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NEXT Exam

The Union Health Ministry to prepare itself for the implementation of the common final year undergraduate medical examination (NEXT) which will come...

21 Aug 2019 News Analysis
National Conference of Tourism Ministers

The one-day National Conference of Tourism Ministers concluded on 20th August 2019 in New Delhi. The conference was organized by the Union...

21 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Arab ki Sarai Baoli

Arab ki Sarai Baoli is being revived by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) with the support of German...

21 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Baltic Nations

The Vice President of India is on a trip to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from 17th-21st August 2019, the first-ever high-level visit from India to...

21 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Baya Weaver

Baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is a bird found in South and Southeast Asia. The bird is known for its nest building skills, it makes a long...

21 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Defence Reforms: Chief of Defence Staff

Introduction: The article is based on “Can a CDS act as a catalyst for further defence reforms?” published in The Hindu on 20th August....

20 Aug 2019 News Editorials
TRAFFIC

The TRAFFIC, the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, is a leading non-governmental organisation working on wildlife trade in the context of both...

20 Aug 2019 International Institutions
Environment Clearance

The government is working to limit procedural delays to reduce the time for environment clearance to 60 days. Background To meet the ambitious...

20 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Panel on Direct Tax Code

Recently, the panel on re-writing the direct tax legislation has submitted its report and a draft of the new proposed version of the Income-tax law...

20 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Nicotine as Class A Poison

Karnataka has amended Poisons (Possessions and Sale) Rules 2015 by notifying nicotine as Class A poison. The move aims at strengthening the...

20 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Transforming Agriculture

“The article is based on “High powered committee for transformation of agriculture should reform restrictive tenancy laws” that...

19 Aug 2019 News Editorials
Jet Streams

What is a Jet Stream? The Jet Stream is a geostrophic wind blowing horizontally through the upper layers of the troposphere, generally from west...

19 Aug 2019 Paper 1
PM’s Visit to Bhutan

During the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Bhutan, both the countries reiterated their commitment to maintain close coordination on matters...

19 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Preservation of Sundarban

Discovery India and World Wide Fund (WWF) India have partnered with the Government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarban to help save...

19 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Odisha’s Lake Conservation

The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved implementation of an integrated management plan for : Chilika, country’s largest brackish water...

19 Aug 2019 News Analysis
First Monument in Memory of a Glacier

Iceland honours the passing of Okjokull, its first glacier lost to climate change. A bronze plaque was unveiled in a ceremony to mark Okjokull...

19 Aug 2019 News Analysis
UAE Awards Highest Civilian Honour to the Prime Minister

The United Arab Emirates(UAE) has awarded ZAYED Medal, the highest civilian award to the Prime Minister of India for consolidating the long-standing...

19 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Dragonfly Day

Recently, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India), in collaboration with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) conducted dragonfly census and...

17 Aug 2019 News Analysis
Jobs For Locals

The Article is based on “The case against job quotas for locals” that published in Livemint on 4th August. It talks about the growing...

17 Aug 2019 News Editorials
e-Courts

The High Court of Punjab and Haryana to launch its first virtual court (e-Court) at Faridabad. This e-Court would deal with traffic challan cases...

17 Aug 2019 News Analysis

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		(int) 0 => [
			'title' => 'NEXT Exam',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The Union Health Ministry to prepare itself for the implementation of the <strong>common final year undergraduate medical examination (NEXT)</strong> which will come into effect in three years.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-national-medical-commission-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Medical Commission Act</strong></a> has proposed a common exit examination &mdash; National Exit Test (NEXT), at the end of the MBBS course.</li>
<li>This test shall be held to <strong>grant a licence to practice</strong> and will also be the <strong>basis of admission to postgraduate courses.</strong></li>
<li>According to the government, the <strong>NEXT will be as effective as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)</strong> which will ensure that only deserving candidates get admission in a private medical institute.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the earlier provisions, any student who obtains 50% marks in class 12, could gain admission to MBBS courses.</li>
<li>Colleges negotiated with students and conducted their own admission tests in a totally non-transparent manner. As a result, many undeserving students got admission.</li>
<li>Now only NEET qualified students can get admission, which ensures that merit prevails in admissions.</li>
<li>NEXT will ensure that there is a certain standard of medical graduates who pass out from medical colleges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/plan-to-complete-groundwork-for-next-exam-in-six-months/article29184213.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/next-exam'
		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'National Conference of Tourism Ministers',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The one-day National Conference of Tourism Ministers concluded on 20<sup>th</sup> August 2019 in <strong>New Delhi.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/142image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/142image4.jpg" width="239" height="259" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The conference was organized by the Union Ministry of Tourism and was attended by the State Tourism Ministers of 19 States, Secretaries of Tourism and senior officials from the States and Union Territories (UTs) who deliberated on various issues related to the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/tourism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>development and promotion of tourism.</strong></a></li>
<li>The Tourism Minister launched the <strong>Hindi version of the new Incredible India portal</strong> at the conference.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He announced that the Arabic, Chinese and Spanish versions of the new Incredible India website will be launched next month.</li>
<li>The <strong>new Incredible India website was launched on 14<sup>th</sup> June, 2018.</strong> The interactive website showcases India as a holistic destination, revolving around major experiences such as spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga and wellness.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Tourism Minister also launched the <strong>Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification (IITFC) portal</strong> during the conference. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification (IITFC) Programme is a digital initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India for the citizens of India to become a part of the booming Tourism Industry.</li>
<li>It is an online programme where one can learn about tourism at their own time, space, path and pace.</li>
<li>The successful completion of this programme would enable the learner to become a <strong>Certified Tourist Facilitator of Ministry of Tourism,</strong> Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He urged all the States and UTs to open their important monuments till late night for visitors.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, in order to promote night tourism, <strong>the Culture Ministry has decided to open 10 historical monuments till 9 PM</strong> for common visitors across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Tourism Minister also handed over three new Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and five new Letters of Intent (LoIs) to the prospective <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/adopt-a-heritage-project-for-development-of-tourist-friendly-destinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monument Mitras</strong></a> at the conference.</li>
<li>The government has decided to introduce a <strong>flexible</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-july-7th-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-tourist visa</strong></a> <strong>regime</strong> for over 160 countries based on footfall, with <strong>higher visa fee for peak season</strong> between July and March, and a significantly <strong>lower fee for travel during the lean season</strong> between April and June.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government has introduced a new five-year e-visa category for which tourists will have to pay $80.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1582452" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Arab ki Sarai Baoli',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Arab ki Sarai Baoli is being revived by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monuments-of-national-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)</strong></a> and <strong>Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)</strong> with the support of German Embassy.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/752image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/752image1.jpg" width="282" height="163" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arab Ki Sarai Baoli was built in the 1560s by <strong>Hamida Banu Begum,</strong> who was wife (chief consort) of Mughal emperor <strong>Humayan,</strong> to accommodate 300 Arabs whom she had brought from Mecca.</li>
<li>It is situated within the premise of <strong>Humayun's Tomb Complex, Delhi.</strong></li>
<li>It is a unique <strong>&lsquo;L&rsquo; shaped baoli.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Baoli</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Baolis or step-wells refer to <strong>man-made water tanks.</strong></li>
<li>The main purpose of baoli is <strong>water conservation and groundwater recharge.</strong></li>
<li>The structures bear witness to the fact that even before the modern world became aware of the threats of depleting freshwater, people in those times realised the gravity of conservation.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Baoli in Delhi</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are around 14 baolis in Delhi namely <strong>Tughlaqabad Fort Baoli, Rajon Ki Baoli, Gandhak Ki Baoli, Qutub Sahib Ki Baoli, Anangtal Baoli, Wazirpur Monument Complex Baoli, Hazrat Nizamuddin Ki Baoli, Arab Ki Sarai Baoli, Purana Quila Baoli, Agrasen Ki Baoli, Feroz Shah Kotla Fort Baoli, Red Fort Baoli, Hindu Rao Hospital Baoli and Dwarka Baoli.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/bringing-baoli-back-to-life/article29186495.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: The Hindu</strong></a></p>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/arab-ki-sarai-baoli'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Baltic Nations',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The Vice President of India is on a trip to <strong>Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia</strong> from 17<sup>th</sup>-21<sup>st</sup> August 2019, the <strong>first-ever high-level visit</strong> from India <strong>to the three Baltic countries.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Vice President&rsquo;s visit to the three Baltic nations is to advance India's outreach to the important countries in the region.</li>
<li>The V.P. also expressed gratitude to Latvia and Lithuania for backing India for permanent membership in an expanded and reformed <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-un-security-council-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Security Council.</strong></a></li>
<li>The Vice President addressed the <strong>first-ever India-Latvia Business Forum</strong> and called for taking the bilateral trade and economic cooperation to new heights. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He also <strong>unveiled the bust of the Father of the Nation,</strong> Mahatma Gandhi at the National Library of Latvia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Vice President&rsquo;s visit to Estonia includes talks on the development of bilateral relations as well as possible cooperation in the UN and international organisations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Baltic Countries</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Baltic states,</strong> the northeastern region of Europe, includes the countries of <strong>Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania,</strong> on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/127image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/127image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="394" height="426" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Baltic states are bounded on the west and north by the <strong>Baltic Sea, which gives the region its name,</strong> on the east by Russia, on the southeast by Belarus, and on the southwest by Poland and an exclave of Russia</li>
<li><strong>In 1991,</strong> their then popularly elected governments <strong>declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)</strong> with overwhelming support.</li>
<li>The Baltic region is not rich in natural resources. Though Estonia is an important producer of oil shale, a large share of mineral and energy resources is imported.</li>
<li>Agriculture remains important to the Baltic economy, with potatoes, cereal grains, and fodder crops produced and dairy cattle and pigs raised.</li>
<li><strong>India and Baltic countries have historical connect and common linguistic roots.</strong> The cutting edge technology and innovation ecosystems of the Baltic countries complement India&rsquo;s huge market and appetite for these technologies.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1582474" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/baltic-nations'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Baya Weaver',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is a bird found in South and Southeast Asia.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The bird is known for its <strong>nest building skills,</strong> it makes a <strong>long hanging nest with a bulbous chamber and a narrow tubular entrance.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/732image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/732image2.jpg" width="148" height="173" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
<li>The construction of the nest is initiated by a <strong>male Baya Weaver</strong> but completes it only after getting a female mate.</li>
<li><strong>Grasslands are the natural habitat</strong> of the Baya weaver. <strong>Rapid urbanization and change in land use pattern have led to the loss of habitat of the bird.</strong></li>
<li>However, its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a> status is <strong>Least concern.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/at-home/article29187549.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/baya-weaver'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Defence Reforms: Chief of Defence Staff',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>Introduction: The article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/can-a-cds-act-as-a-catalyst-for-further-defence-reforms/article29159971.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Can a CDS act as a catalyst for further defence reforms?&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Hindu on 20th August. It talks about the role and challenges ahead for the newly-announced post of Chief of Defence Staff.</p>
</div>
<h3>Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In his Independence Day speech, PM announced that India will soon have a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chief-of-defence-staff" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).</strong></a></li>
<li>The CDS is meant to be a single-point military advisor to the government, and to coordinate long-term planning, procurement, training and logistics of the three services.</li>
<li>Its creation was recommended in 2001 by the <strong>Group of Ministers (GoM)</strong> that was tasked with studying the <strong>Kargil Review Committee (1999)</strong> coming up with concrete proposals from it, led by K. Subrahmanyam.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Why had India not appointed a CDS until now?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Apprehensions in the political class about a powerful military leader, along with inter-Services bickering, have long worked to disincentivise creation of CDS.</li>
<li>After the GoM recommendations, in preparation for the post of CDS, the government created the <strong>Integrated Defence Staff (IDS)</strong> in 2002, which was to eventually serve as the CDS&rsquo;s Secretariat. However, over the past 17 years, this has remained yet another nebulous department within the military establishment.</li>
<li>No consensus emerged among the Services, with the Indian Air Force especially opposed to such a move. The opposition, was against the idea of concentrating too much military power in the CDS&rsquo;s post. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) too, opposed it subtly for the same reasons, and because it could disrupt civil-military ties in the latter&rsquo;s favour.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Why now?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has had a feeble equivalent known as the <strong>Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC);</strong> but this is a toothless office, given the manner in which it is structured. The senior most among the three Service Chiefs is appointed to head the CoSC, an office that lapses with the incumbent&rsquo;s retirement.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CoSC arrangement is seen as unsatisfactory, and its Chairman as a <strong>figurehead.</strong> The post did not further tri-service integration, resulting in <strong>inefficiency and an expensive duplication of assets.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2012, the <strong>Naresh Chandra committee</strong> recommended the appointment of a Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee as a midway to allay apprehensions over the CDS.</li>
<li>The CDS is also one of the 99 recommendations made by the <strong>Lt General D.B. Shekatkar (retd) Committee</strong> which submitted its report in December 2016 which had 34 recommendations pertaining to the tri-services.</li>
<li>All major countries, especially the nuclear weapon states, have a CDS. With increasing complexity of security challenges in modern warfare arena, it requires a more integrated approach to defense strategy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Task ahead for the CDS</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Achieving Inter-services Synergy:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>improving <strong>inter-services synergy</strong> and laying the road map for time-bound integration</li>
<li>attaining a <strong>seamless integration of the MoD</strong> with service headquarters</li>
<li>assuming the <strong>operational responsibilities for all tri-service commands</strong> and agencies</li>
<li>steering the <strong>creation of integrated battle groups</strong> for various contingencies as a precursor to validating the concept of theatre commands</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strategic Challenge:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India currently faces multiple security challenges. Because of frequent conflicts on the land frontiers, both internal and external, <strong>India&rsquo;s security landscape has been naturally dominated by the Indian Army.</strong></li>
<li>Balancing this reality with a realisation that <strong>both maritime and air power are going to play an increasingly important role</strong> in India&rsquo;s rise as a leading power will be among the initial strategic challenges the CDS faces.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Balancing the Competing Interests:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Balancing national interests, shedding his own service affiliations, and looking after the interests of all the three services will always be a tough act.</li>
<li>CDS must also have the world view and political awareness necessary to engage with diverse stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The CDS is also seen as being <strong>vital to the creation of &ldquo;theatre commands&rdquo;,</strong> integrating tri-service assets and personnel like that in the US military.</li>
</ul>
<p>The creation of the CDS will need to be followed up with further reforms to reconfigure the armed forces to meet India&rsquo;s aspirations to be a global power.<br /><br /></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 499px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f6f7e6;">
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Explain the role of Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) in strengthening India&rsquo;s security and military mechanism. Identify the challenges ahead for the CDS.&rdquo;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'TRAFFIC',
			'catname' => 'International Institutions',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The TRAFFIC, the <strong>Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network,</strong> is a leading non-governmental organisation working on wildlife trade in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.</li>
<li>It is <strong>a joint program</strong> of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</li>
<li><strong>It was established in 1976</strong> and has developed into a global network, research-driven and action-oriented, committed to delivering <strong>innovative and practical conservation solutions.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Headquarters:</strong> Cambridge, United Kingdom</li>
<li>It aims to ensure that <strong>trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Illegal wildlife trade</strong> is one of the <strong>main reasons that many species are endangered.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, rhino poaching to fuel to demand for the illegal rhino horn trade reached an all-time high in 2011, with <strong>448 rhinos poached in South Africa alone.</strong></li>
<li>This could unravel years of conservation success with African rhinos.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The TRAFFIC is governed by the <strong>TRAFFIC Committee,</strong> a steering group <strong>composed of members</strong> of TRAFFIC's partner organizations, WWF and IUCN.</li>
<li>TRAFFIC also works in <strong>close co-operation</strong> with the <strong>Secretariat of</strong> the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora</strong></a> <strong>(CITES).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Its staff</strong> includes experts from a plethora of backgrounds: <strong>biologists, conservationists, academics, researchers, communicators </strong>or<strong> investigators,</strong> etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Since its establishment, it has <strong>helped in the evolution of the international wildlife trade treaties.</strong></li>
<li>It focuses on leveraging resources, expertise and <strong>awareness</strong> of the latest globally urgent <strong>species trade issues</strong> such as <strong>tiger parts, elephant ivory </strong>and<strong> rhino horn.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Large scale commercial trade</strong> in commodities like <strong>timber and fisheries products</strong> are also addressed and linked to work on developing rapid results and policy improvements.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/339Traffic.1000x0.1530281413_1530281413.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/339Traffic.1000x0.1530281413_1530281413.jpg" width="501" height="513" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>TRAFFIC and India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>TRAFFIC operates as a <strong>Programme Division</strong> of WWF-India, based in New Delhi since 1991.</li>
<li>It has since worked closely with the National and the State Governments and various agencies to help study, monitor and influence action to curb illegal wildlife trade.</li>
<li><strong>Bridging</strong> the <strong>gap in effective wildlife law enforcement</strong> in India through <strong>capacity building programmes:</strong></li>
<li>Under this programme, <strong>TRAFFIC provides training and inputs</strong> to a diverse group of <strong>officials working on wildlife enforcement</strong> and other related issues.</li>
<li>Conducting research and providing analysis on wildlife trade and its trends:</li>
<li>TRAFFIC India&rsquo;s on-going projects include <strong>study on Leopard and Tiger poaching</strong> and trade in India, <strong>peacock feather trade, owl trade, dynamics of hunting community,</strong> trade in <strong>medicinal plants,</strong> bird trade and more.</li>
<li>Awareness generation:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t Buy Trouble&rdquo;</strong> is one of TRAFFIC India&rsquo;s first <strong>consumer awareness campaign</strong> that <strong>advises tourists to be careful</strong> of what <strong>they buy as souvenirs</strong> during their travels. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The campaign has been running <strong>successfully since 2008 at airports, Tiger reserves,</strong> national parks, wildlife resorts/hotels, travel agencies, schools, colleges and other prominent locations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>TRAFFIC&rsquo;s <strong>latest campaign</strong> is the <strong>WANTED ALIVE series</strong> on the four Asian big cats- <strong>Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard</strong> and <strong>Clouded Leopard</strong>&mdash;all of them <strong>threatened by illegal trade</strong> in their body parts.</li>
<li><strong>Encouraging international collaborations to fight wildlife crime:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>TRAFFIC played a key role in bringing together the South Asian countries to form the <strong>South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>SAWEN</strong> was formally established at an inter-governmental meeting hosted in <strong>Paro</strong> (a town in Bhutan) by the <strong>Royal Government of Bhutan, in January 2011.</strong></li>
<li>The main aim of this initiative is to have the countries collaborate and cooperate to fight wildlife crime in the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/traffic'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Environment Clearance',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The government is working to limit procedural delays to reduce the time for environment clearance to <strong>60 days.</strong></p>
<h3>Background <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/980image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/980image3.jpg" width="330" height="411" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To meet the ambitious goal of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/east-asian-model-for-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>$5-trillion economy</strong></a>, the government intends to <strong>increase investment</strong> by <strong>fastening the process of</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>environmental clearances</strong></a> to businesses.</li>
<li>As claimed by Environment Minister, environmental clearances usually took around <strong>640 days before 2014,</strong> which has been reduced to <strong>108 days.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Environmental Clearance Process</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The process of granting of environment clearance includes:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Specifying Terms of Reference(ToR).</li>
<li>Preparing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)</strong></a> report.</li>
<li>Holding Public Consultation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/environment-clearance'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Panel on Direct Tax Code',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, the panel on re-writing the direct tax legislation has submitted its report and a draft of the new proposed version of the Income-tax law to the Government.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Income-Tax (I-T) Act, which was drafted almost 60 years ago, needs an overhaul, but at the same time it should be in sync with the economic circumstances of the country.</li>
<li>The panel on the Direct Tax Code (DTC) has suggested a rejig of personal income tax slabs, roadmap of corporate tax rate cut to 25% for companies, provisions to reduce compliance burden by simplification of procedures and litigation management. It has also suggested some changes in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxes-and-india-s-equity-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dividend Distribution Tax</strong></a> and <strong>Minimum Alternate Tax.</strong></li>
<li>While the new direct tax law will bring to force new taxation concepts as well as schemes to reduce litigation, the actual tax rate reduction may be executed as part of annual Finance Bills, depending on the revenue buoyancy of the government from time to time.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Minimum Alternate Tax</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At times it may happen that a taxpayer, being a company, may have generated income during the year, but by taking the advantage of various provisions of Income-tax Law (like exemptions, deductions, depreciation, etc.), it may have reduced its tax liability or may not have paid any tax at all.</li>
<li>Due to an increase in the number of zero tax paying companies, Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) was introduced by the Finance Act, 1987 with effect from assessment year 1988-89. Later on, it was withdrawn by the Finance Act, 1990 and then reintroduced by Finance Act, 1996.</li>
<li>MAT is calculated at 18.5% on the book profit (the profit shown in the profit and loss account) or at the usual corporate rates, and whichever is higher is payable as tax.</li>
<li>All companies in India, whether domestic or foreign, fall under this provision. MAT was later extended to cover non-corporate entities as well.</li>
<li>MAT is an important tool with which tax avoidance can be prevented.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/985image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/985image1.jpg" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Task Force, initially headed by former CBDT Member (Legislation) Arbind Modi and later on by <strong>Akhilesh Ranjan,</strong> was constituted in November 2017 in order to review the Income-tax Act and to draft a new Direct Tax Law.</li>
<li>The proposals in the draft code are <strong>aimed at bringing more certainty to taxation of personal and corporate income and capital gains,</strong> and at bringing the gist of numerous judicial pronouncements made since 1961, when the current tax law came into force, in one place for easy reference. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It could <strong>improve <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-banks-ease-of-doing-business-report-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ease of doing business</a></strong> and r<strong>educe the compliance burden</strong> as well as tax disputes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Litigation Management:</strong> Amendments in Section 147 and Section 148 of the I-T Act, <strong>empowering the tax officer to reopen assessment cases</strong> based on predefined criteria. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The I-T officer can go back up to six years</strong> to scrutinise the books of accounts of the assessees.</li>
<li>Currently, these provisions are prone to the interpretation. 40% of litigation happens because assessees challenge reasons given by officers for reopening cases.</li>
<li><strong>Increasing the threshold limit for opening cases:</strong> Currently it is Rs 1 lakh and above. Also, the pre-defined criteria to select cases for scrutiny will be tightened.</li>
<li><strong>Reopening cases should be supported by proper reasoning.</strong> Often cases are reopened due to information received from banks, financial institutions, and other sources.</li>
<li><strong>Assessment proceedings should be made faceless,</strong> and an option be allowed to the public to seek clarifications on tax matters from CBDT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduced Burden of Tax Compliance:</strong> Tax compliance based on global trends and best practices. This is expected to increase clarity among taxpayers and also expand the tax base.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Use of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI)</strong></a> in the tax-compliance and administration process.</li>
<li>Proposal of <strong>introducing collaborative compliance in direct tax administration,</strong> which would integrate data from banks, financial institutions and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) network to ensure that the scope of taxable income increases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Personal Income Tax:</strong> A rejig in rates between 5% to 20%. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, the personal income tax structure has <strong>three categories</strong> based on age &mdash; for people below the age of 60, for people above the age of 60 but less than 80, and the third for people of 80 years and above.</li>
<li>The first category has four slabs &ndash; nil tax on income up to Rs 2.5 lakh; 5% tax rate for income between Rs 2.50 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, 20% tax rate for income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh and 30% for income above Rs 10 lakh. The second category has the basic slab of Rs 3 lakh while the third category has &lsquo;nil&rsquo; rate for income up to Rs 5 lakh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Corporate Tax to be 25%</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government will be <strong>cutting down the corporate tax rate gradually to 25% for all companies,</strong> including the large ones with an annual turnover of over Rs 400 crore.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government has, <strong>over the last five years, trimmed the rate to 25% from 30%</strong> in a phased manner for 99.3% of companies.</li>
<li>However, the 0.7% large companies that do not enjoy this benefit make up for almost 80% of the total corporate tax collection and are subject to as much as 30%.</li>
<li>The proposed corporate tax reduction<strong> will apply to both large local as well as foreign companies</strong> that are present in India without a subsidiary and are taxed at 40%. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Unlike domestic firms, foreign companies pay a higher corporate tax rate, but do not have to pay dividend distribution tax that is applicable to domestic companies.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>If implemented, the tax rate reduction could prove to be a big fiscal stimulus for the corporate sector reeling under a sharp economic downturn.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/key-suggestions-of-dtc-panel-rejig-of-personal-i-t-slabs-cut-in-corporate-tax-5918559/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: Indian Express</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/panel-on-direct-tax-code'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Nicotine as Class A Poison',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Karnataka has amended Poisons (Possessions and Sale) Rules 2015 by notifying nicotine as <strong>Class A</strong> poison.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The move aims at strengthening the enforcement of the ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In August 2018, <strong>the Union Health Ministry</strong> had instructed all the States to put a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and other <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)</strong></a> under their jurisdiction.</li>
<li>Though Karnataka had banned the sale and production of e-cigarettes in June 2016, but illegal sale and smuggling of nicotine cartridges and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ban-on-e-cigarettes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-cigarettes</strong></a> is rampant in the State.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Nicotine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nicotine is a <strong>plant alkaloid</strong> that contains nitrogen, which is found in several types of plants, including the tobacco plant and can also be produced synthetically.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/499image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/499image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="121" height="150" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>Nicotine is both a <strong>sedative</strong> and a <strong>stimulant.</strong></li>
<li>Nicotine is used as a direct substance in e-cigarettes and the content ranges up to <strong>36 mg/mL.</strong> Although regular cigarettes too have nicotine, but it ranges between <strong>1.2 to 1.4 mg/mL.</strong></li>
<li>Chewing or snorting tobacco products usually releases more nicotine into the body than smoking.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Harmful Effect of Nicotine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nicotine on direct application in humans causes irritation and burning sensation in the mouth and throat, increased salivation, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.</li>
<li>It also increases pulse rate and blood pressure.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><em><strong>Classification of Poison</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>US Department of Transport</strong> divides poisons in two classes</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Class-A:</strong> Highly toxic chemicals which even in very small quantities as gas or vapor in air are dangerous to life such as cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid, nitrogen peroxide, and phosgene.</li>
<li><strong>Class-B:</strong> Chemicals other than those included in Class-A and comparatively less toxic but considered dangerous.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/nicotine-class-a-poison-in-karnataka/article29164442.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: The Hindu</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nicotine-as-class-a-poison'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Transforming Agriculture',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>&ldquo;The article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/narendra-modi-govt-farmer-crisis-agriculture-reforms-landowners-protect-rights-5915552/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;High powered committee for transformation of agriculture should reform restrictive tenancy laws&rdquo;</strong></a> that published in The Indian Express on 19<sup>th</sup> August. It talks about the need for Tenancy Reforms and Land Record Modernisation to transform the Indian Agriculture.&rdquo;</p>
</div>
<h3>Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On 1<sup>st</sup> July 2019, Prime Minister had set up a <strong>High Powered Committee of Chief Ministers for &lsquo;Transformation of Indian Agriculture&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The nine-member committee, headed by Maharashtra&rsquo;s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is formed <strong>to suggest policy measures, attract investments </strong>and<strong> raise growth in food processing.</strong></li>
<li>Its terms of reference (ToR) pertain largely to matters related to <strong>agri-markets.</strong> This includes <strong>reforming the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services Act of 2018</strong> and the <strong>Essential Commodities Act (ECA)</strong> as well as suggesting measures to <strong>reinvigorate the e-NAM scheme.</strong></li>
<li>However, transforming agriculture in the medium to long run requires fundamental reforms in land institutions as well. This is what is missing in the new committee&rsquo;s ToR.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reforming Tenancy law</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per official records (NSSO, 2012-13), only about 10% of the agricultural land is under tenancy, down from 20% in 1953-54.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, experts believe that official estimates hugely under-report actual tenancy which may be around one-third of the agricultural land in reality.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Liberalisation of land lease markets is the need of the hour since
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>the size of the average land holding has been declining in India</strong> (the average landholding size of a household is only 1.1 hectare (ha) in 2015-16, according to a survey by NABARD) which is detrimental to the farmers&rsquo; income due to poor economic viability of such tracts.</li>
<li><strong>restrictive tenancy laws have generated oral (informal) tenancy</strong> that is said to be much higher than formal tenancy in magnitude. This is adversely impacting land-use efficiency.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Oral tenants <strong>do not have legal sanction and are not recognised as farmers.</strong> This deprives them from availing institutional credit, crop insurance, government-sponsored social benefit schemes and relief support.</li>
<li>The fear of eviction from the land also disincentivises them from making long-term investments in land improvement. This results in low capital formation and hurts farm productivity.</li>
<li>Even the landowners fear losing their proprietary rights, if they lease out for longer periods. As a result, many of them prefer to keep their lands fallow. Rough estimates suggest that about 17 million hectares of cultivable land in the country is lying fallow.</li>
<li>China has revised its land lease laws, where farmers can lease out their land, even to corporate entities for cultivation for up to 30 years. Such a move can help attract long-term investments in high-value crops.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Digitisation of Land Records</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Digitising and geo-tagging of land records and linking them with Aadhaar and the bank accounts of farmers will create a centralised, transparent and easily accessible land records system.</li>
<li>It can then help any class of farmers operating a piece of land to access bank credit and crop insurance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practices Adopted by States</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Only three states&mdash; <strong>Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura</strong> &mdash; have completed 100% computerisation of land records. Many others have computerised 80 to 95% of their land records.</li>
<li><strong>Andhra Pradesh&rsquo;s Land Licensed Cultivators Act</strong> has provided suitable channels to deliver loans, subsidies, crop insurance and relief support. It does so by issuing eligibility cards to tenants, who raise crops with the explicit or implied permission of the owners.</li>
<li><strong>Kerala&rsquo;s Kudumbashree initiative</strong> is another innovation that is making strides in poverty eradication and women empowerment. Under the initiative, women are motivated to become members of joint liability groups (JLG). They then cultivate leased land with assured access to agricultural credit from NABARD and other banking institutions, increasing their returns from farming.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Implementing the recommendations of <strong>Model Land Lease Act (2016)</strong> prepared by NITI Aayog-appointed expert body headed by T Haque.</li>
<li>Liberalising land lease markets, with computerisation of land records and geo-tagging of farms can give a high pay-off with enhanced capital formation. Crop insurance could also be linked to this platform.</li>
<li>Andhra Pradesh and Kerala&rsquo;s innovative institutional experiences offer key lessons for policymakers to liberalise restrictive land leasing laws in the country, while fully protecting the land rights of the owners.</li>
<li>It is high time to carry out long-pending <strong>structural reforms in the agriculture sector</strong> to make it achieve the faster growth rate and effectively meeting the vision of doubling farmers&rsquo; income by 2022.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 502px; border-style: dotted; background-color: #fce8e8; border-color: #ff0000;">
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Transforming agriculture requires fundamental reforms in land institutions. Comment.&rdquo;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/transforming-agriculture'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Jet Streams',
			'catname' => 'Paper 1',
			'desc' => '<h3>What is a Jet Stream?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Jet Stream is a <strong>geostrophic wind</strong> blowing horizontally through the upper layers of the troposphere, generally from west to east, at an altitude of 20,000 - 50,000 feet.</li>
<li><strong>Jet Streams develop where air masses of differing temperatures meet.</strong> So, usually surface temperatures determine where the Jet Stream will form.</li>
<li>Greater the difference in temperature, faster is the wind velocity inside the jet stream.</li>
<li>Jet Streams extend from 20 degrees latitude to the poles in both hemispheres.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genesis of Jet Streams</h3>
<p>The genesis of the Jet-streams is provided by three kinds of gradients:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Thermal gradient between pole and equator</li>
<li>Pressure gradient between pole and equator</li>
<li>Pressure gradient between surface and subsurface air over the poles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Where does it actually begin?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Air when warmed in the tropics, around the equator, fuel the Jet Stream as it rises. Hitting the tropopause at about 58,000 feet (the layer of the atmosphere separating the troposphere from the stratosphere), it is drawn toward the colder air at the north and south poles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Types of Jet Streams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sub Tropical Jet Streams</strong> are best developed in winter and early spring. Their maximum speed approaches 300 knots which are associated with the merger with polar-front jets. A subsidence motion accompanies subtropical jets and gives rise to predominantly fair weather in areas they pass over. Sometimes they drift northward and merge with a polar-front jet.</li>
<li><strong>Tropical Easterly Jet Stream</strong> occurs near the tropopause over Southeast Asia, India, and Africa during summer. This jet implies a deep layer of warm air to the north of the jet and colder air to the south over the Indian Ocean. The difference in heating and cooling and the ensuing pressure gradient is what drives this jet.</li>
<li><strong>Polar-Night Jet Stream</strong> meanders through the upper stratosphere over the poles. They are present in the convergence zone above the sub polar low pressure belt.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/514image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/514image2.jpg" width="456" height="436" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Climatic Significance of Jet Stream</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At times, Jet Streams bring about some moisture to the stratosphere, leading to the formation of Noctilucent clouds (tenuous cloudlike phenomena in the upper atmosphere which are made of ice crystals visible in a deep twilight.)</li>
<li>Plays a significant role in the onset and withdrawal of <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/monsoon-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>monsoon</strong></a> <strong>winds.</strong></li>
<li>Known to have brought some ozone depleting substances to stratosphere which result in <strong>ozone layer depletion.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Intensifies alternative cyclonic and anticyclonic conditions</strong> with the crust and trough formation in its movement.</li>
<li>When the air mass is moving, it undergoes alternate expansion and compression which means that it is associated with alternative high pressure and low pressure.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Characteristics of Jet Streams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Its genesis is associated with the thermal contrast of air cells, for example Hadley cell, Ferrel cell.</li>
<li>The meandering or the whirl movement of the Jet Stream is called <strong>&lsquo;Rossby Wave&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Equatorial extension of the Jet Stream is more in winter because of the southern shift of the pressure belts.</li>
<li>During winters, the thermal contrast increases and the intensity of the high pressure centre at the pole increases. It intensifies the formation of Jet Streams, its extension as well as its velocity.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Indian Monsoon Mechanism and the Role of Sub Tropical Jet Streams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The burst of monsoons depends upon the upper air circulation which is dominated by Sub Tropical Jet Streams (STJ).</li>
<li>The south west monsoon coming in India is related to tropical easterly stream. It blows between 8 degree- 35 degree North latitudes.</li>
<li>The north east monsoon (winter monsoon) is related to the subtropical westerly Jet Stream which blows between 20 degree and 35 degree latitudes in both hemispheres.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/463image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/463image1.jpg" width="434" height="700" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Seasonal Migration of STJ</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In winter, STJ flows along the southern slopes of the Himalaya and in summer shifts northwards dramatically, flowing along the edge of Himalayas in early June and in late summer (July-August) along the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.</li>
<li>The periodic movement of the Jet Stream often indicates the onset and subsequent withdrawal (STJ returns back to its position &ndash; south of Himalayas) of the monsoon.</li>
<li>Northward movement of the subtropical jet is the first indication of the onset of the monsoon over India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>STJ in Summer</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>With the beginning of summer, the STJ [upper westerlies] start their northward march.</li>
<li>The weather over northern India becomes hot, dry and squally due to larger incoming solar radiation and hot winds like loo.</li>
<li>Over India, the Equatorial Trough (ITCZ) moves northwards with the weakening of the STJ south of Tibet, but the burst of the monsoon does not take place until the upperair circulation has switched to its summer pattern.</li>
<li>By the end of May the southern jet breaks and later it is diverted to the north of Tibet Plateau. There is sudden burst of monsoons (the ridge moves northwards into Central Asia, the high pressure zone over north-west India moves northwards into Central Asia making way for south-west monsoon winds).</li>
<li>The clockwise cyclic origin in the middle of the troposphere begins in the winds rising up from the plateau of Tibet after it becomes too hot. While going up separates near tropopause. One of these blows in the form of the easterly Jet Stream towards the equator and the other blows in the form of the westerly Jet Stream towards the poles.</li>
<li>Western and eastern jets flow to north &amp; south of Himalayas respectively. The eastern jet becomes powerful and is stationed at 15&deg; N latitude.</li>
<li>The easterly winds become very active in the upper troposphere and they are associated with westerly winds in the lower troposphere (south-west monsoon winds).</li>
<li>This results in more active southwest monsoon and heavy rainfall is caused. The plateau of Tibet and central Asia becoming too hot is considered for its origin.</li>
<li>It is to be noted that the westerly Jet Stream begins to settle down in the Arabian sea by blowing in the south west direction and also creates a very high pressure belt there. Inversely, when this hot Jet Stream blows over the Indian sub continent, it pulls up the surface air and creates a very low pressure there. To fill up the low pressure, winds from high pressure area of the Arabian Sea begins to blow towards in the north east direction- known as the southwest monsoon.</li>
</ul>
<h3>STJ in Winters</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The winter subtropical westerly Jet Stream <strong>blows from the west to the east in the entire west and middle Asia</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>bifurcated by the Himalayan ranges and Tibetan Plateau.</strong> One of the branch blows parallel to the plateau from the north while the other moves towards the east in the south of the Himalayas.</li>
<li>The western disturbance which enter the Indian subcontinent in winter are brought by these westerly winds.</li>
<li>The southern branch blows to the south of the Himalayan ranges along 25&deg; north latitude.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How Does It Trigger The North East Monsoon?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The westerly Jet Stream, a cold wind which pushes down wind to the surface creating a high pressure on the surface.</li>
<li>Dry winds from this high pressure area (north western part of India) start blowing towards the low pressure area (Bay of Bengal).</li>
<li>These winds in turn bring cold waves in winter in the northern part of the country including UP and Bihar.</li>
<li>After reaching the Bay of Bengal, westerly under the influence of Ferrel&rsquo;s cell take the form of north east monsoon.</li>
<li>When this wind reaches the coast of Tamil Nadu, it causes rainfall with the humidity received from the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/jet-streams'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'PM’s Visit to Bhutan',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>During the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Bhutan, <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/indo-bhutan-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">both the countries reiterated their commitment to maintain close coordination</a> on matters affecting each other&rsquo;s security and national interests.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Takeaways<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/887Image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/887Image4.jpg" width="282" height="199" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The two countries inked <strong>10 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs)</strong> in the fields of <strong>space research, aviation, IT, power</strong> and <strong>education</strong> to infuse new energy in their ties.</li>
<li>Both sides emphasised the importance of <strong>&ldquo;hydro-power development&rdquo;</strong> as one of the most important areas of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The two Prime Ministers formally inaugurated the recently completed 720 MW Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Plant and resolved to continue working together to expedite the completion of other ongoing projects such as Punatsangchhu-1, Punatsangchhu-2 and Kholongchhu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Both the leaders agreed to collaborate on the <strong>joint development of a small satellite for Bhutan.</strong></li>
<li>The two countries agreed to further expand bilateral trade and investment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Prime Minister of India assured the Bhutan Prime Minister of &ldquo;positive consideration&rdquo; of Bhutan&rsquo;s request for enhancement of the currency swap limit under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework.</li>
<li>As an interim measure, he offered an additional USD 100 million of currency swap under the<strong> Standby Swap Arrangement.</strong></li>
<li>The Union Cabinet had, on March 1, 2012, approved the framework on currency swap arrangement for SAARC member-countries with the intention to provide a <strong>line of funding for short-term foreign exchange requirements</strong> or to meet balance of payments crises till longer term arrangements are made or the issue is resolved in the short-term itself.</li>
<li>India has also incorporated a $400-million <strong>&lsquo;Standby Swap&rsquo;</strong> facility within the existing approved overall $2 billion currency swap arrangement for SAARC member-countries.</li>
<li>This incorporation of &lsquo;Standby Swap&rsquo; provides the necessary flexibility to the current &lsquo;framework on currency swap arrangement&rsquo; and enable India to provide a prompt response to the request from SAARC member- countries for availing themselves of the swap amount exceeding the present limit prescribed under the SAARC Swap Framework.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India announced the<strong> increase in scholarships for Bhutanese students</strong> for studies at Nalanda University from 2 to 5.</li>
<li>Both the leaders launched the facility for <strong>use of Indian RuPay cards in Bhutan,</strong> which would facilitate Indians&rsquo; travel to Bhutan by reducing the need to carry cash, boost the Bhutanese economy and further integrate the two economies<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They also agreed for a feasibility study on the use of India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/digital-transactions-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app</strong> </a>in Bhutan to promote cashless payments between the two countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The two Prime Ministers also <strong>inaugurated in Thimphu the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bhutans-pm-visits-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ground Earth Station of the South Asian Satellite,</strong></a> constructed with the support of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-bhutan-to-work-closely-on-security-national-interests-narendra-modi-5915632/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-s-visit-to-bhutan'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Preservation of Sundarban',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong>Discovery India</strong> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Wide Fund (WWF)</strong></a> India have partnered with the <strong>Government of West Bengal</strong> and local communities in the <strong>Sundarban</strong> to help save the world&rsquo;s only mangrove <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tiger habitat.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>They are working with a vision to create <strong>climate-smart villages</strong> in the Sundarbans.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Climate Smart Villages</strong> are sites where farmers, researchers, local government and the private sector come together to understand which climate smart agriculture practices are best suited for a particular location.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The project will <strong>use technology</strong> to solve several of the issues faced in the region. This includes building datasets on impacts of climate change on estuarine ecosystem.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Through this project, in partnership with the West Bengal Forest Directorate and<strong> Indian Institute of Science Education and Research(IISER) Kolkata,</strong> two Sundarbans ecological observatories will be set up, each featuring data loggers, monitoring buoys and an onsite laboratory.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Farmland productivity:</strong> The initiative also focuses on enhancing farmland productivity through low-cost measures and adjusting crop calendars to deal with climate change.</li>
<li>The initiative will also include work towards securing habitats for tigers and prey species.</li>
<li>The project at Sundarbans is part of a global movement, <strong>Project CAT (Conserving Acres for Tigers)</strong>, aimed at building healthy habitats for Tigers by conserving six million acres of protected land across four countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Project CAT (Conserving Acres for Tigers)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Discovery Communications</strong> is working with World Wildlife Fund and others to support a worldwide effort to <strong>double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022.</strong></li>
<li>It is a mission to ensure a future for tigers and other endangered wildlife by conserving nearly a million acres of protected land on the border of India and Bhutan.</li>
<li>Tigers face multiple threats from <strong>poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation, conflict with humans and overhunting</strong> of their prey species.</li>
<li>As a large predator, tigers are an umbrella species. They play a key role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>By protecting tigers and their habitat, the others risk animals that share this habitat, like Asian elephants, greater one-horned rhinos, clouded leopards and important prey species are also getting protected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Umbrella Species </strong>and<strong> Keystone Species</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Umbrella Species</strong> are species that are selected for conservation-related decisions because the conservation and protection of these species indirectly affect the conservation and protection of other species within their ecosystem.</li>
<li>Umbrella species help in the selection of potential reserve locations, as well as the determination of the composition of the reserve.</li>
<li>These species usually have a large area requirement for which the conservation of the species extends the protection to other species sharing the same habitat.</li>
<li>Umbrella species are representative of other species in their habitat since they are known species, and they also determine the area of conservation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For example:</strong> The protection of the Bay checkerspot butterfly automatically leads to the protection of the grassland while the conservation of the Amur tiger in the Russian Far East also means automatic conservation and protection of the deer and boar in their habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>keystone species</strong> is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether.</li>
<li>Keystone species have low functional redundancy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means that if the species were to disappear from the ecosystem, no other species would be able to fill its ecological niche.</li>
<li>The ecosystem would be forced to radically change, allowing new and possibly invasive species to populate the habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Any organism, from plants to fungi, may be a keystone species; they are not always the largest or most abundant species in an ecosystem.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>The Sundarbans Mangrove Forest</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world, lies across India and Bangladesh on the delta of the <strong>Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers</strong> on the Bay of Bengal.</li>
<li>It is adjacent to the border of India&rsquo;s Sundarbans <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-committee-s-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Heritage site</a> inscribed in 1987.</strong></li>
<li>The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant <strong>mangrove forests,</strong> and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes.</li>
<li>The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the estuarine crocodile, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water monitor lizard, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphins-found-in-mahananda-river" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gangetic dolphin,</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>olive ridley turtles.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/discovery-wwf-tie-up-to-preserve-sundarbans/article29131762.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: HBL</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preservation-of-sundarban'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Odisha’s Lake Conservation',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Odisha Wetland Authority</strong> has approved implementation of an integrated management plan for :<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Chilika,</strong> country&rsquo;s largest brackish water lagoon, and</li>
<li><strong>Ansupa,</strong> state&rsquo;s largest freshwater lake.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> The <strong>five-year management</strong> of lakes is intended at strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying on the two water-bodies. Besides, tourism promotion and conservation of ecology will also be taken up.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chilika</strong><strong> La</strong><strong>ke</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chilika is Asia's largest and world's second largest lagoon.</li>
<li>It lies on the east coast of India in the state of Odisha, separated from the mighty Bay of Bengal by a small strip of sand.</li>
<li>It spreads over Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometers.</li>
<li>It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent and is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.</li>
<li>In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-backs-dhanauri-for-ramsar-site-tag" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ramsar Convention.</strong></a></li>
<li>Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawady dolphins which are often spotted off Satpada Island.</li>
<li>The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.</li>
<li>Kalijai Temple - Located on an island in the Chilika Lake.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/odisha-s-lake-conservation'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'First Monument in Memory of a Glacier',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong>Iceland</strong> honours the passing of <strong>Okjokull</strong>, its first glacier lost to climate change. A bronze plaque was unveiled in a ceremony to mark Okjokull &mdash; which translates to <strong>&ldquo;Ok glacier&rdquo;</strong> &mdash; in the western Iceland.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will be the <strong>first monument</strong> to a glacier lost to <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-land-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a></strong> anywhere in the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Okjokull Glacier</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Okjokull, also called OK (jokull is Icelandic name for &ldquo;glacier&rdquo;), was part of the <strong>Langj&ouml;kull</strong> group&mdash;one of Iceland&rsquo;s eight regional groupings of glaciers.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Vatnajokull</strong> group being the largest among them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/871Image%202.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/871Image 2.jpg" width="525" height="295" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Vatnajokull Glacier</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Iceland&rsquo;s <em><strong>Vatnajokull National Park</strong></em> was recently added to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-glaciers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO's World Heritage List</strong></a>, is situated in the largest ice cap in Europe i.e Vatnajokull Glacier.</li>
<li>Vatnajokull National Park is situated in the south Iceland and was officially formed in 2008 by joining together Jokulsargljufur and Skaftafell National Parks.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>largest National Park in Europe</strong> and covers an area of 12,000 square kilometers.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is situated atop of <strong>OK volcano</strong> in the <strong>west central</strong> Iceland.</li>
<li>Glaciologists stripped <strong>Okjokull</strong> of its glacier status in <strong>2014.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958iceland.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958iceland.jpg" width="290" height="204" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>glacier is defined</strong> as a persistent mass of compacted ice that <strong>accumulates more mass each winter than it loses through summer melt </strong>and<strong> moves constantly</strong> under its own weight. When this ceases to be the case, the remains are known as &ldquo;dead ice&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the <strong>University of Iceland report (2017)</strong>, the glacier measured around 16 square kilometre (6.2 square miles) in 1890, which now remains just 0.7 square kilometre.</li>
<li>It was also labelled as <strong>"415 ppm CO2,"</strong> which means the record level of carbon dioxide measured in the atmosphere.</li>
<li>According to a study published by the <strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),</strong> nearly half of the world's heritage sites could lose their glaciers by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/iceland-builds-monument-to-a-glacier-lost/story-v4vneGW0Jdce6vr8m0oSoN.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: Hindustan Times</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-monument-in-memory-of-a-glacier'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'UAE Awards Highest Civilian Honour to the Prime Minister',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The United Arab Emirates(UAE) has awarded <strong>ZAYED Medal</strong>, the highest civilian award to the Prime Minister of India for consolidating the long-standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between the two nations.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It can be noted that recently India was invited by the host UAE as the "Guest of Honour&rdquo; to attend the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-attended-oic-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>46<sup>th</sup> Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)</strong></a> held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This was the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/an-opening-in-abu-dhabi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>first time that India was invited to any OIC meeting</strong></a> as a guest of honor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Zayed Medal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Order of Zayed</strong> is awarded to the Head of Government/Head of State for their international relations with UAE.</li>
<li>The order is in the name of <strong>Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,</strong> the founding father of the UAE.</li>
<li>It consists of a collar cantered by a medallion bearing the name <strong>'Zayed&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>In the past, this award has been conferred to <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Russian President Vladimir Putin,</li>
<li>Former US President George W Bush,</li>
<li>Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy,</li>
<li>German Chancellor Angela Merkel,</li>
<li>Chinese President Xi Jinping</li>
<li>UK's Queen Elizabeth II.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/613Image%201.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/613Image 1.jpg" width="528" height="220" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/uae-to-give-modi-highest-civilian-award/article29127910.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: The Hindu</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uae-awards-highest-civilian-honour-to-the-prime-minister'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Dragonfly Day',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/shark-awareness-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India)</a>,</strong> in collaboration with the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/delhi-butterfly-corridors" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)</strong></a> conducted <strong>dragonfly census</strong> and celebrated<strong> Dragonfly Day on August 18</strong>, in New Delhi and its neighbouring regions.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the <strong>second such event</strong> dedicated to dragonflies and damselflies and aims to carry out a census and raise awareness about their importance.</li>
<li>Dragonfly act as <strong>important bio-indicators</strong> of the ecological health of an area.</li>
<li>They feed on mosquitoes and other insects that are vectors to life-threatening diseases like<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-malaria-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Malaria</strong></a> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sharp-drop-in-dengue-cases-in%20-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dengue</a>.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>first of this census</strong> was <strong>carried out in 2018,</strong> which revealed a total of 51 different species of these insects in New Delhi and NCR.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/631image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/631image1.jpg" width="639" height="279" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Bioindicators</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bioindicators are living organisms such as plants, plankton, animals, and microbes, which are used to assess the health of the natural ecosystem in the environment.</li>
<li>Examples of Bioindicators:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lichens</strong> are powerful<strong> Bioindicators of air quality.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Frogs</strong> are basically influenced by changes that take place in their freshwater and terrestrial habitats.</li>
<li><strong>Algae blooms</strong> are often used to indicate large increases of nitrates and phosphates in lakes and rivers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/killer-instinct-second-dragonfly-census-to-keep-count-of-predators/articleshow/70707679.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TOI</a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dragonfly-day'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Jobs For Locals',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>The Article is based on <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/the-case-against-job-quotas-for-locals-1564930496168.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The case against job quotas for locals&rdquo;</strong></a> that published in Livemint on 4<sup>th</sup> August. It talks about the growing trend of jobs for locals and the associated concerns.</p>
</div>
<h3>Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nativism, the cry for job protection of locals, is rearing its head again in India.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Andhra Pradesh Assembly recently passed a legislation that reserves 75% of industrial jobs in the state for locals</li>
<li>Recently Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also said that the state government is mulling a law to ensure 70 per cent jobs to local youths in the private sector.</li>
<li>It is highly likely that other states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka with large pools of migrant labour imitate this legislation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Earlier efforts by states</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Maharashtra in 2008 introduced 80% reservation for locals in industries that seek state incentives and tax subsidies, but it could not bring any credible evidence on number of jobs created.</li>
<li>Gujarat introduced 85% reservation for locals as far back as 1995, but it was never enforced, either in the private or public sectors.</li>
<li>Tamilnadu&rsquo;s state industry minister announced in January to ensure at least 50% reservation of jobs for residents of the state.</li>
</ul>
<p>All these restrictions remained only on paper due to lack of implementation mechanism and reluctant attitudes of industries bodies.</p>
<h3>Constitutional Provisions regarding Interstate Migration</h3>
<p>The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of movement and consequently employment within India through several provisions.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 19</strong> ensures that citizens can &ldquo;move freely throughout the territory of India".</li>
<li><strong>Article 16</strong> guarantees no birthplace-based discrimination in public employment.</li>
<li><strong>Article 15</strong> guards against discrimination based on place of birth and</li>
<li><strong>Article 14</strong> provides for equality before law irrespective of place of birth.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What does Data tell?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/migrants-and-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The 2011 Census data show that much of the migration to the big cities is intra-State rather than inter-State.</strong></a></li>
<li>As per the census, work related interstate migration to urban areas comprises, on average, less than 10% of the urban workforce, a far cry from concerns on interstate migrants swamping the labour market.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/528image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/528image1.jpg" width="573" height="615" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Why such legislations?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economic sluggishness</strong> and the lack of enough jobs in the market is the primary reason for such politics driven by &ldquo;son of the soil theory&rdquo;.</li>
<li><strong>Vote-bank Politics:&nbsp;</strong>Such promises during elections draw voters&rsquo; attention and the elected governments are forced to act on their promise.</li>
<li><strong>Land Acquisition</strong> for industries has some preconditions from farmers/villagers , who are losing their land, to provide jobs to their family members or local youth.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of such legislations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reduced job creation</strong> due to deterrence for industries in a state with such restrictions. This would do more harm to natives than actually benefiting them.</li>
<li><strong>Ease of Doing Business:</strong> Such restrictions may hamper the growth and development prospects of the respective state as well as the country by affecting ease of doing business.</li>
<li><strong>Diverse labour pool</strong> is a strength of Indian economy. Such restrictions on labour mobility would seek to disregard this advantage.</li>
<li>It will increase <strong>risks of labour shortages,</strong> can trigger a rise in unemployment, aggravate wage inflation, render labour markets rigid and incompetent and exacerbate regional inequalities.</li>
<li>It may promote <strong>aggressive regionalism</strong> and thus a threat to the unity and integrity of India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The best way to grow out of nativism is to ensure economic recovery and provide enough job opportunities for youths.</li>
<li>Skill training and proper education should be the key focus for the states to prepare their masses to compete in the free market.</li>
<li>Instead of nativism, states need to create a framework where safe interstate migration for work is facilitated and fiscal coordination is pursued to enable the portability of social security benefits. If this is done, interstate migration would rise and provide more opportunities to remedy regional disparities.</li>
<li>Matching skills seamlessly across geographies within India would also facilitate the ease of doing business, a much valued goal continually emphasized for faster growth.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; background-color: #f5ebeb; border-color: #2f00ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Discuss the implications of the growing trend of reservation of jobs for locals in states. Is this trend undermining the unity and integrity of India?&rdquo;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'e-Courts',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The High Court of Punjab and Haryana to launch its<strong> first virtual court (e-Court) at Faridabad.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This e-Court would deal with <strong>traffic challan cases</strong> from across the State.</li>
<li>The project will be launched under the guidance of <strong>e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India.</strong></li>
<li>Virtual courts will remove the need for the litigant to be present in the court and facilitate adjudication of the case online through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>e-Courts Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The e-Courts project was conceptualized on the basis of the <strong>&ldquo;National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary &ndash; 2005&rdquo;</strong> submitted by e-Committee, Supreme Court of India with a vision to transform the Indian Judiciary by ICT enablement of Courts.</li>
<li>The e-Courts Mission Mode Project,<strong> is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the Department of Justice,</strong> Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India for the District Courts across the country.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The project envisages:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To provide efficient &amp; time-bound citizen-centric services delivery as detailed in e-Court Project Litigant's Charter.</li>
<li>To develop, install &amp; implement decision support systems in courts.</li>
<li>To automate the processes to provide transparency in the accessibility of information to its stakeholders.</li>
<li>To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively &amp; quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>E-committee</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>E-committee</strong> is a body constituted by the Government of India in pursuance of a proposal received from the supreme court of India for assistance in formulating a National policy on computerization of Indian Judiciary and advise on technological communication and management related changes.</li>
<li>The E-Committee <strong>was set up in 2004</strong> to provide a guide map for the use of I-T and administrative reforms in the judiciary.</li>
<li>All expenditure in connection with the functioning of the e-Committee, including salary and allowance etc. of the Chairman, Members and the supporting staff is met from the sanctioned budget of the Supreme Court of India.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/virtual-court-to-deal-with-traffic-challan-to-be-launched-today/article29113273.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TH</a></strong></p>
</div>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'NEXT Exam',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The Union Health Ministry to prepare itself for the implementation of the <strong>common final year undergraduate medical examination (NEXT)</strong> which will come into effect in three years.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-national-medical-commission-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Medical Commission Act</strong></a> has proposed a common exit examination &mdash; National Exit Test (NEXT), at the end of the MBBS course.</li>
<li>This test shall be held to <strong>grant a licence to practice</strong> and will also be the <strong>basis of admission to postgraduate courses.</strong></li>
<li>According to the government, the <strong>NEXT will be as effective as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)</strong> which will ensure that only deserving candidates get admission in a private medical institute.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the earlier provisions, any student who obtains 50% marks in class 12, could gain admission to MBBS courses.</li>
<li>Colleges negotiated with students and conducted their own admission tests in a totally non-transparent manner. As a result, many undeserving students got admission.</li>
<li>Now only NEET qualified students can get admission, which ensures that merit prevails in admissions.</li>
<li>NEXT will ensure that there is a certain standard of medical graduates who pass out from medical colleges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/plan-to-complete-groundwork-for-next-exam-in-six-months/article29184213.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/next-exam'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'National Conference of Tourism Ministers',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The one-day National Conference of Tourism Ministers concluded on 20<sup>th</sup> August 2019 in <strong>New Delhi.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/142image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/142image4.jpg" width="239" height="259" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The conference was organized by the Union Ministry of Tourism and was attended by the State Tourism Ministers of 19 States, Secretaries of Tourism and senior officials from the States and Union Territories (UTs) who deliberated on various issues related to the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/tourism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>development and promotion of tourism.</strong></a></li>
<li>The Tourism Minister launched the <strong>Hindi version of the new Incredible India portal</strong> at the conference.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He announced that the Arabic, Chinese and Spanish versions of the new Incredible India website will be launched next month.</li>
<li>The <strong>new Incredible India website was launched on 14<sup>th</sup> June, 2018.</strong> The interactive website showcases India as a holistic destination, revolving around major experiences such as spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga and wellness.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Tourism Minister also launched the <strong>Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification (IITFC) portal</strong> during the conference. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification (IITFC) Programme is a digital initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India for the citizens of India to become a part of the booming Tourism Industry.</li>
<li>It is an online programme where one can learn about tourism at their own time, space, path and pace.</li>
<li>The successful completion of this programme would enable the learner to become a <strong>Certified Tourist Facilitator of Ministry of Tourism,</strong> Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He urged all the States and UTs to open their important monuments till late night for visitors.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, in order to promote night tourism, <strong>the Culture Ministry has decided to open 10 historical monuments till 9 PM</strong> for common visitors across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Tourism Minister also handed over three new Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and five new Letters of Intent (LoIs) to the prospective <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/adopt-a-heritage-project-for-development-of-tourist-friendly-destinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monument Mitras</strong></a> at the conference.</li>
<li>The government has decided to introduce a <strong>flexible</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-july-7th-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-tourist visa</strong></a> <strong>regime</strong> for over 160 countries based on footfall, with <strong>higher visa fee for peak season</strong> between July and March, and a significantly <strong>lower fee for travel during the lean season</strong> between April and June.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government has introduced a new five-year e-visa category for which tourists will have to pay $80.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1582452" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Arab ki Sarai Baoli',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Arab ki Sarai Baoli is being revived by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monuments-of-national-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)</strong></a> and <strong>Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)</strong> with the support of German Embassy.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/752image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/752image1.jpg" width="282" height="163" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arab Ki Sarai Baoli was built in the 1560s by <strong>Hamida Banu Begum,</strong> who was wife (chief consort) of Mughal emperor <strong>Humayan,</strong> to accommodate 300 Arabs whom she had brought from Mecca.</li>
<li>It is situated within the premise of <strong>Humayun's Tomb Complex, Delhi.</strong></li>
<li>It is a unique <strong>&lsquo;L&rsquo; shaped baoli.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Baoli</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Baolis or step-wells refer to <strong>man-made water tanks.</strong></li>
<li>The main purpose of baoli is <strong>water conservation and groundwater recharge.</strong></li>
<li>The structures bear witness to the fact that even before the modern world became aware of the threats of depleting freshwater, people in those times realised the gravity of conservation.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Baoli in Delhi</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are around 14 baolis in Delhi namely <strong>Tughlaqabad Fort Baoli, Rajon Ki Baoli, Gandhak Ki Baoli, Qutub Sahib Ki Baoli, Anangtal Baoli, Wazirpur Monument Complex Baoli, Hazrat Nizamuddin Ki Baoli, Arab Ki Sarai Baoli, Purana Quila Baoli, Agrasen Ki Baoli, Feroz Shah Kotla Fort Baoli, Red Fort Baoli, Hindu Rao Hospital Baoli and Dwarka Baoli.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/bringing-baoli-back-to-life/article29186495.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: The Hindu</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/arab-ki-sarai-baoli'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Baltic Nations',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The Vice President of India is on a trip to <strong>Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia</strong> from 17<sup>th</sup>-21<sup>st</sup> August 2019, the <strong>first-ever high-level visit</strong> from India <strong>to the three Baltic countries.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Vice President&rsquo;s visit to the three Baltic nations is to advance India's outreach to the important countries in the region.</li>
<li>The V.P. also expressed gratitude to Latvia and Lithuania for backing India for permanent membership in an expanded and reformed <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-un-security-council-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Security Council.</strong></a></li>
<li>The Vice President addressed the <strong>first-ever India-Latvia Business Forum</strong> and called for taking the bilateral trade and economic cooperation to new heights. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He also <strong>unveiled the bust of the Father of the Nation,</strong> Mahatma Gandhi at the National Library of Latvia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Vice President&rsquo;s visit to Estonia includes talks on the development of bilateral relations as well as possible cooperation in the UN and international organisations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Baltic Countries</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Baltic states,</strong> the northeastern region of Europe, includes the countries of <strong>Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania,</strong> on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/127image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/127image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="394" height="426" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Baltic states are bounded on the west and north by the <strong>Baltic Sea, which gives the region its name,</strong> on the east by Russia, on the southeast by Belarus, and on the southwest by Poland and an exclave of Russia</li>
<li><strong>In 1991,</strong> their then popularly elected governments <strong>declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)</strong> with overwhelming support.</li>
<li>The Baltic region is not rich in natural resources. Though Estonia is an important producer of oil shale, a large share of mineral and energy resources is imported.</li>
<li>Agriculture remains important to the Baltic economy, with potatoes, cereal grains, and fodder crops produced and dairy cattle and pigs raised.</li>
<li><strong>India and Baltic countries have historical connect and common linguistic roots.</strong> The cutting edge technology and innovation ecosystems of the Baltic countries complement India&rsquo;s huge market and appetite for these technologies.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1582474" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/baltic-nations'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Baya Weaver',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is a bird found in South and Southeast Asia.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The bird is known for its <strong>nest building skills,</strong> it makes a <strong>long hanging nest with a bulbous chamber and a narrow tubular entrance.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/732image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/732image2.jpg" width="148" height="173" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong></li>
<li>The construction of the nest is initiated by a <strong>male Baya Weaver</strong> but completes it only after getting a female mate.</li>
<li><strong>Grasslands are the natural habitat</strong> of the Baya weaver. <strong>Rapid urbanization and change in land use pattern have led to the loss of habitat of the bird.</strong></li>
<li>However, its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a> status is <strong>Least concern.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/at-home/article29187549.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/baya-weaver'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Defence Reforms: Chief of Defence Staff',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>Introduction: The article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/can-a-cds-act-as-a-catalyst-for-further-defence-reforms/article29159971.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Can a CDS act as a catalyst for further defence reforms?&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Hindu on 20th August. It talks about the role and challenges ahead for the newly-announced post of Chief of Defence Staff.</p>
</div>
<h3>Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In his Independence Day speech, PM announced that India will soon have a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chief-of-defence-staff" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).</strong></a></li>
<li>The CDS is meant to be a single-point military advisor to the government, and to coordinate long-term planning, procurement, training and logistics of the three services.</li>
<li>Its creation was recommended in 2001 by the <strong>Group of Ministers (GoM)</strong> that was tasked with studying the <strong>Kargil Review Committee (1999)</strong> coming up with concrete proposals from it, led by K. Subrahmanyam.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Why had India not appointed a CDS until now?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Apprehensions in the political class about a powerful military leader, along with inter-Services bickering, have long worked to disincentivise creation of CDS.</li>
<li>After the GoM recommendations, in preparation for the post of CDS, the government created the <strong>Integrated Defence Staff (IDS)</strong> in 2002, which was to eventually serve as the CDS&rsquo;s Secretariat. However, over the past 17 years, this has remained yet another nebulous department within the military establishment.</li>
<li>No consensus emerged among the Services, with the Indian Air Force especially opposed to such a move. The opposition, was against the idea of concentrating too much military power in the CDS&rsquo;s post. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) too, opposed it subtly for the same reasons, and because it could disrupt civil-military ties in the latter&rsquo;s favour.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Why now?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has had a feeble equivalent known as the <strong>Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC);</strong> but this is a toothless office, given the manner in which it is structured. The senior most among the three Service Chiefs is appointed to head the CoSC, an office that lapses with the incumbent&rsquo;s retirement.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>CoSC arrangement is seen as unsatisfactory, and its Chairman as a <strong>figurehead.</strong> The post did not further tri-service integration, resulting in <strong>inefficiency and an expensive duplication of assets.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2012, the <strong>Naresh Chandra committee</strong> recommended the appointment of a Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee as a midway to allay apprehensions over the CDS.</li>
<li>The CDS is also one of the 99 recommendations made by the <strong>Lt General D.B. Shekatkar (retd) Committee</strong> which submitted its report in December 2016 which had 34 recommendations pertaining to the tri-services.</li>
<li>All major countries, especially the nuclear weapon states, have a CDS. With increasing complexity of security challenges in modern warfare arena, it requires a more integrated approach to defense strategy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Task ahead for the CDS</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Achieving Inter-services Synergy:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>improving <strong>inter-services synergy</strong> and laying the road map for time-bound integration</li>
<li>attaining a <strong>seamless integration of the MoD</strong> with service headquarters</li>
<li>assuming the <strong>operational responsibilities for all tri-service commands</strong> and agencies</li>
<li>steering the <strong>creation of integrated battle groups</strong> for various contingencies as a precursor to validating the concept of theatre commands</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strategic Challenge:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India currently faces multiple security challenges. Because of frequent conflicts on the land frontiers, both internal and external, <strong>India&rsquo;s security landscape has been naturally dominated by the Indian Army.</strong></li>
<li>Balancing this reality with a realisation that <strong>both maritime and air power are going to play an increasingly important role</strong> in India&rsquo;s rise as a leading power will be among the initial strategic challenges the CDS faces.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Balancing the Competing Interests:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Balancing national interests, shedding his own service affiliations, and looking after the interests of all the three services will always be a tough act.</li>
<li>CDS must also have the world view and political awareness necessary to engage with diverse stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The CDS is also seen as being <strong>vital to the creation of &ldquo;theatre commands&rdquo;,</strong> integrating tri-service assets and personnel like that in the US military.</li>
</ul>
<p>The creation of the CDS will need to be followed up with further reforms to reconfigure the armed forces to meet India&rsquo;s aspirations to be a global power.<br /><br /></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 499px; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f6f7e6;">
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Explain the role of Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) in strengthening India&rsquo;s security and military mechanism. Identify the challenges ahead for the CDS.&rdquo;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/defence-reforms-chief-of-defence-staff'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'TRAFFIC',
		'catname' => 'International Institutions',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The TRAFFIC, the <strong>Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network,</strong> is a leading non-governmental organisation working on wildlife trade in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.</li>
<li>It is <strong>a joint program</strong> of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</li>
<li><strong>It was established in 1976</strong> and has developed into a global network, research-driven and action-oriented, committed to delivering <strong>innovative and practical conservation solutions.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Headquarters:</strong> Cambridge, United Kingdom</li>
<li>It aims to ensure that <strong>trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Illegal wildlife trade</strong> is one of the <strong>main reasons that many species are endangered.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, rhino poaching to fuel to demand for the illegal rhino horn trade reached an all-time high in 2011, with <strong>448 rhinos poached in South Africa alone.</strong></li>
<li>This could unravel years of conservation success with African rhinos.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The TRAFFIC is governed by the <strong>TRAFFIC Committee,</strong> a steering group <strong>composed of members</strong> of TRAFFIC's partner organizations, WWF and IUCN.</li>
<li>TRAFFIC also works in <strong>close co-operation</strong> with the <strong>Secretariat of</strong> the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora</strong></a> <strong>(CITES).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Its staff</strong> includes experts from a plethora of backgrounds: <strong>biologists, conservationists, academics, researchers, communicators </strong>or<strong> investigators,</strong> etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Since its establishment, it has <strong>helped in the evolution of the international wildlife trade treaties.</strong></li>
<li>It focuses on leveraging resources, expertise and <strong>awareness</strong> of the latest globally urgent <strong>species trade issues</strong> such as <strong>tiger parts, elephant ivory </strong>and<strong> rhino horn.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Large scale commercial trade</strong> in commodities like <strong>timber and fisheries products</strong> are also addressed and linked to work on developing rapid results and policy improvements.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/339Traffic.1000x0.1530281413_1530281413.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/339Traffic.1000x0.1530281413_1530281413.jpg" width="501" height="513" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>TRAFFIC and India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>TRAFFIC operates as a <strong>Programme Division</strong> of WWF-India, based in New Delhi since 1991.</li>
<li>It has since worked closely with the National and the State Governments and various agencies to help study, monitor and influence action to curb illegal wildlife trade.</li>
<li><strong>Bridging</strong> the <strong>gap in effective wildlife law enforcement</strong> in India through <strong>capacity building programmes:</strong></li>
<li>Under this programme, <strong>TRAFFIC provides training and inputs</strong> to a diverse group of <strong>officials working on wildlife enforcement</strong> and other related issues.</li>
<li>Conducting research and providing analysis on wildlife trade and its trends:</li>
<li>TRAFFIC India&rsquo;s on-going projects include <strong>study on Leopard and Tiger poaching</strong> and trade in India, <strong>peacock feather trade, owl trade, dynamics of hunting community,</strong> trade in <strong>medicinal plants,</strong> bird trade and more.</li>
<li>Awareness generation:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t Buy Trouble&rdquo;</strong> is one of TRAFFIC India&rsquo;s first <strong>consumer awareness campaign</strong> that <strong>advises tourists to be careful</strong> of what <strong>they buy as souvenirs</strong> during their travels. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The campaign has been running <strong>successfully since 2008 at airports, Tiger reserves,</strong> national parks, wildlife resorts/hotels, travel agencies, schools, colleges and other prominent locations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>TRAFFIC&rsquo;s <strong>latest campaign</strong> is the <strong>WANTED ALIVE series</strong> on the four Asian big cats- <strong>Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard</strong> and <strong>Clouded Leopard</strong>&mdash;all of them <strong>threatened by illegal trade</strong> in their body parts.</li>
<li><strong>Encouraging international collaborations to fight wildlife crime:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>TRAFFIC played a key role in bringing together the South Asian countries to form the <strong>South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>SAWEN</strong> was formally established at an inter-governmental meeting hosted in <strong>Paro</strong> (a town in Bhutan) by the <strong>Royal Government of Bhutan, in January 2011.</strong></li>
<li>The main aim of this initiative is to have the countries collaborate and cooperate to fight wildlife crime in the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/traffic'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Environment Clearance',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The government is working to limit procedural delays to reduce the time for environment clearance to <strong>60 days.</strong></p>
<h3>Background <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/980image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/980image3.jpg" width="330" height="411" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To meet the ambitious goal of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/east-asian-model-for-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>$5-trillion economy</strong></a>, the government intends to <strong>increase investment</strong> by <strong>fastening the process of</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>environmental clearances</strong></a> to businesses.</li>
<li>As claimed by Environment Minister, environmental clearances usually took around <strong>640 days before 2014,</strong> which has been reduced to <strong>108 days.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Environmental Clearance Process</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The process of granting of environment clearance includes:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Specifying Terms of Reference(ToR).</li>
<li>Preparing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)</strong></a> report.</li>
<li>Holding Public Consultation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/environment-clearance'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Panel on Direct Tax Code',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, the panel on re-writing the direct tax legislation has submitted its report and a draft of the new proposed version of the Income-tax law to the Government.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Income-Tax (I-T) Act, which was drafted almost 60 years ago, needs an overhaul, but at the same time it should be in sync with the economic circumstances of the country.</li>
<li>The panel on the Direct Tax Code (DTC) has suggested a rejig of personal income tax slabs, roadmap of corporate tax rate cut to 25% for companies, provisions to reduce compliance burden by simplification of procedures and litigation management. It has also suggested some changes in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxes-and-india-s-equity-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dividend Distribution Tax</strong></a> and <strong>Minimum Alternate Tax.</strong></li>
<li>While the new direct tax law will bring to force new taxation concepts as well as schemes to reduce litigation, the actual tax rate reduction may be executed as part of annual Finance Bills, depending on the revenue buoyancy of the government from time to time.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Minimum Alternate Tax</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At times it may happen that a taxpayer, being a company, may have generated income during the year, but by taking the advantage of various provisions of Income-tax Law (like exemptions, deductions, depreciation, etc.), it may have reduced its tax liability or may not have paid any tax at all.</li>
<li>Due to an increase in the number of zero tax paying companies, Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) was introduced by the Finance Act, 1987 with effect from assessment year 1988-89. Later on, it was withdrawn by the Finance Act, 1990 and then reintroduced by Finance Act, 1996.</li>
<li>MAT is calculated at 18.5% on the book profit (the profit shown in the profit and loss account) or at the usual corporate rates, and whichever is higher is payable as tax.</li>
<li>All companies in India, whether domestic or foreign, fall under this provision. MAT was later extended to cover non-corporate entities as well.</li>
<li>MAT is an important tool with which tax avoidance can be prevented.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/985image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/985image1.jpg" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Task Force, initially headed by former CBDT Member (Legislation) Arbind Modi and later on by <strong>Akhilesh Ranjan,</strong> was constituted in November 2017 in order to review the Income-tax Act and to draft a new Direct Tax Law.</li>
<li>The proposals in the draft code are <strong>aimed at bringing more certainty to taxation of personal and corporate income and capital gains,</strong> and at bringing the gist of numerous judicial pronouncements made since 1961, when the current tax law came into force, in one place for easy reference. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It could <strong>improve <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-banks-ease-of-doing-business-report-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ease of doing business</a></strong> and r<strong>educe the compliance burden</strong> as well as tax disputes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Litigation Management:</strong> Amendments in Section 147 and Section 148 of the I-T Act, <strong>empowering the tax officer to reopen assessment cases</strong> based on predefined criteria. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The I-T officer can go back up to six years</strong> to scrutinise the books of accounts of the assessees.</li>
<li>Currently, these provisions are prone to the interpretation. 40% of litigation happens because assessees challenge reasons given by officers for reopening cases.</li>
<li><strong>Increasing the threshold limit for opening cases:</strong> Currently it is Rs 1 lakh and above. Also, the pre-defined criteria to select cases for scrutiny will be tightened.</li>
<li><strong>Reopening cases should be supported by proper reasoning.</strong> Often cases are reopened due to information received from banks, financial institutions, and other sources.</li>
<li><strong>Assessment proceedings should be made faceless,</strong> and an option be allowed to the public to seek clarifications on tax matters from CBDT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduced Burden of Tax Compliance:</strong> Tax compliance based on global trends and best practices. This is expected to increase clarity among taxpayers and also expand the tax base.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Use of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI)</strong></a> in the tax-compliance and administration process.</li>
<li>Proposal of <strong>introducing collaborative compliance in direct tax administration,</strong> which would integrate data from banks, financial institutions and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) network to ensure that the scope of taxable income increases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Personal Income Tax:</strong> A rejig in rates between 5% to 20%. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, the personal income tax structure has <strong>three categories</strong> based on age &mdash; for people below the age of 60, for people above the age of 60 but less than 80, and the third for people of 80 years and above.</li>
<li>The first category has four slabs &ndash; nil tax on income up to Rs 2.5 lakh; 5% tax rate for income between Rs 2.50 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, 20% tax rate for income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh and 30% for income above Rs 10 lakh. The second category has the basic slab of Rs 3 lakh while the third category has &lsquo;nil&rsquo; rate for income up to Rs 5 lakh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Corporate Tax to be 25%</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government will be <strong>cutting down the corporate tax rate gradually to 25% for all companies,</strong> including the large ones with an annual turnover of over Rs 400 crore.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government has, <strong>over the last five years, trimmed the rate to 25% from 30%</strong> in a phased manner for 99.3% of companies.</li>
<li>However, the 0.7% large companies that do not enjoy this benefit make up for almost 80% of the total corporate tax collection and are subject to as much as 30%.</li>
<li>The proposed corporate tax reduction<strong> will apply to both large local as well as foreign companies</strong> that are present in India without a subsidiary and are taxed at 40%. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Unlike domestic firms, foreign companies pay a higher corporate tax rate, but do not have to pay dividend distribution tax that is applicable to domestic companies.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>If implemented, the tax rate reduction could prove to be a big fiscal stimulus for the corporate sector reeling under a sharp economic downturn.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/key-suggestions-of-dtc-panel-rejig-of-personal-i-t-slabs-cut-in-corporate-tax-5918559/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: Indian Express</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/panel-on-direct-tax-code'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Nicotine as Class A Poison',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Karnataka has amended Poisons (Possessions and Sale) Rules 2015 by notifying nicotine as <strong>Class A</strong> poison.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The move aims at strengthening the enforcement of the ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In August 2018, <strong>the Union Health Ministry</strong> had instructed all the States to put a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and other <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)</strong></a> under their jurisdiction.</li>
<li>Though Karnataka had banned the sale and production of e-cigarettes in June 2016, but illegal sale and smuggling of nicotine cartridges and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ban-on-e-cigarettes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>e-cigarettes</strong></a> is rampant in the State.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Nicotine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nicotine is a <strong>plant alkaloid</strong> that contains nitrogen, which is found in several types of plants, including the tobacco plant and can also be produced synthetically.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/499image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/499image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="121" height="150" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>Nicotine is both a <strong>sedative</strong> and a <strong>stimulant.</strong></li>
<li>Nicotine is used as a direct substance in e-cigarettes and the content ranges up to <strong>36 mg/mL.</strong> Although regular cigarettes too have nicotine, but it ranges between <strong>1.2 to 1.4 mg/mL.</strong></li>
<li>Chewing or snorting tobacco products usually releases more nicotine into the body than smoking.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Harmful Effect of Nicotine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nicotine on direct application in humans causes irritation and burning sensation in the mouth and throat, increased salivation, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.</li>
<li>It also increases pulse rate and blood pressure.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><em><strong>Classification of Poison</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>US Department of Transport</strong> divides poisons in two classes</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Class-A:</strong> Highly toxic chemicals which even in very small quantities as gas or vapor in air are dangerous to life such as cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid, nitrogen peroxide, and phosgene.</li>
<li><strong>Class-B:</strong> Chemicals other than those included in Class-A and comparatively less toxic but considered dangerous.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/nicotine-class-a-poison-in-karnataka/article29164442.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: The Hindu</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nicotine-as-class-a-poison'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Transforming Agriculture',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>&ldquo;The article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/narendra-modi-govt-farmer-crisis-agriculture-reforms-landowners-protect-rights-5915552/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;High powered committee for transformation of agriculture should reform restrictive tenancy laws&rdquo;</strong></a> that published in The Indian Express on 19<sup>th</sup> August. It talks about the need for Tenancy Reforms and Land Record Modernisation to transform the Indian Agriculture.&rdquo;</p>
</div>
<h3>Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On 1<sup>st</sup> July 2019, Prime Minister had set up a <strong>High Powered Committee of Chief Ministers for &lsquo;Transformation of Indian Agriculture&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The nine-member committee, headed by Maharashtra&rsquo;s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is formed <strong>to suggest policy measures, attract investments </strong>and<strong> raise growth in food processing.</strong></li>
<li>Its terms of reference (ToR) pertain largely to matters related to <strong>agri-markets.</strong> This includes <strong>reforming the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services Act of 2018</strong> and the <strong>Essential Commodities Act (ECA)</strong> as well as suggesting measures to <strong>reinvigorate the e-NAM scheme.</strong></li>
<li>However, transforming agriculture in the medium to long run requires fundamental reforms in land institutions as well. This is what is missing in the new committee&rsquo;s ToR.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reforming Tenancy law</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per official records (NSSO, 2012-13), only about 10% of the agricultural land is under tenancy, down from 20% in 1953-54.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, experts believe that official estimates hugely under-report actual tenancy which may be around one-third of the agricultural land in reality.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Liberalisation of land lease markets is the need of the hour since
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>the size of the average land holding has been declining in India</strong> (the average landholding size of a household is only 1.1 hectare (ha) in 2015-16, according to a survey by NABARD) which is detrimental to the farmers&rsquo; income due to poor economic viability of such tracts.</li>
<li><strong>restrictive tenancy laws have generated oral (informal) tenancy</strong> that is said to be much higher than formal tenancy in magnitude. This is adversely impacting land-use efficiency.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Oral tenants <strong>do not have legal sanction and are not recognised as farmers.</strong> This deprives them from availing institutional credit, crop insurance, government-sponsored social benefit schemes and relief support.</li>
<li>The fear of eviction from the land also disincentivises them from making long-term investments in land improvement. This results in low capital formation and hurts farm productivity.</li>
<li>Even the landowners fear losing their proprietary rights, if they lease out for longer periods. As a result, many of them prefer to keep their lands fallow. Rough estimates suggest that about 17 million hectares of cultivable land in the country is lying fallow.</li>
<li>China has revised its land lease laws, where farmers can lease out their land, even to corporate entities for cultivation for up to 30 years. Such a move can help attract long-term investments in high-value crops.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Digitisation of Land Records</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Digitising and geo-tagging of land records and linking them with Aadhaar and the bank accounts of farmers will create a centralised, transparent and easily accessible land records system.</li>
<li>It can then help any class of farmers operating a piece of land to access bank credit and crop insurance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Practices Adopted by States</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Only three states&mdash; <strong>Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura</strong> &mdash; have completed 100% computerisation of land records. Many others have computerised 80 to 95% of their land records.</li>
<li><strong>Andhra Pradesh&rsquo;s Land Licensed Cultivators Act</strong> has provided suitable channels to deliver loans, subsidies, crop insurance and relief support. It does so by issuing eligibility cards to tenants, who raise crops with the explicit or implied permission of the owners.</li>
<li><strong>Kerala&rsquo;s Kudumbashree initiative</strong> is another innovation that is making strides in poverty eradication and women empowerment. Under the initiative, women are motivated to become members of joint liability groups (JLG). They then cultivate leased land with assured access to agricultural credit from NABARD and other banking institutions, increasing their returns from farming.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Implementing the recommendations of <strong>Model Land Lease Act (2016)</strong> prepared by NITI Aayog-appointed expert body headed by T Haque.</li>
<li>Liberalising land lease markets, with computerisation of land records and geo-tagging of farms can give a high pay-off with enhanced capital formation. Crop insurance could also be linked to this platform.</li>
<li>Andhra Pradesh and Kerala&rsquo;s innovative institutional experiences offer key lessons for policymakers to liberalise restrictive land leasing laws in the country, while fully protecting the land rights of the owners.</li>
<li>It is high time to carry out long-pending <strong>structural reforms in the agriculture sector</strong> to make it achieve the faster growth rate and effectively meeting the vision of doubling farmers&rsquo; income by 2022.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 502px; border-style: dotted; background-color: #fce8e8; border-color: #ff0000;">
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Transforming agriculture requires fundamental reforms in land institutions. Comment.&rdquo;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/transforming-agriculture'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Jet Streams',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<h3>What is a Jet Stream?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Jet Stream is a <strong>geostrophic wind</strong> blowing horizontally through the upper layers of the troposphere, generally from west to east, at an altitude of 20,000 - 50,000 feet.</li>
<li><strong>Jet Streams develop where air masses of differing temperatures meet.</strong> So, usually surface temperatures determine where the Jet Stream will form.</li>
<li>Greater the difference in temperature, faster is the wind velocity inside the jet stream.</li>
<li>Jet Streams extend from 20 degrees latitude to the poles in both hemispheres.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genesis of Jet Streams</h3>
<p>The genesis of the Jet-streams is provided by three kinds of gradients:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Thermal gradient between pole and equator</li>
<li>Pressure gradient between pole and equator</li>
<li>Pressure gradient between surface and subsurface air over the poles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Where does it actually begin?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Air when warmed in the tropics, around the equator, fuel the Jet Stream as it rises. Hitting the tropopause at about 58,000 feet (the layer of the atmosphere separating the troposphere from the stratosphere), it is drawn toward the colder air at the north and south poles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Types of Jet Streams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sub Tropical Jet Streams</strong> are best developed in winter and early spring. Their maximum speed approaches 300 knots which are associated with the merger with polar-front jets. A subsidence motion accompanies subtropical jets and gives rise to predominantly fair weather in areas they pass over. Sometimes they drift northward and merge with a polar-front jet.</li>
<li><strong>Tropical Easterly Jet Stream</strong> occurs near the tropopause over Southeast Asia, India, and Africa during summer. This jet implies a deep layer of warm air to the north of the jet and colder air to the south over the Indian Ocean. The difference in heating and cooling and the ensuing pressure gradient is what drives this jet.</li>
<li><strong>Polar-Night Jet Stream</strong> meanders through the upper stratosphere over the poles. They are present in the convergence zone above the sub polar low pressure belt.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/514image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/514image2.jpg" width="456" height="436" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Climatic Significance of Jet Stream</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At times, Jet Streams bring about some moisture to the stratosphere, leading to the formation of Noctilucent clouds (tenuous cloudlike phenomena in the upper atmosphere which are made of ice crystals visible in a deep twilight.)</li>
<li>Plays a significant role in the onset and withdrawal of <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/monsoon-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>monsoon</strong></a> <strong>winds.</strong></li>
<li>Known to have brought some ozone depleting substances to stratosphere which result in <strong>ozone layer depletion.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Intensifies alternative cyclonic and anticyclonic conditions</strong> with the crust and trough formation in its movement.</li>
<li>When the air mass is moving, it undergoes alternate expansion and compression which means that it is associated with alternative high pressure and low pressure.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Characteristics of Jet Streams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Its genesis is associated with the thermal contrast of air cells, for example Hadley cell, Ferrel cell.</li>
<li>The meandering or the whirl movement of the Jet Stream is called <strong>&lsquo;Rossby Wave&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Equatorial extension of the Jet Stream is more in winter because of the southern shift of the pressure belts.</li>
<li>During winters, the thermal contrast increases and the intensity of the high pressure centre at the pole increases. It intensifies the formation of Jet Streams, its extension as well as its velocity.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Indian Monsoon Mechanism and the Role of Sub Tropical Jet Streams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The burst of monsoons depends upon the upper air circulation which is dominated by Sub Tropical Jet Streams (STJ).</li>
<li>The south west monsoon coming in India is related to tropical easterly stream. It blows between 8 degree- 35 degree North latitudes.</li>
<li>The north east monsoon (winter monsoon) is related to the subtropical westerly Jet Stream which blows between 20 degree and 35 degree latitudes in both hemispheres.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/463image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/463image1.jpg" width="434" height="700" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Seasonal Migration of STJ</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In winter, STJ flows along the southern slopes of the Himalaya and in summer shifts northwards dramatically, flowing along the edge of Himalayas in early June and in late summer (July-August) along the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.</li>
<li>The periodic movement of the Jet Stream often indicates the onset and subsequent withdrawal (STJ returns back to its position &ndash; south of Himalayas) of the monsoon.</li>
<li>Northward movement of the subtropical jet is the first indication of the onset of the monsoon over India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>STJ in Summer</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>With the beginning of summer, the STJ [upper westerlies] start their northward march.</li>
<li>The weather over northern India becomes hot, dry and squally due to larger incoming solar radiation and hot winds like loo.</li>
<li>Over India, the Equatorial Trough (ITCZ) moves northwards with the weakening of the STJ south of Tibet, but the burst of the monsoon does not take place until the upperair circulation has switched to its summer pattern.</li>
<li>By the end of May the southern jet breaks and later it is diverted to the north of Tibet Plateau. There is sudden burst of monsoons (the ridge moves northwards into Central Asia, the high pressure zone over north-west India moves northwards into Central Asia making way for south-west monsoon winds).</li>
<li>The clockwise cyclic origin in the middle of the troposphere begins in the winds rising up from the plateau of Tibet after it becomes too hot. While going up separates near tropopause. One of these blows in the form of the easterly Jet Stream towards the equator and the other blows in the form of the westerly Jet Stream towards the poles.</li>
<li>Western and eastern jets flow to north &amp; south of Himalayas respectively. The eastern jet becomes powerful and is stationed at 15&deg; N latitude.</li>
<li>The easterly winds become very active in the upper troposphere and they are associated with westerly winds in the lower troposphere (south-west monsoon winds).</li>
<li>This results in more active southwest monsoon and heavy rainfall is caused. The plateau of Tibet and central Asia becoming too hot is considered for its origin.</li>
<li>It is to be noted that the westerly Jet Stream begins to settle down in the Arabian sea by blowing in the south west direction and also creates a very high pressure belt there. Inversely, when this hot Jet Stream blows over the Indian sub continent, it pulls up the surface air and creates a very low pressure there. To fill up the low pressure, winds from high pressure area of the Arabian Sea begins to blow towards in the north east direction- known as the southwest monsoon.</li>
</ul>
<h3>STJ in Winters</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The winter subtropical westerly Jet Stream <strong>blows from the west to the east in the entire west and middle Asia</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>bifurcated by the Himalayan ranges and Tibetan Plateau.</strong> One of the branch blows parallel to the plateau from the north while the other moves towards the east in the south of the Himalayas.</li>
<li>The western disturbance which enter the Indian subcontinent in winter are brought by these westerly winds.</li>
<li>The southern branch blows to the south of the Himalayan ranges along 25&deg; north latitude.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How Does It Trigger The North East Monsoon?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The westerly Jet Stream, a cold wind which pushes down wind to the surface creating a high pressure on the surface.</li>
<li>Dry winds from this high pressure area (north western part of India) start blowing towards the low pressure area (Bay of Bengal).</li>
<li>These winds in turn bring cold waves in winter in the northern part of the country including UP and Bihar.</li>
<li>After reaching the Bay of Bengal, westerly under the influence of Ferrel&rsquo;s cell take the form of north east monsoon.</li>
<li>When this wind reaches the coast of Tamil Nadu, it causes rainfall with the humidity received from the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/jet-streams'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'PM’s Visit to Bhutan',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>During the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Bhutan, <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/indo-bhutan-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">both the countries reiterated their commitment to maintain close coordination</a> on matters affecting each other&rsquo;s security and national interests.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Takeaways<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/887Image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/887Image4.jpg" width="282" height="199" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The two countries inked <strong>10 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs)</strong> in the fields of <strong>space research, aviation, IT, power</strong> and <strong>education</strong> to infuse new energy in their ties.</li>
<li>Both sides emphasised the importance of <strong>&ldquo;hydro-power development&rdquo;</strong> as one of the most important areas of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The two Prime Ministers formally inaugurated the recently completed 720 MW Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Plant and resolved to continue working together to expedite the completion of other ongoing projects such as Punatsangchhu-1, Punatsangchhu-2 and Kholongchhu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Both the leaders agreed to collaborate on the <strong>joint development of a small satellite for Bhutan.</strong></li>
<li>The two countries agreed to further expand bilateral trade and investment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Prime Minister of India assured the Bhutan Prime Minister of &ldquo;positive consideration&rdquo; of Bhutan&rsquo;s request for enhancement of the currency swap limit under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework.</li>
<li>As an interim measure, he offered an additional USD 100 million of currency swap under the<strong> Standby Swap Arrangement.</strong></li>
<li>The Union Cabinet had, on March 1, 2012, approved the framework on currency swap arrangement for SAARC member-countries with the intention to provide a <strong>line of funding for short-term foreign exchange requirements</strong> or to meet balance of payments crises till longer term arrangements are made or the issue is resolved in the short-term itself.</li>
<li>India has also incorporated a $400-million <strong>&lsquo;Standby Swap&rsquo;</strong> facility within the existing approved overall $2 billion currency swap arrangement for SAARC member-countries.</li>
<li>This incorporation of &lsquo;Standby Swap&rsquo; provides the necessary flexibility to the current &lsquo;framework on currency swap arrangement&rsquo; and enable India to provide a prompt response to the request from SAARC member- countries for availing themselves of the swap amount exceeding the present limit prescribed under the SAARC Swap Framework.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India announced the<strong> increase in scholarships for Bhutanese students</strong> for studies at Nalanda University from 2 to 5.</li>
<li>Both the leaders launched the facility for <strong>use of Indian RuPay cards in Bhutan,</strong> which would facilitate Indians&rsquo; travel to Bhutan by reducing the need to carry cash, boost the Bhutanese economy and further integrate the two economies<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They also agreed for a feasibility study on the use of India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/digital-transactions-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app</strong> </a>in Bhutan to promote cashless payments between the two countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The two Prime Ministers also <strong>inaugurated in Thimphu the</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bhutans-pm-visits-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ground Earth Station of the South Asian Satellite,</strong></a> constructed with the support of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-bhutan-to-work-closely-on-security-national-interests-narendra-modi-5915632/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-s-visit-to-bhutan'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Preservation of Sundarban',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong>Discovery India</strong> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Wide Fund (WWF)</strong></a> India have partnered with the <strong>Government of West Bengal</strong> and local communities in the <strong>Sundarban</strong> to help save the world&rsquo;s only mangrove <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tiger habitat.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>They are working with a vision to create <strong>climate-smart villages</strong> in the Sundarbans.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Climate Smart Villages</strong> are sites where farmers, researchers, local government and the private sector come together to understand which climate smart agriculture practices are best suited for a particular location.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The project will <strong>use technology</strong> to solve several of the issues faced in the region. This includes building datasets on impacts of climate change on estuarine ecosystem.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Through this project, in partnership with the West Bengal Forest Directorate and<strong> Indian Institute of Science Education and Research(IISER) Kolkata,</strong> two Sundarbans ecological observatories will be set up, each featuring data loggers, monitoring buoys and an onsite laboratory.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Farmland productivity:</strong> The initiative also focuses on enhancing farmland productivity through low-cost measures and adjusting crop calendars to deal with climate change.</li>
<li>The initiative will also include work towards securing habitats for tigers and prey species.</li>
<li>The project at Sundarbans is part of a global movement, <strong>Project CAT (Conserving Acres for Tigers)</strong>, aimed at building healthy habitats for Tigers by conserving six million acres of protected land across four countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Project CAT (Conserving Acres for Tigers)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Discovery Communications</strong> is working with World Wildlife Fund and others to support a worldwide effort to <strong>double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022.</strong></li>
<li>It is a mission to ensure a future for tigers and other endangered wildlife by conserving nearly a million acres of protected land on the border of India and Bhutan.</li>
<li>Tigers face multiple threats from <strong>poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation, conflict with humans and overhunting</strong> of their prey species.</li>
<li>As a large predator, tigers are an umbrella species. They play a key role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>By protecting tigers and their habitat, the others risk animals that share this habitat, like Asian elephants, greater one-horned rhinos, clouded leopards and important prey species are also getting protected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Umbrella Species </strong>and<strong> Keystone Species</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Umbrella Species</strong> are species that are selected for conservation-related decisions because the conservation and protection of these species indirectly affect the conservation and protection of other species within their ecosystem.</li>
<li>Umbrella species help in the selection of potential reserve locations, as well as the determination of the composition of the reserve.</li>
<li>These species usually have a large area requirement for which the conservation of the species extends the protection to other species sharing the same habitat.</li>
<li>Umbrella species are representative of other species in their habitat since they are known species, and they also determine the area of conservation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For example:</strong> The protection of the Bay checkerspot butterfly automatically leads to the protection of the grassland while the conservation of the Amur tiger in the Russian Far East also means automatic conservation and protection of the deer and boar in their habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>keystone species</strong> is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether.</li>
<li>Keystone species have low functional redundancy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means that if the species were to disappear from the ecosystem, no other species would be able to fill its ecological niche.</li>
<li>The ecosystem would be forced to radically change, allowing new and possibly invasive species to populate the habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Any organism, from plants to fungi, may be a keystone species; they are not always the largest or most abundant species in an ecosystem.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>The Sundarbans Mangrove Forest</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world, lies across India and Bangladesh on the delta of the <strong>Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers</strong> on the Bay of Bengal.</li>
<li>It is adjacent to the border of India&rsquo;s Sundarbans <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-committee-s-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Heritage site</a> inscribed in 1987.</strong></li>
<li>The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant <strong>mangrove forests,</strong> and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes.</li>
<li>The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the estuarine crocodile, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water monitor lizard, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphins-found-in-mahananda-river" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gangetic dolphin,</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>olive ridley turtles.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/discovery-wwf-tie-up-to-preserve-sundarbans/article29131762.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: HBL</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preservation-of-sundarban'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Odisha’s Lake Conservation',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Odisha Wetland Authority</strong> has approved implementation of an integrated management plan for :<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Chilika,</strong> country&rsquo;s largest brackish water lagoon, and</li>
<li><strong>Ansupa,</strong> state&rsquo;s largest freshwater lake.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> The <strong>five-year management</strong> of lakes is intended at strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying on the two water-bodies. Besides, tourism promotion and conservation of ecology will also be taken up.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chilika</strong><strong> La</strong><strong>ke</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chilika is Asia's largest and world's second largest lagoon.</li>
<li>It lies on the east coast of India in the state of Odisha, separated from the mighty Bay of Bengal by a small strip of sand.</li>
<li>It spreads over Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometers.</li>
<li>It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent and is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.</li>
<li>In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-backs-dhanauri-for-ramsar-site-tag" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ramsar Convention.</strong></a></li>
<li>Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawady dolphins which are often spotted off Satpada Island.</li>
<li>The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.</li>
<li>Kalijai Temple - Located on an island in the Chilika Lake.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/odisha-s-lake-conservation'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'First Monument in Memory of a Glacier',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong>Iceland</strong> honours the passing of <strong>Okjokull</strong>, its first glacier lost to climate change. A bronze plaque was unveiled in a ceremony to mark Okjokull &mdash; which translates to <strong>&ldquo;Ok glacier&rdquo;</strong> &mdash; in the western Iceland.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will be the <strong>first monument</strong> to a glacier lost to <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-land-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a></strong> anywhere in the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Okjokull Glacier</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Okjokull, also called OK (jokull is Icelandic name for &ldquo;glacier&rdquo;), was part of the <strong>Langj&ouml;kull</strong> group&mdash;one of Iceland&rsquo;s eight regional groupings of glaciers.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Vatnajokull</strong> group being the largest among them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/871Image%202.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/871Image 2.jpg" width="525" height="295" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Vatnajokull Glacier</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Iceland&rsquo;s <em><strong>Vatnajokull National Park</strong></em> was recently added to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-glaciers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO's World Heritage List</strong></a>, is situated in the largest ice cap in Europe i.e Vatnajokull Glacier.</li>
<li>Vatnajokull National Park is situated in the south Iceland and was officially formed in 2008 by joining together Jokulsargljufur and Skaftafell National Parks.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>largest National Park in Europe</strong> and covers an area of 12,000 square kilometers.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is situated atop of <strong>OK volcano</strong> in the <strong>west central</strong> Iceland.</li>
<li>Glaciologists stripped <strong>Okjokull</strong> of its glacier status in <strong>2014.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958iceland.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/958iceland.jpg" width="290" height="204" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>glacier is defined</strong> as a persistent mass of compacted ice that <strong>accumulates more mass each winter than it loses through summer melt </strong>and<strong> moves constantly</strong> under its own weight. When this ceases to be the case, the remains are known as &ldquo;dead ice&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the <strong>University of Iceland report (2017)</strong>, the glacier measured around 16 square kilometre (6.2 square miles) in 1890, which now remains just 0.7 square kilometre.</li>
<li>It was also labelled as <strong>"415 ppm CO2,"</strong> which means the record level of carbon dioxide measured in the atmosphere.</li>
<li>According to a study published by the <strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),</strong> nearly half of the world's heritage sites could lose their glaciers by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/iceland-builds-monument-to-a-glacier-lost/story-v4vneGW0Jdce6vr8m0oSoN.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: Hindustan Times</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-monument-in-memory-of-a-glacier'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'UAE Awards Highest Civilian Honour to the Prime Minister',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The United Arab Emirates(UAE) has awarded <strong>ZAYED Medal</strong>, the highest civilian award to the Prime Minister of India for consolidating the long-standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between the two nations.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It can be noted that recently India was invited by the host UAE as the "Guest of Honour&rdquo; to attend the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-attended-oic-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>46<sup>th</sup> Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)</strong></a> held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This was the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/an-opening-in-abu-dhabi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>first time that India was invited to any OIC meeting</strong></a> as a guest of honor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Zayed Medal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Order of Zayed</strong> is awarded to the Head of Government/Head of State for their international relations with UAE.</li>
<li>The order is in the name of <strong>Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,</strong> the founding father of the UAE.</li>
<li>It consists of a collar cantered by a medallion bearing the name <strong>'Zayed&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>In the past, this award has been conferred to <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Russian President Vladimir Putin,</li>
<li>Former US President George W Bush,</li>
<li>Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy,</li>
<li>German Chancellor Angela Merkel,</li>
<li>Chinese President Xi Jinping</li>
<li>UK's Queen Elizabeth II.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/613Image%201.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/613Image 1.jpg" width="528" height="220" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/uae-to-give-modi-highest-civilian-award/article29127910.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: The Hindu</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uae-awards-highest-civilian-honour-to-the-prime-minister'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Dragonfly Day',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/shark-awareness-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India)</a>,</strong> in collaboration with the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/delhi-butterfly-corridors" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)</strong></a> conducted <strong>dragonfly census</strong> and celebrated<strong> Dragonfly Day on August 18</strong>, in New Delhi and its neighbouring regions.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the <strong>second such event</strong> dedicated to dragonflies and damselflies and aims to carry out a census and raise awareness about their importance.</li>
<li>Dragonfly act as <strong>important bio-indicators</strong> of the ecological health of an area.</li>
<li>They feed on mosquitoes and other insects that are vectors to life-threatening diseases like<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-malaria-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Malaria</strong></a> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sharp-drop-in-dengue-cases-in%20-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dengue</a>.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>first of this census</strong> was <strong>carried out in 2018,</strong> which revealed a total of 51 different species of these insects in New Delhi and NCR.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/631image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/631image1.jpg" width="639" height="279" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Bioindicators</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bioindicators are living organisms such as plants, plankton, animals, and microbes, which are used to assess the health of the natural ecosystem in the environment.</li>
<li>Examples of Bioindicators:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lichens</strong> are powerful<strong> Bioindicators of air quality.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Frogs</strong> are basically influenced by changes that take place in their freshwater and terrestrial habitats.</li>
<li><strong>Algae blooms</strong> are often used to indicate large increases of nitrates and phosphates in lakes and rivers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/killer-instinct-second-dragonfly-census-to-keep-count-of-predators/articleshow/70707679.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TOI</a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dragonfly-day'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Jobs For Locals',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>The Article is based on <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/the-case-against-job-quotas-for-locals-1564930496168.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The case against job quotas for locals&rdquo;</strong></a> that published in Livemint on 4<sup>th</sup> August. It talks about the growing trend of jobs for locals and the associated concerns.</p>
</div>
<h3>Context</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nativism, the cry for job protection of locals, is rearing its head again in India.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Andhra Pradesh Assembly recently passed a legislation that reserves 75% of industrial jobs in the state for locals</li>
<li>Recently Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also said that the state government is mulling a law to ensure 70 per cent jobs to local youths in the private sector.</li>
<li>It is highly likely that other states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka with large pools of migrant labour imitate this legislation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Earlier efforts by states</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Maharashtra in 2008 introduced 80% reservation for locals in industries that seek state incentives and tax subsidies, but it could not bring any credible evidence on number of jobs created.</li>
<li>Gujarat introduced 85% reservation for locals as far back as 1995, but it was never enforced, either in the private or public sectors.</li>
<li>Tamilnadu&rsquo;s state industry minister announced in January to ensure at least 50% reservation of jobs for residents of the state.</li>
</ul>
<p>All these restrictions remained only on paper due to lack of implementation mechanism and reluctant attitudes of industries bodies.</p>
<h3>Constitutional Provisions regarding Interstate Migration</h3>
<p>The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of movement and consequently employment within India through several provisions.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Article 19</strong> ensures that citizens can &ldquo;move freely throughout the territory of India".</li>
<li><strong>Article 16</strong> guarantees no birthplace-based discrimination in public employment.</li>
<li><strong>Article 15</strong> guards against discrimination based on place of birth and</li>
<li><strong>Article 14</strong> provides for equality before law irrespective of place of birth.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What does Data tell?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/migrants-and-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The 2011 Census data show that much of the migration to the big cities is intra-State rather than inter-State.</strong></a></li>
<li>As per the census, work related interstate migration to urban areas comprises, on average, less than 10% of the urban workforce, a far cry from concerns on interstate migrants swamping the labour market.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/528image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/528image1.jpg" width="573" height="615" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Why such legislations?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economic sluggishness</strong> and the lack of enough jobs in the market is the primary reason for such politics driven by &ldquo;son of the soil theory&rdquo;.</li>
<li><strong>Vote-bank Politics:&nbsp;</strong>Such promises during elections draw voters&rsquo; attention and the elected governments are forced to act on their promise.</li>
<li><strong>Land Acquisition</strong> for industries has some preconditions from farmers/villagers , who are losing their land, to provide jobs to their family members or local youth.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of such legislations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reduced job creation</strong> due to deterrence for industries in a state with such restrictions. This would do more harm to natives than actually benefiting them.</li>
<li><strong>Ease of Doing Business:</strong> Such restrictions may hamper the growth and development prospects of the respective state as well as the country by affecting ease of doing business.</li>
<li><strong>Diverse labour pool</strong> is a strength of Indian economy. Such restrictions on labour mobility would seek to disregard this advantage.</li>
<li>It will increase <strong>risks of labour shortages,</strong> can trigger a rise in unemployment, aggravate wage inflation, render labour markets rigid and incompetent and exacerbate regional inequalities.</li>
<li>It may promote <strong>aggressive regionalism</strong> and thus a threat to the unity and integrity of India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The best way to grow out of nativism is to ensure economic recovery and provide enough job opportunities for youths.</li>
<li>Skill training and proper education should be the key focus for the states to prepare their masses to compete in the free market.</li>
<li>Instead of nativism, states need to create a framework where safe interstate migration for work is facilitated and fiscal coordination is pursued to enable the portability of social security benefits. If this is done, interstate migration would rise and provide more opportunities to remedy regional disparities.</li>
<li>Matching skills seamlessly across geographies within India would also facilitate the ease of doing business, a much valued goal continually emphasized for faster growth.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; background-color: #f5ebeb; border-color: #2f00ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Input</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Discuss the implications of the growing trend of reservation of jobs for locals in states. Is this trend undermining the unity and integrity of India?&rdquo;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/jobs-for-locals'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'e-Courts',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The High Court of Punjab and Haryana to launch its<strong> first virtual court (e-Court) at Faridabad.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This e-Court would deal with <strong>traffic challan cases</strong> from across the State.</li>
<li>The project will be launched under the guidance of <strong>e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India.</strong></li>
<li>Virtual courts will remove the need for the litigant to be present in the court and facilitate adjudication of the case online through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>e-Courts Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The e-Courts project was conceptualized on the basis of the <strong>&ldquo;National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary &ndash; 2005&rdquo;</strong> submitted by e-Committee, Supreme Court of India with a vision to transform the Indian Judiciary by ICT enablement of Courts.</li>
<li>The e-Courts Mission Mode Project,<strong> is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the Department of Justice,</strong> Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India for the District Courts across the country.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The project envisages:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To provide efficient &amp; time-bound citizen-centric services delivery as detailed in e-Court Project Litigant's Charter.</li>
<li>To develop, install &amp; implement decision support systems in courts.</li>
<li>To automate the processes to provide transparency in the accessibility of information to its stakeholders.</li>
<li>To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively &amp; quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>E-committee</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>E-committee</strong> is a body constituted by the Government of India in pursuance of a proposal received from the supreme court of India for assistance in formulating a National policy on computerization of Indian Judiciary and advise on technological communication and management related changes.</li>
<li>The E-Committee <strong>was set up in 2004</strong> to provide a guide map for the use of I-T and administrative reforms in the judiciary.</li>
<li>All expenditure in connection with the functioning of the e-Committee, including salary and allowance etc. of the Chairman, Members and the supporting staff is met from the sanctioned budget of the Supreme Court of India.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/virtual-court-to-deal-with-traffic-challan-to-be-launched-today/article29113273.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TH</a></strong></p>
</div>',
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