (DG - HR)</strong> under the Chairman. The Board will also have some independent members, who will be highly distinguished professionals.</li>
<li>The modalities and unification of the services will be worked out by the Ministry of Railways in consultation with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).</li>
<li>The Railways will also <strong>upgrade the 27 General Managers (GMs)</strong> working at zonal levels to secretary level grade &ndash; highest in the government of India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The integration of service departments will <strong>cut the clutter in decision making</strong> and organise the working of the Railway Board and its zones along more commercial lines. This will also <strong>end departmentalism.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lack of coordination between the maintenance and traffic staff is said to have played a role in the Khatauli rail mishap near Muzaffarnagar in August 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will streamline railway operations and provide flexibility the way Railways deploy people. It is a<strong> step towards corporatisation.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Corporatisation</strong> refers to the restructuring or transformation of a state-owned asset or organization into a corporation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/railway-board-revamp-will-see-cut-in-strength/article30391773.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/restructuring-of-railway-board'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'UGC Issues Norms for Ethics in Higher Education',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)</strong> has adopted the <strong>Higher Education Quality Improvement Programme Mandate</strong> to improve the quality in higher educational institutions.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Quality Mandate</strong> was developed by the <strong>University Grants Commission (UGC)</strong> which contains 5 documents covering the<strong> 5 verticals of Quality Mandate-</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Evaluation reforms</strong></li>
<li><strong>Eco-friendly and sustainable university campuses</strong></li>
<li><strong>Human values &amp; professional ethics</strong></li>
<li><strong>Faculty induction</strong></li>
<li><strong>Academic research integrity</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>quality mandate aims at</strong> evolving higher education system to equip the country's next generation with vital skills, knowledge and ethics for leading a rewarding life.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Student evaluation plays a crucial role in improving the quality of Higher Education in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Five Documents on 5 verticals of Quality Mandate</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Evaluation reforms:</strong> Under this, the report <strong>&lsquo;Evaluation Reforms in Higher Educational Institutions in India&rsquo;</strong> has been published in order to make student assessment more meaningful, effective and linked to <strong>&lsquo;Learning Outcomes&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Eco-friendly and Sustainable University Campuses:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/satat-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SATAT</strong></a> <strong>- Framework for Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Campus development in Higher Educational Institutions</strong> encourages universities to adopt reflective policies and practices to enhance the environmental quality of the campus and to adopt sustainable and green methods in its future.</li>
<li><strong>Human Values &amp; Professional Ethics:</strong> A policy framework <strong>&lsquo;MulyaPravah &ndash; Guidelines for Inculcation of Human Values and Professional Ethics in Higher Educational Institutions&rsquo;</strong> has been developed to discuss and streamline the process that helps to infuse the culture of human values and ethics in educational institutions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>guidelines</strong> for values and ethics in higher education call for students to- <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Observe modesty</strong> in their overall appearance and behaviour.</li>
<li><strong>Maintain good health</strong> and refrain from any kind of intoxicants.</li>
<li><strong>Maintain harmony</strong> among students belonging to different socio-economic status, community, caste, religion or region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Faculty Induction:</strong> The guidelines for Guru-Dakshta &ndash; A guide to <strong>Faculty Induction Programme (FIP)</strong> will fulfill its main objective to sensitise and motivate the faculty to adopt learner centred approaches, <strong>Information and Communication Technology (ICT)</strong> integrated learning and new pedagogic approaches to teaching-learning, assessment tools in higher education.</li>
<li><strong>Academic Research Integrity:</strong> UGC is putting up efforts for setting up a <strong>Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE)</strong> to continuously monitor and identify quality journals across disciplines. It will be useful to create more awareness and help the cause of promoting academic integrity and ethical publishing.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>University Grants Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It came into existence on <strong>28<sup>th</sup> December, 1953</strong> and became a <strong>statutory organization</strong> of the Government of India by an <strong>Act of Parliament in 1956,</strong> for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in university education.</li>
<li>The <strong>head office</strong> of the UGC is located in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ugc-issues-norms-for-ethics-in-higher-education/article30405203.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ugc-issues-norms-for-ethics-in-higher-education'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Dal Lake',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Dal is a lake in <strong>Srinagar,</strong> the capital of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Dal Lake is a misnomer as Dal in Kashmiri means lake.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432757_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432757_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="450" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the &ldquo;Jewel in the crown of Kashmir&rdquo; or &ldquo;Srinagar&rsquo;s Jewel&rdquo;.</li>
<li>It is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.</li>
<li>It covers an area of 18 square kilometres and is part of a natural wetland including its floating gardens.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>floating gardens,</strong> known as<strong> &ldquo;Raad&rdquo;</strong> in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August.</li>
<li>The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin. Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>houseboats (Shikaras)</strong> are closely associated with Dal Lake which provide accommodation to tourists in Srinagar.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dal-lake'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Solar Eclipse',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>On 26<sup>th</sup> December 2019, India experienced an <strong>Annular Solar eclipse</strong> of <strong>0.97 magnitude,</strong> with <strong>3 minutes and 39 seconds&rsquo; maximum duration</strong> of totality.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432106_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432106_image2.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Parts of <strong>Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu</strong> experienced the<strong> full glimpse of the &ldquo;Ring of Fire&rdquo; solar eclipse.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>&lsquo;ring of fire&rsquo;</strong> is a<strong> characteristic of the annular solar eclipse.</strong> It causes the sun to look like a <strong>ring (annulus)</strong> and hence the name annular eclipse.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/solar-eclipse-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cheruvathur</strong></a><strong> in Kasaragod district, Kerala</strong> is one of the three places in the world where the solar eclipse was seen most clearly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Partial phases of the solar eclipse</strong> were visible from <strong>all over the country</strong> in varying magnitude depending upon the geographical position.</li>
<li>This annular solar eclipse was also visible from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Eclipse Magnitude</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Eclipse magnitude is the <strong>fraction of the Sun&rsquo;s diameter</strong> which is covered by the Moon.</li>
<li>It is <strong>strictly a ratio of diameters</strong> and should not be confused with eclipse obscuration, which is a measure of the Sun&rsquo;s surface area covered by the Moon.</li>
<li>Eclipse magnitude may be expressed as either a percentage or a decimal fraction (e.g., 50% or 0.50).</li>
<li>By convention, its value is given at the <strong>instant of greatest eclipse.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Solar Eclipse</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/total-solar-eclipse-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>solar eclipse</strong></a> is a phenomenon that occurs when the moon comes in the way of the sun&rsquo;s light. The moon's shadow casts itself on Earth, blocking out the sun's light (as seen from Earth).</li>
<li>The moon's shadow has <strong>two</strong> parts: <strong>a central region (umbra)</strong> and <strong>an outer region (penumbra).</strong> Depending upon which part of the shadow passes over the Earth, one of <strong>three types</strong> of solar eclipses could be observed:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432484_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432484_image3.png" style="float: right;" width="127" height="181" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total Solar Eclipse-</strong> The entire central portion of the sun is blocked out by the moon.</li>
<li><strong>Partial Solar Eclipse-</strong> Only part of the sun's surface is blocked out.</li>
<li><strong>Annular Solar Eclipse-</strong> The sun is covered in such a way that only a small ring-like sliver of light is seen from the sun's disc. This ring is known as the ring of fire.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>An annular eclipse happens when the moon is farthest from Earth. As the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems smaller and is unable to block the entire view of the sun, because of which the ring-like structure could be observed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/watch-solar-eclipse-2019-live-from-kerala/article30400165.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/solar-eclipse-2'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Frontier Technologies',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/the-tech-frontier-for-developing-nations-11577296901248.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The tech frontier for developing nations&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Livemint on 25/12/2019. It talks about the impact of Frontier Technologies on developing nations.</p>
</div>
<p>The rapid technological transformations that started from the <strong>Industrial Revolution to the digital revolution,</strong> have boosted economic performance, improved efficiency, accelerated the pace of globalization, and transformed human society in the process.</p>
<p>Frontier Technology or <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth:-industrial-revolution-4.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Industrial Revolution 4.0,</strong></a> the <strong>latest wave of disruptive technological change</strong> is fundamentally altering how goods, services and ideas are exchanged. However, the disruptive nature of technology is nothing new, and it offers promising new opportunities, while at the same time posing a challenge to policymaking.</p>
<p>Therefore, the frontier technologies demand renewed policy cooperation at all levels of governance (national, regional and global levels).</p>
<h3>What are Frontier Technologies and their applications?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Frontier technologies are defined as potentially disruptive technologies that can address large-scale challenges or opportunities. Frontier technology is the next phase in the evolution of modern technology. It is the intersection where radical forward-thinking and real-world implementation meet. For example&nbsp;<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>AI</strong></a>, <strong>robotics, 3D printing, and the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-must-get-on-the-iot-highway-fast" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Internet of Things</strong></a>, <strong>etc.</strong></li>
<li>Frontier technologies have unlocked new routes to prosperity through agriculture, manufacturing, trade in services, the linking of informal and formal sectors, and domestic interconnectivity.</li>
<li>They have enormous potential to improve government administration and the delivery of public services.</li>
<li>They can help anticipate and respond to the effects of climate hazards and air pollution through the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies to address environmental impacts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the Republic of Korea, the smart city of Songdo is built around the Internet of Things to reduce traffic pollution, save energy and water, and create a cleaner environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will be critical that these technologies work for society and the environment as well as the economy if the world is to achieve the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Digital Exclusion:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As Information and Communication Technology infrastructure is the backbone of many frontier technologies, there is a risk of its triggering a new frontier technology divide, compounding an already existing digital divide.</li>
<li>An estimated<strong> three billion people could still lack internet access by 2023</strong>, and many more will have little or no opportunity to reap the benefits of digital technologies.</li>
<li>There is a danger that gains associated with frontier technologies will not reach the world&rsquo;s poorest people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uncertain Future of Work:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the coming decades, <strong>the jobs of 785 million workers,</strong> that&rsquo;s equivalent to over 50 % of total employment in the Asia-Pacific region could be automated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Trust and Ethical Questions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Frontier Technology per se is not the problem, but there are ethical issues<strong> surrounding privacy, ownership and transparency.</strong></li>
<li>With the world&rsquo;s population projected to reach ten billion by mid-century, global governance will become even more complex than it is today.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developing countries,</strong> in particular, are starting from a difficult position, because they are already grappling with the challenges of low human capital, ineffective institutions, and a difficult business environment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The <strong>Pathways for Prosperity Commission on Technology and Inclusive Development</strong> has shown that developing countries can still harness the new wave of frontier technologies for the benefit of all.</p>
<p>In this context, a policy framework for the next generation of technology and innovation should focus on creating an enabling environment for frontier technologies to positively impact the economy, society, and environment; and to reduce inequalities.</p>
<p>This may require the development of:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An inclusive ICT infrastructure.</li>
<li>A workforce fit for the emerging scale and speed of the technological revolution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, there is a need to promote lifelong learning, reskilling and entrepreneurship development to develop a cadre of job creators.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A policy framework to <strong>strengthen public-private partnerships,</strong> so as to capture the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.</li>
<li>A responsive and adaptive regulatory framework that doesn&rsquo;t stifle innovation.</li>
<li><strong>Whole-of-economy or Most-of-society approach:</strong> Technology alone will not guarantee success. Policymakers must also account for local contexts and conditions so that they can create social, political and economic ecosystems in which technology creates jobs and drives inclusive growth.</li>
<li><strong>Investment in technical pillars of the future economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>National governments should start planning for digital readiness in four areas: infrastructure, human capital, policy and regulation, and finance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 67px;">
<td style="width: 100%; height: 67px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #8a0dff; background-color: #eeffc7;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />Analyse the possible impact of frontier technologies on developing countries.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/frontier-technologies'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Disputed Territories of India',
			'catname' => 'Paper 2',
			'desc' => '<h3>Border Disputes of India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has 15,106.7 Km of land border and a coastline of 7,516.6 Km including island territories. The length of our land borders with neighbouring countries is as under:</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358780_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358780_image3.png" width="450" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358786_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358786_image2.png" width="450" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>China</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>4 states viz., Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and a Union Territories of Ladakh (erstwhile state of Jammu &amp; Kashmir) share a border with China.</li>
<li>The Sino-Indian border is generally divided into three sectors namely: <strong>Western sector, Middle sector, and Eastern sector.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Western Sector</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the western sector, India shares about 2152 km long border with China.</li>
<li>It is between Union Territory of Ladakh (erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir) and Xinjiang Province of China.</li>
<li>In this sector, there is a <strong>territorial dispute over Aksai Chin.</strong> India claims it as part of erstwhile Kashmir, while China claims it is part of Xinjiang.</li>
<li>The dispute over Aksai Chin can be traced back to the failure of the British Empire to clearly demarcate a legal border between China and its Indian colony.</li>
<li>During the time of British rule in India, two borders between India and China were proposed- Johnson&rsquo;s Line and McDonald Line.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Johnson&rsquo;s line (proposed in 1865) shows Aksai Chin in erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir</strong> (now Ladakh) i.e. under India&rsquo;s control <strong>whereas McDonald Line (proposed in 1893) places it under China&rsquo;s control.</strong></li>
<li>India considers Johnson Line as a correct, rightful national border with China, while on the other hand, China considers the McDonald Line as the correct border with India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>At present, Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the line separating Indian areas of Ladakh from Aksai Chin. It is concurrent with the Chinese Aksai Chin claim line.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Middle Sector</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In this sector, India shares about 625 km long boundary with China which runs along the watershed from Ladakh to Nepal.</li>
<li>Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand touch this border with Tibet (China) in this sector. Both sides do not have much disagreement over the border in this area.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Eastern Sector</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In this sector, India shares a 1,140 km long boundary with China.</li>
<li>It runs from the eastern limit of Bhutan to a point near the Talu Pass at the trijunction of Tibet, India and Myanmar.</li>
<li>This boundary line is called <strong>McMahon Line.</strong></li>
<li><strong>China considers the McMahon Line illegal</strong> and unacceptable claiming that Tibetan representatives who had signed the 1914 Convention held in Shimla which delineated the McMahon line on the map were not having rights to do so.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358845_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358845_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="600" height="434" /></a></p>
<h3>Pakistan</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan:</strong> Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of approximately 78,000 sq. km of Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, under the so-called Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq. km in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to China.</li>
<li><strong>Siachen Glacier:</strong> The Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakorams in the Himalayas just east of the Actual Ground Position Line between India-Pakistan. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The entire Siachen Glacier, with all major passes, is currently under the administration of India since 1984<strong> (Operation Meghdoot).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Saltoro Ridge:</strong> The Saltoro Mountains mountain range is a subrange of the Karakoram Heights or of Saltoro Ridge. They are located in the heart of the Karakoram, on the southwest side of the Siachen Glacier.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are claimed as part of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory by India and as part of Gilgit-Baltistan by Pakistan.</li>
<li>In 1984, India assumed military control of the main peaks and passes of the range, with Pakistani forces into the glacial valleys just to the west.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sir Creek</strong>: It is a 96 km long strip of water disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch marshlands. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Pakistan claims the line to follow the eastern shore of the estuary while India claims a centerline (differing interpretations of <em>paragraphs 9 and 10 of the Bombay Government Resolution of 1914</em> signed between the then Government of Sindh and Rao Maharaj of Kutch).</li>
<li>The International Boundary in the Sir Creek area and International Maritime Boundary line (IMBL) between India and Pakistan have not been demarcated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Nepal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Kalapani:</strong> Kalapani is a valley that is administered by India as a part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. It is situated on the Kailash Mansarovar route. The latest political map of India reiterated the Indian claims on the region that Nepal says belongs to its westernmost part. India claims the historic region as part of Uttarakhand.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Kali River</strong> in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal.</li>
<li>The <strong>Treaty of Sugauli</strong> signed by the <strong>Kingdom of Nepal and British India</strong> (after <strong>Anglo-Nepalese War</strong>) in <strong>1816</strong> located the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India. The discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Susta: Susta area</strong> is one of the disputed territories between <strong>India (Uttar Pradesh) and Nepal.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Susta is located on the bank of the <strong>Gandak river</strong> (called Narayani river in Nepal).</li>
<li>The <strong>change of course by the Gandak river</strong> is the main reason for disputes in the Susta area.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sri Lanka</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-sri-lanka-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Sri Lanka</strong></a> have a maritime boundary. A 30-km wide shallow sea, the Palk Strait, lies between the countries. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Though, by and large, peace has reigned where the Indo-Sri Lanka border issue is concerned, there were tensions over the question of who owned <strong>Kachchatheevu Island in the Palk Strait.</strong> It was given by India to Sri Lanka in 1974.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Bangladesh</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There were some boundary disputes between <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-bangladesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Bangladesh</strong></a> that were resolved by the implementation of the historic &ldquo;Land Boundary Agreement&rdquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>During the visit of Indian Prime Minister to Bangladesh in June 2015, the Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh of 1974 and its Protocol of 2011 were ratified.</li>
<li>The implementation of the Agreement and Protocol has settled all outstanding land boundary issues between India and Bangladesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Myanmar</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is no border dispute between <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-myanmar-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Myanmar</strong></a>. However, certain sectors of the India-Myanmar boundary remain to be demarcated.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s unsettled boundaries pose major problems in its policy towards its neighbours, especially China and Pakistan.</li>
<li>It has not been possible for India to agree on the border with China since China is laying unreasonable claims on territories that have historically been India. There must be more constructive diplomatic engagement between both countries to resolve their decades-long border issues.</li>
<li>Regarding Pakistan, both the countries should come on the table sooner or later to discuss their contentious issues. Meanwhile, Pakistan must end any kind of support to Terrorism and its &ldquo;Proxy War&rdquo; on India to bring India on table to talk border issues.</li>
<li>India should engage constructively and generously with its smaller neighbours like Nepal to deal the border issues.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/Paper2/disputed-territories-of-india'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Madan Mohan Malaviya Jayanti',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to <strong>Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya</strong> on his <strong>158<sup>th</sup> birth anniversary (25<sup>th</sup> December, 2019).</strong></p>
<h3>Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577351970_image8.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577351970_image8.jpg" width="200" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Born on 25<sup>th</sup> December 1861, in <strong>Allahabad (now Prayagraj)</strong> in Uttar Pradesh, Malviya played a key role in the Indian independence struggle against British rule and <strong>founded the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916.</strong></li>
<li>He is also remembered for his role in <strong>ending the Indian indenture system,</strong> especially in the <strong>Caribbean.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indentured labour was a system of bonded labour that was instituted following the abolition of slavery in 1833.</li>
<li>Indentured labour were recruited to work on sugar, cotton and tea plantations, and rail construction projects in British colonies in West Indies, Africa and South East Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He<strong> popularized the term &lsquo;Satyamev Jayate&rsquo;.</strong> However, the phrase originally belongs to the <strong>Mundaka Upanishad.</strong> The term now is the <strong>national motto of India.</strong></li>
<li>He was given the<strong> title of &lsquo;Mahamana&rsquo; by Rabindranath Tagore</strong> and the second President of India, Dr. S. <strong>Radhakrishnan</strong> gave him the status of a<strong> &lsquo;Karmayogi&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Devnagri</strong> was introduced in the British-Indian courts because of Malviya&rsquo;s efforts with the British government. This is still considered as one of his greatest achievements.</li>
<li>Madan Mohan Malviya was expelled from the Brahmin community for expressing his views on caste discrimination and Brahmanical patriarchy. He worked immensely for Hindu-Muslim unity. He is known to have given famous speeches on <strong>communal harmony.</strong></li>
<li>He helped establish the <strong>Hindu Mahasabha (&ldquo;Great Society of Hindus&rdquo;) in 1906,</strong> which brought diverse local Hindu nationalist movements together.</li>
<li>Malaviya&rsquo;s consciousness toward the public led to the launch of his own Hindi-language weekly, the <strong>Abhyudaya (1907); the Leader of Allahabad,</strong> an English-language daily (1909); and the Hindi monthly the <strong>Maryada (1910).</strong> He also served as the chairman of the board of Hindustan times and facilitated the launch of its Hindi edition.</li>
<li>He died on 12<sup>th</sup> November, 1946, at the age of 84.</li>
<li>In<strong> 2014,</strong> he was posthumously <strong>conferred with Bharat Ratna,</strong> the country's highest civilian award.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1597569" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/madan-mohan-malaviya-jayanti'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Hoolock Gibbon',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The tailless Hoolock Gibbon is the <strong>only ape found in India.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349290_image9.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349290_image9.jpg" width="250" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong></li>
<li>The primate is native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India and Southwest China.</li>
<li>The Hoolock Gibbon is categorised into two <strong>types:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Western hoolock gibbon:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It inhibits in <strong>all the states of the north-east, restricted between the south of the Brahmaputra river and east of the Dibang river.</strong> And outside India, it is found in eastern Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar.</li>
<li>It is listed as<strong> Endangered</strong> under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a> Red List.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Eastern hoolock gibbon:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It inhabits specific pockets of <strong>Arunachal Pradesh and Assam</strong> in India, and in southern China and north-east Myanmar outside India.</li>
<li>It is listed as <strong>Vulnerable</strong> under the IUCN Redlist.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In India, both the species are listed on <strong>Schedule 1 of the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act 1972.</strong></a></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hoolock-gibbon'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Amur Falcon',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Amur falcons, the <strong>world&rsquo;s longest travelling raptors</strong> start travelling with the onset of winters.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349069_image7.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349069_image7.jpg" width="250" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></li>
<li>The raptors breed in southeastern Siberia and northern China, and migrate in millions across India and then over the Indian Ocean to southern Africa before returning to Mongolia and Siberia. Their <strong>22,000-kilometre migratory route</strong> is one of the longest amongst all avian species.</li>
<li>They get their name from the <strong>Amur River</strong> that forms the <strong>border between Russia and China.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Doyang Lake in Nagaland</strong> is better known as a <strong>stopover for the Amur falcons</strong> during their annual migration from their breeding grounds to warmer South Africa. Thus, <strong>Nagaland</strong> is also known as the <strong>&ldquo;Falcon Capital of the World,&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The birds are the <strong>least concern under the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a> <strong>Red List,</strong> but the species is <strong>protected</strong> under the <strong>Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,</strong> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-to-host-cms-cop-13-in-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on Migratory Species,</strong></a> to which India is a signatory (which means it is mandatory to protect the birds).</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/amur-falcon'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Kalka - Shimla Heritage Route',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Indian Railways has started a <strong>seven coach glass-enclosed vistadome train</strong> (Him Darshan Express) on the <strong>heritage Kalka-Shimla route.</strong> The train will provide passengers a panoramic view of the hilly region.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346839_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346839_image6.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Luxurious coaches with glass ceiling are termed as Vistadome coaches. These have see-through window screens.</li>
<li>The Kalka Shimla railway line was declared a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO world heritage site</strong></a> in 2008 and was listed under <strong>&ldquo;Mountain Railways of India&rdquo;.</strong> It has been a great tourist attraction since then.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Mountain Railway of India, besides Kalka - Shimla Railway, consists of two other railways:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Darjeeling Himalayan Railway</strong> located in the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal (Northeast India)</li>
<li>The <strong>Nilgiri Mountain Railways</strong> located in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu (South India).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Kalka Shimla Railway is a <strong>96.6 kilometer long,</strong> single track working rail link built in the mid-19th century to connect Shimla.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/indian-railways-start-7-coach-glass-enclosed-vistadome-train-on-kalka-shimla-route/article30394742.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kalka-shimla-heritage-route'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Locust Invasion in Gujarat',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>migratory insect - locust</strong> has swarmed the northern parts of Gujarat, causing significant damage to agriculture.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346585_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346585_image4.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anti-locust-fight" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>locusts</strong></a>, known as<strong> tiddis locally,</strong> destroyed standing crops of castor, cumin, jatropha, cotton, and potato, and fodder grass in around 20 talukas.</li>
<li><strong>Gujarat</strong> has <strong>not witnessed such an invasion</strong> of locusts<strong> since 1993-94.</strong></li>
<li>The locusts emerged in February 2019 from Sudan and Eritrea in Africa's Red Sea Coast and travelled through Saudi Arabia and Iran to enter Pakistan, where they invaded the Sindh province and from there they moved into Rajasthan and Gujarat, where south western monsoon had prolonged this time.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)</strong> had issued an alert of a massive locust attack in South Asia covering Pakistan and India.</li>
<li>The <strong>Locust Warning Organization (LWO)</strong> in Jodhpur also noticed the swarms and predicted their trajectory across the international border.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Locust</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A locust is a large, mainly <strong>tropical grasshopper</strong> with strong powers of flight. They<strong> differ from ordinary grasshoppers</strong> in their ability to change behaviour (gregarize) and form swarms that can migrate over large distances.</li>
<li>Locusts are generally seen during the months of June and July as the insects are active from summer to the rainy season.</li>
<li>Locusts have a high capacity to multiply, form groups, migrate over relatively large distances (they can fly up to 150 km per day). They can rapidly reproduce and increase some 20-fold in three months.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to Vegetation:</strong> Locust adults can eat their own weight every day, i.e. about two grams of fresh vegetation per day. A very small swarm eats as much in one day as about 35,000 people, posing a devastating threat to crops and food security.</li>
<li><strong>FAO</strong> provides information on the general locust situation to the global community and gives timely warnings and forecasts to those countries in danger of invasion.</li>
<li><strong>Locust Warning Organisation (LWO),</strong> Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage, <strong>Ministry of Agriculture &amp; Farmers Welfare,</strong> is responsible for monitoring, survey and control of Desert Locust in Scheduled Desert Areas mainly in the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/massive-locust-invasion-threatens-gujarat-farmers/article30397949.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Good Governance Day',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Good Governance Day is observed on <strong>25<sup>th</sup> December</strong> to mark the <strong>birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On this occasion, a number of initiatives have been taken by the government viz. the launch of <strong>Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL),</strong> naming of <strong>tunnel under Rohtang Pass</strong> as<strong> Atal Tunnel</strong> and the launch of <strong>Good Governance Index (GGI).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Atal Bhujal Yojana</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) is a <strong>central sector scheme</strong>&nbsp;worth <strong>Rs.6,000 crore</strong> to be implemented over <strong>5 years</strong> for sustainable management of <strong>groundwater</strong> with community participation.</li>
<li>ATAL JAL will promote <strong>panchayat led</strong> groundwater management and <strong>behavioural change</strong> with a primary focus on demand-side management.</li>
<li>It is being implemented by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-shakti-mantralaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti</strong></a> (earlier known as Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation).</li>
<li>The scheme is being funded by the <strong>Government of India</strong> and the <strong>World Bank</strong> on <strong>50:50</strong> basis.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The entire World Bank's loan component and central assistance will be passed on to the States as grants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The identified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/depleting-groundwater" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>over-exploited and water-stressed areas</strong></a> for the implementation of the scheme are <strong>Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The States have been selected according to the degree of groundwater exploitation and degradation, established legal and regulatory instruments, institutional readiness, and experience in implementing initiatives related to groundwater management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Atal Tunnel</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>8.8-kilometre-long</strong> Atal tunnel under Rohtang Pass is the <strong>world's longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres.</strong> It has a <strong>fireproof emergency tunnel</strong> built into the main tunnel itself.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rohtang Pass (elevation 3,978 m) is located in the state of <strong>Himachal Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>It is present on the <strong>Pir Panjal Range</strong> of Himalayas.</li>
<li>It connects the<strong> Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti Valleys</strong> of Himachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>The<strong> Ravi river rises</strong> west of the Rohtang pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will provide<strong> all-weather connectivity</strong> to <strong>remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh</strong> which otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six months during winters.</li>
<li>The tunnel will help to promote tourism in the region.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Good Governance Index<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346296_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346296_image3.jpg" width="550" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Good Governance Index (GGI) has been launched by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances &amp; Pensions to determine the <strong>status of governance</strong> in the country.</li>
<li>It assesses the impact of various interventions taken up by the State Government and UTs.</li>
<li><strong>Objectives of GGI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Provide quantifiable data to compare the State of Governance in the States and UTs.</li>
<li>Enable States and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance.</li>
<li>Shift to result-oriented approaches and administration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The GGI takes into consideration the following<strong> ten sectors:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Agriculture and Allied Sectors,</li>
<li>Commerce &amp; Industries,</li>
<li>Human Resource Development,</li>
<li>Public Health,</li>
<li>Public Infrastructure &amp; Utilities,</li>
<li>Economic Governance,</li>
<li>Social Welfare &amp; Development,</li>
<li>Judicial &amp; Public Security,</li>
<li>Environment</li>
<li>Citizen-Centric Governance</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The States and UTs are divided into<strong> three</strong> groups &mdash; <strong>the Big States, North-East and Hill States, and Union Territories.</strong></li>
<li>Findings of GGI:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Big States:</strong> <strong>Tamil Nadu</strong> <strong>topped</strong> the index followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh whereas Odisha, Bihar, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are poor performers.</li>
<li><strong>North-East and Hill States:</strong> <strong>Himachal Pradesh</strong> ranked first, followed by Uttarakhand, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim. Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh are the worst performers in this group.</li>
<li><strong>Union Territories:</strong> <strong>Puducherry</strong> is the <strong>best-governed</strong> UT followed by Chandigarh and Delhi. <strong>Lakshadweep</strong> is the <strong>worst</strong> performing UT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Atal Bihari Vajpayee<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577364259_Atalbihari.png" style="float: right;" width="307" height="230" /></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on <strong>December 25, 1924</strong> in the erstwhile princely state of<strong> Gwalior</strong> (now a part of the Indian State of <strong>Madhya Pradesh).</strong></li>
<li>He <strong>entered</strong> in <strong>national politics</strong> during the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/77th-anniversary-of-quit-india-movement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Quit India Movement of 1942</strong></a> which hastened the end of British colonial rule.</li>
<li>He was the Prime Minister of the country in <strong>1996 (for a short period of time) and 1999.</strong> He is the first Prime Minister since Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to have become Prime Minister of India<strong> with two successive mandates.</strong></li>
<li>He has been elected to the <strong>Lok Sabha nine times</strong> and to the<strong> Rajya Sabha</strong> twice. In <strong>1994,</strong> he was named <strong>India&rsquo;s &lsquo;Best Parliamentarian.&rsquo;</strong></li>
<li>He was conferred with the <strong>country's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna</strong> in <strong>2015</strong> and<strong> second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan</strong> in 1994.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1597584" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Typhoon Phanfone ',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Philippines was hit by typhoon Phanfone on 25<sup>th</sup> December 2019.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Typhoon Phanfone is known as <strong>Ursula</strong> in the<strong> local language in the Philippines.</strong></li>
<li>It is the second typhoon after <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/typhoon-kammuri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>typhoon Kammuri</strong> </a>which hit the Philippines recently.</li>
<li>Phanfone is following a similar path as <strong>Super Typhoon Haiyan,</strong> which had hit the country in <strong>2013.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Typhoon is a <strong>region-specific</strong> name of the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-western-disturbance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tropical Cyclone</strong></a> (swirling system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical oceans).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Philippines is the<strong> first major landmass</strong> facing the <strong>Pacific cyclone belt.</strong> It is hit by about 20 storms and typhoons each year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Tropical Cyclone<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577345389_image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577345389_image5.jpg" width="350" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-western-disturbance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cyclone</strong></a> is the formation of a very low-pressure system with very high-speed winds revolving around it. Factors like wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity contribute to the development of cyclones.</li>
<li>Cyclones are called 'Hurricanes' in the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, 'Typhoons' in South-East Asia and China and &lsquo;Tropical Cyclones&rsquo; in the South-West Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/typhoon-phanfone-batters-philippines-thousands-hit/article30398758.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Bar-headed Goose Spotted in Kerala',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <strong>Bar-headed Goose</strong> has been spotted in the <strong>wetlands of Karingali Puncha</strong> in Pathanamthitta District of <strong>Kerala.</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In general, large flocks visit the <strong>Koonthankulam bird sanctuary at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.</strong> It is very rare that the bird is<strong> spotted in Kerala.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>wetlands of Karingali Puncha</strong> is a major birding spot in the district. It reported the <strong>highest bird count in the Asian Waterbird Census of 2015.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Bar-headed Goose<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577344705_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577344705_image1.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> Anser Indicus</li>
<li><strong>Habitat</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bar-headed geese are found in <strong>central China and Mongolia</strong> and they breed there.</li>
<li>They start migration to the <strong>Indian sub-continent</strong> during the winter and stay till the end of the season.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Special Feature</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are one of the birds which can <strong>fly even at very high altitude.</strong> They come to India and return to their homes by<strong> crossing the Himalayan ranges -</strong> one of the most high-altitude migrations in the world.</li>
<li>The capacity of bar-headed geese to <strong>transport and consume oxygen</strong> at high rates in <strong>hypoxia distinguishes this species</strong> from similar lowland waterfowl.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IUCN Status:</strong> Least Concern</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hypoxia:</strong> It is a condition of the body in which the tissues are starved of oxygen.</p>
<p><strong>Asian Waterbird Census</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every January, thousands of <strong>volunteers</strong> across Asia and Australasia visit wetlands in their country and count waterbirds. This citizen science programme is the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC).</li>
<li>The AWC was<strong> initiated in 1987</strong> in the Indian subcontinent. The census covers the <strong>entire East Asian &ndash;</strong> Australasian Flyway and a <strong>large part of the Central Asian Flyway.</strong></li>
<li>The main <strong>objective</strong> is to obtain annual information of waterbird populations at wetlands in the region, the status of wetlands, and encourage interest in waterbirds and wetlands among the public and thereby promote conservation.</li>
<li>The AWC is an<strong> integral part of</strong> the global waterbird monitoring programme, the <strong>International Waterbird Census (IWC),</strong> coordinated by Wetlands International.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Situated in Tamil Nadu, it was <strong>declared as a sanctuary in 1994.</strong></li>
<li>It is an important protected area known for the <strong>congregation of migratory and local water birds &ndash;</strong> the grey pelican, the painted stork, the greater flamingo, the bar-headed goose, the open bill stork, the black ibis and other common species like egrets, cormorants and herons, among others.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/bar-headed-goose-spotted-near-pandalam/article30382967.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'title' => 'Kalaripayattu',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Kalaripayattu is a <strong>martial art</strong> based on the <strong>ancient knowledge of the human</strong> body.</li>
<li>It originated in<strong> Kerala</strong> during <strong>3<sup>nd</sup> century BC to the 2<sup>nd</sup> century AD.</strong> It is now practised in <strong>Kerala</strong> and in some parts of <strong>Tamil Nadu.</strong></li>
<li>The place where this martial art is practised is called a <strong>'Kalari'.</strong> It is a Malayalam word that signifies a <strong>kind of gymnasium.</strong> Kalari literally means <strong>'threshing floor' or 'battlefield'.&nbsp;</strong>The word Kalari first appears in the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/sangam-age-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tamil Sangam literature</strong></a> to describe both a battlefield and combat arena.</li>
<li>It is considered to be one of the <strong>oldest fighting systems</strong> in existence.</li>
<li>It is also considered as the <strong>father of modern Kung - Fu.</strong><strong></strong></li>
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		'title' => 'Belum Caves Festival',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Andhra Pradesh Government will be hosting the Belum Caves festival in January 2020 to popularise the Belum caves.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577518540_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577518540_image1.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The name <strong>&lsquo;Kandanavolu Sambaralu&rsquo;</strong> has been proposed for the festival. <strong>Kandanavolu</strong> was the <strong>ancient name of Kurnool</strong> district.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong> Belum Caves, also known as Belum Guhalu in Kurnool district of <strong>Andhra Pradesh</strong> is the <strong>second-longest cave</strong> in the <strong>Indian subcontinent open to the public.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>longest natural cave</strong> in the Indian subcontinent is <strong>Krem Liat Prah caves in Meghalaya.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong> The cave is <strong>more than a thousand year old,</strong> and was formed by the <strong>constant flow of underground water</strong> over a period of time.</li>
<li><strong>Geographical Features:</strong> These caves are renowned for their <strong>speleothem structures</strong> (Speleothems are secondary mineral deposits formed in a cave), such as <strong>stalactite and stalagmite</strong> formations.</li>
<li><strong>Historical Background:</strong> The caves were occupied by <strong>Jain and Buddhist monks</strong> many centuries ago. The presence of 4500 years old vessels from the pre-Buddhism era ensures the same.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Stalactites and Stalagmites</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Stalactites</strong> hang as icicles of different diameters. Normally they are broad at their bases and taper towards the free ends showing up in a variety of forms.</li>
<li><strong>Stalagmites</strong> rise up from the floor of the caves. In fact, stalagmites form due to dripping water from the surface or through the thin pipe, of the stalactite, immediately below it.</li>
<li>The stalagmites and stalactites eventually fuse to give rise to columns and pillars of different diameters.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/festival-to-promote-belum-caves-planned-in-december/article30000402.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/belum-caves-festival'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture - Rajya Sabha 250th Session – Takeaways',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FFuZjNW1clY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The Winter Session of Parliament was held from <strong>November 18, 2019 to December 13, 2019.</strong> During this session, Parliament celebrated two milestones: first, function held in the Central Hall of Parliament to commemorate the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution</strong> and second, was the <strong>250<sup>th</sup> session of Rajya Sabha</strong>. Marking almost <strong>100% productivity</strong> during its 20 sittings this session, <strong>15 Bills</strong> were passed by Rajya Sabha including the landmark <strong>Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill</strong> (2019) and <strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Bill</strong> (2019). This session also highlighted the wider role of Rajya Sabha in Indian Polity.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Significance of Rajya Sabha</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Formation:</strong> The Rajya Sabha <strong>was first constituted in 1952</strong> as a <strong>permanent body</strong> which is not <strong>subject to dissolution.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, <strong>one-third of its members retire every second year</strong> and are eligible for re-election &amp; renomination any number of times.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strength:</strong> The <strong>maximum strength</strong> of the Rajya Sabha is <strong>fixed at 250,</strong> out of which,<strong> 238</strong> are the representatives of the states and union territories (elected indirectly) and <strong>12 are nominated by the President.</strong> The seats are allotted to the states in the Rajya Sabha on the <strong>basis of the population.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Term of Office:</strong> The <strong>Constitution</strong> has<strong> not fixed the term of office</strong> of members of the Rajya Sabha and left it to the Parliament.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Accordingly, the <strong>Parliament</strong> in the<strong> Representation of the People Act (1951)</strong> provided that the term of office of a member of the Rajya Sabha shall be <strong>six years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Special Powers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rajya Sabha can authorize the Parliament to make a <strong>law on a subject enumerated in the State List (Article 249).</strong></li>
<li>It can authorize the Parliament to <strong>create new All-India Services</strong> common to both the Centre and the states <strong>(Article 312).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577450842_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577450842_image1.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></strong></a></p>
</div>
<h3>Key Takeaways from the 250<sup>th</sup> Session</h3>
<p>Praising the members for their brevity, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha noted that about 9.5 starred questions were answered orally every day of this Session- making a new record since 1971 (previous best was 8.7 during the 198<sup>th</sup> session in 2003).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Difference over Previous Sessions:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Increased Productivity:</strong> Despite being the shorter session, this session remained highly productive over the previous ones. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Rajya Sabha worked for around 92% of its scheduled time, of which 39% of the total functional time was spent on legislative business, 25.4% on raising and discussing matters of urgent public importance under Short Duration Discussion, Calling Attention Notices, Zero Hour and Special Mentions, 13% on Question Hour meant for ensuring accountability of the executive and 5% on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/introduction-of-private-member-s-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Private Members&rsquo; Bills.</strong></a></li>
<li>Significant importance given to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/starred-questions-in-parliamentary-proceedings" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Question Hour,</strong></a> <strong>answering of more oral questions,</strong> short, intense and precise discussions by legislators over <strong>Standing Committees reports,</strong> and the increased<strong> zero hour</strong> submissions reflect the enhanced <strong>accountability.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Absenteeism:</strong> Chairman this time freely discussed over issues like, non-attendance of legislators to target the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-strengthening-parliamentary-institutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>problem of absenteeism.</strong></a> Many a times this leads to halting of Business of the House due to absence of the required <strong>Quorum.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Chairman also asked the members to ensure their presence in the <strong>Parliamentary Standing Committees.</strong> He highlighted that out of 80 members in 8 Parliamentary Standing Committees (under the administrative control of Rajya Sabha), only 18 members had 100% attendance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Charter:</strong> At the beginning of the session, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/point-reforms-charter-for-parliament" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>15 point charter</strong> </a>was released by the Vice-President highlighting the support and reforms Rajya Sabha needed.</li>
<li><strong>Issues Addressed:</strong> The <strong>discussions on contemporary issues</strong> like onion prices, economic slowdown, inter-alia reflects the receptive and compassionate behaviour of the House towards the people. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also a special discussion on 'The <strong>Role of Rajya Sabha in Indian polity</strong> and the way forward&rsquo; was held.</li>
<li><strong>Calling attention motions</strong> on &lsquo;Situation arising out of the dangerous levels of air pollution in the country, particularly in Delhi&rsquo;, &ldquo;Need for completion of National Irrigation Projects to tackle emerging water crisis and to transfer 'Water' to Concurrent List from State List&rdquo; were also taken up in the Rajya Sabha.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Language:</strong> The Chairman expressed his will to<strong> address the language barrier</strong> by allowing less spoken regional languages in the House. He proposed to recruit expert translators who can efficiently translate the regional languages into English and Hindi (as according to <strong>Article 120</strong> the language to be used in the Parliament shall be Hindi or English).</li>
<li>The <strong>Rajya Sabha secretariat</strong> also released the <strong>first-ever analysis</strong> of its legislative work viz., <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/250th-session-of-rajya-sabha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Rajya Sabha: The Journey since 1952&rdquo;</strong> </a>to commemorate the 250<sup>th</sup> session.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input</strong></p>
<p><strong>Parliamentary Mechanisms:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Short Duration Discussion-</strong> also known as <strong>two-hour discussion</strong> as the time allotted for such a discussion should not exceed two hours. The members of the Parliament can raise such discussions on a <strong>matter of urgent public importance.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Calling Attention Notices</strong>- It is introduced in the Parliament by a member<strong> to call the attention of a minister to a matter of urgent public importance,</strong> and to seek an authoritative statement from him/her on that matter.</li>
<li><strong>Special Mentions-</strong> A matter which cannot be raised during question hour, half-an-hour discussion, short duration discussion or under adjournment motion, calling attention notice or under any rule of the House can be raised under the special mention in the Rajya Sabha.</li>
<li><strong>Zero Hour-</strong> It is an <strong>informal device</strong> available to the members of the Parliament to raise matters without any prior notice. The zero hour starts immediately after the question hour and lasts until the agenda for the day (i.e., regular business of the House) is taken up.</li>
<li><strong>Quorum-</strong> Quorum is the minimum number of members required to be present in the House before it can transact any business. It is <strong>one-tenth of the total number of members of the House</strong> (including the presiding officer). If there is no quorum during a meeting of the House, it is the duty of the presiding officer either to adjourn the House or to suspend the meeting until there is a quorum.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Bills Passed in Rajya Sabha:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/prs-capsule/prs-capsule-august-2019#32" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> for the erection of a National Memorial in memory of those killed or wounded on April 13, 1919, in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/transgender-persons-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019</strong></a> defining a transgender person and provides for protection of rights of Transgender persons and their welfare.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chit-funds-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amends the Chit Funds Act, 1982 to increase the commission of the person conducting the chit, and the aggregate amount of chit funds which may be collected.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/promulgation-of-the-prohibition-of-electronic-cigarettes-ordinance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Bill, 2019</strong></a> prohibiting the Production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes and like devices, considering the highly addictive nature of nicotine.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/special-protection-group-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong> </a>amends the Special Protections Group Act, 1988 to provide for security cover to a former Prime Minister, and his immediate family members for a period of five years from the date on which he ceases to hold the office of Prime Minister.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dadra-and-nagar-haveli-and-daman-and-diu-merger-of-union-territories-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019</strong> </a>merging the two UTs to provide better delivery of services to the citizens of both Union Territories by improving efficiency and reducing paperwork.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019</strong> recognising the property rights of residents of certain unauthorised colonies in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxation-laws-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amends the Income Tax Act, 1961, and The Finance (No 2) Act, 2019 to provide domestic companies with an option to opt for lower tax rates.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hong-kong-convention-for-ship-recycling" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</strong></a> restricts the use of hazardous material on ships and regulates the recycling of ships.</li>
<li>The <strong>Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong> amends the definition of illegal migrant, reduces the residency requirement to obtain Indian citizenship through naturalisation, and empowers the central government to cancel registration of OCI card.</li>
<li>The <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/citizenship-amendment-act-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amends the definition of illegal migrant, reduces the residency requirement to obtain Indian citizenship through naturalisation, and empowers the central government to cancel registration of OCI card.</li>
<li>The<strong> Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong> retaining the inclusive character of the Constitution by continuing the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for another ten years ie. upto 25th January, 2030.</li>
<li>The <a href="/prs-capsule/prs-capsule-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> amending Part VI of the Order which specifies the Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/international-financial-services-centres-authority-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019</strong></a> establishes the International Financial Services Centre Authority to regulate and develop a market for financial services in India.</li>
<li>The <strong>Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2019</strong> authorizing payment and appropriation of certain sums from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2019-20.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Members need to abide by their commitment and <strong>ensure their presence</strong> for smooth functioning of the House.</li>
<li>The balance between the <strong>government (Executive) business and the Parliamentary business</strong> needs to be maintained by effectively discussing and addressing the contemporary issues concerning the nation.</li>
</ul>
<p>Indeed, Rajya Sabha has all through been a <strong>lively and sagacious institution.</strong> It must continue to function with greater vigor and zeal towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-rajya-sabha-250th-session-takeaways'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/uday-scheme-power-discom-losses-6180263/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;UDAY scheme loses power, sharp spike in discom losses&rdquo;(IE)</strong></a>,<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/uday-scheme-narendra-odi-finance-economy-bjp-arun-jaitley-5741261/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Power under pressure&rdquo;(IE)</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/power-minister-lays-out-govts-agenda-for-2020-here-are-reforms-planned-for-power-sector/1802093/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Power Minister lays out govt&rsquo;s agenda for 2020; here are reforms planned for power sector&rdquo;(FE).</strong></a> It talks about issues related to UDAY scheme.</p>
</div>
<p>Government of India launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/discom-losses-and-uday-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY)</strong> </a>in November 2015. It was designed to turn around the precarious financial position of state power distribution companies (discoms). Discoms are responsible for buying electricity from the generation companies and selling them to consumers.</p>
<p>The Discom losses, which had progressively reduced in the first couple of years (since the inception of UDAY), have rebounded in 2019 to nearly double the losses recorded the previous year.</p>
<p>According to PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators) portal, the discoms&rsquo; total outstanding dues to power gencos (power generating companies) rose 48% to Rs 81,010 crore in October 2019.</p>
<p><strong>The primary reason for this is the failure of discom to collect the full cost that they pay for power.</strong></p>
<h3>What are the issues in the power distribution sector?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India now generates more power <strong>than it needs (surplus power).</strong> But, the practical experience signals that the scheduled and unscheduled power cuts are the norms in cities, and the situation in most rural areas is worse.</li>
<li>This means the consumption of power has consistently lagged behind availability.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for financial losses of discoms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The discoms suffer <strong>Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&amp;C) Losses.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Technical Loss:</strong> It is due to the flow of power in transmission and distribution system.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Almost <strong>25%</strong> of the power is lost, and never gets billed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Commercial Loss:</strong> It is due to the theft of electricity, deficiencies in metering, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The gap between the <strong>average per-unit cost of supply (ACS) and average revenue realised (ARR).</strong></li>
<li>The remaining <strong>75%</strong> is sold at prices that are much lower than the discoms&rsquo; procurement costs.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577448010_Image.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577448010_Image.jpg" width="335" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In almost every state, the increase in tariff rates is avoided because of the associated political costs.</li>
<li>Therefore, political unwillingness is at the heart of commercial losses.</li>
<li>Due to this, there has been a gap between ACS and ARR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>As a result, by March 2015, discoms' accumulated losses were approximately Rs 3.8 lakh crore &mdash; more than 3.5% of the GDP.</li>
</ul>
<p>In order to make discoms financially viable, UDAY scheme was launched. The scheme has <strong>three critical components.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The takeover of discoms debt by state governments.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>State governments took over 75% of the debt of their discoms and issued<strong> lower-interest bonds</strong> to service the rest of the debt.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In return, discoms were given target dates (2017-19) to <strong>meet efficiency parameters.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Aggregate technical and commercial (AT&amp;C) losses of discoms, are to be reduced.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This has to be matched up by <strong>timely tariff revisions and elimination of the gap between the average per-unit cost of supply (ACS) and average revenue realised</strong> (ARR) by 2019.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The scheme resulted in some positives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Out of the 28 states that implemented UDAY, 10 states have shown either reduced losses or profits in 2019.</li>
<li>Instead of just focusing on distribution, UDAY focused on interventions in coal, generation and transmission sectors as well.</li>
</ul>
<p>However, the indications are that the turnaround as envisaged by UDAY hasn&rsquo;t materialised, with several targets being missed:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Burgeoning AT&amp;C Losses:</strong> At the aggregate level, the <strong>AT&amp;C losses for major states stood at 19.05%</strong> as against the<strong> target of reducing them to 15% by the end of 2019.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the case of some states, especially in the northern and central parts of the country, the losses are of a much higher magnitude, suggesting that pilferage continues to be rampant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High ACS-ARR Gap:</strong> While the ACS-ARR gap was supposed to be eliminated by 2019, it remains as high as Rs 0.25 per unit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In many states, the gap is even higher. This can be traced to inadequate tariff hikes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mixed Progress:</strong> Operational efficiency targets under UDAY, such as the installation of feeder metering, smart metering and feeder segregation, are still not completely met.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, not much progress has been made in the case of smart metering above 200 and up to 500 kwh and above 500 kwh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inadequate Power Subsidy:</strong> Also, <strong>the power subsidy released by state governments</strong> to discoms appears to be <strong>inadequate.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As a result, discoms have reported financial losses to the tune of Rs 21,658 crore at the end of 2019, reversing the declining trend since the launch of UDAY.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Roadblock:</strong> Further, UDAY bonds were issued at a premium, due to this, the cost of debt servicing has gone up for the UDAY states.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The impact on state finances is likely to continue due to interest payment on UDAY bonds and redemption of these bonds.</li>
<li>This makes for a <strong>grim prospect for most states combating a tight fiscal situation amid a</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/slowdown-in-india-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>continuing slowdown.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Government's announcement of the launch of<strong> UDAY 2.0</strong> which seeks installation of <strong>smart prepaid metres, prompt payment by discoms, making coal available for short term</strong> and <strong>reviving gas-based plants</strong> is a step in the right direction.</li>
<li>There is an urgent need to address the issues of burgeoning outstanding dues of discoms towards power generators and stressed projects that are being dragged under insolvency proceedings.</li>
<li><strong>Formulation of pragmatic power tariff policy</strong> is the need of the hour because without a financially viable power sector and subsequently, socio-economic growth of India will suffer.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Indian government has vowed to provide 24X7 power supply to every village and every house in India. The fulfilment of this dream will rest upon a sustainable power sector. Therefore, the government should proactively address the concerns of these power distribution companies.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 506px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #fc6100; background-color: #ffeddb;"><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana was designed to turn around the precarious financial position of state power distribution companies. However, there are still many underlying issues in it. Discuss.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ujwal-discom-assurance-yojana'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Joint Naval Exercise by China, Russia and Iran ',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577439390_802image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577439390_802image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="422" height="238" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China, Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills from December 27 to 30 to deepen exchange and cooperation between the navies of the three countries.</li>
<li>The exercise is launched from the <strong>southeastern port city of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/chabahar-port-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chabahar</a> in the Gulf of Oman</strong> and is aimed at boosting the <strong>security of the region&rsquo;s waterways.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chabahar port has been <strong>jointly developed</strong> by <strong>India, Iran, and Afghanistan.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a part of &ldquo;normal military cooperation&rdquo; between the three countries.</li>
<li>During the exercise, China would deploy its <strong>guided-missile destroyer</strong> &mdash; the <strong>&ldquo;carrier killer&rdquo;</strong> for its array of anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles.</li>
<li>The exercise comes in the backdrop of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal</strong> </a>and escalated sanctions on Iran by the USA.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/report-iran-kicks-off-joint-naval-drills-with-russia-china/article30409776.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/joint-naval-exercise-by-china-russia-and-iran'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Earliest Sanskrit Inscriptions in South India found in A.P.',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monuments-of-national-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)</strong></a> has discovered the <strong>earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India</strong> which is also an <strong>earliest epigraphic evidence</strong> (Epigraphy is the study of ancient inscriptions) for the <strong>Saptamatrika cult.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Saptamatrikas are a group of <strong>seven female deities</strong> worshipped in <strong>Hinduism</strong> as personifying the energy of their respective consorts.</li>
<li>Another inscription in <strong>Prakrit language and of Brahmi characters</strong> belonging to the <strong>1st century A.D.</strong> was also found.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Inscriptions related to Saptamatrika:</strong> The found inscription records the <strong>construction of a Prasada (temple), a mandapa</strong> and <strong>consecration of images</strong> by a person named Kartika at the temple of <strong>Goddess Saptamatrika</strong> at Tambrape.</li>
<li><strong>Location:</strong> Tambrape is the <strong>ancient name</strong> of <strong>Chebrolou, Andhra Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Earlier References to Saptamatrika:</strong> Earlier references to Saptamatrika worship have been found in the early Kadamba copper plates and the early <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chalukyan-rulers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chalukyas and Eastern Chalukya</strong></a> copper plates<strong> dated around 600 A.D.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Language and Characters:</strong> All the available records proved that the found inscription (also known as <strong>Chebrolu inscription</strong>) is in <strong>Sanskrit and in Brahmi characters.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Issued by: Satavahana king Vijaya in 207 A.D.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>So far the <strong>Nagarjunakonda inscription</strong> of <strong>Ikshavaku king Ehavala Chantamula</strong> issued in the 4<sup>th</sup> century A.D. was considered the earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Satavahanas</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the Deccan, the Satavahanas established their independent rule after the decline of the Mauryas. Their rule lasted for about <strong>450 years.</strong></li>
<li>They were also known as the <strong>Andhras.</strong></li>
<li>The Puranas and the <strong>Nasik and Nanaghad inscriptions</strong> remain important sources for the history of Satavahanas.</li>
<li>The<strong> founder</strong> of the Satavahana dynasty was <strong>Simuka.</strong> The greatest ruler of the Satavahana dynasty was <strong>Gautamiputra Satakarni.</strong></li>
<li>There was remarkable progress in the fields of trade and industry during the Satavahana rule. The greatest port of the Satavahanas was <strong>Kalyani on the western Deccan</strong> and <strong>Gandakasela, Ganjam on the east coast</strong> were the other important seaports.</li>
<li>The Satavahanas <strong>patronized Buddhism and Brahmanism.</strong> Brahmanism was revived by the Satavahanas along with the performance of asvamedha and rajasuya sacrifices.</li>
<li>They also <strong>patronized the Prakrit language and literature.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/earliest-sanskrit-inscription-in-south-india-found-in-ap/article30397972.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/earliest-sanskrit-inscriptions-in-south-india-found-in-a-p'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Restructuring of Railway Board',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has approved <strong>restructuring of the Railway Board.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>number</strong> of <strong>Railway Board members</strong> will be <strong>reduced to five from existing eight.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>eight railway services</strong> will be <strong>integrated</strong> into a central service called the <strong>Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).</strong> All employees at the management level will come into the Railways through one service &mdash; the IRMS.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian Railways is organised into service departments such as traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical, signal &amp; telecom, stores, personnel, and accounts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This is in line with the recommendations of numerous committees, notably <strong>Rakesh Mohan (2001)</strong> and the <strong>Bibek Debroy panel (2015).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Railway Board</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Railway Board was constituted in <strong>1905</strong> as the <strong>chief administrative and executive body</strong> to assist the Minister of Railways.</li>
<li>It consists of a Chairman and<strong> seven members</strong> from different service departments such as traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical and signal &amp; telecom.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Restructured Board</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Board will now consist of <strong>five members &ndash;</strong> Chairman, who will act as a CEO, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance.</li>
<li>There will also be a <strong>Directorate General - Human Resources (DG - HR)</strong> under the Chairman. The Board will also have some independent members, who will be highly distinguished professionals.</li>
<li>The modalities and unification of the services will be worked out by the Ministry of Railways in consultation with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).</li>
<li>The Railways will also <strong>upgrade the 27 General Managers (GMs)</strong> working at zonal levels to secretary level grade &ndash; highest in the government of India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The integration of service departments will <strong>cut the clutter in decision making</strong> and organise the working of the Railway Board and its zones along more commercial lines. This will also <strong>end departmentalism.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lack of coordination between the maintenance and traffic staff is said to have played a role in the Khatauli rail mishap near Muzaffarnagar in August 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will streamline railway operations and provide flexibility the way Railways deploy people. It is a<strong> step towards corporatisation.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Corporatisation</strong> refers to the restructuring or transformation of a state-owned asset or organization into a corporation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/railway-board-revamp-will-see-cut-in-strength/article30391773.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/restructuring-of-railway-board'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'UGC Issues Norms for Ethics in Higher Education',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)</strong> has adopted the <strong>Higher Education Quality Improvement Programme Mandate</strong> to improve the quality in higher educational institutions.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Quality Mandate</strong> was developed by the <strong>University Grants Commission (UGC)</strong> which contains 5 documents covering the<strong> 5 verticals of Quality Mandate-</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Evaluation reforms</strong></li>
<li><strong>Eco-friendly and sustainable university campuses</strong></li>
<li><strong>Human values &amp; professional ethics</strong></li>
<li><strong>Faculty induction</strong></li>
<li><strong>Academic research integrity</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>quality mandate aims at</strong> evolving higher education system to equip the country's next generation with vital skills, knowledge and ethics for leading a rewarding life.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Student evaluation plays a crucial role in improving the quality of Higher Education in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Five Documents on 5 verticals of Quality Mandate</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Evaluation reforms:</strong> Under this, the report <strong>&lsquo;Evaluation Reforms in Higher Educational Institutions in India&rsquo;</strong> has been published in order to make student assessment more meaningful, effective and linked to <strong>&lsquo;Learning Outcomes&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Eco-friendly and Sustainable University Campuses:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/satat-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SATAT</strong></a> <strong>- Framework for Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Campus development in Higher Educational Institutions</strong> encourages universities to adopt reflective policies and practices to enhance the environmental quality of the campus and to adopt sustainable and green methods in its future.</li>
<li><strong>Human Values &amp; Professional Ethics:</strong> A policy framework <strong>&lsquo;MulyaPravah &ndash; Guidelines for Inculcation of Human Values and Professional Ethics in Higher Educational Institutions&rsquo;</strong> has been developed to discuss and streamline the process that helps to infuse the culture of human values and ethics in educational institutions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>guidelines</strong> for values and ethics in higher education call for students to- <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Observe modesty</strong> in their overall appearance and behaviour.</li>
<li><strong>Maintain good health</strong> and refrain from any kind of intoxicants.</li>
<li><strong>Maintain harmony</strong> among students belonging to different socio-economic status, community, caste, religion or region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Faculty Induction:</strong> The guidelines for Guru-Dakshta &ndash; A guide to <strong>Faculty Induction Programme (FIP)</strong> will fulfill its main objective to sensitise and motivate the faculty to adopt learner centred approaches, <strong>Information and Communication Technology (ICT)</strong> integrated learning and new pedagogic approaches to teaching-learning, assessment tools in higher education.</li>
<li><strong>Academic Research Integrity:</strong> UGC is putting up efforts for setting up a <strong>Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE)</strong> to continuously monitor and identify quality journals across disciplines. It will be useful to create more awareness and help the cause of promoting academic integrity and ethical publishing.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>University Grants Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It came into existence on <strong>28<sup>th</sup> December, 1953</strong> and became a <strong>statutory organization</strong> of the Government of India by an <strong>Act of Parliament in 1956,</strong> for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in university education.</li>
<li>The <strong>head office</strong> of the UGC is located in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ugc-issues-norms-for-ethics-in-higher-education/article30405203.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ugc-issues-norms-for-ethics-in-higher-education'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Dal Lake',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Dal is a lake in <strong>Srinagar,</strong> the capital of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Dal Lake is a misnomer as Dal in Kashmiri means lake.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432757_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432757_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="450" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the &ldquo;Jewel in the crown of Kashmir&rdquo; or &ldquo;Srinagar&rsquo;s Jewel&rdquo;.</li>
<li>It is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.</li>
<li>It covers an area of 18 square kilometres and is part of a natural wetland including its floating gardens.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>floating gardens,</strong> known as<strong> &ldquo;Raad&rdquo;</strong> in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August.</li>
<li>The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin. Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>houseboats (Shikaras)</strong> are closely associated with Dal Lake which provide accommodation to tourists in Srinagar.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dal-lake'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Solar Eclipse',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>On 26<sup>th</sup> December 2019, India experienced an <strong>Annular Solar eclipse</strong> of <strong>0.97 magnitude,</strong> with <strong>3 minutes and 39 seconds&rsquo; maximum duration</strong> of totality.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432106_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432106_image2.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Parts of <strong>Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu</strong> experienced the<strong> full glimpse of the &ldquo;Ring of Fire&rdquo; solar eclipse.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>&lsquo;ring of fire&rsquo;</strong> is a<strong> characteristic of the annular solar eclipse.</strong> It causes the sun to look like a <strong>ring (annulus)</strong> and hence the name annular eclipse.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/solar-eclipse-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cheruvathur</strong></a><strong> in Kasaragod district, Kerala</strong> is one of the three places in the world where the solar eclipse was seen most clearly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Partial phases of the solar eclipse</strong> were visible from <strong>all over the country</strong> in varying magnitude depending upon the geographical position.</li>
<li>This annular solar eclipse was also visible from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Eclipse Magnitude</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Eclipse magnitude is the <strong>fraction of the Sun&rsquo;s diameter</strong> which is covered by the Moon.</li>
<li>It is <strong>strictly a ratio of diameters</strong> and should not be confused with eclipse obscuration, which is a measure of the Sun&rsquo;s surface area covered by the Moon.</li>
<li>Eclipse magnitude may be expressed as either a percentage or a decimal fraction (e.g., 50% or 0.50).</li>
<li>By convention, its value is given at the <strong>instant of greatest eclipse.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Solar Eclipse</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/total-solar-eclipse-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>solar eclipse</strong></a> is a phenomenon that occurs when the moon comes in the way of the sun&rsquo;s light. The moon's shadow casts itself on Earth, blocking out the sun's light (as seen from Earth).</li>
<li>The moon's shadow has <strong>two</strong> parts: <strong>a central region (umbra)</strong> and <strong>an outer region (penumbra).</strong> Depending upon which part of the shadow passes over the Earth, one of <strong>three types</strong> of solar eclipses could be observed:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432484_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577432484_image3.png" style="float: right;" width="127" height="181" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total Solar Eclipse-</strong> The entire central portion of the sun is blocked out by the moon.</li>
<li><strong>Partial Solar Eclipse-</strong> Only part of the sun's surface is blocked out.</li>
<li><strong>Annular Solar Eclipse-</strong> The sun is covered in such a way that only a small ring-like sliver of light is seen from the sun's disc. This ring is known as the ring of fire.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>An annular eclipse happens when the moon is farthest from Earth. As the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems smaller and is unable to block the entire view of the sun, because of which the ring-like structure could be observed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/watch-solar-eclipse-2019-live-from-kerala/article30400165.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/solar-eclipse-2'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Frontier Technologies',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/the-tech-frontier-for-developing-nations-11577296901248.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The tech frontier for developing nations&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Livemint on 25/12/2019. It talks about the impact of Frontier Technologies on developing nations.</p>
</div>
<p>The rapid technological transformations that started from the <strong>Industrial Revolution to the digital revolution,</strong> have boosted economic performance, improved efficiency, accelerated the pace of globalization, and transformed human society in the process.</p>
<p>Frontier Technology or <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth:-industrial-revolution-4.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Industrial Revolution 4.0,</strong></a> the <strong>latest wave of disruptive technological change</strong> is fundamentally altering how goods, services and ideas are exchanged. However, the disruptive nature of technology is nothing new, and it offers promising new opportunities, while at the same time posing a challenge to policymaking.</p>
<p>Therefore, the frontier technologies demand renewed policy cooperation at all levels of governance (national, regional and global levels).</p>
<h3>What are Frontier Technologies and their applications?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Frontier technologies are defined as potentially disruptive technologies that can address large-scale challenges or opportunities. Frontier technology is the next phase in the evolution of modern technology. It is the intersection where radical forward-thinking and real-world implementation meet. For example&nbsp;<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>AI</strong></a>, <strong>robotics, 3D printing, and the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-must-get-on-the-iot-highway-fast" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Internet of Things</strong></a>, <strong>etc.</strong></li>
<li>Frontier technologies have unlocked new routes to prosperity through agriculture, manufacturing, trade in services, the linking of informal and formal sectors, and domestic interconnectivity.</li>
<li>They have enormous potential to improve government administration and the delivery of public services.</li>
<li>They can help anticipate and respond to the effects of climate hazards and air pollution through the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies to address environmental impacts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the Republic of Korea, the smart city of Songdo is built around the Internet of Things to reduce traffic pollution, save energy and water, and create a cleaner environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will be critical that these technologies work for society and the environment as well as the economy if the world is to achieve the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Digital Exclusion:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As Information and Communication Technology infrastructure is the backbone of many frontier technologies, there is a risk of its triggering a new frontier technology divide, compounding an already existing digital divide.</li>
<li>An estimated<strong> three billion people could still lack internet access by 2023</strong>, and many more will have little or no opportunity to reap the benefits of digital technologies.</li>
<li>There is a danger that gains associated with frontier technologies will not reach the world&rsquo;s poorest people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uncertain Future of Work:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the coming decades, <strong>the jobs of 785 million workers,</strong> that&rsquo;s equivalent to over 50 % of total employment in the Asia-Pacific region could be automated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Trust and Ethical Questions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Frontier Technology per se is not the problem, but there are ethical issues<strong> surrounding privacy, ownership and transparency.</strong></li>
<li>With the world&rsquo;s population projected to reach ten billion by mid-century, global governance will become even more complex than it is today.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developing countries,</strong> in particular, are starting from a difficult position, because they are already grappling with the challenges of low human capital, ineffective institutions, and a difficult business environment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The <strong>Pathways for Prosperity Commission on Technology and Inclusive Development</strong> has shown that developing countries can still harness the new wave of frontier technologies for the benefit of all.</p>
<p>In this context, a policy framework for the next generation of technology and innovation should focus on creating an enabling environment for frontier technologies to positively impact the economy, society, and environment; and to reduce inequalities.</p>
<p>This may require the development of:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An inclusive ICT infrastructure.</li>
<li>A workforce fit for the emerging scale and speed of the technological revolution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, there is a need to promote lifelong learning, reskilling and entrepreneurship development to develop a cadre of job creators.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A policy framework to <strong>strengthen public-private partnerships,</strong> so as to capture the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.</li>
<li>A responsive and adaptive regulatory framework that doesn&rsquo;t stifle innovation.</li>
<li><strong>Whole-of-economy or Most-of-society approach:</strong> Technology alone will not guarantee success. Policymakers must also account for local contexts and conditions so that they can create social, political and economic ecosystems in which technology creates jobs and drives inclusive growth.</li>
<li><strong>Investment in technical pillars of the future economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>National governments should start planning for digital readiness in four areas: infrastructure, human capital, policy and regulation, and finance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 67px;">
<td style="width: 100%; height: 67px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #8a0dff; background-color: #eeffc7;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />Analyse the possible impact of frontier technologies on developing countries.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/frontier-technologies'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Disputed Territories of India',
		'catname' => 'Paper 2',
		'desc' => '<h3>Border Disputes of India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has 15,106.7 Km of land border and a coastline of 7,516.6 Km including island territories. The length of our land borders with neighbouring countries is as under:</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358780_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358780_image3.png" width="450" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358786_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358786_image2.png" width="450" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>China</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>4 states viz., Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and a Union Territories of Ladakh (erstwhile state of Jammu &amp; Kashmir) share a border with China.</li>
<li>The Sino-Indian border is generally divided into three sectors namely: <strong>Western sector, Middle sector, and Eastern sector.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Western Sector</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the western sector, India shares about 2152 km long border with China.</li>
<li>It is between Union Territory of Ladakh (erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir) and Xinjiang Province of China.</li>
<li>In this sector, there is a <strong>territorial dispute over Aksai Chin.</strong> India claims it as part of erstwhile Kashmir, while China claims it is part of Xinjiang.</li>
<li>The dispute over Aksai Chin can be traced back to the failure of the British Empire to clearly demarcate a legal border between China and its Indian colony.</li>
<li>During the time of British rule in India, two borders between India and China were proposed- Johnson&rsquo;s Line and McDonald Line.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Johnson&rsquo;s line (proposed in 1865) shows Aksai Chin in erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir</strong> (now Ladakh) i.e. under India&rsquo;s control <strong>whereas McDonald Line (proposed in 1893) places it under China&rsquo;s control.</strong></li>
<li>India considers Johnson Line as a correct, rightful national border with China, while on the other hand, China considers the McDonald Line as the correct border with India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>At present, Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the line separating Indian areas of Ladakh from Aksai Chin. It is concurrent with the Chinese Aksai Chin claim line.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Middle Sector</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In this sector, India shares about 625 km long boundary with China which runs along the watershed from Ladakh to Nepal.</li>
<li>Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand touch this border with Tibet (China) in this sector. Both sides do not have much disagreement over the border in this area.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Eastern Sector</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In this sector, India shares a 1,140 km long boundary with China.</li>
<li>It runs from the eastern limit of Bhutan to a point near the Talu Pass at the trijunction of Tibet, India and Myanmar.</li>
<li>This boundary line is called <strong>McMahon Line.</strong></li>
<li><strong>China considers the McMahon Line illegal</strong> and unacceptable claiming that Tibetan representatives who had signed the 1914 Convention held in Shimla which delineated the McMahon line on the map were not having rights to do so.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358845_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577358845_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="600" height="434" /></a></p>
<h3>Pakistan</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan:</strong> Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of approximately 78,000 sq. km of Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, under the so-called Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq. km in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to China.</li>
<li><strong>Siachen Glacier:</strong> The Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakorams in the Himalayas just east of the Actual Ground Position Line between India-Pakistan. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The entire Siachen Glacier, with all major passes, is currently under the administration of India since 1984<strong> (Operation Meghdoot).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Saltoro Ridge:</strong> The Saltoro Mountains mountain range is a subrange of the Karakoram Heights or of Saltoro Ridge. They are located in the heart of the Karakoram, on the southwest side of the Siachen Glacier.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are claimed as part of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory by India and as part of Gilgit-Baltistan by Pakistan.</li>
<li>In 1984, India assumed military control of the main peaks and passes of the range, with Pakistani forces into the glacial valleys just to the west.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sir Creek</strong>: It is a 96 km long strip of water disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch marshlands. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Pakistan claims the line to follow the eastern shore of the estuary while India claims a centerline (differing interpretations of <em>paragraphs 9 and 10 of the Bombay Government Resolution of 1914</em> signed between the then Government of Sindh and Rao Maharaj of Kutch).</li>
<li>The International Boundary in the Sir Creek area and International Maritime Boundary line (IMBL) between India and Pakistan have not been demarcated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Nepal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Kalapani:</strong> Kalapani is a valley that is administered by India as a part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. It is situated on the Kailash Mansarovar route. The latest political map of India reiterated the Indian claims on the region that Nepal says belongs to its westernmost part. India claims the historic region as part of Uttarakhand.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Kali River</strong> in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal.</li>
<li>The <strong>Treaty of Sugauli</strong> signed by the <strong>Kingdom of Nepal and British India</strong> (after <strong>Anglo-Nepalese War</strong>) in <strong>1816</strong> located the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India. The discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Susta: Susta area</strong> is one of the disputed territories between <strong>India (Uttar Pradesh) and Nepal.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Susta is located on the bank of the <strong>Gandak river</strong> (called Narayani river in Nepal).</li>
<li>The <strong>change of course by the Gandak river</strong> is the main reason for disputes in the Susta area.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sri Lanka</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-sri-lanka-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Sri Lanka</strong></a> have a maritime boundary. A 30-km wide shallow sea, the Palk Strait, lies between the countries. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Though, by and large, peace has reigned where the Indo-Sri Lanka border issue is concerned, there were tensions over the question of who owned <strong>Kachchatheevu Island in the Palk Strait.</strong> It was given by India to Sri Lanka in 1974.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Bangladesh</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There were some boundary disputes between <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-bangladesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Bangladesh</strong></a> that were resolved by the implementation of the historic &ldquo;Land Boundary Agreement&rdquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>During the visit of Indian Prime Minister to Bangladesh in June 2015, the Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh of 1974 and its Protocol of 2011 were ratified.</li>
<li>The implementation of the Agreement and Protocol has settled all outstanding land boundary issues between India and Bangladesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Myanmar</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is no border dispute between <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-myanmar-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Myanmar</strong></a>. However, certain sectors of the India-Myanmar boundary remain to be demarcated.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s unsettled boundaries pose major problems in its policy towards its neighbours, especially China and Pakistan.</li>
<li>It has not been possible for India to agree on the border with China since China is laying unreasonable claims on territories that have historically been India. There must be more constructive diplomatic engagement between both countries to resolve their decades-long border issues.</li>
<li>Regarding Pakistan, both the countries should come on the table sooner or later to discuss their contentious issues. Meanwhile, Pakistan must end any kind of support to Terrorism and its &ldquo;Proxy War&rdquo; on India to bring India on table to talk border issues.</li>
<li>India should engage constructively and generously with its smaller neighbours like Nepal to deal the border issues.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/Paper2/disputed-territories-of-india'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Madan Mohan Malaviya Jayanti',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to <strong>Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya</strong> on his <strong>158<sup>th</sup> birth anniversary (25<sup>th</sup> December, 2019).</strong></p>
<h3>Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577351970_image8.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577351970_image8.jpg" width="200" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Born on 25<sup>th</sup> December 1861, in <strong>Allahabad (now Prayagraj)</strong> in Uttar Pradesh, Malviya played a key role in the Indian independence struggle against British rule and <strong>founded the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916.</strong></li>
<li>He is also remembered for his role in <strong>ending the Indian indenture system,</strong> especially in the <strong>Caribbean.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indentured labour was a system of bonded labour that was instituted following the abolition of slavery in 1833.</li>
<li>Indentured labour were recruited to work on sugar, cotton and tea plantations, and rail construction projects in British colonies in West Indies, Africa and South East Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He<strong> popularized the term &lsquo;Satyamev Jayate&rsquo;.</strong> However, the phrase originally belongs to the <strong>Mundaka Upanishad.</strong> The term now is the <strong>national motto of India.</strong></li>
<li>He was given the<strong> title of &lsquo;Mahamana&rsquo; by Rabindranath Tagore</strong> and the second President of India, Dr. S. <strong>Radhakrishnan</strong> gave him the status of a<strong> &lsquo;Karmayogi&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Devnagri</strong> was introduced in the British-Indian courts because of Malviya&rsquo;s efforts with the British government. This is still considered as one of his greatest achievements.</li>
<li>Madan Mohan Malviya was expelled from the Brahmin community for expressing his views on caste discrimination and Brahmanical patriarchy. He worked immensely for Hindu-Muslim unity. He is known to have given famous speeches on <strong>communal harmony.</strong></li>
<li>He helped establish the <strong>Hindu Mahasabha (&ldquo;Great Society of Hindus&rdquo;) in 1906,</strong> which brought diverse local Hindu nationalist movements together.</li>
<li>Malaviya&rsquo;s consciousness toward the public led to the launch of his own Hindi-language weekly, the <strong>Abhyudaya (1907); the Leader of Allahabad,</strong> an English-language daily (1909); and the Hindi monthly the <strong>Maryada (1910).</strong> He also served as the chairman of the board of Hindustan times and facilitated the launch of its Hindi edition.</li>
<li>He died on 12<sup>th</sup> November, 1946, at the age of 84.</li>
<li>In<strong> 2014,</strong> he was posthumously <strong>conferred with Bharat Ratna,</strong> the country's highest civilian award.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1597569" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/madan-mohan-malaviya-jayanti'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Hoolock Gibbon',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The tailless Hoolock Gibbon is the <strong>only ape found in India.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349290_image9.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349290_image9.jpg" width="250" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong></li>
<li>The primate is native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India and Southwest China.</li>
<li>The Hoolock Gibbon is categorised into two <strong>types:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Western hoolock gibbon:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It inhibits in <strong>all the states of the north-east, restricted between the south of the Brahmaputra river and east of the Dibang river.</strong> And outside India, it is found in eastern Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar.</li>
<li>It is listed as<strong> Endangered</strong> under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a> Red List.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Eastern hoolock gibbon:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It inhabits specific pockets of <strong>Arunachal Pradesh and Assam</strong> in India, and in southern China and north-east Myanmar outside India.</li>
<li>It is listed as <strong>Vulnerable</strong> under the IUCN Redlist.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In India, both the species are listed on <strong>Schedule 1 of the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act 1972.</strong></a></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hoolock-gibbon'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Amur Falcon',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Amur falcons, the <strong>world&rsquo;s longest travelling raptors</strong> start travelling with the onset of winters.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349069_image7.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577349069_image7.jpg" width="250" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></li>
<li>The raptors breed in southeastern Siberia and northern China, and migrate in millions across India and then over the Indian Ocean to southern Africa before returning to Mongolia and Siberia. Their <strong>22,000-kilometre migratory route</strong> is one of the longest amongst all avian species.</li>
<li>They get their name from the <strong>Amur River</strong> that forms the <strong>border between Russia and China.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Doyang Lake in Nagaland</strong> is better known as a <strong>stopover for the Amur falcons</strong> during their annual migration from their breeding grounds to warmer South Africa. Thus, <strong>Nagaland</strong> is also known as the <strong>&ldquo;Falcon Capital of the World,&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The birds are the <strong>least concern under the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a> <strong>Red List,</strong> but the species is <strong>protected</strong> under the <strong>Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,</strong> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-to-host-cms-cop-13-in-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on Migratory Species,</strong></a> to which India is a signatory (which means it is mandatory to protect the birds).</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/amur-falcon'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Kalka - Shimla Heritage Route',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Indian Railways has started a <strong>seven coach glass-enclosed vistadome train</strong> (Him Darshan Express) on the <strong>heritage Kalka-Shimla route.</strong> The train will provide passengers a panoramic view of the hilly region.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346839_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346839_image6.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Luxurious coaches with glass ceiling are termed as Vistadome coaches. These have see-through window screens.</li>
<li>The Kalka Shimla railway line was declared a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO world heritage site</strong></a> in 2008 and was listed under <strong>&ldquo;Mountain Railways of India&rdquo;.</strong> It has been a great tourist attraction since then.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Mountain Railway of India, besides Kalka - Shimla Railway, consists of two other railways:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Darjeeling Himalayan Railway</strong> located in the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal (Northeast India)</li>
<li>The <strong>Nilgiri Mountain Railways</strong> located in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu (South India).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Kalka Shimla Railway is a <strong>96.6 kilometer long,</strong> single track working rail link built in the mid-19th century to connect Shimla.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/indian-railways-start-7-coach-glass-enclosed-vistadome-train-on-kalka-shimla-route/article30394742.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kalka-shimla-heritage-route'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Locust Invasion in Gujarat',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>migratory insect - locust</strong> has swarmed the northern parts of Gujarat, causing significant damage to agriculture.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346585_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346585_image4.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anti-locust-fight" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>locusts</strong></a>, known as<strong> tiddis locally,</strong> destroyed standing crops of castor, cumin, jatropha, cotton, and potato, and fodder grass in around 20 talukas.</li>
<li><strong>Gujarat</strong> has <strong>not witnessed such an invasion</strong> of locusts<strong> since 1993-94.</strong></li>
<li>The locusts emerged in February 2019 from Sudan and Eritrea in Africa's Red Sea Coast and travelled through Saudi Arabia and Iran to enter Pakistan, where they invaded the Sindh province and from there they moved into Rajasthan and Gujarat, where south western monsoon had prolonged this time.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)</strong> had issued an alert of a massive locust attack in South Asia covering Pakistan and India.</li>
<li>The <strong>Locust Warning Organization (LWO)</strong> in Jodhpur also noticed the swarms and predicted their trajectory across the international border.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Locust</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A locust is a large, mainly <strong>tropical grasshopper</strong> with strong powers of flight. They<strong> differ from ordinary grasshoppers</strong> in their ability to change behaviour (gregarize) and form swarms that can migrate over large distances.</li>
<li>Locusts are generally seen during the months of June and July as the insects are active from summer to the rainy season.</li>
<li>Locusts have a high capacity to multiply, form groups, migrate over relatively large distances (they can fly up to 150 km per day). They can rapidly reproduce and increase some 20-fold in three months.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to Vegetation:</strong> Locust adults can eat their own weight every day, i.e. about two grams of fresh vegetation per day. A very small swarm eats as much in one day as about 35,000 people, posing a devastating threat to crops and food security.</li>
<li><strong>FAO</strong> provides information on the general locust situation to the global community and gives timely warnings and forecasts to those countries in danger of invasion.</li>
<li><strong>Locust Warning Organisation (LWO),</strong> Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage, <strong>Ministry of Agriculture &amp; Farmers Welfare,</strong> is responsible for monitoring, survey and control of Desert Locust in Scheduled Desert Areas mainly in the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/massive-locust-invasion-threatens-gujarat-farmers/article30397949.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/locust-invasion-in-gujarat'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Good Governance Day',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Good Governance Day is observed on <strong>25<sup>th</sup> December</strong> to mark the <strong>birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On this occasion, a number of initiatives have been taken by the government viz. the launch of <strong>Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL),</strong> naming of <strong>tunnel under Rohtang Pass</strong> as<strong> Atal Tunnel</strong> and the launch of <strong>Good Governance Index (GGI).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Atal Bhujal Yojana</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) is a <strong>central sector scheme</strong>&nbsp;worth <strong>Rs.6,000 crore</strong> to be implemented over <strong>5 years</strong> for sustainable management of <strong>groundwater</strong> with community participation.</li>
<li>ATAL JAL will promote <strong>panchayat led</strong> groundwater management and <strong>behavioural change</strong> with a primary focus on demand-side management.</li>
<li>It is being implemented by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-shakti-mantralaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti</strong></a> (earlier known as Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation).</li>
<li>The scheme is being funded by the <strong>Government of India</strong> and the <strong>World Bank</strong> on <strong>50:50</strong> basis.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The entire World Bank's loan component and central assistance will be passed on to the States as grants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The identified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/depleting-groundwater" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>over-exploited and water-stressed areas</strong></a> for the implementation of the scheme are <strong>Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The States have been selected according to the degree of groundwater exploitation and degradation, established legal and regulatory instruments, institutional readiness, and experience in implementing initiatives related to groundwater management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Atal Tunnel</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>8.8-kilometre-long</strong> Atal tunnel under Rohtang Pass is the <strong>world's longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres.</strong> It has a <strong>fireproof emergency tunnel</strong> built into the main tunnel itself.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rohtang Pass (elevation 3,978 m) is located in the state of <strong>Himachal Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>It is present on the <strong>Pir Panjal Range</strong> of Himalayas.</li>
<li>It connects the<strong> Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti Valleys</strong> of Himachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>The<strong> Ravi river rises</strong> west of the Rohtang pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will provide<strong> all-weather connectivity</strong> to <strong>remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh</strong> which otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six months during winters.</li>
<li>The tunnel will help to promote tourism in the region.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Good Governance Index<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346296_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577346296_image3.jpg" width="550" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Good Governance Index (GGI) has been launched by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances &amp; Pensions to determine the <strong>status of governance</strong> in the country.</li>
<li>It assesses the impact of various interventions taken up by the State Government and UTs.</li>
<li><strong>Objectives of GGI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Provide quantifiable data to compare the State of Governance in the States and UTs.</li>
<li>Enable States and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance.</li>
<li>Shift to result-oriented approaches and administration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The GGI takes into consideration the following<strong> ten sectors:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Agriculture and Allied Sectors,</li>
<li>Commerce &amp; Industries,</li>
<li>Human Resource Development,</li>
<li>Public Health,</li>
<li>Public Infrastructure &amp; Utilities,</li>
<li>Economic Governance,</li>
<li>Social Welfare &amp; Development,</li>
<li>Judicial &amp; Public Security,</li>
<li>Environment</li>
<li>Citizen-Centric Governance</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The States and UTs are divided into<strong> three</strong> groups &mdash; <strong>the Big States, North-East and Hill States, and Union Territories.</strong></li>
<li>Findings of GGI:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Big States:</strong> <strong>Tamil Nadu</strong> <strong>topped</strong> the index followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh whereas Odisha, Bihar, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are poor performers.</li>
<li><strong>North-East and Hill States:</strong> <strong>Himachal Pradesh</strong> ranked first, followed by Uttarakhand, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim. Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh are the worst performers in this group.</li>
<li><strong>Union Territories:</strong> <strong>Puducherry</strong> is the <strong>best-governed</strong> UT followed by Chandigarh and Delhi. <strong>Lakshadweep</strong> is the <strong>worst</strong> performing UT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Atal Bihari Vajpayee<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577364259_Atalbihari.png" style="float: right;" width="307" height="230" /></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on <strong>December 25, 1924</strong> in the erstwhile princely state of<strong> Gwalior</strong> (now a part of the Indian State of <strong>Madhya Pradesh).</strong></li>
<li>He <strong>entered</strong> in <strong>national politics</strong> during the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/77th-anniversary-of-quit-india-movement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Quit India Movement of 1942</strong></a> which hastened the end of British colonial rule.</li>
<li>He was the Prime Minister of the country in <strong>1996 (for a short period of time) and 1999.</strong> He is the first Prime Minister since Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to have become Prime Minister of India<strong> with two successive mandates.</strong></li>
<li>He has been elected to the <strong>Lok Sabha nine times</strong> and to the<strong> Rajya Sabha</strong> twice. In <strong>1994,</strong> he was named <strong>India&rsquo;s &lsquo;Best Parliamentarian.&rsquo;</strong></li>
<li>He was conferred with the <strong>country's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna</strong> in <strong>2015</strong> and<strong> second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan</strong> in 1994.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1597584" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/good-governance-day'
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	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Typhoon Phanfone ',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Philippines was hit by typhoon Phanfone on 25<sup>th</sup> December 2019.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Typhoon Phanfone is known as <strong>Ursula</strong> in the<strong> local language in the Philippines.</strong></li>
<li>It is the second typhoon after <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/typhoon-kammuri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>typhoon Kammuri</strong> </a>which hit the Philippines recently.</li>
<li>Phanfone is following a similar path as <strong>Super Typhoon Haiyan,</strong> which had hit the country in <strong>2013.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Typhoon is a <strong>region-specific</strong> name of the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-western-disturbance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tropical Cyclone</strong></a> (swirling system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical oceans).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Philippines is the<strong> first major landmass</strong> facing the <strong>Pacific cyclone belt.</strong> It is hit by about 20 storms and typhoons each year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Tropical Cyclone<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577345389_image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577345389_image5.jpg" width="350" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-western-disturbance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cyclone</strong></a> is the formation of a very low-pressure system with very high-speed winds revolving around it. Factors like wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity contribute to the development of cyclones.</li>
<li>Cyclones are called 'Hurricanes' in the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, 'Typhoons' in South-East Asia and China and &lsquo;Tropical Cyclones&rsquo; in the South-West Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/typhoon-phanfone-batters-philippines-thousands-hit/article30398758.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/typhoon-phanfone'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Bar-headed Goose Spotted in Kerala',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <strong>Bar-headed Goose</strong> has been spotted in the <strong>wetlands of Karingali Puncha</strong> in Pathanamthitta District of <strong>Kerala.</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In general, large flocks visit the <strong>Koonthankulam bird sanctuary at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.</strong> It is very rare that the bird is<strong> spotted in Kerala.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>wetlands of Karingali Puncha</strong> is a major birding spot in the district. It reported the <strong>highest bird count in the Asian Waterbird Census of 2015.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Bar-headed Goose<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577344705_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577344705_image1.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> Anser Indicus</li>
<li><strong>Habitat</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bar-headed geese are found in <strong>central China and Mongolia</strong> and they breed there.</li>
<li>They start migration to the <strong>Indian sub-continent</strong> during the winter and stay till the end of the season.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Special Feature</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are one of the birds which can <strong>fly even at very high altitude.</strong> They come to India and return to their homes by<strong> crossing the Himalayan ranges -</strong> one of the most high-altitude migrations in the world.</li>
<li>The capacity of bar-headed geese to <strong>transport and consume oxygen</strong> at high rates in <strong>hypoxia distinguishes this species</strong> from similar lowland waterfowl.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IUCN Status:</strong> Least Concern</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hypoxia:</strong> It is a condition of the body in which the tissues are starved of oxygen.</p>
<p><strong>Asian Waterbird Census</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every January, thousands of <strong>volunteers</strong> across Asia and Australasia visit wetlands in their country and count waterbirds. This citizen science programme is the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC).</li>
<li>The AWC was<strong> initiated in 1987</strong> in the Indian subcontinent. The census covers the <strong>entire East Asian &ndash;</strong> Australasian Flyway and a <strong>large part of the Central Asian Flyway.</strong></li>
<li>The main <strong>objective</strong> is to obtain annual information of waterbird populations at wetlands in the region, the status of wetlands, and encourage interest in waterbirds and wetlands among the public and thereby promote conservation.</li>
<li>The AWC is an<strong> integral part of</strong> the global waterbird monitoring programme, the <strong>International Waterbird Census (IWC),</strong> coordinated by Wetlands International.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Situated in Tamil Nadu, it was <strong>declared as a sanctuary in 1994.</strong></li>
<li>It is an important protected area known for the <strong>congregation of migratory and local water birds &ndash;</strong> the grey pelican, the painted stork, the greater flamingo, the bar-headed goose, the open bill stork, the black ibis and other common species like egrets, cormorants and herons, among others.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/bar-headed-goose-spotted-near-pandalam/article30382967.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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