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Pressure Groups

Introduction A pressure group is a group of people who are organised actively for promoting and defending their common interest. It is called so,...

16 Jan 2020 Paper 2
5th Annual Day of CARA

Why in News The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has celebrated its 5th Annual Day recently. CARA has conducted various training...

16 Jan 2020 News Analysis
ASER Report 2019

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Fuel Conservation Campaign: Saksham

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Pressure Groups

For...

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			'title' => 'Pressure Groups',
			'catname' => 'Paper 2',
			'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A pressure group is a group of people who are organised actively for promoting and defending their common interest. It is called so, as it attempts to bring a change in public policy by exerting pressure on the government. It acts as a liaison between the government and its members.</li>
<li>The pressure groups are also called interest groups or vested groups. They are different from the political parties, as they neither contest elections nor try to capture political power. They are concerned with specific programmes and issues and their activities are confined to the protection and promotion of the interests of their members by influencing the government.</li>
<li>The pressure groups influence the policy-making and policy implementation in the government through legal and legitimate methods like lobbying, correspondence, publicity, propagandising, petitioning, public debating, maintaining contacts with their legislators and so forth.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Techniques Used By Pressure Groups</h3>
<p>Pressure groups resort to three different techniques in securing their purposes.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Electioneering:</strong> Placing in public office persons who are favourably disposed towards the interests the concerned pressure group seeks to promote.</li>
<li><strong>Lobbying:</strong> Persuading public officers, whether they are initially favourably disposed toward them or not, to adopt and enforce the policies that they think will prove most beneficial to their interests.</li>
<li><strong>Propagandizing:</strong> Influencing public opinion and thereby gaining an indirect influence over government, since the government in a democracy is substantially affected by public opinion.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Characteristics of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Based on Certain Interests:</strong> Each pressure group organises itself keeping in view certain interests and thus tries to adopt the structure of power in the political systems.</li>
<li><strong>Use of Modern as well as Traditional Means:</strong> They adopt techniques like financing of political parties, sponsoring their close candidates at the time of elections and keeping the bureaucracy also satisfied. Their traditional means include exploitation of caste, creed and religious feelings to promote their interests.</li>
<li><strong>Resulting Out of Increasing Pressure and Demands on Resources:</strong> Scarcity of resources, claims and counterclaims on the resources from different and competing sections of the society leads to the rise of pressure groups.</li>
<li><strong>Inadequacies of Political Parties:</strong> Pressure groups are primarily a consequence of inadequacies of the political parties.</li>
<li><strong>Represent Changing Consciousness:</strong> For instance the increase in the food production or industrial goods does bring a change in the way individuals and groups look at the world. The stagnation in production leads to fatalism but increase in production leads to demands, protests and formation of new pressure groups.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Types of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Institutional Interest Groups:</strong> These groups are formally organised which consist of professionally employed persons. They are a part of government machinery and try to exert their influence.These groups include political parties, legislatures, armies, bureaucracies, etc. Whenever such an association raises protest it does so by constitutional means and in accordance with the rules and regulations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Example: IAS Association, IPS Association, State civil services association, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Associational Interest Groups :</strong> These are organised specialised groups formed for interest articulation, but to pursue limited goals. These include trade unions, organisations of businessmen and industrialists and civic groups.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some examples of Associational Interest Groups in India are Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Chamber of Commerce, Trade Unions such as AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress), Teachers Associations, Students Associations such as National Students Union of India (NSUI) etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Anomic Interest Groups:</strong> By anomic pressure groups we mean more or less a spontaneous breakthrough into the political system from the society such as riots, demonstrations, assassinations and the like.</li>
<li><strong>Non-Associational Interest Groups:</strong> These are the kinship and lineage groups and ethnic, regional, status and class groups that articulate interests on the basis of individuals, family and religious heads. These groups have informal structure. These include caste groups, language groups, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pressure Groups in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Business Groups &ndash;</strong> Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Federation of All India Foodgrain Dealers Association (FAIFDA), etc</li>
<li><strong>Trade Unions &ndash;</strong> All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)</li>
<li><strong>Professional Groups &ndash;</strong> Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bar Council of India (BCI), All India Federation of University and College Teachers (AIFUCT)</li>
<li><strong>Agrarian Groups-</strong> All India Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union, etc</li>
<li><strong>Student&rsquo;s Organisations-</strong> Akhila Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), All India Students Federation (AISF), National Students Union of India (NSUI)</li>
<li><strong>Religious Groups &ndash;</strong> Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jamaat-e-Islami, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Caste Groups &ndash;</strong> Harijan Sevak Sangh, Nadar Caste Association, etc</li>
<li><strong>Linguistic Groups &ndash;</strong> Tamil Sangh, Andhra Maha Sabha, etc</li>
<li><strong>Tribal Groups &ndash;&nbsp;</strong>National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), Tribal National Volunteers (TNU) in Tripura, United Mizo federal org, Tribal League of Assam, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Ideology based Groups &ndash;</strong> Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko Movement, Women's Rights Organisation, India Against Corruption etc.</li>
<li><strong>Anomic Groups -</strong> Naxalite Groups, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), Dal Khalsa, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions, Role &amp; Importance of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Interest Articulation:</strong> Pressure Groups bring the demands and needs of the people to the notice of the decision-makers. The process by which the claims of the people get crystallized and articulated is called interest articulation.</li>
<li><strong>Agents of Political Socialisation:</strong> Pressure groups are agents of political socialisation in so far as they influence the orientations of the people towards the political process. These groups play a vital role as two-way communication links between the people and the government.</li>
<li>Pressure groups play a <strong>vital role in the legislative process,</strong> not only as important structures of interest articulation, but also as active agencies engaged in lobbying with the legislators for securing desired laws or amendments in laws and policies of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Right from the time of preparation of election manifestos of various political parties to the passing of laws by the legislators, the pressure groups remain associated with the process of rule-making.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pressure Groups and Administration:</strong> Pressure Groups are actively involved with the process of administration. Through lobbying with the bureaucracy, the pressure groups are usually in a position to influence the process of policy implementation.</li>
<li><strong>Role in Judicial Administration:</strong> Pressure Groups try to use the judicial system for securing and safeguarding their interests. Interest groups often seek access to the court for redressal of their grievances against the government as well as for getting declared a particular decision or policy as unconstitutional.</li>
<li>Pressure groups play a leading role in the <strong>formulation of public opinion.</strong> Each pressure group is continuously engaged in evaluating all such laws, rules, decisions and policies which have a direct or indirect bearing on the interests it represents. It always places the pros and cons not only before its members but also before the general public for eliciting popular support as well as for catching the attention of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activity by carrying out information campaigns, organising meetings, file petitions, etc. Most of these groups try to influence the media into giving attention to these issues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pressure groups help in<strong> improving the quality of government.</strong> Consultation with affected groups is the rational way to make decisions in a free society. It makes government more efficient by enhancing the quality of the decision making process &ndash; the information and advice provided by these groups helps to improve the quality of government policy and legislation.</li>
<li>Freely operating pressure groups are essential to the effective functioning of liberal democracy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They serve as a vital intermediary institutions between government and society;</li>
<li>They assist in the dispersal of political power;</li>
<li>They provide important counterweights to balance the concentration of power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pressure groups enable new concerns and issues to reach the political agenda, thereby <strong>facilitating social progress and preventing social stagnation.</strong> For example, the women&rsquo;s and environmentalist movements.</li>
<li>Pressure groups <strong>increase social cohesion and political stability</strong> by providing a &lsquo;safety-valve&rsquo; outlet for individual and collective grievances and demands.</li>
<li>Pressure groups complement the work of opposition political parties by exposing the bad policies and wrongdoings of the government. Pressure groups thereby <strong>improve the accountability of decision makers</strong> to electorates.</li>
<li>Pressure groups help to educate people, compile data and provide specific information to policy makers, thus they work as an informal source of information. Active constructive participation of numerous groups in polity helps to reconcile general interest with individual group interests.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Shortcomings of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Narrow selfish interests:</strong> Unlike the pressure groups in the developed countries of the West, where these are invariably organised to safeguard economic, social, cultural interests, etc. in India these groups are organised around religious, regional and ethnic issues. Many a time factors of caste and religion eclipse the socioeconomic interests. The result is that instead of serving a useful purpose in the political administrative process, they are reduced to work for narrow selfish interests.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of power:</strong> Instead of the pressure groups exerting influence on political process, they become tools and implements to subserve political interests.</li>
<li><strong>Instability:</strong> Most pressure groups do not have autonomous existence; they are unstable and lack commitment, their loyalties shift with political situations which threatens general welfare. They many a times resort to unconstitutional means like violence. Naxalite movement started in 1967 in West Bengal is one such example.</li>
<li><strong>Propagating extremism:</strong> Pressure groups can allow too much influence over the government from unelected extremist minority groups, which in turn could lead to unpopular consequences.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pressure groups are now considered as an indispensable and helpful element of the democratic process. The society has become highly complex and individuals cannot pursue their interests on their own. They need the support of other fellow beings in order to gain greater bargaining power; this gives rise to pressure groups based on common interests.</li>
<li>Democratic politics has to be politics through consultation, through negotiation and some amount of bargaining is also involved. Thus, it is very essential for the government to consult these organised groups at the time of policy formulation and implementation.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/mind-map/gs-paper2/pressure-groups-mind-map" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>For Mind Map</em></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => '5th Annual Day of CARA',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)</strong> has celebrated its <strong>5<sup>th</sup> Annual Day</strong> recently.</li>
<li>CARA has conducted various training programmes and workshops at national and state levels for all the stakeholders of the adoption programme.</li>
<li>It has also carried out a number of advocacy programs through various mediums for creating awareness and sensitization of the general public.</li>
<li>It is giving emphasis to the rehabilitation of older and special needs children in various Child Care Institutions across the country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been set up as a <strong>statutory body</strong> of the <strong>Ministry of Women and Child Development.</strong></li>
<li>It functions as a <strong>nodal body</strong> for the<strong> adoption of Indian children</strong> and is mandated to <strong>monitor and regulate</strong> in-country and inter-country adoption.</li>
<li>CARA is designated as the<strong> Central Authority</strong> to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-cell-to-resolve-child-custody-disputes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hague Conventions</strong></a> on Inter-Country Adoptions, 1993, ratified by the Government of India in 2003.</li>
<li>CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated /recognised adoption agencies.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Hague Convention is a multilateral treaty which came into existence on 1<sup>st</sup> December 1983.</li>
<li>It is an international treaty to ensure the prompt return of the child who has been &ldquo;abducted&rdquo; from the country of their &ldquo;habitual residence&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The Convention applies to children age under 16 years.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1599474" 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/5th-annual-day-of-cara'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'ASER Report 2019',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Non-governmental organization (NGO) Pratham&rsquo;s Annual Status of Education Report 2019</strong> has flagged <strong>poor learning outcomes</strong> in schools.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASER 2019 reported on the <strong>pre-schooling</strong> or <strong>schooling</strong> status of children in the age group <strong>4 to 8 years</strong> in 26 <strong>rural districts</strong> (districts with rural population &gt;<strong>70%</strong>) across 24 States.</li>
<li>The report focuses on the <strong>&ldquo;early years&rdquo;</strong> and lays emphasis on <strong>&ldquo;developing problem-solving faculties</strong> and <strong>building memory of children,</strong> and <strong>not content knowledge&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Early years</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is<strong> defined globally as age 0-8,</strong> is known to be the <strong>most important stage</strong> of cognitive, motor, social and emotional development in the human life cycle.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It explores children&rsquo;s performance on <strong>4 competencies</strong> that are identified as important predictors of future success, viz.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Cognitive Development, </strong></li>
<li><strong>Early Language, </strong></li>
<li><strong>Early Numeracy,</strong> and</li>
<li><strong>Social and Emotional Development.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key FIndings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASER Report 2019 argues that a focus on <strong>cognitive skills</strong> rather than subject learning in the early years can make a big difference to basic literacy and numeracy abilities.</li>
<li>It tested <strong>cognitive skills</strong> of children. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tests included sorting images by colour and size, recognising patterns, fitting together a four-piece animal puzzle &mdash; as well as simple literacy and numeracy tests.</li>
<li>However, of those <strong>children who could correctly do all three cognitive tasks, 52% could read words,</strong> and <strong>63% could solve the addition problem.</strong></li>
<li>ASER data shows that children&rsquo;s performance on tasks requiring cognitive skills is <strong>strongly related to their ability to do early language and numeracy tasks.</strong></li>
<li>This suggests that focussing on play-based <strong>activities that build memory, reasoning and problem-solving abilities is more productive</strong> than an early focus on content knowledge.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reading and early childhood education</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Only<strong> 16%</strong> of children in <strong>Class 1</strong> can read the text at the prescribed level, while almost 40% cannot even recognise letters.</li>
<li>Early childhood education has the potential to be the<strong> &ldquo;greatest and most powerful equaliser&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Global research shows that <strong>90% of brain growth occurs by age 5,</strong> meaning that the <strong>quality of early childhood education</strong> has a <strong>crucial impact</strong> on the development and long-term schooling of a child.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Private schools ahead :</strong> Of 6 year olds in Class 1, nearly 42% of those in private schools could <strong>read words</strong> in comparison to only 19% from government schools. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This gap is further exacerbated by a <strong>gender divide.</strong></li>
<li>More than a quarter of Class 1 students in government schools are only 4 or 5 years old, <strong>younger than the recommended age.</strong> These younger children struggle more than others in all skills.</li>
<li>At the same time, 36% in Class 1 are <strong>older</strong> than the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/right-to-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right To Education (RTE) Act (2009)</strong></a> -mandated age of 6.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It can be noted that the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/draft-national-education-policy-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>draft New Education Policy (NEP), 2019</strong></a> also links the<strong> &ldquo;severe learning crisis&rdquo;</strong> to what goes on with young children in India.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579169579_image2.PNG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579169579_image2.PNG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="615" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Draft New Education Policy (NEP), 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Draft NEP points out that close to 5 crore children currently in elementary schools do not have foundational literacy and numeracy skills.</li>
<li>Several <strong>possible reasons</strong> for this:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Many children enter <strong>school before age 6.</strong> This is partly due to the <strong>lack of affordable and accessible options for pre-schooling.</strong> Therefore, too many children go to Std I with limited exposure to early childhood education.</li>
<li>Children from poor families have a <strong>double disadvantage - lack of healthcare and nutrition</strong> on one side and the <strong>absence of a supportive learning environment on the other.</strong></li>
<li>School readiness or early childhood development and education activities have <strong>not</strong> had a high priority in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)</strong> </a>system</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASER surveys use Census 2011 as the sampling frame.</li>
<li>ASER continues to be an important national source of information about children&rsquo;s foundational skills across the country.</li>
<li>In 2016, ASER switched to an alternate-year cycle where this &lsquo;basic&rsquo; ASER is conducted every other year (2016, 2018, and next in 2020); and in alternate years ASER focuses on a different aspect of children&rsquo;s schooling and learning.</li>
<li>In 2017, ASER 'Beyond Basics' focused on the abilities, experiences, and aspirations of youth in the 14-18 age group.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aser-report-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>In 2018 ASER</strong></a> had data on enrollment patterns in age group 4 to 8.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is considerable scope for <strong>expanding Anganwadi outreach for 3 and 4 year-old</strong> children.<strong> Strengthen the early childhood components</strong> in the <strong>Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)</strong> system for raising school readiness among young children.</li>
<li>A <strong>reworking of curriculum and activities</strong> is urgently needed for the entire age band from 4 to 8, cutting across all types of preschools and early grades regardless of whether the provision is by government institutions or by private agencies.</li>
<li>The year<strong> 2020 marks the 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the RTE Act.</strong> This is the best moment to focus on the youngest cohorts before and during their entry to formal schooling and ensure that 10 years later they complete secondary school as well-equipped and well-rounded citizens of India.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/education-policy-india-schooling-6216711/" 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/aser-report-2019'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Fuel Conservation Campaign: Saksham',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>An annual one-month long people <strong>centric fuel conservation campaign</strong> of the <strong>Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA)</strong> named <strong>Saksham,</strong> will be launched on 16<sup>th</sup> January, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This campaign aims to spread the message of fuel conservation and greener environment across India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Petroleum Conservation Research Association</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PCRA is a registered society set up under the aegis of <strong>Ministry of Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas.</strong></li>
<li>As a<strong> non-profit organization,</strong> PCRA is a <strong>national government agency</strong> engaged in promoting energy efficiency in various sectors of economy.</li>
<li>It helps the government in proposing policies and strategies for petroleum conservation, aimed at reducing excessive dependence of the country on oil requirement.</li>
<li>Its head office is located in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Other Initiatives Taken by the PCRA</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PCRA in association with the Institute of Petroleum-Dehradun has developed high energy efficient <strong>Piped Natural Gas (PNG) burner/Gas</strong> stove for household where piped gas is supplied which will save gas as compared to modified LPG stove for PNG.</li>
<li>The <strong>annual Saksham National Competition</strong> which generally is launched in the month of July, has seen participation of 1.48 crore students.</li>
<li>An <strong>awareness Campaign on 100 busiest intersections of Delhi</strong> through the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on encouraging the behaviour of switching-off engine at red light was recently carried out by PCRA.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The campaign led to approximately 22% reduction in idling fuel losses for petrol.</li>
<li>Similarly, approximately 14%, 12% and 19% reduction in Diesel, CNG and LPG respectively was observed due to awareness campaign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1599406" 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/fuel-conservation-campaign-saksham'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Henley Passport Index 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Henley &amp; Partners, the residence and citizenship planning firm has published the Henley Passport Index for 2020 according to the number of destinations the respective passport holders can access without a prior visa.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ranking is based on data from the<strong> International Air Transport Association (IATA),</strong> a trade association of some 290 airlines, including all major carriers.</li>
<li>The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.</li>
<li>The Henley Passport Index was launched in <strong>2006</strong> with the aim of providing a <strong>global picture of freedom of travelling.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579159613_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579159613_image1.jpg" width="211" caption="false" style="float: right;" height="307" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Japan</strong> has the <strong>world&rsquo;s strongest passport</strong> whereas <strong>Afghanistan (107<sup>th</sup> rank)</strong> has the <strong>weakest.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Japan has been topping the Index for <strong>three years continuously.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Singapore,</strong> in <strong>second place</strong> (same as in 2019) followed by <strong>Germany and South Korea</strong> both shares the <strong>third position</strong> in the index.</li>
<li>The <strong>Indian passport</strong> is closer to the bottom, ranked <strong>84<sup>th</sup></strong> in the world.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian passport ranked higher in both 2019 (82<sup>nd</sup>) and 2018 (81<sup>st</sup>).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Serbia</strong> is the <strong>only European country</strong> to which <strong>Indian passport holders</strong> can travel <strong>visa-free.</strong> There is no major or developed country to which Indian passport holders have visa-free access.</li>
<li>The<strong> USA</strong> and<strong> the UK</strong> both countries are in<strong> eighth</strong> place in <strong>2020;</strong> a significant <strong>decline</strong> from the<strong> rank 1</strong> they <strong>jointly held in 2015.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>top 10 most powerful passports</strong> for 2020 are Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain, USA and UK, Luxembourg, Denmark.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indian-passport-ranked-84th-in-the-world-japans-on-top-6218623/" 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/henley-passport-index-2020'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Pressure Groups',
			'catname' => 'Paper 2',
			'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582782288_Pressure%20Groups (Mind Map)_Artboard 1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582782288_Pressure Groups (Mind Map)_Artboard 1.png" width="526" height="2593" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/pressure-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>For TTP</em></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/mind-map/gs-paper2/pressure-groups-mind-map'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'FCRA and Dissent',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-government-that-chooses-its-critics/article30569264.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;A government that chooses its critics&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 15/01/2020. It talks about the impact of the prohibition of foreign funding to NGOs (under FCRA) on freedom of speech and expression.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation raided Amnesty International&rsquo;s offices on allegations that the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/non-governmental-organizations-ngos" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)</strong> </a>had violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. Amnesty has been vocal about human rights abuses, notably in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.</p>
<p>The government sought to restrict foreign funding of NGOs on account of maintenance of public interest, whereas sometimes this regulation results in the chilling effect of freedom of speech and expression.</p>
<h3>Non-Governmental Organisations in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Worldwide, <strong>the term &lsquo;NGO&rsquo;</strong> is used to describe a body that is neither part of a government nor a conventional for-profit business organisation.</li>
<li>NGOs are groups of ordinary citizens that are involved in a wide range of activities that may have <strong>charitable, social, political, religious or other interests.</strong></li>
<li>NGOs are helpful in implementing <strong>government schemes at the grassroots.</strong></li>
<li>In India, NGOs can be registered under a plethora of Acts such as the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, Religious Endowments Act,1863, Indian Trusts Act, etc.</li>
<li>India has possibly the <strong>largest number of active NGOs</strong> in the world, a study commissioned by the government put the number of NGOs in 2009 at 33 lakh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>That was <strong>one NGO for less than 400 Indians,</strong> and many times the number of primary schools and primary health centres.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Ministries such as Health and Family Welfare, Human Resource Department, etc provide funding to NGOs, but only a handful of NGOs get hefty government funds.</li>
<li>NGOs also receive funds from abroad, if they are registered with the Home Ministry under the<strong> Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Without this, no NGO can receive cash or anything of value higher than <strong>Rs 25,000.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Foreign funding of voluntary organizations in India is regulated under FCRA act and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Acts ensures that the recipients of foreign contributions adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Under the Act, organisations require to register themselves every five years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Why have NGOs been controversial recently?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An <strong>Intelligence Bureau</strong> (IB) report, submitted to the PMO and National Security Adviser in June 2019, alleged that several foreign-funded NGOs were stalling India&rsquo;s economic growth by their <strong>obstructionist activism.</strong></li>
<li>The report accused Greenpeace of attempting to destabilise India&rsquo;s energy mix in collusion with a US-based anti-coal lobbying group.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The IB subsequently advised the government to cancel Greenpeace&rsquo;s FCRA registration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Earlier, in 2015, the Home Ministry had cancelled the FCRA licences of 10,000 organisations, including prominent international funding agency Ford Foundation, the environmentalist Constitutional &amp; Administrative group Greenpeace, and human rights advocacy group Lawyers Collective, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How prohibiting International funding of NGOs lead to chilling effect?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The contribution of NGOs to human rights and public awareness is significant in India. For example, the recognition of the rights of homosexuals and transgender people, developments in the public provision of health and education are unlikely to come about without pressure by NGOs.</li>
<li>However, most NGOs are neither politically powerful nor have great financial capacity. That's why International funding is crucial for NGOs to function.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, small environmental or tribal rights groups protesting against environmental violations by multinational companies cannot fight back against companies that use their resources.</li>
<li>Thus, there is a power imbalance in this struggle, exacerbated by financial restraints on organisations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The FCRA regulates the receipt of funding from sources outside of India to NGOs working in India. <strong>It prohibits the receipt of foreign contribution &ldquo;for any activities detrimental to the national interest&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The Act held that the government can refuse permission if it believes that the donation to the NGO will adversely affect <strong>&ldquo;public interest&rdquo;</strong> or the<strong> &ldquo;economic interest of the state&rdquo;.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there is no clear guidance on what constitutes &ldquo;public interest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The FCRA restrictions have serious consequences on both the<strong> rights to free speech </strong>and<strong> freedom of association</strong> under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(c) of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The right to free speech is affected in <strong>two ways:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By allowing only some political groups to receive foreign donations and disallowing some others, can induce biases in favour of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NGOs need to tread carefully when they criticise the regime, knowing that too much criticism could cost their survival.</li>
<li>FCRA norms can reduce critical voices by declaring them to be against the public interest. This chilling effect on free speech can lead to self-censorship.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Similar to this on unclear guidelines on public interest, in <strong>Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015),</strong> the Supreme Court (SC) struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act. The SC held that the Act could be used in a manner that has a chilling effect on free speech.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Besides, given that the right to freedom of association is part of the <strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights</strong> (article 20), a violation of this right also constitutes a human rights violation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In April 2016 the<strong> UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association</strong> undertook a legal analysis of the FCRA, 2010.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It stated that restrictions in the name of <strong>&ldquo;public interest&rdquo; and &ldquo;economic interest&rdquo;</strong> as invoked under the FCRA failed the test of &ldquo;legitimate restrictions&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The terms were too vague and gave the state excessive discretionary powers to apply the provision in an arbitrary manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In this context, though it is necessary to regulate corrupt NGOs, there needs to be clarity on terms like public interest.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffbdb;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Invoking the FCRA to regulate NGOs is deeply troubling as a thriving democracy requires critics and civil society. Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fcra-and-dissent'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'PRS Capsule December 2019',
			'catname' => 'PRS Capsule',
			'desc' => '<p><em><strong>Key Highlights of PRS</strong></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="#1">Polity</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#2">Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#3">The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#4">Census 2021 and updation of National Population Register</a></li>
<li><a href="#5">The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#6">The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 introduced in Lok Sabha</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#7">Economy</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#8">The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#9">International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#10">Ordinance to Amend Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#11">Social Welfare</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#12">Code on Social Security</a></li>
<li><a href="#13">The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#14">The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#15">The Prohibition of E-Cigarettes Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#16">Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="1">Polity</h2>
<h3 id="2">Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/citizenship-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019</strong> </a>which received the President&rsquo;s assent to become an Act.</li>
<li>It amends the Citizenship Act, 1955.</li>
<li>The Citizenship Act, 1955 provides various ways in which citizenship may be acquired.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/citizenship-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Acquisition and Determination of Indian Citizenship</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Citizenship Act, 1955 provides five ways in which Indian citizenship can be acquired: birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of territory.</li>
<li>By Birth:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Every person born in India on or after 26.01.1950 but before 01.07.1987 is an Indian citizen irrespective of the nationality of his/her parents.</li>
<li>Every person born in India between 01.07.1987 and 02.12.2004 is a citizen of India given either of his/her parents is a citizen of the country at the time of his/her birth.</li>
<li>Every person born in India on or after 3.12.2004 is a citizen of the country given both his/her parents are Indians or at least one parent is a citizen and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of birth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By Registration:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person of Indian origin who has been a resident of India for 7 years before applying for registration.</li>
<li>A person of Indian origin who is a resident of any country outside undivided India.</li>
<li>A person who is married to an Indian citizen and is ordinarily resident for 7 years before applying for registration.</li>
<li>Minor children of persons who are citizens of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By Descent:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person born outside India on or after January 26, 1950, is a citizen of India by descent if his/her father was a citizen of India by birth.</li>
<li>A person born outside India on or after December 10, 1992, but before December 3, 2004, if either of his/her parents was a citizen of India by birth.</li>
<li>If a person born outside India or after December 3, 2004, has to acquire citizenship, his/her parents have to declare that the minor does not hold a passport of another country and his/her birth is registered at an Indian consulate within one year of birth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By Naturalisation:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person can acquire citizenship by naturalisation if he/she is ordinarily resident of India for 12 years (throughout 12 months preceding the date of application and 11 years in the aggregate) and fulfills all qualifications in the third schedule of the Citizenship Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Incorporation of Territory: If a foriegn territory becomes a part of India,then the Government can specify the persons from the territory who will be the citizens of India.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Key Features of the Bill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Illegal migrants:</strong> The Act prohibits illegal migrants from acquiring Indian citizenship.<strong> Illegal migrants are those foreigners who do not have valid passport or travel documents.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill amends the Act to provide that the <strong>Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan,</strong> who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, will not be treated as illegal migrants.</li>
<li><strong>Citizenship by naturalisation:</strong> The Bill reduces the residency requirement from 11 years to 5 years for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribal Areas and Inner Line Permit:</strong> The provisions on citizenship for illegal migrants will not apply to the tribal areas including<strong> Karbi Anglong (in Assam), Garo Hills (in Meghalaya), Chakma district (Mizoram) and Tripura Tribal Areas District.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, it will not apply to the <strong>&ldquo;Inner Line&rdquo;</strong> areas notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.</li>
<li>In these areas, visits by Indians are regulated through the Inner Line Permit. Currently, this permit system is applicable to Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/indepth-6th-schedule-and-ilp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Inner Line Permit</strong></a></p>
<p>An Inner Line Permit is a document that allows an Indian citizen to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system. The ILP is obligatory for all those who reside outside the protected states. It is issued by the concerned state government for travel purposes solely.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Inner Line Permit was established by the British government under the<strong> Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873</strong> to safeguard tribals of the eastern part of Bengal.</li>
<li>Under Section 2 of the Regulation of 1873, the ILP was only applicable to the three North Eastern States, namely, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.</li>
<li>Recently, the President signed the order extending ILP to Manipur, which became the fourth state where the ILP regime is now applicable.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cancellation of registration of OCIs:</strong> The grounds for the cancellation of the registration of Overseas Citizens of India include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>if the OCI has registered through fraud, or</li>
<li>if, within five years of registration, the OCI has been sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The Bill adds one more ground for cancellation, that is if the OCI has violated the provisions of the Act or of any other law notified by the government.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="3">The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arms Amendment Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha.</li>
<li>The Bill seeks to amend a section of the Arms Act, 1959.</li>
<li>It seeks to decrease the number of licensed firearms allowed per person and increase penalties for certain offences under the Act.</li>
<li>It also introduces new categories of offences.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features of the Bill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>License for acquiring firearms:</strong> The Bill reduces the number of permitted firearms <strong>from three to two</strong> including licenses given on inheritance or heirloom basis.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill provides a time period of 1 year to deposit excess firearms.</li>
<li>It also increases the duration of a firearm license from 3 years to 5 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increase in penalties:</strong> The 1959 Act specifies the punishment for (i) dealing in unlicensed firearms, (ii) shortening or converting a firearm without a license, and (iii) importing or exporting banned firearms. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The punishment for these offences is between 3-7 years along with a fine.</li>
<li>The Bill increases the punishment to between seven years and life imprisonment, along with a fine.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New offenses</strong> include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>forcefully taking a firearm from police or armed forces, punishable with imprisonment between 10 years and life imprisonment, and a fine, and</li>
<li>using firearms in celebratory gunfire which endangers human life or personal safety of others, punishable with imprisonment of up to 2 years or fine of up to one lakh or both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Organized crime syndicates:</strong> Possession of firearms by a member of a syndicate, in violation of the Act, will be punishable with imprisonment between 10 years and life, along with a fine. Illicit trafficking is punishable with imprisonment between 10 years and life, along with a fine.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="4">Census 2021 and updation of National Population Register</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has approved proposals to:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>conduct the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/census-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Census of India 2021</strong></a> throughout the country, and</li>
<li>update the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-population-register" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Population Register (NPR)</strong></a> in all parts of the country, except the state of Assam.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Census</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A population Census is a process of collecting, compiling, analyzing and disseminating demographic, social, cultural and economic data relating to all persons in the country, at a particular time in ten years interval.</li>
<li>The Indian Census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the people of India.</li>
<li>The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>The Census will be conducted in two phases:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>a house listing and housing census between April and September 2020, and</li>
<li>population enumeration in February 2021.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Population Register</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a list of &ldquo;usual residents of the country&rdquo;.</li>
<li>A &ldquo;usual resident of the country&rdquo; is one who has been residing in a local area for at least the last six months, or intends to stay in a particular location for the next six months.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="5">The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dadra-and-nagar-haveli-and-daman-and-diu-merger-of-union-territories-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu (Merger of UTs) Bill</strong> </a><strong>providing for the merger of two Union Territories into a single UT.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Representation in Lok Sabha:</strong> The First Schedule to the Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides <strong>one seat in Lok Sabha to each of the two UTs.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill seeks to amend the Schedule to allocate two Lok Sabha seats to the merged UT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Jurisdiction of High Court:</strong> The Bill provides that the jurisdiction of the High Court of Bombay will continue to extend to the merged UT.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="6">The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 introduced in Lok Sabha</h3>
<p>Introduced in Lok Sabha the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/personal-data-protection-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP)</strong></a> seeks to provide for protection of personal data of individuals, and establishes a<strong> Data Protection Authority</strong> for the same.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data Fiduciary:</strong> The 'data fiduciary' may be a service provider who collects, stores and uses data in the course of providing such goods and services. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill sets out obligations towards the entity who has access to personal data.</li>
<li>It states that the processing of personal data will be subjected to certain purpose, collection and storage limitations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Rights of the individual: These include the right to:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>obtain confirmation from the fiduciary on whether their personal data has been processed,</li>
<li>seek correction, erasure, completion or updating of personal data, or</li>
<li>restrict continuing disclosure of their personal data, if it is no longer necessary or if consent is withdrawn.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data Protection Authority:</strong> The Bill sets up a Data Protection Authority which may:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>take steps to protect interests of individuals,</li>
<li>prevent misuse of personal data, and</li>
<li>ensure compliance with the Bill.&nbsp;
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Authority will be composed of members with expertise in the field of data protection and information technology.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Exemptions:</strong> Processing of personal data is exempt from the provisions of the Bill in some cases. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Example: The central government can exempt any of its agencies from the provisions of the Act in interest of security of state, public order, sovereignty and integrity of India and friendly relations with foreign states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill provides that the central government may direct data fiduciaries to provide it with any:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>non-personal data and</li>
<li>anonymised personal data for better targeting of services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="7">Economy</h2>
<h3 id="8">The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxation-laws-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> replacing the Ordinance promulgated in September 2019 to cut Corporate tax rate.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill amends:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>the Income Tax Act, 1961 (IT Act), and</li>
<li>the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This Bill provides domestic companies with lower tax rate options if they do not claim certain deductions.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features of the Bill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Tax Rate of 22%: Currently, domestic companies with an annual turnover of up to Rs 400 crore pay income tax at the rate of 25%.</strong> For other domestic companies, the tax rate is 30%. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill provides domestic companies with an option to pay income tax at the rate of 22% if they do not claim certain deductions under the IT Act.</li>
<li>These deductions are provided for: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>newly established units in Special Economic Zones,</li>
<li>investment in new plants or machinery in notified backward areas,</li>
<li>expenditure on scientific research, the extension of agriculture, and skill development projects,</li>
<li>depreciation of new plants or machinery (in certain cases), and</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Rate of 15% for new companies:</strong> New domestic manufacturing companies can pay income tax at the rate of 15%, provided they do not claim the deductions specified above. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They should be set up and registered after September 30, 2019, and should start manufacturing before April 1, 2023.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Companies can choose to opt for the new tax rates starting the financial year 2019-20 (i.e. the assessment year 2020-21).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once an option is chosen, it will apply for all the subsequent years.</li>
<li>If companies choosing a new option do not follow certain conditions, they cannot exercise the new option for that year and subsequent years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="9">International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>Passed by the Parliament, the Bill provides for the<strong> establishment of an authority</strong> to develop and regulate the financial services market in International Financial Services Centres(IFSCs) in India.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Coverage:</strong> The Bill will apply to all the IFSCs set up under the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Act, 2005.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/international-financial-services-centres-authority-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Financial Service Centre (IFSC)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An IFSC caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of the domestic economy. Such centres deal with flows of finance, financial products and services across borders.</li>
<li>In India, IFSC has been defined in the SEZ Act, 2005. As per the Act:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central Government may approve the setting up of an International Financial Service Centre in a Special Economic Zone and may prescribe the requirements for setting up and operation of such centre.</li>
<li>The Central Government shall approve only one International Financial Services Centre in a Special Economic Zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Constitution of the IFSCs Authority:</strong> The Bill sets up the International Financial Services Centres Authority. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Authority will consist of 9 members, including a chairperson, appointed by the central government.</li>
<li>Members of the Authority will include representatives from the RBI, SEBI, IRDA, PFRDA, and the Ministry of Finance.</li>
<li>Further, two members of the Authority are to be appointed on the recommendation of a Search Committee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Functions:</strong> Functions of the Authority include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Regulating approved financial products (such as securities or deposits), financial services, and financial institutions in an IFSC,</li>
<li>Regulating any other financial products, services, or institutions in an IFSC, which may be notified by the central government, and</li>
<li>recommending to the central government any other financial services, products, or institutions which may be permitted in an IFSC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IFSCA Fund:</strong> The bill sets-up IFSC Authority Fund. Grants, fees and charges received by the Authority from various sources will be credited to the Fund.</li>
<li><strong>Transaction in foreign currency:</strong> All transactions of financial services in IFSCs will be in such foreign currency as specified by the Authority, in consultation with the central government.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="10">Ordinance to Amend Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)</h3>
<p>The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 was promulgated on December 28, 2019. The Ordinance amends the IBC, 2016.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Code provides a time-bound process for resolving insolvency in companies and among individuals.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016</strong></a></p>
<p>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 provides a time-bound process for resolving insolvency in companies and among individuals.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Government implemented the IBC to consolidate all laws related to insolvency and bankruptcy and to tackle Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), a problem that has been pulling the Indian economy down for years.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Salient features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Covers all individuals, companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and partnership firms.</li>
<li>Adjudicating authority:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)</strong> for companies and LLPs</li>
<li><strong>Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT)</strong> for individuals and partnership firms</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Establishment of an <strong>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India</strong> to exercise regulatory oversight over insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies and information utilities.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Key Points</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Minimum threshold:</strong> Under the Code, a financial creditor may file an application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for initiating the insolvency resolution process.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ordinance amends this to provide minimum thresholds for certain classes of financial creditors for initiating the insolvency resolution process.</li>
<li>In case of real estate projects, if an allottee wants to initiate the resolution process, the application should be filed jointly by at least 100 allottees of the same real estate project, or 10% of the total allottees under that project, whichever is less.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Liability for prior offences:</strong> The resolution plan under the Code may result in change in the management or control of a corporate debtor to other persons.</li>
<li><strong>Permits, licenses and registrations:</strong> The Ordinance states that any existing license, permit, registration, quota, concession, or clearance, given by the government or local authority, <strong>will not be suspended or terminated</strong> on the grounds of insolvency. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there should be no default in payment of current dues for the use or continuation of such grants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Supply of critical goods and services:</strong> The Ordinance states that the resolution professional may order that the supply of certain goods and services which are critical for the corporate debtor&rsquo;s operations <strong>cannot be discontinued</strong> during the <strong>moratorium period.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Moratorium Period:</strong> A Period wherein no judicial proceedings for recovery, enforcement of security interest, sale or transfer of assets, or termination of essential contracts can be instituted or continued against the Corporate Debtor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="11">Social Welfare</h2>
<h3 id="12">Code on Social Security</h3>
<p>The Code on Social Security, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha. It replaces nine laws related to social security, including the <strong>Employees&rsquo; Provident Fund Act, 1952, and the Unorganised Workers&rsquo; Social Security Act, 2008.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Social security schemes:</strong> Under the Code, the central government may notify various social security schemes for the benefit of workers. These include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>an Employees&rsquo; Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme,</li>
<li>an Employees&rsquo; State Insurance (ESI) Scheme to provide sickness, maternity, and other benefits, and</li>
<li>specific schemes for<strong> gig workers, platform workers,</strong> and <strong>unorganised workers</strong> to provide various benefits, such as life and disability cover.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p>Gig workers: Workers outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship (e.g., freelancers).</p>
<p>Platform workers: Workers who access other organisations or individuals using online platforms and earn money by providing them with specific services.</p>
<p>Unorganised workers: Includes home-based and self-employed workers.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Coverage and registration:</strong> The Code specifies different applicability thresholds for the schemes. For example,<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The EPF Scheme will apply to establishments with 20 or more employees. These thresholds may be amended by the central government.</li>
<li>All eligible establishments are required to register under the Code, unless they are already registered under another labour law.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Contributions:</strong> Certain schemes, such as the EPF and ESI Schemes will be financed through a combination of contributions from the employer and employee. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All contributions towards payment of gratuity, maternity benefit, cess for building workers, and employee compensation will be borne by the employer.</li>
<li>Schemes for gig workers, platform workers, and unorganised workers may be financed through a combination of contributions from the employer, employee, and the appropriate government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Social security organisations:</strong> The Code provides for the establishment of several bodies to administer the social security schemes. These include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A Central Board of Trustees to administer the EPF, EPS and EDLI Schemes,</li>
<li>An Employees State Insurance Corporation to administer the ESI Scheme, and</li>
<li>National and state-level Social Security Boards to administer schemes for unorganised workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="13">The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lok-sabha-passes-the-constitution-124th-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> was passed by Parliament. The Bill amends provisions related to reservation of seats for<strong> Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs)</strong> and the removal of reservation for <strong>Anglo-Indians</strong> in legislative bodies.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Constitution provides for reservation of seats for SCs and STs and representation of the Anglo-Indian community by nomination, in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of states.</li>
<li>This has been provided for a period of 70 years since the enactment of the Constitution and will expire on January 25, 2020.</li>
<li>The Bill seeks to extend the reservation for SCs and STs by another 10 years till January 25, 2030.</li>
<li>The provision of seats by nomination for Anglo-Indians in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies has not been extended.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Anglo-Indians</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 366:</strong> It defines as a person whose father or any of whose other male progenitors in the male line is or was of European descent but who is domiciled within the territory of India and is or was born within such territory of parents habitually resident therein and not established there for temporary purposes only.</li>
<li><strong>Article 334(b):</strong> The reservation of the Anglo Indian community in the Legislative bodies was extended for 40 years in 1949 through the insertion of this article.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="14">The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>Introduced in Lok Sabha, the Bill <strong>amends the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definitions:</strong> In the Act, the term<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>&lsquo;Children&rsquo;</strong> refers to children and grandchildren, excluding minors.</li>
<li>The Bill adds step-children, adoptive children, children-in-laws, and the legal guardian of minors to the definition.</li>
<li><strong>Parents</strong> to include biological, adoptive, and step parents. The Bill expands this definition to include both parents-in-law and grandparents.</li>
<li>The Bill expands the definition of: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Maintenance,</strong> to include the provision of healthcare, safety, and security for parents and senior citizens to lead a life of dignity,</li>
<li><strong>Welfare,</strong> to include the provision of housing, clothing, safety, and other amenities necessary for the well-being of a senior citizen or parent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maintenance orders:</strong> Under the Act, state governments constitute <strong>maintenance Tribunals</strong> which may direct children and relatives <strong>to pay a monthly maintenance fee of up to Rs 10,000 to parents and senior citizens.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill removes the upper limit on the maintenance fee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Offences and penalties:</strong> The penalty for the abandonment of a senior citizen or parent has been increased to imprisonment between three and six months, and a fine of up to Rs10,000. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill also provides that failure to comply with the maintenance order by children or relatives may lead to imprisonment up to one month, or until the payment is made.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="15">The Prohibition of E-Cigarettes Bill, 2019</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/e-cigarette" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes</strong></a> (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It replaced an Ordinance promulgated in September 2019.</li>
<li>The Bill seeks to prohibit the production, trade, storage, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Electronic cigarettes:</strong> The Bill defines electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as electronic devices that heat a substance, which may contain nicotine and other chemicals, to create vapour for inhalation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These e-cigarettes can also contain different flavours and include all forms of electronic nicotine delivery systems, heat-not-burn products, e-hookahs, and other similar devices.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ban:</strong> The Bill prohibits the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution and advertisement of e-cigarettes in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any person who contravenes this provision will be punishable with imprisonment of up to 1 year, or a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or both.</li>
<li>For any subsequent offence, the person will be punishable with an imprisonment of up to three years, along with a fine of up to five lakh rupees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Storage of e-cigarettes:</strong> Under the Bill, no person is allowed to use any place for the storage of any stock of e-cigarettes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If any person stores any stock of e-cigarettes will be punishable with an imprisonment of up to 6 months, or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="16">Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hong-kong-convention-for-ship-recycling" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</strong></a> which restricts the use of hazardous material on ships and regulates the recycling of ships.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Applicability of the Bill:</strong> The Bill will apply to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any new or existing ship which is registered in India,</li>
<li>Ships entering a port or terminal in India, or the territorial waters of India,</li>
<li>Any warship, or other ship owned and operated by an administration and used on government non-commercial service, and</li>
<li>Ship recycling facilities operating in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ship recycling:</strong> The Bill defines ship recycling as the dismantling of a ship at a facility to recover the components and materials for reuse, and taking care of the hazardous material so produced.</li>
<li><strong>Requirements for ships:</strong> Ships should not use prohibited hazardous materials as notified. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The central government may exempt certain categories of ships from this requirement.</li>
<li>The National Authority will carry out periodic surveys to verify the prescribed requirements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recycling facilities:</strong> Ships will be recycled only in authorised recycling facilities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An application to authorise such a facility must be submitted to the Competent Authority (which will be notified by the central government) along with a ship recycling facility management plan, and prescribed fee.</li>
<li>The certificate of authorisation will be valid for a period as specified but not exceeding five years.</li>
<li>Contravening these provisions will be punishable with imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, or both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/prs-capsule/prs-capsule-december-2019'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Indian Army Day',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Army Day is celebrated every year on <strong>15<sup>th</sup> January</strong> in India to commemorate the jawans and the Indian Army.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Army Day celebrations, which began in 1949, will be observed for the 72<sup>nd</sup> time in 2020.</li>
<li>Army Day is celebrated to mark Lt Gen K M Carriappa taking over as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India.</li>
<li>The Indian Army was established on April 1, 1895. It&rsquo;s motto is</li>
<li>"Service before self."</li>
<li><strong>Difference in 2020</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Army Day parade in New Delhi will see for the first time a woman, Captain Tania Shergill, leading an all-men contingent.</li>
<li>Apart from the three service chiefs, India&rsquo;s first chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat will also attend the parade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Battle of Asal Uttar</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The battle of Asal Uttar was a very key turning point during the<strong> Indo-Pakistan war of 1965,</strong> which set the course of India&rsquo;s victory. It was fought from 8<sup>th</sup>-10<sup>th</sup> September, 1965.</li>
<li>It is described by historians as one of the largest tank battles in history since World War II.</li>
<li>Asal Uttar is a village 12 km from the international border with Pakistan in Punjab&rsquo;s Tarn Taran district.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>MQ-9B Sky Guardian</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the next generation Remotely Piloted Aircrafts Systems (RPAS).</li>
<li>It is a highly modular aircraft and is rapidly configurable with a variety of payloads and weapons.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/photos/india-news/rehearsals-for-72nd-army-day-2019-underway-in-delhi-6214373/" 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/indian-army-day'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Oldest Material on Earth',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, scientists have found <strong>4.6 to 7-billion-year-old presolar grains of Silicon Carbide (SiC)</strong> in the <strong>Murchison meteorite</strong> which fell in Australia in 1969.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579080007_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579080007_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The presolar grains of Silicon Carbide is the <strong>oldest solid materials ever found.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These grains are formed before the solar system's formation and thus termed as &ldquo;presolar grains&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The presolar grains are <strong>very rare,</strong> found only in about <strong>5% of meteorites</strong> that have fallen to Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>may reveal the phenomenon of formation of stars</strong> in the Milky Way Galaxy. As the presence of Silicon Carbide in the meteorite are <strong>samples of stardust.</strong></li>
<li>It also provides clues about the<strong> rate of star formation</strong> in the Milky Way galaxy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Stardusts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stardust is formed by the material ejected from stars and carried by stellar winds, getting blown into interstellar space.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The stellar wind is a flow of gas ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star.</li>
<li>Interstellar space is defined as that which lies beyond a magnetic region that extends about 122 Astronomical Unit (AU) from the sun.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>During the solar system's birth, this dust was incorporated into everything that formed including the planets and the sun but survived intact until now only in asteroids and comets.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Silicon Carbide (SiC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Silicon carbide also known as <strong>Carborundum</strong> is a compound of silicon and carbon.</li>
<li>Silicon carbide is a <strong>semiconductor material</strong> and is an emerging material for applications in semiconductor devices.</li>
<li>It is one of the most important industrial ceramic materials.</li>
<li>It is widely used as an abrasive and steel additive and structural ceramic.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/oldest-material-on-earth-found-inside-meteorite-that-hit-australia/article30562814.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/oldest-material-on-earth'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Rojgaar Sangi',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Chhattisgarh State Skill Development Authority (CSSDA) has launched a <strong>mobile phone app - &lsquo;Rojgaar Sangi&rsquo;</strong> to help skilled and trained candidates find jobs.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The app has been developed with the help of <strong>National Informatics Centre (NIC).</strong></li>
<li>The app will also help start-up companies to hire an office staff.</li>
<li>It will <strong>increase accessibility</strong> for skilled and trained candidates, which in turn will <strong>increase job opportunities.</strong></li>
<li>The app is expected to benefit 7 lakh students who were trained under the 705 courses offered by CSSDA.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Informatics Centre</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NIC of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology provides network backbone and <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/e-governance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-Governance</strong></a> support to the Central Government, State Governments and UT Administrations.</li>
<li>It was established in 1976 and is located in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-chhattisgarh-app-to-connect-trained-candidates-with-jobs-6216816/" 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/rojgaar-sangi'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'CRZ Rules Eased for 'Blue Flag' Beaches',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Environment and Forest</strong> has<strong> relaxed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coastal-regulation-zone-crz-notification-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules</a>.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CRZ rules restrict construction near beaches. Relaxation in the rules will allow States to construct infrastructure and enable the beaches to receive <strong>&lsquo;Blue Flag&rsquo; certification.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry selected <strong>13 beaches</strong> in India for the Blue Flag certificate in 2019.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>CRZ laws do not allow the construction of infrastructure on beaches and islands.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, the Blue Flag certification requires beaches to create infrastructures like portable toilet blocks, greywater treatment plants, a solar power plant, seating facilities, CCTV surveillance, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The government notified that construction activities and facilities shall be permitted in the CRZs, including Islands, for the purpose of Blue Flag Certification in beaches.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, these activities are <strong>subject to maintaining a minimum distance of 10 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>High Tide Line:</strong> HTL means the line on the land up to which the highest water line reaches during the <strong>spring tide.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Low Tide Line:</strong> Similarly, it means the line on the land up to which the lowest water line reaches during the <strong>spring tide.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Spring tides:</strong> The position of both the sun and the moon in relation to the earth has direct bearing on tide height. When the<strong> sun, the moon and the earth are in a straight line,</strong> the <strong>height of the tide will be higher.</strong> These are called spring tides and they occur twice a month, one on full moon period and another during new moon period.</p>
</div>
<h3>Blue Flag Certification</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>international recognition</strong> conferred on beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/blue-flag-certification" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &lsquo;Blue Flag&rsquo;</strong></a> <strong>beach</strong> is an<strong> &lsquo;eco-tourism model&rsquo;</strong> and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.</li>
<li>The<strong> Blue Flag Programme</strong> was started in <strong>France</strong> in <strong>1985</strong> and has been implemented in<strong> Europe since 1987</strong> and in areas <strong>outside Europe since 2001</strong> when South Africa joined.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Blue Flag Programme is run by the <strong>Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)</strong> which is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The certification is accorded by the <strong>Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education, with 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches,</strong> that are-<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Environmental Education and Information</li>
<li>Bathing Water Quality</li>
<li>Environment Management and Conservation</li>
<li>Safety and Services</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Spain</strong> tops the list with <strong>566 such beaches; Greece and France</strong> follow with<strong> 515 and 395</strong> Blue Flag beaches, respectively.</li>
<li><strong>Japan and South Korea</strong> are the only countries in the <strong>south and southeastern Asia</strong> to have Blue Flag beaches.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-eases-crz-rules-for-blue-flag-beaches/article30568967.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/crz-rules-eased-for-blue-flag-beaches'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Taal Volcano',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A volcano called Taal on the island of Luzon, 50 km from Manila, Philippines erupted on 12<sup>th</sup> January, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Compound Volcano:</strong> Taal is classified as a &ldquo;complex&rdquo; volcano by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579075168_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579075168_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A complex volcano, also called a compound volcano, is defined as one that doesn't have just one main vent or cone but several eruption points. Another such example is Mount Vesuvius on the west coast of Italy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unpredictable:</strong> Taal has erupted more than 30 times in the last few centuries, the most recent was in 1977.</li>
<li>It needs to be noted that the Philippines is situated at the boundaries of two tectonic plates &mdash; the Philippines Sea Plate and the Eurasian plate &mdash; thus susceptible to earthquakes and volcanism.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-eruption-of-a-tiny-complex-volcano-is-causing-concern-6216667/" 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/taal-volcano'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Need For Decoupling',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/two-big-ideas-towards-green-growth-the-only-viable-path-to-development-left-to-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Two big ideas towards green growth: The only viable path to development left to us&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published on 14/01/2020 in The Times of India. It talks about maintaining economic development while reducing resource use and associated environmental impacts.</p>
</div>
<p>Natural resources form the backbone of any economic development. India, as one of the fastest-growing economies, has increased its material consumption to six times, from 1.18 billion tonnes (BT) in 1970 to 7 BT in 2015 and it is expected to reach 15 BT by 2030.</p>
<p>This material consumption is to further increase in order to provide for economic growth, increasing population, rapid urbanization and growing aspirations of people.</p>
<p>However, this economic growth has been coupled with the inherent cost of the natural environment. As we are hitting the limits of every possible material resource, it is clear that the linear model of &lsquo;produce, consume and discard&rsquo; needs rejuvenation.</p>
<p>Thus, there is a <strong>need for decoupling</strong> i.e., maintaining economic development while reducing resource use and associated environmental impacts.</p>
<h3>Ways to Achieve this Decoupling</h3>
<p><strong>Resource Efficiency</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Enhancing resource efficiency and promoting the use of secondary raw materials has emerged as a strategy for ensuring potential trade-off between growth and resource constraints.</li>
<li>According to <strong>The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),</strong> if the <strong>6R principles of a circular economy,</strong> ie reduce, reuse, recycle, redesign, remanufacture, refurbish are applied, it can bring down steel and aluminium scrap imports to zero.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Not only will this cut down India&rsquo;s import bill, but it will also lead to new enterprises carrying out new activities, and will also generate additional employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In this context, the government has drafted a <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/policy-watch-national-resource-efficiency-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>national resource efficiency policy, 2019.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Waste Management</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every effort has to be made to ensure as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-better-way-of-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>little waste is generated</strong></a> as possible.</li>
<li>The process of production and consumption must be innovated to convert waste into a variety of useful products. <strong>This is called upcycling.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example: In Delhi, construction waste and road dust are converted into interlocking tiles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, it will result in a huge reduction in millions of tonnes of slag and solid waste generation and CO2 emissions.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Renewable Energy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has targeted installing of 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2022.</li>
<li>Non-fossil fuel electricity (produced from hydro, wind, solar and nuclear sources) is likely to account for 45% of the electricity mix in India by 2030.</li>
<li>Today, businesses are investing in renewable energy because it is economically attractive; <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/solar-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>solar electricity</strong></a> at about Rs 2.50/ kWh is the cheapest electricity available in India.</li>
</ul>
<p><em><strong>Associated Challenges</strong></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has a low recycling rate, 20-25% compared to 50% in developed countries.</li>
<li>Though solar energy is the cheapest, the challenge is to bring down the price of energy storage.</li>
<li>Also, Photovoltaic (PV) panel used in solar energy produces a lot of e-waste.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Easy financing instruments need to be explored by banking and non-banking financial institutions for promoting investment in formal recycling setups. A <strong>cluster-based approach</strong> could be considered by bringing different players.</li>
<li><strong>Upcycling plants</strong> are currently not cost-effective, therefore there is a need for new business models for their success. And many such new ideas need to be supported in every sphere of the economy.</li>
<li>The waste generated from solar PV should be treated as <strong>e-waste</strong> to provide a legal mechanism for solar PV waste management.</li>
<li>To enhance reuse of construction and demolition waste, it will require developing codes and standards for quality of secondary raw materials produced from reprocessing of wastes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, public procurement of materials for civil construction from recycled materials can be formulated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Achieving this decoupling will help to achieve, global commitment to sustainable development by 2030.</li>
</ul>
<p>Since the 1950s the global consumption of natural resources has skyrocketed, both in magnitude and in the range of resources used. Closely coupled with emissions of greenhouse gases, land consumption, pollution of environmental media, and degradation of ecosystems, as well as with economic development, increasing resource use is a key issue to be addressed in order to keep the planet Earth in a safe and just operating space.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f5f2d5;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Treating waste as a resource and the design of a circular economy have been identified as key approaches for resource efficiency. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/need-for-decoupling'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Urbanisation Trends: EIU',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006752_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006752_image6.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)</strong> survey released a ranking of the fastest-growing urban areas across the world which features three cities from Kerala among the top 10.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>From the period of 2015-2020, Malappuram had 44.1% change, Kozhikode had 34.5% change and Kollam had 31.1% change).</strong> These are the only places from India to feature in the top 10 rankings.</li>
<li><strong>Thrissur, Kerala</strong> is at 13<sup>th</sup> position with 30.2% jump between 2015 and 2020. <strong>Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu</strong> is at 30<sup>th</sup> rank. <strong>Thiruvananthapuram</strong> is at 33<sup>rd</sup> position.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data:</strong> The list is based on data from the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> <strong>Population Division.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Time Period:</strong> The Economist has listed the rate at which the populations of the UAs are expected to increase between 2015 and 2020 and it provides a measure of the pace of urbanisation.</li>
<li><strong>Unusual Findings:</strong> The rankings seem unusual because the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/population-explosion-and-fertility-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>total fertility rate</strong></a> <strong>(TFR,</strong> the number of children a woman is likely to have in the childbearing age of 15-49) in Kerala is 1.8 as per <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NITI Aayog</strong></a> data from 2016, below the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indias-falling-fertility-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>replacement rate</strong></a> of 2.1.</li>
</ul>
<h3>With Reference to Kerala</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transformation of Villages to Town:</strong> Kerala has <strong>low fertility rate</strong> which means the increase in the population of Malappuram and other cities is not because women are having more children but because more villages are being transformed into towns and city borders are expanding.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When a village becomes a census town, its population is included in the urban population of the district.</li>
<li>Cities of Kerala are seeing rapid urbanisation and the main reason is the inclusion of new areas in the UA&rsquo;s limits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Effects of Migration:</strong> Kerala sees both <strong>emigration</strong> (migration from the state to other places) and <strong>immigration</strong> (the migration of workers to the state)<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The remittances that emigrants send allow the residents of villages to move away from agriculture, which changes the status of a village to census town.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Shift from Agriculture:</strong> In Kerala, <strong>urbanisation is driven by a move away from agriculture,</strong> which leads to a change in a village&rsquo;s Census classification status.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006782_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006782_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Factors for Population Growth</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>When the birth rate exceeds the death rate (natural growth).</li>
<li>When workers migrate to the city in search of jobs.</li>
<li>When more areas get included within the boundaries of the city.</li>
<li>When existing rural areas are reclassified as urban.</li>
<li>According to the <strong>Census definition,</strong> an urban area is either a census town (CT) or a statutory town (ST).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Statutory Town:</strong> Any place with a municipal corporation, municipal council, or cantonment board.</li>
<li><strong>Census Town:</strong> It can be a place with &ldquo;urban characteristics&rdquo;, a population of more than 5,000, population density more than 400 people per sq km, and with more than 75% of the population not engaged in agriculture for their livelihood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the UN,<strong> &ldquo;urban agglomerations&rdquo;</strong> (UA) are defined as continuous urban spread consisting of a town and its adjoining urban outgrowths or two or more physically contiguous towns together.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For example,</strong> the <strong>National Capital Territory of Delhi</strong> is a UA that includes the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas as well as 107 census towns (erstwhile surrounding villages where more than 75% of the population is now engaged in non-agricultural pursuits).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Economist Intelligence Unit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence. It was created in 1946.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Urbanisation leads to the <strong>growth of cities and infrastructure</strong> which gives more opportunities to youth. People leave behind caste and class divisions (to some extent) that dominate life in the villages and move upwards in society.</li>
<li>However, <strong>unplanned urbanisation can be exclusionary</strong> making it difficult for migrants to live there given the high cost. Unregulated housing, lack of reliable public transport, and longer commutes within these towns put a strain on the meagre resources of migrants</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/how-malappuram-topped-the-list-of-worlds-fastest-growing-cities-6215006/" 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/urbanisation-trends-eiu'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Diego-The Giant Tortoise',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<h3></h3>
<p>Recently, Diego (Chelonoidis hoodensis, or the giant tortoise species) has retired from the <strong>captive breeding programme</strong> in the <strong>Galapagos National Park, Ecuador.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>He will be returned to <strong>Espa&ntilde;ola Island,</strong> from where he was taken around 80 years ago.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993818_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993818_image3.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Diego is 100 years old and joined the <strong>breeding programme in 1976.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tortoise population has since gone up from 15 to 2,000.</li>
<li>He is responsible for about <strong>40% of the offspring produced.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Another male tortoise<strong> &lsquo;E5&rsquo;</strong> has generated about 60% offspring.</li>
<li>Diego has a long leathery neck, dull-yellow face and beady eyes. Fully stretched out, he extends to about five feet and weighs about 176 pounds.</li>
<li>The <strong>long neck is critical for his species&rsquo; survival,</strong> helping the tortoises crane their necks to feed on cacti.</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tortoises on the Gal&aacute;pagos Islands served as an excellent source of food for seafarers in the 1800s so a large number were picked up from the islands.</li>
<li>Feral goats on the islands posed another danger, competing for food, destroying the tortoises&rsquo; habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IUCN Red List</a> Status: Critically Endangered</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993856_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993856_image4.png" width="400" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gal&aacute;pagos National Park</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was created in <strong>1959</strong> and it was the <strong>first national park of Ecuador.</strong></li>
<li>The Gal&aacute;pagos Islands were designated as a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong></a> in <strong>1978.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-is-diego-the-tortoise-whose-sex-drive-saved-his-species-6214926/" 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/diego-the-giant-tortoise'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Bhil Tribe',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recent controversial references to the Bhil tribe by Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) has received severe criticism.</p>
<h3>Key Points <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578989894_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578989894_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="200" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bhil are <strong>one of the largest tribal groups,</strong> living in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.</li>
<li>The name is derived from the word &lsquo;billu&rsquo;, which means bow.</li>
<li>The Bhil are known to be <strong>excellent archers</strong> coupled with <strong>deep knowledge about their local geography.</strong></li>
<li>Traditionally, experts in guerrilla warfare, most of them today are farmers and agricultural labourers. They are also skilled sculptors.</li>
<li>Bhil <strong>women</strong> wear <strong>traditional saris</strong> while <strong>men</strong> are dressed in <strong>long frock and pyjamas.</strong> The <strong>woman</strong> put on <strong>heavy ornaments made of silver, brass</strong> along with rosaries of beads and silver coins and earing.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/mp-psc-paper-calls-bhils-alcoholic-and-criminal-minded/articleshow/73219173.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TOI</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bhil-tribe'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Organic Turmeric to Weed Out Marijuana in Malkangiri',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Malkangiri district</strong> administration, <strong>Odisha</strong> has initiated a project to divert the region&rsquo;s tribals from <strong>illegal <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cannabis-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a> cultivation</strong> by promoting organic turmeric as a profitable cash crop.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Organic turmeric will weed out the marijuana cultivation in remote areas of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/balimela-reservoir" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Swabhiman Anchal</strong></a> in Malkangiri.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reasons for Illegal Marijuana Cultivation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lack of communication.</li>
<li>Poverty.</li>
<li>Financed by the Drug mafias from outside, allegedly.</li>
<li>Source of easy money.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This move comes after a <strong>survey,</strong> conducted in <strong>2019</strong> by the Malkangiri district administration.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It revealed that almost all tribal families grow turmeric for their consumption but not for commercial purposes.</li>
<li>The district has a <strong>suitable climate and geographical conditions</strong> so organic turmeric can become the tool of economic development for poor tribals as well as cash crop alternative of marijuana.</li>
<li>It is estimated that each acre of organic turmeric can provide ₹70,000 to 80,000 income to the farmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The project has been implemented by the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/horticulture-sector-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Horticulture</strong> </a>and <strong>Agriculture</strong> Departments. Interested farmers have been registered for <strong>scientific training.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Marijuana or Hemp</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is part of the <strong>cannabis super-family,</strong> is illegal for commercial cultivation though it grows as a weed in several parts of the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Uttarakhand, Jammu and Uttar Pradesh have <strong>allowed restricted cultivation</strong> of the plant for medical research.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has two components <strong>CBD (cannabidiol) </strong>and<strong> THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CBD does not cause intoxication or euphoria and has been successfully proven to provide <strong>relief to chronic pain</strong> without causing psychoactive side effects.</li>
<li>It is <strong>THC which is the primary psychoactive components</strong> of Marijuana.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Narcotic Drugs and Psychoactive Substances Act, 1985</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It <strong>bans the commercial cultivation of cannabis.</strong></li>
<li>The bar <strong>does not apply to an edible preparation called bhang,</strong> which is allowed in some States.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>United Nations Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs, 1961</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific</strong> (nominally narcotic) <strong>drugs</strong> and of drugs with similar effects except under licence for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research.</li>
<li>The convention refers to drug addiction as <strong>&ldquo;a serious evil for the individual [that] is fraught with social and economic danger to mankind&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/organic-turmeric-to-weed-out-marijuana-in-malkangiri/article30562573.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Raisina Dialogue',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The 5<sup>th</sup> edition of Raisina Dialogue is being held in New Delhi. The 1<sup>st</sup> edition was held in 2016.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The title of the Raisina Dialogue this year (2020) is <strong>&ldquo;Navigating the Alpha Century&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The conference will host 700 participants from more than 100 countries and at least 40% of the speakers will be women.</li>
<li>The Dialogue has been <strong>India&rsquo;s contribution</strong> to <strong>global efforts</strong> to discover solutions, identify opportunities and provide stability to a century that has witnessed an eventful two decades.</li>
<li>A session will be held on the Indo-Pacific, including military or naval commanders from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/quad-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Quadrilateral or Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States)&rdquo;</strong></a>. It will also have a <strong>French Defence official on the panel</strong> this year.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Raisina Dialogue</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>multilateral conference</strong> committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are <strong>hosted in New Delhi</strong> to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters.</li>
<li>The Dialogue is structured as a <strong>multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion,</strong> involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, as well as major private sector executives, members of the media and academics.</li>
<li>The conference is hosted by the <strong>Observer Research Foundation</strong> in collaboration with the <strong>Ministry of External Affairs</strong>, Government of India.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Observer Research Foundation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>independent think tank</strong> based in<strong> New Delhi</strong> with three centres in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.</li>
<li>It seeks to lead and aid policy thinking towards building a strong and prosperous India in a fair and equitable world and helps discover and inform India&rsquo;s choices. It carries Indian voices and ideas to forums shaping global debates.</li>
<li>It provides <strong>non-partisan, independent, well-researched analyses and inputs</strong> to diverse decision-makers in governments, business communities, and academia and civil society around the world.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raisina-dialogue-to-kick-off-with-panel-of-former-world-leaders-on-january-14-pm-modi-to-attend/article30561118.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Manual Scavenging in India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Central Monitoring Committee to review the implementation of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/manual-scavenging-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013</strong></a> has mentioned that many states are lagging behind in the rehabilitation of manual scavengers.</li>
<li>Though most of the sewer death compensation had been paid but <strong>states like Gujarat, Maharashtra </strong>is<strong> yet to pay compensation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578987249_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578987249_image1.jpg" width="390" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Numerical Analysis:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since 1993, a total of 926 deaths related to the manual scavenging is reported in the country, out of which 172 families are yet to receive compensation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>State-wise Analysis:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Engaged Workers:</strong> According to the <strong>National Commission of Safai Karamcharis (NCSK),</strong> a total of 53,598 people, of which <strong>29,923</strong> were in <strong>Uttar Pradesh alone,</strong> had been identified as <strong>engaged in manual scavenging</strong> after surveys in 2013 and 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Deaths: Tamil Nadu</strong> reported the <strong>highest number of deaths</strong> but has paid compensation in all but seven of the 234 cases.</li>
<li><strong>Compensation: Gujarat</strong> has the<strong> highest</strong> number of cases where the compensation <strong>amount was not paid followed by Maharashtra.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Steps taken for Elimination:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, one-time cash assistance, capital subsidy and skill development training are provided to the identified manual scavengers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prohibition:</strong> The act prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment, and the construction of insanitary latrines.</li>
<li><strong>Rehabilitation:</strong> It seeks to rehabilitate manual scavengers and provide for their alternative employment.</li>
<li><strong>Implementing Authority:</strong> Each local authority, cantonment board and railway authority is responsible for surveying insanitary latrines within its jurisdiction. They shall also construct a number of sanitary community latrines.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The District Magistrate and the local authority shall be the implementing authorities. Offences under the Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable and may be tried summarily.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Persistence of Manual Scavenging</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite the most stringent penal provisions in the law against manual scavenging, it continues in parts of India largely <strong>due to governmental indifference and social prejudice.</strong></li>
<li>The continued presence of insanitary latrines, of which there are about 2.6 million that require cleaning by hand, according to Safai Karmachari Andolan.</li>
<li>Many communities still regard the presence of a sanitary toilet inside the house as physical pollution.</li>
<li>The entrenched belief in the <strong>caste system</strong> that assumes people belonging to a particular caste group will readily perform the stigmatised task of emptying latrines.</li>
<li>The state governments are not keen to demolish and rebuild old facilities lacking sanitation, or conduct a full census of both the latrines and the people engaged in clearing such waste.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Commission of Safai Karamcharis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) was constituted on 12<sup>th</sup> August 1994 as a statutory body by an Act of Parliament viz. &lsquo;National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993&rsquo;.</li>
<li>The act &ldquo;The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993&rdquo; lapsed in February 2004.</li>
<li>The Commission is acting as a <strong>non-statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment</strong> whose tenure is extended from time to time through Government Resolutions.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharashtra-gujarat-lag-behind-in-compensation-for-sewer-deaths/article30559790.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Pressure Groups',
		'catname' => 'Paper 2',
		'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A pressure group is a group of people who are organised actively for promoting and defending their common interest. It is called so, as it attempts to bring a change in public policy by exerting pressure on the government. It acts as a liaison between the government and its members.</li>
<li>The pressure groups are also called interest groups or vested groups. They are different from the political parties, as they neither contest elections nor try to capture political power. They are concerned with specific programmes and issues and their activities are confined to the protection and promotion of the interests of their members by influencing the government.</li>
<li>The pressure groups influence the policy-making and policy implementation in the government through legal and legitimate methods like lobbying, correspondence, publicity, propagandising, petitioning, public debating, maintaining contacts with their legislators and so forth.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Techniques Used By Pressure Groups</h3>
<p>Pressure groups resort to three different techniques in securing their purposes.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Electioneering:</strong> Placing in public office persons who are favourably disposed towards the interests the concerned pressure group seeks to promote.</li>
<li><strong>Lobbying:</strong> Persuading public officers, whether they are initially favourably disposed toward them or not, to adopt and enforce the policies that they think will prove most beneficial to their interests.</li>
<li><strong>Propagandizing:</strong> Influencing public opinion and thereby gaining an indirect influence over government, since the government in a democracy is substantially affected by public opinion.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Characteristics of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Based on Certain Interests:</strong> Each pressure group organises itself keeping in view certain interests and thus tries to adopt the structure of power in the political systems.</li>
<li><strong>Use of Modern as well as Traditional Means:</strong> They adopt techniques like financing of political parties, sponsoring their close candidates at the time of elections and keeping the bureaucracy also satisfied. Their traditional means include exploitation of caste, creed and religious feelings to promote their interests.</li>
<li><strong>Resulting Out of Increasing Pressure and Demands on Resources:</strong> Scarcity of resources, claims and counterclaims on the resources from different and competing sections of the society leads to the rise of pressure groups.</li>
<li><strong>Inadequacies of Political Parties:</strong> Pressure groups are primarily a consequence of inadequacies of the political parties.</li>
<li><strong>Represent Changing Consciousness:</strong> For instance the increase in the food production or industrial goods does bring a change in the way individuals and groups look at the world. The stagnation in production leads to fatalism but increase in production leads to demands, protests and formation of new pressure groups.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Types of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Institutional Interest Groups:</strong> These groups are formally organised which consist of professionally employed persons. They are a part of government machinery and try to exert their influence.These groups include political parties, legislatures, armies, bureaucracies, etc. Whenever such an association raises protest it does so by constitutional means and in accordance with the rules and regulations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Example: IAS Association, IPS Association, State civil services association, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Associational Interest Groups :</strong> These are organised specialised groups formed for interest articulation, but to pursue limited goals. These include trade unions, organisations of businessmen and industrialists and civic groups.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some examples of Associational Interest Groups in India are Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Chamber of Commerce, Trade Unions such as AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress), Teachers Associations, Students Associations such as National Students Union of India (NSUI) etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Anomic Interest Groups:</strong> By anomic pressure groups we mean more or less a spontaneous breakthrough into the political system from the society such as riots, demonstrations, assassinations and the like.</li>
<li><strong>Non-Associational Interest Groups:</strong> These are the kinship and lineage groups and ethnic, regional, status and class groups that articulate interests on the basis of individuals, family and religious heads. These groups have informal structure. These include caste groups, language groups, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pressure Groups in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Business Groups &ndash;</strong> Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Federation of All India Foodgrain Dealers Association (FAIFDA), etc</li>
<li><strong>Trade Unions &ndash;</strong> All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)</li>
<li><strong>Professional Groups &ndash;</strong> Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bar Council of India (BCI), All India Federation of University and College Teachers (AIFUCT)</li>
<li><strong>Agrarian Groups-</strong> All India Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union, etc</li>
<li><strong>Student&rsquo;s Organisations-</strong> Akhila Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), All India Students Federation (AISF), National Students Union of India (NSUI)</li>
<li><strong>Religious Groups &ndash;</strong> Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jamaat-e-Islami, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Caste Groups &ndash;</strong> Harijan Sevak Sangh, Nadar Caste Association, etc</li>
<li><strong>Linguistic Groups &ndash;</strong> Tamil Sangh, Andhra Maha Sabha, etc</li>
<li><strong>Tribal Groups &ndash;&nbsp;</strong>National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), Tribal National Volunteers (TNU) in Tripura, United Mizo federal org, Tribal League of Assam, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Ideology based Groups &ndash;</strong> Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko Movement, Women's Rights Organisation, India Against Corruption etc.</li>
<li><strong>Anomic Groups -</strong> Naxalite Groups, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), Dal Khalsa, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions, Role &amp; Importance of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Interest Articulation:</strong> Pressure Groups bring the demands and needs of the people to the notice of the decision-makers. The process by which the claims of the people get crystallized and articulated is called interest articulation.</li>
<li><strong>Agents of Political Socialisation:</strong> Pressure groups are agents of political socialisation in so far as they influence the orientations of the people towards the political process. These groups play a vital role as two-way communication links between the people and the government.</li>
<li>Pressure groups play a <strong>vital role in the legislative process,</strong> not only as important structures of interest articulation, but also as active agencies engaged in lobbying with the legislators for securing desired laws or amendments in laws and policies of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Right from the time of preparation of election manifestos of various political parties to the passing of laws by the legislators, the pressure groups remain associated with the process of rule-making.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pressure Groups and Administration:</strong> Pressure Groups are actively involved with the process of administration. Through lobbying with the bureaucracy, the pressure groups are usually in a position to influence the process of policy implementation.</li>
<li><strong>Role in Judicial Administration:</strong> Pressure Groups try to use the judicial system for securing and safeguarding their interests. Interest groups often seek access to the court for redressal of their grievances against the government as well as for getting declared a particular decision or policy as unconstitutional.</li>
<li>Pressure groups play a leading role in the <strong>formulation of public opinion.</strong> Each pressure group is continuously engaged in evaluating all such laws, rules, decisions and policies which have a direct or indirect bearing on the interests it represents. It always places the pros and cons not only before its members but also before the general public for eliciting popular support as well as for catching the attention of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activity by carrying out information campaigns, organising meetings, file petitions, etc. Most of these groups try to influence the media into giving attention to these issues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pressure groups help in<strong> improving the quality of government.</strong> Consultation with affected groups is the rational way to make decisions in a free society. It makes government more efficient by enhancing the quality of the decision making process &ndash; the information and advice provided by these groups helps to improve the quality of government policy and legislation.</li>
<li>Freely operating pressure groups are essential to the effective functioning of liberal democracy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They serve as a vital intermediary institutions between government and society;</li>
<li>They assist in the dispersal of political power;</li>
<li>They provide important counterweights to balance the concentration of power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pressure groups enable new concerns and issues to reach the political agenda, thereby <strong>facilitating social progress and preventing social stagnation.</strong> For example, the women&rsquo;s and environmentalist movements.</li>
<li>Pressure groups <strong>increase social cohesion and political stability</strong> by providing a &lsquo;safety-valve&rsquo; outlet for individual and collective grievances and demands.</li>
<li>Pressure groups complement the work of opposition political parties by exposing the bad policies and wrongdoings of the government. Pressure groups thereby <strong>improve the accountability of decision makers</strong> to electorates.</li>
<li>Pressure groups help to educate people, compile data and provide specific information to policy makers, thus they work as an informal source of information. Active constructive participation of numerous groups in polity helps to reconcile general interest with individual group interests.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Shortcomings of Pressure Groups</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Narrow selfish interests:</strong> Unlike the pressure groups in the developed countries of the West, where these are invariably organised to safeguard economic, social, cultural interests, etc. in India these groups are organised around religious, regional and ethnic issues. Many a time factors of caste and religion eclipse the socioeconomic interests. The result is that instead of serving a useful purpose in the political administrative process, they are reduced to work for narrow selfish interests.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of power:</strong> Instead of the pressure groups exerting influence on political process, they become tools and implements to subserve political interests.</li>
<li><strong>Instability:</strong> Most pressure groups do not have autonomous existence; they are unstable and lack commitment, their loyalties shift with political situations which threatens general welfare. They many a times resort to unconstitutional means like violence. Naxalite movement started in 1967 in West Bengal is one such example.</li>
<li><strong>Propagating extremism:</strong> Pressure groups can allow too much influence over the government from unelected extremist minority groups, which in turn could lead to unpopular consequences.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pressure groups are now considered as an indispensable and helpful element of the democratic process. The society has become highly complex and individuals cannot pursue their interests on their own. They need the support of other fellow beings in order to gain greater bargaining power; this gives rise to pressure groups based on common interests.</li>
<li>Democratic politics has to be politics through consultation, through negotiation and some amount of bargaining is also involved. Thus, it is very essential for the government to consult these organised groups at the time of policy formulation and implementation.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/mind-map/gs-paper2/pressure-groups-mind-map" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>For Mind Map</em></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/Paper2/pressure-groups'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => '5th Annual Day of CARA',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)</strong> has celebrated its <strong>5<sup>th</sup> Annual Day</strong> recently.</li>
<li>CARA has conducted various training programmes and workshops at national and state levels for all the stakeholders of the adoption programme.</li>
<li>It has also carried out a number of advocacy programs through various mediums for creating awareness and sensitization of the general public.</li>
<li>It is giving emphasis to the rehabilitation of older and special needs children in various Child Care Institutions across the country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been set up as a <strong>statutory body</strong> of the <strong>Ministry of Women and Child Development.</strong></li>
<li>It functions as a <strong>nodal body</strong> for the<strong> adoption of Indian children</strong> and is mandated to <strong>monitor and regulate</strong> in-country and inter-country adoption.</li>
<li>CARA is designated as the<strong> Central Authority</strong> to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-cell-to-resolve-child-custody-disputes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hague Conventions</strong></a> on Inter-Country Adoptions, 1993, ratified by the Government of India in 2003.</li>
<li>CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated /recognised adoption agencies.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Hague Convention is a multilateral treaty which came into existence on 1<sup>st</sup> December 1983.</li>
<li>It is an international treaty to ensure the prompt return of the child who has been &ldquo;abducted&rdquo; from the country of their &ldquo;habitual residence&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The Convention applies to children age under 16 years.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1599474" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'ASER Report 2019',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Non-governmental organization (NGO) Pratham&rsquo;s Annual Status of Education Report 2019</strong> has flagged <strong>poor learning outcomes</strong> in schools.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASER 2019 reported on the <strong>pre-schooling</strong> or <strong>schooling</strong> status of children in the age group <strong>4 to 8 years</strong> in 26 <strong>rural districts</strong> (districts with rural population &gt;<strong>70%</strong>) across 24 States.</li>
<li>The report focuses on the <strong>&ldquo;early years&rdquo;</strong> and lays emphasis on <strong>&ldquo;developing problem-solving faculties</strong> and <strong>building memory of children,</strong> and <strong>not content knowledge&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Early years</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is<strong> defined globally as age 0-8,</strong> is known to be the <strong>most important stage</strong> of cognitive, motor, social and emotional development in the human life cycle.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It explores children&rsquo;s performance on <strong>4 competencies</strong> that are identified as important predictors of future success, viz.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Cognitive Development, </strong></li>
<li><strong>Early Language, </strong></li>
<li><strong>Early Numeracy,</strong> and</li>
<li><strong>Social and Emotional Development.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key FIndings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASER Report 2019 argues that a focus on <strong>cognitive skills</strong> rather than subject learning in the early years can make a big difference to basic literacy and numeracy abilities.</li>
<li>It tested <strong>cognitive skills</strong> of children. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tests included sorting images by colour and size, recognising patterns, fitting together a four-piece animal puzzle &mdash; as well as simple literacy and numeracy tests.</li>
<li>However, of those <strong>children who could correctly do all three cognitive tasks, 52% could read words,</strong> and <strong>63% could solve the addition problem.</strong></li>
<li>ASER data shows that children&rsquo;s performance on tasks requiring cognitive skills is <strong>strongly related to their ability to do early language and numeracy tasks.</strong></li>
<li>This suggests that focussing on play-based <strong>activities that build memory, reasoning and problem-solving abilities is more productive</strong> than an early focus on content knowledge.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reading and early childhood education</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Only<strong> 16%</strong> of children in <strong>Class 1</strong> can read the text at the prescribed level, while almost 40% cannot even recognise letters.</li>
<li>Early childhood education has the potential to be the<strong> &ldquo;greatest and most powerful equaliser&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Global research shows that <strong>90% of brain growth occurs by age 5,</strong> meaning that the <strong>quality of early childhood education</strong> has a <strong>crucial impact</strong> on the development and long-term schooling of a child.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Private schools ahead :</strong> Of 6 year olds in Class 1, nearly 42% of those in private schools could <strong>read words</strong> in comparison to only 19% from government schools. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This gap is further exacerbated by a <strong>gender divide.</strong></li>
<li>More than a quarter of Class 1 students in government schools are only 4 or 5 years old, <strong>younger than the recommended age.</strong> These younger children struggle more than others in all skills.</li>
<li>At the same time, 36% in Class 1 are <strong>older</strong> than the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/right-to-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right To Education (RTE) Act (2009)</strong></a> -mandated age of 6.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It can be noted that the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/draft-national-education-policy-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>draft New Education Policy (NEP), 2019</strong></a> also links the<strong> &ldquo;severe learning crisis&rdquo;</strong> to what goes on with young children in India.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579169579_image2.PNG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579169579_image2.PNG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="615" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Draft New Education Policy (NEP), 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Draft NEP points out that close to 5 crore children currently in elementary schools do not have foundational literacy and numeracy skills.</li>
<li>Several <strong>possible reasons</strong> for this:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Many children enter <strong>school before age 6.</strong> This is partly due to the <strong>lack of affordable and accessible options for pre-schooling.</strong> Therefore, too many children go to Std I with limited exposure to early childhood education.</li>
<li>Children from poor families have a <strong>double disadvantage - lack of healthcare and nutrition</strong> on one side and the <strong>absence of a supportive learning environment on the other.</strong></li>
<li>School readiness or early childhood development and education activities have <strong>not</strong> had a high priority in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)</strong> </a>system</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASER surveys use Census 2011 as the sampling frame.</li>
<li>ASER continues to be an important national source of information about children&rsquo;s foundational skills across the country.</li>
<li>In 2016, ASER switched to an alternate-year cycle where this &lsquo;basic&rsquo; ASER is conducted every other year (2016, 2018, and next in 2020); and in alternate years ASER focuses on a different aspect of children&rsquo;s schooling and learning.</li>
<li>In 2017, ASER 'Beyond Basics' focused on the abilities, experiences, and aspirations of youth in the 14-18 age group.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aser-report-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>In 2018 ASER</strong></a> had data on enrollment patterns in age group 4 to 8.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is considerable scope for <strong>expanding Anganwadi outreach for 3 and 4 year-old</strong> children.<strong> Strengthen the early childhood components</strong> in the <strong>Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)</strong> system for raising school readiness among young children.</li>
<li>A <strong>reworking of curriculum and activities</strong> is urgently needed for the entire age band from 4 to 8, cutting across all types of preschools and early grades regardless of whether the provision is by government institutions or by private agencies.</li>
<li>The year<strong> 2020 marks the 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the RTE Act.</strong> This is the best moment to focus on the youngest cohorts before and during their entry to formal schooling and ensure that 10 years later they complete secondary school as well-equipped and well-rounded citizens of India.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/education-policy-india-schooling-6216711/" 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/aser-report-2019'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Fuel Conservation Campaign: Saksham',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>An annual one-month long people <strong>centric fuel conservation campaign</strong> of the <strong>Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA)</strong> named <strong>Saksham,</strong> will be launched on 16<sup>th</sup> January, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This campaign aims to spread the message of fuel conservation and greener environment across India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Petroleum Conservation Research Association</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PCRA is a registered society set up under the aegis of <strong>Ministry of Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas.</strong></li>
<li>As a<strong> non-profit organization,</strong> PCRA is a <strong>national government agency</strong> engaged in promoting energy efficiency in various sectors of economy.</li>
<li>It helps the government in proposing policies and strategies for petroleum conservation, aimed at reducing excessive dependence of the country on oil requirement.</li>
<li>Its head office is located in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Other Initiatives Taken by the PCRA</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PCRA in association with the Institute of Petroleum-Dehradun has developed high energy efficient <strong>Piped Natural Gas (PNG) burner/Gas</strong> stove for household where piped gas is supplied which will save gas as compared to modified LPG stove for PNG.</li>
<li>The <strong>annual Saksham National Competition</strong> which generally is launched in the month of July, has seen participation of 1.48 crore students.</li>
<li>An <strong>awareness Campaign on 100 busiest intersections of Delhi</strong> through the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on encouraging the behaviour of switching-off engine at red light was recently carried out by PCRA.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The campaign led to approximately 22% reduction in idling fuel losses for petrol.</li>
<li>Similarly, approximately 14%, 12% and 19% reduction in Diesel, CNG and LPG respectively was observed due to awareness campaign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1599406" 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/fuel-conservation-campaign-saksham'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Henley Passport Index 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Henley &amp; Partners, the residence and citizenship planning firm has published the Henley Passport Index for 2020 according to the number of destinations the respective passport holders can access without a prior visa.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ranking is based on data from the<strong> International Air Transport Association (IATA),</strong> a trade association of some 290 airlines, including all major carriers.</li>
<li>The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.</li>
<li>The Henley Passport Index was launched in <strong>2006</strong> with the aim of providing a <strong>global picture of freedom of travelling.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579159613_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579159613_image1.jpg" width="211" caption="false" style="float: right;" height="307" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Japan</strong> has the <strong>world&rsquo;s strongest passport</strong> whereas <strong>Afghanistan (107<sup>th</sup> rank)</strong> has the <strong>weakest.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Japan has been topping the Index for <strong>three years continuously.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Singapore,</strong> in <strong>second place</strong> (same as in 2019) followed by <strong>Germany and South Korea</strong> both shares the <strong>third position</strong> in the index.</li>
<li>The <strong>Indian passport</strong> is closer to the bottom, ranked <strong>84<sup>th</sup></strong> in the world.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian passport ranked higher in both 2019 (82<sup>nd</sup>) and 2018 (81<sup>st</sup>).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Serbia</strong> is the <strong>only European country</strong> to which <strong>Indian passport holders</strong> can travel <strong>visa-free.</strong> There is no major or developed country to which Indian passport holders have visa-free access.</li>
<li>The<strong> USA</strong> and<strong> the UK</strong> both countries are in<strong> eighth</strong> place in <strong>2020;</strong> a significant <strong>decline</strong> from the<strong> rank 1</strong> they <strong>jointly held in 2015.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>top 10 most powerful passports</strong> for 2020 are Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain, USA and UK, Luxembourg, Denmark.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indian-passport-ranked-84th-in-the-world-japans-on-top-6218623/" 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/henley-passport-index-2020'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Pressure Groups',
		'catname' => 'Paper 2',
		'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582782288_Pressure%20Groups (Mind Map)_Artboard 1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1582782288_Pressure Groups (Mind Map)_Artboard 1.png" width="526" height="2593" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/pressure-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>For TTP</em></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/mind-map/gs-paper2/pressure-groups-mind-map'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'FCRA and Dissent',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-government-that-chooses-its-critics/article30569264.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;A government that chooses its critics&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 15/01/2020. It talks about the impact of the prohibition of foreign funding to NGOs (under FCRA) on freedom of speech and expression.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation raided Amnesty International&rsquo;s offices on allegations that the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/non-governmental-organizations-ngos" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)</strong> </a>had violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. Amnesty has been vocal about human rights abuses, notably in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.</p>
<p>The government sought to restrict foreign funding of NGOs on account of maintenance of public interest, whereas sometimes this regulation results in the chilling effect of freedom of speech and expression.</p>
<h3>Non-Governmental Organisations in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Worldwide, <strong>the term &lsquo;NGO&rsquo;</strong> is used to describe a body that is neither part of a government nor a conventional for-profit business organisation.</li>
<li>NGOs are groups of ordinary citizens that are involved in a wide range of activities that may have <strong>charitable, social, political, religious or other interests.</strong></li>
<li>NGOs are helpful in implementing <strong>government schemes at the grassroots.</strong></li>
<li>In India, NGOs can be registered under a plethora of Acts such as the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, Religious Endowments Act,1863, Indian Trusts Act, etc.</li>
<li>India has possibly the <strong>largest number of active NGOs</strong> in the world, a study commissioned by the government put the number of NGOs in 2009 at 33 lakh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>That was <strong>one NGO for less than 400 Indians,</strong> and many times the number of primary schools and primary health centres.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Ministries such as Health and Family Welfare, Human Resource Department, etc provide funding to NGOs, but only a handful of NGOs get hefty government funds.</li>
<li>NGOs also receive funds from abroad, if they are registered with the Home Ministry under the<strong> Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Without this, no NGO can receive cash or anything of value higher than <strong>Rs 25,000.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Foreign funding of voluntary organizations in India is regulated under FCRA act and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Acts ensures that the recipients of foreign contributions adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Under the Act, organisations require to register themselves every five years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Why have NGOs been controversial recently?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An <strong>Intelligence Bureau</strong> (IB) report, submitted to the PMO and National Security Adviser in June 2019, alleged that several foreign-funded NGOs were stalling India&rsquo;s economic growth by their <strong>obstructionist activism.</strong></li>
<li>The report accused Greenpeace of attempting to destabilise India&rsquo;s energy mix in collusion with a US-based anti-coal lobbying group.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The IB subsequently advised the government to cancel Greenpeace&rsquo;s FCRA registration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Earlier, in 2015, the Home Ministry had cancelled the FCRA licences of 10,000 organisations, including prominent international funding agency Ford Foundation, the environmentalist Constitutional &amp; Administrative group Greenpeace, and human rights advocacy group Lawyers Collective, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How prohibiting International funding of NGOs lead to chilling effect?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The contribution of NGOs to human rights and public awareness is significant in India. For example, the recognition of the rights of homosexuals and transgender people, developments in the public provision of health and education are unlikely to come about without pressure by NGOs.</li>
<li>However, most NGOs are neither politically powerful nor have great financial capacity. That's why International funding is crucial for NGOs to function.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, small environmental or tribal rights groups protesting against environmental violations by multinational companies cannot fight back against companies that use their resources.</li>
<li>Thus, there is a power imbalance in this struggle, exacerbated by financial restraints on organisations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The FCRA regulates the receipt of funding from sources outside of India to NGOs working in India. <strong>It prohibits the receipt of foreign contribution &ldquo;for any activities detrimental to the national interest&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The Act held that the government can refuse permission if it believes that the donation to the NGO will adversely affect <strong>&ldquo;public interest&rdquo;</strong> or the<strong> &ldquo;economic interest of the state&rdquo;.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there is no clear guidance on what constitutes &ldquo;public interest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The FCRA restrictions have serious consequences on both the<strong> rights to free speech </strong>and<strong> freedom of association</strong> under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(c) of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The right to free speech is affected in <strong>two ways:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By allowing only some political groups to receive foreign donations and disallowing some others, can induce biases in favour of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NGOs need to tread carefully when they criticise the regime, knowing that too much criticism could cost their survival.</li>
<li>FCRA norms can reduce critical voices by declaring them to be against the public interest. This chilling effect on free speech can lead to self-censorship.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Similar to this on unclear guidelines on public interest, in <strong>Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015),</strong> the Supreme Court (SC) struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act. The SC held that the Act could be used in a manner that has a chilling effect on free speech.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Besides, given that the right to freedom of association is part of the <strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights</strong> (article 20), a violation of this right also constitutes a human rights violation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In April 2016 the<strong> UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association</strong> undertook a legal analysis of the FCRA, 2010.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It stated that restrictions in the name of <strong>&ldquo;public interest&rdquo; and &ldquo;economic interest&rdquo;</strong> as invoked under the FCRA failed the test of &ldquo;legitimate restrictions&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The terms were too vague and gave the state excessive discretionary powers to apply the provision in an arbitrary manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In this context, though it is necessary to regulate corrupt NGOs, there needs to be clarity on terms like public interest.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffbdb;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Invoking the FCRA to regulate NGOs is deeply troubling as a thriving democracy requires critics and civil society. Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fcra-and-dissent'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'PRS Capsule December 2019',
		'catname' => 'PRS Capsule',
		'desc' => '<p><em><strong>Key Highlights of PRS</strong></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="#1">Polity</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#2">Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#3">The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#4">Census 2021 and updation of National Population Register</a></li>
<li><a href="#5">The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#6">The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 introduced in Lok Sabha</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#7">Economy</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#8">The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#9">International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#10">Ordinance to Amend Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#11">Social Welfare</a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="#12">Code on Social Security</a></li>
<li><a href="#13">The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#14">The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#15">The Prohibition of E-Cigarettes Bill, 2019</a></li>
<li><a href="#16">Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="1">Polity</h2>
<h3 id="2">Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/citizenship-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019</strong> </a>which received the President&rsquo;s assent to become an Act.</li>
<li>It amends the Citizenship Act, 1955.</li>
<li>The Citizenship Act, 1955 provides various ways in which citizenship may be acquired.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/citizenship-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Acquisition and Determination of Indian Citizenship</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Citizenship Act, 1955 provides five ways in which Indian citizenship can be acquired: birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of territory.</li>
<li>By Birth:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Every person born in India on or after 26.01.1950 but before 01.07.1987 is an Indian citizen irrespective of the nationality of his/her parents.</li>
<li>Every person born in India between 01.07.1987 and 02.12.2004 is a citizen of India given either of his/her parents is a citizen of the country at the time of his/her birth.</li>
<li>Every person born in India on or after 3.12.2004 is a citizen of the country given both his/her parents are Indians or at least one parent is a citizen and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of birth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By Registration:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person of Indian origin who has been a resident of India for 7 years before applying for registration.</li>
<li>A person of Indian origin who is a resident of any country outside undivided India.</li>
<li>A person who is married to an Indian citizen and is ordinarily resident for 7 years before applying for registration.</li>
<li>Minor children of persons who are citizens of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By Descent:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person born outside India on or after January 26, 1950, is a citizen of India by descent if his/her father was a citizen of India by birth.</li>
<li>A person born outside India on or after December 10, 1992, but before December 3, 2004, if either of his/her parents was a citizen of India by birth.</li>
<li>If a person born outside India or after December 3, 2004, has to acquire citizenship, his/her parents have to declare that the minor does not hold a passport of another country and his/her birth is registered at an Indian consulate within one year of birth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By Naturalisation:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person can acquire citizenship by naturalisation if he/she is ordinarily resident of India for 12 years (throughout 12 months preceding the date of application and 11 years in the aggregate) and fulfills all qualifications in the third schedule of the Citizenship Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Incorporation of Territory: If a foriegn territory becomes a part of India,then the Government can specify the persons from the territory who will be the citizens of India.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Key Features of the Bill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Illegal migrants:</strong> The Act prohibits illegal migrants from acquiring Indian citizenship.<strong> Illegal migrants are those foreigners who do not have valid passport or travel documents.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill amends the Act to provide that the <strong>Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan,</strong> who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, will not be treated as illegal migrants.</li>
<li><strong>Citizenship by naturalisation:</strong> The Bill reduces the residency requirement from 11 years to 5 years for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribal Areas and Inner Line Permit:</strong> The provisions on citizenship for illegal migrants will not apply to the tribal areas including<strong> Karbi Anglong (in Assam), Garo Hills (in Meghalaya), Chakma district (Mizoram) and Tripura Tribal Areas District.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, it will not apply to the <strong>&ldquo;Inner Line&rdquo;</strong> areas notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.</li>
<li>In these areas, visits by Indians are regulated through the Inner Line Permit. Currently, this permit system is applicable to Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/indepth-6th-schedule-and-ilp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Inner Line Permit</strong></a></p>
<p>An Inner Line Permit is a document that allows an Indian citizen to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system. The ILP is obligatory for all those who reside outside the protected states. It is issued by the concerned state government for travel purposes solely.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Inner Line Permit was established by the British government under the<strong> Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873</strong> to safeguard tribals of the eastern part of Bengal.</li>
<li>Under Section 2 of the Regulation of 1873, the ILP was only applicable to the three North Eastern States, namely, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.</li>
<li>Recently, the President signed the order extending ILP to Manipur, which became the fourth state where the ILP regime is now applicable.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cancellation of registration of OCIs:</strong> The grounds for the cancellation of the registration of Overseas Citizens of India include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>if the OCI has registered through fraud, or</li>
<li>if, within five years of registration, the OCI has been sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The Bill adds one more ground for cancellation, that is if the OCI has violated the provisions of the Act or of any other law notified by the government.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="3">The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arms Amendment Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha.</li>
<li>The Bill seeks to amend a section of the Arms Act, 1959.</li>
<li>It seeks to decrease the number of licensed firearms allowed per person and increase penalties for certain offences under the Act.</li>
<li>It also introduces new categories of offences.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features of the Bill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>License for acquiring firearms:</strong> The Bill reduces the number of permitted firearms <strong>from three to two</strong> including licenses given on inheritance or heirloom basis.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill provides a time period of 1 year to deposit excess firearms.</li>
<li>It also increases the duration of a firearm license from 3 years to 5 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increase in penalties:</strong> The 1959 Act specifies the punishment for (i) dealing in unlicensed firearms, (ii) shortening or converting a firearm without a license, and (iii) importing or exporting banned firearms. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The punishment for these offences is between 3-7 years along with a fine.</li>
<li>The Bill increases the punishment to between seven years and life imprisonment, along with a fine.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New offenses</strong> include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>forcefully taking a firearm from police or armed forces, punishable with imprisonment between 10 years and life imprisonment, and a fine, and</li>
<li>using firearms in celebratory gunfire which endangers human life or personal safety of others, punishable with imprisonment of up to 2 years or fine of up to one lakh or both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Organized crime syndicates:</strong> Possession of firearms by a member of a syndicate, in violation of the Act, will be punishable with imprisonment between 10 years and life, along with a fine. Illicit trafficking is punishable with imprisonment between 10 years and life, along with a fine.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="4">Census 2021 and updation of National Population Register</h3>
<p>The Union Cabinet has approved proposals to:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>conduct the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/census-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Census of India 2021</strong></a> throughout the country, and</li>
<li>update the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-population-register" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Population Register (NPR)</strong></a> in all parts of the country, except the state of Assam.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Census</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A population Census is a process of collecting, compiling, analyzing and disseminating demographic, social, cultural and economic data relating to all persons in the country, at a particular time in ten years interval.</li>
<li>The Indian Census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the people of India.</li>
<li>The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>The Census will be conducted in two phases:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>a house listing and housing census between April and September 2020, and</li>
<li>population enumeration in February 2021.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Population Register</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a list of &ldquo;usual residents of the country&rdquo;.</li>
<li>A &ldquo;usual resident of the country&rdquo; is one who has been residing in a local area for at least the last six months, or intends to stay in a particular location for the next six months.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="5">The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dadra-and-nagar-haveli-and-daman-and-diu-merger-of-union-territories-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu (Merger of UTs) Bill</strong> </a><strong>providing for the merger of two Union Territories into a single UT.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Representation in Lok Sabha:</strong> The First Schedule to the Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides <strong>one seat in Lok Sabha to each of the two UTs.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill seeks to amend the Schedule to allocate two Lok Sabha seats to the merged UT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Jurisdiction of High Court:</strong> The Bill provides that the jurisdiction of the High Court of Bombay will continue to extend to the merged UT.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="6">The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 introduced in Lok Sabha</h3>
<p>Introduced in Lok Sabha the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/personal-data-protection-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP)</strong></a> seeks to provide for protection of personal data of individuals, and establishes a<strong> Data Protection Authority</strong> for the same.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data Fiduciary:</strong> The 'data fiduciary' may be a service provider who collects, stores and uses data in the course of providing such goods and services. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill sets out obligations towards the entity who has access to personal data.</li>
<li>It states that the processing of personal data will be subjected to certain purpose, collection and storage limitations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Rights of the individual: These include the right to:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>obtain confirmation from the fiduciary on whether their personal data has been processed,</li>
<li>seek correction, erasure, completion or updating of personal data, or</li>
<li>restrict continuing disclosure of their personal data, if it is no longer necessary or if consent is withdrawn.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data Protection Authority:</strong> The Bill sets up a Data Protection Authority which may:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>take steps to protect interests of individuals,</li>
<li>prevent misuse of personal data, and</li>
<li>ensure compliance with the Bill.&nbsp;
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Authority will be composed of members with expertise in the field of data protection and information technology.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Exemptions:</strong> Processing of personal data is exempt from the provisions of the Bill in some cases. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Example: The central government can exempt any of its agencies from the provisions of the Act in interest of security of state, public order, sovereignty and integrity of India and friendly relations with foreign states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill provides that the central government may direct data fiduciaries to provide it with any:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>non-personal data and</li>
<li>anonymised personal data for better targeting of services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="7">Economy</h2>
<h3 id="8">The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxation-laws-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> replacing the Ordinance promulgated in September 2019 to cut Corporate tax rate.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill amends:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>the Income Tax Act, 1961 (IT Act), and</li>
<li>the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This Bill provides domestic companies with lower tax rate options if they do not claim certain deductions.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features of the Bill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Tax Rate of 22%: Currently, domestic companies with an annual turnover of up to Rs 400 crore pay income tax at the rate of 25%.</strong> For other domestic companies, the tax rate is 30%. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill provides domestic companies with an option to pay income tax at the rate of 22% if they do not claim certain deductions under the IT Act.</li>
<li>These deductions are provided for: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>newly established units in Special Economic Zones,</li>
<li>investment in new plants or machinery in notified backward areas,</li>
<li>expenditure on scientific research, the extension of agriculture, and skill development projects,</li>
<li>depreciation of new plants or machinery (in certain cases), and</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Rate of 15% for new companies:</strong> New domestic manufacturing companies can pay income tax at the rate of 15%, provided they do not claim the deductions specified above. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They should be set up and registered after September 30, 2019, and should start manufacturing before April 1, 2023.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Companies can choose to opt for the new tax rates starting the financial year 2019-20 (i.e. the assessment year 2020-21).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once an option is chosen, it will apply for all the subsequent years.</li>
<li>If companies choosing a new option do not follow certain conditions, they cannot exercise the new option for that year and subsequent years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="9">International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>Passed by the Parliament, the Bill provides for the<strong> establishment of an authority</strong> to develop and regulate the financial services market in International Financial Services Centres(IFSCs) in India.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Coverage:</strong> The Bill will apply to all the IFSCs set up under the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Act, 2005.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/international-financial-services-centres-authority-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Financial Service Centre (IFSC)</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An IFSC caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of the domestic economy. Such centres deal with flows of finance, financial products and services across borders.</li>
<li>In India, IFSC has been defined in the SEZ Act, 2005. As per the Act:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central Government may approve the setting up of an International Financial Service Centre in a Special Economic Zone and may prescribe the requirements for setting up and operation of such centre.</li>
<li>The Central Government shall approve only one International Financial Services Centre in a Special Economic Zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Constitution of the IFSCs Authority:</strong> The Bill sets up the International Financial Services Centres Authority. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Authority will consist of 9 members, including a chairperson, appointed by the central government.</li>
<li>Members of the Authority will include representatives from the RBI, SEBI, IRDA, PFRDA, and the Ministry of Finance.</li>
<li>Further, two members of the Authority are to be appointed on the recommendation of a Search Committee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Functions:</strong> Functions of the Authority include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Regulating approved financial products (such as securities or deposits), financial services, and financial institutions in an IFSC,</li>
<li>Regulating any other financial products, services, or institutions in an IFSC, which may be notified by the central government, and</li>
<li>recommending to the central government any other financial services, products, or institutions which may be permitted in an IFSC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IFSCA Fund:</strong> The bill sets-up IFSC Authority Fund. Grants, fees and charges received by the Authority from various sources will be credited to the Fund.</li>
<li><strong>Transaction in foreign currency:</strong> All transactions of financial services in IFSCs will be in such foreign currency as specified by the Authority, in consultation with the central government.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="10">Ordinance to Amend Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)</h3>
<p>The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 was promulgated on December 28, 2019. The Ordinance amends the IBC, 2016.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Code provides a time-bound process for resolving insolvency in companies and among individuals.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016</strong></a></p>
<p>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 provides a time-bound process for resolving insolvency in companies and among individuals.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Government implemented the IBC to consolidate all laws related to insolvency and bankruptcy and to tackle Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), a problem that has been pulling the Indian economy down for years.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Salient features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Covers all individuals, companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and partnership firms.</li>
<li>Adjudicating authority:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)</strong> for companies and LLPs</li>
<li><strong>Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT)</strong> for individuals and partnership firms</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Establishment of an <strong>Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India</strong> to exercise regulatory oversight over insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies and information utilities.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Key Points</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Minimum threshold:</strong> Under the Code, a financial creditor may file an application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for initiating the insolvency resolution process.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ordinance amends this to provide minimum thresholds for certain classes of financial creditors for initiating the insolvency resolution process.</li>
<li>In case of real estate projects, if an allottee wants to initiate the resolution process, the application should be filed jointly by at least 100 allottees of the same real estate project, or 10% of the total allottees under that project, whichever is less.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Liability for prior offences:</strong> The resolution plan under the Code may result in change in the management or control of a corporate debtor to other persons.</li>
<li><strong>Permits, licenses and registrations:</strong> The Ordinance states that any existing license, permit, registration, quota, concession, or clearance, given by the government or local authority, <strong>will not be suspended or terminated</strong> on the grounds of insolvency. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there should be no default in payment of current dues for the use or continuation of such grants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Supply of critical goods and services:</strong> The Ordinance states that the resolution professional may order that the supply of certain goods and services which are critical for the corporate debtor&rsquo;s operations <strong>cannot be discontinued</strong> during the <strong>moratorium period.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Moratorium Period:</strong> A Period wherein no judicial proceedings for recovery, enforcement of security interest, sale or transfer of assets, or termination of essential contracts can be instituted or continued against the Corporate Debtor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="11">Social Welfare</h2>
<h3 id="12">Code on Social Security</h3>
<p>The Code on Social Security, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha. It replaces nine laws related to social security, including the <strong>Employees&rsquo; Provident Fund Act, 1952, and the Unorganised Workers&rsquo; Social Security Act, 2008.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Social security schemes:</strong> Under the Code, the central government may notify various social security schemes for the benefit of workers. These include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>an Employees&rsquo; Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme,</li>
<li>an Employees&rsquo; State Insurance (ESI) Scheme to provide sickness, maternity, and other benefits, and</li>
<li>specific schemes for<strong> gig workers, platform workers,</strong> and <strong>unorganised workers</strong> to provide various benefits, such as life and disability cover.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p>Gig workers: Workers outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship (e.g., freelancers).</p>
<p>Platform workers: Workers who access other organisations or individuals using online platforms and earn money by providing them with specific services.</p>
<p>Unorganised workers: Includes home-based and self-employed workers.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Coverage and registration:</strong> The Code specifies different applicability thresholds for the schemes. For example,<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The EPF Scheme will apply to establishments with 20 or more employees. These thresholds may be amended by the central government.</li>
<li>All eligible establishments are required to register under the Code, unless they are already registered under another labour law.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Contributions:</strong> Certain schemes, such as the EPF and ESI Schemes will be financed through a combination of contributions from the employer and employee. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All contributions towards payment of gratuity, maternity benefit, cess for building workers, and employee compensation will be borne by the employer.</li>
<li>Schemes for gig workers, platform workers, and unorganised workers may be financed through a combination of contributions from the employer, employee, and the appropriate government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Social security organisations:</strong> The Code provides for the establishment of several bodies to administer the social security schemes. These include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A Central Board of Trustees to administer the EPF, EPS and EDLI Schemes,</li>
<li>An Employees State Insurance Corporation to administer the ESI Scheme, and</li>
<li>National and state-level Social Security Boards to administer schemes for unorganised workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="13">The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lok-sabha-passes-the-constitution-124th-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019</strong></a> was passed by Parliament. The Bill amends provisions related to reservation of seats for<strong> Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs)</strong> and the removal of reservation for <strong>Anglo-Indians</strong> in legislative bodies.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Constitution provides for reservation of seats for SCs and STs and representation of the Anglo-Indian community by nomination, in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of states.</li>
<li>This has been provided for a period of 70 years since the enactment of the Constitution and will expire on January 25, 2020.</li>
<li>The Bill seeks to extend the reservation for SCs and STs by another 10 years till January 25, 2030.</li>
<li>The provision of seats by nomination for Anglo-Indians in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies has not been extended.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Anglo-Indians</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 366:</strong> It defines as a person whose father or any of whose other male progenitors in the male line is or was of European descent but who is domiciled within the territory of India and is or was born within such territory of parents habitually resident therein and not established there for temporary purposes only.</li>
<li><strong>Article 334(b):</strong> The reservation of the Anglo Indian community in the Legislative bodies was extended for 40 years in 1949 through the insertion of this article.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="14">The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>Introduced in Lok Sabha, the Bill <strong>amends the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definitions:</strong> In the Act, the term<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>&lsquo;Children&rsquo;</strong> refers to children and grandchildren, excluding minors.</li>
<li>The Bill adds step-children, adoptive children, children-in-laws, and the legal guardian of minors to the definition.</li>
<li><strong>Parents</strong> to include biological, adoptive, and step parents. The Bill expands this definition to include both parents-in-law and grandparents.</li>
<li>The Bill expands the definition of: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Maintenance,</strong> to include the provision of healthcare, safety, and security for parents and senior citizens to lead a life of dignity,</li>
<li><strong>Welfare,</strong> to include the provision of housing, clothing, safety, and other amenities necessary for the well-being of a senior citizen or parent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maintenance orders:</strong> Under the Act, state governments constitute <strong>maintenance Tribunals</strong> which may direct children and relatives <strong>to pay a monthly maintenance fee of up to Rs 10,000 to parents and senior citizens.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill removes the upper limit on the maintenance fee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Offences and penalties:</strong> The penalty for the abandonment of a senior citizen or parent has been increased to imprisonment between three and six months, and a fine of up to Rs10,000. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill also provides that failure to comply with the maintenance order by children or relatives may lead to imprisonment up to one month, or until the payment is made.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="15">The Prohibition of E-Cigarettes Bill, 2019</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/e-cigarette" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes</strong></a> (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It replaced an Ordinance promulgated in September 2019.</li>
<li>The Bill seeks to prohibit the production, trade, storage, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Electronic cigarettes:</strong> The Bill defines electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as electronic devices that heat a substance, which may contain nicotine and other chemicals, to create vapour for inhalation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These e-cigarettes can also contain different flavours and include all forms of electronic nicotine delivery systems, heat-not-burn products, e-hookahs, and other similar devices.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ban:</strong> The Bill prohibits the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution and advertisement of e-cigarettes in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any person who contravenes this provision will be punishable with imprisonment of up to 1 year, or a fine of up to one lakh rupees, or both.</li>
<li>For any subsequent offence, the person will be punishable with an imprisonment of up to three years, along with a fine of up to five lakh rupees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Storage of e-cigarettes:</strong> Under the Bill, no person is allowed to use any place for the storage of any stock of e-cigarettes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If any person stores any stock of e-cigarettes will be punishable with an imprisonment of up to 6 months, or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="16">Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</h3>
<p>The Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hong-kong-convention-for-ship-recycling" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019</strong></a> which restricts the use of hazardous material on ships and regulates the recycling of ships.</p>
<p><strong>Key Features</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Applicability of the Bill:</strong> The Bill will apply to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any new or existing ship which is registered in India,</li>
<li>Ships entering a port or terminal in India, or the territorial waters of India,</li>
<li>Any warship, or other ship owned and operated by an administration and used on government non-commercial service, and</li>
<li>Ship recycling facilities operating in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ship recycling:</strong> The Bill defines ship recycling as the dismantling of a ship at a facility to recover the components and materials for reuse, and taking care of the hazardous material so produced.</li>
<li><strong>Requirements for ships:</strong> Ships should not use prohibited hazardous materials as notified. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The central government may exempt certain categories of ships from this requirement.</li>
<li>The National Authority will carry out periodic surveys to verify the prescribed requirements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recycling facilities:</strong> Ships will be recycled only in authorised recycling facilities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An application to authorise such a facility must be submitted to the Competent Authority (which will be notified by the central government) along with a ship recycling facility management plan, and prescribed fee.</li>
<li>The certificate of authorisation will be valid for a period as specified but not exceeding five years.</li>
<li>Contravening these provisions will be punishable with imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, or both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/prs-capsule/prs-capsule-december-2019'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Indian Army Day',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Army Day is celebrated every year on <strong>15<sup>th</sup> January</strong> in India to commemorate the jawans and the Indian Army.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Army Day celebrations, which began in 1949, will be observed for the 72<sup>nd</sup> time in 2020.</li>
<li>Army Day is celebrated to mark Lt Gen K M Carriappa taking over as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India.</li>
<li>The Indian Army was established on April 1, 1895. It&rsquo;s motto is</li>
<li>"Service before self."</li>
<li><strong>Difference in 2020</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Army Day parade in New Delhi will see for the first time a woman, Captain Tania Shergill, leading an all-men contingent.</li>
<li>Apart from the three service chiefs, India&rsquo;s first chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat will also attend the parade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Battle of Asal Uttar</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The battle of Asal Uttar was a very key turning point during the<strong> Indo-Pakistan war of 1965,</strong> which set the course of India&rsquo;s victory. It was fought from 8<sup>th</sup>-10<sup>th</sup> September, 1965.</li>
<li>It is described by historians as one of the largest tank battles in history since World War II.</li>
<li>Asal Uttar is a village 12 km from the international border with Pakistan in Punjab&rsquo;s Tarn Taran district.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>MQ-9B Sky Guardian</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the next generation Remotely Piloted Aircrafts Systems (RPAS).</li>
<li>It is a highly modular aircraft and is rapidly configurable with a variety of payloads and weapons.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/photos/india-news/rehearsals-for-72nd-army-day-2019-underway-in-delhi-6214373/" 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/indian-army-day'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Oldest Material on Earth',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, scientists have found <strong>4.6 to 7-billion-year-old presolar grains of Silicon Carbide (SiC)</strong> in the <strong>Murchison meteorite</strong> which fell in Australia in 1969.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579080007_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579080007_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The presolar grains of Silicon Carbide is the <strong>oldest solid materials ever found.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These grains are formed before the solar system's formation and thus termed as &ldquo;presolar grains&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The presolar grains are <strong>very rare,</strong> found only in about <strong>5% of meteorites</strong> that have fallen to Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>may reveal the phenomenon of formation of stars</strong> in the Milky Way Galaxy. As the presence of Silicon Carbide in the meteorite are <strong>samples of stardust.</strong></li>
<li>It also provides clues about the<strong> rate of star formation</strong> in the Milky Way galaxy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Stardusts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stardust is formed by the material ejected from stars and carried by stellar winds, getting blown into interstellar space.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The stellar wind is a flow of gas ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star.</li>
<li>Interstellar space is defined as that which lies beyond a magnetic region that extends about 122 Astronomical Unit (AU) from the sun.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>During the solar system's birth, this dust was incorporated into everything that formed including the planets and the sun but survived intact until now only in asteroids and comets.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Silicon Carbide (SiC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Silicon carbide also known as <strong>Carborundum</strong> is a compound of silicon and carbon.</li>
<li>Silicon carbide is a <strong>semiconductor material</strong> and is an emerging material for applications in semiconductor devices.</li>
<li>It is one of the most important industrial ceramic materials.</li>
<li>It is widely used as an abrasive and steel additive and structural ceramic.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/oldest-material-on-earth-found-inside-meteorite-that-hit-australia/article30562814.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/oldest-material-on-earth'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Rojgaar Sangi',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Chhattisgarh State Skill Development Authority (CSSDA) has launched a <strong>mobile phone app - &lsquo;Rojgaar Sangi&rsquo;</strong> to help skilled and trained candidates find jobs.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The app has been developed with the help of <strong>National Informatics Centre (NIC).</strong></li>
<li>The app will also help start-up companies to hire an office staff.</li>
<li>It will <strong>increase accessibility</strong> for skilled and trained candidates, which in turn will <strong>increase job opportunities.</strong></li>
<li>The app is expected to benefit 7 lakh students who were trained under the 705 courses offered by CSSDA.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Informatics Centre</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NIC of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology provides network backbone and <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/e-governance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-Governance</strong></a> support to the Central Government, State Governments and UT Administrations.</li>
<li>It was established in 1976 and is located in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-chhattisgarh-app-to-connect-trained-candidates-with-jobs-6216816/" 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/rojgaar-sangi'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'CRZ Rules Eased for 'Blue Flag' Beaches',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Environment and Forest</strong> has<strong> relaxed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coastal-regulation-zone-crz-notification-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules</a>.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CRZ rules restrict construction near beaches. Relaxation in the rules will allow States to construct infrastructure and enable the beaches to receive <strong>&lsquo;Blue Flag&rsquo; certification.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry selected <strong>13 beaches</strong> in India for the Blue Flag certificate in 2019.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>CRZ laws do not allow the construction of infrastructure on beaches and islands.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, the Blue Flag certification requires beaches to create infrastructures like portable toilet blocks, greywater treatment plants, a solar power plant, seating facilities, CCTV surveillance, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The government notified that construction activities and facilities shall be permitted in the CRZs, including Islands, for the purpose of Blue Flag Certification in beaches.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, these activities are <strong>subject to maintaining a minimum distance of 10 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>High Tide Line:</strong> HTL means the line on the land up to which the highest water line reaches during the <strong>spring tide.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Low Tide Line:</strong> Similarly, it means the line on the land up to which the lowest water line reaches during the <strong>spring tide.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Spring tides:</strong> The position of both the sun and the moon in relation to the earth has direct bearing on tide height. When the<strong> sun, the moon and the earth are in a straight line,</strong> the <strong>height of the tide will be higher.</strong> These are called spring tides and they occur twice a month, one on full moon period and another during new moon period.</p>
</div>
<h3>Blue Flag Certification</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>international recognition</strong> conferred on beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety.</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/blue-flag-certification" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &lsquo;Blue Flag&rsquo;</strong></a> <strong>beach</strong> is an<strong> &lsquo;eco-tourism model&rsquo;</strong> and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.</li>
<li>The<strong> Blue Flag Programme</strong> was started in <strong>France</strong> in <strong>1985</strong> and has been implemented in<strong> Europe since 1987</strong> and in areas <strong>outside Europe since 2001</strong> when South Africa joined.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Blue Flag Programme is run by the <strong>Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)</strong> which is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The certification is accorded by the <strong>Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education, with 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches,</strong> that are-<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Environmental Education and Information</li>
<li>Bathing Water Quality</li>
<li>Environment Management and Conservation</li>
<li>Safety and Services</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Spain</strong> tops the list with <strong>566 such beaches; Greece and France</strong> follow with<strong> 515 and 395</strong> Blue Flag beaches, respectively.</li>
<li><strong>Japan and South Korea</strong> are the only countries in the <strong>south and southeastern Asia</strong> to have Blue Flag beaches.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-eases-crz-rules-for-blue-flag-beaches/article30568967.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/crz-rules-eased-for-blue-flag-beaches'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Taal Volcano',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A volcano called Taal on the island of Luzon, 50 km from Manila, Philippines erupted on 12<sup>th</sup> January, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Compound Volcano:</strong> Taal is classified as a &ldquo;complex&rdquo; volcano by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579075168_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579075168_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A complex volcano, also called a compound volcano, is defined as one that doesn't have just one main vent or cone but several eruption points. Another such example is Mount Vesuvius on the west coast of Italy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unpredictable:</strong> Taal has erupted more than 30 times in the last few centuries, the most recent was in 1977.</li>
<li>It needs to be noted that the Philippines is situated at the boundaries of two tectonic plates &mdash; the Philippines Sea Plate and the Eurasian plate &mdash; thus susceptible to earthquakes and volcanism.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-eruption-of-a-tiny-complex-volcano-is-causing-concern-6216667/" 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/taal-volcano'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Need For Decoupling',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/two-big-ideas-towards-green-growth-the-only-viable-path-to-development-left-to-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Two big ideas towards green growth: The only viable path to development left to us&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published on 14/01/2020 in The Times of India. It talks about maintaining economic development while reducing resource use and associated environmental impacts.</p>
</div>
<p>Natural resources form the backbone of any economic development. India, as one of the fastest-growing economies, has increased its material consumption to six times, from 1.18 billion tonnes (BT) in 1970 to 7 BT in 2015 and it is expected to reach 15 BT by 2030.</p>
<p>This material consumption is to further increase in order to provide for economic growth, increasing population, rapid urbanization and growing aspirations of people.</p>
<p>However, this economic growth has been coupled with the inherent cost of the natural environment. As we are hitting the limits of every possible material resource, it is clear that the linear model of &lsquo;produce, consume and discard&rsquo; needs rejuvenation.</p>
<p>Thus, there is a <strong>need for decoupling</strong> i.e., maintaining economic development while reducing resource use and associated environmental impacts.</p>
<h3>Ways to Achieve this Decoupling</h3>
<p><strong>Resource Efficiency</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Enhancing resource efficiency and promoting the use of secondary raw materials has emerged as a strategy for ensuring potential trade-off between growth and resource constraints.</li>
<li>According to <strong>The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),</strong> if the <strong>6R principles of a circular economy,</strong> ie reduce, reuse, recycle, redesign, remanufacture, refurbish are applied, it can bring down steel and aluminium scrap imports to zero.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Not only will this cut down India&rsquo;s import bill, but it will also lead to new enterprises carrying out new activities, and will also generate additional employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In this context, the government has drafted a <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/policy-watch-national-resource-efficiency-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>national resource efficiency policy, 2019.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Waste Management</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every effort has to be made to ensure as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-better-way-of-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>little waste is generated</strong></a> as possible.</li>
<li>The process of production and consumption must be innovated to convert waste into a variety of useful products. <strong>This is called upcycling.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example: In Delhi, construction waste and road dust are converted into interlocking tiles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, it will result in a huge reduction in millions of tonnes of slag and solid waste generation and CO2 emissions.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Renewable Energy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has targeted installing of 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2022.</li>
<li>Non-fossil fuel electricity (produced from hydro, wind, solar and nuclear sources) is likely to account for 45% of the electricity mix in India by 2030.</li>
<li>Today, businesses are investing in renewable energy because it is economically attractive; <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/solar-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>solar electricity</strong></a> at about Rs 2.50/ kWh is the cheapest electricity available in India.</li>
</ul>
<p><em><strong>Associated Challenges</strong></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has a low recycling rate, 20-25% compared to 50% in developed countries.</li>
<li>Though solar energy is the cheapest, the challenge is to bring down the price of energy storage.</li>
<li>Also, Photovoltaic (PV) panel used in solar energy produces a lot of e-waste.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Easy financing instruments need to be explored by banking and non-banking financial institutions for promoting investment in formal recycling setups. A <strong>cluster-based approach</strong> could be considered by bringing different players.</li>
<li><strong>Upcycling plants</strong> are currently not cost-effective, therefore there is a need for new business models for their success. And many such new ideas need to be supported in every sphere of the economy.</li>
<li>The waste generated from solar PV should be treated as <strong>e-waste</strong> to provide a legal mechanism for solar PV waste management.</li>
<li>To enhance reuse of construction and demolition waste, it will require developing codes and standards for quality of secondary raw materials produced from reprocessing of wastes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, public procurement of materials for civil construction from recycled materials can be formulated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Achieving this decoupling will help to achieve, global commitment to sustainable development by 2030.</li>
</ul>
<p>Since the 1950s the global consumption of natural resources has skyrocketed, both in magnitude and in the range of resources used. Closely coupled with emissions of greenhouse gases, land consumption, pollution of environmental media, and degradation of ecosystems, as well as with economic development, increasing resource use is a key issue to be addressed in order to keep the planet Earth in a safe and just operating space.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f5f2d5;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Treating waste as a resource and the design of a circular economy have been identified as key approaches for resource efficiency. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/need-for-decoupling'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Urbanisation Trends: EIU',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006752_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006752_image6.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)</strong> survey released a ranking of the fastest-growing urban areas across the world which features three cities from Kerala among the top 10.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>From the period of 2015-2020, Malappuram had 44.1% change, Kozhikode had 34.5% change and Kollam had 31.1% change).</strong> These are the only places from India to feature in the top 10 rankings.</li>
<li><strong>Thrissur, Kerala</strong> is at 13<sup>th</sup> position with 30.2% jump between 2015 and 2020. <strong>Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu</strong> is at 30<sup>th</sup> rank. <strong>Thiruvananthapuram</strong> is at 33<sup>rd</sup> position.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data:</strong> The list is based on data from the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> <strong>Population Division.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Time Period:</strong> The Economist has listed the rate at which the populations of the UAs are expected to increase between 2015 and 2020 and it provides a measure of the pace of urbanisation.</li>
<li><strong>Unusual Findings:</strong> The rankings seem unusual because the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/population-explosion-and-fertility-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>total fertility rate</strong></a> <strong>(TFR,</strong> the number of children a woman is likely to have in the childbearing age of 15-49) in Kerala is 1.8 as per <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NITI Aayog</strong></a> data from 2016, below the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indias-falling-fertility-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>replacement rate</strong></a> of 2.1.</li>
</ul>
<h3>With Reference to Kerala</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transformation of Villages to Town:</strong> Kerala has <strong>low fertility rate</strong> which means the increase in the population of Malappuram and other cities is not because women are having more children but because more villages are being transformed into towns and city borders are expanding.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When a village becomes a census town, its population is included in the urban population of the district.</li>
<li>Cities of Kerala are seeing rapid urbanisation and the main reason is the inclusion of new areas in the UA&rsquo;s limits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Effects of Migration:</strong> Kerala sees both <strong>emigration</strong> (migration from the state to other places) and <strong>immigration</strong> (the migration of workers to the state)<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The remittances that emigrants send allow the residents of villages to move away from agriculture, which changes the status of a village to census town.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Shift from Agriculture:</strong> In Kerala, <strong>urbanisation is driven by a move away from agriculture,</strong> which leads to a change in a village&rsquo;s Census classification status.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006782_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579006782_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Factors for Population Growth</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>When the birth rate exceeds the death rate (natural growth).</li>
<li>When workers migrate to the city in search of jobs.</li>
<li>When more areas get included within the boundaries of the city.</li>
<li>When existing rural areas are reclassified as urban.</li>
<li>According to the <strong>Census definition,</strong> an urban area is either a census town (CT) or a statutory town (ST).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Statutory Town:</strong> Any place with a municipal corporation, municipal council, or cantonment board.</li>
<li><strong>Census Town:</strong> It can be a place with &ldquo;urban characteristics&rdquo;, a population of more than 5,000, population density more than 400 people per sq km, and with more than 75% of the population not engaged in agriculture for their livelihood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the UN,<strong> &ldquo;urban agglomerations&rdquo;</strong> (UA) are defined as continuous urban spread consisting of a town and its adjoining urban outgrowths or two or more physically contiguous towns together.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For example,</strong> the <strong>National Capital Territory of Delhi</strong> is a UA that includes the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas as well as 107 census towns (erstwhile surrounding villages where more than 75% of the population is now engaged in non-agricultural pursuits).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Economist Intelligence Unit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence. It was created in 1946.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Urbanisation leads to the <strong>growth of cities and infrastructure</strong> which gives more opportunities to youth. People leave behind caste and class divisions (to some extent) that dominate life in the villages and move upwards in society.</li>
<li>However, <strong>unplanned urbanisation can be exclusionary</strong> making it difficult for migrants to live there given the high cost. Unregulated housing, lack of reliable public transport, and longer commutes within these towns put a strain on the meagre resources of migrants</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/how-malappuram-topped-the-list-of-worlds-fastest-growing-cities-6215006/" 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/urbanisation-trends-eiu'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Diego-The Giant Tortoise',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<h3></h3>
<p>Recently, Diego (Chelonoidis hoodensis, or the giant tortoise species) has retired from the <strong>captive breeding programme</strong> in the <strong>Galapagos National Park, Ecuador.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>He will be returned to <strong>Espa&ntilde;ola Island,</strong> from where he was taken around 80 years ago.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993818_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993818_image3.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Diego is 100 years old and joined the <strong>breeding programme in 1976.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tortoise population has since gone up from 15 to 2,000.</li>
<li>He is responsible for about <strong>40% of the offspring produced.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Another male tortoise<strong> &lsquo;E5&rsquo;</strong> has generated about 60% offspring.</li>
<li>Diego has a long leathery neck, dull-yellow face and beady eyes. Fully stretched out, he extends to about five feet and weighs about 176 pounds.</li>
<li>The <strong>long neck is critical for his species&rsquo; survival,</strong> helping the tortoises crane their necks to feed on cacti.</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tortoises on the Gal&aacute;pagos Islands served as an excellent source of food for seafarers in the 1800s so a large number were picked up from the islands.</li>
<li>Feral goats on the islands posed another danger, competing for food, destroying the tortoises&rsquo; habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IUCN Red List</a> Status: Critically Endangered</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993856_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578993856_image4.png" width="400" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gal&aacute;pagos National Park</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was created in <strong>1959</strong> and it was the <strong>first national park of Ecuador.</strong></li>
<li>The Gal&aacute;pagos Islands were designated as a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong></a> in <strong>1978.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-is-diego-the-tortoise-whose-sex-drive-saved-his-species-6214926/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/diego-the-giant-tortoise'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Bhil Tribe',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recent controversial references to the Bhil tribe by Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) has received severe criticism.</p>
<h3>Key Points <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578989894_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578989894_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="200" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bhil are <strong>one of the largest tribal groups,</strong> living in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.</li>
<li>The name is derived from the word &lsquo;billu&rsquo;, which means bow.</li>
<li>The Bhil are known to be <strong>excellent archers</strong> coupled with <strong>deep knowledge about their local geography.</strong></li>
<li>Traditionally, experts in guerrilla warfare, most of them today are farmers and agricultural labourers. They are also skilled sculptors.</li>
<li>Bhil <strong>women</strong> wear <strong>traditional saris</strong> while <strong>men</strong> are dressed in <strong>long frock and pyjamas.</strong> The <strong>woman</strong> put on <strong>heavy ornaments made of silver, brass</strong> along with rosaries of beads and silver coins and earing.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/mp-psc-paper-calls-bhils-alcoholic-and-criminal-minded/articleshow/73219173.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TOI</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bhil-tribe'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Organic Turmeric to Weed Out Marijuana in Malkangiri',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Malkangiri district</strong> administration, <strong>Odisha</strong> has initiated a project to divert the region&rsquo;s tribals from <strong>illegal <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cannabis-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a> cultivation</strong> by promoting organic turmeric as a profitable cash crop.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Organic turmeric will weed out the marijuana cultivation in remote areas of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/balimela-reservoir" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Swabhiman Anchal</strong></a> in Malkangiri.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reasons for Illegal Marijuana Cultivation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lack of communication.</li>
<li>Poverty.</li>
<li>Financed by the Drug mafias from outside, allegedly.</li>
<li>Source of easy money.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This move comes after a <strong>survey,</strong> conducted in <strong>2019</strong> by the Malkangiri district administration.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It revealed that almost all tribal families grow turmeric for their consumption but not for commercial purposes.</li>
<li>The district has a <strong>suitable climate and geographical conditions</strong> so organic turmeric can become the tool of economic development for poor tribals as well as cash crop alternative of marijuana.</li>
<li>It is estimated that each acre of organic turmeric can provide ₹70,000 to 80,000 income to the farmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The project has been implemented by the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/horticulture-sector-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Horticulture</strong> </a>and <strong>Agriculture</strong> Departments. Interested farmers have been registered for <strong>scientific training.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Marijuana or Hemp</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is part of the <strong>cannabis super-family,</strong> is illegal for commercial cultivation though it grows as a weed in several parts of the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Uttarakhand, Jammu and Uttar Pradesh have <strong>allowed restricted cultivation</strong> of the plant for medical research.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has two components <strong>CBD (cannabidiol) </strong>and<strong> THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CBD does not cause intoxication or euphoria and has been successfully proven to provide <strong>relief to chronic pain</strong> without causing psychoactive side effects.</li>
<li>It is <strong>THC which is the primary psychoactive components</strong> of Marijuana.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Narcotic Drugs and Psychoactive Substances Act, 1985</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It <strong>bans the commercial cultivation of cannabis.</strong></li>
<li>The bar <strong>does not apply to an edible preparation called bhang,</strong> which is allowed in some States.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>United Nations Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs, 1961</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific</strong> (nominally narcotic) <strong>drugs</strong> and of drugs with similar effects except under licence for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research.</li>
<li>The convention refers to drug addiction as <strong>&ldquo;a serious evil for the individual [that] is fraught with social and economic danger to mankind&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/organic-turmeric-to-weed-out-marijuana-in-malkangiri/article30562573.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Raisina Dialogue',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The 5<sup>th</sup> edition of Raisina Dialogue is being held in New Delhi. The 1<sup>st</sup> edition was held in 2016.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The title of the Raisina Dialogue this year (2020) is <strong>&ldquo;Navigating the Alpha Century&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The conference will host 700 participants from more than 100 countries and at least 40% of the speakers will be women.</li>
<li>The Dialogue has been <strong>India&rsquo;s contribution</strong> to <strong>global efforts</strong> to discover solutions, identify opportunities and provide stability to a century that has witnessed an eventful two decades.</li>
<li>A session will be held on the Indo-Pacific, including military or naval commanders from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/quad-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Quadrilateral or Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States)&rdquo;</strong></a>. It will also have a <strong>French Defence official on the panel</strong> this year.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Raisina Dialogue</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>multilateral conference</strong> committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are <strong>hosted in New Delhi</strong> to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters.</li>
<li>The Dialogue is structured as a <strong>multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion,</strong> involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, as well as major private sector executives, members of the media and academics.</li>
<li>The conference is hosted by the <strong>Observer Research Foundation</strong> in collaboration with the <strong>Ministry of External Affairs</strong>, Government of India.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Observer Research Foundation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>independent think tank</strong> based in<strong> New Delhi</strong> with three centres in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.</li>
<li>It seeks to lead and aid policy thinking towards building a strong and prosperous India in a fair and equitable world and helps discover and inform India&rsquo;s choices. It carries Indian voices and ideas to forums shaping global debates.</li>
<li>It provides <strong>non-partisan, independent, well-researched analyses and inputs</strong> to diverse decision-makers in governments, business communities, and academia and civil society around the world.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raisina-dialogue-to-kick-off-with-panel-of-former-world-leaders-on-january-14-pm-modi-to-attend/article30561118.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/raisina-dialogue'
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	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Manual Scavenging in India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Central Monitoring Committee to review the implementation of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/manual-scavenging-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013</strong></a> has mentioned that many states are lagging behind in the rehabilitation of manual scavengers.</li>
<li>Though most of the sewer death compensation had been paid but <strong>states like Gujarat, Maharashtra </strong>is<strong> yet to pay compensation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578987249_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578987249_image1.jpg" width="390" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Numerical Analysis:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since 1993, a total of 926 deaths related to the manual scavenging is reported in the country, out of which 172 families are yet to receive compensation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>State-wise Analysis:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Engaged Workers:</strong> According to the <strong>National Commission of Safai Karamcharis (NCSK),</strong> a total of 53,598 people, of which <strong>29,923</strong> were in <strong>Uttar Pradesh alone,</strong> had been identified as <strong>engaged in manual scavenging</strong> after surveys in 2013 and 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Deaths: Tamil Nadu</strong> reported the <strong>highest number of deaths</strong> but has paid compensation in all but seven of the 234 cases.</li>
<li><strong>Compensation: Gujarat</strong> has the<strong> highest</strong> number of cases where the compensation <strong>amount was not paid followed by Maharashtra.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Steps taken for Elimination:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, one-time cash assistance, capital subsidy and skill development training are provided to the identified manual scavengers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prohibition:</strong> The act prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment, and the construction of insanitary latrines.</li>
<li><strong>Rehabilitation:</strong> It seeks to rehabilitate manual scavengers and provide for their alternative employment.</li>
<li><strong>Implementing Authority:</strong> Each local authority, cantonment board and railway authority is responsible for surveying insanitary latrines within its jurisdiction. They shall also construct a number of sanitary community latrines.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The District Magistrate and the local authority shall be the implementing authorities. Offences under the Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable and may be tried summarily.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Persistence of Manual Scavenging</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite the most stringent penal provisions in the law against manual scavenging, it continues in parts of India largely <strong>due to governmental indifference and social prejudice.</strong></li>
<li>The continued presence of insanitary latrines, of which there are about 2.6 million that require cleaning by hand, according to Safai Karmachari Andolan.</li>
<li>Many communities still regard the presence of a sanitary toilet inside the house as physical pollution.</li>
<li>The entrenched belief in the <strong>caste system</strong> that assumes people belonging to a particular caste group will readily perform the stigmatised task of emptying latrines.</li>
<li>The state governments are not keen to demolish and rebuild old facilities lacking sanitation, or conduct a full census of both the latrines and the people engaged in clearing such waste.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Commission of Safai Karamcharis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) was constituted on 12<sup>th</sup> August 1994 as a statutory body by an Act of Parliament viz. &lsquo;National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993&rsquo;.</li>
<li>The act &ldquo;The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993&rdquo; lapsed in February 2004.</li>
<li>The Commission is acting as a <strong>non-statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment</strong> whose tenure is extended from time to time through Government Resolutions.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharashtra-gujarat-lag-behind-in-compensation-for-sewer-deaths/article30559790.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 93

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