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Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

Why in News The government is planning for the nationwide rollout of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) under Universal Immunisation Programme...

20 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Baiga Tribe

The Baiga (means sorcerers) is one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). They mainly live in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar,...

20 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Gond Tribe

Gonds are one of the largest tribal groups in the world. They are mostly live in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,...

20 Jan 2020 News Analysis
White Rhino

Why in News Researchers have created an embryo of the northern white rhino by using In vitro Fertilization (IVF) process. Presently, there are...

20 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Law on Mob Lynching

This article is based on Showing the way: on Manipur's new anti-lynching law, Lynching, the scourge of new India, Preventing mob lynching. It talks...

18 Jan 2020 News Editorials
Species-rich Forests Offer Stable Carbon Capture

Why in News Surveys conducted inside Anamalai Tiger Reserve has shown that carbon storage was highest in species-rich evergreen forest. The study...

18 Jan 2020 News Analysis
GSAT-30

Why in News Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched telecommunication satellite GSAT-30 into a Geosynchronous Transfer...

18 Jan 2020 News Analysis
NLU Report on Death Sentence

Why in News Recently, the fourth edition of ‘The Death Penalty in India: Annual Statistics’ was published by Project 39A of National Law...

18 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Kathak

It is one of the classical dances of India. The word Kathak has been derived from the word Katha which means a story. It is primarily performed...

18 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Arab World's Longest-Serving Ruler Passes Away

Why in News Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler, has died. In 1970, with the help of British,...

18 Jan 2020 News Analysis
World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020

Why in News The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)...

18 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Jallikattu

Why in News Over 100 people were injured in three Jallikattu events in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is a traditional bull-taming event that is...

18 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Return of Inflation

This article is based on “The perils of RBI’s fixation on inflation”, “A rough patch”, “Inflation shocker: On...

17 Jan 2020 News Editorials
The Big Picture: Tackling Infant Mortality

Recent death toll of infants at the JK Lon Hospital in Rajasthan’s Kota district (reaching 110 deaths in the past month) has brought to the...

17 Jan 2020 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Australian Bushfire

Why in News Australia is witnessing its most devastating bushfire season in at least 20 years. Concept of Bushfires Season: Forest fires, or...

17 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Rajasthan to Get its First Biotechnology Park

Why in News Rajasthan government will be signing a memorandum of understanding with the Centre’s Department of Biotechnology to set up its...

17 Jan 2020 News Analysis
K9 VAJRA-T Gun

Why in News Recently, the defence minister flagged off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Armoured System Complex at Hazira in...

17 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Proposal for China Myanmar Economic Corridor

Why in News China’s President Xi Jinping will be visiting Myanmar to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations...

17 Jan 2020 News Analysis
2019: Second Hottest Year

Why in News According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the year 2019 was the second-hottest year since records began in 1880. It...

17 Jan 2020 News Analysis
Breaking Departmentalism In Railways

This article is based on One railway, Indian Railways must be revamped carefully, “Restructuring isn’t always reform”. It talks...

16 Jan 2020 News Editorials

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		(int) 0 => [
			'title' => 'Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The government is planning for the nationwide rollout of <strong>Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)</strong> under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/intensified-mission-indradhanush-best-practice-in-the-world-bmj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to government estimates, a countrywide rollout of PCV <strong>would require about 50% of the budget of UIP</strong> (minus shared costs such as staff salary, establishment costs, etc).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>PCV</strong> is the <strong>costliest vaccine</strong> in the UIP basket that currently covers only about 50% of the 26 million birth cohort in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.</li>
<li>PCV was<strong> first brought into the UIP basket in 2017</strong> but cost concerns have been among the reasons for its still-partial rollout.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The cost challenge for India&rsquo;s immunisation programme is set to mount further as <strong>Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI)</strong> is set to withdraw its support for India from 2022. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GAVI is an international organisation which brings together public and private sectors to create equal access to vaccines for children.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) prevents <strong>pneumococcal disease.</strong></li>
<li>The vaccine is a <strong>mix of several bacteria</strong> of the pneumococci family, which are known to cause pneumonia &mdash; hence <strong>&lsquo;conjugate&rsquo;</strong> is included in the name of the vaccine. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/typbar-tcv-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Conjugate vaccines</strong></a> are made using a combination of two different components.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pneumococcal Disease</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pneumococcal disease refers to any illness caused by <strong>pneumococcal bacteria.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Symptoms:</strong> These bacteria can cause many types of illnesses, including pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs. Pneumococcal bacteria are one of the most common causes of pneumonia.</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerable Population:</strong> Anyone can get pneumococcal disease, but children under 2 years of age, people with certain medical conditions, adults 65 years or older, and cigarette smokers are at the highest risk.</li>
<li><strong>Status in India :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2010, the <strong>annual incidence</strong> of severe pneumococcal pneumonia in India was estimated to be <strong>4.8 episodes per 1,000 children younger than 5 years.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>top five contributors to India&rsquo;s pneumococcal pneumonia burden</strong> in terms of the number of cases and deaths were Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Universal Immunization Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was <strong>launched by the government in 1985,</strong> to prevent mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.</li>
<li>Under UIP free of cost vaccination is provided against <strong>twelve vaccine-preventable diseases</strong> i.e. Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia and Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea.</li>
<li>The programme is <strong>one of the largest health programmes in the world.</strong> Despite being operational for many years, UIP has been able to fully immunize only 65% of children under 1 year of age.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/ahead-of-budget-all-eyes-on-allocation-to-fund-costly-immunisation-vaccine-6225075/" 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/pneumococcal-conjugate-vaccine'
		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Baiga Tribe',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Baiga (means sorcerers) is <strong>one of the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).</strong></a><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505282_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505282_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
<li>They mainly live in&nbsp;Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.</li>
<li>Traditionally, the Baiga lived a <strong>semi-nomadic life and practised slash and burn cultivation.</strong> Now, they are mainly dependent on <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/apeda-trifed" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>minor forest produce</strong></a> for their livelihood.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bamboo</strong> is the primary resource.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tattooing is an integral part of Baiga culture,</strong> every age and body part has a specific tattoo reserved for the occasion.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-nightmare-for-45-mp-tribal-labourers-far-from-home/article30602768.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/baiga-tribe'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Gond Tribe',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Gonds are <strong>one of the largest tribal groups</strong> in the world.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505077_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505077_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>They are <strong>mostly live in</strong> Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha.</li>
<li>Gonds are subdivided into four <strong>tribes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raj Gonds</li>
<li>Madia Gonds</li>
<li>Dhurve Gonds</li>
<li>Khatulwar Gonds</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Their<strong> staple food is</strong> two kinds of millet: <strong>kodo and kutki.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rice is mostly consumed during festival feasts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Gonds believe that earth, water and air are ruled by Gods.</li>
<li>They majorly speak <strong>Gondi</strong> which is an unwritten language of the <strong>Dravidian family.</strong></li>
<li>It has been notified as a <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/reservation-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheduled Tribe.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-nightmare-for-45-mp-tribal-labourers-far-from-home/article30602768.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/gond-tribe'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'White Rhino',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Researchers have created an <strong>embryo of the northern white rhino</strong> by using<strong> In vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Presently, there are <strong>only two northern white rhinos</strong> in the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>White Rhino<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579504157_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579504157_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>White rhinos are the <strong>second largest land mammal</strong> after the elephant.</li>
<li>White rhinos are also known as the<strong> square-lipped rhinoceros</strong> due to their square (not pointed) upper lip.</li>
<li><strong>Two genetically different subspecies</strong> exist, <strong>the northern and southern white rhino</strong> and are found in two different regions in Africa.</li>
<li>The IUCN Status of <strong>White Rhino is Near Threatened.</strong> The IUCN status of its subspecies is as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Northern White Rhino: Critically Endangered</strong></li>
<li><strong>Southern White Rhino: Near Threatened</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is also the <strong>black (or hook-lipped) rhinoceros in Africa,</strong> which too, is fighting for survival, and at least three of whose subspecies are already extinct. It is <strong>critically endangered</strong> in the IUCN Red list.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asian-rhino-range-countries-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian rhinoceros</strong></a> is different from its African cousins, most prominently in that it has only one horn. It is <strong>vulnerable</strong> in the IUCN Red list.</li>
<li>There is also a <strong>Javan rhino,</strong> which too, has one horn, and a <strong>Sumatran rhino</strong> which, like the African rhinos, has two horns. Both Javan and Sumatran Rhino are <strong>critically endangered</strong> in the IUCN Red list.</li>
</ul>
<h3>In vitro Fertilization</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>IVF is one of the more widely known types of <strong>Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).</strong></li>
<li><strong>In vitro</strong> comes from the<strong> latin word &lsquo;in glass&rsquo;,</strong> i.e. studies are done in a test tube rather than in a human or animal.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>opposite to &lsquo;In-vitro&rsquo; is &lsquo;In-vivo&rsquo;,</strong> which comes from the <strong>latin word &lsquo;within the living&rsquo;.</strong> In vivo refers to experimentation being done in a living organism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In vitro means outside the body. Fertilization means the sperm has attached to and entered the egg.</li>
<li>During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from the ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a<strong> lab.</strong> Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs (embryos) are transferred to a uterus.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/how-ivf-is-reversing-an-imminent-animal-extinction-6224951/" 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/white-rhino'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Law on Mob Lynching',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/manipur-shows-the-way/article26007016.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Showing the way: on Manipur's new anti-lynching law</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/lynching-the-scourge-of-new-india/article29693818.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lynching, the scourge of new India</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/preventing-mob-lynching/article30577621.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Preventing mob lynching</strong></a>. <strong>It talks about the menace of mob lynching in India.</strong></p>
</div>
<p>The spate of incidents of lynching over the past few years has led to a heightened sense of insecurity among the marginalised communities. Lynching is carried in the name of religion or because of the spread of rumours.</p>
<p>In this context, the Supreme Court in 2018 described lynching as a <strong>&ldquo;horrendous act of mobocracy&rdquo;</strong> and laid down guidelines for the Centre and State governments to frame laws specifically to deal with the crime of lynching.</p>
<p>In pursuance of this, the Manipur government came up first with its Law against lynching in 2018.</p>
<p>The Manipur Law is in sync with the Supreme Court guidelines.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Manipur Law<strong> defined mob lynchings</strong> as &ldquo;any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting such act/acts thereof, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity or any other related grounds.&rdquo;</li>
<li>The Law specified that there would be <strong>nodal officers</strong> in each district to control such crimes.</li>
<li>The most substantial and worthy contribution of the law is that it is the first in the country dealing with the protection and rights of vulnerable populations which defines a new <strong>crime of dereliction of duty of public officials.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It states that Police officers who fail to prevent the crime of lynching in their jurisdiction are liable to be imprisoned for a term that may extend from one to three years with a fine limit of ₹50,000.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Equally pathbreaking is that it<strong> removes the protection</strong> that is otherwise extended to public officials charged with any offence committed while acting in their discharge of official duty.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All hate crimes can be penalised under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, relating to foster enmity between people on the basis of religion, race, language and so on.</li>
<li>However, registering this crime requires prior permission of the State government, and most governments use this power to shield perpetrators of hate crimes who are politically and ideologically aligned to the ruling establishment.</li>
<li>Under the Manipur law<strong> no prior sanction</strong> is required to register crimes against public officials who fail in their duties to prevent hate crimes such as lynching.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Law clearly lays down the duty and responsibility of the State government to make <strong>arrangements for the protection of victims and witnesses</strong> against any kind of intimidation, coercion, inducement, violence or threats of violence.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It also prescribes the duty of State officials to prevent a hostile environment against people of the community who have been lynched, which includes economic and social boycott.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Law requires the state to <strong>formulate a scheme for relief camps and rehabilitation</strong> in case of displacement of victims, and death compensation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is significant as in most cases of lynching, it is found that States have only criminalised the victims, never supported the survivors who live not just in loss and fear.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Inspired by this <strong>Rajasthan and West Bengal</strong> have formulated their version of laws to curb mob lynching.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The West Bengal law is more stringent as it provides for punishment for lynching to death, is punishable with the death penalty or life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>If emulated by the Union and other State governments, such a sterling law could substantially prevent hate attacks, ensure public officials are faithful to their constitutional responsibilities and victims, and that their families and communities are assured of protection and justice.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>Lynching has become a social menace all across India, therefore the centre should come with the law to deal with it. The law should incorporate the following provisions:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It <strong>should be applicable to all hate crimes,</strong> not just lynching (for example honour killing), regardless of the numbers of persons who participate.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since the essence of what distinguishes these kinds of crimes is not the numbers of attackers but the motivation of hate behind the crimes, therefore, the law should provision dealing with solitary hate crimes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The law needs to prescribe a much more <strong>expansive framework of mandatory gender-sensitive reparation.</strong></li>
<li>The law should incorporate <strong>penal action against doctors</strong> who stand accused of dereliction of duty, for the delay in attending to victims of lynching.</li>
<li>Under the <strong>compensation scheme for the victims,</strong> the amount should be recovered from the perpetrators of the crime.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #619eff; background-color: #e3fbfc;">
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>In order to protect the pluralistic social fabric of Indian society, there is a need for a zero-tolerance attitude in dealing with mob lynching. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/law-on-mob-lynching'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Species-rich Forests Offer Stable Carbon Capture',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Surveys conducted inside <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-21st-july-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Anamalai Tiger Reserve</strong></a> has shown that <strong>carbon storage was highest in species-rich evergreen forest.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study was conducted in the natural evergreen and deciduous forests and in teak and eucalyptus plantations.</li>
<li>The results showed that the species-rich evergreen forests stored carbon at approximately 300 tons per hectare. The <strong>storage in teak and eucalyptus plantations was 43% and 55% less, respectively.</strong></li>
<li>The researchers also found that the rates of carbon capture remained nearly the same year after year in natural forests as compared with plantations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transforming reforestation policies:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to government data, currently, <strong>five species or less</strong> are used for compensatory afforestation plantations which are way lower than natural forests.</li>
<li>Protecting and regenerating natural forests comprising a diverse mix of native tree species is more reliable in the long term than raising monoculture or species-poor plantations as a strategy for mitigating climate change.</li>
<li><strong>Inadequacy of variety of species</strong> is not good for biodiversity and for the stability of carbon capture.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefitting biodiversity:</strong> Species-rich forests are beneficial for biodiversity as they also provide habitat to diverse flora and fauna. Previous studies have shown that species-rich forests are also resistant to diseases.</li>
<li><strong>Securing resources:</strong> Species-rich forests have better resistance to forest fire because different trees have varying degrees of fire resistance depending on the thickness of the bark.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Anamalai Tiger Reserve</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is <strong>one of the four Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu.</strong> Mudumalai, Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserves and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary are the other three.</li>
<li>It falls <strong>within the Western Ghats range of South West India,</strong> a region designated as <strong>one of the 25 Global Biodiversity Hotspots.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Animals and birds found:</strong> Elephant, gaur, tiger, panther, sloth bear, wild boar, wild dog, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, sambar, four horned antelope, chital, the trogar, pied hornbill and several eagles.</li>
<li>The Tiger Reserve <strong>supports diverse habitat types</strong> like Wet evergreen forests, semi evergreen forests, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, dry thorn and shola forests. Other unique habitats like montane grasslands, savannah and marshy grasslands are also present.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/species-rich-forests-offer-stable-carbon-capture/article30544309.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/species-rich-forests-offer-stable-carbon-capture'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'GSAT-30',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</strong></a> has launched telecommunication satellite <strong>GSAT-30</strong> into a <strong>Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)</strong> from <strong>Kourou</strong> launch base, <strong>French Guiana by European Ariane-5 VA-251.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GSAT-30 satellite will <strong>replace INSAT-4A</strong> which was launched in 2005.</li>
<li>A <strong>European communication satellite</strong> named <strong>EUTELSAT KONNECT</strong> was also launched with GSAT-30.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Weight:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GSAT-30 weighs <strong>3,357-kg</strong> and will be gradually adjusted into a <strong>orbit 36,000 km from the earth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Launched from:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was launched from the foreign launcher because it is <strong>much heavier than the lifting capacity of its geostationary launch vehicle GSLV-MkII</strong> (It has the capacity to lift 2500kg).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The GSLV-MkIII can lift up to 4,000 kg, but ISRO plans to use the upcoming MkIIIs mainly for its first human space flight <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/to-the-point-paper3-mission-gaganyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gaganyaan of 2022.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will provide DTH (direct to home) television services, connectivity to VSATs (that support working of banks') ATMs, stock exchange, television uplinking and teleport services, digital satellite news gathering and e-governance applications.</li>
<li>The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Coverage :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The satellite provides <strong>Indian mainland and islands</strong> coverage in <strong>Ku-band</strong> and extended coverage in <strong>C-band</strong> covering <strong>Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Geosynchronous Orbit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Geosynchronous satellites</strong> are launched into orbit in the <strong>same direction the Earth</strong> is spinning and <strong>can have any inclination.</strong> While geostationary orbit lie on the <strong>same plane as the equator.</strong></li>
<li>In the case of geostationary satellites, the Earth&rsquo;s force of gravity is exactly enough to provide acceleration required for circular motion.</li>
<li>Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit(GTO): To attain geostationary or geosynchronous earth orbits, a spacecraft is first launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>From the GTO the spacecraft uses its engines to shift to geostationary or geosynchronous orbit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/isros-gsat-30-satellite-launched-successfully-to-replace-ageing-insat-4a/article30582116.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/gsat-30'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'NLU Report on Death Sentence',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>fourth edition</strong> of<strong> &lsquo;The Death Penalty in India: Annual Statistics&rsquo;</strong> was published by <strong>Project 39A</strong> of <strong>National Law University (NLU), Delhi.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report states that higher number of death sentences awarded in India in recent years relates to the cases of sexual offences.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The number of death sentences awarded for murders involving sexual offences in 2019 was the highest in four years.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Trial courts:</strong> Imposed 102 death sentences in 2019, a significant drop from 162 death sentences in 2018. However, the percentage of sexual offences in these cases increased from 41.35% in 2018 to 52.94% in 2019.</li>
<li><strong>High Courts:</strong> 65.38% of cases of confirmations of death sentences involved sexual offences along with murder.</li>
<li><strong>Supreme Court:</strong> In 2019, the SC dealt with 27 capital punishment cases, the highest number since 2001. It confirmed the death penalty of seven cases out of which four were of murder involving sexual offences. It commuted a total of 17 cases of the death penalty.</li>
<li><strong>Warrants Issued: Six death warrants were issued</strong> in 2019 against one in 2018, with all warrants eventually stayed by the courts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All warrants that were issued indicate a lack of compliance with the guidelines issued in the case of <strong>Shabnam vs Union of India (2015),</strong> which requires that a warrant for execution not be issued until the reasonable time for exhausting all remedies under the law has lapsed and specifies procedures to be followed in issuing such warrant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons Stated</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Amendment to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cabinet-approved-changes-to-pocso-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act</strong></a>, introducing stringent mandatory minimum punishments and death penalty for penetrative sexual assault on children was a major development.</li>
<li>Andhra Pradesh&rsquo;s amendment to the <strong>Indian Penal Code</strong> to introduce the death penalty for rape under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/disha-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Disha</strong></a> Act.</li>
<li>Widespread discussions on capital punishment in 2019 involving sexual offences against women and children.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Law University</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was established in <strong>2008</strong> under the <strong>National Law University Act, 2007</strong> with the objective of imparting comprehensive and interdisciplinary legal education.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Project 39A</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is inspired by <strong>Article 39-A</strong> of the Indian Constitution, a provision that furthers the intertwined values of <strong>equal justice and equal opportunity</strong> by removing economic and social barriers.</li>
<li>Using empirical research to re-examine practices and policies in the criminal justice system, Project 39A aims to trigger new conversations on legal aid, torture, DNA forensics, mental health in prisons, and the death penalty.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/death-sentence-for-rape-murder-in-2019-highest-in-4-years-nlu-report/article30589789.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/nlu-report-on-death-sentence'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Kathak',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is one of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/indian-classical-dances" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>classical dances of India.</strong></a></li>
<li>The word Kathak has been derived from the word <strong>Katha</strong> which means a<strong> story.</strong> It is primarily performed in <strong>Northern India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Evolution:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579336257_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579336257_image4.jpg" width="250" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was primarily a <strong>temple or village performance</strong> wherein the <strong>dancers narrated stories from ancient scriptures.</strong></li>
<li>Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the <strong>fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the spread of the Bhakti movement.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>legends of Radha-Krishna</strong> were enacted in folk plays called <strong>rasa lila,</strong> which combined folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.</li>
<li>Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles, Kathak was performed in the court, where it acquired its present features and developed into a form of dance with a distinctive style.</li>
<li>Under the patronage of <strong>Wajid Ali Shah,</strong> the <strong>last Nawab of Awadh,</strong> it grew into a <strong>major art form.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dance Style:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Usually a <strong>solo performance,</strong> the dancer often pauses to recite verses followed by their execution through movement.</li>
<li>The <strong>focus is more on footwork;</strong> the movements are skillfully controlled and performed straight legged by dancers wearing <strong>ankle-bells.</strong></li>
<li>Kathak is the <strong>only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music.</strong></li>
<li>Some prominent dancers include Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Bhakti Movement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The development of Bhakti movement <strong>took place in Tamil Nadu between the seventh and ninth centuries</strong>.</li>
<li>It was reflected in the emotional poems of the<strong> Nayanars</strong> (devotees of Shiva) and <strong>Alvars</strong> (devotees of Vishnu). These saints looked upon religion not as a cold formal worship but as a loving bond based upon love between the worshipped and worshipper.</li>
<li>They wrote in local languages, Tamil and Telugu and were therefore able to reach out to many people.</li>
<li>In course of time,<strong> the ideas of the South moved up to the North</strong> but it was a very slow process.</li>
<li>A more effective method for spreading of the Bhakti ideology was the <strong>use of local languages.</strong> The Bhakti saints composed their verses in local languages.</li>
<li>They also translated Sanskrit works to make them understandable to a wider audience. <strong>Examples</strong> include Jnanadeva writing in Marathi, Kabir, Surdas and Tulsidas in Hindi, Shankaradeva popularising Assamese, Chaitanya and Chandidas spreading their message in Bengali, Mirabai in Hindi and Rajasthani.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/noted-kathak-dancer-stopped-from-performing-to-qawwali/article30589256.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/kathak'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Arab World's Longest-Serving Ruler Passes Away',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Oman&rsquo;s Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler, has died.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1970, with the help of British, Qaboos overthrew his father in a bloodless coup, emerging as the Sultan at age 29.</li>
<li>He ruled Oman for almost half a century.</li>
<li>His cousin <strong>Haitham bin Tariq Al Said</strong> has been sworn as his successor.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Oman <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579335088_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579335088_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Oman is the <strong>oldest independent state in the Arab world.</strong></li>
<li>It occupies the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.</li>
<li><strong>Geography</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Much of the country&rsquo;s<strong> interior</strong> falls within the desert of the <strong>Rubʿal-Khali.</strong> The region is still the domain of <strong>Bedouin</strong> nomads.</li>
<li>Bedouins are Arabic-speaking nomadic peoples of the Middle Eastern deserts, especially of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Polity</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oman is governed by a monarchy <strong>(sultanate)</strong> with two <strong>advisory bodies.</strong></li>
<li>The sultan is Oman's <strong>paramount decision-maker,</strong> and also holds the positions of the <strong>prime minister,</strong> supreme commander of the armed forces, minister of defence, finance and foreign affairs.</li>
<li>Oman also recognizes the <strong>right to different forms of worship.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>As an independent mediator</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oman was able to facilitate secret talks between the <strong>United States</strong> and <strong>Iran</strong> in 2013 that led to the landmark <strong>nuclear deal</strong> in 2015.</li>
<li>Oman was the only Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country <strong>not</strong> to join a Saudi-led military coalition against Iran-backed Shiite<strong> Houthi rebels</strong> in Yemen.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India- Oman relations</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oman is a <strong>strategic partner</strong> of India in the Gulf and an<strong> important interlocutor</strong> at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora. Oman also accords a high priority to its ties with India.</li>
<li>The two countries across the Arabian Sea are linked by geography, history and culture and have <strong>cordial relations.</strong></li>
<li>These relations are attributed to <strong>historical maritime trade</strong> linkage and the seminal <strong>role played by the Indian expatriate community in the building of Oman.</strong> There are about <strong>8 lakh Indians in Oman.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India is among Oman&rsquo;s top trading partners.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For Oman, India was the 3<sup>rd</sup> largest source of its<strong> imports</strong> and 3rd largest <strong>market</strong> for its non-oil exports in 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Indian firms have invested heavily Oman</strong> in various sectors like iron and steel, cement, fertilizers, textiles,chemicals, automotive, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/sultan-qaboos-quiet-peacemaker-who-built-oman-dies-at-79-6210886/" 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/arab-world-s-longest-serving-ruler-passes-away'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020 ',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uncdat-world-investment-report-2019">United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)</a>, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and&nbsp;the five United Nations Regional Economic Commissions&nbsp;</strong>have jointly released the <strong>World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020 (WESP)</strong> recently.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report warns about strong economic risks, <strong>deep political polarization</strong> and<strong> increasing scepticism</strong> about the benefits of <strong>multilateralism.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points Related to India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report suggested that India needs to implement <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/economic-slowdown-cyclical-or-structural" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>structural reforms</strong></a>&nbsp;to face a global as well as Indian economic slowdown.</li>
<li>The <strong>combination of fiscal stimulus, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-s-monetary-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loose monetary policy</a> and financial sector reforms</strong> is expected to support a<strong> recovery in growth to 6.6 %.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India experienced a sharp drop from 6.8% in 2018 to 5.7 % in 2019</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The report also indicated that India may be among the few countries where the <strong>per capita <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GDP</a> growth rate</strong> could <strong>exceed 4 % </strong>in<strong> 2020.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Per capita GDP is the ratio of the country's gross domestic product by its total population.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Fiscal Stimulus</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It refers to an increase in public spending or a reduction in the level of taxation by a government so as to put more money in the hands of consumers.</li>
<li>It is an attempt to encourage and support economic growth.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Other Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>World&rsquo;s fastest-growing region: East Asia,</strong> which also remains the largest contributor to global growth.</li>
<li><strong>Growth in large emerging countries:</strong> Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia and Turkey are expected to gain economic momentum in 2020.</li>
<li><strong>Shift in Global economic decision power:</strong> The shift in global economic decision-making power from the EU, the US and other developed countries towards China, India and other developing countries has been observed. Thus Global cooperation mechanisms will need to recognise this shifting balance.</li>
<li><strong>Per capita income:</strong> One in five countries will see per capita income <strong>stagnate or decline</strong> in 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Per capita income measures the average income earned per person in a given area in a specified year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Poverty reduction:</strong> The share of the population living in extreme poverty has declined steadily and significantly over the past few decades, largely owing to successful experiences in China and India.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of climate change on economy: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate disruption</a></strong> poses a <strong>serious and growing</strong> threat to <strong>short- and long-term economic prospects.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One of the primary ways to break the link between greenhouse gas emissions and economic activity is to <strong>change the energy supply mix, transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.</strong> This transition will require policies that steer nations towards carbon neutrality by 2050.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Roadblocks for Sustainable Development Goals:</strong> The prolonged weakness in global economic activity may severely impact the implementation of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-indias-sustainable-development-goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>UNCTAD</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 to promote development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy.</li>
<li>UNCTAD is a <strong>permanent intergovernmental body</strong> headquartered at&nbsp;<strong>Geneva </strong>in<strong> Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>Some of the reports published by it are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Trade and Development Report</li>
<li>World Investment Report</li>
<li>The Least Developed Countries Report</li>
<li>Information and Economy Report</li>
<li>Technology and Innovation Report</li>
<li>Commodities and Development Report</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-needs-structural-reforms-to-boost-growth-policymakers-should-lead-way-for-climate-action-un-report-6221577/" 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/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-2020'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Jallikattu',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Over 100 people were injured in three <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jallikattu-event-held-in-tamil-nadu" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jallikattu</strong></a> events in <strong>Tamil Nadu.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Jallikattu is a <strong>traditional bull-taming event</strong> that is organised in the state every year as part of the harvest festival <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/harvest-festivals-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pongal.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579328020_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579328020_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jallikattu Event:</strong> The sport requires fighters to pounce on a running bull, try to hold on to its hump and move along with the animal without falling or getting hurt.</li>
<li><strong>Old Tradition</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Jallikattu is an old tradition. An ancient reference to bull taming is found in a<strong> seal discovered at Mohenjodaro,</strong> which is dated between <strong>2,500 BC and 1,800 BC.</strong> The sport was called <strong>Eru thazuval</strong> or<strong> &ldquo;embracing the bull&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>term &lsquo;jallikattu,</strong>' comes from <strong>Tamil terms &lsquo;salli kaasu'</strong> which means coins and <strong>&lsquo;kattu&rsquo;</strong> which means a package tied to the horns of bulls as prize money.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Controversies</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2014, the Supreme Court had banned the event</strong> after a plea filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).</li>
<li>However, the state government insisted that Jallikattu is a crucial part of its culture and identity. The <strong>ban was lifted in January 2017</strong> after massive protests in Chennai.</li>
<li>Although there are systems in place to check treatment of the bulls and ensure safety of participants and spectators, activists allege that animal cruelty still continues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Kambala is a <strong>traditional bull buffalo race</strong> which generally takes place in <strong>coastal Karnataka</strong> from November to March. The PETA has alleged that Kambala too involves acts of cruelty on animals which are not physiologically suited for racing.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/jallikattu-all-you-need-to-know/article30555288.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/jallikattu-1'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Return of Inflation',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-perils-of-rbis-fixation-on-inflation/article30578704.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The perils of RBI&rsquo;s fixation on inflation&rdquo;,</strong></a> <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/a-rough-patch-reserve-bank-of-india-indian-economy-gdp-growth-rate-food-inflation-6216697/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;A rough patch&rdquo;</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/inflation-shocker-on-rise-of-consumer-price-inflation/article30569603.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Inflation shocker: On rise of consumer price inflation&rdquo;</strong></a>. It talks about the reasons for the current rise in inflation in the Indian Economy.</p>
</div>
<p>The consumer price index (CPI) rose to 7.35% in December 2019. This high rate of inflation comes as a twofold setback <strong>for the government,</strong> which is saddled with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/consumption-conundrum-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decade&rsquo;s slowest rate of growth at 5%.</strong></a> This rate of inflation is the highest since 2014, also it crossed the threshold limit (6%) set by the Reserve Bank of India.</p>
<p>This can force the Reserve Bank to maintain status-quo on policy rates, this might lead to the tight monetary policy which in turn can impede the recovery process of Indian Indian economy.</p>
<p>This double whammy of slow growth and high inflation is called stagflation.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What is Inflation?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inflation refers to the rise in the prices of most goods and services of daily or common use, such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc.</li>
<li>Inflation measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time.</li>
<li>The opposite and rare fall in the price index of this basket of items is called &lsquo;deflation&rsquo;.</li>
<li>Inflation is indicative of the decrease in the purchasing power of a unit of a country&rsquo;s currency. This could ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth.</li>
<li>However, a moderate level of inflation is required in the economy to ensure that production is promoted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Who measures Inflation in India?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inflation is measured by a central government authority, which is in charge of adopting measures to ensure the smooth running of the economy. In India, the <strong>Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation</strong> measures inflation.</li>
<li>In India, inflation is primarily measured by two main indices &mdash; WPI (Wholesale Price Index) and CPI (Consumer Price Index) which measure wholesale and retail-level price changes, respectively. The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What are the main causes of Inflation?</strong></p>
<p>Some key reasons for Inflation:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>High demand and low production or supply of multiple commodities create a<strong> demand-supply gap,</strong> which leads to a hike in prices.</li>
<li>Excess circulation of money leads to inflation as money loses its purchasing power.</li>
<li>With people having more money, they also tend to spend more, which causes increased demand.</li>
<li>Spurt in production prices of certain commodities also causes inflation as the price of the final product increases. This is called <strong>cost-push inflation.</strong></li>
<li>Increase in the prices of goods and services is also a factor to consider as the involved labour also expects and demands more costs/wages to maintain their cost of living. This spirals to further increase in the prices of goods.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What is Stagflation?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The term was coined by<strong> Iain Macleod,</strong> a Conservative Party MP in the United Kingdom, in November 1965.</li>
<li>Stagflation is said to happen when an <strong>economy faces stagnant growth as well as persistently high inflation.</strong></li>
<li>With stalled economic growth, unemployment tends to rise and existing incomes do not rise fast enough and yet, people have to contend with rising inflation.</li>
<li>So people find themselves pressurised from both sides as their purchasing power is reduced.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Case of Stagflation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the early and mid-1970s when OPEC (The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries), which works like a cartel, decided to cut supply and sent oil prices soaring across the world.</li>
<li>On the one hand, the rise in oil prices constrained the productive capacity of most western economies that heavily depended on oil, thus hampering economic growth. On the other hand, the oil price spike also led to inflation and commodities became more costly.</li>
<li>For instance, in 1974, the oil prices went up by almost 70% and it leads to a consequent rise in inflation.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Is India facing Stagflation?</h3>
<p><strong>Although it appears so at first glance, India is not yet facing stagflation.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is not growing as fast as it used to in the past, but India is still growing at 5% and is expected to grow faster in the coming years.</li>
<li>It is true that retail inflation has been quite high in the past few months, yet the reason for this spike is temporary because it has been caused by a spurt in agricultural commodities after some unseasonal rains.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>With better food management, food inflation is expected to come down. The core inflation &ndash; that is inflation without taking into account food and fuel &ndash; is still benign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Retail inflation has been well within the RBI&rsquo;s target level of 4% for most of the year. A sudden spike of a few months, which is likely to flatten out in the next few months, it is still early days before one claims that India has stagflation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Current Inflation in India</h3>
<p><strong>Food Inflation</strong> is a major cause of inflation in India today, the following can be the causes of this:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Untimely rains, drought in some regions</strong> and crop losses due to local factors did contribute to supply shocks.</li>
<li><strong>Transmission of global food prices,</strong> which have shown a rising trend in the last half-year, also is the reason for food inflation.</li>
<li>The government policy of <strong>untimely imports in pulses</strong> flooded the markets and contributed to lower price realization last year. This led to lower production of pulses this year.</li>
<li>The government had procured 34 million tonnes of wheat in 2019, on top of the 36 million tonnes procured in 2018. These are the highest procurement levels since 2012-13. However, it failed to distribute the wheat through the public distribution system. This has created an <strong>artificial scarcity</strong> that has led to Inflation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Inflation and RBI</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, the RBI had earlier pursued a<strong> &lsquo;multiple indicators approach&rsquo;</strong> where it has to play the role of control inflation, regulating commercial banks, managing balance payments etc.</li>
<li>However, with the adoption of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-monetary-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;modern monetary policy framework 2016-17</strong></a>, <strong>inflation targeting</strong> was set as the sole objective of monetary policy of RBI.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The RBI was permitted to exceed or fall short of a targeted inflation rate of 4% by a margin of 2 percentage points.</li>
<li>RBI is mandated to solely focus on inflation, but this may have led to the neglect of the regulatory function of RBI on financial institutions.</li>
<li>The crisis in the financial sector has created a cycle of low profits-low saving rate-low investment rate. This has resulted in a slowdown in the economy. Moreover, even the target of inflation is not met.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Therefore, the central bank&rsquo;s shift of focus from financial stability to inflation targeting could have led to <strong>regulatory infirmity. For example</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, within three years of the adoption of inflation targeting goal, a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/shadow-banking-and-the-crisis-in-the-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> crisis engulfed IL&amp;FS,</strong></a> a non-banking financial company in the infrastructure space.</li>
<li>It defaulted on several of its obligations, including repayment of bank loans and the redemption of commercial paper.</li>
<li>The IL&amp;FS was not just another &lsquo;shadow bank&rsquo;; it operated over 100 subsidiaries and was sitting on a debt of ₹94,000 crores.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>With food accounting for<strong> two-thirds of household budgets,</strong> higher prices will worsen demand for non-food goods. At a time when consumption expenditure data shows rising poverty along with declining wages, climbing inflation will only lead to increased vulnerability, while making an economic recovery harder.</p>
<p>In this context, RBI&rsquo;s sole mandate of inflation targeting requires a relook and in the broader scheme of things, there is a need for synchronization of the fiscal policy with monetary policy. This may help the government to avert the condition of stagflation before it has a detrimental impact on Indian Economy.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fcffcf;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></span></p>
<p>India needs to move beyond the inflation targeting in its monetary policy. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/return-of-inflation'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture: Tackling Infant Mortality',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B4R6q40w1xw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Recent death toll of infants at the JK Lon Hospital in Rajasthan&rsquo;s Kota district (reaching 110 deaths in the past month) has brought to the forefront the challenges India still faces related to infant mortality. Similar deaths took place in Gujarat's state-run civil hospitals of Rajkot and Ahmedabad witnessing 134 and 85 infant deaths respectively in the month of December 2019.</p>
<h3>Infant Mortality Rate</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Infant Mortality Rate</strong> (IMR) is defined as the <em><strong>&lsquo;number of deaths of children under the age of 1 year per 1000 live births for a given year.&rsquo;</strong></em>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In accordance to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN</strong></a> <strong>Millenium Development Goals (MDG),</strong> the goal was to cut down child mortality rate by two-thirds from 1995 till 2015.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In India it <strong>declined</strong> considerably at the rate of almost <strong>57%.</strong> The IMR came down from<strong> 80</strong> infant deaths per 1000 live births (in <strong>1995</strong>) to <strong>33</strong> deaths per 1,000 live births (in<strong> 2017: according to SRS bulletin 2019</strong>).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IMR</strong> has 2 components:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>IMR:</strong> infants dying within 1 year of birth and,</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/under-5-girls-face-high-morality-in-india-un" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR):</strong></a> It is defined as the &lsquo;number of deaths during the <em><strong>first 28 completed days of life per 1,000</strong> live births in a given year or period&rsquo;.</em>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Globally</strong> according to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unicef-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNICEF</strong></a>, NMR was <strong>18 deaths per 1000</strong> live births (in 2018), where as in <strong>India,</strong> NMR was<strong> 23 deaths per 1000</strong> live births <strong>(approximately 7,000 newborn deaths every day).</strong></li>
<li>The decline in NMR is at a very slow pace both globally and in India. It is almost one-third of the rate of decline of IMR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Causes</h3>
<p>The death of children due to largely-preventable illnesses is a matter of serious concern and calls for urgent introspection. Certain preventable causes are:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Abysmal Doctor to Patient Ratio:</strong> There is problem of understaffing in India. As recommended against 4 beds there must be 1 nurse in the Infant Care Unit, in JK Lon hospital the ratio was 1 nurse per 13 beds.</li>
<li><strong>Availability of Life-saving Equipments:</strong> We have low availability of life-saving equipment like ventilators, life support systems, radiant warmers, blood-pressure monitoring systems, etc. in major hospitals and primary/community/district health centres,
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In JK Lon hospital, out of around 520 life-saving equipment meant for neonatal critical care, almost 60% (320) were dysfunctional.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pre-admission Causes:</strong> These include, underweight babies who are more prone to infections within the first 48 hours of their birth. Ineffective management of the infections at hospitals increases the risk of infant mortality.</li>
<li><strong>Insufficient Resources:</strong> The current GDP allocation for health sector is just 1.2% of the total GDP as compared to 5% at the time of Independence. In other countries, this rate varies from 3.5-5%.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Because of the <strong>lack of funds/availability of insufficient funds,</strong> the required infrastructure is not in place and the systemic failures have become one of the prime reasons for infant deaths. The biggest sufferer from this problem are the people with low socio-economic status, placed at the lowest strata of the society.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unidentified Causes:</strong> Sometimes the cause of child death are unknown. For example, in the case of <strong>Muzaffarpur (Bihar) deaths</strong> due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/acute-encephalitis-syndrome" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Acute Encephalitis Syndrome</strong></a> <strong>(AES),</strong> the cause of death was not known (ongoing experimentation to identify the reason kept happening like, whether it was due to<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hypoglycaemia-and-acute-encephalitis-syndrome" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> intake of Litchi fruit</strong></a> or some other factor).</li>
<li><strong>Other Reasons:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Malnutrition:</strong> </a>More than half of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian women are anaemic.</strong> </a>According to National Family Health Survey-4: the prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years is 53%.</li>
<li><strong>Type of Delivery:</strong> Whether the child is born at home or in a facility also determines the infant survival rate. Infection risks are high in case of a non-institutional birth.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Immunity and Low vaccine Compliance level.:</strong> Pneumonia, Prematurity, low birth weight, Diarrhoeal diseases, Neonatal infections, Birth asphyxia, etc. are also the reasons that lead to infant deaths.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of education</strong> in the mother: Maternal education increases the chances of mothers being aware of different health issues and thus taking the correct and appropriate steps towards preventing such issues.</li>
<li><strong>Age</strong> of the mother: At the time of birth, age of mother plays an important role. For example, there exists an inverse relationship between the age of mothers and the incidence of anaemia in children. There are evidences related to the fact that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-indian-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>children of younger mothers are more anaemic.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a <strong>UNICEF</strong> factsheet on child mortality in India, &ldquo;Children born to mothers with at least 8 years of schooling have 32% lesser chances of dying in the neonatal period and 52% lesser chances in the post-neonatal period, as compared to illiterate mothers.&rdquo;</li>
<li>It also notes that infant and under-five mortality rates are highest among mothers under age 20. The rates are lowest among children born to mothers between the ages of 20-24, remain low up to 25-34, and increase again after that age.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Solutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Response of States:</strong> Health being a <strong>state subject,</strong> puts the onus of patient&rsquo;s effective care on State government. States respond to the issue on the basis of the availability of the human and financial resources, and also the commitment they have towards the cause.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Responsible behaviour of the States and matching contribution</strong> from the Centre and the States (for capacity building &amp; infrastructure overhauling) is the need of the hour.</li>
<li>For example, in the case of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nipah-virus-and-fruit-bat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nipah outbreak in Kerala</strong></a>, when it took place for the first time, there happened certain deaths but the government of Kerala took proactive measures for preventing similar outbreaks in the future. Hence, quick and timely response by the system played a dominant role in saving many lives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of Centre:</strong> Centre must provide <strong>feasible (doable) models and allot sufficient funds</strong> to the states so as to fulfill the financial demands of the state.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this regard, the Centre has established <strong>Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs)</strong> at district hospitals and sub-district hospitals with an annual delivery load of more than 3,000 to provide care for sick newborns.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All types of neonatal care except assisted ventilation and major surgeries are provided here. It is a separate unit in close proximity to the labour room which is managed by adequately trained doctors, staff nurses and support staff to provide 24&times;7 services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Initiatives</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India Newborn Action Plan (INAP):</strong> It was launched in <strong>2014</strong> to make concerted efforts towards attainment of the goal of<strong> &ldquo;Single Digit Neonatal Mortality Rate&rdquo;</strong> and<strong> &ldquo;Single Digit Still-birth Rate&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission (NHM):</strong></a> The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) that started in 2005 to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population (especially the vulnerable groups) actually improved the health system in the country. Prior to that health infrastructure in the country was very weak.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is being implemented by the <strong>Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare.</strong> The government in 2013 launched the <strong>National Urban Health Mission</strong> (NUHM) making it as a sub-component of an overarching National Health Mission (NHM), with NRHM being its another sub-mission.</li>
<li>Its<strong> main programmatic components include health system strengthening</strong> in rural and urban areas for- Reproductive-Maternal-Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health <strong>(RMNCH+A)</strong>, and Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Schemes like <strong>Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-tool-to-reduce-maternal-mortality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK)</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)</a></strong> etc. were started to<strong> promote institutional deliveries</strong> so as to reduce the prevalence of IMR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Infrastructure &amp; Systemic Changes:</strong> The system of care is available from the sight of delivery of child up to the first referral unit for which infrastructure is limited. This needs to be increased in both quantity and quality.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, as in <strong>Gorakhpur</strong> (Uttar Pradesh) case, after the incident took place, the required system was built up to cater the needs of the people. Similarly, most of the babies in Kota died due to suffocation at birth; low birth-weight and infections were the other significant causes of death. These were highly-preventable reasons.</li>
<li>Hence, the need of the hour is to become<strong> more preventive</strong> and built such infrastructure beforehand <strong>rather than being curative</strong> as a healthy child develops a better nation.</li>
<li>Also, <strong>systemic gaps</strong> like referring and transporting critically ill-child, safely to the nearest AIIMS, need to be timely plugged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Political Will:</strong> The<strong> availability of funds</strong> (from Centre) <strong>as well as its judicious use</strong> by the States is vital in effective implementation of the framed policies and overhauling of the required health infrastructure so as to prevent similar cases in the future. For this, not only resource availability, but the political will holds equal significance.</li>
<li><strong>Integrated Approach:</strong> Concerned ministries can collaborate with each other to ensure <strong>better coordination, convergence and holistic integration of</strong> different schemes, as done in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>POSHAN Abhiyan.</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Pooling of funds from existing government schemes can address the associated challenges. For instance, funds allocated under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ayushman-bharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat</strong></a> can be utilized in resolving the problem of infant death.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Research &amp; Role of Apex Body:</strong> To address the problem of unidentified causes, scientists, expert bodies, apex bodies like<strong> Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)</strong> need to work in tandem to identify the actual causes behind any outbreak in order to contain it.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Like the <strong>Gorakhpur case</strong> was timely resolved because the scientists there pinned down the <strong>AES prevalence to Japanese Encephalitis</strong> (JE) Virus which led to the consequent development of JE vaccine (which is covered under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mission-indradhanush-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mission Indradhanush</strong></a>) so as to inhibit its prevalence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Private Player Participation:</strong> The involvement of private players is not an urgent requirement but there <strong>sincere engagement and complementing role</strong> to the state can ease down the burden of the government. The role of the state in delivering health to its people cannot be overemphasised.</li>
</ul>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-tackling-infant-mortality'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Australian Bushfire',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Australia is witnessing its most devastating bushfire season in at least 20 years.</p>
<h3>Concept of Bushfires</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Season:</strong> Forest fires, or bushfires, routinely occur across the world in hot and dry seasons.</li>
<li><strong>Reason:</strong> Dry leaves, grass, shrubs, deadwood etc are easily combustible. Ignition happens naturally, from lightning strikes for example, or accidentally, from sources such as cigarette stubs.</li>
<li><strong>Spread and End:</strong> Suitable speed and direction of wind helps spread a forest fire faster. It usually comes to an end due to rain or because there is no further contiguous vegetation to spread to.</li>
<li><strong>Man -made fires:</strong> Sometimes, fires are ignited on purpose, for example, in 2019, the fires in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/amazon-rainforest" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Amazon forests in Brazil</strong></a> had become controversial because they were largely seen to have been a result of deliberate burning by farmers and large agro-industry players keen on getting more land.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Context:</strong> During the summer months, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/forest-inferno" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fires are common in the forests of India</strong></a> as well.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Common in Australia</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Driest Inhabited Continent</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Australia, where the summer starts around October, is known to be the most fire-prone of all continents. This is mainly because Australia is also the driest inhabited continent.</li>
<li>Almost 70% of its area comprises arid or semi-arid land, with average annual rainfall less than 350 mm.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bushfires and forest cover</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Australia has about 134 million hectares of forest land. Bushfires are pretty common every year in summer.</li>
<li>Australian government data show that about 55 million hectares of forest land, i.e more than 40% of the entire forests, had been affected by at least one such fire in the period between 2011 and 2016.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Difference in 2020<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579253156_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579253156_image5.png" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="309" height="321" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This Australian summer, the spread and intensity of forest fires are something never seen before. The fire has impacted more than 10.3 million hectares of forest land so far, an area the size of South Korea. People and millions of wild animals have died.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Prolonged Drought</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The three years between 2017 and 2019 were the driest 36-month period ever in the New South Wales (a state of Australia).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2019 happened to be the warmest and driest year for the country since 1900.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Daytime temperatures were, on average, 2&deg;C higher than normal, while the average rainfall for the country was 40% below normal.</li>
<li><strong>Heat and dryness are the key preconditions</strong> for the ignition and spread of forest fires.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2019, the problem has been compounded by the presence of one of the strongest-ever <strong>positive</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-ocean-dipole-and-the-south-west-monsoon" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Ocean Dipole</strong></a> <strong>(IOD) events.</strong> Positive IOD events are often associated with a more severe fire season for South-east Australia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rare stratospheric warming over Antarctica</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Temperatures were 30&deg;C to 40&deg;C higher than normal in the region 10 to 50 km from Earth&rsquo;s surface &mdash; another extraordinary weather event that could have contributed to the unusual heat and dryness in Australia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Link with climate change</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Experts say <strong>climate change has worsened the scope and impact of natural disasters such as fires and floods.</strong> Weather conditions are growing more extreme, and for years, the fires have been starting earlier in the season and spreading with greater intensity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Impact of IOD on India and Australia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The IOD refers to the difference in sea-surface temperatures in the eastern and western Indian Ocean. This either aids or cuts off moisture supply to Australia, depending on whether the western Indian Ocean is cooler or the eastern.</li>
<li>This year, the <strong>eastern Indian Ocean has been unusually cold,</strong> and that contributed to the<strong> rainfall deficiency over Australia.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/north-east-monsoon-ends-with-30-surplus-rain" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2019 June-September monsoon</strong></a> in India started its withdrawal on October 9, against the normal date of September 1, making it the most delayed in recorded history. It was also the strongest in recent years with a surplus of 10% in 2019 &mdash; both attributed in part due to the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).</li>
<li>During a <strong>positive IOD phase, the west Indian Ocean warms up</strong> anomalously (creating lower pressure and wet climes) relative to the east (higher pressure and a dry phase, towards the Australian side).</li>
<li>A positive IOD that has persisted longer than usual is thought to have contributed to a delay in transition of the monsoon trough from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere and onset of the Australian monsoon.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/simply-put-reading-australia-fire-signals-6210513/" 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/australian-bushfire'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Rajasthan to Get its First Biotechnology Park',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Rajasthan government will be signing<strong> a memorandum of understanding</strong> with the <strong>Centre&rsquo;s Department of Biotechnology</strong> to set up <strong>its first biotechnology park and incubation centre</strong> in the state.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The biotechnology park and incubation centre would be set up in the State with the support of the <strong>Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will enable the State government to take up <strong>research in the field of biotechnology</strong> and provide <strong>employment to the youths.</strong></li>
<li>It would also help to promote <strong>interdisciplinary field research</strong> such as bioinformatics, biomedical engineering and nanomedicine.</li>
<li>Further, it will also help to promote biotechnology on the lines of health, agriculture, industry and food which will intensify the <strong>science-based manufacturing in industrialisation.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Biotechnology Parks and Incubators</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Department of Biotechnology</strong> has established Biotechnology Parks/Incubators across the country to translate research into products and services by providing the necessary infrastructure support.</li>
<li>These Biotechnology Parks offer facilities to Scientists, and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) for technology incubation, technology demonstration and pilot plant studies for accelerated commercial development of Biotechnology.</li>
<li>The Department so far has supported 9 Biotechnology Parks in various States.</li>
<li>The Department has also come up with &lsquo;National Biotechnology Parks Scheme&rsquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The scheme aims to create an ecosystem to absorb the start-ups which have graduated from incubators and give them a platform for further scaling up their R&amp;D activities in collaboration with the state government and industry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT).</li>
<li>BIRAC is a<strong> industry-academia interface</strong> and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives.</li>
<li>It aims to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rajasthan-to-get-first-biotech-park-soon/article30546602.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/rajasthan-to-get-its-first-biotechnology-park'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'K9 VAJRA-T Gun',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the defence minister flagged off <strong>51<sup>st</sup> K9 VAJRA-T Gun</strong> from <strong>Larsen &amp; Toubro (L&amp;T) Armoured System Complex </strong>at<strong> Hazira in Gujarat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579252363_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579252363_image4.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>K9 VAJRA-T</strong> 155mm/ 52 is a<strong> tracked self-propelled howitzer</strong> (a short gun for firing shells on high trajectories at low velocities), which has its roots in the K9 Thunder, the mainstay of the South Korean Army.</li>
<li>It offers a high rate of fire at long-range and is compatible with Indian and standard <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-minimises-its-share-in-nato-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>North Atlantic Treaty Organisation</strong></a> <strong>(NATO)</strong> ammunition.</li>
<li>The K9 Thunder platform is made of all-welded steel armour protection material.</li>
<li>The K9 gun has been developed under the <strong>'Buy Global&rsquo;</strong> programme of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-flawed-defence-procurement-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Defence Procurement Procedure</strong></a> <strong>(DPP)</strong> where foreign companies are allowed to participate.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this case, Hanwha Techwin of South Korea is the technology partner of L&amp;T.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The first 10 K9 Vajra guns have been imported from South Korea and assembled by L&amp;T in India. The balance 90 guns will be largely manufactured in the country.</li>
<li>L&amp;T Defence is currently executing the <strong>&lsquo;K9 VAJRA-T&rsquo; Tracked, Self-Propelled Howitzer Guns program -</strong> the contract awarded to the company by the Ministry of Defence through <strong>global competitive bidding.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1599550" 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/k9-vajra-t-gun'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Proposal for China Myanmar Economic Corridor ',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>China&rsquo;s President Xi Jinping will be visiting Myanmar to mark the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>President&rsquo;s visit will focus on the three pillars of the <strong>China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)&mdash;</strong> the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone, the China-Myanmar Border Economic Cooperation Zone and the New Yangon City.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CMEC is a branch of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/italy-joins-belt-road-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)</strong></a> in the Indian Ocean.</li>
<li>The CMEC to the Bay of Bengal is the replica of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/viability-of-bri-and-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)</strong></a> that connects Beijing&rsquo;s western province of Xinjiang to Karachi and Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Historical Background of CMEC</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The East India Company and the British Raj were eager to develop connectivity into Yunnan through Burma to promote trade between India and western China.</li>
<li>In the late 19<sup>th</sup> century, the Indian Railways surveyed the route for a railway line from the Arakan coast (Myanmar) to Yunnan (China), but could not implement it.</li>
<li>Thus, China will be implementing the vision of the East India Company.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Highlights of Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579249718_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579249718_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Connectivity and Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The visit is likely to pave the way for <strong>greater connectivity</strong> between <strong>China&rsquo;s southwestern province of Yunnan and the eastern Indian Ocean.</strong></li>
<li>The major infrastructure projects like the development of a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tripura-gets-its-first-sez" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Special Economic Zone (SEZ)</strong></a> and a deep-sea port at Kyaukpyu and the <strong>construction of a railway line from the China border to Mandalay in central Myanmar</strong> will be discussed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The railway will connect Kyaukpyu on the western seaboard of Myanmar and Yangon in the south where the <strong>Irrawaddy River</strong> flows into the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The visit is also expected to revive the<strong> hydel dam at Myitsone</strong> and the <strong>copper mining project</strong> that had to be suspended a decade ago.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will reinforce <strong>China&rsquo;s status as the most important economic partner of Myanmar,</strong> and rejuvenate the <strong>historic special relationship</strong> between the two countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diplomatic Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The US and the West that have been critical of Myanmar&rsquo;s handling of the Rohingya problem. <strong>China,</strong> in contrast, has played the <strong>role of mediator</strong> between <strong>Myanmar and Bangladesh.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>China is making the case that some of its BRI projects can help alleviate the Rohingya conflict by accelerating the development of the Arakan region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By developing ports such as the Gwadar and Kyaukpyu, <strong>China aims to lower its strategic dependence on the Malacca straits &mdash;</strong> the vital trade link between the Indian and the Pacific oceans, which is the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/new-indo-pacific-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indo-Pacific Command of the U.S.</strong> </a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Historical Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CMEC enforces the centuries old idea of<strong> Southern Silk Road by China.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China&rsquo;s economic stakes in the Bay of Bengal will signify larger maritime presence and naval engagement in the region which in turn reinforces <strong>the string of pearls policy by China.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>String of pearls is a geopolitical theory</strong> referring to the network of Chinese military and commercial facilities extended from the Chinese mainland to Port Sudan in the Horn of Africa.</li>
<li>But this theory is denied by China and it views its actions as their efforts to strengthen a new maritime Silk Road.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Like CMEC and CPEC, China is also developing the China-Nepal Economic Corridor (CNEC) which will link Tibet to Nepal. The endpoints of the project will touch the boundaries of the Gangetic plain. Thus three corridors signify the <strong>economic as well as strategic rise of China in the Indian subcontinent.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps to be Taken by India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India should focus on making a more effective contribution to <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-myanmar-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Myanmar&rsquo;s development and security.</strong></a></li>
<li>India needs to focus on quickly completing its own infrastructure projects in Myanmar and develop a new strategy for commercial partnership that is in tune with India&rsquo;s own capabilities and strengths.</li>
<li>India needs to strengthen its collaboration with like-minded partners <strong>like Japan</strong> which has a growing economic presence in Myanmar. Thus, <strong>India&rsquo;s Act East Policy</strong> and <strong>Japan&rsquo;s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy</strong> needs to combine.</li>
<li>India also needs to revive the dormant dialogue with China on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bcim-not-a-part-of-bri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BCIM corridor involving Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/xi-starts-myanmar-visit-today-beijing-hopes-to-draw-new-power-lines-in-bay-of-bengal-region-6220577/" 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/proposal-for-china-myanmar-economic-corridor'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => '2019: Second Hottest Year',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hindu-kush-himalayan-region" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Meteorological Organization (WMO)</strong></a>, the <strong>year 2019 was the second-hottest year since records began in 1880.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has also warned that heat is likely to lead to more extreme weather events like the <strong>Australian bushfires in 2020</strong> and beyond.</li>
<li><strong>Status in India</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> India Meteorological Department</strong> (IMD) has declared the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/statement-on-climate-of-india-during-2019-imd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2010-19 decade to have been India&rsquo;s hottest</strong></a> since records began in 1901, with the average temperature 0.36 degrees Celsius higher than the 30-year 1981-2010 average.</li>
<li><strong>2019 was India&rsquo;s seventh hottest year on record.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Hottest Decade</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>United States government agencies has said that the <strong>decade 2010 - 2019</strong> was the<strong> hottest on record.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Trend:</strong> Since the 1960s, each decade has been significantly warmer than the previous one. This trend continued in the 2010s, and five of the hottest years ever were experienced in the second half of the decade.</li>
<li><strong>Reason:</strong> The warming is caused to a large extent by the emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases emitted from the burning of fossil fuels.</li>
<li><strong>Implication:</strong> This pace of warming means the world will almost certainly fail to meet the goals set to combat catastrophic climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Hottest Years</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>hottest year on record was in 2016</strong> due to the warming impact of a strong <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/el-nino-forecast-for-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>El Nino event.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The global average surface temperatures in 2019 were nearly 1 degree Celsius higher than the average from the middle of last century, making 2019 the second hottest year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579246502_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579246502_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="566" height="380" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Climate hotspots of 2019 include Australia, Alaska and southern Africa whereas Central Canada and the northern US were among the few places that experienced cooler-than-average conditions.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Case of Australia</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In Australia, 2019 was the hottest year on record, with the average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the mid-20th century average.</li>
<li>2019 was also the driest (in terms of rainfall difference from average) ever.</li>
<li>Most of the country has been in the grip of a severe drought since 2017, and New South Wales (southeastern Australian state) is currently seeing its most devastating bushfire season in at least 20 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579326452_Second%20Hottest Year.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579326452_Second Hottest Year.jpg" width="795" height="516" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Breaking Departmentalism In Railways',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/one-indian-railway-services-silos-department-6218573/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>One railway</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/indian-railways-must-be-revamped-carefully/article30396972.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Railways must be revamped carefully</strong></a>, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/railways-piyush-goyal-restructuring-isnt-always-reform-6186442/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Restructuring isn&rsquo;t always reform&rdquo;</strong></a>. It talks about the implications of the recent restructuring of Indian Railways.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the government has approved the restructuring of the Indian Railways, including a reduction in the Board strength as well as the merger of the different cadres into a central service called the <strong>Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).</strong></p>
<p>The government has taken this decision in a bid to end <strong>&lsquo;departmentalism&rsquo;</strong> in Indian Railways and ensure smooth working of the Railways.</p>
<h3>Before Restructuring</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Railways is governed by a pool of officers, among whom engineers are recruited after the <strong>Indian Engineering Service Examination</strong> and civil servants through the <strong>Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The civil servants are in the <strong>Indian Railway Traffic Service</strong> (IRTS), <strong>Indian Railway Accounts Service</strong> (IRAS) and <strong>Indian Railway Personnel Service</strong> (IRPS).</li>
<li>The engineers are in five technical service cadres &mdash;<strong> Indian Railway Service of Engineers</strong> (IRSE), <strong>Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers</strong> (IRSME), <strong>Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers</strong> (IRSEE), <strong>Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers</strong> (IRSSE) and the <strong>Indian Railway Stores Service</strong> (IRSS).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This unification of railway services has been recommended by several committees like<strong> Prakash Tandon Committee</strong> (1994), <strong>Khanna Committee</strong> (1998), <strong>Rakesh Mohan Committee</strong> (2001), <strong>Sam Pitroda Committee</strong> (2012) and <strong>Bibek Debroy committee</strong> (2015).</li>
</ul>
<h3>After Restructuring</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Now all the 8,400 employees at the management level will come into the <strong>Railways through one service &mdash; the IRMS.</strong></li>
<li>A separate exam under the Union Public Service Commission is proposed to be instituted in 2021 to induct IRMS officers.</li>
<li>The Railway Board will now consist of <strong>five members &ndash;</strong> Chairman, who will act as a CEO, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What was the need for restructuring?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Railways in India carries <strong>social obligations,</strong> it plays the role of employer, operator, or investor.</li>
<li>Further, railways are involved in <strong>cross-subsidisation,</strong> which means in order to keep travel prices subdued, the prices of cargo are kept at a much higher rate.</li>
<li>Due to this, the <strong>railway's operating ratio</strong> (the ratio of operating expenses to operating revenue) has already crossed 100% in the course of the ongoing financial year.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cag-report-on-indian-railways" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CAG pointed out</strong></a> that there had been a steady decline in the revenue surplus of the Railways as well as the share of internal resources in its capital expenditure.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Restructuring</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The integration of departments will <strong>cut the clutter in decision making</strong> and organise the working of the Railway Board and its zones along more commercial lines.</li>
<li>Increased coordination between the <strong>maintenance and traffic staff will boost security and prevent railway accidents.</strong></li>
<li>However, the problem is that of retrospectively integrating those 8,400 officers into the Indian Railway Management System.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Allow <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/privatisation-of-indian-railways" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>private entry</strong></a>, including in running of private trains. The Tejas Express which is the first private passenger train, running on a pilot basis is a step in the right direction. Introduction of royal tourist trains will boost commercial avenues of railways and will play an important role in boosting India&rsquo;s soft power image.</li>
<li>Change the composition of the Railway Board to include more specialists.</li>
<li>Decentralised decision-making to zones/divisions and even further below.</li>
<li>Separate the core functions of running trains from non-core functions like schools and medical services.</li>
<li>A clear computation of social costs carried out throughout the Indian Railways system should be carried out, so that proper rationalisation can take place. So that a transition can be made to commercial accounting.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The stated aim to end departmentalism by the unification of services will expedite decision making, create a coherent vision and promote rational decision-making.</p>
<p>However, every large organisation is bound to have many departments. Therefore, it is the job of the government to formulate a coherent policy from the perspective of the national economy rather than as an issue pertaining to the Railways in isolation.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #5500ff; background-color: #dedede;">
<p><em><strong><span style="color: #003366;">Drishti Mains Question</span><br /><br /></strong></em>End of departmentalism in Indian railways can increase its commercial viability. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The government is planning for the nationwide rollout of <strong>Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)</strong> under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/intensified-mission-indradhanush-best-practice-in-the-world-bmj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to government estimates, a countrywide rollout of PCV <strong>would require about 50% of the budget of UIP</strong> (minus shared costs such as staff salary, establishment costs, etc).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>PCV</strong> is the <strong>costliest vaccine</strong> in the UIP basket that currently covers only about 50% of the 26 million birth cohort in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.</li>
<li>PCV was<strong> first brought into the UIP basket in 2017</strong> but cost concerns have been among the reasons for its still-partial rollout.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The cost challenge for India&rsquo;s immunisation programme is set to mount further as <strong>Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI)</strong> is set to withdraw its support for India from 2022. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GAVI is an international organisation which brings together public and private sectors to create equal access to vaccines for children.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) prevents <strong>pneumococcal disease.</strong></li>
<li>The vaccine is a <strong>mix of several bacteria</strong> of the pneumococci family, which are known to cause pneumonia &mdash; hence <strong>&lsquo;conjugate&rsquo;</strong> is included in the name of the vaccine. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/typbar-tcv-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Conjugate vaccines</strong></a> are made using a combination of two different components.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pneumococcal Disease</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pneumococcal disease refers to any illness caused by <strong>pneumococcal bacteria.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Symptoms:</strong> These bacteria can cause many types of illnesses, including pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs. Pneumococcal bacteria are one of the most common causes of pneumonia.</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerable Population:</strong> Anyone can get pneumococcal disease, but children under 2 years of age, people with certain medical conditions, adults 65 years or older, and cigarette smokers are at the highest risk.</li>
<li><strong>Status in India :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2010, the <strong>annual incidence</strong> of severe pneumococcal pneumonia in India was estimated to be <strong>4.8 episodes per 1,000 children younger than 5 years.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>top five contributors to India&rsquo;s pneumococcal pneumonia burden</strong> in terms of the number of cases and deaths were Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Universal Immunization Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was <strong>launched by the government in 1985,</strong> to prevent mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.</li>
<li>Under UIP free of cost vaccination is provided against <strong>twelve vaccine-preventable diseases</strong> i.e. Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia and Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea.</li>
<li>The programme is <strong>one of the largest health programmes in the world.</strong> Despite being operational for many years, UIP has been able to fully immunize only 65% of children under 1 year of age.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/ahead-of-budget-all-eyes-on-allocation-to-fund-costly-immunisation-vaccine-6225075/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pneumococcal-conjugate-vaccine'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Baiga Tribe',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Baiga (means sorcerers) is <strong>one of the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).</strong></a><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505282_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505282_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
<li>They mainly live in&nbsp;Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.</li>
<li>Traditionally, the Baiga lived a <strong>semi-nomadic life and practised slash and burn cultivation.</strong> Now, they are mainly dependent on <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/apeda-trifed" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>minor forest produce</strong></a> for their livelihood.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bamboo</strong> is the primary resource.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tattooing is an integral part of Baiga culture,</strong> every age and body part has a specific tattoo reserved for the occasion.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-nightmare-for-45-mp-tribal-labourers-far-from-home/article30602768.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/baiga-tribe'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Gond Tribe',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Gonds are <strong>one of the largest tribal groups</strong> in the world.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505077_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579505077_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>They are <strong>mostly live in</strong> Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha.</li>
<li>Gonds are subdivided into four <strong>tribes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raj Gonds</li>
<li>Madia Gonds</li>
<li>Dhurve Gonds</li>
<li>Khatulwar Gonds</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Their<strong> staple food is</strong> two kinds of millet: <strong>kodo and kutki.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rice is mostly consumed during festival feasts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Gonds believe that earth, water and air are ruled by Gods.</li>
<li>They majorly speak <strong>Gondi</strong> which is an unwritten language of the <strong>Dravidian family.</strong></li>
<li>It has been notified as a <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/reservation-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheduled Tribe.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-nightmare-for-45-mp-tribal-labourers-far-from-home/article30602768.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gond-tribe'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'White Rhino',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Researchers have created an <strong>embryo of the northern white rhino</strong> by using<strong> In vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Presently, there are <strong>only two northern white rhinos</strong> in the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>White Rhino<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579504157_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579504157_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>White rhinos are the <strong>second largest land mammal</strong> after the elephant.</li>
<li>White rhinos are also known as the<strong> square-lipped rhinoceros</strong> due to their square (not pointed) upper lip.</li>
<li><strong>Two genetically different subspecies</strong> exist, <strong>the northern and southern white rhino</strong> and are found in two different regions in Africa.</li>
<li>The IUCN Status of <strong>White Rhino is Near Threatened.</strong> The IUCN status of its subspecies is as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Northern White Rhino: Critically Endangered</strong></li>
<li><strong>Southern White Rhino: Near Threatened</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is also the <strong>black (or hook-lipped) rhinoceros in Africa,</strong> which too, is fighting for survival, and at least three of whose subspecies are already extinct. It is <strong>critically endangered</strong> in the IUCN Red list.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asian-rhino-range-countries-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian rhinoceros</strong></a> is different from its African cousins, most prominently in that it has only one horn. It is <strong>vulnerable</strong> in the IUCN Red list.</li>
<li>There is also a <strong>Javan rhino,</strong> which too, has one horn, and a <strong>Sumatran rhino</strong> which, like the African rhinos, has two horns. Both Javan and Sumatran Rhino are <strong>critically endangered</strong> in the IUCN Red list.</li>
</ul>
<h3>In vitro Fertilization</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>IVF is one of the more widely known types of <strong>Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).</strong></li>
<li><strong>In vitro</strong> comes from the<strong> latin word &lsquo;in glass&rsquo;,</strong> i.e. studies are done in a test tube rather than in a human or animal.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>opposite to &lsquo;In-vitro&rsquo; is &lsquo;In-vivo&rsquo;,</strong> which comes from the <strong>latin word &lsquo;within the living&rsquo;.</strong> In vivo refers to experimentation being done in a living organism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In vitro means outside the body. Fertilization means the sperm has attached to and entered the egg.</li>
<li>During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from the ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a<strong> lab.</strong> Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs (embryos) are transferred to a uterus.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/how-ivf-is-reversing-an-imminent-animal-extinction-6224951/" 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/white-rhino'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Law on Mob Lynching',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/manipur-shows-the-way/article26007016.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Showing the way: on Manipur's new anti-lynching law</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/lynching-the-scourge-of-new-india/article29693818.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lynching, the scourge of new India</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/preventing-mob-lynching/article30577621.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Preventing mob lynching</strong></a>. <strong>It talks about the menace of mob lynching in India.</strong></p>
</div>
<p>The spate of incidents of lynching over the past few years has led to a heightened sense of insecurity among the marginalised communities. Lynching is carried in the name of religion or because of the spread of rumours.</p>
<p>In this context, the Supreme Court in 2018 described lynching as a <strong>&ldquo;horrendous act of mobocracy&rdquo;</strong> and laid down guidelines for the Centre and State governments to frame laws specifically to deal with the crime of lynching.</p>
<p>In pursuance of this, the Manipur government came up first with its Law against lynching in 2018.</p>
<p>The Manipur Law is in sync with the Supreme Court guidelines.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Manipur Law<strong> defined mob lynchings</strong> as &ldquo;any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting such act/acts thereof, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity or any other related grounds.&rdquo;</li>
<li>The Law specified that there would be <strong>nodal officers</strong> in each district to control such crimes.</li>
<li>The most substantial and worthy contribution of the law is that it is the first in the country dealing with the protection and rights of vulnerable populations which defines a new <strong>crime of dereliction of duty of public officials.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It states that Police officers who fail to prevent the crime of lynching in their jurisdiction are liable to be imprisoned for a term that may extend from one to three years with a fine limit of ₹50,000.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Equally pathbreaking is that it<strong> removes the protection</strong> that is otherwise extended to public officials charged with any offence committed while acting in their discharge of official duty.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All hate crimes can be penalised under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, relating to foster enmity between people on the basis of religion, race, language and so on.</li>
<li>However, registering this crime requires prior permission of the State government, and most governments use this power to shield perpetrators of hate crimes who are politically and ideologically aligned to the ruling establishment.</li>
<li>Under the Manipur law<strong> no prior sanction</strong> is required to register crimes against public officials who fail in their duties to prevent hate crimes such as lynching.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Law clearly lays down the duty and responsibility of the State government to make <strong>arrangements for the protection of victims and witnesses</strong> against any kind of intimidation, coercion, inducement, violence or threats of violence.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It also prescribes the duty of State officials to prevent a hostile environment against people of the community who have been lynched, which includes economic and social boycott.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Law requires the state to <strong>formulate a scheme for relief camps and rehabilitation</strong> in case of displacement of victims, and death compensation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is significant as in most cases of lynching, it is found that States have only criminalised the victims, never supported the survivors who live not just in loss and fear.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Inspired by this <strong>Rajasthan and West Bengal</strong> have formulated their version of laws to curb mob lynching.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The West Bengal law is more stringent as it provides for punishment for lynching to death, is punishable with the death penalty or life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>If emulated by the Union and other State governments, such a sterling law could substantially prevent hate attacks, ensure public officials are faithful to their constitutional responsibilities and victims, and that their families and communities are assured of protection and justice.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>Lynching has become a social menace all across India, therefore the centre should come with the law to deal with it. The law should incorporate the following provisions:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It <strong>should be applicable to all hate crimes,</strong> not just lynching (for example honour killing), regardless of the numbers of persons who participate.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since the essence of what distinguishes these kinds of crimes is not the numbers of attackers but the motivation of hate behind the crimes, therefore, the law should provision dealing with solitary hate crimes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The law needs to prescribe a much more <strong>expansive framework of mandatory gender-sensitive reparation.</strong></li>
<li>The law should incorporate <strong>penal action against doctors</strong> who stand accused of dereliction of duty, for the delay in attending to victims of lynching.</li>
<li>Under the <strong>compensation scheme for the victims,</strong> the amount should be recovered from the perpetrators of the crime.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #619eff; background-color: #e3fbfc;">
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>In order to protect the pluralistic social fabric of Indian society, there is a need for a zero-tolerance attitude in dealing with mob lynching. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Species-rich Forests Offer Stable Carbon Capture',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Surveys conducted inside <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-21st-july-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Anamalai Tiger Reserve</strong></a> has shown that <strong>carbon storage was highest in species-rich evergreen forest.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study was conducted in the natural evergreen and deciduous forests and in teak and eucalyptus plantations.</li>
<li>The results showed that the species-rich evergreen forests stored carbon at approximately 300 tons per hectare. The <strong>storage in teak and eucalyptus plantations was 43% and 55% less, respectively.</strong></li>
<li>The researchers also found that the rates of carbon capture remained nearly the same year after year in natural forests as compared with plantations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transforming reforestation policies:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to government data, currently, <strong>five species or less</strong> are used for compensatory afforestation plantations which are way lower than natural forests.</li>
<li>Protecting and regenerating natural forests comprising a diverse mix of native tree species is more reliable in the long term than raising monoculture or species-poor plantations as a strategy for mitigating climate change.</li>
<li><strong>Inadequacy of variety of species</strong> is not good for biodiversity and for the stability of carbon capture.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefitting biodiversity:</strong> Species-rich forests are beneficial for biodiversity as they also provide habitat to diverse flora and fauna. Previous studies have shown that species-rich forests are also resistant to diseases.</li>
<li><strong>Securing resources:</strong> Species-rich forests have better resistance to forest fire because different trees have varying degrees of fire resistance depending on the thickness of the bark.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Anamalai Tiger Reserve</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is <strong>one of the four Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu.</strong> Mudumalai, Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserves and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary are the other three.</li>
<li>It falls <strong>within the Western Ghats range of South West India,</strong> a region designated as <strong>one of the 25 Global Biodiversity Hotspots.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Animals and birds found:</strong> Elephant, gaur, tiger, panther, sloth bear, wild boar, wild dog, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, sambar, four horned antelope, chital, the trogar, pied hornbill and several eagles.</li>
<li>The Tiger Reserve <strong>supports diverse habitat types</strong> like Wet evergreen forests, semi evergreen forests, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, dry thorn and shola forests. Other unique habitats like montane grasslands, savannah and marshy grasslands are also present.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/species-rich-forests-offer-stable-carbon-capture/article30544309.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/species-rich-forests-offer-stable-carbon-capture'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'GSAT-30',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</strong></a> has launched telecommunication satellite <strong>GSAT-30</strong> into a <strong>Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)</strong> from <strong>Kourou</strong> launch base, <strong>French Guiana by European Ariane-5 VA-251.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GSAT-30 satellite will <strong>replace INSAT-4A</strong> which was launched in 2005.</li>
<li>A <strong>European communication satellite</strong> named <strong>EUTELSAT KONNECT</strong> was also launched with GSAT-30.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Weight:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GSAT-30 weighs <strong>3,357-kg</strong> and will be gradually adjusted into a <strong>orbit 36,000 km from the earth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Launched from:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was launched from the foreign launcher because it is <strong>much heavier than the lifting capacity of its geostationary launch vehicle GSLV-MkII</strong> (It has the capacity to lift 2500kg).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The GSLV-MkIII can lift up to 4,000 kg, but ISRO plans to use the upcoming MkIIIs mainly for its first human space flight <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/to-the-point-paper3-mission-gaganyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gaganyaan of 2022.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will provide DTH (direct to home) television services, connectivity to VSATs (that support working of banks') ATMs, stock exchange, television uplinking and teleport services, digital satellite news gathering and e-governance applications.</li>
<li>The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Coverage :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The satellite provides <strong>Indian mainland and islands</strong> coverage in <strong>Ku-band</strong> and extended coverage in <strong>C-band</strong> covering <strong>Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Geosynchronous Orbit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Geosynchronous satellites</strong> are launched into orbit in the <strong>same direction the Earth</strong> is spinning and <strong>can have any inclination.</strong> While geostationary orbit lie on the <strong>same plane as the equator.</strong></li>
<li>In the case of geostationary satellites, the Earth&rsquo;s force of gravity is exactly enough to provide acceleration required for circular motion.</li>
<li>Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit(GTO): To attain geostationary or geosynchronous earth orbits, a spacecraft is first launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>From the GTO the spacecraft uses its engines to shift to geostationary or geosynchronous orbit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/isros-gsat-30-satellite-launched-successfully-to-replace-ageing-insat-4a/article30582116.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/gsat-30'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'NLU Report on Death Sentence',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>fourth edition</strong> of<strong> &lsquo;The Death Penalty in India: Annual Statistics&rsquo;</strong> was published by <strong>Project 39A</strong> of <strong>National Law University (NLU), Delhi.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report states that higher number of death sentences awarded in India in recent years relates to the cases of sexual offences.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The number of death sentences awarded for murders involving sexual offences in 2019 was the highest in four years.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Trial courts:</strong> Imposed 102 death sentences in 2019, a significant drop from 162 death sentences in 2018. However, the percentage of sexual offences in these cases increased from 41.35% in 2018 to 52.94% in 2019.</li>
<li><strong>High Courts:</strong> 65.38% of cases of confirmations of death sentences involved sexual offences along with murder.</li>
<li><strong>Supreme Court:</strong> In 2019, the SC dealt with 27 capital punishment cases, the highest number since 2001. It confirmed the death penalty of seven cases out of which four were of murder involving sexual offences. It commuted a total of 17 cases of the death penalty.</li>
<li><strong>Warrants Issued: Six death warrants were issued</strong> in 2019 against one in 2018, with all warrants eventually stayed by the courts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All warrants that were issued indicate a lack of compliance with the guidelines issued in the case of <strong>Shabnam vs Union of India (2015),</strong> which requires that a warrant for execution not be issued until the reasonable time for exhausting all remedies under the law has lapsed and specifies procedures to be followed in issuing such warrant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons Stated</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Amendment to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cabinet-approved-changes-to-pocso-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act</strong></a>, introducing stringent mandatory minimum punishments and death penalty for penetrative sexual assault on children was a major development.</li>
<li>Andhra Pradesh&rsquo;s amendment to the <strong>Indian Penal Code</strong> to introduce the death penalty for rape under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/disha-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Disha</strong></a> Act.</li>
<li>Widespread discussions on capital punishment in 2019 involving sexual offences against women and children.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Law University</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was established in <strong>2008</strong> under the <strong>National Law University Act, 2007</strong> with the objective of imparting comprehensive and interdisciplinary legal education.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Project 39A</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is inspired by <strong>Article 39-A</strong> of the Indian Constitution, a provision that furthers the intertwined values of <strong>equal justice and equal opportunity</strong> by removing economic and social barriers.</li>
<li>Using empirical research to re-examine practices and policies in the criminal justice system, Project 39A aims to trigger new conversations on legal aid, torture, DNA forensics, mental health in prisons, and the death penalty.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/death-sentence-for-rape-murder-in-2019-highest-in-4-years-nlu-report/article30589789.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/nlu-report-on-death-sentence'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Kathak',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is one of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/indian-classical-dances" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>classical dances of India.</strong></a></li>
<li>The word Kathak has been derived from the word <strong>Katha</strong> which means a<strong> story.</strong> It is primarily performed in <strong>Northern India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Evolution:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579336257_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579336257_image4.jpg" width="250" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was primarily a <strong>temple or village performance</strong> wherein the <strong>dancers narrated stories from ancient scriptures.</strong></li>
<li>Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the <strong>fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the spread of the Bhakti movement.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>legends of Radha-Krishna</strong> were enacted in folk plays called <strong>rasa lila,</strong> which combined folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.</li>
<li>Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles, Kathak was performed in the court, where it acquired its present features and developed into a form of dance with a distinctive style.</li>
<li>Under the patronage of <strong>Wajid Ali Shah,</strong> the <strong>last Nawab of Awadh,</strong> it grew into a <strong>major art form.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dance Style:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Usually a <strong>solo performance,</strong> the dancer often pauses to recite verses followed by their execution through movement.</li>
<li>The <strong>focus is more on footwork;</strong> the movements are skillfully controlled and performed straight legged by dancers wearing <strong>ankle-bells.</strong></li>
<li>Kathak is the <strong>only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music.</strong></li>
<li>Some prominent dancers include Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Bhakti Movement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The development of Bhakti movement <strong>took place in Tamil Nadu between the seventh and ninth centuries</strong>.</li>
<li>It was reflected in the emotional poems of the<strong> Nayanars</strong> (devotees of Shiva) and <strong>Alvars</strong> (devotees of Vishnu). These saints looked upon religion not as a cold formal worship but as a loving bond based upon love between the worshipped and worshipper.</li>
<li>They wrote in local languages, Tamil and Telugu and were therefore able to reach out to many people.</li>
<li>In course of time,<strong> the ideas of the South moved up to the North</strong> but it was a very slow process.</li>
<li>A more effective method for spreading of the Bhakti ideology was the <strong>use of local languages.</strong> The Bhakti saints composed their verses in local languages.</li>
<li>They also translated Sanskrit works to make them understandable to a wider audience. <strong>Examples</strong> include Jnanadeva writing in Marathi, Kabir, Surdas and Tulsidas in Hindi, Shankaradeva popularising Assamese, Chaitanya and Chandidas spreading their message in Bengali, Mirabai in Hindi and Rajasthani.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/noted-kathak-dancer-stopped-from-performing-to-qawwali/article30589256.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/kathak'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Arab World's Longest-Serving Ruler Passes Away',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Oman&rsquo;s Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler, has died.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1970, with the help of British, Qaboos overthrew his father in a bloodless coup, emerging as the Sultan at age 29.</li>
<li>He ruled Oman for almost half a century.</li>
<li>His cousin <strong>Haitham bin Tariq Al Said</strong> has been sworn as his successor.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Oman <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579335088_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579335088_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Oman is the <strong>oldest independent state in the Arab world.</strong></li>
<li>It occupies the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.</li>
<li><strong>Geography</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Much of the country&rsquo;s<strong> interior</strong> falls within the desert of the <strong>Rubʿal-Khali.</strong> The region is still the domain of <strong>Bedouin</strong> nomads.</li>
<li>Bedouins are Arabic-speaking nomadic peoples of the Middle Eastern deserts, especially of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Polity</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oman is governed by a monarchy <strong>(sultanate)</strong> with two <strong>advisory bodies.</strong></li>
<li>The sultan is Oman's <strong>paramount decision-maker,</strong> and also holds the positions of the <strong>prime minister,</strong> supreme commander of the armed forces, minister of defence, finance and foreign affairs.</li>
<li>Oman also recognizes the <strong>right to different forms of worship.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>As an independent mediator</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oman was able to facilitate secret talks between the <strong>United States</strong> and <strong>Iran</strong> in 2013 that led to the landmark <strong>nuclear deal</strong> in 2015.</li>
<li>Oman was the only Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country <strong>not</strong> to join a Saudi-led military coalition against Iran-backed Shiite<strong> Houthi rebels</strong> in Yemen.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India- Oman relations</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oman is a <strong>strategic partner</strong> of India in the Gulf and an<strong> important interlocutor</strong> at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora. Oman also accords a high priority to its ties with India.</li>
<li>The two countries across the Arabian Sea are linked by geography, history and culture and have <strong>cordial relations.</strong></li>
<li>These relations are attributed to <strong>historical maritime trade</strong> linkage and the seminal <strong>role played by the Indian expatriate community in the building of Oman.</strong> There are about <strong>8 lakh Indians in Oman.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India is among Oman&rsquo;s top trading partners.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For Oman, India was the 3<sup>rd</sup> largest source of its<strong> imports</strong> and 3rd largest <strong>market</strong> for its non-oil exports in 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Indian firms have invested heavily Oman</strong> in various sectors like iron and steel, cement, fertilizers, textiles,chemicals, automotive, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/sultan-qaboos-quiet-peacemaker-who-built-oman-dies-at-79-6210886/" 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/arab-world-s-longest-serving-ruler-passes-away'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020 ',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uncdat-world-investment-report-2019">United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)</a>, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and&nbsp;the five United Nations Regional Economic Commissions&nbsp;</strong>have jointly released the <strong>World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020 (WESP)</strong> recently.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report warns about strong economic risks, <strong>deep political polarization</strong> and<strong> increasing scepticism</strong> about the benefits of <strong>multilateralism.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points Related to India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report suggested that India needs to implement <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/economic-slowdown-cyclical-or-structural" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>structural reforms</strong></a>&nbsp;to face a global as well as Indian economic slowdown.</li>
<li>The <strong>combination of fiscal stimulus, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-s-monetary-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loose monetary policy</a> and financial sector reforms</strong> is expected to support a<strong> recovery in growth to 6.6 %.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India experienced a sharp drop from 6.8% in 2018 to 5.7 % in 2019</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The report also indicated that India may be among the few countries where the <strong>per capita <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GDP</a> growth rate</strong> could <strong>exceed 4 % </strong>in<strong> 2020.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Per capita GDP is the ratio of the country's gross domestic product by its total population.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Fiscal Stimulus</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It refers to an increase in public spending or a reduction in the level of taxation by a government so as to put more money in the hands of consumers.</li>
<li>It is an attempt to encourage and support economic growth.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Other Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>World&rsquo;s fastest-growing region: East Asia,</strong> which also remains the largest contributor to global growth.</li>
<li><strong>Growth in large emerging countries:</strong> Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia and Turkey are expected to gain economic momentum in 2020.</li>
<li><strong>Shift in Global economic decision power:</strong> The shift in global economic decision-making power from the EU, the US and other developed countries towards China, India and other developing countries has been observed. Thus Global cooperation mechanisms will need to recognise this shifting balance.</li>
<li><strong>Per capita income:</strong> One in five countries will see per capita income <strong>stagnate or decline</strong> in 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Per capita income measures the average income earned per person in a given area in a specified year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Poverty reduction:</strong> The share of the population living in extreme poverty has declined steadily and significantly over the past few decades, largely owing to successful experiences in China and India.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of climate change on economy: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate disruption</a></strong> poses a <strong>serious and growing</strong> threat to <strong>short- and long-term economic prospects.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One of the primary ways to break the link between greenhouse gas emissions and economic activity is to <strong>change the energy supply mix, transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.</strong> This transition will require policies that steer nations towards carbon neutrality by 2050.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Roadblocks for Sustainable Development Goals:</strong> The prolonged weakness in global economic activity may severely impact the implementation of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-indias-sustainable-development-goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>UNCTAD</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 to promote development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy.</li>
<li>UNCTAD is a <strong>permanent intergovernmental body</strong> headquartered at&nbsp;<strong>Geneva </strong>in<strong> Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>Some of the reports published by it are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Trade and Development Report</li>
<li>World Investment Report</li>
<li>The Least Developed Countries Report</li>
<li>Information and Economy Report</li>
<li>Technology and Innovation Report</li>
<li>Commodities and Development Report</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-needs-structural-reforms-to-boost-growth-policymakers-should-lead-way-for-climate-action-un-report-6221577/" 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/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-2020'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Jallikattu',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Over 100 people were injured in three <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jallikattu-event-held-in-tamil-nadu" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jallikattu</strong></a> events in <strong>Tamil Nadu.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Jallikattu is a <strong>traditional bull-taming event</strong> that is organised in the state every year as part of the harvest festival <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/harvest-festivals-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pongal.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579328020_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579328020_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jallikattu Event:</strong> The sport requires fighters to pounce on a running bull, try to hold on to its hump and move along with the animal without falling or getting hurt.</li>
<li><strong>Old Tradition</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Jallikattu is an old tradition. An ancient reference to bull taming is found in a<strong> seal discovered at Mohenjodaro,</strong> which is dated between <strong>2,500 BC and 1,800 BC.</strong> The sport was called <strong>Eru thazuval</strong> or<strong> &ldquo;embracing the bull&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>term &lsquo;jallikattu,</strong>' comes from <strong>Tamil terms &lsquo;salli kaasu'</strong> which means coins and <strong>&lsquo;kattu&rsquo;</strong> which means a package tied to the horns of bulls as prize money.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Controversies</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2014, the Supreme Court had banned the event</strong> after a plea filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).</li>
<li>However, the state government insisted that Jallikattu is a crucial part of its culture and identity. The <strong>ban was lifted in January 2017</strong> after massive protests in Chennai.</li>
<li>Although there are systems in place to check treatment of the bulls and ensure safety of participants and spectators, activists allege that animal cruelty still continues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Kambala is a <strong>traditional bull buffalo race</strong> which generally takes place in <strong>coastal Karnataka</strong> from November to March. The PETA has alleged that Kambala too involves acts of cruelty on animals which are not physiologically suited for racing.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/jallikattu-all-you-need-to-know/article30555288.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/jallikattu-1'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Return of Inflation',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-perils-of-rbis-fixation-on-inflation/article30578704.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The perils of RBI&rsquo;s fixation on inflation&rdquo;,</strong></a> <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/a-rough-patch-reserve-bank-of-india-indian-economy-gdp-growth-rate-food-inflation-6216697/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;A rough patch&rdquo;</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/inflation-shocker-on-rise-of-consumer-price-inflation/article30569603.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Inflation shocker: On rise of consumer price inflation&rdquo;</strong></a>. It talks about the reasons for the current rise in inflation in the Indian Economy.</p>
</div>
<p>The consumer price index (CPI) rose to 7.35% in December 2019. This high rate of inflation comes as a twofold setback <strong>for the government,</strong> which is saddled with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/consumption-conundrum-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decade&rsquo;s slowest rate of growth at 5%.</strong></a> This rate of inflation is the highest since 2014, also it crossed the threshold limit (6%) set by the Reserve Bank of India.</p>
<p>This can force the Reserve Bank to maintain status-quo on policy rates, this might lead to the tight monetary policy which in turn can impede the recovery process of Indian Indian economy.</p>
<p>This double whammy of slow growth and high inflation is called stagflation.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What is Inflation?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inflation refers to the rise in the prices of most goods and services of daily or common use, such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc.</li>
<li>Inflation measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time.</li>
<li>The opposite and rare fall in the price index of this basket of items is called &lsquo;deflation&rsquo;.</li>
<li>Inflation is indicative of the decrease in the purchasing power of a unit of a country&rsquo;s currency. This could ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth.</li>
<li>However, a moderate level of inflation is required in the economy to ensure that production is promoted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Who measures Inflation in India?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inflation is measured by a central government authority, which is in charge of adopting measures to ensure the smooth running of the economy. In India, the <strong>Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation</strong> measures inflation.</li>
<li>In India, inflation is primarily measured by two main indices &mdash; WPI (Wholesale Price Index) and CPI (Consumer Price Index) which measure wholesale and retail-level price changes, respectively. The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What are the main causes of Inflation?</strong></p>
<p>Some key reasons for Inflation:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>High demand and low production or supply of multiple commodities create a<strong> demand-supply gap,</strong> which leads to a hike in prices.</li>
<li>Excess circulation of money leads to inflation as money loses its purchasing power.</li>
<li>With people having more money, they also tend to spend more, which causes increased demand.</li>
<li>Spurt in production prices of certain commodities also causes inflation as the price of the final product increases. This is called <strong>cost-push inflation.</strong></li>
<li>Increase in the prices of goods and services is also a factor to consider as the involved labour also expects and demands more costs/wages to maintain their cost of living. This spirals to further increase in the prices of goods.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What is Stagflation?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The term was coined by<strong> Iain Macleod,</strong> a Conservative Party MP in the United Kingdom, in November 1965.</li>
<li>Stagflation is said to happen when an <strong>economy faces stagnant growth as well as persistently high inflation.</strong></li>
<li>With stalled economic growth, unemployment tends to rise and existing incomes do not rise fast enough and yet, people have to contend with rising inflation.</li>
<li>So people find themselves pressurised from both sides as their purchasing power is reduced.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Case of Stagflation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the early and mid-1970s when OPEC (The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries), which works like a cartel, decided to cut supply and sent oil prices soaring across the world.</li>
<li>On the one hand, the rise in oil prices constrained the productive capacity of most western economies that heavily depended on oil, thus hampering economic growth. On the other hand, the oil price spike also led to inflation and commodities became more costly.</li>
<li>For instance, in 1974, the oil prices went up by almost 70% and it leads to a consequent rise in inflation.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Is India facing Stagflation?</h3>
<p><strong>Although it appears so at first glance, India is not yet facing stagflation.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is not growing as fast as it used to in the past, but India is still growing at 5% and is expected to grow faster in the coming years.</li>
<li>It is true that retail inflation has been quite high in the past few months, yet the reason for this spike is temporary because it has been caused by a spurt in agricultural commodities after some unseasonal rains.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>With better food management, food inflation is expected to come down. The core inflation &ndash; that is inflation without taking into account food and fuel &ndash; is still benign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Retail inflation has been well within the RBI&rsquo;s target level of 4% for most of the year. A sudden spike of a few months, which is likely to flatten out in the next few months, it is still early days before one claims that India has stagflation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Current Inflation in India</h3>
<p><strong>Food Inflation</strong> is a major cause of inflation in India today, the following can be the causes of this:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Untimely rains, drought in some regions</strong> and crop losses due to local factors did contribute to supply shocks.</li>
<li><strong>Transmission of global food prices,</strong> which have shown a rising trend in the last half-year, also is the reason for food inflation.</li>
<li>The government policy of <strong>untimely imports in pulses</strong> flooded the markets and contributed to lower price realization last year. This led to lower production of pulses this year.</li>
<li>The government had procured 34 million tonnes of wheat in 2019, on top of the 36 million tonnes procured in 2018. These are the highest procurement levels since 2012-13. However, it failed to distribute the wheat through the public distribution system. This has created an <strong>artificial scarcity</strong> that has led to Inflation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Inflation and RBI</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, the RBI had earlier pursued a<strong> &lsquo;multiple indicators approach&rsquo;</strong> where it has to play the role of control inflation, regulating commercial banks, managing balance payments etc.</li>
<li>However, with the adoption of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-monetary-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;modern monetary policy framework 2016-17</strong></a>, <strong>inflation targeting</strong> was set as the sole objective of monetary policy of RBI.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The RBI was permitted to exceed or fall short of a targeted inflation rate of 4% by a margin of 2 percentage points.</li>
<li>RBI is mandated to solely focus on inflation, but this may have led to the neglect of the regulatory function of RBI on financial institutions.</li>
<li>The crisis in the financial sector has created a cycle of low profits-low saving rate-low investment rate. This has resulted in a slowdown in the economy. Moreover, even the target of inflation is not met.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Therefore, the central bank&rsquo;s shift of focus from financial stability to inflation targeting could have led to <strong>regulatory infirmity. For example</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, within three years of the adoption of inflation targeting goal, a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/shadow-banking-and-the-crisis-in-the-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> crisis engulfed IL&amp;FS,</strong></a> a non-banking financial company in the infrastructure space.</li>
<li>It defaulted on several of its obligations, including repayment of bank loans and the redemption of commercial paper.</li>
<li>The IL&amp;FS was not just another &lsquo;shadow bank&rsquo;; it operated over 100 subsidiaries and was sitting on a debt of ₹94,000 crores.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>With food accounting for<strong> two-thirds of household budgets,</strong> higher prices will worsen demand for non-food goods. At a time when consumption expenditure data shows rising poverty along with declining wages, climbing inflation will only lead to increased vulnerability, while making an economic recovery harder.</p>
<p>In this context, RBI&rsquo;s sole mandate of inflation targeting requires a relook and in the broader scheme of things, there is a need for synchronization of the fiscal policy with monetary policy. This may help the government to avert the condition of stagflation before it has a detrimental impact on Indian Economy.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fcffcf;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></span></p>
<p>India needs to move beyond the inflation targeting in its monetary policy. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/return-of-inflation'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture: Tackling Infant Mortality',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B4R6q40w1xw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Recent death toll of infants at the JK Lon Hospital in Rajasthan&rsquo;s Kota district (reaching 110 deaths in the past month) has brought to the forefront the challenges India still faces related to infant mortality. Similar deaths took place in Gujarat's state-run civil hospitals of Rajkot and Ahmedabad witnessing 134 and 85 infant deaths respectively in the month of December 2019.</p>
<h3>Infant Mortality Rate</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Infant Mortality Rate</strong> (IMR) is defined as the <em><strong>&lsquo;number of deaths of children under the age of 1 year per 1000 live births for a given year.&rsquo;</strong></em>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In accordance to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN</strong></a> <strong>Millenium Development Goals (MDG),</strong> the goal was to cut down child mortality rate by two-thirds from 1995 till 2015.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In India it <strong>declined</strong> considerably at the rate of almost <strong>57%.</strong> The IMR came down from<strong> 80</strong> infant deaths per 1000 live births (in <strong>1995</strong>) to <strong>33</strong> deaths per 1,000 live births (in<strong> 2017: according to SRS bulletin 2019</strong>).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IMR</strong> has 2 components:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>IMR:</strong> infants dying within 1 year of birth and,</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/under-5-girls-face-high-morality-in-india-un" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR):</strong></a> It is defined as the &lsquo;number of deaths during the <em><strong>first 28 completed days of life per 1,000</strong> live births in a given year or period&rsquo;.</em>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Globally</strong> according to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unicef-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNICEF</strong></a>, NMR was <strong>18 deaths per 1000</strong> live births (in 2018), where as in <strong>India,</strong> NMR was<strong> 23 deaths per 1000</strong> live births <strong>(approximately 7,000 newborn deaths every day).</strong></li>
<li>The decline in NMR is at a very slow pace both globally and in India. It is almost one-third of the rate of decline of IMR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Causes</h3>
<p>The death of children due to largely-preventable illnesses is a matter of serious concern and calls for urgent introspection. Certain preventable causes are:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Abysmal Doctor to Patient Ratio:</strong> There is problem of understaffing in India. As recommended against 4 beds there must be 1 nurse in the Infant Care Unit, in JK Lon hospital the ratio was 1 nurse per 13 beds.</li>
<li><strong>Availability of Life-saving Equipments:</strong> We have low availability of life-saving equipment like ventilators, life support systems, radiant warmers, blood-pressure monitoring systems, etc. in major hospitals and primary/community/district health centres,
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In JK Lon hospital, out of around 520 life-saving equipment meant for neonatal critical care, almost 60% (320) were dysfunctional.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pre-admission Causes:</strong> These include, underweight babies who are more prone to infections within the first 48 hours of their birth. Ineffective management of the infections at hospitals increases the risk of infant mortality.</li>
<li><strong>Insufficient Resources:</strong> The current GDP allocation for health sector is just 1.2% of the total GDP as compared to 5% at the time of Independence. In other countries, this rate varies from 3.5-5%.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Because of the <strong>lack of funds/availability of insufficient funds,</strong> the required infrastructure is not in place and the systemic failures have become one of the prime reasons for infant deaths. The biggest sufferer from this problem are the people with low socio-economic status, placed at the lowest strata of the society.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unidentified Causes:</strong> Sometimes the cause of child death are unknown. For example, in the case of <strong>Muzaffarpur (Bihar) deaths</strong> due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/acute-encephalitis-syndrome" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Acute Encephalitis Syndrome</strong></a> <strong>(AES),</strong> the cause of death was not known (ongoing experimentation to identify the reason kept happening like, whether it was due to<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hypoglycaemia-and-acute-encephalitis-syndrome" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> intake of Litchi fruit</strong></a> or some other factor).</li>
<li><strong>Other Reasons:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Malnutrition:</strong> </a>More than half of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian women are anaemic.</strong> </a>According to National Family Health Survey-4: the prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years is 53%.</li>
<li><strong>Type of Delivery:</strong> Whether the child is born at home or in a facility also determines the infant survival rate. Infection risks are high in case of a non-institutional birth.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Immunity and Low vaccine Compliance level.:</strong> Pneumonia, Prematurity, low birth weight, Diarrhoeal diseases, Neonatal infections, Birth asphyxia, etc. are also the reasons that lead to infant deaths.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of education</strong> in the mother: Maternal education increases the chances of mothers being aware of different health issues and thus taking the correct and appropriate steps towards preventing such issues.</li>
<li><strong>Age</strong> of the mother: At the time of birth, age of mother plays an important role. For example, there exists an inverse relationship between the age of mothers and the incidence of anaemia in children. There are evidences related to the fact that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-indian-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>children of younger mothers are more anaemic.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a <strong>UNICEF</strong> factsheet on child mortality in India, &ldquo;Children born to mothers with at least 8 years of schooling have 32% lesser chances of dying in the neonatal period and 52% lesser chances in the post-neonatal period, as compared to illiterate mothers.&rdquo;</li>
<li>It also notes that infant and under-five mortality rates are highest among mothers under age 20. The rates are lowest among children born to mothers between the ages of 20-24, remain low up to 25-34, and increase again after that age.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Solutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Response of States:</strong> Health being a <strong>state subject,</strong> puts the onus of patient&rsquo;s effective care on State government. States respond to the issue on the basis of the availability of the human and financial resources, and also the commitment they have towards the cause.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Responsible behaviour of the States and matching contribution</strong> from the Centre and the States (for capacity building &amp; infrastructure overhauling) is the need of the hour.</li>
<li>For example, in the case of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nipah-virus-and-fruit-bat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nipah outbreak in Kerala</strong></a>, when it took place for the first time, there happened certain deaths but the government of Kerala took proactive measures for preventing similar outbreaks in the future. Hence, quick and timely response by the system played a dominant role in saving many lives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of Centre:</strong> Centre must provide <strong>feasible (doable) models and allot sufficient funds</strong> to the states so as to fulfill the financial demands of the state.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this regard, the Centre has established <strong>Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs)</strong> at district hospitals and sub-district hospitals with an annual delivery load of more than 3,000 to provide care for sick newborns.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All types of neonatal care except assisted ventilation and major surgeries are provided here. It is a separate unit in close proximity to the labour room which is managed by adequately trained doctors, staff nurses and support staff to provide 24&times;7 services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Initiatives</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India Newborn Action Plan (INAP):</strong> It was launched in <strong>2014</strong> to make concerted efforts towards attainment of the goal of<strong> &ldquo;Single Digit Neonatal Mortality Rate&rdquo;</strong> and<strong> &ldquo;Single Digit Still-birth Rate&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission (NHM):</strong></a> The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) that started in 2005 to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population (especially the vulnerable groups) actually improved the health system in the country. Prior to that health infrastructure in the country was very weak.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is being implemented by the <strong>Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare.</strong> The government in 2013 launched the <strong>National Urban Health Mission</strong> (NUHM) making it as a sub-component of an overarching National Health Mission (NHM), with NRHM being its another sub-mission.</li>
<li>Its<strong> main programmatic components include health system strengthening</strong> in rural and urban areas for- Reproductive-Maternal-Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health <strong>(RMNCH+A)</strong>, and Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Schemes like <strong>Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-tool-to-reduce-maternal-mortality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK)</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)</a></strong> etc. were started to<strong> promote institutional deliveries</strong> so as to reduce the prevalence of IMR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Infrastructure &amp; Systemic Changes:</strong> The system of care is available from the sight of delivery of child up to the first referral unit for which infrastructure is limited. This needs to be increased in both quantity and quality.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, as in <strong>Gorakhpur</strong> (Uttar Pradesh) case, after the incident took place, the required system was built up to cater the needs of the people. Similarly, most of the babies in Kota died due to suffocation at birth; low birth-weight and infections were the other significant causes of death. These were highly-preventable reasons.</li>
<li>Hence, the need of the hour is to become<strong> more preventive</strong> and built such infrastructure beforehand <strong>rather than being curative</strong> as a healthy child develops a better nation.</li>
<li>Also, <strong>systemic gaps</strong> like referring and transporting critically ill-child, safely to the nearest AIIMS, need to be timely plugged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Political Will:</strong> The<strong> availability of funds</strong> (from Centre) <strong>as well as its judicious use</strong> by the States is vital in effective implementation of the framed policies and overhauling of the required health infrastructure so as to prevent similar cases in the future. For this, not only resource availability, but the political will holds equal significance.</li>
<li><strong>Integrated Approach:</strong> Concerned ministries can collaborate with each other to ensure <strong>better coordination, convergence and holistic integration of</strong> different schemes, as done in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>POSHAN Abhiyan.</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Pooling of funds from existing government schemes can address the associated challenges. For instance, funds allocated under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ayushman-bharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat</strong></a> can be utilized in resolving the problem of infant death.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Research &amp; Role of Apex Body:</strong> To address the problem of unidentified causes, scientists, expert bodies, apex bodies like<strong> Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)</strong> need to work in tandem to identify the actual causes behind any outbreak in order to contain it.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Like the <strong>Gorakhpur case</strong> was timely resolved because the scientists there pinned down the <strong>AES prevalence to Japanese Encephalitis</strong> (JE) Virus which led to the consequent development of JE vaccine (which is covered under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mission-indradhanush-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mission Indradhanush</strong></a>) so as to inhibit its prevalence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Private Player Participation:</strong> The involvement of private players is not an urgent requirement but there <strong>sincere engagement and complementing role</strong> to the state can ease down the burden of the government. The role of the state in delivering health to its people cannot be overemphasised.</li>
</ul>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-tackling-infant-mortality'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Australian Bushfire',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Australia is witnessing its most devastating bushfire season in at least 20 years.</p>
<h3>Concept of Bushfires</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Season:</strong> Forest fires, or bushfires, routinely occur across the world in hot and dry seasons.</li>
<li><strong>Reason:</strong> Dry leaves, grass, shrubs, deadwood etc are easily combustible. Ignition happens naturally, from lightning strikes for example, or accidentally, from sources such as cigarette stubs.</li>
<li><strong>Spread and End:</strong> Suitable speed and direction of wind helps spread a forest fire faster. It usually comes to an end due to rain or because there is no further contiguous vegetation to spread to.</li>
<li><strong>Man -made fires:</strong> Sometimes, fires are ignited on purpose, for example, in 2019, the fires in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/amazon-rainforest" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Amazon forests in Brazil</strong></a> had become controversial because they were largely seen to have been a result of deliberate burning by farmers and large agro-industry players keen on getting more land.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Context:</strong> During the summer months, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/forest-inferno" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fires are common in the forests of India</strong></a> as well.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Common in Australia</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Driest Inhabited Continent</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Australia, where the summer starts around October, is known to be the most fire-prone of all continents. This is mainly because Australia is also the driest inhabited continent.</li>
<li>Almost 70% of its area comprises arid or semi-arid land, with average annual rainfall less than 350 mm.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bushfires and forest cover</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Australia has about 134 million hectares of forest land. Bushfires are pretty common every year in summer.</li>
<li>Australian government data show that about 55 million hectares of forest land, i.e more than 40% of the entire forests, had been affected by at least one such fire in the period between 2011 and 2016.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Difference in 2020<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579253156_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579253156_image5.png" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="309" height="321" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This Australian summer, the spread and intensity of forest fires are something never seen before. The fire has impacted more than 10.3 million hectares of forest land so far, an area the size of South Korea. People and millions of wild animals have died.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Prolonged Drought</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The three years between 2017 and 2019 were the driest 36-month period ever in the New South Wales (a state of Australia).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2019 happened to be the warmest and driest year for the country since 1900.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Daytime temperatures were, on average, 2&deg;C higher than normal, while the average rainfall for the country was 40% below normal.</li>
<li><strong>Heat and dryness are the key preconditions</strong> for the ignition and spread of forest fires.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2019, the problem has been compounded by the presence of one of the strongest-ever <strong>positive</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-ocean-dipole-and-the-south-west-monsoon" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Ocean Dipole</strong></a> <strong>(IOD) events.</strong> Positive IOD events are often associated with a more severe fire season for South-east Australia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rare stratospheric warming over Antarctica</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Temperatures were 30&deg;C to 40&deg;C higher than normal in the region 10 to 50 km from Earth&rsquo;s surface &mdash; another extraordinary weather event that could have contributed to the unusual heat and dryness in Australia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Link with climate change</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Experts say <strong>climate change has worsened the scope and impact of natural disasters such as fires and floods.</strong> Weather conditions are growing more extreme, and for years, the fires have been starting earlier in the season and spreading with greater intensity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Impact of IOD on India and Australia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The IOD refers to the difference in sea-surface temperatures in the eastern and western Indian Ocean. This either aids or cuts off moisture supply to Australia, depending on whether the western Indian Ocean is cooler or the eastern.</li>
<li>This year, the <strong>eastern Indian Ocean has been unusually cold,</strong> and that contributed to the<strong> rainfall deficiency over Australia.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/north-east-monsoon-ends-with-30-surplus-rain" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2019 June-September monsoon</strong></a> in India started its withdrawal on October 9, against the normal date of September 1, making it the most delayed in recorded history. It was also the strongest in recent years with a surplus of 10% in 2019 &mdash; both attributed in part due to the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).</li>
<li>During a <strong>positive IOD phase, the west Indian Ocean warms up</strong> anomalously (creating lower pressure and wet climes) relative to the east (higher pressure and a dry phase, towards the Australian side).</li>
<li>A positive IOD that has persisted longer than usual is thought to have contributed to a delay in transition of the monsoon trough from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere and onset of the Australian monsoon.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/simply-put-reading-australia-fire-signals-6210513/" 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/australian-bushfire'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Rajasthan to Get its First Biotechnology Park',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Rajasthan government will be signing<strong> a memorandum of understanding</strong> with the <strong>Centre&rsquo;s Department of Biotechnology</strong> to set up <strong>its first biotechnology park and incubation centre</strong> in the state.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The biotechnology park and incubation centre would be set up in the State with the support of the <strong>Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will enable the State government to take up <strong>research in the field of biotechnology</strong> and provide <strong>employment to the youths.</strong></li>
<li>It would also help to promote <strong>interdisciplinary field research</strong> such as bioinformatics, biomedical engineering and nanomedicine.</li>
<li>Further, it will also help to promote biotechnology on the lines of health, agriculture, industry and food which will intensify the <strong>science-based manufacturing in industrialisation.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Biotechnology Parks and Incubators</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Department of Biotechnology</strong> has established Biotechnology Parks/Incubators across the country to translate research into products and services by providing the necessary infrastructure support.</li>
<li>These Biotechnology Parks offer facilities to Scientists, and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) for technology incubation, technology demonstration and pilot plant studies for accelerated commercial development of Biotechnology.</li>
<li>The Department so far has supported 9 Biotechnology Parks in various States.</li>
<li>The Department has also come up with &lsquo;National Biotechnology Parks Scheme&rsquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The scheme aims to create an ecosystem to absorb the start-ups which have graduated from incubators and give them a platform for further scaling up their R&amp;D activities in collaboration with the state government and industry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT).</li>
<li>BIRAC is a<strong> industry-academia interface</strong> and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives.</li>
<li>It aims to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rajasthan-to-get-first-biotech-park-soon/article30546602.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/rajasthan-to-get-its-first-biotechnology-park'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'K9 VAJRA-T Gun',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the defence minister flagged off <strong>51<sup>st</sup> K9 VAJRA-T Gun</strong> from <strong>Larsen &amp; Toubro (L&amp;T) Armoured System Complex </strong>at<strong> Hazira in Gujarat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579252363_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579252363_image4.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>K9 VAJRA-T</strong> 155mm/ 52 is a<strong> tracked self-propelled howitzer</strong> (a short gun for firing shells on high trajectories at low velocities), which has its roots in the K9 Thunder, the mainstay of the South Korean Army.</li>
<li>It offers a high rate of fire at long-range and is compatible with Indian and standard <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-minimises-its-share-in-nato-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>North Atlantic Treaty Organisation</strong></a> <strong>(NATO)</strong> ammunition.</li>
<li>The K9 Thunder platform is made of all-welded steel armour protection material.</li>
<li>The K9 gun has been developed under the <strong>'Buy Global&rsquo;</strong> programme of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-flawed-defence-procurement-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Defence Procurement Procedure</strong></a> <strong>(DPP)</strong> where foreign companies are allowed to participate.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this case, Hanwha Techwin of South Korea is the technology partner of L&amp;T.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The first 10 K9 Vajra guns have been imported from South Korea and assembled by L&amp;T in India. The balance 90 guns will be largely manufactured in the country.</li>
<li>L&amp;T Defence is currently executing the <strong>&lsquo;K9 VAJRA-T&rsquo; Tracked, Self-Propelled Howitzer Guns program -</strong> the contract awarded to the company by the Ministry of Defence through <strong>global competitive bidding.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1599550" 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/k9-vajra-t-gun'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Proposal for China Myanmar Economic Corridor ',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>China&rsquo;s President Xi Jinping will be visiting Myanmar to mark the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>President&rsquo;s visit will focus on the three pillars of the <strong>China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)&mdash;</strong> the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone, the China-Myanmar Border Economic Cooperation Zone and the New Yangon City.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CMEC is a branch of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/italy-joins-belt-road-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)</strong></a> in the Indian Ocean.</li>
<li>The CMEC to the Bay of Bengal is the replica of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/viability-of-bri-and-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)</strong></a> that connects Beijing&rsquo;s western province of Xinjiang to Karachi and Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Historical Background of CMEC</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The East India Company and the British Raj were eager to develop connectivity into Yunnan through Burma to promote trade between India and western China.</li>
<li>In the late 19<sup>th</sup> century, the Indian Railways surveyed the route for a railway line from the Arakan coast (Myanmar) to Yunnan (China), but could not implement it.</li>
<li>Thus, China will be implementing the vision of the East India Company.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Highlights of Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579249718_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579249718_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Connectivity and Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The visit is likely to pave the way for <strong>greater connectivity</strong> between <strong>China&rsquo;s southwestern province of Yunnan and the eastern Indian Ocean.</strong></li>
<li>The major infrastructure projects like the development of a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tripura-gets-its-first-sez" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Special Economic Zone (SEZ)</strong></a> and a deep-sea port at Kyaukpyu and the <strong>construction of a railway line from the China border to Mandalay in central Myanmar</strong> will be discussed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The railway will connect Kyaukpyu on the western seaboard of Myanmar and Yangon in the south where the <strong>Irrawaddy River</strong> flows into the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The visit is also expected to revive the<strong> hydel dam at Myitsone</strong> and the <strong>copper mining project</strong> that had to be suspended a decade ago.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will reinforce <strong>China&rsquo;s status as the most important economic partner of Myanmar,</strong> and rejuvenate the <strong>historic special relationship</strong> between the two countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diplomatic Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The US and the West that have been critical of Myanmar&rsquo;s handling of the Rohingya problem. <strong>China,</strong> in contrast, has played the <strong>role of mediator</strong> between <strong>Myanmar and Bangladesh.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>China is making the case that some of its BRI projects can help alleviate the Rohingya conflict by accelerating the development of the Arakan region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By developing ports such as the Gwadar and Kyaukpyu, <strong>China aims to lower its strategic dependence on the Malacca straits &mdash;</strong> the vital trade link between the Indian and the Pacific oceans, which is the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/new-indo-pacific-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indo-Pacific Command of the U.S.</strong> </a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Historical Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CMEC enforces the centuries old idea of<strong> Southern Silk Road by China.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China&rsquo;s economic stakes in the Bay of Bengal will signify larger maritime presence and naval engagement in the region which in turn reinforces <strong>the string of pearls policy by China.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>String of pearls is a geopolitical theory</strong> referring to the network of Chinese military and commercial facilities extended from the Chinese mainland to Port Sudan in the Horn of Africa.</li>
<li>But this theory is denied by China and it views its actions as their efforts to strengthen a new maritime Silk Road.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Like CMEC and CPEC, China is also developing the China-Nepal Economic Corridor (CNEC) which will link Tibet to Nepal. The endpoints of the project will touch the boundaries of the Gangetic plain. Thus three corridors signify the <strong>economic as well as strategic rise of China in the Indian subcontinent.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps to be Taken by India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India should focus on making a more effective contribution to <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-myanmar-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Myanmar&rsquo;s development and security.</strong></a></li>
<li>India needs to focus on quickly completing its own infrastructure projects in Myanmar and develop a new strategy for commercial partnership that is in tune with India&rsquo;s own capabilities and strengths.</li>
<li>India needs to strengthen its collaboration with like-minded partners <strong>like Japan</strong> which has a growing economic presence in Myanmar. Thus, <strong>India&rsquo;s Act East Policy</strong> and <strong>Japan&rsquo;s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy</strong> needs to combine.</li>
<li>India also needs to revive the dormant dialogue with China on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bcim-not-a-part-of-bri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BCIM corridor involving Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/xi-starts-myanmar-visit-today-beijing-hopes-to-draw-new-power-lines-in-bay-of-bengal-region-6220577/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-for-china-myanmar-economic-corridor'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => '2019: Second Hottest Year',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hindu-kush-himalayan-region" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Meteorological Organization (WMO)</strong></a>, the <strong>year 2019 was the second-hottest year since records began in 1880.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has also warned that heat is likely to lead to more extreme weather events like the <strong>Australian bushfires in 2020</strong> and beyond.</li>
<li><strong>Status in India</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> India Meteorological Department</strong> (IMD) has declared the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/statement-on-climate-of-india-during-2019-imd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2010-19 decade to have been India&rsquo;s hottest</strong></a> since records began in 1901, with the average temperature 0.36 degrees Celsius higher than the 30-year 1981-2010 average.</li>
<li><strong>2019 was India&rsquo;s seventh hottest year on record.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Hottest Decade</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>United States government agencies has said that the <strong>decade 2010 - 2019</strong> was the<strong> hottest on record.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Trend:</strong> Since the 1960s, each decade has been significantly warmer than the previous one. This trend continued in the 2010s, and five of the hottest years ever were experienced in the second half of the decade.</li>
<li><strong>Reason:</strong> The warming is caused to a large extent by the emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases emitted from the burning of fossil fuels.</li>
<li><strong>Implication:</strong> This pace of warming means the world will almost certainly fail to meet the goals set to combat catastrophic climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Hottest Years</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>hottest year on record was in 2016</strong> due to the warming impact of a strong <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/el-nino-forecast-for-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>El Nino event.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The global average surface temperatures in 2019 were nearly 1 degree Celsius higher than the average from the middle of last century, making 2019 the second hottest year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579246502_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579246502_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="566" height="380" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Climate hotspots of 2019 include Australia, Alaska and southern Africa whereas Central Canada and the northern US were among the few places that experienced cooler-than-average conditions.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Case of Australia</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In Australia, 2019 was the hottest year on record, with the average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the mid-20th century average.</li>
<li>2019 was also the driest (in terms of rainfall difference from average) ever.</li>
<li>Most of the country has been in the grip of a severe drought since 2017, and New South Wales (southeastern Australian state) is currently seeing its most devastating bushfire season in at least 20 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579326452_Second%20Hottest Year.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579326452_Second Hottest Year.jpg" width="795" height="516" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Breaking Departmentalism In Railways',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/one-indian-railway-services-silos-department-6218573/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>One railway</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/indian-railways-must-be-revamped-carefully/article30396972.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Railways must be revamped carefully</strong></a>, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/railways-piyush-goyal-restructuring-isnt-always-reform-6186442/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Restructuring isn&rsquo;t always reform&rdquo;</strong></a>. It talks about the implications of the recent restructuring of Indian Railways.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the government has approved the restructuring of the Indian Railways, including a reduction in the Board strength as well as the merger of the different cadres into a central service called the <strong>Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).</strong></p>
<p>The government has taken this decision in a bid to end <strong>&lsquo;departmentalism&rsquo;</strong> in Indian Railways and ensure smooth working of the Railways.</p>
<h3>Before Restructuring</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Railways is governed by a pool of officers, among whom engineers are recruited after the <strong>Indian Engineering Service Examination</strong> and civil servants through the <strong>Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The civil servants are in the <strong>Indian Railway Traffic Service</strong> (IRTS), <strong>Indian Railway Accounts Service</strong> (IRAS) and <strong>Indian Railway Personnel Service</strong> (IRPS).</li>
<li>The engineers are in five technical service cadres &mdash;<strong> Indian Railway Service of Engineers</strong> (IRSE), <strong>Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers</strong> (IRSME), <strong>Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers</strong> (IRSEE), <strong>Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers</strong> (IRSSE) and the <strong>Indian Railway Stores Service</strong> (IRSS).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This unification of railway services has been recommended by several committees like<strong> Prakash Tandon Committee</strong> (1994), <strong>Khanna Committee</strong> (1998), <strong>Rakesh Mohan Committee</strong> (2001), <strong>Sam Pitroda Committee</strong> (2012) and <strong>Bibek Debroy committee</strong> (2015).</li>
</ul>
<h3>After Restructuring</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Now all the 8,400 employees at the management level will come into the <strong>Railways through one service &mdash; the IRMS.</strong></li>
<li>A separate exam under the Union Public Service Commission is proposed to be instituted in 2021 to induct IRMS officers.</li>
<li>The Railway Board will now consist of <strong>five members &ndash;</strong> Chairman, who will act as a CEO, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What was the need for restructuring?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Railways in India carries <strong>social obligations,</strong> it plays the role of employer, operator, or investor.</li>
<li>Further, railways are involved in <strong>cross-subsidisation,</strong> which means in order to keep travel prices subdued, the prices of cargo are kept at a much higher rate.</li>
<li>Due to this, the <strong>railway's operating ratio</strong> (the ratio of operating expenses to operating revenue) has already crossed 100% in the course of the ongoing financial year.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cag-report-on-indian-railways" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CAG pointed out</strong></a> that there had been a steady decline in the revenue surplus of the Railways as well as the share of internal resources in its capital expenditure.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Restructuring</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The integration of departments will <strong>cut the clutter in decision making</strong> and organise the working of the Railway Board and its zones along more commercial lines.</li>
<li>Increased coordination between the <strong>maintenance and traffic staff will boost security and prevent railway accidents.</strong></li>
<li>However, the problem is that of retrospectively integrating those 8,400 officers into the Indian Railway Management System.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Allow <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/privatisation-of-indian-railways" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>private entry</strong></a>, including in running of private trains. The Tejas Express which is the first private passenger train, running on a pilot basis is a step in the right direction. Introduction of royal tourist trains will boost commercial avenues of railways and will play an important role in boosting India&rsquo;s soft power image.</li>
<li>Change the composition of the Railway Board to include more specialists.</li>
<li>Decentralised decision-making to zones/divisions and even further below.</li>
<li>Separate the core functions of running trains from non-core functions like schools and medical services.</li>
<li>A clear computation of social costs carried out throughout the Indian Railways system should be carried out, so that proper rationalisation can take place. So that a transition can be made to commercial accounting.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The stated aim to end departmentalism by the unification of services will expedite decision making, create a coherent vision and promote rational decision-making.</p>
<p>However, every large organisation is bound to have many departments. Therefore, it is the job of the government to formulate a coherent policy from the perspective of the national economy rather than as an issue pertaining to the Railways in isolation.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #5500ff; background-color: #dedede;">
<p><em><strong><span style="color: #003366;">Drishti Mains Question</span><br /><br /></strong></em>End of departmentalism in Indian railways can increase its commercial viability. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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		'articles__secondary_tag' => 'text',
		'articles.secondary_tag' => 'text',
		'secondary_tag' => 'text',
		'articles__type' => 'integer',
		'articles.type' => 'integer',
		'type' => 'integer',
		'articles__publishon' => 'datetime',
		'articles.publishon' => 'datetime',
		'publishon' => 'datetime',
		'articles__posturl' => 'string',
		'articles.posturl' => 'string',
		'posturl' => 'string',
		'articles__metatitle' => 'string',
		'articles.metatitle' => 'string',
		'metatitle' => 'string',
		'articles__metadescription' => 'string',
		'articles.metadescription' => 'string',
		'metadescription' => 'string',
		'articles__metakeyword' => 'text',
		'articles.metakeyword' => 'text',
		'metakeyword' => 'text',
		'articles__status' => 'integer',
		'articles.status' => 'integer',
		'status' => 'integer',
		'articles__sort_order' => 'integer',
		'articles.sort_order' => 'integer',
		'sort_order' => 'integer',
		'articles__addedby' => 'integer',
		'articles.addedby' => 'integer',
		'addedby' => 'integer',
		'articles__updatedby' => 'integer',
		'articles.updatedby' => 'integer',
		'updatedby' => 'integer',
		'articles__added' => 'timestamp',
		'articles.added' => 'timestamp',
		'added' => 'timestamp',
		'articles__modified' => 'timestamp',
		'articles.modified' => 'timestamp',
		'modified' => 'timestamp',
		'articles__whatsnewid' => 'integer',
		'articles.whatsnewid' => 'integer',
		'whatsnewid' => 'integer',
		'articles__display_printpdf' => 'integer',
		'articles.display_printpdf' => 'integer',
		'display_printpdf' => 'integer',
		'articles__display_comments' => 'integer',
		'articles.display_comments' => 'integer',
		'display_comments' => 'integer',
		'articles__pdf_name' => 'string',
		'articles.pdf_name' => 'string',
		'pdf_name' => 'string',
		'articles__display_archive' => 'integer',
		'articles.display_archive' => 'integer',
		'display_archive' => 'integer',
		'articles__star_rating' => 'integer',
		'articles.star_rating' => 'integer',
		'star_rating' => 'integer',
		'articles__display_in_states' => 'string',
		'articles.display_in_states' => 'string',
		'display_in_states' => 'string'
	],
	'decorators' => (int) 0,
	'executed' => false,
	'hydrate' => true,
	'buffered' => true,
	'formatters' => (int) 0,
	'mapReducers' => (int) 0,
	'contain' => [],
	'matching' => [],
	'extraOptions' => [],
	'repository' => object(App\Model\Table\ArticlesTable) {}

}
$page = (int) 179
$search = 'class'
$totalPages = (float) 336
$title = 'Search'
$lastyear = (int) 2018
$year = '2021'
$i = (int) 2017
$selected = ''
$m = (int) 13
$month = 'December'

include - ROOT/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Element/rightsection.ctp, line 100
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1196
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1157
Cake\View\View::_renderElement() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1554
Cake\View\View::element() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 668
include - ROOT/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Element/articlebox.ctp, line 5
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1196
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1157
Cake\View\View::_renderElement() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1554
Cake\View\View::element() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 668
include - ROOT/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Search/index.ctp, line 85
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1196
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1157
Cake\View\View::render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 765
Cake\Controller\Controller::render() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 623
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 125
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 93

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