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State of India’s Bird 2020

Why in News Recently, the State of India’s Bird 2020 was released at the 13th Conference of Parties of the Convention on the Conservation of...

18 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Women Eligible for Permanent Commission

Why in News The Supreme Court has ruled that the Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers are eligible for the permanent commission and command...

18 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Kambala

Why in News The Kambala jockey who was compared to world record holder Usain Bolt after a video went viral showing him ‘finishing 100 metres...

18 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Pesticide Management In India

This article is based on “Pesticide Management Bill 2020 must address important concerns” which was published in Down To Earth on...

17 Feb 2020 News Editorials
Different Irrigation Systems

Irrigation Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil or agricultural field. It is the replacement or supplementation of...

17 Feb 2020 Paper 3
ISRO Plans for 2020-21

Why in News The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released its annual report for 2019-20 recently. ISRO has been allocated with the...

17 Feb 2020 News Analysis
New Species of Urban Lizard

A new species of lizard, the urban bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus urbanus) was discovered in Guwahati, Assam. The bent-toed gecko was earlier...

17 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Increasing Neonatal Deaths in MP

Why in News According to the National Health Mission (NHM) data, Madhya Pradesh has recorded the highest percentage of newborn deaths at 11.5%...

17 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Wildfires in the Mukurthi National Park

Why in News Ahead of summer and peak fire season, ‘fire lines’ or ‘fire breaks’, in the Mukurthi National Park (MNP) are...

17 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Treating a Child Witness

Why in News A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Karnataka High Court, asking for guidelines to be issued to police regarding...

17 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels - Greenpeace Report

Why in News The Greenpeace Southeast Asia has released a report titled ‘Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels’. The report provides a...

15 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Bringing A Multiplier Effect In Indian Agriculture

This article is based on “Giving PM-KISAN the multiplier effect” and “Thinking beyond farm sops”. It talks about an array...

15 Feb 2020 News Editorials
BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise -2020

Why in News The 2nd Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Disaster Management Exercise was...

15 Feb 2020 News Analysis
11th Expedition of an Indian Mission to the Southern Ocean

Why in News The South African oceanographic research vessel SA Agulhas has started its journey for the 11th expedition of an Indian mission to the...

15 Feb 2020 News Analysis
National Organic Food Festival

Why in News The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) will host the first National...

15 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Indian Pangolin

Why in News The Madhya Pradesh forest department, for the first time, has radio-tagged an Indian Pangolin. Radio-tagging involves attaching a...

15 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Right To Protest In A Free Society

The article is based on “The right to protest in a free society” that was published in The Hindu on 22nd January. It talks about the...

14 Feb 2020 News Editorials
In Depth- Anticipatory Bail

The Supreme Court (SC) in Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case delivered a significant verdict, ruling that no time limit can be...

14 Feb 2020 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
PRS Capsule January 2020

Key Highlights of PRS Polity New Bodo Agreement Disqualifications under Anti-Defection law The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill,...

14 Feb 2020 PRS Capsule
Conservation Plan for Konark Temple

Why in News The Union Government has decided to restore and preserve the nearly 800-year-old Konark Sun Temple, Odisha. Earlier, the monument had...

14 Feb 2020 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'State of India’s Bird 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>State of India&rsquo;s Bird 2020 was released</strong> at the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cms-com-13" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>13<sup>th</sup> Conference of Parties of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals</strong></a> which is taking place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>first-of-its-kind analysis</strong> was carried out by<strong> ten research and conservation organisations across India.</strong></li>
<li>It used a massive database of over <strong>10 million observations</strong> uploaded by 15,000 birdwatchers on the <strong>online platform (e-Bird)</strong> and <strong>&lsquo;citizen science data&rsquo;</strong> to assess the distribution and trends of <strong>common Indian birds.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Declining trend:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The groups that show the <strong>greatest decline</strong> are raptors, migratory shorebirds, and habitat specialists, including White-rumped Vulture, Richard&rsquo;s Pipit, Indian Vulture, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Pacific Golden Plover and Curlew Sandpiper.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increasing Trend:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The species that have shown an <strong>increase in numbers</strong> include Rosy Starling, Feral Pigeon, Glossy Ibis, Plain Prinia and the Ashy Prinia</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Categorisation of Birds:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study categorised <strong>101</strong> species as <strong>&ldquo;high concern&rdquo;,</strong> <strong>319</strong> as <strong>&ldquo;moderate concern&rdquo;</strong> and <strong>442</strong> into <strong>&ldquo;low concern&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Out of the species categorised as a high concern, 26% are classified globally by IUCN as &ldquo;least concern&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Analysis of Species</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian Peacocks:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The numbers of<strong> India&rsquo;s national bird, the Indian Peacock,</strong> has <strong>increased</strong> dramatically over the past few decades.</li>
<li>The increase in numbers of the species has been attributed to a combination of the <strong>bird expanding its range</strong> (earlier it was absent in Kerala), <strong>conservation efforts</strong> and associated <strong>penalties for poaching</strong> under <strong>Schedule I of the Wildlife Act.</strong></li>
<li>It is listed as <strong>&lsquo;Least Concern&rsquo;</strong> on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian vultures:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has experienced catastrophic <strong>population declines</strong> starting in the early 1990s.</li>
<li>The declines are almost entirely attributable to inadvertent poisoning by the livestock<strong> anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac.</strong></li>
<li>Surveys conducted have shown that<strong> White-rumped <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-to-release-vultures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vulture</a></strong> has <strong>suffered the most severe declines,</strong> followed by<strong> Indian Vulture</strong> and <strong>Egyptian Vulture.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>House Sparrow:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The House Sparrow has been found to be <strong>stable across the country</strong> as a whole, although <strong>declining in the major cities.</strong></li>
<li>It has been declared as the <strong>&ldquo;State Bird of Delhi&rdquo;</strong> to save the species and enhance awareness about their life and habitat.</li>
<li>The reasons for the decline include<strong> decreasing insect populations</strong> (a key part of the diet of sparrow chicks) and <strong>paucity</strong> of suitable <strong>nesting sites.</strong></li>
<li>Moreover, the popular theory that radiation from mobile phone towers is a factor is <strong>not supported</strong> by the findings of this report.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bustards in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All the four species of bustards in India (the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-great-indian-bustard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Great Indian Bustard</strong></a>, Macqueen&rsquo;s Bustard, Lesser Florican and Bengal Florican) have suffered <strong>continuous population declines.</strong></li>
<li>The decline is observed due to historical hunting and widespread habitat loss, with their slow growth and reproduction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Waterbirds:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It showed overall <strong>long-term declines,</strong> amongst which migratory shorebirds and gulls and terns appear to have declined the most.</li>
<li>Overall, migratory species (both long-distance and within-subcontinent) show steeper declines than residents.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Recommendations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Updation of global and national priorities using conservation assessments.</li>
<li>Fund conservation efforts on High Concern species and habitats where species have declined.</li>
<li>Support monitoring efforts by citizen scientists and researchers.</li>
<li>Promote collaborations between researchers and the public at large</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/state-of-indias-bird-2020-6272267/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Women Eligible for Permanent Commission',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Supreme Court has ruled that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/command-posts-for-women-in-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers</strong></a> <strong>are eligible for the permanent commission and command posts in the Army</strong> irrespective of their years of service.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The verdict came on a nearly 10-year-old appeal filed by the government against the 2010 decision of the Delhi High Court to grant SSC women officers permanent commission.</li>
<li>The court ordered the government to implement its judgment in <strong>three months.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Background</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under the <strong>Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme,</strong> women were commissioned into the Army for a period of 10 years, extendable up to 14 years.</li>
<li>Women were, however, <strong>restricted to roles in specified streams</strong> such as Army Education Corps, Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps, and Corps of Engineers. These specified streams <strong>excluded combat arms</strong> such as infantry and armoured corps.</li>
<li>While <strong>male SSC officers could opt for permanent commission</strong> at the end of 10 years of service, this <strong>option was not available to women officers.</strong> Women officers, were, thus, <strong>kept out of any command appointment, </strong>and <strong>could not qualify for government pension,</strong> which starts only after 20 years of service as an officer.</li>
<li>However, in the <strong>February 2019</strong> policy statement, the <strong>Government endorsed the permanent commission for SSC women officers in 10 streams</strong> of the &lsquo;Combat Support Arms&rsquo; and &lsquo;Services&rsquo; sections. But it was said that the <strong>women officers would not be offered any command appointments,</strong> and would serve only in staff posts.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Highlights of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>All Serving Women Officers will be eligible for the Permanent Commission (PC)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court dismissed the government's stand that only women officers with less than 14 years of service ought to be considered for permanent commission, and those with over 20 years service should be pensioned immediately.</li>
<li>The court has <strong>done away with all discrimination on the basis of years of service</strong> for grant of PC in 10 streams of combat support arms and services, bringing them on a par with male officers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Eligible for Command Posts</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court held that <strong>women officers will also be eligible for command posts</strong> in non-combat areas since &ldquo;an absolute bar on women seeking criteria or command appointments would not go with the <strong>guarantee of equality under Article 14&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The court held that since command appointments were not automatic for men officers, so would it be for women. It was left to the Army to take a call on a case to case basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>SC&rsquo;s stand on Combat Role</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The exclusion of women from combat operations was not examined by the court as it was not the contested in the appeal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticized the Government&rsquo;s Note</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Reflects Poorly on Women:</strong> The note had shown women officers in a poor light, saying isolation and hardships would eat into their resolve and that they would have to heed to the call of pregnancy, childbirth and family. The note had mentioned that women ran the risk of capture by enemy and taken prisoner of war.</li>
<li><strong>Patriarchal Notion:</strong> The court held that the the note reflected the age-old patriarchal notion that domestic obligations rested only with women.</li>
<li><strong>Sex Stereotype:</strong> The court also dismissed the point that women are physiologically weaker than men as a &ldquo;sex stereotype&rdquo;.</li>
<li><strong>Offence to dignity of Indian Army:</strong> The court noted that challenging abilities of women on the ground of gender is an offence not only to their dignity as women but to the dignity of the members of the Indian Army &ndash; men and women &ndash; who serve as equal citizens in a common mission.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appreciated the Government&rsquo;s February, 2019 Decision</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court noted that the policy decision of the Union government is a recognition of the right of women officers to equality of opportunity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Implication of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The women officers will be eligible to occupy all the command appointments, at par with male officers, which would open avenues for further promotions to higher ranks for them.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If women officers had served only in staff, they would not have gone beyond the rank of Colonel.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>After implementation of the judgement, a woman can rise to the rank of Colonel and above based on merit, like their male counterparts. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the rank of Colonel, an officer picks up a substantive command and would be delegated to carry out independent tasks.</li>
<li>A Colonel commands a battalion, which typically consists of 850 men. A woman officer who is successful in this position could technically rise to the highest ranks of the Army, though, <strong>women officers will not be inducted into the combat arms</strong> such as the infantry, artillery or armoured corps.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The court observed that women were being kept out of command posts on the reasoning that the largely rank and file will have problems with women as commanding officers. Thus, <strong>changes have to take place in the culture, norms, and values</strong> of not only the rank and file of the Army but also that of society at large. The responsibility to usher these changes lies with the senior military and political leadership.</li>
<li>The <strong>United States, Israel, North Korea, France, Germany, Netherlands, Australia and Canada</strong> are among the global militaries that employ women in front-line combat positions.</li>
<li>It is the right of every woman to pursue a career of her choice and reach the top.<strong> Equality is a constitutional guarantee.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/women-officers-can-be-given-permanent-commission-sc/article30840323.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/women-eligible-for-permanent-commission'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Kambala',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Kambala jockey who was compared to world record holder Usain Bolt after a video went viral showing him &lsquo;finishing 100 metres in 9.55 seconds&rsquo;, has refused to participate in athletics trials.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Kambala</strong> is a traditional <strong>buffalo race</strong> in paddy fields filled with slush and mud which generally takes place in <strong>coastal Karnataka</strong> (Udupi and Dakshina Kannada) from <strong>November to March.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Traditionally, it is sponsored by local <strong>Tuluva landlords</strong> and households in the coastal districts.Tuluva people are an ethnic group native to Southern India. They are native speakers of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tulu-language" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tulu language.</strong></a></li>
<li>During the race, the racers try to bring the buffaloes under control by holding their reins tight and whipping them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tradition:</strong> In its traditional form, Kambala was <strong>non-competitive</strong> and<strong> buffalo pairs raced one after another in paddy fields.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was also observed as <strong>thanksgiving to gods for protecting the animals from diseases.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong> Animal activists <strong>criticize</strong> the sport and argue that the Kambala involves <strong>acts of cruelty</strong> on animals which are not physiologically suited for racing and they run in the race due to fear of being beaten.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to them, it violates the<strong> Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.</strong> The Act prevents practices which involve <strong>unnecessary pain</strong> to the animal amounting to cruelty.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582010617_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582010617_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court had<strong> banned jallikattu, bullock-cart races, and kambala</strong> events in its judgement on<strong> May 7, 2014.</strong></li>
<li>The judgement upheld the Constitution of India read with legislation under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and provided animals with the fundamental right to be <strong>treated with compassion and dignity</strong> and to be free from unnecessary pain and suffering</li>
<li>However, the <strong>Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017</strong> approved the organising of kambala event, provided steps are taken to avoid cruelty to the participating bulls.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Jallikattu</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jallikattu-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jallikattu</strong> </a>is a traditional <strong>bull-taming</strong> event that is organised in the <strong>Tamil Nadu</strong> every year as part of the harvest festival <strong>Pongal.</strong></li>
<li>The sport requires fighters to pounce on a running bull, try to hold on to its hump and move along with the animal without falling or getting hurt.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/faster-than-bolt-kambala-jockey-srinivasa-gowda-wont-go-for-athletics-trials-6271681/" 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/kambala'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Pesticide Management In India',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/pesticide-management-bill-2020-must-address-important-concerns-69303" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Pesticide Management Bill 2020 must address important concerns&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Down To Earth on 14/02/2020. It talks about pesticide management in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Agriculture in India is largely dependent on chemicals including pesticides and their usage has a huge impact on the health of humans, animals, biodiversity and the environment. In 2015, the National Crimes Records Bureau recorded 7,672 cases of poisoning due to accidental intake of insecticides/pesticides, out of which 7,060 died.</p>
<p>Pesticides are regulated in India through the <strong>Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971,</strong> the experiences in administering this Act over the last five decades has exposed certain gaps. In this context, the union cabinet has recently approved the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pesticides-management-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pesticides Management Bill, 2020.</strong> </a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p>The Insecticides Act, 1968 was brought with a view of regulating the import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and use of insecticides and pesticides in order to prevent risk to human beings and animals.</p>
<p>Use of insecticides and pesticides increased exponentially after the green revolution.</p>
</div>
<h3>Pesticides Usage in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is the fourth-largest producer of pesticides in the world. According to a report by database Research and Markets, the Indian pesticides market was worth Rs 197 billion in 2018.</li>
<li>Pesticide market is further projected to reach a value of Rs 316 billion by 2024, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8.1% during 2019-2024.</li>
<li>The total as well as per hectare consumption of pesticides in India shows a significant increase after 2009-10.</li>
<li>As the cost of manual weed control has risen due to an increase in agricultural wages, this is one of the reasons for the recent increase in pesticide use.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related to Pesticides in India</h3>
<p>Pesticides pose a potential risk to humans and other life forms and unwanted side effects on the environment. No segment of the population is completely protected against exposure to pesticides and the potentially serious health effects.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Harmful Effects on Farmers:</strong> Experts believe that chronic low-level pesticide exposure is associated with a broad range of nervous system symptoms such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, tension, anger, depression, and impaired memory, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease, among others.</li>
<li><strong>Harmful Effect on Consumers:</strong> Pesticides go up the food chain by working their way through the environment and into the soil or the water systems after which they <strong>are</strong> eaten by aquatic animals or plants and ultimately humans. This process is called <strong>Biomagnification.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Biomagnification:</strong> The process by which a compound (such as a pollutant or pesticide) increases its concentration in the tissues of organisms as it travels up the food chain.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Harmful Effect on Agriculture:</strong> Continued use of pesticides for decades has contributed significantly to the current ecological, economic and existential crisis of the Indian agriculture sector.</li>
<li><strong>Regulatory Issues:</strong> Although agriculture is a state subject producing, education and research are governed under the Insecticides Act, 1968 which is a central Act, and hence state governments have no direct role in amending it.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is due to this that an estimated 104 pesticides that are still produced/ used in India, that have been banned in two or more countries in the world.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pesticides are chemicals that may be used to kill fungus, bacteria, insects, plant disease, etc., whereas an insecticide is used to specifically target and kill insects.</li>
<li><strong>Other categories of chemicals used:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Molluscicides control snails, slugs and similar molluscs.</li>
<li>Fungicides control fungi that are harmful to plants, preventing fungi spores from invading plant tissue.</li>
<li>Herbicides control weeds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are 292 pesticides registered in India.</li>
<li>Pesticides in India are registered with <strong>Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine &amp; Storage</strong> which is an attached office under the <strong>Ministry of Agriculture &amp; Farmers Welfare.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Why there is a need for amendment in the Insecticides Act, 1968?</h3>
<p><strong>Issues in the Insecticides Act, 1968:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The larger pesticide companies generally outsource production to smaller manufacturers. It is at the outsourcing stage that the quality degradation occurs. However, the <strong>Insecticides Act, 1968</strong> only stipulates the prosecution of the manufacturers.</li>
<li>Further, until now, only 23 products (pesticide) have been phased out on the grounds of safety, persistence, poor efficiency etc.</li>
<li>Licensing Officer can arbitrarily stop the sale of a pesticide for 30 days. Such action is bound to increase an already corrupt practice.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Steps To Be Taken</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The issues emanating from the Insecticides Act, 1968 are administrative in nature.</strong> However, to ensure sustainable food production systems and to implement resilient agricultural practices (as envisaged<strong> under target 2.4 of Sustainable Development Goal</strong>), any legislation pertaining to pesticide management In India should incorporate the following provisions:</li>
<li><strong>Focus on Minimal Use of Pesticides:</strong> Pesticides should be treated as a temporary stop-gap arrangement wherein the aim should be to use it as a last resort.</li>
<li><strong>Strict Regulation of Pesticides:</strong> Necessary provisions should be made in the Bill to ban sale and use of Class I pesticides.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Based on acute toxicity, the World Health Organization classifies certain pesticides as extremely hazardous (Class Ia) and highly hazardous (Class Ib).</li>
<li>The Bill should incorporate a provision which makes it illegal to sell a pesticide by a pesticide company without personal protective equipment or safety gear.</li>
<li>Provision of systems and standard operating procedures for acute medical emergencies should also be made.</li>
<li>Registration-related provisions of a pesticide should clearly include a Need and Alternatives Assessment before a pesticide registration application is processed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developing a &lsquo;Code of Conduct&rsquo; for Pesticide Companies:</strong> Advertisements are by design suited to the commercial interest of the advertiser and aimed at influencing the buying behaviour of farmers, who are often uneducated and unaware of the marketing tactics.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Just like pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides due to their hazardous nature, must not be allowed to be promoted through advertisements. Thus, all kinds of advertisements for pesticides must be banned in India.</li>
<li>The<strong> Polluter Pays&rsquo; principle</strong> should be the basis for fixing liability and compensation from the company. The Pesticide industry should be brought under a regulatory regime that makes it accountable for the entire product cycle including disposal.</li>
<li>In the event of a violation of regulation by a pesticide company, financial penalties should be proportional to the value of total sales of the concerned pesticide in India. A small financial penalty would not be big enough a deterrence for a big company selling pesticides worth crores of rupees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Capacity Building of Farmers:</strong> Over the counter, availability and dealer influence has caused severe overuses and misuses. Farmers must be made aware of judicious usage, pesticides must be sold and used cautiously under supervision like drugs. Like drugs, target, dosing, mode of application and unbiased advice for the usage of pesticide is critical.</li>
<li><strong>Greater say to State Governments:</strong> State governments should have the power to regulate pesticides as they have a better idea about the agro-ecological aspects of their state.</li>
<li><strong>Green Alternatives:</strong> Today, there are enough well-proven, successful alternative agro-ecological methods of pest management without using any chemical pesticide in India and globally.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, research and innovations must be made to phase out the usage of chemical pesticides completely as soon as possible.</li>
<li>Pesticide should be replaced with Biopesticides.</li>
<li>Apart from it, Government is promoting organic farming through various schemes/ programmes like Paramapragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) etc.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)</strong> aims to <strong>increase the area under organic farming as it ensures higher income to farmers</strong> due to comparatively lower cost of cultivation and premium price of organic.</p>
<p><strong>Biopesticides are biologically based agents used for the control of plant pests.</strong> They can be living organisms (nematodes or micro-organisms) or naturally occurring substances, such as plant extracts or insect pheromones.</p>
</div>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 508px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f5e6ce;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Pesticide management in India requires broad based reforms in order to ensure sustainable agricultural practices. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/pesticide-management-in-india'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Different Irrigation Systems',
			'catname' => 'Paper 3',
			'desc' => '<h3>Irrigation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil or agricultural field. It is the replacement or supplementation of rainwater with another source of water. It is used in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall.</li>
<li>The main idea behind irrigation systems is to assist in the growth of agricultural crops and plants by maintaining with the minimum amount of water required, suppressing weed growth in grain fields, preventing soil consolidation etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Well and Tube Well Irrigation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Wells are mainly found in U.P., Bihar, Tamil Nadu, etc. There are various types of wells &ndash; shallow wells, deep wells, tube wells, artesian wells, etc. From the shallow wells water is not always available as the level of water goes down during the dry months. Deep wells are more suitable for the purpose of irrigation as water from them is available throughout the year.</li>
<li>At places where ground water is available, a tube-well can be installed near the agricultural area. A deep tube well worked by electricity, can irrigate a much larger area (about 400 hectares) than a surface well (half hectares). Tube wells are mostly used in U.P., Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Gujarat.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Well is simplest, cheapest and independent source of irrigation and can be used as and when the necessity arises. Several chemicals such as nitrate, chloride, sulphate, etc. found in well water add to the fertility of soil. More reliable during periods of drought when surface water dries up.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Only limited area can be irrigated. In the event of a drought, the ground water level falls and enough water is not available. Tubewells can draw a lot of groundwater from its neighbouring areas and make the ground dry and unfit for agriculture.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Canal Irrigation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Canals can be an effective source of irrigation in areas of low level relief, deep fertile soils, perennial source of water and extensive command area. Therefore, the main concentration of canal irrigation is in the northern plain of India, especially the areas comprising Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.</li>
<li>The digging of canals in rocky and uneven areas is difficult and uneconomic. Thus, canals are practically absent from the Peninsular plateau area. However, the coastal and the delta regions in South India do have some canals for irrigation.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943559_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943559_image4.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>Two types: <em>Inundation canals,</em></strong> which are taken out from the rivers without any regulating system like weirs etc. at their head. Such canals provide irrigation mainly in the rainy season when the river is in flood and there is excess water.<em><strong> Perennial Canals</strong></em> are those which are taken off from perennial rivers by constructing a barrage across the river. Most of the canals in India are perennial.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Most of the canals provide perennial irrigation and supply water as and when needed. This saves the crops from drought conditions and helps in increasing the farm production.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Many canals overflow during the rainy season and flood the surrounding areas. Canal irrigation is suitable in plain areas only.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Tank Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943596_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943596_image2.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A tank is developed by constructing a small bund of earth or stones built across a stream. The water impounded by the bund is used for irrigation and other purposes. Tank comprises an important source of irrigation in the Karnataka Plateau, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Kerala Bundelkhand area of UP, Rajasthan and Gujarat.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Most of the tanks are natural and do not involve heavy cost for their construction and have longer life span. In many tanks, fishing is also carried on, which supplements both the food resources and income of the farmer.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Many tanks dry up during the dry season and fail to provide irrigation when it is required. Lifting of water from tanks and carrying it to the fields is a strenuous and costly exercise.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Drip Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943627_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943627_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In drip irrigation, water is applied near the plant root through emitters or drippers, on or below the soil surface, at a low rate varying from 2-20 liters per hour. The soil moisture is kept at an optimum level with frequent irrigations.</li>
<li>Among all irrigation methods, drip irrigation is the most efficient and can be practiced for a large variety of crops, especially in vegetables, orchard crops, flowers and plantation crops.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Fertilizer and nutrient loss is minimized due to localized application and reduced leaching. Field leveling is not necessary. Recycled non-potable water can be used. Water application efficiency increases. Soil erosion and weed growth is lessened.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Initial cost can be more, can result in clogging, wastage of water, time and harvest, if not installed properly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sprinkler Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943655_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943655_image3.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In this method, water is sprayed into the air and allowed to fall on the ground surface somewhat resembling rainfall. The spray is developed by the flow of water under pressure through small orifices or nozzles. The sprinkler irrigation system is a very suitable method for irrigation on uneven lands and on shallow soils.</li>
<li>Nearly all crops are suitable for sprinkler irrigation systems except crops like paddy, jute, etc. The dry crops, vegetables, flowering crops, orchards, plantation crops like tea, coffee are all suitable and can be irrigated through sprinklers.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Suitable to all types of soil except heavy clay. Water saving. Increase in yield. Saves land as no bunds etc. are required.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Higher initial cost. Under high wind conditions and high temperature distribution and application efficiency is poor.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Other Types of Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943695_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943695_image6.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Furrow Irrigation:</strong> Furrow irrigation is a type of surface irrigation in which trenches or &ldquo;furrows&rdquo; are dug between crop rows in a field. Farmers flow water down the furrows and it seeps vertically and horizontally to refill the soil reservoir. Flow to each furrow is individually controlled.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One of the difficulties of furrow irrigation is ensuring uniform dispersion of water over a given field. Another difficulty with furrow irrigation is the increased potential for water loss due to runoff.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Surge Irrigation:</strong> Surge irrigation is a variant of furrow irrigation where the water supply is pulsed on and off in planned time periods. The wetting and drying cycles reduce infiltration rates resulting in faster advance rates and higher uniformities than continuous flow.</li>
<li><strong>Ditch Irrigation:</strong> It is a rather traditional method, where ditches are dug out and seedlings are planted in rows. The plantings are watered by placing canals or furrows in between the rows of plants. Siphon tubes are used to move the water from the main ditch to the canals.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943728_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943728_image5.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>Sub Irrigation or Seepage Irrigation:</strong> It is a method of irrigation where water is delivered to the plant root zone from below the soil surface and absorbed upwards. The excess may be collected for reuse.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Advantages are water and nutrient conservation, and labor-saving.</li>
<li>The outfitting cost is relatively high. Potential problems, such as the possibility of increased presence of disease in recycle water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The farmers should be acquainted with the type of soil moisture, quality of irrigation water, frequency of irrigation for the proper implementation of irrigation systems.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/different-irrigation-systems'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'ISRO Plans for 2020-21',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</strong></a> has released its <strong>annual report for 2019-20</strong> recently.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ISRO has been allocated with the <strong>budget of ₹13,480 crores</strong> for 2020-21.</li>
<li>Currently, India has <strong>19 national Earth Observation (EO) satellites, 18 communication satellites and 8 navigation satellites in service.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are used for broadcasting, telephony, Internet services, weather, agriculture-related forecasting, security, disaster-time rescue and relief and location-based services.</li>
<li>Three of the communication satellites are dedicated to military communication and networking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report states an annual plan of <strong>36 missions</strong> (including both satellites and their launchers) including <strong>the launch of 10 Earth Observation (EO) satellites.</strong></li>
<li>The upcoming EO satellites include radar imaging satellites <strong>RISAT-2BR2, RISAT- 1A and 2A; Oceansat-3, GISAT-1 and Resourcesat-3/3S.</strong></li>
<li>ISRO plans to launch <strong>Chandrayan-3,</strong> <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/to-the-point-paper3-mission-gaganyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gaganyan</strong></a> in the year of 2020-21.</li>
<li>ISRO also plans to launch a <strong>new series of high-resolution HRSATs</strong> through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/50th-pslv-launch" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)</strong> </a>launcher.</li>
<li>ISRO is expected to develop<strong> its own space station within a decade.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>RISAT-2BR2</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The RISAT-2BR2 will form a triad with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/risat-2b" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RISAT-2B</strong></a> and RISAT-2B1 covering around 120 degrees apart.</li>
<li>It will increase the frequency of observation in the required areas to provide all-weather, day/night imaging services from space.</li>
<li>The RISAT satellites carry a synthetic aperture radar on them, providing all-weather, 24-hour information to security agencies.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>GISAT-1</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GISAT-1 <strong>(Geo Imaging Satellite)</strong> will be placed in a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gsat-29-satellite-launched-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>geostationary orbit</strong> </a>of around<strong> 36,000 km.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All Indian EOs satellites have been placed so far in a 600-odd-km orbits and circle the earth pole to pole.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will apparently be in a <strong>fixed spot</strong> looking over the <strong>Indian continent at all times.</strong></li>
<li>It will have <strong>high-resolution cameras</strong> which will help to monitor any changes in borders and the overall geographical condition of the country, etc.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isro-to-launch-an-unprecedented-10-earth-imaging-satellites/article30830789.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/isro-plans-for-2020-21'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'New Species of Urban Lizard',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A new species of lizard, the urban bent-toed gecko <strong>(Cyrtodactylus urbanus)</strong> was discovered in Guwahati, Assam.</li>
<li>The bent-toed gecko was earlier thought to be the same as the <strong>Khasi Hills lizard.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All bent-toed geckos in Northeast India were thought to be a single species, the <strong>Cyrtodactylus khasiensis</strong> found primarily in the <strong>Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Although the urban bent-toed gecko falls within the khasiensis group, it differs from other members of this group in <strong>mitochondrial sequence data</strong> and aspects of <strong>morphology</strong> (Branch of biology that deals with form and structure of plants and animals).<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581928109_pasted%20image 3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581928109_pasted image 3.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>Markedly Different:</strong> The new species of lizard is also markedly different in molecular structure, blotch and colour from the <strong>Cyrtodactylus guwahatiensis,</strong> or the Guwahati bent-toed gecko, that was discovered two years ago.</li>
<li><strong>Urbanization</strong> is a major <strong>threat</strong> to the survival of geckos.</li>
<li>Guwahati is home to numerous important species. The city provides an edge for urban biodiversity to thrive because it encompasses 18 hills, 8 reserve forests, 2 wildlife sanctuaries and a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ramsar Site</strong> </a><strong>(Deepor Beel)</strong> besides the Brahmaputra river.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gecko</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Geckos are</strong> (suborder Gekkota), any of more than 1,000 species of lizards making up 6 families of the suborder Gekkota.</li>
<li>Geckos are mostly small, usually nocturnal reptiles with soft skin.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/new-species-of-urban-lizard-found-in-guwahati/article30837686.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/new-species-of-urban-lizard'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Increasing Neonatal Deaths in MP',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission (NHM)</strong> </a>data, <strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong> has recorded the<strong> highest percentage of newborn deaths at 11.5%</strong> against the total admissions to government-run Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) in the <strong>past three years across the country.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>country&rsquo;s average percentage</strong> of newborn deaths is at 7 %.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/under-5-girls-face-high-morality-in-india-un" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>neonatal deaths in India</strong> </a><strong>mainly occur due to</strong> premature births and low birth weight (35.9%), pneumonia (16.9%), birth asphyxia and birth trauma (9.9%), other non-communicable diseases (7.9%), diarrhoea (6.7%), congenital anomalies(4.6%) and infections (4.2%).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong></p>
<p><strong>According to UNICEF, in India (2018),</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under 5 Mortality Rate is 39 deaths per 1000 live births.</li>
<li>Infant Mortality Rate (under one year of age) is 32 deaths per 1000 live births.</li>
<li>Neonatal Mortality Rate (during the first 28 days of life) is 24 deaths per 1000 live births.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Madhya Pradesh Compared to the National Scenario:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>admissions of neonates in the hospital</strong> of Madhya Pradesh have <strong>dropped</strong> (lower than West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) from April 2017 to December 2019 but the <strong>percentage of deaths </strong>still<strong> remained at 12.2%.</strong></li>
<li>Within the same time period, <strong>West Bengal</strong> reported <strong>maximum neonatal deaths</strong> (34,344) in the country but reported the <strong>declining percentage of deaths</strong> (from 9.2% in 2017 to 8.9% in 2019) which <strong>coincided with a decrease in admissions</strong> at hospitals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scenario in Tribal and Rural areas of MP:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Most tribal (31 out of 51) districts</strong> in Madhya Pradesh report low nutrition and weak maternal health levels and thus <strong>death percentage of more than 10.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>absence of community referrals,</strong> significantly aided by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/saans-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></a> workers is lacking in rural and tribal areas as <strong>only one in ten sick neonates born outside a hospital is taken to an SNCU.</strong></li>
<li>It is majorly due to the absence of transport, inability to identify a disease by parents, and lack of awareness.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scenario in Urban Areas:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Urban areas of Madhya Pradesh</strong> report a higher death percentage as they offer tertiary care, and admit several serious cases from peripheral districts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Staff crunch, low community referrals, absence of a special neonatal transport service to health centres, reliance on units in cities as last resort and the non-availability of enough units to cater to increasing institutional deliveries have contributed to the increase in the percentage of deaths.</li>
<li><strong>Only one against the required five</strong> (82% shortfall) of surgeons, gynaecologists, physicians and paediatricians are available at hospitals.</li>
<li><strong>With increasing institutional deliveries</strong> in the State (80.8% as per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Family Health Survey-4</strong></a>, 2015-2016), <strong>the number of neonatal care units has not increased proportionally.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sex Ratio in Admissions at Hospitals:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Madhya Pradesh has recorded an <strong>abysmal sex ratio in admission</strong> (number of girls admitted against 1,000 boys) at 663 in the three years against the country average of 733.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>More admissions of boys (almost three-fourths of the cases) show a bias against the girl child in society,</li>
<li>The other reason for the lower admissions of a girl child can be attributed to better immunity among girl children to combat diseases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cases of Underreporting:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NHM data also reveals the cases of underreporting in 43 districts where <strong>government officials didn&rsquo;t report more than 50% of deaths of children</strong> under five to keep clean records.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927654_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927654_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASHA is a trained female community health activist. Selected from the community itself and accountable to it, the ASHA works as an interface between the community and the public health system.</li>
<li>The role of an ASHA is that of a community-level care provider. This includes a mix of tasks: facilitating access to health care services, building awareness about health care entitlements especially amongst the poor and marginalized, promoting healthy behaviours and mobilizing for collective action for better health outcomes and meeting curative care needs as appropriate to the organization of service delivery in that area and compatible with her training and skills.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/madhya-pradesh-grapples-with-spiralling-neonatal-deaths/article30805519.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/increasing-neonatal-deaths-in-mp'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Wildfires in the Mukurthi National Park',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Ahead of summer and peak fire season,<strong> &lsquo;fire lines&rsquo;</strong> or &lsquo;fire breaks&rsquo;, in the Mukurthi National Park (MNP) are being <strong>constructed</strong> by the Tamil Nadu government.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Fire line</strong> is an artificially formed <strong>break in foliage or forest cover</strong> to control the spread of wildfires by limiting the amount of combustible vegetation available.</li>
<li><strong>Other Measures Being Taken to Control Wildfires in the Park :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Cool Burning :</strong> Cool burning is done in a controlled manner by artificially creating small, localised fires to limit the amount of vegetation available in any given area. It means that any fires will not have any build-up of &ldquo;vegetative fuel&rdquo; to use to become a large, uncontrollable fire.</li>
<li><strong>Removal of invasive trees</strong> such as<strong> wattle</strong> is also being done in the Park in order to reduce the fuel for wildfires.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Wildfires</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Wildfire is a general term which includes any uncontrolled, unplanned forest fires, grassland fires, bushfires, brush fires and any other vegetation fire in countryside areas.</li>
<li>Wildfires occur in every continent except Antarctica.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Mukurthi National Park</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Extent:</strong> Mukurthi National Park (MNP) is located in the northwest corner of Tamil Nadu in the <strong>Western Ghats.</strong></li>
<li>It is a part of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/khangchendzonga-to-be-included-in-the-world-network-of-biosphere-reserves" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve</strong></a> (UNESCO World Heritage Site) along with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mudumalai-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary</strong></a>, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Silent Valley.</li>
<li><strong>Keystone Species :</strong> The park was created to protect its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preservation-of-sundarban" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>keystone species</strong></a>, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nilgiri-tahr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nilgiri Tahr</strong></a>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There has been almost a 27% <strong>increase in the population of the Tahr in the Nilgiris over the last few years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forest Type:</strong> The park is characterised by <strong>montane grasslands and shrublands</strong> interspersed with sholas in a high altitude area of high rainfall, near-freezing temperatures and high winds.</li>
<li><strong>Peaks:</strong> The Park is also home to <strong>Mukurthi Peak,</strong> one of the highest peaks in the Nilgiri Hills.</li>
<li><strong>Tribes Living Inside: Todas</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Todas are a pastoral tribe of the Nīlgiri Hills.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927082_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927082_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="650" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/work-on-constructing-fire-lines-begins-in-mukurthi-national-park/article30837108.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/wildfires-in-the-mukurthi-national-park'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Treating a Child Witness',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/public-interest-litigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Interest Litigation (PIL)</strong></a> has been filed in the Karnataka High Court, asking for guidelines to be issued to police regarding interrogation of minors in criminal proceedings in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act and United Nations (UN) resolutions.</p>
<h3>Relevant UN Resolutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-children-s-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on the Rights of the Child</strong></a>,<strong> 1989:</strong> It states that &lsquo;in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration&rsquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has been a signatory to this Convention since 1992.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Guidelines with respect to Child Witnesses (2009)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Authorities should treat children in a <strong>caring and sensitive manner,</strong> with interview techniques that &ldquo;minimise distress or trauma to children&rdquo;.</li>
<li>An investigator specially trained in dealing with children be appointed to guide the interview of the child, using a <strong>child-sensitive approach.</strong></li>
<li>The investigator shall, to the extent possible, avoid repetition of the interview during the justice process in order to <strong>prevent secondary victimisation of the child.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Secondary victimisation</strong> is defined as victimisation that occurs not as a direct result of a criminal act, but through the response of institutions and individuals to the victim.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Age of Witnesses in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> Any person who appears before a court or tribunal so as to give evidence or testimony, for or against any person involved is called a witness.</li>
<li><strong>Age:</strong> Under<strong> Section 118 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872,</strong> there is no minimum age for a witness. Children as young as three years old have been witnesees before trial courts in cases of sexual abuse. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any person may be a witness who can understand the questions put to him and rationally answer them.</li>
<li>The nature of the section is disqulificatory in nature, meaning, that it disqualifies any person from testifying in the event that person is unable to comprehend or rationally respond to the questions put to them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Usually during a trial, the court, before recording the testimony of a child witness, determines his or her competency on the basis of their ability to give rational answers.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Relevant Indian Laws Related to Children</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 39 (f) of the Constitution:</strong> The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.</li>
<li><strong>Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act:</strong> The primary legislation in the country pertaining to children is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/children-excluded-from-assam-nrc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.</strong></a> The Act <strong>does not provide guidelines specifically</strong> relating to questioning or interviewing children as witnesses. However, it advocates for the following:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Child-friendly approach</strong> in the adjudication and disposal of matters. This implies, for the police to not be in their uniform while dealing with children.</li>
<li><strong>Special Juvenile Police Unit:</strong> Interviews of children are done by specialised units of police who are trained to sensitively deal with them.</li>
<li>Provides for a <strong>Child Welfare Committee</strong> in every district to take cognisance of any violations by the authorities in their handling of children.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>POCSO Act: <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-pornography-impact-on-children-society" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012</a></strong> has specific guidelines regarding interviewing children as witnesses, though the guidelines pertain to child sexual abuse victims. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Interviews should be conducted in a safe, neutral, child-friendly environment, including allowing for them to be done at homes.</li>
<li>It says a child should not be made to recount the incident in question multiple times.</li>
<li>The Act also allows for a support person, who could be trained in counselling, to be present with the child to reduce stress and trauma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Delhi High Court has come up with guidelines for recording evidence of vulnerable witnesses in criminal matters. A vulnerable witness is defined as anyone who has not completed 18 years of age.</li>
<li>The guidelines underline the importance of the criminal justice system needing to respond proactively, sensitively, and in an age-appropriate manner when dealing with children.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-child-witness-bidar-sedition-case-6271393/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/treating-a-child-witness'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels - Greenpeace Report',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Greenpeace Southeast Asia has released a report titled<strong> &lsquo;Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels&rsquo;.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report provides a <strong>global assessment of the health impact of air pollution</strong> from fossil fuels in 2018 and a first-of-its-kind estimate of the <strong>associated economic cost.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study is limited to the following pollutants: <strong>fine particulate matter (PM <sub>2.5</sub>), ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) and nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), and only that pollution which is emitted by fossil fuel combustion (coal, oil and gas).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pollutants and Their Effects</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>PM<sub>2.5</sub></strong> refers to fine particles with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. PM<sub>2.5 </sub>particles are respirable, which means that they are small enough to reach the gas exchange region of the lungs.</li>
<li><strong>Ozone (O<sub>3</sub>)</strong> formed at near-ground level is an air pollutant that causes smog. Ground level ozone forms when Nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution reacts with chemicals called volatile organic compounds (chemicals from sprays, paints etc.). Ozone pollution causes acute human health problems, including chest pain, throat irritation and inflammation of the airways. It also adversely affects vegetation and crops.</li>
<li><strong>Nitrogen oxides:</strong> When fossil fuels are burned in air, nitrogen oxides (NO and NO<sub>2</sub>, collectively referred to as NOx) are created from molecular nitrogen in the air and in the fuel that is being burned. NOx pollution, along with sulfur dioxide, which is also produced when fossil fuels are burned, reacts with water to form acid rain, snow and fog, and with other substances to form particulate matter. The health impacts of exposure to nitrogen oxides include cardiovascular diseases, exacerbated symptoms of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and other respiratory diseases.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact of Air Pollution on Health</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Exposure to an air pollutant or combination of air pollutants, such as PM<sub>2.5</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub> or ozone, is associated with increased incidence of diseases including Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, lower respiratory infections, type II diabete, etc.</li>
<li>Health impacts from air pollution generate economic costs through the cost of treatment, management of health conditions, and from work absences.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Cost of Air Pollution</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Air pollution from burning fossil fuels costs an estimated 3.3% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), equivalent to US $8 billion per day and 12,000 premature deaths every day.</li>
<li>China, the US and India bear the highest economic cost of soaring pollution, at an estimated $900 billion, $600 billion and $150 billion (5.4% of the India&rsquo;s GDP) a year, respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Burden of PM<sub>2.5</sub></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>PM<sub>2.5</sub> air pollution leads to the greatest health impact and the greatest financial cost of the three pollutants (PM<sub>2.5</sub>, O<sub>3</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>).</li>
<li>Globally, air pollution is estimated to cause 4.5 million premature deaths each year. This includes 3 million deaths attributable globally to PM<sub>2.5</sub>.</li>
<li>Pollution from PM<sub>2.5</sub> costs 2.5% of the global GDP whereas pollution from O<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>2</sub> , each costs equivalent to 0.4% of global GDP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Sustainable Transport System:</strong> Creating a sustainable transport system by setting a phase-out date for diesel and petrol cars, while implementing various urban transport measures, such as restricting cars&rsquo; access into certain neighborhoods or districts, promoting car-free days, etc. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>One of the longest-running examples of a car-free day event in a city is the Ciclov&iacute;a in Bogot&aacute;, Colombia which was initiated in 1974. This is a weekly event that takes place every Sunday and public holiday in central Bogot&aacute;, in which roads are closed to motorised traffic to allow cyclists, skaters and pedestrians traffic-free access to 120 kilometres (74.6 miles) of roads.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Switch to Renewable Energy:</strong> The phaseout of fossil fuels and switch to renewable forms of energy is beneficial both for reducing <strong>air pollution</strong> and mitigating <strong>anthropogenic (man-made) climate change.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Related Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PM<sub>2.5</sub> is one of the principal pollutants in northern Indian cities including Delhi.</li>
<li>The 2 million preterm births globally due to PM<sub>2.5</sub> include 9,81,000 preterm births in India.</li>
<li>The report links approximately 3,50,000 new cases of child asthma in India to nitrogen dioxide. As a result of this, over 1.28 million more children in India live with asthma, which is linked to fossil fuel pollution.</li>
<li>In India, exposure to fossil fuels also leads to a loss of around 490 million workdays.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India needs to increase its spending on the health sector.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It needs to be noted that India spends around 1.28% of the GDP on health while air pollution from burning fossil fuels costs an estimated 5.4% of India's GDP.</li>
<li>The central government has allocated only Rs 69,000 crore for the health sector in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-2020-21-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Union Budget 2020-21.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The coal fired power plants in India have repeatedly <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/reducing-so2-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>missed the emission deadline</strong></a> set by the Union Environment Ministry. Strict action should be taken against non-compliance of thermal power plants.</li>
<li>The government should ensure the construction of new coal-fired power plants is halted and existing plants should be shut down in phases.</li>
<li>Moving the energy generation sector from fossil fuels to renewables would help to prevent premature deaths and vast savings in health costs.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-fossil-fuel-air-pollution-cost-8-bn-day-4-5-mn-deaths-year-6266997/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/toxic-air-the-price-of-fossil-fuels-greenpeace-report'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Bringing A Multiplier Effect In Indian Agriculture',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/giving-pm-kisan-the-multiplier-effect/article30812647.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Giving PM-KISAN the multiplier effect&rdquo;</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/thinking-beyond-farm-sops/article30706291.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Thinking beyond farm sops&rdquo;</strong></a>. It talks about an array of reforms that need to be carried out in order to bring a multiplier effect to India&rsquo;s agricultural growth.</p>
</div>
<p>Agriculture is a crucial segment for inclusive development and provides stimulus to the economy, especially when it is not doing too well. Since India has laid down the target of <strong>doubling farmers' income by 2022,</strong> therefore, it is imperative to lay a strong foundation by launching measures that can stem falling farm growth.</p>
<p>In pursuance of this, the government had launched a direct income transfer scheme called <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/08-02-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)</strong></a> in 2019. Though the scheme was a tectonic shift in the nature of government support to farmers in India.</p>
<p>However, <strong>there is a lot to be done (than just addressing the liquidity constraints of farmers), to achieve a vibrant agrarian sector in India.</strong></p>
<h3>PM-KISAN Scheme</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PM-KISAN scheme was aimed at <strong>addressing the liquidity constraints of farmers</strong> for meeting their expenses for the acquisition of agricultural inputs and services.</li>
<li>The scheme implemented from February 2019 provides each eligible farmer&rsquo;s family <strong>₹6,000 per annum in three instalments of ₹2,000 each.</strong></li>
<li>This scheme is particularly important in a country like India, where still about half of the farming households do not have access to formal credit.</li>
<li>Initially, farmers with less than two hectares of land were eligible; subsequently, the benefit was extended to all farmers (about 140 million farmers) from June 2019 onwards. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The amount is transferred directly to the beneficiary&rsquo;s bank account to check leakages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>93% of non-beneficiary farmers</strong> had already applied for the scheme, depicting awareness and potential uptake.</li>
<li>Banking infrastructure created through <strong>Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana</strong> (PMJDY) and digitisation of the complete database of farmers who were now registered in the system with their credentials by the state governments played a key role in the fund disbursal.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How PM-KISAN scheme can be augmented to give a multiplier effect?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a study conducted by <strong>International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in association with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)</strong> in Uttar Pradesh, PM-KISAN scheme along with <strong>agricultural advisory services (Krishi Vigyan Kendras),</strong> can pull farmers out of poverty.</li>
<li>By investing more in agricultural advisory services, the government can encourage farmers to invest some or all part of the income support in productive assets for achieving the multiplier effect of PM-KISAN <strong>(the exponential growth in India&rsquo;s agricultural growth trajectory).</strong></li>
<li>Farmers receiving PM-KISAN benefit in the agricultural peak season are more likely to spend it on agriculture, and those getting it in the off-season are more likely to spend it on consumption.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This clearly suggests that the timing of benefits has implications on spending patterns.</li>
<li>Therefore, <strong>the transfer of benefits should be synchronised in a way that prompts farmer for investment in agriculture.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>A direct transfer scheme like<strong> PM-KISAN is a game-changer</strong> and can have significant effects if it is timely, not transaction cost heavy and is provided with complementary inputs such as extension services.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Extension Services:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The extension is an informal educational process directed toward the rural population. This process offers advice and information to help them solve their problems.</li>
<li>The extension also aims to increase the efficiency of the family farm, increase production and generally increase the standard of living of the farm family.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>However, <strong>in the absence of holistic agricultural reforms, direct income transfer will just be one cog in the wheel.</strong> In this context other reforms that need to be taken are:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>disparity in agriculture expenditure and growth drivers needs to be addressed.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Despite higher growth in livestock and fisheries sector, only moderate to low expenditure was recorded.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>expenditure on research and development</strong> in agriculture needs to be raised from nearly 0.40% of agriculture GDP to 1% as it pays huge dividends in the long run in ameliorating poverty and improving livelihoods compared to any other investment.</li>
<li>Considering India&rsquo;s dependency on agriculture and recurring climate-induced disasters, it is imperative to expand the implementation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/smart-farming-in-a-warm-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Climate-Smart Villages</strong> </a>all across the nation.</li>
<li>The<strong> Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs),</strong> which are currently facing operational and structural issues governed by different Acts and funded by various sources, may be strengthened by bringing them under one institution, preferably an FPO Development and Regulatory Authority.</li>
<li>A structured impetus must be given to building <strong>blockchain-based e-marketplaces</strong> connecting farmers, traders, agencies, institutions and exporters on a common platform to check price fluctuations and harness decentralisation.</li>
<li><strong>Affordable technologies</strong> must be developed and deployed particularly in rural and remote areas where digital literacy of farmers has improved considerably.</li>
<li><strong>Small-scale investment measures</strong> or an incentive-based system is essential to scale up sustainable practices such as agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem services, conservation agriculture and others.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Large-scale investment in agriculture over several years have encouraged monoculture, threatening the environment and soil health (mainly in green revolution areas).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increasing corporate social responsibility</strong> will help to tap more private investments besides encouraging private players in potential areas where production sustainability is possible.</li>
<li>The government must establish a <strong>farm data agency,</strong> which can consolidate, collate and maintain farm data available at various platforms.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Access to farm agency data for scientific institutions and all other relevant stakeholders can hasten the process of technology dissemination and aid research systems for better policies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Commissioning <strong>Ease of Farming Index</strong> is necessary to ascertain the progress made by national and state governments on the key indicators of farming.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This perhaps stands away from the conventional assessment of the effectiveness of agriculture policies and programmes that are part of the farm support system.</li>
<li>Moreover, the exercise may foster cooperative and competitive federalism besides encouraging States which are lagging behind to catch up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The need of the hour is to set up <strong>two key institutions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>national agricultural development council</strong> on the lines of the Goods and Services Tax Council under the chairmanship of Prime Minister for effective coordination and convergence of States on key reforms and policies.</li>
<li><strong>Farmers&rsquo; welfare commissions</strong> (both at the Centre and State level), as an independent institutional mechanism which will act as a neutral platform for assessing all agriculture-related issues and schemes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is pertinent to deliberate on an<strong> &lsquo;Indian Agricultural Service&rsquo;</strong> on the lines of the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.</li>
<li>In addition, to deal effectively with increasing droughts and floods and other extreme events, <strong>transfer of agriculture to the concurrent list is of prime importance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Therefore, the right mix of direct benefits and price support with focused investment on resource conservation might bring stability in farmers&rsquo; income.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f7ebd0;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Despite several measures to reduce the vulnerability of farmers in India, the farm sector and farmers continue to suffer losses. Suggest some measures that can be taken to improve their conditions.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/bringing-a-multiplier-effect-in-indian-agriculture'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise -2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The 2<sup>nd</sup> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/drishti-specials-important-international-bimstec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)</strong></a> Disaster Management Exercise was conducted (11-13 February, 2020) in <strong>Bhubaneswar,</strong> Odisha.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The focus of the <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> edition of Exercise</strong> is on <strong>heritage structures&rsquo; protection.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>first edition of the BIMSTEC DMEx</strong> was also <strong>hosted by India in 2017</strong> with the focus on testing the region&rsquo;s preparedness and resilience towards effective activation of inter-Governmental interaction/dialogue/agreements for immediate deployment of regional resources for disaster response.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The exercise seeks to provide a platform for member states to evaluate existing capabilities, share best emergency response practices, <strong>improve emergency preparedness</strong> and <strong>strengthen regional response mechanisms, to conduct risk assessment</strong> in the context of <strong>cultural heritage sites at the time of disasters and to test the multi-stakeholders&rsquo; coordination</strong> in a disaster scenario <strong>involving international, national, state, district</strong> and <strong>local agencies.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Participants</strong> in the exercise include BIMSTEC members except Bhutan and Thailand along with other global institutions like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/undps-accelerator-lab" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)</strong></a>, <strong>International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration Cultural Property (ICCROM)</strong> etc.</li>
<li>The<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-disaster-management-authority-ndma-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)</strong></a> is building the capacity of its forces to play the role of<strong> first responder</strong> at heritage sites, which are vulnerable to disasters such as<strong> earthquake, floods, cyclones</strong> and <strong>tsunami</strong> across India.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for Focus on the Heritage Sites:</strong> In the backdrop of recent losses suffered in an earthquake in Nepal(2015), damages to Heritage Sites in Gujarat earthquake (2001), the need was felt to protect the Heritage Sites during disasters and build the capacity of NDRF personnel. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/intach-efforts-to-protect-buddhist-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)</strong></a> in India, there could be 11 lakh sites in towns and villages out of which close to 10,000 sites and buildings are protected and about 70,000 sites have heritage value.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration Cultural Property</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The creation of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration Cultural Property (ICCROM) took place as a result of a proposal at the UNESCO General Conference held in New Delhi, in 1956.</li>
<li>In 1959, the Centre was established in Rome, Italy.</li>
<li>India is a member (1961).</li>
<li>It is an intergovernmental organization which works with its members to promote the <strong>conservation of all forms of cultural heritage, in every region of the world.</strong></li>
<li>It operates in the spirit of the <strong>UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Declaration states that &ldquo;Respect for the diversity of cultures, tolerance, dialogue and cooperation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding are among the best guarantees of international peace and security.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) was established in 1991.</li>
<li>It is a global network of more than 90 countries and organisations under the <strong>United Nations</strong> umbrella.</li>
<li>INSARAG deals with<strong> Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)</strong> related issues, aiming to establish minimum international standards for international coordination in earthquake response based on its Guidelines.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India and Disaster Management</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI):</strong> Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the establishment of an <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/coalition-for-disaster-resilient-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)</strong></a> in New Delhi.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)</strong> organized the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/international-conference-on-landslides-risk-reduction-and-resilience" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>1<sup>st</sup> International Conference on &ldquo;Landslides Risk Reduction and Resilience"</strong></a> in November, 2019 in New Delhi.</li>
<li>India has been at the forefront of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) efforts by hosting the<strong> South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise (SAADMEx) </strong>and the<strong> Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR).</strong></li>
<li>India has also offered its expertise and capabilities in DRR such as the <strong>South Asia satellite, GSAT-9, and the Tsunami Early Warning Centre to other countries.</strong></li>
<li>Disaster Management was one of the important Agenda items the BIMSTEC leaders deliberated upon during the <strong>Goa BRICS Summit in October 2016</strong> where BIMSTEC leaders were the Special Invitees.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/5-nation-exercise-to-focus-on-heritage-structures-protection/article30784957.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/bimstec-disaster-management-exercise-2020'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => '11th Expedition of an Indian Mission to the Southern Ocean',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> South African</strong> oceanographic research vessel<strong> SA Agulhas</strong> has started its journey for the <strong>11<sup>th</sup> expedition of an Indian mission to the Southern Ocean, or Antarctic Ocean</strong> from Port Louis (Mauritius).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, the research vessel was located at <strong>Prydz Bay,</strong> in the coastal waters of <strong>&ldquo;Bharati&rdquo;, India&rsquo;s third station in Antarctica</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong> The research vessel SA Agulhas is named after <strong>Agulhas warm <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/climate-change-and-ocean-currents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ocean current</a></strong> that runs <strong>south along the east coast of southern Africa.</strong></p>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Antarctic Missions</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India officially acceded to the <strong>Antarctic Treaty System on 1<sup>st</sup> August 1983.</strong> On 12 September 1983, India became the fifteenth Consultative Member of the Antarctic Treaty.</li>
<li>India is expanding its infrastructure development in Antarctica. The newest base commissioned in <strong>2015 is Bharati.</strong></li>
<li>India is rebuilding its station, <strong>Maitri,</strong> to make it bigger and last for at least 30 more years.</li>
<li><strong>Dakshin Gangotri,</strong> the <strong>first Indian base</strong> established in <strong>1984,</strong> has weakened and become just a supply base.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581751363_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581751363_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="259" height="369" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-centre-for-polar-and-ocean-research-ncpor-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR)</strong></a> stated that the mission intends to <strong>quantify changes</strong> in the oceanic remote area and the <strong>impact of these changes</strong> on large-scale weather phenomenon, like the Indian monsoon.</li>
<li>It also aims to understand the influence of <strong>the Southern Ocean across ecosystem</strong> and atmospheric changes and how it affects the tropical climate and weather conditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Expedition consists of six core projects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry of the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean</strong> at different depths. It will help to understand the formation of Antarctic bottom water.</li>
<li><strong>Observations of movement of trace gases</strong> (halogens and dimethyl sulphur)<strong> from the ocean to the atmosphere</strong> which will help to improve parameterisations that are used in global models.</li>
<li><strong>Study of organisms namely, coccolithophores</strong> (existed in the oceans for several million years).The study of their concentrations in sediments will create a picture of past climate.</li>
<li><strong>Investigate atmospheric aerosols and their optical and radiative properties.</strong> Its continuous measurements will quantify the impact on Earth&rsquo;s climate.</li>
<li><strong>Study the Southern Ocean&rsquo;s impact on Indian monsoons.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Dynamics of the food web in the Southern Ocean</strong> which will help to implement sustainable fishing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Expedition</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cyclic Movement of Carbon Dioxide:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub> ) is emitted in tropical regions and through atmospheric circulation, it reaches to the Antarctic and polar regions.</li>
<li>Due to the low temperature in these regions, CO<sub>2</sub> is absorbed and converted into dissolved inorganic carbon or organic carbon.</li>
<li>Further, through water masses and circulation it is coming back to tropical regions. Since it is warmer in these areas, it re-enters the atmosphere,</li>
<li>The expedition will help to plot the <strong>quantity and time period for such cyclic movement of CO<sub>2</sub>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Southern Ocean- A Transport Agent :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The expedition will help to study the <strong>Southern Ocean as it connects all the major oceans</strong> around the world. Thus the <strong>conveyor belt that circulates heat</strong> around the world is <strong>connected through the Southern Ocean</strong> and can have a <strong>large impact on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a></strong> due to anthropogenic forces.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established as an autonomous <strong>research and development institution</strong> of the <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences in 1998.</strong></li>
<li>It is located in <strong>Goa.</strong></li>
<li>It is responsible for the <strong>country&rsquo;s research activities in the Polar and Southern Ocean realms.</strong></li>
<li>It is the nodal agency for planning, promotion, coordination and execution of the entire gamut of polar and southern ocean scientific research in the country as well as for the associated logistics activities.</li>
<li>Its major responsibilities include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Management and upkeep of the Indian<strong> Antarctic Research Bases &ldquo;Maitri&rdquo; and &ldquo;Bharati&rdquo;, </strong>and the<strong> Indian Arctic base &ldquo;Himadri&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Management of the Ministry&rsquo;s research vessel ORV Sagar Kanya as well as the other research vessels chartered by the Ministry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indian-scientists-antarctic-trip-climate-monsoon-6268763/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/11th-expedition-of-an-indian-mission-to-the-southern-ocean'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'National Organic Food Festival',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) will host the first <strong>National Organic Food Festival</strong> in<strong> New Delhi</strong> between February 21 to February 23, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It aims to <strong>strengthen the organic market</strong> and <strong>empower women entrepreneurs</strong> in the area of production and processing of organic products.</li>
<li><strong>Theme:</strong> Unleashing India&rsquo;s Organic Market Potential.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Women Entrepreneurs and Self Help groups (SHG&rsquo;s) from all over the country will be exhibiting their organic products in various segments such as fruit &amp; vegetables, ready to eat products, spices and condiments, honey, cereals, dry fruits etc..</li>
<li>It will also focus on <strong>facilitating business linkages</strong> and <strong>empowering women entrepreneurs</strong> through pre-arranged B2B and B2G meetings.</li>
<li>Government is already making efforts to connect women entrepreneurs with financial schemes like<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mudra-scheme-and-employment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency)</strong> </a>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-start-up-india-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Startup India</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Business to Business</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are <strong>3 basic business models:</strong> Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B), and Business to Government (B2G).</li>
<li>B2B is a form of transaction between businesses, such as one involving a manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer. Business to business refers to business that is conducted between companies, rather than between a company and individual consumers. Business to business stands in contrast to Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Government (B2G) transactions.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Business to Government (B2G)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Business to Government (B2G) is the sale and marketing of goods and services to federal, state, or local agencies.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Organic Market Potential</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has the <strong>9<sup>th</sup> largest World&rsquo;s Organic Agricultural Land</strong> and the<strong> largest number of producers.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Sikkim</strong> is the<strong> first organic state</strong> in the world. All of its farmland is <strong>certified organic.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Organic Food Segment of India grew at rate of 10% during 2016-20.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the <strong>Indian Organic Sector &ndash; Vision 2025</strong> report, India&rsquo;s organic business is expected to reach Rs.75,000 Crores by 2025.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Factors for growth of organic food in India:</strong> Increasing disposable incomes, increasing awareness around health and wellness and increasing acceptability.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the global level, demand for Indian organic food products is on constant increase.</li>
<li>The major demands under the organic product category are for oil seeds, cereals &amp; millets, sugar, fruit juice concentrates, tea, spices, pulses, dry fruits, medicinal plant products etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199306" 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/national-organic-food-festival'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Indian Pangolin',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong> forest department, for the first time, has <strong>radio-tagged an Indian Pangolin.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Radio-tagging involves attaching a transmitter to an animal to monitor its movements. Several wild animals &mdash; tigers, leopards and migratory birds &mdash; have been tagged over decades.</li>
<li>Indian Pangolin has been radio-tagged in order to know its ecology and develop an effective conservation plan for it.</li>
<li>This measure comes as the world gets ready to observe the ninth <strong>&lsquo;World Pangolin Day&rsquo;</strong> on 15<sup>th</sup> February, 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>World Pangolin Day, celebrated on the third Saturday in February every year, is an international attempt to raise awareness of pangolins and bring together stakeholders to help protect these species from extinction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The radio-tagging is part of a joint project by the forest department and non-profit organisation, the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pangolins in India<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581747207_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581747207_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.</li>
<li>Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11-13 rows of scales on the back. A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin.</li>
<li><strong>Habitat</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Indian Pangolin</strong> is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. The species is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.</li>
<li><strong>Chinese Pangolin</strong> is found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats to Pangolins in India:</strong> Hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine) and international trade for its meat and scales in East and South East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.</li>
<li><strong>Protection Status</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>IUCN Red List</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Indian Pangolin: Endangered</li>
<li>Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Both these species are listed under <strong>Schedule I, Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/scientists-radio-tag-indian-pangolin/article30823693.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/indian-pangolin'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Right To Protest In A Free Society',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>The article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-right-to-protest-in-a-free-society/article30618223.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The right to protest in a free society&rdquo;</strong> </a>that was published in The Hindu on 22<sup>nd</sup> January. It talks about the Right to protest in a free society.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which gave rise to the massive protests by the people across states and students across universities. Public protests are the hallmark of a free, democratic society, whose logic demands that the voice of the people should be heard by those in power and decisions be reached after proper discussion and consultation. In order to participate in public protest, the right to freedom of speech &amp; expression, association and peaceful assembly are necessary.</p>
<h3>Right to Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Right to free speech and expression transforms into the right to freely express an opinion on the conduct of the government.</li>
<li>The Right to association is required to form associations for political purposes &mdash; for instance, to collectively challenge government decisions and to even aim, peacefully and legally, to displace the government, to not merely check abuse of power but to wrest power.</li>
<li>The Right to peaceably assemble allows political parties and citizenship bodies such as university-based student groups to question and object to acts of the government by demonstrations, agitations and public meetings, to launch sustained protest movements.</li>
<li>Democracies everywhere are founded on two core political rights. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first, the right of every citizen to freely elect their government and when dissatisfied with its performance, to vote it out of power in a legitimately held election (Article 326).</li>
<li>Any form of public action to challenge the government&rsquo;s proposals or decisions is also constitutionally legitimate, as long as it is done peacefully, Any arbitrary restraint on the exercise of such rights &mdash; for instance, imposing Section 144 &mdash; shows the inability of the government to tolerate dissent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Right to Protest: Constitutional Provisions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the Indian Constitution&mdash;<strong>Article 19(1)(a)</strong> guarantees the freedom of speech and expression; <strong>Article 19(1)(b)</strong> assures citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms.</li>
<li><strong>Article 19(2)</strong> imposes reasonable restrictions on the right to assemble peaceably and without arms. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These reasonable restrictions are imposed in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In <strong>Ramlila Maidan Incident v. Home Secretary, Union Of India &amp; Ors.</strong> case (2012), the Supreme Court had stated, &ldquo;Citizens have a <strong>fundamental right to assembly and peaceful protest</strong> which cannot be taken away by an arbitrary executive or legislative action.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
<h3>Public Protest in India: Historical Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The background of the Indian Constitution is formed by its anti-colonial struggle, within which the seeds of a political public sphere and democratic Constitution were sown.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian people fought hard and long to publicly express their views on colonial policies and laws, to dissent from them, to shape minds and form public opinion against them, to speak to and against the government, to challenge it.</li>
<li>People not only signed writ petitions but staged dharnas, held large public meetings, peaceful protests and demonstrations and even, for instance in Gandhi&rsquo;s satyagraha, launched civil disobedience movements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Protests have also offered points of inclusion and participation to the voices that are not part of the mainstream as seen in the protests for creation of Andhra or the Chipko movement.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Protests: Making Public as the Watchdog of the Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>People act as watchdogs and constantly monitor governments' acts, which provides feedback to the governments about their policies and actions after which the concerned government, through consultation, meetings and discussion, recognise and rectify its mistakes.</li>
<li>However, resorting to violence during the protest is a violation of a key fundamental duty of citizens. Enumerated in <strong>Article 51A,</strong> the Constitution makes it a<strong> fundamental duty</strong> of every citizen <strong>&ldquo;to safeguard public property and to abjure violence&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Right of citizens to protest and gather peacefully without arms is a fundamental aspect of India&rsquo;s democracy. While it is also the obligation of the government to protect civilians from violent protests, certain essential principles need to be kept in mind.</li>
<li>The Right to protest is one of the core principles on which democracy survives and thrives. However, when a protest turns violent, as seen in some places in recent protests, it defeats the very purpose of the protest. While enjoying the rights, one must adhere to one&rsquo;s duties and responsibilities in a democratic society.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #0040ff; background-color: #e1f5d3;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Explain the significance of the right to protest in a democracy.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/right-to-protest-in-a-free-society'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'In Depth- Anticipatory Bail',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aoCh38ePyf4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court (SC)</strong></a> in <em><strong>Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case</strong></em> delivered a significant verdict, ruling that <strong>no time limit can be set</strong> while granting anticipatory Bail and it can continue even until the end of the trial. The Court made reference of India&rsquo;s <strong>freedom movement</strong> claiming that <strong>arbitrary arrests, indefinite detentions, and lack of institutional safeguards</strong> played an important role in rallying the people to raise the demand for Independence.</p>
<h3>Bail and its Types</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> Bail is the conditional/provisional release of a person held under legal custody (in matters which are yet to be pronounced by the Court), by undertaking a promise to appear in the Court as and when required. It signifies a <strong>security/collateral deposited</strong> before the Court for release.</li>
<li>In<em><strong> Supt. and Remembrancer of Legal Affairs v. Amiya Kumar Roy Choudhry (1973) case,</strong> </em>the Calcutta High Court explained the <strong>principle behind giving Bail.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Types of Bail in India:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Regular Bail:</strong> It is a direction given by the Court (any Court within the country) to release a person who is <strong>already under arrest</strong> and kept in police custody. For such Bail, a person can file an application under<strong> Section 437 and 439</strong> of the CrPC.</li>
<li><strong>Interim Bail:</strong> Bail granted for a <strong>temporary and short period</strong> by the Court till the application seeking Anticipatory Bail or Regular Bail is <strong>pending</strong> before a Court.</li>
<li><strong>Anticipatory Bail:</strong> A direction issued to release a person on Bail even<strong> before</strong> the person is <strong>arrested.</strong> In this situation, there is <strong>apprehension of arrest</strong> and the person is not arrested before the Bail is granted. For such Bail, a person can file an application under <strong>Sec. 438 of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/re-imagining-cognizable-offences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)</a>.</strong> It is <strong>issued only</strong> by the <strong>Sessions Court and High Court.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 438</strong> of the CrPC lays down the provisions on anticipatory Bail:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Sec. 438(1):</strong> When any person anticipates that he/she may get arrested on an accusation of having committed a <strong>non-bailable offence,</strong> he/she may apply to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this Section. The Court may direct (if it thinks fit) that in the event of such arrests, he/she shall be released on Bail even before an arrest is made without subjecting him/her to further restraints.</li>
<li><strong>Sec. 438(2):</strong> When the High Court or the Session Court makes a direction under Sec. 438(1), it may<strong> lay down certain conditions</strong> in the light of the facts of the particular case, as it may think fit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Historical Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Anticipatory Bail became part of the CrPC in 1973 after the <strong>41<sup>st</sup> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/law-commission-of-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Law Commission</a> Report</strong> (1969) recommended for the inclusion of such provision. It was included to protect the arbitrary violation of the right to personal liberty of the person.</li>
<li><strong>Necessity:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Sometimes influential persons try to implicate their rivals in false cases for the purpose of disgracing them or for other purposes by getting them detained in jail.</li>
<li>Apart from false cases, when there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person accused of an offence is <strong>not likely to abscond or misuse his liberty</strong> while on Bail, then there is no need to first submit him to custody, make him/her remain in prison and then apply for Bail. In such cases, Bail could be granted earlier.</li>
<li>As arbitrary arrests (often leading to harassment and humiliation of citizens) continue to be a <strong>pervasive phenomenon</strong> in the country, therefore, the protection to people should be given. And this was the underlying reason for the enactment of Sec. 438 in the CrPC, which even received the <strong>Parliamentary acceptance</strong> as<em><strong> &ldquo;crucial underpinning to shield individual&rsquo;s personal liberty in a free and democratic country.&rdquo;</strong></em></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Related Cases</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><em><strong>Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia vs State of Punjab (1980) case:</strong> </em><strong>SC</strong> ruled that &ldquo;Sec. 438(1) should be interpreted in the light of <strong>Article 21</strong> (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.&rdquo;
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Granting of anticipatory Bail as a matter of right of an individual <strong>should not</strong> be limited by time.</li>
<li>The Court <strong>could impose appropriate restrictions</strong> on a case-by-case basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><em><strong>Salauddin Abdulsamad Shaikh vs State of Maharashtra (1995) case:</strong> </em>SC overruled its earlier judgment and held that &ldquo;granting of anticipatory Bail<strong> should be limited by time.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li><em><strong>SS Mhetre vs State of Maharashtra &amp; Ors (2010) case:</strong> </em>SC held that <strong>&ldquo;life/duration</strong> of an order granting anticipatory Bail <strong>could not be curtailed.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>Due to such divergent views, the Court had to decide on <strong>two questions</strong> in the recent <em><strong>Sushila Aggarwal (2020) case-</strong></em>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Should there be a<strong> fixed time period to seek</strong> anticipatory Bail, so as to enable a person to surrender before the Trial Court and seek for regular Bail? Also, should the<strong> life of anticipatory Bail</strong> end at the time of summoning by the Court?</li>
<li>Can Courts <strong>impose any conditions</strong> while granting such Bail or not?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Also, recently the SC in the <em><strong>Prathvi Raj Chauhan vs Union of India (2020) case,</strong> </em>observed that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-upholds-changes-to-sc-st-atrocities-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>provisions of anticipatory Bail (Sec. 438) shall not apply to the cases</strong></a> under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cabinet-clears-bill-to-restore-the-provisions-of-sc-st-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 2018.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Sushila Aggarwal (2020) Case Judgment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is<strong> nothing in CrPC</strong> that indicates the grant of anticipatory Bail should be <strong>time-bound.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, under CrPC, it is <strong>discretionary power</strong> of the Court to <strong>decide</strong> on a case-to-case basis (depending upon the <strong>stage</strong> at which the Bail application has moved or prevalence of any <strong>peculiar circumstances</strong> necessitating to limit the tenure) <strong>and impose a time limit</strong> while <strong>granting</strong> pre-arrest Bail.</li>
<li>Also, this duration primarily does <strong>not end after first summoning</strong> by the Court and can continue till the end of the trial period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>If any Court wants to limit the Bail, it<strong> can attach special features or circumstances</strong> warranting the same.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Court while granting anticipatory Bail, should <strong>examine the seriousness </strong>and<strong> gravity </strong>of the<strong> offence</strong> (like nature of the crime, material placed on records, etc.) to <strong>impose any condition on the petitioner,</strong> if necessary.</li>
<li>The police can reach the Court seeking permission for arrest <strong>in case of breach of such imposed conditions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Application</strong> for anticipatory Bail could be <strong>filed</strong> by a person <strong>before the FIR</strong> (First Information Report) as soon as the facts make clear there is a substantial reason for the arrest.</li>
<li><strong>Appellate jurisdiction</strong> to check the correctness of the granted Bail lies with the <strong>superior Court</strong> on the request of the investigating agency or the State.</li>
<li>The Court remarked that &ldquo;when Parliament has not thought it appropriate to curtail the rights of the citizens and the power of Courts in granting anticipatory Bails, hence, it is <strong>not in larger societal interest</strong> to curtail such powers &amp; limit the liberty of citizens. The rights of the citizens are fundamental and not the restrictions.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
<h3>Offences and Anticipatory Bail</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An application for anticipatory Bail <strong>can be filed</strong> in cases of both <strong>bailable and non-bailable offences.</strong> While in the former situation, the Bail is granted as a <strong>matter of right,</strong> the grant of Bail in the latter situation is<strong> not a matter of right but a privilege</strong> &amp; is at the behest of the discretionary power of the Court.</li>
<li><strong>Bailable Offence: Sec. 436 of the CrPC</strong> lays down provision for granting Bail to a person accused of any <strong>bailable offence</strong> under the IPC.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bailable offences are offences or crimes that are <strong>not very serious</strong> in nature and include:<strong> unlawful assembly</strong> (Sec. 144 of CrPC), payment of bribe during elections, fabrication of false evidence, participation in riots, furnishing false information, <strong>causing death by negligence</strong> (Sec. 304A), stalking, criminal defamation, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Non-bailable Offence: Sec. 437 of the CrPC</strong> lays down the power of court to grant Bail to a person accused of committing a non-bailable offence under the IPC.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Non-bailable offences are <strong>grave and serious offences</strong> which include:<strong> sedition,</strong> waging or attempting to wage war against the government, counterfeiting of Indian currency, <strong>murder</strong> (Sec. 302), <strong>dowry death</strong> (Sec. 304B), abetment of suicide, trafficking of a person, <strong>rape</strong> (Sec. 376), etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Factors &amp; Conditions for Granting Anticipatory Bail</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The anticipatory Bail is granted on the basis of the following <strong>factors:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Nature and gravity of the accusation.</li>
<li>Applicant&rsquo;s possibility of fleeing from justice.</li>
<li>Previous cases against the applicant including any previous convictions or cases of a cognizable offence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cases of Bailable Offence:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If there are sufficient reasons to believe that the <strong>accused has not committed</strong> the offence.</li>
<li>As per the Court, if there are sufficient reasons<strong> to conduct further enquiry</strong> into the matter.</li>
<li>If the <strong>person is not accused of a crime</strong> which is <strong>punishable</strong> by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment up to 10 years or more.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cases of Non-bailable Offence:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If the accused is a woman or child,</li>
<li>If there is a lack of adequate evidence,</li>
<li>If there is a delay in registering the FIR by the complainant,</li>
<li>If the accused is physically or gravely sick,</li>
<li>If there is corroboration about personal animosity between accused and complainant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conditions Imposed by Court</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Person<strong> shall</strong> <strong>not leave the country and travel abroad</strong> without the prior permission of the Court.</li>
<li>If a Court<strong> rejects the anticipatory Bail</strong> a person, he/she can be <strong>arrested</strong> by the police <strong>without a warrant.</strong></li>
<li>Person shall make <strong>himself available for interrogation</strong> by a police officer (as and when required).</li>
<li>Person shall <strong>not</strong> (directly or indirectly) <strong>make any inducement, interference, threat or promise</strong> to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cancellation of Anticipatory Bail</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sec. 437(5)</strong> <strong>&amp; Sec. 439</strong> of CrPC deal with the cancellation of anticipatory Bail. They imply that a Court which has the power to grant anticipatory Bail is also <strong>empowered to cancel the Bail or recall the order</strong> related to Bail upon appropriate consideration of facts.</li>
<li>A High Court or Court of Session may direct that any person who has been released on Bail by it- be arrested, and brought under custody after filing of an application by the complainant or the prosecution.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, a Court does<strong> not have the power</strong> to cancel the <strong>Bail granted by the police officer.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Over the years, anticipatory Bail has acted as the protection (granted under <strong>Sec. 438</strong> of CrPC) to safeguard a person against whom false accusation or charges have been made. It ensures the release of such falsely accused person even before they are arrested.</p>',
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		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'PRS Capsule January 2020',
			'catname' => 'PRS Capsule',
			'desc' => '<p><em><strong>Key Highlights of PRS</strong></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="#1">Polity</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#2">New Bodo Agreement</a></li>
<li><a href="#3">Disqualifications under Anti-Defection law</a></li>
<li><a href="#4">The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020</a></li>
<li><a href="#5">NHAI to set up Infrastructure Investment Trusts</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#6">Economy</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#7">National Strategy for Financial Inclusion</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#8">Environment</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#9">Guidelines for implementing Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#10">The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020</a></li>
<li><a href="#11">State-Wise Vehicle Tracking Under Nirbhaya Framework</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="1">Polity</h2>
<h3 id="2">New Bodo Agreement</h3>
<p>Recently, the central government, the Assam government and the Bodo groups, including all factions of the militant National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), signed an agreement to redraw and rename the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bodo-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)</strong></a>, in Assam.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>BTAD is spread over four districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri.</li>
<li>The BTAD and other areas mentioned under the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/indepth-6th-schedule-and-ilp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sixth Schedule of the Constitution</strong></a> have been exempted from the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/citizenship-amendment-act-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-bodo-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Bodo agreement</strong></a> provides for a special development package of<strong> Rs 1500 crores</strong> to be given by the central government over 3 years to undertake specific projects for the development of Bodo areas.</li>
<li>Further, the central government and the Government of Assam will take measures to rehabilitate over 1500 cadres of certain factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="3">Disqualifications under Anti-Defection law</h3>
<p>A case was filed in SC in appeal against the decision of the High Court challenging the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/disqualification-powers-of-speakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>delay by the Speaker in deciding the disqualification petition.</strong> </a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court directed the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly to decide a disqualification petition concerning the defection of an MLA in Manipur from one political party to another, within four weeks.</li>
<li><strong>The Court also held that the Speaker should decide disqualification petitions within a reasonable time period, not exceeding three months.</strong></li>
<li>It further observed that <strong>the role of the Speaker in disqualification petitions should be re-considered</strong> since the Speaker continues to belong to a political party.</li>
<li>It recommended that Parliament may consider amending the Constitution to substitute the Speaker with an alternative adjudicating authority. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such an authority may be a permanent tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or retired Chief Justice of a High Court, or with any other external independent mechanism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="4">The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has approved the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/medical-termination-of-pregnancy-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020.</strong></a> The Bill seeks to amend the Medical Terminal of Pregnancy Act, 1971 which provides for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered medical practitioners.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The amendment to the Act proposes to <strong>enhance the upper limit for termination of pregnancy from 20 weeks to 24 weeks</strong> for special categories of women. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These would include <strong>survivors of rape, victims of incest, and other vulnerable women</strong> (such as differently-abled women and minors).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, this limit of 24 weeks for termination of pregnancy will not apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by the Medical Board. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The composition, functions and other details of the Medical Board will be prescribed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The amendments recommend the requirement of the opinion of:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>one registered medical practitioner for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks against the earlier limit of 12 weeks, and</li>
<li>two registered medical practitioners for termination of pregnancy between 20 to 24 weeks against the earlier limit of 12 to 20 weeks</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The amendments also propose that the name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated will not be revealed, except to a person authorised by the law.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="5">NHAI to set up Infrastructure Investment Trusts</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has authorised the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to set up Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), and monetise completed and operational National Highway (NH) projects.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These InvITs will be set up as per SEBI&rsquo;s guidelines.The NH projects to be monetised must have a toll collection track record of at least one year. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NHAI will have the right to levy toll on such identified highways.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Each InvIT must have two special purpose vehicles (SPVs)<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>to hold all the identified public funded projects to be placed in the InvIT, and</li>
<li>to act as an investment manager in the proposed InvIT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NHAI will create a separate fund to keep all the sums received from such InvITs.</li>
<li>The Chairman, NHAI is empowered to select the projects to be placed in the InvITs, and operationalise these InvITs.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Infrastructure Investment Trust</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>InvIT is a collective investment scheme similar to a mutual fund, which enables direct investment of money from individual and institutional investors in infrastructure projects to earn a small portion of the income as return.</li>
<li>The InvITs are regulated by the SEBI (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="6">Economy</h2>
<h3 id="7">National Strategy for Financial Inclusion</h3>
<p>RBI has released the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-strategy-for-financial-inclusion" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2019-2024.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Financial Inclusion:</strong> It has been defined as the process of ensuring access to financial services, and timely and adequate credit for vulnerable groups and low-income groups at an affordable cost. Financial inclusion is a key driver of economic growth and poverty alleviation in the whole world.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Points</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Steps taken for financial inclusion:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY):</strong> under which 34 crore accounts have been opened with deposits of Rs 89,257 crore,</li>
<li><strong>Atal Pension Yojana:</strong> to provide pension cover to subscribing bank account holders. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, it identified certain critical gaps which remain an impediment for financial inclusion, such as-<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>inadequate infrastructure (in parts of the rural hinterland, far-flung areas in the Himalayan and north-eastern region),</li>
<li>poor tele and internet connectivity in rural hinterland,</li>
<li>socio-cultural barriers, and</li>
<li>lack of market players in payment product space.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strategic objectives for financial inclusion:</strong> RBI identified six strategic objectives of a national strategy for financial inclusion:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Universal access to financial services,</li>
<li>Providing basic bouquet of financial services,</li>
<li>Access to livelihood and skill development,</li>
<li>Financial literacy and education,</li>
<li>Customer protection and grievance redressal, and</li>
<li>Effective coordination.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To achieve this vision, the RBI has identified certain milestones such as<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>providing banking access to every village (or hamlet of 500 households in hilly areas) within a five km radius by March 2020 and</li>
<li>strengthening digital financial services to create the infrastructure to move towards a cashless society by March 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Measurement of financial inclusion:</strong> RBI recommended that financial inclusion should be measured through parameters across 3 key indicators. These include parameters to<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Measure access, such as the number of bank branches or ATMs for a specified population,</li>
<li>measure usage, such as percentage of adults with a savings account, insurance or pension policy, and</li>
<li>measure the quality of services, such as grievance redressal (through number of complaints received and addressed).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="8">Environment</h2>
<h3 id="9">Guidelines for implementing Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified guidelines for implementing the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Rules constitute various bodies for the conservation of wetlands and define their powers and functions.</li>
<li>The guidelines support the state/Union Territory (UT) administrations in the implementation of the Rules by providing guidance on various management and administrative matters for wetlands.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Role of the Wetlands Authority:</strong> The Wetlands Authority within a state is the nodal authority for all wetland-specific authorities in a state/UT. Functions of this Authority include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>preparing a list of all wetlands in the state/UT and recommending wetlands for regulation under the Rules,</li>
<li>developing a comprehensive list of activities to be regulated and permitted within the notified wetlands, and</li>
<li>issuing necessary directions for the conservation and sustainable management of wetlands to the respective implementing agencies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prohibited activities:</strong> A list of activities that are prohibited on wetlands include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>setting up any industry and expansion of existing industries,</li>
<li>dumping solid waste or discharge of untreated wastes and effluents from industries and any human settlements, and</li>
<li>encroachment or conversion for non-wetlands uses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Integrated Management Plan:</strong> The guidelines recommend the state/UT administration to prepare a plan for the management of each notified wetland. The plan refers to a document which:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>describes strategies and actions for use of the wetland,</li>
<li>gives monitoring requirements for detecting changes in the ecological character of the wetland, and</li>
<li>ensures compliance with regulatory frameworks and policy commitments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Violations:</strong> The Wetlands Authorities are responsible for ensuring the enforcement of the Wetlands Rules and other relevant acts, rules, and regulations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Undertaking any prohibited or regulated activities beyond the thresholds (defined by the state/UT administration) in the wetlands or its zone of influence will be deemed violations under the Wetlands Rules.</li>
<li>Violation of the Rules will attract penalties as per the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="10">The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mineral-laws-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020</strong></a> was promulgated on January 10, 2020. The Ordinance amends the following acts:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957:</strong> It regulates the mining sector in India and specifies the requirement for obtaining and granting mining leases for mining operations.</li>
<li><strong>Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 (CMSP Act):</strong> It provides for the auction and allocation of mines whose allocation was canceled by the Supreme Court in 2014. Schedule I of the Act provides a list of all such mines; Schedule II and III are sub-classes of the mines listed in Schedule I.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Removal of restriction on end-use of coal:</strong> Currently, companies acquiring Schedule II and Schedule III coal mines through auctions can use the coal produced only for specific end-uses such as power generation and steel production. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ordinance removes this restriction on the use of coal mined by such companies.</li>
<li>Companies will be allowed to carry on coal mining operations for own consumption, sale or for any other purposes, as may be specified by the central government.</li>
<li>The Ordinance also adds that companies need not possess any prior coal mining experience in India to participate in the auction of coal and lignite blocks.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composite license for prospecting and mining:</strong> Currently, separate licenses are provided for prospecting and mining of coal and lignite, called prospecting license, and mining lease, respectively. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill adds a new type of license, called <strong>prospecting license-cum-mining lease.</strong> It will be a composite license providing for both prospecting and mining activities.</li>
<li><strong>Prospecting includes exploring, locating, or finding mineral deposits.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transfer of clearances to new bidders:</strong> Currently, upon expiry, mining leases for specified minerals (minerals other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals) are transferred to new persons through auction. The new lessee must obtain statutory clearances before starting mining operations. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ordinance provides that the various approvals, licenses, and clearances given to the previous lessee will be extended to the new lessee for two years.</li>
<li>During this period, the new lessee will be allowed to continue mining operations.</li>
<li>However, the new lessee must obtain all the required clearances within this two-year period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="11">State-Wise Vehicle Tracking Under Nirbhaya Framework</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched a scheme for the implementation of a state-wise vehicle tracking platform for safety under the <strong>Nirbhaya Fund Framework.</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Nirbhaya Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The central government had set up the Nirbhaya Fund which can be utilised for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of women.</li>
<li>The Nirbhaya Fund Framework provides for a non-lapsable corpus fund for the safety and security of women.</li>
<li>It is administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong> The proposed system seeks to enhance the safety of women and girl children. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This would be achieved by equipping all public passenger transport vehicles with location tracking devices and emergency buttons to raise alerts in case of an emergency.</li>
<li>A monitoring centre will be set up in each State/UT to monitor these calls and respond to distress calls.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>System overview:</strong> The proposed system will consist of a Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) device with emergency buttons as specified.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This device will send the vehicle location, health status, alerts, and other data to the monitoring centre at specified intervals.</li>
<li>The Transport Department officials will be able to access the system and monitor the alerts at the centre.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Implementation:</strong> States will notify the timelines for the installation of the VLT devices in vehicles that were registered before January 1, 2019. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The VLT manufacturer will enter a unique identification number in the VAHAN database to link the VLT device with the specific vehicle.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Funding:</strong> The total cost of the scheme will be shared between the centre and states as per the ratio mentioned in the Nirbhaya Framework.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Funding by the Ministry will include the cost of the backend software, setting up the monitoring centres, training of officials, cloud services for data storage.</li>
<li>The funding pattern under the scheme should be as per the Nirbhaya Framework guidelines, which propose 100% funds for union territories, 90% for states with difficult terrains, and 60% for other states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Conservation Plan for Konark Temple',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Union Government has decided to restore and preserve the nearly 800-year-old Konark Sun Temple, Odisha.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier, the monument had entered into controversy over allegations that the stone carvings on the outer surface were being replaced with plain blocks of stones causing irreplaceable loss to the uniqueness of the temple.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Konark was built by King <strong>Narasimhadeva I (1238-1264AD)</strong> in the <strong>13<sup>th</sup> century</strong> and is located in Eastern Odisha near the sacred city of <strong>Puri.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>King Narasimhadeva I was a famous ruler of the <strong>Ganga Dynasty</strong> and with his accession to the throne, the Ganga Dynasty <strong>reached its zenith.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a<strong> UNESCO World Heritage Site (1984).<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581671763_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581671763_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
<li>Dedicated to the <strong>Sun God,</strong> Konark is the <strong>culmination of Odisha temple architecture,</strong> and one of the most outstanding monuments of religious architecture in the world.</li>
<li>Its scale, refinement and conception represent the strength and stability of the <strong>Ganga Dynasty</strong> as well as the value systems of the historic milieu.</li>
<li>The entire temple was designed in the shape of a <strong>colossal chariot</strong> with 7 horses and <strong>24 wheels,</strong> carrying the sun god, Surya, across the heavens.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>&lsquo;Konarka&rsquo;, the place bears a name composed of two world elements : <strong>KONA</strong> meaning<strong> corner</strong> and <strong>ARKA</strong> meaning the<strong> Sun.</strong></li>
<li>The Sun god worshipped in<strong> Ark Kshetra</strong> is also called Konark.</li>
<li>In <strong>'Brahma Purana'</strong> the Sun God in Ark-kshetra has been described as Konaditya.</li>
<li><strong>Surya</strong> has been a <strong>popular deity</strong> in India since the <strong>Vedic period.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/conservation-plan-for-konark-temple-soon-says-culture-minister/article30811262.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'State of India’s Bird 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>State of India&rsquo;s Bird 2020 was released</strong> at the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cms-com-13" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>13<sup>th</sup> Conference of Parties of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals</strong></a> which is taking place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>first-of-its-kind analysis</strong> was carried out by<strong> ten research and conservation organisations across India.</strong></li>
<li>It used a massive database of over <strong>10 million observations</strong> uploaded by 15,000 birdwatchers on the <strong>online platform (e-Bird)</strong> and <strong>&lsquo;citizen science data&rsquo;</strong> to assess the distribution and trends of <strong>common Indian birds.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Declining trend:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The groups that show the <strong>greatest decline</strong> are raptors, migratory shorebirds, and habitat specialists, including White-rumped Vulture, Richard&rsquo;s Pipit, Indian Vulture, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Pacific Golden Plover and Curlew Sandpiper.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increasing Trend:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The species that have shown an <strong>increase in numbers</strong> include Rosy Starling, Feral Pigeon, Glossy Ibis, Plain Prinia and the Ashy Prinia</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Categorisation of Birds:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study categorised <strong>101</strong> species as <strong>&ldquo;high concern&rdquo;,</strong> <strong>319</strong> as <strong>&ldquo;moderate concern&rdquo;</strong> and <strong>442</strong> into <strong>&ldquo;low concern&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Out of the species categorised as a high concern, 26% are classified globally by IUCN as &ldquo;least concern&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Analysis of Species</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian Peacocks:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The numbers of<strong> India&rsquo;s national bird, the Indian Peacock,</strong> has <strong>increased</strong> dramatically over the past few decades.</li>
<li>The increase in numbers of the species has been attributed to a combination of the <strong>bird expanding its range</strong> (earlier it was absent in Kerala), <strong>conservation efforts</strong> and associated <strong>penalties for poaching</strong> under <strong>Schedule I of the Wildlife Act.</strong></li>
<li>It is listed as <strong>&lsquo;Least Concern&rsquo;</strong> on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian vultures:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has experienced catastrophic <strong>population declines</strong> starting in the early 1990s.</li>
<li>The declines are almost entirely attributable to inadvertent poisoning by the livestock<strong> anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac.</strong></li>
<li>Surveys conducted have shown that<strong> White-rumped <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-to-release-vultures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vulture</a></strong> has <strong>suffered the most severe declines,</strong> followed by<strong> Indian Vulture</strong> and <strong>Egyptian Vulture.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>House Sparrow:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The House Sparrow has been found to be <strong>stable across the country</strong> as a whole, although <strong>declining in the major cities.</strong></li>
<li>It has been declared as the <strong>&ldquo;State Bird of Delhi&rdquo;</strong> to save the species and enhance awareness about their life and habitat.</li>
<li>The reasons for the decline include<strong> decreasing insect populations</strong> (a key part of the diet of sparrow chicks) and <strong>paucity</strong> of suitable <strong>nesting sites.</strong></li>
<li>Moreover, the popular theory that radiation from mobile phone towers is a factor is <strong>not supported</strong> by the findings of this report.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bustards in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All the four species of bustards in India (the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-great-indian-bustard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Great Indian Bustard</strong></a>, Macqueen&rsquo;s Bustard, Lesser Florican and Bengal Florican) have suffered <strong>continuous population declines.</strong></li>
<li>The decline is observed due to historical hunting and widespread habitat loss, with their slow growth and reproduction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Waterbirds:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It showed overall <strong>long-term declines,</strong> amongst which migratory shorebirds and gulls and terns appear to have declined the most.</li>
<li>Overall, migratory species (both long-distance and within-subcontinent) show steeper declines than residents.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Recommendations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Updation of global and national priorities using conservation assessments.</li>
<li>Fund conservation efforts on High Concern species and habitats where species have declined.</li>
<li>Support monitoring efforts by citizen scientists and researchers.</li>
<li>Promote collaborations between researchers and the public at large</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/state-of-indias-bird-2020-6272267/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Women Eligible for Permanent Commission',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Supreme Court has ruled that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/command-posts-for-women-in-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers</strong></a> <strong>are eligible for the permanent commission and command posts in the Army</strong> irrespective of their years of service.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The verdict came on a nearly 10-year-old appeal filed by the government against the 2010 decision of the Delhi High Court to grant SSC women officers permanent commission.</li>
<li>The court ordered the government to implement its judgment in <strong>three months.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Background</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under the <strong>Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme,</strong> women were commissioned into the Army for a period of 10 years, extendable up to 14 years.</li>
<li>Women were, however, <strong>restricted to roles in specified streams</strong> such as Army Education Corps, Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps, and Corps of Engineers. These specified streams <strong>excluded combat arms</strong> such as infantry and armoured corps.</li>
<li>While <strong>male SSC officers could opt for permanent commission</strong> at the end of 10 years of service, this <strong>option was not available to women officers.</strong> Women officers, were, thus, <strong>kept out of any command appointment, </strong>and <strong>could not qualify for government pension,</strong> which starts only after 20 years of service as an officer.</li>
<li>However, in the <strong>February 2019</strong> policy statement, the <strong>Government endorsed the permanent commission for SSC women officers in 10 streams</strong> of the &lsquo;Combat Support Arms&rsquo; and &lsquo;Services&rsquo; sections. But it was said that the <strong>women officers would not be offered any command appointments,</strong> and would serve only in staff posts.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Highlights of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>All Serving Women Officers will be eligible for the Permanent Commission (PC)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court dismissed the government's stand that only women officers with less than 14 years of service ought to be considered for permanent commission, and those with over 20 years service should be pensioned immediately.</li>
<li>The court has <strong>done away with all discrimination on the basis of years of service</strong> for grant of PC in 10 streams of combat support arms and services, bringing them on a par with male officers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Eligible for Command Posts</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court held that <strong>women officers will also be eligible for command posts</strong> in non-combat areas since &ldquo;an absolute bar on women seeking criteria or command appointments would not go with the <strong>guarantee of equality under Article 14&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The court held that since command appointments were not automatic for men officers, so would it be for women. It was left to the Army to take a call on a case to case basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>SC&rsquo;s stand on Combat Role</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The exclusion of women from combat operations was not examined by the court as it was not the contested in the appeal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticized the Government&rsquo;s Note</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Reflects Poorly on Women:</strong> The note had shown women officers in a poor light, saying isolation and hardships would eat into their resolve and that they would have to heed to the call of pregnancy, childbirth and family. The note had mentioned that women ran the risk of capture by enemy and taken prisoner of war.</li>
<li><strong>Patriarchal Notion:</strong> The court held that the the note reflected the age-old patriarchal notion that domestic obligations rested only with women.</li>
<li><strong>Sex Stereotype:</strong> The court also dismissed the point that women are physiologically weaker than men as a &ldquo;sex stereotype&rdquo;.</li>
<li><strong>Offence to dignity of Indian Army:</strong> The court noted that challenging abilities of women on the ground of gender is an offence not only to their dignity as women but to the dignity of the members of the Indian Army &ndash; men and women &ndash; who serve as equal citizens in a common mission.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appreciated the Government&rsquo;s February, 2019 Decision</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court noted that the policy decision of the Union government is a recognition of the right of women officers to equality of opportunity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Implication of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The women officers will be eligible to occupy all the command appointments, at par with male officers, which would open avenues for further promotions to higher ranks for them.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If women officers had served only in staff, they would not have gone beyond the rank of Colonel.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>After implementation of the judgement, a woman can rise to the rank of Colonel and above based on merit, like their male counterparts. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the rank of Colonel, an officer picks up a substantive command and would be delegated to carry out independent tasks.</li>
<li>A Colonel commands a battalion, which typically consists of 850 men. A woman officer who is successful in this position could technically rise to the highest ranks of the Army, though, <strong>women officers will not be inducted into the combat arms</strong> such as the infantry, artillery or armoured corps.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The court observed that women were being kept out of command posts on the reasoning that the largely rank and file will have problems with women as commanding officers. Thus, <strong>changes have to take place in the culture, norms, and values</strong> of not only the rank and file of the Army but also that of society at large. The responsibility to usher these changes lies with the senior military and political leadership.</li>
<li>The <strong>United States, Israel, North Korea, France, Germany, Netherlands, Australia and Canada</strong> are among the global militaries that employ women in front-line combat positions.</li>
<li>It is the right of every woman to pursue a career of her choice and reach the top.<strong> Equality is a constitutional guarantee.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/women-officers-can-be-given-permanent-commission-sc/article30840323.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Kambala',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Kambala jockey who was compared to world record holder Usain Bolt after a video went viral showing him &lsquo;finishing 100 metres in 9.55 seconds&rsquo;, has refused to participate in athletics trials.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Kambala</strong> is a traditional <strong>buffalo race</strong> in paddy fields filled with slush and mud which generally takes place in <strong>coastal Karnataka</strong> (Udupi and Dakshina Kannada) from <strong>November to March.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Traditionally, it is sponsored by local <strong>Tuluva landlords</strong> and households in the coastal districts.Tuluva people are an ethnic group native to Southern India. They are native speakers of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tulu-language" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tulu language.</strong></a></li>
<li>During the race, the racers try to bring the buffaloes under control by holding their reins tight and whipping them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tradition:</strong> In its traditional form, Kambala was <strong>non-competitive</strong> and<strong> buffalo pairs raced one after another in paddy fields.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was also observed as <strong>thanksgiving to gods for protecting the animals from diseases.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong> Animal activists <strong>criticize</strong> the sport and argue that the Kambala involves <strong>acts of cruelty</strong> on animals which are not physiologically suited for racing and they run in the race due to fear of being beaten.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to them, it violates the<strong> Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.</strong> The Act prevents practices which involve <strong>unnecessary pain</strong> to the animal amounting to cruelty.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582010617_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582010617_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court had<strong> banned jallikattu, bullock-cart races, and kambala</strong> events in its judgement on<strong> May 7, 2014.</strong></li>
<li>The judgement upheld the Constitution of India read with legislation under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and provided animals with the fundamental right to be <strong>treated with compassion and dignity</strong> and to be free from unnecessary pain and suffering</li>
<li>However, the <strong>Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017</strong> approved the organising of kambala event, provided steps are taken to avoid cruelty to the participating bulls.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Jallikattu</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jallikattu-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jallikattu</strong> </a>is a traditional <strong>bull-taming</strong> event that is organised in the <strong>Tamil Nadu</strong> every year as part of the harvest festival <strong>Pongal.</strong></li>
<li>The sport requires fighters to pounce on a running bull, try to hold on to its hump and move along with the animal without falling or getting hurt.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/faster-than-bolt-kambala-jockey-srinivasa-gowda-wont-go-for-athletics-trials-6271681/" 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/kambala'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Pesticide Management In India',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/pesticide-management-bill-2020-must-address-important-concerns-69303" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Pesticide Management Bill 2020 must address important concerns&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Down To Earth on 14/02/2020. It talks about pesticide management in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Agriculture in India is largely dependent on chemicals including pesticides and their usage has a huge impact on the health of humans, animals, biodiversity and the environment. In 2015, the National Crimes Records Bureau recorded 7,672 cases of poisoning due to accidental intake of insecticides/pesticides, out of which 7,060 died.</p>
<p>Pesticides are regulated in India through the <strong>Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971,</strong> the experiences in administering this Act over the last five decades has exposed certain gaps. In this context, the union cabinet has recently approved the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pesticides-management-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pesticides Management Bill, 2020.</strong> </a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p>The Insecticides Act, 1968 was brought with a view of regulating the import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and use of insecticides and pesticides in order to prevent risk to human beings and animals.</p>
<p>Use of insecticides and pesticides increased exponentially after the green revolution.</p>
</div>
<h3>Pesticides Usage in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is the fourth-largest producer of pesticides in the world. According to a report by database Research and Markets, the Indian pesticides market was worth Rs 197 billion in 2018.</li>
<li>Pesticide market is further projected to reach a value of Rs 316 billion by 2024, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8.1% during 2019-2024.</li>
<li>The total as well as per hectare consumption of pesticides in India shows a significant increase after 2009-10.</li>
<li>As the cost of manual weed control has risen due to an increase in agricultural wages, this is one of the reasons for the recent increase in pesticide use.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related to Pesticides in India</h3>
<p>Pesticides pose a potential risk to humans and other life forms and unwanted side effects on the environment. No segment of the population is completely protected against exposure to pesticides and the potentially serious health effects.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Harmful Effects on Farmers:</strong> Experts believe that chronic low-level pesticide exposure is associated with a broad range of nervous system symptoms such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, tension, anger, depression, and impaired memory, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease, among others.</li>
<li><strong>Harmful Effect on Consumers:</strong> Pesticides go up the food chain by working their way through the environment and into the soil or the water systems after which they <strong>are</strong> eaten by aquatic animals or plants and ultimately humans. This process is called <strong>Biomagnification.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Biomagnification:</strong> The process by which a compound (such as a pollutant or pesticide) increases its concentration in the tissues of organisms as it travels up the food chain.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Harmful Effect on Agriculture:</strong> Continued use of pesticides for decades has contributed significantly to the current ecological, economic and existential crisis of the Indian agriculture sector.</li>
<li><strong>Regulatory Issues:</strong> Although agriculture is a state subject producing, education and research are governed under the Insecticides Act, 1968 which is a central Act, and hence state governments have no direct role in amending it.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is due to this that an estimated 104 pesticides that are still produced/ used in India, that have been banned in two or more countries in the world.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pesticides are chemicals that may be used to kill fungus, bacteria, insects, plant disease, etc., whereas an insecticide is used to specifically target and kill insects.</li>
<li><strong>Other categories of chemicals used:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Molluscicides control snails, slugs and similar molluscs.</li>
<li>Fungicides control fungi that are harmful to plants, preventing fungi spores from invading plant tissue.</li>
<li>Herbicides control weeds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are 292 pesticides registered in India.</li>
<li>Pesticides in India are registered with <strong>Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine &amp; Storage</strong> which is an attached office under the <strong>Ministry of Agriculture &amp; Farmers Welfare.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Why there is a need for amendment in the Insecticides Act, 1968?</h3>
<p><strong>Issues in the Insecticides Act, 1968:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The larger pesticide companies generally outsource production to smaller manufacturers. It is at the outsourcing stage that the quality degradation occurs. However, the <strong>Insecticides Act, 1968</strong> only stipulates the prosecution of the manufacturers.</li>
<li>Further, until now, only 23 products (pesticide) have been phased out on the grounds of safety, persistence, poor efficiency etc.</li>
<li>Licensing Officer can arbitrarily stop the sale of a pesticide for 30 days. Such action is bound to increase an already corrupt practice.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Steps To Be Taken</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The issues emanating from the Insecticides Act, 1968 are administrative in nature.</strong> However, to ensure sustainable food production systems and to implement resilient agricultural practices (as envisaged<strong> under target 2.4 of Sustainable Development Goal</strong>), any legislation pertaining to pesticide management In India should incorporate the following provisions:</li>
<li><strong>Focus on Minimal Use of Pesticides:</strong> Pesticides should be treated as a temporary stop-gap arrangement wherein the aim should be to use it as a last resort.</li>
<li><strong>Strict Regulation of Pesticides:</strong> Necessary provisions should be made in the Bill to ban sale and use of Class I pesticides.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Based on acute toxicity, the World Health Organization classifies certain pesticides as extremely hazardous (Class Ia) and highly hazardous (Class Ib).</li>
<li>The Bill should incorporate a provision which makes it illegal to sell a pesticide by a pesticide company without personal protective equipment or safety gear.</li>
<li>Provision of systems and standard operating procedures for acute medical emergencies should also be made.</li>
<li>Registration-related provisions of a pesticide should clearly include a Need and Alternatives Assessment before a pesticide registration application is processed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developing a &lsquo;Code of Conduct&rsquo; for Pesticide Companies:</strong> Advertisements are by design suited to the commercial interest of the advertiser and aimed at influencing the buying behaviour of farmers, who are often uneducated and unaware of the marketing tactics.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Just like pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides due to their hazardous nature, must not be allowed to be promoted through advertisements. Thus, all kinds of advertisements for pesticides must be banned in India.</li>
<li>The<strong> Polluter Pays&rsquo; principle</strong> should be the basis for fixing liability and compensation from the company. The Pesticide industry should be brought under a regulatory regime that makes it accountable for the entire product cycle including disposal.</li>
<li>In the event of a violation of regulation by a pesticide company, financial penalties should be proportional to the value of total sales of the concerned pesticide in India. A small financial penalty would not be big enough a deterrence for a big company selling pesticides worth crores of rupees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Capacity Building of Farmers:</strong> Over the counter, availability and dealer influence has caused severe overuses and misuses. Farmers must be made aware of judicious usage, pesticides must be sold and used cautiously under supervision like drugs. Like drugs, target, dosing, mode of application and unbiased advice for the usage of pesticide is critical.</li>
<li><strong>Greater say to State Governments:</strong> State governments should have the power to regulate pesticides as they have a better idea about the agro-ecological aspects of their state.</li>
<li><strong>Green Alternatives:</strong> Today, there are enough well-proven, successful alternative agro-ecological methods of pest management without using any chemical pesticide in India and globally.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, research and innovations must be made to phase out the usage of chemical pesticides completely as soon as possible.</li>
<li>Pesticide should be replaced with Biopesticides.</li>
<li>Apart from it, Government is promoting organic farming through various schemes/ programmes like Paramapragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) etc.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)</strong> aims to <strong>increase the area under organic farming as it ensures higher income to farmers</strong> due to comparatively lower cost of cultivation and premium price of organic.</p>
<p><strong>Biopesticides are biologically based agents used for the control of plant pests.</strong> They can be living organisms (nematodes or micro-organisms) or naturally occurring substances, such as plant extracts or insect pheromones.</p>
</div>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 508px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f5e6ce;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Pesticide management in India requires broad based reforms in order to ensure sustainable agricultural practices. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/pesticide-management-in-india'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Different Irrigation Systems',
		'catname' => 'Paper 3',
		'desc' => '<h3>Irrigation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil or agricultural field. It is the replacement or supplementation of rainwater with another source of water. It is used in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall.</li>
<li>The main idea behind irrigation systems is to assist in the growth of agricultural crops and plants by maintaining with the minimum amount of water required, suppressing weed growth in grain fields, preventing soil consolidation etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Well and Tube Well Irrigation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Wells are mainly found in U.P., Bihar, Tamil Nadu, etc. There are various types of wells &ndash; shallow wells, deep wells, tube wells, artesian wells, etc. From the shallow wells water is not always available as the level of water goes down during the dry months. Deep wells are more suitable for the purpose of irrigation as water from them is available throughout the year.</li>
<li>At places where ground water is available, a tube-well can be installed near the agricultural area. A deep tube well worked by electricity, can irrigate a much larger area (about 400 hectares) than a surface well (half hectares). Tube wells are mostly used in U.P., Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Gujarat.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Well is simplest, cheapest and independent source of irrigation and can be used as and when the necessity arises. Several chemicals such as nitrate, chloride, sulphate, etc. found in well water add to the fertility of soil. More reliable during periods of drought when surface water dries up.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Only limited area can be irrigated. In the event of a drought, the ground water level falls and enough water is not available. Tubewells can draw a lot of groundwater from its neighbouring areas and make the ground dry and unfit for agriculture.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Canal Irrigation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Canals can be an effective source of irrigation in areas of low level relief, deep fertile soils, perennial source of water and extensive command area. Therefore, the main concentration of canal irrigation is in the northern plain of India, especially the areas comprising Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.</li>
<li>The digging of canals in rocky and uneven areas is difficult and uneconomic. Thus, canals are practically absent from the Peninsular plateau area. However, the coastal and the delta regions in South India do have some canals for irrigation.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943559_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943559_image4.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>Two types: <em>Inundation canals,</em></strong> which are taken out from the rivers without any regulating system like weirs etc. at their head. Such canals provide irrigation mainly in the rainy season when the river is in flood and there is excess water.<em><strong> Perennial Canals</strong></em> are those which are taken off from perennial rivers by constructing a barrage across the river. Most of the canals in India are perennial.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Most of the canals provide perennial irrigation and supply water as and when needed. This saves the crops from drought conditions and helps in increasing the farm production.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Many canals overflow during the rainy season and flood the surrounding areas. Canal irrigation is suitable in plain areas only.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Tank Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943596_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943596_image2.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A tank is developed by constructing a small bund of earth or stones built across a stream. The water impounded by the bund is used for irrigation and other purposes. Tank comprises an important source of irrigation in the Karnataka Plateau, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Kerala Bundelkhand area of UP, Rajasthan and Gujarat.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Most of the tanks are natural and do not involve heavy cost for their construction and have longer life span. In many tanks, fishing is also carried on, which supplements both the food resources and income of the farmer.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Many tanks dry up during the dry season and fail to provide irrigation when it is required. Lifting of water from tanks and carrying it to the fields is a strenuous and costly exercise.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Drip Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943627_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943627_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In drip irrigation, water is applied near the plant root through emitters or drippers, on or below the soil surface, at a low rate varying from 2-20 liters per hour. The soil moisture is kept at an optimum level with frequent irrigations.</li>
<li>Among all irrigation methods, drip irrigation is the most efficient and can be practiced for a large variety of crops, especially in vegetables, orchard crops, flowers and plantation crops.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Fertilizer and nutrient loss is minimized due to localized application and reduced leaching. Field leveling is not necessary. Recycled non-potable water can be used. Water application efficiency increases. Soil erosion and weed growth is lessened.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Initial cost can be more, can result in clogging, wastage of water, time and harvest, if not installed properly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sprinkler Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943655_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943655_image3.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In this method, water is sprayed into the air and allowed to fall on the ground surface somewhat resembling rainfall. The spray is developed by the flow of water under pressure through small orifices or nozzles. The sprinkler irrigation system is a very suitable method for irrigation on uneven lands and on shallow soils.</li>
<li>Nearly all crops are suitable for sprinkler irrigation systems except crops like paddy, jute, etc. The dry crops, vegetables, flowering crops, orchards, plantation crops like tea, coffee are all suitable and can be irrigated through sprinklers.</li>
<li><strong>Merits:</strong> Suitable to all types of soil except heavy clay. Water saving. Increase in yield. Saves land as no bunds etc. are required.</li>
<li><strong>Demerits:</strong> Higher initial cost. Under high wind conditions and high temperature distribution and application efficiency is poor.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Other Types of Irrigation<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943695_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943695_image6.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Furrow Irrigation:</strong> Furrow irrigation is a type of surface irrigation in which trenches or &ldquo;furrows&rdquo; are dug between crop rows in a field. Farmers flow water down the furrows and it seeps vertically and horizontally to refill the soil reservoir. Flow to each furrow is individually controlled.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One of the difficulties of furrow irrigation is ensuring uniform dispersion of water over a given field. Another difficulty with furrow irrigation is the increased potential for water loss due to runoff.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Surge Irrigation:</strong> Surge irrigation is a variant of furrow irrigation where the water supply is pulsed on and off in planned time periods. The wetting and drying cycles reduce infiltration rates resulting in faster advance rates and higher uniformities than continuous flow.</li>
<li><strong>Ditch Irrigation:</strong> It is a rather traditional method, where ditches are dug out and seedlings are planted in rows. The plantings are watered by placing canals or furrows in between the rows of plants. Siphon tubes are used to move the water from the main ditch to the canals.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943728_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581943728_image5.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>Sub Irrigation or Seepage Irrigation:</strong> It is a method of irrigation where water is delivered to the plant root zone from below the soil surface and absorbed upwards. The excess may be collected for reuse.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Advantages are water and nutrient conservation, and labor-saving.</li>
<li>The outfitting cost is relatively high. Potential problems, such as the possibility of increased presence of disease in recycle water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The farmers should be acquainted with the type of soil moisture, quality of irrigation water, frequency of irrigation for the proper implementation of irrigation systems.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/different-irrigation-systems'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'ISRO Plans for 2020-21',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</strong></a> has released its <strong>annual report for 2019-20</strong> recently.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ISRO has been allocated with the <strong>budget of ₹13,480 crores</strong> for 2020-21.</li>
<li>Currently, India has <strong>19 national Earth Observation (EO) satellites, 18 communication satellites and 8 navigation satellites in service.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are used for broadcasting, telephony, Internet services, weather, agriculture-related forecasting, security, disaster-time rescue and relief and location-based services.</li>
<li>Three of the communication satellites are dedicated to military communication and networking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report states an annual plan of <strong>36 missions</strong> (including both satellites and their launchers) including <strong>the launch of 10 Earth Observation (EO) satellites.</strong></li>
<li>The upcoming EO satellites include radar imaging satellites <strong>RISAT-2BR2, RISAT- 1A and 2A; Oceansat-3, GISAT-1 and Resourcesat-3/3S.</strong></li>
<li>ISRO plans to launch <strong>Chandrayan-3,</strong> <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/to-the-point-paper3-mission-gaganyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gaganyan</strong></a> in the year of 2020-21.</li>
<li>ISRO also plans to launch a <strong>new series of high-resolution HRSATs</strong> through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/50th-pslv-launch" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)</strong> </a>launcher.</li>
<li>ISRO is expected to develop<strong> its own space station within a decade.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>RISAT-2BR2</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The RISAT-2BR2 will form a triad with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/risat-2b" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RISAT-2B</strong></a> and RISAT-2B1 covering around 120 degrees apart.</li>
<li>It will increase the frequency of observation in the required areas to provide all-weather, day/night imaging services from space.</li>
<li>The RISAT satellites carry a synthetic aperture radar on them, providing all-weather, 24-hour information to security agencies.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>GISAT-1</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GISAT-1 <strong>(Geo Imaging Satellite)</strong> will be placed in a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gsat-29-satellite-launched-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>geostationary orbit</strong> </a>of around<strong> 36,000 km.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All Indian EOs satellites have been placed so far in a 600-odd-km orbits and circle the earth pole to pole.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will apparently be in a <strong>fixed spot</strong> looking over the <strong>Indian continent at all times.</strong></li>
<li>It will have <strong>high-resolution cameras</strong> which will help to monitor any changes in borders and the overall geographical condition of the country, etc.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isro-to-launch-an-unprecedented-10-earth-imaging-satellites/article30830789.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/isro-plans-for-2020-21'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'New Species of Urban Lizard',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A new species of lizard, the urban bent-toed gecko <strong>(Cyrtodactylus urbanus)</strong> was discovered in Guwahati, Assam.</li>
<li>The bent-toed gecko was earlier thought to be the same as the <strong>Khasi Hills lizard.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All bent-toed geckos in Northeast India were thought to be a single species, the <strong>Cyrtodactylus khasiensis</strong> found primarily in the <strong>Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Although the urban bent-toed gecko falls within the khasiensis group, it differs from other members of this group in <strong>mitochondrial sequence data</strong> and aspects of <strong>morphology</strong> (Branch of biology that deals with form and structure of plants and animals).<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581928109_pasted%20image 3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581928109_pasted image 3.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li><strong>Markedly Different:</strong> The new species of lizard is also markedly different in molecular structure, blotch and colour from the <strong>Cyrtodactylus guwahatiensis,</strong> or the Guwahati bent-toed gecko, that was discovered two years ago.</li>
<li><strong>Urbanization</strong> is a major <strong>threat</strong> to the survival of geckos.</li>
<li>Guwahati is home to numerous important species. The city provides an edge for urban biodiversity to thrive because it encompasses 18 hills, 8 reserve forests, 2 wildlife sanctuaries and a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ramsar Site</strong> </a><strong>(Deepor Beel)</strong> besides the Brahmaputra river.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gecko</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Geckos are</strong> (suborder Gekkota), any of more than 1,000 species of lizards making up 6 families of the suborder Gekkota.</li>
<li>Geckos are mostly small, usually nocturnal reptiles with soft skin.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/new-species-of-urban-lizard-found-in-guwahati/article30837686.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/new-species-of-urban-lizard'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Increasing Neonatal Deaths in MP',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission (NHM)</strong> </a>data, <strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong> has recorded the<strong> highest percentage of newborn deaths at 11.5%</strong> against the total admissions to government-run Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) in the <strong>past three years across the country.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>country&rsquo;s average percentage</strong> of newborn deaths is at 7 %.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/under-5-girls-face-high-morality-in-india-un" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>neonatal deaths in India</strong> </a><strong>mainly occur due to</strong> premature births and low birth weight (35.9%), pneumonia (16.9%), birth asphyxia and birth trauma (9.9%), other non-communicable diseases (7.9%), diarrhoea (6.7%), congenital anomalies(4.6%) and infections (4.2%).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong></p>
<p><strong>According to UNICEF, in India (2018),</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under 5 Mortality Rate is 39 deaths per 1000 live births.</li>
<li>Infant Mortality Rate (under one year of age) is 32 deaths per 1000 live births.</li>
<li>Neonatal Mortality Rate (during the first 28 days of life) is 24 deaths per 1000 live births.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Madhya Pradesh Compared to the National Scenario:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>admissions of neonates in the hospital</strong> of Madhya Pradesh have <strong>dropped</strong> (lower than West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) from April 2017 to December 2019 but the <strong>percentage of deaths </strong>still<strong> remained at 12.2%.</strong></li>
<li>Within the same time period, <strong>West Bengal</strong> reported <strong>maximum neonatal deaths</strong> (34,344) in the country but reported the <strong>declining percentage of deaths</strong> (from 9.2% in 2017 to 8.9% in 2019) which <strong>coincided with a decrease in admissions</strong> at hospitals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scenario in Tribal and Rural areas of MP:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Most tribal (31 out of 51) districts</strong> in Madhya Pradesh report low nutrition and weak maternal health levels and thus <strong>death percentage of more than 10.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>absence of community referrals,</strong> significantly aided by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/saans-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></a> workers is lacking in rural and tribal areas as <strong>only one in ten sick neonates born outside a hospital is taken to an SNCU.</strong></li>
<li>It is majorly due to the absence of transport, inability to identify a disease by parents, and lack of awareness.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scenario in Urban Areas:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Urban areas of Madhya Pradesh</strong> report a higher death percentage as they offer tertiary care, and admit several serious cases from peripheral districts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Staff crunch, low community referrals, absence of a special neonatal transport service to health centres, reliance on units in cities as last resort and the non-availability of enough units to cater to increasing institutional deliveries have contributed to the increase in the percentage of deaths.</li>
<li><strong>Only one against the required five</strong> (82% shortfall) of surgeons, gynaecologists, physicians and paediatricians are available at hospitals.</li>
<li><strong>With increasing institutional deliveries</strong> in the State (80.8% as per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Family Health Survey-4</strong></a>, 2015-2016), <strong>the number of neonatal care units has not increased proportionally.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sex Ratio in Admissions at Hospitals:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Madhya Pradesh has recorded an <strong>abysmal sex ratio in admission</strong> (number of girls admitted against 1,000 boys) at 663 in the three years against the country average of 733.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>More admissions of boys (almost three-fourths of the cases) show a bias against the girl child in society,</li>
<li>The other reason for the lower admissions of a girl child can be attributed to better immunity among girl children to combat diseases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cases of Underreporting:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NHM data also reveals the cases of underreporting in 43 districts where <strong>government officials didn&rsquo;t report more than 50% of deaths of children</strong> under five to keep clean records.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927654_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927654_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASHA is a trained female community health activist. Selected from the community itself and accountable to it, the ASHA works as an interface between the community and the public health system.</li>
<li>The role of an ASHA is that of a community-level care provider. This includes a mix of tasks: facilitating access to health care services, building awareness about health care entitlements especially amongst the poor and marginalized, promoting healthy behaviours and mobilizing for collective action for better health outcomes and meeting curative care needs as appropriate to the organization of service delivery in that area and compatible with her training and skills.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/madhya-pradesh-grapples-with-spiralling-neonatal-deaths/article30805519.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/increasing-neonatal-deaths-in-mp'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Wildfires in the Mukurthi National Park',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Ahead of summer and peak fire season,<strong> &lsquo;fire lines&rsquo;</strong> or &lsquo;fire breaks&rsquo;, in the Mukurthi National Park (MNP) are being <strong>constructed</strong> by the Tamil Nadu government.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Fire line</strong> is an artificially formed <strong>break in foliage or forest cover</strong> to control the spread of wildfires by limiting the amount of combustible vegetation available.</li>
<li><strong>Other Measures Being Taken to Control Wildfires in the Park :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Cool Burning :</strong> Cool burning is done in a controlled manner by artificially creating small, localised fires to limit the amount of vegetation available in any given area. It means that any fires will not have any build-up of &ldquo;vegetative fuel&rdquo; to use to become a large, uncontrollable fire.</li>
<li><strong>Removal of invasive trees</strong> such as<strong> wattle</strong> is also being done in the Park in order to reduce the fuel for wildfires.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Wildfires</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Wildfire is a general term which includes any uncontrolled, unplanned forest fires, grassland fires, bushfires, brush fires and any other vegetation fire in countryside areas.</li>
<li>Wildfires occur in every continent except Antarctica.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Mukurthi National Park</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Extent:</strong> Mukurthi National Park (MNP) is located in the northwest corner of Tamil Nadu in the <strong>Western Ghats.</strong></li>
<li>It is a part of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/khangchendzonga-to-be-included-in-the-world-network-of-biosphere-reserves" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve</strong></a> (UNESCO World Heritage Site) along with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mudumalai-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary</strong></a>, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Silent Valley.</li>
<li><strong>Keystone Species :</strong> The park was created to protect its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preservation-of-sundarban" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>keystone species</strong></a>, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nilgiri-tahr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nilgiri Tahr</strong></a>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There has been almost a 27% <strong>increase in the population of the Tahr in the Nilgiris over the last few years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forest Type:</strong> The park is characterised by <strong>montane grasslands and shrublands</strong> interspersed with sholas in a high altitude area of high rainfall, near-freezing temperatures and high winds.</li>
<li><strong>Peaks:</strong> The Park is also home to <strong>Mukurthi Peak,</strong> one of the highest peaks in the Nilgiri Hills.</li>
<li><strong>Tribes Living Inside: Todas</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Todas are a pastoral tribe of the Nīlgiri Hills.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927082_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581927082_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="650" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/work-on-constructing-fire-lines-begins-in-mukurthi-national-park/article30837108.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/wildfires-in-the-mukurthi-national-park'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Treating a Child Witness',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/public-interest-litigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Interest Litigation (PIL)</strong></a> has been filed in the Karnataka High Court, asking for guidelines to be issued to police regarding interrogation of minors in criminal proceedings in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act and United Nations (UN) resolutions.</p>
<h3>Relevant UN Resolutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-children-s-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on the Rights of the Child</strong></a>,<strong> 1989:</strong> It states that &lsquo;in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration&rsquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has been a signatory to this Convention since 1992.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Guidelines with respect to Child Witnesses (2009)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Authorities should treat children in a <strong>caring and sensitive manner,</strong> with interview techniques that &ldquo;minimise distress or trauma to children&rdquo;.</li>
<li>An investigator specially trained in dealing with children be appointed to guide the interview of the child, using a <strong>child-sensitive approach.</strong></li>
<li>The investigator shall, to the extent possible, avoid repetition of the interview during the justice process in order to <strong>prevent secondary victimisation of the child.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Secondary victimisation</strong> is defined as victimisation that occurs not as a direct result of a criminal act, but through the response of institutions and individuals to the victim.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Age of Witnesses in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> Any person who appears before a court or tribunal so as to give evidence or testimony, for or against any person involved is called a witness.</li>
<li><strong>Age:</strong> Under<strong> Section 118 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872,</strong> there is no minimum age for a witness. Children as young as three years old have been witnesees before trial courts in cases of sexual abuse. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any person may be a witness who can understand the questions put to him and rationally answer them.</li>
<li>The nature of the section is disqulificatory in nature, meaning, that it disqualifies any person from testifying in the event that person is unable to comprehend or rationally respond to the questions put to them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Usually during a trial, the court, before recording the testimony of a child witness, determines his or her competency on the basis of their ability to give rational answers.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Relevant Indian Laws Related to Children</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 39 (f) of the Constitution:</strong> The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.</li>
<li><strong>Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act:</strong> The primary legislation in the country pertaining to children is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/children-excluded-from-assam-nrc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.</strong></a> The Act <strong>does not provide guidelines specifically</strong> relating to questioning or interviewing children as witnesses. However, it advocates for the following:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Child-friendly approach</strong> in the adjudication and disposal of matters. This implies, for the police to not be in their uniform while dealing with children.</li>
<li><strong>Special Juvenile Police Unit:</strong> Interviews of children are done by specialised units of police who are trained to sensitively deal with them.</li>
<li>Provides for a <strong>Child Welfare Committee</strong> in every district to take cognisance of any violations by the authorities in their handling of children.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>POCSO Act: <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-pornography-impact-on-children-society" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012</a></strong> has specific guidelines regarding interviewing children as witnesses, though the guidelines pertain to child sexual abuse victims. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Interviews should be conducted in a safe, neutral, child-friendly environment, including allowing for them to be done at homes.</li>
<li>It says a child should not be made to recount the incident in question multiple times.</li>
<li>The Act also allows for a support person, who could be trained in counselling, to be present with the child to reduce stress and trauma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Delhi High Court has come up with guidelines for recording evidence of vulnerable witnesses in criminal matters. A vulnerable witness is defined as anyone who has not completed 18 years of age.</li>
<li>The guidelines underline the importance of the criminal justice system needing to respond proactively, sensitively, and in an age-appropriate manner when dealing with children.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-child-witness-bidar-sedition-case-6271393/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/treating-a-child-witness'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels - Greenpeace Report',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Greenpeace Southeast Asia has released a report titled<strong> &lsquo;Toxic Air: The Price of Fossil Fuels&rsquo;.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report provides a <strong>global assessment of the health impact of air pollution</strong> from fossil fuels in 2018 and a first-of-its-kind estimate of the <strong>associated economic cost.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study is limited to the following pollutants: <strong>fine particulate matter (PM <sub>2.5</sub>), ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) and nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), and only that pollution which is emitted by fossil fuel combustion (coal, oil and gas).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pollutants and Their Effects</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>PM<sub>2.5</sub></strong> refers to fine particles with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. PM<sub>2.5 </sub>particles are respirable, which means that they are small enough to reach the gas exchange region of the lungs.</li>
<li><strong>Ozone (O<sub>3</sub>)</strong> formed at near-ground level is an air pollutant that causes smog. Ground level ozone forms when Nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution reacts with chemicals called volatile organic compounds (chemicals from sprays, paints etc.). Ozone pollution causes acute human health problems, including chest pain, throat irritation and inflammation of the airways. It also adversely affects vegetation and crops.</li>
<li><strong>Nitrogen oxides:</strong> When fossil fuels are burned in air, nitrogen oxides (NO and NO<sub>2</sub>, collectively referred to as NOx) are created from molecular nitrogen in the air and in the fuel that is being burned. NOx pollution, along with sulfur dioxide, which is also produced when fossil fuels are burned, reacts with water to form acid rain, snow and fog, and with other substances to form particulate matter. The health impacts of exposure to nitrogen oxides include cardiovascular diseases, exacerbated symptoms of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and other respiratory diseases.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact of Air Pollution on Health</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Exposure to an air pollutant or combination of air pollutants, such as PM<sub>2.5</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub> or ozone, is associated with increased incidence of diseases including Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, lower respiratory infections, type II diabete, etc.</li>
<li>Health impacts from air pollution generate economic costs through the cost of treatment, management of health conditions, and from work absences.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Cost of Air Pollution</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Air pollution from burning fossil fuels costs an estimated 3.3% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), equivalent to US $8 billion per day and 12,000 premature deaths every day.</li>
<li>China, the US and India bear the highest economic cost of soaring pollution, at an estimated $900 billion, $600 billion and $150 billion (5.4% of the India&rsquo;s GDP) a year, respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Burden of PM<sub>2.5</sub></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>PM<sub>2.5</sub> air pollution leads to the greatest health impact and the greatest financial cost of the three pollutants (PM<sub>2.5</sub>, O<sub>3</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>).</li>
<li>Globally, air pollution is estimated to cause 4.5 million premature deaths each year. This includes 3 million deaths attributable globally to PM<sub>2.5</sub>.</li>
<li>Pollution from PM<sub>2.5</sub> costs 2.5% of the global GDP whereas pollution from O<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>2</sub> , each costs equivalent to 0.4% of global GDP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Sustainable Transport System:</strong> Creating a sustainable transport system by setting a phase-out date for diesel and petrol cars, while implementing various urban transport measures, such as restricting cars&rsquo; access into certain neighborhoods or districts, promoting car-free days, etc. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>One of the longest-running examples of a car-free day event in a city is the Ciclov&iacute;a in Bogot&aacute;, Colombia which was initiated in 1974. This is a weekly event that takes place every Sunday and public holiday in central Bogot&aacute;, in which roads are closed to motorised traffic to allow cyclists, skaters and pedestrians traffic-free access to 120 kilometres (74.6 miles) of roads.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Switch to Renewable Energy:</strong> The phaseout of fossil fuels and switch to renewable forms of energy is beneficial both for reducing <strong>air pollution</strong> and mitigating <strong>anthropogenic (man-made) climate change.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Related Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PM<sub>2.5</sub> is one of the principal pollutants in northern Indian cities including Delhi.</li>
<li>The 2 million preterm births globally due to PM<sub>2.5</sub> include 9,81,000 preterm births in India.</li>
<li>The report links approximately 3,50,000 new cases of child asthma in India to nitrogen dioxide. As a result of this, over 1.28 million more children in India live with asthma, which is linked to fossil fuel pollution.</li>
<li>In India, exposure to fossil fuels also leads to a loss of around 490 million workdays.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India needs to increase its spending on the health sector.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It needs to be noted that India spends around 1.28% of the GDP on health while air pollution from burning fossil fuels costs an estimated 5.4% of India's GDP.</li>
<li>The central government has allocated only Rs 69,000 crore for the health sector in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-2020-21-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Union Budget 2020-21.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The coal fired power plants in India have repeatedly <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/reducing-so2-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>missed the emission deadline</strong></a> set by the Union Environment Ministry. Strict action should be taken against non-compliance of thermal power plants.</li>
<li>The government should ensure the construction of new coal-fired power plants is halted and existing plants should be shut down in phases.</li>
<li>Moving the energy generation sector from fossil fuels to renewables would help to prevent premature deaths and vast savings in health costs.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-fossil-fuel-air-pollution-cost-8-bn-day-4-5-mn-deaths-year-6266997/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/toxic-air-the-price-of-fossil-fuels-greenpeace-report'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Bringing A Multiplier Effect In Indian Agriculture',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/giving-pm-kisan-the-multiplier-effect/article30812647.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Giving PM-KISAN the multiplier effect&rdquo;</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/thinking-beyond-farm-sops/article30706291.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Thinking beyond farm sops&rdquo;</strong></a>. It talks about an array of reforms that need to be carried out in order to bring a multiplier effect to India&rsquo;s agricultural growth.</p>
</div>
<p>Agriculture is a crucial segment for inclusive development and provides stimulus to the economy, especially when it is not doing too well. Since India has laid down the target of <strong>doubling farmers' income by 2022,</strong> therefore, it is imperative to lay a strong foundation by launching measures that can stem falling farm growth.</p>
<p>In pursuance of this, the government had launched a direct income transfer scheme called <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/08-02-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)</strong></a> in 2019. Though the scheme was a tectonic shift in the nature of government support to farmers in India.</p>
<p>However, <strong>there is a lot to be done (than just addressing the liquidity constraints of farmers), to achieve a vibrant agrarian sector in India.</strong></p>
<h3>PM-KISAN Scheme</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PM-KISAN scheme was aimed at <strong>addressing the liquidity constraints of farmers</strong> for meeting their expenses for the acquisition of agricultural inputs and services.</li>
<li>The scheme implemented from February 2019 provides each eligible farmer&rsquo;s family <strong>₹6,000 per annum in three instalments of ₹2,000 each.</strong></li>
<li>This scheme is particularly important in a country like India, where still about half of the farming households do not have access to formal credit.</li>
<li>Initially, farmers with less than two hectares of land were eligible; subsequently, the benefit was extended to all farmers (about 140 million farmers) from June 2019 onwards. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The amount is transferred directly to the beneficiary&rsquo;s bank account to check leakages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>93% of non-beneficiary farmers</strong> had already applied for the scheme, depicting awareness and potential uptake.</li>
<li>Banking infrastructure created through <strong>Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana</strong> (PMJDY) and digitisation of the complete database of farmers who were now registered in the system with their credentials by the state governments played a key role in the fund disbursal.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How PM-KISAN scheme can be augmented to give a multiplier effect?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a study conducted by <strong>International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in association with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)</strong> in Uttar Pradesh, PM-KISAN scheme along with <strong>agricultural advisory services (Krishi Vigyan Kendras),</strong> can pull farmers out of poverty.</li>
<li>By investing more in agricultural advisory services, the government can encourage farmers to invest some or all part of the income support in productive assets for achieving the multiplier effect of PM-KISAN <strong>(the exponential growth in India&rsquo;s agricultural growth trajectory).</strong></li>
<li>Farmers receiving PM-KISAN benefit in the agricultural peak season are more likely to spend it on agriculture, and those getting it in the off-season are more likely to spend it on consumption.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This clearly suggests that the timing of benefits has implications on spending patterns.</li>
<li>Therefore, <strong>the transfer of benefits should be synchronised in a way that prompts farmer for investment in agriculture.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>A direct transfer scheme like<strong> PM-KISAN is a game-changer</strong> and can have significant effects if it is timely, not transaction cost heavy and is provided with complementary inputs such as extension services.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Extension Services:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The extension is an informal educational process directed toward the rural population. This process offers advice and information to help them solve their problems.</li>
<li>The extension also aims to increase the efficiency of the family farm, increase production and generally increase the standard of living of the farm family.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>However, <strong>in the absence of holistic agricultural reforms, direct income transfer will just be one cog in the wheel.</strong> In this context other reforms that need to be taken are:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>disparity in agriculture expenditure and growth drivers needs to be addressed.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Despite higher growth in livestock and fisheries sector, only moderate to low expenditure was recorded.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>expenditure on research and development</strong> in agriculture needs to be raised from nearly 0.40% of agriculture GDP to 1% as it pays huge dividends in the long run in ameliorating poverty and improving livelihoods compared to any other investment.</li>
<li>Considering India&rsquo;s dependency on agriculture and recurring climate-induced disasters, it is imperative to expand the implementation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/smart-farming-in-a-warm-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Climate-Smart Villages</strong> </a>all across the nation.</li>
<li>The<strong> Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs),</strong> which are currently facing operational and structural issues governed by different Acts and funded by various sources, may be strengthened by bringing them under one institution, preferably an FPO Development and Regulatory Authority.</li>
<li>A structured impetus must be given to building <strong>blockchain-based e-marketplaces</strong> connecting farmers, traders, agencies, institutions and exporters on a common platform to check price fluctuations and harness decentralisation.</li>
<li><strong>Affordable technologies</strong> must be developed and deployed particularly in rural and remote areas where digital literacy of farmers has improved considerably.</li>
<li><strong>Small-scale investment measures</strong> or an incentive-based system is essential to scale up sustainable practices such as agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem services, conservation agriculture and others.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Large-scale investment in agriculture over several years have encouraged monoculture, threatening the environment and soil health (mainly in green revolution areas).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increasing corporate social responsibility</strong> will help to tap more private investments besides encouraging private players in potential areas where production sustainability is possible.</li>
<li>The government must establish a <strong>farm data agency,</strong> which can consolidate, collate and maintain farm data available at various platforms.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Access to farm agency data for scientific institutions and all other relevant stakeholders can hasten the process of technology dissemination and aid research systems for better policies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Commissioning <strong>Ease of Farming Index</strong> is necessary to ascertain the progress made by national and state governments on the key indicators of farming.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This perhaps stands away from the conventional assessment of the effectiveness of agriculture policies and programmes that are part of the farm support system.</li>
<li>Moreover, the exercise may foster cooperative and competitive federalism besides encouraging States which are lagging behind to catch up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The need of the hour is to set up <strong>two key institutions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>national agricultural development council</strong> on the lines of the Goods and Services Tax Council under the chairmanship of Prime Minister for effective coordination and convergence of States on key reforms and policies.</li>
<li><strong>Farmers&rsquo; welfare commissions</strong> (both at the Centre and State level), as an independent institutional mechanism which will act as a neutral platform for assessing all agriculture-related issues and schemes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is pertinent to deliberate on an<strong> &lsquo;Indian Agricultural Service&rsquo;</strong> on the lines of the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.</li>
<li>In addition, to deal effectively with increasing droughts and floods and other extreme events, <strong>transfer of agriculture to the concurrent list is of prime importance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Therefore, the right mix of direct benefits and price support with focused investment on resource conservation might bring stability in farmers&rsquo; income.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f7ebd0;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Despite several measures to reduce the vulnerability of farmers in India, the farm sector and farmers continue to suffer losses. Suggest some measures that can be taken to improve their conditions.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/bringing-a-multiplier-effect-in-indian-agriculture'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise -2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The 2<sup>nd</sup> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/drishti-specials-important-international-bimstec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)</strong></a> Disaster Management Exercise was conducted (11-13 February, 2020) in <strong>Bhubaneswar,</strong> Odisha.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The focus of the <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> edition of Exercise</strong> is on <strong>heritage structures&rsquo; protection.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>first edition of the BIMSTEC DMEx</strong> was also <strong>hosted by India in 2017</strong> with the focus on testing the region&rsquo;s preparedness and resilience towards effective activation of inter-Governmental interaction/dialogue/agreements for immediate deployment of regional resources for disaster response.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The exercise seeks to provide a platform for member states to evaluate existing capabilities, share best emergency response practices, <strong>improve emergency preparedness</strong> and <strong>strengthen regional response mechanisms, to conduct risk assessment</strong> in the context of <strong>cultural heritage sites at the time of disasters and to test the multi-stakeholders&rsquo; coordination</strong> in a disaster scenario <strong>involving international, national, state, district</strong> and <strong>local agencies.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Participants</strong> in the exercise include BIMSTEC members except Bhutan and Thailand along with other global institutions like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/undps-accelerator-lab" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)</strong></a>, <strong>International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration Cultural Property (ICCROM)</strong> etc.</li>
<li>The<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-disaster-management-authority-ndma-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)</strong></a> is building the capacity of its forces to play the role of<strong> first responder</strong> at heritage sites, which are vulnerable to disasters such as<strong> earthquake, floods, cyclones</strong> and <strong>tsunami</strong> across India.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for Focus on the Heritage Sites:</strong> In the backdrop of recent losses suffered in an earthquake in Nepal(2015), damages to Heritage Sites in Gujarat earthquake (2001), the need was felt to protect the Heritage Sites during disasters and build the capacity of NDRF personnel. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/intach-efforts-to-protect-buddhist-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)</strong></a> in India, there could be 11 lakh sites in towns and villages out of which close to 10,000 sites and buildings are protected and about 70,000 sites have heritage value.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration Cultural Property</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The creation of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration Cultural Property (ICCROM) took place as a result of a proposal at the UNESCO General Conference held in New Delhi, in 1956.</li>
<li>In 1959, the Centre was established in Rome, Italy.</li>
<li>India is a member (1961).</li>
<li>It is an intergovernmental organization which works with its members to promote the <strong>conservation of all forms of cultural heritage, in every region of the world.</strong></li>
<li>It operates in the spirit of the <strong>UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Declaration states that &ldquo;Respect for the diversity of cultures, tolerance, dialogue and cooperation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding are among the best guarantees of international peace and security.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) was established in 1991.</li>
<li>It is a global network of more than 90 countries and organisations under the <strong>United Nations</strong> umbrella.</li>
<li>INSARAG deals with<strong> Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)</strong> related issues, aiming to establish minimum international standards for international coordination in earthquake response based on its Guidelines.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India and Disaster Management</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI):</strong> Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the establishment of an <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/coalition-for-disaster-resilient-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)</strong></a> in New Delhi.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)</strong> organized the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/international-conference-on-landslides-risk-reduction-and-resilience" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>1<sup>st</sup> International Conference on &ldquo;Landslides Risk Reduction and Resilience"</strong></a> in November, 2019 in New Delhi.</li>
<li>India has been at the forefront of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) efforts by hosting the<strong> South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise (SAADMEx) </strong>and the<strong> Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR).</strong></li>
<li>India has also offered its expertise and capabilities in DRR such as the <strong>South Asia satellite, GSAT-9, and the Tsunami Early Warning Centre to other countries.</strong></li>
<li>Disaster Management was one of the important Agenda items the BIMSTEC leaders deliberated upon during the <strong>Goa BRICS Summit in October 2016</strong> where BIMSTEC leaders were the Special Invitees.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/5-nation-exercise-to-focus-on-heritage-structures-protection/article30784957.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/bimstec-disaster-management-exercise-2020'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => '11th Expedition of an Indian Mission to the Southern Ocean',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> South African</strong> oceanographic research vessel<strong> SA Agulhas</strong> has started its journey for the <strong>11<sup>th</sup> expedition of an Indian mission to the Southern Ocean, or Antarctic Ocean</strong> from Port Louis (Mauritius).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, the research vessel was located at <strong>Prydz Bay,</strong> in the coastal waters of <strong>&ldquo;Bharati&rdquo;, India&rsquo;s third station in Antarctica</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong> The research vessel SA Agulhas is named after <strong>Agulhas warm <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/climate-change-and-ocean-currents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ocean current</a></strong> that runs <strong>south along the east coast of southern Africa.</strong></p>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Antarctic Missions</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India officially acceded to the <strong>Antarctic Treaty System on 1<sup>st</sup> August 1983.</strong> On 12 September 1983, India became the fifteenth Consultative Member of the Antarctic Treaty.</li>
<li>India is expanding its infrastructure development in Antarctica. The newest base commissioned in <strong>2015 is Bharati.</strong></li>
<li>India is rebuilding its station, <strong>Maitri,</strong> to make it bigger and last for at least 30 more years.</li>
<li><strong>Dakshin Gangotri,</strong> the <strong>first Indian base</strong> established in <strong>1984,</strong> has weakened and become just a supply base.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581751363_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581751363_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="259" height="369" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-centre-for-polar-and-ocean-research-ncpor-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR)</strong></a> stated that the mission intends to <strong>quantify changes</strong> in the oceanic remote area and the <strong>impact of these changes</strong> on large-scale weather phenomenon, like the Indian monsoon.</li>
<li>It also aims to understand the influence of <strong>the Southern Ocean across ecosystem</strong> and atmospheric changes and how it affects the tropical climate and weather conditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Expedition consists of six core projects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry of the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean</strong> at different depths. It will help to understand the formation of Antarctic bottom water.</li>
<li><strong>Observations of movement of trace gases</strong> (halogens and dimethyl sulphur)<strong> from the ocean to the atmosphere</strong> which will help to improve parameterisations that are used in global models.</li>
<li><strong>Study of organisms namely, coccolithophores</strong> (existed in the oceans for several million years).The study of their concentrations in sediments will create a picture of past climate.</li>
<li><strong>Investigate atmospheric aerosols and their optical and radiative properties.</strong> Its continuous measurements will quantify the impact on Earth&rsquo;s climate.</li>
<li><strong>Study the Southern Ocean&rsquo;s impact on Indian monsoons.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Dynamics of the food web in the Southern Ocean</strong> which will help to implement sustainable fishing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Expedition</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cyclic Movement of Carbon Dioxide:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub> ) is emitted in tropical regions and through atmospheric circulation, it reaches to the Antarctic and polar regions.</li>
<li>Due to the low temperature in these regions, CO<sub>2</sub> is absorbed and converted into dissolved inorganic carbon or organic carbon.</li>
<li>Further, through water masses and circulation it is coming back to tropical regions. Since it is warmer in these areas, it re-enters the atmosphere,</li>
<li>The expedition will help to plot the <strong>quantity and time period for such cyclic movement of CO<sub>2</sub>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Southern Ocean- A Transport Agent :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The expedition will help to study the <strong>Southern Ocean as it connects all the major oceans</strong> around the world. Thus the <strong>conveyor belt that circulates heat</strong> around the world is <strong>connected through the Southern Ocean</strong> and can have a <strong>large impact on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a></strong> due to anthropogenic forces.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established as an autonomous <strong>research and development institution</strong> of the <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences in 1998.</strong></li>
<li>It is located in <strong>Goa.</strong></li>
<li>It is responsible for the <strong>country&rsquo;s research activities in the Polar and Southern Ocean realms.</strong></li>
<li>It is the nodal agency for planning, promotion, coordination and execution of the entire gamut of polar and southern ocean scientific research in the country as well as for the associated logistics activities.</li>
<li>Its major responsibilities include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Management and upkeep of the Indian<strong> Antarctic Research Bases &ldquo;Maitri&rdquo; and &ldquo;Bharati&rdquo;, </strong>and the<strong> Indian Arctic base &ldquo;Himadri&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Management of the Ministry&rsquo;s research vessel ORV Sagar Kanya as well as the other research vessels chartered by the Ministry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indian-scientists-antarctic-trip-climate-monsoon-6268763/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/11th-expedition-of-an-indian-mission-to-the-southern-ocean'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'National Organic Food Festival',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) will host the first <strong>National Organic Food Festival</strong> in<strong> New Delhi</strong> between February 21 to February 23, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It aims to <strong>strengthen the organic market</strong> and <strong>empower women entrepreneurs</strong> in the area of production and processing of organic products.</li>
<li><strong>Theme:</strong> Unleashing India&rsquo;s Organic Market Potential.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Women Entrepreneurs and Self Help groups (SHG&rsquo;s) from all over the country will be exhibiting their organic products in various segments such as fruit &amp; vegetables, ready to eat products, spices and condiments, honey, cereals, dry fruits etc..</li>
<li>It will also focus on <strong>facilitating business linkages</strong> and <strong>empowering women entrepreneurs</strong> through pre-arranged B2B and B2G meetings.</li>
<li>Government is already making efforts to connect women entrepreneurs with financial schemes like<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mudra-scheme-and-employment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency)</strong> </a>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-start-up-india-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Startup India</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Business to Business</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are <strong>3 basic business models:</strong> Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B), and Business to Government (B2G).</li>
<li>B2B is a form of transaction between businesses, such as one involving a manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer. Business to business refers to business that is conducted between companies, rather than between a company and individual consumers. Business to business stands in contrast to Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Government (B2G) transactions.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Business to Government (B2G)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Business to Government (B2G) is the sale and marketing of goods and services to federal, state, or local agencies.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Organic Market Potential</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has the <strong>9<sup>th</sup> largest World&rsquo;s Organic Agricultural Land</strong> and the<strong> largest number of producers.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Sikkim</strong> is the<strong> first organic state</strong> in the world. All of its farmland is <strong>certified organic.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Organic Food Segment of India grew at rate of 10% during 2016-20.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the <strong>Indian Organic Sector &ndash; Vision 2025</strong> report, India&rsquo;s organic business is expected to reach Rs.75,000 Crores by 2025.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Factors for growth of organic food in India:</strong> Increasing disposable incomes, increasing awareness around health and wellness and increasing acceptability.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the global level, demand for Indian organic food products is on constant increase.</li>
<li>The major demands under the organic product category are for oil seeds, cereals &amp; millets, sugar, fruit juice concentrates, tea, spices, pulses, dry fruits, medicinal plant products etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199306" 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/national-organic-food-festival'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Indian Pangolin',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong> forest department, for the first time, has <strong>radio-tagged an Indian Pangolin.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Radio-tagging involves attaching a transmitter to an animal to monitor its movements. Several wild animals &mdash; tigers, leopards and migratory birds &mdash; have been tagged over decades.</li>
<li>Indian Pangolin has been radio-tagged in order to know its ecology and develop an effective conservation plan for it.</li>
<li>This measure comes as the world gets ready to observe the ninth <strong>&lsquo;World Pangolin Day&rsquo;</strong> on 15<sup>th</sup> February, 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>World Pangolin Day, celebrated on the third Saturday in February every year, is an international attempt to raise awareness of pangolins and bring together stakeholders to help protect these species from extinction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The radio-tagging is part of a joint project by the forest department and non-profit organisation, the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pangolins in India<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581747207_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581747207_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.</li>
<li>Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11-13 rows of scales on the back. A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin.</li>
<li><strong>Habitat</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Indian Pangolin</strong> is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. The species is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.</li>
<li><strong>Chinese Pangolin</strong> is found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats to Pangolins in India:</strong> Hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine) and international trade for its meat and scales in East and South East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.</li>
<li><strong>Protection Status</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>IUCN Red List</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Indian Pangolin: Endangered</li>
<li>Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Both these species are listed under <strong>Schedule I, Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/scientists-radio-tag-indian-pangolin/article30823693.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/indian-pangolin'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Right To Protest In A Free Society',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>The article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-right-to-protest-in-a-free-society/article30618223.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The right to protest in a free society&rdquo;</strong> </a>that was published in The Hindu on 22<sup>nd</sup> January. It talks about the Right to protest in a free society.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which gave rise to the massive protests by the people across states and students across universities. Public protests are the hallmark of a free, democratic society, whose logic demands that the voice of the people should be heard by those in power and decisions be reached after proper discussion and consultation. In order to participate in public protest, the right to freedom of speech &amp; expression, association and peaceful assembly are necessary.</p>
<h3>Right to Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Right to free speech and expression transforms into the right to freely express an opinion on the conduct of the government.</li>
<li>The Right to association is required to form associations for political purposes &mdash; for instance, to collectively challenge government decisions and to even aim, peacefully and legally, to displace the government, to not merely check abuse of power but to wrest power.</li>
<li>The Right to peaceably assemble allows political parties and citizenship bodies such as university-based student groups to question and object to acts of the government by demonstrations, agitations and public meetings, to launch sustained protest movements.</li>
<li>Democracies everywhere are founded on two core political rights. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first, the right of every citizen to freely elect their government and when dissatisfied with its performance, to vote it out of power in a legitimately held election (Article 326).</li>
<li>Any form of public action to challenge the government&rsquo;s proposals or decisions is also constitutionally legitimate, as long as it is done peacefully, Any arbitrary restraint on the exercise of such rights &mdash; for instance, imposing Section 144 &mdash; shows the inability of the government to tolerate dissent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Right to Protest: Constitutional Provisions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the Indian Constitution&mdash;<strong>Article 19(1)(a)</strong> guarantees the freedom of speech and expression; <strong>Article 19(1)(b)</strong> assures citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms.</li>
<li><strong>Article 19(2)</strong> imposes reasonable restrictions on the right to assemble peaceably and without arms. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These reasonable restrictions are imposed in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In <strong>Ramlila Maidan Incident v. Home Secretary, Union Of India &amp; Ors.</strong> case (2012), the Supreme Court had stated, &ldquo;Citizens have a <strong>fundamental right to assembly and peaceful protest</strong> which cannot be taken away by an arbitrary executive or legislative action.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
<h3>Public Protest in India: Historical Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The background of the Indian Constitution is formed by its anti-colonial struggle, within which the seeds of a political public sphere and democratic Constitution were sown.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian people fought hard and long to publicly express their views on colonial policies and laws, to dissent from them, to shape minds and form public opinion against them, to speak to and against the government, to challenge it.</li>
<li>People not only signed writ petitions but staged dharnas, held large public meetings, peaceful protests and demonstrations and even, for instance in Gandhi&rsquo;s satyagraha, launched civil disobedience movements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Protests have also offered points of inclusion and participation to the voices that are not part of the mainstream as seen in the protests for creation of Andhra or the Chipko movement.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Protests: Making Public as the Watchdog of the Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>People act as watchdogs and constantly monitor governments' acts, which provides feedback to the governments about their policies and actions after which the concerned government, through consultation, meetings and discussion, recognise and rectify its mistakes.</li>
<li>However, resorting to violence during the protest is a violation of a key fundamental duty of citizens. Enumerated in <strong>Article 51A,</strong> the Constitution makes it a<strong> fundamental duty</strong> of every citizen <strong>&ldquo;to safeguard public property and to abjure violence&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Right of citizens to protest and gather peacefully without arms is a fundamental aspect of India&rsquo;s democracy. While it is also the obligation of the government to protect civilians from violent protests, certain essential principles need to be kept in mind.</li>
<li>The Right to protest is one of the core principles on which democracy survives and thrives. However, when a protest turns violent, as seen in some places in recent protests, it defeats the very purpose of the protest. While enjoying the rights, one must adhere to one&rsquo;s duties and responsibilities in a democratic society.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #0040ff; background-color: #e1f5d3;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Explain the significance of the right to protest in a democracy.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/right-to-protest-in-a-free-society'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'In Depth- Anticipatory Bail',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aoCh38ePyf4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court (SC)</strong></a> in <em><strong>Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case</strong></em> delivered a significant verdict, ruling that <strong>no time limit can be set</strong> while granting anticipatory Bail and it can continue even until the end of the trial. The Court made reference of India&rsquo;s <strong>freedom movement</strong> claiming that <strong>arbitrary arrests, indefinite detentions, and lack of institutional safeguards</strong> played an important role in rallying the people to raise the demand for Independence.</p>
<h3>Bail and its Types</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> Bail is the conditional/provisional release of a person held under legal custody (in matters which are yet to be pronounced by the Court), by undertaking a promise to appear in the Court as and when required. It signifies a <strong>security/collateral deposited</strong> before the Court for release.</li>
<li>In<em><strong> Supt. and Remembrancer of Legal Affairs v. Amiya Kumar Roy Choudhry (1973) case,</strong> </em>the Calcutta High Court explained the <strong>principle behind giving Bail.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Types of Bail in India:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Regular Bail:</strong> It is a direction given by the Court (any Court within the country) to release a person who is <strong>already under arrest</strong> and kept in police custody. For such Bail, a person can file an application under<strong> Section 437 and 439</strong> of the CrPC.</li>
<li><strong>Interim Bail:</strong> Bail granted for a <strong>temporary and short period</strong> by the Court till the application seeking Anticipatory Bail or Regular Bail is <strong>pending</strong> before a Court.</li>
<li><strong>Anticipatory Bail:</strong> A direction issued to release a person on Bail even<strong> before</strong> the person is <strong>arrested.</strong> In this situation, there is <strong>apprehension of arrest</strong> and the person is not arrested before the Bail is granted. For such Bail, a person can file an application under <strong>Sec. 438 of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/re-imagining-cognizable-offences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)</a>.</strong> It is <strong>issued only</strong> by the <strong>Sessions Court and High Court.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 438</strong> of the CrPC lays down the provisions on anticipatory Bail:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Sec. 438(1):</strong> When any person anticipates that he/she may get arrested on an accusation of having committed a <strong>non-bailable offence,</strong> he/she may apply to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this Section. The Court may direct (if it thinks fit) that in the event of such arrests, he/she shall be released on Bail even before an arrest is made without subjecting him/her to further restraints.</li>
<li><strong>Sec. 438(2):</strong> When the High Court or the Session Court makes a direction under Sec. 438(1), it may<strong> lay down certain conditions</strong> in the light of the facts of the particular case, as it may think fit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Historical Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Anticipatory Bail became part of the CrPC in 1973 after the <strong>41<sup>st</sup> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/law-commission-of-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Law Commission</a> Report</strong> (1969) recommended for the inclusion of such provision. It was included to protect the arbitrary violation of the right to personal liberty of the person.</li>
<li><strong>Necessity:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Sometimes influential persons try to implicate their rivals in false cases for the purpose of disgracing them or for other purposes by getting them detained in jail.</li>
<li>Apart from false cases, when there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person accused of an offence is <strong>not likely to abscond or misuse his liberty</strong> while on Bail, then there is no need to first submit him to custody, make him/her remain in prison and then apply for Bail. In such cases, Bail could be granted earlier.</li>
<li>As arbitrary arrests (often leading to harassment and humiliation of citizens) continue to be a <strong>pervasive phenomenon</strong> in the country, therefore, the protection to people should be given. And this was the underlying reason for the enactment of Sec. 438 in the CrPC, which even received the <strong>Parliamentary acceptance</strong> as<em><strong> &ldquo;crucial underpinning to shield individual&rsquo;s personal liberty in a free and democratic country.&rdquo;</strong></em></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Related Cases</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><em><strong>Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia vs State of Punjab (1980) case:</strong> </em><strong>SC</strong> ruled that &ldquo;Sec. 438(1) should be interpreted in the light of <strong>Article 21</strong> (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.&rdquo;
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Granting of anticipatory Bail as a matter of right of an individual <strong>should not</strong> be limited by time.</li>
<li>The Court <strong>could impose appropriate restrictions</strong> on a case-by-case basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><em><strong>Salauddin Abdulsamad Shaikh vs State of Maharashtra (1995) case:</strong> </em>SC overruled its earlier judgment and held that &ldquo;granting of anticipatory Bail<strong> should be limited by time.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li><em><strong>SS Mhetre vs State of Maharashtra &amp; Ors (2010) case:</strong> </em>SC held that <strong>&ldquo;life/duration</strong> of an order granting anticipatory Bail <strong>could not be curtailed.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>Due to such divergent views, the Court had to decide on <strong>two questions</strong> in the recent <em><strong>Sushila Aggarwal (2020) case-</strong></em>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Should there be a<strong> fixed time period to seek</strong> anticipatory Bail, so as to enable a person to surrender before the Trial Court and seek for regular Bail? Also, should the<strong> life of anticipatory Bail</strong> end at the time of summoning by the Court?</li>
<li>Can Courts <strong>impose any conditions</strong> while granting such Bail or not?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Also, recently the SC in the <em><strong>Prathvi Raj Chauhan vs Union of India (2020) case,</strong> </em>observed that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-upholds-changes-to-sc-st-atrocities-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>provisions of anticipatory Bail (Sec. 438) shall not apply to the cases</strong></a> under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cabinet-clears-bill-to-restore-the-provisions-of-sc-st-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 2018.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Sushila Aggarwal (2020) Case Judgment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is<strong> nothing in CrPC</strong> that indicates the grant of anticipatory Bail should be <strong>time-bound.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, under CrPC, it is <strong>discretionary power</strong> of the Court to <strong>decide</strong> on a case-to-case basis (depending upon the <strong>stage</strong> at which the Bail application has moved or prevalence of any <strong>peculiar circumstances</strong> necessitating to limit the tenure) <strong>and impose a time limit</strong> while <strong>granting</strong> pre-arrest Bail.</li>
<li>Also, this duration primarily does <strong>not end after first summoning</strong> by the Court and can continue till the end of the trial period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>If any Court wants to limit the Bail, it<strong> can attach special features or circumstances</strong> warranting the same.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Court while granting anticipatory Bail, should <strong>examine the seriousness </strong>and<strong> gravity </strong>of the<strong> offence</strong> (like nature of the crime, material placed on records, etc.) to <strong>impose any condition on the petitioner,</strong> if necessary.</li>
<li>The police can reach the Court seeking permission for arrest <strong>in case of breach of such imposed conditions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Application</strong> for anticipatory Bail could be <strong>filed</strong> by a person <strong>before the FIR</strong> (First Information Report) as soon as the facts make clear there is a substantial reason for the arrest.</li>
<li><strong>Appellate jurisdiction</strong> to check the correctness of the granted Bail lies with the <strong>superior Court</strong> on the request of the investigating agency or the State.</li>
<li>The Court remarked that &ldquo;when Parliament has not thought it appropriate to curtail the rights of the citizens and the power of Courts in granting anticipatory Bails, hence, it is <strong>not in larger societal interest</strong> to curtail such powers &amp; limit the liberty of citizens. The rights of the citizens are fundamental and not the restrictions.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
<h3>Offences and Anticipatory Bail</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An application for anticipatory Bail <strong>can be filed</strong> in cases of both <strong>bailable and non-bailable offences.</strong> While in the former situation, the Bail is granted as a <strong>matter of right,</strong> the grant of Bail in the latter situation is<strong> not a matter of right but a privilege</strong> &amp; is at the behest of the discretionary power of the Court.</li>
<li><strong>Bailable Offence: Sec. 436 of the CrPC</strong> lays down provision for granting Bail to a person accused of any <strong>bailable offence</strong> under the IPC.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bailable offences are offences or crimes that are <strong>not very serious</strong> in nature and include:<strong> unlawful assembly</strong> (Sec. 144 of CrPC), payment of bribe during elections, fabrication of false evidence, participation in riots, furnishing false information, <strong>causing death by negligence</strong> (Sec. 304A), stalking, criminal defamation, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Non-bailable Offence: Sec. 437 of the CrPC</strong> lays down the power of court to grant Bail to a person accused of committing a non-bailable offence under the IPC.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Non-bailable offences are <strong>grave and serious offences</strong> which include:<strong> sedition,</strong> waging or attempting to wage war against the government, counterfeiting of Indian currency, <strong>murder</strong> (Sec. 302), <strong>dowry death</strong> (Sec. 304B), abetment of suicide, trafficking of a person, <strong>rape</strong> (Sec. 376), etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Factors &amp; Conditions for Granting Anticipatory Bail</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The anticipatory Bail is granted on the basis of the following <strong>factors:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Nature and gravity of the accusation.</li>
<li>Applicant&rsquo;s possibility of fleeing from justice.</li>
<li>Previous cases against the applicant including any previous convictions or cases of a cognizable offence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cases of Bailable Offence:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If there are sufficient reasons to believe that the <strong>accused has not committed</strong> the offence.</li>
<li>As per the Court, if there are sufficient reasons<strong> to conduct further enquiry</strong> into the matter.</li>
<li>If the <strong>person is not accused of a crime</strong> which is <strong>punishable</strong> by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment up to 10 years or more.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cases of Non-bailable Offence:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If the accused is a woman or child,</li>
<li>If there is a lack of adequate evidence,</li>
<li>If there is a delay in registering the FIR by the complainant,</li>
<li>If the accused is physically or gravely sick,</li>
<li>If there is corroboration about personal animosity between accused and complainant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conditions Imposed by Court</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Person<strong> shall</strong> <strong>not leave the country and travel abroad</strong> without the prior permission of the Court.</li>
<li>If a Court<strong> rejects the anticipatory Bail</strong> a person, he/she can be <strong>arrested</strong> by the police <strong>without a warrant.</strong></li>
<li>Person shall make <strong>himself available for interrogation</strong> by a police officer (as and when required).</li>
<li>Person shall <strong>not</strong> (directly or indirectly) <strong>make any inducement, interference, threat or promise</strong> to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cancellation of Anticipatory Bail</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sec. 437(5)</strong> <strong>&amp; Sec. 439</strong> of CrPC deal with the cancellation of anticipatory Bail. They imply that a Court which has the power to grant anticipatory Bail is also <strong>empowered to cancel the Bail or recall the order</strong> related to Bail upon appropriate consideration of facts.</li>
<li>A High Court or Court of Session may direct that any person who has been released on Bail by it- be arrested, and brought under custody after filing of an application by the complainant or the prosecution.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, a Court does<strong> not have the power</strong> to cancel the <strong>Bail granted by the police officer.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Over the years, anticipatory Bail has acted as the protection (granted under <strong>Sec. 438</strong> of CrPC) to safeguard a person against whom false accusation or charges have been made. It ensures the release of such falsely accused person even before they are arrested.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-anticipatory-bail'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'PRS Capsule January 2020',
		'catname' => 'PRS Capsule',
		'desc' => '<p><em><strong>Key Highlights of PRS</strong></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="#1">Polity</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#2">New Bodo Agreement</a></li>
<li><a href="#3">Disqualifications under Anti-Defection law</a></li>
<li><a href="#4">The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020</a></li>
<li><a href="#5">NHAI to set up Infrastructure Investment Trusts</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#6">Economy</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#7">National Strategy for Financial Inclusion</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#8">Environment</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#9">Guidelines for implementing Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#10">The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020</a></li>
<li><a href="#11">State-Wise Vehicle Tracking Under Nirbhaya Framework</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="1">Polity</h2>
<h3 id="2">New Bodo Agreement</h3>
<p>Recently, the central government, the Assam government and the Bodo groups, including all factions of the militant National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), signed an agreement to redraw and rename the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bodo-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)</strong></a>, in Assam.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>BTAD is spread over four districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri.</li>
<li>The BTAD and other areas mentioned under the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/indepth-6th-schedule-and-ilp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sixth Schedule of the Constitution</strong></a> have been exempted from the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/citizenship-amendment-act-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-bodo-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Bodo agreement</strong></a> provides for a special development package of<strong> Rs 1500 crores</strong> to be given by the central government over 3 years to undertake specific projects for the development of Bodo areas.</li>
<li>Further, the central government and the Government of Assam will take measures to rehabilitate over 1500 cadres of certain factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="3">Disqualifications under Anti-Defection law</h3>
<p>A case was filed in SC in appeal against the decision of the High Court challenging the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/disqualification-powers-of-speakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>delay by the Speaker in deciding the disqualification petition.</strong> </a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court directed the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly to decide a disqualification petition concerning the defection of an MLA in Manipur from one political party to another, within four weeks.</li>
<li><strong>The Court also held that the Speaker should decide disqualification petitions within a reasonable time period, not exceeding three months.</strong></li>
<li>It further observed that <strong>the role of the Speaker in disqualification petitions should be re-considered</strong> since the Speaker continues to belong to a political party.</li>
<li>It recommended that Parliament may consider amending the Constitution to substitute the Speaker with an alternative adjudicating authority. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such an authority may be a permanent tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or retired Chief Justice of a High Court, or with any other external independent mechanism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="4">The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has approved the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/medical-termination-of-pregnancy-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020.</strong></a> The Bill seeks to amend the Medical Terminal of Pregnancy Act, 1971 which provides for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered medical practitioners.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The amendment to the Act proposes to <strong>enhance the upper limit for termination of pregnancy from 20 weeks to 24 weeks</strong> for special categories of women. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These would include <strong>survivors of rape, victims of incest, and other vulnerable women</strong> (such as differently-abled women and minors).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, this limit of 24 weeks for termination of pregnancy will not apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by the Medical Board. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The composition, functions and other details of the Medical Board will be prescribed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The amendments recommend the requirement of the opinion of:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>one registered medical practitioner for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks against the earlier limit of 12 weeks, and</li>
<li>two registered medical practitioners for termination of pregnancy between 20 to 24 weeks against the earlier limit of 12 to 20 weeks</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The amendments also propose that the name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated will not be revealed, except to a person authorised by the law.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="5">NHAI to set up Infrastructure Investment Trusts</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has authorised the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to set up Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), and monetise completed and operational National Highway (NH) projects.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These InvITs will be set up as per SEBI&rsquo;s guidelines.The NH projects to be monetised must have a toll collection track record of at least one year. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NHAI will have the right to levy toll on such identified highways.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Each InvIT must have two special purpose vehicles (SPVs)<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>to hold all the identified public funded projects to be placed in the InvIT, and</li>
<li>to act as an investment manager in the proposed InvIT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NHAI will create a separate fund to keep all the sums received from such InvITs.</li>
<li>The Chairman, NHAI is empowered to select the projects to be placed in the InvITs, and operationalise these InvITs.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Infrastructure Investment Trust</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>InvIT is a collective investment scheme similar to a mutual fund, which enables direct investment of money from individual and institutional investors in infrastructure projects to earn a small portion of the income as return.</li>
<li>The InvITs are regulated by the SEBI (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="6">Economy</h2>
<h3 id="7">National Strategy for Financial Inclusion</h3>
<p>RBI has released the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-strategy-for-financial-inclusion" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2019-2024.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Financial Inclusion:</strong> It has been defined as the process of ensuring access to financial services, and timely and adequate credit for vulnerable groups and low-income groups at an affordable cost. Financial inclusion is a key driver of economic growth and poverty alleviation in the whole world.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Points</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Steps taken for financial inclusion:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY):</strong> under which 34 crore accounts have been opened with deposits of Rs 89,257 crore,</li>
<li><strong>Atal Pension Yojana:</strong> to provide pension cover to subscribing bank account holders. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, it identified certain critical gaps which remain an impediment for financial inclusion, such as-<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>inadequate infrastructure (in parts of the rural hinterland, far-flung areas in the Himalayan and north-eastern region),</li>
<li>poor tele and internet connectivity in rural hinterland,</li>
<li>socio-cultural barriers, and</li>
<li>lack of market players in payment product space.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strategic objectives for financial inclusion:</strong> RBI identified six strategic objectives of a national strategy for financial inclusion:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Universal access to financial services,</li>
<li>Providing basic bouquet of financial services,</li>
<li>Access to livelihood and skill development,</li>
<li>Financial literacy and education,</li>
<li>Customer protection and grievance redressal, and</li>
<li>Effective coordination.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To achieve this vision, the RBI has identified certain milestones such as<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>providing banking access to every village (or hamlet of 500 households in hilly areas) within a five km radius by March 2020 and</li>
<li>strengthening digital financial services to create the infrastructure to move towards a cashless society by March 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Measurement of financial inclusion:</strong> RBI recommended that financial inclusion should be measured through parameters across 3 key indicators. These include parameters to<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Measure access, such as the number of bank branches or ATMs for a specified population,</li>
<li>measure usage, such as percentage of adults with a savings account, insurance or pension policy, and</li>
<li>measure the quality of services, such as grievance redressal (through number of complaints received and addressed).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="8">Environment</h2>
<h3 id="9">Guidelines for implementing Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified guidelines for implementing the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Rules constitute various bodies for the conservation of wetlands and define their powers and functions.</li>
<li>The guidelines support the state/Union Territory (UT) administrations in the implementation of the Rules by providing guidance on various management and administrative matters for wetlands.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Role of the Wetlands Authority:</strong> The Wetlands Authority within a state is the nodal authority for all wetland-specific authorities in a state/UT. Functions of this Authority include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>preparing a list of all wetlands in the state/UT and recommending wetlands for regulation under the Rules,</li>
<li>developing a comprehensive list of activities to be regulated and permitted within the notified wetlands, and</li>
<li>issuing necessary directions for the conservation and sustainable management of wetlands to the respective implementing agencies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prohibited activities:</strong> A list of activities that are prohibited on wetlands include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>setting up any industry and expansion of existing industries,</li>
<li>dumping solid waste or discharge of untreated wastes and effluents from industries and any human settlements, and</li>
<li>encroachment or conversion for non-wetlands uses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Integrated Management Plan:</strong> The guidelines recommend the state/UT administration to prepare a plan for the management of each notified wetland. The plan refers to a document which:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>describes strategies and actions for use of the wetland,</li>
<li>gives monitoring requirements for detecting changes in the ecological character of the wetland, and</li>
<li>ensures compliance with regulatory frameworks and policy commitments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Violations:</strong> The Wetlands Authorities are responsible for ensuring the enforcement of the Wetlands Rules and other relevant acts, rules, and regulations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Undertaking any prohibited or regulated activities beyond the thresholds (defined by the state/UT administration) in the wetlands or its zone of influence will be deemed violations under the Wetlands Rules.</li>
<li>Violation of the Rules will attract penalties as per the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="10">The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mineral-laws-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020</strong></a> was promulgated on January 10, 2020. The Ordinance amends the following acts:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957:</strong> It regulates the mining sector in India and specifies the requirement for obtaining and granting mining leases for mining operations.</li>
<li><strong>Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 (CMSP Act):</strong> It provides for the auction and allocation of mines whose allocation was canceled by the Supreme Court in 2014. Schedule I of the Act provides a list of all such mines; Schedule II and III are sub-classes of the mines listed in Schedule I.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Removal of restriction on end-use of coal:</strong> Currently, companies acquiring Schedule II and Schedule III coal mines through auctions can use the coal produced only for specific end-uses such as power generation and steel production. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ordinance removes this restriction on the use of coal mined by such companies.</li>
<li>Companies will be allowed to carry on coal mining operations for own consumption, sale or for any other purposes, as may be specified by the central government.</li>
<li>The Ordinance also adds that companies need not possess any prior coal mining experience in India to participate in the auction of coal and lignite blocks.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composite license for prospecting and mining:</strong> Currently, separate licenses are provided for prospecting and mining of coal and lignite, called prospecting license, and mining lease, respectively. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill adds a new type of license, called <strong>prospecting license-cum-mining lease.</strong> It will be a composite license providing for both prospecting and mining activities.</li>
<li><strong>Prospecting includes exploring, locating, or finding mineral deposits.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transfer of clearances to new bidders:</strong> Currently, upon expiry, mining leases for specified minerals (minerals other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals) are transferred to new persons through auction. The new lessee must obtain statutory clearances before starting mining operations. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ordinance provides that the various approvals, licenses, and clearances given to the previous lessee will be extended to the new lessee for two years.</li>
<li>During this period, the new lessee will be allowed to continue mining operations.</li>
<li>However, the new lessee must obtain all the required clearances within this two-year period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="11">State-Wise Vehicle Tracking Under Nirbhaya Framework</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched a scheme for the implementation of a state-wise vehicle tracking platform for safety under the <strong>Nirbhaya Fund Framework.</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Nirbhaya Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The central government had set up the Nirbhaya Fund which can be utilised for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of women.</li>
<li>The Nirbhaya Fund Framework provides for a non-lapsable corpus fund for the safety and security of women.</li>
<li>It is administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong> The proposed system seeks to enhance the safety of women and girl children. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This would be achieved by equipping all public passenger transport vehicles with location tracking devices and emergency buttons to raise alerts in case of an emergency.</li>
<li>A monitoring centre will be set up in each State/UT to monitor these calls and respond to distress calls.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>System overview:</strong> The proposed system will consist of a Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) device with emergency buttons as specified.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This device will send the vehicle location, health status, alerts, and other data to the monitoring centre at specified intervals.</li>
<li>The Transport Department officials will be able to access the system and monitor the alerts at the centre.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Implementation:</strong> States will notify the timelines for the installation of the VLT devices in vehicles that were registered before January 1, 2019. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The VLT manufacturer will enter a unique identification number in the VAHAN database to link the VLT device with the specific vehicle.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Funding:</strong> The total cost of the scheme will be shared between the centre and states as per the ratio mentioned in the Nirbhaya Framework.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Funding by the Ministry will include the cost of the backend software, setting up the monitoring centres, training of officials, cloud services for data storage.</li>
<li>The funding pattern under the scheme should be as per the Nirbhaya Framework guidelines, which propose 100% funds for union territories, 90% for states with difficult terrains, and 60% for other states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Conservation Plan for Konark Temple',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Union Government has decided to restore and preserve the nearly 800-year-old Konark Sun Temple, Odisha.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier, the monument had entered into controversy over allegations that the stone carvings on the outer surface were being replaced with plain blocks of stones causing irreplaceable loss to the uniqueness of the temple.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Konark was built by King <strong>Narasimhadeva I (1238-1264AD)</strong> in the <strong>13<sup>th</sup> century</strong> and is located in Eastern Odisha near the sacred city of <strong>Puri.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>King Narasimhadeva I was a famous ruler of the <strong>Ganga Dynasty</strong> and with his accession to the throne, the Ganga Dynasty <strong>reached its zenith.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a<strong> UNESCO World Heritage Site (1984).<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581671763_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1581671763_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
<li>Dedicated to the <strong>Sun God,</strong> Konark is the <strong>culmination of Odisha temple architecture,</strong> and one of the most outstanding monuments of religious architecture in the world.</li>
<li>Its scale, refinement and conception represent the strength and stability of the <strong>Ganga Dynasty</strong> as well as the value systems of the historic milieu.</li>
<li>The entire temple was designed in the shape of a <strong>colossal chariot</strong> with 7 horses and <strong>24 wheels,</strong> carrying the sun god, Surya, across the heavens.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>&lsquo;Konarka&rsquo;, the place bears a name composed of two world elements : <strong>KONA</strong> meaning<strong> corner</strong> and <strong>ARKA</strong> meaning the<strong> Sun.</strong></li>
<li>The Sun god worshipped in<strong> Ark Kshetra</strong> is also called Konark.</li>
<li>In <strong>'Brahma Purana'</strong> the Sun God in Ark-kshetra has been described as Konaditya.</li>
<li><strong>Surya</strong> has been a <strong>popular deity</strong> in India since the <strong>Vedic period.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/conservation-plan-for-konark-temple-soon-says-culture-minister/article30811262.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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