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Prayagraj on the Verge of an Epidemic after Kumbh

The NGT has reported the sad state of solid waste management during the months-long religious gathering of Kumbh. Issues raised Inadequate...

26 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Stem cell

Recently, Doctors in Mumbai used stem cell therapy to save life of a premature baby boy, who was suffering from a chronic lung disease. Stem...

26 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Iron and Steel Industry in India

Overview At global level in 2018, the world crude steel production reached 1789 million tonnes (mt) and showed a growth of 4.94% over 2017. China...

26 Apr 2019 Paper 3
Beyond The Free Trade Idealism

(This editorial is based on the article 'Beyond The Free Trade Idealism' which appeared in 'The Hindu' on 25th April, 2019. The article talks about...

25 Apr 2019 News Editorials
Important Facts For Prelims (25th April 2019)

Echidnas Milk as Antimicrobial Scientists have isolated an antimicrobial protein found in the milk of an egg-laying mammal, Echidnas. The protein...

25 Apr 2019 News Analysis
World's First Malaria Vaccine

The world first malaria vaccine has been rolled out in Malawi for children under two. RTS,S/AS01, trade name Mosquirix, is an injectable vaccine...

25 Apr 2019 News Analysis
In Depth – Western Disturbance

An intense thunderstorm on 16th April, 2018 claimed over 64 lives in India. Rajasthan bore the brunt of the storm, as about 25 people lost their...

25 Apr 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
India – Australia Relations (April 2019)

(This editorial is based on the article 'A natural next step' which appeared in 'The Hindu' on 24thApril, 2019. The article talks about the...

24 Apr 2019 News Editorials
Right to Information: Master Key to Good Governance – 2nd ARC

Introduction "If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike...

24 Apr 2019 Summary of Important Reports
Broader Definition of ‘Conflict Diamonds’

India is concerned over widening of definition of ‘conflict diamonds’ under the Kimberley Process, as suggested by developed countries...

24 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Olive Ridley Turtles

Recently, Olive ridley turtle eggs that were laid in March began hatching and thousands of baby olive ridley turtles have entered the bay of...

24 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Iran Oil Import Waiver Lifted

The US has said that it will not renew exemptions from its sanctions for importing oil from Iran. There will be no Significant Reduction...

24 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Future Proofing

Future-proofing is the process of anticipating the future and developing methods of minimizing the effects of shocks and stresses of future...

24 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Reproductive and Sexual Rights of Women in India

(This editorial is based on the article 'A half written promise' which appeared in ‘The Hindu’ on 23rd April, 2019. The article talks...

23 Apr 2019 News Editorials
Aegean Sea Litter

A team of Greek University students has successfully detected the location of litter in Aegean sea using the European union’s satellite...

23 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Elections in Ukraine

Recently, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been elected as the new president of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskiy belongs to the servant of the people...

23 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Madagascar’s Indigenous Species

Around 20 indigenous animal species of Madagascar are under threat. Among the species under threat, the majority belongs to the primate group. The...

23 Apr 2019 News Analysis
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity. ...

23 Apr 2019 National Institutions
The Big Picture — Political Parties Under RTI

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the centre and the Election Commission (EC) on an application seeking political parties to be declared...

23 Apr 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Free and Fair Election

(This editorial is based on the article 'Being Fair and Transparent' which appeared in ‘The Hindu’ on 22nd April, 2019. The article...

22 Apr 2019 News Editorials

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			'title' => 'Prayagraj on the Verge of an Epidemic after Kumbh',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NGT has reported the sad state of solid waste management during the months-long religious gathering of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-4th-march-2019-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kumbh.</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues raised</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Inadequate sewage treatment plant in the city to treat such a large amount of solid waste.</strong> The NGT report said 60,000 metric tonnes (mt) of the untreated solid waste get collected at the Baswar solid waste treatment plant. Out of this, 18,000 mt wastes was generated at the Kumbh Mela even as the plant was not operational since September 2018.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The inadequate sewage treatment capacity of the district&mdash;around 254 million liters per day (MLD)&mdash;is not enough to tackle half of the sewage generated during the Mela.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of dirty water from toilets was being collected in kutcha pits.</strong> It will impact the groundwater quality, environment as well as human health.</li>
<li>The <strong>NGT report predicted a rise in cases of acute diarrhea, enteric fever, viral hepatitis, and cholera.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Pucca constructions were being raised at flood plains.</strong></li>
<li><strong>No effective planning for the protection of the environment and pollution</strong> control was made for the Maha Kumbh Mela.</li>
<li>Raised the question o<strong>ver the use of geo-tube technology</strong> for filtering sewage waste before letting it enter the river, which has failed to solve the problem of solid waste.</li>
<li>Based on the findings of the report the NGT has pulled up the state administration over the inadequate arrangement, poor management of the event.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Geotube&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A Geotube container is a <strong>geotextile dewatering solution made from specially designed, dual filament, polypropylene fabric</strong> and is fabricated to the requirements of each specific project.</li>
<li>Geotube technology provides simple, low maintenance, and cost-effective solution for the dewatering needs of many industries.</li>
</ul>
<p><br /><br /></p>
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Stem cell',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, Doctors in Mumbai used stem cell therapy to <strong>save life of a premature baby boy,</strong> who was suffering from a chronic lung disease.</p>
<h3>Stem Cell</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stem cells are the <strong>body's raw materials &mdash; cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated.</strong></li>
<li>Under certain conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem cells divide to form more cells <strong>called daughter cells.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These daughter cells either become <strong>new stem cells (self-renewal)</strong> or become<strong> specialized cells (differentiation)</strong> with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle cells or bone cells.</li>
<li>No other cell in the body has the natural ability to generate new cell types.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>What is stem cell therapy?
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Stem cell therapy, also known as<strong> regenerative medicine,</strong> promotes the repair response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives.</li>
<li>Stem cells can then be<strong> implanted into a person.</strong> For example Mumbai baby boy was injected with 40 million stem cells and gradually the lungs began to repair. In this case, doctors used mesenchymal stem-cell therapy (these are adult stem cells and are different from Embryonic stem cells) on an experimental basis</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Why it is an issue?
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In March 2019, the Union Health Ministry had notified the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/no-clinical-trials-in-india-for-new-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong></a>which state that stem-cell <strong>derived products are to be used as &ldquo;new drugs&rdquo;.</strong> &ldquo;This means that any doctor who uses stem-cell therapy needs to take permission from the government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Clinical Trial Regulations In India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)</strong> which comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the main body which works on development of regulatory procedures and standards for drugs, cosmetics, diagnostics and devices.</li>
<li>It lays down regulatory <strong>guidance by amending acts and rules</strong>; and regulates new drug approval process.</li>
<li>Its main objective is to standardize clinical research and bring safer drugs to the Indian market.</li>
<li>The <strong>Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)</strong> is responsible for giving regulatory permissions for the conduct of clinical trials and is responsible for approval of marketing licenses for drugs in India.</li>
</ul>
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		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Iron and Steel Industry in India',
			'catname' => 'Paper 3',
			'desc' => '<h3>Overview</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At global level in 2018, the world crude steel production reached 1789 million tonnes (mt) and showed a growth of 4.94% over 2017.</li>
<li><strong>China remained world&rsquo;s largest crude steel producer in 2018 (928 mt) followed by India</strong> (106 mt), Japan (104 mt) and the USA (87 mt).</li>
<li>Per capita<strong> finished steel consumption</strong> in 2017 is placed at 212 kg for world and 523 kg for China and for India it was 69 kg as published by World Steel Association.</li>
<li><strong>India is the largest producer of sponge iron</strong> in the world and the <strong>3<sup>rd</sup> largest finished steel consumer</strong> in the world after China &amp; USA.</li>
<li>The Government has taken various steps to boost the sector including the introduction of <strong>National Steel Policy 2017</strong> and allowing <strong>100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)</strong> in the steel sector under the automatic route.</li>
<li>The growth in the Indian steel sector has been driven by domestic <strong>availability of raw materials</strong> such as iron ore and cost-effective labour. Consequently, the steel sector has been a major contributor to India&rsquo;s manufacturing output.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Development of Steel Sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The economic reforms initiated by the Government since 1991 added new dimensions to industrial growth in general and the steel industry in particular.</li>
<li>Licensing requirement for capacity creation was abolished, except for certain locational restrictions and the steel industry was removed from the list of industries reserved for the public sector.</li>
<li>Automatic approval of foreign equity investment up to 100% was granted. Price and distribution controls were removed with a view to make the steel industry efficient and competitive.</li>
<li>Restrictions on external trade, both in import and export, were removed with drastic reductions in import duty.</li>
<li>General policy measures like reduction in import duty on capital goods, convertibility of rupee on trade account, permission to mobilise resources from overseas financial markets among others, also benefited the Indian steel industry.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Growth Profile</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The liberalization of industrial policy and other initiatives taken by the Government have given a definite impetus for entry, participation and growth of the private sector in the steel industry.</li>
<li>While the existing units are being modernized/expanded, a large number of new steel plants have also come up in different parts of the country based on modern, cost effective, state of-the-art technologies.</li>
<li>In the last few years, the rapid and stable growth of the demand side has also prompted domestic entrepreneurs to set up fresh green field projects in different states of the country.</li>
<li>Today, as the 2nd largest crude steel producer globally and with a capacity of over 100 million tonne, the Indian steel industry has come a long way.</li>
<li><strong>Pig Iron:</strong> India is also an important producer of pig iron. Post-liberalization, with setting up several units in the private sector, not only imports have drastically reduced but also India has turned out to be a net exporter of pig iron. The private sector accounted for 94% of total production of pig iron in the country. Pig iron, crude iron obtained directly from the blast furnace and cast in molds.</li>
<li><strong>Sponge Iron:</strong> India, world&rsquo;s largest producer of sponge iron (2018), has a host of coal based units located in the mineral-rich states of the country. Over the years, the coal based route has emerged as a key contributor and accounted for 79% of total sponge iron production in the country.</li>
<li>Sponge iron is a metallic product produced through direct reduction of iron ore in the solid state. The process of sponge iron making aims to remove the oxygen from iron ore. The quality of sponge iron is primarily ascertained by the percentage of metallization (removal of oxygen), which is the ratio of metallic iron to the total iron present in the product.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Import and Export of Iron &amp; Steel</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Although India started exporting steel way back in 1964, exports were not regulated and depended largely on domestic surpluses. However, in the years following economic liberalisation, export of steel recorded a quantum jump.</li>
<li>Subsequently, the rapid growth of domestic steel demand has led to a decline in the rate of growth of steel exports from India to ensure that domestic requirements are adequately met. India is currently a net importer of total finished steel.</li>
<li><strong>Iron &amp; steel are freely importable and freely exportable.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Additional Capacity Creation in Private Sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Since 1991 with further opening up of the Indian economy, a focused reform process in place and a rapid but stable growth of the Indian economy, investments have flown significantly into the steel industry of the country with major investment plans announced in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.</li>
<li><strong>Crude steel capacity</strong> in the country stood at 138 million tonnes in 2017-18 as per data released by the JPC while the <strong>National Steel Policy 2017</strong> envisions domestic crude steel capacity reaching 300 million tonnes per annum by 2030-31.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Demand &ndash; Availability</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Demand and availability of iron and steel in the country are largely determined by market forces and gaps in demand-availability are met mostly through imports.</li>
<li>Interface with consumers exists by way of meeting of the <strong>Steel Consumers&rsquo; Council,</strong> which is conducted on regular basis.</li>
<li>Interface helps in redressing availability problems, complaints related to quality.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steel Prices</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Price regulation of iron &amp; steel was abolished on January 16, 1992.</strong> Since then steel prices are determined by the interplay of market forces.</li>
<li>Domestic steel prices are influenced by trends in raw material prices, demand &ndash; supply, conditions in the market, and international price trends among others.</li>
<li>As a facilitator, the <strong>Government monitors the steel market conditions</strong> and adopts fiscal and other policy measures based on its assessment. Currently, <strong>GST of 18% is applicable on steel</strong> and there is <strong>no export duty</strong> on steel items.</li>
<li>A <strong>Steel Price Monitoring Committee</strong> has been constituted by the Government with the aim to monitor price rationalization, analyze price fluctuations and advise all concerned regarding any irrational price behaviour of steel commodity.</li>
<li>To avoid any distortion in prices in view of ad-hoc and rising imports, the Government had taken several steps including <strong>raising import duty</strong> and imposed a gamut of measures including <strong>anti-dumping and safeguard duties</strong> on a host of applicable iron and steel items.</li>
<li>In a further move, to curb steel imports, the Indian government banned the production and sale of steel products that does not meet <strong>BIS approval</strong>.</li>
<li>To check the sale of defective and sub-standard stainless steel products used for making utensils and various kitchen appliances, the <strong>Stainless Steel (Quality Control) Order, 2016,</strong> released for products used in making utensils and kitchen appliances that will help filter imports of the metal.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Government Initiatives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An export duty of 30 per cent has been levied on iron ore to ensure supply to domestic steel industry.</li>
<li>Government&rsquo;s focus on infrastructure and restarting road projects is aiding the boost in demand for steel. Also, further likely acceleration in rural economy and infrastructure is expected to lead to growth in demand for steel.</li>
<li>The Union Cabinet has approved the National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017, as it seeks to create a globally competitive steel industry in India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NSP 2017 &ndash; Vision, Mission &amp; Objectives</strong></p>
<p><strong>Vision:</strong> To create a technologically advanced and globally competitive steel industry that promotes economic growth.</p>
<p><strong>Mission:</strong> Provide environment for attaining &ndash;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Self-sufficiency in steel production by providing policy support &amp; guidance to private manufacturers, MSME steel producers, CPSEs &amp; encourage adequate capacity additions.</li>
<li>Development of globally competitive steel manufacturing capabilities.</li>
<li>Cost-efficient production and domestic availability of iron ore, coking coal and natural gas.</li>
<li>Facilitate investment in overseas asset acquisitions of raw materials.</li>
<li>Enhance domestic steel demand.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Objectives:</strong> The National Steel Policy aims at achieving the following objectives &ndash;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Build a globally competitive industry</li>
<li>Increase per Capita Steel Consumption to 160 Kgs by 2030-31</li>
<li>To domestically meet entire demand of high grade automotive steel, electrical steel, special steels and alloys for strategic applications by 2030-31</li>
<li>Increase domestic availability of washed coking coal so as to reduce import dependence on coking coal from ~85% to ~65% by 2030-31</li>
<li>To have a wider presence globally in value added/ high grade steel</li>
<li>Encourage industry to be a world leader in energy efficient steel production in an environmentally sustainable manner.</li>
<li>Establish domestic industry as a cost-effective and quality steel producer</li>
<li>Attain global standards in Industrial Safety and Health</li>
<li>To substantially reduce the carbon foot-print of the steel industry</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry of Steel is facilitating setting up of an <strong>industry driven Steel Research and Technology Mission of India (SRTMI)</strong> in association with the <strong>public and private sector steel</strong> companies to spearhead research and development activities in the iron and steel industry at an initial corpus of Rs 200 crore (US$ 30 million).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Export Promotion (Duty Exemption Schemes) of Iron &amp; Steel Products</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scheme enables exporters to import relevant raw material and other inputs in required quantities, duty free for production of the export product.</li>
<li>Quantities of import are allowed as per standard input output norms (SION) prescribed by DGFT or as per self declared norms by the exporters subject to ratification of the DGFT.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel (Technical Wing) helps the Advance Authorization Committee/Norms Committee in DGFT/ in ratification of the self declaration norms or otherwise.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel also helps DGFT to fix new norms (Standard Input-Output Norms) and/or to review existing norms in consultation with industry/ experts/ consultants.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Energy and Environment Management in Iron &amp; Steel sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Iron &amp; steel industry in India are covered under the <strong>Environment Protection Act (EPA)</strong> as well as <strong>Environment Protection Rules &amp; Regulations</strong> enacted &amp; published by Ministry of Environment, Forest &amp; Climate Change (MoEF&amp;CC).</li>
<li>At the beginning, the entrepreneurs are required to <strong>obtain statutory clearances</strong> from the Union/State Governments required under the EPA for setting up of any new iron &amp; steel plants or its substantial expansion.</li>
<li>Further, the steel companies are required to <strong>install specified pollution control equipments</strong> and also operate well within the prescribed norms.</li>
<li>These are <strong>monitored by Central/State Pollution Control Boards</strong>. Ministry Of Steel helps &amp; facilitates formulation/amendment of Norms and standards.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Energy Management</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Energy consumption in most of the integrated steel plants in India is generally high at 6-6.5 Giga Calorie per tonne of crude steel as compared to 4.5-5.0 in steel plants abroad.</li>
<li>The higher rate of energy consumption is mainly due to <strong>obsolete technologies</strong> including problems in retrofitting modern technologies in old plants, old shop floor &amp; operating practices, poor quality of raw material viz. high ash coal/coke, high alumina iron ore etc.</li>
<li>The energy consumption in steel plants is however, gradually reducing because of technological up gradation, utilisation of waste heats, use of better quality inputs, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Some of the steps being taken by the Ministry of Steel through various forums and mechanisms are:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection (CREP).</li>
<li>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).</li>
<li>Promotion of Energy Efficiency in SME Sector.</li>
<li>UNDP-GEF-MoS Project: &ldquo;Energy Efficiency in Steel Re-rolling Mills&rdquo; (2004-2013).</li>
<li>UNDP-MoS-AusAID Project: Up scaling Energy Efficient Production in Small Scale Steel Industry in India&rdquo; (June 2013-June2016).</li>
<li>NEDO (New Energy &amp; industrial technology Development Organisation), Model Projects for Energy Efficiency Improvement.</li>
<li>Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) for Indian Steel Industry.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel has constituted a Task Force for promotion and utilization of Iron and Steel Slag.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Problems of Iron and Steel Industry</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Poor demand, price slump, competition from cheaper imports and delays in project execution are major problems in Indian steel industry.</li>
<li>Inadequate supply of power and coal, Inefficiency of public sector units and under- utilisation of capacity are other challenging issues.</li>
<li>Indian banks are grappling with bad loans (NPA) and at the same time the industry which has a long gestation period, needed huge investment.</li>
<li>Raw material and infrastructure bottlenecks issues are also there.</li>
<li>Obsolete technology in PSUs led to inferior quality products.</li>
<li>Under-utilization of labour due to frequent strikes, lockout, inefficient management (slow land acquisition, environment clearances etc.) factors facilitate dumping in the market decreasing the global prices hitting the domestic producers and their exports.</li>
<li>Global glut and a surge in cheap imports from China, Russia, Korea and Japan have dented the domestic industry&rsquo;s fortunes.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The iron and steel industry needed a comprehensive planning for modernisation, up-gradation of technologies, replacement of obsolete equipment and removal of technological imbalances.</li>
<li>Presently, the government is trying to support the industry through the RBI&rsquo;s strategic debt restructuring scheme. But it needs long-term finance, such as, pension funds, savings etc. which can withstand cyclical volatility of profits unlike funding from banks or capital markets.</li>
<li>Anti dumping duties on cheap import to protect domestic producers.</li>
<li>More focus on infrastructure and automobile industry to increase domestic demand and job creation to counter-balance global slowdown.</li>
<li>Servicing of bad loans by government to provide capital and reviewing the credibility before dispatching the loans.</li>
<li>Increased foreign investment.</li>
<li>More emphasis on Green Climate Fund to procure environment friendly technology.</li>
<li>Decrease iron ore exports to ensure raw material supply.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian steel industry has entered into a new development stage, post de-regulation, riding high on the resurgent economy and rising demand for steel.</li>
<li>Huge scope for growth is offered by India&rsquo;s comparatively low per capita steel consumption and the expected rise in consumption due to increased infrastructure construction and the thriving automobile and railways sectors.</li>
<li>The <strong>New Industrial Policy Regime</strong> provides opportunities for growth of Iron and Steel in private sector.</li>
<li>The Government has also announced a policy for providing preference to domestically manufactured Iron &amp; Steel products in Government procurement.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel is playing the role of a facilitator, providing broad directions and assistance to new and existing steel plants, in the liberalized scenario.</li>
</ul>',
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		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Beyond The Free Trade Idealism',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/beyond-the-free-trade-idealism/article26935924.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Beyond The Free Trade Idealism'</a> which appeared in 'The Hindu' on 25th April, 2019. The article talks about the concept of free trade and its associated risks. It also talks about the ways in which India can balance its economic environment.)</p>
</div>
<p>India liberalised its economy in 1990s whereby it opened up the sectors hitherto under public operations, invited investors from world over to invest in India and it liberalised the overall economic environment in the economy. It&rsquo;s difficult to assess how far we have reached in our endeavours but India has certainly taken a leap in a right direction.</p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>While India has significantly opened its trade frontiers, its <strong>policies of favouring domestic producers and businessman often lock horns with the proponents of free trade</strong>. The recent U.S. trade skirmish with India is one such example. The US has objected to India increasing import duties on electronic goods and wants India to reduce duties on U.S.-made motorcycles.</p>
<p>The current atmosphere warrants us to deeply analyse the free trade regimen and how it has the potential to impact the overall macro-economic situation in the country.</p>
<h3>What is Free Trade?</h3>
<p>Free trade is a policy to <strong>eliminate discrimination against imports and exports</strong>. Buyers and sellers from different economies may voluntarily trade without a government applying tariffs, quotas, subsidies or prohibitions on goods and services.</p>
<p>Politically, a <strong>free-trade policy may be the absence of any trade policies,</strong> so a government doesn't need to take specific action to promote free trade. This hands-off stance is referred to as <strong>"laissez-faire trade"</strong> or <strong>trade liberalization</strong>.</p>
<p>However, <strong>governments with free-trade agreements do not necessarily abandon all control</strong> of import and export taxation. In modern international trade, few free trade agreements (FTAs) result in completely free trade.</p>
<h3>Advantages and Philosophy</h3>
<p>In a free-trade regime, <strong>both economies can experience faster growth rates</strong>. This exchange is no different from voluntary trade between neighbours, towns or states. Free trade enables companies to concentrate on manufacturing goods and services where they have a distinct comparative advantage.</p>
<p>The <strong>most basic philosophy</strong> behind the macro-economic case for free trade is that <strong>if each person would do only what he or she does better than everyone else</strong> and all would trade with each other, <strong>everyone&rsquo;s welfare</strong> will increase.</p>
<p>Proponents of Free trade claims that easy import of products from other countries increases <strong>consumer welfare</strong>. Consumers everywhere welcome a lowering of import barriers because it brings quality products at a very competitive price.</p>
<p>As established by <strong>Milton Friedman,</strong> a Nobel laureate that, in international trade, <strong>exports help companies</strong> and <strong>imports help citizens</strong>. Therefore, resistance to free trade does not come from consumers. Thus, any <strong>restriction in free trade only serves the interest of few capitalist</strong> and is not in the larger interest of masses.</p>
<h3>Challenges in Free Trade</h3>
<p>While domestic businesses benefit from a diversified export market, they also suffer from <strong>greater competition,</strong> due to the removal of trade tariffs and inflows of cheap foreign goods. This weighs <strong>negatively on business profits</strong> of domestic companies and constraints business expansion.</p>
<p>It has also been found that tougher competitive pressure <strong>reduces the incentives for companies to implement proper labour standards</strong> and protect the <strong>environment</strong> as they look to cut down any additional expenditure.</p>
<p>Free trade can <strong>contribute to higher income inequality,</strong> especially in high-wage countries, as it promotes cheaper goods from low-wage countries which have been the case in many Asian nations such as China, India, Philippines, and Singapore etc. Also, owners of <strong>intellectual property would receive more of the income gains,</strong> since FTAs often protect patents and copyrights.</p>
<p>Growing trade flows often lead economies to focus more on <strong>export-led growth</strong> instead of <strong>consumption-led growth</strong> as companies emphasises on producing goods that have demand in foreign markets having bigger purse instead of producing what is required in domestic market.</p>
<h3>Will Easing Import Barriers Help India</h3>
<p>Argument about consumers benefiting from easy imports cannot be called completely true as even for citizens to buy products they need income. Therefore, they need jobs that will provide them adequate incomes. Any government responsible for the welfare of its citizens has to be concerned about the <strong>growth of jobs</strong> in the country.</p>
<p>More than a free trade regime what India needs is a <strong>good 'industrial policy'</strong> to accelerate the growth of domestic production, by building on its <strong>competitive advantages;</strong> and by developing those capabilities, it can compete with producers in countries that &lsquo;developed&rsquo; earlier.</p>
<p>It is no doubt that India has significantly benefited from liberalising of its economy whereby Indian consumers have access to variety of products from world over, it is also a stated fact that <strong>Indian manufacturing sector has remained a laggard</strong> and has not worked up to its potential.</p>
<p>The manufacturing sector in India and China which began with comparable capabilities and similar footing in 1990, in less than three decades <strong>China has become 10 times larger than India&rsquo;s,</strong> and its capital goods production sector is 50 times larger.</p>
<p>India&rsquo;s <strong>impressive GDP growth has not resulted in generating enough employment</strong> for India&rsquo;s large youth population. Whereas India&rsquo;s economy should have been a powerful job generator, the employment growth &mdash; the numbers of jobs created per unit of GDP growth &mdash; <strong>remains among the lowest</strong> in the world.</p>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<p>It has become clear that employment is the most pressing issue for Indian citizens according to all economic surveys. Schemes to augment income of citizens such as through <strong>Universal Basic Incomes can only give temporary respite</strong> as given the population burden these schemes are <strong>not economically sustainable</strong>. Therefore, an ambitious <strong>'Employment and Incomes Policy'</strong> must be the highest priority for all governments.</p>
<p>While India looks to <strong>capture larger shares of global markets,</strong> India&rsquo;s own billion-plus citizens&rsquo; economy can act as a stimulus for growth of millions of enterprises. If citizens earn more, they can spend more.</p>
<p>The <strong>&lsquo;Employment and Incomes Policy&rsquo; thus can guide the Industrial Policy</strong> to where investments are required, and also what is expected from those investments to <strong>produce more income-generating opportunities</strong> for young Indians.</p>
<p>The <strong>scope of 'industry' should be broadened to include all sectors</strong> that can build on India&rsquo;s competitive advantages. For example, the tourism and hospitality industry, taking advantage of India&rsquo;s remarkable diversity of cultures and natural beauty, has the potential to support millions of small enterprises in all parts of the country.</p>
<p>India can also build <strong>competitive advantage on its large numbers of trainable youth,</strong> and with digital technologies reach of small enterprises, manufacturing and services can be increased which will provide many domestic and export opportunities that India has so far not achieved.</p>
<h3>Learning from Past</h3>
<p>India can also learn from its own history. With the government&rsquo;s insistence in the pre-liberalisation era that production and technology must be indigenised in phased manufacturing programmes, India&rsquo;s automobile sector was able to provide Indian consumers with good products and now provides millions of people with employment. In contrast, the Indian electronics sector languished after India signed the Information Technology Agreement of WTO in 1996 and reduced import duties on IT-related manufactured products to zero.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The <strong>WTO,</strong> which constantly looks to reduce trade barriers, needs to <strong>overhaul its governance</strong> to promote the welfare of citizens in all countries, especially poorer ones, rather than lowering barriers to exports of companies in rich countries in the guise of free trade idealism.</p>
<p>Indian economists should focus on the <strong>fundamentals of economic growth</strong> &mdash; more opportunities to earn incomes from productive work with development of new capabilities.</p>
<p>A robust <strong>'Incomes and Employment Policy'</strong>, supported by an imaginative <strong>Industrial Policy,</strong> therefore can <strong>effectively guide India&rsquo;s trade policy</strong> which will have larger and far positive benefits than solely opening trading regime can provide.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/beyond-the-free-trade-idealism'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (25th April 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Echidnas Milk as Antimicrobial<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203257_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203257_image4.jpg" width="344" height="200" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Scientists have isolated an antimicrobial protein found in the milk of an <strong>egg-laying mammal, Echidnas.</strong></li>
<li>The protein can serve as an alternative to<strong> antibiotics used on livestock.</strong></li>
<li>The protein in the milk of echidna can puncture the cell membranes of multiple bacterial species, thus destroying the source of infection.</li>
<li>There are many ways to produce the protein in large quantities and one among them is using E. coli bacteria. It can then be used to fight infections.</li>
<li>The scientist pointed out that there is a rise of the<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/to-the-point-paper-3-antimicrobial-resistance-amr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> antimicrobial resistance</a> bugs in livestock which can be checked by use of this antibiotics in the animal husbandry industry.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Monotremes: Egg Laying Mammals</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Egg laying mammals are also known as <strong>Monotremes</strong>.</li>
<li>There are only<strong> five living monotreme species: the duck-billed platypus and four species of echidna</strong> (also known as spiny anteaters).</li>
<li>All of them are found only in Australia and New Guinea.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Marsquake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/insight-on-mars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA's Mars <strong>InSight lander</strong></a> has measured and recorded, for the first time ever, tremors on Mars called "Marsquake." (Like Earthquakes on Earth)</li>
<li>A faint seismic signal was detected by the lander's<strong> Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS)</strong> instrument, was recorded on April 6, the lander's <strong>128th sol (Mars Solar Day).</strong></li>
<li>The new seismic event was too small to provide solid data on the Martian interior, which is one of InSight's main objectives.</li>
<li><strong>Mars and the Moon do not have tectonic plates, but they still experience quakes.</strong></li>
<li>On Mars and Moon, quakes are caused by a <strong>continual process of cooling and contraction of the surface that creates stress.</strong> This stress builds over time until it is strong enough to break the crust, causing a quake.</li>
</ul>
<h3>World Book and Copyright Day</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>World Book and Copyright Day are celebrated <strong>by UNESCO</strong> every year on the <strong>23rd of April.</strong></li>
<li>It is an occasion to <strong>promote the joy of books and the art of reading.</strong></li>
<li>23rd April was selected by UNESCO to pay<strong> tribute to great literary figures including William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega</strong> who died on this day.</li>
<li>This date was<strong> finalized in the year 1995</strong> in the UNESCO General Conference, held in Paris.</li>
<li>The 24th edition of World Book and Copyright Day celebrated literature and reading while focusing particularly on the <strong>importance of enhancing and protecting Indigenous languages.</strong></li>
<li>Each year UNESCO on the recommendation of the three major sectors of the book industry - publishers, booksellers, and libraries,<strong> declare the world book capital for one year effective from 23rd April.</strong></li>
<li>In 2019 <strong>Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has been recognized as World Book Capital.</strong></li>
<li><strong>New Delhi was declared as the world book capital in the year 2003.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Formed in <strong>1945</strong>, it is a <strong>specialized agency of the United Nations</strong> (UN) based in Paris.</li>
<li>Its declared purpose is to <strong>contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along</strong> with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.</li>
<li>As of <strong>January 2019, it has 193 member states.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Domkhar Rock Art Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Created in 2012</strong>, it is a<strong> constellation of rock art</strong> on the right bank of the river Indus<strong> in Domkhar village in lower Ladakh.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Stanzin Thangjuk,</strong> a farmer, has been instrumental in single-handedly <strong>protecting 500 odd rock carvings</strong> at Domkhar.</li>
<li>The archaic scripts on these rocks have been discovered to be <strong>similar to those found among the nomadic tribes of the steppe region of Central Asia who lived 2,000 years ago.</strong></li>
<li>No one has been able to put an exact date to the carvings, but they are believed to be over two millennia old. They also shed some light on the pattern of human movement during that era. Also, there is a stylistic representation of animal figures.</li>
</ul>
<h3>INC-22</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>INC-22 is the <strong>Notice of situation or change of address of the registered office of the company.</strong></li>
<li>INC-22 form requires companies incorporated on or before December 31, 2017, to provide <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/government-plans-to-geo-tag-firms-to-check-frauds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">details regarding the location of their offices, directors, and proof of business. </a></li>
</ul>
<h3>E-Way Bill System</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the Finance Ministry has introduced changes in th<strong>e e-way bill system,</strong> including auto calculation of distance based on PIN codes for the generation of e-way bill and blocking generation of multiple bills on one invoice, as it seeks to crack down on GST evaders.</li>
<li>Additionally, Non-filers of GST returns for two straight months will be barred from generating e-way bills for transporting goods.</li>
<li><strong>EWay Bill is an Electronic Waybill for movement of goods to be generated on the eWay Bill Portal. A GST registered person cannot transport goods in a vehicle whose value exceeds Rs. 50,000 (Single Invoice/bill/delivery challan) without an e-way bill .</strong></li>
<li>These enhanced features would add value to both, businesses and tax officers as the mixed bag aims at propelling ease of doing business together with acting as a deterrent for tax evaders.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Composition Scheme</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Taxpayers under the composition scheme of the GST will now have more relaxed rules with an increased turnover limit for the applicability, inclusion of service providers and reduced tax rates.</strong></li>
<li>This scheme is also applicable to the real estate sector with respect to under-construction, ready and affordable homes.</li>
<li>The<strong> composition scheme is an alternative method of tax levy under GST designed to simplify compliance and reduce compliance costs for small taxpayers.</strong></li>
<li>The main feature of this scheme is that the business or person who has opted to pay tax under this scheme can pay tax at a flat %age of turnovers every quarter, instead of paying tax at a normal rate every month.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Eligibility</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> composition scheme is applicable to manufacturers or traders whose taxable business turnover is up to ₹1.5 crore</strong> (₹75 lakh in case of North-Eastern States).</li>
<li>A service provider can opt for the scheme <strong>if his taxable turnover is up to ₹50 lakh. </strong></li>
<li>Businesses with inter-State supplies, manufacturers of ice cream, pan masala and tobacco, and e-commerce players cannot opt for the composition scheme.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Importance</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The composition scheme effectively <strong>acknowledges the importance of the MSME secto</strong>r, by granting relief to it on GST filings, procedures and tax rates.</li>
</ul>
<h3>RBI divest its share in NABARD</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has divested its entire stake in Nabard and National Housing Bank (NHB).</strong> The move is part of ending the cross-holding in regulatory institutions and follows the recommendation of the second Narasimham committee.</li>
<li>The<strong> Committee on Banking Sector Reforms (Narasimham Committee II)</strong>, inter-alia, observed that it is inconsistent with the principles of effective supervision that the regulator is also an owner of a bank and this would require the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to divest its holding in banks and financial institutions.</li>
<li>With this divestment, <strong>the government now holds a 100 % stake in both these financial institutions.</strong></li>
<li>The current change in the capital structure of both the financial institutions was brought in by the Government of India through amendments to the NABARD Act, 1981 and the NHB Act, 1987 which were notified vide gazette notifications dated January 19, 2018, and March 29, 2018, respectively.</li>
<li>The<strong> Nabard came into existence on July 12, 1982</strong>, by transferring the<strong> agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> National Housing Policy of 1988 envisaged setting up of NHB as the apex level institution for promoting the housing sector.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-25th-april-2019'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'World's First Malaria Vaccine',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The world first malaria vaccine has been rolled out in Malawi for children under two.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>RTS,S/AS01, trade name Mosquirix, is an injectable vaccine targeting P. falciparum, the most prevalent malaria strain in Africa. It is the first and only vaccine to show partial protection in young children. In clinical trials, the vaccine was found to prevent approximately 4 in 10 malaria cases, including 3 in 10 cases of life-threatening severe malaria.</li>
<li>The WHO-coordinated pilot programme is a collaborative effort with ministries of health in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi and a range of in-country and international partners, including PATH, a non-profit organization, and GSK, the vaccine developer and manufacturer, which is donating up to 10 million vaccine doses for this pilot.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>PATH is an international nonprofit team of innovators which advises and partners with public institutions, businesses, grassroots groups, and investors to tackle the world&rsquo;s toughest global health problems, including malaria.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The malaria vaccine pilot aims to reach about 360,000 children per year across the three countries.</li>
<li>
<p>Recently the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-malaria-report-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> World Bank released World Malaria Report, 2018,</a> according to which Malaria occurs in 91 countries but about 90% of the cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mechanism&nbsp;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>RTS,S aims to trigger the immune system to defend against the first stages of malaria when the Plasmodium falciparum parasite enters the human host&rsquo;s bloodstream through a mosquito bite and infects liver cells.</li>
<li>The vaccine is designed to prevent the parasite from infecting the liver, where it can mature, multiply, re-enter the bloodstream, and infect red blood cells, which can lead to disease symptoms.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Financing and Support</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Financing for the pilot programme has been mobilized through an unprecedented collaboration among three key global health funding bodies: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and Unitaid. Additionally, WHO, PATH and GSK are providing in-kind contributions</li>
</ul>
<h3>Weaknesses</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>It is Inconvenient:</strong> A child must receive four injections before age 2, sometimes at intervals that do not match the routine vaccine schedules for most other diseases.</li>
<li><strong>Partly effective</strong>: Testing in more than 10,000 African children from 2009 to 2014 showed that, even after four doses, the vaccine prevented only about 40 percent of detectable malaria infections.</li>
<li><strong>Not long lasting:</strong> It is unclear how long even those relatively low levels of protection last; previous trials followed vaccinated children for four years. Experts also worry that parents whose children are vaccinated will become less vigilant about using mosquito nets, and less likely to seek medical care when their children develop fevers.</li>
<li><strong>Develop Resistance:</strong> The vaccine reduced the occurrence of severe malaria by about 30 percent, and the occurrence of severe anemia &mdash; a complication that often kills children &mdash; by about 60 percent. It did not protect well against parasite strains that were poor genetic matches, raising a concern that, over time, parasites could evolve resistance to the vaccine as they have to drugs</li>
</ul>
<h3>Malaria in India&nbsp;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India ranks very high in the list of countries with a serious malaria burden. In 2018, 3,99,134 cases of malaria and 85 deaths due to the disease were reported in the country, according to data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Malaria</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Malaria is caused by <strong>Plasmodium parasites.</strong></li>
<li>The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes,<strong> called "malaria&nbsp;vectors."</strong></li>
<li>There are more than 400 different species of Anopheles mosquito; around 30 are malaria vectors of major importance.</li>
<li>All of the important vector species bite between dusk and dawn.</li>
<li>There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species &ndash; P. falciparum (the most prevalent malaria parasite on the African continent and it is responsible for most malaria-related deaths globally) and P. vivax (the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa) &ndash; pose the greatest threat.</li>
<li>Most malaria cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.</li>
<li>However, the regions of South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and the Americas are also at risk.</li>
<li>WHO recommends protection with effective malaria vector control. Two forms of vector control &ndash; insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying &ndash; are effective in a wide range of circumstances.</li>
<li>World malaria day is celebrated on 25th April every year.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/worlds-first-malaria-vaccine'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'In Depth – Western Disturbance',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zVXe3MfWK_k" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>An intense thunderstorm on 16<sup>th</sup> April, 2018 claimed over 64 lives in India. Rajasthan bore the brunt of the storm, as about 25 people lost their lives. Deaths were also reported from the regions of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Bihar. The thunderstorm also caused immense damage to the property and crops in Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan. <strong>This weather condition was caused by an intense western disturbance.</strong></p>
<h3>Storms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Storms are a <strong>natural phenomenon,</strong> caused by violent atmospheric disturbances over land and water. They get <strong>formed when a centre of low pressure develops with a system of high pressure surrounding it</strong>.</li>
<li>They are classified by how strong the winds are or by how heavy the rainfall, lightning or snow are.</li>
<li><strong>Storms that form north of equator spin counter clockwise whereas storms, south of the equator spin clockwise. This difference is because of the earth&rsquo;s rotation on its axis. </strong></li>
<li>They have the potential to harm lives and property through a tidal surge, heavy rain or a snow-causing flooding, lightning and vertical wind.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Tropical Storms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These are <strong>revolving storms that develop in the tropical regions</strong> i.e. approximately between 5 degree and 30 degree latitudes (south of the tropic of cancer in northern hemisphere).</li>
<li><strong>When the speed of winds rotating in the storm reaches 74 miles per hour (mph) , the storm is officially a tropical cyclone. </strong></li>
<li><strong>The weakest tropical cyclones are called tropical depressions.</strong> If a depression intensifies such that its maximum sustained <strong>winds reach 39 mph,</strong> the <strong>tropical depression becomes a tropical storm</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Cyclones are called 'Hurricanes' in the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, 'Typhoons' in South-East Asia and China and &lsquo;Tropical Cyclones&rsquo; in the South West Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Formation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tropical Cyclones use warm, moist air as fuel. That is why they form only over warm ocean waters near the equator.</li>
<li>The warm and moist air over the ocean rises upward from near the surface. Because this <strong>air moves up and away from the surface, there is less air left near the surface, thus creating an area of low pressure</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes in</strong> to the low pressure area. Then that "new" air becomes warm and moist and rises, too.</li>
<li>As the warm air continues to rise, the surrounding air swirls in to take its place. <strong>As the warm and moist air rises and cools off, the water in the air forms clouds.</strong> <strong>The whole system of clouds and wind,</strong> fed by the ocean's heat and water evaporating from the surface, <strong>continues to spin and grow. This system is what a tropical cyclone is</strong>.</li>
<li>As the storm system rotates faster and faster, <strong>an 'eye'</strong> forms in the center. It is very calm and clear in the eye, with very <strong>low air pressure</strong>. Higher pressure air from above flows down into the eye.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hurricanes are the most violent storms on earth. In the Atlantic, Hurricane season officially <strong>runs from 1<sup>st</sup> June to 30<sup>th</sup> November</strong>. 97% tropical activity occurs during this time period. However, hurricanes can and do occur outside of this six month period.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Western Disturbances</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Western Disturbances <strong>develop in the mid latitude region (north of the Tropic of Cancer),</strong> not in the tropical region, therefore they are called as mid latitude storms or extra-tropical storms.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Extra-Tropical Cyclones are also called as <strong>winter storms and blizzards</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Western Disturbances are low pressure systems, embedded in western winds (westerlies) that flow from west to the east.</li>
<li>It is a term coined by an Indian Meteorologist for the weather phenomenon which is propagated from the West.</li>
<li>The phrase Western Disturbance was first used in a published literature in 1947. However, its precursor Winter Disturbance was coined earlier in 1931.</li>
<li><strong>Arrival in India</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Western Disturbances begin is a low pressure system that originates in the Mid- latitude region near the Atlantic ocean and Europe.</li>
<li><strong>The low pressure typically forms over the Mediterranean Sea and travels over Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan before entering India loaded with moisture.</strong></li>
<li>These moisture laden western disturbances eventually come up against the himalayas and get blocked, as a consequence, the moisture gets trapped and precipitation is shared in the form of snow and rain over Northwest India and sometimes, other parts of North India.</li>
<li>An average of 4-5 western disturbances form during the winter season and the rainfall distribution and amount varies with every western disturbance.</li>
<li><strong>The word 'Western' refers to the direction from which they originate with regard to India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The word 'disturbance' is used because the air within the low pressure systems tends to be unstable or disturbed. </strong></li>
<li>Sometimes, when western disturbances become more intense in the Indian Region, they can extend even upto 15 degree north, resulting into rainfall upto north Maharashtra, Gujarat and the entire Madhya Pradesh to the south.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Western Disturbances are the cause of the most winter and pre-monsoon season rainfall across North-West India. This phenomenon is usually associated with cloudy sky, higher night temperatures and unusual rain. It is estimated that <strong>India gets close to 5-10% of its total annual rainfall from western disturbances</strong>.</li>
<li>In winter, western winds bring moderate to heavy rain in low lying areas and heavy snow to mountainous areas of the Indian subcontinent.</li>
<li>India is a rain dependent country and while the south west monsoon covers most of India, parts of <strong>North India</strong> don&rsquo;t get much rain from it. These regions <strong>depend upon snow and rain from western disturbance during winter season from November to March</strong>.</li>
<li>Precipitation during the winter season has <strong>great importance in agriculture particularly for rabi crops including wheat,</strong> which is one of the most important Indian crops.</li>
<li>They start declining after winter. During the summer months of April and May, they move across North India and at times <strong>help in the activation of monsoon in certain parts of northwest India</strong>.</li>
<li>During the monsoon season, western disturbances may occasionally cause dense clouding and heavy precipitation.</li>
<li><strong>Weak western disturbances are associated with crop failure and water problems across north India.</strong></li>
<li>Strong western disturbances can help residents, farmers and governments avoid many of the problems associated with water scarcity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Casualties</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since western disturbances are not high intensity weather systems, they are not usually associated with disasters but in the recent past, it is observed that this beneficial weather phenomenon is increasingly becoming disastrous during the summer and monsoon seasons.</li>
<li><strong>The 2010 cloudburst in Leh,</strong> in which 71 towns and villages were damaged and 225 people died was caused due to the western disturbances.</li>
<li><strong>In September 2014, the Kashmir region</strong> suffered disastrous floods across many of its districts killing over 200 people. This was also caused by the Western Disturbances.</li>
<li>Expert opinion on western disturbances is divided regarding the 2013 floods in Uttarakhand in which over 5000 people were killed, after three days of incessant rainfall. While many believe that Uttarakhand floods may have occurred due to interactions between western disturbances and the summer monsoon, many others believe that western disturbances and monsoon occur in completely different time frames.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Western disturbances need to be studied in much more detail. Like tropical cyclones or monsoon, <strong>there needs to be an end to end tracking of western disturbances</strong>.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-western-disturbance'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'India – Australia Relations (April 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-natural-next-step/article26925291.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A natural next step'</a> which appeared in 'The Hindu' on 24thApril, 2019. The article talks about the deepening ties in India-Australia relations. It also highlights the importance of a stronger relation between India Australia, given the volatility that faces the Indo-Pacific region.)</p>
</div>
<p>Recently India-Australia bilateral relationship reached a historic moment when they undertook their third joint naval exercise which saw the largest ever peacetime deployment of Australian defence assets and personnel to India.</p>
<p>India and Australia has shared a cordial relation with each other since a very long time and has witnessed an increased commitment in recent past. Multiple engagement in fields such as bilateral trade, strategic relations, student exchange programs, similar commitments towards sustainable development has made this relationship all the more dynamic.</p>
<p>As the global momentum is markedly shifting towards the Indo-Pacific region it becomes imperative for both the nations to stand in unison and provide the stability the region desires owing to the over-indulging nature of China.</p>
<h3>Historical Ties</h3>
<p>India and Australia have built strategic trust over the years, slowly yet steadily. Australia and India for the first time established diplomatic relations in the pre-Independence period, when the Consulate General of India was first opened as a Trade Office in Sydney in 1941.</p>
<p>In March 1944, Lieutenant-General Iven Mackay was appointed Australia's first High Commissioner to India. India's first High Commissioner to Australia arrived in Canberra in 1945.</p>
<p>India-Australia relations touched a historic low when the Australian Government condemned India&rsquo;s 1998 nuclear tests. The relations since then has witnessed a significant thaw and when in 2014, Australia signed a uranium supply deal with India, the first of its kind with a country that is a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in recognition of India&rsquo;s &ldquo;impeccable&rdquo; non-proliferation record it became evident what type of relation Australia wanted with India.</p>
<p><strong>Bilateral economic and trade relationship</strong></p>
<p>The India-Australia economic relationship has grown significantly in recent years. India&rsquo;s growing economic profile and commercial relevance to the Australian economy is recognized, both at the federal and state level in Australia.</p>
<p>India's exports to Australia stood approximately at US$ 4.6 billion (A$6.1 bn) in 2016 while India's import from Australia during the same period stood at US$ 11 billion (A$14.6 bn). India&rsquo;s main exports to Australia are Passenger Motor Vehicle &amp; machinery, Pearls, Gems and Jewellery, Medicaments and Refined Petroleum while India&rsquo;s major imports are Coal, Non-monetary Gold, Copper, Wool, Fertilizers and Education related services.</p>
<p>India-Australia also has a Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) which was established in 1989 to enable interaction at a government and business level on a broad range of trade and investment related issues.</p>
<p><strong>The two countries are currently discussing a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) which will provide greater market access to exporters of goods and services. The two sides have exchanged their goods and services offer lists.</strong> The conclusion of the CECA will expand the base of merchandise trade, remove non-tariff barriers, encourage investment and address the border restrictions to trade.</p>
<p><strong>Defence relation</strong></p>
<p><strong>India&ndash;Australia both borders the Indian Ocean and has a shared interest in the maintenance of freedom of navigation and trade.</strong></p>
<p>Australia recognises India&rsquo;s critical role in supporting security, stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region. Australia and India are committed to working together to enhance maritime cooperation and has a formal bilateral naval exercise (AUSINDEX) since 2015.</p>
<p><strong>Civil Nuclear Co-Operation</strong></p>
<p>A Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was signed in September 2014 which came into force in November 2015 and provides the framework for substantial new trade in energy between Australia and India.</p>
<p>The deal ensures that Uranium mining companies of Australia can supply Australian uranium to India for civil use with confidence that exports would not be hindered by domestic legal action challenging the consistency of the safeguards applied by the IAEA in India and Australia&rsquo;s international non-proliferation obligations.</p>
<p>It also ensures that any future bilateral trade in other nuclear-related material or items for civil use will also be protected.</p>
<p><strong>Consular Cooperation</strong></p>
<p>India and Australia signed The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and the Extradition Treaty in June 2008, which has been ratified by both the Governments, and has come into force since January 2011.</p>
<h3>Importance of the Deepening Ties</h3>
<p>The strategic trust on display during AUSINDEX is representative of a deepening strategic alignment between the two countries. It emphasizes on the shared outlook of both the nations as free, open and independent democracies, as champions of international law, as supporters of an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and as firm believers that <em>'might is not right'</em>.</p>
<p>As India has emerged as a leader in this region working closely with Australia can work in the favour of both the nations as both can effectively address the shared challenges such as combating transnational crime, terrorism, people smuggling, and illegal fishing.</p>
<p>As India looks set on its agenda of Make in India it can significantly use Australian expertise in the field of health, education and tourism as these are areas in which Australia has a comparative advantage.</p>
<p><strong>India which will have the largest working population in the world by 2027 will need to up-skill 400 million people. Australia is well-equipped to assist with this huge need for knowledge-sharing, education and skill development.</strong> The two countries also have enormous potential to build on their people-to-people links and thus their soft power influence. India is the third largest source of immigrants to Australia and the second largest source for skilled professionals. This should give sufficient impetus to build a public understanding of each other and thereby improve public policy.</p>
<p>Both India and Australia are situated in the most dynamic region on the planet (the centre of economic and strategic gravity is shifting to the Indo-Pacific as we speak). <strong>India and Australia are also wary of China&rsquo;s assault on maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region. Both the nations can therefore serve together as the net security provider in the region.</strong></p>
<p>There is a great scope for regional economic integration in the Indo-Pacific, one of the most flourishing trade zones in the world. <strong>The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a good platform for India to work towards the goal of regional economic development, since India is not yet a part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11 or CPTPP).</strong></p>
<p>Trilateral engagements with crucial nations like Indonesia and Japan and deeper engagement with regional groups like the Indian Ocean Rim Association and East Asia Summit will also strengthen the ties between India and Australia.</p>
<h3>Areas of Cooperation</h3>
<p><strong>Water &ndash;</strong> Australia and India face some similar challenges in water resources management, particularly in managing over-allocation and water quality, while balancing the water needs of the community, industry and maintaining system flows. Both the nations can come together in finding a novel solution to this common problem.</p>
<p><strong>Energy &ndash;</strong> Meeting the energy needs of 240 million people, which currently lack access to electricity, is a key priority for India. Australia is a natural partner for India in the energy sector as it is a world leader in energy and the sector contributes around 10% to Australia&rsquo;s GDP.</p>
<p><strong>Science and Technology &ndash;</strong> India and Australia have a strong track record of collaborating in research and innovation. The $84 million Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) is Australia&rsquo;s largest.</p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<p>The region faces a range of traditional security challenges that relate to issues of trust in the form of China which has emerged as a regional power and has little faith in rule based order. There are also a growing number of non-traditional and trans-boundary security challenges, including terrorism, natural disasters and pandemics.</p>
<p>Also, India faces unfavourable trade with Australia and despite opening talks for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement in 2011, the agreement which would have significantly lowered the trade balance in favour of India, has remained elusive.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The India-Australia bilateral relationship has been largely a case of <em>"one step forward, two steps back"</em> &mdash; though one witnesses a positive shift in relations since 2014 &mdash; after a gap of 28 years. India no longer sees Australia at the periphery of India&rsquo;s vision but at the centre of its thoughts.</p>
<p>The opportunity as well as challenge is that the two nations are at very different levels of development. There can be converging and diverging interests. Therefore, the future must be woven around the three pillars, which are economic relationship, geostrategic congruence and people-to-people ties, and the glue that can bind this is a sustained momentum.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-australia-relations-april-2019'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Right to Information: Master Key to Good Governance – 2nd ARC',
			'catname' => 'Summary of Important Reports',
			'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p><em>"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost".</em> <strong>Aristotle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Right to information has been seen as the key to strengthening participatory democracy and ushering in people centred governance. Access to information can empower the poor and the weaker sections of society to demand and get information about public policies and actions, thereby leading to their welfare.</li>
<li>Without good governance, no amount of developmental schemes can bring improvements in the quality of life of the citizens. Good governance has four elements
<ol>
<li>Transparency</li>
<li>Accountability</li>
<li>Predictability</li>
<li>Participation</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Right to information opens up government&rsquo;s records to public scrutiny, thereby arming citizens with a vital tool to inform them about what the government does and how effectively, thus making the government more accountable.</li>
<li>Transparency in government organisations makes them function more objectively thereby enhancing predictability. Information about functioning of government also enables citizens to participate in the governance process effectively. In a fundamental sense, <strong>right to information is a basic necessity of good governance</strong>.</li>
<li>In recognition of the need for <strong>transparency in public affairs,</strong> the Indian Parliament enacted the Right to Information Act in 2005. It is a path breaking legislation empowering people and promoting transparency.</li>
<li>This Report is in two parts:
<ol>
<li>First part focuses on Official Secrets and confidentiality issues.</li>
<li>Second part focuses on the steps required for effective implementation of the Act.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Part I &ndash; Official Secrets Act and Other Laws</h2>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In a democracy, people are sovereign and the elected government and its functionaries are public servants. Therefore by the very nature of things, transparency should be the norm in all matters of governance.</li>
<li>People should have the unhindered right to know the decisions of the Cabinet and the reasons for these, but not what actually transpires within the confines of the &lsquo;Cabinet room&rsquo;. The Act recognizes these confidentiality requirements in matters of State and <strong>Section 8 of the Act exempts all such matters from disclosure</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>The Official Secrets Act, 1923 (hereinafter referred to as OSA),</strong> enacted during the colonial era, governs all matters of secrecy and confidentiality in governance. The law largely deals with matters of security and provides a framework for dealing with espionage, sedition and other assaults on the unity and integrity of the nation.</li>
<li>While <strong>Section 5</strong> of OSA was obviously intended to deal with potential breaches of national security, the wording of the law and the colonial times in which it was implemented made it into a catch-all legal provision converting practically every issue of governance into a confidential matter.</li>
<li>This tendency was buttressed by the <strong>Civil Service Conduct Rules, 1964</strong> which prohibits communication of an official document to anyone without authorization.</li>
<li><strong>Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, enacted in 1872,</strong> prohibits the giving of evidence from unpublished official records without the permission of the Head of the Department, who has abundant discretion in the matter.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Official Secrets Act</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sec. 8(2):</strong> Notwithstanding anything in the Official Secrets Act, 1923 nor any of the exemptions permissible in accordance with subsection (1), a public authority may allow access to information, if public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests&rdquo;.</li>
<li>&ldquo;<strong>Sec.22</strong> The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in the <strong>Official Secrets Act, 1923,</strong> and any other law for the time being in force or any instrument having effect by virtue of any law other than this Act&rdquo;</li>
<li>The <strong>word secret or the phrase official secrets has not been denied in the Act</strong>. Therefore, public servants enjoy the discretion to classify anything as secret.</li>
<li>This tendency was buttressed by the <strong>Civil Service Conduct Rules, 1964</strong> which prohibit communication of an official document to anyone without authorization.</li>
<li><strong>The Official Secrets Act, 1923</strong> is the main statute for fighting espionage Activities which vitally affect the national security.
<ol>
<li>Spying or entry into a prohibited place etc.</li>
<li>Wrongful communication</li>
<li>Harbouring spies</li>
<li>Unauthorized use of uniforms, falsification of reports etc.</li>
<li>Interference with the police or military, near a prohibited place.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even information which does not have a bearing on national security cannot be disclosed if the public servant obtained or has access to it by virtue of holding office. Such illiberal and draconian provisions clearly bred a culture of secrecy. Though the RTI Act now overrides these provisions in relation to matters not exempted by the Act itself from disclosure, the fact remains that OSA in its current form in the statute books is an anachronism.</li>
<li>The Law Commission also recommended consolidation of all laws dealing with national security and suggested a <strong>&ldquo;National Security Bill&rdquo;</strong> comprising of
<ol>
<li>Chapters 6 and 7 of the Indian Penal Code.</li>
<li>The Foreign Recruiting Act, 1874.</li>
<li>The Official Secrets Act, 1923.</li>
<li>The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1938.</li>
<li>The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961.</li>
<li>The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission agrees with the recommendation of the Law Commission that all laws relating to national security should be consolidated. The Law Commission&rsquo;s recommendation was made in 1971. The <strong>National Security Act (NSA),</strong> subsequently enacted in 1980, essentially replaced the earlier <strong>Maintenance of Internal Security Act</strong> and deals only with preventive detention. Therefore, a new chapter needs to be added to the NSA incorporating relevant provisions of OSA and other laws dealing with national security.</li>
<li>While recognizing the importance of keeping certain information secret in national interest, the Commission is of the view that the disclosure of information has to be the norm and keeping it secret should be an exception. OSA, in its present form is an obstacle for creation of a regime of freedom of information, and to that extent the provisions of OSA need to be amended.</li>
<li>The Commission, on careful consideration agrees with the amendment proposed by the <strong>Shourie Committee,</strong> as it reconciles harmoniously the need for transparency and the imperatives of national security without in anyway compromising the latter. These can be incorporated in the proposed new chapter in the NSA relating to Official Secrets.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Official Secrets Act, 1923 should be repealed, and substituted by a chapter in the National Security Act, containing provisions relating to official secrets.</li>
<li>The Shourie Committee recommended a comprehensive amendment of Section 5(1) to make the penal provisions of OSA applicable only to violations affecting national security.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governmental Privilege in Evidence</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The term "privilege" as used in Evidence law means freedom from compulsion to give evidence or to discover material, or a right to prevent or bar information from other sources during or in connection with litigation, but on grounds extrinsic to the goals of litigation</li>
<li><strong>Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872</strong> prohibits the giving of evidence derived from unpublished official records relating to affairs of State except with the permission of the Head of the Department</li>
<li>Further, <strong>Section 124</strong> of the Act stipulates: &ldquo;No public officer shall be compelled to disclose communications made to him in official confidence when he considers that the public interests would suffer by the disclosure&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The <strong>Law Commission in its 69th report (1977) and 88th report (1983)</strong> on the Indian Evidence Act suggested that Section 123 should be revised.</li>
<li>The Shourie Committee also examined these sections of the Indian Evidence Act and recommended amendments of Sections 123 &amp; 124, Indian Evidence Act.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 should be amended.</li>
<li>Accordingly, the following will have to be inserted at the appropriate place in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973:</li>
</ul>
<p>"Any person aggrieved by the decision of any Court subordinate to the High Court rejecting a claim for privilege made under section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 shall have a right to appeal to the High Court against such decision, and such appeal may be filed notwithstanding the fact that the proceeding in which the decision was pronounced by the Court is still pending."</p>
<h3>The Oath of Secrecy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A Union Minister, while assuming office, is administered an oath of secrecy as follows:</li>
<li>&ldquo;I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as a Minister for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister.&rdquo;</li>
<li>A Minister in the State Government takes a similar oath.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC),</strong> while examining the Right to Information had the following to say. &ldquo;In fact, we should have an<strong> oath of transparency in place of an oath of secrecy</strong>&rdquo;.</li>
<li>A Minister is a bridge between the people and the Government and owes his primary allegiance to the people who elect him. The existence of this provision of oath of secrecy and its administration along with the oath of office appears to be a legacy of the colonial era where the public was subjugated to the government. However, national security and larger public interest considerations of the country&rsquo;s integrity and sovereignty may require a Minister or a public servant with sufficient justification not to disclose information.</li>
<li>But a very public oath of secrecy at the time of assumption of office is both unnecessary and repugnant to the principles of democratic accountability, representative government and popular sovereignty.</li>
<li>Therefore, the obligation not to disclose official secrets may be built in through an appropriate insertion of a clause in the national security law dealing with official secrets. If required, such an undertaking may be taken in writing, thus avoiding public display of propensity to secrecy.</li>
<li>The Commission is therefore of the view that the Oath of Secrecy may be dispensed with and substituted by a statutory arrangement and a written undertaking. Further, keeping in view the spirit of the Act to promote transparency and as recommended by the NCRWC it would be appropriate if Ministers on assumption of office are administered an <strong>oath of transparency</strong> along with the oath of office.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As an affirmation of the importance of transparency in public affairs, Ministers on assumption of office may take an oath of transparency along with the oath of office and the requirement of administering the oath of secrecy should be dispensed with. <strong>Articles 75(4)</strong> and <strong>164 (3)</strong>&nbsp;and the Third Schedule should be suitably amended.</li>
<li>Safeguard against disclosure of information against the national interest may be provided through written undertaking by incorporation of a clause in the national security law dealing with official secrets.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Exempted Organizations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 24</strong> of the Act stipulates, "Nothing contained in this Act shall apply to the <strong>intelligence and security organisations</strong> specified in the Second Schedule, being organisations established by the Central Government or any information furnished by such organisations to that Government."</li>
<li>The list of organizations includes Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police force (CRPF), Assam Rifles etc., but the Armed Forces have been left outside the purview of the Act. When organizations such as BSF, CRPF, and Assam Rifles are exempted, there is no rationale for not exempting the Armed Forces as well. The <strong>Second schedule</strong> needs to be periodically revised to include or exclude organizations in keeping with changing need</li>
<li>The Commission feels that the Armed Forces should be included in the list of exempted organization <strong>(Second Schedule of the Act),</strong> because almost all Activities of the Armed Forces would be covered under the exemption 8(a) which states that there shall be no obligation to give to any citizen, information which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State</li>
<li>Since, public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests; by including Armed Forces in the Second Schedule, while national security is safeguarded, disclosure is still mandatory when public interest demands it.</li>
<li>The Commission feels that even in cases of organizations listed in Second Schedule, PIOs should be appointed so that requests for applications may be filed with them. A person aggrieved by an order of the PIO may approach the CIC/SIC.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Armed Forces should be included in the Second Schedule of the Act.</li>
<li>The Second Schedule of the Act may be reviewed periodically.</li>
<li>All organizations listed in the Second Schedule have to appoint PIOs. Appeals against orders of PIOs should lie with CIC/SICs. (This provision can be made by way of removal of difficulties under section 30).</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Central Civil Services (conduct) Rules</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Shourie Committee</strong> examined this issue and stated as follows: "There is a widespread feeling that the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and corresponding rules applicable to Railways, Foreign Services and All India Services, inhibit government servants from sharing information with public. The accent in these rules is on denial of information to public. This situation has obviously to change if freedom of Information Act is to serve its purpose and if transparency is to be brought about in the system".</li>
<li>The Commission agrees with the views of the Shourie Committee. The <strong>Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules</strong> were formulated when the RTI Act did not exist. The spirit of these Rules is to hold back information. With the emergence of an era of freedom of information, these Rules would have to be recast so that dissemination of information is the rule and holding back information is an exception.</li>
</ul>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><br />Part II &ndash; Implementation of The Right To Information Act</h2>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In order to enforce the rights and fulfil the obligations under the Act, building of institutions, organization of information and creation of an enabling environment are critical.</li>
<li>Therefore, the Commission has, as a first step, reviewed the steps taken so far to implement the Act as follows:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Building institutions
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Information Commissions</li>
<li>Information Officers and Appellate Authorities</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Information and record-keeping
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Suo motu declaration under Section 4.</li>
<li>Public Interest Disclosure.</li>
<li>Modernizing recordkeeping</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Capacity building and awareness generation</li>
<li>Creation of monitoring mechanism</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Act provides for selection of CIC and SICs in a bipartisan manner, and involves the Leader of the Opposition in the process. Since the Act is applicable to all three organs of the State, it would be appropriate to include in the selection committee the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or High Court as the case may be. This will inspire public confidence and enhance the quality of the selection.</li>
<li>The Act visualizes a Commission wherein the Members represent different sections of the society. The State Governments are still in the process of appointing Information Commissioners, but an analysis of the background of the State Chief Information Commissioners indicates the preponderance of persons with civil service background. Members with civil services background no doubt bring with them wide experience and an intricate knowledge of government functioning; however to inspire public confidence and in the light of the provisions of the Act, it is desirable that the Commissions have a large proportion of members with non civil services background.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 12</strong> of the Act may be amended to constitute the Selection Committee of CIC with the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. Section 15 may be similarly amended to constitute the Selection Committee at the State level with the Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of the High Court.</li>
<li>The GOI should ensure the constitution of <strong>SICs in all States within 3 months</strong>.</li>
<li>The CIC should <strong>establish 4 regional offices</strong> of CIC with a Commissioner heading each. Similarly regional offices of SICs should be established in larger States.</li>
<li>At least half of the members of the Information Commissions should be drawn from non civil services background. Such a provision may be made in the Rules under the Act, by the Union Government, applicable to both CIC and SICs</li>
</ul>
<h3>Designating Information Officers and Appellate Authorities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 19(1)</strong> read with <strong>Section 7(3) (b)</strong> implies designating an appellate authority for each PIO, the law does not specifically provide for designating of appellate authorities as it does in case of PIOs. As a result there is avoidable confusion about the identification of appellate authorities. This omission needs to be rectified.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Offices with more than one PIO have to designate a nodal Assistant Public Information Officer with the authority to receive requests for information on behalf of all PIOs. Such a provision should be incorporated in the Rules by appropriate governments.</li>
<li>PIOs in Central Secretariats should be of the level of at least Deputy Secretary /Director. In State Secretariats, officers of similar rank should be notified as PIOs. In all subordinate agencies and departments, officers sufficiently senior in rank and yet accessible to public may be designated as PIOs.</li>
<li>All public authorities may be advised by the Government of India that along with the Public Information Officers they should also designate the appellate authority and publish both, together.</li>
<li>The designation and notification of Appellate Authorities for each public authority may be made either under Rules or by invoking Section 30 of the Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendation on Organising Information and Record Keeping</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Suo motu disclosures should also be available in the form of printed, priced publication in the official language, revised periodically (at least once a year). Such a publication should be available for reference, free of charge. In respect of electronic disclosures, NIC should provide a single portal through which disclosures of all public authorities under appropriate governments could be accessed, to facilitate easy availability of information.</li>
<li><strong>Public Records Offices</strong> should be established as an independent authority in GOI and all States within 6 months by integrating and restructuring the multiple agencies currently involved in record keeping. This Office will be a repository of technical and professional expertise in management of public records. It will be responsible for supervision, monitoring, control and inspection of record keeping in all public offices.</li>
<li>As a one time measure, GOI may create a <strong>Land Records Modernisation Fund</strong> for survey and updation of all land records. The quantum of assistance for each State would be based on an assessment of the field situation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations on Capacity Building and Awareness Generation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Training programmes should not be confined to merely PIOs and APIOs. All government functionaries should be imparted at least one day training on Right to Information within a year. These training programmes have to be organized in a decentralized manner in every block. A cascading model could be adopted with a batch of master trainers in each district.</li>
<li>Appropriate governments should bring out guides and comprehensible information material within the prescribed time.</li>
<li>The CIC and the SICs may issue guidelines for the benefit of public authorities and public officials in particular and public in general about key concepts in the Act and approach to be taken in response to information requests on the lines of the Awareness Guidance Series.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations on Monitoring Mechanism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The CIC and the SICs may be entrusted with the task of monitoring effective implementation of the Right to Information Act in all public authorities. (An appropriate provision could be made under Section 30 by way of removal of difficulties).</li>
<li>As a large number of Public Authorities exist at regional, state, district and sub district level, a nodal officer should be identified wherever necessary by the appropriate monitoring authority (CIC/SIC) to monitor implementation of the Act.</li>
<li>Each public authority should be responsible for compliance of provisions of the Act in its own office as well as that of the subordinate public authorities</li>
<li>A National Coordination Committee (NCC) may be set up under the chairpersonship of the Chief Information Commissioner with the nodal Union Ministry, the SICs and representatives of States as members. A provision to this effect may be made under Section 30 of the Act by way of removing difficulties. The National Coordination Committee would:
<ol>
<li>Serve as a national platform for effective implementation of the Act.</li>
<li>Document and disseminate best practices in India and elsewhere.</li>
<li>Monitor the creation and functioning of the national portal for Right to Information.</li>
<li>Review the Rules and Executive orders issued by the appropriate governments under the Act.</li>
<li>Carry out impact evaluation of the implementation of the Act.</li>
<li>Perform such other relevant functions as may be deemed necessary.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues in implementation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission has identified some of the problem areas in implementation and these are discussed and recommendations made for their redressal.</li>
<li>Facilitating Access: For seeking information, a process as prescribed under the Act has to be set in motion. The trigger is filing of a request. Once the request is filed the onus of responding to it shifts to the government agency.</li>
<li>Based on the case studies conducted by the Commission, responses of various Ministries to a questionnaire, and interactions with the stakeholders, a number of difficulties/ impediments were noted:
<ol>
<li>Complicated system of accepting requests.</li>
<li>Insistence on demand drafts.</li>
<li>Difficulties in filing applications by post.</li>
<li>Varying and often higher rates of application fee.</li>
<li>Large number of PIOs.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In addition to the existing modes of payment, appropriate governments should amend the Rules to include payment through postal orders.</li>
<li>States may be required to frame Rules regarding application fee which are in harmony with the Central Rules. It needs to be ensured that the fee itself does not become a disincentive.</li>
<li>Appropriate governments may restructure the fees (including additional fees) in multiples of Rs 5. {E.g. instead of prescribing a fee of Rs. 2 per additional page it may be desirable to have a fee of Rs. 5 for every 3 pages or part thereof}.</li>
<li>State Governments may issue appropriate stamps in suitable denominations as a mode of payment of fees. Such stamps would be used for making applications before public authorities coming within the purview of State Governments.</li>
<li>As all the post offices in the country have already been authorized to function as APIOs on behalf of Union Ministries/Departments, they may also be authorized to collect the fees in cash and forward a receipt along with the application.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Inventory of Public Authorities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Act defines public authorities to include a vast array of institutions and agencies. For people to access information, a catalogued and indexed list of all public authorities is necessary. In a vast and diverse country with a federal structure, listing out all the public authorities is a Herculean task. Therefore an inverted tree concept could be followed to have an inventory of all public authorities.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At the Government of India level the Department of Personnel and Training has been identified as the nodal department for implementation of the RTI Act. This nodal department should have a complete list of all Union Ministries/ Departments which function as public authorities.</li>
<li>Each Union Ministry/ Department should also have an exhaustive list of all public authorities, which come within its purview. The public authorities coming under each ministry/ department should be classified into:
<ol>
<li>Constitutional bodies</li>
<li>Line agencies</li>
<li>Statutory bodies</li>
<li>Public sector undertakings</li>
<li>Bodies created under executive orders</li>
<li>Bodies owned, controlled or substantially financed</li>
<li>NGOs substantially financed by government.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Within each category an up-to date list of all public authorities has to be maintained.</li>
<li>Each public authority should have the details of all public authorities subordinate to it at the immediately next level. This should continue till the last level is reached. All these details should be made available on the websites of the respective public authorities, in a hierarchical form.</li>
<li>A similar system should also be adopted by the States.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendation on Single window agency at district level</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A <strong>single window agency</strong> should be set up in each district. This could be achieved by creating a cell in a district-level office, and designating an officer as the assistant public information officer for all public authorities served by the single window agency.</li>
<li>The office of the District Collector/ Deputy Commissioner, or the Zilla Parishad is well suited for location of the cell. This should be completed by all States within 6 months.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendation on subordinate field offices and public authorities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>'Public authority'</strong> has been defined as any authority or body or institution of self government established or constituted by or under the constitution, by any other law made by parliament, by state legislatures, and by any notification issued by the appropriate government, including institutions substantially funded by the appropriate Government. This would extend the spread of public authorities to the level of panchayats and village patwaris across the country.</li>
<li>The intention of the Act is to reach a stage where suo motu disclosure of information by institutions in itself takes care of citizens&rsquo; need for information. Therefore public authorities at the lower end of the administrative and/or functional hierarchies need to be identified to discharge responsibilities under Section 4 of the Act, as they are closest to the people both physically and functionally.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Application to Non Governmental Bodies</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under the Act, a non-governmental body needs to be substantially financed by government to be categorized as a public authority under the Act. There is however no definition of "substantially financed".</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Organisations which perform functions of a public nature that are ordinarily performed by government or its agencies, and those which enjoy natural monopoly may be brought within the purview of the Act.</li>
<li>Norms should be laid down that any institution or body that has received 50% of its annual operating costs, or a sum equal to or greater than Rs.1 crore during any of the preceding 3 years should be understood to have obtained &lsquo;substantial funding&rsquo; from the government for the period and purpose of such funding.</li>
<li>Any information which, if it were held by the government, would be subject to disclosure under the law, must remain subject to such disclosure even when it is transferred to a non-government body or institution.</li>
<li>This could be achieved by way of removal of difficulties under section 30 of the Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Time Limit for Information beyond 20 Years</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A uniform limit of 20 years may on a few occasions pose problems for the Public Authorities as well as the applicants. There are a significant percentage of records which are permanent in nature. These include the records of rights maintained by the State Land Revenue Department, the Registrars and Sub Registrars of lands, important court rulings, and important files regarding policy decisions in various public authorities, birth and death Registrations etc. In such cases requests are received for events which may be well beyond 20 years.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The stipulation of making available 20-year old records on request should be applicable only to those public records which need to be preserved for such a period. In respect of all other records, the period of availability will be limited to the period for which they should be preserved under the record keeping procedures.</li>
<li>If any public authority intends to reduce the period up to which any category of record is to be kept, it shall do so after taking concurrence of the Public Records Office.</li>
<li>These recommendations could be implemented by way of removal of difficulties under Section 30 of the Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mechanism for Redressal of Public Grievances</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A successful example of this mechanism is the <strong>Public Grievances Commission (PGC) set up by the Delhi government in 1997</strong>. When the Delhi Right to Information Act came into force in 2001, the PGC was made the appellate authority to decide appeals under the Act. Because of this arrangement the PGC has become an effective &ldquo;single window&rdquo; authority which facilitates access to information and when required provides a platform for redressing the citizen&rsquo;s grievances as well. The PGC has also effectively used its statutory status and authority under Delhi RTI Act combined with its non-statutory grievance redressal powers to foster systemic reforms.</li>
<li>Taking note of this successful administrative arrangement, the Commission is of the view that similar arrangements could be replicated (with suitable modifications) by other states.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>States may be advised to set up independent public grievances redressal authorities to deal with complaints of delay, harassment or corruption. These authorities should work in close coordination with the SICs/District single window agencies, and help citizens use information as a tool to fight against corruption and misgovernance, or for better services.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations regarding application of the Act to the legislature and judiciary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A system of indexing and cataloguing of records of the legislatures, which facilitates easy access, should be put in place. This could be best achieved by digitising all the records and providing access to citizens with facilities for retrieving records based on intelligible searches.</li>
<li>A tracking mechanism needs to be developed so that the action taken by the executive branch on various reports like CAG, Commissions of Enquiry and House Committees is available to legislators and public, online.</li>
<li>The working of the legislative committees should be thrown open to the public. The presiding officer of the committee, if required in the interest of State or privacy, may hold proceedings in camera.</li>
<li>The records at the district court and the subordinate courts should be stored in a scientific way, by adopting uniform norms for indexing and cataloguing.</li>
<li>The administrative processes in the district and the subordinate courts should be computerised in a time bound manner. These processes should be totally in the public domain.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Removal of Difficulties</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission however have identified some initial difficulties which could impede smooth implementation of the Act. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All organisations listed in the Second Schedule have to appoint PIOs. Appeals against orders of PIOs should lie with CIC/SICs.</li>
<li>Provision should be made to include annual confidential reports, examination question papers and related matters in the exemptions under the RTI Act.</li>
<li>Provision has to be made for designation and notification of Appellate Authority for each public authority.</li>
<li>The CIC and the SICs should be entrusted with the task of monitoring effective implementation of Right to Information in all public authorities.</li>
<li>A National Coordination Committee (NCC) may be set up under the chairpersonship of the chief information commissioner with the nodal union ministry, the SICs and representatives of States as members. A provision to this effect may be made under Section 30 of the Act by way of removing difficulties.</li>
<li>The following norms should be followed for determining applicability of the Act to nongovernmental organizations.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Organisations which perform functions that are ordinarily performed by government or its agencies, and those which enjoy natural monopoly should be brought within the purview of the Act.</li>
<li>Norms should be laid that any institution or body that has received 50% of its annual operating costs, or a sum equal to or greater than Rs.1 crore, during any of the preceding 3 years should be understood to have obtained &lsquo;substantial funding&rsquo; from the government for the period and purpose of such funding.</li>
<li>Any information which, if it were held by the government, would be subject to disclosure under the law, must remain subject to such disclosure even when it is transferred to a non-government body or institution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The stipulation of making available 20-year old records on request should be applicable only to those public records which need to be preserved for such a period. In respect of all other records, the period of availability will be limited to the period for which they should be preserved under the record keeping procedures. If any public authority intends to reduce the period up to which any category of record is to be kept, it shall do so after taking concurrence of the CIC/SIC as the case may be.</li>
<li>It may be provided that information can be denied if the work involved in processing the request would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the public authority. Provided that such a refusal shall be communicated within 15 days of receipt of application, with the prior approval of the appellate authority.</li>
<li>Provided further that all such refusals shall stand transferred to CIC/SIC, as the case may be and the CIC/SIC shall dispose the case as if it is an appeal under <strong>section 19(3) of the RTI Act</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Right to Information law of 2005</strong> signals a radical shift in our governance culture and permanently impacts all agencies of state. The effective implementation of this law depends on three fundamental shifts:
<ol>
<li>From the prevailing culture of secrecy to a new culture of openness</li>
<li>From personalized despotism to authority coupled with accountability</li>
<li>From unilateral decision making to participative governance</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>One single law cannot change everything. But this fine legislation is an important beginning. Its effective application depends largely on the institutions created, early traditions and practices, attendant changes in laws and procedures, and adequate participation of people and the public servants. The Commission, therefore, focused on two broad categories of issues.
<ol>
<li>The first set of issues relates to changes in other laws and practices involving state secrets, civil service conduct rules and classification of documents. The Commission firmly believes that the <strong>Official Secrets Act, 1923</strong> in the current form is antiquated and unsuitable to emerging needs.</li>
<li>The second set of issues relates to implementation of the RTI Act itself, in particular process engineering, record keeping, disclosures, access and monitoring. In respect of the second category of issues, the Commission&rsquo;s recommendations are largely within the framework of the present law.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is well recognized that right to information is necessary, but not sufficient, to improve governance. A lot more needs to be done to usher in accountability in governance, including protection of whistleblowers, decentralization of power and fusion of authority with accountability at all levels.</li>
<li>This law provides us a priceless opportunity to redesign the processes of governance, particularly at the grass roots level where the citizens&rsquo; interface is maximum.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/summary-of-important-reports/right-to-information-master-key-to-good-governance-2nd-arc'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Broader Definition of ‘Conflict Diamonds’',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>India is concerned over <strong>widening of definition of &lsquo;conflict diamonds&rsquo; under the Kimberley Process</strong>, as suggested by developed countries such as the US and Canada.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The proposal is to<strong> include human right abuses and child labour issues</strong>. This may end up as a <strong>non-tariff barrier</strong> for developing countries.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Non-tariff Barrier</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A nontariff barrier is a<strong> trade restriction, such as a quota, embargo or sanction</strong>, that countries use to further their political and economic goals.</li>
<li>Countries commonly use<strong> nontariff barriers in international trade.</strong></li>
<li>Nontariff barriers often release countries from paying added tax on imported goods and create other barriers that have a meaningful yet different monetary impact.</li>
<li>Countries can use nontariff barriers in place of, or in conjunction with, standard tariff barriers.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Stand</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While the concerns are largely based on reports of human rights abuses in the <strong>diamond fields of Zimbabwe and Angola</strong> which includes killing of villagers.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is afraid that once the <strong>exercise of broadening the definition of conflict diamond begins,</strong> many other issues could get incorporated and a <strong>lot of subjectivity may flow in.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This becomes more important since India is the <strong>world&rsquo;s largest centre for cut and polished diamonds</strong> and <strong>accounts for 75% of the world&rsquo;s polished diamonds exports.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sector is <strong>labour-intensive</strong> and employs over 4.64 million workers, which is expected to go up to 8.23 million by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India is against human rights abuse and labour law violations, but there are other agencies including the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-elected-to-unhrc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Human Rights Commission</strong></a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/100th-anniversary-of-ilo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Labour Organization (ILO)</strong></a> to address them.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Kimberly Process was never meant to address such issues. While countries like Zimbabwe and Angola need to be checked, India and some other <strong>developing countries engaged in peaceful trade should not be at the receiving end.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Over the last couple of years, a number of members including Canada, the EU and the US have been complaining that the Kimberley process <strong>addresses a very narrow band of issues and ignores the rest.</strong></li>
<li>Thereby, Canada, in last year&rsquo;s plenary meeting in Brussels, put forward a <strong>proposal to expand the definition of conflict diamonds</strong> to include<strong> rough diamonds used by public security forces or private (including criminal or mercenary) armed groups</strong> to acquire wealth through the<strong> illegal control, bribery, taxation, extortion or dispossession of people.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-to-chair-kimberley-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India is the chair of the Kimberley System Certification Scheme (KPCS) for the year 2019</a>,</strong> and will have to mobilise <strong>other developing countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Brazil and Vietnam to oppose unintended barriers to trade.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/broader-definition-of-conflict-diamonds'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Olive Ridley Turtles',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, Olive ridley turtle eggs that were laid in March began hatching and thousands of baby olive ridley turtles have entered the bay of Bengal.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to officials, <strong>4.5 lakh turtles had arrived at beaches under Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary&nbsp;</strong>to lay eggs in 2019. It is expected that <strong>millions of baby turtles</strong> would make their way into the sea.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Olive Ridley</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles</strong> found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203158_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203158_image6.jpg" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="275" height="183" /></a></li>
<li>They are best known for their unique mass nesting called <strong>Arribada</strong>, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.</li>
<li>The species is listed as<strong> Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List</strong>, <strong>Appendix 1 in CITES</strong>, and <strong>Schedule 1 in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972</strong>.</li>
<li>Olive-ridleys<strong> face serious threats</strong> across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches, due to human activities such as<strong> unfriendly turtle fishing practices, development, and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centers.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Bhitarkanika National Park</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bhitarkanika National Park is one of Odisha&rsquo;s finest biodiversity hotspots and is famous for its <strong>mangroves, migratory birds, turtles, estuarine crocodiles, and countless creeks.</strong></li>
<li>The Bhitarkanika is represented by 3 Protected Areas, <strong>the Bhitarkanika National Park, the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.</strong></li>
<li>Bhitarkanika is located in the estuary of<strong> Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Mahanadi river systems.</strong></li>
<li>It is said to house 70% of the country&rsquo;s estuarine or saltwater crocodiles, conservation of which was started way back in 1975.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Rushikulya River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district of Odisha.</li>
<li>The Rushikulya River is one of the major rivers in the state of Odisha and covers entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam district of Odisha</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Devi River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Devi river is one of the principal distributaries of Mahanadhi. It flows through Jagatsinghpur district and Puri district across Odisha state in India and joins the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles-hatching'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Iran Oil Import Waiver Lifted',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The US&nbsp;has said that it will not renew exemptions from its sanctions for importing oil from Iran. There will be no <strong>Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs)</strong>&nbsp;to any nation anymore.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>exemptions were granted last November</strong> for a 180-day period for India and seven other countries, and are due to expire on May 2.</li>
<li>India, China, and US allies Japan, South Korea, and Turkey will be the most impacted by the non-renewal of waivers.</li>
<li>The other three currently exempted countries &mdash; Italy, Greece, and Taiwan &mdash; have already reduced their imports to zero.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Sanctions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On Iran:</strong> The significant reduction in oil export will <strong>deny Iran its principal source of revenue. </strong></li>
<li><strong>On Global Oil Supplies:</strong> Iran has a<strong> 4% share of global oil production in 2018.</strong> Sanctions on Iran are likely to impact <strong>global oil supply chains.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Disruption in supply may also lead to <strong>a significant rise in oil prices.</strong></li>
<li>However, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, three of the world&rsquo;s largest energy producers have said that they are committed to ensuring that global oil markets remain adequately supplied.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Threatened sanctions on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The US&nbsp;has said that <strong>India&rsquo;s &ldquo;escrow account&rdquo; used for Rupee-Rial trade cannot be operated</strong> after May 2 deadline.
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Escrow Account</strong>: An escrow account is a <strong>temporary pass-through account held by a third party during the process of a transaction</strong> between two parties.</li>
<li>However, there is<strong> no change in the exemption given for India&rsquo;s investments in Chabahar port</strong> as a trade route to Afghanistan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>US has said that it will place <strong>financial curbs</strong> on any entities or companies violating the oil sanctions, including a <strong>ban on the use of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-5th-march-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SWIFT banking international transaction</a> </strong>system by the companies, <strong>seizure of any US assets</strong> of those companies, and curtailing any other dollar transactions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oil Supply for Refineries:</strong> The decision of the US is likely to irk India, particularly since the US has also imposed sanctions on another of India&rsquo;s top suppliers, Venezuela.</li>
<li><strong>Current account deficit:</strong> Higher crude oil prices will <strong>widen the trade deficit and current account deficit,</strong> given that the value of imports goes up with crude oil.
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Each dollar increase in the price of oil raises India&rsquo;s annual import bill by over Rs 10,500 crore,</strong> any spike in global crude prices could have a bigger impact on India&rsquo;s deficit numbers in the absence of the Iranian oil.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rupee and Inflation:</strong> The currency could be impacted if the trade and current account deficits were to widen. An increase in the import bill will tend to put pressure on the rupee. The rise in crude oil prices passed on to the consumer will increase inflation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Response</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian oil companies have almost halved</strong> their Iranian oil purchases <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since November when the sanctions came into effect. </a></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s petroleum Minister has said that <strong>India will diversify its imports</strong> from major oil-producing nations other than Iran.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India and Iranian Oil</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India is the world&rsquo;s third-biggest oil consumer.</strong> It meets more than 80% of its crude oil requirements and around 40% of its natural gas needs through imports.</li>
<li><strong>India is Iran&rsquo;s top oil buyer after China.</strong> In 2018-19, it imported 23.5 million tonnes from Iran; in the previous year, almost 10% of its total 220.4 million tonnes of crude import was from Iran.</li>
<li>Iran was the <strong>fourth largest supplier of oil to India in 2018-19,</strong> and other suppliers may not provide the same benefits in the form of price and credit facilities.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iran-oil-import-waiver-lifted'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Future Proofing',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Future-proofing is the<strong> process of anticipating the future and developing methods of minimizing the effects of shocks</strong> and stresses of future events.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In view of the increasing vagaries of weather due to climate change demands are being made to future proof the agricultural product as mysterious pathogen are reducing yield and ruining and killing crops across the world.</li>
<li>For example, <strong>Rapid apple decline or sudden apple decline</strong> is being witnessed in many states across the USA. Scientists are not able to find any pathogen that is responsible for such decline, but largely they concur on the impact of climate change and the impact of it on bacteria, fungi, and viruses.</li>
<li>Even in India, rapid decline in wheat production is being witnessed due to &ldquo;wheat blast&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Blast disease</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The increased outbreak of pests, diseases and abiotic stresses due to climate change pose a high risk to global food security. Emergence in fungal diseases has been increased 4-fold in the last four decades.</li>
<li>One of the devastating threats to food security is the epidemic outbreaks of blast diseases in major food crops.</li>
<li><strong>Blast is a worrisome plant disease of 50 species of grasses including two major food crops, rice, and wheat.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One of the recent examples was the first outbreak of a <strong>devastating wheat blast in Bangladesh in 2016</strong> which damaged wheat crop in 8 districts with yield losses up to 100%. Wheat blast epidemic was aggravated by the untimely rainfall and warmer winter weather which is associated with the changing climate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In view of these problems, the scientists are calling for<strong> future-proofing of agricultural products.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Need for future-proofing</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Centuries of selective breeding have refined the genomes of most high valued crops. These breeds help in attaining the goal of high yield, at the cost of genetic diversity.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Genetic Diversity</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Genetic diversity is important because it helps maintain the health of a population, by including alleles (a form of mutated genes) that may be valuable in resisting diseases, pests, and other stresses.</strong></li>
<li>Maintaining diversity gives the population a buffer against change, providing the flexibility to adapt. If the environment changes, a population that has a higher variability of alleles will be better able to evolve to adapt to the new environment. In extreme situations (e.g. drought, disease epidemics) diversity could even mean the survival of the population.</li>
<li>The process of domestication tends to decrease the genetic diversity of selected crop species, due in part to the genetic bottleneck imposed when only a few plants are selected and propagated.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>How it should be future proofed</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All crops have <strong>wild relatives that are ill-suited to agriculture but which have vastly more genetic diversity</strong> than their domesticated counterparts. Using the biotechnological methods, the genes of these pest-resistant varieties can be used to future &ndash;proof the existing varieties.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/future-proofing'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Reproductive and Sexual Rights of Women in India',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-half-written-promise/article26914712.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A half written promise'</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Hindu&rsquo; on 23rd April, 2019. The article talks about sexual and reproductive rights of women in India and the challenges it faces.)</p>
</div>
<p>It has been 70 years since India got independence and there cannot be a more right time to analyse the position and &lsquo;space&rsquo; that women in India enjoy today.</p>
<p>The journey women&rsquo;s emancipation in India has been truly dynamic with women participating in nationalist movements, to being pushed into the domestic household space, to their resurgence as super-women today; women in our country have seen it all.</p>
<p><strong>However, the recognition of sexual and reproductive rights of women in the country still remains negligible. Reproductive rights in India are understood only in the context of selective issues like child marriage, female foeticide, sex selection and menstrual health and hygiene issues.</strong></p>
<p><strong>This is reflected in election manifestos of various parties where political parties have promised to make registration of marriages compulsory, implement the laws prohibiting child marriages, provide reproductive and menstrual health services to all women across India, make marital rape an offence and to ensure strict implementation of the Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT) Act.</strong></p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>According to UNICEF India and World Bank data, India counts among the highest number of maternal deaths worldwide. India witnesses 45,000 maternal deaths every year, coming to an average of one maternal death every 12 minutes.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal deaths in India. Researches have shown that half the pregnancies in India are unintended and about a third result in abortion. </strong>Only 22% of abortions are done through public or private health facilities.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of access to safe abortion clinics, particularly public hospitals, and stigma and attitudes toward women, especially young, unmarried women seeking abortion, contribute to this.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Doctors refuse to perform abortions on young women or demand that they get consent from their parents or spouses despite no such requirement by law. This forces many women to turn to clandestine and often unsafe abortions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 provides for termination only up to 20 weeks.</strong> If an unwanted pregnancy has proceeded beyond 20 weeks, women have to approach a medical board and courts to seek permission for termination, which is extremely difficult and cumbersome.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The law does not accommodate non-medical concerns over the economic costs of raising a child, effects on career decisions, or any other personal considerations.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The silence around unsafe abortion leads to deaths of women and hides important problems that lie at the intersection of these concerns, such as the formidable barriers for adolescent girls to access reproductive health services, including abortion services.</p>
<h3>Judicial Rescue</h3>
<p>The Supreme Court has been extremely progressive on women&rsquo;s reproductive rights.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>By decriminalising adultery and homosexuality (Navtej Johar judgment) the court has held clearly, that women have a right to sexual autonomy, which is an important facet of their right to personal liberty.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Puttaswamy judgment specifically recognised the Constitutional right of women to make reproductive choices, as a part of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>In the case of Independent Thought v. Union of India in the context of reproductive rights of girls SC held, &ldquo;the human rights of a girl child are very much alive and kicking whether she is married or not and deserve recognition and acceptance&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<p>These judgments have an important bearing on the sexual and reproductive rights of women. The right to safe abortion is an important facet of their right to bodily integrity, right to life and equality and needs to be protected.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sexual and reproductive rights in India must include:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>a concern with maternal deaths,</li>
<li>access to maternal care to safe abortions,</li>
<li>access to contraceptives,</li>
<li>recognition of adolescent sexuality,</li>
<li>prohibition of forced medical procedures such as forced sterilisations</li>
<li>removal of stigma and discrimination against women, girls and LGBTI persons on the basis of their gender, sexuality and access to treatment,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The MTP Act needs to be reformed comprehensively so, that it can be more inclusive and sensitive towards the plight of married women who are forced to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term against their will. It should also include the economic burden a woman has to undertake in raising a child.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Access to legal and safe abortion is an integral dimension of sexual and reproductive equality, a public health issue, and must be seen as a crucial element in the contemporary debates on democracy that seeks to provide the just society that abhors all sort of discrimination.</strong></li>
<li>The responsibility also lies with civil society and development actors to bring up these issues for public debate and in demands.</li>
</ul>
<p>Over the years, women have made great strides in many areas with notable progress in reducing gender gaps. Yet realities of women and girls getting trafficked, maternal health, deaths related to abortion every year has hit hard against all the development that has taken place, even negating it sometimes.</p>
<p><strong>As in the words of Swami Vivekananda &ldquo;It is impossible to think about the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is impossible for a bird to fly on only one wing.&rdquo;</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT) Act</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The act was enacted in 1994 and amended in 2003 and is an important tool for addressing sex selective eliminations.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Objectives -</strong> The main purpose of enacting the act is to ban the use of sex selection techniques before or after conception and prevent the misuse of prenatal diagnostic technique for sex selective abortion.</li>
<li><strong>Salient features -</strong> Offences under this act include conducting or helping in the conduct of prenatal diagnostic technique in the unregistered units. Sex selection on a man or woman, conducting PNDT test for any purpose other than the one mentioned in the act. Sale, distribution, supply, renting etc. of any ultrasound machine or any other equipment capable of detecting sex of the foetus.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/reproductive-and-sexual-rights-of-women-in-india'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Aegean Sea Litter',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>A team of Greek University students has successfully detected the location of litter in <strong>Aegean sea</strong> using the European union&rsquo;s satellite system.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The purpose of the experiment was to see whether the satellites will be able to detect the floating rafts of plastic in the sea.</li>
<li>Such detection of marine waste will be helpful in cleaning.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Marine Pollution<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215861_Image1.gif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215861_Image1.gif" width="369" height="302" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pollution of the marine environment <strong>means the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of unwanted substances or energy into the marine environment, including estuaries.</strong></li>
<li>Such introduction results in <strong>harm to living resources</strong> and marine life,<strong> hazards to human health, a hindrance to marine activities, including fishing and other legitimate uses of the sea.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Sources of Marine Pollution</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Land-based sources (such as agricultural run-off, discharge of nutrients and pesticides and untreated sewage including plastics)</strong> account for approximately<strong> 80% of marine pollution</strong>, globally.</li>
<li><strong>Excessive nutrients from sewage</strong> outfalls and agricultural runoff have contributed to the <strong>increasing incidence of low oxygen (hypoxic)</strong> areas known as<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-july-18th-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <strong>dead zones</strong>,</a> where most marine life cannot survive, resulting in the collapse of some ecosystems.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are now close to <strong>500 dead zones with a total global surface area of over 245,000 km&sup2;, roughly equivalent to that of the United Kingdom</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The excess <strong>nitrogen may lead to the proliferation of seaweeds and microorganisms</strong> and cause <strong>algal blooms</strong>. Such blooms can be harmful, causing massive fish kills, contaminating seafood with toxins and altering ecosystems.</li>
<li><strong>Litter can accumulate in huge<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-25-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> floating garbage patches</a></strong> or wash up on the coasts. Plastics float in the Ocean, releasing contaminants as they break down into toxic micro-particles that animals mistake for food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Fish and birds can choke on these particles, get sick as they accumulate in their stomachs, or become entangled in the larger debris.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2010, the <strong>Gulf of Mexico deep-water oil spill</strong> had a devastating effect on the entire marine ecosystem, as well as the populations that depend on the marine areas for their livelihoods.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Smaller oil spills happen every day, due to drilling incidents or leaking motors, and cause the death of birds, marine mammals, algae, fish and shellfish.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of Clean Ocean</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>ocean is a vital source of nourishment, especially to people in the world&rsquo;s poorest nations</strong>.</li>
<li>Many depend on fish for their primary source of protein; <strong>fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of about 540 million people (8% of the world&rsquo;s population)</strong> directly or indirectly.</li>
<li><strong>Overfishing</strong>, <strong>loss of biodiversity</strong> and the <strong>possible extinction of species</strong> put&nbsp;<strong>stress on these limited resources</strong>. This could lead to famine, increased poverty and conflicts, including war.</li>
<li>Learning to manage ocean sustainably is the only path to global prosperity and peace.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aegean-sea-litter'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Elections in Ukraine',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been elected as the new president of Ukraine.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215784_Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215784_Image2.jpg" width="387" height="272" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Volodymyr Zelenskiy belongs to the&nbsp;<strong>servant of the people party</strong>. He is also a political satirist with no political background.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Ukraine is Facing</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Confrontation with Russia</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine is at loggerheads with Russia over the <strong>occupation of Crimean peninsula by Russia.</strong></li>
<li>The annexation of Crimea from Ukraine followed a Russian military intervention in Crimea that took place in the aftermath of the<strong> 2014 Ukrainian revolution</strong> and was part of wider unrest across southern and eastern Ukraine.</li>
<li>Last year Russia also<strong> arrested 24 Ukrainian naval officers</strong> from<strong> Kerch Strait</strong> for alleged border violations.</li>
<li>Ukraine is also seeking <strong>North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> European Union</a>&nbsp;</strong>membership, a move that would be offensive to Russia and that could obstruct attempts to resolve other tensions with Russia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Euromaidan Movement</strong></p>
<p><strong>Euromaidan (European Square)</strong> was a wave of demonstrations and<strong> civil unrest in Ukraine,</strong> which began in <strong>November</strong> <strong>2013</strong> with public protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti ("Independence Square") in Kyiv, Ukraine.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The separatist movement in East Ukraine</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Donbass region (the Donetsk and Luhansk regions)</strong> of eastern Ukraine is facing a pro-Russian separatist movement since 2014.</li>
<li>According to the Ukrainian government, the movement is actively supported by the Russian government and Russian paramilitaries make up to between 15% to 80% of the separatists fighting against Ukraine government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Normandy Format</strong></p>
<p>Normandy format is also known as the Normandy contact group, or the Normandy Four is a<strong> diplomatic group of senior representatives of the four countries (Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France)</strong> to <strong>resolve the war in Eastern Ukraine.</strong></p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Corruption</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Corruption was one the key reason behind the ouster of a sitting president, Petro Poroshenko.</li>
<li>Transparency International&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/corruption-perceptions-index-2018-transparency-international" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corruption Perceptions Index</a> shows<strong> Ukraine at 120 among 188 countries.</strong></li>
<li>The newly elected president has vowed various severe measures against corruption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Crisis</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine&rsquo;s economy is<strong> recovering from the severe decline in the economy it experienced after the 2014 unrest</strong>, yet the gross domestic product is still substantially below its level in 2013.</li>
<li>In December 2018 the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Monetary Fund (IMF)</a> has given US$3.9 billion packages to Ukraine.</li>
<li>But further assistance is conditional on Ukraine making key reforms and tackling corruption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Ukraine Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Immediately after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Government of India recognized the Republic of Ukraine as a sovereign independent country in December 1991.</li>
<li>The Embassy of India in Kyiv was established in May 1992 and Ukraine opened its Mission in New Delhi in February 1993.</li>
<li>India and Ukraine enjoy warm and friendly relations and cooperate in areas like<strong> Culture, Arts, Education, Mutual Legal Assistance, Outer Space cooperation.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Defense Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India and Ukraine also <strong>have significant defense cooperation.</strong> Ukraine has been a source of military technology and equipment for India since its independence.</li>
<li>Indian companies are collaborating with Ukrainian companies in this area.</li>
<li>India is dependent on Ukraine&rsquo;s military-industrial complex which plays an instrumental role in the modernization and upkeep of its air force.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diaspora</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine also <strong>has a significant size of the Indian community excluding students,</strong> it is estimated to be about two thousand.</li>
<li>There are <strong>above 8,000 Indian students enrolled in various Ukrainian medical/technical universities.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elections-in-ukraine'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Madagascar’s Indigenous Species',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Around 20 indigenous animal species of Madagascar are under threat.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/281download.png" style="float: right;" /></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Among the species under threat, the <strong>majority belongs to the primate group.</strong> The group contains all the species commonly related to lemurs, monkey, apes, and humans. Lemurs are among the unique to Madagascar.</li>
<li>According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, <strong>of the 111 lemur species, 24 are currently listed as Critically Endangered, 49 are Endangered and 20 are Vulnerable.</strong></li>
<li>All species are listed by <strong>CITES on Appendix I,</strong> which prohibits the trade of specimens or parts, except for scientific purposes.
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indri</strong>, the<strong> largest of all lemurs and a species</strong> with such symbolic value for Madagascar that it is often compared to the giant panda in China, is among the species of lemurs that would be uplisted from endangered to critically endangered.</li>
<li><strong>Madame Berthe&rsquo;s mouse lemur,</strong> the world&rsquo;s <strong>smallest</strong> <strong>primate</strong>, would also be up-listed endangered.</li>
<li><strong>Silky</strong> <strong>sifaka</strong> (Propithecus candidus) also known as<strong> &ldquo;angel of the forest"</strong>&mdash;refers to its white fur. It is one of the rarest mammals on Earth and is listed by IUCN the as one of the world's 25 most critically endangered primates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are a number of threats to lemurs&rsquo; survival in Madagascar, chief among them are
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Widespread</strong> <strong>destruction</strong> of their tropical forest habitat.</li>
<li>Illegal <strong>logging</strong></li>
<li><strong>Deforestation</strong> driven by slash-and-burn agriculture.</li>
<li><strong>Charcoal</strong> <strong>production</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Mining</strong></li>
<li><strong>Hunting</strong> <strong>of lemurs</strong> for food and for the pet trade as an emerging but serious threat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Madagascar</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The island nation of Madagascar has developed its own distinct ecosystems and extraordinary wildlife since it split from the African continent an estimated 160 million years ago.</li>
<li>It&rsquo;s more than 3,000 miles of coastline and over 250 islands are home to some of the world&rsquo;s largest coral reef systems and most extensive mangrove areas in the Western Indian Ocean.</li>
</ul>
<p>World Lemur Day is observed every year on 30 October by IUCN.</p>
<p></p>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/madagascars-indigenous-species'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)',
			'catname' => 'National Institutions',
			'desc' => '<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.</em>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><strong><em style="color: #000000;">&mdash; Nelson Mandela</em></strong></p>
<h3>About</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC of India is an independent statutory body established on <strong>12 October, 1993</strong> as per provisions of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, later amended in 2006.</li>
<li>NHRC has celebrated its Silver Jubilee (25 years) on October 12, 2018. Its headquarter is located in New Delhi.</li>
<li>It is the watchdog of human rights in the country, i.e. the rights related to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by Indian Constitution or embodied in the international covenants and enforceable by courts in India.</li>
<li>It was established in conformity with the <strong>Paris Principles,</strong> adopted for the promotion and protection of human rights in Paris (October, 1991) and endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 December, 1993.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What are Human Rights?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per UN definition these rights are inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.</li>
<li>Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.</li>
<li>These are entitled to everyone, without any discrimination.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)</strong> was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948.</li>
<li>It is a milestone declaration in the history of human rights which sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.</li>
<li><strong>Human Rights Day</strong> is observed every year on <strong>10 December,</strong> which is the anniversary of the UDHR. In 2018, Human Rights Day marked the 70th anniversary the declaration.</li>
<li>In due time the growing importance of strengthening national human rights institutions has been recognized and in 1991, a UN meeting in Paris has developed a detailed set of principles i.e. <strong>Paris Principles</strong>. These principles became the foundation for the establishment and operation of national human rights institutions.</li>
<li>In pursuant to these principles, India has enacted the <strong>Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993,</strong> with a view to bring about greater accountability and strengthening of the human rights in the country.</li>
<li>This act also authorized State Governments to establish State Human Right Commission.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Human Rights Council</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body created by the United Nations General Assembly resolution on 15 March 2006.</li>
<li>It has replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.</li>
<li>It is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.</li>
<li>It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.</li>
<li>The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Structure of the Commission</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC is a multi-member body which consists of a Chairman and seven other members. Out of the seven members, three are ex-officio member.</li>
<li><strong>President appoints the Chairman and members</strong> of NHRC on recommendation of high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister.</li>
<li>The Chairperson and the members of the NHRC are appointed for 5 years or till the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.</li>
<li>They can be removed only on the <strong>charges of proved misbehavior or incapacity,</strong> if proved by an inquiry conducted by a Supreme Court Judge.</li>
<li>Commission also has five <strong>Specialized Divisions</strong> i.e. Law Division, Investigation Division, Policy Research &amp; Programmes Division, Training Division and Administration Division.</li>
<li>The chairman and the members of <strong>State Commission are appointed by the Governor</strong> in consultation with the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Speaker of Legislative Assembly and Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions and Powers of NHRC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC investigates grievances regarding the violation of human rights either suo moto or after receiving a petition.</li>
<li>It has the power to interfere in any judicial proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights.</li>
<li>It can visit any jail or any other institution under the control of the State Government to see the living conditions of the inmates and to make recommendations thereon.</li>
<li>It can review the safeguards provided under the constitution or any law for the protection of the human rights and can recommend appropriate remedial measures.</li>
<li>NHRC undertakes and promotes research in the field of human rights.</li>
<li>NHRC works to spread human rights literacy among various sections of society and promotes awareness of the safeguards available for the protection of these rights through publications, media, seminars and other means.</li>
<li>The Commission takes an independent stand while providing opinions for the protection of human rights within the parlance of the Constitution or in law for the time being enforced.</li>
<li>It has the powers of a civil court and can grant interim relief.</li>
<li>It also has the authority to recommend payment of compensation or damages.</li>
<li>NHRC credibility is duly reflected in large number of complaints received every year and the trust reposed in it by the citizens.</li>
<li>It can recommend to both the central and state governments to take suitable steps to prevent the violation of Human Rights. It submits its annual report to the President of India who causes it to be laid before each House of Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Limitations of NHRC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC does not have any mechanism of investigation. In majority cases, it asks the concerned Central and State Governments to investigate the cases of the violation of Human Rights</li>
<li>It has been termed as &lsquo;India&rsquo;s teasing illusion&rsquo; by Soli Sorabjee (former Attorney-General of India) due to its incapacity to render any practical relief to the aggrieved party.</li>
<li>NHRC can only make recommendations, without the power to enforce decisions.</li>
<li>Many times NHRC is viewed as post-retirement destinations for judges and bureaucrats with political affiliation moreover, inadequacy of funds also hamper its working.</li>
<li>A large number of grievances go unaddressed because NHRC cannot investigate the complaint registered after one year of incident.</li>
<li>Government often out rightly rejects recommendation of NHRC or there is partial compliance to these recommendations.</li>
<li>State human rights commissions cannot call for information from the national government, which means that they are implicitly denied the power to investigate armed forces under national control.</li>
<li>National Human Rights Commission powers related to violations of human rights by the armed forces have been largely restricted.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is need for complete revamping of NHRC to make it more effective and truly a watchdog of human right violations in the country.</li>
<li>NHRC efficacy can be enhanced by government if commission decisions are made enforceable.</li>
<li>There is need to change in composition of commission by including members from civil society and activists.</li>
<li>NHRC needs to develop an independent cadre of staff with appropriate experience.</li>
<li>Many laws in India are very old and archaic in nature by amending which government can bring more transparency in regulations.</li>
<li>To improve and strengthen the human rights situation in India, state and non state actors need to work in tandem.</li>
</ul>',
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		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture — Political Parties Under RTI',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EzJrSkhY3Qw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the centre and the Election Commission (EC) on an application seeking political parties to be declared public authorities in order to make them transparent and accountable to the public.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, wants political parties registered under section 29A of Representation of People Act, 1951 to be declared as &lsquo;public authority&rsquo; under the Right to Information Act, 2005, (RTI). </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">His plea also included that all registered and recognized political parties should be directed to appoint public information officer and appellate authority within 4 weeks and make disclosures in letter and spirit of the RTI Act. In the event of non-compliance of provisions of RPA, RTI Act, Income Tax Act, Moral Code of Conduct and other election laws and rules, political parties shall be derecognized by the ECI. </span></p>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Arguments in Favour</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Except for the political strategy, other <strong>matters relating to finance and administration need to be made available to public</strong> because political parties are public institutions, receiving money from public.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Electoral Bonds are not promoting transparency in political funding</strong> as donors remain anonymous to public.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Infact, not only funding but <strong>expenditure made by political parties,</strong> especially during the time of elections <strong>should be made public</strong>.</span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Currently in India, there is no ceiling on expenditure incurred by the political parties at the time of elections.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Political Parties are already under the RTI Act as they have not challenged the Central Information Commission&rsquo;s verdict of 3<sup>rd</sup> June 2013</strong> (Political Parties are public authorities under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act); though they have also not complied with the order yet. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>RTI act is a very balanced act.</strong> There is a <strong>section 8(1)</strong> in the act that has ten exemptions within it. If a political party comes under the ambit of RTI act, then this section will <strong>safeguard them from disclosing all types of information</strong>. </span></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Arguments Against</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Law needs to be amended:</strong> </span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Section 2(h) of RTI act defines public authority as the one which is created by or under the constitution or by the Parliament.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Political Parties are formed under the act of Parliament</strong> i.e. under the Representation of People Act, which is <strong>not the same thing as being created by the Parliament</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Therefore, until and unless the law is changed, it will be difficult to bring political parties under the ambit of RTI act.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Political Parties have <strong>apprehension</strong> that disclosure of information under RTI act may give <strong>advantage to their competitors</strong>.</span></li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Political parties do not want to disclose their internal working as well as their decision making system.</span></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Suggestions</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Money should not be given to political parties as this creates a nexus between the funders and the political parties, thus affecting policy formulation in the country. Instead, <strong>a National Election Fund should be created</strong> for receiving the donations from people. The money received should be used for conducting elections.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Eliminating the root cause of requirement of money</strong> i.e. banning election rallies and roadshows, but direct connect with people needs to be ensured. Replacing them by live T.V. debates is an option.</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Electoral Reforms related Recommendations</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Following Reforms need to be taken immediately:</span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The 'First Past the Post System',</strong> in which a person with the highest votes (even with one extra vote) is declared winner, <strong>should be changed</strong>. Rather, <strong>a minimum percentage of total votes polled, should be fixed for declaring a candidate winner</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">A law for regulating political parties is required.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Preventing criminals from contesting elections.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Flow of black money into election process needs to taken care off.</span></strong></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">There needs to be a <strong>scrutiny of manifestos</strong> issued by political parties. Also, one or two months before elections, manifestos should be issued so that people can understand and discuss things mentioned in them.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Electoral System needs to be such that a sitting MLA or an MP has to resign from the current seat before filing the nomination for the other seat. This will help in <strong>saving expenditure on bypolls</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Even in case of <strong>simultaneous elections</strong> to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, <strong>a system is needed to tackle the dissolution of assemblies</strong> and vacancies that can occur during a ruling period.</span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">The Prime Minister should be elected through secret and compulsory vote of all the members of lower house on nomination signed by at least 34% members. In the same way, no confidence motion, carrying the name of an alternative leader, should be passed, to de-seat an incumbent person and to fill the seat immediately.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Since political parties seem less interested in electoral reforms, the <strong>Supreme Court can take an action in this regard</strong>.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Currently, electoral reforms are work-in-progress. Initiative from public is needed to make them happen fast. </em></span></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Drishti Input</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Right to Information Act 2005 </em></span></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Enacted by the Parliament, it received the President&rsquo;s assent on 15th June, 2005.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">It provides for right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities in order <strong>to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">It is <strong>applicable for all states in the country except for Jammu &amp; Kashmir</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Under the provisions of the Act, <strong>a citizen may request information from a "public authority" (a body of government) which is required to reply within thirty days</strong>.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Free and Fair Election',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/being-fair-and-transparent/article26905329.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Being Fair and Transparent'</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Hindu&rsquo; on 22nd April, 2019. The article talks about the challenges that have affected the electoral landscape in India and ways in which it can be dealt.)</p>
</div>
<p>In a constitutional democracy, elections provide an opportunity to ascertain the popular will in regard to the governance of the country. <strong>Election is the act of choosing an individual usually for holding public office through free will of the people in a representative democracy.</strong></p>
<p>Recently, elections were cancelled in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu on the charges of corrupt practices and misuse of money and muscle power which is often used to manipulate and sway the popular will. This has not been an isolated incident; many such events have taken place over the years. The growing greed for power has turned a sacrosanct activity into a showcase for power.</p>
<p>The recent debates surrounding the power and efficacy of <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Election Commission of India (ECI)</a> in testing times has opened up the pandora box of challenges where strengthening ECI has become of paramount importance.</p>
<h3>Concept of Free and Fair Election</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Concept of free and fair election includes even preliminary stages to election such as <strong>delimitation of constituencies, preparation, revision or amendment of electoral rolls</strong> and many others.</li>
<li>Concept of free and fair election <strong>mainly relates to political liberty and equality</strong>. In matters of election it implies that <strong>no one, under the electoral process, is in bondage of another,</strong> having his personal rights, social and political liberty, free thinking and choice subjected to a legal discipline.</li>
<li><strong>While exercising his right to vote one is not under undue influence of party discipline, religion, caste, creed, sex, language and also one is not under the strain of corrupt practices</strong> and so on. Thus, free and fair elections are the foundations of democratic form of government.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Growing Menace of Money Power</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Over the course of time several negative features of our electoral scene have worsened. Since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, in just the first two phases this time, <strong>money power has been used</strong> so blatantly that seizures <strong>in form of unaccounted cash, liquor, bullion and drugs</strong> amounting to ₹2,600 crore have already been made.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The amount is greater than the entire seizures made in the nine phases of the general election in 2014. Most depressingly, this includes huge cache of drugs, the vast majority smuggled into Gujarat. Uttar Pradesh is awash with liquor. Tamil Nadu has seen the largest seizures of illicit cash &mdash; over ₹514 crore.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>These vast sums that intended to bribe or influence voters are only fraction of current illegal spending that has been exposed.</strong> A larger share has already been spent without the knowledge of ECI or other regulatory authorities.</li>
<li>Political players have evolved their methods and are many steps ahead of the ECI&rsquo;s observers and their vigilance teams by moving their funds to their destinations even before the elections are announced.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Obstacles in Free and Fair Elections</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Electoral malpractice has appeared in newer forms in recent times. <strong>Voter bribery and manipulation through the media</strong> have become the techniques of unethically influencing voters in place of voter intimidation and booth capturing.</li>
<li>Over the past few years incidence of <strong>corruption in public life</strong> in which politicians and officials have diverted the available resources to personal use has increased. <strong>Public funds have been misappropriated</strong> and have destroyed the moral and ethical environment of the nation.</li>
<li><strong>According to the Vohra Committee Report,</strong> criminalization of politics and corruption in high levels is destroying the very system and edifice of our parliamentary democracy, political authorities, the civil servants and even the judiciary.</li>
<li>In the era of outside support and the coalition governments in the States and at the Centre, it is an admitted fact that <strong>the representatives of the people in the Assemblies and Parliament accept money to support a particular Government</strong>. Hence, Members of Parliament or State Assemblies became a marketable commodity and a subject of sale and purchase or horse-trading.</li>
<li>Money power is a crucial factor in elections since <strong>modern devices of election propaganda are expensive</strong>. The availability of large funds ordinarily tends to increase the number of votes a candidate will receive. This money often takes the course of black money and is collected through nefarious and illicit means.</li>
<li><a href="/news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/03-04-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electoral bonds</a> which were meant for from enabling a legitimate and transparent means of political funding, <strong>have proved to be the reverse</strong>. The EC, in its own affidavit before the Supreme Court, has admitted as much.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Supreme Court&rsquo;s order has made sure that full disclosure, albeit to the EC, has already effectively killed further funding along this route.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Suggested</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Any serious reform with regard to funding must come from the EC itself,</strong> the EC should convene a conference of all stakeholders, including of course all recognized political parties, both central and State. The list of stakeholders must also include the best constitutional and legal minds in our country.</li>
<li><strong>ECI must ensure strict compliance of model code of conduct</strong> and anyone seen violating it must be given highest possible restraint to deter herself from any such future practice.</li>
<li>Being a watchdog of the democracy, <strong>media should follow the ethical reporting of events</strong> covering real issues affecting people and <strong>should not indulge in paid news and in propaganda politics</strong>.</li>
<li>Parliament must <strong>consider the legal infirmities existing in the provisions of election law,</strong> relating to entry of criminals in politics. Classification between general criminals and sitting member criminals under Section 8 of the Representation of People Act, 1951 must be omitted.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The powers of the EC are enormous and all-encompassing which even exceed the powers of the executive in all election-related issues during the course of the election period. Thereby giving it effective tools in dispensing free and fair elections, only thing that lacks is will and integrity on the part of responsible officials.</li>
<li>ECI should become more prudent and pro-active to ensure the fairness and transparency the general election of this nation deserves, and wipe away any doubt regarding the its integrity as an esteemed institution.</li>
</ul>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Prayagraj on the Verge of an Epidemic after Kumbh',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NGT has reported the sad state of solid waste management during the months-long religious gathering of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-4th-march-2019-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kumbh.</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues raised</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Inadequate sewage treatment plant in the city to treat such a large amount of solid waste.</strong> The NGT report said 60,000 metric tonnes (mt) of the untreated solid waste get collected at the Baswar solid waste treatment plant. Out of this, 18,000 mt wastes was generated at the Kumbh Mela even as the plant was not operational since September 2018.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The inadequate sewage treatment capacity of the district&mdash;around 254 million liters per day (MLD)&mdash;is not enough to tackle half of the sewage generated during the Mela.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of dirty water from toilets was being collected in kutcha pits.</strong> It will impact the groundwater quality, environment as well as human health.</li>
<li>The <strong>NGT report predicted a rise in cases of acute diarrhea, enteric fever, viral hepatitis, and cholera.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Pucca constructions were being raised at flood plains.</strong></li>
<li><strong>No effective planning for the protection of the environment and pollution</strong> control was made for the Maha Kumbh Mela.</li>
<li>Raised the question o<strong>ver the use of geo-tube technology</strong> for filtering sewage waste before letting it enter the river, which has failed to solve the problem of solid waste.</li>
<li>Based on the findings of the report the NGT has pulled up the state administration over the inadequate arrangement, poor management of the event.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Geotube&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A Geotube container is a <strong>geotextile dewatering solution made from specially designed, dual filament, polypropylene fabric</strong> and is fabricated to the requirements of each specific project.</li>
<li>Geotube technology provides simple, low maintenance, and cost-effective solution for the dewatering needs of many industries.</li>
</ul>
<p><br /><br /></p>
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	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Stem cell',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, Doctors in Mumbai used stem cell therapy to <strong>save life of a premature baby boy,</strong> who was suffering from a chronic lung disease.</p>
<h3>Stem Cell</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stem cells are the <strong>body's raw materials &mdash; cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated.</strong></li>
<li>Under certain conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem cells divide to form more cells <strong>called daughter cells.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These daughter cells either become <strong>new stem cells (self-renewal)</strong> or become<strong> specialized cells (differentiation)</strong> with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle cells or bone cells.</li>
<li>No other cell in the body has the natural ability to generate new cell types.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>What is stem cell therapy?
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Stem cell therapy, also known as<strong> regenerative medicine,</strong> promotes the repair response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives.</li>
<li>Stem cells can then be<strong> implanted into a person.</strong> For example Mumbai baby boy was injected with 40 million stem cells and gradually the lungs began to repair. In this case, doctors used mesenchymal stem-cell therapy (these are adult stem cells and are different from Embryonic stem cells) on an experimental basis</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Why it is an issue?
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In March 2019, the Union Health Ministry had notified the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/no-clinical-trials-in-india-for-new-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019&rsquo;&nbsp;</strong></a>which state that stem-cell <strong>derived products are to be used as &ldquo;new drugs&rdquo;.</strong> &ldquo;This means that any doctor who uses stem-cell therapy needs to take permission from the government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Clinical Trial Regulations In India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)</strong> which comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the main body which works on development of regulatory procedures and standards for drugs, cosmetics, diagnostics and devices.</li>
<li>It lays down regulatory <strong>guidance by amending acts and rules</strong>; and regulates new drug approval process.</li>
<li>Its main objective is to standardize clinical research and bring safer drugs to the Indian market.</li>
<li>The <strong>Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)</strong> is responsible for giving regulatory permissions for the conduct of clinical trials and is responsible for approval of marketing licenses for drugs in India.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Iron and Steel Industry in India',
		'catname' => 'Paper 3',
		'desc' => '<h3>Overview</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At global level in 2018, the world crude steel production reached 1789 million tonnes (mt) and showed a growth of 4.94% over 2017.</li>
<li><strong>China remained world&rsquo;s largest crude steel producer in 2018 (928 mt) followed by India</strong> (106 mt), Japan (104 mt) and the USA (87 mt).</li>
<li>Per capita<strong> finished steel consumption</strong> in 2017 is placed at 212 kg for world and 523 kg for China and for India it was 69 kg as published by World Steel Association.</li>
<li><strong>India is the largest producer of sponge iron</strong> in the world and the <strong>3<sup>rd</sup> largest finished steel consumer</strong> in the world after China &amp; USA.</li>
<li>The Government has taken various steps to boost the sector including the introduction of <strong>National Steel Policy 2017</strong> and allowing <strong>100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)</strong> in the steel sector under the automatic route.</li>
<li>The growth in the Indian steel sector has been driven by domestic <strong>availability of raw materials</strong> such as iron ore and cost-effective labour. Consequently, the steel sector has been a major contributor to India&rsquo;s manufacturing output.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Development of Steel Sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The economic reforms initiated by the Government since 1991 added new dimensions to industrial growth in general and the steel industry in particular.</li>
<li>Licensing requirement for capacity creation was abolished, except for certain locational restrictions and the steel industry was removed from the list of industries reserved for the public sector.</li>
<li>Automatic approval of foreign equity investment up to 100% was granted. Price and distribution controls were removed with a view to make the steel industry efficient and competitive.</li>
<li>Restrictions on external trade, both in import and export, were removed with drastic reductions in import duty.</li>
<li>General policy measures like reduction in import duty on capital goods, convertibility of rupee on trade account, permission to mobilise resources from overseas financial markets among others, also benefited the Indian steel industry.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Growth Profile</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The liberalization of industrial policy and other initiatives taken by the Government have given a definite impetus for entry, participation and growth of the private sector in the steel industry.</li>
<li>While the existing units are being modernized/expanded, a large number of new steel plants have also come up in different parts of the country based on modern, cost effective, state of-the-art technologies.</li>
<li>In the last few years, the rapid and stable growth of the demand side has also prompted domestic entrepreneurs to set up fresh green field projects in different states of the country.</li>
<li>Today, as the 2nd largest crude steel producer globally and with a capacity of over 100 million tonne, the Indian steel industry has come a long way.</li>
<li><strong>Pig Iron:</strong> India is also an important producer of pig iron. Post-liberalization, with setting up several units in the private sector, not only imports have drastically reduced but also India has turned out to be a net exporter of pig iron. The private sector accounted for 94% of total production of pig iron in the country. Pig iron, crude iron obtained directly from the blast furnace and cast in molds.</li>
<li><strong>Sponge Iron:</strong> India, world&rsquo;s largest producer of sponge iron (2018), has a host of coal based units located in the mineral-rich states of the country. Over the years, the coal based route has emerged as a key contributor and accounted for 79% of total sponge iron production in the country.</li>
<li>Sponge iron is a metallic product produced through direct reduction of iron ore in the solid state. The process of sponge iron making aims to remove the oxygen from iron ore. The quality of sponge iron is primarily ascertained by the percentage of metallization (removal of oxygen), which is the ratio of metallic iron to the total iron present in the product.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Import and Export of Iron &amp; Steel</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Although India started exporting steel way back in 1964, exports were not regulated and depended largely on domestic surpluses. However, in the years following economic liberalisation, export of steel recorded a quantum jump.</li>
<li>Subsequently, the rapid growth of domestic steel demand has led to a decline in the rate of growth of steel exports from India to ensure that domestic requirements are adequately met. India is currently a net importer of total finished steel.</li>
<li><strong>Iron &amp; steel are freely importable and freely exportable.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Additional Capacity Creation in Private Sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Since 1991 with further opening up of the Indian economy, a focused reform process in place and a rapid but stable growth of the Indian economy, investments have flown significantly into the steel industry of the country with major investment plans announced in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.</li>
<li><strong>Crude steel capacity</strong> in the country stood at 138 million tonnes in 2017-18 as per data released by the JPC while the <strong>National Steel Policy 2017</strong> envisions domestic crude steel capacity reaching 300 million tonnes per annum by 2030-31.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Demand &ndash; Availability</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Demand and availability of iron and steel in the country are largely determined by market forces and gaps in demand-availability are met mostly through imports.</li>
<li>Interface with consumers exists by way of meeting of the <strong>Steel Consumers&rsquo; Council,</strong> which is conducted on regular basis.</li>
<li>Interface helps in redressing availability problems, complaints related to quality.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steel Prices</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Price regulation of iron &amp; steel was abolished on January 16, 1992.</strong> Since then steel prices are determined by the interplay of market forces.</li>
<li>Domestic steel prices are influenced by trends in raw material prices, demand &ndash; supply, conditions in the market, and international price trends among others.</li>
<li>As a facilitator, the <strong>Government monitors the steel market conditions</strong> and adopts fiscal and other policy measures based on its assessment. Currently, <strong>GST of 18% is applicable on steel</strong> and there is <strong>no export duty</strong> on steel items.</li>
<li>A <strong>Steel Price Monitoring Committee</strong> has been constituted by the Government with the aim to monitor price rationalization, analyze price fluctuations and advise all concerned regarding any irrational price behaviour of steel commodity.</li>
<li>To avoid any distortion in prices in view of ad-hoc and rising imports, the Government had taken several steps including <strong>raising import duty</strong> and imposed a gamut of measures including <strong>anti-dumping and safeguard duties</strong> on a host of applicable iron and steel items.</li>
<li>In a further move, to curb steel imports, the Indian government banned the production and sale of steel products that does not meet <strong>BIS approval</strong>.</li>
<li>To check the sale of defective and sub-standard stainless steel products used for making utensils and various kitchen appliances, the <strong>Stainless Steel (Quality Control) Order, 2016,</strong> released for products used in making utensils and kitchen appliances that will help filter imports of the metal.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Government Initiatives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>An export duty of 30 per cent has been levied on iron ore to ensure supply to domestic steel industry.</li>
<li>Government&rsquo;s focus on infrastructure and restarting road projects is aiding the boost in demand for steel. Also, further likely acceleration in rural economy and infrastructure is expected to lead to growth in demand for steel.</li>
<li>The Union Cabinet has approved the National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017, as it seeks to create a globally competitive steel industry in India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NSP 2017 &ndash; Vision, Mission &amp; Objectives</strong></p>
<p><strong>Vision:</strong> To create a technologically advanced and globally competitive steel industry that promotes economic growth.</p>
<p><strong>Mission:</strong> Provide environment for attaining &ndash;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Self-sufficiency in steel production by providing policy support &amp; guidance to private manufacturers, MSME steel producers, CPSEs &amp; encourage adequate capacity additions.</li>
<li>Development of globally competitive steel manufacturing capabilities.</li>
<li>Cost-efficient production and domestic availability of iron ore, coking coal and natural gas.</li>
<li>Facilitate investment in overseas asset acquisitions of raw materials.</li>
<li>Enhance domestic steel demand.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Objectives:</strong> The National Steel Policy aims at achieving the following objectives &ndash;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Build a globally competitive industry</li>
<li>Increase per Capita Steel Consumption to 160 Kgs by 2030-31</li>
<li>To domestically meet entire demand of high grade automotive steel, electrical steel, special steels and alloys for strategic applications by 2030-31</li>
<li>Increase domestic availability of washed coking coal so as to reduce import dependence on coking coal from ~85% to ~65% by 2030-31</li>
<li>To have a wider presence globally in value added/ high grade steel</li>
<li>Encourage industry to be a world leader in energy efficient steel production in an environmentally sustainable manner.</li>
<li>Establish domestic industry as a cost-effective and quality steel producer</li>
<li>Attain global standards in Industrial Safety and Health</li>
<li>To substantially reduce the carbon foot-print of the steel industry</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ministry of Steel is facilitating setting up of an <strong>industry driven Steel Research and Technology Mission of India (SRTMI)</strong> in association with the <strong>public and private sector steel</strong> companies to spearhead research and development activities in the iron and steel industry at an initial corpus of Rs 200 crore (US$ 30 million).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Export Promotion (Duty Exemption Schemes) of Iron &amp; Steel Products</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scheme enables exporters to import relevant raw material and other inputs in required quantities, duty free for production of the export product.</li>
<li>Quantities of import are allowed as per standard input output norms (SION) prescribed by DGFT or as per self declared norms by the exporters subject to ratification of the DGFT.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel (Technical Wing) helps the Advance Authorization Committee/Norms Committee in DGFT/ in ratification of the self declaration norms or otherwise.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel also helps DGFT to fix new norms (Standard Input-Output Norms) and/or to review existing norms in consultation with industry/ experts/ consultants.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Energy and Environment Management in Iron &amp; Steel sector</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Iron &amp; steel industry in India are covered under the <strong>Environment Protection Act (EPA)</strong> as well as <strong>Environment Protection Rules &amp; Regulations</strong> enacted &amp; published by Ministry of Environment, Forest &amp; Climate Change (MoEF&amp;CC).</li>
<li>At the beginning, the entrepreneurs are required to <strong>obtain statutory clearances</strong> from the Union/State Governments required under the EPA for setting up of any new iron &amp; steel plants or its substantial expansion.</li>
<li>Further, the steel companies are required to <strong>install specified pollution control equipments</strong> and also operate well within the prescribed norms.</li>
<li>These are <strong>monitored by Central/State Pollution Control Boards</strong>. Ministry Of Steel helps &amp; facilitates formulation/amendment of Norms and standards.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Energy Management</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Energy consumption in most of the integrated steel plants in India is generally high at 6-6.5 Giga Calorie per tonne of crude steel as compared to 4.5-5.0 in steel plants abroad.</li>
<li>The higher rate of energy consumption is mainly due to <strong>obsolete technologies</strong> including problems in retrofitting modern technologies in old plants, old shop floor &amp; operating practices, poor quality of raw material viz. high ash coal/coke, high alumina iron ore etc.</li>
<li>The energy consumption in steel plants is however, gradually reducing because of technological up gradation, utilisation of waste heats, use of better quality inputs, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Some of the steps being taken by the Ministry of Steel through various forums and mechanisms are:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection (CREP).</li>
<li>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).</li>
<li>Promotion of Energy Efficiency in SME Sector.</li>
<li>UNDP-GEF-MoS Project: &ldquo;Energy Efficiency in Steel Re-rolling Mills&rdquo; (2004-2013).</li>
<li>UNDP-MoS-AusAID Project: Up scaling Energy Efficient Production in Small Scale Steel Industry in India&rdquo; (June 2013-June2016).</li>
<li>NEDO (New Energy &amp; industrial technology Development Organisation), Model Projects for Energy Efficiency Improvement.</li>
<li>Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) for Indian Steel Industry.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel has constituted a Task Force for promotion and utilization of Iron and Steel Slag.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Problems of Iron and Steel Industry</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Poor demand, price slump, competition from cheaper imports and delays in project execution are major problems in Indian steel industry.</li>
<li>Inadequate supply of power and coal, Inefficiency of public sector units and under- utilisation of capacity are other challenging issues.</li>
<li>Indian banks are grappling with bad loans (NPA) and at the same time the industry which has a long gestation period, needed huge investment.</li>
<li>Raw material and infrastructure bottlenecks issues are also there.</li>
<li>Obsolete technology in PSUs led to inferior quality products.</li>
<li>Under-utilization of labour due to frequent strikes, lockout, inefficient management (slow land acquisition, environment clearances etc.) factors facilitate dumping in the market decreasing the global prices hitting the domestic producers and their exports.</li>
<li>Global glut and a surge in cheap imports from China, Russia, Korea and Japan have dented the domestic industry&rsquo;s fortunes.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The iron and steel industry needed a comprehensive planning for modernisation, up-gradation of technologies, replacement of obsolete equipment and removal of technological imbalances.</li>
<li>Presently, the government is trying to support the industry through the RBI&rsquo;s strategic debt restructuring scheme. But it needs long-term finance, such as, pension funds, savings etc. which can withstand cyclical volatility of profits unlike funding from banks or capital markets.</li>
<li>Anti dumping duties on cheap import to protect domestic producers.</li>
<li>More focus on infrastructure and automobile industry to increase domestic demand and job creation to counter-balance global slowdown.</li>
<li>Servicing of bad loans by government to provide capital and reviewing the credibility before dispatching the loans.</li>
<li>Increased foreign investment.</li>
<li>More emphasis on Green Climate Fund to procure environment friendly technology.</li>
<li>Decrease iron ore exports to ensure raw material supply.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian steel industry has entered into a new development stage, post de-regulation, riding high on the resurgent economy and rising demand for steel.</li>
<li>Huge scope for growth is offered by India&rsquo;s comparatively low per capita steel consumption and the expected rise in consumption due to increased infrastructure construction and the thriving automobile and railways sectors.</li>
<li>The <strong>New Industrial Policy Regime</strong> provides opportunities for growth of Iron and Steel in private sector.</li>
<li>The Government has also announced a policy for providing preference to domestically manufactured Iron &amp; Steel products in Government procurement.</li>
<li>Ministry of Steel is playing the role of a facilitator, providing broad directions and assistance to new and existing steel plants, in the liberalized scenario.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/iron-and-steel-industry-in-india'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Beyond The Free Trade Idealism',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/beyond-the-free-trade-idealism/article26935924.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Beyond The Free Trade Idealism'</a> which appeared in 'The Hindu' on 25th April, 2019. The article talks about the concept of free trade and its associated risks. It also talks about the ways in which India can balance its economic environment.)</p>
</div>
<p>India liberalised its economy in 1990s whereby it opened up the sectors hitherto under public operations, invited investors from world over to invest in India and it liberalised the overall economic environment in the economy. It&rsquo;s difficult to assess how far we have reached in our endeavours but India has certainly taken a leap in a right direction.</p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>While India has significantly opened its trade frontiers, its <strong>policies of favouring domestic producers and businessman often lock horns with the proponents of free trade</strong>. The recent U.S. trade skirmish with India is one such example. The US has objected to India increasing import duties on electronic goods and wants India to reduce duties on U.S.-made motorcycles.</p>
<p>The current atmosphere warrants us to deeply analyse the free trade regimen and how it has the potential to impact the overall macro-economic situation in the country.</p>
<h3>What is Free Trade?</h3>
<p>Free trade is a policy to <strong>eliminate discrimination against imports and exports</strong>. Buyers and sellers from different economies may voluntarily trade without a government applying tariffs, quotas, subsidies or prohibitions on goods and services.</p>
<p>Politically, a <strong>free-trade policy may be the absence of any trade policies,</strong> so a government doesn't need to take specific action to promote free trade. This hands-off stance is referred to as <strong>"laissez-faire trade"</strong> or <strong>trade liberalization</strong>.</p>
<p>However, <strong>governments with free-trade agreements do not necessarily abandon all control</strong> of import and export taxation. In modern international trade, few free trade agreements (FTAs) result in completely free trade.</p>
<h3>Advantages and Philosophy</h3>
<p>In a free-trade regime, <strong>both economies can experience faster growth rates</strong>. This exchange is no different from voluntary trade between neighbours, towns or states. Free trade enables companies to concentrate on manufacturing goods and services where they have a distinct comparative advantage.</p>
<p>The <strong>most basic philosophy</strong> behind the macro-economic case for free trade is that <strong>if each person would do only what he or she does better than everyone else</strong> and all would trade with each other, <strong>everyone&rsquo;s welfare</strong> will increase.</p>
<p>Proponents of Free trade claims that easy import of products from other countries increases <strong>consumer welfare</strong>. Consumers everywhere welcome a lowering of import barriers because it brings quality products at a very competitive price.</p>
<p>As established by <strong>Milton Friedman,</strong> a Nobel laureate that, in international trade, <strong>exports help companies</strong> and <strong>imports help citizens</strong>. Therefore, resistance to free trade does not come from consumers. Thus, any <strong>restriction in free trade only serves the interest of few capitalist</strong> and is not in the larger interest of masses.</p>
<h3>Challenges in Free Trade</h3>
<p>While domestic businesses benefit from a diversified export market, they also suffer from <strong>greater competition,</strong> due to the removal of trade tariffs and inflows of cheap foreign goods. This weighs <strong>negatively on business profits</strong> of domestic companies and constraints business expansion.</p>
<p>It has also been found that tougher competitive pressure <strong>reduces the incentives for companies to implement proper labour standards</strong> and protect the <strong>environment</strong> as they look to cut down any additional expenditure.</p>
<p>Free trade can <strong>contribute to higher income inequality,</strong> especially in high-wage countries, as it promotes cheaper goods from low-wage countries which have been the case in many Asian nations such as China, India, Philippines, and Singapore etc. Also, owners of <strong>intellectual property would receive more of the income gains,</strong> since FTAs often protect patents and copyrights.</p>
<p>Growing trade flows often lead economies to focus more on <strong>export-led growth</strong> instead of <strong>consumption-led growth</strong> as companies emphasises on producing goods that have demand in foreign markets having bigger purse instead of producing what is required in domestic market.</p>
<h3>Will Easing Import Barriers Help India</h3>
<p>Argument about consumers benefiting from easy imports cannot be called completely true as even for citizens to buy products they need income. Therefore, they need jobs that will provide them adequate incomes. Any government responsible for the welfare of its citizens has to be concerned about the <strong>growth of jobs</strong> in the country.</p>
<p>More than a free trade regime what India needs is a <strong>good 'industrial policy'</strong> to accelerate the growth of domestic production, by building on its <strong>competitive advantages;</strong> and by developing those capabilities, it can compete with producers in countries that &lsquo;developed&rsquo; earlier.</p>
<p>It is no doubt that India has significantly benefited from liberalising of its economy whereby Indian consumers have access to variety of products from world over, it is also a stated fact that <strong>Indian manufacturing sector has remained a laggard</strong> and has not worked up to its potential.</p>
<p>The manufacturing sector in India and China which began with comparable capabilities and similar footing in 1990, in less than three decades <strong>China has become 10 times larger than India&rsquo;s,</strong> and its capital goods production sector is 50 times larger.</p>
<p>India&rsquo;s <strong>impressive GDP growth has not resulted in generating enough employment</strong> for India&rsquo;s large youth population. Whereas India&rsquo;s economy should have been a powerful job generator, the employment growth &mdash; the numbers of jobs created per unit of GDP growth &mdash; <strong>remains among the lowest</strong> in the world.</p>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<p>It has become clear that employment is the most pressing issue for Indian citizens according to all economic surveys. Schemes to augment income of citizens such as through <strong>Universal Basic Incomes can only give temporary respite</strong> as given the population burden these schemes are <strong>not economically sustainable</strong>. Therefore, an ambitious <strong>'Employment and Incomes Policy'</strong> must be the highest priority for all governments.</p>
<p>While India looks to <strong>capture larger shares of global markets,</strong> India&rsquo;s own billion-plus citizens&rsquo; economy can act as a stimulus for growth of millions of enterprises. If citizens earn more, they can spend more.</p>
<p>The <strong>&lsquo;Employment and Incomes Policy&rsquo; thus can guide the Industrial Policy</strong> to where investments are required, and also what is expected from those investments to <strong>produce more income-generating opportunities</strong> for young Indians.</p>
<p>The <strong>scope of 'industry' should be broadened to include all sectors</strong> that can build on India&rsquo;s competitive advantages. For example, the tourism and hospitality industry, taking advantage of India&rsquo;s remarkable diversity of cultures and natural beauty, has the potential to support millions of small enterprises in all parts of the country.</p>
<p>India can also build <strong>competitive advantage on its large numbers of trainable youth,</strong> and with digital technologies reach of small enterprises, manufacturing and services can be increased which will provide many domestic and export opportunities that India has so far not achieved.</p>
<h3>Learning from Past</h3>
<p>India can also learn from its own history. With the government&rsquo;s insistence in the pre-liberalisation era that production and technology must be indigenised in phased manufacturing programmes, India&rsquo;s automobile sector was able to provide Indian consumers with good products and now provides millions of people with employment. In contrast, the Indian electronics sector languished after India signed the Information Technology Agreement of WTO in 1996 and reduced import duties on IT-related manufactured products to zero.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The <strong>WTO,</strong> which constantly looks to reduce trade barriers, needs to <strong>overhaul its governance</strong> to promote the welfare of citizens in all countries, especially poorer ones, rather than lowering barriers to exports of companies in rich countries in the guise of free trade idealism.</p>
<p>Indian economists should focus on the <strong>fundamentals of economic growth</strong> &mdash; more opportunities to earn incomes from productive work with development of new capabilities.</p>
<p>A robust <strong>'Incomes and Employment Policy'</strong>, supported by an imaginative <strong>Industrial Policy,</strong> therefore can <strong>effectively guide India&rsquo;s trade policy</strong> which will have larger and far positive benefits than solely opening trading regime can provide.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/beyond-the-free-trade-idealism'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (25th April 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Echidnas Milk as Antimicrobial<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203257_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203257_image4.jpg" width="344" height="200" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Scientists have isolated an antimicrobial protein found in the milk of an <strong>egg-laying mammal, Echidnas.</strong></li>
<li>The protein can serve as an alternative to<strong> antibiotics used on livestock.</strong></li>
<li>The protein in the milk of echidna can puncture the cell membranes of multiple bacterial species, thus destroying the source of infection.</li>
<li>There are many ways to produce the protein in large quantities and one among them is using E. coli bacteria. It can then be used to fight infections.</li>
<li>The scientist pointed out that there is a rise of the<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/to-the-point-paper-3-antimicrobial-resistance-amr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> antimicrobial resistance</a> bugs in livestock which can be checked by use of this antibiotics in the animal husbandry industry.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Monotremes: Egg Laying Mammals</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Egg laying mammals are also known as <strong>Monotremes</strong>.</li>
<li>There are only<strong> five living monotreme species: the duck-billed platypus and four species of echidna</strong> (also known as spiny anteaters).</li>
<li>All of them are found only in Australia and New Guinea.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Marsquake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/insight-on-mars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA's Mars <strong>InSight lander</strong></a> has measured and recorded, for the first time ever, tremors on Mars called "Marsquake." (Like Earthquakes on Earth)</li>
<li>A faint seismic signal was detected by the lander's<strong> Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS)</strong> instrument, was recorded on April 6, the lander's <strong>128th sol (Mars Solar Day).</strong></li>
<li>The new seismic event was too small to provide solid data on the Martian interior, which is one of InSight's main objectives.</li>
<li><strong>Mars and the Moon do not have tectonic plates, but they still experience quakes.</strong></li>
<li>On Mars and Moon, quakes are caused by a <strong>continual process of cooling and contraction of the surface that creates stress.</strong> This stress builds over time until it is strong enough to break the crust, causing a quake.</li>
</ul>
<h3>World Book and Copyright Day</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>World Book and Copyright Day are celebrated <strong>by UNESCO</strong> every year on the <strong>23rd of April.</strong></li>
<li>It is an occasion to <strong>promote the joy of books and the art of reading.</strong></li>
<li>23rd April was selected by UNESCO to pay<strong> tribute to great literary figures including William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega</strong> who died on this day.</li>
<li>This date was<strong> finalized in the year 1995</strong> in the UNESCO General Conference, held in Paris.</li>
<li>The 24th edition of World Book and Copyright Day celebrated literature and reading while focusing particularly on the <strong>importance of enhancing and protecting Indigenous languages.</strong></li>
<li>Each year UNESCO on the recommendation of the three major sectors of the book industry - publishers, booksellers, and libraries,<strong> declare the world book capital for one year effective from 23rd April.</strong></li>
<li>In 2019 <strong>Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has been recognized as World Book Capital.</strong></li>
<li><strong>New Delhi was declared as the world book capital in the year 2003.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Formed in <strong>1945</strong>, it is a <strong>specialized agency of the United Nations</strong> (UN) based in Paris.</li>
<li>Its declared purpose is to <strong>contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along</strong> with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.</li>
<li>As of <strong>January 2019, it has 193 member states.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Domkhar Rock Art Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Created in 2012</strong>, it is a<strong> constellation of rock art</strong> on the right bank of the river Indus<strong> in Domkhar village in lower Ladakh.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Stanzin Thangjuk,</strong> a farmer, has been instrumental in single-handedly <strong>protecting 500 odd rock carvings</strong> at Domkhar.</li>
<li>The archaic scripts on these rocks have been discovered to be <strong>similar to those found among the nomadic tribes of the steppe region of Central Asia who lived 2,000 years ago.</strong></li>
<li>No one has been able to put an exact date to the carvings, but they are believed to be over two millennia old. They also shed some light on the pattern of human movement during that era. Also, there is a stylistic representation of animal figures.</li>
</ul>
<h3>INC-22</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>INC-22 is the <strong>Notice of situation or change of address of the registered office of the company.</strong></li>
<li>INC-22 form requires companies incorporated on or before December 31, 2017, to provide <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/government-plans-to-geo-tag-firms-to-check-frauds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">details regarding the location of their offices, directors, and proof of business. </a></li>
</ul>
<h3>E-Way Bill System</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the Finance Ministry has introduced changes in th<strong>e e-way bill system,</strong> including auto calculation of distance based on PIN codes for the generation of e-way bill and blocking generation of multiple bills on one invoice, as it seeks to crack down on GST evaders.</li>
<li>Additionally, Non-filers of GST returns for two straight months will be barred from generating e-way bills for transporting goods.</li>
<li><strong>EWay Bill is an Electronic Waybill for movement of goods to be generated on the eWay Bill Portal. A GST registered person cannot transport goods in a vehicle whose value exceeds Rs. 50,000 (Single Invoice/bill/delivery challan) without an e-way bill .</strong></li>
<li>These enhanced features would add value to both, businesses and tax officers as the mixed bag aims at propelling ease of doing business together with acting as a deterrent for tax evaders.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Composition Scheme</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Taxpayers under the composition scheme of the GST will now have more relaxed rules with an increased turnover limit for the applicability, inclusion of service providers and reduced tax rates.</strong></li>
<li>This scheme is also applicable to the real estate sector with respect to under-construction, ready and affordable homes.</li>
<li>The<strong> composition scheme is an alternative method of tax levy under GST designed to simplify compliance and reduce compliance costs for small taxpayers.</strong></li>
<li>The main feature of this scheme is that the business or person who has opted to pay tax under this scheme can pay tax at a flat %age of turnovers every quarter, instead of paying tax at a normal rate every month.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Eligibility</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> composition scheme is applicable to manufacturers or traders whose taxable business turnover is up to ₹1.5 crore</strong> (₹75 lakh in case of North-Eastern States).</li>
<li>A service provider can opt for the scheme <strong>if his taxable turnover is up to ₹50 lakh. </strong></li>
<li>Businesses with inter-State supplies, manufacturers of ice cream, pan masala and tobacco, and e-commerce players cannot opt for the composition scheme.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Importance</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The composition scheme effectively <strong>acknowledges the importance of the MSME secto</strong>r, by granting relief to it on GST filings, procedures and tax rates.</li>
</ul>
<h3>RBI divest its share in NABARD</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has divested its entire stake in Nabard and National Housing Bank (NHB).</strong> The move is part of ending the cross-holding in regulatory institutions and follows the recommendation of the second Narasimham committee.</li>
<li>The<strong> Committee on Banking Sector Reforms (Narasimham Committee II)</strong>, inter-alia, observed that it is inconsistent with the principles of effective supervision that the regulator is also an owner of a bank and this would require the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to divest its holding in banks and financial institutions.</li>
<li>With this divestment, <strong>the government now holds a 100 % stake in both these financial institutions.</strong></li>
<li>The current change in the capital structure of both the financial institutions was brought in by the Government of India through amendments to the NABARD Act, 1981 and the NHB Act, 1987 which were notified vide gazette notifications dated January 19, 2018, and March 29, 2018, respectively.</li>
<li>The<strong> Nabard came into existence on July 12, 1982</strong>, by transferring the<strong> agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> National Housing Policy of 1988 envisaged setting up of NHB as the apex level institution for promoting the housing sector.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-25th-april-2019'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'World's First Malaria Vaccine',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The world first malaria vaccine has been rolled out in Malawi for children under two.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>RTS,S/AS01, trade name Mosquirix, is an injectable vaccine targeting P. falciparum, the most prevalent malaria strain in Africa. It is the first and only vaccine to show partial protection in young children. In clinical trials, the vaccine was found to prevent approximately 4 in 10 malaria cases, including 3 in 10 cases of life-threatening severe malaria.</li>
<li>The WHO-coordinated pilot programme is a collaborative effort with ministries of health in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi and a range of in-country and international partners, including PATH, a non-profit organization, and GSK, the vaccine developer and manufacturer, which is donating up to 10 million vaccine doses for this pilot.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>PATH is an international nonprofit team of innovators which advises and partners with public institutions, businesses, grassroots groups, and investors to tackle the world&rsquo;s toughest global health problems, including malaria.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The malaria vaccine pilot aims to reach about 360,000 children per year across the three countries.</li>
<li>
<p>Recently the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-malaria-report-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> World Bank released World Malaria Report, 2018,</a> according to which Malaria occurs in 91 countries but about 90% of the cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mechanism&nbsp;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>RTS,S aims to trigger the immune system to defend against the first stages of malaria when the Plasmodium falciparum parasite enters the human host&rsquo;s bloodstream through a mosquito bite and infects liver cells.</li>
<li>The vaccine is designed to prevent the parasite from infecting the liver, where it can mature, multiply, re-enter the bloodstream, and infect red blood cells, which can lead to disease symptoms.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Financing and Support</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Financing for the pilot programme has been mobilized through an unprecedented collaboration among three key global health funding bodies: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and Unitaid. Additionally, WHO, PATH and GSK are providing in-kind contributions</li>
</ul>
<h3>Weaknesses</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>It is Inconvenient:</strong> A child must receive four injections before age 2, sometimes at intervals that do not match the routine vaccine schedules for most other diseases.</li>
<li><strong>Partly effective</strong>: Testing in more than 10,000 African children from 2009 to 2014 showed that, even after four doses, the vaccine prevented only about 40 percent of detectable malaria infections.</li>
<li><strong>Not long lasting:</strong> It is unclear how long even those relatively low levels of protection last; previous trials followed vaccinated children for four years. Experts also worry that parents whose children are vaccinated will become less vigilant about using mosquito nets, and less likely to seek medical care when their children develop fevers.</li>
<li><strong>Develop Resistance:</strong> The vaccine reduced the occurrence of severe malaria by about 30 percent, and the occurrence of severe anemia &mdash; a complication that often kills children &mdash; by about 60 percent. It did not protect well against parasite strains that were poor genetic matches, raising a concern that, over time, parasites could evolve resistance to the vaccine as they have to drugs</li>
</ul>
<h3>Malaria in India&nbsp;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India ranks very high in the list of countries with a serious malaria burden. In 2018, 3,99,134 cases of malaria and 85 deaths due to the disease were reported in the country, according to data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Malaria</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Malaria is caused by <strong>Plasmodium parasites.</strong></li>
<li>The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes,<strong> called "malaria&nbsp;vectors."</strong></li>
<li>There are more than 400 different species of Anopheles mosquito; around 30 are malaria vectors of major importance.</li>
<li>All of the important vector species bite between dusk and dawn.</li>
<li>There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species &ndash; P. falciparum (the most prevalent malaria parasite on the African continent and it is responsible for most malaria-related deaths globally) and P. vivax (the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa) &ndash; pose the greatest threat.</li>
<li>Most malaria cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.</li>
<li>However, the regions of South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific, and the Americas are also at risk.</li>
<li>WHO recommends protection with effective malaria vector control. Two forms of vector control &ndash; insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying &ndash; are effective in a wide range of circumstances.</li>
<li>World malaria day is celebrated on 25th April every year.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/worlds-first-malaria-vaccine'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'In Depth – Western Disturbance',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zVXe3MfWK_k" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>An intense thunderstorm on 16<sup>th</sup> April, 2018 claimed over 64 lives in India. Rajasthan bore the brunt of the storm, as about 25 people lost their lives. Deaths were also reported from the regions of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Bihar. The thunderstorm also caused immense damage to the property and crops in Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan. <strong>This weather condition was caused by an intense western disturbance.</strong></p>
<h3>Storms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Storms are a <strong>natural phenomenon,</strong> caused by violent atmospheric disturbances over land and water. They get <strong>formed when a centre of low pressure develops with a system of high pressure surrounding it</strong>.</li>
<li>They are classified by how strong the winds are or by how heavy the rainfall, lightning or snow are.</li>
<li><strong>Storms that form north of equator spin counter clockwise whereas storms, south of the equator spin clockwise. This difference is because of the earth&rsquo;s rotation on its axis. </strong></li>
<li>They have the potential to harm lives and property through a tidal surge, heavy rain or a snow-causing flooding, lightning and vertical wind.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Tropical Storms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These are <strong>revolving storms that develop in the tropical regions</strong> i.e. approximately between 5 degree and 30 degree latitudes (south of the tropic of cancer in northern hemisphere).</li>
<li><strong>When the speed of winds rotating in the storm reaches 74 miles per hour (mph) , the storm is officially a tropical cyclone. </strong></li>
<li><strong>The weakest tropical cyclones are called tropical depressions.</strong> If a depression intensifies such that its maximum sustained <strong>winds reach 39 mph,</strong> the <strong>tropical depression becomes a tropical storm</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Cyclones are called 'Hurricanes' in the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, 'Typhoons' in South-East Asia and China and &lsquo;Tropical Cyclones&rsquo; in the South West Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Formation</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tropical Cyclones use warm, moist air as fuel. That is why they form only over warm ocean waters near the equator.</li>
<li>The warm and moist air over the ocean rises upward from near the surface. Because this <strong>air moves up and away from the surface, there is less air left near the surface, thus creating an area of low pressure</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes in</strong> to the low pressure area. Then that "new" air becomes warm and moist and rises, too.</li>
<li>As the warm air continues to rise, the surrounding air swirls in to take its place. <strong>As the warm and moist air rises and cools off, the water in the air forms clouds.</strong> <strong>The whole system of clouds and wind,</strong> fed by the ocean's heat and water evaporating from the surface, <strong>continues to spin and grow. This system is what a tropical cyclone is</strong>.</li>
<li>As the storm system rotates faster and faster, <strong>an 'eye'</strong> forms in the center. It is very calm and clear in the eye, with very <strong>low air pressure</strong>. Higher pressure air from above flows down into the eye.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hurricanes are the most violent storms on earth. In the Atlantic, Hurricane season officially <strong>runs from 1<sup>st</sup> June to 30<sup>th</sup> November</strong>. 97% tropical activity occurs during this time period. However, hurricanes can and do occur outside of this six month period.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Western Disturbances</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Western Disturbances <strong>develop in the mid latitude region (north of the Tropic of Cancer),</strong> not in the tropical region, therefore they are called as mid latitude storms or extra-tropical storms.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Extra-Tropical Cyclones are also called as <strong>winter storms and blizzards</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Western Disturbances are low pressure systems, embedded in western winds (westerlies) that flow from west to the east.</li>
<li>It is a term coined by an Indian Meteorologist for the weather phenomenon which is propagated from the West.</li>
<li>The phrase Western Disturbance was first used in a published literature in 1947. However, its precursor Winter Disturbance was coined earlier in 1931.</li>
<li><strong>Arrival in India</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Western Disturbances begin is a low pressure system that originates in the Mid- latitude region near the Atlantic ocean and Europe.</li>
<li><strong>The low pressure typically forms over the Mediterranean Sea and travels over Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan before entering India loaded with moisture.</strong></li>
<li>These moisture laden western disturbances eventually come up against the himalayas and get blocked, as a consequence, the moisture gets trapped and precipitation is shared in the form of snow and rain over Northwest India and sometimes, other parts of North India.</li>
<li>An average of 4-5 western disturbances form during the winter season and the rainfall distribution and amount varies with every western disturbance.</li>
<li><strong>The word 'Western' refers to the direction from which they originate with regard to India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The word 'disturbance' is used because the air within the low pressure systems tends to be unstable or disturbed. </strong></li>
<li>Sometimes, when western disturbances become more intense in the Indian Region, they can extend even upto 15 degree north, resulting into rainfall upto north Maharashtra, Gujarat and the entire Madhya Pradesh to the south.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Western Disturbances are the cause of the most winter and pre-monsoon season rainfall across North-West India. This phenomenon is usually associated with cloudy sky, higher night temperatures and unusual rain. It is estimated that <strong>India gets close to 5-10% of its total annual rainfall from western disturbances</strong>.</li>
<li>In winter, western winds bring moderate to heavy rain in low lying areas and heavy snow to mountainous areas of the Indian subcontinent.</li>
<li>India is a rain dependent country and while the south west monsoon covers most of India, parts of <strong>North India</strong> don&rsquo;t get much rain from it. These regions <strong>depend upon snow and rain from western disturbance during winter season from November to March</strong>.</li>
<li>Precipitation during the winter season has <strong>great importance in agriculture particularly for rabi crops including wheat,</strong> which is one of the most important Indian crops.</li>
<li>They start declining after winter. During the summer months of April and May, they move across North India and at times <strong>help in the activation of monsoon in certain parts of northwest India</strong>.</li>
<li>During the monsoon season, western disturbances may occasionally cause dense clouding and heavy precipitation.</li>
<li><strong>Weak western disturbances are associated with crop failure and water problems across north India.</strong></li>
<li>Strong western disturbances can help residents, farmers and governments avoid many of the problems associated with water scarcity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Casualties</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since western disturbances are not high intensity weather systems, they are not usually associated with disasters but in the recent past, it is observed that this beneficial weather phenomenon is increasingly becoming disastrous during the summer and monsoon seasons.</li>
<li><strong>The 2010 cloudburst in Leh,</strong> in which 71 towns and villages were damaged and 225 people died was caused due to the western disturbances.</li>
<li><strong>In September 2014, the Kashmir region</strong> suffered disastrous floods across many of its districts killing over 200 people. This was also caused by the Western Disturbances.</li>
<li>Expert opinion on western disturbances is divided regarding the 2013 floods in Uttarakhand in which over 5000 people were killed, after three days of incessant rainfall. While many believe that Uttarakhand floods may have occurred due to interactions between western disturbances and the summer monsoon, many others believe that western disturbances and monsoon occur in completely different time frames.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Western disturbances need to be studied in much more detail. Like tropical cyclones or monsoon, <strong>there needs to be an end to end tracking of western disturbances</strong>.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-western-disturbance'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'India – Australia Relations (April 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-natural-next-step/article26925291.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A natural next step'</a> which appeared in 'The Hindu' on 24thApril, 2019. The article talks about the deepening ties in India-Australia relations. It also highlights the importance of a stronger relation between India Australia, given the volatility that faces the Indo-Pacific region.)</p>
</div>
<p>Recently India-Australia bilateral relationship reached a historic moment when they undertook their third joint naval exercise which saw the largest ever peacetime deployment of Australian defence assets and personnel to India.</p>
<p>India and Australia has shared a cordial relation with each other since a very long time and has witnessed an increased commitment in recent past. Multiple engagement in fields such as bilateral trade, strategic relations, student exchange programs, similar commitments towards sustainable development has made this relationship all the more dynamic.</p>
<p>As the global momentum is markedly shifting towards the Indo-Pacific region it becomes imperative for both the nations to stand in unison and provide the stability the region desires owing to the over-indulging nature of China.</p>
<h3>Historical Ties</h3>
<p>India and Australia have built strategic trust over the years, slowly yet steadily. Australia and India for the first time established diplomatic relations in the pre-Independence period, when the Consulate General of India was first opened as a Trade Office in Sydney in 1941.</p>
<p>In March 1944, Lieutenant-General Iven Mackay was appointed Australia's first High Commissioner to India. India's first High Commissioner to Australia arrived in Canberra in 1945.</p>
<p>India-Australia relations touched a historic low when the Australian Government condemned India&rsquo;s 1998 nuclear tests. The relations since then has witnessed a significant thaw and when in 2014, Australia signed a uranium supply deal with India, the first of its kind with a country that is a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in recognition of India&rsquo;s &ldquo;impeccable&rdquo; non-proliferation record it became evident what type of relation Australia wanted with India.</p>
<p><strong>Bilateral economic and trade relationship</strong></p>
<p>The India-Australia economic relationship has grown significantly in recent years. India&rsquo;s growing economic profile and commercial relevance to the Australian economy is recognized, both at the federal and state level in Australia.</p>
<p>India's exports to Australia stood approximately at US$ 4.6 billion (A$6.1 bn) in 2016 while India's import from Australia during the same period stood at US$ 11 billion (A$14.6 bn). India&rsquo;s main exports to Australia are Passenger Motor Vehicle &amp; machinery, Pearls, Gems and Jewellery, Medicaments and Refined Petroleum while India&rsquo;s major imports are Coal, Non-monetary Gold, Copper, Wool, Fertilizers and Education related services.</p>
<p>India-Australia also has a Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) which was established in 1989 to enable interaction at a government and business level on a broad range of trade and investment related issues.</p>
<p><strong>The two countries are currently discussing a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) which will provide greater market access to exporters of goods and services. The two sides have exchanged their goods and services offer lists.</strong> The conclusion of the CECA will expand the base of merchandise trade, remove non-tariff barriers, encourage investment and address the border restrictions to trade.</p>
<p><strong>Defence relation</strong></p>
<p><strong>India&ndash;Australia both borders the Indian Ocean and has a shared interest in the maintenance of freedom of navigation and trade.</strong></p>
<p>Australia recognises India&rsquo;s critical role in supporting security, stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region. Australia and India are committed to working together to enhance maritime cooperation and has a formal bilateral naval exercise (AUSINDEX) since 2015.</p>
<p><strong>Civil Nuclear Co-Operation</strong></p>
<p>A Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was signed in September 2014 which came into force in November 2015 and provides the framework for substantial new trade in energy between Australia and India.</p>
<p>The deal ensures that Uranium mining companies of Australia can supply Australian uranium to India for civil use with confidence that exports would not be hindered by domestic legal action challenging the consistency of the safeguards applied by the IAEA in India and Australia&rsquo;s international non-proliferation obligations.</p>
<p>It also ensures that any future bilateral trade in other nuclear-related material or items for civil use will also be protected.</p>
<p><strong>Consular Cooperation</strong></p>
<p>India and Australia signed The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and the Extradition Treaty in June 2008, which has been ratified by both the Governments, and has come into force since January 2011.</p>
<h3>Importance of the Deepening Ties</h3>
<p>The strategic trust on display during AUSINDEX is representative of a deepening strategic alignment between the two countries. It emphasizes on the shared outlook of both the nations as free, open and independent democracies, as champions of international law, as supporters of an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and as firm believers that <em>'might is not right'</em>.</p>
<p>As India has emerged as a leader in this region working closely with Australia can work in the favour of both the nations as both can effectively address the shared challenges such as combating transnational crime, terrorism, people smuggling, and illegal fishing.</p>
<p>As India looks set on its agenda of Make in India it can significantly use Australian expertise in the field of health, education and tourism as these are areas in which Australia has a comparative advantage.</p>
<p><strong>India which will have the largest working population in the world by 2027 will need to up-skill 400 million people. Australia is well-equipped to assist with this huge need for knowledge-sharing, education and skill development.</strong> The two countries also have enormous potential to build on their people-to-people links and thus their soft power influence. India is the third largest source of immigrants to Australia and the second largest source for skilled professionals. This should give sufficient impetus to build a public understanding of each other and thereby improve public policy.</p>
<p>Both India and Australia are situated in the most dynamic region on the planet (the centre of economic and strategic gravity is shifting to the Indo-Pacific as we speak). <strong>India and Australia are also wary of China&rsquo;s assault on maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region. Both the nations can therefore serve together as the net security provider in the region.</strong></p>
<p>There is a great scope for regional economic integration in the Indo-Pacific, one of the most flourishing trade zones in the world. <strong>The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a good platform for India to work towards the goal of regional economic development, since India is not yet a part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11 or CPTPP).</strong></p>
<p>Trilateral engagements with crucial nations like Indonesia and Japan and deeper engagement with regional groups like the Indian Ocean Rim Association and East Asia Summit will also strengthen the ties between India and Australia.</p>
<h3>Areas of Cooperation</h3>
<p><strong>Water &ndash;</strong> Australia and India face some similar challenges in water resources management, particularly in managing over-allocation and water quality, while balancing the water needs of the community, industry and maintaining system flows. Both the nations can come together in finding a novel solution to this common problem.</p>
<p><strong>Energy &ndash;</strong> Meeting the energy needs of 240 million people, which currently lack access to electricity, is a key priority for India. Australia is a natural partner for India in the energy sector as it is a world leader in energy and the sector contributes around 10% to Australia&rsquo;s GDP.</p>
<p><strong>Science and Technology &ndash;</strong> India and Australia have a strong track record of collaborating in research and innovation. The $84 million Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) is Australia&rsquo;s largest.</p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<p>The region faces a range of traditional security challenges that relate to issues of trust in the form of China which has emerged as a regional power and has little faith in rule based order. There are also a growing number of non-traditional and trans-boundary security challenges, including terrorism, natural disasters and pandemics.</p>
<p>Also, India faces unfavourable trade with Australia and despite opening talks for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement in 2011, the agreement which would have significantly lowered the trade balance in favour of India, has remained elusive.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The India-Australia bilateral relationship has been largely a case of <em>"one step forward, two steps back"</em> &mdash; though one witnesses a positive shift in relations since 2014 &mdash; after a gap of 28 years. India no longer sees Australia at the periphery of India&rsquo;s vision but at the centre of its thoughts.</p>
<p>The opportunity as well as challenge is that the two nations are at very different levels of development. There can be converging and diverging interests. Therefore, the future must be woven around the three pillars, which are economic relationship, geostrategic congruence and people-to-people ties, and the glue that can bind this is a sustained momentum.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-australia-relations-april-2019'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Right to Information: Master Key to Good Governance – 2nd ARC',
		'catname' => 'Summary of Important Reports',
		'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p><em>"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost".</em> <strong>Aristotle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Right to information has been seen as the key to strengthening participatory democracy and ushering in people centred governance. Access to information can empower the poor and the weaker sections of society to demand and get information about public policies and actions, thereby leading to their welfare.</li>
<li>Without good governance, no amount of developmental schemes can bring improvements in the quality of life of the citizens. Good governance has four elements
<ol>
<li>Transparency</li>
<li>Accountability</li>
<li>Predictability</li>
<li>Participation</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Right to information opens up government&rsquo;s records to public scrutiny, thereby arming citizens with a vital tool to inform them about what the government does and how effectively, thus making the government more accountable.</li>
<li>Transparency in government organisations makes them function more objectively thereby enhancing predictability. Information about functioning of government also enables citizens to participate in the governance process effectively. In a fundamental sense, <strong>right to information is a basic necessity of good governance</strong>.</li>
<li>In recognition of the need for <strong>transparency in public affairs,</strong> the Indian Parliament enacted the Right to Information Act in 2005. It is a path breaking legislation empowering people and promoting transparency.</li>
<li>This Report is in two parts:
<ol>
<li>First part focuses on Official Secrets and confidentiality issues.</li>
<li>Second part focuses on the steps required for effective implementation of the Act.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Part I &ndash; Official Secrets Act and Other Laws</h2>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In a democracy, people are sovereign and the elected government and its functionaries are public servants. Therefore by the very nature of things, transparency should be the norm in all matters of governance.</li>
<li>People should have the unhindered right to know the decisions of the Cabinet and the reasons for these, but not what actually transpires within the confines of the &lsquo;Cabinet room&rsquo;. The Act recognizes these confidentiality requirements in matters of State and <strong>Section 8 of the Act exempts all such matters from disclosure</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>The Official Secrets Act, 1923 (hereinafter referred to as OSA),</strong> enacted during the colonial era, governs all matters of secrecy and confidentiality in governance. The law largely deals with matters of security and provides a framework for dealing with espionage, sedition and other assaults on the unity and integrity of the nation.</li>
<li>While <strong>Section 5</strong> of OSA was obviously intended to deal with potential breaches of national security, the wording of the law and the colonial times in which it was implemented made it into a catch-all legal provision converting practically every issue of governance into a confidential matter.</li>
<li>This tendency was buttressed by the <strong>Civil Service Conduct Rules, 1964</strong> which prohibits communication of an official document to anyone without authorization.</li>
<li><strong>Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, enacted in 1872,</strong> prohibits the giving of evidence from unpublished official records without the permission of the Head of the Department, who has abundant discretion in the matter.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Official Secrets Act</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sec. 8(2):</strong> Notwithstanding anything in the Official Secrets Act, 1923 nor any of the exemptions permissible in accordance with subsection (1), a public authority may allow access to information, if public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests&rdquo;.</li>
<li>&ldquo;<strong>Sec.22</strong> The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in the <strong>Official Secrets Act, 1923,</strong> and any other law for the time being in force or any instrument having effect by virtue of any law other than this Act&rdquo;</li>
<li>The <strong>word secret or the phrase official secrets has not been denied in the Act</strong>. Therefore, public servants enjoy the discretion to classify anything as secret.</li>
<li>This tendency was buttressed by the <strong>Civil Service Conduct Rules, 1964</strong> which prohibit communication of an official document to anyone without authorization.</li>
<li><strong>The Official Secrets Act, 1923</strong> is the main statute for fighting espionage Activities which vitally affect the national security.
<ol>
<li>Spying or entry into a prohibited place etc.</li>
<li>Wrongful communication</li>
<li>Harbouring spies</li>
<li>Unauthorized use of uniforms, falsification of reports etc.</li>
<li>Interference with the police or military, near a prohibited place.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even information which does not have a bearing on national security cannot be disclosed if the public servant obtained or has access to it by virtue of holding office. Such illiberal and draconian provisions clearly bred a culture of secrecy. Though the RTI Act now overrides these provisions in relation to matters not exempted by the Act itself from disclosure, the fact remains that OSA in its current form in the statute books is an anachronism.</li>
<li>The Law Commission also recommended consolidation of all laws dealing with national security and suggested a <strong>&ldquo;National Security Bill&rdquo;</strong> comprising of
<ol>
<li>Chapters 6 and 7 of the Indian Penal Code.</li>
<li>The Foreign Recruiting Act, 1874.</li>
<li>The Official Secrets Act, 1923.</li>
<li>The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1938.</li>
<li>The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961.</li>
<li>The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission agrees with the recommendation of the Law Commission that all laws relating to national security should be consolidated. The Law Commission&rsquo;s recommendation was made in 1971. The <strong>National Security Act (NSA),</strong> subsequently enacted in 1980, essentially replaced the earlier <strong>Maintenance of Internal Security Act</strong> and deals only with preventive detention. Therefore, a new chapter needs to be added to the NSA incorporating relevant provisions of OSA and other laws dealing with national security.</li>
<li>While recognizing the importance of keeping certain information secret in national interest, the Commission is of the view that the disclosure of information has to be the norm and keeping it secret should be an exception. OSA, in its present form is an obstacle for creation of a regime of freedom of information, and to that extent the provisions of OSA need to be amended.</li>
<li>The Commission, on careful consideration agrees with the amendment proposed by the <strong>Shourie Committee,</strong> as it reconciles harmoniously the need for transparency and the imperatives of national security without in anyway compromising the latter. These can be incorporated in the proposed new chapter in the NSA relating to Official Secrets.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Official Secrets Act, 1923 should be repealed, and substituted by a chapter in the National Security Act, containing provisions relating to official secrets.</li>
<li>The Shourie Committee recommended a comprehensive amendment of Section 5(1) to make the penal provisions of OSA applicable only to violations affecting national security.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Governmental Privilege in Evidence</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The term "privilege" as used in Evidence law means freedom from compulsion to give evidence or to discover material, or a right to prevent or bar information from other sources during or in connection with litigation, but on grounds extrinsic to the goals of litigation</li>
<li><strong>Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872</strong> prohibits the giving of evidence derived from unpublished official records relating to affairs of State except with the permission of the Head of the Department</li>
<li>Further, <strong>Section 124</strong> of the Act stipulates: &ldquo;No public officer shall be compelled to disclose communications made to him in official confidence when he considers that the public interests would suffer by the disclosure&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The <strong>Law Commission in its 69th report (1977) and 88th report (1983)</strong> on the Indian Evidence Act suggested that Section 123 should be revised.</li>
<li>The Shourie Committee also examined these sections of the Indian Evidence Act and recommended amendments of Sections 123 &amp; 124, Indian Evidence Act.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 should be amended.</li>
<li>Accordingly, the following will have to be inserted at the appropriate place in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973:</li>
</ul>
<p>"Any person aggrieved by the decision of any Court subordinate to the High Court rejecting a claim for privilege made under section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 shall have a right to appeal to the High Court against such decision, and such appeal may be filed notwithstanding the fact that the proceeding in which the decision was pronounced by the Court is still pending."</p>
<h3>The Oath of Secrecy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A Union Minister, while assuming office, is administered an oath of secrecy as follows:</li>
<li>&ldquo;I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as a Minister for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister.&rdquo;</li>
<li>A Minister in the State Government takes a similar oath.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC),</strong> while examining the Right to Information had the following to say. &ldquo;In fact, we should have an<strong> oath of transparency in place of an oath of secrecy</strong>&rdquo;.</li>
<li>A Minister is a bridge between the people and the Government and owes his primary allegiance to the people who elect him. The existence of this provision of oath of secrecy and its administration along with the oath of office appears to be a legacy of the colonial era where the public was subjugated to the government. However, national security and larger public interest considerations of the country&rsquo;s integrity and sovereignty may require a Minister or a public servant with sufficient justification not to disclose information.</li>
<li>But a very public oath of secrecy at the time of assumption of office is both unnecessary and repugnant to the principles of democratic accountability, representative government and popular sovereignty.</li>
<li>Therefore, the obligation not to disclose official secrets may be built in through an appropriate insertion of a clause in the national security law dealing with official secrets. If required, such an undertaking may be taken in writing, thus avoiding public display of propensity to secrecy.</li>
<li>The Commission is therefore of the view that the Oath of Secrecy may be dispensed with and substituted by a statutory arrangement and a written undertaking. Further, keeping in view the spirit of the Act to promote transparency and as recommended by the NCRWC it would be appropriate if Ministers on assumption of office are administered an <strong>oath of transparency</strong> along with the oath of office.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As an affirmation of the importance of transparency in public affairs, Ministers on assumption of office may take an oath of transparency along with the oath of office and the requirement of administering the oath of secrecy should be dispensed with. <strong>Articles 75(4)</strong> and <strong>164 (3)</strong>&nbsp;and the Third Schedule should be suitably amended.</li>
<li>Safeguard against disclosure of information against the national interest may be provided through written undertaking by incorporation of a clause in the national security law dealing with official secrets.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Exempted Organizations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 24</strong> of the Act stipulates, "Nothing contained in this Act shall apply to the <strong>intelligence and security organisations</strong> specified in the Second Schedule, being organisations established by the Central Government or any information furnished by such organisations to that Government."</li>
<li>The list of organizations includes Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police force (CRPF), Assam Rifles etc., but the Armed Forces have been left outside the purview of the Act. When organizations such as BSF, CRPF, and Assam Rifles are exempted, there is no rationale for not exempting the Armed Forces as well. The <strong>Second schedule</strong> needs to be periodically revised to include or exclude organizations in keeping with changing need</li>
<li>The Commission feels that the Armed Forces should be included in the list of exempted organization <strong>(Second Schedule of the Act),</strong> because almost all Activities of the Armed Forces would be covered under the exemption 8(a) which states that there shall be no obligation to give to any citizen, information which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State</li>
<li>Since, public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests; by including Armed Forces in the Second Schedule, while national security is safeguarded, disclosure is still mandatory when public interest demands it.</li>
<li>The Commission feels that even in cases of organizations listed in Second Schedule, PIOs should be appointed so that requests for applications may be filed with them. A person aggrieved by an order of the PIO may approach the CIC/SIC.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Armed Forces should be included in the Second Schedule of the Act.</li>
<li>The Second Schedule of the Act may be reviewed periodically.</li>
<li>All organizations listed in the Second Schedule have to appoint PIOs. Appeals against orders of PIOs should lie with CIC/SICs. (This provision can be made by way of removal of difficulties under section 30).</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Central Civil Services (conduct) Rules</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Shourie Committee</strong> examined this issue and stated as follows: "There is a widespread feeling that the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and corresponding rules applicable to Railways, Foreign Services and All India Services, inhibit government servants from sharing information with public. The accent in these rules is on denial of information to public. This situation has obviously to change if freedom of Information Act is to serve its purpose and if transparency is to be brought about in the system".</li>
<li>The Commission agrees with the views of the Shourie Committee. The <strong>Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules</strong> were formulated when the RTI Act did not exist. The spirit of these Rules is to hold back information. With the emergence of an era of freedom of information, these Rules would have to be recast so that dissemination of information is the rule and holding back information is an exception.</li>
</ul>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><br />Part II &ndash; Implementation of The Right To Information Act</h2>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In order to enforce the rights and fulfil the obligations under the Act, building of institutions, organization of information and creation of an enabling environment are critical.</li>
<li>Therefore, the Commission has, as a first step, reviewed the steps taken so far to implement the Act as follows:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Building institutions
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Information Commissions</li>
<li>Information Officers and Appellate Authorities</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Information and record-keeping
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Suo motu declaration under Section 4.</li>
<li>Public Interest Disclosure.</li>
<li>Modernizing recordkeeping</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Capacity building and awareness generation</li>
<li>Creation of monitoring mechanism</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Act provides for selection of CIC and SICs in a bipartisan manner, and involves the Leader of the Opposition in the process. Since the Act is applicable to all three organs of the State, it would be appropriate to include in the selection committee the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or High Court as the case may be. This will inspire public confidence and enhance the quality of the selection.</li>
<li>The Act visualizes a Commission wherein the Members represent different sections of the society. The State Governments are still in the process of appointing Information Commissioners, but an analysis of the background of the State Chief Information Commissioners indicates the preponderance of persons with civil service background. Members with civil services background no doubt bring with them wide experience and an intricate knowledge of government functioning; however to inspire public confidence and in the light of the provisions of the Act, it is desirable that the Commissions have a large proportion of members with non civil services background.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 12</strong> of the Act may be amended to constitute the Selection Committee of CIC with the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. Section 15 may be similarly amended to constitute the Selection Committee at the State level with the Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of the High Court.</li>
<li>The GOI should ensure the constitution of <strong>SICs in all States within 3 months</strong>.</li>
<li>The CIC should <strong>establish 4 regional offices</strong> of CIC with a Commissioner heading each. Similarly regional offices of SICs should be established in larger States.</li>
<li>At least half of the members of the Information Commissions should be drawn from non civil services background. Such a provision may be made in the Rules under the Act, by the Union Government, applicable to both CIC and SICs</li>
</ul>
<h3>Designating Information Officers and Appellate Authorities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Section 19(1)</strong> read with <strong>Section 7(3) (b)</strong> implies designating an appellate authority for each PIO, the law does not specifically provide for designating of appellate authorities as it does in case of PIOs. As a result there is avoidable confusion about the identification of appellate authorities. This omission needs to be rectified.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Offices with more than one PIO have to designate a nodal Assistant Public Information Officer with the authority to receive requests for information on behalf of all PIOs. Such a provision should be incorporated in the Rules by appropriate governments.</li>
<li>PIOs in Central Secretariats should be of the level of at least Deputy Secretary /Director. In State Secretariats, officers of similar rank should be notified as PIOs. In all subordinate agencies and departments, officers sufficiently senior in rank and yet accessible to public may be designated as PIOs.</li>
<li>All public authorities may be advised by the Government of India that along with the Public Information Officers they should also designate the appellate authority and publish both, together.</li>
<li>The designation and notification of Appellate Authorities for each public authority may be made either under Rules or by invoking Section 30 of the Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendation on Organising Information and Record Keeping</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Suo motu disclosures should also be available in the form of printed, priced publication in the official language, revised periodically (at least once a year). Such a publication should be available for reference, free of charge. In respect of electronic disclosures, NIC should provide a single portal through which disclosures of all public authorities under appropriate governments could be accessed, to facilitate easy availability of information.</li>
<li><strong>Public Records Offices</strong> should be established as an independent authority in GOI and all States within 6 months by integrating and restructuring the multiple agencies currently involved in record keeping. This Office will be a repository of technical and professional expertise in management of public records. It will be responsible for supervision, monitoring, control and inspection of record keeping in all public offices.</li>
<li>As a one time measure, GOI may create a <strong>Land Records Modernisation Fund</strong> for survey and updation of all land records. The quantum of assistance for each State would be based on an assessment of the field situation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations on Capacity Building and Awareness Generation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Training programmes should not be confined to merely PIOs and APIOs. All government functionaries should be imparted at least one day training on Right to Information within a year. These training programmes have to be organized in a decentralized manner in every block. A cascading model could be adopted with a batch of master trainers in each district.</li>
<li>Appropriate governments should bring out guides and comprehensible information material within the prescribed time.</li>
<li>The CIC and the SICs may issue guidelines for the benefit of public authorities and public officials in particular and public in general about key concepts in the Act and approach to be taken in response to information requests on the lines of the Awareness Guidance Series.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations on Monitoring Mechanism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The CIC and the SICs may be entrusted with the task of monitoring effective implementation of the Right to Information Act in all public authorities. (An appropriate provision could be made under Section 30 by way of removal of difficulties).</li>
<li>As a large number of Public Authorities exist at regional, state, district and sub district level, a nodal officer should be identified wherever necessary by the appropriate monitoring authority (CIC/SIC) to monitor implementation of the Act.</li>
<li>Each public authority should be responsible for compliance of provisions of the Act in its own office as well as that of the subordinate public authorities</li>
<li>A National Coordination Committee (NCC) may be set up under the chairpersonship of the Chief Information Commissioner with the nodal Union Ministry, the SICs and representatives of States as members. A provision to this effect may be made under Section 30 of the Act by way of removing difficulties. The National Coordination Committee would:
<ol>
<li>Serve as a national platform for effective implementation of the Act.</li>
<li>Document and disseminate best practices in India and elsewhere.</li>
<li>Monitor the creation and functioning of the national portal for Right to Information.</li>
<li>Review the Rules and Executive orders issued by the appropriate governments under the Act.</li>
<li>Carry out impact evaluation of the implementation of the Act.</li>
<li>Perform such other relevant functions as may be deemed necessary.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues in implementation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission has identified some of the problem areas in implementation and these are discussed and recommendations made for their redressal.</li>
<li>Facilitating Access: For seeking information, a process as prescribed under the Act has to be set in motion. The trigger is filing of a request. Once the request is filed the onus of responding to it shifts to the government agency.</li>
<li>Based on the case studies conducted by the Commission, responses of various Ministries to a questionnaire, and interactions with the stakeholders, a number of difficulties/ impediments were noted:
<ol>
<li>Complicated system of accepting requests.</li>
<li>Insistence on demand drafts.</li>
<li>Difficulties in filing applications by post.</li>
<li>Varying and often higher rates of application fee.</li>
<li>Large number of PIOs.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In addition to the existing modes of payment, appropriate governments should amend the Rules to include payment through postal orders.</li>
<li>States may be required to frame Rules regarding application fee which are in harmony with the Central Rules. It needs to be ensured that the fee itself does not become a disincentive.</li>
<li>Appropriate governments may restructure the fees (including additional fees) in multiples of Rs 5. {E.g. instead of prescribing a fee of Rs. 2 per additional page it may be desirable to have a fee of Rs. 5 for every 3 pages or part thereof}.</li>
<li>State Governments may issue appropriate stamps in suitable denominations as a mode of payment of fees. Such stamps would be used for making applications before public authorities coming within the purview of State Governments.</li>
<li>As all the post offices in the country have already been authorized to function as APIOs on behalf of Union Ministries/Departments, they may also be authorized to collect the fees in cash and forward a receipt along with the application.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Inventory of Public Authorities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Act defines public authorities to include a vast array of institutions and agencies. For people to access information, a catalogued and indexed list of all public authorities is necessary. In a vast and diverse country with a federal structure, listing out all the public authorities is a Herculean task. Therefore an inverted tree concept could be followed to have an inventory of all public authorities.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At the Government of India level the Department of Personnel and Training has been identified as the nodal department for implementation of the RTI Act. This nodal department should have a complete list of all Union Ministries/ Departments which function as public authorities.</li>
<li>Each Union Ministry/ Department should also have an exhaustive list of all public authorities, which come within its purview. The public authorities coming under each ministry/ department should be classified into:
<ol>
<li>Constitutional bodies</li>
<li>Line agencies</li>
<li>Statutory bodies</li>
<li>Public sector undertakings</li>
<li>Bodies created under executive orders</li>
<li>Bodies owned, controlled or substantially financed</li>
<li>NGOs substantially financed by government.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Within each category an up-to date list of all public authorities has to be maintained.</li>
<li>Each public authority should have the details of all public authorities subordinate to it at the immediately next level. This should continue till the last level is reached. All these details should be made available on the websites of the respective public authorities, in a hierarchical form.</li>
<li>A similar system should also be adopted by the States.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendation on Single window agency at district level</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A <strong>single window agency</strong> should be set up in each district. This could be achieved by creating a cell in a district-level office, and designating an officer as the assistant public information officer for all public authorities served by the single window agency.</li>
<li>The office of the District Collector/ Deputy Commissioner, or the Zilla Parishad is well suited for location of the cell. This should be completed by all States within 6 months.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendation on subordinate field offices and public authorities</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>'Public authority'</strong> has been defined as any authority or body or institution of self government established or constituted by or under the constitution, by any other law made by parliament, by state legislatures, and by any notification issued by the appropriate government, including institutions substantially funded by the appropriate Government. This would extend the spread of public authorities to the level of panchayats and village patwaris across the country.</li>
<li>The intention of the Act is to reach a stage where suo motu disclosure of information by institutions in itself takes care of citizens&rsquo; need for information. Therefore public authorities at the lower end of the administrative and/or functional hierarchies need to be identified to discharge responsibilities under Section 4 of the Act, as they are closest to the people both physically and functionally.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Application to Non Governmental Bodies</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under the Act, a non-governmental body needs to be substantially financed by government to be categorized as a public authority under the Act. There is however no definition of "substantially financed".</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Organisations which perform functions of a public nature that are ordinarily performed by government or its agencies, and those which enjoy natural monopoly may be brought within the purview of the Act.</li>
<li>Norms should be laid down that any institution or body that has received 50% of its annual operating costs, or a sum equal to or greater than Rs.1 crore during any of the preceding 3 years should be understood to have obtained &lsquo;substantial funding&rsquo; from the government for the period and purpose of such funding.</li>
<li>Any information which, if it were held by the government, would be subject to disclosure under the law, must remain subject to such disclosure even when it is transferred to a non-government body or institution.</li>
<li>This could be achieved by way of removal of difficulties under section 30 of the Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Time Limit for Information beyond 20 Years</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A uniform limit of 20 years may on a few occasions pose problems for the Public Authorities as well as the applicants. There are a significant percentage of records which are permanent in nature. These include the records of rights maintained by the State Land Revenue Department, the Registrars and Sub Registrars of lands, important court rulings, and important files regarding policy decisions in various public authorities, birth and death Registrations etc. In such cases requests are received for events which may be well beyond 20 years.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The stipulation of making available 20-year old records on request should be applicable only to those public records which need to be preserved for such a period. In respect of all other records, the period of availability will be limited to the period for which they should be preserved under the record keeping procedures.</li>
<li>If any public authority intends to reduce the period up to which any category of record is to be kept, it shall do so after taking concurrence of the Public Records Office.</li>
<li>These recommendations could be implemented by way of removal of difficulties under Section 30 of the Act.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mechanism for Redressal of Public Grievances</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A successful example of this mechanism is the <strong>Public Grievances Commission (PGC) set up by the Delhi government in 1997</strong>. When the Delhi Right to Information Act came into force in 2001, the PGC was made the appellate authority to decide appeals under the Act. Because of this arrangement the PGC has become an effective &ldquo;single window&rdquo; authority which facilitates access to information and when required provides a platform for redressing the citizen&rsquo;s grievances as well. The PGC has also effectively used its statutory status and authority under Delhi RTI Act combined with its non-statutory grievance redressal powers to foster systemic reforms.</li>
<li>Taking note of this successful administrative arrangement, the Commission is of the view that similar arrangements could be replicated (with suitable modifications) by other states.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>States may be advised to set up independent public grievances redressal authorities to deal with complaints of delay, harassment or corruption. These authorities should work in close coordination with the SICs/District single window agencies, and help citizens use information as a tool to fight against corruption and misgovernance, or for better services.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations regarding application of the Act to the legislature and judiciary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A system of indexing and cataloguing of records of the legislatures, which facilitates easy access, should be put in place. This could be best achieved by digitising all the records and providing access to citizens with facilities for retrieving records based on intelligible searches.</li>
<li>A tracking mechanism needs to be developed so that the action taken by the executive branch on various reports like CAG, Commissions of Enquiry and House Committees is available to legislators and public, online.</li>
<li>The working of the legislative committees should be thrown open to the public. The presiding officer of the committee, if required in the interest of State or privacy, may hold proceedings in camera.</li>
<li>The records at the district court and the subordinate courts should be stored in a scientific way, by adopting uniform norms for indexing and cataloguing.</li>
<li>The administrative processes in the district and the subordinate courts should be computerised in a time bound manner. These processes should be totally in the public domain.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Removal of Difficulties</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission however have identified some initial difficulties which could impede smooth implementation of the Act. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All organisations listed in the Second Schedule have to appoint PIOs. Appeals against orders of PIOs should lie with CIC/SICs.</li>
<li>Provision should be made to include annual confidential reports, examination question papers and related matters in the exemptions under the RTI Act.</li>
<li>Provision has to be made for designation and notification of Appellate Authority for each public authority.</li>
<li>The CIC and the SICs should be entrusted with the task of monitoring effective implementation of Right to Information in all public authorities.</li>
<li>A National Coordination Committee (NCC) may be set up under the chairpersonship of the chief information commissioner with the nodal union ministry, the SICs and representatives of States as members. A provision to this effect may be made under Section 30 of the Act by way of removing difficulties.</li>
<li>The following norms should be followed for determining applicability of the Act to nongovernmental organizations.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Organisations which perform functions that are ordinarily performed by government or its agencies, and those which enjoy natural monopoly should be brought within the purview of the Act.</li>
<li>Norms should be laid that any institution or body that has received 50% of its annual operating costs, or a sum equal to or greater than Rs.1 crore, during any of the preceding 3 years should be understood to have obtained &lsquo;substantial funding&rsquo; from the government for the period and purpose of such funding.</li>
<li>Any information which, if it were held by the government, would be subject to disclosure under the law, must remain subject to such disclosure even when it is transferred to a non-government body or institution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The stipulation of making available 20-year old records on request should be applicable only to those public records which need to be preserved for such a period. In respect of all other records, the period of availability will be limited to the period for which they should be preserved under the record keeping procedures. If any public authority intends to reduce the period up to which any category of record is to be kept, it shall do so after taking concurrence of the CIC/SIC as the case may be.</li>
<li>It may be provided that information can be denied if the work involved in processing the request would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the public authority. Provided that such a refusal shall be communicated within 15 days of receipt of application, with the prior approval of the appellate authority.</li>
<li>Provided further that all such refusals shall stand transferred to CIC/SIC, as the case may be and the CIC/SIC shall dispose the case as if it is an appeal under <strong>section 19(3) of the RTI Act</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Right to Information law of 2005</strong> signals a radical shift in our governance culture and permanently impacts all agencies of state. The effective implementation of this law depends on three fundamental shifts:
<ol>
<li>From the prevailing culture of secrecy to a new culture of openness</li>
<li>From personalized despotism to authority coupled with accountability</li>
<li>From unilateral decision making to participative governance</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>One single law cannot change everything. But this fine legislation is an important beginning. Its effective application depends largely on the institutions created, early traditions and practices, attendant changes in laws and procedures, and adequate participation of people and the public servants. The Commission, therefore, focused on two broad categories of issues.
<ol>
<li>The first set of issues relates to changes in other laws and practices involving state secrets, civil service conduct rules and classification of documents. The Commission firmly believes that the <strong>Official Secrets Act, 1923</strong> in the current form is antiquated and unsuitable to emerging needs.</li>
<li>The second set of issues relates to implementation of the RTI Act itself, in particular process engineering, record keeping, disclosures, access and monitoring. In respect of the second category of issues, the Commission&rsquo;s recommendations are largely within the framework of the present law.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is well recognized that right to information is necessary, but not sufficient, to improve governance. A lot more needs to be done to usher in accountability in governance, including protection of whistleblowers, decentralization of power and fusion of authority with accountability at all levels.</li>
<li>This law provides us a priceless opportunity to redesign the processes of governance, particularly at the grass roots level where the citizens&rsquo; interface is maximum.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/summary-of-important-reports/right-to-information-master-key-to-good-governance-2nd-arc'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Broader Definition of ‘Conflict Diamonds’',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>India is concerned over <strong>widening of definition of &lsquo;conflict diamonds&rsquo; under the Kimberley Process</strong>, as suggested by developed countries such as the US and Canada.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The proposal is to<strong> include human right abuses and child labour issues</strong>. This may end up as a <strong>non-tariff barrier</strong> for developing countries.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Non-tariff Barrier</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A nontariff barrier is a<strong> trade restriction, such as a quota, embargo or sanction</strong>, that countries use to further their political and economic goals.</li>
<li>Countries commonly use<strong> nontariff barriers in international trade.</strong></li>
<li>Nontariff barriers often release countries from paying added tax on imported goods and create other barriers that have a meaningful yet different monetary impact.</li>
<li>Countries can use nontariff barriers in place of, or in conjunction with, standard tariff barriers.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Stand</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While the concerns are largely based on reports of human rights abuses in the <strong>diamond fields of Zimbabwe and Angola</strong> which includes killing of villagers.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is afraid that once the <strong>exercise of broadening the definition of conflict diamond begins,</strong> many other issues could get incorporated and a <strong>lot of subjectivity may flow in.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This becomes more important since India is the <strong>world&rsquo;s largest centre for cut and polished diamonds</strong> and <strong>accounts for 75% of the world&rsquo;s polished diamonds exports.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sector is <strong>labour-intensive</strong> and employs over 4.64 million workers, which is expected to go up to 8.23 million by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India is against human rights abuse and labour law violations, but there are other agencies including the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-elected-to-unhrc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Human Rights Commission</strong></a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/100th-anniversary-of-ilo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Labour Organization (ILO)</strong></a> to address them.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Kimberly Process was never meant to address such issues. While countries like Zimbabwe and Angola need to be checked, India and some other <strong>developing countries engaged in peaceful trade should not be at the receiving end.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Over the last couple of years, a number of members including Canada, the EU and the US have been complaining that the Kimberley process <strong>addresses a very narrow band of issues and ignores the rest.</strong></li>
<li>Thereby, Canada, in last year&rsquo;s plenary meeting in Brussels, put forward a <strong>proposal to expand the definition of conflict diamonds</strong> to include<strong> rough diamonds used by public security forces or private (including criminal or mercenary) armed groups</strong> to acquire wealth through the<strong> illegal control, bribery, taxation, extortion or dispossession of people.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-to-chair-kimberley-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India is the chair of the Kimberley System Certification Scheme (KPCS) for the year 2019</a>,</strong> and will have to mobilise <strong>other developing countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Brazil and Vietnam to oppose unintended barriers to trade.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/broader-definition-of-conflict-diamonds'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Olive Ridley Turtles',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, Olive ridley turtle eggs that were laid in March began hatching and thousands of baby olive ridley turtles have entered the bay of Bengal.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to officials, <strong>4.5 lakh turtles had arrived at beaches under Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary&nbsp;</strong>to lay eggs in 2019. It is expected that <strong>millions of baby turtles</strong> would make their way into the sea.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Olive Ridley</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles</strong> found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203158_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568203158_image6.jpg" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="275" height="183" /></a></li>
<li>They are best known for their unique mass nesting called <strong>Arribada</strong>, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.</li>
<li>The species is listed as<strong> Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List</strong>, <strong>Appendix 1 in CITES</strong>, and <strong>Schedule 1 in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972</strong>.</li>
<li>Olive-ridleys<strong> face serious threats</strong> across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches, due to human activities such as<strong> unfriendly turtle fishing practices, development, and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centers.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Bhitarkanika National Park</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bhitarkanika National Park is one of Odisha&rsquo;s finest biodiversity hotspots and is famous for its <strong>mangroves, migratory birds, turtles, estuarine crocodiles, and countless creeks.</strong></li>
<li>The Bhitarkanika is represented by 3 Protected Areas, <strong>the Bhitarkanika National Park, the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.</strong></li>
<li>Bhitarkanika is located in the estuary of<strong> Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Mahanadi river systems.</strong></li>
<li>It is said to house 70% of the country&rsquo;s estuarine or saltwater crocodiles, conservation of which was started way back in 1975.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Rushikulya River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district of Odisha.</li>
<li>The Rushikulya River is one of the major rivers in the state of Odisha and covers entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam district of Odisha</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Devi River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Devi river is one of the principal distributaries of Mahanadhi. It flows through Jagatsinghpur district and Puri district across Odisha state in India and joins the Bay of Bengal.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles-hatching'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Iran Oil Import Waiver Lifted',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The US&nbsp;has said that it will not renew exemptions from its sanctions for importing oil from Iran. There will be no <strong>Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs)</strong>&nbsp;to any nation anymore.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>exemptions were granted last November</strong> for a 180-day period for India and seven other countries, and are due to expire on May 2.</li>
<li>India, China, and US allies Japan, South Korea, and Turkey will be the most impacted by the non-renewal of waivers.</li>
<li>The other three currently exempted countries &mdash; Italy, Greece, and Taiwan &mdash; have already reduced their imports to zero.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Sanctions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On Iran:</strong> The significant reduction in oil export will <strong>deny Iran its principal source of revenue. </strong></li>
<li><strong>On Global Oil Supplies:</strong> Iran has a<strong> 4% share of global oil production in 2018.</strong> Sanctions on Iran are likely to impact <strong>global oil supply chains.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Disruption in supply may also lead to <strong>a significant rise in oil prices.</strong></li>
<li>However, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, three of the world&rsquo;s largest energy producers have said that they are committed to ensuring that global oil markets remain adequately supplied.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Threatened sanctions on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The US&nbsp;has said that <strong>India&rsquo;s &ldquo;escrow account&rdquo; used for Rupee-Rial trade cannot be operated</strong> after May 2 deadline.
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Escrow Account</strong>: An escrow account is a <strong>temporary pass-through account held by a third party during the process of a transaction</strong> between two parties.</li>
<li>However, there is<strong> no change in the exemption given for India&rsquo;s investments in Chabahar port</strong> as a trade route to Afghanistan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>US has said that it will place <strong>financial curbs</strong> on any entities or companies violating the oil sanctions, including a <strong>ban on the use of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-fact-for-prelims-5th-march-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SWIFT banking international transaction</a> </strong>system by the companies, <strong>seizure of any US assets</strong> of those companies, and curtailing any other dollar transactions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact on India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oil Supply for Refineries:</strong> The decision of the US is likely to irk India, particularly since the US has also imposed sanctions on another of India&rsquo;s top suppliers, Venezuela.</li>
<li><strong>Current account deficit:</strong> Higher crude oil prices will <strong>widen the trade deficit and current account deficit,</strong> given that the value of imports goes up with crude oil.
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Each dollar increase in the price of oil raises India&rsquo;s annual import bill by over Rs 10,500 crore,</strong> any spike in global crude prices could have a bigger impact on India&rsquo;s deficit numbers in the absence of the Iranian oil.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rupee and Inflation:</strong> The currency could be impacted if the trade and current account deficits were to widen. An increase in the import bill will tend to put pressure on the rupee. The rise in crude oil prices passed on to the consumer will increase inflation.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Response</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian oil companies have almost halved</strong> their Iranian oil purchases <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since November when the sanctions came into effect. </a></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s petroleum Minister has said that <strong>India will diversify its imports</strong> from major oil-producing nations other than Iran.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India and Iranian Oil</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India is the world&rsquo;s third-biggest oil consumer.</strong> It meets more than 80% of its crude oil requirements and around 40% of its natural gas needs through imports.</li>
<li><strong>India is Iran&rsquo;s top oil buyer after China.</strong> In 2018-19, it imported 23.5 million tonnes from Iran; in the previous year, almost 10% of its total 220.4 million tonnes of crude import was from Iran.</li>
<li>Iran was the <strong>fourth largest supplier of oil to India in 2018-19,</strong> and other suppliers may not provide the same benefits in the form of price and credit facilities.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iran-oil-import-waiver-lifted'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Future Proofing',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Future-proofing is the<strong> process of anticipating the future and developing methods of minimizing the effects of shocks</strong> and stresses of future events.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In view of the increasing vagaries of weather due to climate change demands are being made to future proof the agricultural product as mysterious pathogen are reducing yield and ruining and killing crops across the world.</li>
<li>For example, <strong>Rapid apple decline or sudden apple decline</strong> is being witnessed in many states across the USA. Scientists are not able to find any pathogen that is responsible for such decline, but largely they concur on the impact of climate change and the impact of it on bacteria, fungi, and viruses.</li>
<li>Even in India, rapid decline in wheat production is being witnessed due to &ldquo;wheat blast&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Blast disease</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The increased outbreak of pests, diseases and abiotic stresses due to climate change pose a high risk to global food security. Emergence in fungal diseases has been increased 4-fold in the last four decades.</li>
<li>One of the devastating threats to food security is the epidemic outbreaks of blast diseases in major food crops.</li>
<li><strong>Blast is a worrisome plant disease of 50 species of grasses including two major food crops, rice, and wheat.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One of the recent examples was the first outbreak of a <strong>devastating wheat blast in Bangladesh in 2016</strong> which damaged wheat crop in 8 districts with yield losses up to 100%. Wheat blast epidemic was aggravated by the untimely rainfall and warmer winter weather which is associated with the changing climate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In view of these problems, the scientists are calling for<strong> future-proofing of agricultural products.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Need for future-proofing</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Centuries of selective breeding have refined the genomes of most high valued crops. These breeds help in attaining the goal of high yield, at the cost of genetic diversity.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Genetic Diversity</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Genetic diversity is important because it helps maintain the health of a population, by including alleles (a form of mutated genes) that may be valuable in resisting diseases, pests, and other stresses.</strong></li>
<li>Maintaining diversity gives the population a buffer against change, providing the flexibility to adapt. If the environment changes, a population that has a higher variability of alleles will be better able to evolve to adapt to the new environment. In extreme situations (e.g. drought, disease epidemics) diversity could even mean the survival of the population.</li>
<li>The process of domestication tends to decrease the genetic diversity of selected crop species, due in part to the genetic bottleneck imposed when only a few plants are selected and propagated.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>How it should be future proofed</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All crops have <strong>wild relatives that are ill-suited to agriculture but which have vastly more genetic diversity</strong> than their domesticated counterparts. Using the biotechnological methods, the genes of these pest-resistant varieties can be used to future &ndash;proof the existing varieties.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/future-proofing'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Reproductive and Sexual Rights of Women in India',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-half-written-promise/article26914712.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A half written promise'</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Hindu&rsquo; on 23rd April, 2019. The article talks about sexual and reproductive rights of women in India and the challenges it faces.)</p>
</div>
<p>It has been 70 years since India got independence and there cannot be a more right time to analyse the position and &lsquo;space&rsquo; that women in India enjoy today.</p>
<p>The journey women&rsquo;s emancipation in India has been truly dynamic with women participating in nationalist movements, to being pushed into the domestic household space, to their resurgence as super-women today; women in our country have seen it all.</p>
<p><strong>However, the recognition of sexual and reproductive rights of women in the country still remains negligible. Reproductive rights in India are understood only in the context of selective issues like child marriage, female foeticide, sex selection and menstrual health and hygiene issues.</strong></p>
<p><strong>This is reflected in election manifestos of various parties where political parties have promised to make registration of marriages compulsory, implement the laws prohibiting child marriages, provide reproductive and menstrual health services to all women across India, make marital rape an offence and to ensure strict implementation of the Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT) Act.</strong></p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>According to UNICEF India and World Bank data, India counts among the highest number of maternal deaths worldwide. India witnesses 45,000 maternal deaths every year, coming to an average of one maternal death every 12 minutes.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal deaths in India. Researches have shown that half the pregnancies in India are unintended and about a third result in abortion. </strong>Only 22% of abortions are done through public or private health facilities.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of access to safe abortion clinics, particularly public hospitals, and stigma and attitudes toward women, especially young, unmarried women seeking abortion, contribute to this.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Doctors refuse to perform abortions on young women or demand that they get consent from their parents or spouses despite no such requirement by law. This forces many women to turn to clandestine and often unsafe abortions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 provides for termination only up to 20 weeks.</strong> If an unwanted pregnancy has proceeded beyond 20 weeks, women have to approach a medical board and courts to seek permission for termination, which is extremely difficult and cumbersome.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The law does not accommodate non-medical concerns over the economic costs of raising a child, effects on career decisions, or any other personal considerations.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The silence around unsafe abortion leads to deaths of women and hides important problems that lie at the intersection of these concerns, such as the formidable barriers for adolescent girls to access reproductive health services, including abortion services.</p>
<h3>Judicial Rescue</h3>
<p>The Supreme Court has been extremely progressive on women&rsquo;s reproductive rights.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>By decriminalising adultery and homosexuality (Navtej Johar judgment) the court has held clearly, that women have a right to sexual autonomy, which is an important facet of their right to personal liberty.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Puttaswamy judgment specifically recognised the Constitutional right of women to make reproductive choices, as a part of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>In the case of Independent Thought v. Union of India in the context of reproductive rights of girls SC held, &ldquo;the human rights of a girl child are very much alive and kicking whether she is married or not and deserve recognition and acceptance&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<p>These judgments have an important bearing on the sexual and reproductive rights of women. The right to safe abortion is an important facet of their right to bodily integrity, right to life and equality and needs to be protected.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sexual and reproductive rights in India must include:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>a concern with maternal deaths,</li>
<li>access to maternal care to safe abortions,</li>
<li>access to contraceptives,</li>
<li>recognition of adolescent sexuality,</li>
<li>prohibition of forced medical procedures such as forced sterilisations</li>
<li>removal of stigma and discrimination against women, girls and LGBTI persons on the basis of their gender, sexuality and access to treatment,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The MTP Act needs to be reformed comprehensively so, that it can be more inclusive and sensitive towards the plight of married women who are forced to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term against their will. It should also include the economic burden a woman has to undertake in raising a child.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Access to legal and safe abortion is an integral dimension of sexual and reproductive equality, a public health issue, and must be seen as a crucial element in the contemporary debates on democracy that seeks to provide the just society that abhors all sort of discrimination.</strong></li>
<li>The responsibility also lies with civil society and development actors to bring up these issues for public debate and in demands.</li>
</ul>
<p>Over the years, women have made great strides in many areas with notable progress in reducing gender gaps. Yet realities of women and girls getting trafficked, maternal health, deaths related to abortion every year has hit hard against all the development that has taken place, even negating it sometimes.</p>
<p><strong>As in the words of Swami Vivekananda &ldquo;It is impossible to think about the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is impossible for a bird to fly on only one wing.&rdquo;</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT) Act</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The act was enacted in 1994 and amended in 2003 and is an important tool for addressing sex selective eliminations.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Objectives -</strong> The main purpose of enacting the act is to ban the use of sex selection techniques before or after conception and prevent the misuse of prenatal diagnostic technique for sex selective abortion.</li>
<li><strong>Salient features -</strong> Offences under this act include conducting or helping in the conduct of prenatal diagnostic technique in the unregistered units. Sex selection on a man or woman, conducting PNDT test for any purpose other than the one mentioned in the act. Sale, distribution, supply, renting etc. of any ultrasound machine or any other equipment capable of detecting sex of the foetus.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/reproductive-and-sexual-rights-of-women-in-india'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Aegean Sea Litter',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>A team of Greek University students has successfully detected the location of litter in <strong>Aegean sea</strong> using the European union&rsquo;s satellite system.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The purpose of the experiment was to see whether the satellites will be able to detect the floating rafts of plastic in the sea.</li>
<li>Such detection of marine waste will be helpful in cleaning.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Marine Pollution<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215861_Image1.gif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215861_Image1.gif" width="369" height="302" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pollution of the marine environment <strong>means the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of unwanted substances or energy into the marine environment, including estuaries.</strong></li>
<li>Such introduction results in <strong>harm to living resources</strong> and marine life,<strong> hazards to human health, a hindrance to marine activities, including fishing and other legitimate uses of the sea.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Sources of Marine Pollution</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Land-based sources (such as agricultural run-off, discharge of nutrients and pesticides and untreated sewage including plastics)</strong> account for approximately<strong> 80% of marine pollution</strong>, globally.</li>
<li><strong>Excessive nutrients from sewage</strong> outfalls and agricultural runoff have contributed to the <strong>increasing incidence of low oxygen (hypoxic)</strong> areas known as<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-july-18th-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <strong>dead zones</strong>,</a> where most marine life cannot survive, resulting in the collapse of some ecosystems.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are now close to <strong>500 dead zones with a total global surface area of over 245,000 km&sup2;, roughly equivalent to that of the United Kingdom</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The excess <strong>nitrogen may lead to the proliferation of seaweeds and microorganisms</strong> and cause <strong>algal blooms</strong>. Such blooms can be harmful, causing massive fish kills, contaminating seafood with toxins and altering ecosystems.</li>
<li><strong>Litter can accumulate in huge<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-25-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> floating garbage patches</a></strong> or wash up on the coasts. Plastics float in the Ocean, releasing contaminants as they break down into toxic micro-particles that animals mistake for food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Fish and birds can choke on these particles, get sick as they accumulate in their stomachs, or become entangled in the larger debris.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2010, the <strong>Gulf of Mexico deep-water oil spill</strong> had a devastating effect on the entire marine ecosystem, as well as the populations that depend on the marine areas for their livelihoods.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Smaller oil spills happen every day, due to drilling incidents or leaking motors, and cause the death of birds, marine mammals, algae, fish and shellfish.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of Clean Ocean</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>ocean is a vital source of nourishment, especially to people in the world&rsquo;s poorest nations</strong>.</li>
<li>Many depend on fish for their primary source of protein; <strong>fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of about 540 million people (8% of the world&rsquo;s population)</strong> directly or indirectly.</li>
<li><strong>Overfishing</strong>, <strong>loss of biodiversity</strong> and the <strong>possible extinction of species</strong> put&nbsp;<strong>stress on these limited resources</strong>. This could lead to famine, increased poverty and conflicts, including war.</li>
<li>Learning to manage ocean sustainably is the only path to global prosperity and peace.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aegean-sea-litter'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Elections in Ukraine',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been elected as the new president of Ukraine.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215784_Image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1569215784_Image2.jpg" width="387" height="272" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Volodymyr Zelenskiy belongs to the&nbsp;<strong>servant of the people party</strong>. He is also a political satirist with no political background.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Ukraine is Facing</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Confrontation with Russia</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine is at loggerheads with Russia over the <strong>occupation of Crimean peninsula by Russia.</strong></li>
<li>The annexation of Crimea from Ukraine followed a Russian military intervention in Crimea that took place in the aftermath of the<strong> 2014 Ukrainian revolution</strong> and was part of wider unrest across southern and eastern Ukraine.</li>
<li>Last year Russia also<strong> arrested 24 Ukrainian naval officers</strong> from<strong> Kerch Strait</strong> for alleged border violations.</li>
<li>Ukraine is also seeking <strong>North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> European Union</a>&nbsp;</strong>membership, a move that would be offensive to Russia and that could obstruct attempts to resolve other tensions with Russia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Euromaidan Movement</strong></p>
<p><strong>Euromaidan (European Square)</strong> was a wave of demonstrations and<strong> civil unrest in Ukraine,</strong> which began in <strong>November</strong> <strong>2013</strong> with public protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti ("Independence Square") in Kyiv, Ukraine.</p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The separatist movement in East Ukraine</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Donbass region (the Donetsk and Luhansk regions)</strong> of eastern Ukraine is facing a pro-Russian separatist movement since 2014.</li>
<li>According to the Ukrainian government, the movement is actively supported by the Russian government and Russian paramilitaries make up to between 15% to 80% of the separatists fighting against Ukraine government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Normandy Format</strong></p>
<p>Normandy format is also known as the Normandy contact group, or the Normandy Four is a<strong> diplomatic group of senior representatives of the four countries (Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France)</strong> to <strong>resolve the war in Eastern Ukraine.</strong></p>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Corruption</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Corruption was one the key reason behind the ouster of a sitting president, Petro Poroshenko.</li>
<li>Transparency International&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/corruption-perceptions-index-2018-transparency-international" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corruption Perceptions Index</a> shows<strong> Ukraine at 120 among 188 countries.</strong></li>
<li>The newly elected president has vowed various severe measures against corruption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Crisis</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine&rsquo;s economy is<strong> recovering from the severe decline in the economy it experienced after the 2014 unrest</strong>, yet the gross domestic product is still substantially below its level in 2013.</li>
<li>In December 2018 the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Monetary Fund (IMF)</a> has given US$3.9 billion packages to Ukraine.</li>
<li>But further assistance is conditional on Ukraine making key reforms and tackling corruption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Ukraine Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Immediately after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Government of India recognized the Republic of Ukraine as a sovereign independent country in December 1991.</li>
<li>The Embassy of India in Kyiv was established in May 1992 and Ukraine opened its Mission in New Delhi in February 1993.</li>
<li>India and Ukraine enjoy warm and friendly relations and cooperate in areas like<strong> Culture, Arts, Education, Mutual Legal Assistance, Outer Space cooperation.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Defense Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India and Ukraine also <strong>have significant defense cooperation.</strong> Ukraine has been a source of military technology and equipment for India since its independence.</li>
<li>Indian companies are collaborating with Ukrainian companies in this area.</li>
<li>India is dependent on Ukraine&rsquo;s military-industrial complex which plays an instrumental role in the modernization and upkeep of its air force.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diaspora</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine also <strong>has a significant size of the Indian community excluding students,</strong> it is estimated to be about two thousand.</li>
<li>There are <strong>above 8,000 Indian students enrolled in various Ukrainian medical/technical universities.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elections-in-ukraine'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Madagascar’s Indigenous Species',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Around 20 indigenous animal species of Madagascar are under threat.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/281download.png" style="float: right;" /></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Among the species under threat, the <strong>majority belongs to the primate group.</strong> The group contains all the species commonly related to lemurs, monkey, apes, and humans. Lemurs are among the unique to Madagascar.</li>
<li>According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, <strong>of the 111 lemur species, 24 are currently listed as Critically Endangered, 49 are Endangered and 20 are Vulnerable.</strong></li>
<li>All species are listed by <strong>CITES on Appendix I,</strong> which prohibits the trade of specimens or parts, except for scientific purposes.
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indri</strong>, the<strong> largest of all lemurs and a species</strong> with such symbolic value for Madagascar that it is often compared to the giant panda in China, is among the species of lemurs that would be uplisted from endangered to critically endangered.</li>
<li><strong>Madame Berthe&rsquo;s mouse lemur,</strong> the world&rsquo;s <strong>smallest</strong> <strong>primate</strong>, would also be up-listed endangered.</li>
<li><strong>Silky</strong> <strong>sifaka</strong> (Propithecus candidus) also known as<strong> &ldquo;angel of the forest"</strong>&mdash;refers to its white fur. It is one of the rarest mammals on Earth and is listed by IUCN the as one of the world's 25 most critically endangered primates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are a number of threats to lemurs&rsquo; survival in Madagascar, chief among them are
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Widespread</strong> <strong>destruction</strong> of their tropical forest habitat.</li>
<li>Illegal <strong>logging</strong></li>
<li><strong>Deforestation</strong> driven by slash-and-burn agriculture.</li>
<li><strong>Charcoal</strong> <strong>production</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Mining</strong></li>
<li><strong>Hunting</strong> <strong>of lemurs</strong> for food and for the pet trade as an emerging but serious threat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Madagascar</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The island nation of Madagascar has developed its own distinct ecosystems and extraordinary wildlife since it split from the African continent an estimated 160 million years ago.</li>
<li>It&rsquo;s more than 3,000 miles of coastline and over 250 islands are home to some of the world&rsquo;s largest coral reef systems and most extensive mangrove areas in the Western Indian Ocean.</li>
</ul>
<p>World Lemur Day is observed every year on 30 October by IUCN.</p>
<p></p>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/madagascars-indigenous-species'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)',
		'catname' => 'National Institutions',
		'desc' => '<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.</em>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><strong><em style="color: #000000;">&mdash; Nelson Mandela</em></strong></p>
<h3>About</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC of India is an independent statutory body established on <strong>12 October, 1993</strong> as per provisions of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, later amended in 2006.</li>
<li>NHRC has celebrated its Silver Jubilee (25 years) on October 12, 2018. Its headquarter is located in New Delhi.</li>
<li>It is the watchdog of human rights in the country, i.e. the rights related to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by Indian Constitution or embodied in the international covenants and enforceable by courts in India.</li>
<li>It was established in conformity with the <strong>Paris Principles,</strong> adopted for the promotion and protection of human rights in Paris (October, 1991) and endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 December, 1993.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What are Human Rights?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per UN definition these rights are inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.</li>
<li>Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.</li>
<li>These are entitled to everyone, without any discrimination.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)</strong> was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948.</li>
<li>It is a milestone declaration in the history of human rights which sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.</li>
<li><strong>Human Rights Day</strong> is observed every year on <strong>10 December,</strong> which is the anniversary of the UDHR. In 2018, Human Rights Day marked the 70th anniversary the declaration.</li>
<li>In due time the growing importance of strengthening national human rights institutions has been recognized and in 1991, a UN meeting in Paris has developed a detailed set of principles i.e. <strong>Paris Principles</strong>. These principles became the foundation for the establishment and operation of national human rights institutions.</li>
<li>In pursuant to these principles, India has enacted the <strong>Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993,</strong> with a view to bring about greater accountability and strengthening of the human rights in the country.</li>
<li>This act also authorized State Governments to establish State Human Right Commission.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Human Rights Council</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body created by the United Nations General Assembly resolution on 15 March 2006.</li>
<li>It has replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.</li>
<li>It is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.</li>
<li>It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.</li>
<li>The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Structure of the Commission</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC is a multi-member body which consists of a Chairman and seven other members. Out of the seven members, three are ex-officio member.</li>
<li><strong>President appoints the Chairman and members</strong> of NHRC on recommendation of high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister.</li>
<li>The Chairperson and the members of the NHRC are appointed for 5 years or till the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.</li>
<li>They can be removed only on the <strong>charges of proved misbehavior or incapacity,</strong> if proved by an inquiry conducted by a Supreme Court Judge.</li>
<li>Commission also has five <strong>Specialized Divisions</strong> i.e. Law Division, Investigation Division, Policy Research &amp; Programmes Division, Training Division and Administration Division.</li>
<li>The chairman and the members of <strong>State Commission are appointed by the Governor</strong> in consultation with the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Speaker of Legislative Assembly and Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions and Powers of NHRC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC investigates grievances regarding the violation of human rights either suo moto or after receiving a petition.</li>
<li>It has the power to interfere in any judicial proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights.</li>
<li>It can visit any jail or any other institution under the control of the State Government to see the living conditions of the inmates and to make recommendations thereon.</li>
<li>It can review the safeguards provided under the constitution or any law for the protection of the human rights and can recommend appropriate remedial measures.</li>
<li>NHRC undertakes and promotes research in the field of human rights.</li>
<li>NHRC works to spread human rights literacy among various sections of society and promotes awareness of the safeguards available for the protection of these rights through publications, media, seminars and other means.</li>
<li>The Commission takes an independent stand while providing opinions for the protection of human rights within the parlance of the Constitution or in law for the time being enforced.</li>
<li>It has the powers of a civil court and can grant interim relief.</li>
<li>It also has the authority to recommend payment of compensation or damages.</li>
<li>NHRC credibility is duly reflected in large number of complaints received every year and the trust reposed in it by the citizens.</li>
<li>It can recommend to both the central and state governments to take suitable steps to prevent the violation of Human Rights. It submits its annual report to the President of India who causes it to be laid before each House of Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Limitations of NHRC</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NHRC does not have any mechanism of investigation. In majority cases, it asks the concerned Central and State Governments to investigate the cases of the violation of Human Rights</li>
<li>It has been termed as &lsquo;India&rsquo;s teasing illusion&rsquo; by Soli Sorabjee (former Attorney-General of India) due to its incapacity to render any practical relief to the aggrieved party.</li>
<li>NHRC can only make recommendations, without the power to enforce decisions.</li>
<li>Many times NHRC is viewed as post-retirement destinations for judges and bureaucrats with political affiliation moreover, inadequacy of funds also hamper its working.</li>
<li>A large number of grievances go unaddressed because NHRC cannot investigate the complaint registered after one year of incident.</li>
<li>Government often out rightly rejects recommendation of NHRC or there is partial compliance to these recommendations.</li>
<li>State human rights commissions cannot call for information from the national government, which means that they are implicitly denied the power to investigate armed forces under national control.</li>
<li>National Human Rights Commission powers related to violations of human rights by the armed forces have been largely restricted.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is need for complete revamping of NHRC to make it more effective and truly a watchdog of human right violations in the country.</li>
<li>NHRC efficacy can be enhanced by government if commission decisions are made enforceable.</li>
<li>There is need to change in composition of commission by including members from civil society and activists.</li>
<li>NHRC needs to develop an independent cadre of staff with appropriate experience.</li>
<li>Many laws in India are very old and archaic in nature by amending which government can bring more transparency in regulations.</li>
<li>To improve and strengthen the human rights situation in India, state and non state actors need to work in tandem.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-human-rights-commission-nhrc'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture — Political Parties Under RTI',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EzJrSkhY3Qw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the centre and the Election Commission (EC) on an application seeking political parties to be declared public authorities in order to make them transparent and accountable to the public.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, wants political parties registered under section 29A of Representation of People Act, 1951 to be declared as &lsquo;public authority&rsquo; under the Right to Information Act, 2005, (RTI). </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">His plea also included that all registered and recognized political parties should be directed to appoint public information officer and appellate authority within 4 weeks and make disclosures in letter and spirit of the RTI Act. In the event of non-compliance of provisions of RPA, RTI Act, Income Tax Act, Moral Code of Conduct and other election laws and rules, political parties shall be derecognized by the ECI. </span></p>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Arguments in Favour</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Except for the political strategy, other <strong>matters relating to finance and administration need to be made available to public</strong> because political parties are public institutions, receiving money from public.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Electoral Bonds are not promoting transparency in political funding</strong> as donors remain anonymous to public.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Infact, not only funding but <strong>expenditure made by political parties,</strong> especially during the time of elections <strong>should be made public</strong>.</span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Currently in India, there is no ceiling on expenditure incurred by the political parties at the time of elections.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Political Parties are already under the RTI Act as they have not challenged the Central Information Commission&rsquo;s verdict of 3<sup>rd</sup> June 2013</strong> (Political Parties are public authorities under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act); though they have also not complied with the order yet. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>RTI act is a very balanced act.</strong> There is a <strong>section 8(1)</strong> in the act that has ten exemptions within it. If a political party comes under the ambit of RTI act, then this section will <strong>safeguard them from disclosing all types of information</strong>. </span></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Arguments Against</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Law needs to be amended:</strong> </span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Section 2(h) of RTI act defines public authority as the one which is created by or under the constitution or by the Parliament.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Political Parties are formed under the act of Parliament</strong> i.e. under the Representation of People Act, which is <strong>not the same thing as being created by the Parliament</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Therefore, until and unless the law is changed, it will be difficult to bring political parties under the ambit of RTI act.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Political Parties have <strong>apprehension</strong> that disclosure of information under RTI act may give <strong>advantage to their competitors</strong>.</span></li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Political parties do not want to disclose their internal working as well as their decision making system.</span></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Suggestions</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Money should not be given to political parties as this creates a nexus between the funders and the political parties, thus affecting policy formulation in the country. Instead, <strong>a National Election Fund should be created</strong> for receiving the donations from people. The money received should be used for conducting elections.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Eliminating the root cause of requirement of money</strong> i.e. banning election rallies and roadshows, but direct connect with people needs to be ensured. Replacing them by live T.V. debates is an option.</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="color: #000000;">Electoral Reforms related Recommendations</span></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Following Reforms need to be taken immediately:</span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The 'First Past the Post System',</strong> in which a person with the highest votes (even with one extra vote) is declared winner, <strong>should be changed</strong>. Rather, <strong>a minimum percentage of total votes polled, should be fixed for declaring a candidate winner</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">A law for regulating political parties is required.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Preventing criminals from contesting elections.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Flow of black money into election process needs to taken care off.</span></strong></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">There needs to be a <strong>scrutiny of manifestos</strong> issued by political parties. Also, one or two months before elections, manifestos should be issued so that people can understand and discuss things mentioned in them.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Electoral System needs to be such that a sitting MLA or an MP has to resign from the current seat before filing the nomination for the other seat. This will help in <strong>saving expenditure on bypolls</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Even in case of <strong>simultaneous elections</strong> to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, <strong>a system is needed to tackle the dissolution of assemblies</strong> and vacancies that can occur during a ruling period.</span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">The Prime Minister should be elected through secret and compulsory vote of all the members of lower house on nomination signed by at least 34% members. In the same way, no confidence motion, carrying the name of an alternative leader, should be passed, to de-seat an incumbent person and to fill the seat immediately.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Since political parties seem less interested in electoral reforms, the <strong>Supreme Court can take an action in this regard</strong>.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Currently, electoral reforms are work-in-progress. Initiative from public is needed to make them happen fast. </em></span></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Drishti Input</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>Right to Information Act 2005 </em></span></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Enacted by the Parliament, it received the President&rsquo;s assent on 15th June, 2005.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">It provides for right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities in order <strong>to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">It is <strong>applicable for all states in the country except for Jammu &amp; Kashmir</strong>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #000000;">Under the provisions of the Act, <strong>a citizen may request information from a "public authority" (a body of government) which is required to reply within thirty days</strong>.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>',
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	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Free and Fair Election',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/being-fair-and-transparent/article26905329.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Being Fair and Transparent'</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Hindu&rsquo; on 22nd April, 2019. The article talks about the challenges that have affected the electoral landscape in India and ways in which it can be dealt.)</p>
</div>
<p>In a constitutional democracy, elections provide an opportunity to ascertain the popular will in regard to the governance of the country. <strong>Election is the act of choosing an individual usually for holding public office through free will of the people in a representative democracy.</strong></p>
<p>Recently, elections were cancelled in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu on the charges of corrupt practices and misuse of money and muscle power which is often used to manipulate and sway the popular will. This has not been an isolated incident; many such events have taken place over the years. The growing greed for power has turned a sacrosanct activity into a showcase for power.</p>
<p>The recent debates surrounding the power and efficacy of <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Election Commission of India (ECI)</a> in testing times has opened up the pandora box of challenges where strengthening ECI has become of paramount importance.</p>
<h3>Concept of Free and Fair Election</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Concept of free and fair election includes even preliminary stages to election such as <strong>delimitation of constituencies, preparation, revision or amendment of electoral rolls</strong> and many others.</li>
<li>Concept of free and fair election <strong>mainly relates to political liberty and equality</strong>. In matters of election it implies that <strong>no one, under the electoral process, is in bondage of another,</strong> having his personal rights, social and political liberty, free thinking and choice subjected to a legal discipline.</li>
<li><strong>While exercising his right to vote one is not under undue influence of party discipline, religion, caste, creed, sex, language and also one is not under the strain of corrupt practices</strong> and so on. Thus, free and fair elections are the foundations of democratic form of government.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Growing Menace of Money Power</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Over the course of time several negative features of our electoral scene have worsened. Since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, in just the first two phases this time, <strong>money power has been used</strong> so blatantly that seizures <strong>in form of unaccounted cash, liquor, bullion and drugs</strong> amounting to ₹2,600 crore have already been made.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The amount is greater than the entire seizures made in the nine phases of the general election in 2014. Most depressingly, this includes huge cache of drugs, the vast majority smuggled into Gujarat. Uttar Pradesh is awash with liquor. Tamil Nadu has seen the largest seizures of illicit cash &mdash; over ₹514 crore.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>These vast sums that intended to bribe or influence voters are only fraction of current illegal spending that has been exposed.</strong> A larger share has already been spent without the knowledge of ECI or other regulatory authorities.</li>
<li>Political players have evolved their methods and are many steps ahead of the ECI&rsquo;s observers and their vigilance teams by moving their funds to their destinations even before the elections are announced.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Obstacles in Free and Fair Elections</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Electoral malpractice has appeared in newer forms in recent times. <strong>Voter bribery and manipulation through the media</strong> have become the techniques of unethically influencing voters in place of voter intimidation and booth capturing.</li>
<li>Over the past few years incidence of <strong>corruption in public life</strong> in which politicians and officials have diverted the available resources to personal use has increased. <strong>Public funds have been misappropriated</strong> and have destroyed the moral and ethical environment of the nation.</li>
<li><strong>According to the Vohra Committee Report,</strong> criminalization of politics and corruption in high levels is destroying the very system and edifice of our parliamentary democracy, political authorities, the civil servants and even the judiciary.</li>
<li>In the era of outside support and the coalition governments in the States and at the Centre, it is an admitted fact that <strong>the representatives of the people in the Assemblies and Parliament accept money to support a particular Government</strong>. Hence, Members of Parliament or State Assemblies became a marketable commodity and a subject of sale and purchase or horse-trading.</li>
<li>Money power is a crucial factor in elections since <strong>modern devices of election propaganda are expensive</strong>. The availability of large funds ordinarily tends to increase the number of votes a candidate will receive. This money often takes the course of black money and is collected through nefarious and illicit means.</li>
<li><a href="/news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/03-04-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electoral bonds</a> which were meant for from enabling a legitimate and transparent means of political funding, <strong>have proved to be the reverse</strong>. The EC, in its own affidavit before the Supreme Court, has admitted as much.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Supreme Court&rsquo;s order has made sure that full disclosure, albeit to the EC, has already effectively killed further funding along this route.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Suggested</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Any serious reform with regard to funding must come from the EC itself,</strong> the EC should convene a conference of all stakeholders, including of course all recognized political parties, both central and State. The list of stakeholders must also include the best constitutional and legal minds in our country.</li>
<li><strong>ECI must ensure strict compliance of model code of conduct</strong> and anyone seen violating it must be given highest possible restraint to deter herself from any such future practice.</li>
<li>Being a watchdog of the democracy, <strong>media should follow the ethical reporting of events</strong> covering real issues affecting people and <strong>should not indulge in paid news and in propaganda politics</strong>.</li>
<li>Parliament must <strong>consider the legal infirmities existing in the provisions of election law,</strong> relating to entry of criminals in politics. Classification between general criminals and sitting member criminals under Section 8 of the Representation of People Act, 1951 must be omitted.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The powers of the EC are enormous and all-encompassing which even exceed the powers of the executive in all election-related issues during the course of the election period. Thereby giving it effective tools in dispensing free and fair elections, only thing that lacks is will and integrity on the part of responsible officials.</li>
<li>ECI should become more prudent and pro-active to ensure the fairness and transparency the general election of this nation deserves, and wipe away any doubt regarding the its integrity as an esteemed institution.</li>
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