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Women’s Livelihood Bond

The World Bank, UN Women (a United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women), and Small Industries Development Bank of...

20 Feb 2019 News Analysis
New Initiative SWAYATT

Recently the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry has launched an initiative termed SWAYATT. SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups,...

20 Feb 2019 News Analysis
National Rural Economic Transformation Project

The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of an externally aided project namely National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) under...

20 Feb 2019 News Analysis
Important Facts for Prelims (20th February 2019)

Re-promulgation of Triple Talaq Ordinance Recently the Union cabinet approved the promulgation of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage)...

20 Feb 2019 News Analysis
The Saudi-India-Pakistan Triangle

(The editorial is based on the article “The Saudi-India-Pakistan Triangle” which appeared in The Hindu for 20th February 2019. In this...

20 Feb 2019 News Editorials
Buddhism in India

20 Feb 2019 Paper 1
India Needs More Women Parliamentarians

(The editorial is based on the article “India needs more women parliamentarians” which appeared in Livemint for 18th February 2019. In...

19 Feb 2019 News Editorials
Argentina’s President Visit to India

President of Argentina Mauricio Macri paid a state visit to India. 2019 is the 70th year of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two...

19 Feb 2019 News Analysis
Important Facts for Prelims (19th February 2019)

Regional Maritime-Safety Conference ‘Regional Maritime-Safety Conference’ (RMSS) was organised for the first time in India (Mumbai) by...

19 Feb 2019 News Analysis
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

About the Organisation ISRO is the space agency under the Department of Space of Government of India, headquartered in the city of Bengaluru,...

19 Feb 2019 National Institutions
In Depth - Say No to Child Marriage

Child Marriage is a marriage or an informal union entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age specified as minors. In India,...

19 Feb 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
UPSC Civil Services Exam

Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace. Indian Civil Services which includes the top services i.e. the IAS, IPS...

18 Feb 2019 Prelims
India-Africa Relations

Why in News? Recently, President of South Africa Cyril Ramphosa visited India on a two-day visit. He was the chief guest at 70th Republic Day...

18 Feb 2019 Paper 2
Massive Mountains Discovered under Earth’s Crust

Scientists have discovered massive mountains in the Earth’s mantle. The mountains were located at the boundary of the outer and lower mantle...

18 Feb 2019 News Analysis
Needed: Policy, not Reaction

(The editorial is based on the article “Needed: Policy, not Reaction” which appeared in The Indian Express for 18th February 2019. In...

18 Feb 2019 News Editorials
India-Africa Relations

18 Feb 2019 Paper 2
In Depth - Melting of Himalayan Glaciers

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released a report on Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) Region, titled as...

16 Feb 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Important Facts for Prelims (16th February 2019)

Great Barrier Reef Recent runoff from floods in northern Australia is flowing onto parts of the Barrier Reef, starving coral of light and...

16 Feb 2019 News Analysis
LADIS – Least Available Depth Information System

To ensure optimum use of National Waterways (NWs), the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has launched a new portal LADIS – Least...

16 Feb 2019 News Analysis
Is the Unemployment Crisis for Real?

(The editorial is based on the article “Is the unemployment crisis for real?” which appeared in The Hindu for 15th February 2019. In...

16 Feb 2019 News Editorials

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			'title' => 'Women’s Livelihood Bond',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The<strong> World Bank, UN Women (a United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women), and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)</strong> have come together to launch a five-year tenor <strong>women&rsquo;s livelihood bond (WLB).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The proceeds from these social impact bonds will be used to help rural women in the country&rsquo;s poorest States to set up or scale up their own enterprises.</li>
<li>WLB&rsquo;s will be unsecured and unlisted.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Unsecured and Unlisted Bonds</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unlisted Securities:</strong> Unlisted securities are shares, bonds or any other securities that are not traded on a stock exchange but through the over-the-counter (OTC) market.</li>
<li><strong>Unsecured Bonds:</strong> Unsecured bonds, also called debentures, are not backed by any collateral, or mortgages on real estate. Instead, the issuer promises that they will be repaid. This promise is frequently called "full faith and credit."</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Social Impact Bond</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A<strong> social impact bond (SIB) is a contract with the public sector or governing authority,</strong> whereby <strong>it pays for better social outcomes in certain areas</strong> and passes on the part of the savings achieved to investors.</li>
<li>A social impact bond is not a bond, per se, since repayment and return on investment depend upon the achievement of desired social outcomes;<strong> if the objectives are not achieved, investors receive neither a return nor repayment of principal.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The bonds will be placed with leading wealth managers and corporates in the country on a private placement basis.</li>
<li>The return on these bonds will be 3% per annum.</li>
<li><strong>SIDBI</strong> has also put together its own <strong>₹1,000 crore social-impact fund &lsquo;Prayaas&rsquo; for providing funding support to women entrepreneurs.</strong></li>
<li>The proposed bond will enable individual women entrepreneurs in sectors like food processing, agriculture, services, and small units to borrow around Rs 50,000 to Rs 3 lakh at an annual interest rate of around 13%-14% or less.</li>
<li><strong>SIDBI will act as the financial intermediary</strong> and channel funds raised to women entrepreneurs through participating financial intermediaries like banks, NBFCs or microfinance institutions.</li>
</ul>',
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'New Initiative SWAYATT',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently the Union Minister of Commerce &amp; Industry has launched an initiative termed SWAYATT.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SWAYATT is an initiative to promote <strong>Start-ups, Women and Youth</strong> <strong>Advantage&nbsp;through e-Transactions</strong> on <strong>Government e Marketplace (GeM).</strong></li>
<li>This will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-Marketplace the national procurement portal.</li>
<li>The government also launched <strong>GeM Start-up Runway-an initiative of GeM in association with Start -up India to facilitate Start-ups registered with Start -up India to access the public procurement market</strong> and sell innovative products and services to government buyers.</li>
<li>GeM Start-up Runway seeks to support <strong>technology development, spur research and innovation</strong> by ensuring a conducive policy environment for industrial diversification and value addition to commodities.</li>
<li>GeM Start-up Runway will address goals and objectives under <strong>United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Government e-Marketplace (GeM)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GeM is an <strong>Online Market platform was setup in 2016</strong> to facilitate procurement of goods and services by the government ministries, departments, public sector undertakings (PSU) etc.</li>
<li>It has been envisaged as <strong>National Procurement Portal of India.</strong></li>
<li>It has been developed by <strong>Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (Ministry of Commerce and Industry)</strong> with technical support of <strong>National e-governance Division (Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology).</strong></li>
<li>It functions under <strong>Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&amp;D), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.</strong></li>
<li>GeM is a completely <strong>paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place</strong> that enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-initiative-swayatt'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'National Rural Economic Transformation Project',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of an externally aided project namely <strong>National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP)</strong> under the <strong>Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana &ndash; National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)</strong> through loan assistance from <strong>World Bank</strong>.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India in 2011.</li>
<li>NRLM has set out with an agenda to cover 7 Crore rural poor households, across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats and 6 lakh villages in the country through self-managed Self Help Groups (SHGs) and federated institutions and support them for livelihoods collectives in a period of 8-10 years.</li>
<li>The Mission aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Salient features</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DAY-NRLM lays special emphasis on <strong>targeting the poorest of the poor</strong> and the most vulnerable communities and their financial inclusion.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Innovative projects will be undertaken under NRETP to pilot alternate channels of financial inclusion, creating value chains around rural products, introduce innovative models in livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihoods interventions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>DAY-NRLM provides for mutually beneficial working relationship and formal platforms for consultations between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Community Based Organizations(CBOs).
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NRLM has also developed <strong>activity map to facilitate convergence in different areas of interventions where NRLM institutions and PRIs could work together</strong> which has been disseminated to all state Rural Livelihood Missions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The technical assistance provided by NRETP and the higher level interventions facilitated by the project will
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>enhance the livelihoods promotion and access to finance, and</li>
<li>scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihood interventions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (20th February 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Re-promulgation of Triple Talaq Ordinance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the Union cabinet approved the promulgation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/government-re-promulgates-triple-talaq-ordinance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019</strong></a>, for the third time.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The First &lsquo;Climate Change Extinction&rsquo;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the government of <strong>Australia has officially declared the first known extinction of a mammal</strong> as a result of human-induced climate change.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426527_image3.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></li>
<li>The <strong>rat-like Bramble Cay melomys,</strong> whose only known habitat was a <strong>tiny sand island in the Torres Strait,</strong> near the coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has not been spotted in a decade.</li>
<li>The key factor in its disappearance was the<strong> dramatic habitat loss because of repeated ocean inundation of the cay.</strong> A cay is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef.</li>
<li>The Melomys, considered the <strong>Great Barrier Reef&rsquo;s</strong> only endemic mammal species, <strong>was first discovered on the cay in 1845</strong> by Europeans who shot them for sport.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana &ndash; Gramin</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of<strong> Phase-2 of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)</strong>, under which the government has set a target of constructing 1.95 crore houses by 2022.</li>
<li>The PMAY-G in Phase-2 till 2019-20 will continue as per the existing norms of PMAY-G Phase-l, with a target of 60 lakh houses involving financial implication of Rs 76,500 crore shared between Centre and States.</li>
<li><strong>Launched in 2016,</strong> PMAY-G aims to fill the gaps in <strong>rural housing programme by providing a pucca house, with basic amenities,</strong> to all homeless householders and those households living in kutcha and dilapidated house, <strong>by 2022.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-20th-february-2019'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'The Saudi-India-Pakistan Triangle',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;The Saudi-India-Pakistan Triangle&rdquo; which appeared in The Hindu for 20th February 2019. In this article, we will discuss India-Saudi and Pakistan-Saudi relations.)</p>
</div>
<p>Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman&rsquo;s (MBS) visit to India presents a &ldquo;historic opportunity&rdquo; to expand collaboration in all sectors. The visit comes at a time of crisis in the Indian subcontinent following the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/needed-policy-not-reaction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrorist attack in Pulwama.</a></p>
<p>The recent visit will lead to further strengthening of Saudi Arabia-India ties, a process that had begun with Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s visit to Riyadh in 2016.</p>
<h3>India-Saudi Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The geostrategic position of Saudi Arabia makes it an important country for India, with trade and cultural links dating back thousands of years.</strong></li>
<li>There is a rational calculation regarding Saudi interest in expanding trade and investment in India and collaboration in the energy sector.</li>
<li>Saudi Aramco is interested in partnering with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in developing an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, a $44 billion joint venture with Indian public sector involvement. <strong>Saudi Arabia is already one of the three largest suppliers of oil to India.</strong></li>
<li>That the two countries are moving beyond the traditional buyer-seller relationship is best exemplified by the joint venture for the $44 billion worth <strong>Ratnagiri refinery and petrochemical project.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The assumption that Saudi Arabia is tilted towards India is nothing more than an unrealistic hope.</strong></li>
<li>The Saudi Foreign Minister&rsquo;s statement in Islamabad during MBS&rsquo;s visit that Riyadh is committed to &ldquo;de-escalating&rdquo; tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir must not be read as an endorsement of the Indian stand but as an attempt to intervene in the dispute rather than accept its bilateral nature.</li>
<li>Good relations with Riyadh and other West Asian capitals is <strong>essential for the welfare of the expatriate Indian community and their emergency evacuation should there be such a need.</strong> West Asia is also an important partner in the domains of counterterrorism and maritime security in the western Indian Ocean.</li>
<li><strong>Indians in Saudi Arabia are the second-largest providers of remittances to their home country.</strong> They are also an important aspect of our soft-power diplomacy in the region.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pakistan-Saudi Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE will not go too far with India against Pakistan.</strong> It is not just religion alone. Elite families in both countries share familial and other social connections in Pakistan.</li>
<li>There have been reports that MBS is interested in Saudi Arabia getting its own nuclear deterrent. If that is the case, then Pakistan is the most logical source for technical expertise.</li>
<li><strong>Saudi Arabia always played an important role to strengthen the economy of Pakistan.</strong> The Saudi royal said his country would collaborate with Pakistan economically, politically and in terms of security.</li>
<li>Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy historic relations and these ties are very strong on the diplomatic level.</li>
<li><strong>Saudi Arabia has strategic interests in Pakistan given its proximity to Iran, Riyadh's archrival in the region.</strong> The Saudis are using aid packages and investment promises to buy the economically embattled Pakistani government's loyalty and convince it to turn a blind eye to their destructive actions within Pakistan's borders.</li>
<li><strong>Not only has Saudi Arabia helped Pakistan avoid major economic crises, but it has also supported Pakistan&rsquo;s defense by providing logistic support and financial assistance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Iran&rsquo;s Angle</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Iran is Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s chief adversary in West Asia.</strong></li>
<li>The Saudi-Iranian rivalry is being played out across the region, from Syria to Yemen.</li>
<li>Riyadh perceives Pakistan as a major asset it can use to check the spread of Iranian influence despite the Nawaz Sharif government&rsquo;s refusal to commit Pakistani troops in the Yemen war on behalf of the Saudi-led alliance.</li>
<li>It currently sees Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa as more vulnerable to Saudi persuasion.</li>
<li>Moreover, Pakistan&rsquo;s relations with Iran, which was never easy, have hit a new low following the recent terrorist attack in the Sistan-Baluchistan Province that killed Revolutionary Guards.</li>
<li>As Pakistan&rsquo;s relations with Iran deteriorate, it is likely to move further into the Saudi orbit.</li>
<li><strong>Increasing Sunni fundamentalism, bordering on Wahhabism, in Pakistan also makes it a natural ideological ally of Saudi Arabia and an ideological foe of Shia Iran.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The India-Saudi Arabia relationship is important for a variety of reasons but New Delhi should be careful not to make convergence on Pakistan and Afghanistan a litmus test for making further progress.</strong></li>
<li>Additionally, the roles of both countries as power centers in their respective geographical regions mean that they share a number of other common interests, including the fight against terrorism, battling poverty, educational exchanges, and investment.</li>
<li><strong>In the context of this strategic and economic nexus between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, it will be unwise for New Delhi to seriously believe that it will be able to wean Saudi Arabia away from Pakistan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>India should instead take advantage of any benefit that accrues from India&rsquo;s economic relations with Saudi Arabia and should not pin much hope on Riyadh in the political-strategic sphere.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-saudi-india-pakistan-triangle'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Buddhism in India',
			'catname' => 'Paper 1',
			'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/628Drishti_ias_Buddhism-in-India.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/628Drishti_ias_Buddhism-in-India.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/buddhism-in-india-mindmap'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'India Needs More Women Parliamentarians',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;India needs more women parliamentarians&rdquo; which appeared in Livemint for 18th February 2019. In this article we will discuss the concerns related to the low representation of women in the decision making processes in India.)</p>
</div>
<p>The 16th Lok Sabha ended its final session last week. Elections for the 17th Lok Sabha will probably be announced in early March and will span the months of April and May. The political buzz is all about vote shares, seats, coalitions and on who will be prime minister. <strong>There is though, no attention being paid to the number of women in Parliament.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://archive.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm?month=6&amp;year=2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India ranks 153 out of 190 nations in the percentage of women in the lower house of world parliaments.</strong></a></p>
<h3>Global Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a list compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, <strong>Rwanda ranks first with 61% of its lower house representatives being women</strong>.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/959Women-in-Parliament-India-Rank-in-the-World1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/959Women-in-Parliament-India-Rank-in-the-World1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="571" height="179" /></a></li>
<li>As a region, Nordic countries (relating to Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands) are leaders with an average of about 40%. <strong>The UK and the US are relative laggards with 32% and 23%, respectively.</strong></li>
<li>The United States&rsquo; current tally, though still moderate, is upheld by a very strong showing by women in the recent congressional elections.</li>
<li><strong>Even Pakistan with 20% participation from women is ahead of India.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/113Women-in-Parliament-representation-country-wise1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/113Women-in-Parliament-representation-country-wise1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="631" height="424" /></a></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Indian Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India had 65 women out of 545 members of Parliament (MPs)</strong> elected to the 16th Lok Sabha in May 2014, for a 12% representation.</li>
<li>Only the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha changed a previously stagnant representation of under 9% recorded by Indian women MPs since Independence.</li>
<li>Indian system has electoral representation to the Lok Sabha based on population. Thus, Uttar Pradesh with a population of over 200 million people has 80 MPs, Bihar with a population of 100 million has 40 seats and Maharashtra with a population of 114 million has 48.</li>
<li><strong>Three north-eastern states&mdash;Nagaland, Mizoram, and Sikkim&mdash;have only one seat each.</strong></li>
<li>Uttar Pradesh shows a better than national average representation of 17.5% (14 MPs) by women, while Maharashtra has the national average of 12.5% (6 seats) and Bihar is much below the national average at 7.9% (3 seats).</li>
<li>While the allocation of total seats to states by population, the resultant <strong>women&rsquo;s representation at 12% is far below the actual population of women.</strong></li>
<li>The scenario for women Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across all state assemblies in India is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable 9%.</li>
<li><strong>The best among them, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Haryana have 14% representation while the worst states are Pondicherry and Nagaland, which have no women MLAs at all.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reservation for one-third of the seats for women</strong> in the Lok Sabha has been tabled as a bill several times until as recently as 2008. <strong>Each time the bill has lapsed.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Illiteracy</strong> is one of the main hurdles in making women as politically empowered.</li>
<li>Because of a <strong>lack of understanding,</strong> they do not know about their basic and political rights. Gender disparities in terms of education, ownership of resources and continual biased attitudes still act as barriers for women leaders. Education influences the social mobility of women. Formal education such as provided at educational institutions created opportunities for leadership, and imparted leadership essential skills.</li>
<li><strong>Work and family</strong> - uneven distribution of household work between men and women also one of the important factors in this regards.</li>
<li><strong>Uneven distribution of family care responsibilities</strong> means that women spend far more time than men in the home- and child-care. It relates not just to the time, effort, and medical care of pregnancy and childbirth, but to the far greater maternal involvement necessary for breastfeeding, and to the persistent tendency of women to do a larger share of childcare as the child grows.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of political networks</strong> - The lack of openness in political decision-making and undemocratic internal processes pose a challenge for all newcomers, but particularly for women as they tend to lack insider knowledge or political networks.</li>
<li><strong>Private-public divide in terms of domain identification</strong> and male preponderance in political institutions. Because of their low proportion in the inner political party structure of India, women fail to gather resources and support for nurturing their political constituencies.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of financial support -</strong> Women do not get adequate financial support from the political parties to contest the elections.</li>
<li><strong>Societal and cultural norms</strong> imposed on women bar them from entering politics. They have to accept the dictates imposed on them and bear the burden of society. They also bear their deprivation and undermining status thinking it of as a culture of the society. Public attitudes not only determine how many female candidates win a general election but also directly and indirectly how many are considered and nominated for office.</li>
<li>Overall <strong>political parties&rsquo; environment too is not women-friendly,</strong> they have to struggle hard and face multi-dimensional issues to create space for them in the party.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the<strong> need of the hour in a country like India to have equal participation of women</strong> in mainstream political activity.</li>
<li>Society needs to <strong>deconstruct the stereotype of women</strong> as limited to household activities only.</li>
<li>It is important for all institutions (state, family and community) to <strong>respond to women&rsquo;s specific needs</strong> such as bridging gaps in education, renegotiating gender roles, the gender division of labor and addressing biased attitudes.</li>
<li>All <strong>political parties have to arrive at a consensus and ensure the passage of Women's Reservation Bill,</strong> which calls for reserving 33 percent of seats in Parliament and all state legislative assemblies for women.</li>
<li>There is need to implement the proposal of the Election Commission of India (known as the Gill formula) to<strong> make it mandatory for the recognized political parties to ensure putting of minimum agreed percentage for women</strong> in State Assembly and Parliamentary elections, so as to allow them to retain the recognition with the Election Commission as political parties.</li>
<li>Around the world, more countries follow the idea of reservation in political parties. <strong>Sweden, Norway, Canada, the UK, and France are examples.</strong></li>
<li>Occupation of seats in legislatures must be earned by women not only through a scheme of reservation but through a <strong>positive enabling environment alive with gender equality</strong> in terms of access and opportunities, distribution of resources and so on.</li>
<li><strong>India should have an Election Commission-led effort to encourage reservation for women in political parties.</strong> While this does not provide any assurance about the number of women parliamentarians, it does allow for a more meritocratic and less complex method of moving the ball forward.</li>
<li>Reservation in political parties will also<strong> require education, encouragement, and role-modeling for women to aspire to a political role</strong> as it is in the party&rsquo;s interest to ensure that their candidate wins.</li>
<li>India has had a long-serving woman prime minister and several women chief ministers and speakers of the House. <strong>Yet, its record of women parliamentarians is woefully poor. For a balanced future for the country, it <g class="gr_ gr_111 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="111" data-gr-id="111">behoves</g> us to debate and agree on how to change this.</strong></li>
<li>As such, the <strong>Government should provide for adequate enabling measures for improving the conditions of women socially, educationally and economically so that women stand up on their own, with their intrinsic strength.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/interaction/viewtopic.php?f=41&amp;t=952" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Read More<g class="gr_ gr_97 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation multiReplace" id="97" data-gr-id="97">....</g></strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-needs-more-women-parliamentarians'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Argentina’s President Visit to India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>President of Argentina Mauricio Macri paid a state visit to India.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>2019 is the <strong>70th year of establishment of diplomatic relations</strong> between the two countries.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/718arge-MMAP-sm.png" style="float: right;" /></li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Argentina Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political Ties</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India opened a trade commission in Buenos Aires in 1943, which was later converted into the embassy of India 1949.</li>
<li>During the visit, both countries decided to&nbsp;elevate cooperation to a strategic partnership with a focus on key areas for the prosperity of both countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Counter-Terrorism</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India and Argentina<strong> issued a separate joint declaration to fight terrorism.</strong></li>
<li>Argentina condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir in the strongest terms.</li>
<li>Both countries reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and gave a call that any country must not allow their territory to be used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries.</li>
<li>India also urged to implement the <strong>11-point agenda of 'Hamburg Statement on countering terrorism&rsquo;</strong> which was agreed during <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/g20-summit-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G-20 Summit</a> in 2018.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic and Commercial Engagement</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the last 10 years, the bilateral trade has more than doubled and is around the US $ 3 billion.</li>
<li>There are possibilities for a significant increase in many sectors such as agriculture, metals, and minerals, oils and gas, pharmaceutical, chemicals, motor vehicles and services.</li>
<li>India and Argentina<strong> decided to work together to further enhance and diversify trade and investment</strong> by eliminating impediments, facilitating greater market access and promoting trade and investment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Agriculture</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Argentina is the <strong>powerhouse of agriculture.</strong> India sees it as an important partner for its food security.</li>
<li>During the visit, both countries decided to enhance the scope of agricultural cooperation, including the exchange of technology to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and build climate resilience.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mining</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Argentina is a part of the<strong> Lithium Triangle,</strong> and it has approximately 54% of the world's lithium reservoir.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s public sector mining company, Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), has decided to establish a joint venture for the lithium mining in Argentina</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India-Mercosur</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India was the first country to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement with MERCOSUR in 2004.</strong></li>
<li>Argentina and India agreed to expand the PTA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>MERCOSUR</strong></p>
<p>The<strong> Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR for its Spanish initials)</strong> is a regional integration process, initially established by<strong> Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and subsequently joined by Venezuela and Bolivia.</strong></p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>International Cooperation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Argentina has played a <strong>major role in India&rsquo;s accession to the various non-proliferation regimes</strong>, including the Missile Treaty Control Regime, Wassenaar Arrangement, and Australia Group.</li>
<li>India and Argentina reaffirmed their commitment to globalization and reformed multilateralism.</li>
<li>Both sides agreed to work together for <strong>reforms in World Trade Organization (WTO) and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>South-South Cooperation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India will be participating in the second high-level conference of the<strong> United Nations on South-South Cooperation in Buenos Aires in 2019 (BAPA+40).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Other Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) cover the areas like Defence Cooperation, Space Cooperation, Nuclear Energy, Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy, Education, Culture, People to People Exchanges etc.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/argentina-s-president-visit-to-india'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (19th February 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Regional Maritime-Safety Conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>&lsquo;Regional Maritime-Safety Conference&rsquo; (RMSS) was organised for the<strong> first time in India (Mumbai)</strong> by the <strong>National Maritime Foundation (NMF)</strong> in coordination with the <strong>Ministry of Shipping</strong> and the <strong>Ministry of External Affairs</strong> to focus on security and trade.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Maritime Foundation (NMF), New Delhi, was <strong>established in 2005</strong> as the nation&rsquo;s <strong>first maritime think-tank</strong> for conducting independent and policy-relevant research on &lsquo;matters maritime&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Safeguarding the shores and promoting<strong> India-Asean trade</strong> along the sea route is the theme for RMSS.</li>
<li>The volume of maritime traffic within the India-ASEAN sub-region is very dense. The Straits of Malacca-and-Singapore alone account for about 90,000 ship movements every year. So, security strengthening could help in boosting trade and maritime connectivity.</li>
<li>Today, over 80 percent of global trade by volume and 70 per cent by value is conducted via the maritime space. In the Indian context, 95 per cent of trade by volume and 77 per cent by value flows on the sea.</li>
<li>Maritime transport provide cost effectiveness, which is why it is the preferred choice for transportation of bulk commodities such as oil and coal, among others.</li>
</ul>
<h3>International Conference on the Vision Zero</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>International Conference</strong> on the &lsquo;<strong>Vision Zero</strong>&rsquo; and its relevance to <strong>Occupational Safety and Health</strong> (OSH), is being held from 15th to 17th, March 2017 in <strong>New Delhi</strong>.</li>
<li>It is organized by <strong>Directorate General Factory Advice and Labour Institutes</strong> (DGFASLI), <strong>Ministry of Labour and Employment</strong> and <strong>German Social Accident Insurance</strong> (DGUV), <strong>Germany</strong> in association with International Social Security Association - Manufacturing, Construction and Mining.</li>
<li>&lsquo;Vision Zero&rsquo; is based on the belief that all accidents, diseases and harm at work are preventable by promoting the three core values of safety, health and wellbeing.</li>
<li>The recommendations of the conference would be vital in achieving sustainable economic progress, in consonance with the changing requirements of safety, health and environment aspects in the country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>China&rsquo;s Solar Power Station in Space</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China is planning to build a solar power station in space.</li>
<li>China has started construction of an experimental base in the<strong> western Chinese city Chongqing</strong>.</li>
<li>Initially, China plans to develop a smaller power station in the stratosphere between 2021 and 2025, a 1 megawatt-level solar facility in space by 2030, and eventually larger generators.</li>
<li>China is also planning to build its<strong> own space station by 2022</strong>.</li>
<li>The space station is named as <strong>Tiangong</strong>, or Heavenly Palace, which will have a core module and two other modules for experiments.</li>
<li>The space station will be able to carry three people, with a designed life cycle of at least 10 years.</li>
<li>The facility would be used for scientific research in a dozen areas including biology, physics, and material sciences.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Birth Anniversary of Guru Ravidas</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, birth anniversary of <strong>Guru Ravidas</strong> was observed in the country.</li>
<li>Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Magh according to the Hindu lunar calendar.</li>
<li>Guru Ravidas was a 14<sup>th</sup> century saint and reformer of the<strong> Bhakti movement</strong> in North India.</li>
<li>It is believed that he was born in Varanasi in a cobbler&rsquo;s family.</li>
<li>He gained prominence due to his belief in one God and his unbiased religious poems.</li>
<li>He dedicated his whole life to the abolition of the caste system and openly despised the notion of a Brahminical society.</li>
<li>His devotional songs made an instant impact on the Bhakti Movement and around 41 of his poems were included in &lsquo;<strong>Guru Granth Sahib</strong>&rsquo;, the religious text of the Sikhs.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-19th-february-2019'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)',
			'catname' => 'National Institutions',
			'desc' => '<h3>About the Organisation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ISRO is the space agency under the Department of Space of Government of India, headquartered in the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka.</li>
<li>Its vision is to harness space technology for national development, while pursuing space science research and planetary exploration.</li>
<li>Antrix Corporation Limited (ACL) is a Marketing arm of ISRO for promotion and commercial exploitation of space products, technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by ISRO.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genesis</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The space research activities were initiated in India under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of Indian space programme, during 1960&rsquo;s.</li>
<li>Since inception, the Indian space programme had three distinct elements such as, satellites for communication and remote sensing, the space transportation system and application programmes.</li>
<li>The INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) was initiated under the leadership of Dr. Sarabhai and Dr. Ramanathan.</li>
<li>During 1975-76, Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted. It was hailed as &lsquo;the largest sociological experiment in the world&rsquo;. It was followed by the &lsquo;Kheda Communications Project (KCP)&rsquo;, which worked as a field laboratory for need-based and locale specific programme transmission in state of Gujarat State.</li>
<li>During this period, the first Indian spacecraft &lsquo;Aryabhata&rsquo; was developed and was launched using a Soviet Launcher. Another major landmark was the development of the first launch vehicle SLV-3 with a capability to place 40 kg in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which had its first successful flight in 1980.</li>
<li>In the experimental phase during 80&rsquo;s, Bhaskara-I &amp; II missions were pioneering steps in the remote sensing area whereas &lsquo;Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE)&rsquo; became the forerunner for future communication satellite system.</li>
<li>During the operational phase in 90&rsquo;s, major space infrastructure was created under two broad classes: one for the communication, broadcasting and meteorology through a multi-purpose Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), and the other for Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) system. The development and operationalisation of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and development of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) were significant achievements during this phase.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Organisation Structure</h3>
<p><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/557drishti_ias_isro.jpg" width="511" height="724" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p>
<h3>Achievements</h3>
<p><strong>Communication Satellite</strong>s</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Established in 1983 with commissioning of INSAT-1B, the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system is one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in Asia-Pacific region with nine operational communication satellites placed in Geostationary orbit.</li>
<li>It initiated a major revolution in India&rsquo;s communications sector and sustained the same later. The INSAT system provides services to telecommunications, television broadcasting, satellite newsgathering, societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning and Search and Rescue operations.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 812px; height: 19px; text-align: center;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Communication Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-31</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Feb 06, 2019</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-247</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-7A</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Dec 19, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F11 / GSAT-7A Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-11&nbsp;Mission</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Dec 05, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-246</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-29</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Nov 14, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV Mk III-D2 / GSAT-29 Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-6A</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Mar 29, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F08/GSAT-6A Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-17</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Jun 29, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-238</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-19</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Jun 05, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-9</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">May 05, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F09 / GSAT-9</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-12</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Jul 15, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C17/GSAT-12</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-8</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">May 21, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-202</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication, Navigation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">EDUSAT</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Sep 20, 2004</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F01 / EDUSAT(GSAT-3)</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Earth Observation Satellites</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Starting with IRS-1A in 1988, ISRO has launched many operational remote sensing satellites. Today, India has one of the largest constellations of remote sensing satellites in operation.</li>
<li>Varieties of instruments have been flown onboard these satellites to provide necessary data in a diversified spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions to cater to different user requirements in the country and for global usage.</li>
<li>The data from these satellites are used for several applications covering agriculture, water resources, urban planning, rural development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, ocean resources and disaster management.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 1185px; height: 19px; text-align: center;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Earth Observation Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">HysIS</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Nov 29, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C43 / HysIS Mission</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jan 12, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jun 23, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C38 / Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Feb 15, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C37 / Cartosat -2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RESOURCESAT-2A</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Dec 07, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C36 / RESOURCESAT-2A</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">SCATSAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Sep 26, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C35 / SCATSAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">INSAT-3DR</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Sep 08, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F05 / INSAT-3DR</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Disaster Management System</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jun 22, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C34 / CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">SARAL</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Feb 25, 2013</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C20/SARAL</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RISAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Apr 26, 2012</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C19/RISAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Megha-Tropiques</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Oct 12, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C18/Megha-Tropiques</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C16/RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">CARTOSAT-2B</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jul 12, 2010</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C15/CARTOSAT-2B</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Oceansat-2</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Sep 23, 2009</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C14 / OCEANSAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RISAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2009</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C12 / RISAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">CARTOSAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">May 05, 2005</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C6/CARTOSAT-1/HAMSAT</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">The Technology Experiment Satellite (TES)</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Oct 22, 2001</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C3 / TES</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Oceansat (IRS-P4)</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">May 26, 1999</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C2/IRS-P4</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Rohini Satellite RS-D1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">May 31, 1981</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">SLV-3D1</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Bhaskara-I</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jun 07, 1979</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">C-1 Intercosmos</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation, Experimental</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Navigation Satellites</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Satellite is an emerging satellite based system with commercial and strategic applications. Navigation services are necessary to meet the emerging demands of the Civil Aviation requirements and to meet the user requirements of the positioning, navigation and timing based on the independent satellite navigation system.</li>
<li>To meet the Civil Aviation requirements, ISRO is working jointly with Airport Authority of India (AAI) in establishing the <strong>GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN)</strong> system.</li>
<li>To meet the user requirements of the positioning, navigation and timing services based on the indigenous system, ISRO is establishing a regional satellite navigation system called <strong>Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Space Science &amp; Exploration Satellites</h3>
<p>Indian space programme encompasses research in areas like astronomy, astrophysics, planetary and earth sciences, atmospheric sciences and theoretical physics. Satellites come under this category are:</p>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li><strong>AstroSat,</strong> was launched on September 28, 2015, by PSLV-C30 from Sriharikota. It is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial sources in X-ray, optical and UV spectral bands simultaneously. One of the unique features of AstroSat mission is that it enables the simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of various astronomical objects with a single satellite.</li>
<li><strong>Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM),</strong> also known as (Mangalyaan),the truly maiden interplanetary mission of ISRO, launched on November 5, 2013, successfully got inserted into Martian orbit on September 24, 2014 in its first attempt. MOM completes 4 years in its orbit on September 24, 2018 though the designed mission life of MOM was six months. It was launched on board of PSLV C25 rocket with aim of studying Martian surface and mineral composition as well as scan its atmosphere for methane (an indicator of life on Mars). MOM is credited with many achievements like cost-effectiveness, short period of realization, economical weight-budget, miniaturization of five heterogeneous science payloads etc. Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars were also imaged from close distances by Mars Colour Camera (MCC).</li>
<li><strong>Chandrayaan-1,</strong> India&rsquo;s first mission to moon, was an unmanned spacecraft along with 11 scientific payloads built in India, UK, USA, Germany, Bulgaria and Sweden. The mission comprised an orbiter and an impactor. Launched aboard PSLV-C11 by ISRO on October 22, 2008, the spacecraft was designed to study the Moon orbiting around it at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface. It had operated much less than the intended two years, but achieved more than 90% of its planned objectives.</li>
<li><strong>Chandrayaan-2,</strong> India's second mission to the Moon is a totally indigenous mission comprising of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover. Chandrayaan-2 is planned to launch in 2019 by GSLV-F10. After reaching the 100 km lunar orbit, the Lander housing the Rover will separate from the Orbiter. After a controlled descent, the Lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a Rover. The payloads will collect scientific information on lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, lunar exosphere and signatures of hydroxyl and water-ice.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Experimental Satellites</strong></p>
<p>ISRO has launched many small satellites mainly for the experimental purposes. This experiment includes Remote Sensing, Atmospheric Studies, Payload Development, Orbit Controls, recovery technology etc.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 980px; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Experimental Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 14px;">INS-1C</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 14px;">Jan 12, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 14px;">PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 14px;">Experimental</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">YOUTHSAT</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C16/RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;">Student Satellite</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">APPLE</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Jun 19, 1981</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">Ariane-1(V-3)</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;">Communication, Experimental</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Rohini Technology Payload (RTP)</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Aug 10, 1979</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">SLV-3E1</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Aryabhata</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Apr 19, 1975</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">C-1 Intercosmos</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;">Experimental</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Small Satellites</strong></p>
<p>The small satellite project is providing platform for stand-alone payloads for earth imaging and science missions within a quick turnaround time. For making the versatile platform for different kinds of payloads, two kinds of buses have been configured and developed i.e. Indian Mini Satellite -1 (IMS-1) and Indian Mini Satellite -2 (IMS-2).</p>
<table border="1" style="height: 76px; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 79.5545%; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="5"><strong>List of Small Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 11.3286%; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 13.1583%; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 12.7605%; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Mass</strong></td>
<td style="width: 29.2283%; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 13.0788%; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 11.3286%; height: 19px;">Microsat</td>
<td style="width: 13.1583%; height: 19px;">Jan 12, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 12.7605%; height: 19px;"></td>
<td style="width: 29.2283%; height: 19px;">PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission</td>
<td style="width: 13.0788%; height: 19px;">Experimental</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 11.3286%; height: 19px;">YOUTHSAT</td>
<td style="width: 13.1583%; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 12.7605%; height: 19px;">92 kg</td>
<td style="width: 29.2283%; height: 19px;">PSLV-C16/RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 13.0788%; height: 19px;">Student Satellite</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Academic Institute Satellites</strong></p>
<p>ISRO has influenced educational institutions by its activities like making satellites for communication, remote sensing and astronomy. The launch of Chandrayaan-1 increased the interest of universities and institutions towards making experimental student satellites. Capable Universities and institution can venture into space technology on-orbit with guidance and support from ISRO by ways of Development of Payload and Design &amp; Fabrication of Satellite.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 932px; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Academic Institute Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">1</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">Kalamsat-V2</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jan 24, 2019</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C44</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">4</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">PRATHAM</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Sep 26, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C35 / SCATSAT-1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">5</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">SATHYABAMASAT</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jun 22, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C34 / CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">6</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">SWAYAM</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jun 22, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C34 / CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">7</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">Jugnu</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Oct 12, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C18/Megha-Tropiques</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">9</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">STUDSAT</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jul 12, 2010</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C15/CARTOSAT-2B</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">10</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">ANUSAT</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2009</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C12 / RISAT-2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Manned Mission to Space</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In December 2018, the Indian government has announced allocation of 100 billion rupees for first manned space mission, set to be launched by 2022. An unmanned test launch of the project is likely scheduled for December 2020.</li>
<li>Also termed as Gaganyaan, this project is part of the government's ambition to make India a global low-cost provider of services in space.</li>
<li>The launch vehicle for this mission will carry heavy payloads into space. For this purpose, GSLV Mk-III is being developed with cryogenic engine.</li>
<li>ISRO has already tested the GSLV Mk-III with experimental crew module (Re-entry &amp; Recovery technology) and Crew Escape System (CES).</li>
<li>A manned space mission is very difficult to launch in terms of complexity and need of advance technology.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Scramjet (Supersonic Combusting Ramjet) engine</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In August 2016, ISRO has successfully conducted the Scramjet (Supersonic Combusting Ramjet) engine test.</li>
<li>The Scramjet engine uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser.</li>
<li>This test was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO&rsquo;s Scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6.</li>
<li>ISRO&rsquo;s Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for the test of Scramjet engines at supersonic conditions.</li>
<li>The new propulsion system will complement ISRO&rsquo;s reusable launch vehicle that would have longer flight duration.</li>
</ul>
<h3>ISRO&rsquo;s Launch Vehicles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) are the satellite-launch vehicles developed by ISRO.</li>
<li>PSLV delivers the &ldquo;earth-observation&rdquo; or &ldquo;remote-sensing&rdquo; satellites in polar orbit.</li>
<li>Apart from launching the remote sensing satellites to Sun-synchronous polar orbits, the PSLV is also used to launch the satellites of lower mass of about 1400 Kg to the elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).</li>
<li>It is a four-staged launch vehicle with first and third stage using solid fuel and second and fourth stages using liquid fuel. Strap-on motors also used with PSLV to augment the thrust.</li>
<li>PSLV is classified into its various versions like core-alone version (PSLV-CA) or PSLV-XL variants.</li>
<li>GSLV delivers the communication-satellites to the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) of about 36000 Km altitude.</li>
<li>Two versions of the GSLV are developed by ISRO and testing phase of third version is going on. The first version, GSLV Mk-II, has the capability to launch satellites of mass up to 2,500 kg to the GTO.</li>
<li>GSLV MK-II is a three-staged vehicle with first stage using solid fuel, second stage using Liquid fuel and the third stage, called Cryogenic Upper Stage, using cryogenic engine.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges and Opportunities in front of India's Space Program</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is still is a developing country with vast developmental and security concerns. In this context it is very difficult to justify the allocations for space missions that do not have a direct bearing on development.</li>
<li>Successful launched of MOM and a planned rover onto the moon surely boosted the Indian space program. But India&rsquo;s reliance on satellites has created military vulnerabilities.</li>
<li>An anti-satellite missile (ASAT) tested by China in 2007 has also elevated the threat of a slow-moving arms race in space.</li>
<li>DRDO is working on development of missile defense but it is increasingly looking to partner with the United States and other countries.</li>
<li>China has launched satellites for Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2011 and 2012 respectively. This space cooperation may become another path for China to make inroads in South Asian countries.</li>
<li>During the starting of this decade India was highly critical of the EU effort to develop a code of conduct for outer space but in last years it has been actively engaged with the United States and the EU in particular in discussing a code of conduct and other safeguarding mechanisms.</li>
<li>India holds the view that reliance on the integration of outer space and cyber capabilities will only increase in future conflicts. But now beyond the maritime domain, India has been relying on foreign partners for many other satellite-based communications and data services. For instance, it continues to rely on NASA for deep space communications.</li>
<li>Privatization may also allow India to increase its launch capacity, which is currently at four to five per year while China does on average twenty or so launches. India does not have an explicit space policy to guide private sector participation.</li>
<li>ISRO also has internal constraints on its capacity to deliver.</li>
<li>The announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump in June 2018 about the creation of a &ldquo;space force&rdquo; or a sixth branch of the American armed forces has worried many including India. While India is officially committed to PAROS, or the prevention of an arms race in outer space, it is yet to formulate a credible official response to such plans. India has yet to establish a credible space command of its own.</li>
<li>In this context China&rsquo;s reaction could be much stronger than its seemingly muted official response and it does possess a formidable space military programme that far exceeds current Indian capabilities.</li>
<li>Globally entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Richard Branson began talking of space activities as independent profitable commercial ventures that can be termed as New Space revolution.</li>
</ul>
<p>Now the time has come for a more structured approach that enables better incubation for young talent in India. Fortunately, Antrix is open to such ideas. Various policies and acts need to change from being restrictive to being enabling.</p>',
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		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'In Depth - Say No to Child Marriage',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RpLlMN9GHI0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Child Marriage is a marriage or an informal union entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age specified as minors.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>In India, the minimum legal age for marriage of a girl is 18, while for boys, it is 21.</strong></p>
<h3>Impact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Child Marriage is associated with higher rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV.</li>
<li><strong>Delays Demographic Dividend:</strong> Child Marriage contributes to larger families and in turn, population growth. This delays demographic dividend that would have come from reduced fertility and investment in education.</li>
<li>Children married at a young age <strong>do not understand the responsibilities of marriage.</strong> This results in a lack of understanding among family members. Hence, disturbs the institution of the family.</li>
<li>As per the UN, <strong>with every child bride, the world loses a future teacher, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur or political leader.</strong> The cost of this is tremendous as countries pay the price in the form of inefficient accumulation of capital and slower economic growth.</li>
<li>According to a Report by the World Bank and the International Centre for Research on Women,<strong> child marriage will cost developing countries trillions of dollars by 2030.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on Child Bride</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Married at a young age, girls get deprived of their basic rights.</strong> Some of the basic rights as mentioned in The Convention on the Rights of Child include Right to Education, Right to Rest and Leisure, Right to Protection from Mental or Physical Abuse including Rape and Sexual Exploitation.</li>
<li><strong>Child Brides often have to give up their education due to household responsibilities.</strong> It is said that if the women of a house are educated, she, in turn, educates her family. But if she is uneducated, she loses on to the opportunity to educate her own children.</li>
<li>Since child brides are not able to complete their education, <strong>they remain dependent and underpowered which acts as a big hurdle towards achieving gender equality.</strong></li>
<li>Devastating repercussions on the health of Child Brides, <strong>who are neither physically nor emotionally ready to become wives and mothers.</strong></li>
<li>According to research, the risk of<strong> maternal mortality is highest for adolescent girls in the 15 years of age.</strong></li>
<li>Also, they have <g class="gr_ gr_149 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="149" data-gr-id="149">23</g>% greater risk of disease onset including heart attack, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. They also face a high risk of psychiatric disorders.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Socio-economic factors are largely responsible for child marriages. Specific Reasons are:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Age Factor:</strong> Some parents consider the age period of 15-18 as unproductive, especially for girls, so they start finding a match for their child during this age period.</li>
<li><strong>Underaged girls are more prone to child marriage than boys.</strong> The RTE Act makes education free and compulsory up to the age of 14 only. Research shows that after a girl is taken out of school at the age of 15, there is a strong possibility of her getting married at an early age.</li>
<li><strong>Insecurity:</strong> Law and Order of different countries are still not able to provide a secure environment for the girls in adolescent age, so some parents get their girl child married at young age.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Education:</strong>&nbsp;Girls are often seen as a liability with <g class="gr_ gr_156 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="156" data-gr-id="156">limited</g> economic role. Women&rsquo;s work is confined to the household and is not valued. In addition, there is the problem of dowry. Despite the fact that dowry has been prohibited for five decades (Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961), it is still common for parents of girls in India to give gifts to the groom and /or his family either in cash or kind.</li>
<li><strong>Legal Factor:</strong> Some countries have a law for prohibiting child marriage but do not have the provision of invalidating the child marriage i.e. if a child marriage has occurred; it is not considered as void.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Global Stats</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Across the Globe, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of child marriage, where four in ten young women are married before attaining the age of 18.</li>
<li>South Asia comes second, where three in ten girls are married before the age of eighteen. This region has shown the most progress in the past decade, where a risk of a girl marrying in childhood has dropped by more than a third, from nearly 50% to 30%.</li>
<li>Latin America and the Caribbean have a lower level of 25% of child marriage followed by the Middle East and North Africa at about 17%. Eastern Europe and Central Asia hold a rate of 11%.</li>
<li>As per new data, child marriage has continued to decline around the world with accelerated progress in the last ten years. 25 million child marriages have been averted in the last decade.</li>
<li>Prevention of Child Marriage is a part of SDG 5 which deals with gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Indian Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to estimates, <strong>India contributes 33% of the total number of child brides in the world</strong>, with nearly 103 million Indians getting married before they turn 18.</li>
<li><strong>UNICEF estimates that 27% of girls i.e. nearly 1.5 million girls get married before they turn 18.</strong> This is better than 47%, a decade ago.</li>
<li>In 2018, a UN Report said that there has been a significant drop in Indian girls being forced into marriage.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Some data from Report prepared by Young Lives India along with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)</strong></p>
<p>(The report is based on comparative data analysis in child marriages from the third and fourth rounds of the National Family Health Survey)</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Murshidabad in West Bengal has the maximum prevalence rate of 39.9%,</strong> followed by Gandhinagar in Gujarat (39.3%) and Bhilwara in Rajasthan (36.4%).</li>
<li>Bihar has the maximum number of high prevalence districts (20).</li>
<li>More than one out of four married teenage girls in the 15-19 age group become mothers in India.</li>
<li><strong>States like Goa (64%), Mizoram (61%), and Meghalaya (53%) have the highest prevalence of teenage pregnancy</strong> among girls married early.</li>
<li>Highest Prevalence of Child Marriage is reported among ST girls (15%) followed by girls from SC (13%)</li>
<li>In other cases, Maharashtra has the highest percentage of girl child marriage.</li>
<li>Prevalence of marriage in India among 15-19-year-old girls declined in a decade between 2005-06 and 2015-16.</li>
<li>The 3rd and 4th NFHS finds that decline has been more than half from 26.5% to 11.9%. Though, data is based on a sample survey and not on 100% enumeration.</li>
<li><strong>Rajasthan has shown a decline in the number of child marriages.</strong> Percentage of women married before 18 have come down by half over the last ten years.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Law in India</h3>
<h3></h3>
<p><strong> Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This Act replaced the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 which was enacted during the British era.</li>
<li>It defines a child to mean a male below 21 years and female below 18 years.</li>
<li>"Minor" is defined as a person who has not attained the age of majority as per the Majority Act.</li>
<li>The legal status of Child Marriage is Voidable if so desired by one of the parties. However, if the consent is obtained by fraud, deceit or if the child is enticed away from his/her lawful guardians, and if the sole purpose is to use the child for trafficking or other immoral purposes, marriage would be void.</li>
<li>There is also a provision for maintenance of girl child. Husband is liable to pay maintenance in case he is a major. In case, the husband is also a minor, his parents would be liable to pay maintenance.</li>
<li>It envisages preventing child marriage with punishments of rigorous imprisonment for two years and/ or fine of Rs. 1 lakh.</li>
<li>The Act also provides for the appointment of Child Marriage Prohibition Officer whose duties are to prevent child marriages and spread awareness regarding the same.</li>
</ul>
<p>If the world continues to move at current pace, over 150 million additional girls will get married before their 18th birthday, by 2030. So to end the malpractice of child marriage by 2030 i.e. to achieve the target set out in SDGs, progress must be significantly accelerated.</p>
<p>P<strong>eople need to be made aware of the various socio-economic impacts of child marriage on regular basis, to prevent it completely. Strict implementation of laws and making education mandatory up to the age of 18 years can also help in preventing child marriages.</strong></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-say-no-to-child-marriage'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'UPSC Civil Services Exam',
			'catname' => 'Prelims',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p><strong>Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.</strong></p>
</div>
<p>Indian Civil Services which includes the top services i.e. the IAS, IPS and IFS, is the dream career for millions of aspirants from all over the country.</p>
<h3><a href="/postal-course" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836243_1.jpg" /></a>Why to Choose Civil Services as a Career?</h3>
<p>Civil Services work as the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country. Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) are three of the most preferable services under this. IAS is most sought after among these services as IAS officers get the opportunity to serve on higher strategic positions in the Union Government and State Governments.</p>
<h3><br />About the Examination Process</h3>
<p>In order to get selected into these coveted services, candidates have to appear in the Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and should pass a three-phase selection process. The three phases are the Civil Services Preliminary Exam (Prelims), Civil Services (Main) Examination (Mains) and The Personality Test (Interview).</p>
<p>As per the official UPSC Exam Calendar, Civil Services Preliminary 2021 Exam will be conducted on June 27, 2021. The Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2021 will be conducted from September 17, 2021 for five days.&nbsp;Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination&nbsp;2021 will be conducted from November 21, 2021 for 10 days.</p>
<h3>How to Apply</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Candidates are required to apply Online using the official website of UPSC that is <a href="http://www.upsconline.nic.in">www.upsconline.nic.in</a>.</li>
<li>Candidates need to complete the Online Application Form containing two stages viz. Part-I and Part-II as per the instructions available in the above mentioned website.</li>
<li>The candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs.100/- Rupees One Hundred only) [excepting SC/ST/ Female/Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates who are exempted from payment of fee] either by depositing the money in any branch of State Bank of India by cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India or by using any Visa/Master/RuPay Credit/ Debit Card.</li>
<li>Before start filling up Online Application form, a candidate must have his/her photograph and signature duly scanned in the jpg format in such a manner that each file should not exceed 40 KB and must not be less than 3 KB in size for the photograph and 1 KB for the signature.</li>
<li>Applicants should avoid submitting multiple applications. In case of multiple applications, the applications with higher Registration ID will be considered by the Commission.</li>
<li>The applicants must ensure that while filling their Application Form, they are providing their valid and active E-Mail IDs as the Commission may use electronic mode of communication while contacting them at different stages of examination process.</li>
</ul>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #edf5bf;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 51px;">
<td style="width: 1218px; height: 51px;" colspan="2">
<p><strong>Important Dates<br /><br /></strong><em>*These are tentative dates and liable to alteration, if the circumstances so warrant.</em></p>
<p><a href="/images/pdf/ExamCal-2021-Engl-170820.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>To check the UPSC calendar for 2021, please click here.</em></a></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">March 03, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Date of Notification for Civil Service Prelims Examination and Indian Forest Service Prelims Examination</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">March 24, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Last date to apply for Civil Service Prelims Exam and Indian Forest Service Prelims Exam</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">September 17, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Date of Civil Services (Main) Examination</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">November 21, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Plan of Examination</h3>
<p>The Civil Services Examination consist of two successive stages</p>
<ol class="lower-alpha">
<li>Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Main Examination; and</li>
<li>Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various Services and posts.</li>
</ol>
<p><em>*Candidates who are declared qualified for Civil Services (Main) Examination; have to submit <strong>Detailed Application Form (DAF)</strong>.</em></p>
<h3>First Stage Details</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination comprises of two papers of 200 marks each i.e. General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II.</li>
<li>GS Paper-II (also known as CSAT i.e. Civil Service Aptitude Test) is of qualifying in nature and in which a candidate has to secure 33% marks only.</li>
<li>Objective type (Multiple Choice Questions) is asked in this stage. Marks obtained in this stage are counted only to decide merit in preliminary examination, not for final selection. Clearing the Prelims makes one eligible for the next stage of the exam.</li>
</ul>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Second Stage Details</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Civil Services (Main) Examination is the &lsquo;written stage&rsquo; of the examination. It consists of nine papers of which, marks of only seven papers are counted in deciding the final merit list. In the remaining two papers, a candidate has to secure the minimum qualifying marks decided by UPSC each year. The question papers for the Mains examination are of conventional (essay) type.</li>
<li>The Civil Services Personality Test consists of a board of members for assessing the candidate&rsquo;s personality. A candidate is asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>*Final rank of a candidate in merit list is depends upon the marks scored in second stage only i.e. written and Interview.</em></p>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #edf5bf;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 852px; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="3"><strong>Table shows the Marks distribution counted for final merit</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;"><strong>Paper</strong></td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;"><strong>Subject</strong></td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>Marks</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-1</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">Essay</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-2</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-3</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-4</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-5</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-6</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">Optional Subject &ndash; Paper 1</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 10px;">Paper-7</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 10px;">
<p>Optional Subject &ndash; Paper 2<br /><br />Sub Total (Written test)<br /><br />Personality Test<br /><br />Grand Total</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 10px; text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">250<br /><br />1750<br /><br />275<br /><br />2025</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Two Qualifying Papers are:</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Paper-A (One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution): 300 Marks</li>
<li>Paper-B (English): 300 Marks</li>
</ul>
<h3>Eligibility Criteria</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>For the IAS and the IPS, a candidate must be a citizen of India. For other services, a candidate must be either a citizen of India or a citizen of some other country (eligible after meeting with some special conditions).</li>
<li>A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August of examination year. The upper age-limit is relaxable, maximum of 5 years for SC/STs candidates and 3 years for OBC candidates. Age relaxation is also applicable for Ex-Defense personnel and candidates with certain disability.</li>
<li>A candidate must hold a Universities degree, or possess an equivalent qualification for appearing in Civil Services Examination. Candidates who have appeared in the final year of degree examination and also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. But such candidates have to produce proof of passing the requisite examination before appearing in Civil Services (Main) Examination.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>*A candidate who got appointed as an IAS or IFS officer in earlier examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to compete at this examination. Moreover, a candidate who is appointed to the Indian Police Service will not be eligible to opt for the Indian Police Service in the next exam.</em></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Other 'Group A' Services</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Indian P&amp;T Accounts &amp; Finance Service</li>
<li>Indian Audit and Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise)</li>
<li>Indian Defence Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Revenue Service (I.T.)</li>
<li>Indian Ordnance Factories Service (Assistant Works Manager, Administration)</li>
<li>Indian Postal Service</li>
<li>Indian Civil Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Traffic Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Personnel Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Protection Force (Assistant Security Commissioner)</li>
<li>Indian Defence Estates Service</li>
<li>Indian Information Service (Junior Grade)</li>
<li>Indian Trade Service, Group 'A' (Gr. III)</li>
<li>Indian Corporate Law Service</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>'Group B' Services</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service (Section Officer's Grade)</li>
<li>Delhi, Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman &amp; Diu, and Dadra &amp; Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS)</li>
<li>Delhi, Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman &amp; Diu, and Dadra &amp; Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS)</li>
<li>Pondicherry Civil Service</li>
<li>Pondicherry Police Service</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>List of optional subjects for Main Examination:</strong></p>
<p>(i) Agriculture</p>
<p>(ii) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science</p>
<p>(iii) Anthropology</p>
<p>(iv) Botany</p>
<p>(v) Chemistry</p>
<p>(vi) Civil Engineering</p>
<p>(vii) Commerce and Accountancy</p>
<p>(viii) Economics</p>
<p>(ix) Electrical Engineering</p>
<p>(x) Geography</p>
<p>(xi) Geology</p>
<p>(xii) History</p>
<p>(xiii) Law</p>
<p>(xiv) Management</p>
<p>(xv) Mathematics</p>
<p>(xvi) Mechanical Engineering</p>
<p>(xvii) Medical Science</p>
<p>(xviii) Philosophy</p>
<p>(xix) Physics</p>
<p>(xx) Political Science and International Relations</p>
<p>(xxi) Psychology</p>
<p>(xxii) Public Administration</p>
<p>(xxiii) Sociology</p>
<p>(xxiv) Statistics</p>
<p>(xxv) Zoology</p>
<p><strong>(xxvi) Literature of any one of the following languages:</strong></p>
<p>Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.</p>
</div>
<p></p>
<p><a href="/prelims/preliminary-examination-syllabus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836343_2.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="/mains/mains-syllabus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836352_3.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://bit.ly/3sUmt3w" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="background-color: #800080;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #800080;"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836361_4.jpg" /></span></span></a></p>
<p><gdiv></gdiv></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/prelims/about-civil-services'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'India-Africa Relations',
			'catname' => 'Paper 2',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, President of South Africa Cyril Ramphosa visited India on a two-day visit. He was the chief guest at 70th Republic Day Celebrations in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Historical Ties</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s relations with Africa date back several centuries. The presence of Indians in East Africa is documented in the 'Periplus of the Erythraean Sea' or Guidebook of the Red Sea by an ancient Greek author written in 60 AD.</li>
<li>The geographical proximity and easy navigability in Indian Ocean resulted in well-established trade network between India and the Swahili Coast predating European exploration.</li>
<li>More concrete relation between India and Africa begins to emerge during the Islamic age which is evident through the accounts of Venetian traveller Marco Polo.</li>
<li>Political connection during the colonial era was linked through M.K Gandhi who began his political career in South Africa, became the leader of colonized and established Indian Natal Congress in 1894.</li>
<li>After India got independent, it raised voice for African liberation taking their case to all the available international forums. End of racial struggle and decolonization became the rallying point of India&ndash;Africa relations.</li>
<li>India was a forerunner as a champion of the interests of the developing countries from Africa, particularly through the Bandung Declaration of 1955, the Group of 77, and the Non Aligned Movement (NAM).</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s policy of NAM provided the world with the third front at the time of heightened cold war rivalry between US and USSR, where African nations acted as the strengthening factor.</li>
<li>A large chunk of Indian diaspora continues to live in African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, and Nigeria.</li>
<li>It is this sense of solidarity, mutual trust and confidence born in the difficult days of the Cold War which continues to drive India-Africa cooperation to this day.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Importance of Africa</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Africa is home to over half a dozen of the fastest growing countries of this decade such as Rwanda, Senegal, and Tanzania etc making it <strong>one of the growth pole</strong> of the world.</li>
<li>Real GDP in Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa in the past decade <strong>has grown by more than twice</strong> the rate in 1980s and 90's.</li>
<li>African continent has a population of over one billion with a combined GDP of 2.5 trillion dollars making it a <strong>huge potential market</strong>.</li>
<li>Africa is a <strong>resource rich nation</strong> dominated by commodities like crude oil, gas, pulses and lentils, leather, gold and other metals, all of which India lack in sufficient quantities.</li>
<li>India is seeking diversification of its oil supplies away from the Middle East and Africa can play an <strong>important role in India&rsquo;s energy matrix</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India in Africa</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Engagement at all levels with African countries has increased in the last two decades with a large number of public and private sector companies from India investing in Africa.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s duty-free tariff preferential scheme for Least Developed Nation (LDCs) launched in 2008 has benefited 33 African states.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s engagement with African nations remains at three levels: Bilateral, Regional and Multilateral.</li>
<li>Multilateral engagement was launched with the first <strong>India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)</strong> in 2008.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India Africa Forum Summit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The India&ndash;Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is the official platform for the <strong>African-Indian relations</strong>.</li>
<li>It is <strong>held once in every three years beginning from 2008</strong>.</li>
<li>India by consistently holding India- Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) in places like New Delhi (2008), Addis Ababa (2011) and New Delhi (2015) has already forged ties with the 54 African states through the African Union (AU).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is investing in capacity building providing more than $1 billion in technical assistance and training to personnel under the <strong>Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)</strong> program.</li>
<li>As a full member of African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), India has pledged $1 million towards ACBF&rsquo;s sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and capacity building initiative.</li>
<li>India has invested $100 million in the <strong>Pan-African E-Network</strong> to bridge the digital divide in Africa, leveraging its strengths in information technology.</li>
<li>Indian military academies offer <strong>training to military officers</strong> from a number of African states.</li>
<li>India has also unveiled the Vision Document of the <strong>Asian Africa Growth Corridor</strong> which is jointly prepared by Indian and Japanese think tanks.</li>
<li>The corridor will focus on <strong>Developing Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure and Institutional Connectivity, skill enhancement,</strong> and People-to-People Partnership.</li>
<li>India postulates that its partnership with Africa is an amalgam of development priorities in keeping with the African Union&rsquo;s long term plan and the Africa Agenda 2063, as well as India&rsquo;s development objectives.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Areas of Cooperation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Trade &ndash;</strong> Indian-African synergies can be used for expanding sectors like tourism, banking, telecommunications, manufacturing and agriculture.</li>
<li><strong>Security &ndash;</strong> Being the littoral states in the Indian Ocean, they can work towards establishing mechanisms to deal with threats to regional security including terrorism and piracy.</li>
<li><strong>Capacity Building &ndash;</strong> Africa&rsquo;s expectation from India in the field of public health goes beyond just the supply of affordable medicine to cover assistance in developing the continent&rsquo;s public health services capacities.</li>
<li><strong>Maritime Cooperation &ndash;</strong> development of blue economy and renewable energy for the continent&rsquo;s growth can be realized by Indian experience and the expertise to develop and manage the maritime resources.</li>
<li><strong>Food Security &ndash;</strong> India and Africa face similar challenges in regards to hunger and undernutrition. Importing food grains from African nations will address nation&rsquo;s food security problem.</li>
<li>It will also provide opportunities to farmers of Africa to increase income, productivity and generate employment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ethnic and religious conflicts and governance issues in some countries make foreign contributors aversive to venture in the region.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s substantive presence in Africa has remained marginal as it focused on its own periphery through much of the Cold War period which limited its capabilities.</li>
<li>Since the end of the Cold War China&rsquo;s presence has grown in Africa, who has been providing soft loans to African states which has resulted in Chinese growing influence in the continent.</li>
<li>With government institutions and businesses working in separate silos, India has no coordinated Africa policy nor does there seem to be an avenue where the strengths of both actors can be leveraged.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>New Delhi will need to start delivering on the ground if the India-Africa partnership has to move beyond high level visits.</li>
<li>Indian investments in Africa need to expand and diversify towards &lsquo;broad&rsquo; range and not remain restricted to traditional sectors of investments.</li>
<li>In order to keep the momentum of building political and economic ties with this increasingly important region, steps should be taken towards tailoring and funding joint projects for the sustainable development of the Africa.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/480Drishti_ias_India-Africa.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/480Drishti_ias_India-Africa.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/Paper2/india-africa-relations'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Massive Mountains Discovered under Earth’s Crust',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Scientists have discovered massive mountains in the Earth&rsquo;s mantle.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The mountains were located<strong> at the boundary of the outer and lower mantle at a depth of 660 km.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426206_image45.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426206_image45.jpg" width="400" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong></li>
<li>Lacking a formal name for this layer, the researchers simply call it <strong>&ldquo;the 660-km boundary.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>How it was Discovered?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Scientists have used the <strong>earthquake data from the 8.2 magnitude earthquake which shook Bolivia in 1994.</strong></li>
<li>This earthquake was the second-largest deep earthquake ever recorded, with a focal point estimated at a depth of 650 kilometers.</li>
<li><strong>This earthquake was also the first big earthquake to be measured on a modern seismic network, providing researchers with unprecedented data.</strong></li>
<li>Data was gathered from earthquakes waves that travel in all directions and can travel through the core to the other side of the planet.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>From earthquake waves, the researchers came to know that the<strong> upper and lower mantle boundary at 660 km depth is rough.</strong></li>
<li>The researchers also examined a layer 410 km down, at the top of the mid-mantle &ldquo;transition zone,&rdquo; and the surface is not similarly rough.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Due to technical limitations, scientists were not able to determine the height of these mountains, but there&rsquo;s a chance that these mountains are <strong>bigger than anything on the surface of the Earth.</strong></li>
<li>This discovery is also important for understanding <strong>how the earth formed and continues to function.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Interior of the Earth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Earth has three layers:<strong> a crust, mantle, and core,</strong> which is subdivided into an inner and outer core.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Information about Interior of the Earth</h4>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are two sources of information for scientists about the interior of the earth: Direct and Indirect.</li>
<li><strong>Direct Sources</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Surface rock</strong> or the rocks from <strong>mining</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Deep Ocean Drilling Projects:</strong>&nbsp;The deepest drill is at Kola, in the Arctic Ocean, which has reached a depth of 12 km.</li>
<li><strong>Volcanic eruptions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indirect Sources</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Meteors</strong> from space.</li>
<li><strong>Gravitation</strong>, <strong>magnetic</strong> field.</li>
<li><strong>Seismic</strong> <strong>activity</strong>: Seismic activity is one of the most important sources of information about the interior of the earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Earthquake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An earthquake in simple words is<strong> shaking of the earth.</strong> It is a natural event. It is caused due to the release of energy, which generates waves that travel in all directions.</li>
<li><strong>Focus and Epicenter</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The release of energy occurs along a fault. The<strong> point where the energy is released</strong> is called the<strong> focus of an earthquake.</strong></li>
<li>The energy waves traveling in different directions reach the surface of the earth. The <strong>point on the surface, nearest to the focus, is called Epicenter.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Earthquake Waves<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426283_image21.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426283_image21.jpg" width="400" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earthquake waves are basically of two types &mdash; body waves and surface waves.</li>
<li><strong>Body waves</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Body waves are generated due to the release of energy at the focus and move in all directions traveling through the body of the earth. Hence, the name body waves.</li>
<li>There are <strong>two types of body waves</strong>. They are called P and S-waves.</li>
<li><strong>P-waves:</strong> P-waves move faster and are the first to arrive at the surface. These are also called<strong>&nbsp;primary waves.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The P-waves are similar to sound waves. <strong>They travel through gaseous, liquid and solid materials.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>S-waves:</strong> S-waves arrive at the surface with some time lag. These are called<strong> secondary waves.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>An important fact about S-waves is that they <strong>can travel only through solid materials.</strong></li>
<li>This characteristic of the S-waves is quite important. It has <strong>helped scientists to understand the structure of the interior of the earth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Surface waves</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>body waves interact with the surface rocks</strong> and generate a new set of waves called surface waves.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Shadow Zones</strong></p>
<p>Earthquake waves get recorded in seismographs located at far off locations. However, there exist some specific areas where the P and S waves are not reported. Such a zone is called the &lsquo;shadow zone&rsquo;.</p>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/massive-mountains-discovered-under-earths-crust'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Needed: Policy, not Reaction',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Needed: Policy, not Reaction&rdquo; which appeared in The Indian Express for 18th February 2019. In this article we will discuss the concerns that arose after the tragic incident in Pulwama.)</p>
</div>
<p><em>Whenever Pakistan starts to speak the language of peace, it raises hackles in India because it seems evident that something unusual is in the offing and the overtures are primarily there to bait India.</em></p>
<p>As the nation mourns the tragic loss of 40 gallant CRPF jawans, killed in a &ldquo;fidayeen&rdquo; attack, people are engulfed by emotions of grief, hatred, and anger. Stomach-churning visuals of the mangled CRPF vehicle speak of the technical expertise that went into the preparation of a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) as well as the detailed planning is undertaken for this deadly ambush of the police convoy.</p>
<p><strong>Pakistani fidayeen attacks on the Pathankot air base, followed by the Uri and Nagrota army camps &mdash; and now, Pulwama &mdash; showed, little had changed.</strong></p>
<p>The Pakistani experience had also much to do with religiously radicalized young men strapped with explosives detonating themselves at gatherings of people &mdash; the suicide bomber as against the suicide fighter.</p>
<p>Suicide bombing was neither experienced in earlier years nor has it manifested itself yet in Kashmir. Its threat potential, of course, remains <g class="gr_ gr_97 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling" id="97" data-gr-id="97">live</g> and its entry could further change the nature of the proxy war.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the premier central police force of the Union of India for internal security.</li>
<li>The Central Reserve Police Force came into existence as Crown Representative&rsquo;s Police on 27th July 1939.</li>
<li>It became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December 1949.</li>
<li><strong>Broad duties being performed by the CRPF are:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Crowd control</li>
<li>Riot control</li>
<li>Counter Militancy / Insurgency operations</li>
<li>Dealing with Left Wing Extremism</li>
<li>Overall coordination of large scale security arrangement especially with regard to elections in disturbed areas</li>
<li><g class="gr_ gr_148 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="148" data-gr-id="148">Fighting</g> enemy in the event of War</li>
<li>Participating in UN Peacekeeping Mission as per Govt. policy</li>
<li>Rescue and Relief operations at the time of natural calamities and disasters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>One of the first instances of a vehicle-borne IED being used in J&amp;K, the success of this tactic could mark a new phase in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations.</strong></li>
<li>At the core of any cogitation [i.e a carefully considered thought about something] about Pakistan, firm the focus needs to be retained on the centrality of its <strong>&ldquo;deep state&rdquo; &mdash; the unholy nexus of its army&rsquo;s General Headquarters and the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) Directorate.</strong></li>
<li>Crisis after crisis has caught India by surprise &mdash; unprepared and invariably in the reactive mode.</li>
<li><strong>Nothing illustrates the barrenness of New Delhi&rsquo;s prevailing strategic culture better than the failure of the Indian state to evolve a strategy for resolution of the Kashmir complication.</strong> They have allowed, instead, this issue to become a pressure-point for exploitation by our western and eastern neighbours, separately and in collusion.</li>
<li>Pakistan&rsquo;s three-decade-long strategy of &ldquo;bleeding India by a thousand cuts&rdquo; &mdash; using terrorists and religious fanatics &mdash; premised, at first, on India&rsquo;s &ldquo;strategic restraint&rdquo;, and then on its own nuclear capability.</li>
<li><strong>National security has suffered neglect for decades due to the intense and sustained pre-occupation of our politicians with electoral politics.</strong> This neglect is evident in the yawning gap between political pronouncements and the voids, increasingly evident, in our military capabilities &mdash; material as well as organisational.</li>
<li>Whether it is kidnappings, hijackings, terrorist strikes or other assaults on India&rsquo;s sovereignty, we have been found wanting in an early and coherent response, because state functionaries lack SOPs [standard operating procedures] for guidance.</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> remains <strong>deficient in intelligence-analysis, inter-agency coordination, and, above all, a national security doctrine.</strong></li>
<li>Having created an elaborate national security framework, post Pokhran II, India has strangely shied away from promulgating a doctrine. Apart from diplomatic and economic steps that are being initiated, the current juncture would be apt for the urgent promulgation of a security-cum-defence doctrine.</li>
<li>Such a document, whose public version defines India&rsquo;s vital interests, aims and objectives will not only become the basis for strategy-formulation, contingency-planning, and evolution of SOPs, but also send a reassuring message to our public.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>For preventing a recurrence of such tragedies, it is vital that an urgent review be undertaken of the quality and timeliness of intelligence inputs and the SOPs being followed by the armed police force convoys; especially if different from the army&rsquo;s.</strong></li>
<li>Rather than the scope for any knee-jerk or emotional response, this tragic incident provides India yet another opportunity for reflection and introspection about our management of crisis situations in general, and of Pakistan&rsquo;s role in Kashmir, in particular.</li>
<li>The national political leadership would do well not to be guided by the immediacy of electoral considerations; national security interests transcend this.</li>
<li><strong>Whatever are the selected options, the two things that would make for stronger execution are political consensus and management of internal social cohesion.</strong></li>
<li><strong>India cannot achieve its strategic objectives if Kashmiris remain targets of physical abuse and harassment, and minorities are vilified on social media.</strong></li>
<li>It is a difficult time for India and the leadership has to work overtime to ensure that the Indian armed forces have a &lsquo;firm base&rsquo; to operate from; that is always a military need anyway.</li>
<li><strong>Reaction for an action cannot be considered as a sustainable solution. There is a need for policy reforms which can rebuild the trust of misguided Kashmiri youth and provide a way for the overall development of Kashmir.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-international-convention-on-terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Read more International Convention on Terrorism&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ten-years-of-mumbai-terror-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ten years of Mumbai Terror Attack</strong></a></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/needed-policy-not-reaction'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'India-Africa Relations',
			'catname' => 'Paper 2',
			'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/650Drishti_ias_India-Africa.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/650Drishti_ias_India-Africa.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-paper2/india-africa-relations-mind-map'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'In Depth - Melting of Himalayan Glaciers',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JpbOlAtcT8o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released a report on Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) Region, titled as &lsquo;Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment&rsquo; Report. According to the Report, even the most ambitious goal set by the Paris Agreement to limit global warming would lead to a 2.1 spike in temperature in the Hindu Kush Region, leading to melting of one-third of the region&rsquo;s glaciers and thus potentially destabilizing Asia&rsquo;s rivers.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>&lsquo;Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment&rsquo; Report</strong></p>
<p>The Report is a combined effort of more than 350 researchers and policymakers from 22 countries and has been compiled by ICIMOD, which is a Nepal based intergovernmental organization, serving the eight regional member countries of the HKH region &ndash; Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.</p>
<p>The Report lays down in definitive detail, the HKH Region's critical importance to the well-being of billions and its alarming vulnerability, especially in the face of climate change.</p>
<p><strong>Significant Findings</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>HKH Region spans eight countries; Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar and also has some of the world&rsquo;s tallest mountains including Mt. Everest and K2. HKH Glaciers feed into river systems including Ganga, Yangtze, Irrawaddy, and Mekong.</li>
<li>The water that runs down from glaciers feeds the agriculture, on which nearly 2 billion people are dependent upon.</li>
<li>HKH Region, also known as the third pole, along with China&rsquo;s Tien Shan Mountains holds most ice outside the North and the South Pole. The Report claims that less attention has been devoted to the region than to other areas, considered more vulnerable to Global Warming.</li>
<li>Since the 1970s, about 15% of the ice in the region has disappeared as the temperature has risen.</li>
<li>Under the more dire circumstances, the Himalayas could heat up by 4.4 degree Celsius by the century&rsquo;s end, bringing radical disruptions to food and water supplies and mass population displacement.</li>
<li>The Report stresses that even if carbon emissions are dramatically and rapidly cut and succeed in limiting global warming to 1.5 <g class="gr_ gr_103 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="103" data-gr-id="103">degree</g> C, 36% of the glaciers in the HKH Range will have been gone by 2100.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Impact of Melting Glaciers</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Melting Glaciers will increase river flows through years 2050 to 2060, pushing up the risk of high altitude lakes <g class="gr_ gr_101 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="101" data-gr-id="101">busting</g> their banks and engulfing communities.</li>
<li>From the 2060s, river flows will go into decline. Lower flows will cut the power from Hydro dams that generate much of the Region&rsquo;s electricity.</li>
<li>There will be a most serious impact of water shortage on farmers in the foothills and downstream. Farmers rely on predictable water supplies to grow crops that feed nations in the mountainous chateaus.</li>
<li>Glacial Melting will also likely cause global sea levels to rise, threatening already endangered species like the Snow Leopard and Tiger and dramatically change the roof of the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Climate Change</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Worldwide, Ice is melting, and glaciers are shrinking rapidly.</li>
<li>For Example, in Montana&rsquo;s Glacier National Park, presently, the number of glaciers have declined to fewer than 30 from more than 150 in 1910.</li>
<li>Melting ice leads to <g class="gr_ gr_182 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="182" data-gr-id="182">rising</g> in global sea level. According to Scientists, global sea levels are rising 0.13 inches every year. The rise has been rapid in recent years threatening low lying islands and coastal cities.</li>
<li>Melting Glaciers and vanishing ice has made survival of certain species difficult, pushing them towards extinction.</li>
<li>Frequent and extreme weather events like bushfires, cyclones, droughts, and floods are being witnessed.</li>
<li>Scientists point that oceans have absorbed most of the extra heat and carbon dioxide, making seas warmer and acidic.</li>
<li>Warming waters bleach coral reefs and drive stronger storms.</li>
<li>Rising Ocean Acidity threatens shellfish including the tiny crustaceans, without which marine food chain will collapse.</li>
<li>The threat to Agriculture: Where, How and Why we grow food is vitally connected to patterns in climate. Changes in climate pattern affect the agricultural economy of a country.</li>
<li>Warmer Atmosphere also leads to the formation of ground-level ozone, also known as Smog, in polluted areas.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of climate change in 2018 (stats)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>No Mega Disaster (death of more than 5000 people in a disaster) in the year.</li>
<li>In 2018, 61.7 million People were affected by natural disasters, losing their jobs and possessions, being displaced and injured.</li>
<li>10,373 people lost their lives, majorly due to earthquakes and Tsunamis- a significant decrease from the average of 77,144 deaths recorded between 2000 and 2017.</li>
<li>Wildfires hit North America and Europe badly claiming a record number of 247 lives compared to the average of 71 for the past seventeen years.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Initiatives <g class="gr_ gr_223 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="223" data-gr-id="223">taken</g> by India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>International Solar Alliance (ISA): Initiated by India, it is an alliance of more than 121 countries, most of them being sunshine countries. The primary objective is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.</li>
<li>National Clean Air Program(NCAP): Under it, a long term and time-bound national level strategy were build up to tackle the increasing air pollution problems across the country in a comprehensive manner.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s first National Air Quality Index (NAQI): Prime Minister Modi launched the index in 2015, to monitor the quality of air in major urban centers across the country on a real-time basis.</li>
<li>Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan: A national campaign by the government to clean streets, roads and infrastructure of the country.</li>
<li>Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: It is a move to expand LPG connection among rural poor and thus cut household air pollution and protect health, particularly of women.</li>
<li>Waste Management has remained a priority which gets reflected in the notification of six waste management rules.</li>
<li>Namami Gange Program for cleaning and rejuvenating Ganga.</li>
<li>Battery Cars: In order to reduce emissions and cut fuel imports, the government is buying 10,000 battery-powered cars from Tata Motors and Mahindra &amp; Mahindra to replace Petrol and Diesel cars.</li>
<li>Steps were taken to reduce the use of single-use plastic.</li>
<li>Steps were taken to progress towards implementing the 2030 SDG targets. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are ambitious global development goals that address key aspects of universal well being across different socio-economic, cultural, geographical divisions and integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development.</li>
</ul>
<p>Experts see 2019 as a more catastrophic year compared to 2018. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has predicted more natural disasters in 2019. Countries need to prepare for that and have to make combined efforts to reduce overall emissions from fuels, conserve the forest cover and push the use of renewable energy.</p>
<p>India needs to give itself a big push to reduce its emissions from diesel, petrol, and coal. India has protected its forest cover very well. On the same lines, it should try to make its air and water clean.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-melting-of-himalayan-glaciers'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (16th February 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Great Barrier Reef</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577425688_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577425688_image4.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recent runoff from floods in <strong>northern Australia</strong> is flowing onto parts of the Barrier Reef,<strong> starving coral of light</strong> and providing fodder for the <strong>predatory crown-of-thorns starfish.</strong></li>
<li>The predatory crown-of-thorns starfish, which eat coral, have also proliferated on the reef <strong>due to pollution and agricultural runoff</strong>.</li>
<li>Further, these floods are <strong>causing algae to grow</strong> in some areas which <g class="gr_ gr_29 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="29" data-gr-id="29">provides</g> a brilliant food source to <strong>allow the population of starfish to thrive.</strong></li>
<li>Coral reef and seagrass need <strong>light to maintain their growth and health.</strong> The floods have spilled sediment onto the reef which has reduced water quality and much-needed sunlight.</li>
<li>It can be noted that the reef has already suffered from <strong>back-to-back <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/coral-bleaching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coral bleaching</a> in 2016 and 2017,</strong> where swathes have been killed by rising sea temperatures linked to climate change.</li>
<li>The Great Barrier Reef is the <strong>world's largest coral reef system</strong> composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 <g class="gr_ gr_32 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="32" data-gr-id="32">kilometres</g> over an area of approximately 344,400 square <g class="gr_ gr_33 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="33" data-gr-id="33">kilometres</g> (133,000 sq mi)<g class="gr_ gr_105 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="105" data-gr-id="105">.</g></li>
<li><g class="gr_ gr_105 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Style replaceWithoutSep" id="105" data-gr-id="105">Th</g>e reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia<g class="gr_ gr_119 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="119" data-gr-id="119">.</g></li>
<li><g class="gr_ gr_119 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Style replaceWithoutSep" id="119" data-gr-id="119">Th</g>e Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and <strong>built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps.</strong></li>
<li>It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a <strong>World Heritage Site in 1981.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-16th-february-2019'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'LADIS – Least Available Depth Information System',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>To ensure optimum use of National Waterways (NWs), the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has launched a <strong>new portal LADIS &ndash; Least Available Depth Information System.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>LADIS will ensure that <strong>real-time data on least available depths</strong> is disseminated for ship/barge and cargo owners so that they can undertake transportation on NWs in a more planned way.</li>
<li>IWAI has designed LADIS to facilitate the <strong>day-to-day operations of inland vessels plying on NWs</strong> and to avoid any hindrance in service and operation.</li>
<li>It will enhance <strong>credibility and efficiency of information sharing</strong> to achieve seamless operations on NWs, besides pre-empting problems that may occur during movement of vessels.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inland Waterways Authority of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is a <strong>statutory body under Ministry of Shipping established in 1986</strong> for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.</li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh</strong> and its main function is to build necessary infrastructure in inland waterways, surveying economic feasibility of new projects and also carrying out administration and regulation.</li>
<li>As per the <strong>National Waterways Act, 2016, 111 waterways</strong> have been declared as NWs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In<strong> 2018, the IWAI</strong> also launched a portal known as <strong>Forum of Cargo Owners and Logistics Operators (FOCAL)</strong> for cargo owners and logistic operators to access real time data on availability of vessels.</li>
<li>In 2018, IWAI signed a project agreement with the World Bank for<strong> Jal Marg Vikas Project</strong> on river Ganga which aims for capacity augmentation of navigation on <strong>NW-1 (River Ganga) from Varanasi to Haldia.</strong></li>
<li>These initiatives are a part of objective to develop NWs as a<strong> key transport intervention and lower huge logistics costs,</strong> which currently account for<strong> 15% of the GDP</strong> and is about<strong> twice that of the U.S.&rsquo; logistics costs.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ladis-least-available-depth-information-system'
		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Is the Unemployment Crisis for Real?',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Is the unemployment crisis for real?&rdquo; which appeared in The Hindu for 15th February 2019. In this article we will see how to not let the brewing unemployment crisis turn into a calamity.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) latest </strong><g class="gr_ gr_157 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="157" data-gr-id="157">labour</g><strong> force survey suggests that unemployment rose to an all-time high of 6.1% last year. This is a very worrying trend.</strong></p>
<p>The jobs situation in India does not reflect a crisis yet, but this unemployment rate is a matter of serious concern. A crisis is understood as an emergency that demands immediate attention, without which we could see a calamity of sorts. <strong>Though there is no immediate calamity of any kind on hand, there is a deeply insidious problem at work in the form of shrinking employment opportunities, shrinking formal jobs, and a shrinking </strong><g class="gr_ gr_141 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="141" data-gr-id="141">labour</g><strong> force.</strong></p>
<p>A populous and demographically young country like India has a lot to gain if the expanding working-age population can join the <g class="gr_ gr_115 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="115" data-gr-id="115">labour</g> force and be provided with gainful employment. More hands at work can ensure greater prosperity and relatively evenly spread growth.</p>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>If India cannot provide employment to its growing working-age population, it does not just miss a chance to become a prosperous country but also risks becoming an unmanageable or unruly country.</strong></li>
<li>Unemployed youth, beyond a threshold, can lose hope of a job and can easily stray into becoming antisocial elements.</li>
<li><strong>Statistics give us clues about the brewing problem and its insidious nature.</strong> First, we are in the midst of a serious investments deficit. The impact of this fall in investments is visible in shrinking jobs.</li>
<li>This fall in jobs is not translating into a proportionate rise in unemployment. But it is showing up in a fall in the <g class="gr_ gr_147 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="147" data-gr-id="147">labour</g> participation rate. A rise in unemployment is bad, but a fall in the <g class="gr_ gr_148 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="148" data-gr-id="148">labour</g> participation rate is worse.</li>
<li><strong>With education comes the expectation of a &lsquo;better&rsquo; job.</strong> Those who can afford education also tend to be in a position to wait for a job that meets their requirements.</li>
<li><strong>The data show that unemployment is higher among the educated, and lower among those with less financial means and education.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>urgent crisis confronting the economy, then, is underemployment.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Underemployment occurs when workers are unable to find employment that makes use of their qualifications and skills.</strong> For instance, an engineer might be working in a mechanic shop.</li>
<li><strong>Underemployment and/or refers to the sharing of low-productivity work,</strong> as is common in agriculture, for example. Or picture a 16-year-old who spends his mornings selling just enough coconuts to make the bare minimum to survive. And these are just examples of visible underemployment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Persistent underemployment also contributes to the decline in </strong><g class="gr_ gr_118 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="118" data-gr-id="118">labour</g><strong> force participation rates.</strong> As people grow frustrated with their inability to find a good job, they may stop looking for work and drop out of the <g class="gr_ gr_121 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="121" data-gr-id="121">labour</g> force altogether.</li>
<li>Both underemployment and this form of discouragement are a significant loss of productive potential.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>There also an argument saying what India has is a wage problem.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Wage problem is when there is no or very less increase in wages.</li>
<li><strong>The furor around the unemployment issue is ill-founded.</strong> Most of the analysis is based on incomplete representations of the <g class="gr_ gr_126 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="126" data-gr-id="126">labour</g> market. The recent surveys that profess <g class="gr_ gr_127 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="127" data-gr-id="127">spiralling</g> unemployment are either unverifiable or heavily skewed by sampling biases.</li>
<li>This narrative raises questions on the political motivations behind these surveys that may intend to change the perception of India&rsquo;s growth trajectory, nationally and globally.</li>
<li>This problem can only be solved by creating higher-quality jobs to meet aspirations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India has been creating formal jobs in large numbers.</strong> Further, deliberations based on other proxy databases like vehicle sales, the annual reports of the IT department, and MUDRA loan disbursals help ascertain jobs in large job-creating markets like transport, the professional sector, and small-scale entrepreneurship, respectively. This provides us with a robust methodology of ascertaining employment.</li>
<li><strong>There is a need to improve the quality of jobs by improving productivity in agriculture and in enterprises.</strong></li>
<li>The government should align education, technical and vocational education and training to market demand and make enduring and <strong>long-term investments in human capital through good-quality education, skills, and on-the-job training, as well as in basic social protection.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Need to improve our </strong><g class="gr_ gr_123 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="123" data-gr-id="123">labour</g><strong> market information system.</strong> This way, emerging demand for skills are spotted quickly and the necessary training and certifications for the same are created quickly.</li>
<li>This calls for an agile public-private partnership in capturing demand for skills and following through with quick investments in skill-building to match demand with supply.</li>
<li><strong>A related requirement:</strong> jobs and skills planning need not be centralized in New Delhi; it has to be done at the state and district levels, where there is granular information on education, skills <g class="gr_ gr_213 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="213" data-gr-id="213">and</g> job options. Jobs and skill commissions are best created at the state and district levels, with Delhi only providing the guidelines, the tech infrastructure and funding for them.</li>
<li><strong>Another need of the hour is </strong><g class="gr_ gr_104 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="104" data-gr-id="104">labour</g><strong> market reforms.</strong> Some good moves have been seen over the last few years, with the Apprentices Act being modified to make it more attractive for employers to hire young workers and the extension of fixed-term <g class="gr_ gr_105 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="105" data-gr-id="105">labour</g> contracts from textiles to all industries in the last budget.</li>
<li><strong>Key to employment growth is not the big company or factory that employs thousands of workers, but medium-scale units.</strong> The enterprises-to-jobs multiple is highest for medium-scale units. India needs to nurture and expand its equivalent of the German Mittelstand(Mittelstand commonly refers to small and medium-sized enterprises in German-speaking countries, especially in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This can&rsquo;t happen without deep changes to <g class="gr_ gr_151 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="151" data-gr-id="151">labour</g> laws and access to credit.</li>
<li><strong>Smart urbanization is key.</strong> The link between good urbanization and jobs growth is positive, and unless India&rsquo;s urbanization is concentrated in narrower areas and serviced by good infrastructure, job creation will be sub-optimal. Governance in urban areas is decentralized and empowered. Currently, urban development is centralized at the state level, and mayorships are merely ceremonial titles.</li>
<li><strong>Finally, there is a large scope for more employment expansion in government&mdash;but of the right kind.</strong></li>
<li>Despite the general assumption that government is too bloated, the reality is that governments&mdash;at central, state and local levels&mdash;have a low capacity to employ more people due to their tendency to spend state budgets on freebies (deeply subsidized food, farm loan waivers, etc.) instead of public goods (good policing and legal systems, good schools and hospitals).</li>
<li><strong>Once this spending pattern changes, even governments will employ more people. It is an observed fact that as economies move from basic poverty levels to middle and higher income levels, the size of government grows&mdash;and so will employment.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Women’s Livelihood Bond',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The<strong> World Bank, UN Women (a United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women), and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)</strong> have come together to launch a five-year tenor <strong>women&rsquo;s livelihood bond (WLB).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The proceeds from these social impact bonds will be used to help rural women in the country&rsquo;s poorest States to set up or scale up their own enterprises.</li>
<li>WLB&rsquo;s will be unsecured and unlisted.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Unsecured and Unlisted Bonds</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unlisted Securities:</strong> Unlisted securities are shares, bonds or any other securities that are not traded on a stock exchange but through the over-the-counter (OTC) market.</li>
<li><strong>Unsecured Bonds:</strong> Unsecured bonds, also called debentures, are not backed by any collateral, or mortgages on real estate. Instead, the issuer promises that they will be repaid. This promise is frequently called "full faith and credit."</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Social Impact Bond</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A<strong> social impact bond (SIB) is a contract with the public sector or governing authority,</strong> whereby <strong>it pays for better social outcomes in certain areas</strong> and passes on the part of the savings achieved to investors.</li>
<li>A social impact bond is not a bond, per se, since repayment and return on investment depend upon the achievement of desired social outcomes;<strong> if the objectives are not achieved, investors receive neither a return nor repayment of principal.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The bonds will be placed with leading wealth managers and corporates in the country on a private placement basis.</li>
<li>The return on these bonds will be 3% per annum.</li>
<li><strong>SIDBI</strong> has also put together its own <strong>₹1,000 crore social-impact fund &lsquo;Prayaas&rsquo; for providing funding support to women entrepreneurs.</strong></li>
<li>The proposed bond will enable individual women entrepreneurs in sectors like food processing, agriculture, services, and small units to borrow around Rs 50,000 to Rs 3 lakh at an annual interest rate of around 13%-14% or less.</li>
<li><strong>SIDBI will act as the financial intermediary</strong> and channel funds raised to women entrepreneurs through participating financial intermediaries like banks, NBFCs or microfinance institutions.</li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'New Initiative SWAYATT',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently the Union Minister of Commerce &amp; Industry has launched an initiative termed SWAYATT.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SWAYATT is an initiative to promote <strong>Start-ups, Women and Youth</strong> <strong>Advantage&nbsp;through e-Transactions</strong> on <strong>Government e Marketplace (GeM).</strong></li>
<li>This will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-Marketplace the national procurement portal.</li>
<li>The government also launched <strong>GeM Start-up Runway-an initiative of GeM in association with Start -up India to facilitate Start-ups registered with Start -up India to access the public procurement market</strong> and sell innovative products and services to government buyers.</li>
<li>GeM Start-up Runway seeks to support <strong>technology development, spur research and innovation</strong> by ensuring a conducive policy environment for industrial diversification and value addition to commodities.</li>
<li>GeM Start-up Runway will address goals and objectives under <strong>United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Government e-Marketplace (GeM)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GeM is an <strong>Online Market platform was setup in 2016</strong> to facilitate procurement of goods and services by the government ministries, departments, public sector undertakings (PSU) etc.</li>
<li>It has been envisaged as <strong>National Procurement Portal of India.</strong></li>
<li>It has been developed by <strong>Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (Ministry of Commerce and Industry)</strong> with technical support of <strong>National e-governance Division (Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology).</strong></li>
<li>It functions under <strong>Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&amp;D), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.</strong></li>
<li>GeM is a completely <strong>paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place</strong> that enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'National Rural Economic Transformation Project',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of an externally aided project namely <strong>National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP)</strong> under the <strong>Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana &ndash; National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)</strong> through loan assistance from <strong>World Bank</strong>.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India in 2011.</li>
<li>NRLM has set out with an agenda to cover 7 Crore rural poor households, across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats and 6 lakh villages in the country through self-managed Self Help Groups (SHGs) and federated institutions and support them for livelihoods collectives in a period of 8-10 years.</li>
<li>The Mission aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Salient features</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DAY-NRLM lays special emphasis on <strong>targeting the poorest of the poor</strong> and the most vulnerable communities and their financial inclusion.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Innovative projects will be undertaken under NRETP to pilot alternate channels of financial inclusion, creating value chains around rural products, introduce innovative models in livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihoods interventions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>DAY-NRLM provides for mutually beneficial working relationship and formal platforms for consultations between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Community Based Organizations(CBOs).
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NRLM has also developed <strong>activity map to facilitate convergence in different areas of interventions where NRLM institutions and PRIs could work together</strong> which has been disseminated to all state Rural Livelihood Missions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The technical assistance provided by NRETP and the higher level interventions facilitated by the project will
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>enhance the livelihoods promotion and access to finance, and</li>
<li>scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihood interventions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-rural-economic-transformation-project'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (20th February 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Re-promulgation of Triple Talaq Ordinance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the Union cabinet approved the promulgation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/government-re-promulgates-triple-talaq-ordinance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019</strong></a>, for the third time.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The First &lsquo;Climate Change Extinction&rsquo;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the government of <strong>Australia has officially declared the first known extinction of a mammal</strong> as a result of human-induced climate change.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426527_image3.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></li>
<li>The <strong>rat-like Bramble Cay melomys,</strong> whose only known habitat was a <strong>tiny sand island in the Torres Strait,</strong> near the coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has not been spotted in a decade.</li>
<li>The key factor in its disappearance was the<strong> dramatic habitat loss because of repeated ocean inundation of the cay.</strong> A cay is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef.</li>
<li>The Melomys, considered the <strong>Great Barrier Reef&rsquo;s</strong> only endemic mammal species, <strong>was first discovered on the cay in 1845</strong> by Europeans who shot them for sport.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana &ndash; Gramin</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of<strong> Phase-2 of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)</strong>, under which the government has set a target of constructing 1.95 crore houses by 2022.</li>
<li>The PMAY-G in Phase-2 till 2019-20 will continue as per the existing norms of PMAY-G Phase-l, with a target of 60 lakh houses involving financial implication of Rs 76,500 crore shared between Centre and States.</li>
<li><strong>Launched in 2016,</strong> PMAY-G aims to fill the gaps in <strong>rural housing programme by providing a pucca house, with basic amenities,</strong> to all homeless householders and those households living in kutcha and dilapidated house, <strong>by 2022.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-20th-february-2019'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'The Saudi-India-Pakistan Triangle',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;The Saudi-India-Pakistan Triangle&rdquo; which appeared in The Hindu for 20th February 2019. In this article, we will discuss India-Saudi and Pakistan-Saudi relations.)</p>
</div>
<p>Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman&rsquo;s (MBS) visit to India presents a &ldquo;historic opportunity&rdquo; to expand collaboration in all sectors. The visit comes at a time of crisis in the Indian subcontinent following the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/needed-policy-not-reaction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrorist attack in Pulwama.</a></p>
<p>The recent visit will lead to further strengthening of Saudi Arabia-India ties, a process that had begun with Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s visit to Riyadh in 2016.</p>
<h3>India-Saudi Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The geostrategic position of Saudi Arabia makes it an important country for India, with trade and cultural links dating back thousands of years.</strong></li>
<li>There is a rational calculation regarding Saudi interest in expanding trade and investment in India and collaboration in the energy sector.</li>
<li>Saudi Aramco is interested in partnering with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in developing an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, a $44 billion joint venture with Indian public sector involvement. <strong>Saudi Arabia is already one of the three largest suppliers of oil to India.</strong></li>
<li>That the two countries are moving beyond the traditional buyer-seller relationship is best exemplified by the joint venture for the $44 billion worth <strong>Ratnagiri refinery and petrochemical project.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The assumption that Saudi Arabia is tilted towards India is nothing more than an unrealistic hope.</strong></li>
<li>The Saudi Foreign Minister&rsquo;s statement in Islamabad during MBS&rsquo;s visit that Riyadh is committed to &ldquo;de-escalating&rdquo; tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir must not be read as an endorsement of the Indian stand but as an attempt to intervene in the dispute rather than accept its bilateral nature.</li>
<li>Good relations with Riyadh and other West Asian capitals is <strong>essential for the welfare of the expatriate Indian community and their emergency evacuation should there be such a need.</strong> West Asia is also an important partner in the domains of counterterrorism and maritime security in the western Indian Ocean.</li>
<li><strong>Indians in Saudi Arabia are the second-largest providers of remittances to their home country.</strong> They are also an important aspect of our soft-power diplomacy in the region.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Pakistan-Saudi Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE will not go too far with India against Pakistan.</strong> It is not just religion alone. Elite families in both countries share familial and other social connections in Pakistan.</li>
<li>There have been reports that MBS is interested in Saudi Arabia getting its own nuclear deterrent. If that is the case, then Pakistan is the most logical source for technical expertise.</li>
<li><strong>Saudi Arabia always played an important role to strengthen the economy of Pakistan.</strong> The Saudi royal said his country would collaborate with Pakistan economically, politically and in terms of security.</li>
<li>Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy historic relations and these ties are very strong on the diplomatic level.</li>
<li><strong>Saudi Arabia has strategic interests in Pakistan given its proximity to Iran, Riyadh's archrival in the region.</strong> The Saudis are using aid packages and investment promises to buy the economically embattled Pakistani government's loyalty and convince it to turn a blind eye to their destructive actions within Pakistan's borders.</li>
<li><strong>Not only has Saudi Arabia helped Pakistan avoid major economic crises, but it has also supported Pakistan&rsquo;s defense by providing logistic support and financial assistance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Iran&rsquo;s Angle</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Iran is Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s chief adversary in West Asia.</strong></li>
<li>The Saudi-Iranian rivalry is being played out across the region, from Syria to Yemen.</li>
<li>Riyadh perceives Pakistan as a major asset it can use to check the spread of Iranian influence despite the Nawaz Sharif government&rsquo;s refusal to commit Pakistani troops in the Yemen war on behalf of the Saudi-led alliance.</li>
<li>It currently sees Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa as more vulnerable to Saudi persuasion.</li>
<li>Moreover, Pakistan&rsquo;s relations with Iran, which was never easy, have hit a new low following the recent terrorist attack in the Sistan-Baluchistan Province that killed Revolutionary Guards.</li>
<li>As Pakistan&rsquo;s relations with Iran deteriorate, it is likely to move further into the Saudi orbit.</li>
<li><strong>Increasing Sunni fundamentalism, bordering on Wahhabism, in Pakistan also makes it a natural ideological ally of Saudi Arabia and an ideological foe of Shia Iran.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The India-Saudi Arabia relationship is important for a variety of reasons but New Delhi should be careful not to make convergence on Pakistan and Afghanistan a litmus test for making further progress.</strong></li>
<li>Additionally, the roles of both countries as power centers in their respective geographical regions mean that they share a number of other common interests, including the fight against terrorism, battling poverty, educational exchanges, and investment.</li>
<li><strong>In the context of this strategic and economic nexus between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, it will be unwise for New Delhi to seriously believe that it will be able to wean Saudi Arabia away from Pakistan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>India should instead take advantage of any benefit that accrues from India&rsquo;s economic relations with Saudi Arabia and should not pin much hope on Riyadh in the political-strategic sphere.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Buddhism in India',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/628Drishti_ias_Buddhism-in-India.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/628Drishti_ias_Buddhism-in-India.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
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	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'India Needs More Women Parliamentarians',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;India needs more women parliamentarians&rdquo; which appeared in Livemint for 18th February 2019. In this article we will discuss the concerns related to the low representation of women in the decision making processes in India.)</p>
</div>
<p>The 16th Lok Sabha ended its final session last week. Elections for the 17th Lok Sabha will probably be announced in early March and will span the months of April and May. The political buzz is all about vote shares, seats, coalitions and on who will be prime minister. <strong>There is though, no attention being paid to the number of women in Parliament.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://archive.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm?month=6&amp;year=2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India ranks 153 out of 190 nations in the percentage of women in the lower house of world parliaments.</strong></a></p>
<h3>Global Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to a list compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, <strong>Rwanda ranks first with 61% of its lower house representatives being women</strong>.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/959Women-in-Parliament-India-Rank-in-the-World1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/959Women-in-Parliament-India-Rank-in-the-World1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="571" height="179" /></a></li>
<li>As a region, Nordic countries (relating to Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands) are leaders with an average of about 40%. <strong>The UK and the US are relative laggards with 32% and 23%, respectively.</strong></li>
<li>The United States&rsquo; current tally, though still moderate, is upheld by a very strong showing by women in the recent congressional elections.</li>
<li><strong>Even Pakistan with 20% participation from women is ahead of India.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/113Women-in-Parliament-representation-country-wise1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/113Women-in-Parliament-representation-country-wise1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="631" height="424" /></a></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Indian Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India had 65 women out of 545 members of Parliament (MPs)</strong> elected to the 16th Lok Sabha in May 2014, for a 12% representation.</li>
<li>Only the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha changed a previously stagnant representation of under 9% recorded by Indian women MPs since Independence.</li>
<li>Indian system has electoral representation to the Lok Sabha based on population. Thus, Uttar Pradesh with a population of over 200 million people has 80 MPs, Bihar with a population of 100 million has 40 seats and Maharashtra with a population of 114 million has 48.</li>
<li><strong>Three north-eastern states&mdash;Nagaland, Mizoram, and Sikkim&mdash;have only one seat each.</strong></li>
<li>Uttar Pradesh shows a better than national average representation of 17.5% (14 MPs) by women, while Maharashtra has the national average of 12.5% (6 seats) and Bihar is much below the national average at 7.9% (3 seats).</li>
<li>While the allocation of total seats to states by population, the resultant <strong>women&rsquo;s representation at 12% is far below the actual population of women.</strong></li>
<li>The scenario for women Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across all state assemblies in India is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable 9%.</li>
<li><strong>The best among them, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Haryana have 14% representation while the worst states are Pondicherry and Nagaland, which have no women MLAs at all.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reservation for one-third of the seats for women</strong> in the Lok Sabha has been tabled as a bill several times until as recently as 2008. <strong>Each time the bill has lapsed.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Illiteracy</strong> is one of the main hurdles in making women as politically empowered.</li>
<li>Because of a <strong>lack of understanding,</strong> they do not know about their basic and political rights. Gender disparities in terms of education, ownership of resources and continual biased attitudes still act as barriers for women leaders. Education influences the social mobility of women. Formal education such as provided at educational institutions created opportunities for leadership, and imparted leadership essential skills.</li>
<li><strong>Work and family</strong> - uneven distribution of household work between men and women also one of the important factors in this regards.</li>
<li><strong>Uneven distribution of family care responsibilities</strong> means that women spend far more time than men in the home- and child-care. It relates not just to the time, effort, and medical care of pregnancy and childbirth, but to the far greater maternal involvement necessary for breastfeeding, and to the persistent tendency of women to do a larger share of childcare as the child grows.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of political networks</strong> - The lack of openness in political decision-making and undemocratic internal processes pose a challenge for all newcomers, but particularly for women as they tend to lack insider knowledge or political networks.</li>
<li><strong>Private-public divide in terms of domain identification</strong> and male preponderance in political institutions. Because of their low proportion in the inner political party structure of India, women fail to gather resources and support for nurturing their political constituencies.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of financial support -</strong> Women do not get adequate financial support from the political parties to contest the elections.</li>
<li><strong>Societal and cultural norms</strong> imposed on women bar them from entering politics. They have to accept the dictates imposed on them and bear the burden of society. They also bear their deprivation and undermining status thinking it of as a culture of the society. Public attitudes not only determine how many female candidates win a general election but also directly and indirectly how many are considered and nominated for office.</li>
<li>Overall <strong>political parties&rsquo; environment too is not women-friendly,</strong> they have to struggle hard and face multi-dimensional issues to create space for them in the party.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the<strong> need of the hour in a country like India to have equal participation of women</strong> in mainstream political activity.</li>
<li>Society needs to <strong>deconstruct the stereotype of women</strong> as limited to household activities only.</li>
<li>It is important for all institutions (state, family and community) to <strong>respond to women&rsquo;s specific needs</strong> such as bridging gaps in education, renegotiating gender roles, the gender division of labor and addressing biased attitudes.</li>
<li>All <strong>political parties have to arrive at a consensus and ensure the passage of Women's Reservation Bill,</strong> which calls for reserving 33 percent of seats in Parliament and all state legislative assemblies for women.</li>
<li>There is need to implement the proposal of the Election Commission of India (known as the Gill formula) to<strong> make it mandatory for the recognized political parties to ensure putting of minimum agreed percentage for women</strong> in State Assembly and Parliamentary elections, so as to allow them to retain the recognition with the Election Commission as political parties.</li>
<li>Around the world, more countries follow the idea of reservation in political parties. <strong>Sweden, Norway, Canada, the UK, and France are examples.</strong></li>
<li>Occupation of seats in legislatures must be earned by women not only through a scheme of reservation but through a <strong>positive enabling environment alive with gender equality</strong> in terms of access and opportunities, distribution of resources and so on.</li>
<li><strong>India should have an Election Commission-led effort to encourage reservation for women in political parties.</strong> While this does not provide any assurance about the number of women parliamentarians, it does allow for a more meritocratic and less complex method of moving the ball forward.</li>
<li>Reservation in political parties will also<strong> require education, encouragement, and role-modeling for women to aspire to a political role</strong> as it is in the party&rsquo;s interest to ensure that their candidate wins.</li>
<li>India has had a long-serving woman prime minister and several women chief ministers and speakers of the House. <strong>Yet, its record of women parliamentarians is woefully poor. For a balanced future for the country, it <g class="gr_ gr_111 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="111" data-gr-id="111">behoves</g> us to debate and agree on how to change this.</strong></li>
<li>As such, the <strong>Government should provide for adequate enabling measures for improving the conditions of women socially, educationally and economically so that women stand up on their own, with their intrinsic strength.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/interaction/viewtopic.php?f=41&amp;t=952" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Read More<g class="gr_ gr_97 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation multiReplace" id="97" data-gr-id="97">....</g></strong></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Argentina’s President Visit to India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>President of Argentina Mauricio Macri paid a state visit to India.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>2019 is the <strong>70th year of establishment of diplomatic relations</strong> between the two countries.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/718arge-MMAP-sm.png" style="float: right;" /></li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Argentina Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political Ties</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India opened a trade commission in Buenos Aires in 1943, which was later converted into the embassy of India 1949.</li>
<li>During the visit, both countries decided to&nbsp;elevate cooperation to a strategic partnership with a focus on key areas for the prosperity of both countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Counter-Terrorism</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India and Argentina<strong> issued a separate joint declaration to fight terrorism.</strong></li>
<li>Argentina condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir in the strongest terms.</li>
<li>Both countries reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and gave a call that any country must not allow their territory to be used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries.</li>
<li>India also urged to implement the <strong>11-point agenda of 'Hamburg Statement on countering terrorism&rsquo;</strong> which was agreed during <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/g20-summit-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G-20 Summit</a> in 2018.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic and Commercial Engagement</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the last 10 years, the bilateral trade has more than doubled and is around the US $ 3 billion.</li>
<li>There are possibilities for a significant increase in many sectors such as agriculture, metals, and minerals, oils and gas, pharmaceutical, chemicals, motor vehicles and services.</li>
<li>India and Argentina<strong> decided to work together to further enhance and diversify trade and investment</strong> by eliminating impediments, facilitating greater market access and promoting trade and investment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Agriculture</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Argentina is the <strong>powerhouse of agriculture.</strong> India sees it as an important partner for its food security.</li>
<li>During the visit, both countries decided to enhance the scope of agricultural cooperation, including the exchange of technology to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and build climate resilience.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mining</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Argentina is a part of the<strong> Lithium Triangle,</strong> and it has approximately 54% of the world's lithium reservoir.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s public sector mining company, Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), has decided to establish a joint venture for the lithium mining in Argentina</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India-Mercosur</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India was the first country to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement with MERCOSUR in 2004.</strong></li>
<li>Argentina and India agreed to expand the PTA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>MERCOSUR</strong></p>
<p>The<strong> Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR for its Spanish initials)</strong> is a regional integration process, initially established by<strong> Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and subsequently joined by Venezuela and Bolivia.</strong></p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>International Cooperation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Argentina has played a <strong>major role in India&rsquo;s accession to the various non-proliferation regimes</strong>, including the Missile Treaty Control Regime, Wassenaar Arrangement, and Australia Group.</li>
<li>India and Argentina reaffirmed their commitment to globalization and reformed multilateralism.</li>
<li>Both sides agreed to work together for <strong>reforms in World Trade Organization (WTO) and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>South-South Cooperation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India will be participating in the second high-level conference of the<strong> United Nations on South-South Cooperation in Buenos Aires in 2019 (BAPA+40).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Other Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) cover the areas like Defence Cooperation, Space Cooperation, Nuclear Energy, Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy, Education, Culture, People to People Exchanges etc.</li>
</ul>',
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	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (19th February 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Regional Maritime-Safety Conference</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>&lsquo;Regional Maritime-Safety Conference&rsquo; (RMSS) was organised for the<strong> first time in India (Mumbai)</strong> by the <strong>National Maritime Foundation (NMF)</strong> in coordination with the <strong>Ministry of Shipping</strong> and the <strong>Ministry of External Affairs</strong> to focus on security and trade.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Maritime Foundation (NMF), New Delhi, was <strong>established in 2005</strong> as the nation&rsquo;s <strong>first maritime think-tank</strong> for conducting independent and policy-relevant research on &lsquo;matters maritime&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Safeguarding the shores and promoting<strong> India-Asean trade</strong> along the sea route is the theme for RMSS.</li>
<li>The volume of maritime traffic within the India-ASEAN sub-region is very dense. The Straits of Malacca-and-Singapore alone account for about 90,000 ship movements every year. So, security strengthening could help in boosting trade and maritime connectivity.</li>
<li>Today, over 80 percent of global trade by volume and 70 per cent by value is conducted via the maritime space. In the Indian context, 95 per cent of trade by volume and 77 per cent by value flows on the sea.</li>
<li>Maritime transport provide cost effectiveness, which is why it is the preferred choice for transportation of bulk commodities such as oil and coal, among others.</li>
</ul>
<h3>International Conference on the Vision Zero</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>International Conference</strong> on the &lsquo;<strong>Vision Zero</strong>&rsquo; and its relevance to <strong>Occupational Safety and Health</strong> (OSH), is being held from 15th to 17th, March 2017 in <strong>New Delhi</strong>.</li>
<li>It is organized by <strong>Directorate General Factory Advice and Labour Institutes</strong> (DGFASLI), <strong>Ministry of Labour and Employment</strong> and <strong>German Social Accident Insurance</strong> (DGUV), <strong>Germany</strong> in association with International Social Security Association - Manufacturing, Construction and Mining.</li>
<li>&lsquo;Vision Zero&rsquo; is based on the belief that all accidents, diseases and harm at work are preventable by promoting the three core values of safety, health and wellbeing.</li>
<li>The recommendations of the conference would be vital in achieving sustainable economic progress, in consonance with the changing requirements of safety, health and environment aspects in the country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>China&rsquo;s Solar Power Station in Space</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China is planning to build a solar power station in space.</li>
<li>China has started construction of an experimental base in the<strong> western Chinese city Chongqing</strong>.</li>
<li>Initially, China plans to develop a smaller power station in the stratosphere between 2021 and 2025, a 1 megawatt-level solar facility in space by 2030, and eventually larger generators.</li>
<li>China is also planning to build its<strong> own space station by 2022</strong>.</li>
<li>The space station is named as <strong>Tiangong</strong>, or Heavenly Palace, which will have a core module and two other modules for experiments.</li>
<li>The space station will be able to carry three people, with a designed life cycle of at least 10 years.</li>
<li>The facility would be used for scientific research in a dozen areas including biology, physics, and material sciences.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Birth Anniversary of Guru Ravidas</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, birth anniversary of <strong>Guru Ravidas</strong> was observed in the country.</li>
<li>Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Magh according to the Hindu lunar calendar.</li>
<li>Guru Ravidas was a 14<sup>th</sup> century saint and reformer of the<strong> Bhakti movement</strong> in North India.</li>
<li>It is believed that he was born in Varanasi in a cobbler&rsquo;s family.</li>
<li>He gained prominence due to his belief in one God and his unbiased religious poems.</li>
<li>He dedicated his whole life to the abolition of the caste system and openly despised the notion of a Brahminical society.</li>
<li>His devotional songs made an instant impact on the Bhakti Movement and around 41 of his poems were included in &lsquo;<strong>Guru Granth Sahib</strong>&rsquo;, the religious text of the Sikhs.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>',
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	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)',
		'catname' => 'National Institutions',
		'desc' => '<h3>About the Organisation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ISRO is the space agency under the Department of Space of Government of India, headquartered in the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka.</li>
<li>Its vision is to harness space technology for national development, while pursuing space science research and planetary exploration.</li>
<li>Antrix Corporation Limited (ACL) is a Marketing arm of ISRO for promotion and commercial exploitation of space products, technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by ISRO.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Genesis</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The space research activities were initiated in India under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of Indian space programme, during 1960&rsquo;s.</li>
<li>Since inception, the Indian space programme had three distinct elements such as, satellites for communication and remote sensing, the space transportation system and application programmes.</li>
<li>The INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) was initiated under the leadership of Dr. Sarabhai and Dr. Ramanathan.</li>
<li>During 1975-76, Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted. It was hailed as &lsquo;the largest sociological experiment in the world&rsquo;. It was followed by the &lsquo;Kheda Communications Project (KCP)&rsquo;, which worked as a field laboratory for need-based and locale specific programme transmission in state of Gujarat State.</li>
<li>During this period, the first Indian spacecraft &lsquo;Aryabhata&rsquo; was developed and was launched using a Soviet Launcher. Another major landmark was the development of the first launch vehicle SLV-3 with a capability to place 40 kg in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which had its first successful flight in 1980.</li>
<li>In the experimental phase during 80&rsquo;s, Bhaskara-I &amp; II missions were pioneering steps in the remote sensing area whereas &lsquo;Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE)&rsquo; became the forerunner for future communication satellite system.</li>
<li>During the operational phase in 90&rsquo;s, major space infrastructure was created under two broad classes: one for the communication, broadcasting and meteorology through a multi-purpose Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), and the other for Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) system. The development and operationalisation of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and development of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) were significant achievements during this phase.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Organisation Structure</h3>
<p><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/557drishti_ias_isro.jpg" width="511" height="724" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p>
<h3>Achievements</h3>
<p><strong>Communication Satellite</strong>s</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Established in 1983 with commissioning of INSAT-1B, the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system is one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in Asia-Pacific region with nine operational communication satellites placed in Geostationary orbit.</li>
<li>It initiated a major revolution in India&rsquo;s communications sector and sustained the same later. The INSAT system provides services to telecommunications, television broadcasting, satellite newsgathering, societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning and Search and Rescue operations.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 812px; height: 19px; text-align: center;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Communication Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-31</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Feb 06, 2019</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-247</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-7A</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Dec 19, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F11 / GSAT-7A Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-11&nbsp;Mission</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Dec 05, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-246</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-29</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Nov 14, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV Mk III-D2 / GSAT-29 Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-6A</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Mar 29, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F08/GSAT-6A Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-17</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Jun 29, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-238</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-19</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Jun 05, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-9</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">May 05, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F09 / GSAT-9</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-12</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Jul 15, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C17/GSAT-12</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">GSAT-8</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">May 21, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">Ariane-5 VA-202</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication, Navigation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 151px; height: 19px;">EDUSAT</td>
<td style="width: 164px; height: 19px;">Sep 20, 2004</td>
<td style="width: 365px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F01 / EDUSAT(GSAT-3)</td>
<td style="width: 132px; height: 19px;">Communication</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Earth Observation Satellites</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Starting with IRS-1A in 1988, ISRO has launched many operational remote sensing satellites. Today, India has one of the largest constellations of remote sensing satellites in operation.</li>
<li>Varieties of instruments have been flown onboard these satellites to provide necessary data in a diversified spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions to cater to different user requirements in the country and for global usage.</li>
<li>The data from these satellites are used for several applications covering agriculture, water resources, urban planning, rural development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, ocean resources and disaster management.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 1185px; height: 19px; text-align: center;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Earth Observation Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">HysIS</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Nov 29, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C43 / HysIS Mission</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jan 12, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jun 23, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C38 / Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Cartosat-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Feb 15, 2017</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C37 / Cartosat -2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RESOURCESAT-2A</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Dec 07, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C36 / RESOURCESAT-2A</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">SCATSAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Sep 26, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C35 / SCATSAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">INSAT-3DR</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Sep 08, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">GSLV-F05 / INSAT-3DR</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Disaster Management System</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jun 22, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C34 / CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">SARAL</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Feb 25, 2013</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C20/SARAL</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RISAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Apr 26, 2012</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C19/RISAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Megha-Tropiques</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Oct 12, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C18/Megha-Tropiques</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C16/RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">CARTOSAT-2B</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jul 12, 2010</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C15/CARTOSAT-2B</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Oceansat-2</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Sep 23, 2009</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C14 / OCEANSAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Climate &amp; Environment, Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">RISAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2009</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C12 / RISAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">CARTOSAT-1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">May 05, 2005</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C6/CARTOSAT-1/HAMSAT</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">The Technology Experiment Satellite (TES)</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Oct 22, 2001</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C3 / TES</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Oceansat (IRS-P4)</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">May 26, 1999</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C2/IRS-P4</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Rohini Satellite RS-D1</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">May 31, 1981</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">SLV-3D1</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Bhaskara-I</td>
<td style="width: 244px; height: 19px;">Jun 07, 1979</td>
<td style="width: 309px; height: 19px;">C-1 Intercosmos</td>
<td style="width: 370px; height: 19px;">Earth Observation, Experimental</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Navigation Satellites</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Satellite is an emerging satellite based system with commercial and strategic applications. Navigation services are necessary to meet the emerging demands of the Civil Aviation requirements and to meet the user requirements of the positioning, navigation and timing based on the independent satellite navigation system.</li>
<li>To meet the Civil Aviation requirements, ISRO is working jointly with Airport Authority of India (AAI) in establishing the <strong>GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN)</strong> system.</li>
<li>To meet the user requirements of the positioning, navigation and timing services based on the indigenous system, ISRO is establishing a regional satellite navigation system called <strong>Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Space Science &amp; Exploration Satellites</h3>
<p>Indian space programme encompasses research in areas like astronomy, astrophysics, planetary and earth sciences, atmospheric sciences and theoretical physics. Satellites come under this category are:</p>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li><strong>AstroSat,</strong> was launched on September 28, 2015, by PSLV-C30 from Sriharikota. It is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial sources in X-ray, optical and UV spectral bands simultaneously. One of the unique features of AstroSat mission is that it enables the simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of various astronomical objects with a single satellite.</li>
<li><strong>Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM),</strong> also known as (Mangalyaan),the truly maiden interplanetary mission of ISRO, launched on November 5, 2013, successfully got inserted into Martian orbit on September 24, 2014 in its first attempt. MOM completes 4 years in its orbit on September 24, 2018 though the designed mission life of MOM was six months. It was launched on board of PSLV C25 rocket with aim of studying Martian surface and mineral composition as well as scan its atmosphere for methane (an indicator of life on Mars). MOM is credited with many achievements like cost-effectiveness, short period of realization, economical weight-budget, miniaturization of five heterogeneous science payloads etc. Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars were also imaged from close distances by Mars Colour Camera (MCC).</li>
<li><strong>Chandrayaan-1,</strong> India&rsquo;s first mission to moon, was an unmanned spacecraft along with 11 scientific payloads built in India, UK, USA, Germany, Bulgaria and Sweden. The mission comprised an orbiter and an impactor. Launched aboard PSLV-C11 by ISRO on October 22, 2008, the spacecraft was designed to study the Moon orbiting around it at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface. It had operated much less than the intended two years, but achieved more than 90% of its planned objectives.</li>
<li><strong>Chandrayaan-2,</strong> India's second mission to the Moon is a totally indigenous mission comprising of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover. Chandrayaan-2 is planned to launch in 2019 by GSLV-F10. After reaching the 100 km lunar orbit, the Lander housing the Rover will separate from the Orbiter. After a controlled descent, the Lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a Rover. The payloads will collect scientific information on lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, lunar exosphere and signatures of hydroxyl and water-ice.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Experimental Satellites</strong></p>
<p>ISRO has launched many small satellites mainly for the experimental purposes. This experiment includes Remote Sensing, Atmospheric Studies, Payload Development, Orbit Controls, recovery technology etc.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 980px; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Experimental Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 14px;">INS-1C</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 14px;">Jan 12, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 14px;">PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 14px;">Experimental</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">YOUTHSAT</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C16/RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;">Student Satellite</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">APPLE</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Jun 19, 1981</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">Ariane-1(V-3)</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;">Communication, Experimental</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Rohini Technology Payload (RTP)</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Aug 10, 1979</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">SLV-3E1</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 262px; height: 19px;">Aryabhata</td>
<td style="width: 223px; height: 19px;">Apr 19, 1975</td>
<td style="width: 256px; height: 19px;">C-1 Intercosmos</td>
<td style="width: 239px; height: 19px;">Experimental</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Small Satellites</strong></p>
<p>The small satellite project is providing platform for stand-alone payloads for earth imaging and science missions within a quick turnaround time. For making the versatile platform for different kinds of payloads, two kinds of buses have been configured and developed i.e. Indian Mini Satellite -1 (IMS-1) and Indian Mini Satellite -2 (IMS-2).</p>
<table border="1" style="height: 76px; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 79.5545%; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="5"><strong>List of Small Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 11.3286%; height: 19px;"><strong>Satellite</strong></td>
<td style="width: 13.1583%; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 12.7605%; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Mass</strong></td>
<td style="width: 29.2283%; height: 19px;"><strong>Launch Vehicle</strong></td>
<td style="width: 13.0788%; height: 19px;"><strong>Application</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 11.3286%; height: 19px;">Microsat</td>
<td style="width: 13.1583%; height: 19px;">Jan 12, 2018</td>
<td style="width: 12.7605%; height: 19px;"></td>
<td style="width: 29.2283%; height: 19px;">PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission</td>
<td style="width: 13.0788%; height: 19px;">Experimental</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 11.3286%; height: 19px;">YOUTHSAT</td>
<td style="width: 13.1583%; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 12.7605%; height: 19px;">92 kg</td>
<td style="width: 29.2283%; height: 19px;">PSLV-C16/RESOURCESAT-2</td>
<td style="width: 13.0788%; height: 19px;">Student Satellite</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><br /><strong>Academic Institute Satellites</strong></p>
<p>ISRO has influenced educational institutions by its activities like making satellites for communication, remote sensing and astronomy. The launch of Chandrayaan-1 increased the interest of universities and institutions towards making experimental student satellites. Capable Universities and institution can venture into space technology on-orbit with guidance and support from ISRO by ways of Development of Payload and Design &amp; Fabrication of Satellite.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f2f5d0;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px; background-color: #d2de54;">
<td style="width: 932px; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="4"><strong>List of important Academic Institute Satellites</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">1</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">Kalamsat-V2</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jan 24, 2019</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C44</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">4</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">PRATHAM</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Sep 26, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C35 / SCATSAT-1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">5</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">SATHYABAMASAT</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jun 22, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C34 / CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">6</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">SWAYAM</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jun 22, 2016</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C34 / CARTOSAT-2 Series Satellite</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">7</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">Jugnu</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Oct 12, 2011</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C18/Megha-Tropiques</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">9</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">STUDSAT</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Jul 12, 2010</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C15/CARTOSAT-2B</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 71px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">10</td>
<td style="width: 187px; height: 19px;">ANUSAT</td>
<td style="width: 181px; height: 19px;">Apr 20, 2009</td>
<td style="width: 493px; height: 19px;">PSLV-C12 / RISAT-2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Manned Mission to Space</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In December 2018, the Indian government has announced allocation of 100 billion rupees for first manned space mission, set to be launched by 2022. An unmanned test launch of the project is likely scheduled for December 2020.</li>
<li>Also termed as Gaganyaan, this project is part of the government's ambition to make India a global low-cost provider of services in space.</li>
<li>The launch vehicle for this mission will carry heavy payloads into space. For this purpose, GSLV Mk-III is being developed with cryogenic engine.</li>
<li>ISRO has already tested the GSLV Mk-III with experimental crew module (Re-entry &amp; Recovery technology) and Crew Escape System (CES).</li>
<li>A manned space mission is very difficult to launch in terms of complexity and need of advance technology.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Scramjet (Supersonic Combusting Ramjet) engine</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In August 2016, ISRO has successfully conducted the Scramjet (Supersonic Combusting Ramjet) engine test.</li>
<li>The Scramjet engine uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser.</li>
<li>This test was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO&rsquo;s Scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6.</li>
<li>ISRO&rsquo;s Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for the test of Scramjet engines at supersonic conditions.</li>
<li>The new propulsion system will complement ISRO&rsquo;s reusable launch vehicle that would have longer flight duration.</li>
</ul>
<h3>ISRO&rsquo;s Launch Vehicles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) are the satellite-launch vehicles developed by ISRO.</li>
<li>PSLV delivers the &ldquo;earth-observation&rdquo; or &ldquo;remote-sensing&rdquo; satellites in polar orbit.</li>
<li>Apart from launching the remote sensing satellites to Sun-synchronous polar orbits, the PSLV is also used to launch the satellites of lower mass of about 1400 Kg to the elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).</li>
<li>It is a four-staged launch vehicle with first and third stage using solid fuel and second and fourth stages using liquid fuel. Strap-on motors also used with PSLV to augment the thrust.</li>
<li>PSLV is classified into its various versions like core-alone version (PSLV-CA) or PSLV-XL variants.</li>
<li>GSLV delivers the communication-satellites to the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) of about 36000 Km altitude.</li>
<li>Two versions of the GSLV are developed by ISRO and testing phase of third version is going on. The first version, GSLV Mk-II, has the capability to launch satellites of mass up to 2,500 kg to the GTO.</li>
<li>GSLV MK-II is a three-staged vehicle with first stage using solid fuel, second stage using Liquid fuel and the third stage, called Cryogenic Upper Stage, using cryogenic engine.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges and Opportunities in front of India's Space Program</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is still is a developing country with vast developmental and security concerns. In this context it is very difficult to justify the allocations for space missions that do not have a direct bearing on development.</li>
<li>Successful launched of MOM and a planned rover onto the moon surely boosted the Indian space program. But India&rsquo;s reliance on satellites has created military vulnerabilities.</li>
<li>An anti-satellite missile (ASAT) tested by China in 2007 has also elevated the threat of a slow-moving arms race in space.</li>
<li>DRDO is working on development of missile defense but it is increasingly looking to partner with the United States and other countries.</li>
<li>China has launched satellites for Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2011 and 2012 respectively. This space cooperation may become another path for China to make inroads in South Asian countries.</li>
<li>During the starting of this decade India was highly critical of the EU effort to develop a code of conduct for outer space but in last years it has been actively engaged with the United States and the EU in particular in discussing a code of conduct and other safeguarding mechanisms.</li>
<li>India holds the view that reliance on the integration of outer space and cyber capabilities will only increase in future conflicts. But now beyond the maritime domain, India has been relying on foreign partners for many other satellite-based communications and data services. For instance, it continues to rely on NASA for deep space communications.</li>
<li>Privatization may also allow India to increase its launch capacity, which is currently at four to five per year while China does on average twenty or so launches. India does not have an explicit space policy to guide private sector participation.</li>
<li>ISRO also has internal constraints on its capacity to deliver.</li>
<li>The announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump in June 2018 about the creation of a &ldquo;space force&rdquo; or a sixth branch of the American armed forces has worried many including India. While India is officially committed to PAROS, or the prevention of an arms race in outer space, it is yet to formulate a credible official response to such plans. India has yet to establish a credible space command of its own.</li>
<li>In this context China&rsquo;s reaction could be much stronger than its seemingly muted official response and it does possess a formidable space military programme that far exceeds current Indian capabilities.</li>
<li>Globally entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Richard Branson began talking of space activities as independent profitable commercial ventures that can be termed as New Space revolution.</li>
</ul>
<p>Now the time has come for a more structured approach that enables better incubation for young talent in India. Fortunately, Antrix is open to such ideas. Various policies and acts need to change from being restrictive to being enabling.</p>',
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	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'In Depth - Say No to Child Marriage',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RpLlMN9GHI0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Child Marriage is a marriage or an informal union entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age specified as minors.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>In India, the minimum legal age for marriage of a girl is 18, while for boys, it is 21.</strong></p>
<h3>Impact</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Child Marriage is associated with higher rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV.</li>
<li><strong>Delays Demographic Dividend:</strong> Child Marriage contributes to larger families and in turn, population growth. This delays demographic dividend that would have come from reduced fertility and investment in education.</li>
<li>Children married at a young age <strong>do not understand the responsibilities of marriage.</strong> This results in a lack of understanding among family members. Hence, disturbs the institution of the family.</li>
<li>As per the UN, <strong>with every child bride, the world loses a future teacher, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur or political leader.</strong> The cost of this is tremendous as countries pay the price in the form of inefficient accumulation of capital and slower economic growth.</li>
<li>According to a Report by the World Bank and the International Centre for Research on Women,<strong> child marriage will cost developing countries trillions of dollars by 2030.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on Child Bride</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Married at a young age, girls get deprived of their basic rights.</strong> Some of the basic rights as mentioned in The Convention on the Rights of Child include Right to Education, Right to Rest and Leisure, Right to Protection from Mental or Physical Abuse including Rape and Sexual Exploitation.</li>
<li><strong>Child Brides often have to give up their education due to household responsibilities.</strong> It is said that if the women of a house are educated, she, in turn, educates her family. But if she is uneducated, she loses on to the opportunity to educate her own children.</li>
<li>Since child brides are not able to complete their education, <strong>they remain dependent and underpowered which acts as a big hurdle towards achieving gender equality.</strong></li>
<li>Devastating repercussions on the health of Child Brides, <strong>who are neither physically nor emotionally ready to become wives and mothers.</strong></li>
<li>According to research, the risk of<strong> maternal mortality is highest for adolescent girls in the 15 years of age.</strong></li>
<li>Also, they have <g class="gr_ gr_149 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="149" data-gr-id="149">23</g>% greater risk of disease onset including heart attack, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. They also face a high risk of psychiatric disorders.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Socio-economic factors are largely responsible for child marriages. Specific Reasons are:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Age Factor:</strong> Some parents consider the age period of 15-18 as unproductive, especially for girls, so they start finding a match for their child during this age period.</li>
<li><strong>Underaged girls are more prone to child marriage than boys.</strong> The RTE Act makes education free and compulsory up to the age of 14 only. Research shows that after a girl is taken out of school at the age of 15, there is a strong possibility of her getting married at an early age.</li>
<li><strong>Insecurity:</strong> Law and Order of different countries are still not able to provide a secure environment for the girls in adolescent age, so some parents get their girl child married at young age.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Education:</strong>&nbsp;Girls are often seen as a liability with <g class="gr_ gr_156 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="156" data-gr-id="156">limited</g> economic role. Women&rsquo;s work is confined to the household and is not valued. In addition, there is the problem of dowry. Despite the fact that dowry has been prohibited for five decades (Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961), it is still common for parents of girls in India to give gifts to the groom and /or his family either in cash or kind.</li>
<li><strong>Legal Factor:</strong> Some countries have a law for prohibiting child marriage but do not have the provision of invalidating the child marriage i.e. if a child marriage has occurred; it is not considered as void.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Global Stats</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Across the Globe, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of child marriage, where four in ten young women are married before attaining the age of 18.</li>
<li>South Asia comes second, where three in ten girls are married before the age of eighteen. This region has shown the most progress in the past decade, where a risk of a girl marrying in childhood has dropped by more than a third, from nearly 50% to 30%.</li>
<li>Latin America and the Caribbean have a lower level of 25% of child marriage followed by the Middle East and North Africa at about 17%. Eastern Europe and Central Asia hold a rate of 11%.</li>
<li>As per new data, child marriage has continued to decline around the world with accelerated progress in the last ten years. 25 million child marriages have been averted in the last decade.</li>
<li>Prevention of Child Marriage is a part of SDG 5 which deals with gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Indian Stats</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to estimates, <strong>India contributes 33% of the total number of child brides in the world</strong>, with nearly 103 million Indians getting married before they turn 18.</li>
<li><strong>UNICEF estimates that 27% of girls i.e. nearly 1.5 million girls get married before they turn 18.</strong> This is better than 47%, a decade ago.</li>
<li>In 2018, a UN Report said that there has been a significant drop in Indian girls being forced into marriage.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Some data from Report prepared by Young Lives India along with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)</strong></p>
<p>(The report is based on comparative data analysis in child marriages from the third and fourth rounds of the National Family Health Survey)</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Murshidabad in West Bengal has the maximum prevalence rate of 39.9%,</strong> followed by Gandhinagar in Gujarat (39.3%) and Bhilwara in Rajasthan (36.4%).</li>
<li>Bihar has the maximum number of high prevalence districts (20).</li>
<li>More than one out of four married teenage girls in the 15-19 age group become mothers in India.</li>
<li><strong>States like Goa (64%), Mizoram (61%), and Meghalaya (53%) have the highest prevalence of teenage pregnancy</strong> among girls married early.</li>
<li>Highest Prevalence of Child Marriage is reported among ST girls (15%) followed by girls from SC (13%)</li>
<li>In other cases, Maharashtra has the highest percentage of girl child marriage.</li>
<li>Prevalence of marriage in India among 15-19-year-old girls declined in a decade between 2005-06 and 2015-16.</li>
<li>The 3rd and 4th NFHS finds that decline has been more than half from 26.5% to 11.9%. Though, data is based on a sample survey and not on 100% enumeration.</li>
<li><strong>Rajasthan has shown a decline in the number of child marriages.</strong> Percentage of women married before 18 have come down by half over the last ten years.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Law in India</h3>
<h3></h3>
<p><strong> Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This Act replaced the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 which was enacted during the British era.</li>
<li>It defines a child to mean a male below 21 years and female below 18 years.</li>
<li>"Minor" is defined as a person who has not attained the age of majority as per the Majority Act.</li>
<li>The legal status of Child Marriage is Voidable if so desired by one of the parties. However, if the consent is obtained by fraud, deceit or if the child is enticed away from his/her lawful guardians, and if the sole purpose is to use the child for trafficking or other immoral purposes, marriage would be void.</li>
<li>There is also a provision for maintenance of girl child. Husband is liable to pay maintenance in case he is a major. In case, the husband is also a minor, his parents would be liable to pay maintenance.</li>
<li>It envisages preventing child marriage with punishments of rigorous imprisonment for two years and/ or fine of Rs. 1 lakh.</li>
<li>The Act also provides for the appointment of Child Marriage Prohibition Officer whose duties are to prevent child marriages and spread awareness regarding the same.</li>
</ul>
<p>If the world continues to move at current pace, over 150 million additional girls will get married before their 18th birthday, by 2030. So to end the malpractice of child marriage by 2030 i.e. to achieve the target set out in SDGs, progress must be significantly accelerated.</p>
<p>P<strong>eople need to be made aware of the various socio-economic impacts of child marriage on regular basis, to prevent it completely. Strict implementation of laws and making education mandatory up to the age of 18 years can also help in preventing child marriages.</strong></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
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	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'UPSC Civil Services Exam',
		'catname' => 'Prelims',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p><strong>Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.</strong></p>
</div>
<p>Indian Civil Services which includes the top services i.e. the IAS, IPS and IFS, is the dream career for millions of aspirants from all over the country.</p>
<h3><a href="/postal-course" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836243_1.jpg" /></a>Why to Choose Civil Services as a Career?</h3>
<p>Civil Services work as the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country. Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) are three of the most preferable services under this. IAS is most sought after among these services as IAS officers get the opportunity to serve on higher strategic positions in the Union Government and State Governments.</p>
<h3><br />About the Examination Process</h3>
<p>In order to get selected into these coveted services, candidates have to appear in the Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and should pass a three-phase selection process. The three phases are the Civil Services Preliminary Exam (Prelims), Civil Services (Main) Examination (Mains) and The Personality Test (Interview).</p>
<p>As per the official UPSC Exam Calendar, Civil Services Preliminary 2021 Exam will be conducted on June 27, 2021. The Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2021 will be conducted from September 17, 2021 for five days.&nbsp;Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination&nbsp;2021 will be conducted from November 21, 2021 for 10 days.</p>
<h3>How to Apply</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Candidates are required to apply Online using the official website of UPSC that is <a href="http://www.upsconline.nic.in">www.upsconline.nic.in</a>.</li>
<li>Candidates need to complete the Online Application Form containing two stages viz. Part-I and Part-II as per the instructions available in the above mentioned website.</li>
<li>The candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs.100/- Rupees One Hundred only) [excepting SC/ST/ Female/Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates who are exempted from payment of fee] either by depositing the money in any branch of State Bank of India by cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India or by using any Visa/Master/RuPay Credit/ Debit Card.</li>
<li>Before start filling up Online Application form, a candidate must have his/her photograph and signature duly scanned in the jpg format in such a manner that each file should not exceed 40 KB and must not be less than 3 KB in size for the photograph and 1 KB for the signature.</li>
<li>Applicants should avoid submitting multiple applications. In case of multiple applications, the applications with higher Registration ID will be considered by the Commission.</li>
<li>The applicants must ensure that while filling their Application Form, they are providing their valid and active E-Mail IDs as the Commission may use electronic mode of communication while contacting them at different stages of examination process.</li>
</ul>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #edf5bf;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 51px;">
<td style="width: 1218px; height: 51px;" colspan="2">
<p><strong>Important Dates<br /><br /></strong><em>*These are tentative dates and liable to alteration, if the circumstances so warrant.</em></p>
<p><a href="/images/pdf/ExamCal-2021-Engl-170820.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>To check the UPSC calendar for 2021, please click here.</em></a></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">March 03, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Date of Notification for Civil Service Prelims Examination and Indian Forest Service Prelims Examination</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">March 24, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Last date to apply for Civil Service Prelims Exam and Indian Forest Service Prelims Exam</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">September 17, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Date of Civil Services (Main) Examination</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 238.514px; height: 19px;">November 21, 2021</td>
<td style="width: 979.486px; height: 19px;">Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Plan of Examination</h3>
<p>The Civil Services Examination consist of two successive stages</p>
<ol class="lower-alpha">
<li>Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Main Examination; and</li>
<li>Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various Services and posts.</li>
</ol>
<p><em>*Candidates who are declared qualified for Civil Services (Main) Examination; have to submit <strong>Detailed Application Form (DAF)</strong>.</em></p>
<h3>First Stage Details</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination comprises of two papers of 200 marks each i.e. General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II.</li>
<li>GS Paper-II (also known as CSAT i.e. Civil Service Aptitude Test) is of qualifying in nature and in which a candidate has to secure 33% marks only.</li>
<li>Objective type (Multiple Choice Questions) is asked in this stage. Marks obtained in this stage are counted only to decide merit in preliminary examination, not for final selection. Clearing the Prelims makes one eligible for the next stage of the exam.</li>
</ul>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Second Stage Details</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Civil Services (Main) Examination is the &lsquo;written stage&rsquo; of the examination. It consists of nine papers of which, marks of only seven papers are counted in deciding the final merit list. In the remaining two papers, a candidate has to secure the minimum qualifying marks decided by UPSC each year. The question papers for the Mains examination are of conventional (essay) type.</li>
<li>The Civil Services Personality Test consists of a board of members for assessing the candidate&rsquo;s personality. A candidate is asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>*Final rank of a candidate in merit list is depends upon the marks scored in second stage only i.e. written and Interview.</em></p>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #edf5bf;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 852px; text-align: center; height: 19px;" colspan="3"><strong>Table shows the Marks distribution counted for final merit</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;"><strong>Paper</strong></td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;"><strong>Subject</strong></td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;"><strong>Marks</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-1</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">Essay</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-2</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-3</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-4</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-5</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">General Studies&ndash;IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 19px;">Paper-6</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 19px;">Optional Subject &ndash; Paper 1</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 19px; text-align: center;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 94px; height: 10px;">Paper-7</td>
<td style="width: 659px; height: 10px;">
<p>Optional Subject &ndash; Paper 2<br /><br />Sub Total (Written test)<br /><br />Personality Test<br /><br />Grand Total</p>
</td>
<td style="width: 99px; height: 10px; text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;">250<br /><br />1750<br /><br />275<br /><br />2025</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Two Qualifying Papers are:</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Paper-A (One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution): 300 Marks</li>
<li>Paper-B (English): 300 Marks</li>
</ul>
<h3>Eligibility Criteria</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>For the IAS and the IPS, a candidate must be a citizen of India. For other services, a candidate must be either a citizen of India or a citizen of some other country (eligible after meeting with some special conditions).</li>
<li>A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August of examination year. The upper age-limit is relaxable, maximum of 5 years for SC/STs candidates and 3 years for OBC candidates. Age relaxation is also applicable for Ex-Defense personnel and candidates with certain disability.</li>
<li>A candidate must hold a Universities degree, or possess an equivalent qualification for appearing in Civil Services Examination. Candidates who have appeared in the final year of degree examination and also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. But such candidates have to produce proof of passing the requisite examination before appearing in Civil Services (Main) Examination.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>*A candidate who got appointed as an IAS or IFS officer in earlier examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to compete at this examination. Moreover, a candidate who is appointed to the Indian Police Service will not be eligible to opt for the Indian Police Service in the next exam.</em></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Other 'Group A' Services</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Indian P&amp;T Accounts &amp; Finance Service</li>
<li>Indian Audit and Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise)</li>
<li>Indian Defence Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Revenue Service (I.T.)</li>
<li>Indian Ordnance Factories Service (Assistant Works Manager, Administration)</li>
<li>Indian Postal Service</li>
<li>Indian Civil Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Traffic Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Accounts Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Personnel Service</li>
<li>Indian Railway Protection Force (Assistant Security Commissioner)</li>
<li>Indian Defence Estates Service</li>
<li>Indian Information Service (Junior Grade)</li>
<li>Indian Trade Service, Group 'A' (Gr. III)</li>
<li>Indian Corporate Law Service</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>'Group B' Services</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service (Section Officer's Grade)</li>
<li>Delhi, Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman &amp; Diu, and Dadra &amp; Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS)</li>
<li>Delhi, Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman &amp; Diu, and Dadra &amp; Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS)</li>
<li>Pondicherry Civil Service</li>
<li>Pondicherry Police Service</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>List of optional subjects for Main Examination:</strong></p>
<p>(i) Agriculture</p>
<p>(ii) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science</p>
<p>(iii) Anthropology</p>
<p>(iv) Botany</p>
<p>(v) Chemistry</p>
<p>(vi) Civil Engineering</p>
<p>(vii) Commerce and Accountancy</p>
<p>(viii) Economics</p>
<p>(ix) Electrical Engineering</p>
<p>(x) Geography</p>
<p>(xi) Geology</p>
<p>(xii) History</p>
<p>(xiii) Law</p>
<p>(xiv) Management</p>
<p>(xv) Mathematics</p>
<p>(xvi) Mechanical Engineering</p>
<p>(xvii) Medical Science</p>
<p>(xviii) Philosophy</p>
<p>(xix) Physics</p>
<p>(xx) Political Science and International Relations</p>
<p>(xxi) Psychology</p>
<p>(xxii) Public Administration</p>
<p>(xxiii) Sociology</p>
<p>(xxiv) Statistics</p>
<p>(xxv) Zoology</p>
<p><strong>(xxvi) Literature of any one of the following languages:</strong></p>
<p>Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.</p>
</div>
<p></p>
<p><a href="/prelims/preliminary-examination-syllabus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836343_2.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="/mains/mains-syllabus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836352_3.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://bit.ly/3sUmt3w" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="background-color: #800080;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #800080;"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1595836361_4.jpg" /></span></span></a></p>
<p><gdiv></gdiv></p>',
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	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'India-Africa Relations',
		'catname' => 'Paper 2',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, President of South Africa Cyril Ramphosa visited India on a two-day visit. He was the chief guest at 70th Republic Day Celebrations in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Historical Ties</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India&rsquo;s relations with Africa date back several centuries. The presence of Indians in East Africa is documented in the 'Periplus of the Erythraean Sea' or Guidebook of the Red Sea by an ancient Greek author written in 60 AD.</li>
<li>The geographical proximity and easy navigability in Indian Ocean resulted in well-established trade network between India and the Swahili Coast predating European exploration.</li>
<li>More concrete relation between India and Africa begins to emerge during the Islamic age which is evident through the accounts of Venetian traveller Marco Polo.</li>
<li>Political connection during the colonial era was linked through M.K Gandhi who began his political career in South Africa, became the leader of colonized and established Indian Natal Congress in 1894.</li>
<li>After India got independent, it raised voice for African liberation taking their case to all the available international forums. End of racial struggle and decolonization became the rallying point of India&ndash;Africa relations.</li>
<li>India was a forerunner as a champion of the interests of the developing countries from Africa, particularly through the Bandung Declaration of 1955, the Group of 77, and the Non Aligned Movement (NAM).</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s policy of NAM provided the world with the third front at the time of heightened cold war rivalry between US and USSR, where African nations acted as the strengthening factor.</li>
<li>A large chunk of Indian diaspora continues to live in African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, and Nigeria.</li>
<li>It is this sense of solidarity, mutual trust and confidence born in the difficult days of the Cold War which continues to drive India-Africa cooperation to this day.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Importance of Africa</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Africa is home to over half a dozen of the fastest growing countries of this decade such as Rwanda, Senegal, and Tanzania etc making it <strong>one of the growth pole</strong> of the world.</li>
<li>Real GDP in Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa in the past decade <strong>has grown by more than twice</strong> the rate in 1980s and 90's.</li>
<li>African continent has a population of over one billion with a combined GDP of 2.5 trillion dollars making it a <strong>huge potential market</strong>.</li>
<li>Africa is a <strong>resource rich nation</strong> dominated by commodities like crude oil, gas, pulses and lentils, leather, gold and other metals, all of which India lack in sufficient quantities.</li>
<li>India is seeking diversification of its oil supplies away from the Middle East and Africa can play an <strong>important role in India&rsquo;s energy matrix</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India in Africa</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Engagement at all levels with African countries has increased in the last two decades with a large number of public and private sector companies from India investing in Africa.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s duty-free tariff preferential scheme for Least Developed Nation (LDCs) launched in 2008 has benefited 33 African states.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s engagement with African nations remains at three levels: Bilateral, Regional and Multilateral.</li>
<li>Multilateral engagement was launched with the first <strong>India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)</strong> in 2008.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India Africa Forum Summit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The India&ndash;Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is the official platform for the <strong>African-Indian relations</strong>.</li>
<li>It is <strong>held once in every three years beginning from 2008</strong>.</li>
<li>India by consistently holding India- Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) in places like New Delhi (2008), Addis Ababa (2011) and New Delhi (2015) has already forged ties with the 54 African states through the African Union (AU).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is investing in capacity building providing more than $1 billion in technical assistance and training to personnel under the <strong>Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)</strong> program.</li>
<li>As a full member of African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), India has pledged $1 million towards ACBF&rsquo;s sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and capacity building initiative.</li>
<li>India has invested $100 million in the <strong>Pan-African E-Network</strong> to bridge the digital divide in Africa, leveraging its strengths in information technology.</li>
<li>Indian military academies offer <strong>training to military officers</strong> from a number of African states.</li>
<li>India has also unveiled the Vision Document of the <strong>Asian Africa Growth Corridor</strong> which is jointly prepared by Indian and Japanese think tanks.</li>
<li>The corridor will focus on <strong>Developing Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure and Institutional Connectivity, skill enhancement,</strong> and People-to-People Partnership.</li>
<li>India postulates that its partnership with Africa is an amalgam of development priorities in keeping with the African Union&rsquo;s long term plan and the Africa Agenda 2063, as well as India&rsquo;s development objectives.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Areas of Cooperation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Trade &ndash;</strong> Indian-African synergies can be used for expanding sectors like tourism, banking, telecommunications, manufacturing and agriculture.</li>
<li><strong>Security &ndash;</strong> Being the littoral states in the Indian Ocean, they can work towards establishing mechanisms to deal with threats to regional security including terrorism and piracy.</li>
<li><strong>Capacity Building &ndash;</strong> Africa&rsquo;s expectation from India in the field of public health goes beyond just the supply of affordable medicine to cover assistance in developing the continent&rsquo;s public health services capacities.</li>
<li><strong>Maritime Cooperation &ndash;</strong> development of blue economy and renewable energy for the continent&rsquo;s growth can be realized by Indian experience and the expertise to develop and manage the maritime resources.</li>
<li><strong>Food Security &ndash;</strong> India and Africa face similar challenges in regards to hunger and undernutrition. Importing food grains from African nations will address nation&rsquo;s food security problem.</li>
<li>It will also provide opportunities to farmers of Africa to increase income, productivity and generate employment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ethnic and religious conflicts and governance issues in some countries make foreign contributors aversive to venture in the region.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s substantive presence in Africa has remained marginal as it focused on its own periphery through much of the Cold War period which limited its capabilities.</li>
<li>Since the end of the Cold War China&rsquo;s presence has grown in Africa, who has been providing soft loans to African states which has resulted in Chinese growing influence in the continent.</li>
<li>With government institutions and businesses working in separate silos, India has no coordinated Africa policy nor does there seem to be an avenue where the strengths of both actors can be leveraged.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>New Delhi will need to start delivering on the ground if the India-Africa partnership has to move beyond high level visits.</li>
<li>Indian investments in Africa need to expand and diversify towards &lsquo;broad&rsquo; range and not remain restricted to traditional sectors of investments.</li>
<li>In order to keep the momentum of building political and economic ties with this increasingly important region, steps should be taken towards tailoring and funding joint projects for the sustainable development of the Africa.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/480Drishti_ias_India-Africa.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/480Drishti_ias_India-Africa.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/Paper2/india-africa-relations'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Massive Mountains Discovered under Earth’s Crust',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Scientists have discovered massive mountains in the Earth&rsquo;s mantle.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The mountains were located<strong> at the boundary of the outer and lower mantle at a depth of 660 km.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426206_image45.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426206_image45.jpg" width="400" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong></li>
<li>Lacking a formal name for this layer, the researchers simply call it <strong>&ldquo;the 660-km boundary.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>How it was Discovered?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Scientists have used the <strong>earthquake data from the 8.2 magnitude earthquake which shook Bolivia in 1994.</strong></li>
<li>This earthquake was the second-largest deep earthquake ever recorded, with a focal point estimated at a depth of 650 kilometers.</li>
<li><strong>This earthquake was also the first big earthquake to be measured on a modern seismic network, providing researchers with unprecedented data.</strong></li>
<li>Data was gathered from earthquakes waves that travel in all directions and can travel through the core to the other side of the planet.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>From earthquake waves, the researchers came to know that the<strong> upper and lower mantle boundary at 660 km depth is rough.</strong></li>
<li>The researchers also examined a layer 410 km down, at the top of the mid-mantle &ldquo;transition zone,&rdquo; and the surface is not similarly rough.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Due to technical limitations, scientists were not able to determine the height of these mountains, but there&rsquo;s a chance that these mountains are <strong>bigger than anything on the surface of the Earth.</strong></li>
<li>This discovery is also important for understanding <strong>how the earth formed and continues to function.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Interior of the Earth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Earth has three layers:<strong> a crust, mantle, and core,</strong> which is subdivided into an inner and outer core.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Information about Interior of the Earth</h4>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are two sources of information for scientists about the interior of the earth: Direct and Indirect.</li>
<li><strong>Direct Sources</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Surface rock</strong> or the rocks from <strong>mining</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Deep Ocean Drilling Projects:</strong>&nbsp;The deepest drill is at Kola, in the Arctic Ocean, which has reached a depth of 12 km.</li>
<li><strong>Volcanic eruptions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indirect Sources</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Meteors</strong> from space.</li>
<li><strong>Gravitation</strong>, <strong>magnetic</strong> field.</li>
<li><strong>Seismic</strong> <strong>activity</strong>: Seismic activity is one of the most important sources of information about the interior of the earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Earthquake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An earthquake in simple words is<strong> shaking of the earth.</strong> It is a natural event. It is caused due to the release of energy, which generates waves that travel in all directions.</li>
<li><strong>Focus and Epicenter</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The release of energy occurs along a fault. The<strong> point where the energy is released</strong> is called the<strong> focus of an earthquake.</strong></li>
<li>The energy waves traveling in different directions reach the surface of the earth. The <strong>point on the surface, nearest to the focus, is called Epicenter.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Earthquake Waves<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426283_image21.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577426283_image21.jpg" width="400" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earthquake waves are basically of two types &mdash; body waves and surface waves.</li>
<li><strong>Body waves</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Body waves are generated due to the release of energy at the focus and move in all directions traveling through the body of the earth. Hence, the name body waves.</li>
<li>There are <strong>two types of body waves</strong>. They are called P and S-waves.</li>
<li><strong>P-waves:</strong> P-waves move faster and are the first to arrive at the surface. These are also called<strong>&nbsp;primary waves.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The P-waves are similar to sound waves. <strong>They travel through gaseous, liquid and solid materials.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>S-waves:</strong> S-waves arrive at the surface with some time lag. These are called<strong> secondary waves.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>An important fact about S-waves is that they <strong>can travel only through solid materials.</strong></li>
<li>This characteristic of the S-waves is quite important. It has <strong>helped scientists to understand the structure of the interior of the earth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Surface waves</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>body waves interact with the surface rocks</strong> and generate a new set of waves called surface waves.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Shadow Zones</strong></p>
<p>Earthquake waves get recorded in seismographs located at far off locations. However, there exist some specific areas where the P and S waves are not reported. Such a zone is called the &lsquo;shadow zone&rsquo;.</p>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/massive-mountains-discovered-under-earths-crust'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Needed: Policy, not Reaction',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Needed: Policy, not Reaction&rdquo; which appeared in The Indian Express for 18th February 2019. In this article we will discuss the concerns that arose after the tragic incident in Pulwama.)</p>
</div>
<p><em>Whenever Pakistan starts to speak the language of peace, it raises hackles in India because it seems evident that something unusual is in the offing and the overtures are primarily there to bait India.</em></p>
<p>As the nation mourns the tragic loss of 40 gallant CRPF jawans, killed in a &ldquo;fidayeen&rdquo; attack, people are engulfed by emotions of grief, hatred, and anger. Stomach-churning visuals of the mangled CRPF vehicle speak of the technical expertise that went into the preparation of a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) as well as the detailed planning is undertaken for this deadly ambush of the police convoy.</p>
<p><strong>Pakistani fidayeen attacks on the Pathankot air base, followed by the Uri and Nagrota army camps &mdash; and now, Pulwama &mdash; showed, little had changed.</strong></p>
<p>The Pakistani experience had also much to do with religiously radicalized young men strapped with explosives detonating themselves at gatherings of people &mdash; the suicide bomber as against the suicide fighter.</p>
<p>Suicide bombing was neither experienced in earlier years nor has it manifested itself yet in Kashmir. Its threat potential, of course, remains <g class="gr_ gr_97 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling" id="97" data-gr-id="97">live</g> and its entry could further change the nature of the proxy war.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the premier central police force of the Union of India for internal security.</li>
<li>The Central Reserve Police Force came into existence as Crown Representative&rsquo;s Police on 27th July 1939.</li>
<li>It became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December 1949.</li>
<li><strong>Broad duties being performed by the CRPF are:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Crowd control</li>
<li>Riot control</li>
<li>Counter Militancy / Insurgency operations</li>
<li>Dealing with Left Wing Extremism</li>
<li>Overall coordination of large scale security arrangement especially with regard to elections in disturbed areas</li>
<li><g class="gr_ gr_148 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="148" data-gr-id="148">Fighting</g> enemy in the event of War</li>
<li>Participating in UN Peacekeeping Mission as per Govt. policy</li>
<li>Rescue and Relief operations at the time of natural calamities and disasters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>One of the first instances of a vehicle-borne IED being used in J&amp;K, the success of this tactic could mark a new phase in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations.</strong></li>
<li>At the core of any cogitation [i.e a carefully considered thought about something] about Pakistan, firm the focus needs to be retained on the centrality of its <strong>&ldquo;deep state&rdquo; &mdash; the unholy nexus of its army&rsquo;s General Headquarters and the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) Directorate.</strong></li>
<li>Crisis after crisis has caught India by surprise &mdash; unprepared and invariably in the reactive mode.</li>
<li><strong>Nothing illustrates the barrenness of New Delhi&rsquo;s prevailing strategic culture better than the failure of the Indian state to evolve a strategy for resolution of the Kashmir complication.</strong> They have allowed, instead, this issue to become a pressure-point for exploitation by our western and eastern neighbours, separately and in collusion.</li>
<li>Pakistan&rsquo;s three-decade-long strategy of &ldquo;bleeding India by a thousand cuts&rdquo; &mdash; using terrorists and religious fanatics &mdash; premised, at first, on India&rsquo;s &ldquo;strategic restraint&rdquo;, and then on its own nuclear capability.</li>
<li><strong>National security has suffered neglect for decades due to the intense and sustained pre-occupation of our politicians with electoral politics.</strong> This neglect is evident in the yawning gap between political pronouncements and the voids, increasingly evident, in our military capabilities &mdash; material as well as organisational.</li>
<li>Whether it is kidnappings, hijackings, terrorist strikes or other assaults on India&rsquo;s sovereignty, we have been found wanting in an early and coherent response, because state functionaries lack SOPs [standard operating procedures] for guidance.</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> remains <strong>deficient in intelligence-analysis, inter-agency coordination, and, above all, a national security doctrine.</strong></li>
<li>Having created an elaborate national security framework, post Pokhran II, India has strangely shied away from promulgating a doctrine. Apart from diplomatic and economic steps that are being initiated, the current juncture would be apt for the urgent promulgation of a security-cum-defence doctrine.</li>
<li>Such a document, whose public version defines India&rsquo;s vital interests, aims and objectives will not only become the basis for strategy-formulation, contingency-planning, and evolution of SOPs, but also send a reassuring message to our public.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>For preventing a recurrence of such tragedies, it is vital that an urgent review be undertaken of the quality and timeliness of intelligence inputs and the SOPs being followed by the armed police force convoys; especially if different from the army&rsquo;s.</strong></li>
<li>Rather than the scope for any knee-jerk or emotional response, this tragic incident provides India yet another opportunity for reflection and introspection about our management of crisis situations in general, and of Pakistan&rsquo;s role in Kashmir, in particular.</li>
<li>The national political leadership would do well not to be guided by the immediacy of electoral considerations; national security interests transcend this.</li>
<li><strong>Whatever are the selected options, the two things that would make for stronger execution are political consensus and management of internal social cohesion.</strong></li>
<li><strong>India cannot achieve its strategic objectives if Kashmiris remain targets of physical abuse and harassment, and minorities are vilified on social media.</strong></li>
<li>It is a difficult time for India and the leadership has to work overtime to ensure that the Indian armed forces have a &lsquo;firm base&rsquo; to operate from; that is always a military need anyway.</li>
<li><strong>Reaction for an action cannot be considered as a sustainable solution. There is a need for policy reforms which can rebuild the trust of misguided Kashmiri youth and provide a way for the overall development of Kashmir.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-international-convention-on-terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Read more International Convention on Terrorism&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ten-years-of-mumbai-terror-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ten years of Mumbai Terror Attack</strong></a></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/needed-policy-not-reaction'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'India-Africa Relations',
		'catname' => 'Paper 2',
		'desc' => '<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/650Drishti_ias_India-Africa.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/650Drishti_ias_India-Africa.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-paper2/india-africa-relations-mind-map'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'In Depth - Melting of Himalayan Glaciers',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JpbOlAtcT8o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released a report on Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) Region, titled as &lsquo;Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment&rsquo; Report. According to the Report, even the most ambitious goal set by the Paris Agreement to limit global warming would lead to a 2.1 spike in temperature in the Hindu Kush Region, leading to melting of one-third of the region&rsquo;s glaciers and thus potentially destabilizing Asia&rsquo;s rivers.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>&lsquo;Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment&rsquo; Report</strong></p>
<p>The Report is a combined effort of more than 350 researchers and policymakers from 22 countries and has been compiled by ICIMOD, which is a Nepal based intergovernmental organization, serving the eight regional member countries of the HKH region &ndash; Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.</p>
<p>The Report lays down in definitive detail, the HKH Region's critical importance to the well-being of billions and its alarming vulnerability, especially in the face of climate change.</p>
<p><strong>Significant Findings</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>HKH Region spans eight countries; Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar and also has some of the world&rsquo;s tallest mountains including Mt. Everest and K2. HKH Glaciers feed into river systems including Ganga, Yangtze, Irrawaddy, and Mekong.</li>
<li>The water that runs down from glaciers feeds the agriculture, on which nearly 2 billion people are dependent upon.</li>
<li>HKH Region, also known as the third pole, along with China&rsquo;s Tien Shan Mountains holds most ice outside the North and the South Pole. The Report claims that less attention has been devoted to the region than to other areas, considered more vulnerable to Global Warming.</li>
<li>Since the 1970s, about 15% of the ice in the region has disappeared as the temperature has risen.</li>
<li>Under the more dire circumstances, the Himalayas could heat up by 4.4 degree Celsius by the century&rsquo;s end, bringing radical disruptions to food and water supplies and mass population displacement.</li>
<li>The Report stresses that even if carbon emissions are dramatically and rapidly cut and succeed in limiting global warming to 1.5 <g class="gr_ gr_103 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="103" data-gr-id="103">degree</g> C, 36% of the glaciers in the HKH Range will have been gone by 2100.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Impact of Melting Glaciers</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Melting Glaciers will increase river flows through years 2050 to 2060, pushing up the risk of high altitude lakes <g class="gr_ gr_101 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="101" data-gr-id="101">busting</g> their banks and engulfing communities.</li>
<li>From the 2060s, river flows will go into decline. Lower flows will cut the power from Hydro dams that generate much of the Region&rsquo;s electricity.</li>
<li>There will be a most serious impact of water shortage on farmers in the foothills and downstream. Farmers rely on predictable water supplies to grow crops that feed nations in the mountainous chateaus.</li>
<li>Glacial Melting will also likely cause global sea levels to rise, threatening already endangered species like the Snow Leopard and Tiger and dramatically change the roof of the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Climate Change</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Worldwide, Ice is melting, and glaciers are shrinking rapidly.</li>
<li>For Example, in Montana&rsquo;s Glacier National Park, presently, the number of glaciers have declined to fewer than 30 from more than 150 in 1910.</li>
<li>Melting ice leads to <g class="gr_ gr_182 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="182" data-gr-id="182">rising</g> in global sea level. According to Scientists, global sea levels are rising 0.13 inches every year. The rise has been rapid in recent years threatening low lying islands and coastal cities.</li>
<li>Melting Glaciers and vanishing ice has made survival of certain species difficult, pushing them towards extinction.</li>
<li>Frequent and extreme weather events like bushfires, cyclones, droughts, and floods are being witnessed.</li>
<li>Scientists point that oceans have absorbed most of the extra heat and carbon dioxide, making seas warmer and acidic.</li>
<li>Warming waters bleach coral reefs and drive stronger storms.</li>
<li>Rising Ocean Acidity threatens shellfish including the tiny crustaceans, without which marine food chain will collapse.</li>
<li>The threat to Agriculture: Where, How and Why we grow food is vitally connected to patterns in climate. Changes in climate pattern affect the agricultural economy of a country.</li>
<li>Warmer Atmosphere also leads to the formation of ground-level ozone, also known as Smog, in polluted areas.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of climate change in 2018 (stats)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>No Mega Disaster (death of more than 5000 people in a disaster) in the year.</li>
<li>In 2018, 61.7 million People were affected by natural disasters, losing their jobs and possessions, being displaced and injured.</li>
<li>10,373 people lost their lives, majorly due to earthquakes and Tsunamis- a significant decrease from the average of 77,144 deaths recorded between 2000 and 2017.</li>
<li>Wildfires hit North America and Europe badly claiming a record number of 247 lives compared to the average of 71 for the past seventeen years.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Initiatives <g class="gr_ gr_223 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="223" data-gr-id="223">taken</g> by India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>International Solar Alliance (ISA): Initiated by India, it is an alliance of more than 121 countries, most of them being sunshine countries. The primary objective is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.</li>
<li>National Clean Air Program(NCAP): Under it, a long term and time-bound national level strategy were build up to tackle the increasing air pollution problems across the country in a comprehensive manner.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s first National Air Quality Index (NAQI): Prime Minister Modi launched the index in 2015, to monitor the quality of air in major urban centers across the country on a real-time basis.</li>
<li>Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan: A national campaign by the government to clean streets, roads and infrastructure of the country.</li>
<li>Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: It is a move to expand LPG connection among rural poor and thus cut household air pollution and protect health, particularly of women.</li>
<li>Waste Management has remained a priority which gets reflected in the notification of six waste management rules.</li>
<li>Namami Gange Program for cleaning and rejuvenating Ganga.</li>
<li>Battery Cars: In order to reduce emissions and cut fuel imports, the government is buying 10,000 battery-powered cars from Tata Motors and Mahindra &amp; Mahindra to replace Petrol and Diesel cars.</li>
<li>Steps were taken to reduce the use of single-use plastic.</li>
<li>Steps were taken to progress towards implementing the 2030 SDG targets. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are ambitious global development goals that address key aspects of universal well being across different socio-economic, cultural, geographical divisions and integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development.</li>
</ul>
<p>Experts see 2019 as a more catastrophic year compared to 2018. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has predicted more natural disasters in 2019. Countries need to prepare for that and have to make combined efforts to reduce overall emissions from fuels, conserve the forest cover and push the use of renewable energy.</p>
<p>India needs to give itself a big push to reduce its emissions from diesel, petrol, and coal. India has protected its forest cover very well. On the same lines, it should try to make its air and water clean.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-melting-of-himalayan-glaciers'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts for Prelims (16th February 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Great Barrier Reef</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577425688_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577425688_image4.jpg" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recent runoff from floods in <strong>northern Australia</strong> is flowing onto parts of the Barrier Reef,<strong> starving coral of light</strong> and providing fodder for the <strong>predatory crown-of-thorns starfish.</strong></li>
<li>The predatory crown-of-thorns starfish, which eat coral, have also proliferated on the reef <strong>due to pollution and agricultural runoff</strong>.</li>
<li>Further, these floods are <strong>causing algae to grow</strong> in some areas which <g class="gr_ gr_29 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="29" data-gr-id="29">provides</g> a brilliant food source to <strong>allow the population of starfish to thrive.</strong></li>
<li>Coral reef and seagrass need <strong>light to maintain their growth and health.</strong> The floods have spilled sediment onto the reef which has reduced water quality and much-needed sunlight.</li>
<li>It can be noted that the reef has already suffered from <strong>back-to-back <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/coral-bleaching" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coral bleaching</a> in 2016 and 2017,</strong> where swathes have been killed by rising sea temperatures linked to climate change.</li>
<li>The Great Barrier Reef is the <strong>world's largest coral reef system</strong> composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 <g class="gr_ gr_32 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="32" data-gr-id="32">kilometres</g> over an area of approximately 344,400 square <g class="gr_ gr_33 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="33" data-gr-id="33">kilometres</g> (133,000 sq mi)<g class="gr_ gr_105 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="105" data-gr-id="105">.</g></li>
<li><g class="gr_ gr_105 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Style replaceWithoutSep" id="105" data-gr-id="105">Th</g>e reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia<g class="gr_ gr_119 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep" id="119" data-gr-id="119">.</g></li>
<li><g class="gr_ gr_119 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Style replaceWithoutSep" id="119" data-gr-id="119">Th</g>e Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and <strong>built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps.</strong></li>
<li>It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a <strong>World Heritage Site in 1981.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-16th-february-2019'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'LADIS – Least Available Depth Information System',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>To ensure optimum use of National Waterways (NWs), the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has launched a <strong>new portal LADIS &ndash; Least Available Depth Information System.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>LADIS will ensure that <strong>real-time data on least available depths</strong> is disseminated for ship/barge and cargo owners so that they can undertake transportation on NWs in a more planned way.</li>
<li>IWAI has designed LADIS to facilitate the <strong>day-to-day operations of inland vessels plying on NWs</strong> and to avoid any hindrance in service and operation.</li>
<li>It will enhance <strong>credibility and efficiency of information sharing</strong> to achieve seamless operations on NWs, besides pre-empting problems that may occur during movement of vessels.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inland Waterways Authority of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is a <strong>statutory body under Ministry of Shipping established in 1986</strong> for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.</li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh</strong> and its main function is to build necessary infrastructure in inland waterways, surveying economic feasibility of new projects and also carrying out administration and regulation.</li>
<li>As per the <strong>National Waterways Act, 2016, 111 waterways</strong> have been declared as NWs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In<strong> 2018, the IWAI</strong> also launched a portal known as <strong>Forum of Cargo Owners and Logistics Operators (FOCAL)</strong> for cargo owners and logistic operators to access real time data on availability of vessels.</li>
<li>In 2018, IWAI signed a project agreement with the World Bank for<strong> Jal Marg Vikas Project</strong> on river Ganga which aims for capacity augmentation of navigation on <strong>NW-1 (River Ganga) from Varanasi to Haldia.</strong></li>
<li>These initiatives are a part of objective to develop NWs as a<strong> key transport intervention and lower huge logistics costs,</strong> which currently account for<strong> 15% of the GDP</strong> and is about<strong> twice that of the U.S.&rsquo; logistics costs.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ladis-least-available-depth-information-system'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Is the Unemployment Crisis for Real?',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(The editorial is based on the article &ldquo;Is the unemployment crisis for real?&rdquo; which appeared in The Hindu for 15th February 2019. In this article we will see how to not let the brewing unemployment crisis turn into a calamity.)</p>
</div>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) latest </strong><g class="gr_ gr_157 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="157" data-gr-id="157">labour</g><strong> force survey suggests that unemployment rose to an all-time high of 6.1% last year. This is a very worrying trend.</strong></p>
<p>The jobs situation in India does not reflect a crisis yet, but this unemployment rate is a matter of serious concern. A crisis is understood as an emergency that demands immediate attention, without which we could see a calamity of sorts. <strong>Though there is no immediate calamity of any kind on hand, there is a deeply insidious problem at work in the form of shrinking employment opportunities, shrinking formal jobs, and a shrinking </strong><g class="gr_ gr_141 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="141" data-gr-id="141">labour</g><strong> force.</strong></p>
<p>A populous and demographically young country like India has a lot to gain if the expanding working-age population can join the <g class="gr_ gr_115 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="115" data-gr-id="115">labour</g> force and be provided with gainful employment. More hands at work can ensure greater prosperity and relatively evenly spread growth.</p>
<h3>Concerns</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>If India cannot provide employment to its growing working-age population, it does not just miss a chance to become a prosperous country but also risks becoming an unmanageable or unruly country.</strong></li>
<li>Unemployed youth, beyond a threshold, can lose hope of a job and can easily stray into becoming antisocial elements.</li>
<li><strong>Statistics give us clues about the brewing problem and its insidious nature.</strong> First, we are in the midst of a serious investments deficit. The impact of this fall in investments is visible in shrinking jobs.</li>
<li>This fall in jobs is not translating into a proportionate rise in unemployment. But it is showing up in a fall in the <g class="gr_ gr_147 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="147" data-gr-id="147">labour</g> participation rate. A rise in unemployment is bad, but a fall in the <g class="gr_ gr_148 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="148" data-gr-id="148">labour</g> participation rate is worse.</li>
<li><strong>With education comes the expectation of a &lsquo;better&rsquo; job.</strong> Those who can afford education also tend to be in a position to wait for a job that meets their requirements.</li>
<li><strong>The data show that unemployment is higher among the educated, and lower among those with less financial means and education.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>urgent crisis confronting the economy, then, is underemployment.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Underemployment occurs when workers are unable to find employment that makes use of their qualifications and skills.</strong> For instance, an engineer might be working in a mechanic shop.</li>
<li><strong>Underemployment and/or refers to the sharing of low-productivity work,</strong> as is common in agriculture, for example. Or picture a 16-year-old who spends his mornings selling just enough coconuts to make the bare minimum to survive. And these are just examples of visible underemployment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Persistent underemployment also contributes to the decline in </strong><g class="gr_ gr_118 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="118" data-gr-id="118">labour</g><strong> force participation rates.</strong> As people grow frustrated with their inability to find a good job, they may stop looking for work and drop out of the <g class="gr_ gr_121 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="121" data-gr-id="121">labour</g> force altogether.</li>
<li>Both underemployment and this form of discouragement are a significant loss of productive potential.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>There also an argument saying what India has is a wage problem.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Wage problem is when there is no or very less increase in wages.</li>
<li><strong>The furor around the unemployment issue is ill-founded.</strong> Most of the analysis is based on incomplete representations of the <g class="gr_ gr_126 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="126" data-gr-id="126">labour</g> market. The recent surveys that profess <g class="gr_ gr_127 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="127" data-gr-id="127">spiralling</g> unemployment are either unverifiable or heavily skewed by sampling biases.</li>
<li>This narrative raises questions on the political motivations behind these surveys that may intend to change the perception of India&rsquo;s growth trajectory, nationally and globally.</li>
<li>This problem can only be solved by creating higher-quality jobs to meet aspirations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India has been creating formal jobs in large numbers.</strong> Further, deliberations based on other proxy databases like vehicle sales, the annual reports of the IT department, and MUDRA loan disbursals help ascertain jobs in large job-creating markets like transport, the professional sector, and small-scale entrepreneurship, respectively. This provides us with a robust methodology of ascertaining employment.</li>
<li><strong>There is a need to improve the quality of jobs by improving productivity in agriculture and in enterprises.</strong></li>
<li>The government should align education, technical and vocational education and training to market demand and make enduring and <strong>long-term investments in human capital through good-quality education, skills, and on-the-job training, as well as in basic social protection.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Need to improve our </strong><g class="gr_ gr_123 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="123" data-gr-id="123">labour</g><strong> market information system.</strong> This way, emerging demand for skills are spotted quickly and the necessary training and certifications for the same are created quickly.</li>
<li>This calls for an agile public-private partnership in capturing demand for skills and following through with quick investments in skill-building to match demand with supply.</li>
<li><strong>A related requirement:</strong> jobs and skills planning need not be centralized in New Delhi; it has to be done at the state and district levels, where there is granular information on education, skills <g class="gr_ gr_213 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="213" data-gr-id="213">and</g> job options. Jobs and skill commissions are best created at the state and district levels, with Delhi only providing the guidelines, the tech infrastructure and funding for them.</li>
<li><strong>Another need of the hour is </strong><g class="gr_ gr_104 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="104" data-gr-id="104">labour</g><strong> market reforms.</strong> Some good moves have been seen over the last few years, with the Apprentices Act being modified to make it more attractive for employers to hire young workers and the extension of fixed-term <g class="gr_ gr_105 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="105" data-gr-id="105">labour</g> contracts from textiles to all industries in the last budget.</li>
<li><strong>Key to employment growth is not the big company or factory that employs thousands of workers, but medium-scale units.</strong> The enterprises-to-jobs multiple is highest for medium-scale units. India needs to nurture and expand its equivalent of the German Mittelstand(Mittelstand commonly refers to small and medium-sized enterprises in German-speaking countries, especially in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This can&rsquo;t happen without deep changes to <g class="gr_ gr_151 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="151" data-gr-id="151">labour</g> laws and access to credit.</li>
<li><strong>Smart urbanization is key.</strong> The link between good urbanization and jobs growth is positive, and unless India&rsquo;s urbanization is concentrated in narrower areas and serviced by good infrastructure, job creation will be sub-optimal. Governance in urban areas is decentralized and empowered. Currently, urban development is centralized at the state level, and mayorships are merely ceremonial titles.</li>
<li><strong>Finally, there is a large scope for more employment expansion in government&mdash;but of the right kind.</strong></li>
<li>Despite the general assumption that government is too bloated, the reality is that governments&mdash;at central, state and local levels&mdash;have a low capacity to employ more people due to their tendency to spend state budgets on freebies (deeply subsidized food, farm loan waivers, etc.) instead of public goods (good policing and legal systems, good schools and hospitals).</li>
<li><strong>Once this spending pattern changes, even governments will employ more people. It is an observed fact that as economies move from basic poverty levels to middle and higher income levels, the size of government grows&mdash;and so will employment.</strong></li>
</ul>',
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