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India’s Role In Multilateral World Order

This article is based on “Resuscitating multilateralism with India’s help” which was published in The Hindu on 07/05/2020. It...

08 May 2020 News Editorials
Luhman 16: Binary Brown Dwarf System

Why in News Recently, a group of astrophysicists have found that the closest known brown dwarf, Luhman 16A which shows signs of cloud bands similar...

08 May 2020 News Analysis
Comparison of Measures Against Covid-19

Why in News The Oxford University has created a Stringency Index which shows how strict a country’s measures were and at what stage of the...

08 May 2020 News Analysis
Construction of Rath Yatra Chariots Allowed

Why in News The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed the construction of chariots for the annual Rath Yatra at Jagannath Puri in Odisha. It...

08 May 2020 News Analysis
Black Panther in Netravali Sanctuary

Why in News A black panther was spotted in Goa’s Netravali Sanctuary. While the area is a known habitat of tigers, this is for the first...

08 May 2020 News Analysis
Vizag Gas Leak

Why in News Recently, a gas leak has affected five villages in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The source of the gas leak was a styrene plant...

08 May 2020 News Analysis
FCI Reforms

This article is based on “A grain stockist with a role still relevant” which was published in The Hindu on 05/05/2020. It talks about...

07 May 2020 News Editorials
Development of the Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors

Why in News Recently, a group of researchers (including a recipient of the INSPIRE Faculty Award) have made significant achievements in developing...

07 May 2020 News Analysis
Fall in Treatment Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana

Why in News According to recent data provided by the National Health Authority (NHA), the number of treatments for non-Covid procedures by both...

07 May 2020 News Analysis
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897

Why in News Recently, the Union government directed States and Union Territories to invoke the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to fight the Covid-19...

07 May 2020 News Analysis
Report on Energy Efficiency Measures

Why in News Recently the Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy released a report on the “Impact of energy efficiency measures for...

07 May 2020 News Analysis
The Big Picture: Impact of lockdown on Women and Children

The COVID-19 crisis has a potentially far-reaching, long-term negative impact on women and children around the world. The impact is likely to be...

06 May 2020 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
One Nation One Ration Card

This article is based on “The needs of migrants should be addressed through a concerted national policy” which was published in The...

06 May 2020 News Editorials
Currency Change in Iran

Why in News Iran's parliament has passed a bill allowing the government to slash four zeros from the rial and authorizing its replacement with...

06 May 2020 News Analysis
Long March 5B’ Rocket by China

Why in News Recently, China has successfully launched the Long March 5B’ rocket and prototype spacecraft. It is being considered as...

06 May 2020 News Analysis
50th Foundation Day of DST

Why in News Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) conducted a webinar on ‘Fighting Corona - Leveraging Scientific Research...

06 May 2020 News Analysis
MSMEs and Covid-19

Why in News The Covid-19 pandemic has left its impact on all sectors of the economy including the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs)...

06 May 2020 News Analysis
Draft EIA Notification 2020

This article is based on “Undemocratic Evasion of Environmental Responsibility” which was published in The Economic and Political...

05 May 2020 News Editorials
Year End Review 2019: Ministry of Rural Development

Important Schemes and Policies Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) SECURE (Software for Estimate Calculation...

05 May 2020 Paper 2
Covid-19 in States with High Swine Flu Rates

Why in News Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and Tamil Nadu account for about 70% of India’s confirmed Covid-19 cases till now. Data...

05 May 2020 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'India’s Role In Multilateral World Order',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/resuscitating-multilateralism-with-indias-help/article31521059.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Resuscitating multilateralism with India&rsquo;s help&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 07/05/2020. It talks about India&rsquo;s role in the revival of declining multilateralism.</p>
</div>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-globalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong> </a>has highlighted the varying nature of the challenges faced by the world. First, these challenges are <strong>cross-national</strong> in character. They respect no national boundaries and are not amenable to national solutions only. Second, these challenges are <strong>cross-domain</strong> in nature, with strong feedback loops. A disruption in one domain often cascades into parallel disruptions in other domains.</p>
<p>The intersection of cross-national and cross-domain challenges demand multilateral approaches to reach out any solution. However, there has been an upsurge in narrow nationalism, an assertion of parochial interests over the pursuit of global (shared) interests, and a fostering of competition among states rather than embracing collaboration. Thus, multilateralism is possibly at its weakest today.</p>
<p>In this context, Indian Prime Minister remarks that the world is facing a huge challenge in the form of Covid-19 and the way to combat this pandemic is through the resolution of <strong>&lsquo;Collaborate to Create&rsquo;.</strong> Thus, the current pandemic may be an opportunity for India to help revive multilateralism.</p>
<h3>Issues Pertaining to Multilateralism</h3>
<p><strong>Increasing Incidences of Lawfare</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It means the misuse of existing International and national laws by several countries (via forced technology requirements, intellectual property rights violations, and subsidies), to gain an unfair advantage over other countries. For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO), due to the tussle between the developed and developing world.</li>
<li>The imposition of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/bigger-picture-of-usas-action-against-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extraterritorial sanction (under CAATSA) by the US</strong></a> has affected development in developing economies like India and China.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/trade-war-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The trade war between the US and China</strong> </a>has challenged the existing global trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Dual Use of Global Supply Chain</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Some of the developed countries have jurisdiction and control over global supply chains. Due to growing convergence between commercial interests with strategic goals, these supply chains enables them to have vast extraterritorial influence and has created new power asymmetries. For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/belt-and-road-initiative-perspectives-from-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>China through BRI</strong> </a>is enhancing its role in global economic governance.</li>
<li>The internet has become a distributed system of surveillance.</li>
<li>There are fears pertaining to dual-use (commercial viability and military application) of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-industrial-revolution-4-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Industrial Revolution 4.0.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Lack of Global Framework</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The global community has not been able to come on a single platform or frame a Global Agenda on issues related to terrorism, Climate Change, cybersecurity etc.</li>
<li>Also, due to the lack of any global public health framework, Covid-19 has spread into a pandemic.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Role in Reviving Multilateralism</h3>
<p><strong>Shift from Non-Alignment to Multi-Alignment</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the Post cold war era, Indian foreign policy has moved from a policy of non-alignment (policy of being neutral with US and USSR blocs) to the policy of Multi-alignment (India is having friendly relations with almost all great powers and developing world).</li>
<li>Multi-alignment is the very essence of India&rsquo;s foreign policy and the economic policy of India today.</li>
<li>This presents an opportunity for India to become a global mediator and help in developing a framework on Global Issues.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Role in International Activism</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is a key G-20 member country and the world&rsquo;s fifth-largest economy (and 3rd largest on purchasing power parity) with a long tradition of international activism and promotion of rule-based multilateralism.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s foreign policy is based on the ethos of <strong>&ldquo;Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam&rdquo;</strong> and Good Samaritan. In pursuance of this:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s long-standing commitment to multilateralism can be reflected in the call for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-permanent-seat-in-unsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>U.N. system reforms.</strong></a></li>
<li>India has taken the lead in promoting various multilateral initiatives like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/second-assembly-of-isa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Solar Alliance</strong></a>, proposing <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-international-convention-on-terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CCIT for combating terrorism</strong></a>, <strong><a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/07-01-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia-Africa Growth corridor.</a> </strong></li>
<li>India is the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-s-pharma-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pharmacy to the world</strong> </a>(world&rsquo;s largest producer and exporter of cost-effective generic drugs).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Collaborating with Like-minded Countries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Working together with a group of countries from the developed and developing countries could further amplify India&rsquo;s voice.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Here, India could work closely with the <strong>Alliance for Multilateralism</strong> (an initiative launched by Germany and France) to shape both the alliance itself and the reform agenda at large.</li>
<li>India must redouble its efforts, along with partners such as the USA, to push for a multi-stakeholder model of internet governance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Alliance for Multilateralism</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The &ldquo;Alliance for Multilateralism&rdquo; launched by the French and German Foreign Ministers is an informal network of countries united to promote a rules-based multilateral order for international stability and peace and addressing common challenges.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Alliance aims to renew the global commitment to stabilize the rules-based international order, uphold its principles and adapt it, where necessary.</li>
<li>It aims to protect and preserve international norms, agreements and institutions that are under pressure or in peril.</li>
<li>It seeks to pursue a more proactive agenda in policy areas that lack effective governance and where new challenges require collective action.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Decoupling From China: Opportunity for India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China has been the factory to the world, but global investors have been seeking a gradual decoupling from China. This is due to the increasing cost of production and the trust deficit in China after Covid-19 pandemic.</li>
<li>This provides India with an opportunity to become the world's manufacturing hub and stable economic power. This will help India in assuming leadership roles and maintaining a stable global economic system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Despite hardships, India can, and must, take the lead in bringing the world together to practice a new multilateralism that places the common interests of humanity above narrow national interests. In this context, India has taken initiatives to develop a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revival-of-saarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>joint response in bringing SAARC together to fight the pandemic</strong></a>. This neighbourhood collaboration should be a model for the world.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588937602_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588937602_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="800" caption="false" /></a></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India is uniquely placed in global politics to take up the leadership role in the framing of a new multilateral world order. Analyse.</p>
</td>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PrzWZY_GRMI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/back-home-the-hindu-editorial-on-return-of-indian-expatriates/article31521031.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Back home: On return of Indian expatriates&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 07/05/2020. Now watch this on our Youtube Channel.</p>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Luhman 16: Binary Brown Dwarf System',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a group of astrophysicists have found that the <strong>closest known brown dwarf, Luhman 16A</strong> which shows signs <strong>of cloud bands</strong> similar to those seen on Jupiter and Saturn.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>They used the <strong>technique of polarimetry</strong> to determine the properties of atmospheric clouds outside of the solar system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Polarimetry</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The concept of polarimetry technique was put forth by Indian astrophysicist Sujan Sengupta, that the <strong>light emitted by a cloudy brown dwarf, or reflected off an extrasolar planet, will be polarised.</strong></li>
<li>Polarimetry is the study of polarization. Polarization is a property of light that represents the direction that the light wave oscillates.</li>
<li>When light is reflected off of particles it can favor a certain angle of polarization. By <strong>measuring the preferred polarization of light</strong> from a distant system, astronomers can deduce the <strong>presence of clouds.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, in case of Luhman 16A, the researchers have found the actual structure of the clouds (not only their presence).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The polarimetry technique isn't limited to brown dwarfs. It can also be applied to exoplanets orbiting distant stars, or even stars. However, light from brown dwarfs is ideal for the study.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Luhman 16</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Luhman 16A</strong> is part of a <strong>binary system (Luhman 16)</strong> containing a second brown dwarf, <strong>Luhman 16B.</strong> This pair of brown dwarfs Luhman 16A and Luhman 16B <strong>orbit each other.</strong></li>
<li>It is situated at a distance of about<strong> 6.5 light years</strong> from the Sun and the <strong>third closest system to the Sun after Alpha Centauri and Barnard&rsquo;s star.</strong></li>
<li>Despite the fact that Luhman 16A and 16B have similar masses and temperatures and presumably formed at the same time,<strong> they show markedly different weather.</strong></li>
<li>Luhman 16B shows <strong>no sign of stationary cloud bands,</strong> instead showing evidence of more <strong>irregular, patchy clouds.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Luhman 16B, therefore, has <strong>noticeable brightness variations</strong> as a result of its cloudy features, unlike Luhman 16A which has less brightness variation due to a band of clouds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Understanding the cloud system over a brown dwarf<strong> can shed light on the pressure, temperature and climate</strong> on the surface of the celestial body.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Brown Dwarfs</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Brown dwarfs are also called <strong>failed stars,</strong> because <strong>their masses are heavier than planets but lighter than stars.</strong></li>
<li>Due to their small masses, they are unable to <strong>sustain fusion of their hydrogen</strong> to produce energy.</li>
<li>It is believed that some of the more massive brown <strong>dwarfs fuse deuterium or lithium and glow faintly.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Binary Stars System</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Binary stars are two stars orbiting a<strong> common center of mass</strong>.</li>
<li>The brighter star is officially classified as the <strong>primary star,</strong> while the dimmer of the two is the <strong>secondary star.</strong> In cases where the stars are of equal brightness, the designation given by the discoverer is respected.</li>
<li>They are very important in astrophysics because <strong>calculations of their orbits allow the masses of their component stars to be directly determined,</strong> which in turn allows other stellar parameters, such as radius and density, to be indirectly estimated.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/band-like-clouds-seen-over-suns-neighbour/article31529668.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Comparison of Measures Against Covid-19',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Oxford University has created a <strong>Stringency Index</strong> which shows how strict a country&rsquo;s measures were and at what stage of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Covid-19</strong> </a>spread, it enforced these.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India</strong> enforced <strong>one of the strongest lockdowns at an early phase</strong> of case growth.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Stringency Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Government Response Stringency Index</strong> is a composite measure based on various response indicators including school and workplace closures, stay-at-home policies and travel bans, rescaled to a<strong> value from 0 to 100.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A<strong> higher index score</strong> indicates a <strong>higher level of stringency</strong> (100 = strictest response).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is among the metrics used by the <strong>Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker</strong> (OxCGRT).</li>
<li>The Tracker has a team of 100 Oxford community members who update a database of 17 indicators of government response.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Index has found that India has one of the strongest lockdown measures in the world, at a <strong>100 score</strong> since 22<sup>nd</sup> March, when the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>nationwide lockdown</strong> </a>was first imposed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/phased-easing-of-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slightly relaxed</a> </strong>on 20<sup>th</sup> April after the government eased norms for certain workplaces in regions outside the <strong>red zones</strong> (zones with increasing rate of active cases).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Other countries with a 100 score are <strong>Honduras, Argentina, Jordan, Libya, Sri Lanka, Serbia and Rwanda.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Death Curve and Stringency Score:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Index also provides an overlay of countries&rsquo; death curve and their stringency score.</li>
<li>Eighteen countries were<strong> compared for the highest death count at the strongest measures.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Italy, Spain or France saw their deaths just begin to flatten as they reached their highest stringency</li>
<li>China&rsquo;s death curve saw a little or no change after it put stronger measures.</li>
<li>In the UK, the US and India, the death curve has not flattened even after imposition of the strictest measures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Comparison:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India called its<strong> strict lockdown at a much earlier point on its case and death curves</strong> when compared to other countries with similar or higher case load.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While imposing lockdown, India had around 320 cases while others had more than 500 cases.</li>
<li>By 22<sup>nd</sup> March, India saw only 4 deaths while others saw more deaths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Spain called for its strictest measures later in its case and death count than all others.</li>
<li><strong>Sweden</strong> has had the <strong>most liberal measures</strong> in this set and<strong> Iran</strong> the <strong>second most liberal.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Response on WHO&rsquo;s Recommendations</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The researchers also examined if countries meet four of the six <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organization&rsquo;s</strong></a> (WHO) recommendations for relaxing physical distancing measures. The<strong> four of them</strong> are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Control transmission to a level the healthcare system can manage.</li>
<li>The healthcare system can detect and isolate all cases (not just serious ones).</li>
<li>Manage transfer to and from high-risk transmission zones.</li>
<li>Community engagement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It was found that <strong>no countries meet the four measured recommendations,</strong> but 20 are close.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India scored 0.7</strong> (below Australia, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea) because it scored 0 for controlling its cases.</li>
<li>The <strong>highest scorers</strong> on this index, at <strong>0.9,</strong> were<strong> Iceland, Hong Kong, Croatia and Trinidad &amp; Tobago.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-india-lockdown-vs-global-lockdown-covid-19-deaths-cases-cure-6399181/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Construction of Rath Yatra Chariots Allowed',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed the construction of chariots for the annual Rath Yatra at Jagannath Puri in Odisha.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has also said that the complete segregation of the construction site should be ensured and <strong>social-distancing norms be followed.</strong></li>
<li>The Rath Yatra is expected to be held on 23<sup>rd</sup> June 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jagannath Rath Yatra</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ratha Jatra, also called as <strong>Chariot Festival,</strong> is a Hindu festival associated with <strong>Lord Jagannath</strong> held at <strong>Puri, Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>The festival is celebrated on the<strong> 2<sup>nd</sup> day </strong>of <strong>Shukla Paksha of Ashadh,</strong> the third month, according to the traditional Oriya calendar.</li>
<li>It is a<strong> 9 day-long event</strong> and marks the <strong>return of Lord Krishna to Vrindavan</strong> with his brother <strong>Balabhadra</strong> and sister<strong> Subhadra</strong> to <strong>Gundicha Temple</strong> via Mausi Maa Temple (maternal aunt's home) near Saradha Bali, Puri.</li>
<li>During the festival, the three holy chariots carrying idols of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balaram (Balabhadra) and sister Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees from India and abroad.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jagannath Temple</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The temple is believed to be constructed in the 12<sup>th</sup> century by <strong>King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva </strong>of the<strong> Eastern Ganga Dynasty.</strong></li>
<li>Jagannath Puri temple is called <strong>&lsquo;Yamanika Tirtha&rsquo;</strong> where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of &lsquo;Yama&rsquo;, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.</li>
<li>This temple was called the<strong> &ldquo;White Pagoda&rdquo;</strong> and is a <strong>part of Char Dham</strong> pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).</li>
<li>There are four gates to the temple- Eastern &lsquo;Singhdwara&rsquo; which is the main gate with two crouching lions, Southern &lsquo;Ashwadwara&rsquo;, Western 'Vyaghra Dwara and Northern &lsquo;Hastidwara&rsquo;. There is a carving of each form at each gate.</li>
<li>In front of the entrance stands the Aruna stambha or sun pillar, which was originally at the <strong>Sun Temple in Konark.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923570_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923570_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="650" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/construction-of-rath-yatra-chariots-allowed-home-ministry/article31529370.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/construction-of-rath-yatra-chariots-allowed'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Black Panther in Netravali Sanctuary',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <strong>black panther</strong> was spotted in <strong>Goa&rsquo;s Netravali Sanctuary.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While the area is a known habitat of tigers, this is for the first time a black panther has been captured on camera in the sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Black Panther<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923091_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923091_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A black panther is the <strong>melanistic colour variant of any Panthera,</strong> particularly of the<strong> leopard in Asia and Africa,</strong> and the <strong>jaguar in the Americas.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Melanism is the<strong> increased development of the dark-colored pigment melanin</strong> in the skin or hair.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is as shy as a normal leopard and very difficult to detect. It is mostly found in densely forested areas of southern India.</li>
<li><strong>Areas where black panther has been spotted earlier:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala)</li>
<li>Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka)</li>
<li>Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh)</li>
<li>Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa)</li>
<li>Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is located in<strong> South Eastern Goa</strong> and constitutes one of the vital corridors of the Western Ghats.</li>
<li>It is bounded by <strong>Cotigao wildlife sanctuary</strong> on the eastern side and <strong>Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park</strong> on the northern side.</li>
<li><strong>Netravali or Neturli</strong> is an important tributary of <strong>River Zuari,</strong> which originates in the sanctuary.</li>
<li>It has two important waterfalls namely, <strong>Savari</strong> and <strong>Mainapi.</strong></li>
<li>Forests mostly consist of <strong>moist deciduous vegetation</strong> interspersed with evergreen and semi-evergreen habitat.</li>
<li><strong>Fauna:</strong> Leopard, Giant Squirrel, Mouse Deer, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon and Ceylon Frogmouth.</li>
<li><strong>Other Protected Areas in Goa:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary</li>
<li>Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary</li>
<li>Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary</li>
<li>Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary</li>
<li>Mollem National Park</li>
<li>Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/goa/black-panther-spotted-in-goa-sanctuary-6398693/" 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/black-panther-in-netravali-sanctuary'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Vizag Gas Leak',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a gas leak has affected five villages in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The source of the gas leak was a<strong> styrene plant</strong> owned by South Korean electronics giant LG located in the area.</li>
<li>The possible reason for gas leak is<strong> stagnation and changes in temperature</strong> inside the storage tank that could have resulted in <strong>auto polymerization</strong> (chemical reaction) <strong>and vapourisation</strong> of the styrene.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Styrene</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Description:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Styrene is an <strong>organic compound</strong> with the formula <strong>C<sub>8</sub>H<sub>8</sub>.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>derivative of benzene (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>).</strong></li>
<li>It is stored in factories as a liquid, but evaporates easily, and has to be kept at temperatures under 20&deg;C.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sources:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Styrene is found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uses:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a flammable liquid that is used in the manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, rubber, and latex.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Risk of Exposure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Short Term Exposure:</strong> It can result in respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes, irritation in the mucous membrane, and gastrointestinal issues.</li>
<li><strong>Long-Term Exposure:</strong> It could drastically affect the central nervous system and lead to other related problems like peripheral neuropathy. It could also lead to cancer and depression in some cases. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, there is no sufficient evidence of an association between styrene exposure and an increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>State of Chemical Disaster Risk in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-disaster-management-authority-ndma-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)</strong></a>, in the recent past, over 130 significant chemical accidents have been reported in the country.</li>
<li>Further, there are thousands of registered hazardous factories and unorganised sectors dealing with numerous ranges of hazardous material posing serious and complex levels of disaster risks.</li>
<li>There are over 1861 <strong>Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units</strong> spread across 301 districts and 25 states and three Union Territories in all zones of the country. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Major Accident is defined as an incident involving loss of life inside or outside the site or ten or more injuries.</li>
<li>Further it also involves the release of toxic chemical or explosion or fire of spillage of hazardous chemical resulting in &lsquo;on-site&rsquo; or &lsquo;off-site&rsquo; emergencies leading to adverse effects to the environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Laws to Protect Against Chemical Disasters in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Laws Before and During Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the time of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bhopal-gas-tragedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bhopal gas tragedy</strong></a>, the <strong>Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the only</strong> relevant law specifying criminal liability for such incidents.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Laws After Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bhopal Gas Leak (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985 :</strong> It gives powers to the central government to secure the claims arising out of or connected with the Bhopal gas tragedy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under the provisions of this Act, such claims are dealt with speedily and equitably.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Environment Protection Act, 1986:</strong> It gives powers to the central government to undertake measures for improving the environment and set standards and inspect industrial units.</li>
<li><strong>The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991:</strong> It is an insurance meant to provide relief to persons affected by accidents that occur while handling hazardous substances.</li>
<li><strong>The National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997:</strong> Under this Act, the National Environment Appellate Authority can hear appeals regarding the restriction of areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain safeguards under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.</li>
<li><strong>National Green Tribunal, 2010:</strong> It provided for the establishment of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal</strong></a> for effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and conservation of forests.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to PRS legislative, any incident similar to the Bhopal gas tragedy will be tried in the National Green Tribunal and most likely under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.</li>
<li>If an offence is committed by a company then every person directly in charge and responsible will be deemed guilty, unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such an offence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/vizag-gas-leak-bhopal-tragedy-india-chemical-disasters-laws-6398912/" 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/vizag-gas-leak'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'FCI Reforms',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-grain-stockist-with-a-role-still-relevant/article31504557.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;A grain stockist with a role still relevant&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 05/05/2020. It talks about issues and solutions pertaining to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).</p>
</div>
<p><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/food-corporation-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Corporation of India (FCI)</strong></a> was set up under the Food Corporations Act 1964, at the forefront of India&rsquo;s quest of self-sufficiency in rice and wheat following the Green Revolution, managing procurement and stocking grain that supported a vast Public Distribution System (PDS).</p>
<p>Thus, it has played a critical role in ensuring food security in India and acted as a lifeline for millions of vulnerable across the country.</p>
<p>Today, in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, it holds the key to warding off a looming crisis of hunger and starvation, especially in the wake of the migrant crisis and poverty induced by the pandemic.</p>
<p>However, several issues pertaining to FCI make its operations highly inefficient (as every year foodgrains procured by FCI gets rotten) and pushes up the annual food subsidy bill.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p>FCI has primary duty to undertake purchase, store, transport, distribute and sell food grains and other foodstuffs.</p>
<p>FCI was mandated with three basic objectives:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ensuring food security of the nation by maintaining satisfactory levels of operational buffer stocks of food grains.</li>
<li>Distribution of food grains throughout the country for the Public Distribution System.</li>
<li>Effective Price Support Operations for safeguarding the interest of farmers</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues Pertaining to FCI</h3>
<p><strong>Open-Ended Procurement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI conducts &ldquo;Open-ended procurement&rdquo; which means the Government will buy (at <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/msp-agrarian-crisis-and-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Minimum Support Price-MSP</strong></a>) any quantity of wheat and rice from any farmer who comes forward to sell.</li>
<li>Due to this, FCI has huge grain stocks which far exceed buffer-stock norms.</li>
<li>Also, some of the reasons for these excess stocks are export bans.</li>
<li>Due to this, FCI&rsquo;s mounting debts have increased to an estimated ₹2.55 lakh crore by March 2020.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Storage Crisis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI lacks necessary warehousing infrastructure and robust procurement mechanisms.<br />Due to lack of adequate storage facilities, huge quantities of food grains get wasted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>First in First out principle (FIFO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI follows a first in, first out principle (FIFO) principle that mandates that grain that has been procured earlier needs to be distributed first to ensure that older stocks are liquidated, both across years and even within a particular year. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is time for the FCI to suspend this strategy, if it has not already, that enables movement that costs least time, money and effort.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Lack of Proactive Liquidation Policy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The current system of liquidation of excess stocks through the <strong>Open Market Sale Scheme</strong> (Domestic) or through export markets is extremely ad-hoc and slow.</li>
<li>FCI doesn&rsquo;t get a good price most of the time, as predetermined price (reserve price) is often less than the acquisition cost/economic cost of grains for FCI and it ends up making a loss in the sale.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps To Be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a pressing need for implementing <strong>Shanta Kumar Committee recommendations.</strong> For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It recommended that FCI should hand over all procurement operations of wheat and rice to the states (having sufficient experience and reasonable infrastructure for procurement). In this context, the central government can incentivise states to follow <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/food-corporation-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Decentralized Procurement Scheme (DCP).</strong></a></li>
<li>FCI should accept only the surplus (after deducting the needs of the states under NFSA) from these state governments to be moved to deficit states like Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam etc.</li>
<li>FCI should outsource its stocking operations to various agencies such as Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), State Warehousing Corporation (SWC), Private Sector under Private Entrepreneur Guarantee (PEG) scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a need for a transparent liquidation policy that should automatically come into effect whenever FCI is faced with surplus stocks over buffer norms.</li>
<li>The vibrant network of self-help groups formed under the <strong>National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)</strong> can be tasked with the last-mile distribution of food aid other than the PDS.</li>
<li><strong>Farmer producer organisations (FPOs)</strong> have been at the forefront of rebuilding the inefficient supply chains. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The FCI along with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), is well placed to rope in expertise to manage the logistics to support supply chain management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>These holistic reforms in FCI may help in transforming the food security-oriented crisis management into a stable security system to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of food grains to all people at all times so that no one, nowhere and at no time should go hungry.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588853661_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588853661_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="800" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #e8f5ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss the role played by Food Corporation of India regarding food security. Also highlight the challenges faced by it.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HZQX1pevp14" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/dangerous-drift-on-encounter-with-terrorists-near-handwara/article31512624.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Dangerous Drift&rdquo;</strong> </a>published in The Hindu on 06/05/2020. Now watch this on our YouTube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fci-reforms'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Development of the Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a group of researchers (including a recipient of the <strong>INSPIRE Faculty Award</strong>) have made significant achievements in <strong>developing nanomaterials based supercapacitors to achieve high energy density and power density of supercapacitors.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Energy density</strong> is the amount of energy that can be stored in a given mass of a substance or system, i.e. a measure of storage of energy.</li>
<li><strong>Power density</strong> is the amount of power (time rate of energy transfer) per unit volume, i.e. a measure of release of energy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Energy: Batteries, Capacitors and Supercapacitors</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Like batteries, Capacitors are also used to <strong>store energy.</strong> While batteries rely on chemical reactions, capacitors use static electricity (electrostatics) to store energy.</li>
<li><strong>Capacitors have many advantages over batteries:</strong> they weigh less, generally don't contain harmful chemicals or toxic metals, and they can be charged and discharged many times. However, they cannot store the same amount of electrical energy as batteries.</li>
<li>Supercapacitors, also known as EDLC (electric double-layer capacitor) or Ultracapacitors, differ from regular capacitors in that they <strong>can store a huge amount of energy.</strong></li>
<li>Batteries have a<strong> higher energy density (they store more energy per unit mass)</strong> but supercapacitors have a <strong>higher power density (they can release energy more quickly).</strong> This property makes supercapacitors particularly suitable for <strong>storing and releasing large amounts of power relatively quickly.</strong></li>
<li>Supercapacitors deliver <strong>quick bursts of energy during peak power demands</strong> and then quickly store energy and capture excess power that's otherwise lost. In the example of an electric car, a supercapacitor can provide needed power for acceleration, while a battery provides range and recharges the supercapacitor between surges.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The researchers have been working on<strong> carbon (Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene) nanomaterials</strong> based supercapacitors to achieve <strong>high energy density and power density of supercapacitors.</strong></li>
<li>High energy density of supercapacitors suggests that constant current can be withdrawn for a longer duration without recharging. Hence automobiles can run longer distances without charging.</li>
<li>Thus, researchers have developed a <strong>reduced graphene oxide (rGO)</strong> at a moderate temperature of 100&deg;C with high capacitance performance. It is cost-effective and suitable for commercial purposes.</li>
<li>The focus on energy devices paves the way for the development of<strong> cost-effective and efficient devices, which can be used for energy storage application.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Optoelectronic Applications of Nanomaterials:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that source, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics.</li>
<li>The researchers are developing novel nanostructures of carbon for Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy or surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface-sensitive technique that <strong>enhances <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-28-february-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raman scattering</a> by molecules adsorbed on rough metal</strong> surfaces or by nanostructures such as plasmonic-magnetic silica nanotubes.</li>
<li>The enhancement factor can be as much as 10<sup>10</sup> to 10<sup>11</sup>, which means the technique may even detect a single molecule.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The SERS can help detect harmful molecules present in water at ultra-low concentrations.</li>
<li>The findings make way for materials which can be used as <strong>advanced photodetectors</strong> and also be used as <strong>optical sensors for water pollution control.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)</strong> intends to attract talent to study science at an early age, and to help the country build the required critical resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science and Technology base with long term foresight.</li>
<li>It is an India specific model for attracting talent with an aptitude for research and innovation, for a career in Basic &amp; Natural sciences.</li>
<li>The scheme has been developed by the <strong>Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology</strong> and <strong>approved in 2008.</strong></li>
<li>INSPIRE Scheme has included three programs and five components.The three programmes are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS):</strong> It aims to attract talented youth to study science by providing INSPIRE Award of Rs 5000 to one million young learners of the age group 10-15 years.</li>
<li><strong>Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE):</strong> It aims to enhance rates of attachment of talented youth to undertake higher education in science intensive programmes, by providing scholarships and mentorship.</li>
<li><strong>Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC):</strong> It aims to attract, attach, retain and nourish talented young scientific Human Resource for strengthening the R&amp;D foundation and base.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588845897_image1.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588845897_image1.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1621513" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/development-of-the-nanomaterials-based-supercapacitors'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Fall in Treatment Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to recent data provided by the <strong>National Health Authority (NHA),</strong> the number of treatments for non-Covid procedures by both private and government facilities across the country dropped by over 20% between February, 2020 and April, 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown have adversely affected the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat</strong></a>-<strong>Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana&rsquo;s (AB-PMJAY)</strong> ability to cater to critical patients below the poverty line.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cardiology treatments offered under AB-PMJAY declined by 45%.</li>
<li>General Surgeries&rsquo; declined by 23%.</li>
<li>Procedures related to gynaecology and obstetrics declined by 25%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The only category of treatment that showed an increase was <strong>&lsquo;General Medicine&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The treatments available under AB-PMJAY can be accessed at several private care hospitals. However, because of lockdown, private hospitals across the country are largely shut down.</li>
<li>The government itself is encouraging people with <strong>&lsquo;non-critical&rsquo; illness</strong> to access hospitals via <strong>telemedicine</strong> or only partake of essential treatments (dialysis or non-elective surgeries) at hospitals.</li>
<li>Moreover, with several reports of Covid-19 infections in healthcare workers and doctors across private and public hospitals, the number of visits to hospitals in general saw a decline.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PM-JAY offers a sum insured of <strong>Rs.5 lakh per family</strong> for secondary care (which doesn&rsquo;t involve a super specialist) as well as tertiary care (which involves a super specialist).</li>
<li>It is an entitlement-based scheme that targets the beneficiaries as identified by latest <strong>Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once identified by the database, the beneficiary is considered insured and can walk into any empanelled hospital.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The insurance cost is shared by the<strong> centre and the state mostly in the ratio of 60:40.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Packaged rates (Rates that include everything so that each product or service is not charged for separately):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They also mention the number of average days of hospitalization for a medical procedure and supporting documents that are needed.</li>
<li>They are flexible, but they can&rsquo;t charge the beneficiary once fixed by the hospitals.</li>
<li>The scheme also has prescribed a daily limit for medical management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The National Health Authority (NHA)</strong> has been constituted as an autonomous entity under the Society Registration Act, 1860 for effective implementation of PM-JAY in alliance with state governments.</li>
<li><strong>The State Health Agency (SHA)</strong> is the apex body of the State Government responsible for the implementation of AB PM-JAY in the State.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/fall-in-key-treatment-categories/article31521141.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/fall-in-treatment-under-ayushman-bharat-yojana'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Union government directed States and Union Territories to invoke the <strong>Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897</strong> to fight the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-s-preparedness" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 outbreak</strong></a>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The colonial-era Act empowers the state governments to take special measures and prescribe regulations in an epidemic. It also defines penalties for disobedience of these regulations, and<strong> provides for immunity for actions</strong> taken under the Act <strong>&ldquo;in good faith&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Provisions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/states-to-be-asked-to-invoke-epidemic-disease-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Epidemic Diseases Act</strong></a> aims to provide for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases.</li>
<li>Under the act, temporary provisions or regulations can be made to be observed by the public to tackle or prevent the outbreak of a disease.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Powers to Central Government:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 2A</strong> of the Act empowers the central government to take steps to prevent the spread of an epidemic.</li>
<li><strong>Health is a State subject,</strong> but by invoking <strong>Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act,</strong> advisories and directions of the Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare will be enforceable.</li>
<li>It allows the government to inspect any ship arriving or leaving any post and the power to detain any person intending to sail or arriving in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Penalty for Disobedience:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 3</strong> provides penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act. These are according to section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legal Protection to Implementing Officers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 4</strong> gives legal protection to the implementing officers acting under the Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enforcement of the Act in the Recent Past:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Epidemics Diseases Act is routinely enforced across the country for dealing with outbreaks of diseases such as Swine Flu, Dengue.</li>
<li>For Example in 2009, to tackle the swine flu outbreak in Pune, Section 2 powers were used to open screening centres in civic hospitals across the city, and swine flu was declared a notifiable disease.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Context:</strong> The Epidemic Diseases Bill was introduced in 1897, during an outbreak of bubonic plague.</li>
<li><strong>Need:</strong> Since the <strong>existing laws were insufficient</strong> to deal with various matters such as &ldquo;overcrowded houses, neglected latrines and huts, accumulations of filth, insanitary cowsheds and stables, and the disposal of house refuse.</li>
<li><strong>Special Powers:</strong> The Bill had called for<strong> special powers for governments of Indian provinces and local bodies,</strong> including to check passengers of trains and sea routes.</li>
<li><strong>Global Concern:</strong> The government of the day was also concerned that several countries were alarmed by the situation in India. As<strong> Russia</strong> had speculated that the <strong>whole subcontinent</strong> might be infected due to plague.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Plague</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Plague is caused by the <strong>bacteria Yersinia pestis</strong> usually found in small mammals and their fleas.</li>
<li>There are<strong> two</strong> main clinical forms of plague infection: <strong>bubonic and pneumonic.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bubonic plague is the most common form and is characterized by <strong>painful swollen lymph nodes or 'buboes'.</strong></li>
<li>Pneumonic plague is a form of <strong>severe lung infection.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Plague is<strong> transmitted between animals and humans</strong> by the bite of infected fleas, direct contact with infected tissues, and inhalation of infected respiratory droplets.</li>
<li><strong>Antibiotic treatment is effective</strong> against plague bacteria, so early diagnosis and early treatment can save lives.</li>
<li>Currently, the three most endemic countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Recent Changes in the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ordinance-to-protect-health-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cabinet amended the Act through an ordinance</strong></a> stating that commission or abetment of <strong>acts of violence against healthcare service personnel</strong> shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.</li>
<li>In case of causing grievous hurt, imprisonment shall be for a term of six months to seven years and a fine of Rs1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/epidemic-disease-act-amended-coronavirus-pandemic-bubonic-plague-healthcare-workers-6397400/" 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/epidemic-diseases-act-1897'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Report on Energy Efficiency Measures',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently the Ministry of Power and New &amp; Renewable Energy released a report on the <strong>&ldquo;Impact of energy efficiency measures for the year 2018-19&rdquo;.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Agency Involved:</strong> The report was prepared by a third party <strong>agency PWC Ltd,</strong> who was engaged by Bureau of Energy efficiency (BEE).</li>
<li><strong>Methodology:</strong> Since 2017-18, every year BEE has been appointing a <strong>third party expert agency</strong> which compares the estimated and actual energy consumption due to various energy efficiency schemes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study assesses the <strong>resultant impact of current schemes at national as well as state level</strong> for the financial year and compares it with a situation where the same were not implemented.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong> To<strong> evaluate the performance and impact of all the key energy efficiency programmes in India,</strong> in terms of total energy saved and the <strong>related reduction in the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Key Findings</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Electricity Saving: Implementation of various energy efficiency schemes</strong> have led to total electricity savings to the tune of 113.16 Billion Units in 2018-19, which is <strong>9.39% of the net electricity consumption.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Energy Saving:</strong> The total energy savings achieved in 2018-19 is 23.73 Mtoe (million Tonne of Oil Equivalent), which is 2.69% of the total primary energy supply (estimated to be 879.23 Mtoe in India).</li>
<li><strong>Emission Reduction:</strong> These efforts have also contributed in reducing 151.74 Million Tonnes of CO2 emissions, whereas last year this number was 108 Million Tonnes of CO2.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flagship Programmes:</strong> This year the study has identified the following major programmes, viz. <strong>Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme, Standards &amp; Labelling Programme, UJALA Programme, Municipal Demand Side Management Programme.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>market-based mechanism</strong> to further accelerate as well as incentivize energy efficiency in the large energy-intensive industries.</li>
<li>The <strong>Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts)</strong> were introduced in India in 2011 under the <strong>Perform, Achieve Trade scheme (PAT)</strong> by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the National Mission of Energy Efficiency.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NMEEE is one of the eight national missions under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)</strong></a> launched by the Government of India in the year 2008.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This market- based mechanism is facilitated through the trading of <strong>Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts)</strong> which are issued to those plants who have overachieved their targets.</li>
<li>Those plants which under achieve their targets are entitled to purchase ESCerts through <strong>two power exchanges - Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Power Exchange India Limited (PXIL).</strong></li>
<li>The scheme is unique in many ways, particularly from a developing country's perspective since it creates a <strong>market for energy efficiency</strong> through tradable certificates ESCerts, by allowing them to be used for meeting energy reduction targets.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Standards &amp; Labelling Programme</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A key objective of this programme by BEE is to provide the consumer an <strong>informed choice about the energy saving</strong> and thereby<strong> the cost saving potential of the relevant marketed product.</strong></li>
<li>The programme targets display of energy performance labels on high energy end use equipment &amp; appliances and lays down minimum energy performance standards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was launched in <strong>2015</strong> with a target of replacing 77 crore incandescent lamps with LED bulbs and to nullify the high-cost of LEDs that acted as a barrier previously in the adoption of energy-efficient systems.</li>
<li>The scheme was implemented to set up a phase-wise LED distribution.</li>
<li>The <strong>objective</strong> is to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment that will reduce electricity bills and preserve the environment.</li>
<li>It is the<strong> world&rsquo;s largest domestic lighting project.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Municipal Demand Side Management Programme</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Municipality Demand Side Management (Mu-DSM) programme of BEE was initiated during the Eleventh five year plan(2007-2012).</li>
<li>The basic objective of the project is to improve the<strong> overall energy efficiency</strong> of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), which could lead to substantial savings in the electricity consumption, thereby resulting in cost reduction/savings for the ULBs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The BEE is a <strong>statutory body</strong> established through <strong>Energy Conservation Act, 2001</strong> under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.</li>
<li>It assists in <strong>developing policies and strategies</strong> with the primary objective of <strong>reducing the energy intensity</strong> of the Indian economy.</li>
<li>BEE coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organizations to identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing its functions.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pledge: India has pledged in the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-climate-change-act-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Conference of the Parties (COP21)</strong></a> of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unfccc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)</strong> </a>to bring down the energy intensity of its economy by <strong>33 to 35% compared to 2005 levels by 2030.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Energy intensity is the<strong> amount of energy required</strong> to produce one unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).</li>
<li>High energy intensities indicate a high cost of converting energy into GDP. Whereas, low energy intensity indicates a lower cost of converting energy into GDP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Achievement:</strong> With its energy efficiency initiatives India has already reduced the energy intensity of its economy by <strong>20% compared to 2005 levels.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> Energy efficiency <strong>reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing demand for energy imports, and lowering costs</strong> on a household and economy-wide level.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1621501" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-energy-efficiency-measures'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture: Impact of lockdown on Women and Children',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-bZMNqgwbMk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The COVID-19 crisis has a potentially far-reaching, long-term negative impact on women and children around the world. The impact is likely to be devastating especially for children, even though they appear to have less severe symptoms and lower mortality rates than other age groups. More than 1.5 billion students are out of school. Widespread job and income loss and economic insecurity among families are likely to increase the stress on this vulnerable population. Stresses on families, particularly those living under quarantines and lockdowns, are increasing the incidence of domestic violence.</p>
<h3>Impact of Lockdown on Women and Children</h3>
<p>Fueled by mandatory stay-at-home rules, social distancing, economic uncertainties, and anxieties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Domestic Violence has increased globally. The pandemic and the lockdown are trying times for every individual but for the already vulnerable group, the women and young children specifically girl children, are facing the worst of it all.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact on women:</strong> There has been a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-violence-against-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>rise in instances of violence</strong></a>, sexual, physical and mental against women.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The National Commission for Women (NCW) has recorded a more than <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/domestic-violence-during-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>twofold rise in gender-based violence.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data Analysis:</strong></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total complaints-</strong> Rose from 116 in the first week of March to 257 in the final week of March.</li>
<li><strong>Rape or attempt to rape-</strong> Rose sharply from 2 to 13.</li>
<li><strong>Domestic violence-</strong> Increased from 30 to 69 over the same comparative period.</li>
<li><strong>Police apathy towards women-</strong> Almost threefold increase as the police are busy enforcing the lockdown to curb the spread of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>COVID-19</strong></a>.</li>
<li><strong>Cases under Right to live with dignity (Article 21)-</strong> Rose to 77 from 35. Such cases could pertain to discrimination on the basis of gender, class, or caste or all three of them combined.</li>
<li>These cases might be a fragment of the actual number as many women will not be able to reach out due to various reasons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on Children:</strong> Young Children are facing the brunt of discord between parents, the discord has nothing to do with the economic class, education, etc, happens across the spectrum.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Coronavirus can scare children now, which could create emotional problems for months or even years to come.</li>
<li>Even if the lockdown gets over the schools and colleges will continue to remain shut for the next 2-3 months that&rsquo;s why it is going to be very difficult to manage children and their energies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on students:</strong> Separation from playgroups and friends and their daily routine of playing is creating a lot of anxiety for children, they are losing their attachments
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Children&rsquo;s social life and learning have been affected and most of them are finding it difficult to stay away.</li>
<li>A lot of students from marginalised sections are finding it very difficult to cope with studies with no access to the internet. The problem of fees, examinations, and internet connectivity to attend the class.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Possible Reasons</h3>
<p>When the economy takes a hit, its always the most vulnerable, the women and children are pushed back. The massive unemployment that will follow in the wake of the pandemic will target women much more than men, severely affecting their condition in society.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Anxiety and Insecurity:</strong> Most of the individuals are facing the problem of anxiety and insecurity over their future prospects.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lack of peer circles, unwinding spaces and patriarchal mindset are the major reasons that make women the victim of men&rsquo;s frustration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Privacy:</strong> Women are not able to reach out because of restrictions on movement as well as a lack of privacy within homes.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NCW had set-up Crimes Against Women Cell in Police stations in collaboration with Delhi Police under the project <strong>&ldquo;VIOLENCE FREE HOME- A WOMEN&rsquo;S RIGHT&rdquo;.</strong> But due to the lack of movement women are not being able to access this service.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of counselors:</strong> Most women, suffering domestic violence, are increasingly finding themselves isolated and without necessary support such as counseling.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Women&rsquo;s-rights NGOs are facing their own sets of challenges due to the lockdown. Unable to move beyond telephonic or web counselling, the organisations are struggling to be of further assistance to victims of abuse or at-risk women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Sexual exploitation takes place when individuals are at their most vulnerable, and the lockdown has put many women in such a condition. Human rights of both children and women are being grossly violated amidst this lockdown.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>VIOLENCE FREE HOME- A WOMEN&rsquo;S RIGHT</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A joint programme of the<strong> National Commission for Women (NCW), Delhi Police and&nbsp;</strong><strong>Tata Institute of Social Sciences, (TISS) Mumbai.</strong></li>
<li>The NCW is implementing the project with Delhi Police and TISS and is committed to work on the issue of violence against women.</li>
</ul>
<p>The scope of this programme is:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Rebuilding violated women&rsquo;s self-esteem, self-worth, and dignity.</li>
<li>Offering the violated woman immediate services, based on her needs, such as <strong>carrying out counselling, arranging for shelter or medical aid, providing information on laws and her rights, harnessing police support</strong></li>
<li>Creating awareness in the community on the issue of violence against women</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>About the services:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Trained social workers/ counsellors in the Crime against Women Cell (CAW Cell) help women and children facing violence by providing them with emotional support, assisting them in negotiations to stop violence, linkages to livelihood opportunities and providing them with legal knowledge.</li>
<li>The processes are aimed towards achieving a violence-free life for the woman.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>United Nations has called for urgent action, and for governments to &ldquo;put women&rsquo;s safety first as they respond to the pandemic.&rdquo;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prioritise Mental Health:</strong> Employers should start paying attention to not just the economic health of the employees but also their mental health and give some leverage to the employees, specifically the women employees who are more burdened with domestic work as the maids are on leave.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Health ministries of both the center and state governments should also look into the issue of the psychological health of the population in these trying times and formulate policies to ensure access to online counselling.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of Media:</strong> Media has a big role to play here in starting a conversation about mental health which is a taboo subject to date in India.</li>
<li>Train more people to look into the issue of dealing with anxiety and stress. Identify training institutes to train volunteers who can assist women and children in distress under lockdown.</li>
</ul>
<p>We should all come out of this the way one is rehabilitated after the war and be educated about the stress and post-traumatic stress disorders, as the effects of this pandemic will last on people&rsquo;s mind specifically of children for a long time to come even after the lockdown is over.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-impact-of-lockdown-on-women-and-children'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'One Nation One Ration Card',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/the-needs-of-migrants-should-be-addressed-through-a-concerted-national-policy/article31503631.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The needs of migrants should be addressed through a concerted national policy&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu Business line on 04/05/2020. It talks about the &lsquo;One Nation-One Ration Card&rsquo; scheme amid the migrant crisis.</p>
</div>
<p>Covid-19 pandemic has created a dilemma of lives vs livelihood, for governments as well as citizens. But in the absence of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/emergency-basic-income" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>basic income</strong></a> and food security, this dilemma may hurt migrant workers the most and will lead to a migrant crisis.</p>
<p>This migrant crisis will question the development paradigm, as these workers are the wheel of the urban economy in India. Moreover, according to the 2011 census, there are 45 crore internal migrants who accounted for 37% of the population.</p>
<p>In this context, a nationwide <strong>One Nation One Ration Card scheme (ONORC)</strong> must become a reality now. This scheme will be instrumental in the welfare of migrant workers and play a vital role in averting migrant crisis as it existed today.</p>
<h3>Rationale of ONORC</h3>
<p>Currently, ration cardholders can avail their entitlement of subsidised foodgrains under <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the National Food Security Act</strong></a>, only from the designated Fair price shop (FPS) within the concerned state.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>If a beneficiary were to shift to another state, he/she would need to apply for a new ration card in the second state.</li>
<li>However, the migration of the poor from rural areas to urban locations is more commonplace.</li>
<li>Thus, geographical location is one of the hindrances that migrant workers face in order to claim their quote of grains and subsequently get denied their right to food.</li>
<li>To address the grim state of food security in the country and combat the problem of hunger, the government has started the &lsquo;One Nation, One Ration Card&rsquo; facility.</li>
<li>Currently, this scheme is applicable in several states and the central government seeks to implement this across the nation by June 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits Emanating from ONORC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Interoperability of Ration Card:</strong> Under the ONORC, the beneficiaries from one state can get their share of rations in other states where the ration card was originally issued. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>After the scheme gets implemented at the national level, any PDS recipient can use their ration cards at any PDS shop across the country.</li>
<li>ONORC seeks to provide <strong>universal access to PDS food grains</strong> for migrant workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Empowering Consumers:</strong> ONORC will also give the beneficiaries the opportunity to opt for the dealer of their choice. If any dealer misbehaves or misallocates, the beneficiary can switch to another FPS shop instantly.</li>
<li><strong>Reducing Social Discrimination:</strong> ONORC will be particularly beneficial for women and other disadvantaged groups, given how social identity (caste, class and gender) and other contextual factors (including power relations) provide a strong backdrop in accessing PDS.</li>
<li><strong>Achieving SDG:</strong> This will help achieve the target set under SDG 2: Ending hunger by 2030. Also, it will address the poor state of hunger in India, as highlighted by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Hunger Index</strong></a>, where India has been ranked 102 out of 117 countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Exclusion Error:</strong> The digitisation of this PDS process, through Aadhaar-linked ration cards and smart cards, has been pushed in an effort to reduce leakages. However, there has been a rise of exclusion errors in post-Aadhaar seeding.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are many sections of society who still don&rsquo;t have Aadhar Card, thereby depriving them of food security.</li>
<li>The fears of exclusion are also applied for migrant workers, as the fingerprints of people engaged in construction labour and domestic work may change or fade and may not match with the ones entered in Aadhar.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Logistical Issues:</strong> An FPS receives the monthly quota of products strictly in accordance with the number of people assigned to it. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The ONORC, when fully operational, would disrupt this practice, as some FPSs may have to cater to more numbers of cards even as others cater to less, owing to migration of people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Data:</strong> There is no exact data on the mobility of poor households migrating to work, locating intra- and inter-state destinations and sectors employing the workers.</li>
<li><strong>Domicile-Based Social Sector Schemes:</strong> Not only PDS, most of the anti-poverty, rural employment, welfare and food security schemes were historically based on domicile-based access and restricted people to access government social security, welfare and food entitlements at their place of origin.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps To be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Unorganised Sector Social Security Act, 2008, had drawn up a system of documenting informal sector workers through a system of welfare boards.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In order to get credible data regarding the migrant workers, this must be implemented in letter and spirit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A dedicated e-commerce platform ONORC may resolve the challenge of logistical issues.</li>
<li>Social auditing must be made mandatory to measure the performance of ONORC.</li>
<li>NFSA defines food security as nutritional security. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, portability of Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-Day Meals, immunisation, health care and other facilities for poor migrant households can&rsquo;t be neglected and should be made portable.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the longer run, the PDS system may be replaced by a fool-proof food coupon system or direct benefit transfer, targeting the poor, wherein a Below Poverty Line family can buy rice, pulses, sugar and oil from any Kirana store at the market price, by either paying fully through the coupon or by cash.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The current migrant crisis should be seen as an opportunity to develop a national migration policy addressing the challenges faced by migrant workers productivity, living conditions and social security.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588763982_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588763982_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #0036f7; background-color: #fcffe6;">
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The nationwide rollout of One Nation One Ration Card scheme will play an instrumental role in the welfare of migrant workers. Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1OoFTqwE1bs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/app-for-one-season-on-centres-directive-to-use-arogya-setu/article31504541.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;App for one season: on Centre's directive to use Arogya Setu&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published The Hindu on May 5th, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/one-nation-one-ration-card-3'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Currency Change in Iran',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Iran's parliament has passed a bill allowing the government to <strong>slash four zeros from the rial</strong> and authorizing its <strong>replacement</strong> with another basic unit of currency called the <strong>toman (redenomination).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under the bill, Iran's national currency will be changed from the rial to the <strong>Toman, which is equal to 10,000 rials.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Redenomination:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the process whereby a country's<strong> currency is revalued due to significant inflation and currency devaluation,</strong> or when a country <strong>adopts a new currency</strong> and needs to <strong>exchange the old currency for a new one at a fixed rate.</strong></li>
<li>In simpler words, it is exchanging old currency for new currency, or changing the face value of existing notes in circulation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588758816_image3.PNG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588758816_image3.PNG" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Eliminating the four zeros was a <strong>necessary action to simplify financial transactions.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It would vastly simplify financial calculations by eliminating the need for Iranian shoppers to carry loads of rials to make purchases, which they have to do because of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/return-of-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>inflation.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the <strong>Iran's Students News Agency</strong> (ISNA), the bill needs to be approved by the <strong>Guardian Council, </strong>a <strong>body of conservative clerics that supervises the Parliament.</strong></li>
<li>After its approval, the <strong>Central Bank of Iran</strong> will have<strong> two years to implement</strong> the change for removing rial from circulation and issuing toman instead.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This move comes after a <strong>sharp fall in the value</strong> of the currency as a result of <strong>crippling US sanctions.</strong></li>
<li>The currency has been <strong>devalued 3,500 times since 1971.</strong> It declined steadily since the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/40-years-of-islamic-revolution-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Iranian Revolution, 1979</strong></a> brought the religious government to power.</li>
<li>The idea of removing four zeros has been floated since 2008 but gained strength after <strong>2018</strong> when the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>US exited Iran's 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions</strong> </a>and the <strong>rial lost more than 60% of its value.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Chronology of US-Iran Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>1953: Overthrow of Mossadeq</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The US and British intelligence agencies planned a coup to oust Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadeq.</li>
<li>He sought to nationalise Iran's oil industry, which was against the US's capitalist interests.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>1979: Iranian Revolution</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> US-backed Shah of Iran,</strong> Mohammed Reza Pahlevi was<strong> forced to leave the country</strong> in 1979, following months of demonstrations and strikes against his rule by secular and religious opponents.</li>
<li>This led to the return of Islamic religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini from exile and following a referendum, the <strong>Islamic Republic of Iran</strong> was proclaimed on 1st April 1979.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>1979-81: US Embassy Hostage Crisis</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The US embassy in Tehran was seized by protesters in November 1979 and American hostages were held inside for 444 days.</li>
<li>The final 52 hostages were freed in January 1981, the day of US President Ronald Reagan's <strong>inauguration</strong> (ceremony to mark the commencement of a new 4-year presidential term).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2002-13: Nuclear Fears and Sanctions</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2002 an Iranian opposition group revealed that Iran was <strong>developing nuclear facilities including a uranium enrichment plant.</strong></li>
<li>In pursuance of this, several sanctions are imposed by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> (UN), the US and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>European Union</strong></a> (EU) against Iran.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>US President George Bush denounces Iran as part of an<strong> "axis of evil" </strong>with<strong> Iraq </strong>and <strong>North Korea.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This causes Iran's<strong> currency to lose two-thirds of its value</strong> in two years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2013-16: Closer ties and a nuclear deal</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In September 2013, Iran's new moderate President Hassan Rouhani took office.</li>
<li>In 2015, after a flurry of diplomatic activity, Iran agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear programme- <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-cuts-iranian-oil-imports-ahead-of-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action</strong></a> (JCPOA) with a group of world powers known as the <strong>P5+1</strong> - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.</li>
<li>Under the accord, Iran <strong>agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities</strong> and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2018-19: US-Iran Tensions in current times</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Policy of maximum pressure:</strong> In May 2018, the US abandoned the nuclear deal and reinstated economic sanctions against Iran.</li>
<li><strong>Policy of strategic patience:</strong> Iran acted with restraint, with thinking that by abiding by the nuclear deal it could get economic favour from the EU. However, this policy failed to work for Iran and thereby it began a counter-pressure campaign.</li>
<li>In June 2019, <strong>Iranian forces shot down a US military drone over the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strait of Hormuz</a></strong> and then began the cycle of response and escalation between the two countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-approves-plan-to-cut-four-zeros-from-falling-currencyy/article31512640.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/currency-change-in-iran'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Long March 5B’ Rocket by China',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, China has successfully launched the <strong>Long March 5B&rsquo; rocket</strong> and prototype spacecraft.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is being considered as China&rsquo;s successful step to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon.</li>
<li>India is also planning to launch its own space station.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting crew members, designed to remain in space for an extended period of time and for other spacecraft to dock.</li>
<li>One fully functional space station in the Earth's lower orbit is the International Space Station and astronauts conduct different experiments in it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588757020_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588757020_image2.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Long March 5B&rsquo; Rocket:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was launched from the Wenchang launch site in the southern island of Hainan.</li>
<li>It weighs 849 tonnes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unmanned Prototype Spaceship:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is expected to transport astronauts to a space station that China plans to complete by 2022 &mdash; and eventually to the Moon. It will have capacity for a crew of six.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Future Missions by China:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The assembly of the Tiangong space station is expected to begin in 2020 and finish in 2022.</li>
<li>China plans to send an astronaut to the Moon in about a decade and then build a base there.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The United States is so far the only country to have successfully sent humans to the Moon.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Space Station (ISS)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ISS is a habitable artificial satellite - the single largest man-made structure in low earth orbit. Its first component was launched into orbit in 1998.</li>
<li>It circles the Earth in roughly 92 minutes and completes 15.5 orbits per day.</li>
<li>The ISS programme is a joint project between <strong>five</strong> participating space agencies: <strong>NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada)</strong> but its ownership and use has been established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.</li>
<li>It serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields.</li>
<li>Continuous presence at ISS has resulted in the longest continuous human presence in the low earth orbit.</li>
<li>It is expected to operate <strong>until 2030.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinas-new-large-rocket-makes-maiden-flight/article31509636.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/long-march-5b-rocket-by-china'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => '50th Foundation Day of DST',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Department of Science and Technology (DST)</strong> conducted a webinar on <strong>&lsquo;Fighting Corona - Leveraging Scientific Research &amp; Innovation&rsquo;</strong> on the occasion of its <strong>50<sup>th</sup> foundation day.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The webinar also mentioned some of the schemes implemented by the DST namely, SUPRA, IRHPA, NIDHI, SATHI and MANAK.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Schemes</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>SUPRA:</strong> The Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/supra-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SUPRA</strong></a>) intends to fund exploration of new scientific and engineering breakthroughs with global impact.</li>
<li><strong>IRHPA:</strong> The Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas (IRHPA) program of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) supports proposals in high priority areas from the viewpoint of advances in fundamental science.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>SERB was set up as a statutory body in 2009 under the Department of Science and Technology to promote and fund research in different scientific disciplines.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>NIDHI Scheme:</strong> National Initiative For Developing And Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) is an end to end plan for startups to double the number of incubators and startups in the duration of five years.</li>
<li><strong>MANAK Scheme:</strong> MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) intends to trigger innovations from annually 10 lakh school children throughout the country to convert their ideas into prototypes, preparing the children for challenges of future like innovation and entrepreneurship and helping them harness the power of their ideas.</li>
<li><strong>SATHI Scheme:</strong> Sophisticated Analytical &amp; Technical Help Institutes<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sophisticated-analytical-technical-help-institutes-sathi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> (SATHI)</strong></a> intends to create centres housing equipment dedicated to the needs of MSMEs and startups for rapid prototyping developed at the cost of Rs 125 crore each to connect industry with academia.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Department of Science and Technology</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The foundation of DST was laid on <strong>3<sup>rd</sup> May 1971</strong> along the model of National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.</li>
<li>It provides <strong>funding and also makes policies</strong> and co-ordinates scientific work with other countries.</li>
<li>It empowers scientists and scientific institutions and also works with a highly distributed system permeating stakeholders ranging from school college, PhD, Postdoc students, young scientists, startups and NGOs working in Science &amp; Technology.</li>
<li>DST&rsquo;s budget has increased over the years by 100%, which has allowed initiation of new programmes in a wide range of areas.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1621139" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/50th-foundation-day-of-dst'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'MSMEs and Covid-19',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Covid-19 pandemic has left its impact on all sectors of the economy including the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/micro-small-and-medium-enterprises-msme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs)</strong></a> sector.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier the government had declared the relief package namely, the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-economic-relief-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PM Garib Kalyan Yojana</a></strong> for the poor to help them fight the battle against <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Coronavirus (Covid-19)</strong></a>, the second package is expected to primarily focus on the MSME sector.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>MSMEs in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition of MSMEs:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588751350_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588751350_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In February 2018, the Union Cabinet decided the <strong>criterion of an annual turnover (in line with the imposition of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fall-in-goods-and-services-tax-gst-collections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GST</a>)</strong> for defining MSMEs. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Formally, <strong>MSMEs were defined in terms of investment in plant and machinery/equipment.</strong> But this criterion for the definition was criticized because credible and precise details of investments were not easily available by authorities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the proposed definition (which is yet to be formally accepted), the categorisation would be:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Micro Enterprise :</strong> An annual turnover <strong>less than Rs 5 crores.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Small Enterprise :</strong> An annual turnover <strong>between Rs 5 crores and Rs 75 crores.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Medium Enterprise:</strong> An annual turnover <strong>less than Rs 250 crores.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Statistical Data about MSMEs in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total Number of MSMEs:</strong> According to the Annual Report of the Department of MSMEs (2018-19), there are <strong>6.34 crore</strong> MSMEs in the country.</li>
<li><strong>Rural-Urban Distribution:</strong> Around 51% of these are situated in rural India and 49% of them are situated in urban India.</li>
<li><strong>Employment:</strong> Both rural and urban MSMEs together employ over 11 crore people but 55% of the employment happens in the urban MSMEs.</li>
<li><strong>Category-wise Distribution:</strong> 99.5% of all MSMEs fall in the micro category. While micro enterprises are equally distributed over rural and urban India, small and medium ones are predominantly in urban India.</li>
<li><strong>Social Distribution of MSMEs:</strong> About 66 % of all MSMEs are owned by people belonging to the Scheduled Castes (12.5%), the Scheduled Tribes (4.1%) and Other Backward Classes (49.7%).</li>
<li><strong>Gender Ratio in MSMEs:</strong> The gender ratio among employees is largely consistent across the board at roughly 80% male and 20% female.</li>
<li><strong>Geographical Distribution:</strong> Seven Indian states account for 50 % of all MSMEs. These are Uttar Pradesh (14%), West Bengal (14%), Tamil Nadu (8%), Maharashtra (8%), Karnataka (6%), Bihar (5%) and Andhra Pradesh (5%).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Problems Faced by MSMEs in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Too Small to get Registered:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Being out of the formal network, these MSMEs do not have to maintain accounts, pay taxes or adhere to regulatory norms etc., which brings down their costs. But in a time of crisis, it also constrains a government&rsquo;s ability to help them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Financing:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most of the MSME funding comes from <strong>informal sources</strong> and it explains why the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India&rsquo;s</strong></a> efforts to push more liquidity towards the MSMEs have had a <strong>limited impact.</strong> Also, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-elixir-for-msmes-access-to-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>government has launched schemes</strong> </a>in this regard.</li>
<li>Further, banks dither from extending loans to MSMEs due to the <strong>high ratio of bad loans.</strong></li>
<li>According to a 2018 report by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank),</strong></a> the formal banking system supplies less than one-third (or about Rs 11 lakh crore) of the MSME credit need that it can potentially fund.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Delays in Payments to MSMEs:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is one of the biggest reasons for financial turmoil in the MSME sector.</li>
<li>MSMEs face delays in payment from their buyers which also includes the government. It also faces delays in GST refunds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Problem Aggravated due to Covid-19</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Declining Revenues: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/msme-sector-underutilised-engine-of-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSMEs are already struggling</a></strong> &mdash; in terms of declining revenues and capacity utilisation &mdash; in the lead-up to the Covid-19 crisis.</li>
<li><strong>Unavailability of Cash:</strong> The total lockdown has raised an issue of the<strong> existence of MSMEs</strong> primarily due to <strong>unavailability of cash</strong> which subsequently will result in the <strong>job losses.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Lack of Labour Availability:</strong> The return of migrant labourers will create an issue of <strong>lack of labour availability.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Loan Against Collateral :</strong> Loans to MSMEs are mostly given against property (as collateral) but in times of crisis, property values fall and that inhibits the extension of new loans.</li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken:</strong> To ease the firms&rsquo; financial distress during this period, the Reserve bank of India has announced several measures such as a moratorium on term loans, and easier working capital financing. Some public sector banks have also opened up emergency credit lines for businesses.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government can provide tax relief (GST and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gst-council-and-corporate-tax" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>corporate tax</strong></a>), give swifter refunds, and provide liquidity to rural India (may be through<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-year-of-pm-kisan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> PM-Kisan</strong></a>) to boost demand for MSME products.</li>
<li>A credit guarantee by the government can help as it assures the bank that its loan will be repaid by the government in case the MSME falters. If such defaults happen, credit guarantees are shown as a departmental expense in the Budget.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-india-lockdown-msme-sector-crisis-government-relief-package-6395731/" 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/msmes-and-covid-19'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Draft EIA Notification 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.epw.in/journal/2020/18/editorials/undemocratic-evasion-environmental-responsibility.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Undemocratic Evasion of Environmental Responsibility&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Economic and Political Weekly on 02/05/2020. It talks about issues pertaining to Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2020.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has proposed a draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020, that seeks to replace the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/environmental-impact-assessment-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>current notification</strong></a> which goes back to 2006.</p>
<p>EIA is an important process for evaluating the likely environmental impact of a proposed project. It is a process whereby people&rsquo;s views are taken into consideration for granting final approval to any developmental project or activity. It is basically, a decision-making tool to decide whether the project should be approved or not.</p>
<p>The draft notification is issued under the powers vested in the central government under the <strong>Environment (Protection) Act, 1986</strong> to take all such measures for &ldquo;protecting and improving the quality of the environment.</p>
<p>According to the government, the new notification is being brought in order to make the process more transparent and expedient by the implementation of an online system, further delegation, rationalisation and standardisation of the process. However, the environmentalist said that the draft will further dilute the EIA process.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the Samarth Trust Case, the Delhi high court had considered EIAs- a part of participatory justice in which the voice is given to the voiceless and it is like a Jan Sunwai, where the community is the jury.</li>
<li>Also, the EIA process is an outcome of the 1992 Rio Declaration, which says that environmental issues are best handled through the participation of all concerned citizens and that states must provide an opportunity to citizens to participate in decision-making processes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues pertaining to draft EIA Notification 2020</h3>
<p><strong>Post-Facto Approval</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The new draft allows for post-facto approval for projects. It means that the clearances for projects can be awarded even if they have started construction or have been running phase without securing environmental clearances.</li>
<li>This also means that any environmental damage caused by the project is likely to be waived off as the violations get legitimised. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As the only remedy would be to impose a fine or punishment; but that would not reverse the detrimental consequences on the environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Post facto approval is the derogation of the fundamental principles of environmental jurisprudence and violation of the<strong> &ldquo;precautionary principle,&rdquo;</strong> which is a principle of environmental sustainability.</li>
<li>In 2017, post-facto clearance given to projects in Tamil Nadu was struck down by the Madras high court.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Public Consultation Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The draft notification provides for a reduction of the time period from 30 days to 20 days for the public to submit their responses during a public hearing for any application seeking environmental clearance.</li>
<li>The danger is that if adequate time is not given for the preparation of views, comments and suggestions to those who would be affected by the project, then such public hearings would not be meaningful.</li>
<li>Unless a public hearing is meaningful, the whole EIA process would lack transparency and credibility.</li>
<li>Further, the reduction of time would particularly pose a problem in those areas where information is not easily accessible or areas in which people are not that well aware of the process itself.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Compliance Report Issue</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 2006 notification required that the project proponent submit a report every six months, showing that they are carrying out their activities as per the terms on which permission has been given.</li>
<li>However, the new draft requires the promoter to submit a report only once every year.</li>
<li>During this period, certain irreversible environmental, social or health consequences of the project could go unnoticed because of the extended reporting time.</li>
<li>For example, if a mining project is being carried out at someplace which can be potentially hazardous to the nearby population and can contaminate the air, and water nearby, a half-yearly compliance report would better help in addressing these concerns.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Bypassing EIA Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Through</strong> the draft notification, the central government gets the power to categorise projects as &ldquo;strategic.&rdquo;</li>
<li>Once a project is considered as strategic, the draft notification states that no information related to such projects shall be placed in the public domain.</li>
<li>Violations can only be reported suo motu by the project proponent, or by a government authority, appraisal committee, or regulatory authority. This is against the principles of natural justice.</li>
<li>Further, the draft notification states that the new construction projects up to 1,50,000 square metres (instead of the existing 20,000 square metres) do not need &ldquo;detailed scrutiny&rdquo; by the Expert Committee, nor do they need EIA studies and public consultation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>On a positive note, the 2020 draft notification has a clause dedicated to definitions to several terms related to EIA. It may be beneficial in the sense that it consolidates the EIA rules and has the potential of alleviating some ambiguity in the present law.</p>
<p>However, it needs to address the above issues. In this context:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ministry, instead of reducing the time for public consultation, should focus on ensuring access to information as well as awareness about the public hearing and its impact upon the whole EIA process.</li>
<li>In order to improve ease of doing business, the government should bring down the average delay of 238 days in granting environmental clearance, that emanates from bureaucratic delays and complex laws.</li>
<li>Grow now, sustain later should not be the policy, as the notion is dangerously tilted against the concept of sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
<p>With the EIA, we also need Social impact assessment to achieve sustainable development in true sense.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588680421_Images.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588680421_Images.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #fc0000; background-color: #ebffec;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Critically analyse the issues pertaining to Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2020.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dKCKqDcliUI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/slow-release-the-hindu-editorial-on-india-coronavirus-lockdown-30/article31495755.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Slow Release&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on May 4<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
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		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Year End Review 2019: Ministry of Rural Development',
			'catname' => 'Paper 2',
			'desc' => '<h3>Important Schemes and Policies</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sub-group-of-chief-ministers-on-coordination-between-mgnrega-and-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>SECURE (Software for Estimate Calculation Using Rural Rates for Employment)</strong> under MGNREGS has helped in creating a transparent system for according administrative approval and technical sanction. Now, field functionaries can track, remove obstacles and speed up whole process of workflow.</li>
<li><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005</strong> aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members (at least 18 years of age) volunteer to do unskilled work.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The central government bears the full cost of unskilled labour, and 75% of the cost of material (the rest is borne by the states).</li>
<li>It is a demand-driven, social security and labour law that aims to enforce the &lsquo;right to work&rsquo;.</li>
<li>Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Government of India in association with state governments, monitors the implementation of the scheme.</li>
<li>Agriculture and allied activities constitute more than 65% of the works taken up under the programme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was launched in December 2000, for providing connectivity through a single all weather road to the eligible unconnected habitations as per core-network with a population of 500 persons in plain areas, and 250 persons &amp; above in states with difficult terrain, desert areas, tribal &amp; backward districts.</li>
<li>The programme also provides for upgradation of the existing 'Through Routes' and &lsquo;Major Rural Links&rsquo; (MRL).</li>
<li>E-marg software for maintenance of roads has been developed and is being rolled out in all States.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Background: Ministry of Rural Development</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The vision and mission of the Ministry is sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through a multipronged strategy for eradication of poverty by increasing livelihoods opportunities, providing social safety net and developing infrastructure for growth.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Rural Development consists of two Department:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Department of Rural Development</li>
<li>Department of Land Resources</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In October 1974, the Department of Rural Development came into existence as a part of Ministry of Food and Agriculture.</li>
<li>In August 1979, the Department of Rural Development was elevated to the status of a new Ministry of Rural Reconstruction. It was renamed as Ministry of Rural Development in January 1982.</li>
<li>In January 1985, the Ministry of Rural Development was again converted into a Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development which was later rechristened as Ministry of Agriculture in September 1985.</li>
<li>In 1991 the Department was upgraded as Ministry of Rural Development. Another Department viz. Department of Wasteland Development was created under this Ministry.</li>
<li>In March 1995, the Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment with three departments namely Department of Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Wasteland Development.</li>
<li>Again, in 1999 Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment was renamed as Ministry of Rural Development.</li>
<li>This Ministry has been acting as a catalyst effecting the change in rural areas through the implementation of wide spectrum of programmes which are aimed at poverty alleviation, employment generation, infrastructure development and social security.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rural-development-ministry-conducts-survey-under-mission-antyodaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana &ndash; National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Launched in 2011, DAY-NRLM aims at mobilizing rural poor households into Self Help Groups (SHGs) in a phased manner and provide them long-term support such that they diversify their livelihoods, improve their incomes and quality of life.</li>
<li>Major components:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Promotion of sustainable institutions of the poor</li>
<li>Ensuring access to financial services</li>
<li>Promote diversified livelihoods opportunities for the poor, in farm and non- farm sectors.</li>
<li>Promotion of skill development and access to jobs</li>
<li>Promotion of social inclusion, social development and human development</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>All &ldquo;automatically included&rdquo; households and all households with &ldquo;at least one deprivation&rdquo; as per the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data constitute the target group of DAY-NRLM.</li>
<li>The list of the rural poor is also validated by Participatory Identification of the Poor (PIP) which is further vetted by the Gram Sabha.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-awas-yojana-grameen-behind-target" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana &ndash; Gramin (PMAY-G)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the context of Government&rsquo;s priority for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/housing-poverty-in-rural-areas" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Housing for All&rdquo; by 2022,</strong> </a>the erstwhile rural housing scheme has been restructured into PMAY-G, which came into effect from 1<sup>st</sup> April, 2016.</li>
<li>PMAY-G aims to provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all houseless households and households living in kutcha and dilapidated house by 2022.</li>
<li>PMAY-G enables construction of quality houses by the beneficiaries using local materials, designs and trained masons.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-rural-economic-transformation-project-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lunched in 2011, it is a placement linked skill development program for wage employment.</li>
<li><strong>Skill development through Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs)</strong> enables a trainee to take bank credit and start his/her own Micro-enterprise. Some such trainees may also seek regular salaried jobs.</li>
<li>At present, RSETIs offer training in 61 vocations classified under four major areas viz. <strong>agriculture, processing, product manufacture and general entrepreneurship development programme.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/elderly-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Launched in 1995, National social assistance programme (NSAP) is targeted at any such person who has little or no regular means of subsistence from his/her own source of income or financial support from family members or other sources, to be identified by States/UTs.</li>
<li>At present NSAP includes five sub-schemes as its components &ndash; <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme</li>
<li>Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme</li>
<li>Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme IGNDPS</li>
<li>National Family Benefit Scheme</li>
<li>Annuparna</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Article 41</strong> of the Constitution of India directs the State to provide public assistance to its citizens in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want within the limit of its economic capacity and development.</p>
</div>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/shyama-prasad-mukherji-rurban-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RURBAN Mission (SPMRM)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SPMRM is focused on comprehensive development of 300 clusters spread across the country.</li>
<li>These clusters are identified in rural regions displaying potential for economic growth through the presence of thematic livelihood activities, increasing population and non-farm employment.</li>
<li>The Mission is being implemented with an aim to transform these clusters by focusing on developing skills, strengthening economic activities and provision of crucial basic infrastructure amenities in an equitable and time-bound manner.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/saansad-adarsh-gram-yojana-sagy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was launched in 2014, with the objective of creating &lsquo;Adarsh Grams&rsquo; across the country.</li>
<li>In its first phase (2014-19), the scheme called upon the Members of Parliament (MPs) to make one Gram Panchayat of their choice, a Model Village by 2016, and another two by 2019.</li>
<li>From 2019, under the second phase of the scheme, 2014-19 each Member of Parliament during his/her tenure may develop five model villages (one per year) in his/her area till 2024.</li>
<li>The Gram Panchayats under the guidance of MPs, follow a structured process of environment creation, social mobilisation, resource mapping and participatory development planning. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They prepare Village Development Plans (VDP) containing prioritised time-bound projects to achieve holistic progress of the village, through the convergence of resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Covid-19 in States with High Swine Flu Rates',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and Tamil Nadu</strong> account for about <strong>70%</strong> of India&rsquo;s confirmed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> cases till now.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Data from the Health Ministry&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-centre-for-disease-control-ncdc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Centre for Disease Control</strong></a> (NCDC), show that these are <strong>also the states</strong> which consistently accounted for the<strong> majority of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swine Flu (H1N1)</a> cases,</strong> since 2015.</li>
<li>The NCDC recorded Swine Flu cases this year as well as part of India's <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/integrated-disease-surveillance-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588673369_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588673369_image4.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data History of Swine Flu</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>2019:</strong> Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra accounted for 54%.</li>
<li><strong>2018:</strong> Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat accounted for 65%.</li>
<li>Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are among India's most populous states and see intense <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/human-migration-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>migration</strong></a> to other states for work still they have not been in the top list always.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Parallels between Covid-19 and Swine Flu</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both are <strong>caused due to pathogens</strong> that trace their <strong>origins to viruses from non-human hosts</strong> even though they <strong>belong to different families.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both <strong>respiratory</strong> viruses that <strong>spread through contact.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Both <strong>infiltrate the lungs</strong> and cause characteristic<strong> pulmonary</strong> infections but they have varying lethality. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Swine flu</strong> infections have a <strong>higher case fatality rate</strong> (deaths per confirmed cases) and can cause significant <strong>deaths in children as well as those less than 60.</strong></li>
<li>Covid-19 is relatively <strong>more dangerous</strong> to those<strong> above 60</strong> and <strong>almost harmless in children.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, due to lack of sufficient research, it cannot be said which age group is safer or not.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>High number of Covid-19 and Swine Flu cases have been observed in Gujarat and Maharashtra.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>relative dominance</strong> of these diseases <strong>can be attributed to the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/migration-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migration</a> for work.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Observations</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>February-March</strong> are typical months for influenza (viral infection of upper or lower respiratory tract) in India.</li>
<li>Most influenza activity in <strong>northern India</strong> has been seen during the <strong>summer</strong> months but in <strong>southern and western India,</strong> cases occurred mostly during <strong>winter</strong> months.</li>
<li>According to scientists, due to the novel nature of Covid-19, the <strong>possibility of another spike later in the year cannot be ruled out.</strong></li>
<li>For Swine flu, this year there is an <strong>exceptional rise in testing and active surveillance</strong> across states otherwise only few states have the infrastructure and system to actively report cases.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have 50 testing laboratories each for Covid-19 many of which are also deployed for Swine flu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Swine Flu</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is caused by the <strong>swine flu virus,</strong> the<strong> H1N1.</strong></li>
<li>It is an <strong>infection of the respiratory tract</strong> characterized by the usual<strong> symptoms of flu</strong> like cough, nasal secretions, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and headache.</li>
<li>It is called swine flu because in the past it was known to occur in people who had been in the <strong>vicinity of pigs.</strong></li>
<li>The virus is <strong>transmitted by short-distance airborne transmission,</strong> particularly in crowded enclosed spaces. <strong>Hand contamination </strong>and <strong>direct contact</strong> are other possible sources of transmission.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/most-covid-19-cases-in-states-with-high-swine-flu-rates/article31504830.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'title' => 'India’s Role In Multilateral World Order',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/resuscitating-multilateralism-with-indias-help/article31521059.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Resuscitating multilateralism with India&rsquo;s help&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 07/05/2020. It talks about India&rsquo;s role in the revival of declining multilateralism.</p>
</div>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-globalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong> </a>has highlighted the varying nature of the challenges faced by the world. First, these challenges are <strong>cross-national</strong> in character. They respect no national boundaries and are not amenable to national solutions only. Second, these challenges are <strong>cross-domain</strong> in nature, with strong feedback loops. A disruption in one domain often cascades into parallel disruptions in other domains.</p>
<p>The intersection of cross-national and cross-domain challenges demand multilateral approaches to reach out any solution. However, there has been an upsurge in narrow nationalism, an assertion of parochial interests over the pursuit of global (shared) interests, and a fostering of competition among states rather than embracing collaboration. Thus, multilateralism is possibly at its weakest today.</p>
<p>In this context, Indian Prime Minister remarks that the world is facing a huge challenge in the form of Covid-19 and the way to combat this pandemic is through the resolution of <strong>&lsquo;Collaborate to Create&rsquo;.</strong> Thus, the current pandemic may be an opportunity for India to help revive multilateralism.</p>
<h3>Issues Pertaining to Multilateralism</h3>
<p><strong>Increasing Incidences of Lawfare</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It means the misuse of existing International and national laws by several countries (via forced technology requirements, intellectual property rights violations, and subsidies), to gain an unfair advantage over other countries. For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO), due to the tussle between the developed and developing world.</li>
<li>The imposition of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/bigger-picture-of-usas-action-against-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extraterritorial sanction (under CAATSA) by the US</strong></a> has affected development in developing economies like India and China.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/trade-war-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The trade war between the US and China</strong> </a>has challenged the existing global trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Dual Use of Global Supply Chain</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Some of the developed countries have jurisdiction and control over global supply chains. Due to growing convergence between commercial interests with strategic goals, these supply chains enables them to have vast extraterritorial influence and has created new power asymmetries. For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/belt-and-road-initiative-perspectives-from-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>China through BRI</strong> </a>is enhancing its role in global economic governance.</li>
<li>The internet has become a distributed system of surveillance.</li>
<li>There are fears pertaining to dual-use (commercial viability and military application) of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-industrial-revolution-4-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Industrial Revolution 4.0.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Lack of Global Framework</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The global community has not been able to come on a single platform or frame a Global Agenda on issues related to terrorism, Climate Change, cybersecurity etc.</li>
<li>Also, due to the lack of any global public health framework, Covid-19 has spread into a pandemic.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Role in Reviving Multilateralism</h3>
<p><strong>Shift from Non-Alignment to Multi-Alignment</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the Post cold war era, Indian foreign policy has moved from a policy of non-alignment (policy of being neutral with US and USSR blocs) to the policy of Multi-alignment (India is having friendly relations with almost all great powers and developing world).</li>
<li>Multi-alignment is the very essence of India&rsquo;s foreign policy and the economic policy of India today.</li>
<li>This presents an opportunity for India to become a global mediator and help in developing a framework on Global Issues.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Role in International Activism</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is a key G-20 member country and the world&rsquo;s fifth-largest economy (and 3rd largest on purchasing power parity) with a long tradition of international activism and promotion of rule-based multilateralism.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s foreign policy is based on the ethos of <strong>&ldquo;Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam&rdquo;</strong> and Good Samaritan. In pursuance of this:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s long-standing commitment to multilateralism can be reflected in the call for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-permanent-seat-in-unsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>U.N. system reforms.</strong></a></li>
<li>India has taken the lead in promoting various multilateral initiatives like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/second-assembly-of-isa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Solar Alliance</strong></a>, proposing <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-international-convention-on-terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CCIT for combating terrorism</strong></a>, <strong><a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/07-01-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia-Africa Growth corridor.</a> </strong></li>
<li>India is the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-s-pharma-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pharmacy to the world</strong> </a>(world&rsquo;s largest producer and exporter of cost-effective generic drugs).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Collaborating with Like-minded Countries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Working together with a group of countries from the developed and developing countries could further amplify India&rsquo;s voice.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Here, India could work closely with the <strong>Alliance for Multilateralism</strong> (an initiative launched by Germany and France) to shape both the alliance itself and the reform agenda at large.</li>
<li>India must redouble its efforts, along with partners such as the USA, to push for a multi-stakeholder model of internet governance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Alliance for Multilateralism</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The &ldquo;Alliance for Multilateralism&rdquo; launched by the French and German Foreign Ministers is an informal network of countries united to promote a rules-based multilateral order for international stability and peace and addressing common challenges.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Alliance aims to renew the global commitment to stabilize the rules-based international order, uphold its principles and adapt it, where necessary.</li>
<li>It aims to protect and preserve international norms, agreements and institutions that are under pressure or in peril.</li>
<li>It seeks to pursue a more proactive agenda in policy areas that lack effective governance and where new challenges require collective action.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Decoupling From China: Opportunity for India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China has been the factory to the world, but global investors have been seeking a gradual decoupling from China. This is due to the increasing cost of production and the trust deficit in China after Covid-19 pandemic.</li>
<li>This provides India with an opportunity to become the world's manufacturing hub and stable economic power. This will help India in assuming leadership roles and maintaining a stable global economic system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Despite hardships, India can, and must, take the lead in bringing the world together to practice a new multilateralism that places the common interests of humanity above narrow national interests. In this context, India has taken initiatives to develop a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revival-of-saarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>joint response in bringing SAARC together to fight the pandemic</strong></a>. This neighbourhood collaboration should be a model for the world.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588937602_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588937602_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="800" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #e6edff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India is uniquely placed in global politics to take up the leadership role in the framing of a new multilateral world order. Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PrzWZY_GRMI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/back-home-the-hindu-editorial-on-return-of-indian-expatriates/article31521031.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Back home: On return of Indian expatriates&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 07/05/2020. Now watch this on our Youtube Channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-s-role-in-multilateral-world-order'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Luhman 16: Binary Brown Dwarf System',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a group of astrophysicists have found that the <strong>closest known brown dwarf, Luhman 16A</strong> which shows signs <strong>of cloud bands</strong> similar to those seen on Jupiter and Saturn.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>They used the <strong>technique of polarimetry</strong> to determine the properties of atmospheric clouds outside of the solar system.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Polarimetry</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The concept of polarimetry technique was put forth by Indian astrophysicist Sujan Sengupta, that the <strong>light emitted by a cloudy brown dwarf, or reflected off an extrasolar planet, will be polarised.</strong></li>
<li>Polarimetry is the study of polarization. Polarization is a property of light that represents the direction that the light wave oscillates.</li>
<li>When light is reflected off of particles it can favor a certain angle of polarization. By <strong>measuring the preferred polarization of light</strong> from a distant system, astronomers can deduce the <strong>presence of clouds.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, in case of Luhman 16A, the researchers have found the actual structure of the clouds (not only their presence).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The polarimetry technique isn't limited to brown dwarfs. It can also be applied to exoplanets orbiting distant stars, or even stars. However, light from brown dwarfs is ideal for the study.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Luhman 16</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Luhman 16A</strong> is part of a <strong>binary system (Luhman 16)</strong> containing a second brown dwarf, <strong>Luhman 16B.</strong> This pair of brown dwarfs Luhman 16A and Luhman 16B <strong>orbit each other.</strong></li>
<li>It is situated at a distance of about<strong> 6.5 light years</strong> from the Sun and the <strong>third closest system to the Sun after Alpha Centauri and Barnard&rsquo;s star.</strong></li>
<li>Despite the fact that Luhman 16A and 16B have similar masses and temperatures and presumably formed at the same time,<strong> they show markedly different weather.</strong></li>
<li>Luhman 16B shows <strong>no sign of stationary cloud bands,</strong> instead showing evidence of more <strong>irregular, patchy clouds.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Luhman 16B, therefore, has <strong>noticeable brightness variations</strong> as a result of its cloudy features, unlike Luhman 16A which has less brightness variation due to a band of clouds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Understanding the cloud system over a brown dwarf<strong> can shed light on the pressure, temperature and climate</strong> on the surface of the celestial body.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Brown Dwarfs</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Brown dwarfs are also called <strong>failed stars,</strong> because <strong>their masses are heavier than planets but lighter than stars.</strong></li>
<li>Due to their small masses, they are unable to <strong>sustain fusion of their hydrogen</strong> to produce energy.</li>
<li>It is believed that some of the more massive brown <strong>dwarfs fuse deuterium or lithium and glow faintly.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Binary Stars System</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Binary stars are two stars orbiting a<strong> common center of mass</strong>.</li>
<li>The brighter star is officially classified as the <strong>primary star,</strong> while the dimmer of the two is the <strong>secondary star.</strong> In cases where the stars are of equal brightness, the designation given by the discoverer is respected.</li>
<li>They are very important in astrophysics because <strong>calculations of their orbits allow the masses of their component stars to be directly determined,</strong> which in turn allows other stellar parameters, such as radius and density, to be indirectly estimated.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/band-like-clouds-seen-over-suns-neighbour/article31529668.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/luhman-16-binary-brown-dwarf-system'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Comparison of Measures Against Covid-19',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Oxford University has created a <strong>Stringency Index</strong> which shows how strict a country&rsquo;s measures were and at what stage of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Covid-19</strong> </a>spread, it enforced these.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India</strong> enforced <strong>one of the strongest lockdowns at an early phase</strong> of case growth.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Stringency Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Government Response Stringency Index</strong> is a composite measure based on various response indicators including school and workplace closures, stay-at-home policies and travel bans, rescaled to a<strong> value from 0 to 100.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A<strong> higher index score</strong> indicates a <strong>higher level of stringency</strong> (100 = strictest response).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is among the metrics used by the <strong>Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker</strong> (OxCGRT).</li>
<li>The Tracker has a team of 100 Oxford community members who update a database of 17 indicators of government response.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Index has found that India has one of the strongest lockdown measures in the world, at a <strong>100 score</strong> since 22<sup>nd</sup> March, when the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>nationwide lockdown</strong> </a>was first imposed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/phased-easing-of-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slightly relaxed</a> </strong>on 20<sup>th</sup> April after the government eased norms for certain workplaces in regions outside the <strong>red zones</strong> (zones with increasing rate of active cases).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Other countries with a 100 score are <strong>Honduras, Argentina, Jordan, Libya, Sri Lanka, Serbia and Rwanda.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Death Curve and Stringency Score:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Index also provides an overlay of countries&rsquo; death curve and their stringency score.</li>
<li>Eighteen countries were<strong> compared for the highest death count at the strongest measures.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Italy, Spain or France saw their deaths just begin to flatten as they reached their highest stringency</li>
<li>China&rsquo;s death curve saw a little or no change after it put stronger measures.</li>
<li>In the UK, the US and India, the death curve has not flattened even after imposition of the strictest measures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Comparison:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India called its<strong> strict lockdown at a much earlier point on its case and death curves</strong> when compared to other countries with similar or higher case load.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While imposing lockdown, India had around 320 cases while others had more than 500 cases.</li>
<li>By 22<sup>nd</sup> March, India saw only 4 deaths while others saw more deaths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Spain called for its strictest measures later in its case and death count than all others.</li>
<li><strong>Sweden</strong> has had the <strong>most liberal measures</strong> in this set and<strong> Iran</strong> the <strong>second most liberal.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Response on WHO&rsquo;s Recommendations</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The researchers also examined if countries meet four of the six <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organization&rsquo;s</strong></a> (WHO) recommendations for relaxing physical distancing measures. The<strong> four of them</strong> are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Control transmission to a level the healthcare system can manage.</li>
<li>The healthcare system can detect and isolate all cases (not just serious ones).</li>
<li>Manage transfer to and from high-risk transmission zones.</li>
<li>Community engagement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It was found that <strong>no countries meet the four measured recommendations,</strong> but 20 are close.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India scored 0.7</strong> (below Australia, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea) because it scored 0 for controlling its cases.</li>
<li>The <strong>highest scorers</strong> on this index, at <strong>0.9,</strong> were<strong> Iceland, Hong Kong, Croatia and Trinidad &amp; Tobago.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-india-lockdown-vs-global-lockdown-covid-19-deaths-cases-cure-6399181/" 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/comparison-of-measures-against-covid-19'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Construction of Rath Yatra Chariots Allowed',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed the construction of chariots for the annual Rath Yatra at Jagannath Puri in Odisha.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has also said that the complete segregation of the construction site should be ensured and <strong>social-distancing norms be followed.</strong></li>
<li>The Rath Yatra is expected to be held on 23<sup>rd</sup> June 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jagannath Rath Yatra</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ratha Jatra, also called as <strong>Chariot Festival,</strong> is a Hindu festival associated with <strong>Lord Jagannath</strong> held at <strong>Puri, Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>The festival is celebrated on the<strong> 2<sup>nd</sup> day </strong>of <strong>Shukla Paksha of Ashadh,</strong> the third month, according to the traditional Oriya calendar.</li>
<li>It is a<strong> 9 day-long event</strong> and marks the <strong>return of Lord Krishna to Vrindavan</strong> with his brother <strong>Balabhadra</strong> and sister<strong> Subhadra</strong> to <strong>Gundicha Temple</strong> via Mausi Maa Temple (maternal aunt's home) near Saradha Bali, Puri.</li>
<li>During the festival, the three holy chariots carrying idols of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balaram (Balabhadra) and sister Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees from India and abroad.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jagannath Temple</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The temple is believed to be constructed in the 12<sup>th</sup> century by <strong>King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva </strong>of the<strong> Eastern Ganga Dynasty.</strong></li>
<li>Jagannath Puri temple is called <strong>&lsquo;Yamanika Tirtha&rsquo;</strong> where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of &lsquo;Yama&rsquo;, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.</li>
<li>This temple was called the<strong> &ldquo;White Pagoda&rdquo;</strong> and is a <strong>part of Char Dham</strong> pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).</li>
<li>There are four gates to the temple- Eastern &lsquo;Singhdwara&rsquo; which is the main gate with two crouching lions, Southern &lsquo;Ashwadwara&rsquo;, Western 'Vyaghra Dwara and Northern &lsquo;Hastidwara&rsquo;. There is a carving of each form at each gate.</li>
<li>In front of the entrance stands the Aruna stambha or sun pillar, which was originally at the <strong>Sun Temple in Konark.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923570_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923570_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="650" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/construction-of-rath-yatra-chariots-allowed-home-ministry/article31529370.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/construction-of-rath-yatra-chariots-allowed'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Black Panther in Netravali Sanctuary',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <strong>black panther</strong> was spotted in <strong>Goa&rsquo;s Netravali Sanctuary.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While the area is a known habitat of tigers, this is for the first time a black panther has been captured on camera in the sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Black Panther<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923091_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588923091_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A black panther is the <strong>melanistic colour variant of any Panthera,</strong> particularly of the<strong> leopard in Asia and Africa,</strong> and the <strong>jaguar in the Americas.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Melanism is the<strong> increased development of the dark-colored pigment melanin</strong> in the skin or hair.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is as shy as a normal leopard and very difficult to detect. It is mostly found in densely forested areas of southern India.</li>
<li><strong>Areas where black panther has been spotted earlier:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala)</li>
<li>Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka)</li>
<li>Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh)</li>
<li>Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa)</li>
<li>Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is located in<strong> South Eastern Goa</strong> and constitutes one of the vital corridors of the Western Ghats.</li>
<li>It is bounded by <strong>Cotigao wildlife sanctuary</strong> on the eastern side and <strong>Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park</strong> on the northern side.</li>
<li><strong>Netravali or Neturli</strong> is an important tributary of <strong>River Zuari,</strong> which originates in the sanctuary.</li>
<li>It has two important waterfalls namely, <strong>Savari</strong> and <strong>Mainapi.</strong></li>
<li>Forests mostly consist of <strong>moist deciduous vegetation</strong> interspersed with evergreen and semi-evergreen habitat.</li>
<li><strong>Fauna:</strong> Leopard, Giant Squirrel, Mouse Deer, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon and Ceylon Frogmouth.</li>
<li><strong>Other Protected Areas in Goa:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary</li>
<li>Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary</li>
<li>Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary</li>
<li>Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary</li>
<li>Mollem National Park</li>
<li>Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/goa/black-panther-spotted-in-goa-sanctuary-6398693/" 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/black-panther-in-netravali-sanctuary'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Vizag Gas Leak',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a gas leak has affected five villages in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The source of the gas leak was a<strong> styrene plant</strong> owned by South Korean electronics giant LG located in the area.</li>
<li>The possible reason for gas leak is<strong> stagnation and changes in temperature</strong> inside the storage tank that could have resulted in <strong>auto polymerization</strong> (chemical reaction) <strong>and vapourisation</strong> of the styrene.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Styrene</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Description:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Styrene is an <strong>organic compound</strong> with the formula <strong>C<sub>8</sub>H<sub>8</sub>.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>derivative of benzene (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>).</strong></li>
<li>It is stored in factories as a liquid, but evaporates easily, and has to be kept at temperatures under 20&deg;C.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sources:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Styrene is found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uses:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a flammable liquid that is used in the manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, rubber, and latex.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Risk of Exposure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Short Term Exposure:</strong> It can result in respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes, irritation in the mucous membrane, and gastrointestinal issues.</li>
<li><strong>Long-Term Exposure:</strong> It could drastically affect the central nervous system and lead to other related problems like peripheral neuropathy. It could also lead to cancer and depression in some cases. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, there is no sufficient evidence of an association between styrene exposure and an increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>State of Chemical Disaster Risk in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-disaster-management-authority-ndma-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)</strong></a>, in the recent past, over 130 significant chemical accidents have been reported in the country.</li>
<li>Further, there are thousands of registered hazardous factories and unorganised sectors dealing with numerous ranges of hazardous material posing serious and complex levels of disaster risks.</li>
<li>There are over 1861 <strong>Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units</strong> spread across 301 districts and 25 states and three Union Territories in all zones of the country. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Major Accident is defined as an incident involving loss of life inside or outside the site or ten or more injuries.</li>
<li>Further it also involves the release of toxic chemical or explosion or fire of spillage of hazardous chemical resulting in &lsquo;on-site&rsquo; or &lsquo;off-site&rsquo; emergencies leading to adverse effects to the environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Laws to Protect Against Chemical Disasters in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Laws Before and During Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the time of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bhopal-gas-tragedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bhopal gas tragedy</strong></a>, the <strong>Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the only</strong> relevant law specifying criminal liability for such incidents.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Laws After Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bhopal Gas Leak (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985 :</strong> It gives powers to the central government to secure the claims arising out of or connected with the Bhopal gas tragedy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under the provisions of this Act, such claims are dealt with speedily and equitably.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Environment Protection Act, 1986:</strong> It gives powers to the central government to undertake measures for improving the environment and set standards and inspect industrial units.</li>
<li><strong>The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991:</strong> It is an insurance meant to provide relief to persons affected by accidents that occur while handling hazardous substances.</li>
<li><strong>The National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997:</strong> Under this Act, the National Environment Appellate Authority can hear appeals regarding the restriction of areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain safeguards under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.</li>
<li><strong>National Green Tribunal, 2010:</strong> It provided for the establishment of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal</strong></a> for effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and conservation of forests.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to PRS legislative, any incident similar to the Bhopal gas tragedy will be tried in the National Green Tribunal and most likely under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.</li>
<li>If an offence is committed by a company then every person directly in charge and responsible will be deemed guilty, unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such an offence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/vizag-gas-leak-bhopal-tragedy-india-chemical-disasters-laws-6398912/" 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/vizag-gas-leak'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'FCI Reforms',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-grain-stockist-with-a-role-still-relevant/article31504557.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;A grain stockist with a role still relevant&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 05/05/2020. It talks about issues and solutions pertaining to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).</p>
</div>
<p><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/food-corporation-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Corporation of India (FCI)</strong></a> was set up under the Food Corporations Act 1964, at the forefront of India&rsquo;s quest of self-sufficiency in rice and wheat following the Green Revolution, managing procurement and stocking grain that supported a vast Public Distribution System (PDS).</p>
<p>Thus, it has played a critical role in ensuring food security in India and acted as a lifeline for millions of vulnerable across the country.</p>
<p>Today, in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, it holds the key to warding off a looming crisis of hunger and starvation, especially in the wake of the migrant crisis and poverty induced by the pandemic.</p>
<p>However, several issues pertaining to FCI make its operations highly inefficient (as every year foodgrains procured by FCI gets rotten) and pushes up the annual food subsidy bill.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p>FCI has primary duty to undertake purchase, store, transport, distribute and sell food grains and other foodstuffs.</p>
<p>FCI was mandated with three basic objectives:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ensuring food security of the nation by maintaining satisfactory levels of operational buffer stocks of food grains.</li>
<li>Distribution of food grains throughout the country for the Public Distribution System.</li>
<li>Effective Price Support Operations for safeguarding the interest of farmers</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues Pertaining to FCI</h3>
<p><strong>Open-Ended Procurement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI conducts &ldquo;Open-ended procurement&rdquo; which means the Government will buy (at <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/msp-agrarian-crisis-and-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Minimum Support Price-MSP</strong></a>) any quantity of wheat and rice from any farmer who comes forward to sell.</li>
<li>Due to this, FCI has huge grain stocks which far exceed buffer-stock norms.</li>
<li>Also, some of the reasons for these excess stocks are export bans.</li>
<li>Due to this, FCI&rsquo;s mounting debts have increased to an estimated ₹2.55 lakh crore by March 2020.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Storage Crisis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI lacks necessary warehousing infrastructure and robust procurement mechanisms.<br />Due to lack of adequate storage facilities, huge quantities of food grains get wasted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>First in First out principle (FIFO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI follows a first in, first out principle (FIFO) principle that mandates that grain that has been procured earlier needs to be distributed first to ensure that older stocks are liquidated, both across years and even within a particular year. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is time for the FCI to suspend this strategy, if it has not already, that enables movement that costs least time, money and effort.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Lack of Proactive Liquidation Policy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The current system of liquidation of excess stocks through the <strong>Open Market Sale Scheme</strong> (Domestic) or through export markets is extremely ad-hoc and slow.</li>
<li>FCI doesn&rsquo;t get a good price most of the time, as predetermined price (reserve price) is often less than the acquisition cost/economic cost of grains for FCI and it ends up making a loss in the sale.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps To Be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a pressing need for implementing <strong>Shanta Kumar Committee recommendations.</strong> For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It recommended that FCI should hand over all procurement operations of wheat and rice to the states (having sufficient experience and reasonable infrastructure for procurement). In this context, the central government can incentivise states to follow <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/food-corporation-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Decentralized Procurement Scheme (DCP).</strong></a></li>
<li>FCI should accept only the surplus (after deducting the needs of the states under NFSA) from these state governments to be moved to deficit states like Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam etc.</li>
<li>FCI should outsource its stocking operations to various agencies such as Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), State Warehousing Corporation (SWC), Private Sector under Private Entrepreneur Guarantee (PEG) scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a need for a transparent liquidation policy that should automatically come into effect whenever FCI is faced with surplus stocks over buffer norms.</li>
<li>The vibrant network of self-help groups formed under the <strong>National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)</strong> can be tasked with the last-mile distribution of food aid other than the PDS.</li>
<li><strong>Farmer producer organisations (FPOs)</strong> have been at the forefront of rebuilding the inefficient supply chains. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The FCI along with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), is well placed to rope in expertise to manage the logistics to support supply chain management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>These holistic reforms in FCI may help in transforming the food security-oriented crisis management into a stable security system to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of food grains to all people at all times so that no one, nowhere and at no time should go hungry.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588853661_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588853661_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="800" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #e8f5ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss the role played by Food Corporation of India regarding food security. Also highlight the challenges faced by it.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HZQX1pevp14" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/dangerous-drift-on-encounter-with-terrorists-near-handwara/article31512624.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Dangerous Drift&rdquo;</strong> </a>published in The Hindu on 06/05/2020. Now watch this on our YouTube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fci-reforms'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Development of the Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a group of researchers (including a recipient of the <strong>INSPIRE Faculty Award</strong>) have made significant achievements in <strong>developing nanomaterials based supercapacitors to achieve high energy density and power density of supercapacitors.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Energy density</strong> is the amount of energy that can be stored in a given mass of a substance or system, i.e. a measure of storage of energy.</li>
<li><strong>Power density</strong> is the amount of power (time rate of energy transfer) per unit volume, i.e. a measure of release of energy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Energy: Batteries, Capacitors and Supercapacitors</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Like batteries, Capacitors are also used to <strong>store energy.</strong> While batteries rely on chemical reactions, capacitors use static electricity (electrostatics) to store energy.</li>
<li><strong>Capacitors have many advantages over batteries:</strong> they weigh less, generally don't contain harmful chemicals or toxic metals, and they can be charged and discharged many times. However, they cannot store the same amount of electrical energy as batteries.</li>
<li>Supercapacitors, also known as EDLC (electric double-layer capacitor) or Ultracapacitors, differ from regular capacitors in that they <strong>can store a huge amount of energy.</strong></li>
<li>Batteries have a<strong> higher energy density (they store more energy per unit mass)</strong> but supercapacitors have a <strong>higher power density (they can release energy more quickly).</strong> This property makes supercapacitors particularly suitable for <strong>storing and releasing large amounts of power relatively quickly.</strong></li>
<li>Supercapacitors deliver <strong>quick bursts of energy during peak power demands</strong> and then quickly store energy and capture excess power that's otherwise lost. In the example of an electric car, a supercapacitor can provide needed power for acceleration, while a battery provides range and recharges the supercapacitor between surges.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The researchers have been working on<strong> carbon (Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene) nanomaterials</strong> based supercapacitors to achieve <strong>high energy density and power density of supercapacitors.</strong></li>
<li>High energy density of supercapacitors suggests that constant current can be withdrawn for a longer duration without recharging. Hence automobiles can run longer distances without charging.</li>
<li>Thus, researchers have developed a <strong>reduced graphene oxide (rGO)</strong> at a moderate temperature of 100&deg;C with high capacitance performance. It is cost-effective and suitable for commercial purposes.</li>
<li>The focus on energy devices paves the way for the development of<strong> cost-effective and efficient devices, which can be used for energy storage application.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Optoelectronic Applications of Nanomaterials:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that source, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics.</li>
<li>The researchers are developing novel nanostructures of carbon for Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy or surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface-sensitive technique that <strong>enhances <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-28-february-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raman scattering</a> by molecules adsorbed on rough metal</strong> surfaces or by nanostructures such as plasmonic-magnetic silica nanotubes.</li>
<li>The enhancement factor can be as much as 10<sup>10</sup> to 10<sup>11</sup>, which means the technique may even detect a single molecule.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The SERS can help detect harmful molecules present in water at ultra-low concentrations.</li>
<li>The findings make way for materials which can be used as <strong>advanced photodetectors</strong> and also be used as <strong>optical sensors for water pollution control.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)</strong> intends to attract talent to study science at an early age, and to help the country build the required critical resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science and Technology base with long term foresight.</li>
<li>It is an India specific model for attracting talent with an aptitude for research and innovation, for a career in Basic &amp; Natural sciences.</li>
<li>The scheme has been developed by the <strong>Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology</strong> and <strong>approved in 2008.</strong></li>
<li>INSPIRE Scheme has included three programs and five components.The three programmes are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS):</strong> It aims to attract talented youth to study science by providing INSPIRE Award of Rs 5000 to one million young learners of the age group 10-15 years.</li>
<li><strong>Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE):</strong> It aims to enhance rates of attachment of talented youth to undertake higher education in science intensive programmes, by providing scholarships and mentorship.</li>
<li><strong>Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC):</strong> It aims to attract, attach, retain and nourish talented young scientific Human Resource for strengthening the R&amp;D foundation and base.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588845897_image1.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588845897_image1.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1621513" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/development-of-the-nanomaterials-based-supercapacitors'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Fall in Treatment Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to recent data provided by the <strong>National Health Authority (NHA),</strong> the number of treatments for non-Covid procedures by both private and government facilities across the country dropped by over 20% between February, 2020 and April, 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown have adversely affected the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat</strong></a>-<strong>Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana&rsquo;s (AB-PMJAY)</strong> ability to cater to critical patients below the poverty line.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cardiology treatments offered under AB-PMJAY declined by 45%.</li>
<li>General Surgeries&rsquo; declined by 23%.</li>
<li>Procedures related to gynaecology and obstetrics declined by 25%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The only category of treatment that showed an increase was <strong>&lsquo;General Medicine&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The treatments available under AB-PMJAY can be accessed at several private care hospitals. However, because of lockdown, private hospitals across the country are largely shut down.</li>
<li>The government itself is encouraging people with <strong>&lsquo;non-critical&rsquo; illness</strong> to access hospitals via <strong>telemedicine</strong> or only partake of essential treatments (dialysis or non-elective surgeries) at hospitals.</li>
<li>Moreover, with several reports of Covid-19 infections in healthcare workers and doctors across private and public hospitals, the number of visits to hospitals in general saw a decline.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PM-JAY offers a sum insured of <strong>Rs.5 lakh per family</strong> for secondary care (which doesn&rsquo;t involve a super specialist) as well as tertiary care (which involves a super specialist).</li>
<li>It is an entitlement-based scheme that targets the beneficiaries as identified by latest <strong>Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once identified by the database, the beneficiary is considered insured and can walk into any empanelled hospital.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The insurance cost is shared by the<strong> centre and the state mostly in the ratio of 60:40.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Packaged rates (Rates that include everything so that each product or service is not charged for separately):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They also mention the number of average days of hospitalization for a medical procedure and supporting documents that are needed.</li>
<li>They are flexible, but they can&rsquo;t charge the beneficiary once fixed by the hospitals.</li>
<li>The scheme also has prescribed a daily limit for medical management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The National Health Authority (NHA)</strong> has been constituted as an autonomous entity under the Society Registration Act, 1860 for effective implementation of PM-JAY in alliance with state governments.</li>
<li><strong>The State Health Agency (SHA)</strong> is the apex body of the State Government responsible for the implementation of AB PM-JAY in the State.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/fall-in-key-treatment-categories/article31521141.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/fall-in-treatment-under-ayushman-bharat-yojana'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Union government directed States and Union Territories to invoke the <strong>Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897</strong> to fight the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-s-preparedness" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 outbreak</strong></a>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The colonial-era Act empowers the state governments to take special measures and prescribe regulations in an epidemic. It also defines penalties for disobedience of these regulations, and<strong> provides for immunity for actions</strong> taken under the Act <strong>&ldquo;in good faith&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Provisions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/states-to-be-asked-to-invoke-epidemic-disease-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Epidemic Diseases Act</strong></a> aims to provide for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases.</li>
<li>Under the act, temporary provisions or regulations can be made to be observed by the public to tackle or prevent the outbreak of a disease.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Powers to Central Government:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 2A</strong> of the Act empowers the central government to take steps to prevent the spread of an epidemic.</li>
<li><strong>Health is a State subject,</strong> but by invoking <strong>Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act,</strong> advisories and directions of the Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare will be enforceable.</li>
<li>It allows the government to inspect any ship arriving or leaving any post and the power to detain any person intending to sail or arriving in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Penalty for Disobedience:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 3</strong> provides penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act. These are according to section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legal Protection to Implementing Officers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 4</strong> gives legal protection to the implementing officers acting under the Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enforcement of the Act in the Recent Past:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Epidemics Diseases Act is routinely enforced across the country for dealing with outbreaks of diseases such as Swine Flu, Dengue.</li>
<li>For Example in 2009, to tackle the swine flu outbreak in Pune, Section 2 powers were used to open screening centres in civic hospitals across the city, and swine flu was declared a notifiable disease.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Context:</strong> The Epidemic Diseases Bill was introduced in 1897, during an outbreak of bubonic plague.</li>
<li><strong>Need:</strong> Since the <strong>existing laws were insufficient</strong> to deal with various matters such as &ldquo;overcrowded houses, neglected latrines and huts, accumulations of filth, insanitary cowsheds and stables, and the disposal of house refuse.</li>
<li><strong>Special Powers:</strong> The Bill had called for<strong> special powers for governments of Indian provinces and local bodies,</strong> including to check passengers of trains and sea routes.</li>
<li><strong>Global Concern:</strong> The government of the day was also concerned that several countries were alarmed by the situation in India. As<strong> Russia</strong> had speculated that the <strong>whole subcontinent</strong> might be infected due to plague.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Plague</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Plague is caused by the <strong>bacteria Yersinia pestis</strong> usually found in small mammals and their fleas.</li>
<li>There are<strong> two</strong> main clinical forms of plague infection: <strong>bubonic and pneumonic.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bubonic plague is the most common form and is characterized by <strong>painful swollen lymph nodes or 'buboes'.</strong></li>
<li>Pneumonic plague is a form of <strong>severe lung infection.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Plague is<strong> transmitted between animals and humans</strong> by the bite of infected fleas, direct contact with infected tissues, and inhalation of infected respiratory droplets.</li>
<li><strong>Antibiotic treatment is effective</strong> against plague bacteria, so early diagnosis and early treatment can save lives.</li>
<li>Currently, the three most endemic countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Recent Changes in the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ordinance-to-protect-health-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cabinet amended the Act through an ordinance</strong></a> stating that commission or abetment of <strong>acts of violence against healthcare service personnel</strong> shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.</li>
<li>In case of causing grievous hurt, imprisonment shall be for a term of six months to seven years and a fine of Rs1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/epidemic-disease-act-amended-coronavirus-pandemic-bubonic-plague-healthcare-workers-6397400/" 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/epidemic-diseases-act-1897'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Report on Energy Efficiency Measures',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently the Ministry of Power and New &amp; Renewable Energy released a report on the <strong>&ldquo;Impact of energy efficiency measures for the year 2018-19&rdquo;.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Agency Involved:</strong> The report was prepared by a third party <strong>agency PWC Ltd,</strong> who was engaged by Bureau of Energy efficiency (BEE).</li>
<li><strong>Methodology:</strong> Since 2017-18, every year BEE has been appointing a <strong>third party expert agency</strong> which compares the estimated and actual energy consumption due to various energy efficiency schemes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study assesses the <strong>resultant impact of current schemes at national as well as state level</strong> for the financial year and compares it with a situation where the same were not implemented.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong> To<strong> evaluate the performance and impact of all the key energy efficiency programmes in India,</strong> in terms of total energy saved and the <strong>related reduction in the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Key Findings</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Electricity Saving: Implementation of various energy efficiency schemes</strong> have led to total electricity savings to the tune of 113.16 Billion Units in 2018-19, which is <strong>9.39% of the net electricity consumption.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Energy Saving:</strong> The total energy savings achieved in 2018-19 is 23.73 Mtoe (million Tonne of Oil Equivalent), which is 2.69% of the total primary energy supply (estimated to be 879.23 Mtoe in India).</li>
<li><strong>Emission Reduction:</strong> These efforts have also contributed in reducing 151.74 Million Tonnes of CO2 emissions, whereas last year this number was 108 Million Tonnes of CO2.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flagship Programmes:</strong> This year the study has identified the following major programmes, viz. <strong>Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme, Standards &amp; Labelling Programme, UJALA Programme, Municipal Demand Side Management Programme.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>market-based mechanism</strong> to further accelerate as well as incentivize energy efficiency in the large energy-intensive industries.</li>
<li>The <strong>Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts)</strong> were introduced in India in 2011 under the <strong>Perform, Achieve Trade scheme (PAT)</strong> by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the National Mission of Energy Efficiency.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NMEEE is one of the eight national missions under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)</strong></a> launched by the Government of India in the year 2008.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This market- based mechanism is facilitated through the trading of <strong>Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts)</strong> which are issued to those plants who have overachieved their targets.</li>
<li>Those plants which under achieve their targets are entitled to purchase ESCerts through <strong>two power exchanges - Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Power Exchange India Limited (PXIL).</strong></li>
<li>The scheme is unique in many ways, particularly from a developing country's perspective since it creates a <strong>market for energy efficiency</strong> through tradable certificates ESCerts, by allowing them to be used for meeting energy reduction targets.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Standards &amp; Labelling Programme</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A key objective of this programme by BEE is to provide the consumer an <strong>informed choice about the energy saving</strong> and thereby<strong> the cost saving potential of the relevant marketed product.</strong></li>
<li>The programme targets display of energy performance labels on high energy end use equipment &amp; appliances and lays down minimum energy performance standards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was launched in <strong>2015</strong> with a target of replacing 77 crore incandescent lamps with LED bulbs and to nullify the high-cost of LEDs that acted as a barrier previously in the adoption of energy-efficient systems.</li>
<li>The scheme was implemented to set up a phase-wise LED distribution.</li>
<li>The <strong>objective</strong> is to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment that will reduce electricity bills and preserve the environment.</li>
<li>It is the<strong> world&rsquo;s largest domestic lighting project.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Municipal Demand Side Management Programme</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Municipality Demand Side Management (Mu-DSM) programme of BEE was initiated during the Eleventh five year plan(2007-2012).</li>
<li>The basic objective of the project is to improve the<strong> overall energy efficiency</strong> of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), which could lead to substantial savings in the electricity consumption, thereby resulting in cost reduction/savings for the ULBs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The BEE is a <strong>statutory body</strong> established through <strong>Energy Conservation Act, 2001</strong> under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.</li>
<li>It assists in <strong>developing policies and strategies</strong> with the primary objective of <strong>reducing the energy intensity</strong> of the Indian economy.</li>
<li>BEE coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organizations to identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing its functions.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pledge: India has pledged in the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-climate-change-act-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Conference of the Parties (COP21)</strong></a> of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unfccc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)</strong> </a>to bring down the energy intensity of its economy by <strong>33 to 35% compared to 2005 levels by 2030.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Energy intensity is the<strong> amount of energy required</strong> to produce one unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).</li>
<li>High energy intensities indicate a high cost of converting energy into GDP. Whereas, low energy intensity indicates a lower cost of converting energy into GDP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Achievement:</strong> With its energy efficiency initiatives India has already reduced the energy intensity of its economy by <strong>20% compared to 2005 levels.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> Energy efficiency <strong>reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing demand for energy imports, and lowering costs</strong> on a household and economy-wide level.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1621501" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-energy-efficiency-measures'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture: Impact of lockdown on Women and Children',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-bZMNqgwbMk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The COVID-19 crisis has a potentially far-reaching, long-term negative impact on women and children around the world. The impact is likely to be devastating especially for children, even though they appear to have less severe symptoms and lower mortality rates than other age groups. More than 1.5 billion students are out of school. Widespread job and income loss and economic insecurity among families are likely to increase the stress on this vulnerable population. Stresses on families, particularly those living under quarantines and lockdowns, are increasing the incidence of domestic violence.</p>
<h3>Impact of Lockdown on Women and Children</h3>
<p>Fueled by mandatory stay-at-home rules, social distancing, economic uncertainties, and anxieties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Domestic Violence has increased globally. The pandemic and the lockdown are trying times for every individual but for the already vulnerable group, the women and young children specifically girl children, are facing the worst of it all.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact on women:</strong> There has been a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-violence-against-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>rise in instances of violence</strong></a>, sexual, physical and mental against women.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The National Commission for Women (NCW) has recorded a more than <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/domestic-violence-during-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>twofold rise in gender-based violence.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data Analysis:</strong></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total complaints-</strong> Rose from 116 in the first week of March to 257 in the final week of March.</li>
<li><strong>Rape or attempt to rape-</strong> Rose sharply from 2 to 13.</li>
<li><strong>Domestic violence-</strong> Increased from 30 to 69 over the same comparative period.</li>
<li><strong>Police apathy towards women-</strong> Almost threefold increase as the police are busy enforcing the lockdown to curb the spread of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>COVID-19</strong></a>.</li>
<li><strong>Cases under Right to live with dignity (Article 21)-</strong> Rose to 77 from 35. Such cases could pertain to discrimination on the basis of gender, class, or caste or all three of them combined.</li>
<li>These cases might be a fragment of the actual number as many women will not be able to reach out due to various reasons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on Children:</strong> Young Children are facing the brunt of discord between parents, the discord has nothing to do with the economic class, education, etc, happens across the spectrum.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Coronavirus can scare children now, which could create emotional problems for months or even years to come.</li>
<li>Even if the lockdown gets over the schools and colleges will continue to remain shut for the next 2-3 months that&rsquo;s why it is going to be very difficult to manage children and their energies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on students:</strong> Separation from playgroups and friends and their daily routine of playing is creating a lot of anxiety for children, they are losing their attachments
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Children&rsquo;s social life and learning have been affected and most of them are finding it difficult to stay away.</li>
<li>A lot of students from marginalised sections are finding it very difficult to cope with studies with no access to the internet. The problem of fees, examinations, and internet connectivity to attend the class.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Possible Reasons</h3>
<p>When the economy takes a hit, its always the most vulnerable, the women and children are pushed back. The massive unemployment that will follow in the wake of the pandemic will target women much more than men, severely affecting their condition in society.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Anxiety and Insecurity:</strong> Most of the individuals are facing the problem of anxiety and insecurity over their future prospects.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lack of peer circles, unwinding spaces and patriarchal mindset are the major reasons that make women the victim of men&rsquo;s frustration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Privacy:</strong> Women are not able to reach out because of restrictions on movement as well as a lack of privacy within homes.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NCW had set-up Crimes Against Women Cell in Police stations in collaboration with Delhi Police under the project <strong>&ldquo;VIOLENCE FREE HOME- A WOMEN&rsquo;S RIGHT&rdquo;.</strong> But due to the lack of movement women are not being able to access this service.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of counselors:</strong> Most women, suffering domestic violence, are increasingly finding themselves isolated and without necessary support such as counseling.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Women&rsquo;s-rights NGOs are facing their own sets of challenges due to the lockdown. Unable to move beyond telephonic or web counselling, the organisations are struggling to be of further assistance to victims of abuse or at-risk women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Sexual exploitation takes place when individuals are at their most vulnerable, and the lockdown has put many women in such a condition. Human rights of both children and women are being grossly violated amidst this lockdown.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>VIOLENCE FREE HOME- A WOMEN&rsquo;S RIGHT</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A joint programme of the<strong> National Commission for Women (NCW), Delhi Police and&nbsp;</strong><strong>Tata Institute of Social Sciences, (TISS) Mumbai.</strong></li>
<li>The NCW is implementing the project with Delhi Police and TISS and is committed to work on the issue of violence against women.</li>
</ul>
<p>The scope of this programme is:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Rebuilding violated women&rsquo;s self-esteem, self-worth, and dignity.</li>
<li>Offering the violated woman immediate services, based on her needs, such as <strong>carrying out counselling, arranging for shelter or medical aid, providing information on laws and her rights, harnessing police support</strong></li>
<li>Creating awareness in the community on the issue of violence against women</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>About the services:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Trained social workers/ counsellors in the Crime against Women Cell (CAW Cell) help women and children facing violence by providing them with emotional support, assisting them in negotiations to stop violence, linkages to livelihood opportunities and providing them with legal knowledge.</li>
<li>The processes are aimed towards achieving a violence-free life for the woman.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>United Nations has called for urgent action, and for governments to &ldquo;put women&rsquo;s safety first as they respond to the pandemic.&rdquo;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prioritise Mental Health:</strong> Employers should start paying attention to not just the economic health of the employees but also their mental health and give some leverage to the employees, specifically the women employees who are more burdened with domestic work as the maids are on leave.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Health ministries of both the center and state governments should also look into the issue of the psychological health of the population in these trying times and formulate policies to ensure access to online counselling.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of Media:</strong> Media has a big role to play here in starting a conversation about mental health which is a taboo subject to date in India.</li>
<li>Train more people to look into the issue of dealing with anxiety and stress. Identify training institutes to train volunteers who can assist women and children in distress under lockdown.</li>
</ul>
<p>We should all come out of this the way one is rehabilitated after the war and be educated about the stress and post-traumatic stress disorders, as the effects of this pandemic will last on people&rsquo;s mind specifically of children for a long time to come even after the lockdown is over.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-impact-of-lockdown-on-women-and-children'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'One Nation One Ration Card',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/the-needs-of-migrants-should-be-addressed-through-a-concerted-national-policy/article31503631.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The needs of migrants should be addressed through a concerted national policy&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu Business line on 04/05/2020. It talks about the &lsquo;One Nation-One Ration Card&rsquo; scheme amid the migrant crisis.</p>
</div>
<p>Covid-19 pandemic has created a dilemma of lives vs livelihood, for governments as well as citizens. But in the absence of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/emergency-basic-income" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>basic income</strong></a> and food security, this dilemma may hurt migrant workers the most and will lead to a migrant crisis.</p>
<p>This migrant crisis will question the development paradigm, as these workers are the wheel of the urban economy in India. Moreover, according to the 2011 census, there are 45 crore internal migrants who accounted for 37% of the population.</p>
<p>In this context, a nationwide <strong>One Nation One Ration Card scheme (ONORC)</strong> must become a reality now. This scheme will be instrumental in the welfare of migrant workers and play a vital role in averting migrant crisis as it existed today.</p>
<h3>Rationale of ONORC</h3>
<p>Currently, ration cardholders can avail their entitlement of subsidised foodgrains under <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the National Food Security Act</strong></a>, only from the designated Fair price shop (FPS) within the concerned state.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>If a beneficiary were to shift to another state, he/she would need to apply for a new ration card in the second state.</li>
<li>However, the migration of the poor from rural areas to urban locations is more commonplace.</li>
<li>Thus, geographical location is one of the hindrances that migrant workers face in order to claim their quote of grains and subsequently get denied their right to food.</li>
<li>To address the grim state of food security in the country and combat the problem of hunger, the government has started the &lsquo;One Nation, One Ration Card&rsquo; facility.</li>
<li>Currently, this scheme is applicable in several states and the central government seeks to implement this across the nation by June 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits Emanating from ONORC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Interoperability of Ration Card:</strong> Under the ONORC, the beneficiaries from one state can get their share of rations in other states where the ration card was originally issued. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>After the scheme gets implemented at the national level, any PDS recipient can use their ration cards at any PDS shop across the country.</li>
<li>ONORC seeks to provide <strong>universal access to PDS food grains</strong> for migrant workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Empowering Consumers:</strong> ONORC will also give the beneficiaries the opportunity to opt for the dealer of their choice. If any dealer misbehaves or misallocates, the beneficiary can switch to another FPS shop instantly.</li>
<li><strong>Reducing Social Discrimination:</strong> ONORC will be particularly beneficial for women and other disadvantaged groups, given how social identity (caste, class and gender) and other contextual factors (including power relations) provide a strong backdrop in accessing PDS.</li>
<li><strong>Achieving SDG:</strong> This will help achieve the target set under SDG 2: Ending hunger by 2030. Also, it will address the poor state of hunger in India, as highlighted by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Hunger Index</strong></a>, where India has been ranked 102 out of 117 countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Exclusion Error:</strong> The digitisation of this PDS process, through Aadhaar-linked ration cards and smart cards, has been pushed in an effort to reduce leakages. However, there has been a rise of exclusion errors in post-Aadhaar seeding.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are many sections of society who still don&rsquo;t have Aadhar Card, thereby depriving them of food security.</li>
<li>The fears of exclusion are also applied for migrant workers, as the fingerprints of people engaged in construction labour and domestic work may change or fade and may not match with the ones entered in Aadhar.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Logistical Issues:</strong> An FPS receives the monthly quota of products strictly in accordance with the number of people assigned to it. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The ONORC, when fully operational, would disrupt this practice, as some FPSs may have to cater to more numbers of cards even as others cater to less, owing to migration of people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Data:</strong> There is no exact data on the mobility of poor households migrating to work, locating intra- and inter-state destinations and sectors employing the workers.</li>
<li><strong>Domicile-Based Social Sector Schemes:</strong> Not only PDS, most of the anti-poverty, rural employment, welfare and food security schemes were historically based on domicile-based access and restricted people to access government social security, welfare and food entitlements at their place of origin.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps To be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Unorganised Sector Social Security Act, 2008, had drawn up a system of documenting informal sector workers through a system of welfare boards.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In order to get credible data regarding the migrant workers, this must be implemented in letter and spirit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A dedicated e-commerce platform ONORC may resolve the challenge of logistical issues.</li>
<li>Social auditing must be made mandatory to measure the performance of ONORC.</li>
<li>NFSA defines food security as nutritional security. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, portability of Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-Day Meals, immunisation, health care and other facilities for poor migrant households can&rsquo;t be neglected and should be made portable.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the longer run, the PDS system may be replaced by a fool-proof food coupon system or direct benefit transfer, targeting the poor, wherein a Below Poverty Line family can buy rice, pulses, sugar and oil from any Kirana store at the market price, by either paying fully through the coupon or by cash.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The current migrant crisis should be seen as an opportunity to develop a national migration policy addressing the challenges faced by migrant workers productivity, living conditions and social security.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588763982_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588763982_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #0036f7; background-color: #fcffe6;">
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The nationwide rollout of One Nation One Ration Card scheme will play an instrumental role in the welfare of migrant workers. Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1OoFTqwE1bs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/app-for-one-season-on-centres-directive-to-use-arogya-setu/article31504541.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;App for one season: on Centre's directive to use Arogya Setu&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published The Hindu on May 5th, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/one-nation-one-ration-card-3'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Currency Change in Iran',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Iran's parliament has passed a bill allowing the government to <strong>slash four zeros from the rial</strong> and authorizing its <strong>replacement</strong> with another basic unit of currency called the <strong>toman (redenomination).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under the bill, Iran's national currency will be changed from the rial to the <strong>Toman, which is equal to 10,000 rials.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Redenomination:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the process whereby a country's<strong> currency is revalued due to significant inflation and currency devaluation,</strong> or when a country <strong>adopts a new currency</strong> and needs to <strong>exchange the old currency for a new one at a fixed rate.</strong></li>
<li>In simpler words, it is exchanging old currency for new currency, or changing the face value of existing notes in circulation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588758816_image3.PNG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588758816_image3.PNG" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Eliminating the four zeros was a <strong>necessary action to simplify financial transactions.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It would vastly simplify financial calculations by eliminating the need for Iranian shoppers to carry loads of rials to make purchases, which they have to do because of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/return-of-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>inflation.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the <strong>Iran's Students News Agency</strong> (ISNA), the bill needs to be approved by the <strong>Guardian Council, </strong>a <strong>body of conservative clerics that supervises the Parliament.</strong></li>
<li>After its approval, the <strong>Central Bank of Iran</strong> will have<strong> two years to implement</strong> the change for removing rial from circulation and issuing toman instead.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This move comes after a <strong>sharp fall in the value</strong> of the currency as a result of <strong>crippling US sanctions.</strong></li>
<li>The currency has been <strong>devalued 3,500 times since 1971.</strong> It declined steadily since the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/40-years-of-islamic-revolution-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Iranian Revolution, 1979</strong></a> brought the religious government to power.</li>
<li>The idea of removing four zeros has been floated since 2008 but gained strength after <strong>2018</strong> when the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>US exited Iran's 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions</strong> </a>and the <strong>rial lost more than 60% of its value.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Chronology of US-Iran Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>1953: Overthrow of Mossadeq</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The US and British intelligence agencies planned a coup to oust Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadeq.</li>
<li>He sought to nationalise Iran's oil industry, which was against the US's capitalist interests.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>1979: Iranian Revolution</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> US-backed Shah of Iran,</strong> Mohammed Reza Pahlevi was<strong> forced to leave the country</strong> in 1979, following months of demonstrations and strikes against his rule by secular and religious opponents.</li>
<li>This led to the return of Islamic religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini from exile and following a referendum, the <strong>Islamic Republic of Iran</strong> was proclaimed on 1st April 1979.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>1979-81: US Embassy Hostage Crisis</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The US embassy in Tehran was seized by protesters in November 1979 and American hostages were held inside for 444 days.</li>
<li>The final 52 hostages were freed in January 1981, the day of US President Ronald Reagan's <strong>inauguration</strong> (ceremony to mark the commencement of a new 4-year presidential term).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2002-13: Nuclear Fears and Sanctions</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2002 an Iranian opposition group revealed that Iran was <strong>developing nuclear facilities including a uranium enrichment plant.</strong></li>
<li>In pursuance of this, several sanctions are imposed by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> (UN), the US and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>European Union</strong></a> (EU) against Iran.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>US President George Bush denounces Iran as part of an<strong> "axis of evil" </strong>with<strong> Iraq </strong>and <strong>North Korea.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This causes Iran's<strong> currency to lose two-thirds of its value</strong> in two years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2013-16: Closer ties and a nuclear deal</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In September 2013, Iran's new moderate President Hassan Rouhani took office.</li>
<li>In 2015, after a flurry of diplomatic activity, Iran agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear programme- <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-cuts-iranian-oil-imports-ahead-of-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action</strong></a> (JCPOA) with a group of world powers known as the <strong>P5+1</strong> - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.</li>
<li>Under the accord, Iran <strong>agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities</strong> and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2018-19: US-Iran Tensions in current times</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Policy of maximum pressure:</strong> In May 2018, the US abandoned the nuclear deal and reinstated economic sanctions against Iran.</li>
<li><strong>Policy of strategic patience:</strong> Iran acted with restraint, with thinking that by abiding by the nuclear deal it could get economic favour from the EU. However, this policy failed to work for Iran and thereby it began a counter-pressure campaign.</li>
<li>In June 2019, <strong>Iranian forces shot down a US military drone over the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strait of Hormuz</a></strong> and then began the cycle of response and escalation between the two countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-approves-plan-to-cut-four-zeros-from-falling-currencyy/article31512640.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/currency-change-in-iran'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Long March 5B’ Rocket by China',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, China has successfully launched the <strong>Long March 5B&rsquo; rocket</strong> and prototype spacecraft.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is being considered as China&rsquo;s successful step to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon.</li>
<li>India is also planning to launch its own space station.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting crew members, designed to remain in space for an extended period of time and for other spacecraft to dock.</li>
<li>One fully functional space station in the Earth's lower orbit is the International Space Station and astronauts conduct different experiments in it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588757020_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588757020_image2.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Long March 5B&rsquo; Rocket:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was launched from the Wenchang launch site in the southern island of Hainan.</li>
<li>It weighs 849 tonnes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unmanned Prototype Spaceship:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is expected to transport astronauts to a space station that China plans to complete by 2022 &mdash; and eventually to the Moon. It will have capacity for a crew of six.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Future Missions by China:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The assembly of the Tiangong space station is expected to begin in 2020 and finish in 2022.</li>
<li>China plans to send an astronaut to the Moon in about a decade and then build a base there.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The United States is so far the only country to have successfully sent humans to the Moon.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Space Station (ISS)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ISS is a habitable artificial satellite - the single largest man-made structure in low earth orbit. Its first component was launched into orbit in 1998.</li>
<li>It circles the Earth in roughly 92 minutes and completes 15.5 orbits per day.</li>
<li>The ISS programme is a joint project between <strong>five</strong> participating space agencies: <strong>NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada)</strong> but its ownership and use has been established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.</li>
<li>It serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields.</li>
<li>Continuous presence at ISS has resulted in the longest continuous human presence in the low earth orbit.</li>
<li>It is expected to operate <strong>until 2030.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinas-new-large-rocket-makes-maiden-flight/article31509636.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/long-march-5b-rocket-by-china'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => '50th Foundation Day of DST',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Department of Science and Technology (DST)</strong> conducted a webinar on <strong>&lsquo;Fighting Corona - Leveraging Scientific Research &amp; Innovation&rsquo;</strong> on the occasion of its <strong>50<sup>th</sup> foundation day.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The webinar also mentioned some of the schemes implemented by the DST namely, SUPRA, IRHPA, NIDHI, SATHI and MANAK.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Schemes</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>SUPRA:</strong> The Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/supra-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SUPRA</strong></a>) intends to fund exploration of new scientific and engineering breakthroughs with global impact.</li>
<li><strong>IRHPA:</strong> The Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas (IRHPA) program of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) supports proposals in high priority areas from the viewpoint of advances in fundamental science.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>SERB was set up as a statutory body in 2009 under the Department of Science and Technology to promote and fund research in different scientific disciplines.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>NIDHI Scheme:</strong> National Initiative For Developing And Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) is an end to end plan for startups to double the number of incubators and startups in the duration of five years.</li>
<li><strong>MANAK Scheme:</strong> MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) intends to trigger innovations from annually 10 lakh school children throughout the country to convert their ideas into prototypes, preparing the children for challenges of future like innovation and entrepreneurship and helping them harness the power of their ideas.</li>
<li><strong>SATHI Scheme:</strong> Sophisticated Analytical &amp; Technical Help Institutes<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sophisticated-analytical-technical-help-institutes-sathi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> (SATHI)</strong></a> intends to create centres housing equipment dedicated to the needs of MSMEs and startups for rapid prototyping developed at the cost of Rs 125 crore each to connect industry with academia.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Department of Science and Technology</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The foundation of DST was laid on <strong>3<sup>rd</sup> May 1971</strong> along the model of National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.</li>
<li>It provides <strong>funding and also makes policies</strong> and co-ordinates scientific work with other countries.</li>
<li>It empowers scientists and scientific institutions and also works with a highly distributed system permeating stakeholders ranging from school college, PhD, Postdoc students, young scientists, startups and NGOs working in Science &amp; Technology.</li>
<li>DST&rsquo;s budget has increased over the years by 100%, which has allowed initiation of new programmes in a wide range of areas.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1621139" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/50th-foundation-day-of-dst'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'MSMEs and Covid-19',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Covid-19 pandemic has left its impact on all sectors of the economy including the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/micro-small-and-medium-enterprises-msme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs)</strong></a> sector.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier the government had declared the relief package namely, the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-economic-relief-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PM Garib Kalyan Yojana</a></strong> for the poor to help them fight the battle against <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Coronavirus (Covid-19)</strong></a>, the second package is expected to primarily focus on the MSME sector.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>MSMEs in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition of MSMEs:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588751350_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588751350_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In February 2018, the Union Cabinet decided the <strong>criterion of an annual turnover (in line with the imposition of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fall-in-goods-and-services-tax-gst-collections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GST</a>)</strong> for defining MSMEs. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Formally, <strong>MSMEs were defined in terms of investment in plant and machinery/equipment.</strong> But this criterion for the definition was criticized because credible and precise details of investments were not easily available by authorities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the proposed definition (which is yet to be formally accepted), the categorisation would be:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Micro Enterprise :</strong> An annual turnover <strong>less than Rs 5 crores.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Small Enterprise :</strong> An annual turnover <strong>between Rs 5 crores and Rs 75 crores.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Medium Enterprise:</strong> An annual turnover <strong>less than Rs 250 crores.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Statistical Data about MSMEs in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total Number of MSMEs:</strong> According to the Annual Report of the Department of MSMEs (2018-19), there are <strong>6.34 crore</strong> MSMEs in the country.</li>
<li><strong>Rural-Urban Distribution:</strong> Around 51% of these are situated in rural India and 49% of them are situated in urban India.</li>
<li><strong>Employment:</strong> Both rural and urban MSMEs together employ over 11 crore people but 55% of the employment happens in the urban MSMEs.</li>
<li><strong>Category-wise Distribution:</strong> 99.5% of all MSMEs fall in the micro category. While micro enterprises are equally distributed over rural and urban India, small and medium ones are predominantly in urban India.</li>
<li><strong>Social Distribution of MSMEs:</strong> About 66 % of all MSMEs are owned by people belonging to the Scheduled Castes (12.5%), the Scheduled Tribes (4.1%) and Other Backward Classes (49.7%).</li>
<li><strong>Gender Ratio in MSMEs:</strong> The gender ratio among employees is largely consistent across the board at roughly 80% male and 20% female.</li>
<li><strong>Geographical Distribution:</strong> Seven Indian states account for 50 % of all MSMEs. These are Uttar Pradesh (14%), West Bengal (14%), Tamil Nadu (8%), Maharashtra (8%), Karnataka (6%), Bihar (5%) and Andhra Pradesh (5%).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Problems Faced by MSMEs in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Too Small to get Registered:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Being out of the formal network, these MSMEs do not have to maintain accounts, pay taxes or adhere to regulatory norms etc., which brings down their costs. But in a time of crisis, it also constrains a government&rsquo;s ability to help them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Financing:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most of the MSME funding comes from <strong>informal sources</strong> and it explains why the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India&rsquo;s</strong></a> efforts to push more liquidity towards the MSMEs have had a <strong>limited impact.</strong> Also, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-elixir-for-msmes-access-to-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>government has launched schemes</strong> </a>in this regard.</li>
<li>Further, banks dither from extending loans to MSMEs due to the <strong>high ratio of bad loans.</strong></li>
<li>According to a 2018 report by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank),</strong></a> the formal banking system supplies less than one-third (or about Rs 11 lakh crore) of the MSME credit need that it can potentially fund.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Delays in Payments to MSMEs:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is one of the biggest reasons for financial turmoil in the MSME sector.</li>
<li>MSMEs face delays in payment from their buyers which also includes the government. It also faces delays in GST refunds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Problem Aggravated due to Covid-19</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Declining Revenues: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/msme-sector-underutilised-engine-of-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSMEs are already struggling</a></strong> &mdash; in terms of declining revenues and capacity utilisation &mdash; in the lead-up to the Covid-19 crisis.</li>
<li><strong>Unavailability of Cash:</strong> The total lockdown has raised an issue of the<strong> existence of MSMEs</strong> primarily due to <strong>unavailability of cash</strong> which subsequently will result in the <strong>job losses.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Lack of Labour Availability:</strong> The return of migrant labourers will create an issue of <strong>lack of labour availability.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Loan Against Collateral :</strong> Loans to MSMEs are mostly given against property (as collateral) but in times of crisis, property values fall and that inhibits the extension of new loans.</li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken:</strong> To ease the firms&rsquo; financial distress during this period, the Reserve bank of India has announced several measures such as a moratorium on term loans, and easier working capital financing. Some public sector banks have also opened up emergency credit lines for businesses.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government can provide tax relief (GST and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gst-council-and-corporate-tax" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>corporate tax</strong></a>), give swifter refunds, and provide liquidity to rural India (may be through<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-year-of-pm-kisan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> PM-Kisan</strong></a>) to boost demand for MSME products.</li>
<li>A credit guarantee by the government can help as it assures the bank that its loan will be repaid by the government in case the MSME falters. If such defaults happen, credit guarantees are shown as a departmental expense in the Budget.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coronavirus-india-lockdown-msme-sector-crisis-government-relief-package-6395731/" 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/msmes-and-covid-19'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Draft EIA Notification 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.epw.in/journal/2020/18/editorials/undemocratic-evasion-environmental-responsibility.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Undemocratic Evasion of Environmental Responsibility&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Economic and Political Weekly on 02/05/2020. It talks about issues pertaining to Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2020.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has proposed a draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020, that seeks to replace the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/environmental-impact-assessment-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>current notification</strong></a> which goes back to 2006.</p>
<p>EIA is an important process for evaluating the likely environmental impact of a proposed project. It is a process whereby people&rsquo;s views are taken into consideration for granting final approval to any developmental project or activity. It is basically, a decision-making tool to decide whether the project should be approved or not.</p>
<p>The draft notification is issued under the powers vested in the central government under the <strong>Environment (Protection) Act, 1986</strong> to take all such measures for &ldquo;protecting and improving the quality of the environment.</p>
<p>According to the government, the new notification is being brought in order to make the process more transparent and expedient by the implementation of an online system, further delegation, rationalisation and standardisation of the process. However, the environmentalist said that the draft will further dilute the EIA process.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the Samarth Trust Case, the Delhi high court had considered EIAs- a part of participatory justice in which the voice is given to the voiceless and it is like a Jan Sunwai, where the community is the jury.</li>
<li>Also, the EIA process is an outcome of the 1992 Rio Declaration, which says that environmental issues are best handled through the participation of all concerned citizens and that states must provide an opportunity to citizens to participate in decision-making processes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues pertaining to draft EIA Notification 2020</h3>
<p><strong>Post-Facto Approval</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The new draft allows for post-facto approval for projects. It means that the clearances for projects can be awarded even if they have started construction or have been running phase without securing environmental clearances.</li>
<li>This also means that any environmental damage caused by the project is likely to be waived off as the violations get legitimised. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As the only remedy would be to impose a fine or punishment; but that would not reverse the detrimental consequences on the environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Post facto approval is the derogation of the fundamental principles of environmental jurisprudence and violation of the<strong> &ldquo;precautionary principle,&rdquo;</strong> which is a principle of environmental sustainability.</li>
<li>In 2017, post-facto clearance given to projects in Tamil Nadu was struck down by the Madras high court.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Public Consultation Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The draft notification provides for a reduction of the time period from 30 days to 20 days for the public to submit their responses during a public hearing for any application seeking environmental clearance.</li>
<li>The danger is that if adequate time is not given for the preparation of views, comments and suggestions to those who would be affected by the project, then such public hearings would not be meaningful.</li>
<li>Unless a public hearing is meaningful, the whole EIA process would lack transparency and credibility.</li>
<li>Further, the reduction of time would particularly pose a problem in those areas where information is not easily accessible or areas in which people are not that well aware of the process itself.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Compliance Report Issue</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 2006 notification required that the project proponent submit a report every six months, showing that they are carrying out their activities as per the terms on which permission has been given.</li>
<li>However, the new draft requires the promoter to submit a report only once every year.</li>
<li>During this period, certain irreversible environmental, social or health consequences of the project could go unnoticed because of the extended reporting time.</li>
<li>For example, if a mining project is being carried out at someplace which can be potentially hazardous to the nearby population and can contaminate the air, and water nearby, a half-yearly compliance report would better help in addressing these concerns.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Bypassing EIA Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Through</strong> the draft notification, the central government gets the power to categorise projects as &ldquo;strategic.&rdquo;</li>
<li>Once a project is considered as strategic, the draft notification states that no information related to such projects shall be placed in the public domain.</li>
<li>Violations can only be reported suo motu by the project proponent, or by a government authority, appraisal committee, or regulatory authority. This is against the principles of natural justice.</li>
<li>Further, the draft notification states that the new construction projects up to 1,50,000 square metres (instead of the existing 20,000 square metres) do not need &ldquo;detailed scrutiny&rdquo; by the Expert Committee, nor do they need EIA studies and public consultation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>On a positive note, the 2020 draft notification has a clause dedicated to definitions to several terms related to EIA. It may be beneficial in the sense that it consolidates the EIA rules and has the potential of alleviating some ambiguity in the present law.</p>
<p>However, it needs to address the above issues. In this context:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ministry, instead of reducing the time for public consultation, should focus on ensuring access to information as well as awareness about the public hearing and its impact upon the whole EIA process.</li>
<li>In order to improve ease of doing business, the government should bring down the average delay of 238 days in granting environmental clearance, that emanates from bureaucratic delays and complex laws.</li>
<li>Grow now, sustain later should not be the policy, as the notion is dangerously tilted against the concept of sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
<p>With the EIA, we also need Social impact assessment to achieve sustainable development in true sense.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588680421_Images.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588680421_Images.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #fc0000; background-color: #ebffec;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Critically analyse the issues pertaining to Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2020.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dKCKqDcliUI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/slow-release-the-hindu-editorial-on-india-coronavirus-lockdown-30/article31495755.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Slow Release&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on May 4<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
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	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Year End Review 2019: Ministry of Rural Development',
		'catname' => 'Paper 2',
		'desc' => '<h3>Important Schemes and Policies</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sub-group-of-chief-ministers-on-coordination-between-mgnrega-and-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>SECURE (Software for Estimate Calculation Using Rural Rates for Employment)</strong> under MGNREGS has helped in creating a transparent system for according administrative approval and technical sanction. Now, field functionaries can track, remove obstacles and speed up whole process of workflow.</li>
<li><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005</strong> aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members (at least 18 years of age) volunteer to do unskilled work.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The central government bears the full cost of unskilled labour, and 75% of the cost of material (the rest is borne by the states).</li>
<li>It is a demand-driven, social security and labour law that aims to enforce the &lsquo;right to work&rsquo;.</li>
<li>Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Government of India in association with state governments, monitors the implementation of the scheme.</li>
<li>Agriculture and allied activities constitute more than 65% of the works taken up under the programme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was launched in December 2000, for providing connectivity through a single all weather road to the eligible unconnected habitations as per core-network with a population of 500 persons in plain areas, and 250 persons &amp; above in states with difficult terrain, desert areas, tribal &amp; backward districts.</li>
<li>The programme also provides for upgradation of the existing 'Through Routes' and &lsquo;Major Rural Links&rsquo; (MRL).</li>
<li>E-marg software for maintenance of roads has been developed and is being rolled out in all States.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Background: Ministry of Rural Development</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The vision and mission of the Ministry is sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through a multipronged strategy for eradication of poverty by increasing livelihoods opportunities, providing social safety net and developing infrastructure for growth.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Rural Development consists of two Department:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Department of Rural Development</li>
<li>Department of Land Resources</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In October 1974, the Department of Rural Development came into existence as a part of Ministry of Food and Agriculture.</li>
<li>In August 1979, the Department of Rural Development was elevated to the status of a new Ministry of Rural Reconstruction. It was renamed as Ministry of Rural Development in January 1982.</li>
<li>In January 1985, the Ministry of Rural Development was again converted into a Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development which was later rechristened as Ministry of Agriculture in September 1985.</li>
<li>In 1991 the Department was upgraded as Ministry of Rural Development. Another Department viz. Department of Wasteland Development was created under this Ministry.</li>
<li>In March 1995, the Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment with three departments namely Department of Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Wasteland Development.</li>
<li>Again, in 1999 Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment was renamed as Ministry of Rural Development.</li>
<li>This Ministry has been acting as a catalyst effecting the change in rural areas through the implementation of wide spectrum of programmes which are aimed at poverty alleviation, employment generation, infrastructure development and social security.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rural-development-ministry-conducts-survey-under-mission-antyodaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana &ndash; National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Launched in 2011, DAY-NRLM aims at mobilizing rural poor households into Self Help Groups (SHGs) in a phased manner and provide them long-term support such that they diversify their livelihoods, improve their incomes and quality of life.</li>
<li>Major components:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Promotion of sustainable institutions of the poor</li>
<li>Ensuring access to financial services</li>
<li>Promote diversified livelihoods opportunities for the poor, in farm and non- farm sectors.</li>
<li>Promotion of skill development and access to jobs</li>
<li>Promotion of social inclusion, social development and human development</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>All &ldquo;automatically included&rdquo; households and all households with &ldquo;at least one deprivation&rdquo; as per the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data constitute the target group of DAY-NRLM.</li>
<li>The list of the rural poor is also validated by Participatory Identification of the Poor (PIP) which is further vetted by the Gram Sabha.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-awas-yojana-grameen-behind-target" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana &ndash; Gramin (PMAY-G)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the context of Government&rsquo;s priority for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/housing-poverty-in-rural-areas" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Housing for All&rdquo; by 2022,</strong> </a>the erstwhile rural housing scheme has been restructured into PMAY-G, which came into effect from 1<sup>st</sup> April, 2016.</li>
<li>PMAY-G aims to provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all houseless households and households living in kutcha and dilapidated house by 2022.</li>
<li>PMAY-G enables construction of quality houses by the beneficiaries using local materials, designs and trained masons.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-rural-economic-transformation-project-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lunched in 2011, it is a placement linked skill development program for wage employment.</li>
<li><strong>Skill development through Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs)</strong> enables a trainee to take bank credit and start his/her own Micro-enterprise. Some such trainees may also seek regular salaried jobs.</li>
<li>At present, RSETIs offer training in 61 vocations classified under four major areas viz. <strong>agriculture, processing, product manufacture and general entrepreneurship development programme.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/elderly-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Launched in 1995, National social assistance programme (NSAP) is targeted at any such person who has little or no regular means of subsistence from his/her own source of income or financial support from family members or other sources, to be identified by States/UTs.</li>
<li>At present NSAP includes five sub-schemes as its components &ndash; <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme</li>
<li>Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme</li>
<li>Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme IGNDPS</li>
<li>National Family Benefit Scheme</li>
<li>Annuparna</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Article 41</strong> of the Constitution of India directs the State to provide public assistance to its citizens in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want within the limit of its economic capacity and development.</p>
</div>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/shyama-prasad-mukherji-rurban-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RURBAN Mission (SPMRM)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SPMRM is focused on comprehensive development of 300 clusters spread across the country.</li>
<li>These clusters are identified in rural regions displaying potential for economic growth through the presence of thematic livelihood activities, increasing population and non-farm employment.</li>
<li>The Mission is being implemented with an aim to transform these clusters by focusing on developing skills, strengthening economic activities and provision of crucial basic infrastructure amenities in an equitable and time-bound manner.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/saansad-adarsh-gram-yojana-sagy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was launched in 2014, with the objective of creating &lsquo;Adarsh Grams&rsquo; across the country.</li>
<li>In its first phase (2014-19), the scheme called upon the Members of Parliament (MPs) to make one Gram Panchayat of their choice, a Model Village by 2016, and another two by 2019.</li>
<li>From 2019, under the second phase of the scheme, 2014-19 each Member of Parliament during his/her tenure may develop five model villages (one per year) in his/her area till 2024.</li>
<li>The Gram Panchayats under the guidance of MPs, follow a structured process of environment creation, social mobilisation, resource mapping and participatory development planning. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They prepare Village Development Plans (VDP) containing prioritised time-bound projects to achieve holistic progress of the village, through the convergence of resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
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	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Covid-19 in States with High Swine Flu Rates',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and Tamil Nadu</strong> account for about <strong>70%</strong> of India&rsquo;s confirmed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> cases till now.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Data from the Health Ministry&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-centre-for-disease-control-ncdc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Centre for Disease Control</strong></a> (NCDC), show that these are <strong>also the states</strong> which consistently accounted for the<strong> majority of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swine Flu (H1N1)</a> cases,</strong> since 2015.</li>
<li>The NCDC recorded Swine Flu cases this year as well as part of India's <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/integrated-disease-surveillance-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588673369_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1588673369_image4.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data History of Swine Flu</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>2019:</strong> Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra accounted for 54%.</li>
<li><strong>2018:</strong> Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat accounted for 65%.</li>
<li>Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are among India's most populous states and see intense <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/human-migration-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>migration</strong></a> to other states for work still they have not been in the top list always.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Parallels between Covid-19 and Swine Flu</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both are <strong>caused due to pathogens</strong> that trace their <strong>origins to viruses from non-human hosts</strong> even though they <strong>belong to different families.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both <strong>respiratory</strong> viruses that <strong>spread through contact.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Both <strong>infiltrate the lungs</strong> and cause characteristic<strong> pulmonary</strong> infections but they have varying lethality. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Swine flu</strong> infections have a <strong>higher case fatality rate</strong> (deaths per confirmed cases) and can cause significant <strong>deaths in children as well as those less than 60.</strong></li>
<li>Covid-19 is relatively <strong>more dangerous</strong> to those<strong> above 60</strong> and <strong>almost harmless in children.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, due to lack of sufficient research, it cannot be said which age group is safer or not.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>High number of Covid-19 and Swine Flu cases have been observed in Gujarat and Maharashtra.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>relative dominance</strong> of these diseases <strong>can be attributed to the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/migration-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migration</a> for work.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Observations</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>February-March</strong> are typical months for influenza (viral infection of upper or lower respiratory tract) in India.</li>
<li>Most influenza activity in <strong>northern India</strong> has been seen during the <strong>summer</strong> months but in <strong>southern and western India,</strong> cases occurred mostly during <strong>winter</strong> months.</li>
<li>According to scientists, due to the novel nature of Covid-19, the <strong>possibility of another spike later in the year cannot be ruled out.</strong></li>
<li>For Swine flu, this year there is an <strong>exceptional rise in testing and active surveillance</strong> across states otherwise only few states have the infrastructure and system to actively report cases.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have 50 testing laboratories each for Covid-19 many of which are also deployed for Swine flu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Swine Flu</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is caused by the <strong>swine flu virus,</strong> the<strong> H1N1.</strong></li>
<li>It is an <strong>infection of the respiratory tract</strong> characterized by the usual<strong> symptoms of flu</strong> like cough, nasal secretions, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and headache.</li>
<li>It is called swine flu because in the past it was known to occur in people who had been in the <strong>vicinity of pigs.</strong></li>
<li>The virus is <strong>transmitted by short-distance airborne transmission,</strong> particularly in crowded enclosed spaces. <strong>Hand contamination </strong>and <strong>direct contact</strong> are other possible sources of transmission.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/most-covid-19-cases-in-states-with-high-swine-flu-rates/article31504830.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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