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Women Startup Summit 2019

The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is to host the Women Startup Summit in association with the Indian Women Network of Confederation of Indian...

10 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Feminization of Agriculture

As per the 10th Agriculture Census (2015-16), the percentage of female operational holdings in the country have increased from about 13% percent...

10 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Automated Facial Recognition System

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released a request proposal for an Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) to be used by police officers...

10 Jul 2019 News Analysis
AfCFTA: Unlocking Africa’s Economic Might

This article is based on editorial “A shot at economic logic” that appeared in The Hindu on 9 July 2019. It talks about the prospects of...

09 Jul 2019 News Editorials
A New Way of Predicting Monsoon

A researcher at a science and technology conference organised in Vienna by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation has come up with...

09 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Aadhar and its Voluntary Use

Recently the Parliament has passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which allows voluntary use of Aadhaar as proof of...

09 Jul 2019 News Analysis
FIDIC ASPAC Conference 2019

The FIDIC ASPAC 2019 International Conference for Engineering Services is taking place in New Delhi, India from 7th to 9th July 2019. It has been...

09 Jul 2019 News Analysis
National Youth Corp Scheme

National Youth Corps (NYC) is a scheme of the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports implemented through Nehru Yuva Kendra...

09 Jul 2019 News Analysis
In Depth – Artificial Intelligence

At the two day G-20 summit in Osaka in Japan, the Prime Minister of India underscored the significance of Digital Economy & Artificial...

09 Jul 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Vacancies in Policing

The Bureau of Police Research and development’s report on “vacancies in the police organization” has revealed that in India, 5.28...

08 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Union Budget and E-Vehicles

The Union Budget 2019-20 included several incentives for developing electric vehicle industry (EV Industry) in India. Income tax rebates of up to...

08 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Immunocontraceptives for Wildlife Population Management

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched a project for undertaking ‘immunocontraceptive measures’ for...

08 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Effect of Social Media on Teens

As per a recent survey conducted by Fortis hospital, around 82% of students studying psychology in classes XI and XII in at least 200 schools across...

08 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Income Inequality Among Farmers

A recent survey conducted by NABARD, highlights the high levels of inter-state income inequality among the agricultural household in India. The...

08 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Jaipur: A World Heritage Site

The Pink city, Jaipur (Rajasthan), has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The decision was taken at the 43rd session of the UNESCO...

08 Jul 2019 News Analysis
Indus Valley Civilization

Introduction The history of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also known as Harappan Civilization. It...

08 Jul 2019 Paper 1
Indus Valley Civilization

08 Jul 2019 Paper 1
Crime Against Humanity

This article is based on editorial “Crimes that India’s statute books have failed to define” that appeared in The Hindu on 8th...

08 Jul 2019 News Editorials
Redefining Poverty

This article is based on editorial “Rethink poverty — and policy” that appeared in The Indian Express on 29 June 2019. It talks...

06 Jul 2019 News Editorials
Highlights of Budget 2019

The Union Minister for Finance presented the Union Budget 2019-20 before the Parliament. Constitutional Provisions The term...

06 Jul 2019 News Analysis

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		(int) 0 => [
			'title' => 'Women Startup Summit 2019',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is to host the Women Startup Summit in association with the Indian Women Network of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>&lsquo;Women Startup Summit 2019&rsquo;</strong>, a one-day event aims at encouraging aspiring women professionals to take up their entrepreneurial journey and developing an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the State.</li>
<li>Theme of the Summit is <strong>&ldquo;Developing an Inclusive Entrepreneurship Ecosystem&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>About 20 women startups shortlisted from the &ldquo;She Loves Tech&rdquo; national grand challenge will be showcased in the summit.</li>
<li>She Loves Tech is a global competition which was launched in 2015 to provide a platform for women entrepreneurs and startups dedicated to improving the lives of women globally.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>2019 Global Startup Competition is the world&rsquo;s largest startup competition focused on women and technology.</li>
<li>For the first time She Loves Tech competition will be held in India in association with Kerala Startup Mission, the nodal government organization for promoting the startups in Kerala.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Kerala has 13% of women participation in the technology startup ecosystem and the state government has taken proactive steps for increasing the participation of women in the sector.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Confederation of Indian Industry is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in India's development process.</li>
<li>Founded in 1895, it has around 9000 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from around 276 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.</li>
<li>It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Feminization of Agriculture',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>As per the 10<sup>th</sup> Agriculture Census (2015-16), the percentage of female operational holdings in the country have increased from about 13% percent during 2010-11 to around 14% during 2015-16.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Agriculture, contributing around 16% of the GDP, is increasingly becoming a female activity.</li>
<li>Agriculture sector employs 80% of all economically active women; they comprise 33% of the agricultural labour force and 48% of self employed farmers.</li>
<li>About 18% of the farm families in India, according to NSSO Reports are headed by women.</li>
<li>According to the Economic Survey 2017-18, a rise in migration of men from rural to urban areas has resulted in feminization of agriculture.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agriculture Census</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is conducted at an interval of every five years by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.</li>
<li>Data on structural aspects of operational holdings in the country is collected through the census.</li>
<li>The first census was conducted with reference year 1970-71.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Operational Holding</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All land which is used wholly or partly for agricultural production and is operated as one technical unit by one person alone or with others without regard to the title, legal form, size or location.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges Faced by Women Farmers</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lack of ownership of land</li>
<li>Lack of access to financial credit</li>
<li>Lack of access to resources and modern inputs (most farm machinery is difficult for women to operate)</li>
<li>Increased work burden (on-farm and off-farm productive activities) with lower compensation</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Implemented by Ministry of Rural Development, it is a programme exclusively for women farmers.</li>
<li>It is a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission.</li>
<li>It aims to empower women by enhancing their participation in agriculture and to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for them.</li>
<li>Upto 60% (90% for North Eastern States) of the funding support for such projects is provided by the government.</li>
<li>It is in line with the provisions of the National Policy for Farmers (2007).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>At least 30% of the budget allocation has been earmarked for women beneficiaries</strong> in all ongoing schemes/programmes and development activities.</li>
<li>Government has <strong>increased its focus on women self-help group (SHG)</strong> to connect them to micro-credit through capacity building activities and to provide information and ensuring their representation in different decision-making bodies.</li>
<li>Recognizing the critical role of women in agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has declared <strong>15<sup>th</sup> October of every year as Women Farmer&rsquo;s Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Provision of credit without collateral</strong> under the microfinance initiative of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-bank-for-agriculture-and-rural-development-nabard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development</strong></a> should be encouraged.</li>
<li>Manufacturers should be incentivised to produce <strong>tools and machineries suited to women&rsquo;s needs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Krishi Vigyan Kendras</strong> in every district can be assigned an additional task to educate and train women farmers about innovative technology along with extension services.</li>
<li>Government flagship schemes such as the National Food Security Mission, <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/green-revolution-krishonnati-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sub-mission on Seed and Planting Material</strong></a> and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana should include women-centric strategies and dedicated expenditure.</li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Automated Facial Recognition System',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ncrb-to-track-complaints-on-sexual-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Crime Records Bureau</strong></a> (NCRB) has released a request proposal for an <strong>Automated Facial Recognition System</strong> (AFRS) to be used by police officers across the country.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Automated Facial Recognition System can play a very vital role in <strong>crime prevention</strong> and <strong>criminal identification</strong> and <strong>verification</strong> (identifying criminals, missing people, and unidentified dead bodies) by facilitating easy <strong>recording, analysis, retrieval </strong>and<strong> sharing</strong> <strong>of information</strong> between different organizations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>AFRS will be a <strong>mobile</strong> and <strong>web application</strong> hosted in NCRB&rsquo;s (which manages data for police) data centre in Delhi but used by all police stations in the country.</li>
<li>AFRS works by comparing the new image of an unidentified person often taken from CCTV footage with the existing database ( AFRS maintains a database with photos and videos of peoples faces) to find a match and identify the person. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>artificial intelligence technology</strong></a> used for pattern-finding and matching is called &ldquo;neural networks&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Integrating AFRS with Existing Database</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NCRB has proposed integrating automated <strong>facial recognition system</strong> with <strong>multiple existing databases</strong> like:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Crime and Criminal Tracking Network &amp; Systems</strong> (CCTNS): managed by NCRB</li>
<li><strong>Integrated Criminal Justice System</strong> (ICJS)</li>
<li>State-specific database systems</li>
<li><strong>Khoya paya portal</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Criminal Tracking Network &amp; Systems</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CCTNS is countrywide <strong>integrated database on crime incidents</strong> and suspects, connecting FIR registrations, investigations, and chargesheets of all police stations and higher offices.</li>
<li>CCTNS also plans to offer <strong>citizen services,</strong> such as passport verification, crime reporting, online tracking of case progress, grievance reporting against police officers.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Integrated Criminal Justice System</strong> (ICJS): It is any computer network, system or architecture that allows justice practitioners and agencies to electronically access and share information between systems and/or across jurisdictional lines.</p>
<p><strong>Khoya Paya Portal:</strong> Khoya Paya portal is a citizen based website to exchange information on missing and found children developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).</p>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Cyber experts have cautioned against <strong>government abuse</strong> of facial recognition technology, as it can be used as a tool of control and risks citizens privacy and data.</li>
<li>In the absence of <strong>data protection law,</strong> Indian citizens are more vulnerable to privacy abuses.</li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'AfCFTA: Unlocking Africa’s Economic Might',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-shot-at-economic-logic/article28323314.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;A shot at economic logic&rdquo;</a> that appeared in The Hindu on 9 July 2019. It talks about the prospects of the <strong>African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)</strong> and way forward for India.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently the <strong>12<sup>th</sup> Extra-Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU),</strong> saw 54 of 55 of its member states signing the <strong>African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)</strong> for goods and services. AfCFTA seeks elimination of customs duties on 90% of the tariff-lines. The cross-border free trade could start by July 2020.</p>
<h3>What is AfCFTA?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>AfCFTA seeks to <strong>create a single continental market for goods and services,</strong> with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.</li>
<li>The AfCFTA preliminary work is on steps such as incremental tariff reduction, elimination of non-tariff barriers, supply chains and dispute settlement.</li>
<li>It establishes the <strong>largest free trade area in the world</strong> since the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995.</li>
<li>In a world, becoming increasingly dependent on African markets and commodities, AfCFTA will have a global impact.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Background of Africa's economic integration</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1963, the <strong>Organization of African Unity</strong> was founded by the independent states of Africa. The organization aimed to promote cooperation between African states.</li>
<li>The 1980 Lagos Plan of Action was adopted by the Organization of African Unity. The plan suggested that Africa should minimize reliance upon the West by promoting intra-African trade.</li>
<li>In 2002, the Organization of African Unity was succeeded by the African Union, which had as one of its goals to accelerate the "economic integration of the continent&rdquo;.</li>
<li>At the 2012 African Union summit in Addis Ababa, leaders agreed to create a new Continental Free Trade Area by 2017, for which in 2015 negotiations for AfCFTA started.</li>
<li>The AfCFTA agreement was adopted and opened for signature on 21st March 2018 in Kigali. The AfCTA entered into force on 30 May 2019.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>While AfCFTA promises to unlock Africa&rsquo;s economic potential, the agreement still faces an uphill battle for implementation. There are <strong>three main challenges</strong> that question the viability of the AfCFTA.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First, the African Union has been largely ineffective in dealing with the <strong>continent&rsquo;s myriad problems</strong> such as decolonisation, underdevelopment, Islamic terrorism and the Arab Spring.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Furthermore, <strong>overlapping membership in Africa&rsquo;s eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs)</strong> hinders trade standardization and enforcement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Second, Africa has a <strong>low manufacturing base</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Today, more than 75 per cent of Africa&rsquo;s external exports are extractives, namely oil and minerals.</li>
<li>Also,<strong> only 15 percent of African exports goes to other African countries,</strong> compared to intra-trade levels of 58 per cent in Asia and 67 per cent in Europe.</li>
<li>This makes AfCFTA highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global pricing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Third, the AfCFTA is established at the time, when the world is facing <strong>global protectionist trends</strong> as seen in the U.S.-China trade conflict, Brexit and the stalemates at the World Trade Organisation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>World trade is likely to grow only by 2.6% in 2019, commodity prices are stagnant and globalisation is often being reversed.</li>
<li>With Africa accounting for only 3% of global trade, the anti-globalization wave dents the prospects of AfCFTA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>However, all is not that dark for AfCFTA</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>With <strong>increasing Chinese and Indian investments</strong> in Africa, greater collective self-reliance through African economic integration makes eminent sense.</li>
<li>A recent UN projection showed that nearly half the world&rsquo;s population growth between now and 2050 would come from sub-Saharan Africa, the population of which would double to nearly two billion. This <strong>surge in consumer base</strong> would make the proposed AfCFTA even more important.</li>
<li>Amid growing U.S.-China trade tensions and China&rsquo;s efforts to decrease its dependency on export markets, some are betting that <strong>Africa is a prime successor to become the manufacturing hub</strong> of the developing world</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>In this scenario for India, Africa must receive priority on foreign policy map of India as:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Africa is already <strong>an important economic partner</strong> for India with total annual merchandise trade estimated at $70 billion or nearly a tenth of India's global trade.</li>
<li>While<strong> India&rsquo;s global exports</strong> have been largely stagnant but those to Africa have surged.</li>
<li>Africa still has unfulfilled demand for Indian commodities, especially foodstuffs, finished products (automobiles, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods) and services such as IT/IT-Enabled Service, health care and education, skilling, expertise in management and banking, financial services and insurance.</li>
<li>The <strong>cross-linkage of a three million strong Indian diaspora</strong> spread across Africa can also be very valuable.</li>
<li>India can help the African Union Commission prepare the requisite architecture, such as common external tariffs, competition policy, intellectual property rights, and natural persons&rsquo; movement.</li>
<li>Finally, once the AfCFTA is accepted as a beneficial game changer, India can contemplate an India-African FTA.</li>
</ul>
<p>Before Africa was &ldquo;discovered&rdquo; by the West, it had a thriving overland trade. Subsequent colonialism and mercantilism destroyed internal trade routes, replacing them with an ecosystem in which Africans had better links with their foreign &ldquo;mentors&rdquo; than among themselves. By the AfCFTA, the Africans are only trying to correct this historical distortion.</p>
<p>But with free trade under attack in much of the developed world, Africa is forging a new path for itself to foster sustainable wealth and development for the continent. In this context, India needs to anticipate the promising impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area and act proactively.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #ffd9d9; border-color: #c40808; border-style: dotted;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;"><em><strong>Drishti Input:<br /><br /></strong></em>Recently, <strong>African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)</strong> has been operationalised. Discuss the challenges and prospects it faces, in a world dominated by anti-globalisation.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/afcfta-unlocking-africas-economic-might'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'A New Way of Predicting Monsoon',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A researcher at a science and technology conference organised in Vienna by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation has come up with a new way of predicting the monsoon,</li>
<li>The method measures how much Beryllium-7, an isotope of the element Beryllium, is present in the air.</li>
<li>Be-7 is chosen because it is created only in the stratosphere when cosmic rays hit and break the nuclei of nitrogen and oxygen.</li>
<li>During monsoons the air flows down from the stratosphere (upwards of 33,000 feet from the earth&rsquo;s surface), bringing some Be-7. Thereby making the prediction of monsoon more reliable.</li>
<li>Research proposes that there is a strong connection between the amount of Be-7 and the timing of monsoons, which is yet to be proven.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is an international organization, established upon the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996.</li>
<li>Its headquarter is in Vienna, Austria.</li>
<li>The organization is tasked with verifying the ban on nuclear tests and therefore operates a worldwide monitoring system and may conduct on-site inspections.</li>
<li>The CTBTO runs the International Monitoring System (IMS) of 300-odd stations, which can sense vibrations, hear sounds or smell noble gases (such as Xenon, Krypton) &lsquo;radionuclides&rsquo; (such as Beryllium-7).</li>
<li>IMS can detect any nuclear explosion globally.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/a-new-way-of-predicting-monsoon'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Aadhar and its Voluntary Use',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently the Parliament has passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which allows <strong>voluntary use</strong> of Aadhaar as proof of identity.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The existing Aadhar act provides for the use of Aadhaar number as proof of identity of a person, subject to authentication.</li>
<li>The Bill <strong>replaces</strong> this provision to state that an individual may voluntarily use his Aadhaar number to establish his identity, by authentication or offline verification.</li>
<li>The Bill states that authentication of an individual&rsquo;s identity via Aadhaar, for the provision of any service, may be made mandatory only by a law of Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Salient Features of the Bill</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/728Image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/728Image1.jpg" width="549" height="524" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also, under the Bill, the UIDAI may initiate a complaint against an entity in the Aadhaar ecosystem for failure to<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>comply with the Act or the UIDAI&rsquo;s directions, and</li>
<li>furnish information required by the UIDAI.</li>
<li>Adjudicating Officers appointed by the UIDAI shall decide such matters and may impose penalties up to one crore rupees on such entities.</li>
<li>The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal shall be the appellate authority against decisions of the Adjudicating Officer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Unique Identification Authority of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established on 12 July 2016 by the Government of India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, following the provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016.</li>
<li>The UIDAI is mandated to assign a 12-digit unique identification (UID) number (Aadhaar) to all the residents of India.</li>
<li>The UIDAI was initially set up by the Government of India in January 2009, as an attached office under the aegis of the Planning Commission</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>However, the opposition questioned the government&rsquo;s &ldquo;intentions&rdquo; on clearing the bill without first bringing in law for data protection. But the Government replied that :</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Data sovereignty is important to us and it will not be compromised. The legislation on data protection is a &ldquo;work in progress&rdquo; and the government would bring in a comprehensive law after further consultations with the stakeholders.</li>
<li>India in future will become the centre of data refinery and the government is taking due precautions in constructing the data protection law because the world is looking at India to take the lead on the issue.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aadhar-and-its-voluntary-use'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'FIDIC ASPAC Conference 2019',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The <strong>FIDIC ASPAC 2019 International Conference for Engineering Services</strong> is taking place in New Delhi,<strong> India</strong> from 7<sup>th</sup> to 9<sup>th</sup> July 2019. It has been <strong>organized by</strong> the Consulting Engineers Association of India <strong>(CEAI).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The theme of the Conference is <strong>&ldquo;Quality Infrastructure for Clean and Sustainable Development&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Focus Areas:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Infrastructure industry revolution</li>
<li>Urban Mobility</li>
<li>Coastal &amp; Marine Development</li>
<li>Energy and Quality of Life</li>
<li>Business Opportunities with Regional Cooperation</li>
<li>Young Professionals Open Forum</li>
<li>Technological Developments</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>International Federation of Consulting Engineers</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Founded in<strong> 1913,</strong>&nbsp;FIDIC is the global representative body for <strong>national associations of consulting engineers</strong> and presently, represents over one million engineering professionals and 40,000 firms in more than 100 countries worldwide.</li>
<li>It promotes and implements the consulting engineering industry&rsquo;s strategic goals on behalf of its Member Associations and disseminates information and resources of interest to its members.</li>
</ul>
<h3>ASPAC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASPAC represents the consulting engineering industry in Asia and Pacific Region as the <strong>regional grouping of FIDIC Member Associations.</strong></li>
<li>ASPAC has 22 member countries.</li>
<li>The main objective is to encourage regional cooperation amongst the member associations by sharing and enhancing knowledge on the different infrastructure requirements of each country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Consulting Engineers Association of India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>apex body of consulting engineers</strong> with a pan-India membership, comprising of professional consulting engineering organisations and eminent engineering consultants.</li>
<li>It promotes professional interest as well as establish rights and privileges of the consulting engineering profession in India.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>Indian Member Association of FIDIC.</strong></li>
<li>It is a non-profit organisation, registered under the Societies Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Related Proposals in the&nbsp;Union Budget 2019-20</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-budget-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> budget has provided</a></strong> for a road map for the <strong>expansion of infrastructure</strong> in the country with investment of <strong>one lakh crore rupees</strong> in the next five years.</li>
<li>An investment of <strong>Rs 50 lakh crore</strong> is proposed for the expansion and <strong>development of railways</strong> in next 10-12 years.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-and-e-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Incentives for electric vehicles industry</strong></a> has been proposed in the budget.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, India has achieved <strong>1200% growth</strong> in installed capacity of <strong>solar energy</strong> during the last five years.</li>
<li>India has also become the <strong>largest user of LED bulbs</strong> with the improvement of technology and cost cutting of manufacturing.</li>
<li>The number of households that have access to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>LPG through cylinders</strong> </a>have almost doubled.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong> A <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-gas-grid-fuel-for-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>national gas grid</strong></a> for delivery of piped gas to all households in urban centres is also being planned by the government.</p>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fidic-aspac-conference-2019'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'National Youth Corp Scheme',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>National Youth Corps (NYC) is a scheme of the Department of Youth Affairs, <strong>Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports</strong> implemented through <strong>Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan</strong> (NYKS).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>National Youth Corps scheme was launched under the umbrella scheme <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-3rd-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram Scheme</strong></a> to tap the potential of the youth and channeling their energy towards nation-building.</li>
<li>It is an amalgamation of the existing two volunteer schemes namely <strong>National Service Volunteer </strong>(NSV)<strong> and Rashtriya Sadbhawana Yojana </strong>(RSY).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Objectives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To set up a group of disciplined and dedicated youth who have the inclination and spirit to engage in the task of <strong>nation-building.</strong></li>
<li>To facilitate the realization of <strong>inclusive growth</strong> (both social and economic).</li>
<li>To act as points for the dissemination of <strong>information, basic knowledge</strong> in the community.</li>
<li>To act as group modulators and <strong>peer group educator.</strong></li>
<li>To act as<strong> role models</strong> for the younger cohort especially towards enhancement of public ethics, probity and dignity of labour.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Features</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NYC Scheme enables young men and women in the age group of <strong>18-29 years</strong> to serve up to<strong> two</strong> <strong>years</strong> on a full time basis for which they receive an honorarium of Rs <strong>5000/-per month.</strong></li>
<li>The selection of NYC volunteers is done by a <strong>selection committee,</strong> headed by <strong>District Collector/Deputy Commissioner</strong> of the concerned District.</li>
<li>The scheme guidelines also stipulate that the NYC volunteers shall have <strong>no claim or right</strong> for any <strong>regular employment</strong> to any post under the deploying agency/department.</li>
<li>The scheme is fully funded by the <strong>Government of India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan(NYKS) was set up in the year 1987-88 as an <strong>autonomous organization</strong> ,under the Government of India, <strong>Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.</strong></li>
<li>NYKS is the <strong>largest grassroots level</strong> youth organization; one of its kind in the world.</li>
<li>NYKS has targeted to identify areas of harnessing youth power for development by forming <strong>Youth Clubs,</strong> which are village level voluntary action groups of youth at the grassroots level to involve them in nation building activities.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-youth-corp-scheme'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'In Depth – Artificial Intelligence',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jNP0tcm1GnU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>At the two day <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/g-20-summit-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>G-20 summit</strong> </a>in Osaka in Japan, the Prime Minister of India underscored the significance of <strong>Digital Economy &amp; Artificial Intelligence.</strong> He emphasised the government's reliance on the <strong>5 &lsquo;I&rsquo;s</strong> that stand for <strong>Inclusiveness, Indigenization, Innovation, Investment</strong> in infrastructure &amp; <strong>International cooperation</strong> in developing these two areas. The concept of Artificial Intelligence is based on the idea of building machines capable of thinking, acting, and learning like humans.</p>
<h3>Artificial Intelligence (AI)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It describes the <strong>action of machines accomplishing tasks</strong> that have <strong>historically required human intelligence.</strong></li>
<li>It includes technologies like machine learning, pattern recognition, big data, neural networks, self algorithms etc.</li>
<li>The origin of the concept can be traced back to the greek mythology, although it is only during modern history when stored program electronic computers were developed.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Example:</strong> Million of algorithms and codes are there around the humans to understand their commands and perform human-like tasks. <strong>Facebook&rsquo;s list of suggested friends</strong> for its users, a pop-up page, telling about an upcoming sale of the favourite brand of shoes and clothes, that comes on screen while browsing the internet, are the work of artificial intelligence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Complex Technology:</strong> AI involves complex things such as feeding a particular data into the machine and making it react as per the different situations. It is basically about creating self-learning patterns where the machine can give answers to the never answered questions like a human would ever do.</li>
</ul>
<h3>AI is a Different Technology</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>AI is <strong>different from hardware driven robotic automation.</strong> Instead of automating manual tasks, AI performs frequent high volume computerised tasks reliably.</li>
<li>AI is often <strong>misunderstood for machine learning.</strong> AI is a broader concept with a bunch of technologies that include machine learning and other technologies like natural language processing, inference algorithms, neutron networks etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Evolution</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the year <strong>1956</strong>, American computer scientist John McCarthy organised the <strong>Dartmouth Conference</strong>, at which the term &lsquo;Artificial Intelligence&rsquo; was first adopted. From then on, the world discovered the ideas of the ability of machines to look at social problems using knowledge data and competition.</li>
<li>There used to be several dedicated projects on the same and the government was funding the research.</li>
<li>Every aspect of science and especially when one starts looking at empowering machines to behave and act like human beings, the <strong>questions of ethics</strong> arise. About <strong>70&rsquo;s</strong> and late 80&rsquo;s there was a time when the <strong>governments stopped funding research into AI.</strong></li>
<li>AI experienced a <strong>resurgence</strong> following <strong>concurrent advances in computer power</strong> and large amounts of data and theoretical understanding in the <strong>21<sup>st</sup> century.</strong></li>
<li>AI techniques now have become an essential part of the technology industry helping to solve many challenging problems in computer-science. From Apple Siri to self driving cars, AI is progressing rapidly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>AI Methods</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579352054_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579352054_image5.png" width="770" height="578" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>India and AI</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a Canada based company&rsquo;s report, Global AI Report 2019, <strong>India stood at the ninth position in terms of the number of the AI specialists working in the field.</strong> The US, China and the UK topped the list.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The top ranked countries in this report have many academic institutes with programs on AI. They have therefore a much greater number of people skilled to do research in the field.</li>
<li>India, on the contrary, lacks the opportunities in formal education in data science but is slowly trying to encourage the adoption of AI in educational institutes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Starting this year,<strong> the CBSE has AI as an elective subject</strong> for its ninth grade classes.</li>
<li><strong>IIT Hyderabad</strong> has launched a full fledged <strong>Bachelor of Technology (B Tech) program in AI</strong> becoming the first Indian educational institution to do so. It is also most likely the third educational institute in the world after Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to have a full fledged B Tech program on AI.</li>
<li><strong>IIIT Hyderabad</strong> is another educational institute that introduced popular <strong>executive programs on AI</strong> and machine learning and blockchain and distributed ledger technologies.</li>
<li>Defence forces of India are now venturing into the products and technologies which will aid defence measures using the AI and technologies.</li>
<li>In India, corporates have started collaborating with academia on AI. IBM&rsquo;s Blue project is an example.</li>
<li>There are many startups in the country which are doing great work in image analytics, data analytics, predictive intelligence etc.</li>
<li>It is estimated that<strong> AI will add 957 billion dollars to India&rsquo;s GDP by the year 2035</strong> boosting India&rsquo;s annual growth by 1.3% points.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>In Policing:</strong> India still has a conventional policing. AI based products open a new window of opportunity to do <strong>predictive policing</strong> in India. With the help of AI, one can <strong>predict the pattern of crime</strong>, analyze lot of CCTV footage which are available across the country to identify suspects.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Government is digitizing all the records, especially the crime records putting it into one single place called <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Important%20Facts%20for%20Prelims%20(05th%20October%202018)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CCTNS</strong></a> where all the data including the image, biometrics, or the criminal history of a convict or suspect is available.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>In Agriculture:</strong> It has many uses, for example, it can help sense one how much water the crop needs.</li>
<li><strong>For solving complex issues</strong> like efficient utilization of available resources.</li>
<li><strong>Analyzing the Data:</strong> The AI technology helps in analyzing data and thus can improve the efficiency of the systems like power management in cars, mobile devices, weather predictions, video and image analysis.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/negative-impacts-of-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Negative Impacts of AI</strong></a></p>
<h3>Steps taken by the Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2018-19 budget, the <strong>government mandated <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NITI Aayog</a></strong> to establish the <strong>National Program on AI</strong> with a view to guiding research and development in new and emerging technologies.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NITI Aayog then adopted a <strong>three pronged approach</strong> undertaking exploratory proof of concept AI projects in various areas, crafting a national strategy for building a vibrant AI ecosystem in India and collaborating with various experts and stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On 20<sup>th</sup> March, 2019, NITI Aayog circulated the <strong>cabinet note</strong> to establish a cloud computing platform called <strong>AIRAWAT</strong> (Artificial Intelligence Research, Analytics and Knowledge Assimilation Platform.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The note circulated by NITI Aayog proposes that the government should pump in Rs. 7,500 crore rupees over 3 years as well as set up a high-level task force that will oversee the roll out and implementation of AI.</li>
<li>The move to create cloud computing platform is part of the government&rsquo;s goal of making India a pioneer amongst emerging economies with regards to AI and transform sectors like education, health, agriculture, urbanization and mobility.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In Budget 2018, the government announced funds to support the country&rsquo;s AI, machine learning, robotics and IoT sector.</li>
<li>As part of the initiative, NITI Aayog in the year 2018, published a <strong>draft National Strategy for AI</strong>, planning its scope for research, adoption and commercialization.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It envisioned AI use case clearly in the sectors like <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-prescription-for-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">healthcare</a></strong>, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, smart mobility and transportation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Commerce and Industry Ministry has also set up task forces to explore the use of AI and Big Data technologies in the country.</li>
<li>In the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-budget-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget 2019-20</strong></a>, the government has announced setting up of a <strong>National Sports Education Board</strong> under Khelo India to prepare youth for new age skills, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Big Data, 3D Printing, Virtual Reality etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>AI in China</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China has been consistently building an ecosystem to fuel its ambition to become a world leader in AI by the year 2050.</li>
<li>A report on China AI development released in the year 2018 said that from the year 2013 to the first quarter of the year 2018, the investment and financing in AI technology in China accounts for 60% in the world valued at 27 billion dollars in the year 2017.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Vacancies in Policing',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong>The Bureau of Police Research and development&rsquo;s</strong> report on <strong>&ldquo;vacancies in the police organization&rdquo;</strong> has revealed that in India, 5.28 lakh police posts are lying vacant.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>High vacancy rate in police organizations points toward the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/deficiencies-in-indian-policing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>deficiencies in Indian policing</strong></a> that needs to be tackled through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dgp-appointment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>police reforms</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Findings<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/336Image%202.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/336Image 2.jpg" width="287" height="327" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are 23,79,728 sanctioned posts in police forces of all states of which only 18,51,332 were occupied.</li>
<li>The states with high shortage of police personnel included <strong>Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana</strong>, and <strong>Maharashtra</strong> while <strong>Nagaland</strong> is the only state where actual strength exceeded the sanctioned strength.</li>
<li>The wide difference between<strong> sanctioned</strong> and <strong>actual strength</strong> of vacancies can be attributed to reasons like slow <strong>recruitment</strong> process, <strong>retirement</strong>, and <strong>untimely</strong> deaths.</li>
<li><strong>Naxal-affected</strong> Chhattisgah has 11,916 posts vacant in its sanctioned 71,606 posts, while the Odisha Police has 10,322 vacant posts against its sanctioned strength of 66,973 posts.</li>
<li><strong>Insurgency-hit</strong> Assam has 11,452 vacant posts in its sanctioned strength of 65,987 personnel while Jammu and Kashmir has 10,044 posts vacant in its sanctioned strength of 87,882 posts.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Bureau of Police Research and Development</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&amp;D), under the <strong>Ministry of Home Affairs</strong> has the primary objective of <strong>modernization of police force.</strong></li>
<li>It takes direct and active interest in policing issues and promotes a <strong>speedy and systematic study</strong> of the police problems.</li>
<li>In addition to two existing divisions (namely, <strong>Research, Statistics and Publication</strong> and <strong>Development</strong>) a <strong>training</strong> division was also set up under BPR&amp;D on the recommendations of <strong>Gore committee</strong> in 1973.</li>
<li>Issues relating to Correctional Administration Work are under BPR&amp;D so that problems relating to<strong> prisons</strong> and implementation of deemed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/prison-reforms-and-way-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>prison reforms</strong> </a>can be taken up by the Bureau in a cohesive manner.</li>
<li><strong>The National Police Mission</strong> is also under the administrative control of BPR&amp;D to transform the police forces in the country into effective instrument for maintenance of internal security and facing the challenges in the future, by equipping them with the necessary <strong>material, intellectual and organizational resources.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vacancies-in-policing'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Union Budget and E-Vehicles',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-budget-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Union Budget 2019-20</strong></a> included several incentives for developing <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>electric vehicle industry (EV Industry) in India.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Income tax rebates</strong> of up to ₹1.5 lakh to customers on interest paid <strong>on loans to buy electric vehicles</strong>, with a total exemption benefit of ₹2.5 lakh over the entire loan period.</li>
<li><strong>Customs duty exemption on lithium&ndash;ion cells,</strong> which will help lower the cost of lithium-ion batteries in India as they are not produced locally.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is in addition to the ₹ 10,000 crore allocated for EVs under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fame-india-phase-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>FAME II</strong></a> scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Makers of components</strong> such as solar electric charging infrastructure and lithium storage batteries and other components will be offered <strong>investment linked income tax exemptions.</strong></li>
<li>Proposal to reduce<strong> GST rate</strong> on electric vehicles from the current <strong>12% to 5%</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The State of EVs in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-economic-survey-2018-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Economic Survey,</strong></a> the <strong>market share</strong> of electric cars is only <strong>0.06 % in India</strong> when compared to 2 % in <strong>China (world&rsquo;s largest EV market)</strong> and 39 % in Norway.</li>
<li>Reasons for lesser market presence of EVs in India are<strong> lack of charging infrastructure</strong> and high cost.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by Other Countries</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/404Image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/404Image3.jpg" width="488" height="235" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In major cities in developed markets such as <strong>Frankfurt</strong> (Germany) and others, EVs are given<strong> free parking space</strong> and in certain parts of cities only such eco-friendly vehicles are allowed.</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>European Union (EU)</strong> </a>countries are also trying to evolve into a <strong>hub for developing batteries</strong> and other spare parts for electric vehicles through the Strategic Action Plan For Batteries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The continent hosts the countries with the <strong>largest base of electric car sales.</strong> Norway, for instance, leads the electric vehicle market&mdash;EVs comprised 46% of the total vehicles sold in the country in the year 2018.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the US, <strong>California</strong> is legislating tough emission norms for vehicles and providing<strong> fiscal incentives</strong> for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government can think of giving a mandate to leading manufacturers that they should have a <strong>certain share of their sales from EVs</strong> after a particular time period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NITI-Aayog</strong></a> is considering a policy <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-mission-on-transformative-mobility-and-battery-storage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>proposal</strong> </a>to ban all internal combustion engine two-wheelers under 150cc by the year 2025 and three-wheelers by the year 2023.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Access to <strong>fast-charging facilities</strong> must be fostered to increase the market share of electric vehicles. <strong>Investments from private players</strong> is required for the same.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-and-e-vehicles'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Immunocontraceptives for Wildlife Population Management',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched a project for undertaking &lsquo;immunocontraceptive measures&rsquo; for population management of wild animals.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The project includes four species of wild animals, viz. Elephant, Wild boar, Monkeys and Blue Bull (Nilgai). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Pilot project will begin in Uttarakhand and then implemented in rest of the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Institute of Immunology (NII) will develop a protocol of immunocontraception.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Immunocontraception</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Immunocontraception is a birth control method that uses the body's immune response to prevent pregnancy. It is a technology that uses a female animal&rsquo;s immune system to build a protein around the egg that prevents it from fertilising.</li>
<li>It is a humane, nonlethal solution to conflicts between people and wildlife as well as a solution to local problems of animal overabundance.</li>
<li>Immunocontraception can also help reduce the overproduction of captive animals in zoos and other facilities.</li>
<li>It is also a novel approach to the development of family planning methods.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Despite the availability of contraceptive methods, there are over one million elective abortions globally each year due to unintended pregnancies, having devastating impact on reproductive health of women worldwide.</li>
<li>This highlights the need for the development of newer and improved contraceptive methods.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/man-animal-conflict-to-be-listed-as-disaster-by-up-govt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Human-animal conflict</a></strong> has emerged as a major challenge in managing wildlife in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Human-elephant conflict causes the maximum number of casualties every year. According to reply tabled in Parliament on June 28, 2019, nearly 494 persons were killed by elephants in 2018.</li>
<li>Between 2014 and March 2019, 2,398 people died in elephant attack in the country, with West Bengal accounting for maximum number of such deaths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It requires mathematical modelling and knowing the adult female population in the group that has to be delivered the vaccine.</li>
<li>The implementation of such a project in India will not be a simple task. It will involve multidisciplinary effort over a long period of time to deliver the contraceptive and manage the logistics around it<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has relatively large Elephant population, where identifying individuals is difficult.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Use of hormonal contraceptives in wildlife are easily passed from animal to animal. This can lead to unintended ecological consequences. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, fish exposed to treated sewage effluents were found to have concentrations of the synthetic hormone in blood plasma higher than those found in humans taking hormonal contraceptives.</li>
<li>However, the antigens used in contraceptive vaccines are protein, not steroids, they are not easily passed from animal to animal without loss of function. Yet, more research needs to be undertaken.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/immunocontraceptives-for-wildlife-population-management'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Effect of Social Media on Teens',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>As per a recent survey conducted by Fortis hospital, around 82% of students studying psychology in classes XI and XII in at least 200 schools across major cities in India, have said that social media has influenced their opinions and attitudes.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even the general reaction of the public at large is that social media is addictive for young people and that they should avoid it.</li>
<li>But such knee-jerk reaction is not right as use of any media can have both positive and negative influences. It all depends on how children interact with the medium.</li>
<li>For example close 78% of a total of 4,000 students who were polled for a survey said they spend a lot of time a day on social media and that it should be used as a tool to spread awareness and dispel myths about mental health issues.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>On mental health issues, 46% said mainstream media is not doing enough to create awareness and 32% believed that it has, in fact, increased stigma.</li>
<li>The Fortis survey found that 94% of the students believed that social media is a means to create awareness.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Children need to be taught that media is not a one-sided communication; they must be taught about the authenticity of the news or the news is just appealing to their emotions.</li>
<li>For the purpose, parents need to create media literacy so that children can use the medium to their benefit.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/393image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/393image1.jpg" width="460" height="599" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/effect-of-social-media-on-teens'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Income Inequality Among Farmers',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A recent survey conducted by <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-bank-for-agriculture-and-rural-development-nabard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NABARD</strong></a>, highlights the high levels of inter-state income inequality among the agricultural household in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The data given in the survey depicts that inter-state income inequality among agricultural household range from Rs 16,020 (In Punjab: highest) to Rs 5,842 (In Andhra Pradesh: lowest).<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/213image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/213image4.jpg" width="226" height="292" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>Adding more to the grim picture of agricultural distress, the surplus remains after consumption expenditure is just Rs 95 in Andhra Pradesh and Rs 4,314 In Punjab.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Also, according to the survey, 85% of farmer households earn a mere 9% of the total income, while the top 15% earn 91%.</li>
<li>If it is compared with the overall inequality in India, it&rsquo;s far too high.</li>
<li>Given the stark inequality in India, it shouldn't come as a surprise when the report says that 43 per cent of India&rsquo;s indebted households is farm households.</li>
<li>This aspect is important in the context of the government&rsquo;s target of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/doubling-farmers-income-a-promise-to-be-fulfilled-by-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>doubling farmers&rsquo; income.</strong></a></li>
<li>Land possession was the key variable in determining income from cultivation, which accounted for half of the income inequality and hence was the key variable in explaining income inequality.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lowest among the farmer groups in terms of landholding earns the least.</li>
<li>India primarily consists of small and marginal farmers(Farmers whose land holdings are less than two hectares (Ha) of land. About 85% landholdings in India are below two Ha)</li>
<li>So this makes small farmers take longer to increase their income in comparison to large farmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to Ashok Dalwai committee doubling farmers&rsquo; income by 2022: The initial promise of agrarian reforms was to distribute land to the landless and provide the title of ownership to the cultivators.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Unfortunately, India&rsquo;s agrarian reforms did not ensure egalitarianism in the agricultural community.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Green Revolution in the 1960s focused on increasing productivity and yield. But since then, landholdings have become significantly fragmented. Marginal landholdings have tripled in the last 40 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/income-inequality-among-farmers'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Jaipur: A World Heritage Site',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The Pink city, <strong>Jaipur</strong> (Rajasthan), has been <strong>declared a <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNESCO</a> World Heritage Site.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/922Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/922Image2.jpg" width="582" height="819" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The decision was taken at the <strong>43<sup>rd</sup> session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC)</strong> taking place in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, from 30<sup>th</sup> June - 10<sup>th</sup> July, 2019.</li>
<li>The city was nominated for its value of being an exemplary development in <strong>town planning and architecture</strong> that demonstrates an amalgamation and important exchange of ideas in the <strong>late medieval period.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Jaipur has become the<strong> second city</strong> of the country <strong>after Ahmedabad</strong> to get the recognition.</li>
<li>With Jaipur's inclusion as a cultural site, the number of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>heritage sites across India</strong></a> that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list, has grown to 38, including 30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and 1 mixed site.</li>
<li>The walled city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, was <strong>founded in 1727 AD</strong> under the patronage of <strong>Sawai Jai Singh II.</strong> It also serves as the capital city of the state of Rajasthan.</li>
<li>Unlike other cities in the region located in hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the plain and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Its streets feature rows that intersect in the centre and create large public squares called <em>chaupars.</em></li>
<li>The city's urban planning shows an <strong>exchange of ideas</strong> from ancient<strong> Hindu</strong> and modern <strong>Mughal</strong> as well as <strong>Western</strong> cultures.</li>
<li>Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions to this day.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>iconic monuments</strong> in the city include the Govind Dev temple, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Heritage Committee is composed of representatives of<strong> 21 States Parties</strong> to the <strong>World Heritage Convention</strong> who meet annually. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is an <strong>international agreement</strong> that was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972.</li>
<li>It is based on the premise that certain places on Earth are of outstanding universal value and should therefore form part of the common heritage of humankind.</li>
<li>It basically <strong>defines the kind of natural or cultural sites</strong> which can be considered for inscription on the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/architectural-heritage-of-orchha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Heritage List</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Committee is in charge of implementing the Convention.</strong></li>
<li>To date, 1,092 sites in 167 countries have been inscribed on the World Heritage List.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jaipur-a-world-heritage-site'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Indus Valley Civilization',
			'catname' => 'Paper 1',
			'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>history of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC),</strong> also known as Harappan Civilization.</li>
<li>It flourished around <strong>2,500 BC, in the western part of South Asia,</strong> in contemporary Pakistan and Western India.</li>
<li>The Indus Valley was home to the <strong>largest of the four ancient urban civilizations</strong> of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China.</li>
<li>In 1920s, the Archaeological Department of India carried out excavations in the Indus valley wherein the ruins of the two old cities, viz. <strong>Mohenjodaro and Harappa</strong> were unearthed.</li>
<li>In 1924, <strong>John Marshall, Director-General of the ASI, announced the discovery</strong> of a new civilisation in the Indus valley to the world.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="height: 230px; width: 80.5091%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #c1f7e4; border-color: #000000; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; background-color: #00bd7b;" colspan="4"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Important Sites of IVC</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p><strong>Site</strong></p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;"><strong>Excavated by</strong></td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;"><strong>Location</strong></td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;"><strong>Important Findings</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Harappa</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Daya Ram Sahini in 1921</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Situated on the bank of river Ravi in Montgomery district of Punjab (Pakistan).</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sandstone statues of Human anatomy</li>
<li>Granaries</li>
<li>Bullock carts</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Mohenjodaro (Mound of Dead)</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.D Banerjee in 1922</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Situated on the Bank of river Indus in Larkana district of Punjab (Pakistan).</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Great bath</li>
<li>Granary</li>
<li>Bronze dancing girl</li>
<li>Seal of Pasupathi Mahadeva</li>
<li>Steatite statue of beard man</li>
<li>A piece of woven cotton</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Sutkagendor</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Stein in 1929</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">In southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistan on Dast river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A trade point between Harappa and Babylon</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Chanhudaro</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">N.G Majumdar in 1931</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Sindh on the Indus river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bead makers shop</li>
<li>Footprint of a dog chasing a cat</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Amri</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">N.G Majumdar in 1935</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">On the bank of Indus river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Antelope evidence</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Kalibangan</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Ghose in 1953</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Rajasthan on the bank of Ghaggar river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fire altar</li>
<li>Camel bones</li>
<li>Wooden plough</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Lothal</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.Rao in 1953</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Gujarat on Bhogva river near Gulf of Cambay</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First manmade port</li>
<li>Dockyard</li>
<li>Rice husk</li>
<li>Fire altars</li>
<li>Chess playing</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Surkotada</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">J.P Joshi in 1964</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Gujarat</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bones of horses</li>
<li>Beads</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Banawali</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.S Bisht in 1974</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Hisar district of Haryana</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Beads</li>
<li>Barley</li>
<li>Evidence of both pre-Harappan and Harappan culture</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Dholavira</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.S Bisht in 1985</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Gujarat in Rann of Kachchh</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Water harnessing system</li>
<li>Water reservoir</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Phases of IVC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Three phases of IVC are: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>the <strong>Early Harappan Phase</strong> from 3300 to 2600 BCE,</li>
<li>the <strong>Mature Harappan Phase</strong> from 2600 to 1900 BCE, and</li>
<li>the <strong>Late Harappan Phase</strong> from 1900 to 1300 BCE.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Early Harappan Phase is related to the <strong>Hakra Phase,</strong> identified in the Ghaggar-Hakra River Valley.</li>
<li>The earliest examples of the <strong>Indus script</strong> date back to 3000 BC.</li>
<li>This phase stands characterized by <strong>centralized authority</strong> and an increasingly urban quality of life.</li>
<li><strong>Trade networks</strong> had been established and there are also evidences of the <strong>cultivation of crops</strong>. Peas, sesame seeds, dates, cotton, etc, were grown during that time.</li>
<li><strong>Kot Diji</strong> represents the phase leading up to Mature Harappan Phase.</li>
<li>By 2600 BC, the Indus Valley Civilization had entered into a <strong>mature stage</strong>.</li>
<li>The early Harappan communities were turning into large urban centers, like <strong>Harappa and Mohenjodaro in Pakistan and Lothal in India</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/997image2.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/997image2.webp" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The signs of a <strong>gradual decline</strong> of the Indus River Valley Civilization are believed to have started around 1800 BC and by 1700 BC, most of the cities were abandoned.</li>
<li>However, one can see the various elements of the Ancient Indus Valley Civilization in later cultures.</li>
<li>Archaeological data indicates the persistence of the Late Harappan culture till 1000-900 BC.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Town Planning and Structures</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Harappan culture was <strong>distinguished by its system of town planning</strong>.</li>
<li>Harappa and Mohenjodaro each had its <strong>own citadel or acropolis</strong>, which was possibly occupied by members of the ruling class.</li>
<li>Below the citadel in each city lay a <strong>lower town containing brick houses</strong>, which were inhabited by the common people.</li>
<li>The remarkable thing about the arrangement of the houses in the cities is that they followed the <strong>grid system</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Granaries</strong> constituted an important part of the Harappan cities.</li>
<li>The <strong>use of burnt bricks</strong> in the Harappan cities is remarkable, because in the contemporary buildings of Egypt mainly dried bricks were used.</li>
<li>The <strong>drainage system</strong> of Mohenjodaro was very impressive.</li>
<li>In almost all cities every big or small house had its own <strong>courtyard and bathroom</strong>.</li>
<li>In Kalibangan many houses had their <strong>wells</strong>.</li>
<li>At sites such as Dholavira and Lothal (Gujarat), the entire settlement was <strong>fortified, and sections within the town were also separated by walls</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/133image5.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/133image5.webp" width="430" height="246" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Agriculture</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Harappan villages, <strong>mostly situated near the flood plains,</strong> produced sufficient foodgrains.</li>
<li>Wheat, barley, rai, peas, sesame, lentil, chickpea and mustard were produced. Millets are also found from sites in Gujarat. While rice uses were relatively rare.</li>
<li>The Indus people were the <strong>earliest people to produce cotton</strong>.</li>
<li>While the prevalence of agriculture is indicated by finds of grain, it is more <strong>difficult to reconstruct actual agricultural practices</strong>.</li>
<li>Representations on seals and terracotta sculpture indicate that the <strong>bull was known, and archaeologists extrapolate shows oxen were also used for ploughing</strong>.</li>
<li>Most Harappan sites are located in <strong>semi-arid lands,</strong> where irrigation was probably required for agriculture.</li>
<li><strong>Traces of canals</strong> have been found at the Harappan site of Shortughai in Afghanistan, but not in Punjab or Sindh.</li>
<li>Although the Harappans practised agriculture, <strong>animals were also reared on a large scale</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Evidence of the horse comes from a superficial level of Mohenjodaro</strong> and from a doubtful terracotta figurine from Lothal. In any case the Harappan culture was not horse centred.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Economy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The importance of trade in the life of the Indus people is witnessed by the <strong>presence of numerous seals, uniform script and regulated weights and measures</strong> in a wide area.</li>
<li>The Harappans carried on considerable <strong>trade in stone, metal, shell,</strong> etc.</li>
<li>Metal money was not used and trade was carried by <strong>barter system</strong>.</li>
<li>They practised navigation on the coast of the Arabian Sea.</li>
<li>They had set up a <strong>trading colony in northern Afghanistan</strong> which evidently facilitated trade with Central Asia.</li>
<li>They also carried commerce with those in the land of the <strong>Tigris and the Euphrates</strong>.</li>
<li>The Harappans carried on long distance trade in <strong>lapis lazuli</strong>; which may have contributed to the social prestige of the ruling class.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Crafts</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Harappans were very well acquainted with the <strong>manufacturing and use of Bronze</strong>.</li>
<li>Copper was obtained from the <strong>Khetri copper mines</strong> of Rajasthan and <strong>Tin was possibly brought from Afghanistan</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Textile impressions</strong> have also been found on several objects.</li>
<li>Huge brick structure suggest that <strong>brick-laying</strong> was an important craft. This also attests the existence of <strong>a class of masons</strong>.</li>
<li>The Harappans practised <strong>boat-making, bead making and seal-making. Terracotta manufacture</strong> was also an important craft.</li>
<li>The goldsmiths made <strong>jewellery</strong> of silver, gold and precious stones.</li>
<li>The potter's wheel was in full use, and the Harappans produced their <strong>own characteristic pottery</strong>, which was glossy and shining.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/385Untitled-1.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/385Untitled-1.webp" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Institutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Very few written materials</strong> have been discovered in the Indus valley and the scholars have not been able to decipher the Indus script so far.</li>
<li>As a result, there is <strong>difficulty in understanding</strong> the nature of the state and institutions of the Indus Valley Civilization.</li>
<li><strong>No temples</strong> have been found at any Harappan sites. Therefore the possibility of priests ruling Harappa can be eliminated.</li>
<li>Harappa was possibly <strong>ruled by a class of merchants</strong>.</li>
<li>If we look for a centre of power or for depictions of people in power, <strong>archaeological records provide no immediate answers</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some archaeologists are of the opinion that Harappan society had <strong>no rulers</strong>, and that everybody enjoyed equal status.</li>
<li>Another theory argues that there was no single ruler, but <strong>a number of rulers</strong> representing each of the urban centers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Religion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In Harappa <strong>numerous terracotta figurines of women</strong> have been found. In one figurine a plant is shown growing out of the embryo of a woman.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Harappans, therefore, looked upon the earth as a <strong>fertility goddess</strong> and worshipped her in the same manner as the Egyptians worshipped the Nile goddess Isis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>male deity is represented on a seal with three horned heads,</strong> represented in the sitting posture of a yogi.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This god is surrounded by an elephant, a tiger, a rhinoceros, and has a buffalo below his throne. At his feet appear two deer.The depicted god is identified as <strong>Pushupati Mahadeva</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Numerous symbols of the <strong>phallus and female sex organs</strong> made of stone have been found.</li>
<li>The people of the Indus region <strong>also worshipped trees and Animals</strong>.</li>
<li>The most important of them is the <strong>one horned unicorn</strong> which may be identified with the rhinoceros and the next important was the <strong>humped bull</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Amulets</strong> have also been found in large numbers.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The IVC declined around 1800 BCE but the actual <strong>reasons behind its demise are still debated</strong>.</li>
<li>One theory claims that Indo-European tribe i.e. <strong>Aryans invaded</strong> and conquered the IVC.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In later cultures various elements of the IVC are found which suggest that civilization did not disappear suddenly due to an invasion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On the other hand, many scholars believe <strong>natural factors</strong> are behind the decline of the IVC.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The natural factors could be <strong>geological and climatic</strong>.</li>
<li>It is believed that the Indus Valley region experienced several <strong>tectonic disturbances</strong> which causes earthquakes. Which also changed courses of rivers or dried them up.</li>
<li>Another natural reason might be <strong>changes in patterns of rainfall</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There could be also <strong>dramatic shifts in the river courses,</strong> which might have brought floods to the food producing areas.</li>
<li>Due to <strong>combination</strong> of these natural causes there was a slow but inevitable collapse of IVC.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/932Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/932Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/indus-valley-civilization'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Indus Valley Civilization',
			'catname' => 'Paper 1',
			'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/555Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/555Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/mind-map/gs-paper1/indus-valley-civilization-mindmap'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Crime Against Humanity',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/crimes-that-indias-statute-books-have-failed-to-define/article28312905.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Crimes that India&rsquo;s statute books have failed to define&rdquo;</a> that appeared in The Hindu on 8th July 2019. It talks about the status of India&rsquo;s legal jurisdiction concerning Crime Against Humanity and Way forward.</p>
</div>
<p>Delhi High Court, while pronouncing the judgment in <strong>State v. Sajjan Kumar (2018)</strong> held that neither &lsquo;crimes against humanity&rsquo; nor &lsquo;genocide&rsquo; has been made part of India&rsquo;s criminal law, a lacuna that needs to be addressed urgently.</p>
<p>The case was concerned with the mass killing of Sikhs during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The court categorically stated that these kinds of mass crimes &ldquo;engineered by political actors with the assistance of the law enforcement agencies&rdquo; fit into the category of crimes against humanity (CAH).</p>
<h3>What are Crimes Against Humanity (CAH)?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Crimes against humanity are certain acts that are deliberately committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian or an identifiable part of a civilian population.</li>
<li>Crime against humanity is an offence in international criminal law, adopted in the <strong>Charter of the International Military Tribunal (N&uuml;rnberg Charter)</strong>, which tried surviving Nazi leaders in 1945, and was, in 1998, incorporated into the <strong>Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)</strong>.</li>
<li>Crimes against humanity consist of various acts&mdash;murder, extermination, enslavement, torture, forcible transfers of populations, imprisonment, rape, persecution, enforced disappearance, and apartheid, among others.</li>
<li>The term also has a broader use in condemning other acts that, in a phrase often used, &ldquo;shock the conscience of mankind.&rdquo; World poverty, human-made environmental disasters, and terrorist attacks have thus been described as crimes against humanity.</li>
<li>Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity <strong>can be committed during peace or war</strong>.</li>
<li>The irony about CAH is that the wide practice of atrocities is tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority.</li>
<li>This makes CAH important to be discussed in the International community and tried by forums like the International Court of Justice and International criminal court</li>
</ul>
<h3>What is the status of CAH in India?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is <strong>not a party to the Rome Statute</strong>, which means that it is under no obligation at present to enact separate legislation dealing with CAH.</li>
<li>Also, the Indian representatives at the International Law Commission (ILC) have shown their concerns regarding negotiations for the adoption of the separate treaty on crimes against humanity.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for India's reluctance</strong> to actively participate in the negotiation process on a separate Convention on CAH :
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Negotiations at ILC seeks to adopt the same definition of CAH as provided in the Rome Statute.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to Rome statute: Crimes against humanity are certain acts that are deliberately committed as part of a widespread <strong>or</strong> systematic attack directed against any civilian or an identifiable part of a civilian population.</li>
<li>India is not in favour of using &lsquo;widespread or systematic&rsquo; as one of the conditions, but prefers &lsquo;widespread <strong>and</strong> systematic&rsquo;, which would require a higher threshold of proof.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Second, India wanted a distinction to be made between <strong>international and internal armed conflicts</strong>.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This was probably because its internal conflicts with Naxals and other non-state actors in places like Kashmir and the Northeast could fall under the scope of CAH.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The third objection related to the inclusion of the <strong>enforced disappearance of persons</strong> under CAH.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In international human rights law, a forced disappearance (or enforced disappearance) occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or a third party with the authorization of political organization, with the intent of placing the victim outside the protection of the law</li>
<li>According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed at any civilian population, a "forced disappearance" qualifies as a crime against humanity</li>
<li>India is of the view that it has <strong>signed but not yet ratified the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances,</strong> therefore, it is under no obligation to criminalise it through domestic legislation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>In<strong> State v. Sajjan</strong> <strong>Kumar</strong>, the Delhi High Court also said that &ldquo;a familiar pattern of mass killings&rdquo; was seen &ldquo;in Mumbai in 1993, in Gujarat in 2002, and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh in 2013&rdquo;, where the criminals &ldquo;have enjoyed political patronage and managed to evade prosecution&rdquo; In this context:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s missing voice at the ILC does not go well with its claim of respect for an international rules-based order.</li>
<li>Turning a blind eye to crimes against humanity reflects poorly on India&rsquo;s status as a democracy.</li>
<li>It would be advisable for India to show political will and constructively engage with the ILC, which would also, in the process, address the shortcomings in the domestic criminal justice system.</li>
</ul>
<p>India's policymaking has been motivated by the motto: <strong>Think globally, act locally,</strong> but in case of crime against humanity India must follow <strong>Act locally, Inspire globally</strong>. So India's eventual adherence to the International Criminal Court and the Rome Treaty will act as a pathway for the renaissance for the future of human rights-oriented modes of Indian governance.</p>
<p>Also, along with that, India's active engagement at ILC for a CAH treaty will pitch for rule of law, nationally as well as internationally, simply conceived as an endeavour to make power more accountable, governance increasingly just, and the state incrementally ethical.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #c7f6ff; border-color: #017b94; border-style: dotted;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 1091.11px;"><em><strong>Drishti Input:<br /><br /></strong></em>India&rsquo;s reluctance regarding negotiations for a separate treaty on Crime Against Humanity doesn&rsquo;t augur well with India&rsquo;s image as a champion of human right. Analyse</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/crime-against-humanity'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Redefining Poverty',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rethink-poverty-and-policy-indian-policy-economy-growth-5805671/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Rethink poverty &mdash; and policy&rdquo;</strong></a> that appeared in The Indian Express on 29 June 2019. It talks about the need to redefine poverty in India and subsequent changes in policy.</p>
</div>
<p>India witnessed an astonishing <strong>poverty decline between 2011-12 and 2016-17&nbsp;</strong>(as per the Tendulkar poverty line of Rs 44 per person per day in 2017-18 prices, just 4.5 per cent of the population is below the poverty line). Also as per various scholars, a<strong>gricultural growth is thrice more effective than any other means of poverty alleviation.</strong></p>
<p>Poverty is no longer about food, hence there is a need for government to strive to free up our food producers rather than keeping them as prisoners of policy. Time has arrived to rethink poverty: Policymaking should concentrate on what causes growth, not what causes poverty to decline.</p>
<h3>Why there is a need to review defining poverty in India?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Policymaking on poverty in <strong>India considers food consumption as the ultimate criterion of poverty.&nbsp;</strong>Hence, India built up an elaborate ecosystem of food production, consumption, and distribution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>But this ecosystem is biased against the poor farmer, as the Essential Commodities Act, Food Corporation of India, and Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee all work against the interest to the farmer.</li>
<li>Time has come to dismantle this ecosystem &mdash;, against climate change mitigation and also against efficient use of water and energy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Poverty is now not just about food but living standards &mdash;</strong> sanitation, housing, piped water, electricity, education, health, and jobs. And on each of these elements, the focus should shift to quality, not quantity.</li>
<li>Since <strong>poverty is a dynamic concept,</strong> so it is not fair to define poverty in absolute terms, rather it must be defined in relative terms.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most European nations have a relative definition of poverty &mdash; that is, a fixed proportion of the median income.</li>
<li>India should move towards that by the end of 2024, as India will likely be a $5 trillion economy by that time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>But before India moves to a relative definition, India should forthwith move towards an <strong>updated poverty</strong> line, a poverty line consistent with our income status today as a lower-middle income country (as India is no longer a poor economy, as it was in the 1990s).</li>
</ul>
<p>Also, this record decline in poverty came in the middle of demonetisation, GST, two drought years, and lower than potential GDP growth. Reason for this astonishing feat can be attributed to better targeting of government programmes (made possible by expanded and extensive use of direct benefit transfer (DBT).</p>
<h3>How to balance welfare v/s economic growth?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian economy requires <strong>adequate investments in critical areas</strong> such as road, railways and water. Therefore, the government needs to rationalise its expenditure and tax rates to ensure the reallocation of resources.</li>
<li>Though India's pace of poverty reduction has improved over the last five years, it can be augmented through a <strong>targeted basic income policy</strong> which will free up resources for other sectors of the economy.</li>
<li>The new approach towards poverty alleviation should involve targeted income transfers.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the targeted basic income programme, the government transfers the <strong>poverty gap</strong> (the difference between per capita consumption of the household and the poverty line faced by the household) into the bank account of the poor</li>
<li>The poverty gap is defined as the ratio of average per capita consumption of the poor to the poverty line.</li>
<li>In 2011&ndash;2012, the average per capita expenditure of the poor was Rs. 708 per person per month and the poverty line was Rs. 847.</li>
<li>With perfect targeting (that is, complete knowledge of who is poor and by how much), a transfer of Rs. 139 per person per month (or Rs. 1,668 a year) would enable the target of zero percent Tendulkar poverty to be reached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Whereas with the current level of government spending in PDS, MGNREGA, food subsidy, the government spends about Rs. 58,000 a year to bring one person out of poverty.</li>
<li>In 2011&ndash;2012, there were approximately 250 million Tendulkar Line poor in India. Achievement of zero poverty would require only an expenditure of under Rs. 42,000 crore, or less than 0.5 per cent of GDP.</li>
</ul>
<p>Since for any society, two concerns are paramount&mdash;economic growth and improvement in the well-being of the poor. Growth is needed to finance redistribution. This redistribution typically takes two forms&mdash;productive investment, for example, the financing of infrastructure, expenditures on health and education, and simple transfers of income.</p>
<p>But given scarce capital and developmental nature of the Indian economy, it is imperative that Policymaking should strive to make the best use of every single rupee, For that to happen, issues must be looked to be resolved from a qualitative perspective rather than only quantitative perspective, and in this route it is best to start by redefining -What is poverty!</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 540px; border-color: #fff4cf; background-color: #f5f1d0;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti input</strong></em></span><br />India has done remarkably well in poverty reduction, but as India aspires the status of global power, it needs to redefine poverty and make subsequent changes in policymaking. Commen</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/redefining-poverty'
		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Highlights of Budget 2019',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Union Minister for Finance </strong>presented the Union Budget 2019-20 before the Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Constitutional Provisions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>term &lsquo;budget&rsquo; has nowhere</strong> been used in the Constitution. It is the popular name for the <strong>&lsquo;Annual Financial Statement&rsquo;</strong> that has been dealt with in <strong>Article 112 of the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>The budget is a statement of the <strong>estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India</strong> in a financial year (FY), which begins on April 1 and ends on March 31 of the following year.</li>
<li>In addition to the estimates of receipts and expenditure, the budget contains certain other elements. Overall, the budget contains the following:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Estimates of revenue and capital receipts;</li>
<li>Ways and means to raise revenue;</li>
<li>Estimates of expenditure;</li>
<li>Details of the actual receipts and expenditure of the closing financial year and the reasons for any deficit or surplus in that year; and</li>
<li>Economic and financial policy of the coming year, that is, taxation proposals, prospects of revenue, spending programme and introduction of new schemes/projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Railway Budget</strong> was separated from the <strong>General Budget in 1921</strong> on the recommendations of<strong> the Acworth Committee</strong>. In August 2016, the Central Government decided to <strong>merge the railway budget into the general budget.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Economy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fiscal deficit in FY 19 has been set at 3.3% of the GDP.</li>
<li>Indian economy will become a 3 trillion dollar economy in 2019. Government aspires to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024-25. To achieve this, there is a need for investment in:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Infrastructure</strong></li>
<li><strong>Digital economy</strong></li>
<li><strong>Job creation in small and medium firms</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>PAN and Aadhaar will become interchangeable. One can use Aadhaar number to file I-T Returns.</li>
<li>Rs. 5 lakh minimum limit announced for taxpayers.</li>
<li>In view of rising income levels, those in the ₹2-5 crore and ₹5 crore-and-above brackets will see an increase in effective tax rate by 3% (39%) and 7% (42.74%), respectively.</li>
<li>No change in personal income tax rates.</li>
<li>Increase in cess on fuel by 1 rupee, petrol &amp; diesel to get costlier; while customs duty on gold and precious items increased.</li>
<li>Corporate tax with a turnover of up to Rs 400 crore slashed to 25% from a current rate of 30%.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gst-council-and-national-anti-profiteering-authority" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>GST Council</strong> </a>advised to reduce tax rate on Electric Vehicles from 12% to 5%.</li>
<li>No charge on digital payments: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-4th-march-2019-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Merchant Discount Rate</strong></a> charges waived on cashless payment.</li>
<li><strong>Measures related to MSMEs:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Proposed <strong>easing angel tax</strong> for startups.</li>
<li>E-verification mechanism for establishing investor identity and source of funds for startups.</li>
<li>2% interest subvention for GST-registered MSME on fresh or incremental loans.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/unemployment-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Stand Up India' Scheme</strong> </a>to continue till 2025.</li>
<li>New television channel for start-ups.</li>
<li>Pension benefit extended to retail traders with annual turnover less than Rs 1.5 crore.</li>
<li>New payment platform for MSMEs to be created.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Proposal to provide Rs 70,000 crore capital for PSU Banks.</li>
<li>Regulation of HFCs (Housing Finance Cos) to move to RBI from National Housing Bank.</li>
<li>Govt to <strong>modify</strong> the present policy of <strong>retaining 51% stake in PSUs. </strong></li>
<li>Govt to continue with <strong>strategic divestment of select CPSEs. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Divestment target of Rs 1.05 lakh crore for FY 20. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Strategic disinvestment of Air India</strong> proposed to be re-initiated.</li>
<li><strong>Global Investors Meet</strong> to be held in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Rural India and Agriculture</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gaon, Garib and Kisan</strong> are the focus of the government.</li>
<li><strong>New <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-shakti-mantralaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jal Shakti ministry</a></strong> will work with states to ensure Har Ghar Jal for all rural houses by 2024.</li>
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana phase 3</strong> is envisaged to upgrade 1,25,000 km of road length over the next 5 years.</li>
<li>Govt will set up 100 new clusters for 50,000 artisans in FY 20.</li>
<li>Every single rural family, to have electricity by 2022.</li>
<li>Govt to promote <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Zero Budget Farming. </strong></a></li>
<li>10,000 new farm produce organisations.</li>
<li>80 Livelihood business incubators and 20 technology business incubators to be set up in 2019-20 under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-elixir-for-msmes-access-to-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE)</strong></a> to develop 75,000 skilled entrepreneurs in agro-rural industries.</li>
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A robust fisheries management framework through PMMSY to be established by the <strong>Department of Fisheries</strong>.</li>
<li>To address critical gaps in the value chain including infrastructure, modernization, traceability, production, productivity, post-harvest management, and quality control.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Youth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To popularise sports at all levels, <strong>National Sports Education Board</strong> for development of sportspersons to be set up under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-28-february-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>'Khelo India.' </strong></a></li>
<li>Govt to launch 'Study in India' programme to attract foreign students in higher education.</li>
<li>Rs 400 crore allocated for <strong>world-class higher education institutions in FY 20 . </strong></li>
<li><strong>National research foundation</strong> to fund, coordinate and to promote research in the country.</li>
<li><strong>New Higher Education Commission</strong> with focus on higher autonomy.</li>
<li><strong>New national education policy</strong> to propose changes in school, higher education.</li>
<li>To make the Indian youth ready to take up jobs in foreign countries, more emphasis on new-age skills like <strong>Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data, etc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Study in India</strong> proposed to bring foreign students to study in Indian higher educational institutions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Social</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nari tu Narayani:</strong> Women SHG Interest Subvention Programme to be expanded to all districts in India.</li>
<li><strong>Rs 1 lakh loan</strong> to be provided for <strong>SHG women</strong> members under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-panel-s-recommendations-on-msme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mudra Scheme. </strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Rs 3,000 pension per month</strong> for workers from <strong>the informal sector. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Gandhipedia</strong> being developed by the<strong> National Council for Science Museums</strong> to sensitize youth and society about positive Gandhian values.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Infrastructure</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>State road networks to be developed in the second phase of <strong>Bharatmala project.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Rs. 50 lakh crore investment</strong> needed in <strong>Railway Infrastructure</strong> during 2018-2030.</li>
<li>Public-Private-Partnership proposed for development and completion of tracks, rolling stock manufacturing and delivery of passenger freight services.</li>
<li>Policy interventions to be made for the development of <strong>Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO),</strong> to achieve self- reliance in the <strong>aviation segment.</strong></li>
<li>Outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore for 3 years approved for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fame-ii-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Phase-II of FAME Scheme.</strong></a></li>
<li>National Highway Programme to be restructured to ensure a<strong> National Highway Grid, using a financeable model. </strong></li>
<li>Power at affordable rates to states ensured under <strong>&ldquo;One Nation, One Grid‟.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Blueprints to be made available for <strong>gas grids, water grids, i-ways, and regional airports.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Space</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has emerged as a major space power. It is time to harness our ability commercially.</li>
<li>A public sector enterprise, <strong>New Space India Limited (NSIL)</strong> has been incorporated to tap benefits of ISRO.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Roadmap for Future</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Simplification of procedures.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Incentivizing performance.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Red-tape reduction.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Making the best use of technology.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Accelerating mega programmes and services initiated and delivered so far.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Women Startup Summit 2019',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is to host the Women Startup Summit in association with the Indian Women Network of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>&lsquo;Women Startup Summit 2019&rsquo;</strong>, a one-day event aims at encouraging aspiring women professionals to take up their entrepreneurial journey and developing an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the State.</li>
<li>Theme of the Summit is <strong>&ldquo;Developing an Inclusive Entrepreneurship Ecosystem&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>About 20 women startups shortlisted from the &ldquo;She Loves Tech&rdquo; national grand challenge will be showcased in the summit.</li>
<li>She Loves Tech is a global competition which was launched in 2015 to provide a platform for women entrepreneurs and startups dedicated to improving the lives of women globally.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>2019 Global Startup Competition is the world&rsquo;s largest startup competition focused on women and technology.</li>
<li>For the first time She Loves Tech competition will be held in India in association with Kerala Startup Mission, the nodal government organization for promoting the startups in Kerala.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Kerala has 13% of women participation in the technology startup ecosystem and the state government has taken proactive steps for increasing the participation of women in the sector.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Confederation of Indian Industry is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in India's development process.</li>
<li>Founded in 1895, it has around 9000 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from around 276 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.</li>
<li>It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Feminization of Agriculture',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>As per the 10<sup>th</sup> Agriculture Census (2015-16), the percentage of female operational holdings in the country have increased from about 13% percent during 2010-11 to around 14% during 2015-16.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Agriculture, contributing around 16% of the GDP, is increasingly becoming a female activity.</li>
<li>Agriculture sector employs 80% of all economically active women; they comprise 33% of the agricultural labour force and 48% of self employed farmers.</li>
<li>About 18% of the farm families in India, according to NSSO Reports are headed by women.</li>
<li>According to the Economic Survey 2017-18, a rise in migration of men from rural to urban areas has resulted in feminization of agriculture.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agriculture Census</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is conducted at an interval of every five years by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.</li>
<li>Data on structural aspects of operational holdings in the country is collected through the census.</li>
<li>The first census was conducted with reference year 1970-71.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Operational Holding</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All land which is used wholly or partly for agricultural production and is operated as one technical unit by one person alone or with others without regard to the title, legal form, size or location.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges Faced by Women Farmers</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Lack of ownership of land</li>
<li>Lack of access to financial credit</li>
<li>Lack of access to resources and modern inputs (most farm machinery is difficult for women to operate)</li>
<li>Increased work burden (on-farm and off-farm productive activities) with lower compensation</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Implemented by Ministry of Rural Development, it is a programme exclusively for women farmers.</li>
<li>It is a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission.</li>
<li>It aims to empower women by enhancing their participation in agriculture and to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for them.</li>
<li>Upto 60% (90% for North Eastern States) of the funding support for such projects is provided by the government.</li>
<li>It is in line with the provisions of the National Policy for Farmers (2007).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>At least 30% of the budget allocation has been earmarked for women beneficiaries</strong> in all ongoing schemes/programmes and development activities.</li>
<li>Government has <strong>increased its focus on women self-help group (SHG)</strong> to connect them to micro-credit through capacity building activities and to provide information and ensuring their representation in different decision-making bodies.</li>
<li>Recognizing the critical role of women in agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has declared <strong>15<sup>th</sup> October of every year as Women Farmer&rsquo;s Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Provision of credit without collateral</strong> under the microfinance initiative of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-bank-for-agriculture-and-rural-development-nabard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development</strong></a> should be encouraged.</li>
<li>Manufacturers should be incentivised to produce <strong>tools and machineries suited to women&rsquo;s needs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Krishi Vigyan Kendras</strong> in every district can be assigned an additional task to educate and train women farmers about innovative technology along with extension services.</li>
<li>Government flagship schemes such as the National Food Security Mission, <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/green-revolution-krishonnati-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sub-mission on Seed and Planting Material</strong></a> and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana should include women-centric strategies and dedicated expenditure.</li>
</ul>',
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	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Automated Facial Recognition System',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ncrb-to-track-complaints-on-sexual-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Crime Records Bureau</strong></a> (NCRB) has released a request proposal for an <strong>Automated Facial Recognition System</strong> (AFRS) to be used by police officers across the country.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Automated Facial Recognition System can play a very vital role in <strong>crime prevention</strong> and <strong>criminal identification</strong> and <strong>verification</strong> (identifying criminals, missing people, and unidentified dead bodies) by facilitating easy <strong>recording, analysis, retrieval </strong>and<strong> sharing</strong> <strong>of information</strong> between different organizations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>AFRS will be a <strong>mobile</strong> and <strong>web application</strong> hosted in NCRB&rsquo;s (which manages data for police) data centre in Delhi but used by all police stations in the country.</li>
<li>AFRS works by comparing the new image of an unidentified person often taken from CCTV footage with the existing database ( AFRS maintains a database with photos and videos of peoples faces) to find a match and identify the person. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>artificial intelligence technology</strong></a> used for pattern-finding and matching is called &ldquo;neural networks&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Integrating AFRS with Existing Database</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NCRB has proposed integrating automated <strong>facial recognition system</strong> with <strong>multiple existing databases</strong> like:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Crime and Criminal Tracking Network &amp; Systems</strong> (CCTNS): managed by NCRB</li>
<li><strong>Integrated Criminal Justice System</strong> (ICJS)</li>
<li>State-specific database systems</li>
<li><strong>Khoya paya portal</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Criminal Tracking Network &amp; Systems</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CCTNS is countrywide <strong>integrated database on crime incidents</strong> and suspects, connecting FIR registrations, investigations, and chargesheets of all police stations and higher offices.</li>
<li>CCTNS also plans to offer <strong>citizen services,</strong> such as passport verification, crime reporting, online tracking of case progress, grievance reporting against police officers.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Integrated Criminal Justice System</strong> (ICJS): It is any computer network, system or architecture that allows justice practitioners and agencies to electronically access and share information between systems and/or across jurisdictional lines.</p>
<p><strong>Khoya Paya Portal:</strong> Khoya Paya portal is a citizen based website to exchange information on missing and found children developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).</p>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Cyber experts have cautioned against <strong>government abuse</strong> of facial recognition technology, as it can be used as a tool of control and risks citizens privacy and data.</li>
<li>In the absence of <strong>data protection law,</strong> Indian citizens are more vulnerable to privacy abuses.</li>
</ul>',
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	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'AfCFTA: Unlocking Africa’s Economic Might',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-shot-at-economic-logic/article28323314.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;A shot at economic logic&rdquo;</a> that appeared in The Hindu on 9 July 2019. It talks about the prospects of the <strong>African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)</strong> and way forward for India.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently the <strong>12<sup>th</sup> Extra-Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU),</strong> saw 54 of 55 of its member states signing the <strong>African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)</strong> for goods and services. AfCFTA seeks elimination of customs duties on 90% of the tariff-lines. The cross-border free trade could start by July 2020.</p>
<h3>What is AfCFTA?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>AfCFTA seeks to <strong>create a single continental market for goods and services,</strong> with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.</li>
<li>The AfCFTA preliminary work is on steps such as incremental tariff reduction, elimination of non-tariff barriers, supply chains and dispute settlement.</li>
<li>It establishes the <strong>largest free trade area in the world</strong> since the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995.</li>
<li>In a world, becoming increasingly dependent on African markets and commodities, AfCFTA will have a global impact.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Background of Africa's economic integration</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1963, the <strong>Organization of African Unity</strong> was founded by the independent states of Africa. The organization aimed to promote cooperation between African states.</li>
<li>The 1980 Lagos Plan of Action was adopted by the Organization of African Unity. The plan suggested that Africa should minimize reliance upon the West by promoting intra-African trade.</li>
<li>In 2002, the Organization of African Unity was succeeded by the African Union, which had as one of its goals to accelerate the "economic integration of the continent&rdquo;.</li>
<li>At the 2012 African Union summit in Addis Ababa, leaders agreed to create a new Continental Free Trade Area by 2017, for which in 2015 negotiations for AfCFTA started.</li>
<li>The AfCFTA agreement was adopted and opened for signature on 21st March 2018 in Kigali. The AfCTA entered into force on 30 May 2019.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>While AfCFTA promises to unlock Africa&rsquo;s economic potential, the agreement still faces an uphill battle for implementation. There are <strong>three main challenges</strong> that question the viability of the AfCFTA.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First, the African Union has been largely ineffective in dealing with the <strong>continent&rsquo;s myriad problems</strong> such as decolonisation, underdevelopment, Islamic terrorism and the Arab Spring.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Furthermore, <strong>overlapping membership in Africa&rsquo;s eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs)</strong> hinders trade standardization and enforcement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Second, Africa has a <strong>low manufacturing base</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Today, more than 75 per cent of Africa&rsquo;s external exports are extractives, namely oil and minerals.</li>
<li>Also,<strong> only 15 percent of African exports goes to other African countries,</strong> compared to intra-trade levels of 58 per cent in Asia and 67 per cent in Europe.</li>
<li>This makes AfCFTA highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global pricing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Third, the AfCFTA is established at the time, when the world is facing <strong>global protectionist trends</strong> as seen in the U.S.-China trade conflict, Brexit and the stalemates at the World Trade Organisation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>World trade is likely to grow only by 2.6% in 2019, commodity prices are stagnant and globalisation is often being reversed.</li>
<li>With Africa accounting for only 3% of global trade, the anti-globalization wave dents the prospects of AfCFTA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>However, all is not that dark for AfCFTA</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>With <strong>increasing Chinese and Indian investments</strong> in Africa, greater collective self-reliance through African economic integration makes eminent sense.</li>
<li>A recent UN projection showed that nearly half the world&rsquo;s population growth between now and 2050 would come from sub-Saharan Africa, the population of which would double to nearly two billion. This <strong>surge in consumer base</strong> would make the proposed AfCFTA even more important.</li>
<li>Amid growing U.S.-China trade tensions and China&rsquo;s efforts to decrease its dependency on export markets, some are betting that <strong>Africa is a prime successor to become the manufacturing hub</strong> of the developing world</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>In this scenario for India, Africa must receive priority on foreign policy map of India as:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Africa is already <strong>an important economic partner</strong> for India with total annual merchandise trade estimated at $70 billion or nearly a tenth of India's global trade.</li>
<li>While<strong> India&rsquo;s global exports</strong> have been largely stagnant but those to Africa have surged.</li>
<li>Africa still has unfulfilled demand for Indian commodities, especially foodstuffs, finished products (automobiles, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods) and services such as IT/IT-Enabled Service, health care and education, skilling, expertise in management and banking, financial services and insurance.</li>
<li>The <strong>cross-linkage of a three million strong Indian diaspora</strong> spread across Africa can also be very valuable.</li>
<li>India can help the African Union Commission prepare the requisite architecture, such as common external tariffs, competition policy, intellectual property rights, and natural persons&rsquo; movement.</li>
<li>Finally, once the AfCFTA is accepted as a beneficial game changer, India can contemplate an India-African FTA.</li>
</ul>
<p>Before Africa was &ldquo;discovered&rdquo; by the West, it had a thriving overland trade. Subsequent colonialism and mercantilism destroyed internal trade routes, replacing them with an ecosystem in which Africans had better links with their foreign &ldquo;mentors&rdquo; than among themselves. By the AfCFTA, the Africans are only trying to correct this historical distortion.</p>
<p>But with free trade under attack in much of the developed world, Africa is forging a new path for itself to foster sustainable wealth and development for the continent. In this context, India needs to anticipate the promising impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area and act proactively.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #ffd9d9; border-color: #c40808; border-style: dotted;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;"><em><strong>Drishti Input:<br /><br /></strong></em>Recently, <strong>African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)</strong> has been operationalised. Discuss the challenges and prospects it faces, in a world dominated by anti-globalisation.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
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	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'A New Way of Predicting Monsoon',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A researcher at a science and technology conference organised in Vienna by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation has come up with a new way of predicting the monsoon,</li>
<li>The method measures how much Beryllium-7, an isotope of the element Beryllium, is present in the air.</li>
<li>Be-7 is chosen because it is created only in the stratosphere when cosmic rays hit and break the nuclei of nitrogen and oxygen.</li>
<li>During monsoons the air flows down from the stratosphere (upwards of 33,000 feet from the earth&rsquo;s surface), bringing some Be-7. Thereby making the prediction of monsoon more reliable.</li>
<li>Research proposes that there is a strong connection between the amount of Be-7 and the timing of monsoons, which is yet to be proven.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is an international organization, established upon the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996.</li>
<li>Its headquarter is in Vienna, Austria.</li>
<li>The organization is tasked with verifying the ban on nuclear tests and therefore operates a worldwide monitoring system and may conduct on-site inspections.</li>
<li>The CTBTO runs the International Monitoring System (IMS) of 300-odd stations, which can sense vibrations, hear sounds or smell noble gases (such as Xenon, Krypton) &lsquo;radionuclides&rsquo; (such as Beryllium-7).</li>
<li>IMS can detect any nuclear explosion globally.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/a-new-way-of-predicting-monsoon'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Aadhar and its Voluntary Use',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently the Parliament has passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which allows <strong>voluntary use</strong> of Aadhaar as proof of identity.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The existing Aadhar act provides for the use of Aadhaar number as proof of identity of a person, subject to authentication.</li>
<li>The Bill <strong>replaces</strong> this provision to state that an individual may voluntarily use his Aadhaar number to establish his identity, by authentication or offline verification.</li>
<li>The Bill states that authentication of an individual&rsquo;s identity via Aadhaar, for the provision of any service, may be made mandatory only by a law of Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Salient Features of the Bill</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/728Image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/728Image1.jpg" width="549" height="524" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also, under the Bill, the UIDAI may initiate a complaint against an entity in the Aadhaar ecosystem for failure to<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>comply with the Act or the UIDAI&rsquo;s directions, and</li>
<li>furnish information required by the UIDAI.</li>
<li>Adjudicating Officers appointed by the UIDAI shall decide such matters and may impose penalties up to one crore rupees on such entities.</li>
<li>The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal shall be the appellate authority against decisions of the Adjudicating Officer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Unique Identification Authority of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established on 12 July 2016 by the Government of India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, following the provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016.</li>
<li>The UIDAI is mandated to assign a 12-digit unique identification (UID) number (Aadhaar) to all the residents of India.</li>
<li>The UIDAI was initially set up by the Government of India in January 2009, as an attached office under the aegis of the Planning Commission</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>However, the opposition questioned the government&rsquo;s &ldquo;intentions&rdquo; on clearing the bill without first bringing in law for data protection. But the Government replied that :</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Data sovereignty is important to us and it will not be compromised. The legislation on data protection is a &ldquo;work in progress&rdquo; and the government would bring in a comprehensive law after further consultations with the stakeholders.</li>
<li>India in future will become the centre of data refinery and the government is taking due precautions in constructing the data protection law because the world is looking at India to take the lead on the issue.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aadhar-and-its-voluntary-use'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'FIDIC ASPAC Conference 2019',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The <strong>FIDIC ASPAC 2019 International Conference for Engineering Services</strong> is taking place in New Delhi,<strong> India</strong> from 7<sup>th</sup> to 9<sup>th</sup> July 2019. It has been <strong>organized by</strong> the Consulting Engineers Association of India <strong>(CEAI).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The theme of the Conference is <strong>&ldquo;Quality Infrastructure for Clean and Sustainable Development&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Focus Areas:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Infrastructure industry revolution</li>
<li>Urban Mobility</li>
<li>Coastal &amp; Marine Development</li>
<li>Energy and Quality of Life</li>
<li>Business Opportunities with Regional Cooperation</li>
<li>Young Professionals Open Forum</li>
<li>Technological Developments</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>International Federation of Consulting Engineers</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Founded in<strong> 1913,</strong>&nbsp;FIDIC is the global representative body for <strong>national associations of consulting engineers</strong> and presently, represents over one million engineering professionals and 40,000 firms in more than 100 countries worldwide.</li>
<li>It promotes and implements the consulting engineering industry&rsquo;s strategic goals on behalf of its Member Associations and disseminates information and resources of interest to its members.</li>
</ul>
<h3>ASPAC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASPAC represents the consulting engineering industry in Asia and Pacific Region as the <strong>regional grouping of FIDIC Member Associations.</strong></li>
<li>ASPAC has 22 member countries.</li>
<li>The main objective is to encourage regional cooperation amongst the member associations by sharing and enhancing knowledge on the different infrastructure requirements of each country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Consulting Engineers Association of India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an <strong>apex body of consulting engineers</strong> with a pan-India membership, comprising of professional consulting engineering organisations and eminent engineering consultants.</li>
<li>It promotes professional interest as well as establish rights and privileges of the consulting engineering profession in India.</li>
<li>It is the <strong>Indian Member Association of FIDIC.</strong></li>
<li>It is a non-profit organisation, registered under the Societies Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Related Proposals in the&nbsp;Union Budget 2019-20</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-budget-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> budget has provided</a></strong> for a road map for the <strong>expansion of infrastructure</strong> in the country with investment of <strong>one lakh crore rupees</strong> in the next five years.</li>
<li>An investment of <strong>Rs 50 lakh crore</strong> is proposed for the expansion and <strong>development of railways</strong> in next 10-12 years.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-and-e-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Incentives for electric vehicles industry</strong></a> has been proposed in the budget.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, India has achieved <strong>1200% growth</strong> in installed capacity of <strong>solar energy</strong> during the last five years.</li>
<li>India has also become the <strong>largest user of LED bulbs</strong> with the improvement of technology and cost cutting of manufacturing.</li>
<li>The number of households that have access to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>LPG through cylinders</strong> </a>have almost doubled.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong> A <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-gas-grid-fuel-for-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>national gas grid</strong></a> for delivery of piped gas to all households in urban centres is also being planned by the government.</p>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fidic-aspac-conference-2019'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'National Youth Corp Scheme',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>National Youth Corps (NYC) is a scheme of the Department of Youth Affairs, <strong>Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports</strong> implemented through <strong>Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan</strong> (NYKS).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>National Youth Corps scheme was launched under the umbrella scheme <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-3rd-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram Scheme</strong></a> to tap the potential of the youth and channeling their energy towards nation-building.</li>
<li>It is an amalgamation of the existing two volunteer schemes namely <strong>National Service Volunteer </strong>(NSV)<strong> and Rashtriya Sadbhawana Yojana </strong>(RSY).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Objectives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To set up a group of disciplined and dedicated youth who have the inclination and spirit to engage in the task of <strong>nation-building.</strong></li>
<li>To facilitate the realization of <strong>inclusive growth</strong> (both social and economic).</li>
<li>To act as points for the dissemination of <strong>information, basic knowledge</strong> in the community.</li>
<li>To act as group modulators and <strong>peer group educator.</strong></li>
<li>To act as<strong> role models</strong> for the younger cohort especially towards enhancement of public ethics, probity and dignity of labour.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Features</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NYC Scheme enables young men and women in the age group of <strong>18-29 years</strong> to serve up to<strong> two</strong> <strong>years</strong> on a full time basis for which they receive an honorarium of Rs <strong>5000/-per month.</strong></li>
<li>The selection of NYC volunteers is done by a <strong>selection committee,</strong> headed by <strong>District Collector/Deputy Commissioner</strong> of the concerned District.</li>
<li>The scheme guidelines also stipulate that the NYC volunteers shall have <strong>no claim or right</strong> for any <strong>regular employment</strong> to any post under the deploying agency/department.</li>
<li>The scheme is fully funded by the <strong>Government of India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan(NYKS) was set up in the year 1987-88 as an <strong>autonomous organization</strong> ,under the Government of India, <strong>Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.</strong></li>
<li>NYKS is the <strong>largest grassroots level</strong> youth organization; one of its kind in the world.</li>
<li>NYKS has targeted to identify areas of harnessing youth power for development by forming <strong>Youth Clubs,</strong> which are village level voluntary action groups of youth at the grassroots level to involve them in nation building activities.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-youth-corp-scheme'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'In Depth – Artificial Intelligence',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jNP0tcm1GnU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>At the two day <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/g-20-summit-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>G-20 summit</strong> </a>in Osaka in Japan, the Prime Minister of India underscored the significance of <strong>Digital Economy &amp; Artificial Intelligence.</strong> He emphasised the government's reliance on the <strong>5 &lsquo;I&rsquo;s</strong> that stand for <strong>Inclusiveness, Indigenization, Innovation, Investment</strong> in infrastructure &amp; <strong>International cooperation</strong> in developing these two areas. The concept of Artificial Intelligence is based on the idea of building machines capable of thinking, acting, and learning like humans.</p>
<h3>Artificial Intelligence (AI)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It describes the <strong>action of machines accomplishing tasks</strong> that have <strong>historically required human intelligence.</strong></li>
<li>It includes technologies like machine learning, pattern recognition, big data, neural networks, self algorithms etc.</li>
<li>The origin of the concept can be traced back to the greek mythology, although it is only during modern history when stored program electronic computers were developed.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Example:</strong> Million of algorithms and codes are there around the humans to understand their commands and perform human-like tasks. <strong>Facebook&rsquo;s list of suggested friends</strong> for its users, a pop-up page, telling about an upcoming sale of the favourite brand of shoes and clothes, that comes on screen while browsing the internet, are the work of artificial intelligence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Complex Technology:</strong> AI involves complex things such as feeding a particular data into the machine and making it react as per the different situations. It is basically about creating self-learning patterns where the machine can give answers to the never answered questions like a human would ever do.</li>
</ul>
<h3>AI is a Different Technology</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>AI is <strong>different from hardware driven robotic automation.</strong> Instead of automating manual tasks, AI performs frequent high volume computerised tasks reliably.</li>
<li>AI is often <strong>misunderstood for machine learning.</strong> AI is a broader concept with a bunch of technologies that include machine learning and other technologies like natural language processing, inference algorithms, neutron networks etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Evolution</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the year <strong>1956</strong>, American computer scientist John McCarthy organised the <strong>Dartmouth Conference</strong>, at which the term &lsquo;Artificial Intelligence&rsquo; was first adopted. From then on, the world discovered the ideas of the ability of machines to look at social problems using knowledge data and competition.</li>
<li>There used to be several dedicated projects on the same and the government was funding the research.</li>
<li>Every aspect of science and especially when one starts looking at empowering machines to behave and act like human beings, the <strong>questions of ethics</strong> arise. About <strong>70&rsquo;s</strong> and late 80&rsquo;s there was a time when the <strong>governments stopped funding research into AI.</strong></li>
<li>AI experienced a <strong>resurgence</strong> following <strong>concurrent advances in computer power</strong> and large amounts of data and theoretical understanding in the <strong>21<sup>st</sup> century.</strong></li>
<li>AI techniques now have become an essential part of the technology industry helping to solve many challenging problems in computer-science. From Apple Siri to self driving cars, AI is progressing rapidly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>AI Methods</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579352054_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1579352054_image5.png" width="770" height="578" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>India and AI</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a Canada based company&rsquo;s report, Global AI Report 2019, <strong>India stood at the ninth position in terms of the number of the AI specialists working in the field.</strong> The US, China and the UK topped the list.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The top ranked countries in this report have many academic institutes with programs on AI. They have therefore a much greater number of people skilled to do research in the field.</li>
<li>India, on the contrary, lacks the opportunities in formal education in data science but is slowly trying to encourage the adoption of AI in educational institutes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Starting this year,<strong> the CBSE has AI as an elective subject</strong> for its ninth grade classes.</li>
<li><strong>IIT Hyderabad</strong> has launched a full fledged <strong>Bachelor of Technology (B Tech) program in AI</strong> becoming the first Indian educational institution to do so. It is also most likely the third educational institute in the world after Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to have a full fledged B Tech program on AI.</li>
<li><strong>IIIT Hyderabad</strong> is another educational institute that introduced popular <strong>executive programs on AI</strong> and machine learning and blockchain and distributed ledger technologies.</li>
<li>Defence forces of India are now venturing into the products and technologies which will aid defence measures using the AI and technologies.</li>
<li>In India, corporates have started collaborating with academia on AI. IBM&rsquo;s Blue project is an example.</li>
<li>There are many startups in the country which are doing great work in image analytics, data analytics, predictive intelligence etc.</li>
<li>It is estimated that<strong> AI will add 957 billion dollars to India&rsquo;s GDP by the year 2035</strong> boosting India&rsquo;s annual growth by 1.3% points.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>In Policing:</strong> India still has a conventional policing. AI based products open a new window of opportunity to do <strong>predictive policing</strong> in India. With the help of AI, one can <strong>predict the pattern of crime</strong>, analyze lot of CCTV footage which are available across the country to identify suspects.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Government is digitizing all the records, especially the crime records putting it into one single place called <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Important%20Facts%20for%20Prelims%20(05th%20October%202018)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CCTNS</strong></a> where all the data including the image, biometrics, or the criminal history of a convict or suspect is available.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>In Agriculture:</strong> It has many uses, for example, it can help sense one how much water the crop needs.</li>
<li><strong>For solving complex issues</strong> like efficient utilization of available resources.</li>
<li><strong>Analyzing the Data:</strong> The AI technology helps in analyzing data and thus can improve the efficiency of the systems like power management in cars, mobile devices, weather predictions, video and image analysis.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/negative-impacts-of-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Negative Impacts of AI</strong></a></p>
<h3>Steps taken by the Government</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2018-19 budget, the <strong>government mandated <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NITI Aayog</a></strong> to establish the <strong>National Program on AI</strong> with a view to guiding research and development in new and emerging technologies.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NITI Aayog then adopted a <strong>three pronged approach</strong> undertaking exploratory proof of concept AI projects in various areas, crafting a national strategy for building a vibrant AI ecosystem in India and collaborating with various experts and stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On 20<sup>th</sup> March, 2019, NITI Aayog circulated the <strong>cabinet note</strong> to establish a cloud computing platform called <strong>AIRAWAT</strong> (Artificial Intelligence Research, Analytics and Knowledge Assimilation Platform.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The note circulated by NITI Aayog proposes that the government should pump in Rs. 7,500 crore rupees over 3 years as well as set up a high-level task force that will oversee the roll out and implementation of AI.</li>
<li>The move to create cloud computing platform is part of the government&rsquo;s goal of making India a pioneer amongst emerging economies with regards to AI and transform sectors like education, health, agriculture, urbanization and mobility.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In Budget 2018, the government announced funds to support the country&rsquo;s AI, machine learning, robotics and IoT sector.</li>
<li>As part of the initiative, NITI Aayog in the year 2018, published a <strong>draft National Strategy for AI</strong>, planning its scope for research, adoption and commercialization.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It envisioned AI use case clearly in the sectors like <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-prescription-for-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">healthcare</a></strong>, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, smart mobility and transportation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Commerce and Industry Ministry has also set up task forces to explore the use of AI and Big Data technologies in the country.</li>
<li>In the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-budget-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget 2019-20</strong></a>, the government has announced setting up of a <strong>National Sports Education Board</strong> under Khelo India to prepare youth for new age skills, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Big Data, 3D Printing, Virtual Reality etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>AI in China</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China has been consistently building an ecosystem to fuel its ambition to become a world leader in AI by the year 2050.</li>
<li>A report on China AI development released in the year 2018 said that from the year 2013 to the first quarter of the year 2018, the investment and financing in AI technology in China accounts for 60% in the world valued at 27 billion dollars in the year 2017.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Vacancies in Policing',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong>The Bureau of Police Research and development&rsquo;s</strong> report on <strong>&ldquo;vacancies in the police organization&rdquo;</strong> has revealed that in India, 5.28 lakh police posts are lying vacant.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>High vacancy rate in police organizations points toward the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/deficiencies-in-indian-policing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>deficiencies in Indian policing</strong></a> that needs to be tackled through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dgp-appointment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>police reforms</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Findings<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/336Image%202.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/336Image 2.jpg" width="287" height="327" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are 23,79,728 sanctioned posts in police forces of all states of which only 18,51,332 were occupied.</li>
<li>The states with high shortage of police personnel included <strong>Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana</strong>, and <strong>Maharashtra</strong> while <strong>Nagaland</strong> is the only state where actual strength exceeded the sanctioned strength.</li>
<li>The wide difference between<strong> sanctioned</strong> and <strong>actual strength</strong> of vacancies can be attributed to reasons like slow <strong>recruitment</strong> process, <strong>retirement</strong>, and <strong>untimely</strong> deaths.</li>
<li><strong>Naxal-affected</strong> Chhattisgah has 11,916 posts vacant in its sanctioned 71,606 posts, while the Odisha Police has 10,322 vacant posts against its sanctioned strength of 66,973 posts.</li>
<li><strong>Insurgency-hit</strong> Assam has 11,452 vacant posts in its sanctioned strength of 65,987 personnel while Jammu and Kashmir has 10,044 posts vacant in its sanctioned strength of 87,882 posts.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Bureau of Police Research and Development</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&amp;D), under the <strong>Ministry of Home Affairs</strong> has the primary objective of <strong>modernization of police force.</strong></li>
<li>It takes direct and active interest in policing issues and promotes a <strong>speedy and systematic study</strong> of the police problems.</li>
<li>In addition to two existing divisions (namely, <strong>Research, Statistics and Publication</strong> and <strong>Development</strong>) a <strong>training</strong> division was also set up under BPR&amp;D on the recommendations of <strong>Gore committee</strong> in 1973.</li>
<li>Issues relating to Correctional Administration Work are under BPR&amp;D so that problems relating to<strong> prisons</strong> and implementation of deemed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/prison-reforms-and-way-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>prison reforms</strong> </a>can be taken up by the Bureau in a cohesive manner.</li>
<li><strong>The National Police Mission</strong> is also under the administrative control of BPR&amp;D to transform the police forces in the country into effective instrument for maintenance of internal security and facing the challenges in the future, by equipping them with the necessary <strong>material, intellectual and organizational resources.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vacancies-in-policing'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Union Budget and E-Vehicles',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-budget-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Union Budget 2019-20</strong></a> included several incentives for developing <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>electric vehicle industry (EV Industry) in India.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Income tax rebates</strong> of up to ₹1.5 lakh to customers on interest paid <strong>on loans to buy electric vehicles</strong>, with a total exemption benefit of ₹2.5 lakh over the entire loan period.</li>
<li><strong>Customs duty exemption on lithium&ndash;ion cells,</strong> which will help lower the cost of lithium-ion batteries in India as they are not produced locally.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is in addition to the ₹ 10,000 crore allocated for EVs under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fame-india-phase-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>FAME II</strong></a> scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Makers of components</strong> such as solar electric charging infrastructure and lithium storage batteries and other components will be offered <strong>investment linked income tax exemptions.</strong></li>
<li>Proposal to reduce<strong> GST rate</strong> on electric vehicles from the current <strong>12% to 5%</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The State of EVs in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/highlights-of-economic-survey-2018-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Economic Survey,</strong></a> the <strong>market share</strong> of electric cars is only <strong>0.06 % in India</strong> when compared to 2 % in <strong>China (world&rsquo;s largest EV market)</strong> and 39 % in Norway.</li>
<li>Reasons for lesser market presence of EVs in India are<strong> lack of charging infrastructure</strong> and high cost.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by Other Countries</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/404Image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/404Image3.jpg" width="488" height="235" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In major cities in developed markets such as <strong>Frankfurt</strong> (Germany) and others, EVs are given<strong> free parking space</strong> and in certain parts of cities only such eco-friendly vehicles are allowed.</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>European Union (EU)</strong> </a>countries are also trying to evolve into a <strong>hub for developing batteries</strong> and other spare parts for electric vehicles through the Strategic Action Plan For Batteries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The continent hosts the countries with the <strong>largest base of electric car sales.</strong> Norway, for instance, leads the electric vehicle market&mdash;EVs comprised 46% of the total vehicles sold in the country in the year 2018.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the US, <strong>California</strong> is legislating tough emission norms for vehicles and providing<strong> fiscal incentives</strong> for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government can think of giving a mandate to leading manufacturers that they should have a <strong>certain share of their sales from EVs</strong> after a particular time period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NITI-Aayog</strong></a> is considering a policy <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-mission-on-transformative-mobility-and-battery-storage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>proposal</strong> </a>to ban all internal combustion engine two-wheelers under 150cc by the year 2025 and three-wheelers by the year 2023.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Access to <strong>fast-charging facilities</strong> must be fostered to increase the market share of electric vehicles. <strong>Investments from private players</strong> is required for the same.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-and-e-vehicles'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Immunocontraceptives for Wildlife Population Management',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched a project for undertaking &lsquo;immunocontraceptive measures&rsquo; for population management of wild animals.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The project includes four species of wild animals, viz. Elephant, Wild boar, Monkeys and Blue Bull (Nilgai). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Pilot project will begin in Uttarakhand and then implemented in rest of the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Institute of Immunology (NII) will develop a protocol of immunocontraception.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Immunocontraception</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Immunocontraception is a birth control method that uses the body's immune response to prevent pregnancy. It is a technology that uses a female animal&rsquo;s immune system to build a protein around the egg that prevents it from fertilising.</li>
<li>It is a humane, nonlethal solution to conflicts between people and wildlife as well as a solution to local problems of animal overabundance.</li>
<li>Immunocontraception can also help reduce the overproduction of captive animals in zoos and other facilities.</li>
<li>It is also a novel approach to the development of family planning methods.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Despite the availability of contraceptive methods, there are over one million elective abortions globally each year due to unintended pregnancies, having devastating impact on reproductive health of women worldwide.</li>
<li>This highlights the need for the development of newer and improved contraceptive methods.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/man-animal-conflict-to-be-listed-as-disaster-by-up-govt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Human-animal conflict</a></strong> has emerged as a major challenge in managing wildlife in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Human-elephant conflict causes the maximum number of casualties every year. According to reply tabled in Parliament on June 28, 2019, nearly 494 persons were killed by elephants in 2018.</li>
<li>Between 2014 and March 2019, 2,398 people died in elephant attack in the country, with West Bengal accounting for maximum number of such deaths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It requires mathematical modelling and knowing the adult female population in the group that has to be delivered the vaccine.</li>
<li>The implementation of such a project in India will not be a simple task. It will involve multidisciplinary effort over a long period of time to deliver the contraceptive and manage the logistics around it<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has relatively large Elephant population, where identifying individuals is difficult.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Use of hormonal contraceptives in wildlife are easily passed from animal to animal. This can lead to unintended ecological consequences. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, fish exposed to treated sewage effluents were found to have concentrations of the synthetic hormone in blood plasma higher than those found in humans taking hormonal contraceptives.</li>
<li>However, the antigens used in contraceptive vaccines are protein, not steroids, they are not easily passed from animal to animal without loss of function. Yet, more research needs to be undertaken.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/immunocontraceptives-for-wildlife-population-management'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Effect of Social Media on Teens',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>As per a recent survey conducted by Fortis hospital, around 82% of students studying psychology in classes XI and XII in at least 200 schools across major cities in India, have said that social media has influenced their opinions and attitudes.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even the general reaction of the public at large is that social media is addictive for young people and that they should avoid it.</li>
<li>But such knee-jerk reaction is not right as use of any media can have both positive and negative influences. It all depends on how children interact with the medium.</li>
<li>For example close 78% of a total of 4,000 students who were polled for a survey said they spend a lot of time a day on social media and that it should be used as a tool to spread awareness and dispel myths about mental health issues.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>On mental health issues, 46% said mainstream media is not doing enough to create awareness and 32% believed that it has, in fact, increased stigma.</li>
<li>The Fortis survey found that 94% of the students believed that social media is a means to create awareness.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Children need to be taught that media is not a one-sided communication; they must be taught about the authenticity of the news or the news is just appealing to their emotions.</li>
<li>For the purpose, parents need to create media literacy so that children can use the medium to their benefit.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/393image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/393image1.jpg" width="460" height="599" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/effect-of-social-media-on-teens'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Income Inequality Among Farmers',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A recent survey conducted by <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-bank-for-agriculture-and-rural-development-nabard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NABARD</strong></a>, highlights the high levels of inter-state income inequality among the agricultural household in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The data given in the survey depicts that inter-state income inequality among agricultural household range from Rs 16,020 (In Punjab: highest) to Rs 5,842 (In Andhra Pradesh: lowest).<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/213image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/213image4.jpg" width="226" height="292" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></li>
<li>Adding more to the grim picture of agricultural distress, the surplus remains after consumption expenditure is just Rs 95 in Andhra Pradesh and Rs 4,314 In Punjab.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Also, according to the survey, 85% of farmer households earn a mere 9% of the total income, while the top 15% earn 91%.</li>
<li>If it is compared with the overall inequality in India, it&rsquo;s far too high.</li>
<li>Given the stark inequality in India, it shouldn't come as a surprise when the report says that 43 per cent of India&rsquo;s indebted households is farm households.</li>
<li>This aspect is important in the context of the government&rsquo;s target of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/doubling-farmers-income-a-promise-to-be-fulfilled-by-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>doubling farmers&rsquo; income.</strong></a></li>
<li>Land possession was the key variable in determining income from cultivation, which accounted for half of the income inequality and hence was the key variable in explaining income inequality.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lowest among the farmer groups in terms of landholding earns the least.</li>
<li>India primarily consists of small and marginal farmers(Farmers whose land holdings are less than two hectares (Ha) of land. About 85% landholdings in India are below two Ha)</li>
<li>So this makes small farmers take longer to increase their income in comparison to large farmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to Ashok Dalwai committee doubling farmers&rsquo; income by 2022: The initial promise of agrarian reforms was to distribute land to the landless and provide the title of ownership to the cultivators.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Unfortunately, India&rsquo;s agrarian reforms did not ensure egalitarianism in the agricultural community.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Green Revolution in the 1960s focused on increasing productivity and yield. But since then, landholdings have become significantly fragmented. Marginal landholdings have tripled in the last 40 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/income-inequality-among-farmers'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Jaipur: A World Heritage Site',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The Pink city, <strong>Jaipur</strong> (Rajasthan), has been <strong>declared a <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNESCO</a> World Heritage Site.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/922Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/922Image2.jpg" width="582" height="819" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The decision was taken at the <strong>43<sup>rd</sup> session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC)</strong> taking place in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, from 30<sup>th</sup> June - 10<sup>th</sup> July, 2019.</li>
<li>The city was nominated for its value of being an exemplary development in <strong>town planning and architecture</strong> that demonstrates an amalgamation and important exchange of ideas in the <strong>late medieval period.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Jaipur has become the<strong> second city</strong> of the country <strong>after Ahmedabad</strong> to get the recognition.</li>
<li>With Jaipur's inclusion as a cultural site, the number of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>heritage sites across India</strong></a> that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list, has grown to 38, including 30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and 1 mixed site.</li>
<li>The walled city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, was <strong>founded in 1727 AD</strong> under the patronage of <strong>Sawai Jai Singh II.</strong> It also serves as the capital city of the state of Rajasthan.</li>
<li>Unlike other cities in the region located in hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the plain and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Its streets feature rows that intersect in the centre and create large public squares called <em>chaupars.</em></li>
<li>The city's urban planning shows an <strong>exchange of ideas</strong> from ancient<strong> Hindu</strong> and modern <strong>Mughal</strong> as well as <strong>Western</strong> cultures.</li>
<li>Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions to this day.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>iconic monuments</strong> in the city include the Govind Dev temple, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal etc.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Heritage Committee is composed of representatives of<strong> 21 States Parties</strong> to the <strong>World Heritage Convention</strong> who meet annually. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is an <strong>international agreement</strong> that was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972.</li>
<li>It is based on the premise that certain places on Earth are of outstanding universal value and should therefore form part of the common heritage of humankind.</li>
<li>It basically <strong>defines the kind of natural or cultural sites</strong> which can be considered for inscription on the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/architectural-heritage-of-orchha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Heritage List</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Committee is in charge of implementing the Convention.</strong></li>
<li>To date, 1,092 sites in 167 countries have been inscribed on the World Heritage List.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jaipur-a-world-heritage-site'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Indus Valley Civilization',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>history of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC),</strong> also known as Harappan Civilization.</li>
<li>It flourished around <strong>2,500 BC, in the western part of South Asia,</strong> in contemporary Pakistan and Western India.</li>
<li>The Indus Valley was home to the <strong>largest of the four ancient urban civilizations</strong> of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China.</li>
<li>In 1920s, the Archaeological Department of India carried out excavations in the Indus valley wherein the ruins of the two old cities, viz. <strong>Mohenjodaro and Harappa</strong> were unearthed.</li>
<li>In 1924, <strong>John Marshall, Director-General of the ASI, announced the discovery</strong> of a new civilisation in the Indus valley to the world.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="height: 230px; width: 80.5091%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #c1f7e4; border-color: #000000; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; background-color: #00bd7b;" colspan="4"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Important Sites of IVC</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p><strong>Site</strong></p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;"><strong>Excavated by</strong></td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;"><strong>Location</strong></td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;"><strong>Important Findings</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Harappa</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Daya Ram Sahini in 1921</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Situated on the bank of river Ravi in Montgomery district of Punjab (Pakistan).</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 21px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sandstone statues of Human anatomy</li>
<li>Granaries</li>
<li>Bullock carts</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Mohenjodaro (Mound of Dead)</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.D Banerjee in 1922</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Situated on the Bank of river Indus in Larkana district of Punjab (Pakistan).</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Great bath</li>
<li>Granary</li>
<li>Bronze dancing girl</li>
<li>Seal of Pasupathi Mahadeva</li>
<li>Steatite statue of beard man</li>
<li>A piece of woven cotton</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Sutkagendor</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Stein in 1929</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">In southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistan on Dast river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A trade point between Harappa and Babylon</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Chanhudaro</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">N.G Majumdar in 1931</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Sindh on the Indus river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bead makers shop</li>
<li>Footprint of a dog chasing a cat</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Amri</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">N.G Majumdar in 1935</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">On the bank of Indus river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Antelope evidence</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Kalibangan</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Ghose in 1953</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Rajasthan on the bank of Ghaggar river</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fire altar</li>
<li>Camel bones</li>
<li>Wooden plough</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Lothal</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.Rao in 1953</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Gujarat on Bhogva river near Gulf of Cambay</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First manmade port</li>
<li>Dockyard</li>
<li>Rice husk</li>
<li>Fire altars</li>
<li>Chess playing</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Surkotada</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">J.P Joshi in 1964</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Gujarat</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bones of horses</li>
<li>Beads</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<p>Banawali</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.S Bisht in 1974</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Hisar district of Haryana</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Beads</li>
<li>Barley</li>
<li>Evidence of both pre-Harappan and Harappan culture</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 10.8393%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Dholavira</td>
<td style="width: 15.2148%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">R.S Bisht in 1985</td>
<td style="width: 28.8187%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">Gujarat in Rann of Kachchh</td>
<td style="width: 25.6363%; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #d2f7ea;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Water harnessing system</li>
<li>Water reservoir</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Phases of IVC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Three phases of IVC are: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>the <strong>Early Harappan Phase</strong> from 3300 to 2600 BCE,</li>
<li>the <strong>Mature Harappan Phase</strong> from 2600 to 1900 BCE, and</li>
<li>the <strong>Late Harappan Phase</strong> from 1900 to 1300 BCE.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Early Harappan Phase is related to the <strong>Hakra Phase,</strong> identified in the Ghaggar-Hakra River Valley.</li>
<li>The earliest examples of the <strong>Indus script</strong> date back to 3000 BC.</li>
<li>This phase stands characterized by <strong>centralized authority</strong> and an increasingly urban quality of life.</li>
<li><strong>Trade networks</strong> had been established and there are also evidences of the <strong>cultivation of crops</strong>. Peas, sesame seeds, dates, cotton, etc, were grown during that time.</li>
<li><strong>Kot Diji</strong> represents the phase leading up to Mature Harappan Phase.</li>
<li>By 2600 BC, the Indus Valley Civilization had entered into a <strong>mature stage</strong>.</li>
<li>The early Harappan communities were turning into large urban centers, like <strong>Harappa and Mohenjodaro in Pakistan and Lothal in India</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/997image2.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/997image2.webp" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The signs of a <strong>gradual decline</strong> of the Indus River Valley Civilization are believed to have started around 1800 BC and by 1700 BC, most of the cities were abandoned.</li>
<li>However, one can see the various elements of the Ancient Indus Valley Civilization in later cultures.</li>
<li>Archaeological data indicates the persistence of the Late Harappan culture till 1000-900 BC.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Town Planning and Structures</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Harappan culture was <strong>distinguished by its system of town planning</strong>.</li>
<li>Harappa and Mohenjodaro each had its <strong>own citadel or acropolis</strong>, which was possibly occupied by members of the ruling class.</li>
<li>Below the citadel in each city lay a <strong>lower town containing brick houses</strong>, which were inhabited by the common people.</li>
<li>The remarkable thing about the arrangement of the houses in the cities is that they followed the <strong>grid system</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Granaries</strong> constituted an important part of the Harappan cities.</li>
<li>The <strong>use of burnt bricks</strong> in the Harappan cities is remarkable, because in the contemporary buildings of Egypt mainly dried bricks were used.</li>
<li>The <strong>drainage system</strong> of Mohenjodaro was very impressive.</li>
<li>In almost all cities every big or small house had its own <strong>courtyard and bathroom</strong>.</li>
<li>In Kalibangan many houses had their <strong>wells</strong>.</li>
<li>At sites such as Dholavira and Lothal (Gujarat), the entire settlement was <strong>fortified, and sections within the town were also separated by walls</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/133image5.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/133image5.webp" width="430" height="246" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Agriculture</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Harappan villages, <strong>mostly situated near the flood plains,</strong> produced sufficient foodgrains.</li>
<li>Wheat, barley, rai, peas, sesame, lentil, chickpea and mustard were produced. Millets are also found from sites in Gujarat. While rice uses were relatively rare.</li>
<li>The Indus people were the <strong>earliest people to produce cotton</strong>.</li>
<li>While the prevalence of agriculture is indicated by finds of grain, it is more <strong>difficult to reconstruct actual agricultural practices</strong>.</li>
<li>Representations on seals and terracotta sculpture indicate that the <strong>bull was known, and archaeologists extrapolate shows oxen were also used for ploughing</strong>.</li>
<li>Most Harappan sites are located in <strong>semi-arid lands,</strong> where irrigation was probably required for agriculture.</li>
<li><strong>Traces of canals</strong> have been found at the Harappan site of Shortughai in Afghanistan, but not in Punjab or Sindh.</li>
<li>Although the Harappans practised agriculture, <strong>animals were also reared on a large scale</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Evidence of the horse comes from a superficial level of Mohenjodaro</strong> and from a doubtful terracotta figurine from Lothal. In any case the Harappan culture was not horse centred.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Economy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The importance of trade in the life of the Indus people is witnessed by the <strong>presence of numerous seals, uniform script and regulated weights and measures</strong> in a wide area.</li>
<li>The Harappans carried on considerable <strong>trade in stone, metal, shell,</strong> etc.</li>
<li>Metal money was not used and trade was carried by <strong>barter system</strong>.</li>
<li>They practised navigation on the coast of the Arabian Sea.</li>
<li>They had set up a <strong>trading colony in northern Afghanistan</strong> which evidently facilitated trade with Central Asia.</li>
<li>They also carried commerce with those in the land of the <strong>Tigris and the Euphrates</strong>.</li>
<li>The Harappans carried on long distance trade in <strong>lapis lazuli</strong>; which may have contributed to the social prestige of the ruling class.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Crafts</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Harappans were very well acquainted with the <strong>manufacturing and use of Bronze</strong>.</li>
<li>Copper was obtained from the <strong>Khetri copper mines</strong> of Rajasthan and <strong>Tin was possibly brought from Afghanistan</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Textile impressions</strong> have also been found on several objects.</li>
<li>Huge brick structure suggest that <strong>brick-laying</strong> was an important craft. This also attests the existence of <strong>a class of masons</strong>.</li>
<li>The Harappans practised <strong>boat-making, bead making and seal-making. Terracotta manufacture</strong> was also an important craft.</li>
<li>The goldsmiths made <strong>jewellery</strong> of silver, gold and precious stones.</li>
<li>The potter's wheel was in full use, and the Harappans produced their <strong>own characteristic pottery</strong>, which was glossy and shining.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/385Untitled-1.webp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/385Untitled-1.webp" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<h3>Institutions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Very few written materials</strong> have been discovered in the Indus valley and the scholars have not been able to decipher the Indus script so far.</li>
<li>As a result, there is <strong>difficulty in understanding</strong> the nature of the state and institutions of the Indus Valley Civilization.</li>
<li><strong>No temples</strong> have been found at any Harappan sites. Therefore the possibility of priests ruling Harappa can be eliminated.</li>
<li>Harappa was possibly <strong>ruled by a class of merchants</strong>.</li>
<li>If we look for a centre of power or for depictions of people in power, <strong>archaeological records provide no immediate answers</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some archaeologists are of the opinion that Harappan society had <strong>no rulers</strong>, and that everybody enjoyed equal status.</li>
<li>Another theory argues that there was no single ruler, but <strong>a number of rulers</strong> representing each of the urban centers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Religion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In Harappa <strong>numerous terracotta figurines of women</strong> have been found. In one figurine a plant is shown growing out of the embryo of a woman.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Harappans, therefore, looked upon the earth as a <strong>fertility goddess</strong> and worshipped her in the same manner as the Egyptians worshipped the Nile goddess Isis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>male deity is represented on a seal with three horned heads,</strong> represented in the sitting posture of a yogi.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This god is surrounded by an elephant, a tiger, a rhinoceros, and has a buffalo below his throne. At his feet appear two deer.The depicted god is identified as <strong>Pushupati Mahadeva</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Numerous symbols of the <strong>phallus and female sex organs</strong> made of stone have been found.</li>
<li>The people of the Indus region <strong>also worshipped trees and Animals</strong>.</li>
<li>The most important of them is the <strong>one horned unicorn</strong> which may be identified with the rhinoceros and the next important was the <strong>humped bull</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Amulets</strong> have also been found in large numbers.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The IVC declined around 1800 BCE but the actual <strong>reasons behind its demise are still debated</strong>.</li>
<li>One theory claims that Indo-European tribe i.e. <strong>Aryans invaded</strong> and conquered the IVC.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In later cultures various elements of the IVC are found which suggest that civilization did not disappear suddenly due to an invasion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On the other hand, many scholars believe <strong>natural factors</strong> are behind the decline of the IVC.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The natural factors could be <strong>geological and climatic</strong>.</li>
<li>It is believed that the Indus Valley region experienced several <strong>tectonic disturbances</strong> which causes earthquakes. Which also changed courses of rivers or dried them up.</li>
<li>Another natural reason might be <strong>changes in patterns of rainfall</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There could be also <strong>dramatic shifts in the river courses,</strong> which might have brought floods to the food producing areas.</li>
<li>Due to <strong>combination</strong> of these natural causes there was a slow but inevitable collapse of IVC.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/932Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/932Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/indus-valley-civilization'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Indus Valley Civilization',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/555Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/555Drishti_ias_Indus_Valley_Civilization.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/mind-map/gs-paper1/indus-valley-civilization-mindmap'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Crime Against Humanity',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/crimes-that-indias-statute-books-have-failed-to-define/article28312905.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Crimes that India&rsquo;s statute books have failed to define&rdquo;</a> that appeared in The Hindu on 8th July 2019. It talks about the status of India&rsquo;s legal jurisdiction concerning Crime Against Humanity and Way forward.</p>
</div>
<p>Delhi High Court, while pronouncing the judgment in <strong>State v. Sajjan Kumar (2018)</strong> held that neither &lsquo;crimes against humanity&rsquo; nor &lsquo;genocide&rsquo; has been made part of India&rsquo;s criminal law, a lacuna that needs to be addressed urgently.</p>
<p>The case was concerned with the mass killing of Sikhs during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The court categorically stated that these kinds of mass crimes &ldquo;engineered by political actors with the assistance of the law enforcement agencies&rdquo; fit into the category of crimes against humanity (CAH).</p>
<h3>What are Crimes Against Humanity (CAH)?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Crimes against humanity are certain acts that are deliberately committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian or an identifiable part of a civilian population.</li>
<li>Crime against humanity is an offence in international criminal law, adopted in the <strong>Charter of the International Military Tribunal (N&uuml;rnberg Charter)</strong>, which tried surviving Nazi leaders in 1945, and was, in 1998, incorporated into the <strong>Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)</strong>.</li>
<li>Crimes against humanity consist of various acts&mdash;murder, extermination, enslavement, torture, forcible transfers of populations, imprisonment, rape, persecution, enforced disappearance, and apartheid, among others.</li>
<li>The term also has a broader use in condemning other acts that, in a phrase often used, &ldquo;shock the conscience of mankind.&rdquo; World poverty, human-made environmental disasters, and terrorist attacks have thus been described as crimes against humanity.</li>
<li>Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity <strong>can be committed during peace or war</strong>.</li>
<li>The irony about CAH is that the wide practice of atrocities is tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority.</li>
<li>This makes CAH important to be discussed in the International community and tried by forums like the International Court of Justice and International criminal court</li>
</ul>
<h3>What is the status of CAH in India?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is <strong>not a party to the Rome Statute</strong>, which means that it is under no obligation at present to enact separate legislation dealing with CAH.</li>
<li>Also, the Indian representatives at the International Law Commission (ILC) have shown their concerns regarding negotiations for the adoption of the separate treaty on crimes against humanity.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for India's reluctance</strong> to actively participate in the negotiation process on a separate Convention on CAH :
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Negotiations at ILC seeks to adopt the same definition of CAH as provided in the Rome Statute.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to Rome statute: Crimes against humanity are certain acts that are deliberately committed as part of a widespread <strong>or</strong> systematic attack directed against any civilian or an identifiable part of a civilian population.</li>
<li>India is not in favour of using &lsquo;widespread or systematic&rsquo; as one of the conditions, but prefers &lsquo;widespread <strong>and</strong> systematic&rsquo;, which would require a higher threshold of proof.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Second, India wanted a distinction to be made between <strong>international and internal armed conflicts</strong>.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This was probably because its internal conflicts with Naxals and other non-state actors in places like Kashmir and the Northeast could fall under the scope of CAH.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The third objection related to the inclusion of the <strong>enforced disappearance of persons</strong> under CAH.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In international human rights law, a forced disappearance (or enforced disappearance) occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or a third party with the authorization of political organization, with the intent of placing the victim outside the protection of the law</li>
<li>According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed at any civilian population, a "forced disappearance" qualifies as a crime against humanity</li>
<li>India is of the view that it has <strong>signed but not yet ratified the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances,</strong> therefore, it is under no obligation to criminalise it through domestic legislation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>In<strong> State v. Sajjan</strong> <strong>Kumar</strong>, the Delhi High Court also said that &ldquo;a familiar pattern of mass killings&rdquo; was seen &ldquo;in Mumbai in 1993, in Gujarat in 2002, and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh in 2013&rdquo;, where the criminals &ldquo;have enjoyed political patronage and managed to evade prosecution&rdquo; In this context:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s missing voice at the ILC does not go well with its claim of respect for an international rules-based order.</li>
<li>Turning a blind eye to crimes against humanity reflects poorly on India&rsquo;s status as a democracy.</li>
<li>It would be advisable for India to show political will and constructively engage with the ILC, which would also, in the process, address the shortcomings in the domestic criminal justice system.</li>
</ul>
<p>India's policymaking has been motivated by the motto: <strong>Think globally, act locally,</strong> but in case of crime against humanity India must follow <strong>Act locally, Inspire globally</strong>. So India's eventual adherence to the International Criminal Court and the Rome Treaty will act as a pathway for the renaissance for the future of human rights-oriented modes of Indian governance.</p>
<p>Also, along with that, India's active engagement at ILC for a CAH treaty will pitch for rule of law, nationally as well as internationally, simply conceived as an endeavour to make power more accountable, governance increasingly just, and the state incrementally ethical.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #c7f6ff; border-color: #017b94; border-style: dotted;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 1091.11px;"><em><strong>Drishti Input:<br /><br /></strong></em>India&rsquo;s reluctance regarding negotiations for a separate treaty on Crime Against Humanity doesn&rsquo;t augur well with India&rsquo;s image as a champion of human right. Analyse</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/crime-against-humanity'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Redefining Poverty',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on editorial <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rethink-poverty-and-policy-indian-policy-economy-growth-5805671/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Rethink poverty &mdash; and policy&rdquo;</strong></a> that appeared in The Indian Express on 29 June 2019. It talks about the need to redefine poverty in India and subsequent changes in policy.</p>
</div>
<p>India witnessed an astonishing <strong>poverty decline between 2011-12 and 2016-17&nbsp;</strong>(as per the Tendulkar poverty line of Rs 44 per person per day in 2017-18 prices, just 4.5 per cent of the population is below the poverty line). Also as per various scholars, a<strong>gricultural growth is thrice more effective than any other means of poverty alleviation.</strong></p>
<p>Poverty is no longer about food, hence there is a need for government to strive to free up our food producers rather than keeping them as prisoners of policy. Time has arrived to rethink poverty: Policymaking should concentrate on what causes growth, not what causes poverty to decline.</p>
<h3>Why there is a need to review defining poverty in India?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Policymaking on poverty in <strong>India considers food consumption as the ultimate criterion of poverty.&nbsp;</strong>Hence, India built up an elaborate ecosystem of food production, consumption, and distribution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>But this ecosystem is biased against the poor farmer, as the Essential Commodities Act, Food Corporation of India, and Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee all work against the interest to the farmer.</li>
<li>Time has come to dismantle this ecosystem &mdash;, against climate change mitigation and also against efficient use of water and energy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Poverty is now not just about food but living standards &mdash;</strong> sanitation, housing, piped water, electricity, education, health, and jobs. And on each of these elements, the focus should shift to quality, not quantity.</li>
<li>Since <strong>poverty is a dynamic concept,</strong> so it is not fair to define poverty in absolute terms, rather it must be defined in relative terms.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most European nations have a relative definition of poverty &mdash; that is, a fixed proportion of the median income.</li>
<li>India should move towards that by the end of 2024, as India will likely be a $5 trillion economy by that time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>But before India moves to a relative definition, India should forthwith move towards an <strong>updated poverty</strong> line, a poverty line consistent with our income status today as a lower-middle income country (as India is no longer a poor economy, as it was in the 1990s).</li>
</ul>
<p>Also, this record decline in poverty came in the middle of demonetisation, GST, two drought years, and lower than potential GDP growth. Reason for this astonishing feat can be attributed to better targeting of government programmes (made possible by expanded and extensive use of direct benefit transfer (DBT).</p>
<h3>How to balance welfare v/s economic growth?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian economy requires <strong>adequate investments in critical areas</strong> such as road, railways and water. Therefore, the government needs to rationalise its expenditure and tax rates to ensure the reallocation of resources.</li>
<li>Though India's pace of poverty reduction has improved over the last five years, it can be augmented through a <strong>targeted basic income policy</strong> which will free up resources for other sectors of the economy.</li>
<li>The new approach towards poverty alleviation should involve targeted income transfers.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the targeted basic income programme, the government transfers the <strong>poverty gap</strong> (the difference between per capita consumption of the household and the poverty line faced by the household) into the bank account of the poor</li>
<li>The poverty gap is defined as the ratio of average per capita consumption of the poor to the poverty line.</li>
<li>In 2011&ndash;2012, the average per capita expenditure of the poor was Rs. 708 per person per month and the poverty line was Rs. 847.</li>
<li>With perfect targeting (that is, complete knowledge of who is poor and by how much), a transfer of Rs. 139 per person per month (or Rs. 1,668 a year) would enable the target of zero percent Tendulkar poverty to be reached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Whereas with the current level of government spending in PDS, MGNREGA, food subsidy, the government spends about Rs. 58,000 a year to bring one person out of poverty.</li>
<li>In 2011&ndash;2012, there were approximately 250 million Tendulkar Line poor in India. Achievement of zero poverty would require only an expenditure of under Rs. 42,000 crore, or less than 0.5 per cent of GDP.</li>
</ul>
<p>Since for any society, two concerns are paramount&mdash;economic growth and improvement in the well-being of the poor. Growth is needed to finance redistribution. This redistribution typically takes two forms&mdash;productive investment, for example, the financing of infrastructure, expenditures on health and education, and simple transfers of income.</p>
<p>But given scarce capital and developmental nature of the Indian economy, it is imperative that Policymaking should strive to make the best use of every single rupee, For that to happen, issues must be looked to be resolved from a qualitative perspective rather than only quantitative perspective, and in this route it is best to start by redefining -What is poverty!</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 540px; border-color: #fff4cf; background-color: #f5f1d0;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti input</strong></em></span><br />India has done remarkably well in poverty reduction, but as India aspires the status of global power, it needs to redefine poverty and make subsequent changes in policymaking. Commen</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/redefining-poverty'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Highlights of Budget 2019',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Union Minister for Finance </strong>presented the Union Budget 2019-20 before the Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Constitutional Provisions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>term &lsquo;budget&rsquo; has nowhere</strong> been used in the Constitution. It is the popular name for the <strong>&lsquo;Annual Financial Statement&rsquo;</strong> that has been dealt with in <strong>Article 112 of the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>The budget is a statement of the <strong>estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India</strong> in a financial year (FY), which begins on April 1 and ends on March 31 of the following year.</li>
<li>In addition to the estimates of receipts and expenditure, the budget contains certain other elements. Overall, the budget contains the following:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Estimates of revenue and capital receipts;</li>
<li>Ways and means to raise revenue;</li>
<li>Estimates of expenditure;</li>
<li>Details of the actual receipts and expenditure of the closing financial year and the reasons for any deficit or surplus in that year; and</li>
<li>Economic and financial policy of the coming year, that is, taxation proposals, prospects of revenue, spending programme and introduction of new schemes/projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Railway Budget</strong> was separated from the <strong>General Budget in 1921</strong> on the recommendations of<strong> the Acworth Committee</strong>. In August 2016, the Central Government decided to <strong>merge the railway budget into the general budget.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Economy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fiscal deficit in FY 19 has been set at 3.3% of the GDP.</li>
<li>Indian economy will become a 3 trillion dollar economy in 2019. Government aspires to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024-25. To achieve this, there is a need for investment in:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Infrastructure</strong></li>
<li><strong>Digital economy</strong></li>
<li><strong>Job creation in small and medium firms</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>PAN and Aadhaar will become interchangeable. One can use Aadhaar number to file I-T Returns.</li>
<li>Rs. 5 lakh minimum limit announced for taxpayers.</li>
<li>In view of rising income levels, those in the ₹2-5 crore and ₹5 crore-and-above brackets will see an increase in effective tax rate by 3% (39%) and 7% (42.74%), respectively.</li>
<li>No change in personal income tax rates.</li>
<li>Increase in cess on fuel by 1 rupee, petrol &amp; diesel to get costlier; while customs duty on gold and precious items increased.</li>
<li>Corporate tax with a turnover of up to Rs 400 crore slashed to 25% from a current rate of 30%.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gst-council-and-national-anti-profiteering-authority" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>GST Council</strong> </a>advised to reduce tax rate on Electric Vehicles from 12% to 5%.</li>
<li>No charge on digital payments: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-4th-march-2019-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Merchant Discount Rate</strong></a> charges waived on cashless payment.</li>
<li><strong>Measures related to MSMEs:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Proposed <strong>easing angel tax</strong> for startups.</li>
<li>E-verification mechanism for establishing investor identity and source of funds for startups.</li>
<li>2% interest subvention for GST-registered MSME on fresh or incremental loans.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/unemployment-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Stand Up India' Scheme</strong> </a>to continue till 2025.</li>
<li>New television channel for start-ups.</li>
<li>Pension benefit extended to retail traders with annual turnover less than Rs 1.5 crore.</li>
<li>New payment platform for MSMEs to be created.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Proposal to provide Rs 70,000 crore capital for PSU Banks.</li>
<li>Regulation of HFCs (Housing Finance Cos) to move to RBI from National Housing Bank.</li>
<li>Govt to <strong>modify</strong> the present policy of <strong>retaining 51% stake in PSUs. </strong></li>
<li>Govt to continue with <strong>strategic divestment of select CPSEs. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Divestment target of Rs 1.05 lakh crore for FY 20. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Strategic disinvestment of Air India</strong> proposed to be re-initiated.</li>
<li><strong>Global Investors Meet</strong> to be held in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Rural India and Agriculture</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gaon, Garib and Kisan</strong> are the focus of the government.</li>
<li><strong>New <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-shakti-mantralaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jal Shakti ministry</a></strong> will work with states to ensure Har Ghar Jal for all rural houses by 2024.</li>
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana phase 3</strong> is envisaged to upgrade 1,25,000 km of road length over the next 5 years.</li>
<li>Govt will set up 100 new clusters for 50,000 artisans in FY 20.</li>
<li>Every single rural family, to have electricity by 2022.</li>
<li>Govt to promote <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Zero Budget Farming. </strong></a></li>
<li>10,000 new farm produce organisations.</li>
<li>80 Livelihood business incubators and 20 technology business incubators to be set up in 2019-20 under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-elixir-for-msmes-access-to-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE)</strong></a> to develop 75,000 skilled entrepreneurs in agro-rural industries.</li>
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A robust fisheries management framework through PMMSY to be established by the <strong>Department of Fisheries</strong>.</li>
<li>To address critical gaps in the value chain including infrastructure, modernization, traceability, production, productivity, post-harvest management, and quality control.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Youth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To popularise sports at all levels, <strong>National Sports Education Board</strong> for development of sportspersons to be set up under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-28-february-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>'Khelo India.' </strong></a></li>
<li>Govt to launch 'Study in India' programme to attract foreign students in higher education.</li>
<li>Rs 400 crore allocated for <strong>world-class higher education institutions in FY 20 . </strong></li>
<li><strong>National research foundation</strong> to fund, coordinate and to promote research in the country.</li>
<li><strong>New Higher Education Commission</strong> with focus on higher autonomy.</li>
<li><strong>New national education policy</strong> to propose changes in school, higher education.</li>
<li>To make the Indian youth ready to take up jobs in foreign countries, more emphasis on new-age skills like <strong>Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data, etc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Study in India</strong> proposed to bring foreign students to study in Indian higher educational institutions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Social</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nari tu Narayani:</strong> Women SHG Interest Subvention Programme to be expanded to all districts in India.</li>
<li><strong>Rs 1 lakh loan</strong> to be provided for <strong>SHG women</strong> members under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-panel-s-recommendations-on-msme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mudra Scheme. </strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Rs 3,000 pension per month</strong> for workers from <strong>the informal sector. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Gandhipedia</strong> being developed by the<strong> National Council for Science Museums</strong> to sensitize youth and society about positive Gandhian values.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Infrastructure</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>State road networks to be developed in the second phase of <strong>Bharatmala project.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Rs. 50 lakh crore investment</strong> needed in <strong>Railway Infrastructure</strong> during 2018-2030.</li>
<li>Public-Private-Partnership proposed for development and completion of tracks, rolling stock manufacturing and delivery of passenger freight services.</li>
<li>Policy interventions to be made for the development of <strong>Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO),</strong> to achieve self- reliance in the <strong>aviation segment.</strong></li>
<li>Outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore for 3 years approved for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fame-ii-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Phase-II of FAME Scheme.</strong></a></li>
<li>National Highway Programme to be restructured to ensure a<strong> National Highway Grid, using a financeable model. </strong></li>
<li>Power at affordable rates to states ensured under <strong>&ldquo;One Nation, One Grid‟.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Blueprints to be made available for <strong>gas grids, water grids, i-ways, and regional airports.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Space</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has emerged as a major space power. It is time to harness our ability commercially.</li>
<li>A public sector enterprise, <strong>New Space India Limited (NSIL)</strong> has been incorporated to tap benefits of ISRO.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Roadmap for Future</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Simplification of procedures.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Incentivizing performance.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Red-tape reduction.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Making the best use of technology.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Accelerating mega programmes and services initiated and delivered so far.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1196
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Cake\View\View::_renderElement() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1554
Cake\View\View::element() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 668
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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
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