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Sangam Age

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18 Nov 2019 Paper 1
Willingdon Island

Willingdon Island is a seaport located in the city of Kochi, Kerala. It is the largest man-made/artificial island of India and is surrounded by...

18 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Persecution of Uighurs

Why in News According to leaked Chinese government documents, there was a clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country’s western...

18 Nov 2019 News Analysis
SAANS Campaign

Why in News The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a campaign in Gujarat named Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia...

18 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Supreme Court on Religious Practices

This article is based on “Fraught course”, “Explained: The three cases SC wants clubbed with Sabarimala review”,...

16 Nov 2019 News Editorials
Essar Insolvency Case

Why in News The Supreme Court has recently given its judgement in the Essar Insolvency case. The Judgement has paved the way for ArcelorMittal and...

16 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Cold War

Recently, 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (which was brought down on 9/11/1989) was celebrated which had marked a pivotal event in...

16 Nov 2019 Paper 1
OPEC +

Why in News According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) plus might face sharp...

16 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Contempt of Court

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court of India has held former Ranbaxy promoters guilty of contempt for violating its order. The expression...

16 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Child Abuse Prevention and Investigation Unit

Why in News The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has set up an Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit...

16 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Chief Justice of India under the Ambit of the RTI Act

This article is based on “Open, all the same: On CJI office and RTI Act” which was published in The Hindu on 15/11/2019. It talks about...

15 Nov 2019 News Editorials
Brahmaputra Pushkaram Festival

The Assam government is celebrating Brahmaputra Pushkaram- a 12-day mega river festival from November 5 to November 16 this year. Earlier, the...

15 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

Why in News The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for the month of September 2019 has contracted by 4.3 % as compared to the month of September...

15 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve

Why in News According to the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE), there has been an increase in the number of tigers in Andhra...

15 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Geochemical Baseline Atlas

Why in News Recently, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has released the first ‘Geochemical Baseline Atlas of India’...

15 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Olive Ridley Turtles

Why in News The Odisha government would compensate 8,000 fishermen families who would bear losses due to the fishing ban imposed for the protection...

15 Nov 2019 News Analysis
Satpura Tiger Reserve

Why in News Recently, the Satpura Tiger Reserve located in the Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh came into limelight because of the presence of...

15 Nov 2019 News Analysis
11th BRICS Summit

Why in News The 11th BRICS Summit took place from 13th-14th November 2019 in Brasilia, Brazil. The theme of the 2019 BRICS summit is "Economic...

15 Nov 2019 News Analysis
The Big Picture: Dairy Industry & FTA

Recently, India decided against joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between more...

14 Nov 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
What Makes Doing Business Easier

This article is based on “What makes doing business easier” that was published in The Hindu on 06/11/2019. It talks about the...

14 Nov 2019 News Editorials

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			'title' => 'Sangam Age',
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<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/to-the-points/paper1/sangam-age-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>For TTP</em></a></p>',
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			'title' => 'Willingdon Island',
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			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Willingdon Island is a seaport located in the city of Kochi, Kerala.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>largest man-made/artificial island</strong> of India and is surrounded by backwaters (a part of a river in which there is little or no current).</li>
<li>It was carved out of <strong>Vembanad Lake</strong> and is connected via road and rail. The island is connected to the mainland by the <strong>Venduruthy Bridge</strong>.</li>
<li>It is a <strong>major commercial centre</strong> and is home to the <strong>Kochi Naval Base</strong> of the Indian Navy, the <strong>Central Institute of Fisheries Technology </strong>and the <strong>Port of Kochi</strong>.</li>
<li>It was named after the <strong>Viceroy Lord Willingdon and was created artificially in 1936</strong> during his rule to improve the trade relations of British India with the rest of the world.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Lord Willingdon</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>He served as 22<sup>nd</sup> Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1931 to 1936.</li>
<li>Important events of this period include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Second (1931) and Third (1932) Round Table Conferences</li>
<li>Relaunching of Civil Disobedience Movement</li>
<li>Communal Award by Ramsay MacDonald (1932)</li>
<li>Poona Pact (1932)</li>
<li>Government of India Act 1935</li>
<li>Separation of Burma from India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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			'title' => 'Persecution of Uighurs',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to leaked Chinese government documents, there was a clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country&rsquo;s western <strong>Xinjiang region</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the United Nations experts and activists, at least 1 million <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unsc-on-persecution-of-minorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups</a> have been detained in camps in Xinjiang in a crackdown.</li>
<li>The documents reveal that the Chinese leadership&rsquo;s fears were heightened by terrorist attacks in other countries and the U.S. drawdown of troops from Afghanistan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Uighur is a predominantly <strong>Turkic-speaking ethnic group</strong>.</li>
<li>They are primarily confined in <strong>China&rsquo;s northwestern region of Xinjiang</strong> and is one of the largest <strong>Muslim group</strong> in that region.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1574069201_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1574069201_image2.png" width="447" height="251" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/leaked-chinese-government-documents-show-details-of-xinjiang-clampdown-says-news-report/article29997947.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TH</a></p>',
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			'title' => 'SAANS Campaign',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a campaign in Gujarat named <strong>Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS)</strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The aim is <strong>to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia,</strong> which contributes to around 15% of deaths of children under the age of five annually.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Features</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To mobilise people to protect children from pneumonia, and train health personnel and other stakeholders to provide prioritised treatment to control the disease.</li>
<li>A child suffering from pneumonia will be treated with a <strong>pre-referral dose of antibiotic amoxicillin</strong> by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</a> workers.</li>
<li><strong>Pulse Oximeter</strong> (device to monitor oxygen saturation) will be used at the Health and Wellness Centre for identification of low oxygen levels in the blood of child and if required, the child can be treated by the use of oxygen cylinders.</li>
<li>A <strong>mass awareness campaign</strong> will be launched about the <strong>effective solutions for pneumonia prevention</strong> like breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary feeding and immunization etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pneumonia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pneumonia is an <strong>infection that inflames the air sacs (alveoli) in one or both lungs</strong>. The air sacs may fill up with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as a cough, fever, chills and trouble breathing.</li>
<li><strong>Agents:</strong> Many germs can cause pneumonia. The most common are bacteria and viruses in the air that humans breathe.</li>
<li>It is <strong>preventable through vaccination</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerable Population:</strong> Infants and young children, people older than age 65, and people with weak immune systems.</li>
<li><strong>The prevalence rate among Infants in India:</strong> Under-five mortality rate in the country is 37 per 1000 live births, of which 5.3 deaths are caused due to pneumonia.</li>
<li><strong>Step Taken by India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government aims to achieve a <strong>target</strong> of <strong>reducing pneumonia deaths</strong> among children to <strong>less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025</strong>.</li>
<li>In 2014, India launched <strong>&lsquo;Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD)&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong>to undertake collaborative efforts towards prevention of diarrhoea and Pneumonia related under-five deaths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/saans-aims-to-reduce-child-mortality/article29997376.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TH</a></p>',
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		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Supreme Court on Religious Practices',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/fraught-course-sabarimala-verdict-supreme-court-6122011/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Fraught course&rdquo;</strong></a>, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-three-cases-sc-wants-clubbed-with-sabarimala-review-women-entry-temple-religious-places-cji-ranjan-gogoi-6121578/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Explained: The three cases SC wants clubbed with Sabarimala review</strong></a>&rdquo;, &ldquo;<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-supreme-courts-sabarimala-order-and-the-essentiality-test-in-religious-practice-6119369/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sabarimala order: What is the &lsquo;essentiality&rsquo; test in religious practice?</strong></a>&rdquo;, which were published in The Indian Express on 16/11/2019. It talks about Indian judiciary&rsquo;s intervention in religious matters, mainly concerning women and their rights.</p>
</div>
<p>The <strong>Supreme Court&rsquo;s five-judge constitution bench</strong> has decided to <strong>refer the Sabarimala temple case,</strong> clubbed with other 3 pending cases broadly related to the rights of women in the sphere of religion, to a <strong>larger 7-judge Bench.</strong> This leads the apex court into potentially dangerous and conflicting territories.</p>
<p>The new bench has been tasked with finding the balance between the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/regulating-right-to-freedom-of-religion" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Freedom of Religion</strong></a> and <strong>other constitutionally-guaranteed rights,</strong> especially the <strong>Right to Equality (Article 14:</strong> The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India), defining <strong>&ldquo;essential religious practice&rdquo;</strong> and<strong> &ldquo;constitutional morality&rdquo;.</strong></p>
<h3>Context</h3>
<p><strong>Entry of women into the Sabarimala temple</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On 28<sup>th</sup> September <strong>2018, SC lifted the ban</strong> that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 (mainly menstruating women) from <strong>entering the famous Ayyappa shrine</strong> in Kerala by a majority verdict of 4:1.</li>
<li>It held that the centuries-old Hindu religious practice was <strong>illegal and unconstitutional (Article 14 and 25).</strong></li>
<li>Temple custodians argue that women of menstrual age are prohibited from offering prayers as the deity there, Ayyappa, is a celibate.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Muslim women&rsquo;s entry into mosques</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In April <strong>2019,</strong> the SC was moved to seek directions <strong>for allowing Muslim women to enter mosques through the main door,</strong> and to have the &ldquo;Islamic right to visual and auditory access to the <strong>&lsquo;musalla&rsquo;</strong> (main prayer area)&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The petition said that &ldquo;this <strong>act of prohibition is void and unconstitutional</strong> as such practices are not only repugnant to the basic dignity of a woman as an individual but also violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under <strong>Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25</strong> of the Constitution&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The matter was last heard on November 5, 2019, by a Bench comprising CJI-designate Justice S A Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Female genital mutilation among Dawoodi Bohras</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On September 24, <strong>2018,</strong> a Bench of SC referred the matter in <strong>&lsquo;Sunita Tiwari vs Union of India and Ors&rsquo;</strong> to a larger Bench of the Supreme Court.</li>
<li>The petition, filed under <strong>Article 32</strong> of the Constitution, had questioned the constitutionality of the practice of <strong>Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)</strong> or<strong> &lsquo;khatna&rsquo;,</strong> or <strong>Female Circumcision (FC)</strong> or <strong>&lsquo;khafd&rsquo;,</strong> which the petitioner said was carried out on every girl child in the Dawoodi Bohra community.</li>
<li>The petition relied on the <strong>UN Convention on the Rights of the Child</strong> and the <strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights</strong> and urged that the practice is violative of <strong>Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty).</strong></li>
<li>The Bench submitted that the matter should be referred to a larger Bench, which the SC accepted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Entry of Parsi women married to non-Parsis in the Agyari</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Special Leave Petition</strong> in<strong> &lsquo;Goolrukh Gupta vs Burjur Pardiwala&rsquo;</strong> arose out of a judgment passed by the Gujarat High Court in <strong>2012.</strong></li>
<li>The petitioner, Goolrukh Contractor Gupta, moved the High Court in 2010 after her friend who too, like her, was a Parsi married to a Hindu, was <strong>denied entry to the Tower of Silence</strong> during her mother&rsquo;s last rites some years before.</li>
<li>In the court, Goolrukh Gupta&rsquo;s counsel, argued that the question was, &ldquo;in the case of marriage between a Hindu and Parsi, does it result in automatic conversion of religion?&rdquo; The matter hence <strong>raised issues of gender justice.</strong></li>
<li>In<strong> December 2017,</strong> a <strong>Constitution Bench observed</strong> that &ldquo;DNA does not evaporate&rdquo; after marrying outside one&rsquo;s religion&rdquo;, and that <strong>by marrying outside her religion, a woman does not &ldquo;surrender her affection to her father&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Doctrine of Essentiality</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The doctrine of &ldquo;essentiality&rdquo; was invented by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the <strong>&lsquo;Shirur Mutt&rsquo; case in 1954.</strong> The court held that the term &ldquo;religion&rdquo; will cover all rituals and practices &ldquo;integral&rdquo; to a religion, and took upon itself the responsibility of determining the essential and non-essential practices of a religion.</li>
<li>Essential religious practice test is a contentious doctrine evolved by the court to protect only such religious practices which were essential and integral to the religion.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Constitutional Morality</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Constitutional morality provides a principled understanding for unfolding the work of governance. It specifies norms for institutions to survive and an expectation of behaviour that will meet not just the text but the soul of the Constitution. It also makes the governing institutions and representatives accountable.</li>
<li>Constitutional morality has been used to emancipatory effect in past cases by the apex court. One of the examples is <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/to-the-point-paper-2-section-377-judgement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decriminalising homosexuality.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Review parameters usually permit a narrow reconsideration in case of an error in the verdict or discovery of new evidence but <strong>passing on to larger bench could open up new questions,</strong> instead of settling the old ones.</li>
<li>There are concerns within the court itself about <strong>clubbing these four issues</strong> together because this will lead to a situation where not everyone is equally content and a uniform verdict <strong>can give rise to religious conflicts.</strong></li>
<li>The inability to solve issues like this and passing on to the larger benches <strong>narrows down the scope for justice</strong> and for courts as well.</li>
<li>In setting itself the task of<strong> defining this constitutional morality,</strong> the court will now have to go into the question of its limits and boundaries, of its possible clash with religious beliefs and faith.</li>
<li>The <strong>essentiality test impinges on the autonomy and freedom of religion</strong> which was meant to guarantee freedom to practice one&rsquo;s beliefs based on the concept of &ldquo;inward association&rdquo; of man with God.</li>
<li>The Court is <strong>creating problems for itself</strong> as well as <strong>circumscribing individual freedoms and treading into the clergy&rsquo;s domain.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Each of these issues must be considered on their own ground with <strong>different redressal mechanisms.</strong> On essential religious practice, SC should go case by case rather than aim for a grand unified theory.</li>
<li>The court has been inconsistent in applying the essential religious practice doctrine and maybe it should be left like that only to avoid further tensions.</li>
<li>Court&rsquo;s push for expanding its remit and for hard clarity on complex questions will prove difficult and maybe counterproductive so it <strong>should not dwell deeper into the religious matter after a certain point.</strong></li>
<li>The court upheld ideas of freedom and equality and the constitutional promise of a pluralistic and inclusive society while redressing an injustice which should be <strong>upheld as a beacon of hope for a just and equal society.</strong></li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f8ffd6;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />Objectives of gender justice go beyond the boundaries of the courts. Comment.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Essar Insolvency Case',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Supreme Court has recently given its judgement in the <strong>Essar Insolvency case.</strong> The Judgement has paved the way for ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel to take over debt-laden Essar Steel.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573904953_Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573904953_Image2.jpg" width="397" height="371" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In March 2019, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-4th-march-2019-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)</strong></a> approved global steel-giant ArcelorMittal&rsquo;s bid for Essar Steel.</li>
<li>The <strong>Committee of Creditors (CoC)</strong> approved the resolution plan offered by the ArcelorMittal. Under the resolution plan, ArcelorMittal offered an advance cash payment of about ₹42,000 crore to the financial creditors and capital infusion of ₹8,000 in the next few years. However, the offer did not have much for operational creditors to Essar Steel.</li>
<li>In 2019, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-company-law-appellate-tribunal-nclat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)</strong></a> cleared the CoC&rsquo;s plan but <strong>changed the financial distribution plan</strong> by <strong>ordering an equal recovery plan</strong> for all creditors, including financial and operational creditors.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Wisdom of CoC:</strong> It is the commercial wisdom of the requisite majority (66%) of the CoC under the<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)</strong></a> to negotiate and accept a resolution plan, which may involve <strong>differential payment</strong> to different classes of creditors.</li>
<li><strong>Principle of Equality:</strong> The Court held that the equality principle cannot be stretched to treating unequals equally. This will destroy the very objective of the IBC to resolve stressed assets. <strong>Equitable treatment is to be accorded to each creditor depending upon the class to which it belongs:</strong> secured or unsecured, financial or operational.</li>
<li><strong>Restriction on Tribunals:</strong> Tribunals have no<strong> &ldquo;residual equity jurisdiction&rdquo;</strong> to interfere in the merits of a business decision taken by the CoC. This implies that the NCLT and NCLAT <strong>cannot interfere</strong> with the commercial decisions taken by the CoC.</li>
<li><strong>Financial vs Operational Creditors:</strong> The Court upheld the <strong>primacy of financial creditors</strong> over operational creditors in the distribution of funds received under the corporate insolvency scheme. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Court explained that financial creditors are capital-providers for companies, i.e. help companies to purchase assets and run business operations.</li>
<li>Operational creditors, in a way, are beneficiaries of amounts lent by financial creditors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Relaxation of Resolution Deadline:</strong> The Supreme Court has <strong>done away with the 330-day mandatory deadline</strong> for the resolution of insolvency and bankruptcy cases after which liquidation is invoked. The bench allowed a bit of flexibility by allowing exceptions where the resolution plan is on the verge of being finalised.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The 330-day mark is <strong>violation of Article 14</strong> (right to equal treatment ) of the Constitution <strong>and Article 19(1)(g)</strong> ( Right to carry any business) of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Likely Impact of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact on Banks:</strong> Banks will recover Rs. 42,000 crore against admitted debts of Rs. 49,473 crore- a recovery of about 85% compared to the average recovery of 53% in other resolution cases. This would help banks in boosting their capital adequacy.</li>
<li><strong>Speedy Resolution:</strong> The verdict is likely to reduce legal wrangling between financial and operational creditors and accelerate resolution process.</li>
<li><strong>Foreign Investment:</strong> It will attract investors who were getting wary of the nation&rsquo;s bankruptcy process.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is trying to attract foreign capital to its bad loan cleanup, as it battles the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/solving-the-npa-crisis-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>worst nonperforming loan ratio</strong> </a>among the world&rsquo;s major economies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Upheld the Spirit of IBC:</strong> The removal of mandatory 330-day deadline will facilitate resolution, the ultimate objective of the IBC.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Insolvency Resolution Process in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Eligibility:</strong> Under IBC, companies (both private and public limited company) and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP) can be considered as defaulting corporate debtors.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>corporate debtor</strong> is any <strong>corporate</strong> organization which owes a debt to any person.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Default Amount:</strong> The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code can be triggered if there is a <strong>minimum default of Rs 1 lakh.</strong> This process can be triggered by way of filing an application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).</li>
<li><strong>Resolution Initiation:</strong> The process can be initiated by two classes of creditors which would include financial creditors and operational creditors.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Creditors:</strong> A Creditor means any person to whom a debt is owed and includes a financial creditor, an operational creditor, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Financial Creditors:</strong> The financial creditor in simple terms is the institution that provided money to the corporate entity in the form of loans, bonds etc. E.g. banks.</li>
<li><strong>Operational Creditors</strong>: An operational creditor is the entity who has a claim for providing any of the four categories to the defaulted corporate- goods, services, employment and Government dues (central govt, state or local bodies).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appointment of Interim Resolution Professional:</strong> As soon as the matter is admitted by the NCLT, the NCLT proceeds with the appointment of an Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) who takes over the management of the defaulting debtor.</li>
<li><strong>Committee of Creditors (CoC):</strong> A committee consisting only of the financial creditors i.e. the CoC is formed by the IRP. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Only operational creditors having aggregate dues of at least 10% of the total debt are invited into the meeting of CoC <strong>(Operational creditors are not a member of CoC).</strong> The operational creditors don&rsquo;t have any voting power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP):</strong> It includes necessary steps to revive the company such as raising fresh funds for operation, looking for new buyer to sell the company as going concern, etc.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The CoC takes a decision regarding the future of the outstanding debt owed to it. The resolution plan can be implemented only if it has been approved by 66% of the creditors in the CoC</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Liquidation Proceedings:</strong> In the event a resolution plan is not submitted or not approved by the committee of creditors (COC), the CIRP process is deemed to have failed. In such a situation the liquidation proceedings commences subject to the order of the tribunal.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/sc-clears-path-for-arcelormittal-to-acquire-bankrupt-essar-steel/article29988246.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/essar-insolvency-case'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Cold War',
			'catname' => 'Paper 1',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, 30<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (which was brought down on 9/11/1989) was celebrated which had marked a pivotal event in the Cold War Era.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901317_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901317_image1.jpg" width="592" height="418" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>What is Cold War?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Cold War was a period (1945-1991) of geopolitical tension between <strong>the Soviet Union</strong> and its satellite states (the Eastern European countries), and the <strong>United States</strong> with its allies (the Western European countries) after World War II.</li>
<li>Post World War II, the world got divided into two power blocs dominated by two superpowers viz. the Soviet Union and the US.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The two superpowers were primarily engaged in an ideological war between the capitalist USA and the communist Soviet Union.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The term "Cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Note:</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Cold War was between Allied countries (UK, France etc. who were led by the US) and Soviet Union.</li>
<li>Soviet Union<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Soviet Union, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).</li>
<li>It is the world&rsquo;s first Communist state that was established in 1922.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons of Cold War</h3>
<p>Durning the World War Allied countries (US, UK and France) and Soviet Union fought together against the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Japan, Austria). However, this wartime alliance could not workout after World War II, due to multiple factors.</p>
<h3>Potsdam conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Potsdam conference was held at Berlin in 1945 among US, UK and Soviet Union to discuss :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Immediate administration of defeated Germany.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Demarcation of boundary of Poland.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Occupation of Austria.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Role of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Soviet Union wanted some portion of Poland (bordering Soviet Union) to be maintained as a buffer zone. However, the USA and UK didn't agree to this demand.</li>
<li>Also, the USA did not inform the Soviet Union about the exact nature of the atomic bomb, dropped on Japan. This created suspicion in Soviet Union about the intentions of western countries, embittering of the alliance.</li>
<li>This created suspicion in the Soviet leadership.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Truman's Doctrine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Truman Doctrine was announced on March 12, 1947,by US President Harry S. Truman.</li>
<li>The Truman Doctrine was a US policy to stop the Soviet Union&rsquo;s communist and imperialist endeavors, through various ways like providing economic aid to other countries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, US appropriated financial aid to support the economies and militaries of Greece and Turkey.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Historians believe that the announcement of this doctrine marked the official declaration of the Cold War.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Iron Curtain</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Iron Curtain is the political, military, and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union after World War II to seal off itself and its dependent eastern and central European allies from open contact with the West and other noncommunist areas.</li>
<li>On the east side of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were connected to or influenced by the Soviet Union, while on the west side were the countries that were allies of the US, UK or nominally neutral.</li>
</ul>
<p><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901382_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="592" height="346" caption="false" /></p>
<h3>Important Events of the Cold War</h3>
<p><strong>Berlin Blockade 1948</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As the tension between <strong>Soviet Union</strong> and <strong>Allied countries</strong> grew, <strong>Soviet Union</strong> applied Berlin Blockade in 1948.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Berlin Blockade was an attempt by the Soviet Union to limit the ability of Allied countries to travel to their sectors of Berlin.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, on August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic began to build a barbed wire and concrete wall <strong>(Berlin Wall)</strong> between East and West Berlin.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>It primarily served the objective of stemming mass emigration from East Berlin to West Berlin.</strong></li>
<li>Except under special circumstances, travelers from East and West Berlin were rarely allowed across the border.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This Berlin Wall served as a symbol of the Cold War (US and Soviet Union), until its fall in 1989.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>History of the Berlin wall</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Allied countries (US, UK, France) and Soviet Union together defeated Nazi Germany in World War II in 1945, after which Yalta and Potsdam conferences (1945) were held between Soviet Union and Allied countries to decide the fate of Germany&rsquo;s territories.</li>
<li>At the conference, Germany was to be divided into zones under Russian, American, British and French influence.</li>
<li><strong>The eastern part of the country went to the Soviet Union, while the western part went to the United States, Great Britain and France.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Berlin, as the capital, was to be likewise split.</strong> However, Berlin happened to be in the middle of the Russian zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The three Allied zones got merged and became the <strong>Federal Republic of Germany</strong> (FRG) or <strong>West Germany</strong> while the former Soviet occupation zone became the <strong>German Democratic Republic</strong> (GDR) or<strong> East Germany.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The division of Berlin was the main bone of contention between USSR and Allied countries, as West Berlin became an island within Communist East Germany.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901457_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901457_image3.jpg" width="442" height="352" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Berlin Wall fell on 9/11/1989, marking a symbolic end to the cold war.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>The Marshall Plan vs The Cominform</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Marshall Plan</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 1947, American Secretary of State George Marshall, unveiled European Recovery Programme (ERP), which offered economic and financial help wherever it was needed.</li>
<li>One of the aims of the ERP was to promote the economic recovery of Europe. However, this was an economic extension of the Truman Doctrine.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Cominform</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Soviet Union denounced the whole idea of Marshall Plan as 'dollar imperialism.</li>
<li>Therefore, the Cominform (the Communist Information Bureau) - was launched in 1947, as the Soviet response to the Marshall Plan.</li>
<li>It was an organization to draw together mainly Eastern Europe countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>NATO vs Warsaw Pact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Berlin blockade showed the West's military unreadiness and frightened them into making definite preparations.</li>
<li>Therefore, in 1948, mainly the countries of western Europe signed the Brussels Defence Treaty, promising military collaboration in case of war.</li>
<li>Later on Brussels Defence Treaty was joined by the USA, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Italy and Norway. This led to the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April 1949.</li>
<li>NATO countries agreed to regard an attack on any one of them as an attack on all of them, and placing their defence forces under a joint command.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Warsaw Pact</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Warsaw Pact ( 1955) was signed between Russia and her satellite states shortly after West Germany was admitted to NATO.</li>
<li>The Pact was a mutual defense agreement, which the Western countries perceived as a reaction against West Germany's membership of NATO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Space Race</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Space exploration served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition.</li>
<li>In 1957, Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the world&rsquo;s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth&rsquo;s orbit.</li>
<li>In 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite called Explorer I.</li>
<li>However, this space race was won by the US, when it successfully landed, the first man (Neil Armstrong) on the surface of the moon in 1969.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Arms Race</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The containment strategy of US provided the rationale for an unprecedented arms buildup in the United States, reciprocated by Soviet Union.</li>
<li>Development of nuclear weapons took place on a massive scale and the world entered into the age of nuclear age.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Cuban Missiles Crisis, 1962</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Cuba got involved in the Cold War when US broke off its diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, and Soviet Union increased their economic aid to Cuba.</li>
<li>In 1961, the USA planned Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, intending to overthrow the head of Cuban state (Fidel Castro), who was backed by the Soviet Union . However, the operation failed.</li>
<li>Fidel Castro then appealed to the Soviet Union for military help, to which Soviet Union decided to set up a nuclear missile launchers in Cuba aimed at the USA.</li>
<li>Cuban Missile Crisis, brought two superpowers on the brink of a nuclear war. However, the crisis was averted diplomatically.</li>
</ul>
<h3>End of the Cold War</h3>
<p>In 1991, Soviet Union collapsed due to multiple factors which marked the end of the Cold War, as one of the superpowers was weakened.</p>
<h3>Reasons of the collapse of the Soviet Union</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Military reasons</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The space race and the arms race drained a considerable proportion of Soviet Union's resources for military needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Policies of Mikhail Gorbachev</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In order to kick start moribund Soviet economy, Gorbachev instituted the policies of <strong>glasnost (&ldquo;openness&rdquo;)</strong> and <strong>perestroika (&ldquo;restructuring&rdquo;).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Glasnost was intended for liberalization of the political landscape.</li>
<li>Perestroika intended to introduce quasi free market policies in place of government-run industries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It allowed more independent actions from various ministries and introduced many market-like reforms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Rather than sparking a renaissance in Communist thought, these steps opened the floodgates to criticism of the entire Soviet apparatus.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The state lost control of both the media and the public sphere, and democratic reform movements gained steam throughout the Soviet Union.</li>
<li>Also, there was growing disenchantment in the public due to falling economy, poverty, unemployment, etc. This made the people of the Soviet Union attracted to western ideology and way of life.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Afghanistan War</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Soviet-Afghan (1979&ndash;89) was another key factor in the breakup of the Soviet Union, as it drained the economic and military resources of Soviet Union.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The end of the Cold War marked the victory of the US and the bipolar world order turned into a unipolar.</p>
<p>However, over the last decade, the position of the US as the world's most powerful state has appeared increasingly unstable. The US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, non-traditional security threats, global economic instability, the apparent spread of religious fundamentalism, together with the rise of emerging economic powers (like Japan, Australia, India, China etc.) have made the world look more multipolar and has led many to predict the <strong>decline of the west and the rise of the rest.</strong></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/cold-war'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'OPEC +',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the<strong> Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) plus</strong> might face sharp demand fall due to a recent surge in crude oil production from the countries like USA, Norway, and Guyana.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>non-OPEC countries which export crude oil</strong> are termed as <strong>OPEC plus countries.</strong></li>
<li>OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573892127_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573892127_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="551" height="321" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a <strong>permanent, intergovernmental organization,</strong> created at the <strong>Baghdad Conference</strong> in <strong>1960,</strong> by Iran, <strong>Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.</strong></li>
<li>It aims <strong>to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set the price of oil in the world market,</strong> in order to avoid fluctuations that might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing countries.</li>
<li>It is headquartered<strong> in Vienna, Austria.</strong></li>
<li>OPEC <strong>membership</strong> is <strong>open to any country</strong> that is a<strong> substantial exporter of oil</strong> and which shares the <strong>ideals of the organization.</strong></li>
<li>Gabon terminated its membership in January 1995. However, it rejoined the Organization in July 2016.</li>
<li>As of 2019, OPEC has a total of 14 Member Countries viz. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates(UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola, Ecuador and Venezuela are members of OPEC.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Energy Agency</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an <strong>autonomous</strong> organisation which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy.</li>
<li>It was established in the wake of <strong>1973 (set up in 1974) oil crisis</strong> after the OPEC cartel had shocked the world with a steep increase in oil prices.</li>
<li>It is headquartered in<strong> Paris,</strong> France</li>
<li>The IEA has <strong>four main areas of focus,</strong> i.e. 4Es:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Energy security,</li>
<li>Economic development,</li>
<li>Environmental awareness and</li>
<li>Engagement worldwide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> became an<strong> associate member</strong> of the International Energy Agency in <strong>2017.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mexico</strong> officially became the International Energy Agency&rsquo;s <strong>30<sup>th</sup> member country</strong> in February <strong>2018,</strong> and its first member in Latin America.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/news/opec-faces-major-challenge-in-2020-from-competitors-surging-output-iea/articleshow/72070558.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:ET</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/opec'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Contempt of Court',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court of India has held former Ranbaxy promoters guilty of contempt for violating its order.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The expression &lsquo;contempt of court&rsquo; has <strong>not been defined by the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>As per the <strong>Contempt of Courts Act 1971, contempt refers</strong> to the offence of showing disrespect to the dignity or authority of a court.</li>
<li>The act divides contempt into <strong>civil and criminal contempt.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Civil contempt:</strong> It is willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other processes of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to the court.</li>
<li><strong>Criminal contempt:</strong> It is any publication which may result in:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Scandalising the court by lowering its authority.</li>
<li>Interference in the due course of a judicial proceeding.</li>
<li>An obstruction in the administration of justice.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, <strong>innocent publication</strong> and distribution of some matter, <strong>fair and reasonable criticism</strong> of judicial acts and comment on the administrative side of the judiciary <strong>do not amount to contempt of court.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Contempt of Court Act,1971</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The act defines the power of courts to punish for their contempt and regulates their procedure.</li>
<li>It was <strong>amended</strong> in <strong>2006</strong> to include the <strong>defence of truth</strong> under <strong>Section 13</strong> of the original legislation. Implying that the <strong>court must permit justification by truth as a valid defence</strong> if it is satisfied that it is in the public interest.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Punishments for Contempt of Court</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>supreme court and high courts</strong> have the power to <strong>punish for contempt of court,</strong> either with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months or with fine up to 2,000 or with both.</li>
<li>In <strong>1991,</strong> the <strong>Supreme Court has ruled</strong> that <strong>it has the power to punish for contempt not only of itself but also of high courts, subordinate courts and tribunals functioning in the entire country.</strong></li>
<li>On the other hand, High Courts have been given special powers to punish contempt of subordinate courts, as per <strong>Section 10 of The Contempt of Courts Act of 1971.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Need for Contempt Law</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The purpose of contempt jurisdiction is to <strong>uphold the majesty and dignity of the judiciary.</strong></li>
<li>Contempt powers help judges to do their duties of deciding cases <strong>without fear, favour, affection or ill will.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Constitutional Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 129:</strong> Grants Supreme Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.</li>
<li><strong>Article 142(2):</strong> Enables the Supreme Court to investigate and punish any person for its contempt.</li>
<li><strong>Article 215:</strong> Grants every High Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues with Contempt Law</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 19(1)(a)</strong> of the Constitution gives the <strong>right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens,</strong> while<strong> &ldquo;contempt provisions&rdquo; curb people&rsquo;s freedom</strong> to speak against the court&rsquo;s functioning.</li>
<li>The law is <strong>very subjective</strong> which might be used by the judiciary <strong>arbitrarily to suppress their criticism</strong> by the public.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/sc-holds-former-ranbaxy-promoters-malvinder-shivinder-singh-guilty-of-contempt-of-court/article29980528.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/contempt-of-court'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Child Abuse Prevention and Investigation Unit',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/central-bureau-of-investigation-cbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)</strong></a> has set up an<strong> Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit</strong> at its headquarter in New Delhi.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The unit will function under the CBI&rsquo;s Special Crime Zone.</li>
<li>The unit's <strong>territorial jurisdiction would be throughout the country.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions of the Unit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will probe offences covered under various provisions of the <strong>Indian Penal Code (IPC),</strong> the <strong>Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act</strong> and the <strong>Information Technology (IT) Act,</strong> apart from other relevant laws.</li>
<li>It will collect and disseminate information on <strong>online child sexual abuse and exploitation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The incidence of online child sexual abuse and exploitation generally transcends international borders.</li>
<li>Numerous references related to dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) have been received from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/interpol-notices" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Interpol</strong> </a>and other national/international organisations.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Central Bureau of Investigation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CBI is the <strong>premier investigating police agency</strong> in India.</li>
<li>It functions under the superintendence of the <strong>Ministry of Personnel, Pension &amp; Public Grievances.</strong></li>
<li>However for investigations of offences under the <strong>Prevention of Corruption Act,</strong> its superintendence vests with the<strong> Central Vigilance Commission.</strong></li>
<li>It is the<strong> nodal agency in India</strong> which coordinates investigation <strong>on behalf of Interpol member countries.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cbi-unit-for-online-child-abuse-cases/article29986457.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/child-abuse-prevention-and-investigation-unit'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Chief Justice of India under the Ambit of the RTI Act',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/open-all-the-same-on-cji-office-and-rti-act/article29975187.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Open, all the same: On CJI office and RTI Act&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 15/11/2019. It talks about the implications of recent Supreme Court judgement on bringing Chief Justice of India under the ambit of the Right to Information Act.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India (SC) ruled that the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) would come under the ambit of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information Act, 2005</strong></a> (RTI Act), as CJI is a<strong> public authority</strong> under the RTI Act.</p>
<p>The declaration of assets by ministers and legislators provide the citizenry with more relevant information about their representatives. However, before this judgement, the judges of the Supreme Court had refused to share information on their personal assets.</p>
<div class="border-bg" p=""><strong>Definition of Public Authority</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act,</strong> information means &ldquo;any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advice, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a <strong>public authority</strong> under any other law for the time being in force&rdquo;.</li>
<li><strong>"Public authority"</strong> means any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted by or under the Constitution; by any other law made by Parliament/State Legislature and by a notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Significance of the Verdict</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Through the judgement, the SC upheld the<strong> Delhi High Court judgment (2010)</strong> which ruled that the CJI and the other justices of SC are liable to disclose information as in the case of other public authorities under the purview of the RTI Act.</li>
<li>The outcome is that the office of the CJI will now entertain RTI applications.</li>
<li>It opens the doors for transparency in the judiciary. Higher judiciary in India has been criticized for its opaqueness under the doctrine of the independence of the judiciary.</li>
<li>The verdict underlines the balance Supreme Court needs between transparency and protecting its independence.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While ruling that the office of the CJI is a public authority, the Supreme Court held that RTI cannot be used as a tool of surveillance and that judicial independence has to be kept in mind while dealing with transparency.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It can give a boost to Good Governance, as now judiciary, executive, legislature, all come under the ambit of RTI Act.</li>
<li>The key takeaway from the judgment is that disclosure of details of serving judges personal assets is now not a violation of their right to privacy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Lack of clarity:</strong> The SC argued that the right to know under the RTI Act was not absolute and this had to be balanced with the right of privacy of judges. <strong>However, the public interest is nowhere defined.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, RTI requests have to be decided after very careful consideration of a whole range of issues, balancing disclosure with privacy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dilution of RTI Act:</strong> The potency of the RTI Act is under the scanner after <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>recent amendments done in the RTI Act.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Amendment empowers the Central government to decide tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of service of Information Commissioners.</li>
<li>The Commission which is vested by law with status, independence and authority, will now function as a department of the Central government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administrative burden:</strong> The RTI Act, 2005 did not create a new bureaucracy for implementing the law. It tasked and mandated officials in every office for dealing with RTI requests.<strong> However, this adds to the administrative burden of the bureaucracy.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Need for more transparency:</strong> After bringing SC judges under the ambit of RTI, the next logical step would be to remove opaqueness about appointments of the judges, made through the collegium system in the SC.</li>
<li><strong>A screening committee of RTI Act</strong>: In order to reduce the administrative burden of bureaucracy (pertaining to RTI requests), a screening committee <strong>(comprised of civil society members)</strong> can be formed, which can weed out <strong>frivolous RTI requests.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Strengthen RTI:</strong> RTI Act can be strengthened with <strong>a strong Whistleblower Protection Act.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Expand ambit of RTI:</strong> The SC judgment paves the way for greater transparency. Therefore it is now the turn of other institutions such as registered political parties to be be brought under the RTI Act.</li>
</ul>
<p>The RTI Act is a strong weapon that enhances accountability, citizen activism and, consequently, participative democracy. In this context, the judgement can give a fillip to people&rsquo;s quest for transparency and accountability.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffed9;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />The recent judgement of the Supreme Court that brings the office of Chief Justice of India under the ambit of the Right to Information Act will give a fillip to people&rsquo;s quest for transparency and accountability. Comment</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/chief-justice-of-india-under-the-ambit-of-the-rti-act'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Brahmaputra Pushkaram Festival',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Assam government is celebrating <strong>Brahmaputra Pushkaram-</strong> a <strong>12-day</strong> mega <strong>river festival</strong> from November 5 to November 16 this year. Earlier, the Brahmaputra Pushkaram festival was held in 2007.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, the Pushkaram festival was celebrated on the banks of the <strong>Tamiraparani</strong> in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will be the <strong>second biggest river festival</strong> ever to be celebrated <strong>in the state of Assam</strong> after <strong>Namami Brahmaputra.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Pushkaram</strong> festival is a festival of rivers that pertains to the <strong>12 important rivers in India.</strong> It occurs once in 12 years for each river.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Namami Brahmaputra</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Namami Brahmaputra</strong> is a<strong>&nbsp;festival</strong> that celebrates the beauty of the Brahmaputra river.</li>
<li>It is organized by Assam Government. The first edition was celebrated in 2017.</li>
<li>It is a five-day programme that showcases Assam&rsquo;s art, heritage, and culture. The event was held in <strong>21 districts</strong> across the state touched by the Brahmaputra.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/a-festival-on-the-brahmaputra-promenade/article29971989.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/brahmaputra-pushkaram-festival'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Index of Industrial Production (IIP)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Index of Industrial Production (IIP)</strong> for the month of September 2019 has <strong>contracted by 4.3</strong> % as <strong>compared to</strong> the month of September 2018.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is the first time after <strong>November 2012</strong> that all <strong>three broad-based sectors (Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity)</strong> have contracted and the<strong> lowest monthly growth</strong> in the <strong>2011-12 base year series.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Recent IIP Contraction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Lower agricultural growth impacting rural demand adversely:</strong> India is witnessing <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/agricultural-distress-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>agricultural distress</strong></a> because of multiple factors like lack of easy credit, the declining average size of farm holdings, poor policy, and planning, etc.</li>
<li><strong>A slowdown in the Indian industrial sector:</strong> Indian<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/economic-slowdown-and-its-fix" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> industrial sector is facing slowdown</strong></a> driven by disruptive technologies, changes in consumer behaviour, changing global industrial scenario, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Structural growth slowdown in the Indian Economy:</strong> India is facing a long-term, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/economic-slowdown-cyclical-or-structural" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>deep-rooted economic slowdown</strong></a> which would require the government to undertake some structural policies like economic reforms of 1991.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Index of Industrial Production</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that shows the <strong>growth rates in different industry groups of the economy in a fixed period of time.</strong></li>
<li>It is compiled and published <strong>monthly</strong> by the <strong>Central Statistical Organization (CSO),</strong> Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.</li>
<li>IIP is a <strong>composite indicator</strong> that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Broad sectors,</strong> namely, Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.</li>
<li><strong>Use-based sectors,</strong> namely Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Base Year</strong> for IIP is <strong>2011-2012.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/core-sector-output-falls-by-5-2-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>eight core industries</strong> </a>of India represent about <strong>40% of the weight of items</strong> that are included in the <strong>IIP.</strong></li>
<li>Significance of IIP :<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>IIP is the <strong>only measure</strong> on the <strong>physical volume of production.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>used</strong> by <strong>government agencies</strong> including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc, for <strong>policy-making purposes.</strong></li>
<li>IIP remains extremely relevant for the <strong>calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/industrial-production-contracts-43-in-sept/article29945956.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/index-of-industrial-production-iip'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation</strong></a> (AITE), there has been an increase in the number of tigers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The number of tigers in the <strong>Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve</strong> (NSTR) in Andhra Pradesh has gone up, reversing the steady decline in their number over a period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF)</strong> has drawn up an action plan to double its efforts to facilitate the proliferation of the big cats in the largest tiger reserve in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NSTR is the<strong> largest tiger reserve</strong> in India.</li>
<li><strong>Historical Background:</strong> It was notified in the year of 1978 and came under the protection of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/status-of-conservation-of-tigers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Tiger</strong></a> in 1983. In 1992, it was retitled as<strong> Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Geographical Aspects:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Tiger reserve is spread over 5 districts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The area consists mostly of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uranium-mining-in-nallamala-forest" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nallamala Hills.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The multipurpose reservoirs- <strong>Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar</strong> are located in the reserve.</li>
<li>The <strong>Krishna river</strong> cuts the basin of this reserve.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ecological Diversity:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Fauna:</strong> It is home to a vast variety of wild animals. In addition to the Bengal Tiger, which is the apex predator, many other species like leopard, rusty-spotted cat, pangolin, Mugger Crocodiles, Indian Rock Python, and innumerable varieties of birds are found here.</li>
<li><strong>Flora:</strong>&nbsp;Variety of forests ranging from southern tropical dry mixed deciduous forest till southern thorn forest. A wide variety of shrubs and bamboo thickets also grow in this area.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573811996_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573811996_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="469" height="477" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Project Tiger</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Project Tiger is a <strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme</strong> of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change launched in 1973 to provide central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves in India. The project is administered by the <strong>National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/tiger-conservation-gets-a-boost-in-ap/article29935836.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/nagarjunasagar-srisailam-tiger-reserve'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Geochemical Baseline Atlas',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI)</strong> has released the<strong> first &lsquo;Geochemical Baseline Atlas of India&rsquo; for environmental management.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The atlas aims to document the <strong>concentration and distribution of the chemical elements</strong> in the soils of India.</li>
<li>It consists of <strong>44 maps of metals, oxides, and elements</strong> present in <strong>top and bottom</strong> soils<strong> across India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both human activities and natural processes are continuously modifying the chemical composition of our environment. Hence, it will help to <strong>assess the chemical compositional changes on the Earth&rsquo;s surface.</strong></li>
<li>It will help the country <strong>to assess the presence of toxic chemicals</strong> in soil and how it varies from place to place. It also helps in identifying how soil pollution is contributing to groundwater contamination</li>
<li>Further, the map will also support in choosing the <strong>right soil that&rsquo;s rich</strong> in certain micronutrient elements required for each plant growth.</li>
<li>The geochemical data presented in these maps will be a part of the <strong>global map to be prepared by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGC).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>About CSIR-NGRI:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is a geoscientific research organization established in <strong>1961</strong> under the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/council-of-scientific-and-industrial-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a<strong> non-governmental scientific organization</strong> founded in 1961 which promotes and encourages the study of geological problems, and facilitates international and interdisciplinary cooperation in the earth sciences.</li>
<li>The Union consists of <strong>121 members nations.</strong> India is the member.</li>
<li>At present IUGS gives considers issues related to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Geoscience education,</li>
<li>Geoscience information,</li>
<li>Environmental management and hazards</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/geochemical-baseline-atlas-of-india-released/article29933574.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/geochemical-baseline-atlas'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Olive Ridley Turtles',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Odisha government would compensate 8,000 fishermen families who would bear losses due to the <strong>fishing ban</strong> imposed for the protection of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles-hatching" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Olive Ridley sea turtles.</strong> </a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ban is an annual fishing ban that would be in force from November, 2019 to May 31, 2020. During this period, lakhs of turtles would arrive at the Odisha coast for mass nesting.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Olive Ridley Turtles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Olive ridley turtles are the <strong>smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles</strong> found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.</li>
<li>They are best known for their unique <strong>mass nesting called Arribada.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An arribada is a mass-nesting event when thousands of turtles come ashore at the same time to lay eggs on the same.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The enormous number of Olive ridleys <strong>nest in Odisha (namely at three river mouths: Dhamara, Devi and Rushikulya) in India.</strong></li>
<li>The species is listed as <strong>Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List,</strong> Appendix 1 in CITES, and Schedule 1 in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.</li>
<li>Olive-ridleys<strong> face serious threats</strong> across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches due to human activities such as unfriendly turtle fishing practices, development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dhamara River Mouth</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Brahmani river (second largest river in Odisha) enters into the Bay of Bengal along with a combined mouth with the Mahanadi (the largest river in Odisha)&nbsp; known as the Dhamara.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Devi River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Devi river is one of the principal distributaries of Mahanadhi.</li>
<li>It flows through Jagatsinghpur district and Puri district across Odisha state in India and joins the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Rushikulya River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It originates from Rushikulya hills of the Eastern Ghats in Phulbani district.</li>
<li>It is 165 kms. long with 8900 sq.kms of catchment areas.</li>
<li>It covers entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam district of Odisha.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-to-compensate-8000-fishermen-families-for-fishing-ban-for-olive-ridley-protection/article29979456.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/olive-ridley-turtles-2'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Satpura Tiger Reserve',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Satpura Tiger Reserve located in the <strong>Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh</strong> came into limelight because of the presence of <strong>Mahuva tree in its buffer zone.</strong> The people residing there have a superstitious belief that Mahuva tree can bring instant relief/cure to their ailments or misfortunes.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was established in <strong>2000</strong> and is located south of <strong>Narmada River.</strong></li>
<li>Satpura tiger reserve comprises of <strong>three protected areas</strong> namely, <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Satpura National Park,</li>
<li>Bori Sanctuary, and</li>
<li>Pachmarhi Sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Denwa river:</strong> Denwa river is the main water source of the park. It originates from south-eastern part of the Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh and flows from east to west direction before joining the Tawa river at the south of Ranipur.</li>
<li><strong>Diversity:</strong> These forest enclaves provide habitat for several <strong>endangered species,</strong> including the Tiger. Other prime species found here are Black Buck, Leopard, Dhole, Indian Gaur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Sloth Bear. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Avian Fauna-</strong> more than 300 species of birds can be seen which include Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Whistling Thrush and the <strong>State Bird of Madhya Pradesh Paradise Flycatcher</strong> along with many <strong>migratory birds</strong> like Indian Skimmers, Black-bellied tern, Bar-headed Geese, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Archaeological Significance:</strong> Presence of more than 50 rock shelters with paintings which are 1500 to 10,000 years old. Some of them are having very rare depictions of elephants, lions, tigers, porcupines, and pangolins.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mahuva Tree</strong> (Mahua Longifolia) is an <strong>Indian tropical tree</strong> found largely in the central and north Indian plains and forests.</li>
<li><strong>Buffer Zone</strong> are areas created to enhance the protection of a specific conservation area. They are areas peripheral to a specific protected area, where restrictions on resource use and special development measures are undertaken in order to enhance the conservation value of the protected area. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Within buffer zones, resource use may be <strong>legally or customarily restricted,</strong> often to a lesser degree than in the adjacent protected area so as to form a <strong>transition zone.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/magic-tree-in-mp-tiger-reserve-brings-thousands-of-believers-6120392/" 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/satpura-tiger-reserve'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => '11th BRICS Summit',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>11<sup>th</sup> BRICS Summit</strong> took place from 13<sup>th</sup>-14<sup>th</sup> November 2019 in <strong>Brasilia, Brazil.</strong> The<strong> theme</strong> of the 2019 BRICS summit is<strong> "Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.&rdquo;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/brics-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BRICS</strong></a> countries adopted the Brasilia Declaration.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Brasilia Declaration<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573804178_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573804178_image1.png" width="312" height="220" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It advocates and supports multilateralism, the central role of the U.N. in international affairs and respect for international law.</li>
<li><strong>Reforming Multilateral Systems:</strong> There is an urgent need to strengthen and reform the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> and other multilateral organisations, including the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-trade-organisation-wto" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Trade Organisation (WTO)</strong></a> and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Monetary Fund (IMF)</strong></a>, to address the significant challenges being faced by the developing countries.</li>
<li><strong>Support to Multilateralism:</strong> The trade war between China and the U.S. and rising protectionism is hurting the global economy. Multilateralism is crucial for emerging countries to protect their own interests.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Stand at the Summit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Intra-BRICS trade</strong> accounts for just 15% of world trade, it needs to be increased. India <strong>invited business leaders</strong> of the member nations<strong> for investment,</strong> particularly in infrastructure development.</li>
<li>India proposed to hold the <strong>first meeting of BRICS Water Ministers</strong> in India.</li>
<li>India highlighted the <strong>menace of terrorism</strong> which has resulted in the loss of $1 trillion to the world economy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>BRICS</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world&rsquo;s leading emerging economies, namely <strong>Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2001,</strong> the British Economist Jim O&rsquo;Neill coined the term <strong>BRIC</strong> to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.</li>
<li>The grouping was <strong>formalised</strong> during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in <strong>2006.</strong></li>
<li><strong>South Africa</strong> was invited to join BRIC in December <strong>2010,</strong> after which the group adopted the acronym <strong>BRICS.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It comprises 42% of the world's population, has 23% of the global GDP and around 17% of the world trade.</li>
<li>The <strong>chairmanship</strong> of the forum is <strong>rotated annually</strong> among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S. <strong>Brazil is the current chair</strong> of the grouping.</li>
<li>The <strong>BRICS Leaders&rsquo;</strong> <strong>Summit</strong> is convened <strong>annually.</strong></li>
<li>During the <strong>Sixth BRICS Summit</strong> in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the <strong>New Development Bank (NDB).</strong> They also signed the <strong>BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Meetings on the sidelines of the Summit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India - Brazil</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India invited the President of Brazil as the <strong>Chief Guest at the Republic Day 2020.</strong></li>
<li>Brazil has decided to grant <strong>visa-free travel to Indian citizens.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India - China</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chinese President invited the Indian Prime Minister for the 3<sup>rd</sup> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-2nd-informal-summit-mamallapuram-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>informal summit</strong></a> <strong>in China in 2020.</strong> The first informal summit took place at Wuhan (China-2018) and second at Mamallapuram (India-2019).</li>
<li>Both the leaders reviewed preparations for celebrating the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations</strong> between the two countries in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-and-russia-ties-in-transition" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India - Russia</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>1<sup>st</sup> Bilateral Regional Forum</strong> at the level of Russian Provinces and the Indian States will be held in 2020.</li>
<li>India has been invited for<strong> investment in the Arctic region.</strong> The US $ 25 billion target of bilateral trade by 2025 has already been achieved.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pragmatism-prevails-as-brics-rejects-protectionism-and-trade-wars/article29980213.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture: Dairy Industry & FTA',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kse1C7Fp-cI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Recently, India decided against joining the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/regional-comprehensive-economic-partnership-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)</strong></a> which is a <strong>Free Trade Agreement</strong> (FTA) between more than a dozen countries. In the run-up to the RCEP meet, the domestic dairy industry has been vocal about its apprehensions regarding this FTA.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has been the <strong>leading producer and consumer of dairy products globally</strong> with sustained growth over the years.</li>
<li><strong>Estimated production of milk in 2018-19 was 187 million tonnes.</strong></li>
<li>The dairy industry and milk hold equal importance to farmers and consumers.</li>
<li>Milk is a source of liquidity for the farmers. It provides them with ready cash whereas crops fetch them cash only 2-3 times a year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dairy Industry&rsquo;s Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Employment loss:</strong> The dairy industry is a major source of livelihood providing employment to millions of people at various levels like- <strong>production, procurement, transportation, value addition</strong> etc. and<strong> FTA will harm all</strong> of them.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The FTA especially RCEP could have led to<strong> 50 million rural people losing their jobs,</strong> which would have pushed up the need for importing milk.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on income:</strong> People engaged in the dairy sector and their livelihood would have come under direct threat as they will <strong>not get remunerative prices</strong> in case of a free trade agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to domestic dairy market:</strong> If an FTA is signed, the <strong>quality of the product</strong> imported under it remains a concerning issue. The option of cheaper milk and milk products might seem tempting but it is not good for the long run because it will <strong>adversely affect the dairy</strong> industry.</li>
<li><strong>Impact on cattle:</strong> Rural families with a <strong>marketable surplus amount of milk will suffer</strong> mainly. If the milk will not have a <strong>market or with very less value, the cattle will be left open</strong> because its maintenance is also expensive.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to life security:</strong> Indian farming community is <strong>not a cohesive unit</strong> in itself and <strong>two-thirds of them are either landless or small marginal farmers</strong> so it becomes a more pressing issue for their life security.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>New Zealand</strong> is an exporter of dairy products and will be eyeing India primarily to sell milk powder and fat products, due to its competitive edge.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nearly, 93.4% of New Zealand's milk powder, 94.5% of its butter, and 83.6% of its cheese production got exported in 2018. India's export of milk products does not match up.</li>
<li>Per animal milk production is very low in India whereas it is high in New Zealand and Australia. The competition will also be sharp owning to high milk yielding breed of cattle in New Zealand and Australia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The milk yield of New Zealand is 13 litres per day where in India, it is 3.5 litres per day.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Measures To Be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>By Government</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Government&rsquo;s efforts</strong> to double farmers income include dairy within agriculture but it needs to <strong>support it differently with more focus and funds</strong> for it.</li>
<li>While focusing on the dairy industry and farmers, the<strong> interest of the consumers should also be kept in mind</strong> to ensure a win-win situation for both the producers and consumers.</li>
<li>There has to be a <strong>balance between free trade and import restriction.</strong></li>
<li>The government can give <strong>subsidised milk to BPL families</strong> as it does with rice and wheat under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-nation-one-ration-card-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Food Security Act</strong></a> which will <strong>solve the problem of food security</strong> as well as <strong>provide a market for milk.</strong></li>
<li>People working in the dairy industry <strong>should be provided 8-10% of subsidy</strong> if India wants to compete with the global players.</li>
<li>The <strong>pricing mechanism</strong> of the dairy industry is not in the favour of farmers so it should be <strong>rectified.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Steps taken by Government</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>For improvement and conservation of our indigenous breeds, the government has launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rashtriya-gokul-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashtriya Gokul Mission.</strong></a></li>
<li>Government is also <strong>promoting our indigenous breeds</strong> and seeking a huge potential in the <strong>A2 milk</strong> (it is a variety of cow's milk that mostly lacks a form of &beta;-casein proteins called A1) market.</li>
<li>Government has given <strong>export subsidy on milk products</strong> and farmers got good earnings from the <strong>Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP)</strong> exports.</li>
<li>Government cooperatives as well as private sectors, both are working upon <strong>Artificial Insemination which plays an important role in improving cattle productivity by upgrading the genetic potential, to increase the yield of the milk.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>By Dairy Industry</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian dairy industry needs to be <strong>mechanised and modernised to achieve sustainability</strong> in this FTA environment.</li>
<li>Apart from that, the focus should also be on <strong>increasing the yields</strong> so that India can be a <strong>major player in milk and milk products&rsquo; exports.</strong></li>
<li>After the fulfilment of supplies,<strong> extra milk and milk powder can be subsidised</strong> and distributed to BPL farmers and families.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other measures</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Levels of malnutrition</strong> prove that even in villages, all the people do not have access to milk so they <strong>all should be covered</strong> under the schemes.</li>
<li>Dairy is mainly a <strong>women-led industry</strong> so strengthening it would mean <strong>more opportunities for women</strong> and more avenues for their growth and development.</li>
<li>The <strong>quality</strong> of the milk <strong>should be improved</strong> and <strong>value addition</strong> must be done.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Instead of importing</strong> cheese from other countries, India should start manufacturing its own and expand it further to even start exporting.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New techniques, training</strong> should be provided to workers in the dairy industry so that they can <strong>work better and look for new innovations.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>increase in the quantity of milk</strong> may help in solving the problem of remunerative prices of milk.</li>
<li><strong>Employment should be generated</strong> in villages and already <strong>existing opportunities should be strengthened to stop rural outmigration.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian market is vast and the dairy industry needs to take advantage</strong> of it. It should go into the <strong>mass-scale distribution</strong> of milk by encouraging better milk outputs, buying the milk, converting the milk into milk powder and distributing it at a subsidised rate through the National Food Security Act and keep looking for more remunerative options.</li>
<li>India is the biggest producer as well as the consumer of milk and the <strong>solution lies within the ecosystem only</strong> by making improvement in the quality and quantity of the milk produced and by adding value to it so that both farmers and consumers can benefit.</li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'What Makes Doing Business Easier',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/what-makes-doing-business-easier/article29891844.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;What makes doing business easier&rdquo;</strong></a> that was published in The Hindu on 06/11/2019. It talks about the challenges to ease of doing business in the economy.</p>
</div>
<p>In the latest ranking for countries in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ease-of-doing-business-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ease of doing business,</strong></a> the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has placed India 63<sup>rd</sup> out of 190 countries &mdash; an improvement of 14 places from its 77<sup>th</sup> position last year.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India figures in the top ten most improved countries in the world for the third consecutive year.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>score improved</strong> from <strong>67.23 (2019) to 71.0 (2020).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges to Ease of Doing Business in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economic Slowdown:</strong> The viability of a business depends on the vitality of the economy in which it is embedded.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Aggregate Demand Dip:</strong> Indian economy is facing an aggregate demand slowdown which is mainly characterized by very slow growth of agriculture sector. This has put a break on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/consumption-conundrum-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>consumption growth</strong></a> which is the main driver for Indian economy.</li>
<li><strong>Income Distribution:</strong> Income distribution shifts away from the overwhelming majority of the population to a handful few, increasing income gap. This is evident from the fact that the sale of luxury cars had fared well than sales of the most basic items of clothing during the Diwali.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legislative Challenges:</strong> The structural reasons for slow growth of business comprises of regulatory framework which includes a plethora of overlapping laws and compliance requirements in setting-up and running a business.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Subjective interpretation of the law</strong>: Tax laws are prone to the subjective interpretation of tax officers which causes undue hardships to taxpayers and leaves<strong> scope for &ldquo;tax terrorism&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Overlapping Laws:</strong> The Companies Act, 2013 and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, have overlapping provisions, which act as deterrents to the ease of doing business in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Asymmetrical Policy Response:</strong> The government measures are mainly directed toward reforming formal sector, while almost 85% of our workforce is engaged in unorganised sector.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For long, economic policies had remained impervious to the challenges faced by its smaller businessmen. Neither the grand industrial policy statements of the Nehru era nor Narendra Modi&rsquo;s &lsquo;Make in India&rsquo; programme appear to have realised that they need to be enabled too.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Measures taken to Improve Ease of Doing Business</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code:</strong> <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016</strong></a> has introduced new dimensions in resolving insolvency in India. It is India&rsquo;s first comprehensive legislation of corporate insolvency.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under Fast-track Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) for mid-sized companies, the process for insolvency shall be completed within 90 days with a maximum grace period of another 45 days.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Goods and Service tax (GST):</strong> The idea of <strong>&lsquo;one nation, one tax&rsquo;</strong> has made it easier for people to start a business, and ITC (Input Credit) mechanism ensures an uninterrupted flow of cash for businesses and reduced price of goods/services for the end consumers.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/info-paper3/gst-a-historic-landmark-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Goods and Service Tax</strong> </a>came into effect from 01 July 2017. It subsumes eight taxes at the Central and nine taxes at the State level.</li>
<li>Further simplification of returns processes, addressing concerns for India&rsquo;s huge MSME/SME sectors etc. are necessary steps that need to be taken to reap the kind of benefits envisioned during GST inception.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Technology Based Governance:</strong> The Government has taken innumerable steps to enhance digital adoption in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The eBiz platform of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) integrates several processes across (government) departments to make the process of incorporating a company simpler.</li>
<li>Registration under Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) are available at <strong>Shram Suvidha portal</strong> as a common online service with no physical touch point.</li>
<li><strong>e-Sanchit,</strong> an online application system, allows traders to file all documents electronically.</li>
<li>The <strong>Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)</strong> has developed a fully online module for electronic return filing with online payment. This has substantially reduced the time to prepare and file returns.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Taxation Relief:</strong> Reduction of corporate tax from 30% to 25% for mid-sized companies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tax rate for new domestic manufacturing companies is now <strong>15%</strong> (17.01% inclusive of surcharge and cess).</li>
<li>Domestic companies can opt for concessional tax regime @ 22% (effective tax rate: 25.17% inclusive of surcharge and cess). Such companies cannot claim any other income tax incentive or exemption and are also not be liable to pay the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fixed Term Employment:</strong> The provision for Fixed Term Employment- hiring employees for specific period- earlier applicable to only textile industries has now been proposed to be extended to all sectors.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Creating Demand:</strong> To address an aggregate-demand growth slowdown, an active macroeconomic policy is needed. Spending must focus on the rural sector to raise agricultural yields and build the infrastructure needed to support non-farm livelihoods so that pressure on the land can be reduced. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Investment:</strong> Recent initiatives of corporate tax cut could feed a private investment surge but it could also add to the ongoing shift in income distribution. Therefore, spinoffs of public spending could lead to growth in business activity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legal Barriers:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Companies Act should be reviewed in order to minimise criminalisation of violations.</li>
<li>Taxation laws should be made simpler and tax administration should be impersonal. Direct Tax Code (DTC) will be the right step in this direction.</li>
<li>The GST law should be stabilised and the technology backbone should be strengthened rather than making more changes.</li>
<li>Human interface between tax officers and taxpayers should be reduced while automating the tax machinery.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Make in India:</strong> The program represents a comprehensive overhaul of processes and policies and represents a complete change of the Government&rsquo;s mindset - a shift from issuing authority to business partner.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Emphasis on manufacturing would help in solving employment crisis and will lead to increased purchasing capacity, thus boosting domestic consumption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>However, it would be unwise to judge the state of the business activity by observing movements in the <strong>ease of doing business index</strong> as it is just the reflection of regulatory measures taken in two big cities of Delhi and Mumbai. Therefore, more comprehensive measures incorporating the whole territorial region of India would do just in tackling the crippling economic conditions.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #4c00ff; background-color: #f2f1c9;">
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Inputs</strong></em></span><br /><br />The &lsquo;ease of doing business index&rsquo; is not the true reflection of business activity in the country. Examine the above statement and also suggest the policy measures taken to improve business activity in the economy.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Sangam Age',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1574409421_Sangam%20Age (Mind Map).png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1574409421_Sangam Age (Mind Map).png" width="415" height="1618" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/to-the-points/paper1/sangam-age-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>For TTP</em></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/mind-map/gs-paper1/sangam-age-2'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Willingdon Island',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Willingdon Island is a seaport located in the city of Kochi, Kerala.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>largest man-made/artificial island</strong> of India and is surrounded by backwaters (a part of a river in which there is little or no current).</li>
<li>It was carved out of <strong>Vembanad Lake</strong> and is connected via road and rail. The island is connected to the mainland by the <strong>Venduruthy Bridge</strong>.</li>
<li>It is a <strong>major commercial centre</strong> and is home to the <strong>Kochi Naval Base</strong> of the Indian Navy, the <strong>Central Institute of Fisheries Technology </strong>and the <strong>Port of Kochi</strong>.</li>
<li>It was named after the <strong>Viceroy Lord Willingdon and was created artificially in 1936</strong> during his rule to improve the trade relations of British India with the rest of the world.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Lord Willingdon</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>He served as 22<sup>nd</sup> Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1931 to 1936.</li>
<li>Important events of this period include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Second (1931) and Third (1932) Round Table Conferences</li>
<li>Relaunching of Civil Disobedience Movement</li>
<li>Communal Award by Ramsay MacDonald (1932)</li>
<li>Poona Pact (1932)</li>
<li>Government of India Act 1935</li>
<li>Separation of Burma from India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/willingdon-island'
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	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Persecution of Uighurs',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to leaked Chinese government documents, there was a clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country&rsquo;s western <strong>Xinjiang region</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the United Nations experts and activists, at least 1 million <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unsc-on-persecution-of-minorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups</a> have been detained in camps in Xinjiang in a crackdown.</li>
<li>The documents reveal that the Chinese leadership&rsquo;s fears were heightened by terrorist attacks in other countries and the U.S. drawdown of troops from Afghanistan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Uighur is a predominantly <strong>Turkic-speaking ethnic group</strong>.</li>
<li>They are primarily confined in <strong>China&rsquo;s northwestern region of Xinjiang</strong> and is one of the largest <strong>Muslim group</strong> in that region.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1574069201_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1574069201_image2.png" width="447" height="251" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/leaked-chinese-government-documents-show-details-of-xinjiang-clampdown-says-news-report/article29997947.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TH</a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/persecution-of-uighurs'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'SAANS Campaign',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a campaign in Gujarat named <strong>Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS)</strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The aim is <strong>to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia,</strong> which contributes to around 15% of deaths of children under the age of five annually.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Features</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To mobilise people to protect children from pneumonia, and train health personnel and other stakeholders to provide prioritised treatment to control the disease.</li>
<li>A child suffering from pneumonia will be treated with a <strong>pre-referral dose of antibiotic amoxicillin</strong> by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</a> workers.</li>
<li><strong>Pulse Oximeter</strong> (device to monitor oxygen saturation) will be used at the Health and Wellness Centre for identification of low oxygen levels in the blood of child and if required, the child can be treated by the use of oxygen cylinders.</li>
<li>A <strong>mass awareness campaign</strong> will be launched about the <strong>effective solutions for pneumonia prevention</strong> like breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary feeding and immunization etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pneumonia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pneumonia is an <strong>infection that inflames the air sacs (alveoli) in one or both lungs</strong>. The air sacs may fill up with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as a cough, fever, chills and trouble breathing.</li>
<li><strong>Agents:</strong> Many germs can cause pneumonia. The most common are bacteria and viruses in the air that humans breathe.</li>
<li>It is <strong>preventable through vaccination</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerable Population:</strong> Infants and young children, people older than age 65, and people with weak immune systems.</li>
<li><strong>The prevalence rate among Infants in India:</strong> Under-five mortality rate in the country is 37 per 1000 live births, of which 5.3 deaths are caused due to pneumonia.</li>
<li><strong>Step Taken by India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government aims to achieve a <strong>target</strong> of <strong>reducing pneumonia deaths</strong> among children to <strong>less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025</strong>.</li>
<li>In 2014, India launched <strong>&lsquo;Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD)&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong>to undertake collaborative efforts towards prevention of diarrhoea and Pneumonia related under-five deaths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/saans-aims-to-reduce-child-mortality/article29997376.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TH</a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/saans-campaign'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Supreme Court on Religious Practices',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/fraught-course-sabarimala-verdict-supreme-court-6122011/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Fraught course&rdquo;</strong></a>, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-three-cases-sc-wants-clubbed-with-sabarimala-review-women-entry-temple-religious-places-cji-ranjan-gogoi-6121578/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Explained: The three cases SC wants clubbed with Sabarimala review</strong></a>&rdquo;, &ldquo;<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-supreme-courts-sabarimala-order-and-the-essentiality-test-in-religious-practice-6119369/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sabarimala order: What is the &lsquo;essentiality&rsquo; test in religious practice?</strong></a>&rdquo;, which were published in The Indian Express on 16/11/2019. It talks about Indian judiciary&rsquo;s intervention in religious matters, mainly concerning women and their rights.</p>
</div>
<p>The <strong>Supreme Court&rsquo;s five-judge constitution bench</strong> has decided to <strong>refer the Sabarimala temple case,</strong> clubbed with other 3 pending cases broadly related to the rights of women in the sphere of religion, to a <strong>larger 7-judge Bench.</strong> This leads the apex court into potentially dangerous and conflicting territories.</p>
<p>The new bench has been tasked with finding the balance between the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/regulating-right-to-freedom-of-religion" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Freedom of Religion</strong></a> and <strong>other constitutionally-guaranteed rights,</strong> especially the <strong>Right to Equality (Article 14:</strong> The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India), defining <strong>&ldquo;essential religious practice&rdquo;</strong> and<strong> &ldquo;constitutional morality&rdquo;.</strong></p>
<h3>Context</h3>
<p><strong>Entry of women into the Sabarimala temple</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On 28<sup>th</sup> September <strong>2018, SC lifted the ban</strong> that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 (mainly menstruating women) from <strong>entering the famous Ayyappa shrine</strong> in Kerala by a majority verdict of 4:1.</li>
<li>It held that the centuries-old Hindu religious practice was <strong>illegal and unconstitutional (Article 14 and 25).</strong></li>
<li>Temple custodians argue that women of menstrual age are prohibited from offering prayers as the deity there, Ayyappa, is a celibate.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Muslim women&rsquo;s entry into mosques</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In April <strong>2019,</strong> the SC was moved to seek directions <strong>for allowing Muslim women to enter mosques through the main door,</strong> and to have the &ldquo;Islamic right to visual and auditory access to the <strong>&lsquo;musalla&rsquo;</strong> (main prayer area)&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The petition said that &ldquo;this <strong>act of prohibition is void and unconstitutional</strong> as such practices are not only repugnant to the basic dignity of a woman as an individual but also violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under <strong>Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25</strong> of the Constitution&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The matter was last heard on November 5, 2019, by a Bench comprising CJI-designate Justice S A Bobde and Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Female genital mutilation among Dawoodi Bohras</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On September 24, <strong>2018,</strong> a Bench of SC referred the matter in <strong>&lsquo;Sunita Tiwari vs Union of India and Ors&rsquo;</strong> to a larger Bench of the Supreme Court.</li>
<li>The petition, filed under <strong>Article 32</strong> of the Constitution, had questioned the constitutionality of the practice of <strong>Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)</strong> or<strong> &lsquo;khatna&rsquo;,</strong> or <strong>Female Circumcision (FC)</strong> or <strong>&lsquo;khafd&rsquo;,</strong> which the petitioner said was carried out on every girl child in the Dawoodi Bohra community.</li>
<li>The petition relied on the <strong>UN Convention on the Rights of the Child</strong> and the <strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights</strong> and urged that the practice is violative of <strong>Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty).</strong></li>
<li>The Bench submitted that the matter should be referred to a larger Bench, which the SC accepted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Entry of Parsi women married to non-Parsis in the Agyari</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Special Leave Petition</strong> in<strong> &lsquo;Goolrukh Gupta vs Burjur Pardiwala&rsquo;</strong> arose out of a judgment passed by the Gujarat High Court in <strong>2012.</strong></li>
<li>The petitioner, Goolrukh Contractor Gupta, moved the High Court in 2010 after her friend who too, like her, was a Parsi married to a Hindu, was <strong>denied entry to the Tower of Silence</strong> during her mother&rsquo;s last rites some years before.</li>
<li>In the court, Goolrukh Gupta&rsquo;s counsel, argued that the question was, &ldquo;in the case of marriage between a Hindu and Parsi, does it result in automatic conversion of religion?&rdquo; The matter hence <strong>raised issues of gender justice.</strong></li>
<li>In<strong> December 2017,</strong> a <strong>Constitution Bench observed</strong> that &ldquo;DNA does not evaporate&rdquo; after marrying outside one&rsquo;s religion&rdquo;, and that <strong>by marrying outside her religion, a woman does not &ldquo;surrender her affection to her father&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Doctrine of Essentiality</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The doctrine of &ldquo;essentiality&rdquo; was invented by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the <strong>&lsquo;Shirur Mutt&rsquo; case in 1954.</strong> The court held that the term &ldquo;religion&rdquo; will cover all rituals and practices &ldquo;integral&rdquo; to a religion, and took upon itself the responsibility of determining the essential and non-essential practices of a religion.</li>
<li>Essential religious practice test is a contentious doctrine evolved by the court to protect only such religious practices which were essential and integral to the religion.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Constitutional Morality</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Constitutional morality provides a principled understanding for unfolding the work of governance. It specifies norms for institutions to survive and an expectation of behaviour that will meet not just the text but the soul of the Constitution. It also makes the governing institutions and representatives accountable.</li>
<li>Constitutional morality has been used to emancipatory effect in past cases by the apex court. One of the examples is <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/to-the-point-paper-2-section-377-judgement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decriminalising homosexuality.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Review parameters usually permit a narrow reconsideration in case of an error in the verdict or discovery of new evidence but <strong>passing on to larger bench could open up new questions,</strong> instead of settling the old ones.</li>
<li>There are concerns within the court itself about <strong>clubbing these four issues</strong> together because this will lead to a situation where not everyone is equally content and a uniform verdict <strong>can give rise to religious conflicts.</strong></li>
<li>The inability to solve issues like this and passing on to the larger benches <strong>narrows down the scope for justice</strong> and for courts as well.</li>
<li>In setting itself the task of<strong> defining this constitutional morality,</strong> the court will now have to go into the question of its limits and boundaries, of its possible clash with religious beliefs and faith.</li>
<li>The <strong>essentiality test impinges on the autonomy and freedom of religion</strong> which was meant to guarantee freedom to practice one&rsquo;s beliefs based on the concept of &ldquo;inward association&rdquo; of man with God.</li>
<li>The Court is <strong>creating problems for itself</strong> as well as <strong>circumscribing individual freedoms and treading into the clergy&rsquo;s domain.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Each of these issues must be considered on their own ground with <strong>different redressal mechanisms.</strong> On essential religious practice, SC should go case by case rather than aim for a grand unified theory.</li>
<li>The court has been inconsistent in applying the essential religious practice doctrine and maybe it should be left like that only to avoid further tensions.</li>
<li>Court&rsquo;s push for expanding its remit and for hard clarity on complex questions will prove difficult and maybe counterproductive so it <strong>should not dwell deeper into the religious matter after a certain point.</strong></li>
<li>The court upheld ideas of freedom and equality and the constitutional promise of a pluralistic and inclusive society while redressing an injustice which should be <strong>upheld as a beacon of hope for a just and equal society.</strong></li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f8ffd6;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />Objectives of gender justice go beyond the boundaries of the courts. Comment.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/supreme-court-on-religious-practices'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Essar Insolvency Case',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Supreme Court has recently given its judgement in the <strong>Essar Insolvency case.</strong> The Judgement has paved the way for ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel to take over debt-laden Essar Steel.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573904953_Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573904953_Image2.jpg" width="397" height="371" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In March 2019, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-4th-march-2019-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)</strong></a> approved global steel-giant ArcelorMittal&rsquo;s bid for Essar Steel.</li>
<li>The <strong>Committee of Creditors (CoC)</strong> approved the resolution plan offered by the ArcelorMittal. Under the resolution plan, ArcelorMittal offered an advance cash payment of about ₹42,000 crore to the financial creditors and capital infusion of ₹8,000 in the next few years. However, the offer did not have much for operational creditors to Essar Steel.</li>
<li>In 2019, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-company-law-appellate-tribunal-nclat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)</strong></a> cleared the CoC&rsquo;s plan but <strong>changed the financial distribution plan</strong> by <strong>ordering an equal recovery plan</strong> for all creditors, including financial and operational creditors.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Wisdom of CoC:</strong> It is the commercial wisdom of the requisite majority (66%) of the CoC under the<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)</strong></a> to negotiate and accept a resolution plan, which may involve <strong>differential payment</strong> to different classes of creditors.</li>
<li><strong>Principle of Equality:</strong> The Court held that the equality principle cannot be stretched to treating unequals equally. This will destroy the very objective of the IBC to resolve stressed assets. <strong>Equitable treatment is to be accorded to each creditor depending upon the class to which it belongs:</strong> secured or unsecured, financial or operational.</li>
<li><strong>Restriction on Tribunals:</strong> Tribunals have no<strong> &ldquo;residual equity jurisdiction&rdquo;</strong> to interfere in the merits of a business decision taken by the CoC. This implies that the NCLT and NCLAT <strong>cannot interfere</strong> with the commercial decisions taken by the CoC.</li>
<li><strong>Financial vs Operational Creditors:</strong> The Court upheld the <strong>primacy of financial creditors</strong> over operational creditors in the distribution of funds received under the corporate insolvency scheme. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Court explained that financial creditors are capital-providers for companies, i.e. help companies to purchase assets and run business operations.</li>
<li>Operational creditors, in a way, are beneficiaries of amounts lent by financial creditors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Relaxation of Resolution Deadline:</strong> The Supreme Court has <strong>done away with the 330-day mandatory deadline</strong> for the resolution of insolvency and bankruptcy cases after which liquidation is invoked. The bench allowed a bit of flexibility by allowing exceptions where the resolution plan is on the verge of being finalised.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The 330-day mark is <strong>violation of Article 14</strong> (right to equal treatment ) of the Constitution <strong>and Article 19(1)(g)</strong> ( Right to carry any business) of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Likely Impact of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact on Banks:</strong> Banks will recover Rs. 42,000 crore against admitted debts of Rs. 49,473 crore- a recovery of about 85% compared to the average recovery of 53% in other resolution cases. This would help banks in boosting their capital adequacy.</li>
<li><strong>Speedy Resolution:</strong> The verdict is likely to reduce legal wrangling between financial and operational creditors and accelerate resolution process.</li>
<li><strong>Foreign Investment:</strong> It will attract investors who were getting wary of the nation&rsquo;s bankruptcy process.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is trying to attract foreign capital to its bad loan cleanup, as it battles the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/solving-the-npa-crisis-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>worst nonperforming loan ratio</strong> </a>among the world&rsquo;s major economies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Upheld the Spirit of IBC:</strong> The removal of mandatory 330-day deadline will facilitate resolution, the ultimate objective of the IBC.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Insolvency Resolution Process in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Eligibility:</strong> Under IBC, companies (both private and public limited company) and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP) can be considered as defaulting corporate debtors.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>corporate debtor</strong> is any <strong>corporate</strong> organization which owes a debt to any person.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Default Amount:</strong> The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code can be triggered if there is a <strong>minimum default of Rs 1 lakh.</strong> This process can be triggered by way of filing an application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).</li>
<li><strong>Resolution Initiation:</strong> The process can be initiated by two classes of creditors which would include financial creditors and operational creditors.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Creditors:</strong> A Creditor means any person to whom a debt is owed and includes a financial creditor, an operational creditor, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Financial Creditors:</strong> The financial creditor in simple terms is the institution that provided money to the corporate entity in the form of loans, bonds etc. E.g. banks.</li>
<li><strong>Operational Creditors</strong>: An operational creditor is the entity who has a claim for providing any of the four categories to the defaulted corporate- goods, services, employment and Government dues (central govt, state or local bodies).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appointment of Interim Resolution Professional:</strong> As soon as the matter is admitted by the NCLT, the NCLT proceeds with the appointment of an Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) who takes over the management of the defaulting debtor.</li>
<li><strong>Committee of Creditors (CoC):</strong> A committee consisting only of the financial creditors i.e. the CoC is formed by the IRP. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Only operational creditors having aggregate dues of at least 10% of the total debt are invited into the meeting of CoC <strong>(Operational creditors are not a member of CoC).</strong> The operational creditors don&rsquo;t have any voting power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP):</strong> It includes necessary steps to revive the company such as raising fresh funds for operation, looking for new buyer to sell the company as going concern, etc.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The CoC takes a decision regarding the future of the outstanding debt owed to it. The resolution plan can be implemented only if it has been approved by 66% of the creditors in the CoC</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Liquidation Proceedings:</strong> In the event a resolution plan is not submitted or not approved by the committee of creditors (COC), the CIRP process is deemed to have failed. In such a situation the liquidation proceedings commences subject to the order of the tribunal.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/sc-clears-path-for-arcelormittal-to-acquire-bankrupt-essar-steel/article29988246.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/essar-insolvency-case'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Cold War',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, 30<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (which was brought down on 9/11/1989) was celebrated which had marked a pivotal event in the Cold War Era.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901317_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901317_image1.jpg" width="592" height="418" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>What is Cold War?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Cold War was a period (1945-1991) of geopolitical tension between <strong>the Soviet Union</strong> and its satellite states (the Eastern European countries), and the <strong>United States</strong> with its allies (the Western European countries) after World War II.</li>
<li>Post World War II, the world got divided into two power blocs dominated by two superpowers viz. the Soviet Union and the US.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The two superpowers were primarily engaged in an ideological war between the capitalist USA and the communist Soviet Union.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The term "Cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Note:</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Cold War was between Allied countries (UK, France etc. who were led by the US) and Soviet Union.</li>
<li>Soviet Union<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Soviet Union, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).</li>
<li>It is the world&rsquo;s first Communist state that was established in 1922.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons of Cold War</h3>
<p>Durning the World War Allied countries (US, UK and France) and Soviet Union fought together against the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Japan, Austria). However, this wartime alliance could not workout after World War II, due to multiple factors.</p>
<h3>Potsdam conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Potsdam conference was held at Berlin in 1945 among US, UK and Soviet Union to discuss :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Immediate administration of defeated Germany.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Demarcation of boundary of Poland.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Occupation of Austria.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Role of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Soviet Union wanted some portion of Poland (bordering Soviet Union) to be maintained as a buffer zone. However, the USA and UK didn't agree to this demand.</li>
<li>Also, the USA did not inform the Soviet Union about the exact nature of the atomic bomb, dropped on Japan. This created suspicion in Soviet Union about the intentions of western countries, embittering of the alliance.</li>
<li>This created suspicion in the Soviet leadership.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Truman's Doctrine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Truman Doctrine was announced on March 12, 1947,by US President Harry S. Truman.</li>
<li>The Truman Doctrine was a US policy to stop the Soviet Union&rsquo;s communist and imperialist endeavors, through various ways like providing economic aid to other countries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, US appropriated financial aid to support the economies and militaries of Greece and Turkey.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Historians believe that the announcement of this doctrine marked the official declaration of the Cold War.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Iron Curtain</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Iron Curtain is the political, military, and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union after World War II to seal off itself and its dependent eastern and central European allies from open contact with the West and other noncommunist areas.</li>
<li>On the east side of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were connected to or influenced by the Soviet Union, while on the west side were the countries that were allies of the US, UK or nominally neutral.</li>
</ul>
<p><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901382_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="592" height="346" caption="false" /></p>
<h3>Important Events of the Cold War</h3>
<p><strong>Berlin Blockade 1948</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As the tension between <strong>Soviet Union</strong> and <strong>Allied countries</strong> grew, <strong>Soviet Union</strong> applied Berlin Blockade in 1948.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Berlin Blockade was an attempt by the Soviet Union to limit the ability of Allied countries to travel to their sectors of Berlin.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, on August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic began to build a barbed wire and concrete wall <strong>(Berlin Wall)</strong> between East and West Berlin.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>It primarily served the objective of stemming mass emigration from East Berlin to West Berlin.</strong></li>
<li>Except under special circumstances, travelers from East and West Berlin were rarely allowed across the border.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This Berlin Wall served as a symbol of the Cold War (US and Soviet Union), until its fall in 1989.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>History of the Berlin wall</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Allied countries (US, UK, France) and Soviet Union together defeated Nazi Germany in World War II in 1945, after which Yalta and Potsdam conferences (1945) were held between Soviet Union and Allied countries to decide the fate of Germany&rsquo;s territories.</li>
<li>At the conference, Germany was to be divided into zones under Russian, American, British and French influence.</li>
<li><strong>The eastern part of the country went to the Soviet Union, while the western part went to the United States, Great Britain and France.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Berlin, as the capital, was to be likewise split.</strong> However, Berlin happened to be in the middle of the Russian zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The three Allied zones got merged and became the <strong>Federal Republic of Germany</strong> (FRG) or <strong>West Germany</strong> while the former Soviet occupation zone became the <strong>German Democratic Republic</strong> (GDR) or<strong> East Germany.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The division of Berlin was the main bone of contention between USSR and Allied countries, as West Berlin became an island within Communist East Germany.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901457_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573901457_image3.jpg" width="442" height="352" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Berlin Wall fell on 9/11/1989, marking a symbolic end to the cold war.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>The Marshall Plan vs The Cominform</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Marshall Plan</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 1947, American Secretary of State George Marshall, unveiled European Recovery Programme (ERP), which offered economic and financial help wherever it was needed.</li>
<li>One of the aims of the ERP was to promote the economic recovery of Europe. However, this was an economic extension of the Truman Doctrine.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Cominform</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Soviet Union denounced the whole idea of Marshall Plan as 'dollar imperialism.</li>
<li>Therefore, the Cominform (the Communist Information Bureau) - was launched in 1947, as the Soviet response to the Marshall Plan.</li>
<li>It was an organization to draw together mainly Eastern Europe countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>NATO vs Warsaw Pact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Berlin blockade showed the West's military unreadiness and frightened them into making definite preparations.</li>
<li>Therefore, in 1948, mainly the countries of western Europe signed the Brussels Defence Treaty, promising military collaboration in case of war.</li>
<li>Later on Brussels Defence Treaty was joined by the USA, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Italy and Norway. This led to the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April 1949.</li>
<li>NATO countries agreed to regard an attack on any one of them as an attack on all of them, and placing their defence forces under a joint command.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Warsaw Pact</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Warsaw Pact ( 1955) was signed between Russia and her satellite states shortly after West Germany was admitted to NATO.</li>
<li>The Pact was a mutual defense agreement, which the Western countries perceived as a reaction against West Germany's membership of NATO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Space Race</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Space exploration served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition.</li>
<li>In 1957, Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the world&rsquo;s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth&rsquo;s orbit.</li>
<li>In 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite called Explorer I.</li>
<li>However, this space race was won by the US, when it successfully landed, the first man (Neil Armstrong) on the surface of the moon in 1969.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Arms Race</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The containment strategy of US provided the rationale for an unprecedented arms buildup in the United States, reciprocated by Soviet Union.</li>
<li>Development of nuclear weapons took place on a massive scale and the world entered into the age of nuclear age.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Cuban Missiles Crisis, 1962</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Cuba got involved in the Cold War when US broke off its diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, and Soviet Union increased their economic aid to Cuba.</li>
<li>In 1961, the USA planned Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, intending to overthrow the head of Cuban state (Fidel Castro), who was backed by the Soviet Union . However, the operation failed.</li>
<li>Fidel Castro then appealed to the Soviet Union for military help, to which Soviet Union decided to set up a nuclear missile launchers in Cuba aimed at the USA.</li>
<li>Cuban Missile Crisis, brought two superpowers on the brink of a nuclear war. However, the crisis was averted diplomatically.</li>
</ul>
<h3>End of the Cold War</h3>
<p>In 1991, Soviet Union collapsed due to multiple factors which marked the end of the Cold War, as one of the superpowers was weakened.</p>
<h3>Reasons of the collapse of the Soviet Union</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Military reasons</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The space race and the arms race drained a considerable proportion of Soviet Union's resources for military needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Policies of Mikhail Gorbachev</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In order to kick start moribund Soviet economy, Gorbachev instituted the policies of <strong>glasnost (&ldquo;openness&rdquo;)</strong> and <strong>perestroika (&ldquo;restructuring&rdquo;).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Glasnost was intended for liberalization of the political landscape.</li>
<li>Perestroika intended to introduce quasi free market policies in place of government-run industries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It allowed more independent actions from various ministries and introduced many market-like reforms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Rather than sparking a renaissance in Communist thought, these steps opened the floodgates to criticism of the entire Soviet apparatus.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The state lost control of both the media and the public sphere, and democratic reform movements gained steam throughout the Soviet Union.</li>
<li>Also, there was growing disenchantment in the public due to falling economy, poverty, unemployment, etc. This made the people of the Soviet Union attracted to western ideology and way of life.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Afghanistan War</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Soviet-Afghan (1979&ndash;89) was another key factor in the breakup of the Soviet Union, as it drained the economic and military resources of Soviet Union.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The end of the Cold War marked the victory of the US and the bipolar world order turned into a unipolar.</p>
<p>However, over the last decade, the position of the US as the world's most powerful state has appeared increasingly unstable. The US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, non-traditional security threats, global economic instability, the apparent spread of religious fundamentalism, together with the rise of emerging economic powers (like Japan, Australia, India, China etc.) have made the world look more multipolar and has led many to predict the <strong>decline of the west and the rise of the rest.</strong></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/cold-war'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'OPEC +',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the<strong> Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) plus</strong> might face sharp demand fall due to a recent surge in crude oil production from the countries like USA, Norway, and Guyana.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>non-OPEC countries which export crude oil</strong> are termed as <strong>OPEC plus countries.</strong></li>
<li>OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573892127_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573892127_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="551" height="321" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a <strong>permanent, intergovernmental organization,</strong> created at the <strong>Baghdad Conference</strong> in <strong>1960,</strong> by Iran, <strong>Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.</strong></li>
<li>It aims <strong>to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set the price of oil in the world market,</strong> in order to avoid fluctuations that might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing countries.</li>
<li>It is headquartered<strong> in Vienna, Austria.</strong></li>
<li>OPEC <strong>membership</strong> is <strong>open to any country</strong> that is a<strong> substantial exporter of oil</strong> and which shares the <strong>ideals of the organization.</strong></li>
<li>Gabon terminated its membership in January 1995. However, it rejoined the Organization in July 2016.</li>
<li>As of 2019, OPEC has a total of 14 Member Countries viz. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates(UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola, Ecuador and Venezuela are members of OPEC.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Energy Agency</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an <strong>autonomous</strong> organisation which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy.</li>
<li>It was established in the wake of <strong>1973 (set up in 1974) oil crisis</strong> after the OPEC cartel had shocked the world with a steep increase in oil prices.</li>
<li>It is headquartered in<strong> Paris,</strong> France</li>
<li>The IEA has <strong>four main areas of focus,</strong> i.e. 4Es:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Energy security,</li>
<li>Economic development,</li>
<li>Environmental awareness and</li>
<li>Engagement worldwide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> became an<strong> associate member</strong> of the International Energy Agency in <strong>2017.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mexico</strong> officially became the International Energy Agency&rsquo;s <strong>30<sup>th</sup> member country</strong> in February <strong>2018,</strong> and its first member in Latin America.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/news/opec-faces-major-challenge-in-2020-from-competitors-surging-output-iea/articleshow/72070558.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:ET</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/opec'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Contempt of Court',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court of India has held former Ranbaxy promoters guilty of contempt for violating its order.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The expression &lsquo;contempt of court&rsquo; has <strong>not been defined by the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>As per the <strong>Contempt of Courts Act 1971, contempt refers</strong> to the offence of showing disrespect to the dignity or authority of a court.</li>
<li>The act divides contempt into <strong>civil and criminal contempt.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Civil contempt:</strong> It is willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other processes of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to the court.</li>
<li><strong>Criminal contempt:</strong> It is any publication which may result in:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Scandalising the court by lowering its authority.</li>
<li>Interference in the due course of a judicial proceeding.</li>
<li>An obstruction in the administration of justice.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, <strong>innocent publication</strong> and distribution of some matter, <strong>fair and reasonable criticism</strong> of judicial acts and comment on the administrative side of the judiciary <strong>do not amount to contempt of court.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Contempt of Court Act,1971</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The act defines the power of courts to punish for their contempt and regulates their procedure.</li>
<li>It was <strong>amended</strong> in <strong>2006</strong> to include the <strong>defence of truth</strong> under <strong>Section 13</strong> of the original legislation. Implying that the <strong>court must permit justification by truth as a valid defence</strong> if it is satisfied that it is in the public interest.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Punishments for Contempt of Court</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>supreme court and high courts</strong> have the power to <strong>punish for contempt of court,</strong> either with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months or with fine up to 2,000 or with both.</li>
<li>In <strong>1991,</strong> the <strong>Supreme Court has ruled</strong> that <strong>it has the power to punish for contempt not only of itself but also of high courts, subordinate courts and tribunals functioning in the entire country.</strong></li>
<li>On the other hand, High Courts have been given special powers to punish contempt of subordinate courts, as per <strong>Section 10 of The Contempt of Courts Act of 1971.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Need for Contempt Law</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The purpose of contempt jurisdiction is to <strong>uphold the majesty and dignity of the judiciary.</strong></li>
<li>Contempt powers help judges to do their duties of deciding cases <strong>without fear, favour, affection or ill will.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Constitutional Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 129:</strong> Grants Supreme Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.</li>
<li><strong>Article 142(2):</strong> Enables the Supreme Court to investigate and punish any person for its contempt.</li>
<li><strong>Article 215:</strong> Grants every High Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues with Contempt Law</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 19(1)(a)</strong> of the Constitution gives the <strong>right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens,</strong> while<strong> &ldquo;contempt provisions&rdquo; curb people&rsquo;s freedom</strong> to speak against the court&rsquo;s functioning.</li>
<li>The law is <strong>very subjective</strong> which might be used by the judiciary <strong>arbitrarily to suppress their criticism</strong> by the public.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/sc-holds-former-ranbaxy-promoters-malvinder-shivinder-singh-guilty-of-contempt-of-court/article29980528.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/contempt-of-court'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Child Abuse Prevention and Investigation Unit',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/central-bureau-of-investigation-cbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)</strong></a> has set up an<strong> Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit</strong> at its headquarter in New Delhi.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The unit will function under the CBI&rsquo;s Special Crime Zone.</li>
<li>The unit's <strong>territorial jurisdiction would be throughout the country.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions of the Unit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will probe offences covered under various provisions of the <strong>Indian Penal Code (IPC),</strong> the <strong>Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act</strong> and the <strong>Information Technology (IT) Act,</strong> apart from other relevant laws.</li>
<li>It will collect and disseminate information on <strong>online child sexual abuse and exploitation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The incidence of online child sexual abuse and exploitation generally transcends international borders.</li>
<li>Numerous references related to dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) have been received from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/interpol-notices" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Interpol</strong> </a>and other national/international organisations.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Central Bureau of Investigation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CBI is the <strong>premier investigating police agency</strong> in India.</li>
<li>It functions under the superintendence of the <strong>Ministry of Personnel, Pension &amp; Public Grievances.</strong></li>
<li>However for investigations of offences under the <strong>Prevention of Corruption Act,</strong> its superintendence vests with the<strong> Central Vigilance Commission.</strong></li>
<li>It is the<strong> nodal agency in India</strong> which coordinates investigation <strong>on behalf of Interpol member countries.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cbi-unit-for-online-child-abuse-cases/article29986457.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/child-abuse-prevention-and-investigation-unit'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Chief Justice of India under the Ambit of the RTI Act',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/open-all-the-same-on-cji-office-and-rti-act/article29975187.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Open, all the same: On CJI office and RTI Act&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 15/11/2019. It talks about the implications of recent Supreme Court judgement on bringing Chief Justice of India under the ambit of the Right to Information Act.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India (SC) ruled that the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) would come under the ambit of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information Act, 2005</strong></a> (RTI Act), as CJI is a<strong> public authority</strong> under the RTI Act.</p>
<p>The declaration of assets by ministers and legislators provide the citizenry with more relevant information about their representatives. However, before this judgement, the judges of the Supreme Court had refused to share information on their personal assets.</p>
<div class="border-bg" p=""><strong>Definition of Public Authority</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act,</strong> information means &ldquo;any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advice, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a <strong>public authority</strong> under any other law for the time being in force&rdquo;.</li>
<li><strong>"Public authority"</strong> means any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted by or under the Constitution; by any other law made by Parliament/State Legislature and by a notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Significance of the Verdict</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Through the judgement, the SC upheld the<strong> Delhi High Court judgment (2010)</strong> which ruled that the CJI and the other justices of SC are liable to disclose information as in the case of other public authorities under the purview of the RTI Act.</li>
<li>The outcome is that the office of the CJI will now entertain RTI applications.</li>
<li>It opens the doors for transparency in the judiciary. Higher judiciary in India has been criticized for its opaqueness under the doctrine of the independence of the judiciary.</li>
<li>The verdict underlines the balance Supreme Court needs between transparency and protecting its independence.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While ruling that the office of the CJI is a public authority, the Supreme Court held that RTI cannot be used as a tool of surveillance and that judicial independence has to be kept in mind while dealing with transparency.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It can give a boost to Good Governance, as now judiciary, executive, legislature, all come under the ambit of RTI Act.</li>
<li>The key takeaway from the judgment is that disclosure of details of serving judges personal assets is now not a violation of their right to privacy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Lack of clarity:</strong> The SC argued that the right to know under the RTI Act was not absolute and this had to be balanced with the right of privacy of judges. <strong>However, the public interest is nowhere defined.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, RTI requests have to be decided after very careful consideration of a whole range of issues, balancing disclosure with privacy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dilution of RTI Act:</strong> The potency of the RTI Act is under the scanner after <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>recent amendments done in the RTI Act.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Amendment empowers the Central government to decide tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of service of Information Commissioners.</li>
<li>The Commission which is vested by law with status, independence and authority, will now function as a department of the Central government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administrative burden:</strong> The RTI Act, 2005 did not create a new bureaucracy for implementing the law. It tasked and mandated officials in every office for dealing with RTI requests.<strong> However, this adds to the administrative burden of the bureaucracy.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Need for more transparency:</strong> After bringing SC judges under the ambit of RTI, the next logical step would be to remove opaqueness about appointments of the judges, made through the collegium system in the SC.</li>
<li><strong>A screening committee of RTI Act</strong>: In order to reduce the administrative burden of bureaucracy (pertaining to RTI requests), a screening committee <strong>(comprised of civil society members)</strong> can be formed, which can weed out <strong>frivolous RTI requests.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Strengthen RTI:</strong> RTI Act can be strengthened with <strong>a strong Whistleblower Protection Act.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Expand ambit of RTI:</strong> The SC judgment paves the way for greater transparency. Therefore it is now the turn of other institutions such as registered political parties to be be brought under the RTI Act.</li>
</ul>
<p>The RTI Act is a strong weapon that enhances accountability, citizen activism and, consequently, participative democracy. In this context, the judgement can give a fillip to people&rsquo;s quest for transparency and accountability.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffed9;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span><br /><br />The recent judgement of the Supreme Court that brings the office of Chief Justice of India under the ambit of the Right to Information Act will give a fillip to people&rsquo;s quest for transparency and accountability. Comment</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/chief-justice-of-india-under-the-ambit-of-the-rti-act'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Brahmaputra Pushkaram Festival',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Assam government is celebrating <strong>Brahmaputra Pushkaram-</strong> a <strong>12-day</strong> mega <strong>river festival</strong> from November 5 to November 16 this year. Earlier, the Brahmaputra Pushkaram festival was held in 2007.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, the Pushkaram festival was celebrated on the banks of the <strong>Tamiraparani</strong> in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will be the <strong>second biggest river festival</strong> ever to be celebrated <strong>in the state of Assam</strong> after <strong>Namami Brahmaputra.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Pushkaram</strong> festival is a festival of rivers that pertains to the <strong>12 important rivers in India.</strong> It occurs once in 12 years for each river.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Namami Brahmaputra</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Namami Brahmaputra</strong> is a<strong>&nbsp;festival</strong> that celebrates the beauty of the Brahmaputra river.</li>
<li>It is organized by Assam Government. The first edition was celebrated in 2017.</li>
<li>It is a five-day programme that showcases Assam&rsquo;s art, heritage, and culture. The event was held in <strong>21 districts</strong> across the state touched by the Brahmaputra.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/a-festival-on-the-brahmaputra-promenade/article29971989.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/brahmaputra-pushkaram-festival'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Index of Industrial Production (IIP)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Index of Industrial Production (IIP)</strong> for the month of September 2019 has <strong>contracted by 4.3</strong> % as <strong>compared to</strong> the month of September 2018.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is the first time after <strong>November 2012</strong> that all <strong>three broad-based sectors (Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity)</strong> have contracted and the<strong> lowest monthly growth</strong> in the <strong>2011-12 base year series.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Recent IIP Contraction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Lower agricultural growth impacting rural demand adversely:</strong> India is witnessing <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/agricultural-distress-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>agricultural distress</strong></a> because of multiple factors like lack of easy credit, the declining average size of farm holdings, poor policy, and planning, etc.</li>
<li><strong>A slowdown in the Indian industrial sector:</strong> Indian<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/economic-slowdown-and-its-fix" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> industrial sector is facing slowdown</strong></a> driven by disruptive technologies, changes in consumer behaviour, changing global industrial scenario, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Structural growth slowdown in the Indian Economy:</strong> India is facing a long-term, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/economic-slowdown-cyclical-or-structural" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>deep-rooted economic slowdown</strong></a> which would require the government to undertake some structural policies like economic reforms of 1991.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Index of Industrial Production</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that shows the <strong>growth rates in different industry groups of the economy in a fixed period of time.</strong></li>
<li>It is compiled and published <strong>monthly</strong> by the <strong>Central Statistical Organization (CSO),</strong> Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.</li>
<li>IIP is a <strong>composite indicator</strong> that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Broad sectors,</strong> namely, Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.</li>
<li><strong>Use-based sectors,</strong> namely Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Base Year</strong> for IIP is <strong>2011-2012.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/core-sector-output-falls-by-5-2-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>eight core industries</strong> </a>of India represent about <strong>40% of the weight of items</strong> that are included in the <strong>IIP.</strong></li>
<li>Significance of IIP :<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>IIP is the <strong>only measure</strong> on the <strong>physical volume of production.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>used</strong> by <strong>government agencies</strong> including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc, for <strong>policy-making purposes.</strong></li>
<li>IIP remains extremely relevant for the <strong>calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/industrial-production-contracts-43-in-sept/article29945956.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/index-of-industrial-production-iip'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation</strong></a> (AITE), there has been an increase in the number of tigers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The number of tigers in the <strong>Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve</strong> (NSTR) in Andhra Pradesh has gone up, reversing the steady decline in their number over a period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF)</strong> has drawn up an action plan to double its efforts to facilitate the proliferation of the big cats in the largest tiger reserve in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NSTR is the<strong> largest tiger reserve</strong> in India.</li>
<li><strong>Historical Background:</strong> It was notified in the year of 1978 and came under the protection of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/status-of-conservation-of-tigers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Tiger</strong></a> in 1983. In 1992, it was retitled as<strong> Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Geographical Aspects:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Tiger reserve is spread over 5 districts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The area consists mostly of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uranium-mining-in-nallamala-forest" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nallamala Hills.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The multipurpose reservoirs- <strong>Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar</strong> are located in the reserve.</li>
<li>The <strong>Krishna river</strong> cuts the basin of this reserve.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ecological Diversity:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Fauna:</strong> It is home to a vast variety of wild animals. In addition to the Bengal Tiger, which is the apex predator, many other species like leopard, rusty-spotted cat, pangolin, Mugger Crocodiles, Indian Rock Python, and innumerable varieties of birds are found here.</li>
<li><strong>Flora:</strong>&nbsp;Variety of forests ranging from southern tropical dry mixed deciduous forest till southern thorn forest. A wide variety of shrubs and bamboo thickets also grow in this area.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573811996_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573811996_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="469" height="477" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Project Tiger</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Project Tiger is a <strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme</strong> of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change launched in 1973 to provide central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves in India. The project is administered by the <strong>National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/tiger-conservation-gets-a-boost-in-ap/article29935836.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/nagarjunasagar-srisailam-tiger-reserve'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Geochemical Baseline Atlas',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI)</strong> has released the<strong> first &lsquo;Geochemical Baseline Atlas of India&rsquo; for environmental management.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The atlas aims to document the <strong>concentration and distribution of the chemical elements</strong> in the soils of India.</li>
<li>It consists of <strong>44 maps of metals, oxides, and elements</strong> present in <strong>top and bottom</strong> soils<strong> across India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both human activities and natural processes are continuously modifying the chemical composition of our environment. Hence, it will help to <strong>assess the chemical compositional changes on the Earth&rsquo;s surface.</strong></li>
<li>It will help the country <strong>to assess the presence of toxic chemicals</strong> in soil and how it varies from place to place. It also helps in identifying how soil pollution is contributing to groundwater contamination</li>
<li>Further, the map will also support in choosing the <strong>right soil that&rsquo;s rich</strong> in certain micronutrient elements required for each plant growth.</li>
<li>The geochemical data presented in these maps will be a part of the <strong>global map to be prepared by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGC).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>About CSIR-NGRI:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is a geoscientific research organization established in <strong>1961</strong> under the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/council-of-scientific-and-industrial-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a<strong> non-governmental scientific organization</strong> founded in 1961 which promotes and encourages the study of geological problems, and facilitates international and interdisciplinary cooperation in the earth sciences.</li>
<li>The Union consists of <strong>121 members nations.</strong> India is the member.</li>
<li>At present IUGS gives considers issues related to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Geoscience education,</li>
<li>Geoscience information,</li>
<li>Environmental management and hazards</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/geochemical-baseline-atlas-of-india-released/article29933574.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/geochemical-baseline-atlas'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Olive Ridley Turtles',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Odisha government would compensate 8,000 fishermen families who would bear losses due to the <strong>fishing ban</strong> imposed for the protection of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles-hatching" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Olive Ridley sea turtles.</strong> </a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ban is an annual fishing ban that would be in force from November, 2019 to May 31, 2020. During this period, lakhs of turtles would arrive at the Odisha coast for mass nesting.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Olive Ridley Turtles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Olive ridley turtles are the <strong>smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles</strong> found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.</li>
<li>They are best known for their unique <strong>mass nesting called Arribada.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An arribada is a mass-nesting event when thousands of turtles come ashore at the same time to lay eggs on the same.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The enormous number of Olive ridleys <strong>nest in Odisha (namely at three river mouths: Dhamara, Devi and Rushikulya) in India.</strong></li>
<li>The species is listed as <strong>Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List,</strong> Appendix 1 in CITES, and Schedule 1 in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.</li>
<li>Olive-ridleys<strong> face serious threats</strong> across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches due to human activities such as unfriendly turtle fishing practices, development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dhamara River Mouth</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Brahmani river (second largest river in Odisha) enters into the Bay of Bengal along with a combined mouth with the Mahanadi (the largest river in Odisha)&nbsp; known as the Dhamara.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Devi River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Devi river is one of the principal distributaries of Mahanadhi.</li>
<li>It flows through Jagatsinghpur district and Puri district across Odisha state in India and joins the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Rushikulya River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It originates from Rushikulya hills of the Eastern Ghats in Phulbani district.</li>
<li>It is 165 kms. long with 8900 sq.kms of catchment areas.</li>
<li>It covers entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam district of Odisha.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-to-compensate-8000-fishermen-families-for-fishing-ban-for-olive-ridley-protection/article29979456.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/olive-ridley-turtles-2'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Satpura Tiger Reserve',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Satpura Tiger Reserve located in the <strong>Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh</strong> came into limelight because of the presence of <strong>Mahuva tree in its buffer zone.</strong> The people residing there have a superstitious belief that Mahuva tree can bring instant relief/cure to their ailments or misfortunes.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was established in <strong>2000</strong> and is located south of <strong>Narmada River.</strong></li>
<li>Satpura tiger reserve comprises of <strong>three protected areas</strong> namely, <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Satpura National Park,</li>
<li>Bori Sanctuary, and</li>
<li>Pachmarhi Sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Denwa river:</strong> Denwa river is the main water source of the park. It originates from south-eastern part of the Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh and flows from east to west direction before joining the Tawa river at the south of Ranipur.</li>
<li><strong>Diversity:</strong> These forest enclaves provide habitat for several <strong>endangered species,</strong> including the Tiger. Other prime species found here are Black Buck, Leopard, Dhole, Indian Gaur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Sloth Bear. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Avian Fauna-</strong> more than 300 species of birds can be seen which include Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Whistling Thrush and the <strong>State Bird of Madhya Pradesh Paradise Flycatcher</strong> along with many <strong>migratory birds</strong> like Indian Skimmers, Black-bellied tern, Bar-headed Geese, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Archaeological Significance:</strong> Presence of more than 50 rock shelters with paintings which are 1500 to 10,000 years old. Some of them are having very rare depictions of elephants, lions, tigers, porcupines, and pangolins.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mahuva Tree</strong> (Mahua Longifolia) is an <strong>Indian tropical tree</strong> found largely in the central and north Indian plains and forests.</li>
<li><strong>Buffer Zone</strong> are areas created to enhance the protection of a specific conservation area. They are areas peripheral to a specific protected area, where restrictions on resource use and special development measures are undertaken in order to enhance the conservation value of the protected area. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Within buffer zones, resource use may be <strong>legally or customarily restricted,</strong> often to a lesser degree than in the adjacent protected area so as to form a <strong>transition zone.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/magic-tree-in-mp-tiger-reserve-brings-thousands-of-believers-6120392/" 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/satpura-tiger-reserve'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => '11th BRICS Summit',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>11<sup>th</sup> BRICS Summit</strong> took place from 13<sup>th</sup>-14<sup>th</sup> November 2019 in <strong>Brasilia, Brazil.</strong> The<strong> theme</strong> of the 2019 BRICS summit is<strong> "Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.&rdquo;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/brics-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BRICS</strong></a> countries adopted the Brasilia Declaration.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Brasilia Declaration<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573804178_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1573804178_image1.png" width="312" height="220" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It advocates and supports multilateralism, the central role of the U.N. in international affairs and respect for international law.</li>
<li><strong>Reforming Multilateral Systems:</strong> There is an urgent need to strengthen and reform the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> and other multilateral organisations, including the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-trade-organisation-wto" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Trade Organisation (WTO)</strong></a> and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Monetary Fund (IMF)</strong></a>, to address the significant challenges being faced by the developing countries.</li>
<li><strong>Support to Multilateralism:</strong> The trade war between China and the U.S. and rising protectionism is hurting the global economy. Multilateralism is crucial for emerging countries to protect their own interests.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Stand at the Summit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Intra-BRICS trade</strong> accounts for just 15% of world trade, it needs to be increased. India <strong>invited business leaders</strong> of the member nations<strong> for investment,</strong> particularly in infrastructure development.</li>
<li>India proposed to hold the <strong>first meeting of BRICS Water Ministers</strong> in India.</li>
<li>India highlighted the <strong>menace of terrorism</strong> which has resulted in the loss of $1 trillion to the world economy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>BRICS</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world&rsquo;s leading emerging economies, namely <strong>Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2001,</strong> the British Economist Jim O&rsquo;Neill coined the term <strong>BRIC</strong> to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.</li>
<li>The grouping was <strong>formalised</strong> during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in <strong>2006.</strong></li>
<li><strong>South Africa</strong> was invited to join BRIC in December <strong>2010,</strong> after which the group adopted the acronym <strong>BRICS.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It comprises 42% of the world's population, has 23% of the global GDP and around 17% of the world trade.</li>
<li>The <strong>chairmanship</strong> of the forum is <strong>rotated annually</strong> among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S. <strong>Brazil is the current chair</strong> of the grouping.</li>
<li>The <strong>BRICS Leaders&rsquo;</strong> <strong>Summit</strong> is convened <strong>annually.</strong></li>
<li>During the <strong>Sixth BRICS Summit</strong> in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the <strong>New Development Bank (NDB).</strong> They also signed the <strong>BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Meetings on the sidelines of the Summit</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India - Brazil</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India invited the President of Brazil as the <strong>Chief Guest at the Republic Day 2020.</strong></li>
<li>Brazil has decided to grant <strong>visa-free travel to Indian citizens.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India - China</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chinese President invited the Indian Prime Minister for the 3<sup>rd</sup> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-2nd-informal-summit-mamallapuram-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>informal summit</strong></a> <strong>in China in 2020.</strong> The first informal summit took place at Wuhan (China-2018) and second at Mamallapuram (India-2019).</li>
<li>Both the leaders reviewed preparations for celebrating the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations</strong> between the two countries in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-and-russia-ties-in-transition" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India - Russia</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>1<sup>st</sup> Bilateral Regional Forum</strong> at the level of Russian Provinces and the Indian States will be held in 2020.</li>
<li>India has been invited for<strong> investment in the Arctic region.</strong> The US $ 25 billion target of bilateral trade by 2025 has already been achieved.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pragmatism-prevails-as-brics-rejects-protectionism-and-trade-wars/article29980213.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/11th-brics-summit'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture: Dairy Industry & FTA',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kse1C7Fp-cI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Recently, India decided against joining the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/regional-comprehensive-economic-partnership-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)</strong></a> which is a <strong>Free Trade Agreement</strong> (FTA) between more than a dozen countries. In the run-up to the RCEP meet, the domestic dairy industry has been vocal about its apprehensions regarding this FTA.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has been the <strong>leading producer and consumer of dairy products globally</strong> with sustained growth over the years.</li>
<li><strong>Estimated production of milk in 2018-19 was 187 million tonnes.</strong></li>
<li>The dairy industry and milk hold equal importance to farmers and consumers.</li>
<li>Milk is a source of liquidity for the farmers. It provides them with ready cash whereas crops fetch them cash only 2-3 times a year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Dairy Industry&rsquo;s Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Employment loss:</strong> The dairy industry is a major source of livelihood providing employment to millions of people at various levels like- <strong>production, procurement, transportation, value addition</strong> etc. and<strong> FTA will harm all</strong> of them.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The FTA especially RCEP could have led to<strong> 50 million rural people losing their jobs,</strong> which would have pushed up the need for importing milk.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on income:</strong> People engaged in the dairy sector and their livelihood would have come under direct threat as they will <strong>not get remunerative prices</strong> in case of a free trade agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to domestic dairy market:</strong> If an FTA is signed, the <strong>quality of the product</strong> imported under it remains a concerning issue. The option of cheaper milk and milk products might seem tempting but it is not good for the long run because it will <strong>adversely affect the dairy</strong> industry.</li>
<li><strong>Impact on cattle:</strong> Rural families with a <strong>marketable surplus amount of milk will suffer</strong> mainly. If the milk will not have a <strong>market or with very less value, the cattle will be left open</strong> because its maintenance is also expensive.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to life security:</strong> Indian farming community is <strong>not a cohesive unit</strong> in itself and <strong>two-thirds of them are either landless or small marginal farmers</strong> so it becomes a more pressing issue for their life security.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>New Zealand</strong> is an exporter of dairy products and will be eyeing India primarily to sell milk powder and fat products, due to its competitive edge.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nearly, 93.4% of New Zealand's milk powder, 94.5% of its butter, and 83.6% of its cheese production got exported in 2018. India's export of milk products does not match up.</li>
<li>Per animal milk production is very low in India whereas it is high in New Zealand and Australia. The competition will also be sharp owning to high milk yielding breed of cattle in New Zealand and Australia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The milk yield of New Zealand is 13 litres per day where in India, it is 3.5 litres per day.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Measures To Be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>By Government</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Government&rsquo;s efforts</strong> to double farmers income include dairy within agriculture but it needs to <strong>support it differently with more focus and funds</strong> for it.</li>
<li>While focusing on the dairy industry and farmers, the<strong> interest of the consumers should also be kept in mind</strong> to ensure a win-win situation for both the producers and consumers.</li>
<li>There has to be a <strong>balance between free trade and import restriction.</strong></li>
<li>The government can give <strong>subsidised milk to BPL families</strong> as it does with rice and wheat under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-nation-one-ration-card-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Food Security Act</strong></a> which will <strong>solve the problem of food security</strong> as well as <strong>provide a market for milk.</strong></li>
<li>People working in the dairy industry <strong>should be provided 8-10% of subsidy</strong> if India wants to compete with the global players.</li>
<li>The <strong>pricing mechanism</strong> of the dairy industry is not in the favour of farmers so it should be <strong>rectified.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Steps taken by Government</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>For improvement and conservation of our indigenous breeds, the government has launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rashtriya-gokul-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashtriya Gokul Mission.</strong></a></li>
<li>Government is also <strong>promoting our indigenous breeds</strong> and seeking a huge potential in the <strong>A2 milk</strong> (it is a variety of cow's milk that mostly lacks a form of &beta;-casein proteins called A1) market.</li>
<li>Government has given <strong>export subsidy on milk products</strong> and farmers got good earnings from the <strong>Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP)</strong> exports.</li>
<li>Government cooperatives as well as private sectors, both are working upon <strong>Artificial Insemination which plays an important role in improving cattle productivity by upgrading the genetic potential, to increase the yield of the milk.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>By Dairy Industry</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian dairy industry needs to be <strong>mechanised and modernised to achieve sustainability</strong> in this FTA environment.</li>
<li>Apart from that, the focus should also be on <strong>increasing the yields</strong> so that India can be a <strong>major player in milk and milk products&rsquo; exports.</strong></li>
<li>After the fulfilment of supplies,<strong> extra milk and milk powder can be subsidised</strong> and distributed to BPL farmers and families.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other measures</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Levels of malnutrition</strong> prove that even in villages, all the people do not have access to milk so they <strong>all should be covered</strong> under the schemes.</li>
<li>Dairy is mainly a <strong>women-led industry</strong> so strengthening it would mean <strong>more opportunities for women</strong> and more avenues for their growth and development.</li>
<li>The <strong>quality</strong> of the milk <strong>should be improved</strong> and <strong>value addition</strong> must be done.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Instead of importing</strong> cheese from other countries, India should start manufacturing its own and expand it further to even start exporting.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New techniques, training</strong> should be provided to workers in the dairy industry so that they can <strong>work better and look for new innovations.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>increase in the quantity of milk</strong> may help in solving the problem of remunerative prices of milk.</li>
<li><strong>Employment should be generated</strong> in villages and already <strong>existing opportunities should be strengthened to stop rural outmigration.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian market is vast and the dairy industry needs to take advantage</strong> of it. It should go into the <strong>mass-scale distribution</strong> of milk by encouraging better milk outputs, buying the milk, converting the milk into milk powder and distributing it at a subsidised rate through the National Food Security Act and keep looking for more remunerative options.</li>
<li>India is the biggest producer as well as the consumer of milk and the <strong>solution lies within the ecosystem only</strong> by making improvement in the quality and quantity of the milk produced and by adding value to it so that both farmers and consumers can benefit.</li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'What Makes Doing Business Easier',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/what-makes-doing-business-easier/article29891844.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;What makes doing business easier&rdquo;</strong></a> that was published in The Hindu on 06/11/2019. It talks about the challenges to ease of doing business in the economy.</p>
</div>
<p>In the latest ranking for countries in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ease-of-doing-business-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ease of doing business,</strong></a> the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has placed India 63<sup>rd</sup> out of 190 countries &mdash; an improvement of 14 places from its 77<sup>th</sup> position last year.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India figures in the top ten most improved countries in the world for the third consecutive year.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>score improved</strong> from <strong>67.23 (2019) to 71.0 (2020).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges to Ease of Doing Business in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economic Slowdown:</strong> The viability of a business depends on the vitality of the economy in which it is embedded.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Aggregate Demand Dip:</strong> Indian economy is facing an aggregate demand slowdown which is mainly characterized by very slow growth of agriculture sector. This has put a break on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/consumption-conundrum-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>consumption growth</strong></a> which is the main driver for Indian economy.</li>
<li><strong>Income Distribution:</strong> Income distribution shifts away from the overwhelming majority of the population to a handful few, increasing income gap. This is evident from the fact that the sale of luxury cars had fared well than sales of the most basic items of clothing during the Diwali.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legislative Challenges:</strong> The structural reasons for slow growth of business comprises of regulatory framework which includes a plethora of overlapping laws and compliance requirements in setting-up and running a business.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Subjective interpretation of the law</strong>: Tax laws are prone to the subjective interpretation of tax officers which causes undue hardships to taxpayers and leaves<strong> scope for &ldquo;tax terrorism&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Overlapping Laws:</strong> The Companies Act, 2013 and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, have overlapping provisions, which act as deterrents to the ease of doing business in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Asymmetrical Policy Response:</strong> The government measures are mainly directed toward reforming formal sector, while almost 85% of our workforce is engaged in unorganised sector.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For long, economic policies had remained impervious to the challenges faced by its smaller businessmen. Neither the grand industrial policy statements of the Nehru era nor Narendra Modi&rsquo;s &lsquo;Make in India&rsquo; programme appear to have realised that they need to be enabled too.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Measures taken to Improve Ease of Doing Business</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code:</strong> <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016</strong></a> has introduced new dimensions in resolving insolvency in India. It is India&rsquo;s first comprehensive legislation of corporate insolvency.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under Fast-track Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) for mid-sized companies, the process for insolvency shall be completed within 90 days with a maximum grace period of another 45 days.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Goods and Service tax (GST):</strong> The idea of <strong>&lsquo;one nation, one tax&rsquo;</strong> has made it easier for people to start a business, and ITC (Input Credit) mechanism ensures an uninterrupted flow of cash for businesses and reduced price of goods/services for the end consumers.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/info-paper3/gst-a-historic-landmark-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Goods and Service Tax</strong> </a>came into effect from 01 July 2017. It subsumes eight taxes at the Central and nine taxes at the State level.</li>
<li>Further simplification of returns processes, addressing concerns for India&rsquo;s huge MSME/SME sectors etc. are necessary steps that need to be taken to reap the kind of benefits envisioned during GST inception.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Technology Based Governance:</strong> The Government has taken innumerable steps to enhance digital adoption in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The eBiz platform of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) integrates several processes across (government) departments to make the process of incorporating a company simpler.</li>
<li>Registration under Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) are available at <strong>Shram Suvidha portal</strong> as a common online service with no physical touch point.</li>
<li><strong>e-Sanchit,</strong> an online application system, allows traders to file all documents electronically.</li>
<li>The <strong>Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)</strong> has developed a fully online module for electronic return filing with online payment. This has substantially reduced the time to prepare and file returns.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Taxation Relief:</strong> Reduction of corporate tax from 30% to 25% for mid-sized companies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tax rate for new domestic manufacturing companies is now <strong>15%</strong> (17.01% inclusive of surcharge and cess).</li>
<li>Domestic companies can opt for concessional tax regime @ 22% (effective tax rate: 25.17% inclusive of surcharge and cess). Such companies cannot claim any other income tax incentive or exemption and are also not be liable to pay the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fixed Term Employment:</strong> The provision for Fixed Term Employment- hiring employees for specific period- earlier applicable to only textile industries has now been proposed to be extended to all sectors.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Creating Demand:</strong> To address an aggregate-demand growth slowdown, an active macroeconomic policy is needed. Spending must focus on the rural sector to raise agricultural yields and build the infrastructure needed to support non-farm livelihoods so that pressure on the land can be reduced. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Investment:</strong> Recent initiatives of corporate tax cut could feed a private investment surge but it could also add to the ongoing shift in income distribution. Therefore, spinoffs of public spending could lead to growth in business activity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legal Barriers:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Companies Act should be reviewed in order to minimise criminalisation of violations.</li>
<li>Taxation laws should be made simpler and tax administration should be impersonal. Direct Tax Code (DTC) will be the right step in this direction.</li>
<li>The GST law should be stabilised and the technology backbone should be strengthened rather than making more changes.</li>
<li>Human interface between tax officers and taxpayers should be reduced while automating the tax machinery.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Make in India:</strong> The program represents a comprehensive overhaul of processes and policies and represents a complete change of the Government&rsquo;s mindset - a shift from issuing authority to business partner.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Emphasis on manufacturing would help in solving employment crisis and will lead to increased purchasing capacity, thus boosting domestic consumption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>However, it would be unwise to judge the state of the business activity by observing movements in the <strong>ease of doing business index</strong> as it is just the reflection of regulatory measures taken in two big cities of Delhi and Mumbai. Therefore, more comprehensive measures incorporating the whole territorial region of India would do just in tackling the crippling economic conditions.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #4c00ff; background-color: #f2f1c9;">
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Inputs</strong></em></span><br /><br />The &lsquo;ease of doing business index&rsquo; is not the true reflection of business activity in the country. Examine the above statement and also suggest the policy measures taken to improve business activity in the economy.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
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