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Electoral Bonds

(The editorial is based on the article “Bonds of secrecy” which appeared in The Indian Express for 3rd April 2019. In this editorial...

03 Apr 2019 News Editorials
Automation and Job Market

Recently the International Labour Organization (ILO) released a report titled “Changing Business and Opportunities for Employer and Business...

03 Apr 2019 News Analysis
President's Visit to Chile

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Unemployment in India

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ISRO Launches EMISAT Satellite

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Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) Scheme

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Important Facts For Prelims (2nd April 2019)

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The Big Picture – Election Code and New Age Media

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SC Suspended EC For Airport In Goa

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01 Apr 2019 News Analysis
The Next Revolution

(This editorial is based on the article 'The Next Revolution' which appeared in 'The Indian Express' on 1st April, 2019. The article talks about...

01 Apr 2019 News Editorials
Important Facts For Prelims (1st April 2019)

Earth Hour Recently the Earth Hour 2019 was observed on March 30 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time with the theme #Connect2Earth. World Wide...

01 Apr 2019 News Analysis
President's Visit to Bolivia

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New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood

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30 Mar 2019 News Editorials
Five Coffee Varieties Got GI Tag

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Non-Convertible Debentures Debentures are long-term financial instruments that are issued by companies to borrow money. Some debentures have a...

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Economic Relations between India and European, Oceania Countries

Recently, interaction on trade and economic cooperation with ambassadors and high commissioners of European and Oceania countries took place in New...

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Gender Wage Gap

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29 Mar 2019 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Electoral Bonds',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<p>(<em>The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Bonds of secrecy&rdquo; which appeared in The Indian Express for 3rd April 2019. In this editorial we&rsquo;ll go through the biggest criticisms of the &lsquo;electoral bonds&rsquo; system.</em>)</p>
<p>&ldquo;<em>Concealing the identity of donors in electoral bonds goes against a fundamental tenet of democracy &mdash; transparency. Any executive Act which takes away transparency is anti-democratic and against the public interest</em>.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Elections are run with money as much as anything else. This involvement of money in our elections has become a bane to our democracy. Transparency on the flow of money into our elections had always been a key issue and the &lsquo;electoral bond&rsquo; system was supposed to take care of this. Sadly, as pointed out in this editorial, this system is deeply flawed and what is worse is that it can actually make the involvement of money in our elections more opaque.</p>
<h3>The First and Biggest Problem</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/an-invitation-to-corruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electoral bonds</a> were conceived in 2017 and the necessary legislative changes were made in the Finance Bill of 2017.</li>
<li><strong>For example, Section 31 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1924, was amended and a new Clause (3) was added to provide for electoral bonds. This amendment was pushed through as a money bill, whereas the Reserve Bank of India Act itself is not a money bill.</strong></li>
<li><strong>This contradiction remains unresolved till today. If the parent Act is not a money bill, how can an amendment to it be treated as a money bill?</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>The notification issued by the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance on January 2, 2018, gives us details of these bonds. From it, one gets a clear idea of the objective of these bonds:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>To conceal the identity of the donor of political funds.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, political parties fund their election campaigns mostly through funds from corporate houses and wealthy individuals.</li>
<li><strong>No political party can meet the exorbitant expenses of an election with their membership fees.</strong> They need to depend on corporates, who are flush with money and have no hesitation in generously helping political parties, particularly the ones that are their favourites.</li>
<li><strong>Much of these funds are actually black money.</strong> Although political parties get income tax exemptions on these donations and the donors too can claim exemption under the relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act, the bulk of these donations remain unaccounted. This means that every election in India adds to the volume of black money in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Electoral bonds were conceived with a view to keeping the identity of the donor secret. The bond does not carry the name of the buyer.</strong>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li><strong>The donor does have a genuine fear that if parties in the Opposition get to know how much he has contributed to the ruling party, he will be in trouble when the former comes to power. The electoral bond scheme is informed by an appreciation of such fears.</strong></li>
<li>Under the scheme, the name or other details of the buyer of the bonds will not be disclosed to any authority for any purpose whatsoever. The recipient, after receiving the bonds from the donor, will deposit it in his account. <strong>Of course, the government &mdash; and the ruling party &mdash; will know who the donor is and how much money has been given to a party.</strong></li>
<li>If there is a &ldquo;tough&rdquo; government in office, we can be sure that the parties in Opposition will get almost nothing.</li>
<li>Thus, two objectives are achieved by introducing electoral bonds.
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-roman;">
<li>One, the identity of the donor can be kept secret from the public, including other political parties.</li>
<li>Two, the ruling parties will get the lion&rsquo;s share of the donations. There is ample evidence that these two objects have been achieved.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The details of the electoral bonds were notified by the finance ministry in January 2018. Para 7(4) of this notification points out, <em>&ldquo;Confidentiality of the information furnished by the buyer shall not be disclosed to any authority for any purpose.&rdquo;</em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This notification was issued under Section 31(3) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1924.</li>
<li><strong>This Section does not give any details about the electoral bonds policy. The confidentiality of the bonds and the total prohibition of disclosure of information about the donor, to any authority for any purpose, is a matter of legislative policy.</strong></li>
<li>This cannot be dealt with through a notification, which is a subordinate legislation. Subordinate legislation can only deal with the details of the implementation of the policy contained in the parent Act. It is the Act which should contain the policy, not the notification issued by the executive under the Act.</li>
<li><strong>The Supreme Court has struck down many such orders, regulations, and notifications on the ground of being ultra vires the parent Act. January 2, 2018, notification on electoral bonds is ultra vires Section 31(3) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1924, and hence is illegal.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Section 29C in The Representation of the People Act, 1951</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Declaration of donation received by the political parties.&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The treasurer of a political party or any other person authorized by the political party in this behalf shall, in each financial year, prepare a report in respect of the following, namely:&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The contribution in excess of twenty thousand rupees received by such political party from any person in that financial year;</li>
<li>The contribution in excess of twenty thousand rupees received by such political party from companies other than Government companies in that financial year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-regulating-anonymous-donations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Way Forward: Transparency is Crucial</a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Firstly, it is not open to the executive to legislate against transparency &mdash; a fundamental aspect of public policy in a democracy.</strong></li>
<li><strong>A legislature can provide for the confidentiality of state secrets but not for protecting the confidentiality of the donors of political funding who are private individuals or private companies. No public interest will be served by that. In fact, it would only injure public interest.</strong></li>
<li>Secondly, Section 29(C) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, requires every political party to submit an annual report to the Election Commission. This report should contain the details of contributions in excess of Rs 20,000 received by the party concerned from individuals and private companies. This requirement has been done away with in the case of electoral bonds through an amendment.</li>
<li><strong>This amendment to Section 29(C) is against the public policy of transparency and is hence unconstitutional.</strong></li>
<li>The Preamble to the Right to Information Act, 2005 declares: &ldquo;<em>&hellip; Democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning.&rdquo;</em> As such, any executive Act which takes away transparency is anti-democratic and against the public interest.</li>
<li>Keeping in view the above-mentioned shortcomings of the legislation, necessary reforms should make their way into the larger public discourse.</li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Automation and Job Market',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/100th-anniversary-of-ilo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Labour Organization (ILO)</strong></a> released a report titled<strong> &ldquo;Changing Business and Opportunities for Employer and Business Organizations"</strong> which dwells on <strong>automation and employability.</strong></p>
<h3>Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report lists the percentage of work activities that can be automated using current technology.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Over 40% of activities</strong> can be<strong> automated across the world.</strong></li>
<li>In the case of <strong>India, 51.8% of activities can be automated.</strong> Robotic automation is having the greatest impact, replacing<strong> low-skilled jobs and simple assembly tasks.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Automation will likely impact most jobs involving <strong>highly structured physical activity in predictable environments, such as manufacturing and retail, alongside data collection and processing.</strong></li>
<li>Automation <strong>threatens to impact women more than men.</strong> This is primarily because automation threatens sectors like retail, business processing outsourcing and textiles/clothing/footwear. where <strong>women form a major part of the workforce.</strong></li>
<li>The report suggests that 66% of Indian businesses are looking for <strong>quite a different set of skills among new recruits</strong> than they did three years ago. Even in the United States of America (61%), Brazil (70%) and Germany (65%) businesses are looking for quite different skills in new recruits</li>
<li>India has an<strong> unemployment crisis.</strong> Over and above that, India also has an<strong> employability crisis.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Even when firms have jobs on offer, they are <strong>unable to find candidates with the right skills</strong> who can take on these jobs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Five global trends</strong> are shaping the way <strong>businesses across the world operate</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Technological Innovation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Automation and digitisation is transforming how and where businesses operate, their workforces and skills requirements.</li>
<li>Technological innovations have the greatest overall impact on business. Technology is facilitating access to new markets, fostering opportunities for new digital business models, accelerating the development of new products and services, enabling new ways of working (such as virtual international teams and remote working), and expanding digital networks of suppliers and business partners.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Economic Integration</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Global economic integration is increasing the harmonisation of corporate global governance, tax/regulatory and business environments. At the same time, businesses are increasingly exposed to the global economy, and political uncertainty.</li>
<li>Emerging economies, which were once mainly the suppliers of low-cost goods, unprocessed natural resources or simple services are becoming hubs for capital, innovation and talent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demographic and Generational Shifts</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The shifting demographic dynamics and declining working-age population are expected to reshape the long-standing fundamentals of work, retirement and savings. Along with this, focus is also on how to take advantage of the youth dividend and its potential economic gains while managing pressures on labour markets and society.</li>
<li>The most significant change is the inclusion of women, who are entering employment at historic, record levels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Climate change and sustainability</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Companies are increasingly pressured to become sustainable by considering the triple bottom line: financial sustainability, social impact and environmental impact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global shortage of skilled labour</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Shifts in knowledge, education and training often mean that the most suitably skilled employees are not found where jobs are located.</li>
<li>A lack of relevant skills for the world of work is already creating problems even at entry-level positions.</li>
<li>The majority of executives believe that matching the curriculum to the economy&rsquo;s needs and business playing an active role in shaping educational systems to boost skills would provide the skilled employees need.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Firms across all regions are feeling an impact on all aspects of their business, from the strategic and operational to the organizational level, with the fastest-growing companies reporting heightened awareness.</li>
<li>As the pace of this change accelerates, <strong>policymakers, and businesses</strong> need to innovate, adjust and become more flexible in order to drive change and<strong> remain relevant in the rapidly changing business environment.</strong></li>
<li>These improvements can only be achieved by adequately <strong>managing and investing in capable human capital</strong>, generating the <strong>skills and capacity to understand</strong> and <strong>respond to the business needs of today and the future.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/automation-and-job-market'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'President's Visit to Chile',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the President of India completed his visit to<strong> the Republic of Chile.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>India- Chile Relations</strong></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chile is India&rsquo;s <strong>window to Latin America</strong> and to the Pacific Alliance.</li>
<li>Chile is the fifth largest trading partner of India in the Latin American region.</li>
<li>India- Chile signed the&nbsp;<strong>Preferential Trade Agreement</strong> in 2017 to enhance the trade.</li>
<li>The bilateral trade is growing and stood at <strong>US$ 2.8 billion</strong> in 2017-18.</li>
<li>India and Chile are <strong>partners</strong> in the <strong>International Solar Alliance.</strong></li>
<li>India- Chile signed three <strong>Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs)</strong> in the fields of -<strong>mining, culture,</strong><strong>&nbsp;disability.</strong></li>
<li>India- Chile commemorates the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary</strong> of the Establishment of <strong>Diplomatic Relations</strong> between Chile and India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chile</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chile is officially known as the Republic of Chile. Its capital is <strong>Santiago</strong>.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199936_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199936_image2.jpg" width="310" height="218" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>It is a South American country occupying a narrow strip of land between the <strong>Andes</strong> to the east and the <strong>Pacific Ocean</strong> to the west.</li>
<li>It borders<strong> Peru</strong> to the north, <strong>Bolivia</strong> to the northeast, <strong>Argentina</strong> to the east, and the <strong>Drake Passage</strong> in the south.</li>
<li>The <strong>Atacama desert</strong> is one of the driest places in the world touches Chile in its northern side and is a source of sodium nitrate fertilizer.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It owes it aridity due to a constant temperature inversion of cool north-flowing <strong>Humboldt ocean current.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chuquicamata</strong> is the World&rsquo;s largest copper town of Chile.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-chile'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Unemployment in India',
			'catname' => 'Paper 3',
			'desc' => '<p>The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.2 percent in February 2019, the highest since September 2016, and also up from 5.9 percent in February 2018, according to the latest data compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).</p>
<h3>What is Unemployment?</h3>
<p>Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment is unable to find work. Unemployment is often used as a measure of the health of the economy. The most frequent measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate, which is the number of unemployed people divided by the number of people in the labor force.</p>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO)</strong> defines employment and unemployment on the following activity statuses of an individual:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Working (engaged in an economic activity) i.e. 'Employed'.</li>
<li>Seeking or available for work i.e. 'Unemployed'.</li>
<li>Neither seeking nor available for work.</li>
</ul>
<p>The first two constitutes labour force and unemployment rate is the percent of the labour force that is without work.</p>
<p>Unemployment rate = (Unemployed Workers / Total labour force) &times; 100</p>
<h3>Types of Unemployment in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Disguised Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a phenomenon wherein more people are employed than actually needed.</li>
<li>It is primarily traced in the agricultural and the unorganised sectors of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Seasonal Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an unemployment that occurs during certain seasons of the year.</li>
<li>Agricultural labourers in India rarely have work throughout the year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Structural Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a category of unemployment arising from the mismatch between the jobs available in the market and the skills of the available workers in the market.</li>
<li>Many people in India do not get job due to lack of requisite skills and due to poor education level, it becomes difficult to train them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cyclical Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is result of the business cycle, where unemployment rises during recessions and declines with economic growth.</li>
<li>Cyclical unemployment figures in India are negligible. It is a phenomenon that is mostly found in capitalist economies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Technological Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is loss of jobs due to changes in technology.</li>
<li>In 2016, World Bank data predicted that the proportion of jobs threatened by automation in India is 69% year-on-year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Frictional Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Frictional Unemployment also called as Search Unemployment, refers to the time lag between the jobs when an individual is searching for a new job or is switching between the jobs.</li>
<li>In other words, an employee requires time for searching a new job or shifting from the existing to a new job, this inevitable time delay causes the frictional unemployment. It is often considered as a voluntary unemployment because it is not caused due to the shortage of job, but in fact, the workers themselves quit their jobs in search of better opportunities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerable Employment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means, people working informally, without proper job contracts and thus sans any legal protection. These persons are deemed &lsquo;unemployed&rsquo; since records of their work are never maintained.</li>
<li>It is one of the main types of unemployment in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Related Terms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unemployment trap</strong> is a situation when unemployment benefits discourage the unemployed to go to work. People find the opportunity cost of going to work too high when one can simply enjoy the benefits by doing nothing.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><em>Description:</em> While the purpose of social security and welfare systems is to provide relief to the unemployed, they end up providing them with an incentive not to return to work. An unemployment trap arises when opportunity cost of going to work is higher than the income received, discouraging people from returning to work and being productive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Harmonised unemployment rates</strong> define the unemployed as people of working age who are without work, are available for work, and have taken specific steps to find work. The uniform application of this definition results in estimates of unemployment rates that are more internationally comparable than estimates based on national definitions of unemployment.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This indicator is measured in numbers of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force and it is seasonally adjusted. The labour force is defined as the total number of unemployed people plus those in civilian employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Measurement of Unemployment in India</h3>
<p>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), an organization under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) measures unemployment in India on following approaches:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Usual Status Approach:</strong> This approach estimates only those persons as unemployed who had <strong>no gainful work for a major time during the 365 days</strong> preceding the date of survey.</li>
<li><strong>Weekly Status Approach:</strong> This approach records only those persons as unemployed who<strong> did not have gainful work even for an hour on any day of the week</strong> preceding the date of survey.</li>
<li><strong>Daily Status Approach:</strong> Under this approach, unemployment status of a person is measured for each day in a reference week. A person having <strong>no gainful work even for 1 hour in a day</strong> is described as unemployed for that day.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Unemployment stats</strong> (based on findings from CMIE&rsquo;s latest data):</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.2 percent in February 2019, the highest since September 2016, and up from 5.9 percent in February 2018.</li>
<li>The total number of employed persons in February 2019 is estimated at 400 million against 406 million in the year-ago period and 407.5 million employed in February 2017.</li>
<li>The labour participation rate fell from 43.2% in January 2019 to 42.7% in February 2019.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Labour Participation Rate</strong> defines that section of working population in the economy which is currently employed or seeking employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Causes of Unemployment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Large population.</li>
<li>Low or no educational levels and vocational skills of working population.</li>
<li>Inadequate state support, legal complexities and low infrastructural, financial and market linkages to small/ cottage industries or small businesses, making such enterprises unviable with cost and compliance overruns.</li>
<li>Huge workforce associated with informal sector due to lack of required education/ skills, which is not captured in any employment data. For ex: domestic helpers, construction workers etc.</li>
<li><strong>The syllabus taught in schools and colleges, being not as per the current requirements of the industries.</strong> This is the main cause of structural unemployment.</li>
<li>Inadequate growth of infrastructure and<strong> low investments in manufacturing sector, hence restricting employment potential of secondary sector</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Low productivity in agriculture sector combined with lack of alternative opportunities for agricultural worker which makes transition from primary to secondary and tertiary sectors difficult.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Regressive social norms</strong> that deter women from taking/continuing employment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The problem of unemployment gives rise to the <strong>problem of poverty</strong>.</li>
<li>Young people after a long time of unemployment indulge in illegal and wrong activities for earning money. This also leads to <strong>increase in crime in the country</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Unemployed persons can easily be enticed by antisocial elements.</strong> This makes them lose faith in democratic values of the country.</li>
<li>It is often seen that unemployed people end up getting addicted to drugs and alcohol or attempts suicide, leading losses to the <strong>human resources of the country</strong>.</li>
<li>It also affects <strong>economy</strong> of the country as the workforce that could have been gainfully employed to generate resources actually gets dependent on the remaining working population, thus <strong>escalating socioeconomic costs</strong> for the State. For instance, 1 percent increase in unemployment reduces the GDP by 2 percent</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)</strong> was launched in 1980 to create full employment opportunities in rural areas.</li>
<li><strong>Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM):</strong> This scheme was started in 1979 with objective to help unemployed rural youth between the age of 18 and 35 years to acquire skills for self-employment. Priority was given to SC/ST Youth and Women.</li>
<li><strong>RSETI/RUDSETI:</strong> With the aim of mitigating the unemployment problem among the youth, a new initiative was tried jointly by Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Trust, Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank in 1982 which was the setting up of the &ldquo;RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SELF EMPLOYMENT TRAINING INSTITUTE&rdquo; with its acronym RUDSETI near Dharmasthala in Karnataka. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes/ RSETIs are now managed by Banks with active co-operation from the Government of India and State Government.</li>
<li>By merging the two erstwhile wage employment programme &ndash; National Rural Employment programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) the <strong>Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY)</strong> was started with effect from April, 1, 1989 on 80:20 cost sharing basis between the centre and the States.</li>
<li><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA):</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an employment scheme that was launched in 2005 to provide social security by guaranteeing a minimum of 100 days paid work per year to all the families whose adult members opt for unskilled labour-intensive work.</li>
<li>This act provides Right to Work to people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY),</strong> launched in 2015 has an objective of enabling a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood.</li>
<li><strong>Start Up India Scheme,</strong> launched in 2016 aims at developing an ecosystem that promotes and nurtures entrepreneurship across the country.</li>
<li><strong>Stand Up India Scheme,</strong> launched in 2016 aims to facilitate bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one women borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are number of labour intensive manufacturing sectors in India such as food processing, leather and footwear, wood manufacturers and furniture, textiles and apparel and garments. <strong>Special packages, individually designed for each industry are needed to create jobs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Public investment in sectors like health, education, police and judiciary can create many government jobs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Decentralisation of Industrial activities</strong> is necessary so that people of every region get employment.</li>
<li><strong>Development of the rural areas</strong> will help mitigate the migration of the rural people to the urban areas thus decreasing the pressure on the urban area jobs.</li>
<li>Entrepreneurs generate employments to many in a country; therefore <strong>government needs to encourage entrepreneurship among the youth</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Concrete measures aimed at removing the social barriers for women&rsquo;s entry</strong> and their continuous participation in the job market is needed.</li>
<li>Government needs to keep a <strong>strict watch on the education system</strong> and should try to implement new ways to generate skilled labour force.</li>
<li>Effective implementation of present programs like Make in India, Skill India, Start up and Stand-Up India.</li>
<li>There is a need for <strong>National Employment Policy (NEP)</strong> that would encompass a set of multidimensional interventions covering a whole range of social and economic issues affecting many policy spheres and not just the areas of labour and employment. The policy would be a critical tool to contribute significantly to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.</li>
<li>The underlying principles for the National Employment Policy may include
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>enhancing human capital through skill development;</li>
<li>creating sufficient number of decent quality jobs for all citizens in the formal and informal sectors to absorb those who are available and willing to work;</li>
<li>strengthening social cohesion and equity in the labour market;</li>
<li>coherence and convergence in various initiatives taken by the government;</li>
<li>supporting the private sector to become the major investor in productive enterprises;</li>
<li>supporting self-employed persons by strengthening their capabilities to improve their earnings;</li>
<li>ensuring employees&rsquo; basic rights and developing an education training and skill development system aligned with the changing requirements of the labour market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/unemployment-in-india'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Sendai Framework Report',
			'catname' => 'Summary of Important Reports',
			'desc' => '<h3>Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction 2015-30</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held from March 14 to 18, 2015 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.</li>
<li>The present Framework applies to the risk of small-scale and large-scale, frequent and infrequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters caused by natural or man-made hazards, as well as <strong>related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks</strong>.</li>
<li>It aims to guide the <strong>multi hazard management of disaster risk in development</strong> at all levels as well as within and across all sectors.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)</strong> 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Actions to be taken in four Priority Areas</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Understanding Disaster Risk:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To promote the collection, analysis, management and use of relevant data and practical information and ensure its dissemination, taking into account the needs of different categories of users, as appropriate.</li>
<li>To systematically evaluate, record, share and publicly account for disaster losses and understand the economic, social, health, education, environmental and cultural heritage impacts.</li>
<li>To build the knowledge of government officials at all levels, civil society, communities and volunteers, as well as the private sector, through sharing experiences, lessons learned, good practices and training and education on disaster risk reduction.</li>
<li>To ensure the use of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge and practices, as appropriate, to complement scientific knowledge in disaster risk assessment and the development and implementation of policies.</li>
<li>To promote and enhance, through international cooperation, including technology transfer, access to and the sharing and use of non-sensitive data and information for supporting national measures for successful disaster risk communication.</li>
<li>To develop effective global and regional campaigns for promoting a culture of disaster prevention, resilience and responsible citizenship.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To carry out an assessment of the technical, financial and administrative disaster risk management capacity to deal with the identified risks at the local and national levels.</li>
<li>To encourage the establishment of necessary mechanisms and incentives to ensure high level of compliance with the existing safety-enhancing provisions of sectoral laws and regulations, including those addressing land use and urban planning, building codes, environmental and resource management and health and safety standards.</li>
<li>To establish and strengthen government coordination forums composed of relevant stakeholders at the national and local levels, such as national and local platforms for disaster risk reduction, and a designated national focal point for implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015&ndash;2030.</li>
<li>To promote the development of quality standards, such as certifications and awards for disaster risk management, with the participation of the private sector, civil society, professional associations, scientific organizations and the United Nations.</li>
<li>To formulate public policies on addressing the issues of prevention or relocation of human settlements in disaster risk-prone zones.</li>
<li>To promote the strengthening of international voluntary mechanisms for monitoring and assessment of disaster risks, including relevant data and information, benefiting from the experience of the Hyogo Framework for Action Monitor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To allocate the necessary resources, including finance and logistics, as appropriate, at all levels of administration for the development and the implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies, policies, plans, laws and regulations in all relevant sectors.</li>
<li>To promote mechanisms for disaster risk transfer and insurance, risk-sharing and retention and financial protection, as appropriate, for both public and private investment in order to reduce the financial impact of disasters on Governments and societies, in urban and rural areas.</li>
<li>To promote the mainstreaming of disaster risk assessment, mapping and management into rural development planning and management of, inter alia, mountains, rivers, coastal floodplain areas and all other areas prone to droughts and flooding.</li>
<li>To increase resilience of country&rsquo;s critical infrastructure.</li>
<li>To strengthen and broaden international efforts aimed at eradicating hunger and poverty through disaster risk reduction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to &ldquo;Build Back Better&rdquo; in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To establish community centres for the promotion of public awareness and the stockpiling of necessary materials to implement rescue and relief activities.</li>
<li>To train the existing workforce and voluntary workers in disaster response and strengthen technical and logistical capacities to ensure better response in emergencies.</li>
<li>To promote the cooperation of diverse institutions, multiple authorities and related stakeholders at all levels, including affected communities and business, in view of the complex and costly nature of post-disaster reconstruction, under the coordination of national authorities.</li>
<li>To develop guidance for preparedness for disaster reconstruction.</li>
<li>To establish a mechanism of case registry and a database of mortality caused by disaster in order to improve the prevention of morbidity and mortality.</li>
<li>To enhance recovery schemes to provide psychosocial support and mental health services for all people in need.</li>
<li>To enhance international mechanisms, such as the International Recovery Platform, for the sharing of experience and learning among countries and all relevant stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expected Role of Stakeholders</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Women and their participation is critical</strong> for effectively managing disaster risk and designing, resourcing and implementing gender-sensitive disaster risk reduction policies, plans and programmes.</li>
<li><strong>Children and youth</strong> are agents of change and should be given the space and modalities to contribute to disaster risk reduction.</li>
<li><strong>Older persons</strong> have years of knowledge, skills and wisdom, which are invaluable assets to reduce disaster risk, and they should be included in the design of policies, plans and mechanisms, including for early warning.</li>
<li><strong>Indigenous peoples,</strong> through their experience and traditional knowledge, provide an important contribution to the development and implementation of plans and mechanisms, including for early warning.</li>
<li><strong>Academia, scientific and research entities</strong> and networks need to focus on the disaster risk factors and scenarios.</li>
<li><strong>Business, professional associations and private sector financial institutions</strong> as well as philanthropic foundations need to integrate disaster risk management into business models and practices through disaster-risk-informed investments.</li>
<li><strong>Media</strong> need to take an active and inclusive role at the local, national, regional and global levels in contributing to the raising of public awareness and understanding and disseminate accurate and non-sensitive disaster risk, hazard and disaster information, including on small-scale disasters.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expected Role of International Organizations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The United Nations and other international and regional organizations, engaged in disaster risk reduction are expected to enhance the coordination of their strategies in this regard.</li>
<li>The entities of the United Nations system through the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience, UN Development Assistance Frameworks and country programmes need to promote the optimum use of resources and to support developing countries, at their request, in the implementation of the present Framework.</li>
<li>The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is expected to support the implementation, follow-up and review of the present Framework.</li>
<li>International financial institutions, such as the World Bank and regional development banks are expected to consider the priorities of the present Framework for providing financial support and loans for integrated disaster risk reduction to developing countries.</li>
<li>The United Nations Global Compact, as the main United Nations initiative for engagement with the private sector and business, needs to further engage with and promote the critical importance of disaster risk reduction for sustainable development and resilience.</li>
<li>The Inter-Parliamentary Union and other relevant regional bodies and mechanisms for parliamentarians, as appropriate, to continue supporting and advocating disaster risk reduction and the strengthening of national legal frameworks.</li>
<li>The United Cities and Local Government organization and other relevant bodies of local governments to continue supporting cooperation and mutual learning among local governments for disaster risk reduction and the implementation of the present Framework.</li>
</ul>
<h3>2005-15 Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Over the 10 year time frame, more than 700 thousand people lost their lives, over 1.4 million got injured and approximately 23 million got homeless as a result of disasters.</li>
<li>Overall, more than 1.5 billion people have been affected by disasters in various ways, with women, children and people in vulnerable situations disproportionately affected.</li>
<li>In addition, between 2008 and 2012, 144 million people were displaced by disasters.</li>
<li>Recurring small-scale disasters and slow-onset disasters particularly affect communities, households and small and medium-sized enterprises, constituting a high percentage of all losses.</li>
<li>All countries &ndash; especially developing countries, where the mortality and economic losses from disasters are disproportionately higher &ndash; faced increasing levels of possible hidden costs and challenges in order to meet financial and other obligations.</li>
<li><strong>Evidence indicates that exposure of persons and assets in all countries has increased faster than vulnerability has decreased,</strong> thus generating new risks and a steady rise in disaster-related losses, with a significant economic, social, health, cultural and environmental impact in the short, medium and long term, especially at the local and community levels.</li>
<li>Even ten years after the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action, disasters continue to undermine efforts to achieve sustainable development, though the framework has provided critical guidance in efforts to reduce disaster risk and has contributed to the progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is urgent to anticipate, plan for and reduce disaster risk in order to more effectively protect persons, communities and countries.</li>
<li>Enhanced work to reduce exposure and vulnerability, thus preventing the creation of new disaster risks, and accountability for disaster risk creation are needed at all levels.</li>
<li>It is necessary to continue strengthening good governance in disaster risk reduction strategies at the national, regional and global levels and improving preparedness and national coordination for disaster response, rehabilitation and reconstruction.</li>
<li>Disaster risk reduction practices need to be multi-hazard and multi sectoral, inclusive and accessible in order to be efficient and effective.</li>
<li>Developing countries need special attention and support to augment domestic resources and capabilities through bilateral and multilateral channels in order to ensure adequate, sustainable, and timely means of implementation in capacity-building i.e. financial and technical assistance in accordance with international commitments.</li>
<li>As per the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in 2012, entitled &ldquo;The future we want&rdquo;, the building of resilience to disasters needs to be addressed with a renewed sense of urgency in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and, as appropriate, to be integrated at all levels.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/521drishti_ias_Sendai%20Framework Report.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/521drishti_ias_Sendai Framework Report.jpg" width="721" height="997" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/summary-of-important-reports/sendai-framework-report'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)',
			'catname' => 'National Institutions',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO works under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.</li>
<li>It is working to establish world class science and technology base for India and provides our Defence Services decisive edge by equipping them with internationally competitive systems and solutions.</li>
<li>Dr G. Satheesh Reddy is the incumbent Chairman of DRDO.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genesis &amp; Growth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO was established in 1958 after combining Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development &amp; Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).</li>
<li>Starting with 10 laboratories, DRDO has now grown to a network of 52 laboratories which are deeply engaged in developing defence technologies covering various disciplines, like aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special materials, naval systems, life sciences, training, information systems and agriculture.</li>
<li>Presently, the Organisation is backed by over 5000 scientists and about 25,000 other scientific, technical and supporting personnel.</li>
<li>Several major projects for the development of missiles, armaments, light combat aircrafts, radars, electronic warfare systems etc are on hand and significant achievements have already been made in several such technologies.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mission</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Design, develop and lead to production state-of-the-art sensors, weapon systems, platforms and allied equipment for our Defence Services.</li>
<li>Provide technological solutions to the Services to optimise combat effectiveness and to promote well-being of the troops.</li>
<li>Develop infrastructure and committed quality manpower and build strong indigenous technology base.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>IGMDP was brain child of renowned scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.</li>
<li>It was intended to attain self-sufficiency in the field of missile technology.</li>
<li>After keeping in mind the requirements of various types of missiles by the defense forces, the program recognized the need to develop five missile systems.</li>
<li>The IGMDP formally got the approval of Indian government on July 26, 1983.</li>
<li>It brought together the country&rsquo;s scientific community, academic institutions, R&amp;D laboratories, industries and the three defence services in giving shape to the strategic, indigenous missile systems.</li>
</ul>
<p>The missiles developed under IGMDP are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile &ndash; <strong>Prithvi</strong></li>
<li>Intermediate-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile &ndash; <strong>Agni</strong></li>
<li>Short-range low-level surface-to-air missile &ndash; <strong>Trishul</strong></li>
<li>Medium-range surface-to-air missile &ndash; <strong>Akash</strong></li>
<li>Third generation anti-tank missile &ndash; <strong>Nag</strong></li>
</ol>
<p>The Agni, which was initially conceived as a technology demonstrator project in the form of a re-entry vehicle, was later upgraded to a ballistic missile with different ranges. Dr. Kalam played a major role in the development and operationalisation of Agni and Prithvi missiles.</p>
<p>After achieving the goal of making India self-reliant in missile technology, DRDO on January 8, 2008, formally announced successful completion of IGMDP.<br /><br /></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #9fdff5;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 1256px; height: 19px; background-color: #089dcf; text-align: center;" colspan="2"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Missile System of India</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top;"><strong> Missile</strong></td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>Features</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni I</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Single stage, solid fuel, Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM).</li>
<li>Using solid propulsion booster and a liquid propulsion upper stage.</li>
<li>Range of 700-800 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni II</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM).</li>
<li>Range more than 2000 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni III</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Two stage IRBM</li>
<li>Support a wide range of warhead configurations.</li>
<li>Strike range of more than 2,500 Km</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni IV</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Two stage missile powered by solid propellant.</li>
<li>Can fire from a road mobile launcher.</li>
<li>Range is more than 3,500 km.</li>
<li>Equipped with indigenously developed ring laser gyro and composite rocket motor.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni V</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Three-stage solid fueled, indigenous Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).</li>
<li>Capable of carrying 1.5 tonnes of nuclear warheads.</li>
<li>Latest and most advanced variant in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine.</li>
<li>After induction in the military, India will join an exclusive club of countries like the US, Russia, China, France, and Britain which have intercontinental ballistic missile capability.</li>
<li>Canister launches missile system for operational flexibility.</li>
<li>Range is more than 5,000 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Trishul</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Short-range, quick reaction, all weather surface-to-air missile designed to counter a low level attack.</li>
<li>Has necessary electronic counter-measures against all known aircraft jammers.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Akash</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Medium-range, surface-to-air missile with multi-target engagement capability.</li>
<li>Multiple warheads capable.</li>
<li>High-energy solid propellant and ram-rocket propulsion system.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Nag</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Third generation &lsquo;fire-and-forget&rsquo; anti-tank missile with a range of 4-8km.</li>
<li>Developed indigenously as an anti-armour weapon employing sensor fusion technologies for flight guidance.</li>
<li>HELINA (Helicopter Launched NAG) is the air-to-surface version of the NAG integrated into Dhruv Helicopters.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Prithvi</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First indigenously built ballistic missile under IGMDP.</li>
<li>Surface-to-surface battle field missile.</li>
<li>Demonstrates higher lethal effects and high level capability with field interchangeable warheads.</li>
<li>Range from 150 km to 300 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">BrahMos</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Supersonic cruise missile.</li>
<li>Being developed with Russia as a private joint-venture.</li>
<li>Multi-platform cruise can strike from various types of platforms.</li>
<li>Among the world fastest supersonic cruise missiles with speeds ranging between Mach 2.5 &ndash; 2.8.</li>
<li>A 'fire and forget' weapon i.e. requiring no further guidance from the control centre once the target has been assigned.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Nirbhay</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Subsonic missile, supplement to the BrahMos.</li>
<li>Capable of being launched from multiple platforms on land, sea and air.</li>
<li>A terrain hugging, stealth missile capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements.</li>
<li>Can reach up to 1,000 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Sagarika</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)</li>
<li>Being integrated with India&rsquo;s nuclear powered Arihant-class submarine.</li>
<li>Range - 700 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Shaurya</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A variant of the K-15 Sagarika.</li>
<li>Submarine- nuclear-capable missile.</li>
<li>Aims to enhance India&rsquo;s second-strike capability.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Dhanush</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sea-based, short-range, liquid propellant ballistic missile.</li>
<li>Naval version of Prithvi II.</li>
<li>Maximum range 350 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Astra</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile using a solid-propellant.</li>
<li>In terms of size and weight, one of the smallest weapon developed by the DRDO.</li>
<li>Active radar seeker to find targets.</li>
<li>
<p>Electronic counter-measure capabilities.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Designed to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in the head-on mode at a range of 80 km.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Prahaar</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s latest surface-to-surface missile with a range of 150 km.</li>
<li>Primary objective is to bridge the gap between the unguided Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher and the guided Prithvi missile variants.</li>
<li>Have high maneuverability, acceleration and accuracy.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3><br />Issues with DRDO</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Standing Committee on Defence during 2016-17, expressed concerns over the inadequate budgetary support for the on going projects of DRDO.</li>
<li>The committee notes that out of total defence budget, the share of DRDO was 5.79 per cent in 2011-12, which reduced to 5.34 per cent in 2013-14.</li>
<li>Government&rsquo;s lethargic revenue commitments towards DRDO have put major projects involving futuristic technology on hold.</li>
<li>The DRDO also suffers from inadequate manpower in critical areas to the lack of proper synergy with the armed forces.</li>
<li>Cost escalation and long delays have damaged the reputation of DRDO.</li>
<li>Even after 60 years of DRDO formation, India still imports a large share of its defence equipments. In the period 2013-17, India is the world&rsquo;s largest importer of defence equipment, accounting for 12% of the global total, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.</li>
<li>DRDO's list of successes is short- primarily the Agni and Prithvi missiles. Its list of failures is much longer. The Kaveri Engine is running late by 16 years and the cost has escalated by around 800 per cent.</li>
<li>DRDO is big on promise and small on delivery. There is no accountability. Nobody is taken to task for time and cost overruns.</li>
<li>In 2011, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) put a serious question mark on DRDO&rsquo;s capabilities. "The organisation, which has a history of its projects suffering endemic time and cost overruns, needs to sanction projects and decide on a probable date of completion on the basis of a conservative assessment of technology available and a realistic costing system," its report stated.</li>
<li>The CAG report also revealed that not all technologies developed by DRDO were suitable for use by the armed forces. The three services have rejected 70 per cent of the products developed at the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, in the last 15 years costing Rs 320 crore because the products did not meet their standard and requirement.</li>
<li>The technology development agency is also largely responsible for the fact highlighted by General V.K. Singh that 97 per cent of the army's air defence is obsolete.</li>
<li>DRDO is just tinkering with World War II equipment instead of working on cutting-edge technology.</li>
<li>Even if systems are acquired from abroad and DRDO is meant to service them, if it fails. This leaves critical gaps in national defence.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO should be restructured in a leaner organisation as suggested by the committee chaired by<strong> P. Rama Rao</strong> for external review of the agency in February 2007.</li>
<li>The committee also recommended for setting up a commercial arm of the organisation to make it a profitable entity, besides cutting back on delays in completing projects.</li>
<li>DRDO former chief V.K. Saraswat has called for the setting up of a Defence Technology Commission as well as a bigger role for DRDO in picking production partners for products developed by the agency.</li>
<li>DRDO should be able to select a capable partner company from the outset, from the private sector if necessary.</li>
<li>DRDO has taken some steps in the direction as it is considering long-term contracts with Indian information technology (IT) vendors such as Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) to build software solutions for defence projects, shifting its strategy of awarding deals to the lowest bidders on short-term projects.</li>
<li>DRDO&rsquo;s move to outsource is a right move and will open lot of opportunities benefiting the Indian companies.</li>
<li>In Its document "DRDO in 2021: HR Perspectives&rsquo;&rsquo;, DRDO has envisaged a HR policy which emphasized on free, fair, and fearless Knowledge Sharing, Open book management style and Participative Management. This is a step in right direction.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Deaths of Taslim and Gufran',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bihar-police-custodial-deaths-sitamarhi-killings-nitish-kumar-taslim-ansari-gufran-alam-5653563/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Deaths of Taslim and Gufran'</a> which appeared in 'The Indian Express' on 2nd April, 2019. The article talks about custodial tortures and killings and the need to bring reforms as any form of torture go against the principles of a just society.)</p>
</div>
<p>Recently two young men died in police custody in Dumra, Sitamarhi district of Bihar. Both the men were picked up in healthy state for investigation in a theft and murder case but died within less than an hour of reaching the hospital.</p>
<p>Giving the gruesome event a fake twist, the suspended police officials have not only escaped custody but till date are evading arrests. Their disappearance also highlights the disappearance of diary entries, warrants, and memos, list of pre-existing injuries, interrogation records, recoveries and CCTV footage, if any, highlighting the departmental resolve in putting the case under the carpet.</p>
<p>This is only one of such many cases signifying the gruesome abuse of power and position, warranting immediate action and policy formation to set the wheels of justice in motion.</p>
<h3>The case in point</h3>
<p>At least 90 people die in police custody every year, the largest number of them being people arrested and yet to be produced before a magistrate.</p>
<p>In 2016, government data recorded 92 deaths in police custody, of which 60 occurred before reaching the court. This makes a mockery of sections <strong>55A and 57 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which places the duties of care of the accused, and production before a magistrate within 24 hours, on the person having custody</strong>.</p>
<p>Reports by both government entities and civil society organisations over the years have proved that custodial torture is endemic in India stressing on the overwhelming abuse of both power and duty.</p>
<h3>Absence of strong legislation</h3>
<p><strong>India does not have an anti-torture legislation and are yet to criminalise custodial violence, while action against culpable officials remains illusory.</strong></p>
<p><strong>India has done little to enact a specific law against torture committed by people acting in official capacity. A weak Prevention of Torture Bill was introduced in 2010 but it lapsed with the dissolution of 15<sup>th</sup> Lok Sabha in 2014. </strong></p>
<p>The Indian state either denies the existence of torture in the country or defends its resistance to enact a law by claiming there are sufficient provisions in the domestic legal framework to prohibit and penalise torture. These claims however remain superficial and without any such protections.</p>
<p>India also fails in bringing the much desired Prison Reforms and prisons continues to be affected by poor conditions, overcrowding, acute manpower shortages and minimal safety against harm in prisons. All of these problems act as constraints on the Indian resolve of ratification of the Convention against Torture.</p>
<h3>Institutional challenges</h3>
<p>The entire prison system is inherently opaque giving less room to transparency, Multiple barriers are placed in position to prison access which are not given without prior permission such as depositing &ldquo;Rs 1 lakh in the name of the superintendent of the concerned jail&rdquo; before entry; excessive scrutiny of all recorded or documented material with the possibility of deletion of objectionable portion; confiscation of equipment and material from the visitor if the jailor does not like what he sees etc.</p>
<p>Closed institutions provide ample scope of avoiding impunity which is evident in the prevalence, and widespread acceptance, of custodial torture.</p>
<p>In the absence of consistent documentation of torture-related complaints most of the cases of torture go unnoticed. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which is mandated to record all the crimes taking place in the country too does not document cases of custodial torture.</p>
<p>The use of excessive force including torture is also sometimes used to target marginalised communities and control people participating in movements or propagating ideologies which the state perceives as opposed to its stature.</p>
<p>The torture which is both physical and mental leaves all those affected in a vulnerable position as mentally ill prisoners have risen in the past 15 years. There is only one psychologist for every 23,000 prisoners. It is small wonder that the suicide rate is one and a half times higher in jails than outside &ndash; <strong>twice as many inmates die by suicide in our jails today than 15 years ago</strong>.</p>
<h3>Weak Global Image</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s commitment to preventing and abolishing torture as well as punishing its perpetrators is perceived as extremely weak in the international forum and gives a wrong light on its desire of becoming a global power.</p>
<p>Although India has signed the United Nations Convention against Torture in 1997 its ratification still remains. While Signing only indicates the country&rsquo;s intention to meet the obligations set out in the treaty, Ratification, on the other hand, entails bringing in laws and mechanisms to fulfil the commitments.</p>
<p><strong>Due to poor prison conditions in India extradition of criminals from various countries accused of offences such as forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy and sexual abuse of children remains almost impossible. Thus enacting a law against torture would be an affirmation of India&rsquo;s commitment to its democratic ideals and values.</strong></p>
<h3>Safeguards for Prisoners</h3>
<p>Protection from torture is a fundamental right enshrined under Article 21 (Right of Life) of the Indian constitution where rights such as Right to free legal aid, Right against inhuman treatment, Right against custodial harassment, Right of prisoner to have necessities of life have been mentioned.</p>
<p>The right to a lawyer in custody is so crucial for life and liberty that it is enshrined as a fundamental right, but it remains one of the weakest links in the chain of criminal justice.</p>
<p>Section 41 of CrPC was amended in 2009 to include safeguards under 41A, 41B, 41C and 41D, so that arrests and detentions for interrogation have reasonable grounds and documented procedures, arrests are made transparent to family, friends and public, and there is protection through legal representation.</p>
<p><strong>Specifically, section 41D of CrPC provides that "When any person is arrested and interrogated by the police, he shall be entitled to meet an advocate of his choice during interrogation, though not throughout interrogation."</strong></p>
<p>This right to "meet" an advocate during interrogation ensures that the arrested person is not overpowered by the law, nor isolated in those critical hours before seeing a magistrate, or when in remand. This provision simultaneously takes care of the distinct responsibilities that the police have to obtain evidence, and the advocate in giving their counsel.</p>
<p>However, no police department in the country appears to have evolved the standard operating procedures to implement this safeguard with integrity. This means ensuring prerequisites, verification by relevant external agencies and consequences for violators of the law.</p>
<h3>Steps Suggested</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India should ratify the UN Convention Against Torture</strong> as it will mandate a systematic review of colonial rules, methods, practices and arrangements for the custody and treatment of persons subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment. It will also mean that exclusive mechanisms of redress and compensation will be set up for the victim besides institutions such as the Board of Visitors.</li>
<li>Guidelines should also be formulated on educating and training officials involved in the cases involving deprivation of liberty because torture cannot be effectively prevented till the senior police wisely anticipate the gravity of such issues and clear reorientation is devised from present practices.</li>
<li>Unrestricted and regular access to independent and qualified persons to places of detention for inspection should also be allowed.</li>
<li>Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras should be installed in police stations including in the interrogation rooms, and surprise inspections by Non-Official Visitors (NOVs) should also be made mandatory which would act as a preventive measures against custodial torture which has also been suggested by Supreme Court In its landmark judgment in the DK Basu case in 2015.</li>
<li><strong>Law Commission of India in its 273rd report recommends that those accused of committing custodial torture &ndash; be it policemen, military and paramilitary personnel &ndash; should be criminally prosecuted instead of facing mere administrative action establishing an effective deterrent.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Enacting a law prohibiting torture is both a moral necessity and a pragmatic imperative; equally important is to repair our centuries-old system of prisons.</li>
<li>To ensure that prison conditions are in tune with human rights norms, there is a need to render conditions within prisons less harsh and more humane where inmates are accommodated with due regard to their basic human needs and are handled with dignity.</li>
<li>To break the silence surrounding torture and to reform India&rsquo;s criminal justice system at large, there can be no further delay in taking such legislative measures.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/deaths-of-taslim-and-gufran'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'ISRO Launches EMISAT Satellite',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</a> has launched the <strong>EMISAT satellite on onboard the PSLV-C45</strong> from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gsat-29-satellite-launched-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)</a> was also carrying 28 international <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/isro-to-launch-state-of-the-art-satellites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nanosatellites</a> &mdash; 24 from the US, two from Lithuania and one each from Spain and Switzerland.</li>
<li><strong>The flight of PSLV was also the longest mission of the PSLV, lasting around three hours.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>EMISAT Satellite</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The EMISAT satellite is aimed at <strong>electromagnetic spectrum measurement.</strong></li>
<li>It is an electronic intelligence satellite for the <strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).</strong></li>
<li><strong>About Satellite</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mass</strong>: 436 kg</li>
<li><strong>Manufacturer</strong>: ISRO</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gsat-29-satellite-launched-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Orbit</strong> <strong>Type</strong>: Sun-synchronous Polar orbit(SSPO)</a></li>
<li><strong>Altitude</strong>: About 753 km.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Polar Orbit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A polar orbit travels north-south</strong> over the poles and takes approximately 90 minutes for a full revolution.</li>
<li>These orbits have an inclination near 90 degrees. This allows the satellite to see virtually every part of the Earth as the Earth rotates underneath it.</li>
<li>An orbit is called sun-synchronous when the angle between the line joining the center of the Earth and the satellite and the Sun is constant throughout the orbit.]</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Purpose of Satellite</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>EMISAT is an<strong> all weather and all terrain condition satellite,</strong> which will allow it to work through clouds, rain, forest and coastal areas.</li>
<li><strong>EMISAT is an ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) satellite,</strong> which means it will have a radar to measure the electromagnetic spectrum - <strong>so as to intercept and analyze radar signals, find their location, identify the hostile radars based on their radio frequency (RF) signature.</strong></li>
<li>This will be a vital tool for India when EMISAT along with the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) can effectively locate, tackle and silence enemy radars, and <strong>secure Indian airspace.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of Launch</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This mission was significant as this was the<strong> first time a PSLV has placed objects in three different orbits.</strong></li>
<li>The fourth stage was restarted and stopped twice to bring PSLV to the altitude of 507 km after EMISAT launch.</li>
<li>At the fourth stage three experimental payloads were deployed:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Automatic Identification System (AIS)</strong> for Maritime satellite applications capturing messages transmitted from ships</li>
<li><strong>Automatic Packet Repeating System (APRS)</strong> from AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation), India - assists amateur radio operators in tracking and monitoring position data</li>
<li><strong>Advanced Retarding Potential Analyzer for Ionospheric Studies (ARIS)</strong> from Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) - for the structural and compositional studies of the ionosphere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This is the first time it has been envisaged to provide a microgravity environment for research organizations and academic institutes to perform experiments.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/isro-launches-emisat-satellite'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) Scheme',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The <strong>Ministry of Commerce and Industry</strong>&nbsp;has laid out a detailed procedure for claiming benefits under the <strong>Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme</strong>, which aims at <strong>boosting agricultural exports.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earlier in March, 2019</strong> the Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce &amp; Industry had announced this scheme for providing <strong>financial assistance for transport and marketing of agriculture products</strong> to <strong>boost exports</strong> of such commodities to certain countries in<strong> Europe and North America.</strong></li>
<li>The level of assistance would be different for different regions as notified from time to time for export of eligible products. The scheme covers <strong>freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea.</strong></li>
<li>The scheme will help in<strong> increasing farm export from India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.</li>
<li>To mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to trans-shipment.</li>
<li>To promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coverage &amp; Eligibility</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products shall be covered under this scheme.</li>
<li>The Scheme would be applicable for a period as specified from time to time. Presently the Scheme would be<strong> available for exports from 1.3.2019 to 31.03.2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the year 2018, the government also approved an<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/agriculture-export-policy-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Agriculture Export Policy</strong></a> with an aim to <strong>double the shipments to USD 60 billion by 2022.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is aimed at boosting exports of agriculture commodities such as tea, coffee and rice and increase the country&rsquo;s share in global agri-trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)</strong> plays a significant role in tapping India&rsquo;s agricultural strengths and works towards expanding the export potential of Indian agricultural and food products.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a<strong> non-trading, statutory body established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.</strong></li>
<li>APEDA has marked its presence in almost all agro potential states of India and has been providing services to agri-export community through its <strong>head office in New Delhi,</strong> five Regional offices and 13 Virtual offices.</li>
<li>In 2017, APEDA launched a mobile app- &ldquo;<strong>Farmer Connect&rdquo;</strong> to allow farmers to apply online to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application &amp; approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/transport-and-marketing-assistance-tma-scheme'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (2nd April 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Thakurani Jatra Festival</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, celebrations of the <strong>biennial Thakurani Jatra festival</strong> started in<strong> Berhampur, Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>During the festival, <strong>Goddess Budhi Thakurani</strong> is taken from the main temple at Thakurani Temple Street to her temporary abode at Desi Behera Street, where she stays till the festival ends.</li>
<li>The first Thakurani Yatra was <strong>celebrated in April 1779.</strong> The festival goes on for <strong>32 days.</strong></li>
<li>The goddess is considered to be a <strong>family member of Desibehera, the leader of the Dera community,</strong> the weaver clan that has made Berhampur famous as the silk city.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reiwa: Japan's New Era</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Japanese government has announced that the reign of the<strong> next Japanese emperor will be known as the "Reiwa" era.</strong></li>
<li>The term for the new era is made up of the two characters<strong> Rei and Wa.</strong> Rei can mean <strong>"commands" or "order",</strong> as well as <strong>"auspicious" or "good"</strong>. While, <strong>Wa often means "harmony",</strong> and is also used in the Japanese word for "peace" - "hei-wa".
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The name draws from the<strong> 7<sup>th</sup> century poetry collection &ldquo;Manyoshu.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>This is the <strong>first era name</strong> to have been <strong>inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese, work of classical literature.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The new era takes effect on <strong>May 1, 2019</strong> with the c<strong>oronation of Crown Prince Naruhito (126<sup>th</sup> emperor of the Chrysanthemum Throne).</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chrysanthemum Throne is a <strong>common name given to the Imperial throne of Japan.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>oldest continuing monarchy</strong> in the world.</li>
<li>Under the provisions of the current Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is a <strong>"symbol of the state and the unity of its people"</strong>; he has<strong> no real political power</strong> but is regarded as a ceremonial Head of State and constitutional monarch.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Current emperor Akihito is stepping down on April 30, 2019 in the<strong> first abdication in 200 years</strong>, bringing his era of <strong>&ldquo;Heisei&rdquo; to an end.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>era of &ldquo;Heisei,&rdquo; which means &ldquo;achieving peace,&rdquo;</strong> was the first without a war in Japan&rsquo;s modern history, but is also remembered as lost years of economic deflation and natural disasters.</li>
<li>This <strong>era began in 1989, when Akihito succeeded his father Emperor Hirohito,</strong> who ruled during the Showa period and is now known as the Showa Emperor. It will come to a close on April 30, the day Akihito abdicates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The announcement allows only a month ahead of the switch for government, businesses and other sectors to adjust to the change that still affects many parts of Japan&rsquo;s society, even though the system is not compulsory.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-2nd-april-2019'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture – Election Code and New Age Media',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ug8YGmFV7Ys" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Social media platforms Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, ShareChat, TikTok and the IAMAI have agreed to a voluntary code of ethics to abide by during the Lok Sabha Elections 2019, which are set to begin on April 11. The code came into effect on March 20, and will remain in force throughout the elections.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Commitments made in the Code:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Social Media Platforms have developed a notification mechanism for the ECI to legally notify them of potential violations of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and other electoral laws.</li>
<li>Platforms will also endeavour to impart training to the nodal officer at ECI on their products, and on the mechanism for sending requests to the platforms as per procedure established by law.</li>
<li>For reported violations of Section 126 of the RP Act, platforms will acknowledge and/ or process the legal orders within 3 hours (as per the <strong>Sinha Committee recommendations</strong>). For other legal requests, platforms will act upon them &ldquo;expeditiously&rdquo; based on the nature of reported violation.</li>
<li>Platforms will update the ECI (via the IAMAI) on measures they have taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, pursuant to legal requests by the ECI.</li>
<li>The members to the code will carry out information, education and communication campaigns to build awareness on electoral laws and other related instructions.</li>
<li>Participants will commit to facilitating transparency in paid political advertisements, including utilising their pre-existing labels/ disclosure technology for such advertisements.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Section 126 of RPA Act</strong> prohibits displaying any election matter by means, inter alia, of television or similar apparatus, during the period of 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.</p>
<p><strong>The Internet &amp; Mobile Association of India (IAMAI):</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1896.</li>
<li>Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value added services sector.</li>
<li>It is dedicated to presenting a unified voice of the businesses it represents, to the government, investors, consumers and other stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Umesh Sinha Committee Recommendations on Section 126 of the RP Act in view of social media expansion:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has suggested amending Section 126(1) of RP Act to impose the &lsquo;campaign silence period&rsquo; on print, electronic media and intermediaries.</li>
<li>Apart from asking political parties to observe the silence period on all forms of media, the committee has suggested that star campaigners should desist from assessing press conferences or giving interviews on election matters during this period.</li>
<li>For intermediaries including social media companies, the committee has recommended that they should commit to procedures that would ensure that their platforms are not misused to vitiate free and fair polls. This would include a notification mechanism by which EC may notify the platform of potential violations of Section 126 of RP Act.</li>
<li>Internet Service Providers and Social media companies should take down content violating the 48-hour ban on campaigning prior to polling, instantly and latest within 3 hours of EC issuing such a direction.</li>
<li>Intermediaries, as per the committee, should report to the Commission on measures taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, including generating publicly-available action taken reports.</li>
<li>All political advertisements may be clearly labelled as such and be pre-approved by an EC-appointed content monitoring committee. The intermediaries would also need to maintain a repository of political advertisements with information on their sponsors, expenditure and targeted reach.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need of enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Possibility of elections being influenced by foreign countries/agencies:</strong> India has a hostile neighbourhood and thus neighbouring and other countries can try to weaken its political discourse by giving fake and paid advertisements or by disclosing information not meant for public over social media.</li>
<li><strong>Double Standards:</strong> Social Media Platforms are biased. They regulate the content over their sites only in selected countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges in enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Penetration of social media is vast. Anyone can upload whatever s/he wants, making <strong>regulation of the content by ECI or even by social media platforms almost impossible</strong>. Till now, ECI has been able to take care of only that content which has been brought under its notice.</li>
<li>The social media has a wider reach and there is also <strong>no way to verify the content over social media</strong>. Huge impact of social media content has been seen on the minds of people.</li>
<li><strong>Fake news keeps getting circulated over social media platforms, despite steps taken by government in this regard.</strong></li>
<li>Dealing with<strong> political proxy advertisements by fan pages</strong> is another challenge.</li>
<li><strong>Social Media platforms&rsquo; also voice concerns over check on their freedom</strong> in the form of arguments on privacy, right to freedom of speech etc.</li>
<li>Getting a staff for monitoring and checking the content over social media is a difficult task.</li>
<li>Even if one sets a &lsquo;monitoring machinery&rsquo; over social media content, how much monitoring it would be able to do, is a point of concern.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On an immediate basis, social media platforms need to rely on ECI&rsquo;s judgements over the content on social media and should take a quick action accordingly.</strong></li>
<li>Users of the social media need to be made aware enough so that they can make difference between the fake news and the correct news.</li>
<li>Social Media is expected to play a constructive and fair role, especially during the time of elections. The social media platforms should work within the moral code of conduct framework during the elections.</li>
<li>Social media platforms in general should also take care of the content that gets published on their sites to ensure peace and harmony globally.</li>
<li>Political Parties should have consensus regarding not misusing the social media platforms and fighting the elections in a fair manner.</li>
<li>Free and fair elections are important for citizens of any country. <strong>Monitoring of open content i.e. content posted for public, is therefore admissible.</strong></li>
<li>India has election expenditure limit for candidates. It needs to have the same for the political parties also.</li>
<li><strong>ECI needs to ensure that no political advertisement runs on social platforms during 48 hours period from any social media account.</strong></li>
<li>ECI, especially at the time of elections remains busy not only with the election process but also with various queries from Chief Electoral Officers and Returning Officers. <strong>A separate machinery within the Election Commission is required to take care of the political content over the social media.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Intention is the key. Everyone, be it political parties, social media platforms or citizens of a country, needs to ensure that no fake or unfair information gets disseminated through their hands.</em></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-election-code-and-new-age-media'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'SC Suspended EC For Airport In Goa',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court (SC)<strong> has suspended the Environmental Clearance (EC)</strong> granted for the development of<strong> Greenfield International Airport at Mopa in Goa.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons Cited</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Procedural Flaws in the grant of EC</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>People living in the proposed project-area being not consulted properly.</li>
<li>Non- disclosure of vital information in the application form for clearance and in Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report as well.</li>
<li>Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) did not analyze the EIA report properly before approving the EC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Green Tribunal (NGT)</a> did not carry out the merit review</strong> of appeal made against the EC given to the Mopa Airport.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights from the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A<strong> phrase &lsquo;Environmental Rule of Law&rsquo; was coined by SC</strong>. The court said that every branch of governance and institutions across the country should strive to enforce environmental rule of law.</li>
<li><strong>Proper structures for environmental decision making find expression in the guarantee against arbitrary action and the affirmative duty of fair treatment under Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>In cases concerning environmental governance, it is the duty of courts to assess the case on its merits based on the materials present before it.</li>
<li>Matters concerning environmental governance concern not just the living, but generations to come.</li>
<li>The health of the environment is key to preserving the Right to Life as a constitutionally recognized value under<strong> Article 21 (Protection of Life and Personal Liberty)</strong> of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Environmental Rule of Law</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The environmental rule of law is based on&nbsp;four pillars of sustainable development&mdash; <strong>economic, social, environmental and peace.</strong></li>
<li>It imbues environmental objectives with the essentials of the rule of law and underpins the reform of environmental law and governance.</li>
<li>While the most direct effects are on the protection of the environment, it also strengthens rule of law more broadly, supports sustainable, economic and social development, protects public health, contributes to peace and security by avoiding and defusing conflict and protects human and constitutional rights.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Clearance (EC) Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>An EIA report is prepared to get Environment Clearance (EC) for a project.</strong></li>
<li>A process of &lsquo;Public Hearing&rsquo; is conducted before the issue of &lsquo;Consent to Establish (NOC)&rsquo; by state regulators. Concerns of people living in the proposed project area are heard.</li>
<li>An application form with EIA report, details of public hearing and NOC is submitted for environmental clearance with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) if the project falls under Project A category or the state government if the project falls under Project B category.</li>
<li>The documents submitted are then analyzed by an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry. The recommendations of the Committee gets processed in the Ministry of Environment and Forests for final approval or rejection.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It can be defined as the<strong> study for predicting the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>statutory under the Environment Protection Act, 1986</strong> for some projects.</li>
<li>Process
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Screening</strong> based upon scales of investment, type of development and location of development; is done to see whether a project requires an environmental clearance as per the statutory notifications.</li>
<li><strong>Scoping</strong> is a process of detailing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of EIA, that is the main issues or problems in the development of a project.</li>
<li><strong>Impact Prediction</strong> involves mapping the environmental consequences of the significant aspects of the project and its alternatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Public mandatorily needs to be informed and consulted on the proposed development after the completion of <g class="gr_ gr_55 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="55" data-gr-id="55">EIA</g> report.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'The Next Revolution',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-next-revolution-indias-energy-basket-planning-commission-india-energy-future-ecology-renewables-niti-aayog-5651824/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'The Next Revolution'</a> which appeared in 'The Indian Express' on 1st April, 2019. The article talks about the energy matrix of India and changes it will undergo in the coming future.)</p>
</div>
<p>Many multilateral institutions like the International Energy Agency (IEA), the erstwhile Planning Commission, or now the NITI Ayog, have projected that energy demand in India will move on an upward curve; indigenous supplies will fail to keep pace with this increase in demand; energy imports will rise in absolute and relative terms, and, the environment will face increasing stress.</p>
<p>More specifically, coal will dominate, oil and gas will have significance; renewables, whilst on a rising trend, will account for a relatively inconsequential share and air pollution, depleting water tables and extreme weather conditions will lead ecological collapse.</p>
<p>Current trajectory of energy consumption is fundamentally against the objective of sustainable development and hence warrants a timely intervention.</p>
<h3>Current Trends</h3>
<p>A recently published energy outlook asserts that in 2040, fossil fuels will account for between 70-75% of India&rsquo;s primary energy consumption &mdash; down from approximately 90% today. Coal will account for 45% (down from the current 55%); oil 20% (down from 30% today) and natural gas at the same levels as today of around 7%. Renewables market share will increase to 15% up from the current 3-4%.</p>
<p>Consequently, India will have to import 95% of its oil requirements; 60% of its gas requirements and 30% of its coal requirements despite the fact that it contains the fifth largest deposits of coal in the world.</p>
<p>India will meet its Paris commitments to reduce Green House Gases emissions by 35% in 2035 relative to 2005. But, given this level of fossil fuel consumption, it will be one of the largest absolute emitters of pollutants in the world.</p>
<p>India has the world&rsquo;s second largest population of about 1.3 billion and significant amount of people live in darkness without access to electricity. While the Indian electricity system suffers from resource and economic constraints on one hand, environmental concerns too pose a challenge.</p>
<p>While many countries have switched over to renewable energy solutions for electricity, India still lags behind with just 20% of its electricity generating capacity, or 67033 MW, being based on renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass.</p>
<h3>The need to shift soon</h3>
<p>India is largely dependent on coal to meet its energy needs because of abundant availability of coal. It is not only one of the cheapest fuels and but there are no competitive substitutes for liquids as a fuel for mobility. <strong>Coal meets more than 50% of the current commercial energy needs and generates more than 70% electricity. But the energy from coal comes at a huge environmental and health cost.</strong></p>
<p>It is estimated that of the entire industrial sector, 60% of particulate matter (PM) emissions, 45-50 per cent of SO2 emissions, 30% of NOx emissions and more than 80% of mercury emissions comes from coal-based power plants.</p>
<p>Coal-based power plants also account for about 70% of the total freshwater withdrawal by the industrial sector and close to half of our total greenhouse gas emissions. On top of this, most of the coal mining areas have been declared as critically polluted areas as well.</p>
<p><strong>There exists fatal overlap of coal reserves, dense forests, tribal populations, high poverty and backwardness.</strong> Mining coal, therefore, leads to a huge conflict between the local communities on one hand and destruction of dense forests and wildlife which may be extremely difficult or impossible to regenerate.</p>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s dependence on imported fossil fuel is also increasing at an alarming rate.</strong> We now import close to 40% of commercial energy and this is only going to go up in the near future. Given the volatility prevalent in the international energy markets, this has huge implications for energy security of the country.</p>
<h3>Roadblocks in transitioning</h3>
<p><strong>The costs of transitioning to renewable source of energy are huge.</strong></p>
<p>They can be calculated in terms of the costs of stranded thermal power assets or the creation of transmission and distribution infrastructure to overcome the problem of &ldquo;intermittency&rdquo;(as the sun does not shine all the time; nor does the wind blow with regularity making these sources highly afflicted with fluctuations).</p>
<p>The energy sector also suffers from technological (that is, storage or carbon sequestration) and regulatory (conservation norms, emissions standards) issues to overcome before clean energy can be brought to scale.</p>
<h3>Road to cleaner and sustainable future</h3>
<p><strong>Institutional, technological, financial collaborative steps</strong> should be taken to bring the revolutionary change in the ratio between fossils and renewables in the energy basket of emergent India.</p>
<p><strong>There is a need to facilitate a holistic overview of the linkages</strong> between the different components of energy (oil, gas, coal, renewables, nuclear, hydro, bio, non-commercial); between fuel usage, electricity, mobility, industry, and agriculture, on the one hand, and, ecology on the other.</p>
<p><strong>We have to create the appropriate institutional structures of decision-making.</strong> The current structure of multiple &ldquo;energy&rdquo; ministries (petroleum, coal, renewables, and power, atomic) should be collapsed into one omnibus Ministry of Energy and Environment. This will enable integrated decision making; it will also provide a platform for collaborative public-private and constructively &ldquo;disruptive&rdquo; innovation. Besides, it will also bring sustainability to the fore of policy.</p>
<p>An <strong>&ldquo;Energy and Environment Security&rdquo;</strong> Act can also be legislated which should engage the public in the larger debate on how to weaken if not break the current unhealthy nexus between economic growth, energy demand and environmental degradation.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p><strong>Energy economics needs to be redefined</strong> as India&rsquo;s economic future depends on its ability to aggressively expand renewable investment and cut back on energy imports, whilst focusing on energy diversification and the reduction of the current massive account deficit.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-next-revolution'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (1st April 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Earth Hour</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the <strong>Earth Hour 2019 was observed on March 30 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time</strong> with the theme <strong>#Connect2Earth.</strong></li>
<li><strong>World Wide Fund for Nature&rsquo;s (WWF)</strong> Earth Hour is an annual global celebration in which people switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about the future of our planet.</li>
<li>It <strong>began in Sydney, Australia in 2007,</strong> the number of countries taking part in Earth Hour has grown to over 180 countries and territories.</li>
<li>Earth Hour is not about how much energy is saved during the hour. Rather, it is a chance to put the spotlight on the issues facing the planet, and to inspire millions across the world to live more sustainably.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Wildlife Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)</strong> is an <strong>international non-governmental organization founded in 1961,</strong> working in the field of wilderness preservation, and the reduction of humanity's footprint on the environment.</li>
<li>It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>The group's mission is <strong>"to stop the degradation of the planet&rsquo;s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature".</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Earth Day</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earth Day i</strong>s an annual event,<strong> celebrated on April 22.</strong> Worldwide events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now <strong>coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network (EDN) and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.</strong></li>
<li>Earth Day Network is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.</li>
<li>EDN main office is located in <strong>Washington DC, USA.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Kolam Tribe</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Kolam tribe (or in their own language, Kolavar)</strong> is a scheduled tribe of<strong> Maharashtra.</strong> They also live in <strong>Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>They have a language of <strong>their own (Kolami) which belongs, like Gondi, to the intermediate group of Dravidian languages.</strong></li>
<li>They are monogamous and Hinduism is their religion.</li>
<li>Recently in 2018, the Government has identified <g class="gr_ gr_110 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="110" data-gr-id="110">Katkaria</g> (Kathodia), Kolam and Maria Gond as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-citizen-killed-by-tribals-in-andaman" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)</strong></a> in the State of Maharashtra.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Tribal Affairs</strong> is administering the scheme <strong>&ldquo;Development of PVTGs&rdquo;</strong> for <g class="gr_ gr_113 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="113" data-gr-id="113">overall</g> development of PVTGs. This scheme is flexible and enables the States to focus on areas that they consider is relevant to PVTGs and their socio-cultural environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Arbitrage Funds</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arbitrage funds are a type of <strong>mutual fund</strong> that <g class="gr_ gr_111 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="111" data-gr-id="111">are</g> ideal for investors who want to profit from volatile markets without taking on too much risk.</li>
<li>The arbitrage fund earns profits through the<strong> purchase and sale of securities on different exchanges.</strong></li>
<li>An arbitrage fund buys the stock in the cash market and sells the interest in the futures market,<strong> simultaneously.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While, in the regular equity trade, the stocks are purchased when the prices fall and are sold in the future when prices rise.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Statement of Guiding Principles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India and the United States signed the amendments to the <strong>Statement of Guiding Principles (SGP) on Triangular Cooperation for Global Development.</strong></li>
<li>The SGP Agreement was signed in<strong> November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>It provides a framework for promoting cooperation between the two countries to meet the developmental aspirations of partner countries,<strong> particularly in Asia and Africa.</strong></li>
<li>The First Amendment to the SGP Agreement extends the validity of the <strong>SGP Agreement up-to 2021.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Agreement, India and U.S. will continue to offer capacity building assistance to partner countries in multiple sectors, focusing primarily on agriculture, regional connectivity, trade and investments, nutrition, health, clean and renewable energy, women empowerment, disaster preparedness, water, sanitation, education and institution building.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Northern Triangle</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The U.S. government has decided to cut aid to the countries of<strong> &ldquo;Northern Triangle&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The US has blamed the Central American countries for sending migrants to the United States and threatened to shut the U.S.-Mexico border.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" width="477" height="268" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Northern Triangle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The countries of<strong> El Salvador, Guatemala <g class="gr_ gr_100 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="100" data-gr-id="100">and</g> Honduras are known as <g class="gr_ gr_99 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="99" data-gr-id="99">Northern</g> Triangle.</strong></li>
<li>These countries share a border tripoint at Trifinio biosphere reserve, and also aspects of classical cultures, history, society, and politics.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Phayeng Village</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Phayeng, a small village in Imphal West district of, Manipur</strong> has developed itself as <strong>India&rsquo;s first carbon-positive settlement.</strong></li>
<li>A village is given the carbon-positive tag if <strong>it sequesters more carbon than it emits,</strong> slowing the accumulation of greenhouse gases and mitigating the effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The transformation of the village from the dry and denuded village in the 1970s and 80s was funded<strong> under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Sector Scheme</strong></a> which was set up in the <strong>year 2015-16.</strong></li>
<li>The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The activities under this scheme are implemented in a project mode.</li>
<li>The projects related to adaptation in sectors such as<strong> agriculture, animal husbandry, water, forestry, tourism, etc. are eligible for funding under NAFCC.</strong></li>
<li><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)</strong> is the National Implementing Entity (NIE).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Ahmad Sar Lake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Several parts of Gujarat are facing severe water scarcity in the initial days of the summer season.</li>
<li>Ahmad Sar Lake at Sarkhej Roza (Ahmedabad) has got dried.</li>
<li><strong>Sarkhej Roza is a 15th-century<sup></sup><sup></sup> complex comprising a mosque and a tomb of Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh&nbsp;</strong>was the spiritual advisor of the ruling dynasty of Gujarat during the 14<sup>th</sup> and early 15<sup>th</sup> centuries.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'President's Visit to Bolivia',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, President of India completed his visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;<strong>the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This was the <strong>first ever visit by an Indian president</strong> to Bolivia.</li>
<li>Bolivia also conferred the highest State Honour of Bolivia on President of India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Plurinational State of Bolivia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bolivia is <strong>officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li>It is a<strong> landlocked country</strong> located in western-central <strong>South America.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> capital of Bolivia is Sucre</strong> while the seat of government and<strong> financial center is located in La Paz.</strong></li>
<li>In 2009, a new constitution changed the country's official name to "Plurinational State of Bolivia" in <strong>recognition of the multi-ethnic nature of the country</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Outcome of Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" width="327" height="231" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>8 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed between India and Bolivia</strong> concerning fields of culture, visa waiver for diplomats, the exchange between diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, the establishment of Centre of Excellence in IT and the Bi-Oceanic Railway project.</li>
<li>Bolivia also joined the <strong>International Solar Alliance</strong> by signing the framework agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Lithium Deposit Exploration</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Both sides also agreed to work together for exploration and extraction of the vast Lithium deposits of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Lithium is a key resource used in making batteries that India needs</strong> for its clean technology initiatives such as increased use of electric cars. It will be a boost to India&rsquo;s FAME II scheme.</li>
<li>India agreed to facilitate Bolivian supplies of lithium Carbonate to India and foster joint ventures for Lithium battery/cell production plants in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Financial Aid</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the framework of South-South Cooperation<strong>, India gave a US$ 100 million Line of Credit to Bolivia for financing development projects in sectors that Bolivia may choose.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Bolivia Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Embassy in Peru is concurrently accredited to Bolivia since April 1981.</li>
<li>Bolivia opened a resident Mission in India in 2012.</li>
<li><strong>Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India-Bolivia bilateral trade has grown in the last two years and it stood at US$ 875 million in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>60% of Bolivian gold is exported to India.</li>
<li><strong>Bolivia is the 8th leading trading partner of India in the Latin America region.</strong></li>
<li>There is a scope for diversifying trade basket to further strengthen the bilateral trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-bolivia'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &lsquo;<a href="https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood-49220/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood</a>&rsquo; which was published in &lsquo;Raisina Debates in ORF&rsquo; on 25th March, 2019. The article talks about growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region and challenge it poses for India&rsquo;s maritime security.)</p>
</div>
<p><em>In an &lsquo;advisory opinion&rsquo; as different from a verdict, The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recently said that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belonged to Mauritius, and not to the UK.</em></p>
<p><em>The order may have implications for the prevailing &lsquo;rules-based&rsquo; system prevalent in the Indian Ocean neighbourhood, where nations like Sri Lanka, Maldives and India are the other shared stake-holders.</em></p>
<p><em>Long ago, India backed Mauritius on the issue. In the current context, the Indian need may be even more, what with &lsquo;China in the Indian Ocean Region&rsquo; and the &lsquo;String of Pearls&rsquo; becoming New Delhi&rsquo;s strategic pre-occupation.</em></p>
<h3>The Issue</h3>
<p>Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965 three years before Mauritian independence, calling it British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). BIOT was endowed with a sole purpose: to serve the defence and security needs of the UK and its ally-US.</p>
<p>Due to this, the indigenous inhabitants of BIOT were deemed unnecessary by both London and Washington. In a shameful episode, officials knowingly misrepresented the Chagossians as migrant workers and forcefully deported them. Ever since, the Chagossians have campaigned for a restoration of their right to return.</p>
<p>The UK government has always opposed the Chagossians&rsquo; claims, chiefly at the behest of US military planners who prize the seclusion that Diego Garcia provides.</p>
<h3>Indian Ocean Region: New Economic Arteries</h3>
<p>The oceans, as global highways of connectivity, have been the principal means for propagation of political, social, cultural, economic and military influence beyond continental masses since recorded history.</p>
<p>Much like the Pacific Rim which shaped the global economic trajectory for the two decades, the Indian Ocean has the potential to become the most important resource of new global growth over the next 20 years.</p>
<p>With the Indian Ocean channels carrying two-thirds of the world&rsquo;s oil shipments, a third of the bulk cargo and half of all container traffic, the region&rsquo;s strategic significance remains well established.</p>
<p>China&rsquo;s rise has added another dimension where traditional power equations are now in flux. For India, which sits astride the Indian Ocean as its pre-eminent power, this is clearly an important phase in the evolution of its thinking on the region.</p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<p>The recent ICJ advisory opinion that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belongs to Mauritius and not to the UK change the geopolitical tilt in the region from favouring US to a more tentative position.</p>
<p>Despite Mauritius&rsquo; declaring that it would allow US to continue using American military base in Diego Garcia, there is still ambiguity as to how the Mauritius will react in the decades to come. A lot depends on the relative political and economic power of the US, China and India, at any given point, in the medium to long term.</p>
<p>The aspirations of the Chinese Navy to register its presence in the region, and then follow it up by projecting power as part of its &lsquo;Far Seas&rsquo; operating philosophy can be seen in Hambantota, where China is in possession of Sri Lankan real estate, for developing a port and Special Economic Zone.</p>
<p>Maldives, another island is caught somewhere in between, which has shared a strenuous relation with India in the recent past and has received generous aids from China, a feature of the so called &lsquo;debt trap&rsquo; policy. Since the Maldives represents a buffer zone surrounding India&rsquo;s maritime strategic space, China&rsquo;s steady encroachment there is a serious cause for concern.</p>
<p>Even in the South China Sea issue, when the world, especially the US and to a lesser extent, India and Japan, were upset and anguished, but the so-called affected nations in South-East Asia seem to have re-adjusted themselves to a &lsquo;new normal&rsquo;.</p>
<p>With bigger Chinese purse and its habit to increasingly question the established global order and India&rsquo;s problem in establishing maritime/naval presence in Island nations where the Governments keep changing their positions and commitments, can cause a paradigm-shift in global understanding and acceptance of emerging heat -&ndash; not warmth -- in the Indian Ocean waters, not far away from the Indian shores.</p>
<h3>Steps suggested</h3>
<p>The concept of strategic buffer zones in the naval domain is enshrined in great power politics and any nation getting a head start in it can safely avoid anti-access and area denial tactics from their adversaries. India therefore should develop a similar outlook to guard against Chinese encirclement of its strategic space.</p>
<p>New Delhi should look to operationalise logistical agreements with France and the United States, in order to upgrade naval relations and allow its own bases to be used for logistical support by the French and American navies.</p>
<p>These logistical bases can enhance India&rsquo;s capability to establish sea-denial in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating the breadth of Indian naval power. These moves should be accompanied with counter-theatre presence in the Western Pacific, and diplomatic outreach to South Asian nations that are being courted by China.</p>
<p>India should look to develop interdependencies with neighbouring countries, both economically and strategically, which until now it has failed to realise. The void left by India has been dutifully fulfilled by China.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p>With global negotiations still on an expanded EEZ for individual sea-bordering nations, India has settled future disputes only with one neighbour, namely, Bangladesh.</p>
<p>With China already on the Indian Ocean&rsquo;s mouth at Hambantota, and Diego Garcia&rsquo;s distant future possibly becoming tentative, there may be more on India&rsquo;s hands in the future on the water-front than on the land-front just now.</p>
<p>New Delhi should take a faster and closer look at impending issues, to be able to arrive at an earlier solution before it becomes a political talking-point.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Five Coffee Varieties Got GI Tag',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dipp-renamed-as-dpiit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade</a>, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has recently awarded <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/potential-of-gis-is-waiting-to-be-tapped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GI tag</a> to five varieties of Indian coffee.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The five varieties include
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Coorg Arabica coffee</strong>, grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Wayanad Robusta coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.</li>
<li><strong>Chikmagalur Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district which is situated in the Deccan plateau, falling under the Malnad region of Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Araku Valley Arabica coffee,</strong> can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of <strong>Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh</strong> and Odisha region grown at an elevation of 900-1100m Mean Sea Level (MSL). This variety is produced by the tribals, who follow an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.</li>
<li><strong>Bababudangiris Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India. The region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district. Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the coffee cup exhibits acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate. This coffee is also called &lsquo;high grown coffee&rsquo; as it slowly ripens in the mild climate thereby acquiring a special taste and aroma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The GI tag will help in enhancing the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and will also allow growers to get maximum price for their premium coffee.</li>
<li><strong>In the year 2018, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-5th-september-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Coffee Board</a> had filed the application for the GI Tag for these five varieties.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, the <strong>Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee,</strong> a unique specialty coffee of India was given GI certification.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Coffee Stats</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers.</li>
<li><strong>The cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India</strong>:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Karnataka &ndash; 54%</li>
<li>Kerala &ndash; 19%</li>
<li>Tamil Nadu &ndash; 8%</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).</li>
<li><strong>India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried.</strong></li>
<li>India produces some of the best coffee in the world, grown by tribal farmers in the Western and Eastern Ghats,which are the two major biodiversity hotspots in the world.</li>
<li>Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and is sold as premium coffee in Europe.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Two main varieties of coffee - grown in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Arabica</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This variety of coffee has a delicate flavour and balanced aroma coupled with a sharp and sweet taste.</li>
<li>Arabicas are harvested between November to January, and are typically grown on higher altitudes ranging from 600 to 2000 metres in cool, moisture-rich and subtropical weather conditions.</li>
<li>It has about half the amount of caffeine compared to Robustas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Robusta</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a very strong taste, a grainy essence and an aftertaste somewhat similar to that of peanuts.</li>
<li>It is harvested from December to February and and is grown in hot and humid climate with temperature ranging from 20 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius.</li>
<li>It has twice the level of caffeine compared to Arabica.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Coffee Board of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>statutory organization that was constituted under Section (4) of the Coffee Act, 1942.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>The Board comprises 33 Members including the Chairperson, who is the Chief Executive and it <strong>functions from Bangalore.</strong></li>
<li>The Board mainly focuses its activities in the areas of research, extension, development, market intelligence, external &amp; internal promotion for coffee.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-coffee-varieties-got-gi-tag'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (30th March 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Non-Convertible Debentures</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Debentures are <strong>long-term financial instruments that are issued by companies to borrow money</strong>.</li>
<li>Some debentures have a feature of convertibility into shares after a certain point of time at the discretion of the debenture holder.</li>
<li><strong>The debentures which cannot be converted into shares are called non-convertible debentures (or NCDs)</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>There are two types of NCDs-secured and unsecured.</strong></li>
<li>A secured NCD is backed by the assets of the company. If the company fails to pay the obligation, the investor holding the debenture can claim that through liquidation of those assets. Contrary to this, there is no backing in unsecured NCDs if company defaults.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Venezuela Humanitarian Aid Operation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> will channel humanitarian aid to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/venezuela-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>crisis-hit Venezuela,</strong></a> potentially helping ease chronic hunger and disease.</li>
<li>The first supplies would include <strong>medical equipment, surgical kits and power generators, following two major blackouts.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> country&rsquo;s hyperinflationary crisis</strong> has made food and medicine unaffordable for most citizens, fueling widespread malnutrition, especially among children, and a rise in preventable diseases.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> is a global humanitarian organization, which coordinates and directs <strong>international assistance following natural and man-made disasters in non-conflict situations.</strong></li>
<li>It was <strong>founded in 1919 in Paris</strong> in the<strong> aftermath of World War I.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>world's largest humanitarian network</strong> which is guided by<strong> seven Fundamental Principles</strong>: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, universality and unity.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Indian Red Cross Society</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established in 1920 under the Indian Red Cross Society Act</strong> and incorporated under Parliament Act XV of 1920.</li>
<li><strong>President of India is designated the President of the Indian Red Cross Society</strong> and <strong>Union Health Minister is the Chairman of the Society.</strong></li>
<li>The Indian Red Cross is a <strong>voluntary humanitarian organization</strong> having a network of over 700 branches throughout the country, providing relief in times of disasters/ emergencies and promotes health &amp; care of the vulnerable people</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, a<strong> forest guard at the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagaland,</strong> has been awarded <strong>Earth Day Network Star,</strong> for the protection of forests and wild animals in and around Fakim sanctuary.</li>
<li>The award is given by a<strong> U.S.-based international environment organisation</strong> that engages with green groups in 195 countries.</li>
<li>The Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in located <strong>Kiphire district of Nagaland.</strong> It is spread over 642 hectares.</li>
<li>It was <strong>established in the year 1983,</strong> and it lies along the <strong>international border with Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>Many wildlife animals such as leopards, tigers, wild buffaloes, hoolock gibbons and mithun are found.</li>
<li><strong>Hornbill,</strong> the <strong>most popular bird in Nagaland</strong> (It can be noted that <strong>Blyth&rsquo;s Tragopan is the State Bird of Nagaland)</strong> is also abundantly found in the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
<h3>DRDO&rsquo;s Bio-Digester</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bio-digester technology has been developed by <strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</strong> for resolving the problems of un-decomposed human waste.</li>
<li>The bio-digester <strong>consists of a bio-toilet attached with bio-digester tanks</strong> that converts human faeces into biogas and reusable water.</li>
<li>It uses <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum (a material used for inoculation)</strong> to convert faeces into biogas and water that can be used for agriculture and gardening purposes.</li>
<li>The tanks can be <strong>customised based on the requirements</strong> of the local conditions, and can <strong>operate in temperatures ranging from minus (-) 20 degrees to 50 degrees.</strong></li>
<li>The bio-digester tanks are <strong>maintenance-free for the lifetime</strong>, as the <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum is fed only once.</strong> It feeds on the faecal matter and multiplies by itself.</li>
<li>The technology is now being<strong> used in the Indian Railways and by the armed forces.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO was <strong>established in 1958</strong> after combining Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development &amp; Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).</li>
<li>DRDO works under the <strong>administrative control of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>Several major projects for the development of missiles, armaments, light combat aircrafts, radars, electronic warfare systems etc are on hand and significant achievements have already been made in several such technologies.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-30th-march-2019'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Economic Relations between India and European, Oceania Countries',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, interaction on trade and economic cooperation with ambassadors and high commissioners of European and Oceania countries took place in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>European and Oceania countries are major trading partners and major sources of investments for India and there is the huge untapped potential that can be achieved.</strong></li>
<li>During 2017-18, <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with Europe stood at USD 130.1 billion,</strong> with both exports and imports registering double-digit growth.</li>
<li><strong>In Oceania, India is the fifth largest export market for Australia,</strong> with coal, education-related travel, vegetable, and gold being some of the major items of imports by India.</li>
<li>Major exports from India to Australia include refined petroleum, business services, and pharmaceuticals.</li>
<li><strong>New Zealand is also an important market for India in the Oceania region,</strong> especially for its exports of pharmaceuticals, gems, and jewelry, machinery and textiles, and apparel.</li>
<li>Nearly, more than USD 1.2 billion was invested by companies from Oceania in the Indian market from April 2000 to December 2018.
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU%20members.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU members.png" width="541" height="304" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
</li>
<li><strong>The Oceania region also accounts for nearly 1.7 percent of India&rsquo;s overseas FDI, with Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Vanuatu being the key investment destinations.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Europe Union Economic Relations</h3>
<p></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The EU as a <g class="gr_ gr_85 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="85" data-gr-id="85">bloc</g> of 28 countries is India&rsquo;s largest regional trading partner while India was the EU&rsquo;s 9th largest trading partner in 2015.</strong></li>
<li>India and the EU are in the process of negotiating a bilateral <strong>Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) since 2007.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>European Union</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>European Union (EU), is an international organization comprising <strong>28 European countries and governing common economic, social, and security policies.</strong></li>
<li>The EU was created by the <strong>Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.</strong></li>
<li>The treaty was designed to enhance European political and economic integration by creating a single currency (the euro), a unified foreign and security policy, and common citizenship rights and by advancing cooperation in the areas of immigration, asylum, and judicial affairs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues in India-EU Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even after 13 rounds of negotiations, BTIA has not led to the signing of the agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Intellectual property rights:</strong> There is disagreement over IP protection standards. The EU is keen that India should adopt stringent IP protection standards.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For India, such a step could impact public health and seriously affect the Indian pharmaceutical sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in tariffs:</strong> One of the major demands of the EU is that India should lower its tariff rates on European dairy and poultry products, wines and spirits.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reduction of tariffs in the dairy sector and poultry industry could have a serious impact on the Indian dairy industry, mainly on employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Services sector:</strong> India has <strong>demanded flexible regulations, greater access for Indian services&nbsp;</strong>and an easy visa requirement for Indian professionals. Europe is cautious about allowing this fearing an increased unemployment problem.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Oceania Relations<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="359" height="332" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s trade relation with Oceania has been dominated by Australia and New Zealand.</strong></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s trade in goods and services with Australia was approximately US$ 15.6 billion in 2016.</li>
<li>India was New Zealand&rsquo;s 11th largest bilateral trading partner (2017) with total trade in both goods and services valued at US$ 1.91b.</li>
<li>Apart from these two India also has a significant trade relationship with the Pacific island nations with Fiji and Papua New Guinea dominating the relations. <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with the Pacific Islands stood at US$ 228 million in 2012.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pacific Island Forum (PIF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> PIF was formed in 1999 as a successor to the earlier South Pacific Forum set up in 1971.</strong></li>
<li>Regional cooperation has grown steadily under the aegis of the PIF.</li>
<li><strong>India is a dialogue partner of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Fiji in November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Member Countries - <strong>India and 14 Pacific Island countries,</strong> namely Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues between India and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The low volumes of trade between India and the PICs are due to the <strong>small populations</strong> and <strong>market sizes</strong> in these islands, as well as their <strong>distance from India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken by India to Improve Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India has established Trade Office for Pacific Island Forum countries in India.</strong></li>
<li>The FIPIC Trade Office in New Delhi <strong>will support the development of micro, small and medium Enterprises.</strong> The <strong>Office will assist in improving Market Access for the Pacific</strong> Islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/trade-and-economic-relation-between-india-and-european-and-oceania-countries'
		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Gender Wage Gap',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India has recently released a report titled &lsquo;Mind the Gap: The State of Employment in India.&rsquo;</strong> The report assesses gender disparities and role of social identities such as caste and class in employment in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pay level:</strong> In 2015, 92%of women and 82 % of men were earning a monthly wage less than Rs.10,000, far below the Seventh Central Pay Commission (2013) recommendation of Rs.18,000 per month.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ilos-india-wage-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wage Gap</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Women on an average are <strong>paid 34% less than similarly qualified male workers</strong> for performing same tasks.</li>
<li>Based on <strong>National Sample Survey Office (2011-12) estimates</strong>, in nominal terms, women earning a regular salary were paid, on an average, Rs.105 and Rs. 123 less than male workers daily in urban and rural settings, respectively; corresponding figures for casual workers were estimated at Rs.72 and Rs. 47 for urban and rural workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Over-representation of women in unpaid care work:</strong> The report pointed out that if unpaid care and household activities are included in the NSSO&rsquo;s definition of work, the <strong>Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR)</strong> in 2011-12 would rise from 20.5 % to 81.7%, more than that of men.</li>
<li><strong>Divergences in FLFPR:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Caste Factor:</strong> Muslim women are concentrated in household manufacturing, Schedule Caste (SCs) in construction and services such as waste collection while non-SCs generally work in education and health services.</li>
<li>Education sector accounts for over 1 in 7 urban women workers.</li>
<li><strong>75% of rural women remain engaged in agriculture, where they are relegated to low-wage roles such as weeding, threshing and paddy transplantation.</strong></li>
<li>Almost half (49.5%) of married women workers work in the same industry as their husbands.</li>
<li>There are more women workers in Southern and North-Eastern States, but number are still below international standards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Causes behind<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/inequality-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> inequality</a> in employment in India:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lack of quality jobs and wage disparity </strong>are key reasons behind inequality in the Indian labour market.</li>
<li>The <strong>burden of unpaid care work, and the continuing prevalence of other regressive social norms</strong> are also factors behind women&rsquo;s low participation in the workforce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Shifting development focus towards labour intensive sectors to create more jobs.</li>
<li><strong>Growth in jobs must be inclusive and new jobs need to be secure with better work conditions, including social security benefits and the right to organise.</strong></li>
<li>Substantially higher investments in health and education are required to improve productivity as these are the sectors which could be large employment generators in the future.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Oxfam India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India</strong> is an arm of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oxfam-report-on-inequality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Oxfam</a> International that is registered as &lsquo;Non-profit&rsquo; under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013. Its vision is to create an equal, just and sustainable society by empowering the underprivileged.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an office&nbsp;<strong>under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).</strong></li>
<li>It is responsible for conduct of large scale sample surveys in diverse fields such as social,economic,industrial etc, on All India basis.</li>
<li>It has four divisions:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD):</strong> This Division, located at Kolkata, is responsible for technical planning of surveys, formulation of concepts and definitions, sampling design, designing of inquiry schedules, drawing up of tabulation plan, analysis and presentation of survey results.</li>
<li><strong>Field Operations Division (FOD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Delhi/Faridabad and a network of six Zonal Offices, 49 Regional Offices and 118 Sub-Regional Offices spread throughout the country, is responsible for the collection of primary data for the surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
<li><strong>Data Processing Division (DPD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Kolkata and 6 other Data Processing Centers at various places, is responsible for sample selection, software development, processing, validation and tabulation of the data collected through surveys.</li>
<li><strong>Co-ordination &amp; Publication Division (CPD):</strong> This Division, located at New Delhi, coordinates all the activities of different Divisions of NSSO. It also brings out the bi-annual journal of NSSO, titled &ldquo;Sarvekshana&rdquo;, and organizes National Seminars on the results of various Socio-economic surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Electoral Bonds',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<p>(<em>The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Bonds of secrecy&rdquo; which appeared in The Indian Express for 3rd April 2019. In this editorial we&rsquo;ll go through the biggest criticisms of the &lsquo;electoral bonds&rsquo; system.</em>)</p>
<p>&ldquo;<em>Concealing the identity of donors in electoral bonds goes against a fundamental tenet of democracy &mdash; transparency. Any executive Act which takes away transparency is anti-democratic and against the public interest</em>.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Elections are run with money as much as anything else. This involvement of money in our elections has become a bane to our democracy. Transparency on the flow of money into our elections had always been a key issue and the &lsquo;electoral bond&rsquo; system was supposed to take care of this. Sadly, as pointed out in this editorial, this system is deeply flawed and what is worse is that it can actually make the involvement of money in our elections more opaque.</p>
<h3>The First and Biggest Problem</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/an-invitation-to-corruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electoral bonds</a> were conceived in 2017 and the necessary legislative changes were made in the Finance Bill of 2017.</li>
<li><strong>For example, Section 31 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1924, was amended and a new Clause (3) was added to provide for electoral bonds. This amendment was pushed through as a money bill, whereas the Reserve Bank of India Act itself is not a money bill.</strong></li>
<li><strong>This contradiction remains unresolved till today. If the parent Act is not a money bill, how can an amendment to it be treated as a money bill?</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>The notification issued by the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance on January 2, 2018, gives us details of these bonds. From it, one gets a clear idea of the objective of these bonds:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>To conceal the identity of the donor of political funds.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, political parties fund their election campaigns mostly through funds from corporate houses and wealthy individuals.</li>
<li><strong>No political party can meet the exorbitant expenses of an election with their membership fees.</strong> They need to depend on corporates, who are flush with money and have no hesitation in generously helping political parties, particularly the ones that are their favourites.</li>
<li><strong>Much of these funds are actually black money.</strong> Although political parties get income tax exemptions on these donations and the donors too can claim exemption under the relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act, the bulk of these donations remain unaccounted. This means that every election in India adds to the volume of black money in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Electoral bonds were conceived with a view to keeping the identity of the donor secret. The bond does not carry the name of the buyer.</strong>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li><strong>The donor does have a genuine fear that if parties in the Opposition get to know how much he has contributed to the ruling party, he will be in trouble when the former comes to power. The electoral bond scheme is informed by an appreciation of such fears.</strong></li>
<li>Under the scheme, the name or other details of the buyer of the bonds will not be disclosed to any authority for any purpose whatsoever. The recipient, after receiving the bonds from the donor, will deposit it in his account. <strong>Of course, the government &mdash; and the ruling party &mdash; will know who the donor is and how much money has been given to a party.</strong></li>
<li>If there is a &ldquo;tough&rdquo; government in office, we can be sure that the parties in Opposition will get almost nothing.</li>
<li>Thus, two objectives are achieved by introducing electoral bonds.
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-roman;">
<li>One, the identity of the donor can be kept secret from the public, including other political parties.</li>
<li>Two, the ruling parties will get the lion&rsquo;s share of the donations. There is ample evidence that these two objects have been achieved.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The details of the electoral bonds were notified by the finance ministry in January 2018. Para 7(4) of this notification points out, <em>&ldquo;Confidentiality of the information furnished by the buyer shall not be disclosed to any authority for any purpose.&rdquo;</em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This notification was issued under Section 31(3) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1924.</li>
<li><strong>This Section does not give any details about the electoral bonds policy. The confidentiality of the bonds and the total prohibition of disclosure of information about the donor, to any authority for any purpose, is a matter of legislative policy.</strong></li>
<li>This cannot be dealt with through a notification, which is a subordinate legislation. Subordinate legislation can only deal with the details of the implementation of the policy contained in the parent Act. It is the Act which should contain the policy, not the notification issued by the executive under the Act.</li>
<li><strong>The Supreme Court has struck down many such orders, regulations, and notifications on the ground of being ultra vires the parent Act. January 2, 2018, notification on electoral bonds is ultra vires Section 31(3) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1924, and hence is illegal.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Section 29C in The Representation of the People Act, 1951</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Declaration of donation received by the political parties.&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The treasurer of a political party or any other person authorized by the political party in this behalf shall, in each financial year, prepare a report in respect of the following, namely:&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The contribution in excess of twenty thousand rupees received by such political party from any person in that financial year;</li>
<li>The contribution in excess of twenty thousand rupees received by such political party from companies other than Government companies in that financial year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-regulating-anonymous-donations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Way Forward: Transparency is Crucial</a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Firstly, it is not open to the executive to legislate against transparency &mdash; a fundamental aspect of public policy in a democracy.</strong></li>
<li><strong>A legislature can provide for the confidentiality of state secrets but not for protecting the confidentiality of the donors of political funding who are private individuals or private companies. No public interest will be served by that. In fact, it would only injure public interest.</strong></li>
<li>Secondly, Section 29(C) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, requires every political party to submit an annual report to the Election Commission. This report should contain the details of contributions in excess of Rs 20,000 received by the party concerned from individuals and private companies. This requirement has been done away with in the case of electoral bonds through an amendment.</li>
<li><strong>This amendment to Section 29(C) is against the public policy of transparency and is hence unconstitutional.</strong></li>
<li>The Preamble to the Right to Information Act, 2005 declares: &ldquo;<em>&hellip; Democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning.&rdquo;</em> As such, any executive Act which takes away transparency is anti-democratic and against the public interest.</li>
<li>Keeping in view the above-mentioned shortcomings of the legislation, necessary reforms should make their way into the larger public discourse.</li>
</ul>',
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	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Automation and Job Market',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/100th-anniversary-of-ilo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Labour Organization (ILO)</strong></a> released a report titled<strong> &ldquo;Changing Business and Opportunities for Employer and Business Organizations"</strong> which dwells on <strong>automation and employability.</strong></p>
<h3>Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report lists the percentage of work activities that can be automated using current technology.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Over 40% of activities</strong> can be<strong> automated across the world.</strong></li>
<li>In the case of <strong>India, 51.8% of activities can be automated.</strong> Robotic automation is having the greatest impact, replacing<strong> low-skilled jobs and simple assembly tasks.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Automation will likely impact most jobs involving <strong>highly structured physical activity in predictable environments, such as manufacturing and retail, alongside data collection and processing.</strong></li>
<li>Automation <strong>threatens to impact women more than men.</strong> This is primarily because automation threatens sectors like retail, business processing outsourcing and textiles/clothing/footwear. where <strong>women form a major part of the workforce.</strong></li>
<li>The report suggests that 66% of Indian businesses are looking for <strong>quite a different set of skills among new recruits</strong> than they did three years ago. Even in the United States of America (61%), Brazil (70%) and Germany (65%) businesses are looking for quite different skills in new recruits</li>
<li>India has an<strong> unemployment crisis.</strong> Over and above that, India also has an<strong> employability crisis.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Even when firms have jobs on offer, they are <strong>unable to find candidates with the right skills</strong> who can take on these jobs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Five global trends</strong> are shaping the way <strong>businesses across the world operate</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Technological Innovation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Automation and digitisation is transforming how and where businesses operate, their workforces and skills requirements.</li>
<li>Technological innovations have the greatest overall impact on business. Technology is facilitating access to new markets, fostering opportunities for new digital business models, accelerating the development of new products and services, enabling new ways of working (such as virtual international teams and remote working), and expanding digital networks of suppliers and business partners.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Economic Integration</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Global economic integration is increasing the harmonisation of corporate global governance, tax/regulatory and business environments. At the same time, businesses are increasingly exposed to the global economy, and political uncertainty.</li>
<li>Emerging economies, which were once mainly the suppliers of low-cost goods, unprocessed natural resources or simple services are becoming hubs for capital, innovation and talent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demographic and Generational Shifts</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The shifting demographic dynamics and declining working-age population are expected to reshape the long-standing fundamentals of work, retirement and savings. Along with this, focus is also on how to take advantage of the youth dividend and its potential economic gains while managing pressures on labour markets and society.</li>
<li>The most significant change is the inclusion of women, who are entering employment at historic, record levels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Climate change and sustainability</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Companies are increasingly pressured to become sustainable by considering the triple bottom line: financial sustainability, social impact and environmental impact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global shortage of skilled labour</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Shifts in knowledge, education and training often mean that the most suitably skilled employees are not found where jobs are located.</li>
<li>A lack of relevant skills for the world of work is already creating problems even at entry-level positions.</li>
<li>The majority of executives believe that matching the curriculum to the economy&rsquo;s needs and business playing an active role in shaping educational systems to boost skills would provide the skilled employees need.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Firms across all regions are feeling an impact on all aspects of their business, from the strategic and operational to the organizational level, with the fastest-growing companies reporting heightened awareness.</li>
<li>As the pace of this change accelerates, <strong>policymakers, and businesses</strong> need to innovate, adjust and become more flexible in order to drive change and<strong> remain relevant in the rapidly changing business environment.</strong></li>
<li>These improvements can only be achieved by adequately <strong>managing and investing in capable human capital</strong>, generating the <strong>skills and capacity to understand</strong> and <strong>respond to the business needs of today and the future.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/automation-and-job-market'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'President's Visit to Chile',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the President of India completed his visit to<strong> the Republic of Chile.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>India- Chile Relations</strong></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chile is India&rsquo;s <strong>window to Latin America</strong> and to the Pacific Alliance.</li>
<li>Chile is the fifth largest trading partner of India in the Latin American region.</li>
<li>India- Chile signed the&nbsp;<strong>Preferential Trade Agreement</strong> in 2017 to enhance the trade.</li>
<li>The bilateral trade is growing and stood at <strong>US$ 2.8 billion</strong> in 2017-18.</li>
<li>India and Chile are <strong>partners</strong> in the <strong>International Solar Alliance.</strong></li>
<li>India- Chile signed three <strong>Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs)</strong> in the fields of -<strong>mining, culture,</strong><strong>&nbsp;disability.</strong></li>
<li>India- Chile commemorates the <strong>70<sup>th</sup> anniversary</strong> of the Establishment of <strong>Diplomatic Relations</strong> between Chile and India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chile</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chile is officially known as the Republic of Chile. Its capital is <strong>Santiago</strong>.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199936_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199936_image2.jpg" width="310" height="218" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>It is a South American country occupying a narrow strip of land between the <strong>Andes</strong> to the east and the <strong>Pacific Ocean</strong> to the west.</li>
<li>It borders<strong> Peru</strong> to the north, <strong>Bolivia</strong> to the northeast, <strong>Argentina</strong> to the east, and the <strong>Drake Passage</strong> in the south.</li>
<li>The <strong>Atacama desert</strong> is one of the driest places in the world touches Chile in its northern side and is a source of sodium nitrate fertilizer.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It owes it aridity due to a constant temperature inversion of cool north-flowing <strong>Humboldt ocean current.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chuquicamata</strong> is the World&rsquo;s largest copper town of Chile.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-chile'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Unemployment in India',
		'catname' => 'Paper 3',
		'desc' => '<p>The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.2 percent in February 2019, the highest since September 2016, and also up from 5.9 percent in February 2018, according to the latest data compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).</p>
<h3>What is Unemployment?</h3>
<p>Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment is unable to find work. Unemployment is often used as a measure of the health of the economy. The most frequent measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate, which is the number of unemployed people divided by the number of people in the labor force.</p>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO)</strong> defines employment and unemployment on the following activity statuses of an individual:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Working (engaged in an economic activity) i.e. 'Employed'.</li>
<li>Seeking or available for work i.e. 'Unemployed'.</li>
<li>Neither seeking nor available for work.</li>
</ul>
<p>The first two constitutes labour force and unemployment rate is the percent of the labour force that is without work.</p>
<p>Unemployment rate = (Unemployed Workers / Total labour force) &times; 100</p>
<h3>Types of Unemployment in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Disguised Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a phenomenon wherein more people are employed than actually needed.</li>
<li>It is primarily traced in the agricultural and the unorganised sectors of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Seasonal Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an unemployment that occurs during certain seasons of the year.</li>
<li>Agricultural labourers in India rarely have work throughout the year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Structural Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a category of unemployment arising from the mismatch between the jobs available in the market and the skills of the available workers in the market.</li>
<li>Many people in India do not get job due to lack of requisite skills and due to poor education level, it becomes difficult to train them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cyclical Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is result of the business cycle, where unemployment rises during recessions and declines with economic growth.</li>
<li>Cyclical unemployment figures in India are negligible. It is a phenomenon that is mostly found in capitalist economies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Technological Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is loss of jobs due to changes in technology.</li>
<li>In 2016, World Bank data predicted that the proportion of jobs threatened by automation in India is 69% year-on-year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Frictional Unemployment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Frictional Unemployment also called as Search Unemployment, refers to the time lag between the jobs when an individual is searching for a new job or is switching between the jobs.</li>
<li>In other words, an employee requires time for searching a new job or shifting from the existing to a new job, this inevitable time delay causes the frictional unemployment. It is often considered as a voluntary unemployment because it is not caused due to the shortage of job, but in fact, the workers themselves quit their jobs in search of better opportunities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerable Employment:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means, people working informally, without proper job contracts and thus sans any legal protection. These persons are deemed &lsquo;unemployed&rsquo; since records of their work are never maintained.</li>
<li>It is one of the main types of unemployment in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Related Terms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unemployment trap</strong> is a situation when unemployment benefits discourage the unemployed to go to work. People find the opportunity cost of going to work too high when one can simply enjoy the benefits by doing nothing.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><em>Description:</em> While the purpose of social security and welfare systems is to provide relief to the unemployed, they end up providing them with an incentive not to return to work. An unemployment trap arises when opportunity cost of going to work is higher than the income received, discouraging people from returning to work and being productive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Harmonised unemployment rates</strong> define the unemployed as people of working age who are without work, are available for work, and have taken specific steps to find work. The uniform application of this definition results in estimates of unemployment rates that are more internationally comparable than estimates based on national definitions of unemployment.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This indicator is measured in numbers of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force and it is seasonally adjusted. The labour force is defined as the total number of unemployed people plus those in civilian employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Measurement of Unemployment in India</h3>
<p>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), an organization under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) measures unemployment in India on following approaches:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Usual Status Approach:</strong> This approach estimates only those persons as unemployed who had <strong>no gainful work for a major time during the 365 days</strong> preceding the date of survey.</li>
<li><strong>Weekly Status Approach:</strong> This approach records only those persons as unemployed who<strong> did not have gainful work even for an hour on any day of the week</strong> preceding the date of survey.</li>
<li><strong>Daily Status Approach:</strong> Under this approach, unemployment status of a person is measured for each day in a reference week. A person having <strong>no gainful work even for 1 hour in a day</strong> is described as unemployed for that day.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Unemployment stats</strong> (based on findings from CMIE&rsquo;s latest data):</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.2 percent in February 2019, the highest since September 2016, and up from 5.9 percent in February 2018.</li>
<li>The total number of employed persons in February 2019 is estimated at 400 million against 406 million in the year-ago period and 407.5 million employed in February 2017.</li>
<li>The labour participation rate fell from 43.2% in January 2019 to 42.7% in February 2019.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Labour Participation Rate</strong> defines that section of working population in the economy which is currently employed or seeking employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Causes of Unemployment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Large population.</li>
<li>Low or no educational levels and vocational skills of working population.</li>
<li>Inadequate state support, legal complexities and low infrastructural, financial and market linkages to small/ cottage industries or small businesses, making such enterprises unviable with cost and compliance overruns.</li>
<li>Huge workforce associated with informal sector due to lack of required education/ skills, which is not captured in any employment data. For ex: domestic helpers, construction workers etc.</li>
<li><strong>The syllabus taught in schools and colleges, being not as per the current requirements of the industries.</strong> This is the main cause of structural unemployment.</li>
<li>Inadequate growth of infrastructure and<strong> low investments in manufacturing sector, hence restricting employment potential of secondary sector</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Low productivity in agriculture sector combined with lack of alternative opportunities for agricultural worker which makes transition from primary to secondary and tertiary sectors difficult.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Regressive social norms</strong> that deter women from taking/continuing employment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The problem of unemployment gives rise to the <strong>problem of poverty</strong>.</li>
<li>Young people after a long time of unemployment indulge in illegal and wrong activities for earning money. This also leads to <strong>increase in crime in the country</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Unemployed persons can easily be enticed by antisocial elements.</strong> This makes them lose faith in democratic values of the country.</li>
<li>It is often seen that unemployed people end up getting addicted to drugs and alcohol or attempts suicide, leading losses to the <strong>human resources of the country</strong>.</li>
<li>It also affects <strong>economy</strong> of the country as the workforce that could have been gainfully employed to generate resources actually gets dependent on the remaining working population, thus <strong>escalating socioeconomic costs</strong> for the State. For instance, 1 percent increase in unemployment reduces the GDP by 2 percent</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)</strong> was launched in 1980 to create full employment opportunities in rural areas.</li>
<li><strong>Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM):</strong> This scheme was started in 1979 with objective to help unemployed rural youth between the age of 18 and 35 years to acquire skills for self-employment. Priority was given to SC/ST Youth and Women.</li>
<li><strong>RSETI/RUDSETI:</strong> With the aim of mitigating the unemployment problem among the youth, a new initiative was tried jointly by Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Trust, Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank in 1982 which was the setting up of the &ldquo;RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SELF EMPLOYMENT TRAINING INSTITUTE&rdquo; with its acronym RUDSETI near Dharmasthala in Karnataka. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes/ RSETIs are now managed by Banks with active co-operation from the Government of India and State Government.</li>
<li>By merging the two erstwhile wage employment programme &ndash; National Rural Employment programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) the <strong>Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY)</strong> was started with effect from April, 1, 1989 on 80:20 cost sharing basis between the centre and the States.</li>
<li><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA):</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an employment scheme that was launched in 2005 to provide social security by guaranteeing a minimum of 100 days paid work per year to all the families whose adult members opt for unskilled labour-intensive work.</li>
<li>This act provides Right to Work to people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY),</strong> launched in 2015 has an objective of enabling a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood.</li>
<li><strong>Start Up India Scheme,</strong> launched in 2016 aims at developing an ecosystem that promotes and nurtures entrepreneurship across the country.</li>
<li><strong>Stand Up India Scheme,</strong> launched in 2016 aims to facilitate bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one women borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are number of labour intensive manufacturing sectors in India such as food processing, leather and footwear, wood manufacturers and furniture, textiles and apparel and garments. <strong>Special packages, individually designed for each industry are needed to create jobs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Public investment in sectors like health, education, police and judiciary can create many government jobs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Decentralisation of Industrial activities</strong> is necessary so that people of every region get employment.</li>
<li><strong>Development of the rural areas</strong> will help mitigate the migration of the rural people to the urban areas thus decreasing the pressure on the urban area jobs.</li>
<li>Entrepreneurs generate employments to many in a country; therefore <strong>government needs to encourage entrepreneurship among the youth</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Concrete measures aimed at removing the social barriers for women&rsquo;s entry</strong> and their continuous participation in the job market is needed.</li>
<li>Government needs to keep a <strong>strict watch on the education system</strong> and should try to implement new ways to generate skilled labour force.</li>
<li>Effective implementation of present programs like Make in India, Skill India, Start up and Stand-Up India.</li>
<li>There is a need for <strong>National Employment Policy (NEP)</strong> that would encompass a set of multidimensional interventions covering a whole range of social and economic issues affecting many policy spheres and not just the areas of labour and employment. The policy would be a critical tool to contribute significantly to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.</li>
<li>The underlying principles for the National Employment Policy may include
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>enhancing human capital through skill development;</li>
<li>creating sufficient number of decent quality jobs for all citizens in the formal and informal sectors to absorb those who are available and willing to work;</li>
<li>strengthening social cohesion and equity in the labour market;</li>
<li>coherence and convergence in various initiatives taken by the government;</li>
<li>supporting the private sector to become the major investor in productive enterprises;</li>
<li>supporting self-employed persons by strengthening their capabilities to improve their earnings;</li>
<li>ensuring employees&rsquo; basic rights and developing an education training and skill development system aligned with the changing requirements of the labour market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/unemployment-in-india'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Sendai Framework Report',
		'catname' => 'Summary of Important Reports',
		'desc' => '<h3>Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction 2015-30</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held from March 14 to 18, 2015 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.</li>
<li>The present Framework applies to the risk of small-scale and large-scale, frequent and infrequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters caused by natural or man-made hazards, as well as <strong>related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks</strong>.</li>
<li>It aims to guide the <strong>multi hazard management of disaster risk in development</strong> at all levels as well as within and across all sectors.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)</strong> 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Actions to be taken in four Priority Areas</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Understanding Disaster Risk:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To promote the collection, analysis, management and use of relevant data and practical information and ensure its dissemination, taking into account the needs of different categories of users, as appropriate.</li>
<li>To systematically evaluate, record, share and publicly account for disaster losses and understand the economic, social, health, education, environmental and cultural heritage impacts.</li>
<li>To build the knowledge of government officials at all levels, civil society, communities and volunteers, as well as the private sector, through sharing experiences, lessons learned, good practices and training and education on disaster risk reduction.</li>
<li>To ensure the use of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge and practices, as appropriate, to complement scientific knowledge in disaster risk assessment and the development and implementation of policies.</li>
<li>To promote and enhance, through international cooperation, including technology transfer, access to and the sharing and use of non-sensitive data and information for supporting national measures for successful disaster risk communication.</li>
<li>To develop effective global and regional campaigns for promoting a culture of disaster prevention, resilience and responsible citizenship.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To carry out an assessment of the technical, financial and administrative disaster risk management capacity to deal with the identified risks at the local and national levels.</li>
<li>To encourage the establishment of necessary mechanisms and incentives to ensure high level of compliance with the existing safety-enhancing provisions of sectoral laws and regulations, including those addressing land use and urban planning, building codes, environmental and resource management and health and safety standards.</li>
<li>To establish and strengthen government coordination forums composed of relevant stakeholders at the national and local levels, such as national and local platforms for disaster risk reduction, and a designated national focal point for implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015&ndash;2030.</li>
<li>To promote the development of quality standards, such as certifications and awards for disaster risk management, with the participation of the private sector, civil society, professional associations, scientific organizations and the United Nations.</li>
<li>To formulate public policies on addressing the issues of prevention or relocation of human settlements in disaster risk-prone zones.</li>
<li>To promote the strengthening of international voluntary mechanisms for monitoring and assessment of disaster risks, including relevant data and information, benefiting from the experience of the Hyogo Framework for Action Monitor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To allocate the necessary resources, including finance and logistics, as appropriate, at all levels of administration for the development and the implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies, policies, plans, laws and regulations in all relevant sectors.</li>
<li>To promote mechanisms for disaster risk transfer and insurance, risk-sharing and retention and financial protection, as appropriate, for both public and private investment in order to reduce the financial impact of disasters on Governments and societies, in urban and rural areas.</li>
<li>To promote the mainstreaming of disaster risk assessment, mapping and management into rural development planning and management of, inter alia, mountains, rivers, coastal floodplain areas and all other areas prone to droughts and flooding.</li>
<li>To increase resilience of country&rsquo;s critical infrastructure.</li>
<li>To strengthen and broaden international efforts aimed at eradicating hunger and poverty through disaster risk reduction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to &ldquo;Build Back Better&rdquo; in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To establish community centres for the promotion of public awareness and the stockpiling of necessary materials to implement rescue and relief activities.</li>
<li>To train the existing workforce and voluntary workers in disaster response and strengthen technical and logistical capacities to ensure better response in emergencies.</li>
<li>To promote the cooperation of diverse institutions, multiple authorities and related stakeholders at all levels, including affected communities and business, in view of the complex and costly nature of post-disaster reconstruction, under the coordination of national authorities.</li>
<li>To develop guidance for preparedness for disaster reconstruction.</li>
<li>To establish a mechanism of case registry and a database of mortality caused by disaster in order to improve the prevention of morbidity and mortality.</li>
<li>To enhance recovery schemes to provide psychosocial support and mental health services for all people in need.</li>
<li>To enhance international mechanisms, such as the International Recovery Platform, for the sharing of experience and learning among countries and all relevant stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expected Role of Stakeholders</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Women and their participation is critical</strong> for effectively managing disaster risk and designing, resourcing and implementing gender-sensitive disaster risk reduction policies, plans and programmes.</li>
<li><strong>Children and youth</strong> are agents of change and should be given the space and modalities to contribute to disaster risk reduction.</li>
<li><strong>Older persons</strong> have years of knowledge, skills and wisdom, which are invaluable assets to reduce disaster risk, and they should be included in the design of policies, plans and mechanisms, including for early warning.</li>
<li><strong>Indigenous peoples,</strong> through their experience and traditional knowledge, provide an important contribution to the development and implementation of plans and mechanisms, including for early warning.</li>
<li><strong>Academia, scientific and research entities</strong> and networks need to focus on the disaster risk factors and scenarios.</li>
<li><strong>Business, professional associations and private sector financial institutions</strong> as well as philanthropic foundations need to integrate disaster risk management into business models and practices through disaster-risk-informed investments.</li>
<li><strong>Media</strong> need to take an active and inclusive role at the local, national, regional and global levels in contributing to the raising of public awareness and understanding and disseminate accurate and non-sensitive disaster risk, hazard and disaster information, including on small-scale disasters.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expected Role of International Organizations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The United Nations and other international and regional organizations, engaged in disaster risk reduction are expected to enhance the coordination of their strategies in this regard.</li>
<li>The entities of the United Nations system through the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience, UN Development Assistance Frameworks and country programmes need to promote the optimum use of resources and to support developing countries, at their request, in the implementation of the present Framework.</li>
<li>The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is expected to support the implementation, follow-up and review of the present Framework.</li>
<li>International financial institutions, such as the World Bank and regional development banks are expected to consider the priorities of the present Framework for providing financial support and loans for integrated disaster risk reduction to developing countries.</li>
<li>The United Nations Global Compact, as the main United Nations initiative for engagement with the private sector and business, needs to further engage with and promote the critical importance of disaster risk reduction for sustainable development and resilience.</li>
<li>The Inter-Parliamentary Union and other relevant regional bodies and mechanisms for parliamentarians, as appropriate, to continue supporting and advocating disaster risk reduction and the strengthening of national legal frameworks.</li>
<li>The United Cities and Local Government organization and other relevant bodies of local governments to continue supporting cooperation and mutual learning among local governments for disaster risk reduction and the implementation of the present Framework.</li>
</ul>
<h3>2005-15 Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Over the 10 year time frame, more than 700 thousand people lost their lives, over 1.4 million got injured and approximately 23 million got homeless as a result of disasters.</li>
<li>Overall, more than 1.5 billion people have been affected by disasters in various ways, with women, children and people in vulnerable situations disproportionately affected.</li>
<li>In addition, between 2008 and 2012, 144 million people were displaced by disasters.</li>
<li>Recurring small-scale disasters and slow-onset disasters particularly affect communities, households and small and medium-sized enterprises, constituting a high percentage of all losses.</li>
<li>All countries &ndash; especially developing countries, where the mortality and economic losses from disasters are disproportionately higher &ndash; faced increasing levels of possible hidden costs and challenges in order to meet financial and other obligations.</li>
<li><strong>Evidence indicates that exposure of persons and assets in all countries has increased faster than vulnerability has decreased,</strong> thus generating new risks and a steady rise in disaster-related losses, with a significant economic, social, health, cultural and environmental impact in the short, medium and long term, especially at the local and community levels.</li>
<li>Even ten years after the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action, disasters continue to undermine efforts to achieve sustainable development, though the framework has provided critical guidance in efforts to reduce disaster risk and has contributed to the progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is urgent to anticipate, plan for and reduce disaster risk in order to more effectively protect persons, communities and countries.</li>
<li>Enhanced work to reduce exposure and vulnerability, thus preventing the creation of new disaster risks, and accountability for disaster risk creation are needed at all levels.</li>
<li>It is necessary to continue strengthening good governance in disaster risk reduction strategies at the national, regional and global levels and improving preparedness and national coordination for disaster response, rehabilitation and reconstruction.</li>
<li>Disaster risk reduction practices need to be multi-hazard and multi sectoral, inclusive and accessible in order to be efficient and effective.</li>
<li>Developing countries need special attention and support to augment domestic resources and capabilities through bilateral and multilateral channels in order to ensure adequate, sustainable, and timely means of implementation in capacity-building i.e. financial and technical assistance in accordance with international commitments.</li>
<li>As per the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in 2012, entitled &ldquo;The future we want&rdquo;, the building of resilience to disasters needs to be addressed with a renewed sense of urgency in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and, as appropriate, to be integrated at all levels.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/521drishti_ias_Sendai%20Framework Report.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/521drishti_ias_Sendai Framework Report.jpg" width="721" height="997" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/summary-of-important-reports/sendai-framework-report'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)',
		'catname' => 'National Institutions',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO works under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.</li>
<li>It is working to establish world class science and technology base for India and provides our Defence Services decisive edge by equipping them with internationally competitive systems and solutions.</li>
<li>Dr G. Satheesh Reddy is the incumbent Chairman of DRDO.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genesis &amp; Growth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO was established in 1958 after combining Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development &amp; Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).</li>
<li>Starting with 10 laboratories, DRDO has now grown to a network of 52 laboratories which are deeply engaged in developing defence technologies covering various disciplines, like aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special materials, naval systems, life sciences, training, information systems and agriculture.</li>
<li>Presently, the Organisation is backed by over 5000 scientists and about 25,000 other scientific, technical and supporting personnel.</li>
<li>Several major projects for the development of missiles, armaments, light combat aircrafts, radars, electronic warfare systems etc are on hand and significant achievements have already been made in several such technologies.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mission</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Design, develop and lead to production state-of-the-art sensors, weapon systems, platforms and allied equipment for our Defence Services.</li>
<li>Provide technological solutions to the Services to optimise combat effectiveness and to promote well-being of the troops.</li>
<li>Develop infrastructure and committed quality manpower and build strong indigenous technology base.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>IGMDP was brain child of renowned scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.</li>
<li>It was intended to attain self-sufficiency in the field of missile technology.</li>
<li>After keeping in mind the requirements of various types of missiles by the defense forces, the program recognized the need to develop five missile systems.</li>
<li>The IGMDP formally got the approval of Indian government on July 26, 1983.</li>
<li>It brought together the country&rsquo;s scientific community, academic institutions, R&amp;D laboratories, industries and the three defence services in giving shape to the strategic, indigenous missile systems.</li>
</ul>
<p>The missiles developed under IGMDP are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile &ndash; <strong>Prithvi</strong></li>
<li>Intermediate-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile &ndash; <strong>Agni</strong></li>
<li>Short-range low-level surface-to-air missile &ndash; <strong>Trishul</strong></li>
<li>Medium-range surface-to-air missile &ndash; <strong>Akash</strong></li>
<li>Third generation anti-tank missile &ndash; <strong>Nag</strong></li>
</ol>
<p>The Agni, which was initially conceived as a technology demonstrator project in the form of a re-entry vehicle, was later upgraded to a ballistic missile with different ranges. Dr. Kalam played a major role in the development and operationalisation of Agni and Prithvi missiles.</p>
<p>After achieving the goal of making India self-reliant in missile technology, DRDO on January 8, 2008, formally announced successful completion of IGMDP.<br /><br /></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #9fdff5;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 1256px; height: 19px; background-color: #089dcf; text-align: center;" colspan="2"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Missile System of India</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top;"><strong> Missile</strong></td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>Features</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni I</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Single stage, solid fuel, Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM).</li>
<li>Using solid propulsion booster and a liquid propulsion upper stage.</li>
<li>Range of 700-800 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni II</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM).</li>
<li>Range more than 2000 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni III</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Two stage IRBM</li>
<li>Support a wide range of warhead configurations.</li>
<li>Strike range of more than 2,500 Km</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni IV</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Two stage missile powered by solid propellant.</li>
<li>Can fire from a road mobile launcher.</li>
<li>Range is more than 3,500 km.</li>
<li>Equipped with indigenously developed ring laser gyro and composite rocket motor.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Agni V</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Three-stage solid fueled, indigenous Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).</li>
<li>Capable of carrying 1.5 tonnes of nuclear warheads.</li>
<li>Latest and most advanced variant in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine.</li>
<li>After induction in the military, India will join an exclusive club of countries like the US, Russia, China, France, and Britain which have intercontinental ballistic missile capability.</li>
<li>Canister launches missile system for operational flexibility.</li>
<li>Range is more than 5,000 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Trishul</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Short-range, quick reaction, all weather surface-to-air missile designed to counter a low level attack.</li>
<li>Has necessary electronic counter-measures against all known aircraft jammers.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Akash</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Medium-range, surface-to-air missile with multi-target engagement capability.</li>
<li>Multiple warheads capable.</li>
<li>High-energy solid propellant and ram-rocket propulsion system.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Nag</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Third generation &lsquo;fire-and-forget&rsquo; anti-tank missile with a range of 4-8km.</li>
<li>Developed indigenously as an anti-armour weapon employing sensor fusion technologies for flight guidance.</li>
<li>HELINA (Helicopter Launched NAG) is the air-to-surface version of the NAG integrated into Dhruv Helicopters.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Prithvi</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First indigenously built ballistic missile under IGMDP.</li>
<li>Surface-to-surface battle field missile.</li>
<li>Demonstrates higher lethal effects and high level capability with field interchangeable warheads.</li>
<li>Range from 150 km to 300 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">BrahMos</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Supersonic cruise missile.</li>
<li>Being developed with Russia as a private joint-venture.</li>
<li>Multi-platform cruise can strike from various types of platforms.</li>
<li>Among the world fastest supersonic cruise missiles with speeds ranging between Mach 2.5 &ndash; 2.8.</li>
<li>A 'fire and forget' weapon i.e. requiring no further guidance from the control centre once the target has been assigned.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Nirbhay</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Subsonic missile, supplement to the BrahMos.</li>
<li>Capable of being launched from multiple platforms on land, sea and air.</li>
<li>A terrain hugging, stealth missile capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements.</li>
<li>Can reach up to 1,000 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Sagarika</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)</li>
<li>Being integrated with India&rsquo;s nuclear powered Arihant-class submarine.</li>
<li>Range - 700 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Shaurya</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A variant of the K-15 Sagarika.</li>
<li>Submarine- nuclear-capable missile.</li>
<li>Aims to enhance India&rsquo;s second-strike capability.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Dhanush</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sea-based, short-range, liquid propellant ballistic missile.</li>
<li>Naval version of Prithvi II.</li>
<li>Maximum range 350 km.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Astra</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile using a solid-propellant.</li>
<li>In terms of size and weight, one of the smallest weapon developed by the DRDO.</li>
<li>Active radar seeker to find targets.</li>
<li>
<p>Electronic counter-measure capabilities.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Designed to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in the head-on mode at a range of 80 km.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 110px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">Prahaar</td>
<td style="width: 1146px; height: 19px; vertical-align: middle;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s latest surface-to-surface missile with a range of 150 km.</li>
<li>Primary objective is to bridge the gap between the unguided Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher and the guided Prithvi missile variants.</li>
<li>Have high maneuverability, acceleration and accuracy.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3><br />Issues with DRDO</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Standing Committee on Defence during 2016-17, expressed concerns over the inadequate budgetary support for the on going projects of DRDO.</li>
<li>The committee notes that out of total defence budget, the share of DRDO was 5.79 per cent in 2011-12, which reduced to 5.34 per cent in 2013-14.</li>
<li>Government&rsquo;s lethargic revenue commitments towards DRDO have put major projects involving futuristic technology on hold.</li>
<li>The DRDO also suffers from inadequate manpower in critical areas to the lack of proper synergy with the armed forces.</li>
<li>Cost escalation and long delays have damaged the reputation of DRDO.</li>
<li>Even after 60 years of DRDO formation, India still imports a large share of its defence equipments. In the period 2013-17, India is the world&rsquo;s largest importer of defence equipment, accounting for 12% of the global total, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.</li>
<li>DRDO's list of successes is short- primarily the Agni and Prithvi missiles. Its list of failures is much longer. The Kaveri Engine is running late by 16 years and the cost has escalated by around 800 per cent.</li>
<li>DRDO is big on promise and small on delivery. There is no accountability. Nobody is taken to task for time and cost overruns.</li>
<li>In 2011, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) put a serious question mark on DRDO&rsquo;s capabilities. "The organisation, which has a history of its projects suffering endemic time and cost overruns, needs to sanction projects and decide on a probable date of completion on the basis of a conservative assessment of technology available and a realistic costing system," its report stated.</li>
<li>The CAG report also revealed that not all technologies developed by DRDO were suitable for use by the armed forces. The three services have rejected 70 per cent of the products developed at the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, in the last 15 years costing Rs 320 crore because the products did not meet their standard and requirement.</li>
<li>The technology development agency is also largely responsible for the fact highlighted by General V.K. Singh that 97 per cent of the army's air defence is obsolete.</li>
<li>DRDO is just tinkering with World War II equipment instead of working on cutting-edge technology.</li>
<li>Even if systems are acquired from abroad and DRDO is meant to service them, if it fails. This leaves critical gaps in national defence.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO should be restructured in a leaner organisation as suggested by the committee chaired by<strong> P. Rama Rao</strong> for external review of the agency in February 2007.</li>
<li>The committee also recommended for setting up a commercial arm of the organisation to make it a profitable entity, besides cutting back on delays in completing projects.</li>
<li>DRDO former chief V.K. Saraswat has called for the setting up of a Defence Technology Commission as well as a bigger role for DRDO in picking production partners for products developed by the agency.</li>
<li>DRDO should be able to select a capable partner company from the outset, from the private sector if necessary.</li>
<li>DRDO has taken some steps in the direction as it is considering long-term contracts with Indian information technology (IT) vendors such as Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) to build software solutions for defence projects, shifting its strategy of awarding deals to the lowest bidders on short-term projects.</li>
<li>DRDO&rsquo;s move to outsource is a right move and will open lot of opportunities benefiting the Indian companies.</li>
<li>In Its document "DRDO in 2021: HR Perspectives&rsquo;&rsquo;, DRDO has envisaged a HR policy which emphasized on free, fair, and fearless Knowledge Sharing, Open book management style and Participative Management. This is a step in right direction.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Deaths of Taslim and Gufran',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bihar-police-custodial-deaths-sitamarhi-killings-nitish-kumar-taslim-ansari-gufran-alam-5653563/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Deaths of Taslim and Gufran'</a> which appeared in 'The Indian Express' on 2nd April, 2019. The article talks about custodial tortures and killings and the need to bring reforms as any form of torture go against the principles of a just society.)</p>
</div>
<p>Recently two young men died in police custody in Dumra, Sitamarhi district of Bihar. Both the men were picked up in healthy state for investigation in a theft and murder case but died within less than an hour of reaching the hospital.</p>
<p>Giving the gruesome event a fake twist, the suspended police officials have not only escaped custody but till date are evading arrests. Their disappearance also highlights the disappearance of diary entries, warrants, and memos, list of pre-existing injuries, interrogation records, recoveries and CCTV footage, if any, highlighting the departmental resolve in putting the case under the carpet.</p>
<p>This is only one of such many cases signifying the gruesome abuse of power and position, warranting immediate action and policy formation to set the wheels of justice in motion.</p>
<h3>The case in point</h3>
<p>At least 90 people die in police custody every year, the largest number of them being people arrested and yet to be produced before a magistrate.</p>
<p>In 2016, government data recorded 92 deaths in police custody, of which 60 occurred before reaching the court. This makes a mockery of sections <strong>55A and 57 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which places the duties of care of the accused, and production before a magistrate within 24 hours, on the person having custody</strong>.</p>
<p>Reports by both government entities and civil society organisations over the years have proved that custodial torture is endemic in India stressing on the overwhelming abuse of both power and duty.</p>
<h3>Absence of strong legislation</h3>
<p><strong>India does not have an anti-torture legislation and are yet to criminalise custodial violence, while action against culpable officials remains illusory.</strong></p>
<p><strong>India has done little to enact a specific law against torture committed by people acting in official capacity. A weak Prevention of Torture Bill was introduced in 2010 but it lapsed with the dissolution of 15<sup>th</sup> Lok Sabha in 2014. </strong></p>
<p>The Indian state either denies the existence of torture in the country or defends its resistance to enact a law by claiming there are sufficient provisions in the domestic legal framework to prohibit and penalise torture. These claims however remain superficial and without any such protections.</p>
<p>India also fails in bringing the much desired Prison Reforms and prisons continues to be affected by poor conditions, overcrowding, acute manpower shortages and minimal safety against harm in prisons. All of these problems act as constraints on the Indian resolve of ratification of the Convention against Torture.</p>
<h3>Institutional challenges</h3>
<p>The entire prison system is inherently opaque giving less room to transparency, Multiple barriers are placed in position to prison access which are not given without prior permission such as depositing &ldquo;Rs 1 lakh in the name of the superintendent of the concerned jail&rdquo; before entry; excessive scrutiny of all recorded or documented material with the possibility of deletion of objectionable portion; confiscation of equipment and material from the visitor if the jailor does not like what he sees etc.</p>
<p>Closed institutions provide ample scope of avoiding impunity which is evident in the prevalence, and widespread acceptance, of custodial torture.</p>
<p>In the absence of consistent documentation of torture-related complaints most of the cases of torture go unnoticed. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which is mandated to record all the crimes taking place in the country too does not document cases of custodial torture.</p>
<p>The use of excessive force including torture is also sometimes used to target marginalised communities and control people participating in movements or propagating ideologies which the state perceives as opposed to its stature.</p>
<p>The torture which is both physical and mental leaves all those affected in a vulnerable position as mentally ill prisoners have risen in the past 15 years. There is only one psychologist for every 23,000 prisoners. It is small wonder that the suicide rate is one and a half times higher in jails than outside &ndash; <strong>twice as many inmates die by suicide in our jails today than 15 years ago</strong>.</p>
<h3>Weak Global Image</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s commitment to preventing and abolishing torture as well as punishing its perpetrators is perceived as extremely weak in the international forum and gives a wrong light on its desire of becoming a global power.</p>
<p>Although India has signed the United Nations Convention against Torture in 1997 its ratification still remains. While Signing only indicates the country&rsquo;s intention to meet the obligations set out in the treaty, Ratification, on the other hand, entails bringing in laws and mechanisms to fulfil the commitments.</p>
<p><strong>Due to poor prison conditions in India extradition of criminals from various countries accused of offences such as forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy and sexual abuse of children remains almost impossible. Thus enacting a law against torture would be an affirmation of India&rsquo;s commitment to its democratic ideals and values.</strong></p>
<h3>Safeguards for Prisoners</h3>
<p>Protection from torture is a fundamental right enshrined under Article 21 (Right of Life) of the Indian constitution where rights such as Right to free legal aid, Right against inhuman treatment, Right against custodial harassment, Right of prisoner to have necessities of life have been mentioned.</p>
<p>The right to a lawyer in custody is so crucial for life and liberty that it is enshrined as a fundamental right, but it remains one of the weakest links in the chain of criminal justice.</p>
<p>Section 41 of CrPC was amended in 2009 to include safeguards under 41A, 41B, 41C and 41D, so that arrests and detentions for interrogation have reasonable grounds and documented procedures, arrests are made transparent to family, friends and public, and there is protection through legal representation.</p>
<p><strong>Specifically, section 41D of CrPC provides that "When any person is arrested and interrogated by the police, he shall be entitled to meet an advocate of his choice during interrogation, though not throughout interrogation."</strong></p>
<p>This right to "meet" an advocate during interrogation ensures that the arrested person is not overpowered by the law, nor isolated in those critical hours before seeing a magistrate, or when in remand. This provision simultaneously takes care of the distinct responsibilities that the police have to obtain evidence, and the advocate in giving their counsel.</p>
<p>However, no police department in the country appears to have evolved the standard operating procedures to implement this safeguard with integrity. This means ensuring prerequisites, verification by relevant external agencies and consequences for violators of the law.</p>
<h3>Steps Suggested</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India should ratify the UN Convention Against Torture</strong> as it will mandate a systematic review of colonial rules, methods, practices and arrangements for the custody and treatment of persons subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment. It will also mean that exclusive mechanisms of redress and compensation will be set up for the victim besides institutions such as the Board of Visitors.</li>
<li>Guidelines should also be formulated on educating and training officials involved in the cases involving deprivation of liberty because torture cannot be effectively prevented till the senior police wisely anticipate the gravity of such issues and clear reorientation is devised from present practices.</li>
<li>Unrestricted and regular access to independent and qualified persons to places of detention for inspection should also be allowed.</li>
<li>Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras should be installed in police stations including in the interrogation rooms, and surprise inspections by Non-Official Visitors (NOVs) should also be made mandatory which would act as a preventive measures against custodial torture which has also been suggested by Supreme Court In its landmark judgment in the DK Basu case in 2015.</li>
<li><strong>Law Commission of India in its 273rd report recommends that those accused of committing custodial torture &ndash; be it policemen, military and paramilitary personnel &ndash; should be criminally prosecuted instead of facing mere administrative action establishing an effective deterrent.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Enacting a law prohibiting torture is both a moral necessity and a pragmatic imperative; equally important is to repair our centuries-old system of prisons.</li>
<li>To ensure that prison conditions are in tune with human rights norms, there is a need to render conditions within prisons less harsh and more humane where inmates are accommodated with due regard to their basic human needs and are handled with dignity.</li>
<li>To break the silence surrounding torture and to reform India&rsquo;s criminal justice system at large, there can be no further delay in taking such legislative measures.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/deaths-of-taslim-and-gufran'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'ISRO Launches EMISAT Satellite',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)</a> has launched the <strong>EMISAT satellite on onboard the PSLV-C45</strong> from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gsat-29-satellite-launched-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)</a> was also carrying 28 international <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/isro-to-launch-state-of-the-art-satellites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nanosatellites</a> &mdash; 24 from the US, two from Lithuania and one each from Spain and Switzerland.</li>
<li><strong>The flight of PSLV was also the longest mission of the PSLV, lasting around three hours.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>EMISAT Satellite</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The EMISAT satellite is aimed at <strong>electromagnetic spectrum measurement.</strong></li>
<li>It is an electronic intelligence satellite for the <strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).</strong></li>
<li><strong>About Satellite</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mass</strong>: 436 kg</li>
<li><strong>Manufacturer</strong>: ISRO</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gsat-29-satellite-launched-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Orbit</strong> <strong>Type</strong>: Sun-synchronous Polar orbit(SSPO)</a></li>
<li><strong>Altitude</strong>: About 753 km.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Polar Orbit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A polar orbit travels north-south</strong> over the poles and takes approximately 90 minutes for a full revolution.</li>
<li>These orbits have an inclination near 90 degrees. This allows the satellite to see virtually every part of the Earth as the Earth rotates underneath it.</li>
<li>An orbit is called sun-synchronous when the angle between the line joining the center of the Earth and the satellite and the Sun is constant throughout the orbit.]</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Purpose of Satellite</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>EMISAT is an<strong> all weather and all terrain condition satellite,</strong> which will allow it to work through clouds, rain, forest and coastal areas.</li>
<li><strong>EMISAT is an ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) satellite,</strong> which means it will have a radar to measure the electromagnetic spectrum - <strong>so as to intercept and analyze radar signals, find their location, identify the hostile radars based on their radio frequency (RF) signature.</strong></li>
<li>This will be a vital tool for India when EMISAT along with the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) can effectively locate, tackle and silence enemy radars, and <strong>secure Indian airspace.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of Launch</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This mission was significant as this was the<strong> first time a PSLV has placed objects in three different orbits.</strong></li>
<li>The fourth stage was restarted and stopped twice to bring PSLV to the altitude of 507 km after EMISAT launch.</li>
<li>At the fourth stage three experimental payloads were deployed:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Automatic Identification System (AIS)</strong> for Maritime satellite applications capturing messages transmitted from ships</li>
<li><strong>Automatic Packet Repeating System (APRS)</strong> from AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation), India - assists amateur radio operators in tracking and monitoring position data</li>
<li><strong>Advanced Retarding Potential Analyzer for Ionospheric Studies (ARIS)</strong> from Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) - for the structural and compositional studies of the ionosphere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This is the first time it has been envisaged to provide a microgravity environment for research organizations and academic institutes to perform experiments.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/isro-launches-emisat-satellite'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) Scheme',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The <strong>Ministry of Commerce and Industry</strong>&nbsp;has laid out a detailed procedure for claiming benefits under the <strong>Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme</strong>, which aims at <strong>boosting agricultural exports.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earlier in March, 2019</strong> the Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce &amp; Industry had announced this scheme for providing <strong>financial assistance for transport and marketing of agriculture products</strong> to <strong>boost exports</strong> of such commodities to certain countries in<strong> Europe and North America.</strong></li>
<li>The level of assistance would be different for different regions as notified from time to time for export of eligible products. The scheme covers <strong>freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea.</strong></li>
<li>The scheme will help in<strong> increasing farm export from India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.</li>
<li>To mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to trans-shipment.</li>
<li>To promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coverage &amp; Eligibility</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products shall be covered under this scheme.</li>
<li>The Scheme would be applicable for a period as specified from time to time. Presently the Scheme would be<strong> available for exports from 1.3.2019 to 31.03.2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the year 2018, the government also approved an<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/agriculture-export-policy-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Agriculture Export Policy</strong></a> with an aim to <strong>double the shipments to USD 60 billion by 2022.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is aimed at boosting exports of agriculture commodities such as tea, coffee and rice and increase the country&rsquo;s share in global agri-trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)</strong> plays a significant role in tapping India&rsquo;s agricultural strengths and works towards expanding the export potential of Indian agricultural and food products.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a<strong> non-trading, statutory body established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.</strong></li>
<li>APEDA has marked its presence in almost all agro potential states of India and has been providing services to agri-export community through its <strong>head office in New Delhi,</strong> five Regional offices and 13 Virtual offices.</li>
<li>In 2017, APEDA launched a mobile app- &ldquo;<strong>Farmer Connect&rdquo;</strong> to allow farmers to apply online to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application &amp; approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/transport-and-marketing-assistance-tma-scheme'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (2nd April 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Thakurani Jatra Festival</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, celebrations of the <strong>biennial Thakurani Jatra festival</strong> started in<strong> Berhampur, Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>During the festival, <strong>Goddess Budhi Thakurani</strong> is taken from the main temple at Thakurani Temple Street to her temporary abode at Desi Behera Street, where she stays till the festival ends.</li>
<li>The first Thakurani Yatra was <strong>celebrated in April 1779.</strong> The festival goes on for <strong>32 days.</strong></li>
<li>The goddess is considered to be a <strong>family member of Desibehera, the leader of the Dera community,</strong> the weaver clan that has made Berhampur famous as the silk city.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reiwa: Japan's New Era</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Japanese government has announced that the reign of the<strong> next Japanese emperor will be known as the "Reiwa" era.</strong></li>
<li>The term for the new era is made up of the two characters<strong> Rei and Wa.</strong> Rei can mean <strong>"commands" or "order",</strong> as well as <strong>"auspicious" or "good"</strong>. While, <strong>Wa often means "harmony",</strong> and is also used in the Japanese word for "peace" - "hei-wa".
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The name draws from the<strong> 7<sup>th</sup> century poetry collection &ldquo;Manyoshu.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>This is the <strong>first era name</strong> to have been <strong>inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese, work of classical literature.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The new era takes effect on <strong>May 1, 2019</strong> with the c<strong>oronation of Crown Prince Naruhito (126<sup>th</sup> emperor of the Chrysanthemum Throne).</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chrysanthemum Throne is a <strong>common name given to the Imperial throne of Japan.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>oldest continuing monarchy</strong> in the world.</li>
<li>Under the provisions of the current Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is a <strong>"symbol of the state and the unity of its people"</strong>; he has<strong> no real political power</strong> but is regarded as a ceremonial Head of State and constitutional monarch.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Current emperor Akihito is stepping down on April 30, 2019 in the<strong> first abdication in 200 years</strong>, bringing his era of <strong>&ldquo;Heisei&rdquo; to an end.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>era of &ldquo;Heisei,&rdquo; which means &ldquo;achieving peace,&rdquo;</strong> was the first without a war in Japan&rsquo;s modern history, but is also remembered as lost years of economic deflation and natural disasters.</li>
<li>This <strong>era began in 1989, when Akihito succeeded his father Emperor Hirohito,</strong> who ruled during the Showa period and is now known as the Showa Emperor. It will come to a close on April 30, the day Akihito abdicates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The announcement allows only a month ahead of the switch for government, businesses and other sectors to adjust to the change that still affects many parts of Japan&rsquo;s society, even though the system is not compulsory.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-2nd-april-2019'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture – Election Code and New Age Media',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ug8YGmFV7Ys" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Social media platforms Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, ShareChat, TikTok and the IAMAI have agreed to a voluntary code of ethics to abide by during the Lok Sabha Elections 2019, which are set to begin on April 11. The code came into effect on March 20, and will remain in force throughout the elections.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Commitments made in the Code:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Social Media Platforms have developed a notification mechanism for the ECI to legally notify them of potential violations of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and other electoral laws.</li>
<li>Platforms will also endeavour to impart training to the nodal officer at ECI on their products, and on the mechanism for sending requests to the platforms as per procedure established by law.</li>
<li>For reported violations of Section 126 of the RP Act, platforms will acknowledge and/ or process the legal orders within 3 hours (as per the <strong>Sinha Committee recommendations</strong>). For other legal requests, platforms will act upon them &ldquo;expeditiously&rdquo; based on the nature of reported violation.</li>
<li>Platforms will update the ECI (via the IAMAI) on measures they have taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, pursuant to legal requests by the ECI.</li>
<li>The members to the code will carry out information, education and communication campaigns to build awareness on electoral laws and other related instructions.</li>
<li>Participants will commit to facilitating transparency in paid political advertisements, including utilising their pre-existing labels/ disclosure technology for such advertisements.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Section 126 of RPA Act</strong> prohibits displaying any election matter by means, inter alia, of television or similar apparatus, during the period of 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.</p>
<p><strong>The Internet &amp; Mobile Association of India (IAMAI):</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1896.</li>
<li>Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value added services sector.</li>
<li>It is dedicated to presenting a unified voice of the businesses it represents, to the government, investors, consumers and other stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Umesh Sinha Committee Recommendations on Section 126 of the RP Act in view of social media expansion:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has suggested amending Section 126(1) of RP Act to impose the &lsquo;campaign silence period&rsquo; on print, electronic media and intermediaries.</li>
<li>Apart from asking political parties to observe the silence period on all forms of media, the committee has suggested that star campaigners should desist from assessing press conferences or giving interviews on election matters during this period.</li>
<li>For intermediaries including social media companies, the committee has recommended that they should commit to procedures that would ensure that their platforms are not misused to vitiate free and fair polls. This would include a notification mechanism by which EC may notify the platform of potential violations of Section 126 of RP Act.</li>
<li>Internet Service Providers and Social media companies should take down content violating the 48-hour ban on campaigning prior to polling, instantly and latest within 3 hours of EC issuing such a direction.</li>
<li>Intermediaries, as per the committee, should report to the Commission on measures taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, including generating publicly-available action taken reports.</li>
<li>All political advertisements may be clearly labelled as such and be pre-approved by an EC-appointed content monitoring committee. The intermediaries would also need to maintain a repository of political advertisements with information on their sponsors, expenditure and targeted reach.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need of enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Possibility of elections being influenced by foreign countries/agencies:</strong> India has a hostile neighbourhood and thus neighbouring and other countries can try to weaken its political discourse by giving fake and paid advertisements or by disclosing information not meant for public over social media.</li>
<li><strong>Double Standards:</strong> Social Media Platforms are biased. They regulate the content over their sites only in selected countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges in enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Penetration of social media is vast. Anyone can upload whatever s/he wants, making <strong>regulation of the content by ECI or even by social media platforms almost impossible</strong>. Till now, ECI has been able to take care of only that content which has been brought under its notice.</li>
<li>The social media has a wider reach and there is also <strong>no way to verify the content over social media</strong>. Huge impact of social media content has been seen on the minds of people.</li>
<li><strong>Fake news keeps getting circulated over social media platforms, despite steps taken by government in this regard.</strong></li>
<li>Dealing with<strong> political proxy advertisements by fan pages</strong> is another challenge.</li>
<li><strong>Social Media platforms&rsquo; also voice concerns over check on their freedom</strong> in the form of arguments on privacy, right to freedom of speech etc.</li>
<li>Getting a staff for monitoring and checking the content over social media is a difficult task.</li>
<li>Even if one sets a &lsquo;monitoring machinery&rsquo; over social media content, how much monitoring it would be able to do, is a point of concern.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On an immediate basis, social media platforms need to rely on ECI&rsquo;s judgements over the content on social media and should take a quick action accordingly.</strong></li>
<li>Users of the social media need to be made aware enough so that they can make difference between the fake news and the correct news.</li>
<li>Social Media is expected to play a constructive and fair role, especially during the time of elections. The social media platforms should work within the moral code of conduct framework during the elections.</li>
<li>Social media platforms in general should also take care of the content that gets published on their sites to ensure peace and harmony globally.</li>
<li>Political Parties should have consensus regarding not misusing the social media platforms and fighting the elections in a fair manner.</li>
<li>Free and fair elections are important for citizens of any country. <strong>Monitoring of open content i.e. content posted for public, is therefore admissible.</strong></li>
<li>India has election expenditure limit for candidates. It needs to have the same for the political parties also.</li>
<li><strong>ECI needs to ensure that no political advertisement runs on social platforms during 48 hours period from any social media account.</strong></li>
<li>ECI, especially at the time of elections remains busy not only with the election process but also with various queries from Chief Electoral Officers and Returning Officers. <strong>A separate machinery within the Election Commission is required to take care of the political content over the social media.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Intention is the key. Everyone, be it political parties, social media platforms or citizens of a country, needs to ensure that no fake or unfair information gets disseminated through their hands.</em></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-election-code-and-new-age-media'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'SC Suspended EC For Airport In Goa',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court (SC)<strong> has suspended the Environmental Clearance (EC)</strong> granted for the development of<strong> Greenfield International Airport at Mopa in Goa.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons Cited</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Procedural Flaws in the grant of EC</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>People living in the proposed project-area being not consulted properly.</li>
<li>Non- disclosure of vital information in the application form for clearance and in Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report as well.</li>
<li>Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) did not analyze the EIA report properly before approving the EC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Green Tribunal (NGT)</a> did not carry out the merit review</strong> of appeal made against the EC given to the Mopa Airport.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights from the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A<strong> phrase &lsquo;Environmental Rule of Law&rsquo; was coined by SC</strong>. The court said that every branch of governance and institutions across the country should strive to enforce environmental rule of law.</li>
<li><strong>Proper structures for environmental decision making find expression in the guarantee against arbitrary action and the affirmative duty of fair treatment under Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>In cases concerning environmental governance, it is the duty of courts to assess the case on its merits based on the materials present before it.</li>
<li>Matters concerning environmental governance concern not just the living, but generations to come.</li>
<li>The health of the environment is key to preserving the Right to Life as a constitutionally recognized value under<strong> Article 21 (Protection of Life and Personal Liberty)</strong> of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Environmental Rule of Law</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The environmental rule of law is based on&nbsp;four pillars of sustainable development&mdash; <strong>economic, social, environmental and peace.</strong></li>
<li>It imbues environmental objectives with the essentials of the rule of law and underpins the reform of environmental law and governance.</li>
<li>While the most direct effects are on the protection of the environment, it also strengthens rule of law more broadly, supports sustainable, economic and social development, protects public health, contributes to peace and security by avoiding and defusing conflict and protects human and constitutional rights.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Clearance (EC) Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>An EIA report is prepared to get Environment Clearance (EC) for a project.</strong></li>
<li>A process of &lsquo;Public Hearing&rsquo; is conducted before the issue of &lsquo;Consent to Establish (NOC)&rsquo; by state regulators. Concerns of people living in the proposed project area are heard.</li>
<li>An application form with EIA report, details of public hearing and NOC is submitted for environmental clearance with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) if the project falls under Project A category or the state government if the project falls under Project B category.</li>
<li>The documents submitted are then analyzed by an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry. The recommendations of the Committee gets processed in the Ministry of Environment and Forests for final approval or rejection.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It can be defined as the<strong> study for predicting the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>statutory under the Environment Protection Act, 1986</strong> for some projects.</li>
<li>Process
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Screening</strong> based upon scales of investment, type of development and location of development; is done to see whether a project requires an environmental clearance as per the statutory notifications.</li>
<li><strong>Scoping</strong> is a process of detailing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of EIA, that is the main issues or problems in the development of a project.</li>
<li><strong>Impact Prediction</strong> involves mapping the environmental consequences of the significant aspects of the project and its alternatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Public mandatorily needs to be informed and consulted on the proposed development after the completion of <g class="gr_ gr_55 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="55" data-gr-id="55">EIA</g> report.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'The Next Revolution',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-next-revolution-indias-energy-basket-planning-commission-india-energy-future-ecology-renewables-niti-aayog-5651824/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'The Next Revolution'</a> which appeared in 'The Indian Express' on 1st April, 2019. The article talks about the energy matrix of India and changes it will undergo in the coming future.)</p>
</div>
<p>Many multilateral institutions like the International Energy Agency (IEA), the erstwhile Planning Commission, or now the NITI Ayog, have projected that energy demand in India will move on an upward curve; indigenous supplies will fail to keep pace with this increase in demand; energy imports will rise in absolute and relative terms, and, the environment will face increasing stress.</p>
<p>More specifically, coal will dominate, oil and gas will have significance; renewables, whilst on a rising trend, will account for a relatively inconsequential share and air pollution, depleting water tables and extreme weather conditions will lead ecological collapse.</p>
<p>Current trajectory of energy consumption is fundamentally against the objective of sustainable development and hence warrants a timely intervention.</p>
<h3>Current Trends</h3>
<p>A recently published energy outlook asserts that in 2040, fossil fuels will account for between 70-75% of India&rsquo;s primary energy consumption &mdash; down from approximately 90% today. Coal will account for 45% (down from the current 55%); oil 20% (down from 30% today) and natural gas at the same levels as today of around 7%. Renewables market share will increase to 15% up from the current 3-4%.</p>
<p>Consequently, India will have to import 95% of its oil requirements; 60% of its gas requirements and 30% of its coal requirements despite the fact that it contains the fifth largest deposits of coal in the world.</p>
<p>India will meet its Paris commitments to reduce Green House Gases emissions by 35% in 2035 relative to 2005. But, given this level of fossil fuel consumption, it will be one of the largest absolute emitters of pollutants in the world.</p>
<p>India has the world&rsquo;s second largest population of about 1.3 billion and significant amount of people live in darkness without access to electricity. While the Indian electricity system suffers from resource and economic constraints on one hand, environmental concerns too pose a challenge.</p>
<p>While many countries have switched over to renewable energy solutions for electricity, India still lags behind with just 20% of its electricity generating capacity, or 67033 MW, being based on renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass.</p>
<h3>The need to shift soon</h3>
<p>India is largely dependent on coal to meet its energy needs because of abundant availability of coal. It is not only one of the cheapest fuels and but there are no competitive substitutes for liquids as a fuel for mobility. <strong>Coal meets more than 50% of the current commercial energy needs and generates more than 70% electricity. But the energy from coal comes at a huge environmental and health cost.</strong></p>
<p>It is estimated that of the entire industrial sector, 60% of particulate matter (PM) emissions, 45-50 per cent of SO2 emissions, 30% of NOx emissions and more than 80% of mercury emissions comes from coal-based power plants.</p>
<p>Coal-based power plants also account for about 70% of the total freshwater withdrawal by the industrial sector and close to half of our total greenhouse gas emissions. On top of this, most of the coal mining areas have been declared as critically polluted areas as well.</p>
<p><strong>There exists fatal overlap of coal reserves, dense forests, tribal populations, high poverty and backwardness.</strong> Mining coal, therefore, leads to a huge conflict between the local communities on one hand and destruction of dense forests and wildlife which may be extremely difficult or impossible to regenerate.</p>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s dependence on imported fossil fuel is also increasing at an alarming rate.</strong> We now import close to 40% of commercial energy and this is only going to go up in the near future. Given the volatility prevalent in the international energy markets, this has huge implications for energy security of the country.</p>
<h3>Roadblocks in transitioning</h3>
<p><strong>The costs of transitioning to renewable source of energy are huge.</strong></p>
<p>They can be calculated in terms of the costs of stranded thermal power assets or the creation of transmission and distribution infrastructure to overcome the problem of &ldquo;intermittency&rdquo;(as the sun does not shine all the time; nor does the wind blow with regularity making these sources highly afflicted with fluctuations).</p>
<p>The energy sector also suffers from technological (that is, storage or carbon sequestration) and regulatory (conservation norms, emissions standards) issues to overcome before clean energy can be brought to scale.</p>
<h3>Road to cleaner and sustainable future</h3>
<p><strong>Institutional, technological, financial collaborative steps</strong> should be taken to bring the revolutionary change in the ratio between fossils and renewables in the energy basket of emergent India.</p>
<p><strong>There is a need to facilitate a holistic overview of the linkages</strong> between the different components of energy (oil, gas, coal, renewables, nuclear, hydro, bio, non-commercial); between fuel usage, electricity, mobility, industry, and agriculture, on the one hand, and, ecology on the other.</p>
<p><strong>We have to create the appropriate institutional structures of decision-making.</strong> The current structure of multiple &ldquo;energy&rdquo; ministries (petroleum, coal, renewables, and power, atomic) should be collapsed into one omnibus Ministry of Energy and Environment. This will enable integrated decision making; it will also provide a platform for collaborative public-private and constructively &ldquo;disruptive&rdquo; innovation. Besides, it will also bring sustainability to the fore of policy.</p>
<p>An <strong>&ldquo;Energy and Environment Security&rdquo;</strong> Act can also be legislated which should engage the public in the larger debate on how to weaken if not break the current unhealthy nexus between economic growth, energy demand and environmental degradation.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p><strong>Energy economics needs to be redefined</strong> as India&rsquo;s economic future depends on its ability to aggressively expand renewable investment and cut back on energy imports, whilst focusing on energy diversification and the reduction of the current massive account deficit.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-next-revolution'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (1st April 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Earth Hour</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the <strong>Earth Hour 2019 was observed on March 30 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time</strong> with the theme <strong>#Connect2Earth.</strong></li>
<li><strong>World Wide Fund for Nature&rsquo;s (WWF)</strong> Earth Hour is an annual global celebration in which people switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about the future of our planet.</li>
<li>It <strong>began in Sydney, Australia in 2007,</strong> the number of countries taking part in Earth Hour has grown to over 180 countries and territories.</li>
<li>Earth Hour is not about how much energy is saved during the hour. Rather, it is a chance to put the spotlight on the issues facing the planet, and to inspire millions across the world to live more sustainably.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Wildlife Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)</strong> is an <strong>international non-governmental organization founded in 1961,</strong> working in the field of wilderness preservation, and the reduction of humanity's footprint on the environment.</li>
<li>It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>The group's mission is <strong>"to stop the degradation of the planet&rsquo;s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature".</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Earth Day</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earth Day i</strong>s an annual event,<strong> celebrated on April 22.</strong> Worldwide events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now <strong>coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network (EDN) and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.</strong></li>
<li>Earth Day Network is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.</li>
<li>EDN main office is located in <strong>Washington DC, USA.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Kolam Tribe</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Kolam tribe (or in their own language, Kolavar)</strong> is a scheduled tribe of<strong> Maharashtra.</strong> They also live in <strong>Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>They have a language of <strong>their own (Kolami) which belongs, like Gondi, to the intermediate group of Dravidian languages.</strong></li>
<li>They are monogamous and Hinduism is their religion.</li>
<li>Recently in 2018, the Government has identified <g class="gr_ gr_110 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="110" data-gr-id="110">Katkaria</g> (Kathodia), Kolam and Maria Gond as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-citizen-killed-by-tribals-in-andaman" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)</strong></a> in the State of Maharashtra.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Tribal Affairs</strong> is administering the scheme <strong>&ldquo;Development of PVTGs&rdquo;</strong> for <g class="gr_ gr_113 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="113" data-gr-id="113">overall</g> development of PVTGs. This scheme is flexible and enables the States to focus on areas that they consider is relevant to PVTGs and their socio-cultural environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Arbitrage Funds</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arbitrage funds are a type of <strong>mutual fund</strong> that <g class="gr_ gr_111 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="111" data-gr-id="111">are</g> ideal for investors who want to profit from volatile markets without taking on too much risk.</li>
<li>The arbitrage fund earns profits through the<strong> purchase and sale of securities on different exchanges.</strong></li>
<li>An arbitrage fund buys the stock in the cash market and sells the interest in the futures market,<strong> simultaneously.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While, in the regular equity trade, the stocks are purchased when the prices fall and are sold in the future when prices rise.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Statement of Guiding Principles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India and the United States signed the amendments to the <strong>Statement of Guiding Principles (SGP) on Triangular Cooperation for Global Development.</strong></li>
<li>The SGP Agreement was signed in<strong> November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>It provides a framework for promoting cooperation between the two countries to meet the developmental aspirations of partner countries,<strong> particularly in Asia and Africa.</strong></li>
<li>The First Amendment to the SGP Agreement extends the validity of the <strong>SGP Agreement up-to 2021.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Agreement, India and U.S. will continue to offer capacity building assistance to partner countries in multiple sectors, focusing primarily on agriculture, regional connectivity, trade and investments, nutrition, health, clean and renewable energy, women empowerment, disaster preparedness, water, sanitation, education and institution building.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Northern Triangle</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The U.S. government has decided to cut aid to the countries of<strong> &ldquo;Northern Triangle&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The US has blamed the Central American countries for sending migrants to the United States and threatened to shut the U.S.-Mexico border.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" width="477" height="268" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Northern Triangle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The countries of<strong> El Salvador, Guatemala <g class="gr_ gr_100 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="100" data-gr-id="100">and</g> Honduras are known as <g class="gr_ gr_99 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="99" data-gr-id="99">Northern</g> Triangle.</strong></li>
<li>These countries share a border tripoint at Trifinio biosphere reserve, and also aspects of classical cultures, history, society, and politics.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Phayeng Village</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Phayeng, a small village in Imphal West district of, Manipur</strong> has developed itself as <strong>India&rsquo;s first carbon-positive settlement.</strong></li>
<li>A village is given the carbon-positive tag if <strong>it sequesters more carbon than it emits,</strong> slowing the accumulation of greenhouse gases and mitigating the effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The transformation of the village from the dry and denuded village in the 1970s and 80s was funded<strong> under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Sector Scheme</strong></a> which was set up in the <strong>year 2015-16.</strong></li>
<li>The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The activities under this scheme are implemented in a project mode.</li>
<li>The projects related to adaptation in sectors such as<strong> agriculture, animal husbandry, water, forestry, tourism, etc. are eligible for funding under NAFCC.</strong></li>
<li><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)</strong> is the National Implementing Entity (NIE).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Ahmad Sar Lake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Several parts of Gujarat are facing severe water scarcity in the initial days of the summer season.</li>
<li>Ahmad Sar Lake at Sarkhej Roza (Ahmedabad) has got dried.</li>
<li><strong>Sarkhej Roza is a 15th-century<sup></sup><sup></sup> complex comprising a mosque and a tomb of Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh&nbsp;</strong>was the spiritual advisor of the ruling dynasty of Gujarat during the 14<sup>th</sup> and early 15<sup>th</sup> centuries.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'President's Visit to Bolivia',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, President of India completed his visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;<strong>the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This was the <strong>first ever visit by an Indian president</strong> to Bolivia.</li>
<li>Bolivia also conferred the highest State Honour of Bolivia on President of India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Plurinational State of Bolivia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bolivia is <strong>officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li>It is a<strong> landlocked country</strong> located in western-central <strong>South America.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> capital of Bolivia is Sucre</strong> while the seat of government and<strong> financial center is located in La Paz.</strong></li>
<li>In 2009, a new constitution changed the country's official name to "Plurinational State of Bolivia" in <strong>recognition of the multi-ethnic nature of the country</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Outcome of Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" width="327" height="231" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>8 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed between India and Bolivia</strong> concerning fields of culture, visa waiver for diplomats, the exchange between diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, the establishment of Centre of Excellence in IT and the Bi-Oceanic Railway project.</li>
<li>Bolivia also joined the <strong>International Solar Alliance</strong> by signing the framework agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Lithium Deposit Exploration</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Both sides also agreed to work together for exploration and extraction of the vast Lithium deposits of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Lithium is a key resource used in making batteries that India needs</strong> for its clean technology initiatives such as increased use of electric cars. It will be a boost to India&rsquo;s FAME II scheme.</li>
<li>India agreed to facilitate Bolivian supplies of lithium Carbonate to India and foster joint ventures for Lithium battery/cell production plants in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Financial Aid</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the framework of South-South Cooperation<strong>, India gave a US$ 100 million Line of Credit to Bolivia for financing development projects in sectors that Bolivia may choose.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Bolivia Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Embassy in Peru is concurrently accredited to Bolivia since April 1981.</li>
<li>Bolivia opened a resident Mission in India in 2012.</li>
<li><strong>Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India-Bolivia bilateral trade has grown in the last two years and it stood at US$ 875 million in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>60% of Bolivian gold is exported to India.</li>
<li><strong>Bolivia is the 8th leading trading partner of India in the Latin America region.</strong></li>
<li>There is a scope for diversifying trade basket to further strengthen the bilateral trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-bolivia'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &lsquo;<a href="https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood-49220/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood</a>&rsquo; which was published in &lsquo;Raisina Debates in ORF&rsquo; on 25th March, 2019. The article talks about growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region and challenge it poses for India&rsquo;s maritime security.)</p>
</div>
<p><em>In an &lsquo;advisory opinion&rsquo; as different from a verdict, The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recently said that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belonged to Mauritius, and not to the UK.</em></p>
<p><em>The order may have implications for the prevailing &lsquo;rules-based&rsquo; system prevalent in the Indian Ocean neighbourhood, where nations like Sri Lanka, Maldives and India are the other shared stake-holders.</em></p>
<p><em>Long ago, India backed Mauritius on the issue. In the current context, the Indian need may be even more, what with &lsquo;China in the Indian Ocean Region&rsquo; and the &lsquo;String of Pearls&rsquo; becoming New Delhi&rsquo;s strategic pre-occupation.</em></p>
<h3>The Issue</h3>
<p>Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965 three years before Mauritian independence, calling it British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). BIOT was endowed with a sole purpose: to serve the defence and security needs of the UK and its ally-US.</p>
<p>Due to this, the indigenous inhabitants of BIOT were deemed unnecessary by both London and Washington. In a shameful episode, officials knowingly misrepresented the Chagossians as migrant workers and forcefully deported them. Ever since, the Chagossians have campaigned for a restoration of their right to return.</p>
<p>The UK government has always opposed the Chagossians&rsquo; claims, chiefly at the behest of US military planners who prize the seclusion that Diego Garcia provides.</p>
<h3>Indian Ocean Region: New Economic Arteries</h3>
<p>The oceans, as global highways of connectivity, have been the principal means for propagation of political, social, cultural, economic and military influence beyond continental masses since recorded history.</p>
<p>Much like the Pacific Rim which shaped the global economic trajectory for the two decades, the Indian Ocean has the potential to become the most important resource of new global growth over the next 20 years.</p>
<p>With the Indian Ocean channels carrying two-thirds of the world&rsquo;s oil shipments, a third of the bulk cargo and half of all container traffic, the region&rsquo;s strategic significance remains well established.</p>
<p>China&rsquo;s rise has added another dimension where traditional power equations are now in flux. For India, which sits astride the Indian Ocean as its pre-eminent power, this is clearly an important phase in the evolution of its thinking on the region.</p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<p>The recent ICJ advisory opinion that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belongs to Mauritius and not to the UK change the geopolitical tilt in the region from favouring US to a more tentative position.</p>
<p>Despite Mauritius&rsquo; declaring that it would allow US to continue using American military base in Diego Garcia, there is still ambiguity as to how the Mauritius will react in the decades to come. A lot depends on the relative political and economic power of the US, China and India, at any given point, in the medium to long term.</p>
<p>The aspirations of the Chinese Navy to register its presence in the region, and then follow it up by projecting power as part of its &lsquo;Far Seas&rsquo; operating philosophy can be seen in Hambantota, where China is in possession of Sri Lankan real estate, for developing a port and Special Economic Zone.</p>
<p>Maldives, another island is caught somewhere in between, which has shared a strenuous relation with India in the recent past and has received generous aids from China, a feature of the so called &lsquo;debt trap&rsquo; policy. Since the Maldives represents a buffer zone surrounding India&rsquo;s maritime strategic space, China&rsquo;s steady encroachment there is a serious cause for concern.</p>
<p>Even in the South China Sea issue, when the world, especially the US and to a lesser extent, India and Japan, were upset and anguished, but the so-called affected nations in South-East Asia seem to have re-adjusted themselves to a &lsquo;new normal&rsquo;.</p>
<p>With bigger Chinese purse and its habit to increasingly question the established global order and India&rsquo;s problem in establishing maritime/naval presence in Island nations where the Governments keep changing their positions and commitments, can cause a paradigm-shift in global understanding and acceptance of emerging heat -&ndash; not warmth -- in the Indian Ocean waters, not far away from the Indian shores.</p>
<h3>Steps suggested</h3>
<p>The concept of strategic buffer zones in the naval domain is enshrined in great power politics and any nation getting a head start in it can safely avoid anti-access and area denial tactics from their adversaries. India therefore should develop a similar outlook to guard against Chinese encirclement of its strategic space.</p>
<p>New Delhi should look to operationalise logistical agreements with France and the United States, in order to upgrade naval relations and allow its own bases to be used for logistical support by the French and American navies.</p>
<p>These logistical bases can enhance India&rsquo;s capability to establish sea-denial in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating the breadth of Indian naval power. These moves should be accompanied with counter-theatre presence in the Western Pacific, and diplomatic outreach to South Asian nations that are being courted by China.</p>
<p>India should look to develop interdependencies with neighbouring countries, both economically and strategically, which until now it has failed to realise. The void left by India has been dutifully fulfilled by China.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p>With global negotiations still on an expanded EEZ for individual sea-bordering nations, India has settled future disputes only with one neighbour, namely, Bangladesh.</p>
<p>With China already on the Indian Ocean&rsquo;s mouth at Hambantota, and Diego Garcia&rsquo;s distant future possibly becoming tentative, there may be more on India&rsquo;s hands in the future on the water-front than on the land-front just now.</p>
<p>New Delhi should take a faster and closer look at impending issues, to be able to arrive at an earlier solution before it becomes a political talking-point.</p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Five Coffee Varieties Got GI Tag',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dipp-renamed-as-dpiit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade</a>, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has recently awarded <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/potential-of-gis-is-waiting-to-be-tapped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GI tag</a> to five varieties of Indian coffee.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The five varieties include
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Coorg Arabica coffee</strong>, grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Wayanad Robusta coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.</li>
<li><strong>Chikmagalur Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district which is situated in the Deccan plateau, falling under the Malnad region of Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Araku Valley Arabica coffee,</strong> can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of <strong>Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh</strong> and Odisha region grown at an elevation of 900-1100m Mean Sea Level (MSL). This variety is produced by the tribals, who follow an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.</li>
<li><strong>Bababudangiris Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India. The region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district. Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the coffee cup exhibits acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate. This coffee is also called &lsquo;high grown coffee&rsquo; as it slowly ripens in the mild climate thereby acquiring a special taste and aroma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The GI tag will help in enhancing the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and will also allow growers to get maximum price for their premium coffee.</li>
<li><strong>In the year 2018, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-5th-september-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Coffee Board</a> had filed the application for the GI Tag for these five varieties.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, the <strong>Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee,</strong> a unique specialty coffee of India was given GI certification.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Coffee Stats</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers.</li>
<li><strong>The cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India</strong>:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Karnataka &ndash; 54%</li>
<li>Kerala &ndash; 19%</li>
<li>Tamil Nadu &ndash; 8%</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).</li>
<li><strong>India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried.</strong></li>
<li>India produces some of the best coffee in the world, grown by tribal farmers in the Western and Eastern Ghats,which are the two major biodiversity hotspots in the world.</li>
<li>Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and is sold as premium coffee in Europe.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Two main varieties of coffee - grown in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Arabica</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This variety of coffee has a delicate flavour and balanced aroma coupled with a sharp and sweet taste.</li>
<li>Arabicas are harvested between November to January, and are typically grown on higher altitudes ranging from 600 to 2000 metres in cool, moisture-rich and subtropical weather conditions.</li>
<li>It has about half the amount of caffeine compared to Robustas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Robusta</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a very strong taste, a grainy essence and an aftertaste somewhat similar to that of peanuts.</li>
<li>It is harvested from December to February and and is grown in hot and humid climate with temperature ranging from 20 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius.</li>
<li>It has twice the level of caffeine compared to Arabica.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Coffee Board of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>statutory organization that was constituted under Section (4) of the Coffee Act, 1942.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>The Board comprises 33 Members including the Chairperson, who is the Chief Executive and it <strong>functions from Bangalore.</strong></li>
<li>The Board mainly focuses its activities in the areas of research, extension, development, market intelligence, external &amp; internal promotion for coffee.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-coffee-varieties-got-gi-tag'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (30th March 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Non-Convertible Debentures</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Debentures are <strong>long-term financial instruments that are issued by companies to borrow money</strong>.</li>
<li>Some debentures have a feature of convertibility into shares after a certain point of time at the discretion of the debenture holder.</li>
<li><strong>The debentures which cannot be converted into shares are called non-convertible debentures (or NCDs)</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>There are two types of NCDs-secured and unsecured.</strong></li>
<li>A secured NCD is backed by the assets of the company. If the company fails to pay the obligation, the investor holding the debenture can claim that through liquidation of those assets. Contrary to this, there is no backing in unsecured NCDs if company defaults.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Venezuela Humanitarian Aid Operation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> will channel humanitarian aid to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/venezuela-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>crisis-hit Venezuela,</strong></a> potentially helping ease chronic hunger and disease.</li>
<li>The first supplies would include <strong>medical equipment, surgical kits and power generators, following two major blackouts.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> country&rsquo;s hyperinflationary crisis</strong> has made food and medicine unaffordable for most citizens, fueling widespread malnutrition, especially among children, and a rise in preventable diseases.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> is a global humanitarian organization, which coordinates and directs <strong>international assistance following natural and man-made disasters in non-conflict situations.</strong></li>
<li>It was <strong>founded in 1919 in Paris</strong> in the<strong> aftermath of World War I.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>world's largest humanitarian network</strong> which is guided by<strong> seven Fundamental Principles</strong>: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, universality and unity.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Indian Red Cross Society</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established in 1920 under the Indian Red Cross Society Act</strong> and incorporated under Parliament Act XV of 1920.</li>
<li><strong>President of India is designated the President of the Indian Red Cross Society</strong> and <strong>Union Health Minister is the Chairman of the Society.</strong></li>
<li>The Indian Red Cross is a <strong>voluntary humanitarian organization</strong> having a network of over 700 branches throughout the country, providing relief in times of disasters/ emergencies and promotes health &amp; care of the vulnerable people</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, a<strong> forest guard at the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagaland,</strong> has been awarded <strong>Earth Day Network Star,</strong> for the protection of forests and wild animals in and around Fakim sanctuary.</li>
<li>The award is given by a<strong> U.S.-based international environment organisation</strong> that engages with green groups in 195 countries.</li>
<li>The Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in located <strong>Kiphire district of Nagaland.</strong> It is spread over 642 hectares.</li>
<li>It was <strong>established in the year 1983,</strong> and it lies along the <strong>international border with Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>Many wildlife animals such as leopards, tigers, wild buffaloes, hoolock gibbons and mithun are found.</li>
<li><strong>Hornbill,</strong> the <strong>most popular bird in Nagaland</strong> (It can be noted that <strong>Blyth&rsquo;s Tragopan is the State Bird of Nagaland)</strong> is also abundantly found in the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
<h3>DRDO&rsquo;s Bio-Digester</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bio-digester technology has been developed by <strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</strong> for resolving the problems of un-decomposed human waste.</li>
<li>The bio-digester <strong>consists of a bio-toilet attached with bio-digester tanks</strong> that converts human faeces into biogas and reusable water.</li>
<li>It uses <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum (a material used for inoculation)</strong> to convert faeces into biogas and water that can be used for agriculture and gardening purposes.</li>
<li>The tanks can be <strong>customised based on the requirements</strong> of the local conditions, and can <strong>operate in temperatures ranging from minus (-) 20 degrees to 50 degrees.</strong></li>
<li>The bio-digester tanks are <strong>maintenance-free for the lifetime</strong>, as the <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum is fed only once.</strong> It feeds on the faecal matter and multiplies by itself.</li>
<li>The technology is now being<strong> used in the Indian Railways and by the armed forces.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO was <strong>established in 1958</strong> after combining Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development &amp; Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).</li>
<li>DRDO works under the <strong>administrative control of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>Several major projects for the development of missiles, armaments, light combat aircrafts, radars, electronic warfare systems etc are on hand and significant achievements have already been made in several such technologies.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-30th-march-2019'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Economic Relations between India and European, Oceania Countries',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, interaction on trade and economic cooperation with ambassadors and high commissioners of European and Oceania countries took place in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>European and Oceania countries are major trading partners and major sources of investments for India and there is the huge untapped potential that can be achieved.</strong></li>
<li>During 2017-18, <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with Europe stood at USD 130.1 billion,</strong> with both exports and imports registering double-digit growth.</li>
<li><strong>In Oceania, India is the fifth largest export market for Australia,</strong> with coal, education-related travel, vegetable, and gold being some of the major items of imports by India.</li>
<li>Major exports from India to Australia include refined petroleum, business services, and pharmaceuticals.</li>
<li><strong>New Zealand is also an important market for India in the Oceania region,</strong> especially for its exports of pharmaceuticals, gems, and jewelry, machinery and textiles, and apparel.</li>
<li>Nearly, more than USD 1.2 billion was invested by companies from Oceania in the Indian market from April 2000 to December 2018.
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU%20members.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU members.png" width="541" height="304" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
</li>
<li><strong>The Oceania region also accounts for nearly 1.7 percent of India&rsquo;s overseas FDI, with Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Vanuatu being the key investment destinations.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Europe Union Economic Relations</h3>
<p></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The EU as a <g class="gr_ gr_85 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="85" data-gr-id="85">bloc</g> of 28 countries is India&rsquo;s largest regional trading partner while India was the EU&rsquo;s 9th largest trading partner in 2015.</strong></li>
<li>India and the EU are in the process of negotiating a bilateral <strong>Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) since 2007.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>European Union</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>European Union (EU), is an international organization comprising <strong>28 European countries and governing common economic, social, and security policies.</strong></li>
<li>The EU was created by the <strong>Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.</strong></li>
<li>The treaty was designed to enhance European political and economic integration by creating a single currency (the euro), a unified foreign and security policy, and common citizenship rights and by advancing cooperation in the areas of immigration, asylum, and judicial affairs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues in India-EU Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even after 13 rounds of negotiations, BTIA has not led to the signing of the agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Intellectual property rights:</strong> There is disagreement over IP protection standards. The EU is keen that India should adopt stringent IP protection standards.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For India, such a step could impact public health and seriously affect the Indian pharmaceutical sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in tariffs:</strong> One of the major demands of the EU is that India should lower its tariff rates on European dairy and poultry products, wines and spirits.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reduction of tariffs in the dairy sector and poultry industry could have a serious impact on the Indian dairy industry, mainly on employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Services sector:</strong> India has <strong>demanded flexible regulations, greater access for Indian services&nbsp;</strong>and an easy visa requirement for Indian professionals. Europe is cautious about allowing this fearing an increased unemployment problem.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Oceania Relations<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="359" height="332" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s trade relation with Oceania has been dominated by Australia and New Zealand.</strong></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s trade in goods and services with Australia was approximately US$ 15.6 billion in 2016.</li>
<li>India was New Zealand&rsquo;s 11th largest bilateral trading partner (2017) with total trade in both goods and services valued at US$ 1.91b.</li>
<li>Apart from these two India also has a significant trade relationship with the Pacific island nations with Fiji and Papua New Guinea dominating the relations. <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with the Pacific Islands stood at US$ 228 million in 2012.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pacific Island Forum (PIF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> PIF was formed in 1999 as a successor to the earlier South Pacific Forum set up in 1971.</strong></li>
<li>Regional cooperation has grown steadily under the aegis of the PIF.</li>
<li><strong>India is a dialogue partner of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Fiji in November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Member Countries - <strong>India and 14 Pacific Island countries,</strong> namely Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues between India and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The low volumes of trade between India and the PICs are due to the <strong>small populations</strong> and <strong>market sizes</strong> in these islands, as well as their <strong>distance from India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken by India to Improve Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India has established Trade Office for Pacific Island Forum countries in India.</strong></li>
<li>The FIPIC Trade Office in New Delhi <strong>will support the development of micro, small and medium Enterprises.</strong> The <strong>Office will assist in improving Market Access for the Pacific</strong> Islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/trade-and-economic-relation-between-india-and-european-and-oceania-countries'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Gender Wage Gap',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India has recently released a report titled &lsquo;Mind the Gap: The State of Employment in India.&rsquo;</strong> The report assesses gender disparities and role of social identities such as caste and class in employment in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pay level:</strong> In 2015, 92%of women and 82 % of men were earning a monthly wage less than Rs.10,000, far below the Seventh Central Pay Commission (2013) recommendation of Rs.18,000 per month.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ilos-india-wage-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wage Gap</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Women on an average are <strong>paid 34% less than similarly qualified male workers</strong> for performing same tasks.</li>
<li>Based on <strong>National Sample Survey Office (2011-12) estimates</strong>, in nominal terms, women earning a regular salary were paid, on an average, Rs.105 and Rs. 123 less than male workers daily in urban and rural settings, respectively; corresponding figures for casual workers were estimated at Rs.72 and Rs. 47 for urban and rural workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Over-representation of women in unpaid care work:</strong> The report pointed out that if unpaid care and household activities are included in the NSSO&rsquo;s definition of work, the <strong>Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR)</strong> in 2011-12 would rise from 20.5 % to 81.7%, more than that of men.</li>
<li><strong>Divergences in FLFPR:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Caste Factor:</strong> Muslim women are concentrated in household manufacturing, Schedule Caste (SCs) in construction and services such as waste collection while non-SCs generally work in education and health services.</li>
<li>Education sector accounts for over 1 in 7 urban women workers.</li>
<li><strong>75% of rural women remain engaged in agriculture, where they are relegated to low-wage roles such as weeding, threshing and paddy transplantation.</strong></li>
<li>Almost half (49.5%) of married women workers work in the same industry as their husbands.</li>
<li>There are more women workers in Southern and North-Eastern States, but number are still below international standards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Causes behind<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/inequality-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> inequality</a> in employment in India:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lack of quality jobs and wage disparity </strong>are key reasons behind inequality in the Indian labour market.</li>
<li>The <strong>burden of unpaid care work, and the continuing prevalence of other regressive social norms</strong> are also factors behind women&rsquo;s low participation in the workforce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Shifting development focus towards labour intensive sectors to create more jobs.</li>
<li><strong>Growth in jobs must be inclusive and new jobs need to be secure with better work conditions, including social security benefits and the right to organise.</strong></li>
<li>Substantially higher investments in health and education are required to improve productivity as these are the sectors which could be large employment generators in the future.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Oxfam India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India</strong> is an arm of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oxfam-report-on-inequality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Oxfam</a> International that is registered as &lsquo;Non-profit&rsquo; under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013. Its vision is to create an equal, just and sustainable society by empowering the underprivileged.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an office&nbsp;<strong>under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).</strong></li>
<li>It is responsible for conduct of large scale sample surveys in diverse fields such as social,economic,industrial etc, on All India basis.</li>
<li>It has four divisions:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD):</strong> This Division, located at Kolkata, is responsible for technical planning of surveys, formulation of concepts and definitions, sampling design, designing of inquiry schedules, drawing up of tabulation plan, analysis and presentation of survey results.</li>
<li><strong>Field Operations Division (FOD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Delhi/Faridabad and a network of six Zonal Offices, 49 Regional Offices and 118 Sub-Regional Offices spread throughout the country, is responsible for the collection of primary data for the surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
<li><strong>Data Processing Division (DPD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Kolkata and 6 other Data Processing Centers at various places, is responsible for sample selection, software development, processing, validation and tabulation of the data collected through surveys.</li>
<li><strong>Co-ordination &amp; Publication Division (CPD):</strong> This Division, located at New Delhi, coordinates all the activities of different Divisions of NSSO. It also brings out the bi-annual journal of NSSO, titled &ldquo;Sarvekshana&rdquo;, and organizes National Seminars on the results of various Socio-economic surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gender-wage-gap'
	]
]
$updates = object(Cake\ORM\Query) {

	'(help)' => 'This is a Query object, to get the results execute or iterate it.',
	'sql' => 'SELECT articles.article_id AS `articles__article_id`, articles.category_id AS `articles__category_id`, articles.title AS `articles__title`, articles.description AS `articles__description`, articles.shortdescription AS `articles__shortdescription`, articles.featuredimage AS `articles__featuredimage`, articles.tag_id AS `articles__tag_id`, articles.secondary_tag AS `articles__secondary_tag`, articles.type AS `articles__type`, articles.publishon AS `articles__publishon`, articles.posturl AS `articles__posturl`, articles.metatitle AS `articles__metatitle`, articles.metadescription AS `articles__metadescription`, articles.metakeyword AS `articles__metakeyword`, articles.status AS `articles__status`, articles.sort_order AS `articles__sort_order`, articles.addedby AS `articles__addedby`, articles.updatedby AS `articles__updatedby`, articles.added AS `articles__added`, articles.modified AS `articles__modified`, articles.whatsnewid AS `articles__whatsnewid`, articles.display_printpdf AS `articles__display_printpdf`, articles.display_comments AS `articles__display_comments`, articles.pdf_name AS `articles__pdf_name`, articles.display_archive AS `articles__display_archive` FROM articles articles WHERE status = :c0 ORDER BY publishon desc LIMIT 10',
	'params' => [
		':c0' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
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	'defaultTypes' => [
		'articles__article_id' => 'integer',
		'articles.article_id' => 'integer',
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		'articles__category_id' => 'integer',
		'articles.category_id' => 'integer',
		'category_id' => 'integer',
		'articles__title' => 'string',
		'articles.title' => 'string',
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		'articles.shortdescription' => 'string',
		'shortdescription' => 'string',
		'articles__featuredimage' => 'string',
		'articles.featuredimage' => 'string',
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		'articles__tag_id' => 'integer',
		'articles.tag_id' => 'integer',
		'tag_id' => 'integer',
		'articles__secondary_tag' => 'text',
		'articles.secondary_tag' => 'text',
		'secondary_tag' => 'text',
		'articles__type' => 'integer',
		'articles.type' => 'integer',
		'type' => 'integer',
		'articles__publishon' => 'datetime',
		'articles.publishon' => 'datetime',
		'publishon' => 'datetime',
		'articles__posturl' => 'string',
		'articles.posturl' => 'string',
		'posturl' => 'string',
		'articles__metatitle' => 'string',
		'articles.metatitle' => 'string',
		'metatitle' => 'string',
		'articles__metadescription' => 'string',
		'articles.metadescription' => 'string',
		'metadescription' => 'string',
		'articles__metakeyword' => 'text',
		'articles.metakeyword' => 'text',
		'metakeyword' => 'text',
		'articles__status' => 'integer',
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		'updatedby' => 'integer',
		'articles__added' => 'timestamp',
		'articles.added' => 'timestamp',
		'added' => 'timestamp',
		'articles__modified' => 'timestamp',
		'articles.modified' => 'timestamp',
		'modified' => 'timestamp',
		'articles__whatsnewid' => 'integer',
		'articles.whatsnewid' => 'integer',
		'whatsnewid' => 'integer',
		'articles__display_printpdf' => 'integer',
		'articles.display_printpdf' => 'integer',
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		'articles__display_comments' => 'integer',
		'articles.display_comments' => 'integer',
		'display_comments' => 'integer',
		'articles__pdf_name' => 'string',
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	'decorators' => (int) 0,
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	'hydrate' => true,
	'buffered' => true,
	'formatters' => (int) 0,
	'mapReducers' => (int) 0,
	'contain' => [],
	'matching' => [],
	'extraOptions' => [],
	'repository' => object(App\Model\Table\ArticlesTable) {}

}
$page = (int) 233
$search = 'class'
$totalPages = (float) 303
$title = 'Search'
$lastyear = (int) 2018
$year = '2021'
$i = (int) 2017
$selected = ''
$m = (int) 13
$month = 'December'

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

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