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International Judicial Conference 2020

Why in News The International Judicial Conference 2020 was held from 21st-23rd February, 2020 in New Delhi. The Conference was organized by the...

24 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Craspedotropis Gretathunbergae

A group of scientists have recently discovered a new species of land snail in Brunei. The new species reside in tropical rainforests and is...

24 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Replicating the SBM Model

This article is based on “The next mission” which was published in The Indian Express on 22/02/2020. It talks about the success story...

22 Feb 2020 News Editorials
Gold Deposits in Sonbhadra

Why in News The Geological Survey of India has rejected the UP government's Department of Geology and Mining claims of discovering about 3,000...

22 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Habitable-Zone Planet Finder

Why in News The Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) has confirmed its first planet (exoplanet) called G 9-40b, orbiting a nearby low mass bright...

22 Feb 2020 News Analysis
GoM Reviews Amendments to the JJ Act, 2015

Why in News Recently, a Group of Ministers (GoM) chaired by the Home Minister met to discuss proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and...

22 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Khelo India University Games 2020

Why in News The Prime Minister will launch the first-ever Khelo India University Games in Cuttack (Odisha) on February 22, 2020. Key...

22 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Upgradation of Online Chatbot Ask DISHA

Why in News The Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has powered voice-enabled Ask DISHA (Digital Interaction to Seek...

22 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Visit of Home Minister of Maldives

Why in News The Home Minister of Maldives, Mr. Sheikh Imran Abdulla, met Indian Home Minister on 21st February, 2020. Key Points During the...

22 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Combating Epidemics

This article is based on “Gearing up to fight the next big viral outbreak” which was published in The Hindu on 21/02/2020. It talks...

21 Feb 2020 News Editorials
Policy Watch - India Will Shift To BS-VI Norms

The Supreme Court had ruled on October 24, 2019, that no BS-IV vehicle would be sold with effect from April 1, 2020. Bharat Stage VI is the new...

21 Feb 2020 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
International Mother Language Day

Why in News International Mother Language Day is observed every year on 21st February since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor

Why in News The World Bank has offered to give financial assistance to the last remaining portion of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC)...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Species Included in Appendix I of UNCMS

Why in News The Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican have been included in Appendix I of UN Convention on Migratory Species at...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
National Rail Transportation Institute

Why in News Railway Board of India and the University of Birmingham has announced the launch of a joint masters programme in Railway Systems...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission

Why in News The 4th Anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was observed on 21st February, 2020. SPMRM is a...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
23rd National Conference on e-governance

Why in News Recently, the 23rd National Conference on e-Governance was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Worldwide Educating for the Future Index 2019: EIU

Why in News India ranked 35th in the Worldwide Educating for the Future Index (WEFFI) 2019, as per a report published by The Economist Intelligence...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Statehood Day of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh

Why in News On the Statehood Day of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh (21st February), the Prime Minister and other leaders praised the traditions and...

21 Feb 2020 News Analysis
Mainstreaming Healthcare Startups

This article is based on “Powering the health-care engine with innovation” which was published in The Hindu on 20/02/2020. It talks...

20 Feb 2020 News Editorials

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			'title' => 'International Judicial Conference 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The International Judicial Conference 2020 was held from 21<sup>st</sup>-23<sup>rd</sup> February, 2020 in New Delhi.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Conference was <strong>organized by the</strong> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court of India.</strong></a></li>
<li>The<strong> theme</strong> of the Conference was<strong> &lsquo;Judiciary and the Changing World&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Important Topics</strong> of discussion at the Conference included : <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Gender Justice,</li>
<li>Contemporary Perspectives on Protection of Constitutional Values,</li>
<li>Dynamic Interpretations of the Constitution in a Changing World,</li>
<li>Harmonisation of Environment Protection vis-&agrave;-vis Sustainable Development and</li>
<li>Protection of Right to Privacy in the Internet Age.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights from the Conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sustainable Development:</strong> The Indian judiciary was appreciated for its <strong>balance between development and environment,</strong> and continued guidance in it. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>E.g. Judgement on Sardar Sarovar Project</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Increased Accessibility: The Supreme Court was hailed for the &ldquo;extraordinary effort&rdquo; to make its <strong>judgments more accessible to the common man</strong> by making them available in nine vernacular languages, keeping in mind the nation&rsquo;s linguistic diversity.</li>
<li><strong>Gender Justice:</strong> The recent directives for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/women-eligible-for-permanent-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>granting equal status to women in the Army</strong></a>, guidelines for preventing sexual harassment at the workplace, etc. were appreciated.</li>
<li><strong>Global Reference:</strong> The Chief Justice of India said that the<strong> Supreme Court&rsquo;s judgments are cited by courts of other countries</strong> and have served as a &ldquo;beacon of hope&rdquo; to independent and developing nations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A 2001 verdict of the South African court cited the Indian case of Narain Das Jain v Agra Nagar Mahapalika decided by the Supreme Court in 1991 to benchmark the compensation to be provided while acquiring land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use of ICT:</strong> The <strong>need for technology</strong> was highlighted to deliver speedy justice.</li>
<li>The Government is making an effort to connect every court of the country to the <strong>E-court Integrated Mission Mode Project.</strong> The establishment of the <strong>National Judicial Data Grid</strong> will make court procedures easier.</li>
<li><strong>Future Challenges:</strong> It was highlighted that issues like <strong>data protection</strong> and <strong>cyber crimes</strong> pose new challenges for the judiciary.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>E-court Integrated Mission Mode Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The E-Courts Project was conceptualised on the basis of <strong>"National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary - 2005"</strong> submitted by e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India (set up in 2004).</li>
<li>The<strong> main objectives</strong> of the e-Court Project are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To provide efficient &amp; time-bound citizen centric service delivery.</li>
<li>To develop, install &amp; implement decision support systems in courts.</li>
<li>To automate the processes to provide transparency of Information access to its stakeholders.</li>
<li>To enhance judicial productivity both qualitatively &amp; quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost effective &amp; transparent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>e-Courts National portal</strong> (ecourts.gov.in) was launched in 2013. This provides Case Status, daily Case-list, Cases Filed and Cases Registered through the Case information System (CIS) Software.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)</strong> is a part of the e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project. It was launched in <strong>2015.</strong> The aim is to track judicial performance across different courts in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NJDG is working as National data warehouse for case data including the orders/judgments for Courts across the country.</li>
<li>NJDG works as a monitoring tool to identify, manage &amp; reduce pendency of cases.</li>
<li>It also helps to provide timely inputs for making policy decisions to reduce delay and arrears in the system, facilitate better monitoring of court performance and systemic bottlenecks, and, thus, facilitate better resource management.</li>
<li>NJDG has specifically helped India improve its ranking in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ease-of-doing-business-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Report.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1604079" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Craspedotropis Gretathunbergae',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>A group of scientists have recently discovered <strong>a new species of land snail </strong>in<strong> Brunei.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582528362_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582528362_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The new species reside in <strong>tropical rainforests</strong> and is sensitive to <strong>drought and extreme temperatures</strong> (which have become more frequent due to climate change).</li>
<li>Hence as an honour to Swedish Climate Change activist <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/war-on-nature-must-end" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Greta Thunberg</strong></a>, who has been making efforts to raise awareness about climate change, the new snail species was named as Craspedotropis <strong>Gretathunbergae.</strong></li>
<li>Recently, a tiny species of <strong>beetle</strong> was also named after her as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nelloptodes-gretae" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nelloptodes Gretae.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, a<strong> new species of beetle</strong> (Grouvellinus Leonardodicaprioi) was named after the actor<strong> Leonardo DiCaprio</strong> (an American actor, producer, and environmentalist).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/this-word-means-c-gretathunbergae-6283028/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Replicating the SBM Model',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jal-jeevan-mission-sanitation-drinking-water-crisis-swachh-bharat-6280285/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The next mission&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 22/02/2020. It talks about the success story of Swachh Bharat Mission and how it can be replicated to deal with India&rsquo;s water crisis.</p>
</div>
<p>Indian government prioritises the water and sanitation sectors as key pillars of broader rural development. However, India is facing a water crisis.<strong> According to the Central Ground Water Board,</strong> over 250 of 700 districts have groundwater levels which are &ldquo;critical&rdquo; or &ldquo;over-exploited&rdquo;. Also, India harbours <strong>16% of the world&rsquo;s population, but only 4% of the world&rsquo;s freshwater resources.</strong></p>
<p>In order to deal with this water crisis, the Indian government has launched <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-jeevan-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission</strong></a> (JJM). The mission aims at providing &lsquo;Har Ghar Jal&rsquo; or piped water supply to all households by 2024.</p>
<p>However, achieving this target is an arduous task as it requires not only a lot of economic resources, political will at all levels, but also active &amp; positive public response to it.</p>
<p><strong>In this context, the success story of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Mission</a> (SBM) can be emulated in tackling India&rsquo;s water crisis.</strong></p>
<h3>Success Story of SBM</h3>
<p>Until 2014, <strong>approximately 60% of the world&rsquo;s open defecators</strong> (600 million people) were practising open defecation across India, but within five years of the scheme, the number of open-defecation cases came down significantly, and <strong>now rural India has actually become open-defecation free.</strong></p>
<h3>Reasons Behind Success of SBM</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mass Communication Campaign:</strong> Swachh Bharat Mission, recognising the issue of social acceptability, launched a massive communication campaign to bring about a change in the social attitude. Reaching out to the masses effectively was one of the foremost foundations of this scheme.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Prime Minister of India's leadership in SBM,</strong> became the key ingredient for success of Swachh Bharat Mission.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Clear Vision:</strong> Swachh Bharat Mission had clearly defined national targets, the action plan and outlined the tasks and roles at each level of operation.</li>
<li><strong>Use of Nudge Theory:</strong> Majority of funds in SBM have gone towards incentivising the poor and marginalised households to construct and use household toilets, bringing about behaviour change, and building capacities of field functionaries.</li>
<li><strong>Long Term Approach:</strong> Achieving ODF status hasn't led to closure of the mission.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Government under rural sanitation has declared to shift its focus on ODF sustainability, bio-degradable waste management, greywater management, sludge management and, critically, plastic waste management for all villages by 2024.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Multiplier Effect of SBM</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The returns on investments made in SBM, have been manifold, and their effects on the broader economy, markets and employment have been significant.</li>
<li><strong>UNICEF</strong> recently estimated that investments in sanitation in India are yielding a <strong>400% return with each rural household in an open-defecation-free village</strong> saving Rs 50,000 on account of avoided medical costs and time savings.</li>
<li>The Toilet Board Coalition has estimated that the sanitation infrastructure and services market in India will be worth over <strong>$60 billion by 2021,</strong> generating many new jobs, even in the most rural areas of the country, apart from reducing health and environmental costs and enhancing savings for households.</li>
<li>Many people engaged in the business of manufacturing toilet related hardware accessories have reported huge growth in sales during the SBM period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This has been corroborated by another recent study by UNICEF in which they have estimated that SBM has resulted in creating <strong>over 75 lakh full time equivalent jobs over the past five years,</strong> giving the rural economy a major boost.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>After the success of SBM, the next critical basic service that the government ought to provide is water supply.</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Decentralised Approach:</strong> Union budget for 2020-2021 has commitment of Rs 3.6 lakh crore of central and state funds under this scheme.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there is a need to follow a more decentralised approach (engaging local bodies) as envisaged by SBM.</li>
<li>This will ensure that the gram panchayats and local urban bodies have responsibility to upkeep of their water and sanitation infrastructure, providing a boost to the sustainability of service delivery to people.</li>
<li>This approach will ensure that just like sanitation, provision of water supply and its upkeep will also become everyone&rsquo;s business.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Women in Leadership Roles:</strong> SBM focused on ending the practice of open defecation, which directly benefited the women by restoring their dignity and basic health.This made women a flag bearer in the sanitation revolution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In rural India, women have to walk long distances in unfriendly weather and treacherous terrain to fetch water for their families.</li>
<li>According to a report by the <strong>National Commission for Women,</strong> on average, a rural woman in Rajasthan walks <strong>over 2.5 km to reach a water source.</strong></li>
<li>Providing piped water supply will provide women with the opportunity to use their time more productively and improve their quality of life.</li>
<li>Another scheme to conserve groundwater in regions with low water tables, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atal-bhujal-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atal Bhujal Yojana</strong></a> is based on community participation, a key component of this programme is the formation of water use associations, in which at least 50% of members are to be women.</li>
<li>These steps will provide a massive fillip to the <strong>ease of living for women.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nudging the Farmer</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>About 90% of India&rsquo;s water is consumed in farming. And that 80% of this irrigation is for water-guzzling crops &mdash; rice, wheat and sugarcane.</li>
<li>There is a need to diversify procurement operations, to include less water-intensive crops, like millets, pulses and oilseeds, especially in India&rsquo;s drylands.</li>
<li>However, changing the procurement process to less water-intensive crops requires a lot of political capital. Government can nudge the farmers to grow less water-intensive crops.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f2edd0;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has brought a jan andolan (mass revolution) in bringing a change in open defecation status in India. Can this success story of SBM be replicated in dealing with India&rsquo;s water crisis?</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Gold Deposits in Sonbhadra',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-navy-signs-mou-with-geological-survey-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Geological Survey of India</strong></a> has rejected the UP government's Department of Geology and Mining claims of discovering about 3,000 tonnes of gold deposits in <a href="/know-your-state/know-your-state-uttar-pradesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Sonbhadra district</strong></a>, saying the actual estimated reserve stands at 160 kg.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gold: Science</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Gold is a chemical element with the<strong> symbol Au (from Latin: Aurum) </strong>and <strong>atomic number 79.</strong></li>
<li>Some of the <strong>unique properties</strong> of gold are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Conducts electricity.</li>
<li>Resistant to corrosion.</li>
<li>Exceptionally malleable and ductile.</li>
<li>Catalytic properties.</li>
<li>Biocompatible.</li>
<li>Nanogold.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Gold: Currency</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Owing to its unique qualities, gold has been the one material that is universally accepted in exchange for goods and services.</li>
<li>Gold began to serve as backing for paper-currency systems when they became widespread in the 19<sup>th</sup> century and from the 1870s until <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-war-I-centenary" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World War I</strong></a>, the <strong>gold standard</strong> was the basis for the world&rsquo;s currencies.</li>
<li>Although gold&rsquo;s official role in the international monetary system had come to an end by the 1970s, the <strong>metal remains a highly regarded reserve asset and approximately 45% of all the world&rsquo;s gold is held by governments and central banks for this purpose.</strong></li>
<li>Gold is still accepted by all nations as a medium of international payment.</li>
<li>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Forex Reserve</strong> also includes<strong> Gold</strong> along with <strong>Foreign Currency Assets (such as dollar)</strong> and<strong> Special Drawing Rights.</strong></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Why Gold</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are five precious metals which can potentially be worked with: <strong>platinum, palladium, rhodium, silver and gold.</strong> Silver has been used as money but it tarnishes over time. Rhodium and palladium are more recent discoveries with limited historical uses.</li>
<li>Platinum and gold are the remaining elements. Platinum&rsquo;s extremely high melting point makes it impractical to melt. Thus gold is the only option left. It melts at a lower temperature and is malleable, making it easy to work with.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Gold: Facts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-gold-council" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Gold Council</strong></a>, India has gold reserves of more than 600 tonnes, the <strong>10<sup>th</sup> largest</strong> in the world.</li>
<li><strong>U.S has the highest</strong> gold reserves with 8,133.5 tonnes of total gold reserves,<strong> followed by Germany</strong> with 3,366.8 tonnes and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Monetary Fund</strong></a> <strong>(IMF)</strong> with a holding of 2,451.8 tonnes</li>
<li>The weight of gold is measured in<strong> troy ounces (1 troy ounce = 31.1034768 grams),</strong> however its <strong>purity is measured in &lsquo;carats&rsquo;.</strong> 24 carat is pure gold with no other metals.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Sonbhadra</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sonbhadra is the<strong> second largest district (area-wise) of Uttar Pradesh</strong> after <strong>Lakhimpur Kheri.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>only district in the country which shares borders with four states.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong> to the west, <strong>Chhattisgarh</strong> to the south, <strong>Jharkhand</strong> to the south-east and<strong> Bihar</strong> to the east.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Sonbhadra district is an <strong>industrial zone</strong> and has lots of minerals like<strong> bauxite, limestone, coal, gold</strong> etc.</li>
<li>It is drained by tributaries of the Ganges including the <strong>Belan</strong> and <strong>Karmanasha</strong> rivers.<strong> Son</strong> river flows through the district from <strong>west to east. Rihand</strong> river rises to the south in the highlands of Surguja district of Chhattisgarh and flows north to join the Son in the centre of Sonbhadra.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar</strong> (also known as<strong> Rihand Dam</strong>) is a reservoir on the Rihand, lies partly in the district and partly in Madhya Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary</strong> lies mostly within Sonbhadra, reaching generally east and west along the <strong>Kaimur Range,</strong> and extending to the Son river at its eastern end.</li>
<li>Sonbhadra is known for its several <strong>Cave painting sites found in the Vindhya region.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Lakhania caves</strong> are located in the Kaimur ranges and are known for their beautiful ageless <strong>rock paintings.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These historic paintings are about 4000 years old.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Khodwa Pahar or Ghoramangar</strong> is another well-known ancient cave painting site.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582365669_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582365669_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/up-around-3000-tonne-gold-deposits-found-in-sonbhadra-6280558/" 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/gold-deposits-in-sonbhadra'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Habitable-Zone Planet Finder',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) has confirmed its first planet <strong>(exoplanet)</strong> called G 9-40b, orbiting a nearby low mass bright <strong>M-dwarf star</strong> (100 light years from Earth) with an orbital period of 6 Earth-days.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NASA</strong></a>&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-november-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kepler mission</strong></a> had observed a dip in the host star&rsquo;s light, suggesting that the planet was crossing in front of the star during its orbit. To confirm the HPF was used.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>G 9-40b:</strong> G 9-40b is amongst the top 20 closest transiting planets known.</li>
<li><strong>Habitable-zone Planet Finder :</strong> HPF is an <strong>astronomical spectrograph,</strong> built by Penn State University scientists, and recently installed on the 10m <strong>Hobby-Eberly Telescope</strong> at McDonald Observatory (US).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The HPF searches for <strong>exoplanets</strong> by using the <strong>Doppler effect.</strong></li>
<li>A spectrograph is an instrument that splits light into its component wavelengths. Scientists measure the properties of light over a specific portion of the spectrum, and draw conclusions on what is responsible for the trends they observe.</li>
<li>The HPF provides the<strong> highest precision measurements of infrared signals from nearby low-mass stars,</strong> and astronomers use it to validate the candidate planet by excluding all possibilities of contaminating signals to a very high level of probability.</li>
<li>It is designed to detect and characterise planets in the habitable-zone also known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/toi-700-d" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Goldilocks zone&rsquo;</strong></a>- <strong>the region around the star where a planet could sustain liquid water on its surface.</strong></li>
<li>HPF is currently surveying the nearest low-mass stars, also called <strong>M-dwarfs,</strong> which are the most common stars in the galaxy - with the goal of discovering exoplanets in our neighborhood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Doppler Effect</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An increase (or decrease) in the frequency of sound, light, or other waves as the source and observer move towards (or away from) each other.</li>
<li>The effect causes the sudden change in pitch noticeable in a passing siren, as well as the red shift seen by astronomers.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Exoplanet</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first confirmation of detection of exoplanet occurred in 1992.</li>
<li>Exoplanets are very hard to see directly with telescopes. They are hidden by the bright glare of the stars they orbit.</li>
<li>So, astronomers use other ways to detect and study exoplanets such as looking at the effects these planets have on the stars they orbit.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>M-dwarfs</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>M dwarf or M-type star, also called Red Dwarf Star are the most numerous type of star in the universe and the smallest type of hydrogen-burning star.</li>
<li>These have masses from about 0.08 to 0.6 times that of the Sun.</li>
<li>In the Milky Way Galaxy, about <strong>70% of the stars are red dwarfs.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-how-to-study-light-and-confirm-a-potential-exoplanet-6280488/" 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/habitable-zone-planet-finder'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'GoM Reviews Amendments to the JJ Act, 2015',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a <strong>Group of Ministers (GoM)</strong> chaired by the Home Minister met to discuss <strong>proposed amendments</strong> to the <strong>Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) (JJ) Act, 2015.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The GoM meeting was convened <strong>to create greater synergy</strong> between ministries on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2018</li>
</ul>
<h3>Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Improvement Over the Act of 2000:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 <strong>replaced the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000</strong> to comprehensively address children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Change in Nomenclature:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Act changes the nomenclature from<strong> &lsquo;juvenile&rsquo;</strong> to<strong> &lsquo;child&rsquo;</strong> or <strong>&lsquo;child in conflict with law&rsquo;.</strong> Also, it <strong>removes the negative connotation</strong> associated with the word &ldquo;juvenile&rdquo;.</li>
<li>It also includes several<strong> new and clear definitions</strong> such as orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children; and petty, serious and heinous offences committed by children</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Special Provisions for Age 16-18 years:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Included special provisions to tackle child offenders committing heinous offences in the <strong>age group of 16-18 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mandatory Constitution of the JJ Board:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It <strong>mandates</strong> setting up <strong>Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees</strong> in<strong> every district.</strong> Both <strong>must have at least one woman</strong> member each.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Adoption Related Clauses:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A separate new chapter on Adoption to streamline adoption procedures for an orphan, abandoned and surrendered children,</li>
<li>Also, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5th-annual-day-of-cara" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)</strong></a> was granted the status of a statutory body to enable it to perform its function more effectively.</li>
<li>The Act states that the adoption of a child is final on the issuance of an adoption order<strong> by the court.</strong> Currently, there are<strong> 629 adoption cases pending</strong> in various <strong>courts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inclusion of New Offences:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Act included several new offences committed against children (like, illegal adoptions, use of child by militant groups, offences against disabled children, etc) which are<strong> not adequately covered under any other law.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Child Care Institutions (CCI):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All Child Care Institutions, whether run by State Government or by voluntary or non-governmental organisations are to be <strong>mandatorily registered</strong> under the Act <strong>within 6 months</strong> from the date of commencement of the Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2018</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill provides that instead of the court,<strong> the district magistrate will issue adoption orders</strong> to address the high pendency of adoption cases.</li>
<li>The Bill also seeks<strong> to transfer all pending matters related to adoption before any court to the district magistrate having jurisdiction over the area.</strong></li>
<li>The proposed amendments intend to <strong>expedite proceedings.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Group of Ministers</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Groups of Ministers (GoMs) have been constituted from time to time to look into different issues/subjects.</li>
<li>These are <strong>ad hoc bodies</strong> formed to<strong> give recommendations</strong> to the cabinet on certain emergent issues and critical problem areas.</li>
<li>Ministers heading the concerned ministries are inducted into the relevant GoMs and when the advice is crystallised they are disbanded.</li>
<li>Some of these GoMs have been also <strong>empowered to take decisions on behalf of the Cabinet</strong> known as <strong>Empowered Groups of Ministers (EGoMs).</strong></li>
<li>But with time the constitution of a large number of GoMs has resulted in many GoMs not being able to meet regularly to complete their work thus leading to significant delays on many major issues. Thus. all the Groups of Ministers (GoMs) and Empowered Groups of Ministers (EGoMs) were<strong> abolished in 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Further in <strong>2015, 16 informal</strong> Groups of Ministers (GoMs) were formed to discuss key issues of the country.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gom-meets-on-juvenile-justice-act/article30883312.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/gom-reviews-amendments-to-the-jj-act-2015'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Khelo India University Games 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Prime Minister will launch the<strong> first-ever Khelo India University Games</strong> in Cuttack (Odisha) on February 22, 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Khelo India University Games are being <strong>launched by</strong> the Government of India in association with the<strong> Government of Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>It is an aspirational competition for India&rsquo;s youngsters with the objective of helping them find the balance between sport and education.</li>
<li>It is the<strong> largest ever competition</strong> held at the university level in India and will have about <strong>3500 athletes from over 150 universities</strong> across the country taking part in it.</li>
<li>There will be a total of <strong>17 sports</strong> namely archery, athletics, boxing, fencing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, rugby and kabaddi.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Khelo India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Khelo India programme has been introduced to <strong>revive the sports culture in India</strong> at the <strong>grass-root level</strong> by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country.</li>
<li>It also aims to establish <strong>India as a great sporting nation.</strong></li>
<li>It is implemented by the <strong>Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.</strong></li>
<li>Under the scheme, the talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels (by the High-Powered Committee) will be provided <strong>annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199473" 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/khelo-india-university-games-2020'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Upgradation of Online Chatbot Ask DISHA',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>The Indian Railways Catering &amp; Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC)</strong> has powered voice-enabled <strong>Ask DISHA (<span>Digital Interaction to Seek Help Anytime)</span> Chatbot</strong> to converse with customers in the<strong> Hindi language.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The customers can now ask queries to Ask DISHA in Hindi by voice as well as text.</li>
<li>IRCTC plans to launch Ask DISHA in more languages along with many other additional features in the near future.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ask DISHA Chatbot</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong></a>-<strong>based chatbot</strong> which was initially launched in the<strong> English</strong> language in <strong>October 2018.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>first-of-its-kind initiative by IRCTC</strong> which aims to benefit the users of the ticketing and tourism websites of IRCTC to resolve queries of railway passengers over the internet pertaining to various services offered.</li>
<li>Since its initial launch, passengers seeking help on the reservation of tickets, cancellation, enquiry of refund status, fare, PNR search, train running status, enquiry about retiring rooms and tourism products have been benefited.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582359055_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582359055_image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603955" 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/upgradation-of-online-chatbot-ask-disha'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Visit of Home Minister of Maldives',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Home Minister of Maldives, Mr. Sheikh Imran Abdulla, met Indian Home Minister on 21<sup>st</sup> February, 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582356640_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582356640_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>During the meeting, both the ministers discussed issues of mutual interest in the area of <strong>security</strong> and <strong>law enforcement cooperation.</strong></li>
<li>The Ministers welcomed the expansion of bilateral cooperation between India and Maldives in diverse fields including policing and law enforcement, counter-terrorism, counter-radicalization, organized crime, drug trafficking and capacity building.</li>
<li>The Directorate of Enforcement will assist Maldives in setting up a probe agency like itself and guide the island nation on raising a Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) infrastructure. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Directorate of Enforcement</strong> is a multi disciplinary organization mandated with the task of enforcing the provisions of two special fiscal laws &ndash; Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). It is headquartered in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Maldives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Significance of Maldives for India</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Maldives&rsquo; <strong>proximity to the west coast of India -</strong> Maldives is barely 70 nautical miles away from Minicoy -the southernmost island of Lakshadweep.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Lakshadweep group is separated from Maldives by <strong>Eight Degree Channel.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is situated at the <strong>hub of commercial sea-lanes</strong> running through Indian Ocean. More than 97% of India&rsquo;s international trade by volume and 75% by value passes through the region.</li>
<li>Its potential to allow a third nation&rsquo;s naval presence in the area.</li>
<li>Since China&rsquo;s naval expansion into the Indian Ocean , Maldives significance has steadily grown and now it&rsquo;s at the heart of international geopolitics.</li>
<li>Moreover, the Maldives is an important aspect of India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/what-is-indias-neighbourhood" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Neighbourhood First&rsquo; policy.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>&lsquo;India First&rsquo;</strong> has been a stated policy of the Government of Maldives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Maldives is<strong> a member of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/south-asian-association-for-regional-cooperation-saarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)</a></strong> and the <strong>South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC).</strong></li>
<li>There is a <strong>significant Indian diaspora in the Maldives.</strong> Innumerable Indians work across the hospitality, education, and health-care sectors of the Maldives economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program, set up in 2001,</strong> brings together <strong>Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka</strong> in a project-based partnership to promote regional prosperity by improving cross-border connectivity, boosting trade among member countries, and strengthening regional economic cooperation.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asian-development-outlook-2019-strengthening-disaster-resilience-adb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Asian Development Bank (ADB)</strong></a> serves as Secretariat to the SASEC Program.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Relations Between the Two Countries</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>History:</strong> India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links. India was among the first to recognize Maldives after its independence in 1965 and later established its mission at Male in 1972.</li>
<li><strong>Defence:</strong> India provides the largest number of training opportunities for Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting around 70% of their defence training requirements. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>&lsquo;Ekuverin&rsquo;</strong> is a <strong>joint military exercise</strong> between India and Maldives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Disaster Management:</strong> The Government of India has provided large-scale assistance to Maldives in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and during the 2014 Male water crisis.</li>
<li><strong>Trade and Tourism:</strong> India is Maldives&rsquo; 4<sup>th</sup> largest trade partner after UAE, China and Singapore. In 2018, India was the 5<sup>th</sup> largest source of tourist arrivals in Maldives.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Maldivian economy is heavily dependent on its tourism sector, which is the major source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Operation Cactus:</strong> In 1988, in response to a request from the Maldives, India activated Operation Cactus to deploy its military and ensure regime continuity in Male.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-maldives-agree-to-take-on-terrorism-radicalisation/article30883328.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/visit-of-home-minister-of-maldives'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Combating Epidemics',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/gearing-up-to-fight-the-next-big-viral-outbreak/article30873841.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Gearing up to fight the next big viral outbreak&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 21/02/2020. It talks about a preventative approach in dealing with epidemics.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in China has taken not only a toll on human life but, it also impacted the global economy. These types of epidemics emerge quite frequently (SARS, MERS) and the global community seems to be taking curative measures every time, rather being adequately prepared beforehand.</p>
<p>The World Health Organization (WHO)&rsquo;s<strong> Global Health Security Index</strong> held that no country is adequately prepared against global epidemics. The index assesses 195 countries across six categories namely prevention, early detection, rapid response, health system quality, standards, and the risk environment.</p>
<p>India too scored 46.5 (ranked at 57<sup>th</sup> position) in this index. Though the score is above global average (40.2), India remains vulnerable to these global epidemics <strong>due to high density of the country&rsquo;s population and the high incidence of poverty.</strong></p>
<h3>As more outbreaks are likely in the future, the best response is better preparedness.</h3>
<p><strong>Strategy to deal with Epidemics</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The prospect of new outbreaks puts four items on the health agenda.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Early detection and prevention.</li>
<li>Better collaboration across health service providers.</li>
<li>More investment in health systems, outcomes, and education.</li>
<li>Better care of the environment and biodiversity, which directly affects people&rsquo;s health safety.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Associated Challenges for India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>One of the many dimensions of new pathogens that is getting increased attention is the link with environmental degradation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The interaction between particulate matter from pollution and viral respiratory tract infections, especially in the young, elderly and the malnourished, has been increasingly noted in many recent studies.</li>
<li>This is more problematic for India, as many of the highest air pollution readings are being recorded in Indian cities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s health status is being worsened by climate shocks.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A HSBC study of 67 countries ranks India as the most climate-vulnerable one because of the impact of severe temperature increases and declines in rainfalls.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India's healthcare system suffers from physical infrastructure and human resource constraints.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Health expenditure by the government in India is <strong>less than 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product,</strong> which is low for a middle-income country.</li>
<li>According to WHO, India has only<strong> 80 doctors per 1,00,000 people.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Nearly two-thirds of known pathogens and three-quarters of newly emerging pathogens spread from animals to humans.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This dangerous trend for disease spillovers from animals to humans can be traced to increased human encroachment on wildlife territory, land-use changes that increase the rate of human-wildlife and wildlife-livestock interactions and climate change.</li>
<li>These issues are deeply entrenched in India's urban expansion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These challenges make India ill-prepared to deal with the new outbreak of new pathogens.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Better Detection, Awareness and Quarantining</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Thailand's track record</strong> in disease prevention, early detection, and rapid response linked to investments in its public health system is worth emulating for countries like India.</li>
<li>When the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) broke out in 2015, Thailand quickly notified the WHO of its first confirmed case and acted transparently to arrest the spread, in stark contrast to delayed notification by China&rsquo;s officials of the recent outbreak.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Kerala Model</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Kerala&rsquo;s experience in 2018 with the deadly Nipah virus showed the value of investing in education and health over the long term.</li>
<li>The availability of equipment for quick diagnosis, measures to prevent diseases from spreading, and public information campaigns all helped to keep the mortality rate from the <strong>Nipah virus</strong> relatively low.</li>
<li>Having capable public health professionals helped in the information exchange with WHO and other international bodies.</li>
<li><strong>Clearer protocols are needed in all States,</strong> and these protocols need to be communicated to health professionals at all levels and the public in local languages.</li>
<li>Each State in India should do this to expose crucial gaps in areas such as adequacy and supply of diagnostic equipment, health facilities, hygienic practices, and prevention and treatment protocols.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need for an Emergency Plan</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is a need to establish an emergency loan facility, as the World Bank uses for disasters, natural or health, that can help augment own resources in times of a public health catastrophe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Partnerships between private and public sectors,</strong> and between countries can sustain supply chains and bolster the medical capacity of countries struggling to cope against epidemics.</li>
<li>The best defence of all is to invest more, and more efficiently, in health and education to prepare populations and strengthen health services. Also, protecting the precious biodiversity should be a priority.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #fc0000; background-color: #ffe7d4;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Prevention is better than cure. Discuss the statement in light of the recent outbreak of coronavirus in China.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/combating-epidemics'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Policy Watch - India Will Shift To BS-VI Norms',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pPAgzonp6L0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The Supreme Court had ruled on October 24, 2019, that no BS-IV vehicle would be sold with effect from April 1, 2020. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/only-bs-vi-vehicles-to-be-sold-from-april-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Stage VI</strong></a> is the new emission standard that all vehicles in the country will have to adhere to.</p>
<h3>What are Bharat Stage Norms?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bharat Stage (BS) are standards instituted by the government to regulate the emission of air pollutants from motor vehicles.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>With appropriate fuel and technology, they limit the release of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, Particulate Matter (PM) and sulfur oxides from vehicles using internal combustion engines.</li>
<li>As the stage goes up, the control of emissions becomes stricter.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/reducing-so2-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)</strong></a> under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.</li>
<li>The standards are based on European regulations that were first introduced in 2000.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What will it Need?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On-Board Diagnostics: <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-bs-vi-emission-norms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bharat Stage VI</a></strong> norms include a wide list of technology modifications, the most significant being making OBD (On-board diagnostics) mandatory for all vehicles.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>On-Board Diagnostics</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On-Board Diagnostics (OBD)</strong> is an automotive term referring to a <strong>vehicle's self-diagnostic and reporting capability.</strong> OBD systems give the vehicle owner or repair technician access to the status of the various vehicle subsystems.</li>
<li>OBD was originally designed to control the emissions. In BS-VI vehicles norms, OBD-2 is mandatory.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Better fuel:</strong> Proper implementation of BS-VI needs better fuel. The refiners have invested more than Rs 80,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet BS-VI specifications.</li>
<li>The vehicle should have the <strong>capacity to use the fuel at full combustion.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>New technology will be required by the automotive industries in combustion, ignition, carburetors, and exhaust steel pipe.</li>
<li>Taking a leap from BS-IV to BS-VI comes with immense technical challenges. It took Europe 9 years to completely implement the Euro VI standards.</li>
<li>Car-makers will have to spend heavily to develop BS-VI compliant engines for their existing product line.</li>
<li>Automotive electronics and embedded systems related constraints.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Benefits of BS-VI norms over BS-IV norms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the<strong> Centre for Science &amp; Environment study,</strong> air pollution takes 10,000-30,000 lives in Delhi alone every year. Early migration to BS-VI fuels in the National Capital of Delhi and the whole country will help in saving thousands of precious lives by bringing down vehicular pollution significantly.</li>
<li>A study by<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/safar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)</strong></a> under the <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences</strong> showed that the Transport sector contributes around 41% of the pollution in Delhi. Cleaner fuel is one of the ways to combat air pollution.</li>
<li>In BS-VI fuel, will bring down the concentration of <strong>sulfur</strong> by 80%, i.e. from the 50 parts per million to 10 parts per million.</li>
<li>BS-VI fuel is expected to <strong>reduce the NOx</strong> (nitrogen oxides) <strong>emissions</strong> from diesel cars by 70% and from petrol cars by 25%</li>
<li>OBD (onboard diagnostics) will become <strong>mandatory</strong> for every vehicle and it will help monitor the pollution caused by the vehicle in real-time.</li>
<li>RDE (Real Driving Emission) will be <strong>introduced for the first time</strong> that will measure the emission in real-world conditions and not just under test conditions.</li>
<li>BS-VI norms will also change the way particulate matter is measured. It will now be measured by number standard instead of mass standard thereby, regulating the fine particulate matter as well.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Stressed Industry:</strong> Automotive industries are already under pressure due to a decrease in the sale. With the introduction of BS-VI norms along with strict safety, norms will lead to an increase in the cost of vehicles by ₹10,000 - 20,000. Since India is a cost-sensitive economy, it might further pressurize the automotive industries.</li>
<li><strong>Technological Challenges:</strong> The capacity of the automotive industries to equip their vehicles with the necessary technology will be tested.</li>
<li><strong>Low Incentive for the Buyer:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is<strong> no improvement in fuel efficiency</strong> in the case of BS-VI vehicles, which was the selling pitch in the case of BS-IV vehicles.</li>
<li><strong>Cost of maintenance</strong> of BS-VI vehicles is higher than the BS-IV vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Availability of the Fuel:</strong> To ensure the availability of BS-VI fuel <strong>at all places</strong> by the due time will be another problem faced by the Oil Marketing Companies. For example, during the implementation of BS-IV fuel, some region like Northeast and Kerala were left out.</li>
<li><strong>Skill Development:</strong> Skill development of technicians, service centres and maintenance workshops which form the bulk of transport industries.</li>
<li><strong>Low Transparency:</strong> Transparency in<strong> fuel production and its transportation is absent.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Logistics Issues:</strong> Earlier, the implementation of BS-II, BS-III, and BS-IV fuel and vehicles were done in a phased manner. But this time, BS-VI will be implemented in the whole country at the same time which might lead to logistics issues.</li>
<li><strong>Implementation:</strong> Issues with the implementation of <strong>safety and insurance norms</strong> along with BS-VI norms in commercial vehicles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Awareness Generation:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oil marketing companies, automotive companies, and respective ministries should educate the users and maintenance companies through workshops about the BS-VI technologies and how it is different from the BS-IV.</li>
<li>Educating the people to avoid the misconception about the new fuel and vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Communication:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Better communication between the Government, the Oil marketing companies and the Automotive companies will ensure the proper implementation of the policy.</li>
<li>The proper business ecosystem including<strong> financing of vehicles should be made easy</strong> by increasing the tenure and thereby reducing the EMI.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Road-map:</strong> The government should present a<strong> long-term plan</strong> for fuel to be used in the future. Whether India's transport sector will be fuel-based or electricity-based inter alia so that investors can make decisions on their long term capital investment.</li>
<li><strong>Including Petroleum in GST:</strong> The overall cost of the vehicle and the fuel must be streamlined by including petroleum in Good and Service Tax. Effective GST must be rolled back to ease the burden of the depressed automobile sector.</li>
</ul>
<p>Bharat Stage VI is an emission standard that will bring much-needed changes in the Indian automobile industry in terms of pollutant emissions. With this emission norm coming into effect, India will come at par with the US, European countries and other advanced automotive markets across the globe.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/policy-watch-india-will-shift-to-bs-vi-norms'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'International Mother Language Day',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582278617_image4.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></h3>
<p><strong>International Mother Language Day</strong> is observed <strong>every year</strong> on<strong> 21<sup>st</sup> February since 2000</strong> to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the <strong>initiative of Bangladesh.</strong></li>
<li>It was approved at the <strong>UNESCO General Conference (1999)</strong> and has been observed throughout the world <strong>since 2000.</strong></li>
<li>UNESCO celebrates <strong>&lsquo;Languages without borders&rsquo;</strong> on the occasion of International Mother Language Day 2020.</li>
<li>The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed<strong> 2008 as the International Year of Languages.</strong></li>
<li>Globally <strong>40% of the population</strong> does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Nevertheless, progress is being made in mother tongue-based multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Human Resource and Development along with educational institutions and language institutions is celebrating the day as the <strong>Matribhasha Diwas in the country.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199461" 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/international-mother-language-day-1'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has offered to give financial assistance to the last remaining portion of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) between <strong>Sonnagar (Bihar) and Dankuni (West Bengal),</strong> which India is originally slated to construct in the <strong>private public-private partnership (PPP) mode.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, the entire EDFC is being built with loan from World Bank, except for the last portion between Bihar and West Bengal.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) with a route length of 1856 km runs from <strong>Dankuni in West Bengal</strong> to <strong>Ludhiana (Punjab).</strong></li>
<li>It covers <strong>Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,Jharkhand and West Bengal.</strong></li>
<li>The railway is one of the multiple freight corridors.</li>
<li>It has <strong>two components:</strong> First component is to <strong>provide additional rail transport capacity, improved service quality and higher freight throughput.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The second component is <strong>institutional development to assist DFCCIL and Ministry of Railways (MOR)</strong> to develop their capabilities to best utilize heavy haul freight systems.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DFCCIL under the Ministry of Railways is a special purpose vehicle tasked with planning and completion of 3,306 kms of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), consisting of western freight corridor and eastern freight corridor (1,856 kms). The total project cost is estimated at over ₹81,000 crore.</li>
<li>The construction of DFCs project would enable the decongestion of existing over-saturated paths which, thereby, will effectively improve punctuality of passenger trains.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Western Dedicated Freight Corridor:</strong> The <strong>1,504-km</strong> western freight corridor begins at <strong>Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and stretches till the country&rsquo;s largest container port &mdash; Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, near Mumbai &mdash;</strong> passing through Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.]</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582279028_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582279028_image6.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/world-bank-offers-funds-for-last-stretch-of-eastern-dedicated-freight-corridor-6278745/" 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/eastern-dedicated-freight-corridor'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Species Included in Appendix I of UNCMS',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican</strong> have been included in <strong>Appendix I of UN Convention on Migratory Species</strong> at the ongoing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cms-com-13" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>13<sup>th</sup> Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)</strong></a> in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s proposal to include all the three species in the Appendix I was <strong>unanimously accepted</strong> by the<strong> 13<sup>th</sup> COP to the CMS.</strong></li>
<li>A migratory species may be listed in <strong>Appendix I</strong> provided that the best scientific evidence available indicates that the <strong>species is endangered.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Asian Elephant<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277600_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277600_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India</strong> is the <strong>natural home of the largest population of Asian elephants.</strong> It is also found in <strong>Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>It usually resides in shrublands, artificial/terrestrial forests and grasslands.</li>
<li>It is listed as <strong>&lsquo;Endangered&rsquo;</strong> on the <strong>IUCN Red List of threatened species.</strong> It is also listed in <strong>Appendix I of the</strong> Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora <strong>(CITES)</strong> and <strong>Schedule I</strong> of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</li>
<li>The challenges confronting Asian elephant conservation in most elephant Range States are habitat loss and fragmentation, human-elephant conflict, and poaching and illegal trade of elephants.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Great Indian Bustard<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277615_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277615_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Great Indian Bustard is one of the <strong>heaviest flying birds in the world.</strong></li>
<li>It usually resides in dry grasslands and scrublands on the <strong>Indian subcontinent;</strong> its <strong>largest populations</strong> are found in the Indian state of <strong>Rajasthan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Great Indian Bustard is the <strong>state bird of Rajasthan.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is listed as<strong> &lsquo;Critically Endangered&rsquo; on the IUCN Red List.</strong> It is also listed in<strong> Appendix I</strong> of CITES and<strong> Schedule I</strong> of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</li>
<li>90% of its population has been reduced within 50 years (six generations) majorly due to<strong> poaching.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Bengal Florican</h3>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277571_image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277571_image5.jpg" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The species has two disjunct populations, one in the <strong>Indian Subcontinent,</strong> the other in <strong>South-East Asia.</strong> The former occurs in Indian Subcontinent mainly in India <strong>(Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.)</strong> and <strong>terai region of Nepal.</strong></li>
<li>It inhabits lowland dry, or seasonally inundated, natural and semi-natural grasslands, often interspersed with scattered scrub or patchy open forest.</li>
<li>It has been listed as <strong>&lsquo;Critically Endangered&rsquo; on the IUCN Red List.</strong> The bird is listed under <strong>Schedule I</strong> of the Wildlife Protection Act of India, 1972 and <strong>Appendix I</strong> of CITES</li>
<li>It has a very small, rapidly declining population largely as a result of widespread <strong>loss of its grassland habitat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603895" 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/species-included-in-appendix-i-of-uncms'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'National Rail Transportation Institute',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Railway Board of India</strong> and the <strong>University of Birmingham</strong> has announced the launch of a<strong> joint masters programme</strong> in<strong> Railway Systems Engineering and Integration</strong> in the academic year 2020-2021 by the <strong>National Rail Transportation Institute (NRTI).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This initiative will benefit NRTI students by providing them<strong> access to world-class expertise and facilities in railway systems</strong> at the <strong>Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE).</strong></li>
<li>BCRRE will also gain valuable insights into India&rsquo;s transport sector and get involved in related research and development issues in India.</li>
<li>The initiative has been taken under the <strong>Centre of Excellence for Next-Generation Transportation Systems</strong> which was set up by an MoU between the NRTI and the University of Birmingham in 2019.</li>
</ul>
<h3>National Rail Transport Institute</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was set up as a<strong> deemed to be university</strong> and has been <strong>operational since 2018</strong> and is India&rsquo;s<strong> first to focus on transport-related education, multidisciplinary research and training.</strong></li>
<li>It is specifically established to <strong>create a resource pool of best-in-class professionals for the railway and transportation sector</strong> through institutional partnerships for collaborating on developing curriculum, research projects and executive education programs.</li>
<li>It <strong>aims to develop interdisciplinary Centres of Excellence,</strong> bringing together academicians, scientists and engineers from various backgrounds and plans to leverage its academic and industry partnerships and collaborations.</li>
<li>It is situated in<strong> Vadodara, Gujrat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the <strong>largest university-based</strong> <strong>centre</strong> for railway research and education in <strong>Europe.</strong></li>
<li>It is involved in<strong> developing new technologies alongside higher education programmes, research and innovations</strong> in Climate Change, Aerodynamics and International Benchmarking, Power Systems and Energy Use, Railway Control and Operations Simulation.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603899" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-rail-transportation-institute'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The 4<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was observed on<strong> 21<sup>st</sup> February, 2020.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SPMRM is a scheme launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in <strong>2016</strong> to deliver <strong>integrated project based infrastructure in the rural areas,</strong> which will also include development of economic activities and skill development.</li>
<li>A predecessor to SPMRM was the Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA), announced in 2003.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA) was aimed at provision of urban amenities and livelihood opportunities in rural areas to bridge the rural urban divide thereby reducing the migration from rural to urban areas.</li>
<li>PURA was treated as a &ldquo;Project&rdquo; and not a government scheme &ndash; Private sector partners had to prepare a detailed business plan.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mission's Objectives:</strong> Bridging the rural-urban divide-viz: economic, technological and those related to facilities and services.</li>
<li><strong>Rurban Clusters:</strong> There are 2 categories of clusters: <strong>Non-Tribal</strong> and <strong>Tribal.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rurban clusters are identified across the country&rsquo;s rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization - i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters.</li>
<li>For the purposes of SPMRM, Rurban areas refer to a <strong>cluster of 15-20 villages having about 30 to 40 lakh population.</strong> The clusters will be geographically <strong>contiguous Gram Panchayats</strong> with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of states:</strong> The State Government identifies the clusters in accordance with the <strong>Framework for Implementation</strong> prepared by the MoRD.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For the selection of clusters, the MoRD is adopting a scientific process of cluster selection which involves an objective analysis at the district, sub district and village level, of the demography, economy, tourism and pilgrimage significance and transportation corridor impact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Funding:</strong> SPMRM is a <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Mission has<strong> 2 fund streams:</strong> Convergence through various schemes (Central sector, centrally sponsored schemes, State sector/ sponsored schemes/ programmes, CSR funds etc) and<strong> Critical Gap Funds (CGF).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Progress:</strong> Under the mission 300 Rurban clusters are envisaged to be developed in a time bound manner. Of these 296 clusters have been selected and Integrated Cluster Action Plans (ICAPs) approved. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Mission is seeking extension by 2 years to complete all the identified works.</li>
<li>Spurred by the success of Rurban clusters, NITI Aayog has proposed a new and extended programme for over a 1,000 clusters in next 3 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per Census of India, the <strong>rural population</strong> in India, stands at 833 million, constituting almost <strong>68%</strong> of the total population.</li>
<li>Further, the rural population has shown a <strong>growth of 12% during the 2001-2011</strong> period and there has been an increase in the absolute number of villages.</li>
<li>Ensuring availability of <strong>amenities to rural populace is one of the top priorities</strong> of the central government.</li>
<li>Large parts of<strong> rural areas in the country are not stand-alone settlements but part of a cluster of settlements,</strong> which are relatively proximate to each other. These clusters typically illustrate potential for growth, have economic drivers and derive locational and competitive advantages. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hence, making a case for concerted policy directives for such clusters. These clusters<strong> once developed can then be classified as 'Rurban'.</strong></li>
<li>Therefore, taking cognizance of this, the Government of India, has launched the SPMRM aimed at developing such rural areas by provisioning of economic, social and physical infrastructure facilities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199466" 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/shyama-prasad-mukherji-rurban-mission'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => '23rd National Conference on e-governance',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the<strong> 23<sup>rd</sup> National Conference on</strong> <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/e-governance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-Governance</strong></a> was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG ) along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in <strong>Mumbai.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The theme for the conference was<strong> &ldquo;India 2020: Digital Transformation&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The discussion at the conference was broadly divided under <strong>6 sub-themes-</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Digital Platforms and Digital Economy</strong></li>
<li><strong>Improving Service Delivery</strong></li>
<li><strong>Building Digital Trust - Transparency, Security and Privacy</strong></li>
<li><strong>Digital Payments and Fintech</strong></li>
<li><strong>National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) </strong></li>
<li><strong>Skilling and Capacity Building</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The conference adopted the <strong>10-fold Mumbai Declaration</strong> on e-governance.</li>
<li>The Mumbai Declaration seeks to take forward the roadmap for e-Governance outlined in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-conference-on-e-governance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shillong Declaration</strong></a> adopted during the 22<sup>nd</sup> National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2019.</li>
<li>During the conference, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sandbox-for-fintech" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Blockchain Sandbox and Draft Sandbox Policy</strong></a> for Maharashtra was launched. Maharashtra became the <strong>first state of India to have dedicated Fintech policy.</strong></li>
<li>The Maharashtra state government will hold the <strong>India Fintech Festival</strong> in Mumbai, in March 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>National e-Governance Awards 2020</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received Gold for <strong>Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Antyodaya Saral Haryana</strong> of the Department of IT, Haryana received the Gold for Excellence in providing citizen-centric delivery.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE :</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/e-governance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-Governance</strong></a> can be defined as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) for providing government services, exchange of information, transactions, integration of previously existing services and information portals. The &ldquo;e&rdquo; in e-Governance stands for &lsquo;electronic&rsquo;.</li>
<li>The establishment of the <strong>Department of Electronics in 1970</strong> was the first major step towards e-governance in India.</li>
<li>In 2015 with the vision of<strong> &ldquo;Transforming e-Governance for Transforming Governance&rdquo;</strong> India adopted<strong> e-Kranti: National e-Governance Plan 2.0</strong></li>
<li>In the background of Digital India Initiative, India has launched various e-governance initiatives like My Gov, PRAGATI, DARPAN, Common Service centre etc.</li>
<li>In the <strong>United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2018,</strong> India ranked 96 by making a <strong>giant leap of 22 positions</strong> from 118 in 2016.</li>
<li>E-governance is critical in realising the PM's vision of <strong>&ldquo;Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Worldwide Educating for the Future Index 2019: EIU',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India ranked <strong>35<sup>th</sup></strong> in the <strong>Worldwide Educating for the Future Index (WEFFI) 2019,</strong> as per a report published by <strong>The Economist Intelligence Unit.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This year, India<strong> scored 53</strong> and has jumped five ranks from the 40<sup>th</sup> rank with an overall score of 41.2 across categories in 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Finland topped</strong> the index <strong>followed by Sweden.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Worldwide Educating for the Future Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The index and report are commissioned by the <strong>Yidan Prize Foundation.</strong></li>
<li>It was developed to assess the effectiveness of education systems in preparing students for the demands of work and life in a rapidly changing landscape.</li>
<li>It is the first comprehensive global index to evaluate inputs to education systems rather than outputs such as test scores and concentrates on the 15-24 age band in 35 economies.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>WEFFI ranks countries based on their <strong>abilities to equip students with skill-based education.</strong></li>
<li>The rankings are based on <strong>three categories:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Policy environment.</li>
<li>Teaching environment.</li>
<li>Overall socio-economic environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The report analyses the education system from the perspective of skill-based education in areas such as critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship as well as digital and technical skills.</li>
<li>Among the world&rsquo;s largest economies, the US, UK, France and Russia fell back in the index while China, India and Indonesia took steps forward.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for the Growth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report attributes India&rsquo;s growth to the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/draft-national-education-policy-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>new national education policy</strong></a> introduced and published in 2019 that mentions future-oriented skills such as critical thinking, communication and entrepreneurship.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The education policy was<strong> highlighted in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-2020-21-social-sector-and-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Union Budget 2020</a></strong> and it will come under<strong> &lsquo;Aspirational India&rsquo;</strong> which will <strong>focus</strong> on skill-based education, a greater inflow of finance to attract talented teachers and innovate and build better labs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>degree level full-fledged online education programme</strong> along with <strong>apprenticeship embedded degree or diploma courses</strong> in 150 higher educational institutions is also proposed which will begin by March 2021.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Aspirational India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is one of the three prominent themes of Union Budget 2020, the other two being <strong>economic development (for all)</strong> and <strong>building a caring society that is humane and compassionate.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Aspirational India theme, the budget covers<strong> rural, water and sanitation, and education.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report highlights the <strong>inability of the Indian education system to utilise the opportunity of internationalising the higher education system.</strong></li>
<li>Another challenge is a <strong>decentralised education system</strong> according to the report.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Well-intentioned policy goals relating to future skills development <strong>often do not get filtered downward</strong> which is a problem in economies like the US and India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Solutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India should develop its education system so that it <strong>becomes a preferred destination for higher education.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For this, under the <strong>Study in India Programme, Ind-SAT exam will be held for Asian and African students for scholarships.</strong></li>
<li>The programme will be used for <strong>benchmarking foreign candidates who receive scholarships for studying in Indian higher education centres.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Study in India Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a project under the <strong>Ministry of Human Resource Development</strong> with the primary objective to<strong> target foreign students by branding India as an attractive education destination.</strong></li>
<li>It offers <strong>fee waivers to meritorious foreign students</strong> studying in Indian educational institutes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/education/india-jumps-5-ranks-to-35th-in-worldwide-education-for-the-future-index-2019/article30851541.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: HBL</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Statehood Day of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>On the<strong> Statehood Day of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh (21st February</strong>), the Prime Minister and other leaders praised the traditions and culture of the two northeast states.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On <strong>21<sup>st</sup> February (1987)</strong> two new States of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh came into being as the <strong>23<sup>rd</sup> and 24<sup>th</sup> states of the Indian Union</strong> respectively.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mizoram<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582273108_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582273108_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Mizo hills area became the<strong> Lushai Hills district within Assam at the time of independence.</strong> Further, in <strong>1954</strong> it was renamed the<strong> Mizo Hills District of Assam.</strong></li>
<li>The growing discontent due to the <strong>Mautam famine (1959-1961),</strong> the movement began for independence under a Mizo leader named, <strong>Laldenga.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Mizo National Front (MNF)</strong> under Laldenga&rsquo;s leadership intensified the movement for secession from Assam when <strong>Nagaland</strong> was given separate status as a <strong>Central Government Administrative Agency</strong> in <strong>1957</strong> and <strong>statehood</strong> in <strong>1963.</strong></li>
<li>After signing an accord with the moderates of the MNF the Union Government established <strong>Mizoram</strong> with the status of a <strong>Union Territory in 1972.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Union Territory of Mizoram</strong> was conferred the status of a full state after signing of a <strong>memorandum of settlement (Mizoram Peace Accord)</strong> between the <strong>Central government and the Mizo National Front,</strong> ending the two-decade-old Insurgency.</li>
<li><strong>Mizoram</strong> was granted statehood by the <strong>State of Mizoram Act, 1986.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mizoram</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Capital:</strong> Aizawl</li>
<li><strong>Sex Ratio:</strong> 975 female per 1000 male (National: 943)</li>
<li><strong>Literacy:</strong> 91.58 % (National: 74.04%)</li>
<li>Mizoram shares the <strong>International Border</strong> with <strong>Myanmar and Bangladesh.</strong></li>
<li>It has the<strong> highest concentration (percentage)</strong> <strong>of tribal population</strong> among all states of India.</li>
<li>According to the<strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-state-of-forest-report-isfr-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019</a></strong>, <strong>Mizoram</strong> has the <strong>maximum forest</strong> <strong>cover</strong> as a percentage of their own geographical area at (85.4%).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Arunachal Pradesh</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The area of Arunachal Pradesh was integrated into Assam at the time of independence. But the presence of China with an unsettled border made the area militarily important for the government.</li>
<li>The area was<strong> upgraded to the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh in 1972</strong> and was granted statehood by the<strong> State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986</strong> in <strong>1987.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Arunachal Pradesh</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Capital:</strong> Itanagar</li>
<li><strong>Sex Ratio:</strong> 938 female per 1000 male (National: 943)</li>
<li><strong>Literacy:</strong> 65.38 % (National: 74.04%)</li>
<li>Arunachal Pradesh <strong>shares an international border</strong> with <strong>Bhutan, China and Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>largest state area wise in the north-eastern region,</strong> even larger than Assam which is the most populous.</li>
<li>It is inhabited by the <strong>world&rsquo;s largest variety (diversity) of ethnic tribal groups</strong> and subgroups.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603787" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Mainstreaming Healthcare Startups',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/powering-the-health-care-engine-with-innovation/article30854153.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Powering the health-care engine with innovation&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 20/02/2020. It talks about the role of startups in India&rsquo;s healthcare.</p>
</div>
<p>By launching Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the government of India has taken a big step by rolling out the world&rsquo;s largest and most ambitious publicly funded health-care assurance programme.</p>
<p>The scheme has provided 84 lakh free treatments to poor and vulnerable patients for secondary and tertiary ailments. Under the scheme, there is one free treatment every three seconds and two beneficiaries verified every second.</p>
<p>However, as the scale of this scheme grows, a key challenge is to expand the secondary and tertiary hospitals empanelled under PM-JAY and ensure their quality and capacity while keeping the costs down.</p>
<h3>Need for Augmenting Physical and Human Infrastructure Capacity</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At present, there is one government bed for every 1,844 patients and one doctor for every 11,082 patients.</li>
<li>In the coming years, considering 3% hospitalisation of PM-JAY-covered beneficiaries, the scheme is likely to provide treatment to 1.5 crore patients annually.</li>
<li>Conservative estimates suggest that India would need more than 150,000 additional beds, especially in Tier-2 and -3 cities.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Role of Startups in Healthcare</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While a comprehensive long-term strategy should focus on expanding hospital and human resources, healthcare startups can be an effective near-term approach needed to improve efficiencies and bridge gaps.</li>
<li>Today, start-ups are working to bring innovative technologies and business models that leapfrog infrastructure, human resources, cost-effectiveness and efficiency challenges in Tier-2 and -3 cities.</li>
<li>Artificial Intelligence platforms can aid in rapid radiology diagnoses in low resource settings, tele-ICU platforms to bridge the gap in high-skilled critical care personnel, centralised drone delivery of blood, medicines and vaccines to reach remote locations cost-effectively.</li>
<li>Thereby, mainstreaming healthcare startups in the Indian health system may accelerate health system efficiency and bridge these gaps.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Healthcare Startups in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <strong>State of Startup Ecosystem Report 2018,</strong> there are a total of 4,892 startups in the Indian healthtech space. Overall, the healthtech startups in India raised a total of $504 million between 2014-2018. Indian healthcare market to be valued at $372 billion by 2022.</li>
<li><strong>Telemedicine startups</strong> essentially help patients get doctor consultations virtually through apps or web-based videos, chats and voice guidance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Generally, these startups are focussed on solving the lack of specialised doctors in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Indian cities.</li>
<li><strong>According to Mckinsey report,</strong> India could save up to $10 billion in 2025, by using telemedicine instead of in-person doctor consultations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>According to a 2018 Research and Markets report,</strong> India currently has over 850K independent pharmacy retail stores but they are able to meet only 60% of the total demand.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/addressable-market-for-e-pharmacies" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>E-pharmacy</strong></a> (e-commerce sites that deal with online selling of medicines) can fill this gap.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Indians are getting more and more <strong>health consciousness</strong> thanks to increased awareness of<strong> health problems as well as fitness activities.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has also seen a rise in the number of fitness and nutrition startups with the likes of Fitternity, Cure.fit, HealthifyMe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<p>Mainstreaming healthcare startups is lined with many challenges. Issues faced by healthcare startups:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Non-uniform regulatory and validation standards.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lack of standards in this area leads to a huge variation in validation requirements at States and hospitals. As a result, hospitals often rely on foreign regulatory certifications such as FDA and CE, especially for riskier devices and instruments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Start-ups face procurement challenges in both public and private procurement.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They lack the financial capacity to deal with lengthy public tenders.</li>
<li>Private procurement is complicated by the presence of a fragmented customer base and limited systematic channels for distribution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Operational liquidity crunch due to a long gestation period.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Health-care start-ups spend long periods of time in the early development of their product, especially where potential clinical risks are concerned.</li>
<li>The process of testing the idea and working prototype, receiving certifications, performing clinical and commercial validations, and raising funds, in a unstructured environment makes the gestational period unusually long thereby limiting the operational liquidity of the start-up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a <strong>lack of incentives and adequate frameworks</strong> to grade and adopt innovations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need to <strong>facilitate standardised operational validation</strong> studies that are required for market adoption, to help ease out the startups procurement process.</li>
<li>The government is set to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/medical-equipment-notified-as-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>overhaul Indian med-tech regulatory standards and product</strong></a> standards. This will help bridge trust-deficit related to startup.</li>
<li>To accelerate the process of mainstreaming healthcare startups, there is a need to focus on identifying promising market-ready health-care innovations that are ready to be tested and deployed at scale.</li>
<li>Indian healthcare reforms must broadly address <strong>3A challenge in healthcare </strong>i.e. <strong>affordability, accessibility and availability.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Integrating Ayushman Bharat with healthcare startups, India has the unique opportunity to develop a robust ecosystem where hospitals actively engage with health-care start-ups by providing access to testbeds, communicating their needs effectively and adopting promising innovations.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #ede2d5;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Start-ups can be effective stakeholders in India&rsquo;s pursuit of achieving universal health care. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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		'title' => 'International Judicial Conference 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The International Judicial Conference 2020 was held from 21<sup>st</sup>-23<sup>rd</sup> February, 2020 in New Delhi.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Conference was <strong>organized by the</strong> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court of India.</strong></a></li>
<li>The<strong> theme</strong> of the Conference was<strong> &lsquo;Judiciary and the Changing World&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Important Topics</strong> of discussion at the Conference included : <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Gender Justice,</li>
<li>Contemporary Perspectives on Protection of Constitutional Values,</li>
<li>Dynamic Interpretations of the Constitution in a Changing World,</li>
<li>Harmonisation of Environment Protection vis-&agrave;-vis Sustainable Development and</li>
<li>Protection of Right to Privacy in the Internet Age.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights from the Conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sustainable Development:</strong> The Indian judiciary was appreciated for its <strong>balance between development and environment,</strong> and continued guidance in it. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>E.g. Judgement on Sardar Sarovar Project</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Increased Accessibility: The Supreme Court was hailed for the &ldquo;extraordinary effort&rdquo; to make its <strong>judgments more accessible to the common man</strong> by making them available in nine vernacular languages, keeping in mind the nation&rsquo;s linguistic diversity.</li>
<li><strong>Gender Justice:</strong> The recent directives for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/women-eligible-for-permanent-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>granting equal status to women in the Army</strong></a>, guidelines for preventing sexual harassment at the workplace, etc. were appreciated.</li>
<li><strong>Global Reference:</strong> The Chief Justice of India said that the<strong> Supreme Court&rsquo;s judgments are cited by courts of other countries</strong> and have served as a &ldquo;beacon of hope&rdquo; to independent and developing nations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A 2001 verdict of the South African court cited the Indian case of Narain Das Jain v Agra Nagar Mahapalika decided by the Supreme Court in 1991 to benchmark the compensation to be provided while acquiring land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use of ICT:</strong> The <strong>need for technology</strong> was highlighted to deliver speedy justice.</li>
<li>The Government is making an effort to connect every court of the country to the <strong>E-court Integrated Mission Mode Project.</strong> The establishment of the <strong>National Judicial Data Grid</strong> will make court procedures easier.</li>
<li><strong>Future Challenges:</strong> It was highlighted that issues like <strong>data protection</strong> and <strong>cyber crimes</strong> pose new challenges for the judiciary.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>E-court Integrated Mission Mode Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The E-Courts Project was conceptualised on the basis of <strong>"National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary - 2005"</strong> submitted by e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India (set up in 2004).</li>
<li>The<strong> main objectives</strong> of the e-Court Project are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To provide efficient &amp; time-bound citizen centric service delivery.</li>
<li>To develop, install &amp; implement decision support systems in courts.</li>
<li>To automate the processes to provide transparency of Information access to its stakeholders.</li>
<li>To enhance judicial productivity both qualitatively &amp; quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost effective &amp; transparent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>e-Courts National portal</strong> (ecourts.gov.in) was launched in 2013. This provides Case Status, daily Case-list, Cases Filed and Cases Registered through the Case information System (CIS) Software.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)</strong> is a part of the e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project. It was launched in <strong>2015.</strong> The aim is to track judicial performance across different courts in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NJDG is working as National data warehouse for case data including the orders/judgments for Courts across the country.</li>
<li>NJDG works as a monitoring tool to identify, manage &amp; reduce pendency of cases.</li>
<li>It also helps to provide timely inputs for making policy decisions to reduce delay and arrears in the system, facilitate better monitoring of court performance and systemic bottlenecks, and, thus, facilitate better resource management.</li>
<li>NJDG has specifically helped India improve its ranking in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ease-of-doing-business-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Report.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1604079" 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/international-judicial-conference-2020'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Craspedotropis Gretathunbergae',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>A group of scientists have recently discovered <strong>a new species of land snail </strong>in<strong> Brunei.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582528362_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582528362_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The new species reside in <strong>tropical rainforests</strong> and is sensitive to <strong>drought and extreme temperatures</strong> (which have become more frequent due to climate change).</li>
<li>Hence as an honour to Swedish Climate Change activist <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/war-on-nature-must-end" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Greta Thunberg</strong></a>, who has been making efforts to raise awareness about climate change, the new snail species was named as Craspedotropis <strong>Gretathunbergae.</strong></li>
<li>Recently, a tiny species of <strong>beetle</strong> was also named after her as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nelloptodes-gretae" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nelloptodes Gretae.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, a<strong> new species of beetle</strong> (Grouvellinus Leonardodicaprioi) was named after the actor<strong> Leonardo DiCaprio</strong> (an American actor, producer, and environmentalist).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/this-word-means-c-gretathunbergae-6283028/" 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/craspedotropis-gretathunbergae'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Replicating the SBM Model',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jal-jeevan-mission-sanitation-drinking-water-crisis-swachh-bharat-6280285/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The next mission&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 22/02/2020. It talks about the success story of Swachh Bharat Mission and how it can be replicated to deal with India&rsquo;s water crisis.</p>
</div>
<p>Indian government prioritises the water and sanitation sectors as key pillars of broader rural development. However, India is facing a water crisis.<strong> According to the Central Ground Water Board,</strong> over 250 of 700 districts have groundwater levels which are &ldquo;critical&rdquo; or &ldquo;over-exploited&rdquo;. Also, India harbours <strong>16% of the world&rsquo;s population, but only 4% of the world&rsquo;s freshwater resources.</strong></p>
<p>In order to deal with this water crisis, the Indian government has launched <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-jeevan-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission</strong></a> (JJM). The mission aims at providing &lsquo;Har Ghar Jal&rsquo; or piped water supply to all households by 2024.</p>
<p>However, achieving this target is an arduous task as it requires not only a lot of economic resources, political will at all levels, but also active &amp; positive public response to it.</p>
<p><strong>In this context, the success story of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Mission</a> (SBM) can be emulated in tackling India&rsquo;s water crisis.</strong></p>
<h3>Success Story of SBM</h3>
<p>Until 2014, <strong>approximately 60% of the world&rsquo;s open defecators</strong> (600 million people) were practising open defecation across India, but within five years of the scheme, the number of open-defecation cases came down significantly, and <strong>now rural India has actually become open-defecation free.</strong></p>
<h3>Reasons Behind Success of SBM</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mass Communication Campaign:</strong> Swachh Bharat Mission, recognising the issue of social acceptability, launched a massive communication campaign to bring about a change in the social attitude. Reaching out to the masses effectively was one of the foremost foundations of this scheme.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Prime Minister of India's leadership in SBM,</strong> became the key ingredient for success of Swachh Bharat Mission.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Clear Vision:</strong> Swachh Bharat Mission had clearly defined national targets, the action plan and outlined the tasks and roles at each level of operation.</li>
<li><strong>Use of Nudge Theory:</strong> Majority of funds in SBM have gone towards incentivising the poor and marginalised households to construct and use household toilets, bringing about behaviour change, and building capacities of field functionaries.</li>
<li><strong>Long Term Approach:</strong> Achieving ODF status hasn't led to closure of the mission.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Government under rural sanitation has declared to shift its focus on ODF sustainability, bio-degradable waste management, greywater management, sludge management and, critically, plastic waste management for all villages by 2024.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Multiplier Effect of SBM</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The returns on investments made in SBM, have been manifold, and their effects on the broader economy, markets and employment have been significant.</li>
<li><strong>UNICEF</strong> recently estimated that investments in sanitation in India are yielding a <strong>400% return with each rural household in an open-defecation-free village</strong> saving Rs 50,000 on account of avoided medical costs and time savings.</li>
<li>The Toilet Board Coalition has estimated that the sanitation infrastructure and services market in India will be worth over <strong>$60 billion by 2021,</strong> generating many new jobs, even in the most rural areas of the country, apart from reducing health and environmental costs and enhancing savings for households.</li>
<li>Many people engaged in the business of manufacturing toilet related hardware accessories have reported huge growth in sales during the SBM period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This has been corroborated by another recent study by UNICEF in which they have estimated that SBM has resulted in creating <strong>over 75 lakh full time equivalent jobs over the past five years,</strong> giving the rural economy a major boost.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>After the success of SBM, the next critical basic service that the government ought to provide is water supply.</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Decentralised Approach:</strong> Union budget for 2020-2021 has commitment of Rs 3.6 lakh crore of central and state funds under this scheme.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there is a need to follow a more decentralised approach (engaging local bodies) as envisaged by SBM.</li>
<li>This will ensure that the gram panchayats and local urban bodies have responsibility to upkeep of their water and sanitation infrastructure, providing a boost to the sustainability of service delivery to people.</li>
<li>This approach will ensure that just like sanitation, provision of water supply and its upkeep will also become everyone&rsquo;s business.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Women in Leadership Roles:</strong> SBM focused on ending the practice of open defecation, which directly benefited the women by restoring their dignity and basic health.This made women a flag bearer in the sanitation revolution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In rural India, women have to walk long distances in unfriendly weather and treacherous terrain to fetch water for their families.</li>
<li>According to a report by the <strong>National Commission for Women,</strong> on average, a rural woman in Rajasthan walks <strong>over 2.5 km to reach a water source.</strong></li>
<li>Providing piped water supply will provide women with the opportunity to use their time more productively and improve their quality of life.</li>
<li>Another scheme to conserve groundwater in regions with low water tables, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atal-bhujal-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atal Bhujal Yojana</strong></a> is based on community participation, a key component of this programme is the formation of water use associations, in which at least 50% of members are to be women.</li>
<li>These steps will provide a massive fillip to the <strong>ease of living for women.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nudging the Farmer</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>About 90% of India&rsquo;s water is consumed in farming. And that 80% of this irrigation is for water-guzzling crops &mdash; rice, wheat and sugarcane.</li>
<li>There is a need to diversify procurement operations, to include less water-intensive crops, like millets, pulses and oilseeds, especially in India&rsquo;s drylands.</li>
<li>However, changing the procurement process to less water-intensive crops requires a lot of political capital. Government can nudge the farmers to grow less water-intensive crops.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f2edd0;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has brought a jan andolan (mass revolution) in bringing a change in open defecation status in India. Can this success story of SBM be replicated in dealing with India&rsquo;s water crisis?</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/replicating-the-sbm-model'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Gold Deposits in Sonbhadra',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-navy-signs-mou-with-geological-survey-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Geological Survey of India</strong></a> has rejected the UP government's Department of Geology and Mining claims of discovering about 3,000 tonnes of gold deposits in <a href="/know-your-state/know-your-state-uttar-pradesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Sonbhadra district</strong></a>, saying the actual estimated reserve stands at 160 kg.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gold: Science</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Gold is a chemical element with the<strong> symbol Au (from Latin: Aurum) </strong>and <strong>atomic number 79.</strong></li>
<li>Some of the <strong>unique properties</strong> of gold are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Conducts electricity.</li>
<li>Resistant to corrosion.</li>
<li>Exceptionally malleable and ductile.</li>
<li>Catalytic properties.</li>
<li>Biocompatible.</li>
<li>Nanogold.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Gold: Currency</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Owing to its unique qualities, gold has been the one material that is universally accepted in exchange for goods and services.</li>
<li>Gold began to serve as backing for paper-currency systems when they became widespread in the 19<sup>th</sup> century and from the 1870s until <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-war-I-centenary" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World War I</strong></a>, the <strong>gold standard</strong> was the basis for the world&rsquo;s currencies.</li>
<li>Although gold&rsquo;s official role in the international monetary system had come to an end by the 1970s, the <strong>metal remains a highly regarded reserve asset and approximately 45% of all the world&rsquo;s gold is held by governments and central banks for this purpose.</strong></li>
<li>Gold is still accepted by all nations as a medium of international payment.</li>
<li>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Forex Reserve</strong> also includes<strong> Gold</strong> along with <strong>Foreign Currency Assets (such as dollar)</strong> and<strong> Special Drawing Rights.</strong></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Why Gold</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are five precious metals which can potentially be worked with: <strong>platinum, palladium, rhodium, silver and gold.</strong> Silver has been used as money but it tarnishes over time. Rhodium and palladium are more recent discoveries with limited historical uses.</li>
<li>Platinum and gold are the remaining elements. Platinum&rsquo;s extremely high melting point makes it impractical to melt. Thus gold is the only option left. It melts at a lower temperature and is malleable, making it easy to work with.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Gold: Facts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-gold-council" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Gold Council</strong></a>, India has gold reserves of more than 600 tonnes, the <strong>10<sup>th</sup> largest</strong> in the world.</li>
<li><strong>U.S has the highest</strong> gold reserves with 8,133.5 tonnes of total gold reserves,<strong> followed by Germany</strong> with 3,366.8 tonnes and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Monetary Fund</strong></a> <strong>(IMF)</strong> with a holding of 2,451.8 tonnes</li>
<li>The weight of gold is measured in<strong> troy ounces (1 troy ounce = 31.1034768 grams),</strong> however its <strong>purity is measured in &lsquo;carats&rsquo;.</strong> 24 carat is pure gold with no other metals.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Sonbhadra</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sonbhadra is the<strong> second largest district (area-wise) of Uttar Pradesh</strong> after <strong>Lakhimpur Kheri.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>only district in the country which shares borders with four states.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong> to the west, <strong>Chhattisgarh</strong> to the south, <strong>Jharkhand</strong> to the south-east and<strong> Bihar</strong> to the east.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Sonbhadra district is an <strong>industrial zone</strong> and has lots of minerals like<strong> bauxite, limestone, coal, gold</strong> etc.</li>
<li>It is drained by tributaries of the Ganges including the <strong>Belan</strong> and <strong>Karmanasha</strong> rivers.<strong> Son</strong> river flows through the district from <strong>west to east. Rihand</strong> river rises to the south in the highlands of Surguja district of Chhattisgarh and flows north to join the Son in the centre of Sonbhadra.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar</strong> (also known as<strong> Rihand Dam</strong>) is a reservoir on the Rihand, lies partly in the district and partly in Madhya Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary</strong> lies mostly within Sonbhadra, reaching generally east and west along the <strong>Kaimur Range,</strong> and extending to the Son river at its eastern end.</li>
<li>Sonbhadra is known for its several <strong>Cave painting sites found in the Vindhya region.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Lakhania caves</strong> are located in the Kaimur ranges and are known for their beautiful ageless <strong>rock paintings.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These historic paintings are about 4000 years old.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Khodwa Pahar or Ghoramangar</strong> is another well-known ancient cave painting site.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582365669_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582365669_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/up-around-3000-tonne-gold-deposits-found-in-sonbhadra-6280558/" 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/gold-deposits-in-sonbhadra'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Habitable-Zone Planet Finder',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) has confirmed its first planet <strong>(exoplanet)</strong> called G 9-40b, orbiting a nearby low mass bright <strong>M-dwarf star</strong> (100 light years from Earth) with an orbital period of 6 Earth-days.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NASA</strong></a>&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-november-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kepler mission</strong></a> had observed a dip in the host star&rsquo;s light, suggesting that the planet was crossing in front of the star during its orbit. To confirm the HPF was used.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>G 9-40b:</strong> G 9-40b is amongst the top 20 closest transiting planets known.</li>
<li><strong>Habitable-zone Planet Finder :</strong> HPF is an <strong>astronomical spectrograph,</strong> built by Penn State University scientists, and recently installed on the 10m <strong>Hobby-Eberly Telescope</strong> at McDonald Observatory (US).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The HPF searches for <strong>exoplanets</strong> by using the <strong>Doppler effect.</strong></li>
<li>A spectrograph is an instrument that splits light into its component wavelengths. Scientists measure the properties of light over a specific portion of the spectrum, and draw conclusions on what is responsible for the trends they observe.</li>
<li>The HPF provides the<strong> highest precision measurements of infrared signals from nearby low-mass stars,</strong> and astronomers use it to validate the candidate planet by excluding all possibilities of contaminating signals to a very high level of probability.</li>
<li>It is designed to detect and characterise planets in the habitable-zone also known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/toi-700-d" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Goldilocks zone&rsquo;</strong></a>- <strong>the region around the star where a planet could sustain liquid water on its surface.</strong></li>
<li>HPF is currently surveying the nearest low-mass stars, also called <strong>M-dwarfs,</strong> which are the most common stars in the galaxy - with the goal of discovering exoplanets in our neighborhood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Doppler Effect</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An increase (or decrease) in the frequency of sound, light, or other waves as the source and observer move towards (or away from) each other.</li>
<li>The effect causes the sudden change in pitch noticeable in a passing siren, as well as the red shift seen by astronomers.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Exoplanet</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first confirmation of detection of exoplanet occurred in 1992.</li>
<li>Exoplanets are very hard to see directly with telescopes. They are hidden by the bright glare of the stars they orbit.</li>
<li>So, astronomers use other ways to detect and study exoplanets such as looking at the effects these planets have on the stars they orbit.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>M-dwarfs</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>M dwarf or M-type star, also called Red Dwarf Star are the most numerous type of star in the universe and the smallest type of hydrogen-burning star.</li>
<li>These have masses from about 0.08 to 0.6 times that of the Sun.</li>
<li>In the Milky Way Galaxy, about <strong>70% of the stars are red dwarfs.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-how-to-study-light-and-confirm-a-potential-exoplanet-6280488/" 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/habitable-zone-planet-finder'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'GoM Reviews Amendments to the JJ Act, 2015',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a <strong>Group of Ministers (GoM)</strong> chaired by the Home Minister met to discuss <strong>proposed amendments</strong> to the <strong>Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) (JJ) Act, 2015.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The GoM meeting was convened <strong>to create greater synergy</strong> between ministries on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2018</li>
</ul>
<h3>Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Improvement Over the Act of 2000:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 <strong>replaced the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000</strong> to comprehensively address children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Change in Nomenclature:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Act changes the nomenclature from<strong> &lsquo;juvenile&rsquo;</strong> to<strong> &lsquo;child&rsquo;</strong> or <strong>&lsquo;child in conflict with law&rsquo;.</strong> Also, it <strong>removes the negative connotation</strong> associated with the word &ldquo;juvenile&rdquo;.</li>
<li>It also includes several<strong> new and clear definitions</strong> such as orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children; and petty, serious and heinous offences committed by children</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Special Provisions for Age 16-18 years:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Included special provisions to tackle child offenders committing heinous offences in the <strong>age group of 16-18 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mandatory Constitution of the JJ Board:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It <strong>mandates</strong> setting up <strong>Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees</strong> in<strong> every district.</strong> Both <strong>must have at least one woman</strong> member each.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Adoption Related Clauses:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A separate new chapter on Adoption to streamline adoption procedures for an orphan, abandoned and surrendered children,</li>
<li>Also, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5th-annual-day-of-cara" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)</strong></a> was granted the status of a statutory body to enable it to perform its function more effectively.</li>
<li>The Act states that the adoption of a child is final on the issuance of an adoption order<strong> by the court.</strong> Currently, there are<strong> 629 adoption cases pending</strong> in various <strong>courts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inclusion of New Offences:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Act included several new offences committed against children (like, illegal adoptions, use of child by militant groups, offences against disabled children, etc) which are<strong> not adequately covered under any other law.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Child Care Institutions (CCI):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All Child Care Institutions, whether run by State Government or by voluntary or non-governmental organisations are to be <strong>mandatorily registered</strong> under the Act <strong>within 6 months</strong> from the date of commencement of the Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2018</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill provides that instead of the court,<strong> the district magistrate will issue adoption orders</strong> to address the high pendency of adoption cases.</li>
<li>The Bill also seeks<strong> to transfer all pending matters related to adoption before any court to the district magistrate having jurisdiction over the area.</strong></li>
<li>The proposed amendments intend to <strong>expedite proceedings.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Group of Ministers</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Groups of Ministers (GoMs) have been constituted from time to time to look into different issues/subjects.</li>
<li>These are <strong>ad hoc bodies</strong> formed to<strong> give recommendations</strong> to the cabinet on certain emergent issues and critical problem areas.</li>
<li>Ministers heading the concerned ministries are inducted into the relevant GoMs and when the advice is crystallised they are disbanded.</li>
<li>Some of these GoMs have been also <strong>empowered to take decisions on behalf of the Cabinet</strong> known as <strong>Empowered Groups of Ministers (EGoMs).</strong></li>
<li>But with time the constitution of a large number of GoMs has resulted in many GoMs not being able to meet regularly to complete their work thus leading to significant delays on many major issues. Thus. all the Groups of Ministers (GoMs) and Empowered Groups of Ministers (EGoMs) were<strong> abolished in 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Further in <strong>2015, 16 informal</strong> Groups of Ministers (GoMs) were formed to discuss key issues of the country.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gom-meets-on-juvenile-justice-act/article30883312.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/gom-reviews-amendments-to-the-jj-act-2015'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Khelo India University Games 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Prime Minister will launch the<strong> first-ever Khelo India University Games</strong> in Cuttack (Odisha) on February 22, 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Khelo India University Games are being <strong>launched by</strong> the Government of India in association with the<strong> Government of Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>It is an aspirational competition for India&rsquo;s youngsters with the objective of helping them find the balance between sport and education.</li>
<li>It is the<strong> largest ever competition</strong> held at the university level in India and will have about <strong>3500 athletes from over 150 universities</strong> across the country taking part in it.</li>
<li>There will be a total of <strong>17 sports</strong> namely archery, athletics, boxing, fencing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, rugby and kabaddi.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Khelo India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Khelo India programme has been introduced to <strong>revive the sports culture in India</strong> at the <strong>grass-root level</strong> by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country.</li>
<li>It also aims to establish <strong>India as a great sporting nation.</strong></li>
<li>It is implemented by the <strong>Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.</strong></li>
<li>Under the scheme, the talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels (by the High-Powered Committee) will be provided <strong>annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199473" 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/khelo-india-university-games-2020'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Upgradation of Online Chatbot Ask DISHA',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>The Indian Railways Catering &amp; Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC)</strong> has powered voice-enabled <strong>Ask DISHA (<span>Digital Interaction to Seek Help Anytime)</span> Chatbot</strong> to converse with customers in the<strong> Hindi language.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The customers can now ask queries to Ask DISHA in Hindi by voice as well as text.</li>
<li>IRCTC plans to launch Ask DISHA in more languages along with many other additional features in the near future.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ask DISHA Chatbot</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong></a>-<strong>based chatbot</strong> which was initially launched in the<strong> English</strong> language in <strong>October 2018.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>first-of-its-kind initiative by IRCTC</strong> which aims to benefit the users of the ticketing and tourism websites of IRCTC to resolve queries of railway passengers over the internet pertaining to various services offered.</li>
<li>Since its initial launch, passengers seeking help on the reservation of tickets, cancellation, enquiry of refund status, fare, PNR search, train running status, enquiry about retiring rooms and tourism products have been benefited.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582359055_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582359055_image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603955" 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/upgradation-of-online-chatbot-ask-disha'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Visit of Home Minister of Maldives',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Home Minister of Maldives, Mr. Sheikh Imran Abdulla, met Indian Home Minister on 21<sup>st</sup> February, 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582356640_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582356640_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>During the meeting, both the ministers discussed issues of mutual interest in the area of <strong>security</strong> and <strong>law enforcement cooperation.</strong></li>
<li>The Ministers welcomed the expansion of bilateral cooperation between India and Maldives in diverse fields including policing and law enforcement, counter-terrorism, counter-radicalization, organized crime, drug trafficking and capacity building.</li>
<li>The Directorate of Enforcement will assist Maldives in setting up a probe agency like itself and guide the island nation on raising a Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) infrastructure. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Directorate of Enforcement</strong> is a multi disciplinary organization mandated with the task of enforcing the provisions of two special fiscal laws &ndash; Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). It is headquartered in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Maldives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Significance of Maldives for India</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Maldives&rsquo; <strong>proximity to the west coast of India -</strong> Maldives is barely 70 nautical miles away from Minicoy -the southernmost island of Lakshadweep.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Lakshadweep group is separated from Maldives by <strong>Eight Degree Channel.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is situated at the <strong>hub of commercial sea-lanes</strong> running through Indian Ocean. More than 97% of India&rsquo;s international trade by volume and 75% by value passes through the region.</li>
<li>Its potential to allow a third nation&rsquo;s naval presence in the area.</li>
<li>Since China&rsquo;s naval expansion into the Indian Ocean , Maldives significance has steadily grown and now it&rsquo;s at the heart of international geopolitics.</li>
<li>Moreover, the Maldives is an important aspect of India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/what-is-indias-neighbourhood" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Neighbourhood First&rsquo; policy.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>&lsquo;India First&rsquo;</strong> has been a stated policy of the Government of Maldives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Maldives is<strong> a member of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/south-asian-association-for-regional-cooperation-saarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)</a></strong> and the <strong>South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC).</strong></li>
<li>There is a <strong>significant Indian diaspora in the Maldives.</strong> Innumerable Indians work across the hospitality, education, and health-care sectors of the Maldives economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program, set up in 2001,</strong> brings together <strong>Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka</strong> in a project-based partnership to promote regional prosperity by improving cross-border connectivity, boosting trade among member countries, and strengthening regional economic cooperation.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asian-development-outlook-2019-strengthening-disaster-resilience-adb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Asian Development Bank (ADB)</strong></a> serves as Secretariat to the SASEC Program.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Relations Between the Two Countries</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>History:</strong> India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links. India was among the first to recognize Maldives after its independence in 1965 and later established its mission at Male in 1972.</li>
<li><strong>Defence:</strong> India provides the largest number of training opportunities for Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting around 70% of their defence training requirements. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>&lsquo;Ekuverin&rsquo;</strong> is a <strong>joint military exercise</strong> between India and Maldives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Disaster Management:</strong> The Government of India has provided large-scale assistance to Maldives in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and during the 2014 Male water crisis.</li>
<li><strong>Trade and Tourism:</strong> India is Maldives&rsquo; 4<sup>th</sup> largest trade partner after UAE, China and Singapore. In 2018, India was the 5<sup>th</sup> largest source of tourist arrivals in Maldives.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Maldivian economy is heavily dependent on its tourism sector, which is the major source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Operation Cactus:</strong> In 1988, in response to a request from the Maldives, India activated Operation Cactus to deploy its military and ensure regime continuity in Male.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-maldives-agree-to-take-on-terrorism-radicalisation/article30883328.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/visit-of-home-minister-of-maldives'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Combating Epidemics',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/gearing-up-to-fight-the-next-big-viral-outbreak/article30873841.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Gearing up to fight the next big viral outbreak&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 21/02/2020. It talks about a preventative approach in dealing with epidemics.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in China has taken not only a toll on human life but, it also impacted the global economy. These types of epidemics emerge quite frequently (SARS, MERS) and the global community seems to be taking curative measures every time, rather being adequately prepared beforehand.</p>
<p>The World Health Organization (WHO)&rsquo;s<strong> Global Health Security Index</strong> held that no country is adequately prepared against global epidemics. The index assesses 195 countries across six categories namely prevention, early detection, rapid response, health system quality, standards, and the risk environment.</p>
<p>India too scored 46.5 (ranked at 57<sup>th</sup> position) in this index. Though the score is above global average (40.2), India remains vulnerable to these global epidemics <strong>due to high density of the country&rsquo;s population and the high incidence of poverty.</strong></p>
<h3>As more outbreaks are likely in the future, the best response is better preparedness.</h3>
<p><strong>Strategy to deal with Epidemics</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The prospect of new outbreaks puts four items on the health agenda.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Early detection and prevention.</li>
<li>Better collaboration across health service providers.</li>
<li>More investment in health systems, outcomes, and education.</li>
<li>Better care of the environment and biodiversity, which directly affects people&rsquo;s health safety.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Associated Challenges for India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>One of the many dimensions of new pathogens that is getting increased attention is the link with environmental degradation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The interaction between particulate matter from pollution and viral respiratory tract infections, especially in the young, elderly and the malnourished, has been increasingly noted in many recent studies.</li>
<li>This is more problematic for India, as many of the highest air pollution readings are being recorded in Indian cities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s health status is being worsened by climate shocks.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A HSBC study of 67 countries ranks India as the most climate-vulnerable one because of the impact of severe temperature increases and declines in rainfalls.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India's healthcare system suffers from physical infrastructure and human resource constraints.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Health expenditure by the government in India is <strong>less than 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product,</strong> which is low for a middle-income country.</li>
<li>According to WHO, India has only<strong> 80 doctors per 1,00,000 people.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Nearly two-thirds of known pathogens and three-quarters of newly emerging pathogens spread from animals to humans.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This dangerous trend for disease spillovers from animals to humans can be traced to increased human encroachment on wildlife territory, land-use changes that increase the rate of human-wildlife and wildlife-livestock interactions and climate change.</li>
<li>These issues are deeply entrenched in India's urban expansion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These challenges make India ill-prepared to deal with the new outbreak of new pathogens.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Better Detection, Awareness and Quarantining</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Thailand's track record</strong> in disease prevention, early detection, and rapid response linked to investments in its public health system is worth emulating for countries like India.</li>
<li>When the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) broke out in 2015, Thailand quickly notified the WHO of its first confirmed case and acted transparently to arrest the spread, in stark contrast to delayed notification by China&rsquo;s officials of the recent outbreak.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Kerala Model</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Kerala&rsquo;s experience in 2018 with the deadly Nipah virus showed the value of investing in education and health over the long term.</li>
<li>The availability of equipment for quick diagnosis, measures to prevent diseases from spreading, and public information campaigns all helped to keep the mortality rate from the <strong>Nipah virus</strong> relatively low.</li>
<li>Having capable public health professionals helped in the information exchange with WHO and other international bodies.</li>
<li><strong>Clearer protocols are needed in all States,</strong> and these protocols need to be communicated to health professionals at all levels and the public in local languages.</li>
<li>Each State in India should do this to expose crucial gaps in areas such as adequacy and supply of diagnostic equipment, health facilities, hygienic practices, and prevention and treatment protocols.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need for an Emergency Plan</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is a need to establish an emergency loan facility, as the World Bank uses for disasters, natural or health, that can help augment own resources in times of a public health catastrophe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Partnerships between private and public sectors,</strong> and between countries can sustain supply chains and bolster the medical capacity of countries struggling to cope against epidemics.</li>
<li>The best defence of all is to invest more, and more efficiently, in health and education to prepare populations and strengthen health services. Also, protecting the precious biodiversity should be a priority.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #fc0000; background-color: #ffe7d4;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Prevention is better than cure. Discuss the statement in light of the recent outbreak of coronavirus in China.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/combating-epidemics'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Policy Watch - India Will Shift To BS-VI Norms',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pPAgzonp6L0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The Supreme Court had ruled on October 24, 2019, that no BS-IV vehicle would be sold with effect from April 1, 2020. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/only-bs-vi-vehicles-to-be-sold-from-april-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Stage VI</strong></a> is the new emission standard that all vehicles in the country will have to adhere to.</p>
<h3>What are Bharat Stage Norms?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bharat Stage (BS) are standards instituted by the government to regulate the emission of air pollutants from motor vehicles.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>With appropriate fuel and technology, they limit the release of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, Particulate Matter (PM) and sulfur oxides from vehicles using internal combustion engines.</li>
<li>As the stage goes up, the control of emissions becomes stricter.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/reducing-so2-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)</strong></a> under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.</li>
<li>The standards are based on European regulations that were first introduced in 2000.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What will it Need?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On-Board Diagnostics: <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-bs-vi-emission-norms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bharat Stage VI</a></strong> norms include a wide list of technology modifications, the most significant being making OBD (On-board diagnostics) mandatory for all vehicles.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>On-Board Diagnostics</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On-Board Diagnostics (OBD)</strong> is an automotive term referring to a <strong>vehicle's self-diagnostic and reporting capability.</strong> OBD systems give the vehicle owner or repair technician access to the status of the various vehicle subsystems.</li>
<li>OBD was originally designed to control the emissions. In BS-VI vehicles norms, OBD-2 is mandatory.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Better fuel:</strong> Proper implementation of BS-VI needs better fuel. The refiners have invested more than Rs 80,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet BS-VI specifications.</li>
<li>The vehicle should have the <strong>capacity to use the fuel at full combustion.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>New technology will be required by the automotive industries in combustion, ignition, carburetors, and exhaust steel pipe.</li>
<li>Taking a leap from BS-IV to BS-VI comes with immense technical challenges. It took Europe 9 years to completely implement the Euro VI standards.</li>
<li>Car-makers will have to spend heavily to develop BS-VI compliant engines for their existing product line.</li>
<li>Automotive electronics and embedded systems related constraints.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Benefits of BS-VI norms over BS-IV norms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the<strong> Centre for Science &amp; Environment study,</strong> air pollution takes 10,000-30,000 lives in Delhi alone every year. Early migration to BS-VI fuels in the National Capital of Delhi and the whole country will help in saving thousands of precious lives by bringing down vehicular pollution significantly.</li>
<li>A study by<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/safar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)</strong></a> under the <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences</strong> showed that the Transport sector contributes around 41% of the pollution in Delhi. Cleaner fuel is one of the ways to combat air pollution.</li>
<li>In BS-VI fuel, will bring down the concentration of <strong>sulfur</strong> by 80%, i.e. from the 50 parts per million to 10 parts per million.</li>
<li>BS-VI fuel is expected to <strong>reduce the NOx</strong> (nitrogen oxides) <strong>emissions</strong> from diesel cars by 70% and from petrol cars by 25%</li>
<li>OBD (onboard diagnostics) will become <strong>mandatory</strong> for every vehicle and it will help monitor the pollution caused by the vehicle in real-time.</li>
<li>RDE (Real Driving Emission) will be <strong>introduced for the first time</strong> that will measure the emission in real-world conditions and not just under test conditions.</li>
<li>BS-VI norms will also change the way particulate matter is measured. It will now be measured by number standard instead of mass standard thereby, regulating the fine particulate matter as well.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Stressed Industry:</strong> Automotive industries are already under pressure due to a decrease in the sale. With the introduction of BS-VI norms along with strict safety, norms will lead to an increase in the cost of vehicles by ₹10,000 - 20,000. Since India is a cost-sensitive economy, it might further pressurize the automotive industries.</li>
<li><strong>Technological Challenges:</strong> The capacity of the automotive industries to equip their vehicles with the necessary technology will be tested.</li>
<li><strong>Low Incentive for the Buyer:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is<strong> no improvement in fuel efficiency</strong> in the case of BS-VI vehicles, which was the selling pitch in the case of BS-IV vehicles.</li>
<li><strong>Cost of maintenance</strong> of BS-VI vehicles is higher than the BS-IV vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Availability of the Fuel:</strong> To ensure the availability of BS-VI fuel <strong>at all places</strong> by the due time will be another problem faced by the Oil Marketing Companies. For example, during the implementation of BS-IV fuel, some region like Northeast and Kerala were left out.</li>
<li><strong>Skill Development:</strong> Skill development of technicians, service centres and maintenance workshops which form the bulk of transport industries.</li>
<li><strong>Low Transparency:</strong> Transparency in<strong> fuel production and its transportation is absent.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Logistics Issues:</strong> Earlier, the implementation of BS-II, BS-III, and BS-IV fuel and vehicles were done in a phased manner. But this time, BS-VI will be implemented in the whole country at the same time which might lead to logistics issues.</li>
<li><strong>Implementation:</strong> Issues with the implementation of <strong>safety and insurance norms</strong> along with BS-VI norms in commercial vehicles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Awareness Generation:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oil marketing companies, automotive companies, and respective ministries should educate the users and maintenance companies through workshops about the BS-VI technologies and how it is different from the BS-IV.</li>
<li>Educating the people to avoid the misconception about the new fuel and vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Communication:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Better communication between the Government, the Oil marketing companies and the Automotive companies will ensure the proper implementation of the policy.</li>
<li>The proper business ecosystem including<strong> financing of vehicles should be made easy</strong> by increasing the tenure and thereby reducing the EMI.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Road-map:</strong> The government should present a<strong> long-term plan</strong> for fuel to be used in the future. Whether India's transport sector will be fuel-based or electricity-based inter alia so that investors can make decisions on their long term capital investment.</li>
<li><strong>Including Petroleum in GST:</strong> The overall cost of the vehicle and the fuel must be streamlined by including petroleum in Good and Service Tax. Effective GST must be rolled back to ease the burden of the depressed automobile sector.</li>
</ul>
<p>Bharat Stage VI is an emission standard that will bring much-needed changes in the Indian automobile industry in terms of pollutant emissions. With this emission norm coming into effect, India will come at par with the US, European countries and other advanced automotive markets across the globe.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/policy-watch-india-will-shift-to-bs-vi-norms'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'International Mother Language Day',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582278617_image4.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></h3>
<p><strong>International Mother Language Day</strong> is observed <strong>every year</strong> on<strong> 21<sup>st</sup> February since 2000</strong> to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the <strong>initiative of Bangladesh.</strong></li>
<li>It was approved at the <strong>UNESCO General Conference (1999)</strong> and has been observed throughout the world <strong>since 2000.</strong></li>
<li>UNESCO celebrates <strong>&lsquo;Languages without borders&rsquo;</strong> on the occasion of International Mother Language Day 2020.</li>
<li>The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed<strong> 2008 as the International Year of Languages.</strong></li>
<li>Globally <strong>40% of the population</strong> does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Nevertheless, progress is being made in mother tongue-based multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Human Resource and Development along with educational institutions and language institutions is celebrating the day as the <strong>Matribhasha Diwas in the country.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199461" 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/international-mother-language-day-1'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has offered to give financial assistance to the last remaining portion of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) between <strong>Sonnagar (Bihar) and Dankuni (West Bengal),</strong> which India is originally slated to construct in the <strong>private public-private partnership (PPP) mode.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, the entire EDFC is being built with loan from World Bank, except for the last portion between Bihar and West Bengal.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) with a route length of 1856 km runs from <strong>Dankuni in West Bengal</strong> to <strong>Ludhiana (Punjab).</strong></li>
<li>It covers <strong>Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,Jharkhand and West Bengal.</strong></li>
<li>The railway is one of the multiple freight corridors.</li>
<li>It has <strong>two components:</strong> First component is to <strong>provide additional rail transport capacity, improved service quality and higher freight throughput.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The second component is <strong>institutional development to assist DFCCIL and Ministry of Railways (MOR)</strong> to develop their capabilities to best utilize heavy haul freight systems.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DFCCIL under the Ministry of Railways is a special purpose vehicle tasked with planning and completion of 3,306 kms of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), consisting of western freight corridor and eastern freight corridor (1,856 kms). The total project cost is estimated at over ₹81,000 crore.</li>
<li>The construction of DFCs project would enable the decongestion of existing over-saturated paths which, thereby, will effectively improve punctuality of passenger trains.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Western Dedicated Freight Corridor:</strong> The <strong>1,504-km</strong> western freight corridor begins at <strong>Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and stretches till the country&rsquo;s largest container port &mdash; Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, near Mumbai &mdash;</strong> passing through Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.]</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582279028_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582279028_image6.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/world-bank-offers-funds-for-last-stretch-of-eastern-dedicated-freight-corridor-6278745/" 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/eastern-dedicated-freight-corridor'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Species Included in Appendix I of UNCMS',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican</strong> have been included in <strong>Appendix I of UN Convention on Migratory Species</strong> at the ongoing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cms-com-13" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>13<sup>th</sup> Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)</strong></a> in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s proposal to include all the three species in the Appendix I was <strong>unanimously accepted</strong> by the<strong> 13<sup>th</sup> COP to the CMS.</strong></li>
<li>A migratory species may be listed in <strong>Appendix I</strong> provided that the best scientific evidence available indicates that the <strong>species is endangered.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Asian Elephant<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277600_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277600_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India</strong> is the <strong>natural home of the largest population of Asian elephants.</strong> It is also found in <strong>Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>It usually resides in shrublands, artificial/terrestrial forests and grasslands.</li>
<li>It is listed as <strong>&lsquo;Endangered&rsquo;</strong> on the <strong>IUCN Red List of threatened species.</strong> It is also listed in <strong>Appendix I of the</strong> Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora <strong>(CITES)</strong> and <strong>Schedule I</strong> of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</li>
<li>The challenges confronting Asian elephant conservation in most elephant Range States are habitat loss and fragmentation, human-elephant conflict, and poaching and illegal trade of elephants.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Great Indian Bustard<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277615_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277615_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Great Indian Bustard is one of the <strong>heaviest flying birds in the world.</strong></li>
<li>It usually resides in dry grasslands and scrublands on the <strong>Indian subcontinent;</strong> its <strong>largest populations</strong> are found in the Indian state of <strong>Rajasthan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Great Indian Bustard is the <strong>state bird of Rajasthan.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is listed as<strong> &lsquo;Critically Endangered&rsquo; on the IUCN Red List.</strong> It is also listed in<strong> Appendix I</strong> of CITES and<strong> Schedule I</strong> of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</li>
<li>90% of its population has been reduced within 50 years (six generations) majorly due to<strong> poaching.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Bengal Florican</h3>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277571_image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582277571_image5.jpg" style="float: right;" width="270" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The species has two disjunct populations, one in the <strong>Indian Subcontinent,</strong> the other in <strong>South-East Asia.</strong> The former occurs in Indian Subcontinent mainly in India <strong>(Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.)</strong> and <strong>terai region of Nepal.</strong></li>
<li>It inhabits lowland dry, or seasonally inundated, natural and semi-natural grasslands, often interspersed with scattered scrub or patchy open forest.</li>
<li>It has been listed as <strong>&lsquo;Critically Endangered&rsquo; on the IUCN Red List.</strong> The bird is listed under <strong>Schedule I</strong> of the Wildlife Protection Act of India, 1972 and <strong>Appendix I</strong> of CITES</li>
<li>It has a very small, rapidly declining population largely as a result of widespread <strong>loss of its grassland habitat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603895" 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/species-included-in-appendix-i-of-uncms'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'National Rail Transportation Institute',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Railway Board of India</strong> and the <strong>University of Birmingham</strong> has announced the launch of a<strong> joint masters programme</strong> in<strong> Railway Systems Engineering and Integration</strong> in the academic year 2020-2021 by the <strong>National Rail Transportation Institute (NRTI).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This initiative will benefit NRTI students by providing them<strong> access to world-class expertise and facilities in railway systems</strong> at the <strong>Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE).</strong></li>
<li>BCRRE will also gain valuable insights into India&rsquo;s transport sector and get involved in related research and development issues in India.</li>
<li>The initiative has been taken under the <strong>Centre of Excellence for Next-Generation Transportation Systems</strong> which was set up by an MoU between the NRTI and the University of Birmingham in 2019.</li>
</ul>
<h3>National Rail Transport Institute</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was set up as a<strong> deemed to be university</strong> and has been <strong>operational since 2018</strong> and is India&rsquo;s<strong> first to focus on transport-related education, multidisciplinary research and training.</strong></li>
<li>It is specifically established to <strong>create a resource pool of best-in-class professionals for the railway and transportation sector</strong> through institutional partnerships for collaborating on developing curriculum, research projects and executive education programs.</li>
<li>It <strong>aims to develop interdisciplinary Centres of Excellence,</strong> bringing together academicians, scientists and engineers from various backgrounds and plans to leverage its academic and industry partnerships and collaborations.</li>
<li>It is situated in<strong> Vadodara, Gujrat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the <strong>largest university-based</strong> <strong>centre</strong> for railway research and education in <strong>Europe.</strong></li>
<li>It is involved in<strong> developing new technologies alongside higher education programmes, research and innovations</strong> in Climate Change, Aerodynamics and International Benchmarking, Power Systems and Energy Use, Railway Control and Operations Simulation.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603899" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-rail-transportation-institute'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The 4<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was observed on<strong> 21<sup>st</sup> February, 2020.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SPMRM is a scheme launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in <strong>2016</strong> to deliver <strong>integrated project based infrastructure in the rural areas,</strong> which will also include development of economic activities and skill development.</li>
<li>A predecessor to SPMRM was the Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA), announced in 2003.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA) was aimed at provision of urban amenities and livelihood opportunities in rural areas to bridge the rural urban divide thereby reducing the migration from rural to urban areas.</li>
<li>PURA was treated as a &ldquo;Project&rdquo; and not a government scheme &ndash; Private sector partners had to prepare a detailed business plan.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mission's Objectives:</strong> Bridging the rural-urban divide-viz: economic, technological and those related to facilities and services.</li>
<li><strong>Rurban Clusters:</strong> There are 2 categories of clusters: <strong>Non-Tribal</strong> and <strong>Tribal.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rurban clusters are identified across the country&rsquo;s rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization - i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters.</li>
<li>For the purposes of SPMRM, Rurban areas refer to a <strong>cluster of 15-20 villages having about 30 to 40 lakh population.</strong> The clusters will be geographically <strong>contiguous Gram Panchayats</strong> with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of states:</strong> The State Government identifies the clusters in accordance with the <strong>Framework for Implementation</strong> prepared by the MoRD.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For the selection of clusters, the MoRD is adopting a scientific process of cluster selection which involves an objective analysis at the district, sub district and village level, of the demography, economy, tourism and pilgrimage significance and transportation corridor impact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Funding:</strong> SPMRM is a <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Mission has<strong> 2 fund streams:</strong> Convergence through various schemes (Central sector, centrally sponsored schemes, State sector/ sponsored schemes/ programmes, CSR funds etc) and<strong> Critical Gap Funds (CGF).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Progress:</strong> Under the mission 300 Rurban clusters are envisaged to be developed in a time bound manner. Of these 296 clusters have been selected and Integrated Cluster Action Plans (ICAPs) approved. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Mission is seeking extension by 2 years to complete all the identified works.</li>
<li>Spurred by the success of Rurban clusters, NITI Aayog has proposed a new and extended programme for over a 1,000 clusters in next 3 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per Census of India, the <strong>rural population</strong> in India, stands at 833 million, constituting almost <strong>68%</strong> of the total population.</li>
<li>Further, the rural population has shown a <strong>growth of 12% during the 2001-2011</strong> period and there has been an increase in the absolute number of villages.</li>
<li>Ensuring availability of <strong>amenities to rural populace is one of the top priorities</strong> of the central government.</li>
<li>Large parts of<strong> rural areas in the country are not stand-alone settlements but part of a cluster of settlements,</strong> which are relatively proximate to each other. These clusters typically illustrate potential for growth, have economic drivers and derive locational and competitive advantages. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hence, making a case for concerted policy directives for such clusters. These clusters<strong> once developed can then be classified as 'Rurban'.</strong></li>
<li>Therefore, taking cognizance of this, the Government of India, has launched the SPMRM aimed at developing such rural areas by provisioning of economic, social and physical infrastructure facilities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199466" 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/shyama-prasad-mukherji-rurban-mission'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => '23rd National Conference on e-governance',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the<strong> 23<sup>rd</sup> National Conference on</strong> <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/e-governance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-Governance</strong></a> was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG ) along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in <strong>Mumbai.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The theme for the conference was<strong> &ldquo;India 2020: Digital Transformation&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The discussion at the conference was broadly divided under <strong>6 sub-themes-</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Digital Platforms and Digital Economy</strong></li>
<li><strong>Improving Service Delivery</strong></li>
<li><strong>Building Digital Trust - Transparency, Security and Privacy</strong></li>
<li><strong>Digital Payments and Fintech</strong></li>
<li><strong>National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) </strong></li>
<li><strong>Skilling and Capacity Building</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The conference adopted the <strong>10-fold Mumbai Declaration</strong> on e-governance.</li>
<li>The Mumbai Declaration seeks to take forward the roadmap for e-Governance outlined in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-conference-on-e-governance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shillong Declaration</strong></a> adopted during the 22<sup>nd</sup> National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2019.</li>
<li>During the conference, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sandbox-for-fintech" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Blockchain Sandbox and Draft Sandbox Policy</strong></a> for Maharashtra was launched. Maharashtra became the <strong>first state of India to have dedicated Fintech policy.</strong></li>
<li>The Maharashtra state government will hold the <strong>India Fintech Festival</strong> in Mumbai, in March 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>National e-Governance Awards 2020</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received Gold for <strong>Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Antyodaya Saral Haryana</strong> of the Department of IT, Haryana received the Gold for Excellence in providing citizen-centric delivery.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE :</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/e-governance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-Governance</strong></a> can be defined as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) for providing government services, exchange of information, transactions, integration of previously existing services and information portals. The &ldquo;e&rdquo; in e-Governance stands for &lsquo;electronic&rsquo;.</li>
<li>The establishment of the <strong>Department of Electronics in 1970</strong> was the first major step towards e-governance in India.</li>
<li>In 2015 with the vision of<strong> &ldquo;Transforming e-Governance for Transforming Governance&rdquo;</strong> India adopted<strong> e-Kranti: National e-Governance Plan 2.0</strong></li>
<li>In the background of Digital India Initiative, India has launched various e-governance initiatives like My Gov, PRAGATI, DARPAN, Common Service centre etc.</li>
<li>In the <strong>United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2018,</strong> India ranked 96 by making a <strong>giant leap of 22 positions</strong> from 118 in 2016.</li>
<li>E-governance is critical in realising the PM's vision of <strong>&ldquo;Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/23rd-national-conference-on-e-governance'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Worldwide Educating for the Future Index 2019: EIU',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India ranked <strong>35<sup>th</sup></strong> in the <strong>Worldwide Educating for the Future Index (WEFFI) 2019,</strong> as per a report published by <strong>The Economist Intelligence Unit.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This year, India<strong> scored 53</strong> and has jumped five ranks from the 40<sup>th</sup> rank with an overall score of 41.2 across categories in 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Finland topped</strong> the index <strong>followed by Sweden.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Worldwide Educating for the Future Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The index and report are commissioned by the <strong>Yidan Prize Foundation.</strong></li>
<li>It was developed to assess the effectiveness of education systems in preparing students for the demands of work and life in a rapidly changing landscape.</li>
<li>It is the first comprehensive global index to evaluate inputs to education systems rather than outputs such as test scores and concentrates on the 15-24 age band in 35 economies.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>WEFFI ranks countries based on their <strong>abilities to equip students with skill-based education.</strong></li>
<li>The rankings are based on <strong>three categories:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Policy environment.</li>
<li>Teaching environment.</li>
<li>Overall socio-economic environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The report analyses the education system from the perspective of skill-based education in areas such as critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship as well as digital and technical skills.</li>
<li>Among the world&rsquo;s largest economies, the US, UK, France and Russia fell back in the index while China, India and Indonesia took steps forward.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for the Growth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report attributes India&rsquo;s growth to the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/draft-national-education-policy-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>new national education policy</strong></a> introduced and published in 2019 that mentions future-oriented skills such as critical thinking, communication and entrepreneurship.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The education policy was<strong> highlighted in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-2020-21-social-sector-and-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Union Budget 2020</a></strong> and it will come under<strong> &lsquo;Aspirational India&rsquo;</strong> which will <strong>focus</strong> on skill-based education, a greater inflow of finance to attract talented teachers and innovate and build better labs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>degree level full-fledged online education programme</strong> along with <strong>apprenticeship embedded degree or diploma courses</strong> in 150 higher educational institutions is also proposed which will begin by March 2021.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Aspirational India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is one of the three prominent themes of Union Budget 2020, the other two being <strong>economic development (for all)</strong> and <strong>building a caring society that is humane and compassionate.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Aspirational India theme, the budget covers<strong> rural, water and sanitation, and education.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report highlights the <strong>inability of the Indian education system to utilise the opportunity of internationalising the higher education system.</strong></li>
<li>Another challenge is a <strong>decentralised education system</strong> according to the report.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Well-intentioned policy goals relating to future skills development <strong>often do not get filtered downward</strong> which is a problem in economies like the US and India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Solutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India should develop its education system so that it <strong>becomes a preferred destination for higher education.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For this, under the <strong>Study in India Programme, Ind-SAT exam will be held for Asian and African students for scholarships.</strong></li>
<li>The programme will be used for <strong>benchmarking foreign candidates who receive scholarships for studying in Indian higher education centres.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Study in India Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a project under the <strong>Ministry of Human Resource Development</strong> with the primary objective to<strong> target foreign students by branding India as an attractive education destination.</strong></li>
<li>It offers <strong>fee waivers to meritorious foreign students</strong> studying in Indian educational institutes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/education/india-jumps-5-ranks-to-35th-in-worldwide-education-for-the-future-index-2019/article30851541.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: HBL</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/worldwide-educating-for-the-future-index-2019-eiu'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Statehood Day of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>On the<strong> Statehood Day of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh (21st February</strong>), the Prime Minister and other leaders praised the traditions and culture of the two northeast states.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On <strong>21<sup>st</sup> February (1987)</strong> two new States of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh came into being as the <strong>23<sup>rd</sup> and 24<sup>th</sup> states of the Indian Union</strong> respectively.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mizoram<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582273108_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582273108_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Mizo hills area became the<strong> Lushai Hills district within Assam at the time of independence.</strong> Further, in <strong>1954</strong> it was renamed the<strong> Mizo Hills District of Assam.</strong></li>
<li>The growing discontent due to the <strong>Mautam famine (1959-1961),</strong> the movement began for independence under a Mizo leader named, <strong>Laldenga.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Mizo National Front (MNF)</strong> under Laldenga&rsquo;s leadership intensified the movement for secession from Assam when <strong>Nagaland</strong> was given separate status as a <strong>Central Government Administrative Agency</strong> in <strong>1957</strong> and <strong>statehood</strong> in <strong>1963.</strong></li>
<li>After signing an accord with the moderates of the MNF the Union Government established <strong>Mizoram</strong> with the status of a <strong>Union Territory in 1972.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Union Territory of Mizoram</strong> was conferred the status of a full state after signing of a <strong>memorandum of settlement (Mizoram Peace Accord)</strong> between the <strong>Central government and the Mizo National Front,</strong> ending the two-decade-old Insurgency.</li>
<li><strong>Mizoram</strong> was granted statehood by the <strong>State of Mizoram Act, 1986.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mizoram</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Capital:</strong> Aizawl</li>
<li><strong>Sex Ratio:</strong> 975 female per 1000 male (National: 943)</li>
<li><strong>Literacy:</strong> 91.58 % (National: 74.04%)</li>
<li>Mizoram shares the <strong>International Border</strong> with <strong>Myanmar and Bangladesh.</strong></li>
<li>It has the<strong> highest concentration (percentage)</strong> <strong>of tribal population</strong> among all states of India.</li>
<li>According to the<strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-state-of-forest-report-isfr-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019</a></strong>, <strong>Mizoram</strong> has the <strong>maximum forest</strong> <strong>cover</strong> as a percentage of their own geographical area at (85.4%).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Arunachal Pradesh</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The area of Arunachal Pradesh was integrated into Assam at the time of independence. But the presence of China with an unsettled border made the area militarily important for the government.</li>
<li>The area was<strong> upgraded to the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh in 1972</strong> and was granted statehood by the<strong> State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986</strong> in <strong>1987.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NOTE:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Arunachal Pradesh</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Capital:</strong> Itanagar</li>
<li><strong>Sex Ratio:</strong> 938 female per 1000 male (National: 943)</li>
<li><strong>Literacy:</strong> 65.38 % (National: 74.04%)</li>
<li>Arunachal Pradesh <strong>shares an international border</strong> with <strong>Bhutan, China and Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>largest state area wise in the north-eastern region,</strong> even larger than Assam which is the most populous.</li>
<li>It is inhabited by the <strong>world&rsquo;s largest variety (diversity) of ethnic tribal groups</strong> and subgroups.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1603787" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Mainstreaming Healthcare Startups',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/powering-the-health-care-engine-with-innovation/article30854153.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Powering the health-care engine with innovation&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 20/02/2020. It talks about the role of startups in India&rsquo;s healthcare.</p>
</div>
<p>By launching Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the government of India has taken a big step by rolling out the world&rsquo;s largest and most ambitious publicly funded health-care assurance programme.</p>
<p>The scheme has provided 84 lakh free treatments to poor and vulnerable patients for secondary and tertiary ailments. Under the scheme, there is one free treatment every three seconds and two beneficiaries verified every second.</p>
<p>However, as the scale of this scheme grows, a key challenge is to expand the secondary and tertiary hospitals empanelled under PM-JAY and ensure their quality and capacity while keeping the costs down.</p>
<h3>Need for Augmenting Physical and Human Infrastructure Capacity</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At present, there is one government bed for every 1,844 patients and one doctor for every 11,082 patients.</li>
<li>In the coming years, considering 3% hospitalisation of PM-JAY-covered beneficiaries, the scheme is likely to provide treatment to 1.5 crore patients annually.</li>
<li>Conservative estimates suggest that India would need more than 150,000 additional beds, especially in Tier-2 and -3 cities.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Role of Startups in Healthcare</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While a comprehensive long-term strategy should focus on expanding hospital and human resources, healthcare startups can be an effective near-term approach needed to improve efficiencies and bridge gaps.</li>
<li>Today, start-ups are working to bring innovative technologies and business models that leapfrog infrastructure, human resources, cost-effectiveness and efficiency challenges in Tier-2 and -3 cities.</li>
<li>Artificial Intelligence platforms can aid in rapid radiology diagnoses in low resource settings, tele-ICU platforms to bridge the gap in high-skilled critical care personnel, centralised drone delivery of blood, medicines and vaccines to reach remote locations cost-effectively.</li>
<li>Thereby, mainstreaming healthcare startups in the Indian health system may accelerate health system efficiency and bridge these gaps.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Healthcare Startups in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <strong>State of Startup Ecosystem Report 2018,</strong> there are a total of 4,892 startups in the Indian healthtech space. Overall, the healthtech startups in India raised a total of $504 million between 2014-2018. Indian healthcare market to be valued at $372 billion by 2022.</li>
<li><strong>Telemedicine startups</strong> essentially help patients get doctor consultations virtually through apps or web-based videos, chats and voice guidance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Generally, these startups are focussed on solving the lack of specialised doctors in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Indian cities.</li>
<li><strong>According to Mckinsey report,</strong> India could save up to $10 billion in 2025, by using telemedicine instead of in-person doctor consultations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>According to a 2018 Research and Markets report,</strong> India currently has over 850K independent pharmacy retail stores but they are able to meet only 60% of the total demand.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/addressable-market-for-e-pharmacies" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>E-pharmacy</strong></a> (e-commerce sites that deal with online selling of medicines) can fill this gap.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Indians are getting more and more <strong>health consciousness</strong> thanks to increased awareness of<strong> health problems as well as fitness activities.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has also seen a rise in the number of fitness and nutrition startups with the likes of Fitternity, Cure.fit, HealthifyMe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<p>Mainstreaming healthcare startups is lined with many challenges. Issues faced by healthcare startups:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Non-uniform regulatory and validation standards.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lack of standards in this area leads to a huge variation in validation requirements at States and hospitals. As a result, hospitals often rely on foreign regulatory certifications such as FDA and CE, especially for riskier devices and instruments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Start-ups face procurement challenges in both public and private procurement.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They lack the financial capacity to deal with lengthy public tenders.</li>
<li>Private procurement is complicated by the presence of a fragmented customer base and limited systematic channels for distribution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Operational liquidity crunch due to a long gestation period.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Health-care start-ups spend long periods of time in the early development of their product, especially where potential clinical risks are concerned.</li>
<li>The process of testing the idea and working prototype, receiving certifications, performing clinical and commercial validations, and raising funds, in a unstructured environment makes the gestational period unusually long thereby limiting the operational liquidity of the start-up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a <strong>lack of incentives and adequate frameworks</strong> to grade and adopt innovations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need to <strong>facilitate standardised operational validation</strong> studies that are required for market adoption, to help ease out the startups procurement process.</li>
<li>The government is set to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/medical-equipment-notified-as-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>overhaul Indian med-tech regulatory standards and product</strong></a> standards. This will help bridge trust-deficit related to startup.</li>
<li>To accelerate the process of mainstreaming healthcare startups, there is a need to focus on identifying promising market-ready health-care innovations that are ready to be tested and deployed at scale.</li>
<li>Indian healthcare reforms must broadly address <strong>3A challenge in healthcare </strong>i.e. <strong>affordability, accessibility and availability.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Integrating Ayushman Bharat with healthcare startups, India has the unique opportunity to develop a robust ecosystem where hospitals actively engage with health-care start-ups by providing access to testbeds, communicating their needs effectively and adopting promising innovations.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #ede2d5;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Start-ups can be effective stakeholders in India&rsquo;s pursuit of achieving universal health care. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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