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Lunar Evacuation System

Under the preparations for NASA’s 2024 Moon mission, a device called Lunar Evacuation System Assembly (LESA) has been tested. LESA developed...

26 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Celiac Disease

It has been revealed that one of every 140 persons in India is estimated to have celiac disease. Also called Wheat Allergy, celiac disease is a...

26 Jun 2019 News Analysis
State Divide in Unemployment

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2017-18 reflects huge variations among the states in terms of the unemployment rate. The survey reflects...

26 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Agricultural Distress in India

Why in News? The last two years have been filled with images of farmers protests by the way of dumping vegetables by the roadside and resorting to...

26 Jun 2019 Paper 3
Electric Mobility Rush: Concerns and Restraints

This article is based on editorial Our premature push for electric vehicles which appeared in Livemint on 24th June 2019. It talks about, concerns...

25 Jun 2019 News Editorials
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in...

25 Jun 2019 International Institutions
Superbugs Can Be Transmitted Through Plants

Researchers at the University of Southern California have found that anti-microbial resistant bacteria or superbugs can be transmitted to humans...

25 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Mars Colonisation Through Sperm Bank

As per a study, the human colonies on Mars may be able to expand with shipments of sperm from Earth. The study has found out that exposure to low...

25 Jun 2019 News Analysis
DRDO’s Herbal Drug for Leucoderma

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a herbal drug 'lukoskin' for treatment of Leucoderma. Leucoderma is a skin and...

25 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Water Vulnerable Megacities in India

Four Indian cities, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi have been ranked among the top 20 megacities in the world facing high levels of water...

25 Jun 2019 News Analysis
New Biomarker for Malaria Detection

A researcher’s team from the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Jabalpur-based National Institute of Research in Tribal Health has...

25 Jun 2019 News Analysis
In Depth – Speaker: Roles and Responsibility

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) MP Om Birla was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha on 19th June 2019. Since the Indian System...

25 Jun 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Redesigning India’s Fiscal Federalism

This editorial is based on the article “Reimagining the NITI Aayog” which appeared in The Hindu on 24th June 2019. The article talks...

24 Jun 2019 News Editorials
Methane in the Martian Air

NASA’s Curiosity Rover has discovered high amounts of methane in the Martian air, a gas that on Earth is usually produced by living...

24 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Petition for Protection of Non-Nagas in Dimapur

A petition filed before the Supreme Court has sought a direction to the Centre and the Nagaland government to take appropriate steps for the...

24 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Flood Hazard Atlas

Odisha has released a unique flood hazard atlas on the basis of historic flood inundation captured through satellite imagery over the period from...

24 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Imphal Peace Museum

Britain and Japan, once adversaries during the 2nd world war have come together and inaugurated the Imphal Peace Museum to commemorate the 75th...

24 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Arogyapacha: ‘Miracle Plant’

Scientists from the University of Kerala have decoded the genetic make-up of Arogyapacha (Trichopus zeylanicus), a highly potent medicinal plant...

24 Jun 2019 News Analysis
Monsoon

Generally, across the world, the monsoons are experienced in the tropical area roughly between 20° N and 20° S. The climate of India is...

24 Jun 2019 Paper 1
The Start Up India Fund

According to data available with the SIDBI, the Startup India fund has allocated Rs 2,265 crore to Venture Capital (VC) funds at the end of March...

24 Jun 2019 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Lunar Evacuation System',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Under the preparations for <strong>NASA&rsquo;s 2024 Moon mission,</strong> a device called <strong>Lunar Evacuation System Assembly</strong> (LESA) has been tested.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>LESA developed by the <strong>European Space Agency</strong> (ESA), is a pyramid-like structure used for rescuing an <strong>injured astronaut</strong> on the lunar surface.</li>
<li>Astronauts could not carry their fallen crewmate over their shoulder while wearing a <strong>heavy extravehicular activity</strong> (EVA) <strong>suit.</strong></li>
<li>LESA enables an astronaut to lift their crewmate onto a <strong>mobile stretcher</strong> in less than 10 minutes, before carrying them to the safety of a nearby pressurized lander.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Aeronautics and Space Administration</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.</li>
<li>Headquartered in <strong>Washington, D.C, United States.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>NASA&rsquo;s 2024 Moon mission or Artemis' program</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/576image8.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/576image8.jpg" width="690" height="388" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ARTEMIS stands for <strong>'Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics</strong> of the Moon's interaction with the Sun.</li>
<li>Artemis program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time (including the <strong>first woman</strong> and the next man) in half a century, including eight scheduled launches and a <strong>mini-station in lunar orbit</strong> by 2024.</li>
<li>As a result of Artemis, NASA will be able to establish a <strong>sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028</strong> to uncover new scientific discoveries, demonstrate new technological advancements, and lay the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy.</li>
</ul>
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Celiac Disease',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>It has been revealed that <strong>one of every 140 persons in India</strong> is estimated to <strong>have celiac disease.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also called <strong>Wheat Allergy,</strong> celiac disease is a chronic inflammation of the small intestine caused by an intolerance to gluten and usually present in genetically predisposed individuals.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Gluten</strong> is a general name for the <strong>proteins</strong> found in <strong>wheat, rye, barley and triticale &ndash;</strong> a cross between wheat and rye.</li>
<li>Gluten helps food maintain its shape, acting as the glue that holds food together.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Effect of the disease on the body:</strong> When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine, indicating the disease being an <strong>autoimmune disease.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These attacks lead to <strong>damage on the villi,</strong> small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption.</li>
<li>When the villi get damaged, <strong>nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.</strong></li>
<li>Also, the <strong>modern wheat</strong> which is hexaploid rather than diploid, is <strong>more antigenic,</strong> meaning it <strong>stimulates the production of antibodies when introduced into the body.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>People with celiac disease have a two times greater risk of developing <strong>coronary artery disease</strong>, and a four times greater risk of developing <strong>small bowel cancers.</strong></li>
<li>Currently, <strong>the only treatment</strong> for celiac disease is <strong>lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet.</strong> People living gluten-free must avoid foods with wheat, rye and barley, such as bread and beer.</li>
<li>Many people <strong>who do not have celiac disease can also be sensitive to gluten,</strong> known as <strong>non celiac gluten sensitivity.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/564image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/564image2.jpg" caption="false" width="635" height="527" /></a></p>
<h3>Issues with Gluten Free Diet</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>People not diagnosed with celiac disease are giving up cereal grains for perceived benefits such as weight loss and better digestion.</li>
<li>Cereal grains such as wheat are a <strong>source of dietary fibre</strong> and is needed for the bowels to work properly.</li>
<li>Food containing gluten also are an important <strong>source of protein</strong> that most Indians lack.</li>
<li>Going gluten-free might also increase the <strong>risk of heart disease</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Autoimmune Disease</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A body has an immune system, which is a complex network of special cells and organs that defends the body from germs and other foreign invaders.</li>
<li>In a body suffering from Autoimmune disease, <strong>the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs.</strong></li>
<li>The body parts that are affected depend on the type of autoimmune disease. There are more than 80 known types. <strong>Some of them are <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-s-herbal-drug-for-leucoderma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Multiple Sclerosis, Leucoderma</a> etc.</strong></li>
</ul>
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		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'State Divide in Unemployment',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong>The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2017-18</strong> reflects huge variations among the states in terms of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/unemployment-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>unemployment rate</strong></a>. The survey reflects the overall unemployment rate in India at 6.1%.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nagaland and Meghalaya occupy the top and bottom positions among all states in terms of the unemployment rate at 21.4% and 1.5% respectively.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958image5.jpg" width="508" height="283" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In terms of Rural-Urban divide, urban areas are facing a high rate of unemployment (7.8%) in comparison to rural areas (5.3%).</li>
<li>The unemployment rate among rural males (5.8%) is higher than that of females (3.8%), while for urban areas the phenomena reverses with the unemployment rate among females (10.8%) higher than that of males (7.1%).</li>
<li>The unemployment rate among females has been observed lower than the males with 5.7% and 6.2% respectively.</li>
<li>Goa and Kerala are high in female unemployment with a rate of 26% and 23.3% respectively. Meghalaya is at the bottom with 1.9%.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was launched by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in 2017.</li>
<li>The objective of PLFS is primarily on two aspects: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first is to measure the dynamics in labour force participation and employment status in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS).</li>
<li>Thus, in every quarter, PLFS will bring out the level and change estimates of the key labour force indicators in CWS viz. Worker- Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Unemployment Rate (UR).</li>
<li>Secondly, for both rural and urban areas, level estimates of all important parameters in both usual status and CWS will be brought out annually.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Employment and Unemployment Indicators</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):</strong> LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.</li>
<li><strong>Worker Population Ratio (WPR):</strong> WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.</li>
<li><strong>Proportion Unemployed (PU):</strong> It is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed in the population.</li>
<li><strong>Unemployment Rate (UR):</strong> The unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed by the number in the labour forces, that is, the sum of employed and unemployed.</li>
<li><strong>Activity Status- Usual Status:</strong> The activity status of a person is determined on the basis of the activities pursued by the person during the specified reference period. When the activity status is determined on the basis of the reference period of the last 365 days preceding the date of survey, it is known as the usual activity status of the person.</li>
<li><strong>Usual Principal Status and Subsidiary Status (PS+SS):</strong> The Usual Principal Status and Subsidiary Status approach is an extension to the principal status approach. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If a person has engaged in any economic activity for a period of 30 days or more during the preceding 365 days a person is considered as employed under this approach.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Activity Status- Current Weekly Status (CWS):</strong> The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of the survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Agricultural Distress in India',
			'catname' => 'Paper 3',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<p>The last two years have been filled with images of <strong>farmers protests</strong> by the way of dumping vegetables by the roadside and resorting to distress sales of grains and pulses.</p>
<h3>Reasons</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Poor policy and Planning:</strong> In the past, Government strategy primarily focused on raising agricultural output and improving food security rather than recognising the need to raise farmer&rsquo;s income,</li>
<li><strong>Absence of direct measure to promote farmers welfare.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Declining average size of farm holdings:</strong> Increasing demographic pressure, disguised employment in agriculture and conversion of agricultural land for alternative uses, have drastically reduced the average land holding.</li>
<li><strong>Dependence on rainfall and climate:</strong> Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon and ever-increasing global temperature has made agriculture more prone to extreme weather events.</li>
<li><strong>Collapsing farm prices:</strong> Low global prices have affected exports and the cheaper imports have hurt domestic prices in the country.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of easy credit</strong> to agriculture and dependence on money lenders.</li>
<li><strong>Fragmented supply chains:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Large gaps in storage, Cold chains</li>
<li>Limited connectivity</li>
<li>Absence of marketing infrastructure</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Mechanisation:</strong> Introduction of latest technology has been limited due to various reasons like accessibility for credit and low awareness.</li>
<li>Crop production is always at <strong>risk</strong> because of pests and diseases.</li>
<li><strong>Shortage of inputs</strong> like seeds and irrigation facilities.</li>
<li>Deficiencies in Agricultural Produce Market Committees <strong>(APMC) Act.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Profiteering</strong> by middlemen.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The above factors have resulted in low income for farmers which is evident from the <strong>incidence of poverty</strong> among farm households.</li>
<li>The low and highly fluctuating farm income is causing a <strong>detrimental effect on the interest in farming and farm investments</strong> and is also forcing more and more cultivators, particularly younger age group, to leave farming.</li>
<li>The country also witnessed a sharp increase in the number of <strong>farmers suicides</strong> in the last decades.</li>
<li>This can cause an adverse effect on the future of <strong>food security</strong> and the state of agriculture in the country.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The National Commission on Farmers (NCF) and Evergreen Revolution</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NCF was constituted on November 18, 2004, under the chairmanship of Professor M.S. Swaminathan.</li>
<li>Its recommendations mainly focused on issues of access to resources and social security entitlements and contain suggestions for inclusive growth of farmers and the agriculture sector in India.</li>
<li>On the issue of Minimum Support Price, the committee recommended providing farmers with a minimum support price at 50% above the cost of production classified as C2 by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).</li>
<li>CACP proposes three definitions of production costs :<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>A2:</strong> Actual paid-out expenses incurred by farmers &mdash; in cash and kind on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides etc.</li>
<li><strong>A2+FL:</strong> It is A2 cost plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour.</li>
<li><strong>C2:</strong> It accounts for the rentals or interest loans, owned land and fixed capital assets over and above A2+FL.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Committee recommended the MSP to be basic cost and prescribed MSP 50% above C2.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Solutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Development initiatives</strong> including infrastructure, technological interventions, farmer friendly policies and institutional mechanisms can increase the agricultural growth and farmers income.</li>
<li><strong>Technology</strong> can help to reduce &lsquo;yield gaps&rsquo; and thus improve productivity.</li>
<li>The <strong>water-use efficiency</strong> can be improved significantly with better use of technologies that include drip irrigation.</li>
<li>The quantitative framework for <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/doubling-farmers-income-a-promise-to-be-fulfilled-by-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>doubling farmers income</strong></a> has the following seven sources of growth:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Increase in productivity of crops</li>
<li>Increase in production of livestock</li>
<li>Improvement in the efficiency of input use (cost saving)</li>
<li>Increase in crop intensity</li>
<li>Diversification towards high-value crops</li>
<li>Improved price realization by farmers</li>
<li>The shift of cultivators to non-farm jobs</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Improvements in allied sectors:</strong> Many small farmers cannot leave agriculture because of a lack of opportunities in the non-farm sector. Hence, allied sectors like horticulture, food processing, poultry etc needs to be pushed. For instance, government initiative like Project CHAMAN, AGRI-UDAAN programme, Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA) etc. are notable.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperative Farming:</strong> In this context, consolidation of land holdings also becomes important to raise farmer incomes. Farmers can voluntarily come together and pool land to gain the benefits of size. Through consolidation, farmers can reap the economies of scale both in input procurement and output marketing.</li>
<li>There is a need to make a <strong>shift from rice and wheat-centric policies to millet, pulses, fruits, vegetables, livestock and fish.</strong></li>
<li>The creation of a <strong>competitive, stable and unified national market</strong> is needed for farmers to get better prices.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Government Steps to reduce Agrarian Distress</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The goal set to <strong>double farmers' income by 2022-23</strong> is central to promote farmers welfare, reduce agrarian distress and bring parity between the income of farmers and those working in non-agricultural professions.</li>
<li>In recent years, the Central government has taken various measures like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-fasal-bima-yojanas-failure-in-north-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PM Fasal Bima Yojana</strong></a> <strong>(PMFBY), PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), electronic National Agricultural market (e-NAM), Soil health card, Neem-coated urea</strong> etc.</li>
<li>Agriculture is a major component of <strong>Priority Sector Lending (PSL)</strong>, and the target for bank lending to agriculture has been revised upwards every year.</li>
<li>In addition to food subsidy under PDS, the government also provides <strong>fertilizer subsidy</strong> year after year.</li>
<li>In the budget of 2018 for farmers, the Union budget has announced <strong>MSPs at 50% above the production cost.</strong></li>
<li>It also proposed to launch <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/operation-greens-ttp-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Operation Greens&rdquo;</strong></a> in the agriculture sector on the same lines of the milk sector&rsquo;s &ldquo;Operation Flood&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The 2019 budget announced a farm support scheme <strong>(PM-KISAN)</strong> for farmers owning up to 2 hectares of lands.</li>
<li>Some States have introduced farm support schemes, examples being the <strong>Rythu Bandhu Scheme (Telangana)</strong> and the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation <strong>(KALIA) scheme</strong> (Odisha)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ever changing agriculture sector requires <strong>proactive policy management</strong> which can maximize benefits for all stakeholders.</li>
<li>Raising the MSP, price deficiency payments or income support schemes can only be a <strong>partial solution</strong> to the problem of providing remunerative returns to farmers.</li>
<li>A sustainable solution is market reforms to <strong>enable better price discovery</strong> combined with long-term trade policies favourable to exports.</li>
<li>For better price for farmers, agriculture has to go beyond farming and develop a <strong>value chain</strong> comprising farming, wholesaling, warehousing, logistics, processing and retailing.</li>
<li>The most effective and least distortionary way to support farmers would be through <strong>direct benefit transfers.</strong></li>
<li>What is abundantly clear is that <strong>loan waivers aren&rsquo;t the panacea</strong> they&rsquo;re made out to be politically. Those who want to help India&rsquo;s farmers should be working much harder to figure out what they really need.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/412Drishti_ias_Agricultural_Distress_in_India.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/412Drishti_ias_Agricultural_Distress_in_India.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/agricultural-distress-in-india'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Electric Mobility Rush: Concerns and Restraints',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p><strong>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/opinion-our-premature-push-for-electric-vehicles-1561394789250.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our premature push for electric vehicles</a> which appeared in Livemint on 24th June 2019. It talks about, concerns and restraints in electric mobility in India.&nbsp;<a div="">&nbsp;</a></strong></p>
</div>
<p>In a bid to reduce oil imports and carbon emission, <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>has suggested that 40% of personal vehicles and public transportation in the country should go completely electric by 2030 (<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electronic Vehicle</strong></a>).</p>
<p><strong><a div="" href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/441image1%20(1).webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/441image1 (1).webp" width="473" height="474" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 0px auto;" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<p>By electrifying all the two-wheelers in use, India can avoid about 15% of the total transportation emission and more importantly, about 30% of particulate matter, curbing air pollution.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Facts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A recent report by the <strong>World Health Organization</strong> revealed that 14 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India.</li>
<li>As per the estimates of <strong>Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate</strong> Change, the automobile sector emitted about 188 MT of CO2 till 2010; road transport alone contributed to <strong>87%</strong> of the emissions.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s current <strong>oil import dependency</strong> is about <strong>80%</strong>. According to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, diesel and petrol contribute to about 40% and 13% of oil consumption, respectively.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Charging Infrastructure:</strong> one of the biggest challenges of electrification will be charging infrastructure, as installing charging facilities to serve such a vast and spread-out market will be a major concern.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fame-ii-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>FAME II</strong></a>, has proposed setting up of only 2,700 charging stations across the country.</li>
<li>Electric Grid ( for facilitating charging infrastructure) failure could create chaos.</li>
<li><strong>Charging time</strong> of lithium-ion batteries is longer and this could result in traffic congestion on roads with lengthy queues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Expensive Batteries:</strong> The energy source in all-electric vehicles is <strong>lithium-ion</strong> batteries because of their compact size and weight.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Price of lithium-ion battery is close to the average retail price of petrol two-wheelers.</li>
<li>The high cost of lithium-ion vehicles can be attributed to the absence of lithium-ion battery manufacturing unit in India, as most of the electronic vehicle makers assemble the battery packs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Cost:</strong> Market penetration of the electronic vehicle is expected to be low as compared to petrol vehicles, because of their high cost.</li>
<li><strong>Import Dependency:</strong> Raw materials in the form of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rush-for-rare-earths" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> rare earth materials</strong></a> required for manufacturing of lithium-ion battery (like lithium and cobalt) are not found in India and will have to depend entirely on imports, particularly from China.</li>
<li><strong>Electricity generation</strong> would not be a clean process (i.e free from pollution) because most of our power plants are still coal-fired.</li>
<li>Though, <strong>battery swapping model can be used in place of charging stations,</strong> the lithium-ion batteries because of their limited charging capacity will end up releasing lots of toxic material once they fizz out.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the <strong>battery swapping model, charging stations,</strong> supply fully charged new batteries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Localization:</strong> Most of the electric vehicle companies in India are operating with less than 50% localisation (adapting a product or service specific to local market) of their product hence are unable to avail the incentives and subsidies under FAME II (which requires companies to have products with more than 50% localisation).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Effort in Electric Mobility</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &amp;) Electric Vehicles under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-electric-mobility-mission-2020">National electric mobility mission</a> is an concerted effort towards building an EV market.</li>
<li>The procurement of over <strong>500 electric buses</strong> by various state transport utilities is a testament to India&rsquo;s commitment.</li>
<li>The department of heavy industry, Bureau of Indian Standards, and the Automotive Research Association of India are working towards establishing various technical standards for design and manufacturing of EVs and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or charging infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Required Restraints</h3>
<p><strong>The International Energy Agency</strong> has said there will be a net increase in carbon emissions due to electric vehicles when considering life-cycle emissions in countries, like India and China, which have a <strong>carbon-intensive power generation mix.</strong> So, there is a need for some restraints before completely moving to an Electronic vehicle regime.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Uniform Survey:</strong> actual <strong>impact and implications</strong> of alternative energy sources in the form of lithium-ion batteries should be surveyed independently by the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If electronic vehicles are not adversely affecting the environmental and economic health of the country, the government could come out with some kind of <strong>tax incentives</strong> in order to promote the wider use of electronic vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Instead of going for <strong>aggressive measures</strong> to introduce electronic vehicles or putting restraint over the use of petrol vehicles, the market should be left to its own devices on electronic vehicle conversion.</li>
<li>Shifting to new technology should be driven by consumer preferences. Forceful policies and implementations cannot lead to sustainable demand generation of EVs.</li>
<li>Public transport in India is expected to double by 2030 (which is a major consumer of diesel and petrol and responsible for substantial polluting emissions). These vehicles should be electrified first.</li>
<li>Enabling electronic vehicle ecosystem also requires policies that encourage domestic manufacturing of vehicles, batteries and vehicles.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In-house manufacturing is also key to building technological expertise and generating jobs for the young demographic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>In our haste to adopt electric mobility, we should not rush into a flawed policy and implementation framework. Critical analysis and a step-by-step approach are required. The ecosystem for electric vehicles should be allowed to develop gradually and organically. From job losses to manufacturing and marketing challenges, all the factors should be considered by the policymakers. Alternative models should be pursued while learning from the experience of implementation of a particular technology.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 961px; background-color: #f2c7c7;">
<p><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></p>
<p>NITI Aayog has suggested that 40% of personal vehicles and public transportation in the country should go completely electric by 2030. Discuss concerns and restraints in this context.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
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		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank',
			'catname' => 'International Institutions',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.</li>
<li>It is established by the <strong>AIIB Articles of Agreement</strong> (entered into force <strong>Dec. 25, 2015</strong>) which is a multilateral treaty. The Parties <strong>(57 founding members)</strong> to agreement comprise the Membership of the Bank.</li>
<li><strong>It is headquartered in Beijing and began its operations in January 2016.</strong></li>
<li>The members to Bank have now grown to <strong>97 approved members worldwide.</strong> There are <strong>27 prospective members</strong> including Armenia, Lebanon, Brazil, South Africa, Greece, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Fourteen of the G-20 nations</strong> are AIIB members including France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.</li>
<li><strong>By investing in sustainable infrastructure</strong> and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, it will better connect people, services and markets that over time will <strong>impact the lives of billions</strong> and build a better future.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Goals</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>To foster sustainable economic development,</strong> create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by <strong>investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors.</strong></li>
<li><strong>To promote regional cooperation and partnership</strong> in addressing development challenges by working in close collaboration with other multilateral and bilateral development <strong>institutions.</strong></li>
<li><strong>To promote investment in the public and private capital for development purposes,</strong> in particular for development of infrastructure and other productive sectors.</li>
<li><strong>To utilize the resources at its disposal</strong> for financing such development in the region, including those projects and programs which will contribute most effectively to the harmonious economic growth of the region;</li>
<li><strong>To encourage private investment in projects,</strong> enterprises and activities contributing to economic development in the region when private capital is not available on reasonable terms and conditions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governance</h3>
<p><strong>Board of Governors</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Board of Governors consists of <strong>one Governor and one Alternate Governor</strong> appointed by each <strong>member country.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Governors and Alternate Governors serve at the pleasure of the appointing member. <strong>All the powers of the AIIB are vested in the Board of Governors.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Board of Governors may <strong>delegate to the Board of Directors</strong> any or all its powers, <strong>except</strong> the power to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>admit new members</strong> and determine the conditions of their admission;</li>
<li>increase or decrease the <strong>authorized capital stock of the Bank;</strong></li>
<li><strong>elect the Directors of the Bank</strong> and determine the expenses to be paid for Directors and Alternate Directors and remuneration;</li>
<li><strong>elect the President,</strong> suspend or remove him from office, and determine his remuneration and other conditions of service;</li>
<li>approve, after <strong>reviewing the auditors&rsquo; report,</strong> the general balance sheet and the statement of profit and loss of the Bank;</li>
<li><strong>amend the 'AIIB Articles of Agreement';</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Annual Meeting</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>first AIIB Board of Governors</strong> meeting was held in <strong>Beijing</strong>, China in 2016.</li>
<li>The <strong>second</strong> was held in <strong>Jeju, Korea in 2017</strong> and the <strong>third was held in Mumbai, India in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>On July 12-13, <strong>2019 Luxembourg</strong> will host <strong>AIIB&rsquo;s first Annual Meeting to be held outside Asia.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The theme of the 2019 Annual Meeting</strong> is <strong>&ldquo;Cooperation and Connectivity&rdquo;</strong> in recognition of the economic and social benefits to be realized through <strong>better connectivity</strong> within and between countries and regions,<strong> including Europe and Asia.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Board of Directors</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Board of Directors are composed of <strong>twelve members</strong> who shall not be members of the Board of Governors, and of whom:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>nine are elected by the Governors representing regional members;</strong> and</li>
<li><strong>three</strong> are elected by the Governors representing <strong>non-regional members</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Directors of the Board are persons of high competence in economic and financial matters.</li>
<li>Directors represent members whose Governors have elected them as well as members whose Governors assign their votes to them.</li>
<li>Board of Directors is a <strong>non-resident Board to reduce operating cost.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>responsible for</strong> the direction of the <strong>Bank&rsquo;s general operations</strong>, exercising <strong>all powers delegated</strong> to it by the Board of Governors. This includes: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>approving the <strong>Bank&rsquo;s strategy, annual plan</strong> and <strong>budget;</strong></li>
<li>establishing policies;</li>
<li>taking decisions concerning Bank operations;</li>
<li>and supervising management and operation of the Bank and establishing an oversight mechanism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/815image2.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></h3>
<h3>Senior Management</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>AIIB staff is headed by the President</strong> who is elected by AIIB shareholders for a five-year term and eligible for reelection once.</li>
<li>The President is supported by Senior Management which includes five Vice Presidents responsible for: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>policy and strategy</li>
<li>investment operations, finance</li>
<li>administration and the corporate secretariat and the General Counsel</li>
<li>Chief Risk Officer and Chief Programmer Officer</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>International Advisory Panel (IAP)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bank has established <strong>an IAP to support the President and Senior Management</strong> on the Bank&rsquo;s <strong>strategies</strong> and<strong> policies</strong> as well as on general operational issues.</li>
<li><strong>The President selects and appoints members of the IAP</strong> to an initial two-year term, which can be renewed upon completion.</li>
<li>The Panel meets at least twice a year, once in tandem with the Bank&rsquo;s Annual Meeting, and second time at the Bank&rsquo;s Headquarters in Beijing.</li>
<li>Panelists receive a small honorarium and do not receive a salary. The Bank pays the reasonable costs associated with Panel meetings.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Membership</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Membership in the AIIB is <strong>open to all members of the</strong> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> or the <strong>Asian Development Bank</strong> and is divided into <strong>regional</strong> and <strong>non-regional</strong> members. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Regional members are those located within areas classified as Asia and Oceania by the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Unlike other MDBs (multilateral development bank), the <strong>AIIB allows for non-sovereign entities</strong> to apply for AIIB membership, <strong>assuming their home country is a member.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, sovereign wealth funds (such as the China Investment Corporation) or state-owned enterprises of member countries could potentially join the Bank.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Financial Resources of AIIB</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The AIIB's initial total capital is USD 100 billion divided into <strong>1 million shares of 100 000 dollars each</strong>, with 20% paid-in and 80% callable.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Paid-Up Share Capital:</strong> It is the amount of money that has already been paid by investors in exchange for shares of stock.</li>
<li><strong>Called-Up Share Capital:</strong> Some companies may issue shares to investors with the understanding they will be paid at a later date. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This allows for <strong>more flexible investment terms</strong> and may <strong>entice investors to contribute more share capital</strong> than if they had to provide funds up front.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China</strong> is the largest contributor to the Bank, contributing <strong>USD 50 billion</strong>, half of the initial subscribed capital.</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> is the second-largest shareholder, contributing <strong>USD 8.4 billion.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Voting Rights</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>China is the largest shareholder with 26.61</strong> % voting shares in the bank followed by <strong>India (7.6%),</strong> Russia (6.01%) and Germany (4.2 %).</li>
<li>The regional members hold 75% of the total voting power in the Bank.</li>
<li>The AIIB has a governance structure similar to other MDBs (multilateral development bank), with two key differences: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>it does <strong>not have a resident board of executive directors</strong> that represents member countries' interests on a day-to-day basis; and</li>
<li>the AIIB gives <strong>more decision making authority to regional countries</strong> and the largest shareholder, China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>AIIB Lending</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The recipients of AIIB financing</strong> may include <strong>member countries</strong> (or agencies and entities or enterprises in member territories), as well as <strong>international or regional agencies</strong> concerned with the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region.</li>
<li>The AIIB has signed a co-<strong>financing framework agreement</strong> with the World Bank and<strong> three nonbinding</strong> Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>the Asian Development Bank (ADB),</li>
<li>European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),</li>
<li>and the European Investment Bank (EIB).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The bulk of AIIB&rsquo;s operations</strong> are in <strong>South Asia.</strong></li>
<li>The Bank can lend outside Asia provided that it supports connectivity with Asia or it is for a global public good and that the loan significantly benefits Asia. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The ceiling for non-regional loans is 25%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The key sectors for the Bank are Energy, Transport, Water and Urban development.</li>
<li><strong>About two-thirds of the loans</strong> approved by the bank have been <strong>co-financed</strong> with other multilateral lending institutions, including the <strong>World Bank and the ADB.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>triple-A ratings</strong> from <strong>Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s, Moody&rsquo;s and Fitch,</strong> reflect the Bank&rsquo;s commitment to the highest standards of governance, enhanced transparency and accountability.</li>
<li>Approved investment operations of AIIB reached <strong>USD 7.94 billion in April, 2019.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>China&rsquo;s Motivation for Creating the AIIB</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The creation of the AIIB</strong> is part of a <strong>broader reorientation of Chinese foreign and international economic policy</strong> that has taken place <strong>since Xi Jinping</strong> became Chinese Communist Party General Secretary in 2012 and the President in 2013.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/obor-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;One Belt, One Road&rdquo; (OBOR) Initiative</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It identified 65 countries that will be participating in the initiative, which aims to use trade promotion, infrastructure development, and regional connectivity, to boost economic linkages between China and dozens of countries along <strong>a land route</strong> (the <strong>Silk Road Economic Belt</strong>) and a <strong>sea route</strong> (the 21st Century <strong>Maritime Silk Road</strong>).</li>
<li><strong>To realize this vision</strong>, China is <strong>investing in a range of institutions and initiatives,</strong> including the <strong>AIIB</strong>, and other funding mechanisms such as the <strong>Silk Road Fund</strong> (established in 2014) and the<strong> New Development Bank</strong> (also known as the <strong>BRICS Bank</strong> established in 2014), a collective arrangement with Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>China also seeks to influence the <strong>emerging structure of regional trade and investment</strong> relations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By helping to finance OBOR, AIIB may influence these relationships. It may also reinforce a regional infrastructure that has China as its hub.</li>
<li>As a result, <strong>regional economies may be more inclined</strong> to augment trade and investment relations <strong>with China rather than with other</strong> economies, such as<strong> Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,</strong> and<strong> the United States.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>AIIB and India</h3>
<p><strong>China Factor</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are various issues between India and China:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (China maintains that it will not support India&rsquo;s entry until there is a universal formula to accept applications from all countries that <strong>haven&rsquo;t signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty-</strong> indirectly pursuing case for Pakistan),</li>
<li><strong>territorial disputes</strong> in the Himalayas,</li>
<li>concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&rsquo;s traversal of disputed territory in Kashmir.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India <strong>has serious concerns over Chinese foreign policy</strong> in its region generally and the OBOR initiative specifically, regarding Beijing&rsquo;s attempts to seek influence in <strong>its immediate neighborhood with great interest.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Despite aforesaid issues</strong> between India and China, <strong>the AIIB plays a crucial role implicitly in consensus building process:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>AIIB</strong> has acquired the status of <strong>a plurilateral lending initiative</strong>, so there is no problem for either India, or China, in <strong>overlooking bilateral differences</strong> and working together at the AIIB.</li>
<li>India can open up investment opportunities in the region through AIIB.</li>
<li>By hosting the <strong>AIIB&rsquo;s third annual meeting</strong> (2018, Mumbai) under the theme of &ldquo;Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration&rdquo;, <strong>India has reiterated its openness to infrastructure collaboration.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Economic Contribution of AIIB</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India is the largest beneficiary of AIIB</strong> financing for infrastructure projects. The AIIB has approved five projects in India. These are &mdash; <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bangalore Metro Rail Project (USD 335 million),</li>
<li>Transmission System Strengthening Project,</li>
<li>Gujarat Rural Roads (MMGSY) Project (providing USD329 million through a 13 -year loan to provide all -weather connectivity to 4,000 villages in the 33 districts of Gujarat state),</li>
<li>India Infrastructure Fund</li>
<li>and Andhra Pradesh 24&times;7 &ndash; Power For All project.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The total loan sanctioned by AIIB to <strong>five Indian projects is USD 1.074 billion.</strong> This accounts to almost <strong>28% of the total money the bank has lent to 24 infrastructure projects worldwide.&nbsp;</strong>The AIIB has approved for lending USD 200 million to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aiib-approves-455-million-dollar-loan-for-andhra-pradesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NIIF is an Indian-government backed entity established to provide long-term capital to the country&rsquo;s infrastructure sector. Its portfolio includes investments in ports and logistics, real estate and renewables.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In feb, 2019 the AIIB and the Government of India signed <strong>a USD 455 million loan</strong> to finance the <strong>Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Project</strong>, which will connect some 3,300 habitations with a population of more than 250, and benefit around two Million people.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The AIIB Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The United States has opposed the AIIB</strong> and considers <strong>AIIB as an unwanted intrusion</strong> in the multilateral financial system. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Emergence of AIIB, largely funded by China, poses a threat to the monopoly of the United States on the world's financial system for over half a century</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The world's leading industrialized economies, <strong>Japan and the U.S. are not members</strong> of the AIIB because of following expressed concerns:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is no certainty that the bank will maintain <strong>its rigorous loan-screening practices</strong> or keep its funding operations separate from <strong>China's political ambitions.</strong></li>
<li>Joining the AIIB would require making a <strong>huge financial contribution to the entity.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Asia's infrastructure investment needs are so vast that <strong>no single institutional lender can meet that demand on its own.</strong></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>U.S. government is</strong> seemingly intent on <strong>pursuing inward-looking policies through protectionism and trade war.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The bank is concerned with <strong>predicted downward trend in project finance because of slow global economy and trade war.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Slowing economies can lead to <strong>governments failing to meet contractual obligations</strong> towards AIIB and <strong>trade frictions may erode the potential of infrastructure projects.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>AIIB&rsquo;s non resident board, <strong>inhibits transparency and accountability.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>It reinforces the perception</strong> that the AIIB will be much more centrally <strong>controlled by the Chinese government.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is well proved throughout the history of economic growth &amp; development that the creation and development of robust financial institutions will make market forces more competitive leading towards comprehensive growth and development of society.</li>
<li>The AIIB can create own space by contributing to sustained economic growth leading towards improved living standard of millions of poor people across Asia and other regions.</li>
<li>The AIIB is still in its evolutionary phase that must be <strong>nurtured with democratice principles avoiding single-country dominance</strong> (Chinese dominance) like that of USA in IMF and World Bank.</li>
<li>India as an emerging economy, can play a vital role in <strong>shaping the foundation of AIIB for the cause of poor people</strong> spread across developing countries.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/asian-infrastructure-investment-bank'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Superbugs Can Be Transmitted Through Plants',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Researchers at the University of Southern California have found that <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-drug-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>anti-microbial resistant bacteria</strong></a> or superbugs can be <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/875image1.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>transmitted to humans through plants.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Antibiotic-resistant infections are a threat to global public health, food safety and an economic burden<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/251image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/251image3.jpg" width="335" height="142" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a>.</li>
<li>To prevent these infections, it is critical to understand how these bacteria are transmitted.</li>
<li>Spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs from plants to humans is different from outbreaks of diarrheal illnesses caused immediately after eating contaminated vegetables. <strong>Superbugs can asymptomatically hide in (colonise) the intestines for a long time</strong> while escaping and causing an infection.</li>
<li>The study shows the linkage shared by the environment and human health to agriculture and microbiomes.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Superbug:</strong> It is a term used to describe strains of bacteria that are resistant to the majority of antibiotics commonly used today. Resistant bacteria that cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections and skin infections.</p>
</div>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Antimicrobial Resistant-Bacteria</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Antimicrobial resistant-bacteria occur naturally and are found in people, animals, food, and the environment (in water, soil and air). They can spread between people and animals, including from food of animal origin, and from person to person.</li>
<li>It is facilitated by the <strong>inappropriate use of medicines</strong>, for example, using antibiotics for viral infections such as the flu.</li>
<li>Inadequately treated sewage waste containing resistant bacteria which mixes in the environment also magnify the burden of anti-microbial resistance.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/superbugs-can-be-transmitted-through-plants'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Mars Colonisation Through Sperm Bank',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>As per a study, the human colonies on Mars may be able to expand with shipments of sperm from Earth.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study has found out that exposure to<strong> low gravity environments does not damage the viability of frozen samples.</strong></li>
<li>The frozen samples of sperm exposed to microgravity retained similar characteristics to sperm samples kept on the Earth.</li>
<li>The findings open the possibility of safely transporting male gametes to space and considering the <strong>possibility of creating a human sperm bank outside Earth.</strong></li>
<li>If the number of missions and spaceflights increases it <strong>is important to study the effects of long-term human exposure to space</strong> and probably consider thinking about the <strong>possibility of reproduction outside the Earth.</strong></li>
<li>It opens the possibility of female astronauts going to Mars, taking the sperm with them to populate a new world.</li>
<li>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has stated that the first person to walk on Mars is likely to be a woman. It has set a goal of starting a colony on the planet by 2033.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.</li>
<li>It was established under the <strong>National Aeronautics and Space Act 1958</strong> and its headquarters are located in Washington, DC, USA.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mars-colonisation-through-sperm-bank'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'DRDO’s Herbal Drug for Leucoderma',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</a></strong> has developed a herbal drug 'lukoskin' for treatment of Leucoderma.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Leucoderma</strong> is a <strong>skin</strong> and <strong>auto-immune disorder</strong> also called vitiligo.<br />Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Vitiligo Day 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every year, <strong>June 25</strong> is observed as World Vitiligo Day to raise awareness about the disease.</li>
<li>The theme for World Vitiligo Day 2019 is <strong>&lsquo;The Quality of Life of a Vitiligo Patient&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Present remedies of vitiligo-like allopathic, surgical and adjunctive are either <strong>costly or single molecule based,</strong> with a very low level of efficacy and develop side-effects like a blister, edema, and irritation in the skin.</li>
<li><strong>Lukoskin</strong>, available in <strong>ointment</strong> and <strong>oral liquid</strong> form, has seven herbal ingredients having properties such as skin <strong>photosensitizer, anti-blister, anti-irritation, antiseptic,</strong> wound healing and <strong>copper supplementing</strong> properties, while the oral dose has been formulated to check the emergence of new spots.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Vitiligo or Leucoderma</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Vitiligo is a skin disease in which <strong>pale white patches</strong> start forming on the skin, due to lack of <strong>melanin</strong> (a pigment in the skin).</li>
<li>It is <strong>neither contagious</strong> (i.e does not spread from getting in direct contact with the affected person) nor <strong>life-threatening.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Genetic conditions</strong> or <strong>stress-induced</strong> situations are more prone to the occurrence of disease.</li>
<li><strong>Leucoderma patients</strong> are also vulnerable to inflammation in the <strong>iris</strong>, loss of <strong>hearing</strong> and <strong>sunburn.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Symptoms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Vitiligo commonly occurs in people in their twenties; however, it can occur in any stage.</li>
<li>People with autoimmune diseases, such as <strong>hyperthyroidism</strong> are more prone to it than those who don&rsquo;t have any autoimmune diseases.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Facts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The worldwide incidence of leucoderma has been reported at 1-2%.</li>
<li>In India, its incidence is around 4-5%.</li>
<li>In some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, its incidence is as high as 5-8%.</li>
<li>Leucoderma (skin disorder) is considered a <strong>social stigma in India</strong> where people confuse it with leprosy (a contagious disease caused by bacteria).</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-s-herbal-drug-for-leucoderma'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Water Vulnerable Megacities in India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Four Indian cities, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi have been ranked among the top 20 megacities in the world facing high levels of water scarcity.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A study by World Wildlife Fund (WWF)</strong> evaluated 400 cities globally in 2018 with focus on megacities facing high combined levels of water scarcity &mdash; recent and projected drought.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/600Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/600Image2.jpg" width="548" height="618" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Megacities</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Megacities are quantitatively defined as cities having a population of more than five, eight or ten million people.</li>
<li>Because of their defining features, <strong>concentration of population, goods and services, megacities are particularly vulnerable to water-related risks,</strong> which are further amplified by climate change: <strong>large-scale flooding, pollution of water sources, water shortages etc.</strong></li>
<li>Faced with such difficulties, these cities also host a multitude of resources, including technical, scientific and human resources, to meet the challenges ahead.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Chennai has emerged in top position</strong> as the city facing the most severe water scarcity and drought in the world.</li>
<li>Kolkata has been ranked at number 2, Mumbai at 11 and Delhi at 15.</li>
<li>Large cities, mostly located along the banks of large rivers, are vulnerable to water scarcity because of the vastly over-allocated and mismanaged river-systems.</li>
<li><strong>Frequent droughts and flooding due to climate change and depleting levels of water in the reservoirs</strong> are some of the reasons behind the water crisis in these megacities.</li>
<li><strong>Loss of wetlands</strong> is a key reason. Reports have noted that the world has lost 35% of its wetlands since 1970 and is losing them three times faster than forests. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As the wetlands shrink, the city loses its natural waste water tank, and in the absence of enough sewage treatment plants, the wastewater goes straight into the river.</li>
<li>East Kolkata Wetland, a Ramsar site is an example of the case.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The WWF was founded in September, 1961, at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)'s headquarters in Morges, Switzerland.</li>
<li>As an international fundraising organization it is working in collaboration with existing conservation groups and bring substantial financial support to the conservation movement on a worldwide scale.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/water-vulnerable-megacities-in-india'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'New Biomarker for Malaria Detection',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/162image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/162image1.jpg" width="260" height="146" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a>A researcher&rsquo;s team from the <strong>Indian Council of Medical Research&rsquo;s Jabalpur-based National Institute of Research in Tribal Health has identified Glutamate dehydrogenase</strong> as a new biomarker in the body of the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-malaria-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>malaria parasite</strong> </a>for malaria detection.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li style="text-align: left;">It will help to develop a <strong>more sensitive and accurate</strong> diagnostic test for malaria detection.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Biomarker</strong><br /><strong></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Biomarkers are key molecular or cellular events that <strong>link a specific environmental exposure to a health outcome.</strong></li>
<li>Biomarkers play an important role in understanding the relationships between exposure to environmental chemicals, the development of chronic human diseases, and the identification of subgroups that are at increased risk for disease.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Existing Method of Diagnosis</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, tests used for diagnosing malaria are based on a gene, <strong>Histidine-rich Protein 2 (HRP2)</strong>, replete with amino acid Histidine. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The studies have shown that this gene is often absent in some strains of the malaria parasite. Consequently, significant levels of malaria infection were going undetected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Scientists across the world have been searching for new biomarkers that would be more effective. The study provides scientific evidence for the conserved nature of <strong>Glutamate dehydrogenase</strong> sequences in Indian isolates which can be used as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of malaria.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a permanent institute of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health of Family Welfare.</li>
<li>The NIRTH was established on 1<sup>st</sup> March 1984 in Jabalpur by ICMR with the mandate <strong>to improve health and create awareness among tribals</strong> through applied and operational research. This institute is recognized by the World Health Organization as its collaborative Centre for the health of the indigenous population.</li>
<li>The institute has conducted several important research projects on Malaria, Filaria, Tuberculosis, Diarrhea, Virology, Fluorosis and Social Sciences.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-biomarker-for-malaria-detection'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'In Depth – Speaker: Roles and Responsibility',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZ5l31_N1hQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) MP <strong>Om Birla</strong> was unanimously elected as the <strong>Speaker of the 17<sup>th</sup> Lok Sabha</strong> on 19<sup>th</sup> June 2019.</p>
<p>Since the Indian System of Government follows the <strong>Westminster Model, the Parliamentary proceedings of the country are headed by a presiding officer, who is called the Speaker.</strong></p>
<p>India&rsquo;s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru had said that in a parliamentary democracy, <strong>the Speaker represents the dignity and the freedom of the House</strong> and because the House represents the country, the speaker in a way becomes the <strong>symbol of the country&rsquo;s freedom and liberty.</strong></p>
<h3>Speaker of the Lok Sabha</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Lok Sabha, which is the highest legislative body in the country, chooses its Speaker who presides over the day to day functioning of the House.</li>
<li>Electing the Speaker of the House is one of the first acts of newly constituted House.</li>
<li>The office of the Speaker is a <strong>Constitutional Office.</strong> The Speaker is guided by the constitutional provisions and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.</li>
<li>The Speaker is placed very high in the <strong>Warrant of Precedence</strong> in the country i.e. at <strong>rank 6.</strong></li>
<li>Adequate Powers are vested in the office of the Speaker to help her/him in the smooth conduct of parliamentary proceedings.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The constitution provides that the <strong>Speaker&rsquo;s salary and allowances</strong> are not to be voted by the Parliament and are to be <strong>charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.</strong></li>
<li>In the Lok Sabha chamber, the Speaker&rsquo;s chair is distinctively placed to enable a commanding view of the entire House.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Speaker is assisted by the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and senior officers of the Secretariat on parliamentary activities, practice and procedure.</li>
<li><strong>In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker discharges the functions.</strong> A member from the Panel of Chairmen presides over the House in the absence of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Election of the Speaker</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>No specific qualifications</strong> are prescribed for being elected as the speaker. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The constitution states that the Speaker must be a member of the House</strong> but an understanding of the constitution and conventions of the Parliament is considered a major asset.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The House elects its presiding officer <strong>by a simple majority of members present, who vote in the House.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Usually, a member belonging to the ruling party is elected Speaker.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The process has evolved over the years where the ruling party nominates its candidate after informal consultations with leaders of other parties and groups in the House.</li>
<li>Once the decision on the candidate is taken, the name is <strong>normally proposed by the Prime Minister or the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>This convention ensures that once elected, the Speaker enjoys the respect of all sections of the House.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are also instances when members not belonging to the ruling party were elected to the office of the Speaker.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GMC Balayogi and Manohar Joshi belonging to the TDP and the Shiv Sena respectively served as the Speaker in the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha during the NDA coalition headed by the BJP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>After the speaker is elected, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition (if there in the House, otherwise, the leader of the largest party in the House in the opposition) escort the Speaker to the Chair.</li>
<li><strong>When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker remains in his office till the first meeting of the new assembly</strong> when the new speaker is elected.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Removal of the Speaker</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Speaker&rsquo;s term</strong> is coterminous with the term of the Lok Sabha i.e. <strong>5 years.</strong></li>
<li>However, the constitution has given the Lower House authority to remove the Speaker if needed. <strong>The House can remove the Speaker through a resolution passed by an effective majority</strong> (more than 50% of the total strength of the house present and voting) as per Articles 94 and 96 of the Indian Constitution.</li>
<li>The Speaker can also be removed <strong>on getting disqualified from being a Lok Sabha member under sections 7 and 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951</strong>.</li>
<li>A speaker can also tender his resignation to a Deputy Speaker.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy is the only Speaker who resigned from the office.</li>
<li>Dr. Reddy also has the distinction of being the only Speaker who was later elected as the President of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Powers of the Lok Sabha Speaker</h3>
<p>According to the Constitution of India, a Speaker is vested with immense administrative and discretionary powers, some of which are enumerated below:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Speaker presides over the meetings in the Lower House. In other words, the Speaker <strong>conducts business in Lok Sabha</strong> by ensuring discipline and decorum among members.</li>
<li>S/he <strong>guards the rights and privileges of the members</strong> of Lok Sabha, deciding who should speak at what time, the questions to be asked, the order of proceedings to be followed, among others.</li>
<li><strong>A Speaker uses his/her power to vote, in order to resolve a deadlock.</strong> That is, when the House initiates a voting procedure, the speaker does not cast a vote in the first instance. It is only when the two sides receive equal number of votes that the Speaker's vote breaks the deadlock, making his/her position impartial.</li>
<li>In the absence of a quorum in the House, it is the duty of the Speaker to adjourn the House or to suspend any meeting, until a quorum is met.</li>
<li>The Speaker <strong>decides the agenda</strong> that must be discussed in a meeting of the Members of the Parliament.</li>
<li>The Speaker is invested with the immense powers of interpreting the Rules of Procedure. Since s/he is a member of the House as well as the Presiding Officer, s/he ensures the discipline of the House. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Speaker ensures that MPs are punished for unruly behaviour.</li>
<li>A Speaker can also <strong>disqualify a Member of Parliament from the House on grounds of defection (under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution).</strong></li>
<li>A member who flouts the Speaker&rsquo;s orders or directions may be named by the Speaker and in such cases, the member may have to withdraw from the House.</li>
<li>S/he also issues warrants to execute the orders of the House, wherever necessary and delivers reprimands on behalf of the House.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Speaker also permits various parliamentary procedures like the motion of adjournment, the motion of no confidence, the motion of censure, among others.</li>
<li>The Speaker <strong>presides over <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/president-addresses-joint-sitting-of-parliament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the joint sitting</a> of the two Houses of Parliament.</strong></li>
<li>Once a <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/misuse-of-money-bills-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Money Bill</a></strong> is transmitted from the Lower House to the Upper House, the Speaker is solely responsible for endorsing his or her certificate on the Bill. In other words, s/he is <strong>given the pivotal power to decide whether any Bill is a Money Bill.</strong> His/her decision is considered final.</li>
<li><strong>Except for the no-confidence motion, all other motions which come before the House come only after the Speaker permits them.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker also decides on <strong>granting recognition to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker <strong>has under his or her jurisdiction, a number of Parliamentary Committees</strong> such as the Rules Committee, the Business Advisory Committee and the General Purposes Committee. The Speaker nominates the various Chairmen to these Committees while monitoring the committees&rsquo; workings as well.</li>
<li>S/he is the <strong>ultimate arbiter and interpreter</strong> of those provisions which relate to the functioning of the House. His/her decisions are final and binding and ordinarily cannot be questioned, challenged or criticized.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Speaker&rsquo;s Administrative Role</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Speaker is also the <strong>head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker's authority over the Secretariat staff of the House and its security arrangements is supreme.</li>
<li><strong>No alteration or addition can be made in the Parliament House</strong> and no new structure can be erected in the Parliament Estate without the Speaker&rsquo;s permission.</li>
<li>It is through the Speaker that the decisions of the House are communicated to individuals and authorities outside the Parliament.</li>
<li>Speaker decides the form and manner in which the proceedings of the House are published.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Other Roles and Responsibilities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Speaker&rsquo;s approval is sought for the date on which the House will start before it is convened by the President.</li>
<li>The Speaker decides the form in which amendments may be moved to the Motion of Thanks to the President&rsquo;s address.</li>
<li><strong>With regard to moving amendments to a Bill, the permission of the Speaker is required.</strong></li>
<li>It depends solely on the Speaker to refer any question of privilege to the Committee of Privileges for examination, investigation and report.</li>
<li>When a decision of the House is to be ascertained on a motion made by a member, <strong>the question is put by the Speaker before the House to obtain the decision.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker makes obituary references in the House, formal references to important national and international events and the valedictory address at the conclusion of every Session of the Lok Sabha and also when the term of the House expires.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Speaker and Inter-Parliamentary Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>S/he is the <strong>ex-officio President of the Indian Parliamentary Group.</strong> It was set up in 1949 and functions as the National Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the main branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Inter-Parliamentary Union is an organization made up of national parliaments from around the world.</li>
<li>The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has been the voice of parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth for more than nine decades.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In that capacity, members of various Indian Parliamentary Delegations going abroad are nominated by him/her after consulting the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Most often, the Speaker leads such delegations.</li>
<li>Besides, the Speaker is the <strong>Chairman of the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input</strong></p>
<p><strong>Westminster Model:</strong> The <strong>Westminster system</strong> is a democratic parliamentary system of government that originated in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The important features of the Westminster system include:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A head of state, who is the nominal</strong> or theoretical source of executive power, holds numerous reserve powers, but in practice is a ceremonial figurehead. Such examples include the British Sovereign or the President of India.</li>
<li><strong>A de facto executive branch</strong> usually made up of members of the legislature with the senior members of the executive in a Cabinet; such members have executive authority on behalf of the nominal or theoretical executive authority.</li>
<li>The presence of opposition parties;<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>An elected legislature,</strong> or a system in which one of two houses is elected and the other appointed;</li>
<li><strong>The ability of the lower house of parliament to, by default, dismiss a government</strong> by "withholding (or blocking) Supply" (rejecting a budget), passing a no-confidence motion, or defeating a confidence motion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Warrant of Precedence</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Order of Precedence is the <strong>hierarchy of the important positions.</strong></li>
<li>It is the protocol list in which the functionaries, dignitaries and the officials of India are listed as per their ranks and offices they hold in the Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-speaker-roles-and-responsibility'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Redesigning India’s Fiscal Federalism',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p><strong>This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/reimagining-the-niti-aayog/article28118992.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>&ldquo;Reimagining the NITI Aayog&rdquo;</em></a> which appeared in The Hindu on 24th June 2019. The article talks about the need and ways of redesigning India&rsquo;s fiscal federalism.</strong></p>
</div>
<p>In India, the Finance Commission and the Planning Commission promote <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/another-look-at-fiscal-transfers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fiscal federalism</strong></a> by carrying out systemic fiscal transfers in the nature of devolution or conditional ones but with the replacement of Planning Commission by NITI Aayog there is an urgent need for <strong>revisiting and redefining</strong> the <strong>fiscal architecture</strong> of India.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Fiscal Federalism</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/gs-special/gs-special-polity/important-sources-of-the-indian-constitution" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Government of India Act 1919 and 1935</strong></a> formalized the tenets of fiscal federalism and revenue sharing between the Centre and the states.</li>
<li><strong>The 14<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</strong> chaired by Dr. Y V Reddy, recommended <strong>42% devolution</strong> of revenue to the states.</li>
<li><strong>Goods and Services Tax</strong> was introduced in 2017 to streamline India&rsquo;s indirect tax structure as a measure to promote <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/cooperative-and-competitive-federalism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooperative federalism in India</a>,</strong> giving the states an enhanced role in formulating and implementing the overhauled taxation system.</li>
<li><strong>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NITI Aayog</a></strong> established in 2015 was expected to address new realities of macroeconomic management that were missed by the Planning Commission.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need for Redefining India&rsquo;s Fiscal Federalism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Horizontal imbalances and rising regional inequalities:</strong> Replacing the Planning Commission (which was mandated to give grants to the states as conditional transfers using the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula) with <strong>NITI Aayog</strong> (Government think tank with no resources to dispense) has reduced the policy outreach of government by relying only on single instrument of fiscal federalism i.e Finance commission. This approach if not reviewed can lead to a serious problem of increasing <strong>regional and sub-regional inequities.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Horizontal Imbalances</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The horizontal imbalances arise because of differing levels of attainment by the states due to <strong>differential growth</strong> rates and their <strong>developmental status</strong> in terms of the state of social or infrastructure capital.</li>
<li>Horizontal imbalances involve two types of imbalances:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Type I</strong> is to do with the adequate provision of basic public goods and services.</li>
<li><strong>Type II</strong> is due to growth accelerating infrastructure or the transformational capital deficits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Vertical imbalance</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vertical imbalance</strong> arises due to the <strong>fiscal asymmetry</strong> in powers of taxation vested with the different levels of government in relation to their expenditure responsibilities prescribed by the constitution.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vertical imbalance:</strong> In India&rsquo;s fiscal federalism (three levels of Governments: Central Government, State Governments and the elected Local Bodies) central government has a far <strong>greater domain of taxation</strong> (e.g., income taxes personal or corporate, taxing consumption of goods and services (CGST), taxing foreign transactions, etc).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Central Government collects around 60%</strong> of the total taxes, while its expenditure responsibility (for carrying out its constitutionally mandated responsibility such as defense, etc.) is only 40% of the total public expenditure.</li>
<li>Such vertical imbalances are even sharper in <strong>the case of the third tier</strong> consisting of elected <strong>local bodies and panchayats.</strong></li>
<li>Vertical imbalances can adversely affect India&rsquo;s <strong>urbanization, the</strong> <strong>quality of local public goods</strong> and thus further aggravating the negative externalities for the <strong>environment and climate change.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Restructuring the Fiscal Federalism</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s Fiscal Federalism needs to be restructured around the four pillars namely Finance Commission, NITI Aayog, GST and decentralization in order to eliminate the inadequacies of vertical and horizontal imbalances.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Finance Commission</strong> must be relieved from the dual task of dealing with provision of basic public goods and services and capital deficits. It should be confined to focussing on removal of basic <strong>public goods imbalance (Type I).</strong></li>
<li><strong>NITI Aayog</strong> can serve as the second pillar for dealing in the realm of <strong>infrastructure and capital deficits (Type II).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It should be engaged with the allocation of capital in a way different than that used by the Finance Commission with different parameters for allocation.</li>
<li><strong>Regional Imbalances:</strong> NITI Aayog should receive significant resources (1% to 2% of the GDP) to remove regional and subregional disparities among states by reducing <strong>development imbalances</strong> in the areas of infrastructure deficit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Independent Evaluation Office:</strong> NITI Aayog should be mandated to create an independent evaluation office which will <strong>monitor and evaluate</strong> the efficacy of the utilization of revenue and capital grants.</li>
<li><strong>Decision-Making Body:</strong> It should also be an integral part of the decision making processes as it can effectively negotiate between the states for the transfer of resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decentralization</strong> can serve as the <strong>third pillar</strong> of the new fiscal federalism by strengthening local finances and state finance commission.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Local public finance:</strong> the creation of an urban local body/<strong>Panchayati Raj institutions consolidated fund.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Centre and States should contribute an equal proportion of their <strong>Central GST (CGST)</strong> and<strong> State GST (SGST)</strong> collections and send the money to the consolidated fund of the third tier.</li>
<li><strong>One-sixth</strong> sharing of the CGST and SGST with the third tier can generate more than <strong>1%</strong> of the GDP every year for the financing of public goods by urban-level bodies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>State Finance Commissions</strong> should be accorded the same status as the Union Finance Commission and the 3Fs of democratic decentralization <strong>(funds, functions, and functionaries)</strong> should be implemented properly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Goods and Services Tax</strong> should be simplified in its structure and can serve as the <strong>fourth pillar</strong> of our fiscal federalism, by ensuring:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Single Rate GST:</strong> with suitable surcharges on &ldquo;sin goods,&rdquo; (goods that are harmful to society and individuals, for example, alcohol and tobacco, drugs, etc), zero ratings of exports and reforming the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) and the e-way bill.</li>
<li><strong>Transparency:</strong> The GST Council should undertake reforms in an<strong> informed and transparent manner</strong>, by creating its own secretariat and independent experts (as its staff).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Goods and Services Tax</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GST is a comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based tax that is levied on every value addition.</li>
<li>GST is one <strong>indirect tax</strong> for the entire country.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>GST council</strong> </a>is the key decision-making body that will take all important decisions regarding the GST.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Creating the new fiscal federal architecture based on the effective decentralization, transparent GST regime, independent Finance commission and effective NITI Aayog can strengthen India&rsquo;s unique <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/cooperative-and-competitive-federalism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooperative federalism</a>. </strong></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 593.333px; background-color: #c0fcc1;">
<p><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></p>
<p>Discuss the need and ways for redefining the fiscal architecture of India to strengthen the fiscal federalism.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/redesigning-india-s-fiscal-federalism'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Methane in the Martian Air',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong>NASA&rsquo;s Curiosity Rover</strong> has discovered high amounts of methane in the Martian air, a gas that on Earth is usually produced by living things.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Curiosity rover has found 21 parts per billion of methane, or three times the 2013 finding.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The gas seems to rise and fall with the red planet&rsquo;s seasons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>However, the Trace Gas Orbiter</strong>, a newer European spacecraft launched in 2016 with more sensitive instruments, <strong>did not detect any methane at all</strong> in its first batch of scientific observations last year.</li>
<li>Rovers scheduled for launch next year &mdash; one by NASA, one by a Russian-European collaboration &mdash; will carry instruments designed to search for the building blocks of life.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NASA Curiosity Mission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Curiosity is the largest and most capable rover ever sent to Mars. It landed on Mars in August, 2012.</li>
<li>The purpose of the mission is to find chemical and mineral evidence of past habitable environments on Mars.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The orbiter is the first in a series of joint missions between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.</li>
<li>It was designed to search for trace gases in the Martian atmosphere such as methane, water vapor, nitrogen oxides and acetylene. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These gases could provide evidence for possible biological or geological activity on Mars.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It also will monitor seasonal changes in the Martian atmosphere and will look for water-ice beneath the surface.</li>
<li>Exomars Trace Gas Orbiter began operations after entering Mars orbit in October, 2016.</li>
<li>A second mission, <strong>ExoMars 2020</strong>, is planned for launch in 2020 and will include a rover capable of drilling about 6 feet (two meters) below the surface to search for clues for past life on Mars.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/methane-in-the-martian-air'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Petition for Protection of Non-Nagas in Dimapur',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>A petition filed before the Supreme Court has sought a direction to the Centre and the Nagaland government to take appropriate steps for the protection of life and liberty, properties and other fundamental rights of non-Nagas living in Dimapur following the imposition of the Inner Line Permit (ILP).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The plea has challenged certain sections of the <strong>Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873</strong> which gives unbridled power to a State to prescribe ILP.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The act empowers a State government to prescribe &lsquo;Inner Line&rsquo;</strong> to prohibit citizens of India or any class of such citizens going beyond the prescribed line without a pass.</li>
<li>The colonial-era regulation was passed by the then British government to prohibit Indian citizens to move in selects districts to create monopoly in business.</li>
<li>However, it continues to be used in India, officially to protect tribal cultures in north-eastern India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inner Line Permit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ILP is an official travel document issued by the Government of India <strong>to grant inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area</strong> for a limited period. Visitors are not allowed to purchase property in these regions.</li>
<li>Restrictions are imposed on the entry of outsiders <strong>to maintain the original identity of indigenous people of Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.</strong> The entry of outsiders are not allowed without ILP.</li>
<li>The document is issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 and the conditions and restrictions vary from state to state.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the State Cabinet had taken a decision to extend the operation of the 1873 Regulation in Dimapur.</li>
<li>Therefore, many non-Nagas who have landed properties with commercial shops, godowns, etc. and who are staying in as tenants, and many locals who earn their income by means of collecting rent from tenants would be adversely affected</li>
<li>Many non-nagas have been regarded as outsiders by the government of Nagaland, which is racial discrimination.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/petition-for-protection-of-non-nagas-in-dimapur'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Flood Hazard Atlas',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Odisha has released a unique flood hazard atlas on the basis of <strong>historic flood inundation</strong> captured through <strong>satellite imagery</strong> over the period from 2001 to 2018.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Flooding in Odisha:</strong> Vast areas of the state are inundated when there is flooding every year in major rivers like the <strong>Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Rushikulya.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some of the rivers like the <strong>Vamsadhara and Budhabalanga</strong>, also cause <strong>flash floods</strong> due to instant run-off from their hilly catchments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Flood Hazard Atlas<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/399image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/399image1.jpg" width="412" height="342" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the mapping and zonation of an area prone to frequent flooding, the mapping is done on the basis of the data of the past few years. <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</strong></a>, Hyderabad does <strong>flood hazard zonation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits of Flood Hazard Atlas</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Better preparedness:</strong> A more <strong>concise focus</strong> on the effects and impacts of the flooded area is possible during the early <strong>planning stages.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Risk reduction or mitigation techniques</strong> can be recommended for the same portion of the study area.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Location, severity, or frequency</strong> of hazard can be done more easily.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Proper assessment of area:</strong> A study area or a sub-area can be expanded, reduced, or deleted. Study areas can be divided into sub-areas requiring more information, additional assessments, or specific reduction techniques.</li>
<li><strong>Risk evaluation:</strong> A more realistic evaluation of risks to new development is possible. Appropriate hazard reduction techniques can be more easily developed to deal with an emergency situation.</li>
<li><strong>Rehabilitation planning:</strong> It could be initiated in advance with proper coordination among different central and state agencies.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/flood-hazard-atlas'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Imphal Peace Museum',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Britain and Japan, once adversaries during the 2nd world war have come together and inaugurated the <strong>Imphal Peace Museum</strong> to commemorate the <strong>75th anniversary</strong> of the <strong>Battle of Imphal</strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The inauguration was attended by Manipur Revenue minister, Japanese Ambassador to India, High Commissioner of UK and Chairman of <strong>The Nippon Foundation&nbsp;</strong>(TNF).</li>
<li>The museum is constructed by the support of <strong>The Nippon Foundation&nbsp;</strong>(TNF), a <strong>non-profit grant-making organization</strong> in collaboration with <strong>Manipur Tourism Forum</strong> and <strong>Manipur Government</strong>.</li>
<li>The Imphal Peace Museum (IPM) is located 20 km Southwest of Imphal, at the foothills of <strong>Red Hill</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Battle of Imphal<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/155image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/155image2.jpg" width="301" height="241" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Battle of Imphal saw some of the fiercest fighting of World War II at <strong>Maibam Lokpa Ching</strong> popularly known as <strong>Red Hill.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Red Hill was among the places where the tide began to turn against the Japanese.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 1944, Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Together with the simultaneous Battle of Kohima on the road by which the encircled Allied forces at Imphal were relieved, the battle was the turning point of the Burma Campaign, of the Second World War.</li>
<li>The <strong>Japanese defeat at Kohima and Imphal</strong> was the largest up until that time, with many of the Japanese deaths resulting from starvation, disease and exhaustion suffered during their retreat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Imphal, the capital of Manipur, it is some 70 miles to the west of the Burmese border. To the <strong>north of Imphal are the Naga Hills</strong> and <strong>to the south the Chin Hills.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/imphal-peace-museum'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Arogyapacha: ‘Miracle Plant’',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Scientists from the University of Kerala have decoded the genetic make-up of <strong>Arogyapacha (Trichopus zeylanicus),</strong> a highly potent medicinal plant endemic to the <strong>Agasthya hills.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This &lsquo;miracle plant&rsquo; is known for its traditional use by the <strong>Kani tribal community</strong> to combat fatigue.</li>
<li>Studies have also proved its varied spectrum of pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic.</li>
<li>The project is bound to open up a new window to the plant&rsquo;s molecular secrets, the genome and annotation data will be a valuable resource to expedite research on Arogyapacha, particularly its secondary metabolism, genetic breeding, and comparative studies.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Kani Tribe</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Traditionally Kani tribes are a nomadic people. They are indigenous to tropical forests of the Agasthyamalai hills of the Western Ghats, a mountain range in Kerala. They have a population of almost 25,000.</li>
<li>Kani has a rich tradition of using wild plants found in the region for health reasons. The tribal physicians, <strong>known as Plathi</strong> &ndash; are the exclusive holders of the traditional medicinal knowledge of the tribe. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to Kani tribal customs, only the <strong>Plathi</strong> have the right to transfer and disseminate their traditional medicinal knowledge.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agasthya hills</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Agasthya</strong> hill is a 1,868-metre (6,129 ft) tall peak within Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Western Ghats of Kerala. The peak lies on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This peak is a part of the <strong>Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve</strong> which lies on the border between the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.</li>
<li>The peak is named after Hindu sage <strong>Agastya</strong>, who is considered to be one of the seven rishis(Saptarishi) of Hindu Puranas. It is a pilgrimage centre for devotees.</li>
<li>The <strong>Thamirabarani River</strong> is a perennial river which originates from the eastern side of the range and flows into the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.</li>
<li>In Tamil traditions, <strong>Agastya</strong> is considered as the father of the Tamil language and the compiler of the <strong>first Tamil grammar called Agattiyam.</strong> The Malayalam language is considered to be born from Agasthya.</li>
<li>Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is among 20 new sites added by UNESCO to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves in March 2016.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/arogyapacha-miracle-plant'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Monsoon',
			'catname' => 'Paper 1',
			'desc' => '<p>Generally, across the world, the monsoons are experienced in the tropical area roughly between 20&deg; N and 20&deg; S.</p>
<p>The climate of India is described as the <strong>&lsquo;monsoon&rsquo;</strong> type. In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly in the south and the southeast.</p>
<p>Out of a total of 4 seasonal divisions of India, monsoon occupy 2 divisions, namely.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The southwest monsoon season -</strong> Rainfall received from the southwest monsoons is seasonal in character, which occurs between June and September.</li>
<li><strong>The retreating monsoon season -</strong> The months of October and November are known for retreating monsoons.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Factors Influencing South-West Monsoon Formation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The differential heating and cooling of land and water</strong> creates a low pressure on the landmass of India while the seas around experience comparatively high pressure.</li>
<li><strong>The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)</strong> in summer, over the Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5&deg;N of the equator. It is also known as the monsoon-trough during the monsoon season).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inter Tropical Convergence Zone </strong></p>
<p>The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ,) is a broad trough of low pressure in equatorial latitudes. This is where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. This convergence zone lies more or less parallel to the equator but moves north or south with the apparent movement of the sun.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The presence of the high-pressure area,</strong> east of Madagascar, approximately at 20&deg;S over the Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure area affect the Indian Monsoon.</li>
<li><strong>The Tibetan plateau</strong> gets intensely heated during summer, which results in strong vertical air currents and the formation of low pressure over the plateau at about 9 km above sea level.</li>
<li><strong>The movement of the westerly jet stream</strong> to the north of the Himalayas and the presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during summer.</li>
<li><strong>Tropical Easterly Jet (African Easterly Jet).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Southern Oscillation (SO):</strong> Normally when the tropical eastern south Pacific Ocean experiences high pressure, the tropical eastern Indian Ocean experiences low pressure. But in certain years, there is a reversal in the pressure conditions and the eastern Pacific has lower pressure in comparison to the eastern Indian Ocean. This periodic change in pressure conditions is known as the SO.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>El Nino</strong></p>
<p>This is a name given to the periodic development of a warm ocean current along the coast of Peru as a temporary replacement of the cold Peruvian current. &lsquo;El Nino&rsquo; is a Spanish word meaning &lsquo;the child&rsquo;, and refers to the baby Christ, as this current starts flowing during Christmas. The presence of the El Nino leads to an increase in sea-surface temperatures and weakening of the trade winds in the region.</p>
</div>
<h3>Mechanism</h3>
<p><strong>Onset of the South-West Monsoon</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The location of <strong>ITCZ shifts north and south of the equator</strong> with the apparent movement of the Sun.</li>
<li>During the month of June, the <strong>sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer</strong> and the <strong>ITCZ shifts northwards</strong>.</li>
<li>The southeast trade winds of the southern hemisphere cross the equator and start blowing in southwest to northeast direction under the influence of <strong>Coriolis force</strong>.</li>
<li>These winds collect moisture as they travel over the warm Indian Ocean.</li>
<li>In the month of July, the <strong>ITCZ shifts to 20&deg;-25&deg; N latitude and is located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain</strong> and the south-west monsoons blow from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The ITCZ in this position is often called the <strong>Monsoon Trough</strong>.</li>
<li>The shift in the position of the ITCZ is also related to the phenomenon of the withdrawal of the westerly jet stream from its position over the north Indian plain, south of the Himalayas.</li>
<li>The easterly Jet Stream (Somali Jet) sets in along 15&deg;N latitude only after the western jet stream has withdrawn itself from the region. This easterly jet stream is held responsible for the burst of the monsoon in India.</li>
<li>As these winds approach the land, their southwesterly direction is modified by the relief and thermal low pressure over northwest India. The monsoon approaches the Indian landmass in two branches: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Arabian Sea branch -</strong> The monsoon winds originating over the Arabian Sea.</li>
<li><strong>The Bay of Bengal branch -</strong> The Arakan Hills along the coast of Myanmar deflect a big portion of this branch towards the Indian subcontinent. The monsoon, therefore, enters West Bengal and Bangladesh from south and southeast instead of from the south-westerly direction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Another phenomenon associated with the monsoon is its tendency to have <strong>&lsquo;breaks&rsquo;</strong> in rainfall. The monsoon rains take place only for a few days at a time. They are interspersed with rainless intervals. <strong>These breaks in monsoon are related to the movement of the monsoon trough.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions within the country.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393254_image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393254_image5.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Retreating Monsoon Season</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The retreating southwest monsoon season is <strong>marked by clear skies and rise in temperature</strong>.</li>
<li>The land is still moist. Owing to the conditions of high temperature and humidity, the weather becomes rather oppressive. This is commonly known as the <strong>&lsquo;October heat&rsquo;</strong>.</li>
<li>In the second half of October, the mercury begins to fall rapidly, particularly in northern India.</li>
<li>The weather in the retreating monsoon is <strong>dry in north India</strong> but it is associated with <strong>rain in the eastern part of the Peninsula</strong>. Here, October and November are the rainiest months of the year.</li>
<li><strong>The widespread rain in this season is associated with the passage of cyclonic depressions which originate over the Andaman Sea and manage to cross the eastern coast of the southern Peninsula. These tropical cyclones are very destructive.</strong></li>
<li>A bulk of the rainfall of the Coromandel Coast is derived from these depressions and cyclones.</li>
<li>Unlike the rest of the country, which receives rain in the southwest monsoon season between June and September, the <strong>northeast monsoon is crucial for farming</strong> and <strong>water security in the south</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393291_image18.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393291_image18.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Impact of Monsoons on Life in India</h3>
<p><strong>Positive</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-monsoon-respite-for-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">About 64% of people in India depend on agriculture for their livelihood</a> and agriculture itself is based on monsoon.</li>
<li>Agricultural prosperity of India depends very much on timely and adequately distributed rainfall. If it fails, agriculture is adversely affected particularly in those regions where means of irrigation are not developed.</li>
<li>Regional variations in monsoon climate help in growing various types of crops.</li>
<li>Regional monsoon variation in India is reflected in the vast variety of food, clothes and house types.</li>
<li>Monsoon rain <strong>helps recharge dams and reservoirs,</strong> which is further used for the <strong>generation of hydro-electric power</strong>.</li>
<li>Winter rainfall by temperate cyclones in north India is highly beneficial for Rabi crops.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Negative</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Variability of rainfall brings <strong>droughts or floods</strong> every year in some parts of the country.</li>
<li>Sudden monsoon burst creates a problem of <strong>soil erosion</strong> over large areas in India.</li>
<li>In hilly areas sudden rainfall brings <strong>landslide</strong> which <strong>damages natural and physical infrastructure</strong> subsequently <strong>disrupting human life economically</strong> as well as <strong>socially</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Monsoon Prediction In India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>More than a century ago, when there were no computers, IMD&rsquo;s forecasts depended only on snow cover. Lesser cover meant a better monsoon.</li>
<li>British physicist Gilbert Walker, who headed the IMD, designed a <strong>statistical weather model</strong> &ndash; an empirical way of predicting the weather &ndash; based on the relationship between two weather phenomena.</li>
<li>In 2014, the IMD started to use <strong>numerical models</strong> to supplement statistical models for long-range forecasting as well.</li>
<li>Now, although the numerical models used by the IMD are state-of-the-art &ndash; developed by the <strong>US National Centres for Environmental Prediction</strong> &ndash; their forecast capacity is still weak because a longer period of forecast creates more uncertainty in prediction.</li>
<li>At the moment, the IMD provides district-wise weather data but it&rsquo;s not sufficient; because when IMD says there will be scattered rainfall over a particular district, it means that 26-50% that district (by area) will receive rainfall.</li>
<li>The <strong>IMD collects weather data like temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation</strong> through 679 automatic weather stations, 550 surface observatories, 43 radiosonde or weather balloons, 24 radars and three satellites.</li>
<li>Currently, highly advanced dynamical models need supercomputers. Prediction models will not run until proper data about current weather conditions is available.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Factors Responsible for Inaccurate Monsoon Forecast</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> lack of data</strong> due to insufficient monitoring stations.</li>
<li>Automatic weather stations are of substandard quality. They need to be calibrated and cleaned regularly, which does not happen often. That affects data.</li>
<li>Then, there are major data gaps, like those involving dust, aerosols, soil moisture and maritime conditions are not monitored.</li>
<li>The models that we have brought from the west have been developed by western scientists to forecast in their region, little progress has been made is the <strong>fine-tuning of weather models to suit Indian conditions</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of competent software professionals</strong> and scientists working with the IMD.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recent Indian Initiatives</h3>
<p>It is crucial for farmers (sowing, harvesting, etc.) and policymakers (payment of compensation, minimum support price, etc.) to know when and for how long the monsoon will remain active over India. For that, better predictions and timely advisories are needed.</p>
<p>To achieve this following initiatives have been taken:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Monsoon Mission of India</strong><br />This initiative of <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences, launched in 2012,</strong> has utilized new approaches (high resolution, super parameterizations, data assimilation etc.) so that forecast skill gets quantitatively improved further for forecasting services of India Meteorological Department (IMD).<br />For the first time, India Meteorological Department used the Monsoon Mission dynamical model to prepare operational seasonal forecast of 2017 monsoon rainfall over India.<br /><strong><br />Objectives</strong>
<ol>
<li>To improve Seasonal and Intra-seasonal Monsoon Forecast</li>
<li>To improve Medium Range Forecast.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>IMD in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) provides <strong>district-level agro-meteorological advisories</strong> to farmers through 130 agro-met field units in vernacular languages.<br />These advisories are used for critical farm operations such as:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Management of sowing (delayed onset of rains);</li>
<li>Changing crop variety (delay in rainfall);</li>
<li>Spraying Pesticides for disease control (occurrence of rainfall);</li>
<li>Managing Irrigation (Heavy rainfall Forecast).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India Meteorological Department (IMD) provides <strong>meteorological support to the Central Water Commission (CWC)</strong> for issuing flood warnings.</li>
<li><strong>Indo-US expedition<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393460_image46.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393460_image46.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />In 2018, The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indo-us-indian-ocean-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Ocean Research Vessel, 'Sagar Nidhi'</a>, set out from Chennai, as part of an Indo-US expedition seeking to find answers to the vagaries of the Bay of Bengal-fed southwest monsoon by collecting various data to improve prediction models.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/national-supercomputer-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Supercomputing Mission</a> will fill the necessary gaps in the computing superpower required to predict timely and accurate monsoon forecasts.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Global Warming and Monsoon</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A drastic change in the monsoon rainfall intensity, duration, frequency and spatial distribution can be attributed to the climate change. However, it is too soon to arrive at a conclusion.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If all this is in response to global warming then it can be permanent and might accelerate. If not then the monsoon system will revert to a more normal state.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>More data and reanalysis is needed to get a clear picture on the complete separation of the global warming impact from natural climate variability (such as El Ni&ntilde;o).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>population of India is increasing</strong> and to provide <strong>food security</strong> to the population, a large part of the monsoon water which is currently unutilized should be held at suitable locations for irrigation and power generation purposes.</li>
<li><strong>India needs to invest more resources</strong> in better prediction of Monsoon forecast in order to achieve reliability and sustainability.</li>
<li>With a warming climate, more moisture will be held in the atmosphere, leading to heavier rainfall, consequently, inter-annual variability of the monsoon will increase in future. The country needs to prepare for this change.</li>
<li>Thus, to secure and bring sustainability to the climate pattern of India we need to take effective and timely steps not just at the domestic front (National Action Plan on Climate Change) but also at international front (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), as we live in a shared world with a shared future.</li>
</ul>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'The Start Up India Fund',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>According to data available with the SIDBI, <strong>the Startup India fund has allocated Rs 2,265 crore</strong> to Venture Capital <strong>(VC) funds</strong> at the end of <strong>March 2019</strong>, falling short of its capital allocation target by around Rs 1,000-1,200 crore.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also known as <strong>&lsquo;Funds of Funds for Startups&rsquo;</strong>, it had a <strong>disbursal target of Rs 3,300-3,500 crore</strong> to venture capital (VC) firms at the end of the financial year ending March 2019.</li>
<li>It was launched in the <strong>year 2016</strong> with the <strong>corpus</strong> of <strong>Rs.10,000 crore,</strong> to be built over 14<sup>th</sup> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/need-to-set-up-state-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</a></strong> cycles. SIDBI manages the fund.</li>
<li>The government launched this fund to help startups get funding in early stages. The fund <strong>does not directly invest in startups, instead, it allocates money to VC funds</strong>, which are <strong>required to invest at least twice</strong> the amount of contributions received from the government.</li>
<li><strong>A venture capital (VC) fund</strong> is a sum of money that investors commit for investment in early-stage companies.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Startup India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to catalyse startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India.</li>
<li>Since the launch of the initiative on <strong>16<sup>th</sup> January, 2016,</strong> Startup India has rolled out several programs with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, and transforming India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers.</li>
<li><strong>A startup</strong> is an enterprise that is initiated by its founders around an idea or a problem with a potential for significant business opportunity and impact.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>SIDBI</strong></p>
<p>Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), set up on <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> April 1990,</strong> under an Act of Indian Parliament, acts as the principal financial institution <strong>for promotion, financing and development</strong> of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/going-beyond-the-credit-requirements-of-msmes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise <strong>(MSME)</strong></a> sector as well as for coordination of functions of institutions engaged in similar activities.</p>
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Lunar Evacuation System',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Under the preparations for <strong>NASA&rsquo;s 2024 Moon mission,</strong> a device called <strong>Lunar Evacuation System Assembly</strong> (LESA) has been tested.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>LESA developed by the <strong>European Space Agency</strong> (ESA), is a pyramid-like structure used for rescuing an <strong>injured astronaut</strong> on the lunar surface.</li>
<li>Astronauts could not carry their fallen crewmate over their shoulder while wearing a <strong>heavy extravehicular activity</strong> (EVA) <strong>suit.</strong></li>
<li>LESA enables an astronaut to lift their crewmate onto a <strong>mobile stretcher</strong> in less than 10 minutes, before carrying them to the safety of a nearby pressurized lander.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Aeronautics and Space Administration</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.</li>
<li>Headquartered in <strong>Washington, D.C, United States.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>NASA&rsquo;s 2024 Moon mission or Artemis' program</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/576image8.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/576image8.jpg" width="690" height="388" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ARTEMIS stands for <strong>'Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics</strong> of the Moon's interaction with the Sun.</li>
<li>Artemis program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time (including the <strong>first woman</strong> and the next man) in half a century, including eight scheduled launches and a <strong>mini-station in lunar orbit</strong> by 2024.</li>
<li>As a result of Artemis, NASA will be able to establish a <strong>sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028</strong> to uncover new scientific discoveries, demonstrate new technological advancements, and lay the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Celiac Disease',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>It has been revealed that <strong>one of every 140 persons in India</strong> is estimated to <strong>have celiac disease.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also called <strong>Wheat Allergy,</strong> celiac disease is a chronic inflammation of the small intestine caused by an intolerance to gluten and usually present in genetically predisposed individuals.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Gluten</strong> is a general name for the <strong>proteins</strong> found in <strong>wheat, rye, barley and triticale &ndash;</strong> a cross between wheat and rye.</li>
<li>Gluten helps food maintain its shape, acting as the glue that holds food together.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Effect of the disease on the body:</strong> When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine, indicating the disease being an <strong>autoimmune disease.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These attacks lead to <strong>damage on the villi,</strong> small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption.</li>
<li>When the villi get damaged, <strong>nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.</strong></li>
<li>Also, the <strong>modern wheat</strong> which is hexaploid rather than diploid, is <strong>more antigenic,</strong> meaning it <strong>stimulates the production of antibodies when introduced into the body.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>People with celiac disease have a two times greater risk of developing <strong>coronary artery disease</strong>, and a four times greater risk of developing <strong>small bowel cancers.</strong></li>
<li>Currently, <strong>the only treatment</strong> for celiac disease is <strong>lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet.</strong> People living gluten-free must avoid foods with wheat, rye and barley, such as bread and beer.</li>
<li>Many people <strong>who do not have celiac disease can also be sensitive to gluten,</strong> known as <strong>non celiac gluten sensitivity.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/564image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/564image2.jpg" caption="false" width="635" height="527" /></a></p>
<h3>Issues with Gluten Free Diet</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>People not diagnosed with celiac disease are giving up cereal grains for perceived benefits such as weight loss and better digestion.</li>
<li>Cereal grains such as wheat are a <strong>source of dietary fibre</strong> and is needed for the bowels to work properly.</li>
<li>Food containing gluten also are an important <strong>source of protein</strong> that most Indians lack.</li>
<li>Going gluten-free might also increase the <strong>risk of heart disease</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Autoimmune Disease</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A body has an immune system, which is a complex network of special cells and organs that defends the body from germs and other foreign invaders.</li>
<li>In a body suffering from Autoimmune disease, <strong>the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs.</strong></li>
<li>The body parts that are affected depend on the type of autoimmune disease. There are more than 80 known types. <strong>Some of them are <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-s-herbal-drug-for-leucoderma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Multiple Sclerosis, Leucoderma</a> etc.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
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	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'State Divide in Unemployment',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong>The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2017-18</strong> reflects huge variations among the states in terms of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/unemployment-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>unemployment rate</strong></a>. The survey reflects the overall unemployment rate in India at 6.1%.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nagaland and Meghalaya occupy the top and bottom positions among all states in terms of the unemployment rate at 21.4% and 1.5% respectively.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958image5.jpg" width="508" height="283" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In terms of Rural-Urban divide, urban areas are facing a high rate of unemployment (7.8%) in comparison to rural areas (5.3%).</li>
<li>The unemployment rate among rural males (5.8%) is higher than that of females (3.8%), while for urban areas the phenomena reverses with the unemployment rate among females (10.8%) higher than that of males (7.1%).</li>
<li>The unemployment rate among females has been observed lower than the males with 5.7% and 6.2% respectively.</li>
<li>Goa and Kerala are high in female unemployment with a rate of 26% and 23.3% respectively. Meghalaya is at the bottom with 1.9%.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was launched by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in 2017.</li>
<li>The objective of PLFS is primarily on two aspects: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first is to measure the dynamics in labour force participation and employment status in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS).</li>
<li>Thus, in every quarter, PLFS will bring out the level and change estimates of the key labour force indicators in CWS viz. Worker- Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Unemployment Rate (UR).</li>
<li>Secondly, for both rural and urban areas, level estimates of all important parameters in both usual status and CWS will be brought out annually.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Key Employment and Unemployment Indicators</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):</strong> LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.</li>
<li><strong>Worker Population Ratio (WPR):</strong> WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.</li>
<li><strong>Proportion Unemployed (PU):</strong> It is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed in the population.</li>
<li><strong>Unemployment Rate (UR):</strong> The unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed by the number in the labour forces, that is, the sum of employed and unemployed.</li>
<li><strong>Activity Status- Usual Status:</strong> The activity status of a person is determined on the basis of the activities pursued by the person during the specified reference period. When the activity status is determined on the basis of the reference period of the last 365 days preceding the date of survey, it is known as the usual activity status of the person.</li>
<li><strong>Usual Principal Status and Subsidiary Status (PS+SS):</strong> The Usual Principal Status and Subsidiary Status approach is an extension to the principal status approach. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If a person has engaged in any economic activity for a period of 30 days or more during the preceding 365 days a person is considered as employed under this approach.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Activity Status- Current Weekly Status (CWS):</strong> The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of the survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.</li>
</ul>
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	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Agricultural Distress in India',
		'catname' => 'Paper 3',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<p>The last two years have been filled with images of <strong>farmers protests</strong> by the way of dumping vegetables by the roadside and resorting to distress sales of grains and pulses.</p>
<h3>Reasons</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Poor policy and Planning:</strong> In the past, Government strategy primarily focused on raising agricultural output and improving food security rather than recognising the need to raise farmer&rsquo;s income,</li>
<li><strong>Absence of direct measure to promote farmers welfare.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Declining average size of farm holdings:</strong> Increasing demographic pressure, disguised employment in agriculture and conversion of agricultural land for alternative uses, have drastically reduced the average land holding.</li>
<li><strong>Dependence on rainfall and climate:</strong> Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon and ever-increasing global temperature has made agriculture more prone to extreme weather events.</li>
<li><strong>Collapsing farm prices:</strong> Low global prices have affected exports and the cheaper imports have hurt domestic prices in the country.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of easy credit</strong> to agriculture and dependence on money lenders.</li>
<li><strong>Fragmented supply chains:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Large gaps in storage, Cold chains</li>
<li>Limited connectivity</li>
<li>Absence of marketing infrastructure</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Mechanisation:</strong> Introduction of latest technology has been limited due to various reasons like accessibility for credit and low awareness.</li>
<li>Crop production is always at <strong>risk</strong> because of pests and diseases.</li>
<li><strong>Shortage of inputs</strong> like seeds and irrigation facilities.</li>
<li>Deficiencies in Agricultural Produce Market Committees <strong>(APMC) Act.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Profiteering</strong> by middlemen.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The above factors have resulted in low income for farmers which is evident from the <strong>incidence of poverty</strong> among farm households.</li>
<li>The low and highly fluctuating farm income is causing a <strong>detrimental effect on the interest in farming and farm investments</strong> and is also forcing more and more cultivators, particularly younger age group, to leave farming.</li>
<li>The country also witnessed a sharp increase in the number of <strong>farmers suicides</strong> in the last decades.</li>
<li>This can cause an adverse effect on the future of <strong>food security</strong> and the state of agriculture in the country.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The National Commission on Farmers (NCF) and Evergreen Revolution</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NCF was constituted on November 18, 2004, under the chairmanship of Professor M.S. Swaminathan.</li>
<li>Its recommendations mainly focused on issues of access to resources and social security entitlements and contain suggestions for inclusive growth of farmers and the agriculture sector in India.</li>
<li>On the issue of Minimum Support Price, the committee recommended providing farmers with a minimum support price at 50% above the cost of production classified as C2 by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).</li>
<li>CACP proposes three definitions of production costs :<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>A2:</strong> Actual paid-out expenses incurred by farmers &mdash; in cash and kind on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides etc.</li>
<li><strong>A2+FL:</strong> It is A2 cost plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour.</li>
<li><strong>C2:</strong> It accounts for the rentals or interest loans, owned land and fixed capital assets over and above A2+FL.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Committee recommended the MSP to be basic cost and prescribed MSP 50% above C2.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Solutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Development initiatives</strong> including infrastructure, technological interventions, farmer friendly policies and institutional mechanisms can increase the agricultural growth and farmers income.</li>
<li><strong>Technology</strong> can help to reduce &lsquo;yield gaps&rsquo; and thus improve productivity.</li>
<li>The <strong>water-use efficiency</strong> can be improved significantly with better use of technologies that include drip irrigation.</li>
<li>The quantitative framework for <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/doubling-farmers-income-a-promise-to-be-fulfilled-by-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>doubling farmers income</strong></a> has the following seven sources of growth:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Increase in productivity of crops</li>
<li>Increase in production of livestock</li>
<li>Improvement in the efficiency of input use (cost saving)</li>
<li>Increase in crop intensity</li>
<li>Diversification towards high-value crops</li>
<li>Improved price realization by farmers</li>
<li>The shift of cultivators to non-farm jobs</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Improvements in allied sectors:</strong> Many small farmers cannot leave agriculture because of a lack of opportunities in the non-farm sector. Hence, allied sectors like horticulture, food processing, poultry etc needs to be pushed. For instance, government initiative like Project CHAMAN, AGRI-UDAAN programme, Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA) etc. are notable.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperative Farming:</strong> In this context, consolidation of land holdings also becomes important to raise farmer incomes. Farmers can voluntarily come together and pool land to gain the benefits of size. Through consolidation, farmers can reap the economies of scale both in input procurement and output marketing.</li>
<li>There is a need to make a <strong>shift from rice and wheat-centric policies to millet, pulses, fruits, vegetables, livestock and fish.</strong></li>
<li>The creation of a <strong>competitive, stable and unified national market</strong> is needed for farmers to get better prices.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Government Steps to reduce Agrarian Distress</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The goal set to <strong>double farmers' income by 2022-23</strong> is central to promote farmers welfare, reduce agrarian distress and bring parity between the income of farmers and those working in non-agricultural professions.</li>
<li>In recent years, the Central government has taken various measures like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-fasal-bima-yojanas-failure-in-north-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PM Fasal Bima Yojana</strong></a> <strong>(PMFBY), PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), electronic National Agricultural market (e-NAM), Soil health card, Neem-coated urea</strong> etc.</li>
<li>Agriculture is a major component of <strong>Priority Sector Lending (PSL)</strong>, and the target for bank lending to agriculture has been revised upwards every year.</li>
<li>In addition to food subsidy under PDS, the government also provides <strong>fertilizer subsidy</strong> year after year.</li>
<li>In the budget of 2018 for farmers, the Union budget has announced <strong>MSPs at 50% above the production cost.</strong></li>
<li>It also proposed to launch <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/operation-greens-ttp-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Operation Greens&rdquo;</strong></a> in the agriculture sector on the same lines of the milk sector&rsquo;s &ldquo;Operation Flood&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The 2019 budget announced a farm support scheme <strong>(PM-KISAN)</strong> for farmers owning up to 2 hectares of lands.</li>
<li>Some States have introduced farm support schemes, examples being the <strong>Rythu Bandhu Scheme (Telangana)</strong> and the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation <strong>(KALIA) scheme</strong> (Odisha)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ever changing agriculture sector requires <strong>proactive policy management</strong> which can maximize benefits for all stakeholders.</li>
<li>Raising the MSP, price deficiency payments or income support schemes can only be a <strong>partial solution</strong> to the problem of providing remunerative returns to farmers.</li>
<li>A sustainable solution is market reforms to <strong>enable better price discovery</strong> combined with long-term trade policies favourable to exports.</li>
<li>For better price for farmers, agriculture has to go beyond farming and develop a <strong>value chain</strong> comprising farming, wholesaling, warehousing, logistics, processing and retailing.</li>
<li>The most effective and least distortionary way to support farmers would be through <strong>direct benefit transfers.</strong></li>
<li>What is abundantly clear is that <strong>loan waivers aren&rsquo;t the panacea</strong> they&rsquo;re made out to be politically. Those who want to help India&rsquo;s farmers should be working much harder to figure out what they really need.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/412Drishti_ias_Agricultural_Distress_in_India.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/412Drishti_ias_Agricultural_Distress_in_India.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/agricultural-distress-in-india'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Electric Mobility Rush: Concerns and Restraints',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p><strong>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/opinion-our-premature-push-for-electric-vehicles-1561394789250.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our premature push for electric vehicles</a> which appeared in Livemint on 24th June 2019. It talks about, concerns and restraints in electric mobility in India.&nbsp;<a div="">&nbsp;</a></strong></p>
</div>
<p>In a bid to reduce oil imports and carbon emission, <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>has suggested that 40% of personal vehicles and public transportation in the country should go completely electric by 2030 (<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electronic Vehicle</strong></a>).</p>
<p><strong><a div="" href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/441image1%20(1).webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/441image1 (1).webp" width="473" height="474" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 0px auto;" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<p>By electrifying all the two-wheelers in use, India can avoid about 15% of the total transportation emission and more importantly, about 30% of particulate matter, curbing air pollution.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Facts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A recent report by the <strong>World Health Organization</strong> revealed that 14 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India.</li>
<li>As per the estimates of <strong>Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate</strong> Change, the automobile sector emitted about 188 MT of CO2 till 2010; road transport alone contributed to <strong>87%</strong> of the emissions.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s current <strong>oil import dependency</strong> is about <strong>80%</strong>. According to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, diesel and petrol contribute to about 40% and 13% of oil consumption, respectively.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Charging Infrastructure:</strong> one of the biggest challenges of electrification will be charging infrastructure, as installing charging facilities to serve such a vast and spread-out market will be a major concern.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fame-ii-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>FAME II</strong></a>, has proposed setting up of only 2,700 charging stations across the country.</li>
<li>Electric Grid ( for facilitating charging infrastructure) failure could create chaos.</li>
<li><strong>Charging time</strong> of lithium-ion batteries is longer and this could result in traffic congestion on roads with lengthy queues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Expensive Batteries:</strong> The energy source in all-electric vehicles is <strong>lithium-ion</strong> batteries because of their compact size and weight.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Price of lithium-ion battery is close to the average retail price of petrol two-wheelers.</li>
<li>The high cost of lithium-ion vehicles can be attributed to the absence of lithium-ion battery manufacturing unit in India, as most of the electronic vehicle makers assemble the battery packs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Cost:</strong> Market penetration of the electronic vehicle is expected to be low as compared to petrol vehicles, because of their high cost.</li>
<li><strong>Import Dependency:</strong> Raw materials in the form of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rush-for-rare-earths" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> rare earth materials</strong></a> required for manufacturing of lithium-ion battery (like lithium and cobalt) are not found in India and will have to depend entirely on imports, particularly from China.</li>
<li><strong>Electricity generation</strong> would not be a clean process (i.e free from pollution) because most of our power plants are still coal-fired.</li>
<li>Though, <strong>battery swapping model can be used in place of charging stations,</strong> the lithium-ion batteries because of their limited charging capacity will end up releasing lots of toxic material once they fizz out.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the <strong>battery swapping model, charging stations,</strong> supply fully charged new batteries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Localization:</strong> Most of the electric vehicle companies in India are operating with less than 50% localisation (adapting a product or service specific to local market) of their product hence are unable to avail the incentives and subsidies under FAME II (which requires companies to have products with more than 50% localisation).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Effort in Electric Mobility</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &amp;) Electric Vehicles under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-electric-mobility-mission-2020">National electric mobility mission</a> is an concerted effort towards building an EV market.</li>
<li>The procurement of over <strong>500 electric buses</strong> by various state transport utilities is a testament to India&rsquo;s commitment.</li>
<li>The department of heavy industry, Bureau of Indian Standards, and the Automotive Research Association of India are working towards establishing various technical standards for design and manufacturing of EVs and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or charging infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Required Restraints</h3>
<p><strong>The International Energy Agency</strong> has said there will be a net increase in carbon emissions due to electric vehicles when considering life-cycle emissions in countries, like India and China, which have a <strong>carbon-intensive power generation mix.</strong> So, there is a need for some restraints before completely moving to an Electronic vehicle regime.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Uniform Survey:</strong> actual <strong>impact and implications</strong> of alternative energy sources in the form of lithium-ion batteries should be surveyed independently by the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If electronic vehicles are not adversely affecting the environmental and economic health of the country, the government could come out with some kind of <strong>tax incentives</strong> in order to promote the wider use of electronic vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Instead of going for <strong>aggressive measures</strong> to introduce electronic vehicles or putting restraint over the use of petrol vehicles, the market should be left to its own devices on electronic vehicle conversion.</li>
<li>Shifting to new technology should be driven by consumer preferences. Forceful policies and implementations cannot lead to sustainable demand generation of EVs.</li>
<li>Public transport in India is expected to double by 2030 (which is a major consumer of diesel and petrol and responsible for substantial polluting emissions). These vehicles should be electrified first.</li>
<li>Enabling electronic vehicle ecosystem also requires policies that encourage domestic manufacturing of vehicles, batteries and vehicles.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In-house manufacturing is also key to building technological expertise and generating jobs for the young demographic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>In our haste to adopt electric mobility, we should not rush into a flawed policy and implementation framework. Critical analysis and a step-by-step approach are required. The ecosystem for electric vehicles should be allowed to develop gradually and organically. From job losses to manufacturing and marketing challenges, all the factors should be considered by the policymakers. Alternative models should be pursued while learning from the experience of implementation of a particular technology.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 961px; background-color: #f2c7c7;">
<p><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></p>
<p>NITI Aayog has suggested that 40% of personal vehicles and public transportation in the country should go completely electric by 2030. Discuss concerns and restraints in this context.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/electric-mobility-rush-concerns-and-restraints'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank',
		'catname' => 'International Institutions',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.</li>
<li>It is established by the <strong>AIIB Articles of Agreement</strong> (entered into force <strong>Dec. 25, 2015</strong>) which is a multilateral treaty. The Parties <strong>(57 founding members)</strong> to agreement comprise the Membership of the Bank.</li>
<li><strong>It is headquartered in Beijing and began its operations in January 2016.</strong></li>
<li>The members to Bank have now grown to <strong>97 approved members worldwide.</strong> There are <strong>27 prospective members</strong> including Armenia, Lebanon, Brazil, South Africa, Greece, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Fourteen of the G-20 nations</strong> are AIIB members including France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.</li>
<li><strong>By investing in sustainable infrastructure</strong> and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, it will better connect people, services and markets that over time will <strong>impact the lives of billions</strong> and build a better future.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Goals</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>To foster sustainable economic development,</strong> create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by <strong>investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors.</strong></li>
<li><strong>To promote regional cooperation and partnership</strong> in addressing development challenges by working in close collaboration with other multilateral and bilateral development <strong>institutions.</strong></li>
<li><strong>To promote investment in the public and private capital for development purposes,</strong> in particular for development of infrastructure and other productive sectors.</li>
<li><strong>To utilize the resources at its disposal</strong> for financing such development in the region, including those projects and programs which will contribute most effectively to the harmonious economic growth of the region;</li>
<li><strong>To encourage private investment in projects,</strong> enterprises and activities contributing to economic development in the region when private capital is not available on reasonable terms and conditions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governance</h3>
<p><strong>Board of Governors</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Board of Governors consists of <strong>one Governor and one Alternate Governor</strong> appointed by each <strong>member country.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Governors and Alternate Governors serve at the pleasure of the appointing member. <strong>All the powers of the AIIB are vested in the Board of Governors.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Board of Governors may <strong>delegate to the Board of Directors</strong> any or all its powers, <strong>except</strong> the power to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>admit new members</strong> and determine the conditions of their admission;</li>
<li>increase or decrease the <strong>authorized capital stock of the Bank;</strong></li>
<li><strong>elect the Directors of the Bank</strong> and determine the expenses to be paid for Directors and Alternate Directors and remuneration;</li>
<li><strong>elect the President,</strong> suspend or remove him from office, and determine his remuneration and other conditions of service;</li>
<li>approve, after <strong>reviewing the auditors&rsquo; report,</strong> the general balance sheet and the statement of profit and loss of the Bank;</li>
<li><strong>amend the 'AIIB Articles of Agreement';</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Annual Meeting</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>first AIIB Board of Governors</strong> meeting was held in <strong>Beijing</strong>, China in 2016.</li>
<li>The <strong>second</strong> was held in <strong>Jeju, Korea in 2017</strong> and the <strong>third was held in Mumbai, India in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>On July 12-13, <strong>2019 Luxembourg</strong> will host <strong>AIIB&rsquo;s first Annual Meeting to be held outside Asia.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The theme of the 2019 Annual Meeting</strong> is <strong>&ldquo;Cooperation and Connectivity&rdquo;</strong> in recognition of the economic and social benefits to be realized through <strong>better connectivity</strong> within and between countries and regions,<strong> including Europe and Asia.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Board of Directors</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Board of Directors are composed of <strong>twelve members</strong> who shall not be members of the Board of Governors, and of whom:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>nine are elected by the Governors representing regional members;</strong> and</li>
<li><strong>three</strong> are elected by the Governors representing <strong>non-regional members</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Directors of the Board are persons of high competence in economic and financial matters.</li>
<li>Directors represent members whose Governors have elected them as well as members whose Governors assign their votes to them.</li>
<li>Board of Directors is a <strong>non-resident Board to reduce operating cost.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>responsible for</strong> the direction of the <strong>Bank&rsquo;s general operations</strong>, exercising <strong>all powers delegated</strong> to it by the Board of Governors. This includes: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>approving the <strong>Bank&rsquo;s strategy, annual plan</strong> and <strong>budget;</strong></li>
<li>establishing policies;</li>
<li>taking decisions concerning Bank operations;</li>
<li>and supervising management and operation of the Bank and establishing an oversight mechanism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/815image2.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></h3>
<h3>Senior Management</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>AIIB staff is headed by the President</strong> who is elected by AIIB shareholders for a five-year term and eligible for reelection once.</li>
<li>The President is supported by Senior Management which includes five Vice Presidents responsible for: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>policy and strategy</li>
<li>investment operations, finance</li>
<li>administration and the corporate secretariat and the General Counsel</li>
<li>Chief Risk Officer and Chief Programmer Officer</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>International Advisory Panel (IAP)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bank has established <strong>an IAP to support the President and Senior Management</strong> on the Bank&rsquo;s <strong>strategies</strong> and<strong> policies</strong> as well as on general operational issues.</li>
<li><strong>The President selects and appoints members of the IAP</strong> to an initial two-year term, which can be renewed upon completion.</li>
<li>The Panel meets at least twice a year, once in tandem with the Bank&rsquo;s Annual Meeting, and second time at the Bank&rsquo;s Headquarters in Beijing.</li>
<li>Panelists receive a small honorarium and do not receive a salary. The Bank pays the reasonable costs associated with Panel meetings.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Membership</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Membership in the AIIB is <strong>open to all members of the</strong> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> or the <strong>Asian Development Bank</strong> and is divided into <strong>regional</strong> and <strong>non-regional</strong> members. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Regional members are those located within areas classified as Asia and Oceania by the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Unlike other MDBs (multilateral development bank), the <strong>AIIB allows for non-sovereign entities</strong> to apply for AIIB membership, <strong>assuming their home country is a member.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, sovereign wealth funds (such as the China Investment Corporation) or state-owned enterprises of member countries could potentially join the Bank.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Financial Resources of AIIB</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The AIIB's initial total capital is USD 100 billion divided into <strong>1 million shares of 100 000 dollars each</strong>, with 20% paid-in and 80% callable.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Paid-Up Share Capital:</strong> It is the amount of money that has already been paid by investors in exchange for shares of stock.</li>
<li><strong>Called-Up Share Capital:</strong> Some companies may issue shares to investors with the understanding they will be paid at a later date. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This allows for <strong>more flexible investment terms</strong> and may <strong>entice investors to contribute more share capital</strong> than if they had to provide funds up front.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China</strong> is the largest contributor to the Bank, contributing <strong>USD 50 billion</strong>, half of the initial subscribed capital.</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> is the second-largest shareholder, contributing <strong>USD 8.4 billion.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Voting Rights</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>China is the largest shareholder with 26.61</strong> % voting shares in the bank followed by <strong>India (7.6%),</strong> Russia (6.01%) and Germany (4.2 %).</li>
<li>The regional members hold 75% of the total voting power in the Bank.</li>
<li>The AIIB has a governance structure similar to other MDBs (multilateral development bank), with two key differences: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>it does <strong>not have a resident board of executive directors</strong> that represents member countries' interests on a day-to-day basis; and</li>
<li>the AIIB gives <strong>more decision making authority to regional countries</strong> and the largest shareholder, China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>AIIB Lending</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The recipients of AIIB financing</strong> may include <strong>member countries</strong> (or agencies and entities or enterprises in member territories), as well as <strong>international or regional agencies</strong> concerned with the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region.</li>
<li>The AIIB has signed a co-<strong>financing framework agreement</strong> with the World Bank and<strong> three nonbinding</strong> Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>the Asian Development Bank (ADB),</li>
<li>European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),</li>
<li>and the European Investment Bank (EIB).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The bulk of AIIB&rsquo;s operations</strong> are in <strong>South Asia.</strong></li>
<li>The Bank can lend outside Asia provided that it supports connectivity with Asia or it is for a global public good and that the loan significantly benefits Asia. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The ceiling for non-regional loans is 25%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The key sectors for the Bank are Energy, Transport, Water and Urban development.</li>
<li><strong>About two-thirds of the loans</strong> approved by the bank have been <strong>co-financed</strong> with other multilateral lending institutions, including the <strong>World Bank and the ADB.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>triple-A ratings</strong> from <strong>Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s, Moody&rsquo;s and Fitch,</strong> reflect the Bank&rsquo;s commitment to the highest standards of governance, enhanced transparency and accountability.</li>
<li>Approved investment operations of AIIB reached <strong>USD 7.94 billion in April, 2019.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>China&rsquo;s Motivation for Creating the AIIB</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The creation of the AIIB</strong> is part of a <strong>broader reorientation of Chinese foreign and international economic policy</strong> that has taken place <strong>since Xi Jinping</strong> became Chinese Communist Party General Secretary in 2012 and the President in 2013.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/obor-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;One Belt, One Road&rdquo; (OBOR) Initiative</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It identified 65 countries that will be participating in the initiative, which aims to use trade promotion, infrastructure development, and regional connectivity, to boost economic linkages between China and dozens of countries along <strong>a land route</strong> (the <strong>Silk Road Economic Belt</strong>) and a <strong>sea route</strong> (the 21st Century <strong>Maritime Silk Road</strong>).</li>
<li><strong>To realize this vision</strong>, China is <strong>investing in a range of institutions and initiatives,</strong> including the <strong>AIIB</strong>, and other funding mechanisms such as the <strong>Silk Road Fund</strong> (established in 2014) and the<strong> New Development Bank</strong> (also known as the <strong>BRICS Bank</strong> established in 2014), a collective arrangement with Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>China also seeks to influence the <strong>emerging structure of regional trade and investment</strong> relations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By helping to finance OBOR, AIIB may influence these relationships. It may also reinforce a regional infrastructure that has China as its hub.</li>
<li>As a result, <strong>regional economies may be more inclined</strong> to augment trade and investment relations <strong>with China rather than with other</strong> economies, such as<strong> Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,</strong> and<strong> the United States.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>AIIB and India</h3>
<p><strong>China Factor</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are various issues between India and China:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (China maintains that it will not support India&rsquo;s entry until there is a universal formula to accept applications from all countries that <strong>haven&rsquo;t signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty-</strong> indirectly pursuing case for Pakistan),</li>
<li><strong>territorial disputes</strong> in the Himalayas,</li>
<li>concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&rsquo;s traversal of disputed territory in Kashmir.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India <strong>has serious concerns over Chinese foreign policy</strong> in its region generally and the OBOR initiative specifically, regarding Beijing&rsquo;s attempts to seek influence in <strong>its immediate neighborhood with great interest.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Despite aforesaid issues</strong> between India and China, <strong>the AIIB plays a crucial role implicitly in consensus building process:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>AIIB</strong> has acquired the status of <strong>a plurilateral lending initiative</strong>, so there is no problem for either India, or China, in <strong>overlooking bilateral differences</strong> and working together at the AIIB.</li>
<li>India can open up investment opportunities in the region through AIIB.</li>
<li>By hosting the <strong>AIIB&rsquo;s third annual meeting</strong> (2018, Mumbai) under the theme of &ldquo;Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration&rdquo;, <strong>India has reiterated its openness to infrastructure collaboration.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Economic Contribution of AIIB</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India is the largest beneficiary of AIIB</strong> financing for infrastructure projects. The AIIB has approved five projects in India. These are &mdash; <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bangalore Metro Rail Project (USD 335 million),</li>
<li>Transmission System Strengthening Project,</li>
<li>Gujarat Rural Roads (MMGSY) Project (providing USD329 million through a 13 -year loan to provide all -weather connectivity to 4,000 villages in the 33 districts of Gujarat state),</li>
<li>India Infrastructure Fund</li>
<li>and Andhra Pradesh 24&times;7 &ndash; Power For All project.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The total loan sanctioned by AIIB to <strong>five Indian projects is USD 1.074 billion.</strong> This accounts to almost <strong>28% of the total money the bank has lent to 24 infrastructure projects worldwide.&nbsp;</strong>The AIIB has approved for lending USD 200 million to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aiib-approves-455-million-dollar-loan-for-andhra-pradesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NIIF is an Indian-government backed entity established to provide long-term capital to the country&rsquo;s infrastructure sector. Its portfolio includes investments in ports and logistics, real estate and renewables.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In feb, 2019 the AIIB and the Government of India signed <strong>a USD 455 million loan</strong> to finance the <strong>Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Project</strong>, which will connect some 3,300 habitations with a population of more than 250, and benefit around two Million people.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The AIIB Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The United States has opposed the AIIB</strong> and considers <strong>AIIB as an unwanted intrusion</strong> in the multilateral financial system. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Emergence of AIIB, largely funded by China, poses a threat to the monopoly of the United States on the world's financial system for over half a century</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The world's leading industrialized economies, <strong>Japan and the U.S. are not members</strong> of the AIIB because of following expressed concerns:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is no certainty that the bank will maintain <strong>its rigorous loan-screening practices</strong> or keep its funding operations separate from <strong>China's political ambitions.</strong></li>
<li>Joining the AIIB would require making a <strong>huge financial contribution to the entity.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Asia's infrastructure investment needs are so vast that <strong>no single institutional lender can meet that demand on its own.</strong></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>U.S. government is</strong> seemingly intent on <strong>pursuing inward-looking policies through protectionism and trade war.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The bank is concerned with <strong>predicted downward trend in project finance because of slow global economy and trade war.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Slowing economies can lead to <strong>governments failing to meet contractual obligations</strong> towards AIIB and <strong>trade frictions may erode the potential of infrastructure projects.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>AIIB&rsquo;s non resident board, <strong>inhibits transparency and accountability.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>It reinforces the perception</strong> that the AIIB will be much more centrally <strong>controlled by the Chinese government.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is well proved throughout the history of economic growth &amp; development that the creation and development of robust financial institutions will make market forces more competitive leading towards comprehensive growth and development of society.</li>
<li>The AIIB can create own space by contributing to sustained economic growth leading towards improved living standard of millions of poor people across Asia and other regions.</li>
<li>The AIIB is still in its evolutionary phase that must be <strong>nurtured with democratice principles avoiding single-country dominance</strong> (Chinese dominance) like that of USA in IMF and World Bank.</li>
<li>India as an emerging economy, can play a vital role in <strong>shaping the foundation of AIIB for the cause of poor people</strong> spread across developing countries.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/asian-infrastructure-investment-bank'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Superbugs Can Be Transmitted Through Plants',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Researchers at the University of Southern California have found that <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-drug-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>anti-microbial resistant bacteria</strong></a> or superbugs can be <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/875image1.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>transmitted to humans through plants.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Antibiotic-resistant infections are a threat to global public health, food safety and an economic burden<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/251image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/251image3.jpg" width="335" height="142" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a>.</li>
<li>To prevent these infections, it is critical to understand how these bacteria are transmitted.</li>
<li>Spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs from plants to humans is different from outbreaks of diarrheal illnesses caused immediately after eating contaminated vegetables. <strong>Superbugs can asymptomatically hide in (colonise) the intestines for a long time</strong> while escaping and causing an infection.</li>
<li>The study shows the linkage shared by the environment and human health to agriculture and microbiomes.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Superbug:</strong> It is a term used to describe strains of bacteria that are resistant to the majority of antibiotics commonly used today. Resistant bacteria that cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections and skin infections.</p>
</div>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Antimicrobial Resistant-Bacteria</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Antimicrobial resistant-bacteria occur naturally and are found in people, animals, food, and the environment (in water, soil and air). They can spread between people and animals, including from food of animal origin, and from person to person.</li>
<li>It is facilitated by the <strong>inappropriate use of medicines</strong>, for example, using antibiotics for viral infections such as the flu.</li>
<li>Inadequately treated sewage waste containing resistant bacteria which mixes in the environment also magnify the burden of anti-microbial resistance.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/superbugs-can-be-transmitted-through-plants'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Mars Colonisation Through Sperm Bank',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>As per a study, the human colonies on Mars may be able to expand with shipments of sperm from Earth.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study has found out that exposure to<strong> low gravity environments does not damage the viability of frozen samples.</strong></li>
<li>The frozen samples of sperm exposed to microgravity retained similar characteristics to sperm samples kept on the Earth.</li>
<li>The findings open the possibility of safely transporting male gametes to space and considering the <strong>possibility of creating a human sperm bank outside Earth.</strong></li>
<li>If the number of missions and spaceflights increases it <strong>is important to study the effects of long-term human exposure to space</strong> and probably consider thinking about the <strong>possibility of reproduction outside the Earth.</strong></li>
<li>It opens the possibility of female astronauts going to Mars, taking the sperm with them to populate a new world.</li>
<li>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has stated that the first person to walk on Mars is likely to be a woman. It has set a goal of starting a colony on the planet by 2033.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.</li>
<li>It was established under the <strong>National Aeronautics and Space Act 1958</strong> and its headquarters are located in Washington, DC, USA.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mars-colonisation-through-sperm-bank'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'DRDO’s Herbal Drug for Leucoderma',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</a></strong> has developed a herbal drug 'lukoskin' for treatment of Leucoderma.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Leucoderma</strong> is a <strong>skin</strong> and <strong>auto-immune disorder</strong> also called vitiligo.<br />Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Vitiligo Day 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every year, <strong>June 25</strong> is observed as World Vitiligo Day to raise awareness about the disease.</li>
<li>The theme for World Vitiligo Day 2019 is <strong>&lsquo;The Quality of Life of a Vitiligo Patient&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Present remedies of vitiligo-like allopathic, surgical and adjunctive are either <strong>costly or single molecule based,</strong> with a very low level of efficacy and develop side-effects like a blister, edema, and irritation in the skin.</li>
<li><strong>Lukoskin</strong>, available in <strong>ointment</strong> and <strong>oral liquid</strong> form, has seven herbal ingredients having properties such as skin <strong>photosensitizer, anti-blister, anti-irritation, antiseptic,</strong> wound healing and <strong>copper supplementing</strong> properties, while the oral dose has been formulated to check the emergence of new spots.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Vitiligo or Leucoderma</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Vitiligo is a skin disease in which <strong>pale white patches</strong> start forming on the skin, due to lack of <strong>melanin</strong> (a pigment in the skin).</li>
<li>It is <strong>neither contagious</strong> (i.e does not spread from getting in direct contact with the affected person) nor <strong>life-threatening.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Genetic conditions</strong> or <strong>stress-induced</strong> situations are more prone to the occurrence of disease.</li>
<li><strong>Leucoderma patients</strong> are also vulnerable to inflammation in the <strong>iris</strong>, loss of <strong>hearing</strong> and <strong>sunburn.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Symptoms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Vitiligo commonly occurs in people in their twenties; however, it can occur in any stage.</li>
<li>People with autoimmune diseases, such as <strong>hyperthyroidism</strong> are more prone to it than those who don&rsquo;t have any autoimmune diseases.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Facts</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The worldwide incidence of leucoderma has been reported at 1-2%.</li>
<li>In India, its incidence is around 4-5%.</li>
<li>In some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, its incidence is as high as 5-8%.</li>
<li>Leucoderma (skin disorder) is considered a <strong>social stigma in India</strong> where people confuse it with leprosy (a contagious disease caused by bacteria).</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-s-herbal-drug-for-leucoderma'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Water Vulnerable Megacities in India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Four Indian cities, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi have been ranked among the top 20 megacities in the world facing high levels of water scarcity.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A study by World Wildlife Fund (WWF)</strong> evaluated 400 cities globally in 2018 with focus on megacities facing high combined levels of water scarcity &mdash; recent and projected drought.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/600Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/600Image2.jpg" width="548" height="618" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Megacities</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Megacities are quantitatively defined as cities having a population of more than five, eight or ten million people.</li>
<li>Because of their defining features, <strong>concentration of population, goods and services, megacities are particularly vulnerable to water-related risks,</strong> which are further amplified by climate change: <strong>large-scale flooding, pollution of water sources, water shortages etc.</strong></li>
<li>Faced with such difficulties, these cities also host a multitude of resources, including technical, scientific and human resources, to meet the challenges ahead.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Chennai has emerged in top position</strong> as the city facing the most severe water scarcity and drought in the world.</li>
<li>Kolkata has been ranked at number 2, Mumbai at 11 and Delhi at 15.</li>
<li>Large cities, mostly located along the banks of large rivers, are vulnerable to water scarcity because of the vastly over-allocated and mismanaged river-systems.</li>
<li><strong>Frequent droughts and flooding due to climate change and depleting levels of water in the reservoirs</strong> are some of the reasons behind the water crisis in these megacities.</li>
<li><strong>Loss of wetlands</strong> is a key reason. Reports have noted that the world has lost 35% of its wetlands since 1970 and is losing them three times faster than forests. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As the wetlands shrink, the city loses its natural waste water tank, and in the absence of enough sewage treatment plants, the wastewater goes straight into the river.</li>
<li>East Kolkata Wetland, a Ramsar site is an example of the case.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The WWF was founded in September, 1961, at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)'s headquarters in Morges, Switzerland.</li>
<li>As an international fundraising organization it is working in collaboration with existing conservation groups and bring substantial financial support to the conservation movement on a worldwide scale.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/water-vulnerable-megacities-in-india'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'New Biomarker for Malaria Detection',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/162image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/162image1.jpg" width="260" height="146" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a>A researcher&rsquo;s team from the <strong>Indian Council of Medical Research&rsquo;s Jabalpur-based National Institute of Research in Tribal Health has identified Glutamate dehydrogenase</strong> as a new biomarker in the body of the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-malaria-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>malaria parasite</strong> </a>for malaria detection.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li style="text-align: left;">It will help to develop a <strong>more sensitive and accurate</strong> diagnostic test for malaria detection.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Biomarker</strong><br /><strong></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Biomarkers are key molecular or cellular events that <strong>link a specific environmental exposure to a health outcome.</strong></li>
<li>Biomarkers play an important role in understanding the relationships between exposure to environmental chemicals, the development of chronic human diseases, and the identification of subgroups that are at increased risk for disease.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Existing Method of Diagnosis</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently, tests used for diagnosing malaria are based on a gene, <strong>Histidine-rich Protein 2 (HRP2)</strong>, replete with amino acid Histidine. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The studies have shown that this gene is often absent in some strains of the malaria parasite. Consequently, significant levels of malaria infection were going undetected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Scientists across the world have been searching for new biomarkers that would be more effective. The study provides scientific evidence for the conserved nature of <strong>Glutamate dehydrogenase</strong> sequences in Indian isolates which can be used as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of malaria.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a permanent institute of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health of Family Welfare.</li>
<li>The NIRTH was established on 1<sup>st</sup> March 1984 in Jabalpur by ICMR with the mandate <strong>to improve health and create awareness among tribals</strong> through applied and operational research. This institute is recognized by the World Health Organization as its collaborative Centre for the health of the indigenous population.</li>
<li>The institute has conducted several important research projects on Malaria, Filaria, Tuberculosis, Diarrhea, Virology, Fluorosis and Social Sciences.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-biomarker-for-malaria-detection'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'In Depth – Speaker: Roles and Responsibility',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZ5l31_N1hQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) MP <strong>Om Birla</strong> was unanimously elected as the <strong>Speaker of the 17<sup>th</sup> Lok Sabha</strong> on 19<sup>th</sup> June 2019.</p>
<p>Since the Indian System of Government follows the <strong>Westminster Model, the Parliamentary proceedings of the country are headed by a presiding officer, who is called the Speaker.</strong></p>
<p>India&rsquo;s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru had said that in a parliamentary democracy, <strong>the Speaker represents the dignity and the freedom of the House</strong> and because the House represents the country, the speaker in a way becomes the <strong>symbol of the country&rsquo;s freedom and liberty.</strong></p>
<h3>Speaker of the Lok Sabha</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Lok Sabha, which is the highest legislative body in the country, chooses its Speaker who presides over the day to day functioning of the House.</li>
<li>Electing the Speaker of the House is one of the first acts of newly constituted House.</li>
<li>The office of the Speaker is a <strong>Constitutional Office.</strong> The Speaker is guided by the constitutional provisions and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.</li>
<li>The Speaker is placed very high in the <strong>Warrant of Precedence</strong> in the country i.e. at <strong>rank 6.</strong></li>
<li>Adequate Powers are vested in the office of the Speaker to help her/him in the smooth conduct of parliamentary proceedings.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The constitution provides that the <strong>Speaker&rsquo;s salary and allowances</strong> are not to be voted by the Parliament and are to be <strong>charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.</strong></li>
<li>In the Lok Sabha chamber, the Speaker&rsquo;s chair is distinctively placed to enable a commanding view of the entire House.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Speaker is assisted by the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and senior officers of the Secretariat on parliamentary activities, practice and procedure.</li>
<li><strong>In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker discharges the functions.</strong> A member from the Panel of Chairmen presides over the House in the absence of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Election of the Speaker</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>No specific qualifications</strong> are prescribed for being elected as the speaker. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The constitution states that the Speaker must be a member of the House</strong> but an understanding of the constitution and conventions of the Parliament is considered a major asset.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The House elects its presiding officer <strong>by a simple majority of members present, who vote in the House.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Usually, a member belonging to the ruling party is elected Speaker.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The process has evolved over the years where the ruling party nominates its candidate after informal consultations with leaders of other parties and groups in the House.</li>
<li>Once the decision on the candidate is taken, the name is <strong>normally proposed by the Prime Minister or the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>This convention ensures that once elected, the Speaker enjoys the respect of all sections of the House.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are also instances when members not belonging to the ruling party were elected to the office of the Speaker.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GMC Balayogi and Manohar Joshi belonging to the TDP and the Shiv Sena respectively served as the Speaker in the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha during the NDA coalition headed by the BJP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>After the speaker is elected, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition (if there in the House, otherwise, the leader of the largest party in the House in the opposition) escort the Speaker to the Chair.</li>
<li><strong>When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker remains in his office till the first meeting of the new assembly</strong> when the new speaker is elected.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Removal of the Speaker</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Speaker&rsquo;s term</strong> is coterminous with the term of the Lok Sabha i.e. <strong>5 years.</strong></li>
<li>However, the constitution has given the Lower House authority to remove the Speaker if needed. <strong>The House can remove the Speaker through a resolution passed by an effective majority</strong> (more than 50% of the total strength of the house present and voting) as per Articles 94 and 96 of the Indian Constitution.</li>
<li>The Speaker can also be removed <strong>on getting disqualified from being a Lok Sabha member under sections 7 and 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951</strong>.</li>
<li>A speaker can also tender his resignation to a Deputy Speaker.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy is the only Speaker who resigned from the office.</li>
<li>Dr. Reddy also has the distinction of being the only Speaker who was later elected as the President of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Powers of the Lok Sabha Speaker</h3>
<p>According to the Constitution of India, a Speaker is vested with immense administrative and discretionary powers, some of which are enumerated below:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Speaker presides over the meetings in the Lower House. In other words, the Speaker <strong>conducts business in Lok Sabha</strong> by ensuring discipline and decorum among members.</li>
<li>S/he <strong>guards the rights and privileges of the members</strong> of Lok Sabha, deciding who should speak at what time, the questions to be asked, the order of proceedings to be followed, among others.</li>
<li><strong>A Speaker uses his/her power to vote, in order to resolve a deadlock.</strong> That is, when the House initiates a voting procedure, the speaker does not cast a vote in the first instance. It is only when the two sides receive equal number of votes that the Speaker's vote breaks the deadlock, making his/her position impartial.</li>
<li>In the absence of a quorum in the House, it is the duty of the Speaker to adjourn the House or to suspend any meeting, until a quorum is met.</li>
<li>The Speaker <strong>decides the agenda</strong> that must be discussed in a meeting of the Members of the Parliament.</li>
<li>The Speaker is invested with the immense powers of interpreting the Rules of Procedure. Since s/he is a member of the House as well as the Presiding Officer, s/he ensures the discipline of the House. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Speaker ensures that MPs are punished for unruly behaviour.</li>
<li>A Speaker can also <strong>disqualify a Member of Parliament from the House on grounds of defection (under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution).</strong></li>
<li>A member who flouts the Speaker&rsquo;s orders or directions may be named by the Speaker and in such cases, the member may have to withdraw from the House.</li>
<li>S/he also issues warrants to execute the orders of the House, wherever necessary and delivers reprimands on behalf of the House.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Speaker also permits various parliamentary procedures like the motion of adjournment, the motion of no confidence, the motion of censure, among others.</li>
<li>The Speaker <strong>presides over <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/president-addresses-joint-sitting-of-parliament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the joint sitting</a> of the two Houses of Parliament.</strong></li>
<li>Once a <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/misuse-of-money-bills-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Money Bill</a></strong> is transmitted from the Lower House to the Upper House, the Speaker is solely responsible for endorsing his or her certificate on the Bill. In other words, s/he is <strong>given the pivotal power to decide whether any Bill is a Money Bill.</strong> His/her decision is considered final.</li>
<li><strong>Except for the no-confidence motion, all other motions which come before the House come only after the Speaker permits them.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker also decides on <strong>granting recognition to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker <strong>has under his or her jurisdiction, a number of Parliamentary Committees</strong> such as the Rules Committee, the Business Advisory Committee and the General Purposes Committee. The Speaker nominates the various Chairmen to these Committees while monitoring the committees&rsquo; workings as well.</li>
<li>S/he is the <strong>ultimate arbiter and interpreter</strong> of those provisions which relate to the functioning of the House. His/her decisions are final and binding and ordinarily cannot be questioned, challenged or criticized.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Speaker&rsquo;s Administrative Role</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Speaker is also the <strong>head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker's authority over the Secretariat staff of the House and its security arrangements is supreme.</li>
<li><strong>No alteration or addition can be made in the Parliament House</strong> and no new structure can be erected in the Parliament Estate without the Speaker&rsquo;s permission.</li>
<li>It is through the Speaker that the decisions of the House are communicated to individuals and authorities outside the Parliament.</li>
<li>Speaker decides the form and manner in which the proceedings of the House are published.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Other Roles and Responsibilities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Speaker&rsquo;s approval is sought for the date on which the House will start before it is convened by the President.</li>
<li>The Speaker decides the form in which amendments may be moved to the Motion of Thanks to the President&rsquo;s address.</li>
<li><strong>With regard to moving amendments to a Bill, the permission of the Speaker is required.</strong></li>
<li>It depends solely on the Speaker to refer any question of privilege to the Committee of Privileges for examination, investigation and report.</li>
<li>When a decision of the House is to be ascertained on a motion made by a member, <strong>the question is put by the Speaker before the House to obtain the decision.</strong></li>
<li>The Speaker makes obituary references in the House, formal references to important national and international events and the valedictory address at the conclusion of every Session of the Lok Sabha and also when the term of the House expires.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Speaker and Inter-Parliamentary Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>S/he is the <strong>ex-officio President of the Indian Parliamentary Group.</strong> It was set up in 1949 and functions as the National Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the main branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Inter-Parliamentary Union is an organization made up of national parliaments from around the world.</li>
<li>The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has been the voice of parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth for more than nine decades.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In that capacity, members of various Indian Parliamentary Delegations going abroad are nominated by him/her after consulting the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Most often, the Speaker leads such delegations.</li>
<li>Besides, the Speaker is the <strong>Chairman of the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input</strong></p>
<p><strong>Westminster Model:</strong> The <strong>Westminster system</strong> is a democratic parliamentary system of government that originated in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The important features of the Westminster system include:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A head of state, who is the nominal</strong> or theoretical source of executive power, holds numerous reserve powers, but in practice is a ceremonial figurehead. Such examples include the British Sovereign or the President of India.</li>
<li><strong>A de facto executive branch</strong> usually made up of members of the legislature with the senior members of the executive in a Cabinet; such members have executive authority on behalf of the nominal or theoretical executive authority.</li>
<li>The presence of opposition parties;<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>An elected legislature,</strong> or a system in which one of two houses is elected and the other appointed;</li>
<li><strong>The ability of the lower house of parliament to, by default, dismiss a government</strong> by "withholding (or blocking) Supply" (rejecting a budget), passing a no-confidence motion, or defeating a confidence motion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Warrant of Precedence</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Order of Precedence is the <strong>hierarchy of the important positions.</strong></li>
<li>It is the protocol list in which the functionaries, dignitaries and the officials of India are listed as per their ranks and offices they hold in the Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-speaker-roles-and-responsibility'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Redesigning India’s Fiscal Federalism',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p><strong>This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/reimagining-the-niti-aayog/article28118992.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>&ldquo;Reimagining the NITI Aayog&rdquo;</em></a> which appeared in The Hindu on 24th June 2019. The article talks about the need and ways of redesigning India&rsquo;s fiscal federalism.</strong></p>
</div>
<p>In India, the Finance Commission and the Planning Commission promote <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/another-look-at-fiscal-transfers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fiscal federalism</strong></a> by carrying out systemic fiscal transfers in the nature of devolution or conditional ones but with the replacement of Planning Commission by NITI Aayog there is an urgent need for <strong>revisiting and redefining</strong> the <strong>fiscal architecture</strong> of India.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Fiscal Federalism</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/gs-special/gs-special-polity/important-sources-of-the-indian-constitution" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Government of India Act 1919 and 1935</strong></a> formalized the tenets of fiscal federalism and revenue sharing between the Centre and the states.</li>
<li><strong>The 14<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</strong> chaired by Dr. Y V Reddy, recommended <strong>42% devolution</strong> of revenue to the states.</li>
<li><strong>Goods and Services Tax</strong> was introduced in 2017 to streamline India&rsquo;s indirect tax structure as a measure to promote <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/cooperative-and-competitive-federalism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooperative federalism in India</a>,</strong> giving the states an enhanced role in formulating and implementing the overhauled taxation system.</li>
<li><strong>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NITI Aayog</a></strong> established in 2015 was expected to address new realities of macroeconomic management that were missed by the Planning Commission.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need for Redefining India&rsquo;s Fiscal Federalism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Horizontal imbalances and rising regional inequalities:</strong> Replacing the Planning Commission (which was mandated to give grants to the states as conditional transfers using the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula) with <strong>NITI Aayog</strong> (Government think tank with no resources to dispense) has reduced the policy outreach of government by relying only on single instrument of fiscal federalism i.e Finance commission. This approach if not reviewed can lead to a serious problem of increasing <strong>regional and sub-regional inequities.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Horizontal Imbalances</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The horizontal imbalances arise because of differing levels of attainment by the states due to <strong>differential growth</strong> rates and their <strong>developmental status</strong> in terms of the state of social or infrastructure capital.</li>
<li>Horizontal imbalances involve two types of imbalances:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Type I</strong> is to do with the adequate provision of basic public goods and services.</li>
<li><strong>Type II</strong> is due to growth accelerating infrastructure or the transformational capital deficits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Vertical imbalance</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vertical imbalance</strong> arises due to the <strong>fiscal asymmetry</strong> in powers of taxation vested with the different levels of government in relation to their expenditure responsibilities prescribed by the constitution.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vertical imbalance:</strong> In India&rsquo;s fiscal federalism (three levels of Governments: Central Government, State Governments and the elected Local Bodies) central government has a far <strong>greater domain of taxation</strong> (e.g., income taxes personal or corporate, taxing consumption of goods and services (CGST), taxing foreign transactions, etc).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Central Government collects around 60%</strong> of the total taxes, while its expenditure responsibility (for carrying out its constitutionally mandated responsibility such as defense, etc.) is only 40% of the total public expenditure.</li>
<li>Such vertical imbalances are even sharper in <strong>the case of the third tier</strong> consisting of elected <strong>local bodies and panchayats.</strong></li>
<li>Vertical imbalances can adversely affect India&rsquo;s <strong>urbanization, the</strong> <strong>quality of local public goods</strong> and thus further aggravating the negative externalities for the <strong>environment and climate change.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Restructuring the Fiscal Federalism</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s Fiscal Federalism needs to be restructured around the four pillars namely Finance Commission, NITI Aayog, GST and decentralization in order to eliminate the inadequacies of vertical and horizontal imbalances.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Finance Commission</strong> must be relieved from the dual task of dealing with provision of basic public goods and services and capital deficits. It should be confined to focussing on removal of basic <strong>public goods imbalance (Type I).</strong></li>
<li><strong>NITI Aayog</strong> can serve as the second pillar for dealing in the realm of <strong>infrastructure and capital deficits (Type II).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It should be engaged with the allocation of capital in a way different than that used by the Finance Commission with different parameters for allocation.</li>
<li><strong>Regional Imbalances:</strong> NITI Aayog should receive significant resources (1% to 2% of the GDP) to remove regional and subregional disparities among states by reducing <strong>development imbalances</strong> in the areas of infrastructure deficit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Independent Evaluation Office:</strong> NITI Aayog should be mandated to create an independent evaluation office which will <strong>monitor and evaluate</strong> the efficacy of the utilization of revenue and capital grants.</li>
<li><strong>Decision-Making Body:</strong> It should also be an integral part of the decision making processes as it can effectively negotiate between the states for the transfer of resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decentralization</strong> can serve as the <strong>third pillar</strong> of the new fiscal federalism by strengthening local finances and state finance commission.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Local public finance:</strong> the creation of an urban local body/<strong>Panchayati Raj institutions consolidated fund.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Centre and States should contribute an equal proportion of their <strong>Central GST (CGST)</strong> and<strong> State GST (SGST)</strong> collections and send the money to the consolidated fund of the third tier.</li>
<li><strong>One-sixth</strong> sharing of the CGST and SGST with the third tier can generate more than <strong>1%</strong> of the GDP every year for the financing of public goods by urban-level bodies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>State Finance Commissions</strong> should be accorded the same status as the Union Finance Commission and the 3Fs of democratic decentralization <strong>(funds, functions, and functionaries)</strong> should be implemented properly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Goods and Services Tax</strong> should be simplified in its structure and can serve as the <strong>fourth pillar</strong> of our fiscal federalism, by ensuring:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Single Rate GST:</strong> with suitable surcharges on &ldquo;sin goods,&rdquo; (goods that are harmful to society and individuals, for example, alcohol and tobacco, drugs, etc), zero ratings of exports and reforming the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) and the e-way bill.</li>
<li><strong>Transparency:</strong> The GST Council should undertake reforms in an<strong> informed and transparent manner</strong>, by creating its own secretariat and independent experts (as its staff).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Goods and Services Tax</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GST is a comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based tax that is levied on every value addition.</li>
<li>GST is one <strong>indirect tax</strong> for the entire country.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>GST council</strong> </a>is the key decision-making body that will take all important decisions regarding the GST.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Creating the new fiscal federal architecture based on the effective decentralization, transparent GST regime, independent Finance commission and effective NITI Aayog can strengthen India&rsquo;s unique <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/cooperative-and-competitive-federalism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooperative federalism</a>. </strong></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 593.333px; background-color: #c0fcc1;">
<p><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></p>
<p>Discuss the need and ways for redefining the fiscal architecture of India to strengthen the fiscal federalism.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/redesigning-india-s-fiscal-federalism'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Methane in the Martian Air',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong>NASA&rsquo;s Curiosity Rover</strong> has discovered high amounts of methane in the Martian air, a gas that on Earth is usually produced by living things.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Curiosity rover has found 21 parts per billion of methane, or three times the 2013 finding.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The gas seems to rise and fall with the red planet&rsquo;s seasons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>However, the Trace Gas Orbiter</strong>, a newer European spacecraft launched in 2016 with more sensitive instruments, <strong>did not detect any methane at all</strong> in its first batch of scientific observations last year.</li>
<li>Rovers scheduled for launch next year &mdash; one by NASA, one by a Russian-European collaboration &mdash; will carry instruments designed to search for the building blocks of life.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NASA Curiosity Mission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Curiosity is the largest and most capable rover ever sent to Mars. It landed on Mars in August, 2012.</li>
<li>The purpose of the mission is to find chemical and mineral evidence of past habitable environments on Mars.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The orbiter is the first in a series of joint missions between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.</li>
<li>It was designed to search for trace gases in the Martian atmosphere such as methane, water vapor, nitrogen oxides and acetylene. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These gases could provide evidence for possible biological or geological activity on Mars.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It also will monitor seasonal changes in the Martian atmosphere and will look for water-ice beneath the surface.</li>
<li>Exomars Trace Gas Orbiter began operations after entering Mars orbit in October, 2016.</li>
<li>A second mission, <strong>ExoMars 2020</strong>, is planned for launch in 2020 and will include a rover capable of drilling about 6 feet (two meters) below the surface to search for clues for past life on Mars.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/methane-in-the-martian-air'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Petition for Protection of Non-Nagas in Dimapur',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>A petition filed before the Supreme Court has sought a direction to the Centre and the Nagaland government to take appropriate steps for the protection of life and liberty, properties and other fundamental rights of non-Nagas living in Dimapur following the imposition of the Inner Line Permit (ILP).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The plea has challenged certain sections of the <strong>Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873</strong> which gives unbridled power to a State to prescribe ILP.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The act empowers a State government to prescribe &lsquo;Inner Line&rsquo;</strong> to prohibit citizens of India or any class of such citizens going beyond the prescribed line without a pass.</li>
<li>The colonial-era regulation was passed by the then British government to prohibit Indian citizens to move in selects districts to create monopoly in business.</li>
<li>However, it continues to be used in India, officially to protect tribal cultures in north-eastern India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inner Line Permit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ILP is an official travel document issued by the Government of India <strong>to grant inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area</strong> for a limited period. Visitors are not allowed to purchase property in these regions.</li>
<li>Restrictions are imposed on the entry of outsiders <strong>to maintain the original identity of indigenous people of Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.</strong> The entry of outsiders are not allowed without ILP.</li>
<li>The document is issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 and the conditions and restrictions vary from state to state.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the State Cabinet had taken a decision to extend the operation of the 1873 Regulation in Dimapur.</li>
<li>Therefore, many non-Nagas who have landed properties with commercial shops, godowns, etc. and who are staying in as tenants, and many locals who earn their income by means of collecting rent from tenants would be adversely affected</li>
<li>Many non-nagas have been regarded as outsiders by the government of Nagaland, which is racial discrimination.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/petition-for-protection-of-non-nagas-in-dimapur'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Flood Hazard Atlas',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Odisha has released a unique flood hazard atlas on the basis of <strong>historic flood inundation</strong> captured through <strong>satellite imagery</strong> over the period from 2001 to 2018.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Flooding in Odisha:</strong> Vast areas of the state are inundated when there is flooding every year in major rivers like the <strong>Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Rushikulya.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some of the rivers like the <strong>Vamsadhara and Budhabalanga</strong>, also cause <strong>flash floods</strong> due to instant run-off from their hilly catchments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Flood Hazard Atlas<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/399image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/399image1.jpg" width="412" height="342" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the mapping and zonation of an area prone to frequent flooding, the mapping is done on the basis of the data of the past few years. <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</strong></a>, Hyderabad does <strong>flood hazard zonation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits of Flood Hazard Atlas</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Better preparedness:</strong> A more <strong>concise focus</strong> on the effects and impacts of the flooded area is possible during the early <strong>planning stages.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Risk reduction or mitigation techniques</strong> can be recommended for the same portion of the study area.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Location, severity, or frequency</strong> of hazard can be done more easily.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Proper assessment of area:</strong> A study area or a sub-area can be expanded, reduced, or deleted. Study areas can be divided into sub-areas requiring more information, additional assessments, or specific reduction techniques.</li>
<li><strong>Risk evaluation:</strong> A more realistic evaluation of risks to new development is possible. Appropriate hazard reduction techniques can be more easily developed to deal with an emergency situation.</li>
<li><strong>Rehabilitation planning:</strong> It could be initiated in advance with proper coordination among different central and state agencies.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/flood-hazard-atlas'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Imphal Peace Museum',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Britain and Japan, once adversaries during the 2nd world war have come together and inaugurated the <strong>Imphal Peace Museum</strong> to commemorate the <strong>75th anniversary</strong> of the <strong>Battle of Imphal</strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The inauguration was attended by Manipur Revenue minister, Japanese Ambassador to India, High Commissioner of UK and Chairman of <strong>The Nippon Foundation&nbsp;</strong>(TNF).</li>
<li>The museum is constructed by the support of <strong>The Nippon Foundation&nbsp;</strong>(TNF), a <strong>non-profit grant-making organization</strong> in collaboration with <strong>Manipur Tourism Forum</strong> and <strong>Manipur Government</strong>.</li>
<li>The Imphal Peace Museum (IPM) is located 20 km Southwest of Imphal, at the foothills of <strong>Red Hill</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Battle of Imphal<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/155image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/155image2.jpg" width="301" height="241" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Battle of Imphal saw some of the fiercest fighting of World War II at <strong>Maibam Lokpa Ching</strong> popularly known as <strong>Red Hill.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Red Hill was among the places where the tide began to turn against the Japanese.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 1944, Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Together with the simultaneous Battle of Kohima on the road by which the encircled Allied forces at Imphal were relieved, the battle was the turning point of the Burma Campaign, of the Second World War.</li>
<li>The <strong>Japanese defeat at Kohima and Imphal</strong> was the largest up until that time, with many of the Japanese deaths resulting from starvation, disease and exhaustion suffered during their retreat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Imphal, the capital of Manipur, it is some 70 miles to the west of the Burmese border. To the <strong>north of Imphal are the Naga Hills</strong> and <strong>to the south the Chin Hills.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/imphal-peace-museum'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Arogyapacha: ‘Miracle Plant’',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Scientists from the University of Kerala have decoded the genetic make-up of <strong>Arogyapacha (Trichopus zeylanicus),</strong> a highly potent medicinal plant endemic to the <strong>Agasthya hills.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This &lsquo;miracle plant&rsquo; is known for its traditional use by the <strong>Kani tribal community</strong> to combat fatigue.</li>
<li>Studies have also proved its varied spectrum of pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic.</li>
<li>The project is bound to open up a new window to the plant&rsquo;s molecular secrets, the genome and annotation data will be a valuable resource to expedite research on Arogyapacha, particularly its secondary metabolism, genetic breeding, and comparative studies.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Kani Tribe</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Traditionally Kani tribes are a nomadic people. They are indigenous to tropical forests of the Agasthyamalai hills of the Western Ghats, a mountain range in Kerala. They have a population of almost 25,000.</li>
<li>Kani has a rich tradition of using wild plants found in the region for health reasons. The tribal physicians, <strong>known as Plathi</strong> &ndash; are the exclusive holders of the traditional medicinal knowledge of the tribe. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to Kani tribal customs, only the <strong>Plathi</strong> have the right to transfer and disseminate their traditional medicinal knowledge.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agasthya hills</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Agasthya</strong> hill is a 1,868-metre (6,129 ft) tall peak within Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Western Ghats of Kerala. The peak lies on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This peak is a part of the <strong>Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve</strong> which lies on the border between the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.</li>
<li>The peak is named after Hindu sage <strong>Agastya</strong>, who is considered to be one of the seven rishis(Saptarishi) of Hindu Puranas. It is a pilgrimage centre for devotees.</li>
<li>The <strong>Thamirabarani River</strong> is a perennial river which originates from the eastern side of the range and flows into the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.</li>
<li>In Tamil traditions, <strong>Agastya</strong> is considered as the father of the Tamil language and the compiler of the <strong>first Tamil grammar called Agattiyam.</strong> The Malayalam language is considered to be born from Agasthya.</li>
<li>Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is among 20 new sites added by UNESCO to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves in March 2016.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/arogyapacha-miracle-plant'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Monsoon',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<p>Generally, across the world, the monsoons are experienced in the tropical area roughly between 20&deg; N and 20&deg; S.</p>
<p>The climate of India is described as the <strong>&lsquo;monsoon&rsquo;</strong> type. In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly in the south and the southeast.</p>
<p>Out of a total of 4 seasonal divisions of India, monsoon occupy 2 divisions, namely.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The southwest monsoon season -</strong> Rainfall received from the southwest monsoons is seasonal in character, which occurs between June and September.</li>
<li><strong>The retreating monsoon season -</strong> The months of October and November are known for retreating monsoons.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Factors Influencing South-West Monsoon Formation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The differential heating and cooling of land and water</strong> creates a low pressure on the landmass of India while the seas around experience comparatively high pressure.</li>
<li><strong>The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)</strong> in summer, over the Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5&deg;N of the equator. It is also known as the monsoon-trough during the monsoon season).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inter Tropical Convergence Zone </strong></p>
<p>The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ,) is a broad trough of low pressure in equatorial latitudes. This is where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. This convergence zone lies more or less parallel to the equator but moves north or south with the apparent movement of the sun.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The presence of the high-pressure area,</strong> east of Madagascar, approximately at 20&deg;S over the Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure area affect the Indian Monsoon.</li>
<li><strong>The Tibetan plateau</strong> gets intensely heated during summer, which results in strong vertical air currents and the formation of low pressure over the plateau at about 9 km above sea level.</li>
<li><strong>The movement of the westerly jet stream</strong> to the north of the Himalayas and the presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during summer.</li>
<li><strong>Tropical Easterly Jet (African Easterly Jet).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Southern Oscillation (SO):</strong> Normally when the tropical eastern south Pacific Ocean experiences high pressure, the tropical eastern Indian Ocean experiences low pressure. But in certain years, there is a reversal in the pressure conditions and the eastern Pacific has lower pressure in comparison to the eastern Indian Ocean. This periodic change in pressure conditions is known as the SO.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>El Nino</strong></p>
<p>This is a name given to the periodic development of a warm ocean current along the coast of Peru as a temporary replacement of the cold Peruvian current. &lsquo;El Nino&rsquo; is a Spanish word meaning &lsquo;the child&rsquo;, and refers to the baby Christ, as this current starts flowing during Christmas. The presence of the El Nino leads to an increase in sea-surface temperatures and weakening of the trade winds in the region.</p>
</div>
<h3>Mechanism</h3>
<p><strong>Onset of the South-West Monsoon</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The location of <strong>ITCZ shifts north and south of the equator</strong> with the apparent movement of the Sun.</li>
<li>During the month of June, the <strong>sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer</strong> and the <strong>ITCZ shifts northwards</strong>.</li>
<li>The southeast trade winds of the southern hemisphere cross the equator and start blowing in southwest to northeast direction under the influence of <strong>Coriolis force</strong>.</li>
<li>These winds collect moisture as they travel over the warm Indian Ocean.</li>
<li>In the month of July, the <strong>ITCZ shifts to 20&deg;-25&deg; N latitude and is located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain</strong> and the south-west monsoons blow from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The ITCZ in this position is often called the <strong>Monsoon Trough</strong>.</li>
<li>The shift in the position of the ITCZ is also related to the phenomenon of the withdrawal of the westerly jet stream from its position over the north Indian plain, south of the Himalayas.</li>
<li>The easterly Jet Stream (Somali Jet) sets in along 15&deg;N latitude only after the western jet stream has withdrawn itself from the region. This easterly jet stream is held responsible for the burst of the monsoon in India.</li>
<li>As these winds approach the land, their southwesterly direction is modified by the relief and thermal low pressure over northwest India. The monsoon approaches the Indian landmass in two branches: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Arabian Sea branch -</strong> The monsoon winds originating over the Arabian Sea.</li>
<li><strong>The Bay of Bengal branch -</strong> The Arakan Hills along the coast of Myanmar deflect a big portion of this branch towards the Indian subcontinent. The monsoon, therefore, enters West Bengal and Bangladesh from south and southeast instead of from the south-westerly direction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Another phenomenon associated with the monsoon is its tendency to have <strong>&lsquo;breaks&rsquo;</strong> in rainfall. The monsoon rains take place only for a few days at a time. They are interspersed with rainless intervals. <strong>These breaks in monsoon are related to the movement of the monsoon trough.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions within the country.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393254_image5.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393254_image5.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Retreating Monsoon Season</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The retreating southwest monsoon season is <strong>marked by clear skies and rise in temperature</strong>.</li>
<li>The land is still moist. Owing to the conditions of high temperature and humidity, the weather becomes rather oppressive. This is commonly known as the <strong>&lsquo;October heat&rsquo;</strong>.</li>
<li>In the second half of October, the mercury begins to fall rapidly, particularly in northern India.</li>
<li>The weather in the retreating monsoon is <strong>dry in north India</strong> but it is associated with <strong>rain in the eastern part of the Peninsula</strong>. Here, October and November are the rainiest months of the year.</li>
<li><strong>The widespread rain in this season is associated with the passage of cyclonic depressions which originate over the Andaman Sea and manage to cross the eastern coast of the southern Peninsula. These tropical cyclones are very destructive.</strong></li>
<li>A bulk of the rainfall of the Coromandel Coast is derived from these depressions and cyclones.</li>
<li>Unlike the rest of the country, which receives rain in the southwest monsoon season between June and September, the <strong>northeast monsoon is crucial for farming</strong> and <strong>water security in the south</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393291_image18.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393291_image18.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Impact of Monsoons on Life in India</h3>
<p><strong>Positive</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-monsoon-respite-for-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">About 64% of people in India depend on agriculture for their livelihood</a> and agriculture itself is based on monsoon.</li>
<li>Agricultural prosperity of India depends very much on timely and adequately distributed rainfall. If it fails, agriculture is adversely affected particularly in those regions where means of irrigation are not developed.</li>
<li>Regional variations in monsoon climate help in growing various types of crops.</li>
<li>Regional monsoon variation in India is reflected in the vast variety of food, clothes and house types.</li>
<li>Monsoon rain <strong>helps recharge dams and reservoirs,</strong> which is further used for the <strong>generation of hydro-electric power</strong>.</li>
<li>Winter rainfall by temperate cyclones in north India is highly beneficial for Rabi crops.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Negative</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Variability of rainfall brings <strong>droughts or floods</strong> every year in some parts of the country.</li>
<li>Sudden monsoon burst creates a problem of <strong>soil erosion</strong> over large areas in India.</li>
<li>In hilly areas sudden rainfall brings <strong>landslide</strong> which <strong>damages natural and physical infrastructure</strong> subsequently <strong>disrupting human life economically</strong> as well as <strong>socially</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Monsoon Prediction In India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>More than a century ago, when there were no computers, IMD&rsquo;s forecasts depended only on snow cover. Lesser cover meant a better monsoon.</li>
<li>British physicist Gilbert Walker, who headed the IMD, designed a <strong>statistical weather model</strong> &ndash; an empirical way of predicting the weather &ndash; based on the relationship between two weather phenomena.</li>
<li>In 2014, the IMD started to use <strong>numerical models</strong> to supplement statistical models for long-range forecasting as well.</li>
<li>Now, although the numerical models used by the IMD are state-of-the-art &ndash; developed by the <strong>US National Centres for Environmental Prediction</strong> &ndash; their forecast capacity is still weak because a longer period of forecast creates more uncertainty in prediction.</li>
<li>At the moment, the IMD provides district-wise weather data but it&rsquo;s not sufficient; because when IMD says there will be scattered rainfall over a particular district, it means that 26-50% that district (by area) will receive rainfall.</li>
<li>The <strong>IMD collects weather data like temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation</strong> through 679 automatic weather stations, 550 surface observatories, 43 radiosonde or weather balloons, 24 radars and three satellites.</li>
<li>Currently, highly advanced dynamical models need supercomputers. Prediction models will not run until proper data about current weather conditions is available.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Factors Responsible for Inaccurate Monsoon Forecast</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> lack of data</strong> due to insufficient monitoring stations.</li>
<li>Automatic weather stations are of substandard quality. They need to be calibrated and cleaned regularly, which does not happen often. That affects data.</li>
<li>Then, there are major data gaps, like those involving dust, aerosols, soil moisture and maritime conditions are not monitored.</li>
<li>The models that we have brought from the west have been developed by western scientists to forecast in their region, little progress has been made is the <strong>fine-tuning of weather models to suit Indian conditions</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of competent software professionals</strong> and scientists working with the IMD.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recent Indian Initiatives</h3>
<p>It is crucial for farmers (sowing, harvesting, etc.) and policymakers (payment of compensation, minimum support price, etc.) to know when and for how long the monsoon will remain active over India. For that, better predictions and timely advisories are needed.</p>
<p>To achieve this following initiatives have been taken:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Monsoon Mission of India</strong><br />This initiative of <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences, launched in 2012,</strong> has utilized new approaches (high resolution, super parameterizations, data assimilation etc.) so that forecast skill gets quantitatively improved further for forecasting services of India Meteorological Department (IMD).<br />For the first time, India Meteorological Department used the Monsoon Mission dynamical model to prepare operational seasonal forecast of 2017 monsoon rainfall over India.<br /><strong><br />Objectives</strong>
<ol>
<li>To improve Seasonal and Intra-seasonal Monsoon Forecast</li>
<li>To improve Medium Range Forecast.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>IMD in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) provides <strong>district-level agro-meteorological advisories</strong> to farmers through 130 agro-met field units in vernacular languages.<br />These advisories are used for critical farm operations such as:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Management of sowing (delayed onset of rains);</li>
<li>Changing crop variety (delay in rainfall);</li>
<li>Spraying Pesticides for disease control (occurrence of rainfall);</li>
<li>Managing Irrigation (Heavy rainfall Forecast).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India Meteorological Department (IMD) provides <strong>meteorological support to the Central Water Commission (CWC)</strong> for issuing flood warnings.</li>
<li><strong>Indo-US expedition<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393460_image46.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393460_image46.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />In 2018, The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indo-us-indian-ocean-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Ocean Research Vessel, 'Sagar Nidhi'</a>, set out from Chennai, as part of an Indo-US expedition seeking to find answers to the vagaries of the Bay of Bengal-fed southwest monsoon by collecting various data to improve prediction models.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/national-supercomputer-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Supercomputing Mission</a> will fill the necessary gaps in the computing superpower required to predict timely and accurate monsoon forecasts.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Global Warming and Monsoon</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A drastic change in the monsoon rainfall intensity, duration, frequency and spatial distribution can be attributed to the climate change. However, it is too soon to arrive at a conclusion.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If all this is in response to global warming then it can be permanent and might accelerate. If not then the monsoon system will revert to a more normal state.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>More data and reanalysis is needed to get a clear picture on the complete separation of the global warming impact from natural climate variability (such as El Ni&ntilde;o).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>population of India is increasing</strong> and to provide <strong>food security</strong> to the population, a large part of the monsoon water which is currently unutilized should be held at suitable locations for irrigation and power generation purposes.</li>
<li><strong>India needs to invest more resources</strong> in better prediction of Monsoon forecast in order to achieve reliability and sustainability.</li>
<li>With a warming climate, more moisture will be held in the atmosphere, leading to heavier rainfall, consequently, inter-annual variability of the monsoon will increase in future. The country needs to prepare for this change.</li>
<li>Thus, to secure and bring sustainability to the climate pattern of India we need to take effective and timely steps not just at the domestic front (National Action Plan on Climate Change) but also at international front (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), as we live in a shared world with a shared future.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/monsoon-2'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'The Start Up India Fund',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>According to data available with the SIDBI, <strong>the Startup India fund has allocated Rs 2,265 crore</strong> to Venture Capital <strong>(VC) funds</strong> at the end of <strong>March 2019</strong>, falling short of its capital allocation target by around Rs 1,000-1,200 crore.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also known as <strong>&lsquo;Funds of Funds for Startups&rsquo;</strong>, it had a <strong>disbursal target of Rs 3,300-3,500 crore</strong> to venture capital (VC) firms at the end of the financial year ending March 2019.</li>
<li>It was launched in the <strong>year 2016</strong> with the <strong>corpus</strong> of <strong>Rs.10,000 crore,</strong> to be built over 14<sup>th</sup> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/need-to-set-up-state-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</a></strong> cycles. SIDBI manages the fund.</li>
<li>The government launched this fund to help startups get funding in early stages. The fund <strong>does not directly invest in startups, instead, it allocates money to VC funds</strong>, which are <strong>required to invest at least twice</strong> the amount of contributions received from the government.</li>
<li><strong>A venture capital (VC) fund</strong> is a sum of money that investors commit for investment in early-stage companies.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Startup India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to catalyse startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India.</li>
<li>Since the launch of the initiative on <strong>16<sup>th</sup> January, 2016,</strong> Startup India has rolled out several programs with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, and transforming India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers.</li>
<li><strong>A startup</strong> is an enterprise that is initiated by its founders around an idea or a problem with a potential for significant business opportunity and impact.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>SIDBI</strong></p>
<p>Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), set up on <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> April 1990,</strong> under an Act of Indian Parliament, acts as the principal financial institution <strong>for promotion, financing and development</strong> of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/going-beyond-the-credit-requirements-of-msmes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise <strong>(MSME)</strong></a> sector as well as for coordination of functions of institutions engaged in similar activities.</p>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-start-up-india-fund'
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$month = 'December'

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

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