Search

Search list matched with tags “class”

Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) Scheme

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has laid out a detailed procedure for claiming benefits under the Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA)...

02 Apr 2019 News Analysis
Important Facts For Prelims (2nd April 2019)

Thakurani Jatra Festival Recently, celebrations of the biennial Thakurani Jatra festival started in Berhampur, Odisha. During the festival,...

02 Apr 2019 News Analysis
The Big Picture – Election Code and New Age Media

Social media platforms Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, ShareChat, TikTok and the IAMAI have agreed to a voluntary code of ethics to abide by during the...

02 Apr 2019 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
SC Suspended EC For Airport In Goa

The Supreme Court (SC) has suspended the Environmental Clearance (EC) granted for the development of Greenfield International Airport at Mopa in...

01 Apr 2019 News Analysis
The Next Revolution

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

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

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

01 Apr 2019 News Analysis
President's Visit to Bolivia

Recently, President of India completed his visit to the Plurinational State of Bolivia. This was the first ever visit by an Indian...

01 Apr 2019 News Analysis
New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood

(This editorial is based on the article ‘New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood’ which was published in ‘Raisina...

30 Mar 2019 News Editorials
Five Coffee Varieties Got GI Tag

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has recently awarded GI tag to five...

30 Mar 2019 News Analysis
Important Facts For Prelims (30th March 2019)

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

30 Mar 2019 News Analysis
Economic Relations between India and European, Oceania Countries

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

30 Mar 2019 News Analysis
Gender Wage Gap

Oxfam India has recently released a report titled ‘Mind the Gap: The State of Employment in India.’ The report assesses gender...

29 Mar 2019 News Analysis
A Rightful Place in Space

(This editorial is based on the article 'A Rightful Place in Space’ which appeared in ‘The Indian Express’ on 29th March, 2019....

29 Mar 2019 News Editorials
State of the Global Climate: WMO

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published the Statement on the State of the Global Climate on the sidelines of a high-level meeting on...

29 Mar 2019 News Analysis
World’s Longest Salt Cave

Israeli researchers have claimed that they have discovered the world’s longest salt cave near the dead sea. The cave named Malham, stretching...

29 Mar 2019 News Analysis
Important Facts For Prelims (29th March 2019)

Odissi It is one of the pre-eminent classical dance forms of India which originated in the Hindu temples of the eastern coastal state of Odisha in...

29 Mar 2019 News Analysis
Globalization 4.0

Why in News Globalization 4.0 was the theme for World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019 held in Davos, Switzerland in January 2019. Under the...

29 Mar 2019 Paper 3
A Cop Out

(This editorial is based on the article 'A Cop Out' which appeared in ‘The Indian Express’ on 28th March, 2019. The article talks about...

28 Mar 2019 News Editorials
European Parliament Bans Single-Use Plastics

The European Union Parliament has voted to ban single-use plastic cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers as part of a sweeping law against plastic...

28 Mar 2019 News Analysis
President’s Visit To Croatia

During the first leg of his three-nation tour to Croatia, Bolivia, and Chile, President of India completed his visit to Croatia. In Croatia,...

28 Mar 2019 News Analysis

Warning (2): count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable [ROOT/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Element/rightsection.ctp, line 100]

Code Context


<?php if(count($updates)>0){?>
  <div class="updates">

$viewFile = '/var/www/drishtiias.com/public_html/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Element/rightsection.ctp'
$dataForView = [
	'progress' => [],
	'bookmarks' => [],
	'notes' => [],
	'mynote' => [],
	'topdata' => [
		(int) 0 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {}
	],
	'searchdata' => [],
	'searchlist' => [
		(int) 0 => [
			'title' => 'Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) Scheme',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The <strong>Ministry of Commerce and Industry</strong>&nbsp;has laid out a detailed procedure for claiming benefits under the <strong>Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme</strong>, which aims at <strong>boosting agricultural exports.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earlier in March, 2019</strong> the Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce &amp; Industry had announced this scheme for providing <strong>financial assistance for transport and marketing of agriculture products</strong> to <strong>boost exports</strong> of such commodities to certain countries in<strong> Europe and North America.</strong></li>
<li>The level of assistance would be different for different regions as notified from time to time for export of eligible products. The scheme covers <strong>freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea.</strong></li>
<li>The scheme will help in<strong> increasing farm export from India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.</li>
<li>To mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to trans-shipment.</li>
<li>To promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coverage &amp; Eligibility</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products shall be covered under this scheme.</li>
<li>The Scheme would be applicable for a period as specified from time to time. Presently the Scheme would be<strong> available for exports from 1.3.2019 to 31.03.2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the year 2018, the government also approved an<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/agriculture-export-policy-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Agriculture Export Policy</strong></a> with an aim to <strong>double the shipments to USD 60 billion by 2022.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is aimed at boosting exports of agriculture commodities such as tea, coffee and rice and increase the country&rsquo;s share in global agri-trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)</strong> plays a significant role in tapping India&rsquo;s agricultural strengths and works towards expanding the export potential of Indian agricultural and food products.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a<strong> non-trading, statutory body established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.</strong></li>
<li>APEDA has marked its presence in almost all agro potential states of India and has been providing services to agri-export community through its <strong>head office in New Delhi,</strong> five Regional offices and 13 Virtual offices.</li>
<li>In 2017, APEDA launched a mobile app- &ldquo;<strong>Farmer Connect&rdquo;</strong> to allow farmers to apply online to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application &amp; approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/transport-and-marketing-assistance-tma-scheme'
		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (2nd April 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Thakurani Jatra Festival</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, celebrations of the <strong>biennial Thakurani Jatra festival</strong> started in<strong> Berhampur, Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>During the festival, <strong>Goddess Budhi Thakurani</strong> is taken from the main temple at Thakurani Temple Street to her temporary abode at Desi Behera Street, where she stays till the festival ends.</li>
<li>The first Thakurani Yatra was <strong>celebrated in April 1779.</strong> The festival goes on for <strong>32 days.</strong></li>
<li>The goddess is considered to be a <strong>family member of Desibehera, the leader of the Dera community,</strong> the weaver clan that has made Berhampur famous as the silk city.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reiwa: Japan's New Era</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Japanese government has announced that the reign of the<strong> next Japanese emperor will be known as the "Reiwa" era.</strong></li>
<li>The term for the new era is made up of the two characters<strong> Rei and Wa.</strong> Rei can mean <strong>"commands" or "order",</strong> as well as <strong>"auspicious" or "good"</strong>. While, <strong>Wa often means "harmony",</strong> and is also used in the Japanese word for "peace" - "hei-wa".
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The name draws from the<strong> 7<sup>th</sup> century poetry collection &ldquo;Manyoshu.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>This is the <strong>first era name</strong> to have been <strong>inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese, work of classical literature.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The new era takes effect on <strong>May 1, 2019</strong> with the c<strong>oronation of Crown Prince Naruhito (126<sup>th</sup> emperor of the Chrysanthemum Throne).</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chrysanthemum Throne is a <strong>common name given to the Imperial throne of Japan.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>oldest continuing monarchy</strong> in the world.</li>
<li>Under the provisions of the current Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is a <strong>"symbol of the state and the unity of its people"</strong>; he has<strong> no real political power</strong> but is regarded as a ceremonial Head of State and constitutional monarch.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Current emperor Akihito is stepping down on April 30, 2019 in the<strong> first abdication in 200 years</strong>, bringing his era of <strong>&ldquo;Heisei&rdquo; to an end.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>era of &ldquo;Heisei,&rdquo; which means &ldquo;achieving peace,&rdquo;</strong> was the first without a war in Japan&rsquo;s modern history, but is also remembered as lost years of economic deflation and natural disasters.</li>
<li>This <strong>era began in 1989, when Akihito succeeded his father Emperor Hirohito,</strong> who ruled during the Showa period and is now known as the Showa Emperor. It will come to a close on April 30, the day Akihito abdicates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The announcement allows only a month ahead of the switch for government, businesses and other sectors to adjust to the change that still affects many parts of Japan&rsquo;s society, even though the system is not compulsory.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-2nd-april-2019'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture – Election Code and New Age Media',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ug8YGmFV7Ys" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Social media platforms Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, ShareChat, TikTok and the IAMAI have agreed to a voluntary code of ethics to abide by during the Lok Sabha Elections 2019, which are set to begin on April 11. The code came into effect on March 20, and will remain in force throughout the elections.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Commitments made in the Code:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Social Media Platforms have developed a notification mechanism for the ECI to legally notify them of potential violations of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and other electoral laws.</li>
<li>Platforms will also endeavour to impart training to the nodal officer at ECI on their products, and on the mechanism for sending requests to the platforms as per procedure established by law.</li>
<li>For reported violations of Section 126 of the RP Act, platforms will acknowledge and/ or process the legal orders within 3 hours (as per the <strong>Sinha Committee recommendations</strong>). For other legal requests, platforms will act upon them &ldquo;expeditiously&rdquo; based on the nature of reported violation.</li>
<li>Platforms will update the ECI (via the IAMAI) on measures they have taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, pursuant to legal requests by the ECI.</li>
<li>The members to the code will carry out information, education and communication campaigns to build awareness on electoral laws and other related instructions.</li>
<li>Participants will commit to facilitating transparency in paid political advertisements, including utilising their pre-existing labels/ disclosure technology for such advertisements.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Section 126 of RPA Act</strong> prohibits displaying any election matter by means, inter alia, of television or similar apparatus, during the period of 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.</p>
<p><strong>The Internet &amp; Mobile Association of India (IAMAI):</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1896.</li>
<li>Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value added services sector.</li>
<li>It is dedicated to presenting a unified voice of the businesses it represents, to the government, investors, consumers and other stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Umesh Sinha Committee Recommendations on Section 126 of the RP Act in view of social media expansion:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has suggested amending Section 126(1) of RP Act to impose the &lsquo;campaign silence period&rsquo; on print, electronic media and intermediaries.</li>
<li>Apart from asking political parties to observe the silence period on all forms of media, the committee has suggested that star campaigners should desist from assessing press conferences or giving interviews on election matters during this period.</li>
<li>For intermediaries including social media companies, the committee has recommended that they should commit to procedures that would ensure that their platforms are not misused to vitiate free and fair polls. This would include a notification mechanism by which EC may notify the platform of potential violations of Section 126 of RP Act.</li>
<li>Internet Service Providers and Social media companies should take down content violating the 48-hour ban on campaigning prior to polling, instantly and latest within 3 hours of EC issuing such a direction.</li>
<li>Intermediaries, as per the committee, should report to the Commission on measures taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, including generating publicly-available action taken reports.</li>
<li>All political advertisements may be clearly labelled as such and be pre-approved by an EC-appointed content monitoring committee. The intermediaries would also need to maintain a repository of political advertisements with information on their sponsors, expenditure and targeted reach.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need of enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Possibility of elections being influenced by foreign countries/agencies:</strong> India has a hostile neighbourhood and thus neighbouring and other countries can try to weaken its political discourse by giving fake and paid advertisements or by disclosing information not meant for public over social media.</li>
<li><strong>Double Standards:</strong> Social Media Platforms are biased. They regulate the content over their sites only in selected countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges in enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Penetration of social media is vast. Anyone can upload whatever s/he wants, making <strong>regulation of the content by ECI or even by social media platforms almost impossible</strong>. Till now, ECI has been able to take care of only that content which has been brought under its notice.</li>
<li>The social media has a wider reach and there is also <strong>no way to verify the content over social media</strong>. Huge impact of social media content has been seen on the minds of people.</li>
<li><strong>Fake news keeps getting circulated over social media platforms, despite steps taken by government in this regard.</strong></li>
<li>Dealing with<strong> political proxy advertisements by fan pages</strong> is another challenge.</li>
<li><strong>Social Media platforms&rsquo; also voice concerns over check on their freedom</strong> in the form of arguments on privacy, right to freedom of speech etc.</li>
<li>Getting a staff for monitoring and checking the content over social media is a difficult task.</li>
<li>Even if one sets a &lsquo;monitoring machinery&rsquo; over social media content, how much monitoring it would be able to do, is a point of concern.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On an immediate basis, social media platforms need to rely on ECI&rsquo;s judgements over the content on social media and should take a quick action accordingly.</strong></li>
<li>Users of the social media need to be made aware enough so that they can make difference between the fake news and the correct news.</li>
<li>Social Media is expected to play a constructive and fair role, especially during the time of elections. The social media platforms should work within the moral code of conduct framework during the elections.</li>
<li>Social media platforms in general should also take care of the content that gets published on their sites to ensure peace and harmony globally.</li>
<li>Political Parties should have consensus regarding not misusing the social media platforms and fighting the elections in a fair manner.</li>
<li>Free and fair elections are important for citizens of any country. <strong>Monitoring of open content i.e. content posted for public, is therefore admissible.</strong></li>
<li>India has election expenditure limit for candidates. It needs to have the same for the political parties also.</li>
<li><strong>ECI needs to ensure that no political advertisement runs on social platforms during 48 hours period from any social media account.</strong></li>
<li>ECI, especially at the time of elections remains busy not only with the election process but also with various queries from Chief Electoral Officers and Returning Officers. <strong>A separate machinery within the Election Commission is required to take care of the political content over the social media.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Intention is the key. Everyone, be it political parties, social media platforms or citizens of a country, needs to ensure that no fake or unfair information gets disseminated through their hands.</em></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-election-code-and-new-age-media'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'SC Suspended EC For Airport In Goa',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court (SC)<strong> has suspended the Environmental Clearance (EC)</strong> granted for the development of<strong> Greenfield International Airport at Mopa in Goa.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons Cited</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Procedural Flaws in the grant of EC</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>People living in the proposed project-area being not consulted properly.</li>
<li>Non- disclosure of vital information in the application form for clearance and in Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report as well.</li>
<li>Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) did not analyze the EIA report properly before approving the EC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Green Tribunal (NGT)</a> did not carry out the merit review</strong> of appeal made against the EC given to the Mopa Airport.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights from the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A<strong> phrase &lsquo;Environmental Rule of Law&rsquo; was coined by SC</strong>. The court said that every branch of governance and institutions across the country should strive to enforce environmental rule of law.</li>
<li><strong>Proper structures for environmental decision making find expression in the guarantee against arbitrary action and the affirmative duty of fair treatment under Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>In cases concerning environmental governance, it is the duty of courts to assess the case on its merits based on the materials present before it.</li>
<li>Matters concerning environmental governance concern not just the living, but generations to come.</li>
<li>The health of the environment is key to preserving the Right to Life as a constitutionally recognized value under<strong> Article 21 (Protection of Life and Personal Liberty)</strong> of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Environmental Rule of Law</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The environmental rule of law is based on&nbsp;four pillars of sustainable development&mdash; <strong>economic, social, environmental and peace.</strong></li>
<li>It imbues environmental objectives with the essentials of the rule of law and underpins the reform of environmental law and governance.</li>
<li>While the most direct effects are on the protection of the environment, it also strengthens rule of law more broadly, supports sustainable, economic and social development, protects public health, contributes to peace and security by avoiding and defusing conflict and protects human and constitutional rights.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Clearance (EC) Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>An EIA report is prepared to get Environment Clearance (EC) for a project.</strong></li>
<li>A process of &lsquo;Public Hearing&rsquo; is conducted before the issue of &lsquo;Consent to Establish (NOC)&rsquo; by state regulators. Concerns of people living in the proposed project area are heard.</li>
<li>An application form with EIA report, details of public hearing and NOC is submitted for environmental clearance with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) if the project falls under Project A category or the state government if the project falls under Project B category.</li>
<li>The documents submitted are then analyzed by an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry. The recommendations of the Committee gets processed in the Ministry of Environment and Forests for final approval or rejection.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It can be defined as the<strong> study for predicting the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>statutory under the Environment Protection Act, 1986</strong> for some projects.</li>
<li>Process
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Screening</strong> based upon scales of investment, type of development and location of development; is done to see whether a project requires an environmental clearance as per the statutory notifications.</li>
<li><strong>Scoping</strong> is a process of detailing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of EIA, that is the main issues or problems in the development of a project.</li>
<li><strong>Impact Prediction</strong> involves mapping the environmental consequences of the significant aspects of the project and its alternatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Public mandatorily needs to be informed and consulted on the proposed development after the completion of <g class="gr_ gr_55 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="55" data-gr-id="55">EIA</g> report.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'The Next Revolution',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-next-revolution-indias-energy-basket-planning-commission-india-energy-future-ecology-renewables-niti-aayog-5651824/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'The Next Revolution'</a> which appeared in 'The Indian Express' on 1st April, 2019. The article talks about the energy matrix of India and changes it will undergo in the coming future.)</p>
</div>
<p>Many multilateral institutions like the International Energy Agency (IEA), the erstwhile Planning Commission, or now the NITI Ayog, have projected that energy demand in India will move on an upward curve; indigenous supplies will fail to keep pace with this increase in demand; energy imports will rise in absolute and relative terms, and, the environment will face increasing stress.</p>
<p>More specifically, coal will dominate, oil and gas will have significance; renewables, whilst on a rising trend, will account for a relatively inconsequential share and air pollution, depleting water tables and extreme weather conditions will lead ecological collapse.</p>
<p>Current trajectory of energy consumption is fundamentally against the objective of sustainable development and hence warrants a timely intervention.</p>
<h3>Current Trends</h3>
<p>A recently published energy outlook asserts that in 2040, fossil fuels will account for between 70-75% of India&rsquo;s primary energy consumption &mdash; down from approximately 90% today. Coal will account for 45% (down from the current 55%); oil 20% (down from 30% today) and natural gas at the same levels as today of around 7%. Renewables market share will increase to 15% up from the current 3-4%.</p>
<p>Consequently, India will have to import 95% of its oil requirements; 60% of its gas requirements and 30% of its coal requirements despite the fact that it contains the fifth largest deposits of coal in the world.</p>
<p>India will meet its Paris commitments to reduce Green House Gases emissions by 35% in 2035 relative to 2005. But, given this level of fossil fuel consumption, it will be one of the largest absolute emitters of pollutants in the world.</p>
<p>India has the world&rsquo;s second largest population of about 1.3 billion and significant amount of people live in darkness without access to electricity. While the Indian electricity system suffers from resource and economic constraints on one hand, environmental concerns too pose a challenge.</p>
<p>While many countries have switched over to renewable energy solutions for electricity, India still lags behind with just 20% of its electricity generating capacity, or 67033 MW, being based on renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass.</p>
<h3>The need to shift soon</h3>
<p>India is largely dependent on coal to meet its energy needs because of abundant availability of coal. It is not only one of the cheapest fuels and but there are no competitive substitutes for liquids as a fuel for mobility. <strong>Coal meets more than 50% of the current commercial energy needs and generates more than 70% electricity. But the energy from coal comes at a huge environmental and health cost.</strong></p>
<p>It is estimated that of the entire industrial sector, 60% of particulate matter (PM) emissions, 45-50 per cent of SO2 emissions, 30% of NOx emissions and more than 80% of mercury emissions comes from coal-based power plants.</p>
<p>Coal-based power plants also account for about 70% of the total freshwater withdrawal by the industrial sector and close to half of our total greenhouse gas emissions. On top of this, most of the coal mining areas have been declared as critically polluted areas as well.</p>
<p><strong>There exists fatal overlap of coal reserves, dense forests, tribal populations, high poverty and backwardness.</strong> Mining coal, therefore, leads to a huge conflict between the local communities on one hand and destruction of dense forests and wildlife which may be extremely difficult or impossible to regenerate.</p>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s dependence on imported fossil fuel is also increasing at an alarming rate.</strong> We now import close to 40% of commercial energy and this is only going to go up in the near future. Given the volatility prevalent in the international energy markets, this has huge implications for energy security of the country.</p>
<h3>Roadblocks in transitioning</h3>
<p><strong>The costs of transitioning to renewable source of energy are huge.</strong></p>
<p>They can be calculated in terms of the costs of stranded thermal power assets or the creation of transmission and distribution infrastructure to overcome the problem of &ldquo;intermittency&rdquo;(as the sun does not shine all the time; nor does the wind blow with regularity making these sources highly afflicted with fluctuations).</p>
<p>The energy sector also suffers from technological (that is, storage or carbon sequestration) and regulatory (conservation norms, emissions standards) issues to overcome before clean energy can be brought to scale.</p>
<h3>Road to cleaner and sustainable future</h3>
<p><strong>Institutional, technological, financial collaborative steps</strong> should be taken to bring the revolutionary change in the ratio between fossils and renewables in the energy basket of emergent India.</p>
<p><strong>There is a need to facilitate a holistic overview of the linkages</strong> between the different components of energy (oil, gas, coal, renewables, nuclear, hydro, bio, non-commercial); between fuel usage, electricity, mobility, industry, and agriculture, on the one hand, and, ecology on the other.</p>
<p><strong>We have to create the appropriate institutional structures of decision-making.</strong> The current structure of multiple &ldquo;energy&rdquo; ministries (petroleum, coal, renewables, and power, atomic) should be collapsed into one omnibus Ministry of Energy and Environment. This will enable integrated decision making; it will also provide a platform for collaborative public-private and constructively &ldquo;disruptive&rdquo; innovation. Besides, it will also bring sustainability to the fore of policy.</p>
<p>An <strong>&ldquo;Energy and Environment Security&rdquo;</strong> Act can also be legislated which should engage the public in the larger debate on how to weaken if not break the current unhealthy nexus between economic growth, energy demand and environmental degradation.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p><strong>Energy economics needs to be redefined</strong> as India&rsquo;s economic future depends on its ability to aggressively expand renewable investment and cut back on energy imports, whilst focusing on energy diversification and the reduction of the current massive account deficit.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-next-revolution'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (1st April 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Earth Hour</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the <strong>Earth Hour 2019 was observed on March 30 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time</strong> with the theme <strong>#Connect2Earth.</strong></li>
<li><strong>World Wide Fund for Nature&rsquo;s (WWF)</strong> Earth Hour is an annual global celebration in which people switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about the future of our planet.</li>
<li>It <strong>began in Sydney, Australia in 2007,</strong> the number of countries taking part in Earth Hour has grown to over 180 countries and territories.</li>
<li>Earth Hour is not about how much energy is saved during the hour. Rather, it is a chance to put the spotlight on the issues facing the planet, and to inspire millions across the world to live more sustainably.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Wildlife Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)</strong> is an <strong>international non-governmental organization founded in 1961,</strong> working in the field of wilderness preservation, and the reduction of humanity's footprint on the environment.</li>
<li>It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>The group's mission is <strong>"to stop the degradation of the planet&rsquo;s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature".</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Earth Day</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earth Day i</strong>s an annual event,<strong> celebrated on April 22.</strong> Worldwide events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now <strong>coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network (EDN) and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.</strong></li>
<li>Earth Day Network is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.</li>
<li>EDN main office is located in <strong>Washington DC, USA.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Kolam Tribe</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Kolam tribe (or in their own language, Kolavar)</strong> is a scheduled tribe of<strong> Maharashtra.</strong> They also live in <strong>Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>They have a language of <strong>their own (Kolami) which belongs, like Gondi, to the intermediate group of Dravidian languages.</strong></li>
<li>They are monogamous and Hinduism is their religion.</li>
<li>Recently in 2018, the Government has identified <g class="gr_ gr_110 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="110" data-gr-id="110">Katkaria</g> (Kathodia), Kolam and Maria Gond as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-citizen-killed-by-tribals-in-andaman" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)</strong></a> in the State of Maharashtra.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Tribal Affairs</strong> is administering the scheme <strong>&ldquo;Development of PVTGs&rdquo;</strong> for <g class="gr_ gr_113 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="113" data-gr-id="113">overall</g> development of PVTGs. This scheme is flexible and enables the States to focus on areas that they consider is relevant to PVTGs and their socio-cultural environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Arbitrage Funds</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arbitrage funds are a type of <strong>mutual fund</strong> that <g class="gr_ gr_111 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="111" data-gr-id="111">are</g> ideal for investors who want to profit from volatile markets without taking on too much risk.</li>
<li>The arbitrage fund earns profits through the<strong> purchase and sale of securities on different exchanges.</strong></li>
<li>An arbitrage fund buys the stock in the cash market and sells the interest in the futures market,<strong> simultaneously.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While, in the regular equity trade, the stocks are purchased when the prices fall and are sold in the future when prices rise.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Statement of Guiding Principles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India and the United States signed the amendments to the <strong>Statement of Guiding Principles (SGP) on Triangular Cooperation for Global Development.</strong></li>
<li>The SGP Agreement was signed in<strong> November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>It provides a framework for promoting cooperation between the two countries to meet the developmental aspirations of partner countries,<strong> particularly in Asia and Africa.</strong></li>
<li>The First Amendment to the SGP Agreement extends the validity of the <strong>SGP Agreement up-to 2021.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Agreement, India and U.S. will continue to offer capacity building assistance to partner countries in multiple sectors, focusing primarily on agriculture, regional connectivity, trade and investments, nutrition, health, clean and renewable energy, women empowerment, disaster preparedness, water, sanitation, education and institution building.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Northern Triangle</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The U.S. government has decided to cut aid to the countries of<strong> &ldquo;Northern Triangle&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The US has blamed the Central American countries for sending migrants to the United States and threatened to shut the U.S.-Mexico border.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" width="477" height="268" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Northern Triangle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The countries of<strong> El Salvador, Guatemala <g class="gr_ gr_100 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="100" data-gr-id="100">and</g> Honduras are known as <g class="gr_ gr_99 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="99" data-gr-id="99">Northern</g> Triangle.</strong></li>
<li>These countries share a border tripoint at Trifinio biosphere reserve, and also aspects of classical cultures, history, society, and politics.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Phayeng Village</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Phayeng, a small village in Imphal West district of, Manipur</strong> has developed itself as <strong>India&rsquo;s first carbon-positive settlement.</strong></li>
<li>A village is given the carbon-positive tag if <strong>it sequesters more carbon than it emits,</strong> slowing the accumulation of greenhouse gases and mitigating the effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The transformation of the village from the dry and denuded village in the 1970s and 80s was funded<strong> under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Sector Scheme</strong></a> which was set up in the <strong>year 2015-16.</strong></li>
<li>The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The activities under this scheme are implemented in a project mode.</li>
<li>The projects related to adaptation in sectors such as<strong> agriculture, animal husbandry, water, forestry, tourism, etc. are eligible for funding under NAFCC.</strong></li>
<li><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)</strong> is the National Implementing Entity (NIE).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Ahmad Sar Lake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Several parts of Gujarat are facing severe water scarcity in the initial days of the summer season.</li>
<li>Ahmad Sar Lake at Sarkhej Roza (Ahmedabad) has got dried.</li>
<li><strong>Sarkhej Roza is a 15th-century<sup></sup><sup></sup> complex comprising a mosque and a tomb of Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh&nbsp;</strong>was the spiritual advisor of the ruling dynasty of Gujarat during the 14<sup>th</sup> and early 15<sup>th</sup> centuries.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'President's Visit to Bolivia',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Recently, President of India completed his visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;<strong>the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This was the <strong>first ever visit by an Indian president</strong> to Bolivia.</li>
<li>Bolivia also conferred the highest State Honour of Bolivia on President of India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Plurinational State of Bolivia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bolivia is <strong>officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li>It is a<strong> landlocked country</strong> located in western-central <strong>South America.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> capital of Bolivia is Sucre</strong> while the seat of government and<strong> financial center is located in La Paz.</strong></li>
<li>In 2009, a new constitution changed the country's official name to "Plurinational State of Bolivia" in <strong>recognition of the multi-ethnic nature of the country</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Outcome of Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" width="327" height="231" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>8 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed between India and Bolivia</strong> concerning fields of culture, visa waiver for diplomats, the exchange between diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, the establishment of Centre of Excellence in IT and the Bi-Oceanic Railway project.</li>
<li>Bolivia also joined the <strong>International Solar Alliance</strong> by signing the framework agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Lithium Deposit Exploration</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Both sides also agreed to work together for exploration and extraction of the vast Lithium deposits of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Lithium is a key resource used in making batteries that India needs</strong> for its clean technology initiatives such as increased use of electric cars. It will be a boost to India&rsquo;s FAME II scheme.</li>
<li>India agreed to facilitate Bolivian supplies of lithium Carbonate to India and foster joint ventures for Lithium battery/cell production plants in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Financial Aid</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the framework of South-South Cooperation<strong>, India gave a US$ 100 million Line of Credit to Bolivia for financing development projects in sectors that Bolivia may choose.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Bolivia Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Embassy in Peru is concurrently accredited to Bolivia since April 1981.</li>
<li>Bolivia opened a resident Mission in India in 2012.</li>
<li><strong>Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India-Bolivia bilateral trade has grown in the last two years and it stood at US$ 875 million in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>60% of Bolivian gold is exported to India.</li>
<li><strong>Bolivia is the 8th leading trading partner of India in the Latin America region.</strong></li>
<li>There is a scope for diversifying trade basket to further strengthen the bilateral trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-bolivia'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &lsquo;<a href="https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood-49220/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood</a>&rsquo; which was published in &lsquo;Raisina Debates in ORF&rsquo; on 25th March, 2019. The article talks about growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region and challenge it poses for India&rsquo;s maritime security.)</p>
</div>
<p><em>In an &lsquo;advisory opinion&rsquo; as different from a verdict, The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recently said that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belonged to Mauritius, and not to the UK.</em></p>
<p><em>The order may have implications for the prevailing &lsquo;rules-based&rsquo; system prevalent in the Indian Ocean neighbourhood, where nations like Sri Lanka, Maldives and India are the other shared stake-holders.</em></p>
<p><em>Long ago, India backed Mauritius on the issue. In the current context, the Indian need may be even more, what with &lsquo;China in the Indian Ocean Region&rsquo; and the &lsquo;String of Pearls&rsquo; becoming New Delhi&rsquo;s strategic pre-occupation.</em></p>
<h3>The Issue</h3>
<p>Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965 three years before Mauritian independence, calling it British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). BIOT was endowed with a sole purpose: to serve the defence and security needs of the UK and its ally-US.</p>
<p>Due to this, the indigenous inhabitants of BIOT were deemed unnecessary by both London and Washington. In a shameful episode, officials knowingly misrepresented the Chagossians as migrant workers and forcefully deported them. Ever since, the Chagossians have campaigned for a restoration of their right to return.</p>
<p>The UK government has always opposed the Chagossians&rsquo; claims, chiefly at the behest of US military planners who prize the seclusion that Diego Garcia provides.</p>
<h3>Indian Ocean Region: New Economic Arteries</h3>
<p>The oceans, as global highways of connectivity, have been the principal means for propagation of political, social, cultural, economic and military influence beyond continental masses since recorded history.</p>
<p>Much like the Pacific Rim which shaped the global economic trajectory for the two decades, the Indian Ocean has the potential to become the most important resource of new global growth over the next 20 years.</p>
<p>With the Indian Ocean channels carrying two-thirds of the world&rsquo;s oil shipments, a third of the bulk cargo and half of all container traffic, the region&rsquo;s strategic significance remains well established.</p>
<p>China&rsquo;s rise has added another dimension where traditional power equations are now in flux. For India, which sits astride the Indian Ocean as its pre-eminent power, this is clearly an important phase in the evolution of its thinking on the region.</p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<p>The recent ICJ advisory opinion that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belongs to Mauritius and not to the UK change the geopolitical tilt in the region from favouring US to a more tentative position.</p>
<p>Despite Mauritius&rsquo; declaring that it would allow US to continue using American military base in Diego Garcia, there is still ambiguity as to how the Mauritius will react in the decades to come. A lot depends on the relative political and economic power of the US, China and India, at any given point, in the medium to long term.</p>
<p>The aspirations of the Chinese Navy to register its presence in the region, and then follow it up by projecting power as part of its &lsquo;Far Seas&rsquo; operating philosophy can be seen in Hambantota, where China is in possession of Sri Lankan real estate, for developing a port and Special Economic Zone.</p>
<p>Maldives, another island is caught somewhere in between, which has shared a strenuous relation with India in the recent past and has received generous aids from China, a feature of the so called &lsquo;debt trap&rsquo; policy. Since the Maldives represents a buffer zone surrounding India&rsquo;s maritime strategic space, China&rsquo;s steady encroachment there is a serious cause for concern.</p>
<p>Even in the South China Sea issue, when the world, especially the US and to a lesser extent, India and Japan, were upset and anguished, but the so-called affected nations in South-East Asia seem to have re-adjusted themselves to a &lsquo;new normal&rsquo;.</p>
<p>With bigger Chinese purse and its habit to increasingly question the established global order and India&rsquo;s problem in establishing maritime/naval presence in Island nations where the Governments keep changing their positions and commitments, can cause a paradigm-shift in global understanding and acceptance of emerging heat -&ndash; not warmth -- in the Indian Ocean waters, not far away from the Indian shores.</p>
<h3>Steps suggested</h3>
<p>The concept of strategic buffer zones in the naval domain is enshrined in great power politics and any nation getting a head start in it can safely avoid anti-access and area denial tactics from their adversaries. India therefore should develop a similar outlook to guard against Chinese encirclement of its strategic space.</p>
<p>New Delhi should look to operationalise logistical agreements with France and the United States, in order to upgrade naval relations and allow its own bases to be used for logistical support by the French and American navies.</p>
<p>These logistical bases can enhance India&rsquo;s capability to establish sea-denial in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating the breadth of Indian naval power. These moves should be accompanied with counter-theatre presence in the Western Pacific, and diplomatic outreach to South Asian nations that are being courted by China.</p>
<p>India should look to develop interdependencies with neighbouring countries, both economically and strategically, which until now it has failed to realise. The void left by India has been dutifully fulfilled by China.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p>With global negotiations still on an expanded EEZ for individual sea-bordering nations, India has settled future disputes only with one neighbour, namely, Bangladesh.</p>
<p>With China already on the Indian Ocean&rsquo;s mouth at Hambantota, and Diego Garcia&rsquo;s distant future possibly becoming tentative, there may be more on India&rsquo;s hands in the future on the water-front than on the land-front just now.</p>
<p>New Delhi should take a faster and closer look at impending issues, to be able to arrive at an earlier solution before it becomes a political talking-point.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Five Coffee Varieties Got GI Tag',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dipp-renamed-as-dpiit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade</a>, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has recently awarded <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/potential-of-gis-is-waiting-to-be-tapped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GI tag</a> to five varieties of Indian coffee.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The five varieties include
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Coorg Arabica coffee</strong>, grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Wayanad Robusta coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.</li>
<li><strong>Chikmagalur Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district which is situated in the Deccan plateau, falling under the Malnad region of Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Araku Valley Arabica coffee,</strong> can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of <strong>Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh</strong> and Odisha region grown at an elevation of 900-1100m Mean Sea Level (MSL). This variety is produced by the tribals, who follow an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.</li>
<li><strong>Bababudangiris Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India. The region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district. Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the coffee cup exhibits acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate. This coffee is also called &lsquo;high grown coffee&rsquo; as it slowly ripens in the mild climate thereby acquiring a special taste and aroma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The GI tag will help in enhancing the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and will also allow growers to get maximum price for their premium coffee.</li>
<li><strong>In the year 2018, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-5th-september-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Coffee Board</a> had filed the application for the GI Tag for these five varieties.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, the <strong>Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee,</strong> a unique specialty coffee of India was given GI certification.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Coffee Stats</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers.</li>
<li><strong>The cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India</strong>:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Karnataka &ndash; 54%</li>
<li>Kerala &ndash; 19%</li>
<li>Tamil Nadu &ndash; 8%</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).</li>
<li><strong>India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried.</strong></li>
<li>India produces some of the best coffee in the world, grown by tribal farmers in the Western and Eastern Ghats,which are the two major biodiversity hotspots in the world.</li>
<li>Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and is sold as premium coffee in Europe.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Two main varieties of coffee - grown in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Arabica</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This variety of coffee has a delicate flavour and balanced aroma coupled with a sharp and sweet taste.</li>
<li>Arabicas are harvested between November to January, and are typically grown on higher altitudes ranging from 600 to 2000 metres in cool, moisture-rich and subtropical weather conditions.</li>
<li>It has about half the amount of caffeine compared to Robustas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Robusta</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a very strong taste, a grainy essence and an aftertaste somewhat similar to that of peanuts.</li>
<li>It is harvested from December to February and and is grown in hot and humid climate with temperature ranging from 20 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius.</li>
<li>It has twice the level of caffeine compared to Arabica.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Coffee Board of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>statutory organization that was constituted under Section (4) of the Coffee Act, 1942.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>The Board comprises 33 Members including the Chairperson, who is the Chief Executive and it <strong>functions from Bangalore.</strong></li>
<li>The Board mainly focuses its activities in the areas of research, extension, development, market intelligence, external &amp; internal promotion for coffee.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-coffee-varieties-got-gi-tag'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (30th March 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Non-Convertible Debentures</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Debentures are <strong>long-term financial instruments that are issued by companies to borrow money</strong>.</li>
<li>Some debentures have a feature of convertibility into shares after a certain point of time at the discretion of the debenture holder.</li>
<li><strong>The debentures which cannot be converted into shares are called non-convertible debentures (or NCDs)</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>There are two types of NCDs-secured and unsecured.</strong></li>
<li>A secured NCD is backed by the assets of the company. If the company fails to pay the obligation, the investor holding the debenture can claim that through liquidation of those assets. Contrary to this, there is no backing in unsecured NCDs if company defaults.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Venezuela Humanitarian Aid Operation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> will channel humanitarian aid to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/venezuela-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>crisis-hit Venezuela,</strong></a> potentially helping ease chronic hunger and disease.</li>
<li>The first supplies would include <strong>medical equipment, surgical kits and power generators, following two major blackouts.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> country&rsquo;s hyperinflationary crisis</strong> has made food and medicine unaffordable for most citizens, fueling widespread malnutrition, especially among children, and a rise in preventable diseases.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> is a global humanitarian organization, which coordinates and directs <strong>international assistance following natural and man-made disasters in non-conflict situations.</strong></li>
<li>It was <strong>founded in 1919 in Paris</strong> in the<strong> aftermath of World War I.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>world's largest humanitarian network</strong> which is guided by<strong> seven Fundamental Principles</strong>: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, universality and unity.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Indian Red Cross Society</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established in 1920 under the Indian Red Cross Society Act</strong> and incorporated under Parliament Act XV of 1920.</li>
<li><strong>President of India is designated the President of the Indian Red Cross Society</strong> and <strong>Union Health Minister is the Chairman of the Society.</strong></li>
<li>The Indian Red Cross is a <strong>voluntary humanitarian organization</strong> having a network of over 700 branches throughout the country, providing relief in times of disasters/ emergencies and promotes health &amp; care of the vulnerable people</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, a<strong> forest guard at the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagaland,</strong> has been awarded <strong>Earth Day Network Star,</strong> for the protection of forests and wild animals in and around Fakim sanctuary.</li>
<li>The award is given by a<strong> U.S.-based international environment organisation</strong> that engages with green groups in 195 countries.</li>
<li>The Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in located <strong>Kiphire district of Nagaland.</strong> It is spread over 642 hectares.</li>
<li>It was <strong>established in the year 1983,</strong> and it lies along the <strong>international border with Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>Many wildlife animals such as leopards, tigers, wild buffaloes, hoolock gibbons and mithun are found.</li>
<li><strong>Hornbill,</strong> the <strong>most popular bird in Nagaland</strong> (It can be noted that <strong>Blyth&rsquo;s Tragopan is the State Bird of Nagaland)</strong> is also abundantly found in the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
<h3>DRDO&rsquo;s Bio-Digester</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bio-digester technology has been developed by <strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</strong> for resolving the problems of un-decomposed human waste.</li>
<li>The bio-digester <strong>consists of a bio-toilet attached with bio-digester tanks</strong> that converts human faeces into biogas and reusable water.</li>
<li>It uses <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum (a material used for inoculation)</strong> to convert faeces into biogas and water that can be used for agriculture and gardening purposes.</li>
<li>The tanks can be <strong>customised based on the requirements</strong> of the local conditions, and can <strong>operate in temperatures ranging from minus (-) 20 degrees to 50 degrees.</strong></li>
<li>The bio-digester tanks are <strong>maintenance-free for the lifetime</strong>, as the <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum is fed only once.</strong> It feeds on the faecal matter and multiplies by itself.</li>
<li>The technology is now being<strong> used in the Indian Railways and by the armed forces.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO was <strong>established in 1958</strong> after combining Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development &amp; Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).</li>
<li>DRDO works under the <strong>administrative control of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>Several major projects for the development of missiles, armaments, light combat aircrafts, radars, electronic warfare systems etc are on hand and significant achievements have already been made in several such technologies.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-30th-march-2019'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Economic Relations between India and European, Oceania Countries',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, interaction on trade and economic cooperation with ambassadors and high commissioners of European and Oceania countries took place in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>European and Oceania countries are major trading partners and major sources of investments for India and there is the huge untapped potential that can be achieved.</strong></li>
<li>During 2017-18, <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with Europe stood at USD 130.1 billion,</strong> with both exports and imports registering double-digit growth.</li>
<li><strong>In Oceania, India is the fifth largest export market for Australia,</strong> with coal, education-related travel, vegetable, and gold being some of the major items of imports by India.</li>
<li>Major exports from India to Australia include refined petroleum, business services, and pharmaceuticals.</li>
<li><strong>New Zealand is also an important market for India in the Oceania region,</strong> especially for its exports of pharmaceuticals, gems, and jewelry, machinery and textiles, and apparel.</li>
<li>Nearly, more than USD 1.2 billion was invested by companies from Oceania in the Indian market from April 2000 to December 2018.
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU%20members.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU members.png" width="541" height="304" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
</li>
<li><strong>The Oceania region also accounts for nearly 1.7 percent of India&rsquo;s overseas FDI, with Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Vanuatu being the key investment destinations.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Europe Union Economic Relations</h3>
<p></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The EU as a <g class="gr_ gr_85 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="85" data-gr-id="85">bloc</g> of 28 countries is India&rsquo;s largest regional trading partner while India was the EU&rsquo;s 9th largest trading partner in 2015.</strong></li>
<li>India and the EU are in the process of negotiating a bilateral <strong>Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) since 2007.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>European Union</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>European Union (EU), is an international organization comprising <strong>28 European countries and governing common economic, social, and security policies.</strong></li>
<li>The EU was created by the <strong>Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.</strong></li>
<li>The treaty was designed to enhance European political and economic integration by creating a single currency (the euro), a unified foreign and security policy, and common citizenship rights and by advancing cooperation in the areas of immigration, asylum, and judicial affairs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues in India-EU Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even after 13 rounds of negotiations, BTIA has not led to the signing of the agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Intellectual property rights:</strong> There is disagreement over IP protection standards. The EU is keen that India should adopt stringent IP protection standards.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For India, such a step could impact public health and seriously affect the Indian pharmaceutical sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in tariffs:</strong> One of the major demands of the EU is that India should lower its tariff rates on European dairy and poultry products, wines and spirits.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reduction of tariffs in the dairy sector and poultry industry could have a serious impact on the Indian dairy industry, mainly on employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Services sector:</strong> India has <strong>demanded flexible regulations, greater access for Indian services&nbsp;</strong>and an easy visa requirement for Indian professionals. Europe is cautious about allowing this fearing an increased unemployment problem.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Oceania Relations<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="359" height="332" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s trade relation with Oceania has been dominated by Australia and New Zealand.</strong></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s trade in goods and services with Australia was approximately US$ 15.6 billion in 2016.</li>
<li>India was New Zealand&rsquo;s 11th largest bilateral trading partner (2017) with total trade in both goods and services valued at US$ 1.91b.</li>
<li>Apart from these two India also has a significant trade relationship with the Pacific island nations with Fiji and Papua New Guinea dominating the relations. <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with the Pacific Islands stood at US$ 228 million in 2012.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pacific Island Forum (PIF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> PIF was formed in 1999 as a successor to the earlier South Pacific Forum set up in 1971.</strong></li>
<li>Regional cooperation has grown steadily under the aegis of the PIF.</li>
<li><strong>India is a dialogue partner of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Fiji in November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Member Countries - <strong>India and 14 Pacific Island countries,</strong> namely Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues between India and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The low volumes of trade between India and the PICs are due to the <strong>small populations</strong> and <strong>market sizes</strong> in these islands, as well as their <strong>distance from India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken by India to Improve Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India has established Trade Office for Pacific Island Forum countries in India.</strong></li>
<li>The FIPIC Trade Office in New Delhi <strong>will support the development of micro, small and medium Enterprises.</strong> The <strong>Office will assist in improving Market Access for the Pacific</strong> Islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/trade-and-economic-relation-between-india-and-european-and-oceania-countries'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Gender Wage Gap',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India has recently released a report titled &lsquo;Mind the Gap: The State of Employment in India.&rsquo;</strong> The report assesses gender disparities and role of social identities such as caste and class in employment in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pay level:</strong> In 2015, 92%of women and 82 % of men were earning a monthly wage less than Rs.10,000, far below the Seventh Central Pay Commission (2013) recommendation of Rs.18,000 per month.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ilos-india-wage-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wage Gap</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Women on an average are <strong>paid 34% less than similarly qualified male workers</strong> for performing same tasks.</li>
<li>Based on <strong>National Sample Survey Office (2011-12) estimates</strong>, in nominal terms, women earning a regular salary were paid, on an average, Rs.105 and Rs. 123 less than male workers daily in urban and rural settings, respectively; corresponding figures for casual workers were estimated at Rs.72 and Rs. 47 for urban and rural workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Over-representation of women in unpaid care work:</strong> The report pointed out that if unpaid care and household activities are included in the NSSO&rsquo;s definition of work, the <strong>Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR)</strong> in 2011-12 would rise from 20.5 % to 81.7%, more than that of men.</li>
<li><strong>Divergences in FLFPR:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Caste Factor:</strong> Muslim women are concentrated in household manufacturing, Schedule Caste (SCs) in construction and services such as waste collection while non-SCs generally work in education and health services.</li>
<li>Education sector accounts for over 1 in 7 urban women workers.</li>
<li><strong>75% of rural women remain engaged in agriculture, where they are relegated to low-wage roles such as weeding, threshing and paddy transplantation.</strong></li>
<li>Almost half (49.5%) of married women workers work in the same industry as their husbands.</li>
<li>There are more women workers in Southern and North-Eastern States, but number are still below international standards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Causes behind<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/inequality-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> inequality</a> in employment in India:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lack of quality jobs and wage disparity </strong>are key reasons behind inequality in the Indian labour market.</li>
<li>The <strong>burden of unpaid care work, and the continuing prevalence of other regressive social norms</strong> are also factors behind women&rsquo;s low participation in the workforce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Shifting development focus towards labour intensive sectors to create more jobs.</li>
<li><strong>Growth in jobs must be inclusive and new jobs need to be secure with better work conditions, including social security benefits and the right to organise.</strong></li>
<li>Substantially higher investments in health and education are required to improve productivity as these are the sectors which could be large employment generators in the future.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Oxfam India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India</strong> is an arm of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oxfam-report-on-inequality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Oxfam</a> International that is registered as &lsquo;Non-profit&rsquo; under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013. Its vision is to create an equal, just and sustainable society by empowering the underprivileged.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an office&nbsp;<strong>under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).</strong></li>
<li>It is responsible for conduct of large scale sample surveys in diverse fields such as social,economic,industrial etc, on All India basis.</li>
<li>It has four divisions:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD):</strong> This Division, located at Kolkata, is responsible for technical planning of surveys, formulation of concepts and definitions, sampling design, designing of inquiry schedules, drawing up of tabulation plan, analysis and presentation of survey results.</li>
<li><strong>Field Operations Division (FOD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Delhi/Faridabad and a network of six Zonal Offices, 49 Regional Offices and 118 Sub-Regional Offices spread throughout the country, is responsible for the collection of primary data for the surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
<li><strong>Data Processing Division (DPD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Kolkata and 6 other Data Processing Centers at various places, is responsible for sample selection, software development, processing, validation and tabulation of the data collected through surveys.</li>
<li><strong>Co-ordination &amp; Publication Division (CPD):</strong> This Division, located at New Delhi, coordinates all the activities of different Divisions of NSSO. It also brings out the bi-annual journal of NSSO, titled &ldquo;Sarvekshana&rdquo;, and organizes National Seminars on the results of various Socio-economic surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gender-wage-gap'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'A Rightful Place in Space',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-rightful-place-in-space-anti-satellite-asat-mission-shakti-drdo-pm-modi-isro-5647570/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A Rightful Place in Space&rsquo;</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Indian Express&rsquo; on 29th March, 2019. The article talks about the recent A-SAT test undertaken by India and the wider implications it may pose globally.)</p>
</div>
<p>India has one of the oldest space programs in the world&mdash;in operation for more than five decades&mdash;and is considered an established space faring power. Today, the country is gradually reorienting its space program towards national security.</p>
<p>India&rsquo;s recent successful anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test adds a new chapter in its defence preparedness. Before India, only three countries, namely the US, Russia and China, had demonstrated this capability.</p>
<p>While the test can be described as a giant technological and strategic development for the country it also emphasise India&rsquo;s attempt at becoming a major space power. The test has a greater geopolitical connotation given India relationship with its neighbour China- another nation sharing the same technology.</p>
<p>It is more important therefore to analyse the rationale behind conducting the test.</p>
<h3>Anti-Satellite Missile Test</h3>
<p>It is the technological capability to hit and destroy satellites in space through missiles launched from the ground. The technology is aimed at destroying, if necessary, satellites owned by enemy countries. The test, however, can be carried out only on one&rsquo;s own satellite.</p>
<p>ASAT had receded from the debates even in the security circles until China conducted a test in January 2007. The tests conducted by the US and USSR in the 1960s were seen as a legacy of the Cold War era power politics and were even forgotten. Chinese attempt at destroying one of its own ageing <strong>satellites again brought to fore the need to ensure space assets of nations</strong>.</p>
<h3>Significance of ASAT</h3>
<p>Satellites are extremely critical infrastructure for any country as large numbers of crucial applications are satellite-based. This include navigation systems, communication networks, broadcasting, banking systems, stock markets, weather forecasting, disaster management, land and ocean mapping and monitoring tools, and military applications.</p>
<p>Destroying a satellite render all these applications useless. It can cripple enemy infrastructure, and bring it down, without causing any threat to human lives.</p>
<h3>Issue of space debris</h3>
<p>A satellite that is destroyed by a missile disintegrates into small pieces, and adds to the space debris. The free floating space debris is a potential hazard for operational satellites and colliding with them can leave the satellites dysfunctional.</p>
<p>With countries launching more and more satellites, each one of them being a strategic or commercial asset, avoiding collisions could become a challenge in the future.</p>
<p>India is an active proponent for debris mitigation guidelines for space. Hence, the step can be seen as going against the principles of ensuring that space would not be littered by the human-made debris.</p>
<p>An ASAT in itself cannot be called defensive system that could &lsquo;safeguard&rsquo; space asset. Instead, it is an offensive system that could solely be used for retribution in response to an attack on India&rsquo;s space assets. In that sense, the capability can be seen as an aggressive step given India&rsquo;s volatile neighbourhood.</p>
<h3>Entry into an elite club</h3>
<p>Only three countries before India namely the US, Russia and China, has this capability. It requires very advanced capabilities in both space and missile technologies that not many countries possess. With this test India has attained the capability for exo-atmospheric interception of long-range missiles in their mid-course.</p>
<p>India&rsquo;s significant progress in the domain of space in the last two decades warrants a system that safeguards it from future potential threats. India&rsquo;s Mangalyaan and Gaganyaan programmes, its legacy of 102 spacecraft missions and criticality of the space programme makes it all the more vital for India to ensure their security.</p>
<p>It not only will increase India&rsquo;s capability to shoot down military and civilian communications, and early-warning satellites during a crisis or war, but will also help advance India's missile interceptor programme. The test therefore is a demonstration of technological capability as well a communication of deterrence message to any possible adversary.</p>
<p>India by launching ASAT has already taken a head start in space, even before norms or order regarding the use of ASAT could be established where only select few superpowers could control it. This would help India from getting caught in a &lsquo;NPT&rsquo; (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) like situation.</p>
<h3>Global Rules and demands related to Space</h3>
<p>Almost every country agrees that space must not be used for wars and has spoken against weaponisation of space. There are international treaties governing the use of space, that mandate that outer space, and celestial bodies like the Moon, must only be exploited for peaceful purposes.</p>
<p><strong>Outer Space Treaty of 1967</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is a party to the Outer Space Treaty. The treaty prohibits countries from placing into orbit around the Earth &ldquo;any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction&rdquo;.</li>
<li>It also prohibits the stationing of such weapons on celestial bodies, like the moon, or in outer space. The moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all state parties to the treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes.</li>
</ul>
<p>There are four more multilateral treaties that deal with specific concepts agreed to in the Outer Space Treaty:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Rescue Agreement of 1968</li>
<li>The Space Liability Convention of 1972</li>
<li>The Registration Convention of 1976</li>
<li>The Moon Treaty of 1979</li>
</ul>
<p>The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) oversees these treaties and other questions of space jurisdiction. None of these, however, prohibits the kind of test that India carried out recently.</p>
<p>The international community has been debating for the need to introduce transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities (TCBMS). In this regard, European Union has also prepared a draft code of conduct (CoC). However, major powers are yet to agree on the idea of establishing a CoC conduct.</p>
<p>Another important idea that has been put on the table jointly by Russia and China is the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (PPWT) instead of only Weapon of Mass Destruction which is resisted by US and the EU.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>In the present times with nations fighting a race in getting a strategic edge, India has merely acknowledged that space may not remain a purely civilian domain in the near future. It is therefore important for India to improve upon its capabilities without which, it would lag in a critical area.</p>
<p>Space however must be used only for peaceful purposes and any weaponisation of Outer Space cannot be tolerated in the larger interest of people. The safety and security of space based assets should be ensured through international cooperation.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-rightful-place-in-space'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'State of the Global Climate: WMO',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published the Statement on the State of the Global Climate on the sidelines of a high-level meeting on climate and sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Meteorological Organization (WMO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 192 Member States and Territories.</li>
<li>It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was established after the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.</li>
<li>Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.'</li>
<li>WMO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>WMO&rsquo;s Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>
<p><strong>Climate indicators</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-7th-february-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2018: Fourth Warmest Year</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>2018 was the fourth warmest year on record.</li>
<li>The past four years&mdash;2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018&mdash;taken together are the four warmest years on record.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/greenhouse-gas-levels-reach-record-highs-un-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Greenhouse Gas Concentrations Continue to <g class="gr_ gr_92 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="92" data-gr-id="92">Rise</g></strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The levels of carbon dioxide concentrations have continuously increased in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>Increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are key drivers of climate change.</li>
<li>The CO<sub>2</sub> levels were at 357 parts per million (PPM) in 1994 and reached 405.5 PPM in 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sea Level Rise Continues</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Mean Global Mean Sea Level for the period from January to July 2018 has been <strong>2 to 3 mm higher than for the equivalent period in 2017.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ocean Heat Content at Record High</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>More than 90% of the energy trapped by greenhouse gases, goes into the oceans. <strong>Ocean Heat Content provides a direct measure of the energy that accumulates in the upper layers of the ocean.</strong></li>
<li>For each three-month period in 2018, the ocean heat content in the upper 700m and upper 2000m were either the highest or second highest on record.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ocean Acidification</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In the past decade, the oceans absorbed around 25% of carbon dioxide emitted by humans. <strong>Absorbed carbon dioxide reacts with seawater and changes the pH of the ocean. This process is known as ocean acidification.</strong></li>
<li>Observations in the open-ocean over the last 30 years have shown a clear trend of decreasing pH. There was a decrease in the surface ocean pH of 0.1 units since the start of the industrial revolution (1750).</li>
<li>Changes in pH are linked to<strong> shifts in ocean carbonate chemistry that can affect the ability of marine organisms such as mollusks and reef-building corals, to build and maintain shells and skeletal material.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sea Ice Well Below Average</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The extent of Arctic sea ice was below average throughout 2018 and was at record-low levels for the first two months of the year.</strong></li>
<li>The annual maximum occurred in mid-March at 14.48 million square km, third lowest on record and approximately 7% below the 1981-2010 average.</li>
<li><strong>Antarctic sea-ice extent was also well below average throughout 2018.</strong> The annual minimum extent occurred in late February and the monthly average was 2.28 million square km, 33% below average.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Glaciers are retreating</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>World Glacier Monitoring Service monitors glacier using a set of global reference glaciers with more than 30 years of observations between 1950 and 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Preliminary results for 2018</strong>, based on a subset of glaciers, <strong>indicate that the hydrological year 2017/18 was the 31st consecutive year of negative mass balance (mass balance is the gain or loss of ice from the glacier system).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Extreme Weather Events in India</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>WMO also underlined the extreme weather events experienced all over the world in 2018, including the <strong>severe flooding in Kerala in August 2018,</strong> which led to economic losses estimated at $4.3 billion. Rainfall in Kerala in August was 96% above the long-term average.</li>
<li><strong>A cold wave also affected parts of India, with 135 deaths between January 3 and 13</strong>&nbsp;in 2018 attributed to cold in Uttar Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I8p1DgwbxTE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Climate impacts</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Hazards</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2018, <strong>natural hazards associated with extreme weather and climate events affected nearly 62 million people</strong>.</li>
<li>Floods affected more than 35 million throughout the world.</li>
<li>Hurricane Florence and Michael in 2018 in the U.S. led to over 100 deaths and damages of around $49 billion.</li>
<li><strong>1,600 deaths were associated with intense heat waves and wildfires in Europe, Japan, and the U.S.</strong></li>
<li>Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people exposed to heatwaves is estimated to have increased by around 125 million persons,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Food security</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Exposure of the agriculture sector to climate extremes is threatening to reverse gains made in ending malnutrition.</strong></li>
<li>New data by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme shows a continuing rise in world hunger after a prolonged decline.</li>
<li>In 2017, the number of undernourished people was estimated to have increased to 821 million, partly due to severe droughts associated with the strong El Ni&ntilde;o of 2015&ndash;2016.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Displacement</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Out of the 17.7 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) tracked by the International Organization for Migration, over two million people were displaced due to disasters linked to weather and climate events as of September 2018.</strong></li>
<li>According to UNHCR&rsquo;s Protection and Return Monitoring Network, some 883,000 new internal displacements were recorded between January and December 2018, of which 32 percent were associated with flooding and 29 percent with drought.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-the-global-climate-wmo'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'World’s Longest Salt Cave',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>Israeli researchers have claimed that they have discovered the<strong> world&rsquo;s longest salt cave near the dead sea.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/911Israel%20(Mount Sodom).jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/911Israel (Mount Sodom).jpg" width="297" height="209" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The cave named Malham, stretching over 10 kilometers (6.25 miles) runs through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea.</strong></li>
<li>In the cave,<strong> thousands of salt stalactites hang from the ceilings, and some of the walls have salt crystals.</strong></li>
<li>These were formed by the dissolution of the overhead rock by rainwater. The water percolates through cracks and deposits salt on the cave&rsquo;s ceiling.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Formation of Caves</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>In areas where there are alternating beds of rocks (shales, sandstones, quartzites) with limestones or dolomites in between or in areas where limestones are dense, massive and occurring as thick beds, cave formation is prominent.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Water percolates down either through the materials or through cracks and joints and moves horizontally along bedding planes.</strong></li>
<li>It is along these bedding planes that the limestone dissolves and long and narrow to wide gaps called caves result.</li>
<li>There can be a maze of caves at different elevations depending upon the limestone beds and intervening rocks. Caves having openings at both the ends are called tunnels.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Depositional Landforms in the Caves<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/182Cave%20in Section.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/182Cave in Section.jpg" width="446" height="292" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Many depositional forms develop within the caves. The chief chemical in limestone is calcium carbonate which is easily soluble in carbonated water (carbon dioxide absorbed rainwater).</li>
<li><strong>This calcium carbonate is deposited when the water carrying it in solution evaporates or loses its carbon dioxide as it trickles over rough rock surfaces.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Stalactites, Stalagmites, and Pillars</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Stalactites hang as icicles</strong> of different diameters. Normally they are broad at their bases and taper towards the free ends showing up in a variety of forms.</li>
<li><strong>Stalagmites rise up from the floor of the caves.</strong> In fact, stalagmites form due to dripping water from the surface or through the thin pipe, of the stalactite, immediately below it.</li>
<li>The stalagmite and stalactites eventually<strong> fuse to give rise to columns and pillars of different diameters.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/worlds-longest-salt-cave'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (29th March 2019)',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Odissi<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577340679_image20.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577340679_image20.png" style="float: right;" width="203" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is one of the pre-eminent <strong>classical dance forms of India which originated in the Hindu temples of the eastern coastal state of Odisha in India.</strong></li>
<li>It is a dance of love and passion touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the mundane.</li>
<li><strong>Odhra Magadha,</strong> mentioned in <strong>Natya Shastra</strong> can be identified as the earliest precursor of present day Odissi dance.</li>
<li>The techniques of dance movement are built around the<strong> two basic postures of the Chowk and the Tribhanga.</strong></li>
<li>The chowk is a position imitating a square - a <strong>very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally balanced.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>tribhanga is a very feminine stance</strong> where the body is deflected at the <strong>neck, torso and the knees.</strong></li>
<li>An Odissi orchestra essentially <strong>consists of a pakhawaj player (usually the Guru himself), a singer, a flutist, a sitar or violin player and a manjira player.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Mankading</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, in a cricket match of the Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL-2019) a batsman was <strong>dismissed in a run out</strong> popularly called <strong>&lsquo;Mankading&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Mankading&rsquo; is a method of run out where a <strong>bowler dismisses a non-striker by hitting the bails</strong> before bowling when the latter is outside the crease.</li>
<li>It is named after an <strong>Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad (awarded Padma Bhushan in 1973).</strong> Vinoo Mankad, in the India's tour of <strong>Australia in 1947/48 ran out Bill Brown not once but twice.</strong></li>
<li>This infuriated the Australian media, and running someone out in this way is now referred to around the world as "Mankading&rdquo;.</li>
<li>While perfectly legal, some contend that by convention, a bowler should at least warn a batsman who persists in backing up too far before dismissing him in that fashion.</li>
<li>According to rules of Cricket:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Non-striker leaving his/her ground early: If the non-striker is out of his/her ground from the moment the ball comes into play to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the <strong>bowler is permitted to attempt to run him/her out.</strong></li>
<li>Whether the attempt is successful or not, the <strong>ball shall not count as one in the over.</strong></li>
<li>The Laws of Cricket were amended several times after this incident, but it was decided to retain this form of run out to disallow batsmen from stealing runs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There<strong> have been instances</strong> where the bowlers refrained from using this method, like<strong> the 1987 World Cup match between Pakistan and West Indies.</strong></li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-29th-march-2019'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Globalization 4.0',
			'catname' => 'Paper 3',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Globalization 4.0 was the theme for <strong>World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019</strong> held in Davos, Switzerland in January 2019.</li>
<li>Under the rubric of <strong>Globalization 4.0,</strong> a series of <strong>"Global Dialogues"</strong> in Davos focused on the interrelated areas namely geopolitics, future of global economy, global dialogue on industry systems etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Globalization 4.0</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Globalization is a phenomenon <strong>driven by technology</strong> and the movement of ideas, people, and goods.</li>
<li>Globalization 4.0 is latest stage of globalization which involves cutting-edge new technologies like artificial intelligence that powers forward with the explosion of information technology.</li>
<li>These technologies shrink distances, open up borders and minds and bring people all across the globe closer together.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Timeline: Earlier Waves of Globalization</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Globalization 1.0</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was pre-World War I globalization, which was launched by a historic drop in trade costs.</li>
<li>This globalization came with almost no government support.</li>
<li>There was no global governance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Globalization 2.0</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the post-World War II phase where trade in goods was combined with complimentary domestic policies.</li>
<li>The market was in charge of efficiency while the government was in charge of justice.</li>
<li>It saw the establishment of institute-based, rule-based international governance, specifically the UN, IMF, World Bank, GATT/WTO, International Labor Organization etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Globalization 3.0</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It created a new world of manufacturing in which high-tech was combined with low wages.</li>
<li>This was achieved through establishment of global supply chains as factories crossed international borders.</li>
<li>It was variously called New Globalization, Hyper globalization, Global value chain evolution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Characteristics of 4.0</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Major turbulence for Service Sector:</strong> While Globalization 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 were mainly a concern of people who made/manufactured products for a living (since globalization focused on things that we made), Globalization 4.0 is going to hit people in the service sector.</li>
<li><strong>Closely integrated with Industry 4.0:</strong> Ever-faster data connection speeds and new artificial intelligence tools like machine translation, big data are opening up services jobs in rich countries like architecture, accounting, and web design to competition from practitioners in emerging economies.</li>
<li><strong>Newer modes of Migration:</strong> Due to faster data connection as well as nature of work which may involve no physical presence there may be a global tele-migration in which the skilled migrants never have to leave home.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Industry 4.0</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Building on the foundation given by the Third Industrial Revolution, Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is moving from an electronic based industry to a process which is the combination of human beings and electronics.</li>
<li>It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things, big data analytics, cloud computing, cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, and autonomous vehicles etc.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges of Globalization 4.0</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political crisis and Global level conflict:</strong> Globalization 4.0 could, like preceding waves of globalization, have mixed results e.g. even though countries are globally connected political crisis and global level conflict have also increased.</li>
<li><strong>Economic exclusion:</strong> Economic opportunities will be uncertain, many may not have the skills needed for the jobs of the future. If countries and communities are not fully prepared for Globalization 4.0, problems may exacerbate.</li>
<li><strong>Income Inequality:</strong> Negative effects of globalization have a disproportionate impact on already marginalized populations. Globalization 4.0 may increase income inequality even if it can create more wealth.</li>
<li><strong>Human Resource:</strong> Countries like India, if do not step up to meet the skill requirements of globalisation 4.0, may already be staring at demographic disaster, given its huge population and low employment generation.</li>
<li><strong>Unintended consequences:</strong> Globalization 4.0 in conjunction with Industry 4.0 will produce many unintended consequences which may not be foreseeable for now and for which world is vastly unprepared the ethical, legal, environmental concerns are yet to be seen for which no framework has been laid out.</li>
<li><strong>Infrastructural challenges:</strong> Apart from skilling, India also needs to set up required infrastructure and technology to harness the advantages of globalization 4.0.</li>
<li><strong>Challenges for Developing countries:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The European continent, North America and some Asian countries have been able to take advantage of the industrial revolution and globalization, while many African, Latin American and some Asian countries failed to benefit as much.</li>
<li>Globalization 4.0 will create additional challenges many African and Asian nations which were already excluded from the benefits of earlier waves of globalization.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Invest in strengthening local and regional economies:</strong> We should proactively build resilient local and regional systems that can participate in the next wave of globalization, making sure regions have the right mix of education, employment and infrastructure to create and sustain jobs locally.</li>
<li><strong>Prioritizing sustainability and Inclusiveness:</strong> The need of the hour is to design a blueprint from the ground up that can capitalize on new opportunities while prioritizing sustainability and inclusiveness more than ever before.</li>
<li><strong>Focus on the most vulnerable populations:</strong> Global and local institutions need to advance both universal and targeted strategies to improve outcomes for everyone ensuring vulnerable population is not left out.</li>
<li><strong>Stop climate change:</strong> The challenges of Globalization 4.0 will be compounded if resources that could be put towards strengthening local economies and education are diverted to mitigate climate change. Thus climate change needs to be dealt at global level.</li>
<li><strong>Promote Innovation in educational institution and education curriculum:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By 2022, at least 54% of employees globally will require re- and up-skilling.</li>
<li>Not only do we need to support people in getting the training they need for jobs in the next five years, but we need to prepare young students with the skills to adapt to the types of jobs we will need in the next 20 years.</li>
<li>New Zealand is implementing a national technology curriculum to teach students to be digital creators, as well as consumers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Engagement and imagination:</strong> The task of dealing with challenges of Globalization 4.0 requires two things of the international community: wider engagement, participation and heightened imagination.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/globalization-4-0'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'A Cop Out',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/police-reform-narendra-modi-5646097/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A Cop Out'</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Indian Express&rsquo; on 28th March, 2019. The article talks about the problems miring the police department and lack of political will in bringing police reforms.)</p>
</div>
<p>Our newspapers are ripe from success story of our nation, each day a scheme is launched to uplift the standard of living, bring social equality, a scientific leap, transform India into a cleaner, healthier and resurgent nation. Even if we make allowance for an element of exaggeration, these initiatives have been laudable and the progress impressive.</p>
<p>It is disappointing; however, that there remains an area left completely untouched where nothing significant has been achieved. Police department even after 70 years of independence reminds of a colonial structure.</p>
<p>Even after one and half decade later, the historic judgment of Supreme Court in 2006 directing states and centre to bring police reforms remain largely in the corridors of SC with little changing on ground.</p>
<h3>First Line of Defence</h3>
<p>Police forces are responsible for maintaining law and order and investigating crimes, central forces assist them with intelligence and internal security challenges (e.g., insurgencies).</p>
<p>With the advancement in technology, newer versions of threats are continuously arising in the form of cyber-attacks, bank frauds, and organised crimes, just to name a few, which need to be tackled in a more specialised manner.</p>
<p>These have often been called &lsquo;fourth generation war&rsquo;; a warfare with an invisible army which cannot be won by the armies. This is the war of a policeman and if they win, the country wins and if they lose then the country loses.</p>
<p>Against all these security threats, the first line of defence is the police system. Internal security is very much a prerogative of police and efficient policing is needed in order to tackle these threats. But for that, the police system needs to be efficient, effective and technologically sound.</p>
<p>However our police system suffers from myriad deficiencies. From problems relating to police organisation, infrastructure and environment to obsolete weaponry and intelligence gathering techniques to shortage of manpower to corruption, police force in the country is not in a good shape.</p>
<h3>Challenges Grappling the System</h3>
<p>The superintendence and control of the police remains a contentious issue as both the Central and State police forces come under the superintendence and control of political executives. It has resulted in the lack of democratic functioning and appropriate direction.</p>
<p>The existing police infrastructure is also inadequate to cater to the needs of the police force. There is a huge manpower shortage in the police department. It stands at 192 policemen per lakh population against the recommended 222 policemen per lakh population by UN.</p>
<p>Overburdening of work not only reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of the police personnel but also leads to psychological distress which contributes to various crimes committed by the policemen.</p>
<p>The recruitment process of police personnel, especially from lowest constabulary level to Sub-Inspector level, is medieval. The overall focus remains on enhancing the physical strength and other essential skills like forensics, law, cyber-crime, financial frauds are either ignored or put on the back burner.</p>
<p>Several commissions have looked into the reform processes which include the Gore Committee on Police Training (1971-73), the Ribeiro Committee on Police Reforms (1998), the Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reforms (2000), the Group of Ministers on National Security (2000-01), and the Malimath Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System (2001-03).</p>
<p>Despite recommendations from these committees, no substantial changes have been seen. Several state governments are yet to implement these recommendations or bring in any reforms.</p>
<p>In the absence of any initiative by the Centre, the states have gone amok with their separate police Acts. It is ironical that while the British India had one police Act for the entire country, we are confronted with a situation where every state has a different Act with sharp differences in essential features.</p>
<h3>Saving the Saviours</h3>
<p>States should comply with the Supreme Court&rsquo;s directives given (in Prakash Singh vs. Union of India case) in 2006 in order to tackle systemic problems in policing. The states can enact a model based on the Model Police Act in 2006 prepared by The Police Act Drafting Committee headed by Soli Sorabjee.</p>
<p><strong>SMART police should be created which is Sensitive, Mobile, Accountable, Responsive and Techno-Savvy.</strong> Concrete steps should be taken to augment the manpower and infrastructure of the forces.</p>
<p>A Police Welfare Board must also be set up to administer and monitor welfare measures for police, including medical assistance, group housing, and legal aid for officers facing court proceedings.</p>
<p>Police Accountability Commissions should be set up by states to address complaints of police misconduct. However key police functionaries should have a minimum tenure of two years unless they have been convicted by a court, or suspended from service, etc making them free of political coercion.</p>
<p>The commitment, devotion and accountability of the police should only be towards the rule of law and the supervision and control has to be such that it ensures that the police serve the people without bias, pressure, or fear.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>A healthy democracy needs a healthy police which is able to enforce the rule of law and can take actions without fear, favour of political dispensation.</p>
<p>Dilapidated condition of the police system can negatively impact upon the security and integrity of the nation. It is time that we freed the police from political interference and transforms it from &lsquo;Ruler&rsquo;s Police&rsquo; to &lsquo;People&rsquo;s Police.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-cop-out'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'European Parliament Bans Single-Use Plastics',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>The European Union Parliament has <strong>voted to ban single-use plastic cutlery,</strong> cotton buds, straws and stirrers as part of a sweeping law against plastic waste that despoils beaches and pollutes oceans.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The directive will now pass through formalities before it is published in the EU rulebook. After that, EU member states <strong>will have two years to implement the directive, i.e. the ban will come into force by 2021 in all EU member states.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The United Kingdom too will have to follow the rules if it took part in and extended the Brexit transition period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By<strong> 2025, plastic bottles should be made of 25% recycled content, and by 2029, 90% of them should be recycled.</strong></li>
<li>The ban <strong>targets the top 10 disposable plastic products</strong> including plates, balloon sticks, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.</li>
<li><strong>Tobacco companies will be required to cover the costs</strong> for public collection of cigarette stubs, which are the second most littered single-use plastic item.</li>
<li>Apart from the ban, the EU will also encourage member states to <strong>reduce the use of plastic packaging and introduce stricter labelling rules.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Single-Use Plastics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are <strong>used only once before</strong> they are thrown away or recycled.</li>
<li>These items are things like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The single-use plastic products <strong>also prevent the spread of infection.</strong> Instruments such as syringes, applicators, drug tests, bandages and wraps are often made to be disposable.</li>
<li>Also, single-use plastic products have been <strong>enlisted in the fight against food waste,</strong> keeping food and water fresher for longer and reducing the potential for contamination.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, there <strong>can be challenges when it comes to disposing of some single-use products.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Petroleum based plastic is<strong> not biodegradable and usually goes into a landfill</strong> where it is buried or it gets into the water and finds its way into the ocean.</li>
<li>In the process of breaking down, it r<strong>eleases toxic chemicals (additives that were used to shape and harden the plastic)</strong> which make their way into our food and water supply.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The ultimate goal is that all these products can be <strong>collected and converted into energy or recycled.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Europe is <strong>not the worst source of plastic pollution,</strong> but this measure could<strong> serve as an example to the world</strong>, i.e EU&rsquo;s change of the economic model has a global impact</li>
<li><strong>Other reasons</strong> which prompted the EU to ban single use plastics are:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>EU <strong>recycles only 25% of the 25 million tonnes of plastics waste</strong> it produces every year.</li>
<li>Growing concerns about plastic pollution in oceans and stories of dead whales with plastic in their stomachs.<strong> Marine litter</strong> has come under the spotlight because 85% of it is plastic. E.g.: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-25-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Great Pacific Grabage Patch</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>China's decision to stop processing waste</strong> have prompted the bloc to take more drastic steps to tackle the issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>European Parliament</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The European Parliament is the <strong>only parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU)</strong> that is <strong>directly elected</strong> by EU <strong>citizens aged 18 or older every five years since 1979.</strong></li>
<li>It has 751 Members of elected directly from the <strong>28 Member States of EU.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Although a welcome step, specially when environment has taken backstage with respect to economic growth globally. Without a <strong>proper waste management infrastructure</strong> and <strong>sufficient recycling facilities</strong>, it is difficult to achieve a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-productivity-council" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>circular economy</strong></a> or the objectives of this directive.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/european-parliament-bans-single-use-plastics'
		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'President’s Visit To Croatia',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<p>During the first leg of his three-nation tour to Croatia, Bolivia, and Chile, <strong>President of India completed his visit to Croatia.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In Croatia, President had meetings with the Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and the Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.</li>
</ul>
<h3><g class="gr_ gr_55 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="55" data-gr-id="55">Outcome</g> of the Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577339922_image47.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577339922_image47.png" width="350" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>During the visit, India and Croatia signed<strong> four Memorandum of Understandings: two in culture, one each in tourism, and sports.</strong></li>
<li>President of India was also conferred with <strong>Croatia's highest civilian award - the Grand Order of the King of Tomislav.</strong></li>
<li>The two countries also agreed to work together to develop a<strong> strong global response to defeat terrorism</strong> in all its forms and manifestations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Croatia Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Relations between India and Croatia have been friendly since the days of the former Yugoslavia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s.</li>
<li>Disintegration gave birth to six new countries namely:<strong> Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.&nbsp;</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Josip Broz Tito who was president of Yugoslavia for more than three decades maintained close relations with the then Indian leadership.</li>
<li><strong>Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Tito were also pioneers of the Non-Aligned Movement.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Non-Aligned Movement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Non-Aligned Movement was formed during the Cold War as an organization of States that <strong>did not seek to formally align themselves with either the two superpower blocs United States or the Soviet Union</strong> but sought to <strong>remain independent or neutral.</strong></li>
<li>Key role in this process was played by:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Gamal Abdel Nasser,</strong> Head of&nbsp;State of Egypt</li>
<li><strong>Kwame Nkrumah,</strong> President of Ghana,</li>
<li><strong>Jawaharlal Nehru,</strong> Prime Minister of India,</li>
<li><strong>Ahmed Sukarno</strong>, President of Indonesia</li>
<li><strong>Josip Broz Tito,</strong> President of Yugoslavia,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These leaders later became the founding fathers of the movement.</li>
<li>The basic concept for the group originated in 1955 during discussions that took place at the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Croatia is an<strong> important Central European country from the point of view of its geo-strategic location,</strong> membership of the <strong>European Union and the NATO,</strong> as well as being a significant <strong>Gateway to Europe through the Adriatic coastline.</strong></li>
<li>India-Croatian relations are characterized by historical connections links between India and Croatia dating back to the 16th century.</li>
<li>Croatian people have a deep interest in India. The Indology department in the University of Zagreb has existed for over six decades and an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Hindi chair was set up there a decade ago.</li>
<li>The bilateral trade relations between India and Croatia are modest at around 200 million US Dollars in 2017.</li>
<li>But there is a good scope for trade in sectors like textile, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, food processing among others.</li>
<li>Croatia has a sound scientific and technological base in niche sectors, such as shipbuilding, vaccines, renewable energy, and defense.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-croatia'
		]
	],
	'updates' => object(Cake\ORM\Query) {

		'(help)' => 'This is a Query object, to get the results execute or iterate it.',
		'sql' => 'SELECT articles.article_id AS `articles__article_id`, articles.category_id AS `articles__category_id`, articles.title AS `articles__title`, articles.description AS `articles__description`, articles.shortdescription AS `articles__shortdescription`, articles.featuredimage AS `articles__featuredimage`, articles.tag_id AS `articles__tag_id`, articles.secondary_tag AS `articles__secondary_tag`, articles.type AS `articles__type`, articles.publishon AS `articles__publishon`, articles.posturl AS `articles__posturl`, articles.metatitle AS `articles__metatitle`, articles.metadescription AS `articles__metadescription`, articles.metakeyword AS `articles__metakeyword`, articles.status AS `articles__status`, articles.sort_order AS `articles__sort_order`, articles.addedby AS `articles__addedby`, articles.updatedby AS `articles__updatedby`, articles.added AS `articles__added`, articles.modified AS `articles__modified`, articles.whatsnewid AS `articles__whatsnewid`, articles.display_printpdf AS `articles__display_printpdf`, articles.display_comments AS `articles__display_comments`, articles.pdf_name AS `articles__pdf_name`, articles.display_archive AS `articles__display_archive`, articles.star_rating AS `articles__star_rating` FROM articles articles WHERE status = :c0 ORDER BY publishon desc LIMIT 10',
		'params' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		'defaultTypes' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		'decorators' => (int) 0,
		'executed' => false,
		'hydrate' => true,
		'buffered' => true,
		'formatters' => (int) 0,
		'mapReducers' => (int) 0,
		'contain' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'matching' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'extraOptions' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'repository' => object(App\Model\Table\ArticlesTable) {}
	
	},
	'page' => (int) 264,
	'search' => 'class',
	'totalPages' => (float) 334,
	'title' => 'Search'
]
$progress = []
$bookmarks = []
$notes = []
$mynote = []
$topdata = [
	(int) 0 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/careers',
		'title' => 'We are hiring Full Time Content Developers, to know more, please click here.',
		'type' => (int) 1,
		'date' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
		'[new]' => false,
		'[accessible]' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		'[dirty]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[original]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[virtual]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[errors]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[invalid]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[repository]' => 'news'
	
	}
]
$searchdata = []
$searchlist = [
	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) Scheme',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The <strong>Ministry of Commerce and Industry</strong>&nbsp;has laid out a detailed procedure for claiming benefits under the <strong>Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme</strong>, which aims at <strong>boosting agricultural exports.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earlier in March, 2019</strong> the Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce &amp; Industry had announced this scheme for providing <strong>financial assistance for transport and marketing of agriculture products</strong> to <strong>boost exports</strong> of such commodities to certain countries in<strong> Europe and North America.</strong></li>
<li>The level of assistance would be different for different regions as notified from time to time for export of eligible products. The scheme covers <strong>freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea.</strong></li>
<li>The scheme will help in<strong> increasing farm export from India.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.</li>
<li>To mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to trans-shipment.</li>
<li>To promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coverage &amp; Eligibility</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products shall be covered under this scheme.</li>
<li>The Scheme would be applicable for a period as specified from time to time. Presently the Scheme would be<strong> available for exports from 1.3.2019 to 31.03.2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the year 2018, the government also approved an<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/agriculture-export-policy-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Agriculture Export Policy</strong></a> with an aim to <strong>double the shipments to USD 60 billion by 2022.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is aimed at boosting exports of agriculture commodities such as tea, coffee and rice and increase the country&rsquo;s share in global agri-trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)</strong> plays a significant role in tapping India&rsquo;s agricultural strengths and works towards expanding the export potential of Indian agricultural and food products.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a<strong> non-trading, statutory body established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.</strong></li>
<li>APEDA has marked its presence in almost all agro potential states of India and has been providing services to agri-export community through its <strong>head office in New Delhi,</strong> five Regional offices and 13 Virtual offices.</li>
<li>In 2017, APEDA launched a mobile app- &ldquo;<strong>Farmer Connect&rdquo;</strong> to allow farmers to apply online to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application &amp; approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/transport-and-marketing-assistance-tma-scheme'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (2nd April 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Thakurani Jatra Festival</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, celebrations of the <strong>biennial Thakurani Jatra festival</strong> started in<strong> Berhampur, Odisha.</strong></li>
<li>During the festival, <strong>Goddess Budhi Thakurani</strong> is taken from the main temple at Thakurani Temple Street to her temporary abode at Desi Behera Street, where she stays till the festival ends.</li>
<li>The first Thakurani Yatra was <strong>celebrated in April 1779.</strong> The festival goes on for <strong>32 days.</strong></li>
<li>The goddess is considered to be a <strong>family member of Desibehera, the leader of the Dera community,</strong> the weaver clan that has made Berhampur famous as the silk city.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reiwa: Japan's New Era</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Japanese government has announced that the reign of the<strong> next Japanese emperor will be known as the "Reiwa" era.</strong></li>
<li>The term for the new era is made up of the two characters<strong> Rei and Wa.</strong> Rei can mean <strong>"commands" or "order",</strong> as well as <strong>"auspicious" or "good"</strong>. While, <strong>Wa often means "harmony",</strong> and is also used in the Japanese word for "peace" - "hei-wa".
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The name draws from the<strong> 7<sup>th</sup> century poetry collection &ldquo;Manyoshu.&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>This is the <strong>first era name</strong> to have been <strong>inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese, work of classical literature.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The new era takes effect on <strong>May 1, 2019</strong> with the c<strong>oronation of Crown Prince Naruhito (126<sup>th</sup> emperor of the Chrysanthemum Throne).</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chrysanthemum Throne is a <strong>common name given to the Imperial throne of Japan.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>oldest continuing monarchy</strong> in the world.</li>
<li>Under the provisions of the current Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is a <strong>"symbol of the state and the unity of its people"</strong>; he has<strong> no real political power</strong> but is regarded as a ceremonial Head of State and constitutional monarch.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Current emperor Akihito is stepping down on April 30, 2019 in the<strong> first abdication in 200 years</strong>, bringing his era of <strong>&ldquo;Heisei&rdquo; to an end.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>era of &ldquo;Heisei,&rdquo; which means &ldquo;achieving peace,&rdquo;</strong> was the first without a war in Japan&rsquo;s modern history, but is also remembered as lost years of economic deflation and natural disasters.</li>
<li>This <strong>era began in 1989, when Akihito succeeded his father Emperor Hirohito,</strong> who ruled during the Showa period and is now known as the Showa Emperor. It will come to a close on April 30, the day Akihito abdicates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The announcement allows only a month ahead of the switch for government, businesses and other sectors to adjust to the change that still affects many parts of Japan&rsquo;s society, even though the system is not compulsory.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-2nd-april-2019'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture – Election Code and New Age Media',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ug8YGmFV7Ys" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Social media platforms Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, ShareChat, TikTok and the IAMAI have agreed to a voluntary code of ethics to abide by during the Lok Sabha Elections 2019, which are set to begin on April 11. The code came into effect on March 20, and will remain in force throughout the elections.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Drishti Input:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Commitments made in the Code:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Social Media Platforms have developed a notification mechanism for the ECI to legally notify them of potential violations of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and other electoral laws.</li>
<li>Platforms will also endeavour to impart training to the nodal officer at ECI on their products, and on the mechanism for sending requests to the platforms as per procedure established by law.</li>
<li>For reported violations of Section 126 of the RP Act, platforms will acknowledge and/ or process the legal orders within 3 hours (as per the <strong>Sinha Committee recommendations</strong>). For other legal requests, platforms will act upon them &ldquo;expeditiously&rdquo; based on the nature of reported violation.</li>
<li>Platforms will update the ECI (via the IAMAI) on measures they have taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, pursuant to legal requests by the ECI.</li>
<li>The members to the code will carry out information, education and communication campaigns to build awareness on electoral laws and other related instructions.</li>
<li>Participants will commit to facilitating transparency in paid political advertisements, including utilising their pre-existing labels/ disclosure technology for such advertisements.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Section 126 of RPA Act</strong> prohibits displaying any election matter by means, inter alia, of television or similar apparatus, during the period of 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.</p>
<p><strong>The Internet &amp; Mobile Association of India (IAMAI):</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1896.</li>
<li>Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value added services sector.</li>
<li>It is dedicated to presenting a unified voice of the businesses it represents, to the government, investors, consumers and other stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Umesh Sinha Committee Recommendations on Section 126 of the RP Act in view of social media expansion:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has suggested amending Section 126(1) of RP Act to impose the &lsquo;campaign silence period&rsquo; on print, electronic media and intermediaries.</li>
<li>Apart from asking political parties to observe the silence period on all forms of media, the committee has suggested that star campaigners should desist from assessing press conferences or giving interviews on election matters during this period.</li>
<li>For intermediaries including social media companies, the committee has recommended that they should commit to procedures that would ensure that their platforms are not misused to vitiate free and fair polls. This would include a notification mechanism by which EC may notify the platform of potential violations of Section 126 of RP Act.</li>
<li>Internet Service Providers and Social media companies should take down content violating the 48-hour ban on campaigning prior to polling, instantly and latest within 3 hours of EC issuing such a direction.</li>
<li>Intermediaries, as per the committee, should report to the Commission on measures taken to prevent abuse of their platforms, including generating publicly-available action taken reports.</li>
<li>All political advertisements may be clearly labelled as such and be pre-approved by an EC-appointed content monitoring committee. The intermediaries would also need to maintain a repository of political advertisements with information on their sponsors, expenditure and targeted reach.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Need of enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Possibility of elections being influenced by foreign countries/agencies:</strong> India has a hostile neighbourhood and thus neighbouring and other countries can try to weaken its political discourse by giving fake and paid advertisements or by disclosing information not meant for public over social media.</li>
<li><strong>Double Standards:</strong> Social Media Platforms are biased. They regulate the content over their sites only in selected countries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges in enforcing code on social media</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Penetration of social media is vast. Anyone can upload whatever s/he wants, making <strong>regulation of the content by ECI or even by social media platforms almost impossible</strong>. Till now, ECI has been able to take care of only that content which has been brought under its notice.</li>
<li>The social media has a wider reach and there is also <strong>no way to verify the content over social media</strong>. Huge impact of social media content has been seen on the minds of people.</li>
<li><strong>Fake news keeps getting circulated over social media platforms, despite steps taken by government in this regard.</strong></li>
<li>Dealing with<strong> political proxy advertisements by fan pages</strong> is another challenge.</li>
<li><strong>Social Media platforms&rsquo; also voice concerns over check on their freedom</strong> in the form of arguments on privacy, right to freedom of speech etc.</li>
<li>Getting a staff for monitoring and checking the content over social media is a difficult task.</li>
<li>Even if one sets a &lsquo;monitoring machinery&rsquo; over social media content, how much monitoring it would be able to do, is a point of concern.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>On an immediate basis, social media platforms need to rely on ECI&rsquo;s judgements over the content on social media and should take a quick action accordingly.</strong></li>
<li>Users of the social media need to be made aware enough so that they can make difference between the fake news and the correct news.</li>
<li>Social Media is expected to play a constructive and fair role, especially during the time of elections. The social media platforms should work within the moral code of conduct framework during the elections.</li>
<li>Social media platforms in general should also take care of the content that gets published on their sites to ensure peace and harmony globally.</li>
<li>Political Parties should have consensus regarding not misusing the social media platforms and fighting the elections in a fair manner.</li>
<li>Free and fair elections are important for citizens of any country. <strong>Monitoring of open content i.e. content posted for public, is therefore admissible.</strong></li>
<li>India has election expenditure limit for candidates. It needs to have the same for the political parties also.</li>
<li><strong>ECI needs to ensure that no political advertisement runs on social platforms during 48 hours period from any social media account.</strong></li>
<li>ECI, especially at the time of elections remains busy not only with the election process but also with various queries from Chief Electoral Officers and Returning Officers. <strong>A separate machinery within the Election Commission is required to take care of the political content over the social media.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Intention is the key. Everyone, be it political parties, social media platforms or citizens of a country, needs to ensure that no fake or unfair information gets disseminated through their hands.</em></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-election-code-and-new-age-media'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'SC Suspended EC For Airport In Goa',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Supreme Court (SC)<strong> has suspended the Environmental Clearance (EC)</strong> granted for the development of<strong> Greenfield International Airport at Mopa in Goa.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons Cited</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Procedural Flaws in the grant of EC</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>People living in the proposed project-area being not consulted properly.</li>
<li>Non- disclosure of vital information in the application form for clearance and in Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report as well.</li>
<li>Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) did not analyze the EIA report properly before approving the EC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Green Tribunal (NGT)</a> did not carry out the merit review</strong> of appeal made against the EC given to the Mopa Airport.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights from the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A<strong> phrase &lsquo;Environmental Rule of Law&rsquo; was coined by SC</strong>. The court said that every branch of governance and institutions across the country should strive to enforce environmental rule of law.</li>
<li><strong>Proper structures for environmental decision making find expression in the guarantee against arbitrary action and the affirmative duty of fair treatment under Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution.</strong></li>
<li>In cases concerning environmental governance, it is the duty of courts to assess the case on its merits based on the materials present before it.</li>
<li>Matters concerning environmental governance concern not just the living, but generations to come.</li>
<li>The health of the environment is key to preserving the Right to Life as a constitutionally recognized value under<strong> Article 21 (Protection of Life and Personal Liberty)</strong> of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Environmental Rule of Law</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The environmental rule of law is based on&nbsp;four pillars of sustainable development&mdash; <strong>economic, social, environmental and peace.</strong></li>
<li>It imbues environmental objectives with the essentials of the rule of law and underpins the reform of environmental law and governance.</li>
<li>While the most direct effects are on the protection of the environment, it also strengthens rule of law more broadly, supports sustainable, economic and social development, protects public health, contributes to peace and security by avoiding and defusing conflict and protects human and constitutional rights.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Clearance (EC) Process</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>An EIA report is prepared to get Environment Clearance (EC) for a project.</strong></li>
<li>A process of &lsquo;Public Hearing&rsquo; is conducted before the issue of &lsquo;Consent to Establish (NOC)&rsquo; by state regulators. Concerns of people living in the proposed project area are heard.</li>
<li>An application form with EIA report, details of public hearing and NOC is submitted for environmental clearance with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) if the project falls under Project A category or the state government if the project falls under Project B category.</li>
<li>The documents submitted are then analyzed by an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry. The recommendations of the Committee gets processed in the Ministry of Environment and Forests for final approval or rejection.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It can be defined as the<strong> study for predicting the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>statutory under the Environment Protection Act, 1986</strong> for some projects.</li>
<li>Process
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Screening</strong> based upon scales of investment, type of development and location of development; is done to see whether a project requires an environmental clearance as per the statutory notifications.</li>
<li><strong>Scoping</strong> is a process of detailing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of EIA, that is the main issues or problems in the development of a project.</li>
<li><strong>Impact Prediction</strong> involves mapping the environmental consequences of the significant aspects of the project and its alternatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Public mandatorily needs to be informed and consulted on the proposed development after the completion of <g class="gr_ gr_55 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="55" data-gr-id="55">EIA</g> report.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-suspended-ec-for-airport-in-goa'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'The Next Revolution',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-next-revolution-indias-energy-basket-planning-commission-india-energy-future-ecology-renewables-niti-aayog-5651824/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'The Next Revolution'</a> which appeared in 'The Indian Express' on 1st April, 2019. The article talks about the energy matrix of India and changes it will undergo in the coming future.)</p>
</div>
<p>Many multilateral institutions like the International Energy Agency (IEA), the erstwhile Planning Commission, or now the NITI Ayog, have projected that energy demand in India will move on an upward curve; indigenous supplies will fail to keep pace with this increase in demand; energy imports will rise in absolute and relative terms, and, the environment will face increasing stress.</p>
<p>More specifically, coal will dominate, oil and gas will have significance; renewables, whilst on a rising trend, will account for a relatively inconsequential share and air pollution, depleting water tables and extreme weather conditions will lead ecological collapse.</p>
<p>Current trajectory of energy consumption is fundamentally against the objective of sustainable development and hence warrants a timely intervention.</p>
<h3>Current Trends</h3>
<p>A recently published energy outlook asserts that in 2040, fossil fuels will account for between 70-75% of India&rsquo;s primary energy consumption &mdash; down from approximately 90% today. Coal will account for 45% (down from the current 55%); oil 20% (down from 30% today) and natural gas at the same levels as today of around 7%. Renewables market share will increase to 15% up from the current 3-4%.</p>
<p>Consequently, India will have to import 95% of its oil requirements; 60% of its gas requirements and 30% of its coal requirements despite the fact that it contains the fifth largest deposits of coal in the world.</p>
<p>India will meet its Paris commitments to reduce Green House Gases emissions by 35% in 2035 relative to 2005. But, given this level of fossil fuel consumption, it will be one of the largest absolute emitters of pollutants in the world.</p>
<p>India has the world&rsquo;s second largest population of about 1.3 billion and significant amount of people live in darkness without access to electricity. While the Indian electricity system suffers from resource and economic constraints on one hand, environmental concerns too pose a challenge.</p>
<p>While many countries have switched over to renewable energy solutions for electricity, India still lags behind with just 20% of its electricity generating capacity, or 67033 MW, being based on renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass.</p>
<h3>The need to shift soon</h3>
<p>India is largely dependent on coal to meet its energy needs because of abundant availability of coal. It is not only one of the cheapest fuels and but there are no competitive substitutes for liquids as a fuel for mobility. <strong>Coal meets more than 50% of the current commercial energy needs and generates more than 70% electricity. But the energy from coal comes at a huge environmental and health cost.</strong></p>
<p>It is estimated that of the entire industrial sector, 60% of particulate matter (PM) emissions, 45-50 per cent of SO2 emissions, 30% of NOx emissions and more than 80% of mercury emissions comes from coal-based power plants.</p>
<p>Coal-based power plants also account for about 70% of the total freshwater withdrawal by the industrial sector and close to half of our total greenhouse gas emissions. On top of this, most of the coal mining areas have been declared as critically polluted areas as well.</p>
<p><strong>There exists fatal overlap of coal reserves, dense forests, tribal populations, high poverty and backwardness.</strong> Mining coal, therefore, leads to a huge conflict between the local communities on one hand and destruction of dense forests and wildlife which may be extremely difficult or impossible to regenerate.</p>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s dependence on imported fossil fuel is also increasing at an alarming rate.</strong> We now import close to 40% of commercial energy and this is only going to go up in the near future. Given the volatility prevalent in the international energy markets, this has huge implications for energy security of the country.</p>
<h3>Roadblocks in transitioning</h3>
<p><strong>The costs of transitioning to renewable source of energy are huge.</strong></p>
<p>They can be calculated in terms of the costs of stranded thermal power assets or the creation of transmission and distribution infrastructure to overcome the problem of &ldquo;intermittency&rdquo;(as the sun does not shine all the time; nor does the wind blow with regularity making these sources highly afflicted with fluctuations).</p>
<p>The energy sector also suffers from technological (that is, storage or carbon sequestration) and regulatory (conservation norms, emissions standards) issues to overcome before clean energy can be brought to scale.</p>
<h3>Road to cleaner and sustainable future</h3>
<p><strong>Institutional, technological, financial collaborative steps</strong> should be taken to bring the revolutionary change in the ratio between fossils and renewables in the energy basket of emergent India.</p>
<p><strong>There is a need to facilitate a holistic overview of the linkages</strong> between the different components of energy (oil, gas, coal, renewables, nuclear, hydro, bio, non-commercial); between fuel usage, electricity, mobility, industry, and agriculture, on the one hand, and, ecology on the other.</p>
<p><strong>We have to create the appropriate institutional structures of decision-making.</strong> The current structure of multiple &ldquo;energy&rdquo; ministries (petroleum, coal, renewables, and power, atomic) should be collapsed into one omnibus Ministry of Energy and Environment. This will enable integrated decision making; it will also provide a platform for collaborative public-private and constructively &ldquo;disruptive&rdquo; innovation. Besides, it will also bring sustainability to the fore of policy.</p>
<p>An <strong>&ldquo;Energy and Environment Security&rdquo;</strong> Act can also be legislated which should engage the public in the larger debate on how to weaken if not break the current unhealthy nexus between economic growth, energy demand and environmental degradation.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p><strong>Energy economics needs to be redefined</strong> as India&rsquo;s economic future depends on its ability to aggressively expand renewable investment and cut back on energy imports, whilst focusing on energy diversification and the reduction of the current massive account deficit.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-next-revolution'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (1st April 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Earth Hour</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently the <strong>Earth Hour 2019 was observed on March 30 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time</strong> with the theme <strong>#Connect2Earth.</strong></li>
<li><strong>World Wide Fund for Nature&rsquo;s (WWF)</strong> Earth Hour is an annual global celebration in which people switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about the future of our planet.</li>
<li>It <strong>began in Sydney, Australia in 2007,</strong> the number of countries taking part in Earth Hour has grown to over 180 countries and territories.</li>
<li>Earth Hour is not about how much energy is saved during the hour. Rather, it is a chance to put the spotlight on the issues facing the planet, and to inspire millions across the world to live more sustainably.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Wildlife Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)</strong> is an <strong>international non-governmental organization founded in 1961,</strong> working in the field of wilderness preservation, and the reduction of humanity's footprint on the environment.</li>
<li>It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>The group's mission is <strong>"to stop the degradation of the planet&rsquo;s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature".</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Earth Day</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Earth Day i</strong>s an annual event,<strong> celebrated on April 22.</strong> Worldwide events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now <strong>coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network (EDN) and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.</strong></li>
<li>Earth Day Network is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.</li>
<li>EDN main office is located in <strong>Washington DC, USA.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Kolam Tribe</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Kolam tribe (or in their own language, Kolavar)</strong> is a scheduled tribe of<strong> Maharashtra.</strong> They also live in <strong>Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>They have a language of <strong>their own (Kolami) which belongs, like Gondi, to the intermediate group of Dravidian languages.</strong></li>
<li>They are monogamous and Hinduism is their religion.</li>
<li>Recently in 2018, the Government has identified <g class="gr_ gr_110 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="110" data-gr-id="110">Katkaria</g> (Kathodia), Kolam and Maria Gond as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-citizen-killed-by-tribals-in-andaman" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)</strong></a> in the State of Maharashtra.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Tribal Affairs</strong> is administering the scheme <strong>&ldquo;Development of PVTGs&rdquo;</strong> for <g class="gr_ gr_113 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="113" data-gr-id="113">overall</g> development of PVTGs. This scheme is flexible and enables the States to focus on areas that they consider is relevant to PVTGs and their socio-cultural environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Arbitrage Funds</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Arbitrage funds are a type of <strong>mutual fund</strong> that <g class="gr_ gr_111 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="111" data-gr-id="111">are</g> ideal for investors who want to profit from volatile markets without taking on too much risk.</li>
<li>The arbitrage fund earns profits through the<strong> purchase and sale of securities on different exchanges.</strong></li>
<li>An arbitrage fund buys the stock in the cash market and sells the interest in the futures market,<strong> simultaneously.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While, in the regular equity trade, the stocks are purchased when the prices fall and are sold in the future when prices rise.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Statement of Guiding Principles</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India and the United States signed the amendments to the <strong>Statement of Guiding Principles (SGP) on Triangular Cooperation for Global Development.</strong></li>
<li>The SGP Agreement was signed in<strong> November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>It provides a framework for promoting cooperation between the two countries to meet the developmental aspirations of partner countries,<strong> particularly in Asia and Africa.</strong></li>
<li>The First Amendment to the SGP Agreement extends the validity of the <strong>SGP Agreement up-to 2021.</strong></li>
<li>Under the Agreement, India and U.S. will continue to offer capacity building assistance to partner countries in multiple sectors, focusing primarily on agriculture, regional connectivity, trade and investments, nutrition, health, clean and renewable energy, women empowerment, disaster preparedness, water, sanitation, education and institution building.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Northern Triangle</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The U.S. government has decided to cut aid to the countries of<strong> &ldquo;Northern Triangle&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The US has blamed the Central American countries for sending migrants to the United States and threatened to shut the U.S.-Mexico border.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199656_image12.jpg" width="477" height="268" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Northern Triangle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The countries of<strong> El Salvador, Guatemala <g class="gr_ gr_100 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="100" data-gr-id="100">and</g> Honduras are known as <g class="gr_ gr_99 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="99" data-gr-id="99">Northern</g> Triangle.</strong></li>
<li>These countries share a border tripoint at Trifinio biosphere reserve, and also aspects of classical cultures, history, society, and politics.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Phayeng Village</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Phayeng, a small village in Imphal West district of, Manipur</strong> has developed itself as <strong>India&rsquo;s first carbon-positive settlement.</strong></li>
<li>A village is given the carbon-positive tag if <strong>it sequesters more carbon than it emits,</strong> slowing the accumulation of greenhouse gases and mitigating the effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The transformation of the village from the dry and denuded village in the 1970s and 80s was funded<strong> under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Sector Scheme</strong></a> which was set up in the <strong>year 2015-16.</strong></li>
<li>The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.</li>
<li>The activities under this scheme are implemented in a project mode.</li>
<li>The projects related to adaptation in sectors such as<strong> agriculture, animal husbandry, water, forestry, tourism, etc. are eligible for funding under NAFCC.</strong></li>
<li><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)</strong> is the National Implementing Entity (NIE).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Ahmad Sar Lake</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Several parts of Gujarat are facing severe water scarcity in the initial days of the summer season.</li>
<li>Ahmad Sar Lake at Sarkhej Roza (Ahmedabad) has got dried.</li>
<li><strong>Sarkhej Roza is a 15th-century<sup></sup><sup></sup> complex comprising a mosque and a tomb of Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh&nbsp;</strong>was the spiritual advisor of the ruling dynasty of Gujarat during the 14<sup>th</sup> and early 15<sup>th</sup> centuries.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'President's Visit to Bolivia',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Recently, President of India completed his visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;<strong>the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This was the <strong>first ever visit by an Indian president</strong> to Bolivia.</li>
<li>Bolivia also conferred the highest State Honour of Bolivia on President of India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Plurinational State of Bolivia</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bolivia is <strong>officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li>It is a<strong> landlocked country</strong> located in western-central <strong>South America.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> capital of Bolivia is Sucre</strong> while the seat of government and<strong> financial center is located in La Paz.</strong></li>
<li>In 2009, a new constitution changed the country's official name to "Plurinational State of Bolivia" in <strong>recognition of the multi-ethnic nature of the country</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Outcome of Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1568199491_image11.jpg" width="327" height="231" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>8 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed between India and Bolivia</strong> concerning fields of culture, visa waiver for diplomats, the exchange between diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, the establishment of Centre of Excellence in IT and the Bi-Oceanic Railway project.</li>
<li>Bolivia also joined the <strong>International Solar Alliance</strong> by signing the framework agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Lithium Deposit Exploration</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Both sides also agreed to work together for exploration and extraction of the vast Lithium deposits of Bolivia.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Lithium is a key resource used in making batteries that India needs</strong> for its clean technology initiatives such as increased use of electric cars. It will be a boost to India&rsquo;s FAME II scheme.</li>
<li>India agreed to facilitate Bolivian supplies of lithium Carbonate to India and foster joint ventures for Lithium battery/cell production plants in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Financial Aid</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the framework of South-South Cooperation<strong>, India gave a US$ 100 million Line of Credit to Bolivia for financing development projects in sectors that Bolivia may choose.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Bolivia Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Embassy in Peru is concurrently accredited to Bolivia since April 1981.</li>
<li>Bolivia opened a resident Mission in India in 2012.</li>
<li><strong>Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India-Bolivia bilateral trade has grown in the last two years and it stood at US$ 875 million in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>60% of Bolivian gold is exported to India.</li>
<li><strong>Bolivia is the 8th leading trading partner of India in the Latin America region.</strong></li>
<li>There is a scope for diversifying trade basket to further strengthen the bilateral trade.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-bolivia'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article &lsquo;<a href="https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood-49220/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New and emerging concerns in Indian Ocean neighbourhood</a>&rsquo; which was published in &lsquo;Raisina Debates in ORF&rsquo; on 25th March, 2019. The article talks about growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region and challenge it poses for India&rsquo;s maritime security.)</p>
</div>
<p><em>In an &lsquo;advisory opinion&rsquo; as different from a verdict, The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recently said that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belonged to Mauritius, and not to the UK.</em></p>
<p><em>The order may have implications for the prevailing &lsquo;rules-based&rsquo; system prevalent in the Indian Ocean neighbourhood, where nations like Sri Lanka, Maldives and India are the other shared stake-holders.</em></p>
<p><em>Long ago, India backed Mauritius on the issue. In the current context, the Indian need may be even more, what with &lsquo;China in the Indian Ocean Region&rsquo; and the &lsquo;String of Pearls&rsquo; becoming New Delhi&rsquo;s strategic pre-occupation.</em></p>
<h3>The Issue</h3>
<p>Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965 three years before Mauritian independence, calling it British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). BIOT was endowed with a sole purpose: to serve the defence and security needs of the UK and its ally-US.</p>
<p>Due to this, the indigenous inhabitants of BIOT were deemed unnecessary by both London and Washington. In a shameful episode, officials knowingly misrepresented the Chagossians as migrant workers and forcefully deported them. Ever since, the Chagossians have campaigned for a restoration of their right to return.</p>
<p>The UK government has always opposed the Chagossians&rsquo; claims, chiefly at the behest of US military planners who prize the seclusion that Diego Garcia provides.</p>
<h3>Indian Ocean Region: New Economic Arteries</h3>
<p>The oceans, as global highways of connectivity, have been the principal means for propagation of political, social, cultural, economic and military influence beyond continental masses since recorded history.</p>
<p>Much like the Pacific Rim which shaped the global economic trajectory for the two decades, the Indian Ocean has the potential to become the most important resource of new global growth over the next 20 years.</p>
<p>With the Indian Ocean channels carrying two-thirds of the world&rsquo;s oil shipments, a third of the bulk cargo and half of all container traffic, the region&rsquo;s strategic significance remains well established.</p>
<p>China&rsquo;s rise has added another dimension where traditional power equations are now in flux. For India, which sits astride the Indian Ocean as its pre-eminent power, this is clearly an important phase in the evolution of its thinking on the region.</p>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<p>The recent ICJ advisory opinion that Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean belongs to Mauritius and not to the UK change the geopolitical tilt in the region from favouring US to a more tentative position.</p>
<p>Despite Mauritius&rsquo; declaring that it would allow US to continue using American military base in Diego Garcia, there is still ambiguity as to how the Mauritius will react in the decades to come. A lot depends on the relative political and economic power of the US, China and India, at any given point, in the medium to long term.</p>
<p>The aspirations of the Chinese Navy to register its presence in the region, and then follow it up by projecting power as part of its &lsquo;Far Seas&rsquo; operating philosophy can be seen in Hambantota, where China is in possession of Sri Lankan real estate, for developing a port and Special Economic Zone.</p>
<p>Maldives, another island is caught somewhere in between, which has shared a strenuous relation with India in the recent past and has received generous aids from China, a feature of the so called &lsquo;debt trap&rsquo; policy. Since the Maldives represents a buffer zone surrounding India&rsquo;s maritime strategic space, China&rsquo;s steady encroachment there is a serious cause for concern.</p>
<p>Even in the South China Sea issue, when the world, especially the US and to a lesser extent, India and Japan, were upset and anguished, but the so-called affected nations in South-East Asia seem to have re-adjusted themselves to a &lsquo;new normal&rsquo;.</p>
<p>With bigger Chinese purse and its habit to increasingly question the established global order and India&rsquo;s problem in establishing maritime/naval presence in Island nations where the Governments keep changing their positions and commitments, can cause a paradigm-shift in global understanding and acceptance of emerging heat -&ndash; not warmth -- in the Indian Ocean waters, not far away from the Indian shores.</p>
<h3>Steps suggested</h3>
<p>The concept of strategic buffer zones in the naval domain is enshrined in great power politics and any nation getting a head start in it can safely avoid anti-access and area denial tactics from their adversaries. India therefore should develop a similar outlook to guard against Chinese encirclement of its strategic space.</p>
<p>New Delhi should look to operationalise logistical agreements with France and the United States, in order to upgrade naval relations and allow its own bases to be used for logistical support by the French and American navies.</p>
<p>These logistical bases can enhance India&rsquo;s capability to establish sea-denial in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating the breadth of Indian naval power. These moves should be accompanied with counter-theatre presence in the Western Pacific, and diplomatic outreach to South Asian nations that are being courted by China.</p>
<p>India should look to develop interdependencies with neighbouring countries, both economically and strategically, which until now it has failed to realise. The void left by India has been dutifully fulfilled by China.</p>
<h3>Way forward</h3>
<p>With global negotiations still on an expanded EEZ for individual sea-bordering nations, India has settled future disputes only with one neighbour, namely, Bangladesh.</p>
<p>With China already on the Indian Ocean&rsquo;s mouth at Hambantota, and Diego Garcia&rsquo;s distant future possibly becoming tentative, there may be more on India&rsquo;s hands in the future on the water-front than on the land-front just now.</p>
<p>New Delhi should take a faster and closer look at impending issues, to be able to arrive at an earlier solution before it becomes a political talking-point.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Five Coffee Varieties Got GI Tag',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dipp-renamed-as-dpiit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade</a>, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has recently awarded <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/potential-of-gis-is-waiting-to-be-tapped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GI tag</a> to five varieties of Indian coffee.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The five varieties include
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Coorg Arabica coffee</strong>, grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Wayanad Robusta coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.</li>
<li><strong>Chikmagalur Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district which is situated in the Deccan plateau, falling under the Malnad region of Karnataka.</li>
<li><strong>Araku Valley Arabica coffee,</strong> can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of <strong>Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh</strong> and Odisha region grown at an elevation of 900-1100m Mean Sea Level (MSL). This variety is produced by the tribals, who follow an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.</li>
<li><strong>Bababudangiris Arabica coffee,</strong> grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India. The region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district. Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the coffee cup exhibits acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate. This coffee is also called &lsquo;high grown coffee&rsquo; as it slowly ripens in the mild climate thereby acquiring a special taste and aroma.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The GI tag will help in enhancing the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and will also allow growers to get maximum price for their premium coffee.</li>
<li><strong>In the year 2018, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-5th-september-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Coffee Board</a> had filed the application for the GI Tag for these five varieties.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, the <strong>Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee,</strong> a unique specialty coffee of India was given GI certification.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Coffee Stats</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers.</li>
<li><strong>The cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India</strong>:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Karnataka &ndash; 54%</li>
<li>Kerala &ndash; 19%</li>
<li>Tamil Nadu &ndash; 8%</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).</li>
<li><strong>India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried.</strong></li>
<li>India produces some of the best coffee in the world, grown by tribal farmers in the Western and Eastern Ghats,which are the two major biodiversity hotspots in the world.</li>
<li>Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and is sold as premium coffee in Europe.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Two main varieties of coffee - grown in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Arabica</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This variety of coffee has a delicate flavour and balanced aroma coupled with a sharp and sweet taste.</li>
<li>Arabicas are harvested between November to January, and are typically grown on higher altitudes ranging from 600 to 2000 metres in cool, moisture-rich and subtropical weather conditions.</li>
<li>It has about half the amount of caffeine compared to Robustas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Robusta</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a very strong taste, a grainy essence and an aftertaste somewhat similar to that of peanuts.</li>
<li>It is harvested from December to February and and is grown in hot and humid climate with temperature ranging from 20 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius.</li>
<li>It has twice the level of caffeine compared to Arabica.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Coffee Board of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>statutory organization that was constituted under Section (4) of the Coffee Act, 1942.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>The Board comprises 33 Members including the Chairperson, who is the Chief Executive and it <strong>functions from Bangalore.</strong></li>
<li>The Board mainly focuses its activities in the areas of research, extension, development, market intelligence, external &amp; internal promotion for coffee.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-coffee-varieties-got-gi-tag'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (30th March 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Non-Convertible Debentures</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Debentures are <strong>long-term financial instruments that are issued by companies to borrow money</strong>.</li>
<li>Some debentures have a feature of convertibility into shares after a certain point of time at the discretion of the debenture holder.</li>
<li><strong>The debentures which cannot be converted into shares are called non-convertible debentures (or NCDs)</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>There are two types of NCDs-secured and unsecured.</strong></li>
<li>A secured NCD is backed by the assets of the company. If the company fails to pay the obligation, the investor holding the debenture can claim that through liquidation of those assets. Contrary to this, there is no backing in unsecured NCDs if company defaults.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Venezuela Humanitarian Aid Operation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> will channel humanitarian aid to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/venezuela-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>crisis-hit Venezuela,</strong></a> potentially helping ease chronic hunger and disease.</li>
<li>The first supplies would include <strong>medical equipment, surgical kits and power generators, following two major blackouts.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> country&rsquo;s hyperinflationary crisis</strong> has made food and medicine unaffordable for most citizens, fueling widespread malnutrition, especially among children, and a rise in preventable diseases.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies&nbsp;</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)</strong> is a global humanitarian organization, which coordinates and directs <strong>international assistance following natural and man-made disasters in non-conflict situations.</strong></li>
<li>It was <strong>founded in 1919 in Paris</strong> in the<strong> aftermath of World War I.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>It is the <strong>world's largest humanitarian network</strong> which is guided by<strong> seven Fundamental Principles</strong>: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, universality and unity.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Indian Red Cross Society</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established in 1920 under the Indian Red Cross Society Act</strong> and incorporated under Parliament Act XV of 1920.</li>
<li><strong>President of India is designated the President of the Indian Red Cross Society</strong> and <strong>Union Health Minister is the Chairman of the Society.</strong></li>
<li>The Indian Red Cross is a <strong>voluntary humanitarian organization</strong> having a network of over 700 branches throughout the country, providing relief in times of disasters/ emergencies and promotes health &amp; care of the vulnerable people</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, a<strong> forest guard at the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagaland,</strong> has been awarded <strong>Earth Day Network Star,</strong> for the protection of forests and wild animals in and around Fakim sanctuary.</li>
<li>The award is given by a<strong> U.S.-based international environment organisation</strong> that engages with green groups in 195 countries.</li>
<li>The Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary in located <strong>Kiphire district of Nagaland.</strong> It is spread over 642 hectares.</li>
<li>It was <strong>established in the year 1983,</strong> and it lies along the <strong>international border with Myanmar.</strong></li>
<li>Many wildlife animals such as leopards, tigers, wild buffaloes, hoolock gibbons and mithun are found.</li>
<li><strong>Hornbill,</strong> the <strong>most popular bird in Nagaland</strong> (It can be noted that <strong>Blyth&rsquo;s Tragopan is the State Bird of Nagaland)</strong> is also abundantly found in the Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary.</li>
</ul>
<h3>DRDO&rsquo;s Bio-Digester</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bio-digester technology has been developed by <strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</strong> for resolving the problems of un-decomposed human waste.</li>
<li>The bio-digester <strong>consists of a bio-toilet attached with bio-digester tanks</strong> that converts human faeces into biogas and reusable water.</li>
<li>It uses <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum (a material used for inoculation)</strong> to convert faeces into biogas and water that can be used for agriculture and gardening purposes.</li>
<li>The tanks can be <strong>customised based on the requirements</strong> of the local conditions, and can <strong>operate in temperatures ranging from minus (-) 20 degrees to 50 degrees.</strong></li>
<li>The bio-digester tanks are <strong>maintenance-free for the lifetime</strong>, as the <strong>anaerobic microbial inoculum is fed only once.</strong> It feeds on the faecal matter and multiplies by itself.</li>
<li>The technology is now being<strong> used in the Indian Railways and by the armed forces.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DRDO was <strong>established in 1958</strong> after combining Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development &amp; Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).</li>
<li>DRDO works under the <strong>administrative control of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>Several major projects for the development of missiles, armaments, light combat aircrafts, radars, electronic warfare systems etc are on hand and significant achievements have already been made in several such technologies.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-30th-march-2019'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Economic Relations between India and European, Oceania Countries',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, interaction on trade and economic cooperation with ambassadors and high commissioners of European and Oceania countries took place in New Delhi.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>European and Oceania countries are major trading partners and major sources of investments for India and there is the huge untapped potential that can be achieved.</strong></li>
<li>During 2017-18, <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with Europe stood at USD 130.1 billion,</strong> with both exports and imports registering double-digit growth.</li>
<li><strong>In Oceania, India is the fifth largest export market for Australia,</strong> with coal, education-related travel, vegetable, and gold being some of the major items of imports by India.</li>
<li>Major exports from India to Australia include refined petroleum, business services, and pharmaceuticals.</li>
<li><strong>New Zealand is also an important market for India in the Oceania region,</strong> especially for its exports of pharmaceuticals, gems, and jewelry, machinery and textiles, and apparel.</li>
<li>Nearly, more than USD 1.2 billion was invested by companies from Oceania in the Indian market from April 2000 to December 2018.
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU%20members.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/879drishti_EU members.png" width="541" height="304" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
</li>
<li><strong>The Oceania region also accounts for nearly 1.7 percent of India&rsquo;s overseas FDI, with Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Vanuatu being the key investment destinations.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Europe Union Economic Relations</h3>
<p></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The EU as a <g class="gr_ gr_85 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="85" data-gr-id="85">bloc</g> of 28 countries is India&rsquo;s largest regional trading partner while India was the EU&rsquo;s 9th largest trading partner in 2015.</strong></li>
<li>India and the EU are in the process of negotiating a bilateral <strong>Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) since 2007.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>European Union</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>European Union (EU), is an international organization comprising <strong>28 European countries and governing common economic, social, and security policies.</strong></li>
<li>The EU was created by the <strong>Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.</strong></li>
<li>The treaty was designed to enhance European political and economic integration by creating a single currency (the euro), a unified foreign and security policy, and common citizenship rights and by advancing cooperation in the areas of immigration, asylum, and judicial affairs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues in India-EU Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Even after 13 rounds of negotiations, BTIA has not led to the signing of the agreement.</li>
<li><strong>Intellectual property rights:</strong> There is disagreement over IP protection standards. The EU is keen that India should adopt stringent IP protection standards.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For India, such a step could impact public health and seriously affect the Indian pharmaceutical sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in tariffs:</strong> One of the major demands of the EU is that India should lower its tariff rates on European dairy and poultry products, wines and spirits.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reduction of tariffs in the dairy sector and poultry industry could have a serious impact on the Indian dairy industry, mainly on employment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Services sector:</strong> India has <strong>demanded flexible regulations, greater access for Indian services&nbsp;</strong>and an easy visa requirement for Indian professionals. Europe is cautious about allowing this fearing an increased unemployment problem.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Oceania Relations<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577341038_image9.png" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="359" height="332" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s trade relation with Oceania has been dominated by Australia and New Zealand.</strong></li>
<li>India&rsquo;s trade in goods and services with Australia was approximately US$ 15.6 billion in 2016.</li>
<li>India was New Zealand&rsquo;s 11th largest bilateral trading partner (2017) with total trade in both goods and services valued at US$ 1.91b.</li>
<li>Apart from these two India also has a significant trade relationship with the Pacific island nations with Fiji and Papua New Guinea dominating the relations. <strong>India&rsquo;s trade with the Pacific Islands stood at US$ 228 million in 2012.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Pacific Island Forum (PIF)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> PIF was formed in 1999 as a successor to the earlier South Pacific Forum set up in 1971.</strong></li>
<li>Regional cooperation has grown steadily under the aegis of the PIF.</li>
<li><strong>India is a dialogue partner of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forum for India&ndash;Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Fiji in November 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Member Countries - <strong>India and 14 Pacific Island countries,</strong> namely Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Issues between India and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Trade Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The low volumes of trade between India and the PICs are due to the <strong>small populations</strong> and <strong>market sizes</strong> in these islands, as well as their <strong>distance from India.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken by India to Improve Trade Relations</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India has established Trade Office for Pacific Island Forum countries in India.</strong></li>
<li>The FIPIC Trade Office in New Delhi <strong>will support the development of micro, small and medium Enterprises.</strong> The <strong>Office will assist in improving Market Access for the Pacific</strong> Islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/trade-and-economic-relation-between-india-and-european-and-oceania-countries'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Gender Wage Gap',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India has recently released a report titled &lsquo;Mind the Gap: The State of Employment in India.&rsquo;</strong> The report assesses gender disparities and role of social identities such as caste and class in employment in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pay level:</strong> In 2015, 92%of women and 82 % of men were earning a monthly wage less than Rs.10,000, far below the Seventh Central Pay Commission (2013) recommendation of Rs.18,000 per month.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ilos-india-wage-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wage Gap</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Women on an average are <strong>paid 34% less than similarly qualified male workers</strong> for performing same tasks.</li>
<li>Based on <strong>National Sample Survey Office (2011-12) estimates</strong>, in nominal terms, women earning a regular salary were paid, on an average, Rs.105 and Rs. 123 less than male workers daily in urban and rural settings, respectively; corresponding figures for casual workers were estimated at Rs.72 and Rs. 47 for urban and rural workers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Over-representation of women in unpaid care work:</strong> The report pointed out that if unpaid care and household activities are included in the NSSO&rsquo;s definition of work, the <strong>Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR)</strong> in 2011-12 would rise from 20.5 % to 81.7%, more than that of men.</li>
<li><strong>Divergences in FLFPR:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Caste Factor:</strong> Muslim women are concentrated in household manufacturing, Schedule Caste (SCs) in construction and services such as waste collection while non-SCs generally work in education and health services.</li>
<li>Education sector accounts for over 1 in 7 urban women workers.</li>
<li><strong>75% of rural women remain engaged in agriculture, where they are relegated to low-wage roles such as weeding, threshing and paddy transplantation.</strong></li>
<li>Almost half (49.5%) of married women workers work in the same industry as their husbands.</li>
<li>There are more women workers in Southern and North-Eastern States, but number are still below international standards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Causes behind<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/inequality-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> inequality</a> in employment in India:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lack of quality jobs and wage disparity </strong>are key reasons behind inequality in the Indian labour market.</li>
<li>The <strong>burden of unpaid care work, and the continuing prevalence of other regressive social norms</strong> are also factors behind women&rsquo;s low participation in the workforce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Shifting development focus towards labour intensive sectors to create more jobs.</li>
<li><strong>Growth in jobs must be inclusive and new jobs need to be secure with better work conditions, including social security benefits and the right to organise.</strong></li>
<li>Substantially higher investments in health and education are required to improve productivity as these are the sectors which could be large employment generators in the future.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Oxfam India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oxfam India</strong> is an arm of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oxfam-report-on-inequality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Oxfam</a> International that is registered as &lsquo;Non-profit&rsquo; under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013. Its vision is to create an equal, just and sustainable society by empowering the underprivileged.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an office&nbsp;<strong>under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).</strong></li>
<li>It is responsible for conduct of large scale sample surveys in diverse fields such as social,economic,industrial etc, on All India basis.</li>
<li>It has four divisions:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD):</strong> This Division, located at Kolkata, is responsible for technical planning of surveys, formulation of concepts and definitions, sampling design, designing of inquiry schedules, drawing up of tabulation plan, analysis and presentation of survey results.</li>
<li><strong>Field Operations Division (FOD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Delhi/Faridabad and a network of six Zonal Offices, 49 Regional Offices and 118 Sub-Regional Offices spread throughout the country, is responsible for the collection of primary data for the surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
<li><strong>Data Processing Division (DPD):</strong> The Division, with its headquarters at Kolkata and 6 other Data Processing Centers at various places, is responsible for sample selection, software development, processing, validation and tabulation of the data collected through surveys.</li>
<li><strong>Co-ordination &amp; Publication Division (CPD):</strong> This Division, located at New Delhi, coordinates all the activities of different Divisions of NSSO. It also brings out the bi-annual journal of NSSO, titled &ldquo;Sarvekshana&rdquo;, and organizes National Seminars on the results of various Socio-economic surveys undertaken by NSSO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gender-wage-gap'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'A Rightful Place in Space',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-rightful-place-in-space-anti-satellite-asat-mission-shakti-drdo-pm-modi-isro-5647570/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A Rightful Place in Space&rsquo;</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Indian Express&rsquo; on 29th March, 2019. The article talks about the recent A-SAT test undertaken by India and the wider implications it may pose globally.)</p>
</div>
<p>India has one of the oldest space programs in the world&mdash;in operation for more than five decades&mdash;and is considered an established space faring power. Today, the country is gradually reorienting its space program towards national security.</p>
<p>India&rsquo;s recent successful anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test adds a new chapter in its defence preparedness. Before India, only three countries, namely the US, Russia and China, had demonstrated this capability.</p>
<p>While the test can be described as a giant technological and strategic development for the country it also emphasise India&rsquo;s attempt at becoming a major space power. The test has a greater geopolitical connotation given India relationship with its neighbour China- another nation sharing the same technology.</p>
<p>It is more important therefore to analyse the rationale behind conducting the test.</p>
<h3>Anti-Satellite Missile Test</h3>
<p>It is the technological capability to hit and destroy satellites in space through missiles launched from the ground. The technology is aimed at destroying, if necessary, satellites owned by enemy countries. The test, however, can be carried out only on one&rsquo;s own satellite.</p>
<p>ASAT had receded from the debates even in the security circles until China conducted a test in January 2007. The tests conducted by the US and USSR in the 1960s were seen as a legacy of the Cold War era power politics and were even forgotten. Chinese attempt at destroying one of its own ageing <strong>satellites again brought to fore the need to ensure space assets of nations</strong>.</p>
<h3>Significance of ASAT</h3>
<p>Satellites are extremely critical infrastructure for any country as large numbers of crucial applications are satellite-based. This include navigation systems, communication networks, broadcasting, banking systems, stock markets, weather forecasting, disaster management, land and ocean mapping and monitoring tools, and military applications.</p>
<p>Destroying a satellite render all these applications useless. It can cripple enemy infrastructure, and bring it down, without causing any threat to human lives.</p>
<h3>Issue of space debris</h3>
<p>A satellite that is destroyed by a missile disintegrates into small pieces, and adds to the space debris. The free floating space debris is a potential hazard for operational satellites and colliding with them can leave the satellites dysfunctional.</p>
<p>With countries launching more and more satellites, each one of them being a strategic or commercial asset, avoiding collisions could become a challenge in the future.</p>
<p>India is an active proponent for debris mitigation guidelines for space. Hence, the step can be seen as going against the principles of ensuring that space would not be littered by the human-made debris.</p>
<p>An ASAT in itself cannot be called defensive system that could &lsquo;safeguard&rsquo; space asset. Instead, it is an offensive system that could solely be used for retribution in response to an attack on India&rsquo;s space assets. In that sense, the capability can be seen as an aggressive step given India&rsquo;s volatile neighbourhood.</p>
<h3>Entry into an elite club</h3>
<p>Only three countries before India namely the US, Russia and China, has this capability. It requires very advanced capabilities in both space and missile technologies that not many countries possess. With this test India has attained the capability for exo-atmospheric interception of long-range missiles in their mid-course.</p>
<p>India&rsquo;s significant progress in the domain of space in the last two decades warrants a system that safeguards it from future potential threats. India&rsquo;s Mangalyaan and Gaganyaan programmes, its legacy of 102 spacecraft missions and criticality of the space programme makes it all the more vital for India to ensure their security.</p>
<p>It not only will increase India&rsquo;s capability to shoot down military and civilian communications, and early-warning satellites during a crisis or war, but will also help advance India's missile interceptor programme. The test therefore is a demonstration of technological capability as well a communication of deterrence message to any possible adversary.</p>
<p>India by launching ASAT has already taken a head start in space, even before norms or order regarding the use of ASAT could be established where only select few superpowers could control it. This would help India from getting caught in a &lsquo;NPT&rsquo; (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) like situation.</p>
<h3>Global Rules and demands related to Space</h3>
<p>Almost every country agrees that space must not be used for wars and has spoken against weaponisation of space. There are international treaties governing the use of space, that mandate that outer space, and celestial bodies like the Moon, must only be exploited for peaceful purposes.</p>
<p><strong>Outer Space Treaty of 1967</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is a party to the Outer Space Treaty. The treaty prohibits countries from placing into orbit around the Earth &ldquo;any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction&rdquo;.</li>
<li>It also prohibits the stationing of such weapons on celestial bodies, like the moon, or in outer space. The moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all state parties to the treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes.</li>
</ul>
<p>There are four more multilateral treaties that deal with specific concepts agreed to in the Outer Space Treaty:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Rescue Agreement of 1968</li>
<li>The Space Liability Convention of 1972</li>
<li>The Registration Convention of 1976</li>
<li>The Moon Treaty of 1979</li>
</ul>
<p>The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) oversees these treaties and other questions of space jurisdiction. None of these, however, prohibits the kind of test that India carried out recently.</p>
<p>The international community has been debating for the need to introduce transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities (TCBMS). In this regard, European Union has also prepared a draft code of conduct (CoC). However, major powers are yet to agree on the idea of establishing a CoC conduct.</p>
<p>Another important idea that has been put on the table jointly by Russia and China is the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (PPWT) instead of only Weapon of Mass Destruction which is resisted by US and the EU.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>In the present times with nations fighting a race in getting a strategic edge, India has merely acknowledged that space may not remain a purely civilian domain in the near future. It is therefore important for India to improve upon its capabilities without which, it would lag in a critical area.</p>
<p>Space however must be used only for peaceful purposes and any weaponisation of Outer Space cannot be tolerated in the larger interest of people. The safety and security of space based assets should be ensured through international cooperation.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-rightful-place-in-space'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'State of the Global Climate: WMO',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published the Statement on the State of the Global Climate on the sidelines of a high-level meeting on climate and sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Meteorological Organization (WMO)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 192 Member States and Territories.</li>
<li>It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was established after the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.</li>
<li>Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.'</li>
<li>WMO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>WMO&rsquo;s Findings</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>
<p><strong>Climate indicators</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-7th-february-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2018: Fourth Warmest Year</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>2018 was the fourth warmest year on record.</li>
<li>The past four years&mdash;2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018&mdash;taken together are the four warmest years on record.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/greenhouse-gas-levels-reach-record-highs-un-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Greenhouse Gas Concentrations Continue to <g class="gr_ gr_92 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" id="92" data-gr-id="92">Rise</g></strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The levels of carbon dioxide concentrations have continuously increased in 2018.</strong></li>
<li>Increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are key drivers of climate change.</li>
<li>The CO<sub>2</sub> levels were at 357 parts per million (PPM) in 1994 and reached 405.5 PPM in 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sea Level Rise Continues</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Mean Global Mean Sea Level for the period from January to July 2018 has been <strong>2 to 3 mm higher than for the equivalent period in 2017.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ocean Heat Content at Record High</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>More than 90% of the energy trapped by greenhouse gases, goes into the oceans. <strong>Ocean Heat Content provides a direct measure of the energy that accumulates in the upper layers of the ocean.</strong></li>
<li>For each three-month period in 2018, the ocean heat content in the upper 700m and upper 2000m were either the highest or second highest on record.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ocean Acidification</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In the past decade, the oceans absorbed around 25% of carbon dioxide emitted by humans. <strong>Absorbed carbon dioxide reacts with seawater and changes the pH of the ocean. This process is known as ocean acidification.</strong></li>
<li>Observations in the open-ocean over the last 30 years have shown a clear trend of decreasing pH. There was a decrease in the surface ocean pH of 0.1 units since the start of the industrial revolution (1750).</li>
<li>Changes in pH are linked to<strong> shifts in ocean carbonate chemistry that can affect the ability of marine organisms such as mollusks and reef-building corals, to build and maintain shells and skeletal material.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sea Ice Well Below Average</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>The extent of Arctic sea ice was below average throughout 2018 and was at record-low levels for the first two months of the year.</strong></li>
<li>The annual maximum occurred in mid-March at 14.48 million square km, third lowest on record and approximately 7% below the 1981-2010 average.</li>
<li><strong>Antarctic sea-ice extent was also well below average throughout 2018.</strong> The annual minimum extent occurred in late February and the monthly average was 2.28 million square km, 33% below average.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Glaciers are retreating</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>World Glacier Monitoring Service monitors glacier using a set of global reference glaciers with more than 30 years of observations between 1950 and 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Preliminary results for 2018</strong>, based on a subset of glaciers, <strong>indicate that the hydrological year 2017/18 was the 31st consecutive year of negative mass balance (mass balance is the gain or loss of ice from the glacier system).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Extreme Weather Events in India</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>WMO also underlined the extreme weather events experienced all over the world in 2018, including the <strong>severe flooding in Kerala in August 2018,</strong> which led to economic losses estimated at $4.3 billion. Rainfall in Kerala in August was 96% above the long-term average.</li>
<li><strong>A cold wave also affected parts of India, with 135 deaths between January 3 and 13</strong>&nbsp;in 2018 attributed to cold in Uttar Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I8p1DgwbxTE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Climate impacts</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Hazards</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2018, <strong>natural hazards associated with extreme weather and climate events affected nearly 62 million people</strong>.</li>
<li>Floods affected more than 35 million throughout the world.</li>
<li>Hurricane Florence and Michael in 2018 in the U.S. led to over 100 deaths and damages of around $49 billion.</li>
<li><strong>1,600 deaths were associated with intense heat waves and wildfires in Europe, Japan, and the U.S.</strong></li>
<li>Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people exposed to heatwaves is estimated to have increased by around 125 million persons,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Food security</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Exposure of the agriculture sector to climate extremes is threatening to reverse gains made in ending malnutrition.</strong></li>
<li>New data by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme shows a continuing rise in world hunger after a prolonged decline.</li>
<li>In 2017, the number of undernourished people was estimated to have increased to 821 million, partly due to severe droughts associated with the strong El Ni&ntilde;o of 2015&ndash;2016.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Displacement</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Out of the 17.7 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) tracked by the International Organization for Migration, over two million people were displaced due to disasters linked to weather and climate events as of September 2018.</strong></li>
<li>According to UNHCR&rsquo;s Protection and Return Monitoring Network, some 883,000 new internal displacements were recorded between January and December 2018, of which 32 percent were associated with flooding and 29 percent with drought.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-the-global-climate-wmo'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'World’s Longest Salt Cave',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>Israeli researchers have claimed that they have discovered the<strong> world&rsquo;s longest salt cave near the dead sea.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/911Israel%20(Mount Sodom).jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/911Israel (Mount Sodom).jpg" width="297" height="209" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The cave named Malham, stretching over 10 kilometers (6.25 miles) runs through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea.</strong></li>
<li>In the cave,<strong> thousands of salt stalactites hang from the ceilings, and some of the walls have salt crystals.</strong></li>
<li>These were formed by the dissolution of the overhead rock by rainwater. The water percolates through cracks and deposits salt on the cave&rsquo;s ceiling.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Formation of Caves</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>In areas where there are alternating beds of rocks (shales, sandstones, quartzites) with limestones or dolomites in between or in areas where limestones are dense, massive and occurring as thick beds, cave formation is prominent.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Water percolates down either through the materials or through cracks and joints and moves horizontally along bedding planes.</strong></li>
<li>It is along these bedding planes that the limestone dissolves and long and narrow to wide gaps called caves result.</li>
<li>There can be a maze of caves at different elevations depending upon the limestone beds and intervening rocks. Caves having openings at both the ends are called tunnels.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Depositional Landforms in the Caves<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/182Cave%20in Section.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/182Cave in Section.jpg" width="446" height="292" style="float: right;" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Many depositional forms develop within the caves. The chief chemical in limestone is calcium carbonate which is easily soluble in carbonated water (carbon dioxide absorbed rainwater).</li>
<li><strong>This calcium carbonate is deposited when the water carrying it in solution evaporates or loses its carbon dioxide as it trickles over rough rock surfaces.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Stalactites, Stalagmites, and Pillars</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Stalactites hang as icicles</strong> of different diameters. Normally they are broad at their bases and taper towards the free ends showing up in a variety of forms.</li>
<li><strong>Stalagmites rise up from the floor of the caves.</strong> In fact, stalagmites form due to dripping water from the surface or through the thin pipe, of the stalactite, immediately below it.</li>
<li>The stalagmite and stalactites eventually<strong> fuse to give rise to columns and pillars of different diameters.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/worlds-longest-salt-cave'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Important Facts For Prelims (29th March 2019)',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Odissi<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577340679_image20.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577340679_image20.png" style="float: right;" width="203" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is one of the pre-eminent <strong>classical dance forms of India which originated in the Hindu temples of the eastern coastal state of Odisha in India.</strong></li>
<li>It is a dance of love and passion touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the mundane.</li>
<li><strong>Odhra Magadha,</strong> mentioned in <strong>Natya Shastra</strong> can be identified as the earliest precursor of present day Odissi dance.</li>
<li>The techniques of dance movement are built around the<strong> two basic postures of the Chowk and the Tribhanga.</strong></li>
<li>The chowk is a position imitating a square - a <strong>very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally balanced.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>tribhanga is a very feminine stance</strong> where the body is deflected at the <strong>neck, torso and the knees.</strong></li>
<li>An Odissi orchestra essentially <strong>consists of a pakhawaj player (usually the Guru himself), a singer, a flutist, a sitar or violin player and a manjira player.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Mankading</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, in a cricket match of the Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL-2019) a batsman was <strong>dismissed in a run out</strong> popularly called <strong>&lsquo;Mankading&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Mankading&rsquo; is a method of run out where a <strong>bowler dismisses a non-striker by hitting the bails</strong> before bowling when the latter is outside the crease.</li>
<li>It is named after an <strong>Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad (awarded Padma Bhushan in 1973).</strong> Vinoo Mankad, in the India's tour of <strong>Australia in 1947/48 ran out Bill Brown not once but twice.</strong></li>
<li>This infuriated the Australian media, and running someone out in this way is now referred to around the world as "Mankading&rdquo;.</li>
<li>While perfectly legal, some contend that by convention, a bowler should at least warn a batsman who persists in backing up too far before dismissing him in that fashion.</li>
<li>According to rules of Cricket:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Non-striker leaving his/her ground early: If the non-striker is out of his/her ground from the moment the ball comes into play to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the <strong>bowler is permitted to attempt to run him/her out.</strong></li>
<li>Whether the attempt is successful or not, the <strong>ball shall not count as one in the over.</strong></li>
<li>The Laws of Cricket were amended several times after this incident, but it was decided to retain this form of run out to disallow batsmen from stealing runs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There<strong> have been instances</strong> where the bowlers refrained from using this method, like<strong> the 1987 World Cup match between Pakistan and West Indies.</strong></li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-29th-march-2019'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Globalization 4.0',
		'catname' => 'Paper 3',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Globalization 4.0 was the theme for <strong>World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019</strong> held in Davos, Switzerland in January 2019.</li>
<li>Under the rubric of <strong>Globalization 4.0,</strong> a series of <strong>"Global Dialogues"</strong> in Davos focused on the interrelated areas namely geopolitics, future of global economy, global dialogue on industry systems etc.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Globalization 4.0</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Globalization is a phenomenon <strong>driven by technology</strong> and the movement of ideas, people, and goods.</li>
<li>Globalization 4.0 is latest stage of globalization which involves cutting-edge new technologies like artificial intelligence that powers forward with the explosion of information technology.</li>
<li>These technologies shrink distances, open up borders and minds and bring people all across the globe closer together.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Timeline: Earlier Waves of Globalization</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Globalization 1.0</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was pre-World War I globalization, which was launched by a historic drop in trade costs.</li>
<li>This globalization came with almost no government support.</li>
<li>There was no global governance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Globalization 2.0</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the post-World War II phase where trade in goods was combined with complimentary domestic policies.</li>
<li>The market was in charge of efficiency while the government was in charge of justice.</li>
<li>It saw the establishment of institute-based, rule-based international governance, specifically the UN, IMF, World Bank, GATT/WTO, International Labor Organization etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Globalization 3.0</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It created a new world of manufacturing in which high-tech was combined with low wages.</li>
<li>This was achieved through establishment of global supply chains as factories crossed international borders.</li>
<li>It was variously called New Globalization, Hyper globalization, Global value chain evolution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Characteristics of 4.0</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Major turbulence for Service Sector:</strong> While Globalization 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 were mainly a concern of people who made/manufactured products for a living (since globalization focused on things that we made), Globalization 4.0 is going to hit people in the service sector.</li>
<li><strong>Closely integrated with Industry 4.0:</strong> Ever-faster data connection speeds and new artificial intelligence tools like machine translation, big data are opening up services jobs in rich countries like architecture, accounting, and web design to competition from practitioners in emerging economies.</li>
<li><strong>Newer modes of Migration:</strong> Due to faster data connection as well as nature of work which may involve no physical presence there may be a global tele-migration in which the skilled migrants never have to leave home.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Industry 4.0</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Building on the foundation given by the Third Industrial Revolution, Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is moving from an electronic based industry to a process which is the combination of human beings and electronics.</li>
<li>It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things, big data analytics, cloud computing, cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, and autonomous vehicles etc.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Challenges of Globalization 4.0</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political crisis and Global level conflict:</strong> Globalization 4.0 could, like preceding waves of globalization, have mixed results e.g. even though countries are globally connected political crisis and global level conflict have also increased.</li>
<li><strong>Economic exclusion:</strong> Economic opportunities will be uncertain, many may not have the skills needed for the jobs of the future. If countries and communities are not fully prepared for Globalization 4.0, problems may exacerbate.</li>
<li><strong>Income Inequality:</strong> Negative effects of globalization have a disproportionate impact on already marginalized populations. Globalization 4.0 may increase income inequality even if it can create more wealth.</li>
<li><strong>Human Resource:</strong> Countries like India, if do not step up to meet the skill requirements of globalisation 4.0, may already be staring at demographic disaster, given its huge population and low employment generation.</li>
<li><strong>Unintended consequences:</strong> Globalization 4.0 in conjunction with Industry 4.0 will produce many unintended consequences which may not be foreseeable for now and for which world is vastly unprepared the ethical, legal, environmental concerns are yet to be seen for which no framework has been laid out.</li>
<li><strong>Infrastructural challenges:</strong> Apart from skilling, India also needs to set up required infrastructure and technology to harness the advantages of globalization 4.0.</li>
<li><strong>Challenges for Developing countries:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The European continent, North America and some Asian countries have been able to take advantage of the industrial revolution and globalization, while many African, Latin American and some Asian countries failed to benefit as much.</li>
<li>Globalization 4.0 will create additional challenges many African and Asian nations which were already excluded from the benefits of earlier waves of globalization.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Invest in strengthening local and regional economies:</strong> We should proactively build resilient local and regional systems that can participate in the next wave of globalization, making sure regions have the right mix of education, employment and infrastructure to create and sustain jobs locally.</li>
<li><strong>Prioritizing sustainability and Inclusiveness:</strong> The need of the hour is to design a blueprint from the ground up that can capitalize on new opportunities while prioritizing sustainability and inclusiveness more than ever before.</li>
<li><strong>Focus on the most vulnerable populations:</strong> Global and local institutions need to advance both universal and targeted strategies to improve outcomes for everyone ensuring vulnerable population is not left out.</li>
<li><strong>Stop climate change:</strong> The challenges of Globalization 4.0 will be compounded if resources that could be put towards strengthening local economies and education are diverted to mitigate climate change. Thus climate change needs to be dealt at global level.</li>
<li><strong>Promote Innovation in educational institution and education curriculum:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By 2022, at least 54% of employees globally will require re- and up-skilling.</li>
<li>Not only do we need to support people in getting the training they need for jobs in the next five years, but we need to prepare young students with the skills to adapt to the types of jobs we will need in the next 20 years.</li>
<li>New Zealand is implementing a national technology curriculum to teach students to be digital creators, as well as consumers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Engagement and imagination:</strong> The task of dealing with challenges of Globalization 4.0 requires two things of the international community: wider engagement, participation and heightened imagination.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/globalization-4-0'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'A Cop Out',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>(This editorial is based on the article <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/police-reform-narendra-modi-5646097/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'A Cop Out'</a> which appeared in &lsquo;The Indian Express&rsquo; on 28th March, 2019. The article talks about the problems miring the police department and lack of political will in bringing police reforms.)</p>
</div>
<p>Our newspapers are ripe from success story of our nation, each day a scheme is launched to uplift the standard of living, bring social equality, a scientific leap, transform India into a cleaner, healthier and resurgent nation. Even if we make allowance for an element of exaggeration, these initiatives have been laudable and the progress impressive.</p>
<p>It is disappointing; however, that there remains an area left completely untouched where nothing significant has been achieved. Police department even after 70 years of independence reminds of a colonial structure.</p>
<p>Even after one and half decade later, the historic judgment of Supreme Court in 2006 directing states and centre to bring police reforms remain largely in the corridors of SC with little changing on ground.</p>
<h3>First Line of Defence</h3>
<p>Police forces are responsible for maintaining law and order and investigating crimes, central forces assist them with intelligence and internal security challenges (e.g., insurgencies).</p>
<p>With the advancement in technology, newer versions of threats are continuously arising in the form of cyber-attacks, bank frauds, and organised crimes, just to name a few, which need to be tackled in a more specialised manner.</p>
<p>These have often been called &lsquo;fourth generation war&rsquo;; a warfare with an invisible army which cannot be won by the armies. This is the war of a policeman and if they win, the country wins and if they lose then the country loses.</p>
<p>Against all these security threats, the first line of defence is the police system. Internal security is very much a prerogative of police and efficient policing is needed in order to tackle these threats. But for that, the police system needs to be efficient, effective and technologically sound.</p>
<p>However our police system suffers from myriad deficiencies. From problems relating to police organisation, infrastructure and environment to obsolete weaponry and intelligence gathering techniques to shortage of manpower to corruption, police force in the country is not in a good shape.</p>
<h3>Challenges Grappling the System</h3>
<p>The superintendence and control of the police remains a contentious issue as both the Central and State police forces come under the superintendence and control of political executives. It has resulted in the lack of democratic functioning and appropriate direction.</p>
<p>The existing police infrastructure is also inadequate to cater to the needs of the police force. There is a huge manpower shortage in the police department. It stands at 192 policemen per lakh population against the recommended 222 policemen per lakh population by UN.</p>
<p>Overburdening of work not only reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of the police personnel but also leads to psychological distress which contributes to various crimes committed by the policemen.</p>
<p>The recruitment process of police personnel, especially from lowest constabulary level to Sub-Inspector level, is medieval. The overall focus remains on enhancing the physical strength and other essential skills like forensics, law, cyber-crime, financial frauds are either ignored or put on the back burner.</p>
<p>Several commissions have looked into the reform processes which include the Gore Committee on Police Training (1971-73), the Ribeiro Committee on Police Reforms (1998), the Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reforms (2000), the Group of Ministers on National Security (2000-01), and the Malimath Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System (2001-03).</p>
<p>Despite recommendations from these committees, no substantial changes have been seen. Several state governments are yet to implement these recommendations or bring in any reforms.</p>
<p>In the absence of any initiative by the Centre, the states have gone amok with their separate police Acts. It is ironical that while the British India had one police Act for the entire country, we are confronted with a situation where every state has a different Act with sharp differences in essential features.</p>
<h3>Saving the Saviours</h3>
<p>States should comply with the Supreme Court&rsquo;s directives given (in Prakash Singh vs. Union of India case) in 2006 in order to tackle systemic problems in policing. The states can enact a model based on the Model Police Act in 2006 prepared by The Police Act Drafting Committee headed by Soli Sorabjee.</p>
<p><strong>SMART police should be created which is Sensitive, Mobile, Accountable, Responsive and Techno-Savvy.</strong> Concrete steps should be taken to augment the manpower and infrastructure of the forces.</p>
<p>A Police Welfare Board must also be set up to administer and monitor welfare measures for police, including medical assistance, group housing, and legal aid for officers facing court proceedings.</p>
<p>Police Accountability Commissions should be set up by states to address complaints of police misconduct. However key police functionaries should have a minimum tenure of two years unless they have been convicted by a court, or suspended from service, etc making them free of political coercion.</p>
<p>The commitment, devotion and accountability of the police should only be towards the rule of law and the supervision and control has to be such that it ensures that the police serve the people without bias, pressure, or fear.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>A healthy democracy needs a healthy police which is able to enforce the rule of law and can take actions without fear, favour of political dispensation.</p>
<p>Dilapidated condition of the police system can negatively impact upon the security and integrity of the nation. It is time that we freed the police from political interference and transforms it from &lsquo;Ruler&rsquo;s Police&rsquo; to &lsquo;People&rsquo;s Police.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-cop-out'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'European Parliament Bans Single-Use Plastics',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>The European Union Parliament has <strong>voted to ban single-use plastic cutlery,</strong> cotton buds, straws and stirrers as part of a sweeping law against plastic waste that despoils beaches and pollutes oceans.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The directive will now pass through formalities before it is published in the EU rulebook. After that, EU member states <strong>will have two years to implement the directive, i.e. the ban will come into force by 2021 in all EU member states.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The United Kingdom too will have to follow the rules if it took part in and extended the Brexit transition period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>By<strong> 2025, plastic bottles should be made of 25% recycled content, and by 2029, 90% of them should be recycled.</strong></li>
<li>The ban <strong>targets the top 10 disposable plastic products</strong> including plates, balloon sticks, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.</li>
<li><strong>Tobacco companies will be required to cover the costs</strong> for public collection of cigarette stubs, which are the second most littered single-use plastic item.</li>
<li>Apart from the ban, the EU will also encourage member states to <strong>reduce the use of plastic packaging and introduce stricter labelling rules.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Single-Use Plastics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are <strong>used only once before</strong> they are thrown away or recycled.</li>
<li>These items are things like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The single-use plastic products <strong>also prevent the spread of infection.</strong> Instruments such as syringes, applicators, drug tests, bandages and wraps are often made to be disposable.</li>
<li>Also, single-use plastic products have been <strong>enlisted in the fight against food waste,</strong> keeping food and water fresher for longer and reducing the potential for contamination.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, there <strong>can be challenges when it comes to disposing of some single-use products.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Petroleum based plastic is<strong> not biodegradable and usually goes into a landfill</strong> where it is buried or it gets into the water and finds its way into the ocean.</li>
<li>In the process of breaking down, it r<strong>eleases toxic chemicals (additives that were used to shape and harden the plastic)</strong> which make their way into our food and water supply.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The ultimate goal is that all these products can be <strong>collected and converted into energy or recycled.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Europe is <strong>not the worst source of plastic pollution,</strong> but this measure could<strong> serve as an example to the world</strong>, i.e EU&rsquo;s change of the economic model has a global impact</li>
<li><strong>Other reasons</strong> which prompted the EU to ban single use plastics are:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>EU <strong>recycles only 25% of the 25 million tonnes of plastics waste</strong> it produces every year.</li>
<li>Growing concerns about plastic pollution in oceans and stories of dead whales with plastic in their stomachs.<strong> Marine litter</strong> has come under the spotlight because 85% of it is plastic. E.g.: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-25-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Great Pacific Grabage Patch</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>China's decision to stop processing waste</strong> have prompted the bloc to take more drastic steps to tackle the issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>European Parliament</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The European Parliament is the <strong>only parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU)</strong> that is <strong>directly elected</strong> by EU <strong>citizens aged 18 or older every five years since 1979.</strong></li>
<li>It has 751 Members of elected directly from the <strong>28 Member States of EU.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Although a welcome step, specially when environment has taken backstage with respect to economic growth globally. Without a <strong>proper waste management infrastructure</strong> and <strong>sufficient recycling facilities</strong>, it is difficult to achieve a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-productivity-council" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>circular economy</strong></a> or the objectives of this directive.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/european-parliament-bans-single-use-plastics'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'President’s Visit To Croatia',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<p>During the first leg of his three-nation tour to Croatia, Bolivia, and Chile, <strong>President of India completed his visit to Croatia.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In Croatia, President had meetings with the Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and the Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.</li>
</ul>
<h3><g class="gr_ gr_55 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="55" data-gr-id="55">Outcome</g> of the Visit<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577339922_image47.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1577339922_image47.png" width="350" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>During the visit, India and Croatia signed<strong> four Memorandum of Understandings: two in culture, one each in tourism, and sports.</strong></li>
<li>President of India was also conferred with <strong>Croatia's highest civilian award - the Grand Order of the King of Tomislav.</strong></li>
<li>The two countries also agreed to work together to develop a<strong> strong global response to defeat terrorism</strong> in all its forms and manifestations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Croatia Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Relations between India and Croatia have been friendly since the days of the former Yugoslavia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s.</li>
<li>Disintegration gave birth to six new countries namely:<strong> Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.&nbsp;</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Josip Broz Tito who was president of Yugoslavia for more than three decades maintained close relations with the then Indian leadership.</li>
<li><strong>Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Tito were also pioneers of the Non-Aligned Movement.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Non-Aligned Movement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Non-Aligned Movement was formed during the Cold War as an organization of States that <strong>did not seek to formally align themselves with either the two superpower blocs United States or the Soviet Union</strong> but sought to <strong>remain independent or neutral.</strong></li>
<li>Key role in this process was played by:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Gamal Abdel Nasser,</strong> Head of&nbsp;State of Egypt</li>
<li><strong>Kwame Nkrumah,</strong> President of Ghana,</li>
<li><strong>Jawaharlal Nehru,</strong> Prime Minister of India,</li>
<li><strong>Ahmed Sukarno</strong>, President of Indonesia</li>
<li><strong>Josip Broz Tito,</strong> President of Yugoslavia,</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These leaders later became the founding fathers of the movement.</li>
<li>The basic concept for the group originated in 1955 during discussions that took place at the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Croatia is an<strong> important Central European country from the point of view of its geo-strategic location,</strong> membership of the <strong>European Union and the NATO,</strong> as well as being a significant <strong>Gateway to Europe through the Adriatic coastline.</strong></li>
<li>India-Croatian relations are characterized by historical connections links between India and Croatia dating back to the 16th century.</li>
<li>Croatian people have a deep interest in India. The Indology department in the University of Zagreb has existed for over six decades and an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Hindi chair was set up there a decade ago.</li>
<li>The bilateral trade relations between India and Croatia are modest at around 200 million US Dollars in 2017.</li>
<li>But there is a good scope for trade in sectors like textile, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, food processing among others.</li>
<li>Croatia has a sound scientific and technological base in niche sectors, such as shipbuilding, vaccines, renewable energy, and defense.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-croatia'
	]
]
$updates = object(Cake\ORM\Query) {

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

}
$page = (int) 264
$search = 'class'
$totalPages = (float) 334
$title = 'Search'
$lastyear = (int) 2018
$year = '2021'
$i = (int) 2017
$selected = ''
$m = (int) 13
$month = 'December'

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

Achievers Corner

Prelims

Mains & Interview

Current Affairs

Drishti Specials

Free Downloads

Test Series

Videos

Search

Search list matched with tags “class”