Search

Search list matched with tags “class”

10 Years of National Green Tribunal

This article is based on “The hues in the green tribunal’s resilient journey” which was published in The Hindu on 19/10/2020. It...

19 Oct 2020 News Editorials
Israel and Bahrain Diplomatic Ties

Why in News Bahrain and Israel are signing a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations, as well as a...

19 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Nobel Prize 2020

The Nobel Prizes regarded as the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement in the world are awarded annually from a fund bequeathed...

19 Oct 2020 Paper 2
Dolphins in Pearl River Estuary

Why in News According to a recent report, Chinese pink dolphins are making a comeback in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). Indo-Pacific humpback...

19 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Pro-Democracy Protests in Thailand

Why in News Recently, Thailand’s government banned gatherings of more than five people in the face of three months of escalating...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana

Why in News Recently, the Ministry of Culture has issued guidelines for holding cultural events/activities in virtual/online mode under various...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Skewed Gender Ratio

This article is based on “The real population worry” which was published in The Indian Express on 17/10/2020. It talks about the...

17 Oct 2020 News Editorials
Atomic Hydrogen Content of Galaxies

Why in News In a significant discovery, the Pune-based Nationwide Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) and Raman Analysis Institute (RRI),...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Bioremediation Mechanism for Oil Spills

Why in News The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chnnai has developed an eco-friendly crude oil bioremediation mechanism technology...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Guidelines for Digital Media Regulation

Why in News Recently, the Centre has announced new guidelines for digital news platforms. Key Points New Guidelines: The government has put...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Bodoland Statehood Movement

Why in News A new organisation (All India Bodo People’s National League for Bodoland Statehood) has announced the revival of the Bodoland...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
India & its Sex Ratio

Why in News Recently, C Rangarajan (former Chairman, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council) argued that there is an urgent need to reach...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Global Hunger Index 2020

Why in News India has been ranked at 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020. Global Hunger Index Annual Report: Jointly...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
First 'Har Ghar Jal' State: Goa

Why in News Recently, Goa has become the first 'Har Ghar Jal' State in the country as it successfully provided 100% Functional Household Tap...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Increased Emissions of N2O

Why in News According to a recent research paper, human emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) have increased by 30% between 1980 and 2016. The...

17 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Road to Zero Hunger

This article is based on “The road to zero hunger by 2030” which was published in The Hindu on 16/10/2020. It talks about the...

16 Oct 2020 News Editorials
SC on Crimes and Violence Against Women

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court has said that crimes against women continued in a “never-ending cycle” in India. Key...

16 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Right of Passage of the Animals

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the 2011 order of the Madras High Court (HC) on the Nilgiris elephant corridor, affirming the...

16 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Uranium Supply From Australia to India

Why in News Recently, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has turned down the offers submitted by the two Australian companies for commencing...

16 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Vehicle Scrapping in India

Why in News Recently, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released a report titled “What to do with old vehicles: Towards...

16 Oct 2020 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) {},
		(int) 1 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 2 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 3 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {}
	],
	'searchdata' => [],
	'searchlist' => [
		(int) 0 => [
			'title' => '10 Years of National Green Tribunal',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-hues-in-the-green-tribunals-resilient-journey/article32887705.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The hues in the green tribunal&rsquo;s resilient journey&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 19/10/2020. It talks about the benefits and associated challenges with the National Green Tribunal.</p>
</div>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal (NGT)</strong></a> is one of the few dedicated environmental courts in the world. The jurisdiction of NGT has an all-encompassing scope, which covers forests, wildlife, environment, climate change and coastal protection.</p>
<p>Since its inception, the NGT has protected vast acres of forest land, halted polluting construction activities in metros and smaller towns. It has protected the rights of tribal communities and ensured the enforcement of the &ldquo;polluter pays&rdquo; principle in letter and spirit.</p>
<p>Within its decade of existence, the NGT has delivered some important judgments and has given a new outlook to environmental jurisprudence in India. However, there are several challenges that act as a roadblock in efficient functioning of the NGT.</p>
<h3>Genesis of NGT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>M.C. Mehta &amp; Anr. Etc vs Union Of India &amp; Ors. Etc (1986) case:</strong> The then Chief Justice of India, Justice P.N. Bhagwati had suggested setting up Environmental Courts because:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to more cases involving issues of environmental pollution, ecological destruction and conflicts over natural resources.</li>
<li>Increasing need for assessment and evolution of scientific and technical data regarding environmental matters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A.P. Pollution Control Board vs Prof. M.V. Nayudu (1999) case:</strong> The Supreme Court in the landmark case, emphasised on the need for a court that was &ldquo;a combination of a Judge and Technical Experts&rdquo; with an appeal to the Supreme Court from the Environmental Court.</li>
<li><strong>Establishment of NGT:</strong> The NGT was established on 18<sup>th</sup> October, 2010 under the <strong>National Green Tribunal Act 2010</strong> for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.</li>
<li>The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Judgment Given By NGT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the<strong> Almitra H Patel Vs Union of India case,</strong> it directed states to implement Solid Waste Management Rules and prohibited open burning of waste on lands.</li>
<li>In 2012, NGT suspended the clearance given to the South Korean steel maker, POSCO, to set up a 12 million-tonne steel plant in Odisha.</li>
<li>In the<strong> Save Mon Federation Vs Union of India case,</strong> the NGT suspended a ₹6,400-crore hydro project, to save the habitat of a bird.</li>
<li>A December 2016 amendment to EIA 2006 notification &mdash; the amendments basically sought to give local authorities powers to grant environmental clearance to builders &mdash; was nullified by the NGT, terming it as a &ldquo;ploy&rdquo; (by the government) to circumvent the 2006 rules.</li>
<li>Many Projects which were approved in violation of the law such as an Aranmula Airport, Kerala; Lower Demwe Hydro Power Project and Nyamnjangu in Arunachal Pradesh; mining projects in in Goa; and coal mining projects in Chhattisgarh were either cancelled or fresh assessments were directed.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits of NGT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Dedicated Court For Environmental Matters:</strong> NGT ensures enforcement of any legal right relating to the environment and provides relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from this, the burden on the High Courts and the Supreme Court is also reduced.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Allows Specialization:</strong> NGT is staffed with judges and environmental experts. This makes it a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NGT also employs legal and scientific methods and assessed environment impact assessment reports before deciding the case.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Wider Reach:</strong> The quality of time spent on these issues could also be increased as, unlike the Supreme Court, the tribunal could have benches in various States, thereby increasing access to all citizens.</li>
<li><strong>Time Bound Disposal of Cases:</strong> The Tribunal is mandated to make an endeavor for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Limit to Jurisdiction:</strong> Two important acts - <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/without-land-or-recourse-scheduled-tribes-and-other-traditional-forest-dwellers-recognition-of-forest-rights-act-2006" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006</strong> </a>have been kept out of NGT&rsquo;s jurisdiction. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This restricts the jurisdiction area of NGT and at times hampers its functioning as the crucial forest rights issue is linked directly to the environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Obstacle to Development:</strong> Decisions of NGT have also been criticised and challenged due to their repercussions on economic growth and development.</li>
<li><strong>Looming Vacancies:</strong> NGT only has three judicial and three expert members against the sanctioned strength of 10 each.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lack of human and financial resources has led to high pendency of cases - which undermines NGT&rsquo;s very objective of disposal of appeals within 6 months.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Additional Layer to Judicial Process:</strong> NGT was conceptualised to ease out the burden on the higher courts. However, the Supreme Court in L Chandrakumar case, opined that Tribunals could not be effective substitutes of High Courts under Articles 226 and 227. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This eventually leads to cases reaching the judiciary by way of appeal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limited Regional Benches:</strong> NGT being located in only big cities spread across India. However, environmental exploitation is also taking place in the tribal areas of dense forest. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, the justice delivery mechanism is also hindered by a limited number of regional benches.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Expansion of Regional Benches:</strong> NGT benches have to expand manifolds. These new regional benched should have been based in a place that has the highest forest cover or large mineral deposit.</li>
<li><strong>System of Larger Bench in NGT:</strong> Appeal may be provided against the order of the NGT before a larger Bench of the Tribunal before the matter reaches to the Supreme Court or High Court.</li>
<li><strong>Addressing Administrative Inadequacy:</strong> Vacancies in NGT, needs to be filled as soon as possible.</li>
<li><strong>Collaborative Approach:</strong> There is a need for the central and state governments to work in collaboration with the NGT for balancing between environment &amp; economy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NGT should also identify institutions and experts who can help it to scientifically estimate environmental damages/compensation/fines on a case-to-case basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>In the present era, equilibrium between development and environment is of utmost importance.</p>
<p>Therefore, NGT should not be seen as an not been seen as obstacle to development but a way to sustainable development&ldquo;. Thus, the government must address all underlying issues related to NGT as soon as possible.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #a600ff; background-color: #fffbeb;">
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given a new outlook to environmental jurisprudence in India. Critically Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/10-years-of-national-green-tribunal'
		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Israel and Bahrain Diplomatic Ties',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Bahrain and Israel are signing a <strong>joint communique</strong> on the establishment<strong> of diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations,</strong> as well as a number of <strong>memorandums of understanding</strong> in areas of mutual benefit.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603101908_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603101908_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bahrain has a history of open politics and civil society movements, although rights have been curtailed in the past decade.</li>
<li>The decision to normalise ties comes from the belief in the values of tolerance in a region whose people have suffered from wars and conflicts.</li>
<li>The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain became only the third and fourth Arab states to agree to normalise ties with Israel, following Israel&rsquo;s <strong>1979</strong> peace deal with Egypt and a <strong>1994</strong> pact with Jordan.</li>
<li>Under the deal, <strong>Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Bank</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The West Bank is<strong> sandwiched between Israel and Jordan.</strong> One of its major cities is <strong>Ramallah,</strong> the <strong>de facto administrative capital of Palestine.</strong></li>
<li>Israel took control of it in the<strong> Six-day Arab-Israeli war, 1967</strong> and has over the years established settlements there.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on the USA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the second deal in 2020 after the Israel-UAE Peace Deal brokered by the USA. The recognition<strong> grants a diplomatic win</strong> to the USA President Donald Trump ahead of the Presidential election.</li>
<li>The deal buys UAE a lot of <strong>goodwill in the US,</strong> where its image has been tarnished by its involvement in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ceasefire-in-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Yemen war</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Saudi Arabia</strong> made clear that it will not normalise ties without a resolution to the Palestinian issue despite signs of rapprochement.</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For Palestine:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Palestinians have not embraced the USA&rsquo;s vision. 86% of Palestinians believed the normalization agreements with the UAE and Bahrain served only Israel&rsquo;s interests and not their own.</li>
<li>For Palestinians, who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the announcement <strong>marked both a win and setback</strong> for the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/israel-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Israel-Palestine relations.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While the deal <strong>halts Israeli annexation plans of the west Bank,</strong> the Palestinians have repeatedly <strong>urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement</strong> establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Shia-Sunni rifts</strong> in the region may get wide and violent.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Saudi Arabia (Sunni) and Iran (representing Shia) have a long history of enmity. For decades, one of the main sources of instability in West Asia has been the cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.</li>
<li>The Sunni-Shiite schism may also provoke violence between Muslims in such places as Pakistan, Nigeria and Indonesia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Interest in West Asia:</strong> A peaceful and prosperous West Asia is necessary for India. Such deals between Arab Countries and Israel are having a positive impact for Indian interests in the region. Also, difficulty in balancing Arab countries and Israel will become easy. Indian interests include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Geopolitical:</strong> West Asia occupies an important position in international relations due to its geographical location and proximity to continents and countries South Asia, China, Central Asia, Europe, and Africa.</li>
<li><strong>Energy:</strong> The region is strategically significant due to its enormous energy resources, trade route links to different parts of the world.</li>
<li>It is the world's largest oil-producing region accounting for 34% of world production, 45% of crude oil exports and 48% of oil proven reserves.</li>
<li><strong>Diaspora:</strong> Indian expatriates have constituted a substantial share of the regional labour market.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Remittances from the region constitute a major chunk of total remittances to India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A balance between <strong>Shia and Sunni,</strong> between Iran and Arab, is key to any sustainable peace.</li>
<li>The US may be a pre-eminent power in the Middle East, but Russia has made a space for itself, spending a lot less money. In recent years, China has indicated its willingness to play a larger role in this region.</li>
<li>India should make its moves before this market and this extended neighbourhood come under the Chinese sphere of influence.</li>
<li>A deal that could, if played right, open the doors for a changed geopolitical arrangement in the Middle East should have a stronger Indian footprint.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/israel-and-bahrain-to-formalise-diplomatic-ties/article32887549.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/israel-and-bahrain-diplomatic-ties'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Nobel Prize 2020',
			'catname' => 'Paper 2',
			'desc' => '<p>The Nobel Prizes regarded as the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement in the world are awarded annually from a fund bequeathed for that purpose by the Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is announced every year for excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Economics, and a distinguished achievement towards humanity &ndash; commonly known as the Nobel Peace Prize.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Physiology/Medicine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Nobel Prize has been awarded to American medical researchers and virologists <strong>Harvey J Alter</strong> and<strong> Charles M Rice,</strong> and British scientist<strong> Michael Houghton</strong> for the discovery of Hepatitis C which was discovered in 1982 by screening millions of DNA samples.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The discovery of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-hepatitis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Hepatitis C</strong></a> virus revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic hepatitis and made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Hepatitis:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hepatitis refers to an <strong>inflammatory condition of the liver.</strong></li>
<li>It&rsquo;s commonly caused by a<strong> viral infection,</strong> but there are other possible causes of hepatitis like autoimmune responses, medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol.</li>
<li>There are 5 main <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-hepatitis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>hepatitis</strong> </a>viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D, and E.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-hepatitis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Hepatitis Day</strong></a> is observed each year on 28<sup>th</sup> July to enhance awareness of viral hepatitis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hepatitis C is caused by the <strong>Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first, (hepatitis A), is transmitted by polluted water or food and generally has little long-term impact on the patient.</li>
<li>The second type is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids and represents a much more serious threat since it can lead to a chronic condition.</li>
<li>This form of hepatitis is insidious, as otherwise healthy individuals can be silently infected for many years before serious complications arise.</li>
<li>It is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids, typically through injection drug use and sexual contact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Physics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prize-in-physics-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nobel Prize in Physics</strong></a> for the year 2020 was awarded to three astrophysicists <strong>Roger Penrose</strong> from the UK, <strong>Reinhard Genzel</strong> from Germany, and<strong> Andrea Ghez</strong> from the USA.</li>
<li>Roger Penrose received half of this year&rsquo;s prize for the discovery that a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/blacl-holes-dark-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>black hole</strong></a> formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The theory explains gravity, as objects try to follow a straight line through a universe whose geometry is warped by matter and energy. As a result, planets, as well as light beams, follow curving paths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Genzel and Ghez received the second half of the prize for the discovery of a <strong>supermassive black hole</strong> at the centre of the Milkyway galaxy, now known to be the Sagittarius A*. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a mass four million times that of the Sun and is confined to an area roughly the size of our Solar System.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What is a black hole?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The term &lsquo;black hole&rsquo; was coined in the mid-1960s by American Physicist <strong>John Archibald Wheeler.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Black hole refers to a point in space where matter is so compressed as to create a gravity field from which even light cannot escape.</li>
<li>Black-holes were<strong> theorized</strong> by <strong>Albert Einstein</strong> in 1915.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>All the black holes observed so far belong to two categories:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One category ranges between a few solar masses and tens of solar masses. These are thought to form when massive stars die.</li>
<li>The other category is of supermassive black holes. These range from hundreds of thousands to billions of times that of the sun from the Solar system to which Earth belongs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In April 2019, the scientists at the Event Horizon Telescope Project released the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-images-of-a-black-hole" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> first-ever image of a Black Hole</strong></a> (more precisely, of its shadow).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The image was made possible by the Event Horizon Telescope which is a group of 8 radio telescopes (used to detect radio waves from space) located in different parts of the world.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/intermediate-mass-black-hole" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gravitational waves</strong></a> are created when two black holes orbit each other and merge.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Chemistry</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Emmanuelle Charpentier</strong> of France and <strong>Jennifer A Doudna</strong> of the USA have been awarded the 2020 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prizes-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nobel Prize</strong> </a>in Chemistry for developing CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, one of gene technology&rsquo;s sharpest tools.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is for the first time a Nobel science prize has gone to a women-only team.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors</strong> can be used to change the<strong> deoxyribonucleic acid</strong> (DNA) of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The CRISPR/Cas9 tool has already <strong>contributed to significant gains in crop resilience,</strong> altering their genetic code to<strong> better withstand drought and pests.</strong></li>
<li>The technology has contributed to new<strong> cancer</strong> therapies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>CRISPR Technology</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The CRISPR (short for <strong>Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats</strong>) technology for gene-editing was first developed in 2012.</li>
<li>It makes gene sequencing very easy, simple and extremely efficient providing nearly endless possibilities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Editing, or modifying, gene sequences is not new and has been happening for several decades now, particularly in the field of agriculture, where several crops have been genetically modified to provide particular traits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in Streptococcus pyogenes that use a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to repair itself but the auto-repair mechanism can lead to the re-growth of a problematic sequence.</li>
<li>Scientists intervene during this auto-repair process by supplying the desired sequence of genetic codes, which replaces the original sequence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Peace</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/food-crisis-amid-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Food Programme</strong> </a>(WFP), a <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong> </a>(UN) agency, for its efforts to combat hunger, bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The WPF is the UN&rsquo;s primary agency that works upon <strong>Eradicating Hunger</strong> which is one the UN&rsquo;s <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals.</strong></a></li>
<li>The WFP provided assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 countries who are victims of acute food insecurity and hunger.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>WFP in India:</strong> It has been working in India since 1963 where it has focused upon reforms in the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/public-distribution-system-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Targeted Public Distribution System</strong> </a>(TPDS) and provided policy inputs, advocacy and technical assistance for improving access to food.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The WFP has proposed unique initiatives like <strong>Automatic Grain Dispensing Machine (Annapurti)</strong> and<strong> Mobile Storage Units</strong> for the effective implementation of TPDS.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Food Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was established in 1961 by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-march-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food and Agriculture Organisation</a> (FAO)</strong> and the<strong> United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)</strong> and became a full-fledged UN programme in 1965.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarter:</strong> Rome, Italy.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Economic Sciences</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>American economists, <strong>Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson</strong> have been awarded the <strong>Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences,</strong> 2020 for their work on commercial auctions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The award is <strong>popularly but incorrectly</strong> known as Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, (as it is not one of the five Nobel prizes that Alfred Nobel established in his will in 1895, it is not a Nobel Prize).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It was created in 1968 by a donation from Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank to the<strong> Nobel Foundation to commemorate the bank's 300<sup>th</sup> anniversary</strong> and includes a <strong>10 million Swedish kronor award money</strong> (₹8.33 crores roughly).</li>
<li>Milgrom and Wilson improved the auction theory and invented new auction formats for auctioning off many interrelated objects simultaneously, on behalf of a seller motivated by broad societal benefit rather than maximal revenue.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Robert Wilson</strong> developed the theory for auctions of objects with a common value &ndash; a value which is uncertain beforehand but, in the end, is the same for everyone.</li>
<li><strong>Paul Milgrom</strong> formulated a more general theory of auctions that not only allows common values, but also private values that vary from bidder to bidder.</li>
<li>Their work will benefit <strong>sellers, buyers and taxpayers</strong> around the world. It will help in auctioning goods and services, such as<strong> radio frequencies,</strong> which are difficult to sell in traditional ways.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Auction Theory</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Auction theory studies how auctions are designed, what rules govern them, how bidders behave and what outcomes are achieved.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Auctions are important to economists because they are the most widely used and also the <strong>most efficient mechanism to allocate scarce resources.</strong></li>
<li>The allocation of scarce resources, in turn, matters to economists because there is a limited supply of resources on earth when compared to unlimited human needs, and hence they need to be allocated only to the most urgent needs of society.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Application of auction:</strong> Auctions happen almost everywhere in the modern world. Even the sale of groceries in retail stores is based on an auction, albeit an implicit one that is relatively slow to adjust to changing market conditions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The oldest form of auction is the auction of a bankrupt person&rsquo;s property to pay off his creditors. This simple design of such an auction is the highest open bidder getting the property (or the commodity in question).</li>
<li><strong>Allocation of capital good:</strong> More sophisticated and explicit auction mechanisms are used in the allocation of capital goods such as spectrum and minerals. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Over time, the format of auctions has widened to include other commodities such as carbon dioxide emission credits, electricity or the right to collect the local garbage etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>For e.g.</strong> a supermarket manager, just as an auctioneer, tries to price his goods based on how much of it is sold during a certain day, week, or month. If there is a huge demand for a certain product and shelves empty quickly, the supermarket manager will raise its price to prevent a shortage. If another product fails to sell as fast as expected, its price may be lowered in order to clear any unsold inventory.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>But whether it is the auction of spectrum waves or the sale of fruits and vegetables, auctions are at the core of allocation of scarce resources in a market economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Auction models:</strong> Different auction models are needed for depending upon the commodities, purpose of the auction and the entities conducting the auction.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For e.g.</strong> Maximizing the profit may be the motive of a private auction while making a service affordable can be the purpose of auctioning a service by the government. Wrong auction design can lead to a second-hand market where companies trade among themselves with little revenue accruing to the government or little benefit to the public.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>How an auction is designed, has a tremendous impact not just on the buyers and the sellers but also on the broader society.</li>
<li><strong>Key variables:</strong> Three key variables need to be understood while designing an auction.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Rules of Auction</strong> i.e. closed/sealed bids, single bids versus multiple bids.</li>
<li><strong>Commodity or service</strong> being put up for auction i.e. how does each bidder value an item.</li>
<li><strong>Uncertainty</strong> regarding which bidder has what information about the object, or even the value another bidder associates with the object.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Literature</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 has been awarded to the USA poet <strong>Louise Gl&uuml;ck</strong> "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Her poetry focuses on the painful reality of being human, dealing with themes such as death, childhood, and family life.</li>
<li>She is the fourth woman to win the prize for literature since 2010, and only the 16<sup>th</sup> since the Nobel prizes were first awarded in 1901.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Nobel Prize comes with a medal and a prize sum of 10 million Swedish kronor.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Contribution of Indians</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Poet and writer <strong>Rabindranath Tagore</strong> was the <strong>first non-European and Indian</strong> to get a Nobel Prize in 1913 in literature.</li>
<li>India received its first Nobel Prize in physics in 1930, when scientist Sir <strong>Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman</strong> was awarded &ldquo;for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him&rdquo;. This phenomenon is now known as Raman Effect.</li>
<li><strong>Har Gobind Khorana</strong> shared his 1968 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Robert W Holley and Marshall W Nirenberg. The trio was honoured <strong>&ldquo;for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mother Teresa</strong> won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She was a Roman Catholic nun who was born in Albania. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and worked all her life for the poor. She became an <strong>Indian citizen</strong> as well. She received the prize for her &ldquo;work in bringing help to suffering humanity&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Indian physicist <strong>Subramanyan Chandrasekhar</strong> was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics, which he shared with physicist William Alfred Fowler. He was awarded <strong>&ldquo;for theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Amartya Sen</strong> was the winner of the 1998 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences. He was rewarded &ldquo;for his contributions to welfare economics&rdquo;.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s first Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry was won by <strong>Venkatraman Ramakrishnan.</strong> He received the 2009 Nobel Prize<strong> &ldquo;for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome&rdquo;.</strong> He shared the award with Thomas A Steitz and Ada E Yonath.</li>
<li><strong>Kailash Satyarthi,</strong> along with Malala Yousafzai, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. He received the honour &ldquo;for the struggle against the suppression of children and young people, and for the right of all children to education.&rdquo;</li>
<li>The Indian-American economist <strong>Abhijit Banerjee</strong> was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer. The trio received the award for their<strong> &ldquo;experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/Paper2/nobel-prize-2020'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Dolphins in Pearl River Estuary',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to a recent report, <strong>Chinese pink dolphins</strong> are making a comeback in the <strong>Pearl River Estuary</strong> (PRE).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins</strong> are also known as <strong>Chinese white dolphins or pink dolphins,</strong> reflecting the colour of their skin.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pearl River Estuary:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It includes <strong>Hong Kong, Macau as well as the mainland Chinese cities</strong> of Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan. Around 22 million people live in the area.</li>
<li>The <strong>Pearl River Delta,</strong> the low-lying area surrounding the PRE where the Pearl River flows into the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/south-china-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South China Sea</strong></a>, is one of the world&rsquo;s <strong>most densely urbanised, heavily industrialised and busiest shipping lanes</strong> on Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099617_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099617_image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Current Scenario and Reasons Behind:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Dolphins use<strong> echolocation</strong> to find their way in the water and the ships often disturb them in finding their way and even kill them.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Echolocation</strong> is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to<strong> determine the location of objects using reflected sound.</strong></li>
<li>This allows the animals to move around in pitch darkness, so they can navigate, hunt, identify friends and enemies, and avoid obstacles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, dolphin numbers in the waters between Hong Kong and Macau have seen a rebound in 2020 because<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> has <strong>stopped ferries and hence reduced their traffic.</strong></li>
<li>The number of pink dolphins in the waters has <strong>roughly increased by a third</strong> according to scientists.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099917_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099917_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Sousa Chinensis.</em></li>
<li><strong>Habitat Range:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Its total range is in coastal waters<strong> from central China southward throughout Southeast Asia</strong> and<strong> westward to the Bay of Bengal,</strong> with highest densities in and around estuaries.</li>
<li>The distribution is <strong>fragmented</strong> such that these dolphins are apparently<strong> absent from fairly long stretches of coastline.</strong> It is not always clear whether the fragmentation is &lsquo;natural&rsquo; or caused by human activities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/living-planet-report-wwf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Wildlife Fund for Nature</strong></a> (WWF) says the population in the PRE is believed to be around 2,500, but falling numbers of young could reduce numbers in future.</li>
<li>They have <strong>seen a decline in their numbers in the past 15 years by 70-80%.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Agricultural, industrial, and urban pollution.</li>
<li>Overfishing.</li>
<li>Marine construction including bridge-building and land creation for airport expansion and residential/office development.</li>
<li>Transport including fast ferries.</li>
<li>Selling into captivity at marine &ldquo;entertainment&rdquo; parks and aquariums worldwide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Effects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Loss of suitable habitat, the mortality of dolphins from entanglements and vessel strikes, and the possible effects of chemical, sewage and noise pollution on their health.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conservation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN</strong> </a>Status: <strong>Vulnerable.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/global-eco-watch-chinese-pink-dolphin-numbers-rise-in-pearl-river-estuary-73842#:~:text=Chinese%20pink%20dolphins%20are%20making,of%20Shenzhen%2C%20Guangzhou%20and%20Dongguan." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dolphins-in-pearl-river-estuary'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Pro-Democracy Protests in Thailand',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Thailand&rsquo;s government banned gatherings of<strong> more than five people</strong> in the face of <strong>three months of escalating demonstrations</strong> that have targeted the <strong>King</strong> as well as the <strong>Prime Minister.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602937058_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602937058_image7.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Initially, the government allowed peaceful and lawful protests but now stringent control, due to anarchy in protests.</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong> The roots of the current discontentment go back to the <strong>2014 coup</strong> which brought the <strong>junta (military dictatorship)</strong> in power which tightened its grip on power and introduced more and more restrictions on the public.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2017,</strong> the military introduced a <strong>new Constitution,</strong> which allowed the military to appoint a <strong>250-member Senate</strong> that would play a role in selecting the <strong>Prime Minister.</strong></li>
<li>The country held the <strong>delayed Parliamentary</strong> election in<strong> 2019,</strong> which was seen as a mere exercise to transfer power from the junta to an elected government.</li>
<li><strong>Role of Monarchy:</strong> Thailand&rsquo;s royal family has considerable influence over the country&rsquo;s political system and is revered by citizens. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Many, particularly young Thais, have increasingly started questioning the monarchy&rsquo;s role, its privileges, and the power it has exerted in the country for years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Latest Cause:</strong> Anti-government protests emerged last year after courts banned the most vocal opposition party. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This political party was relatively new, and had been formed in 2018, with the goals to restrain the military&rsquo;s powers and interference in the political spectrum and to tackle social and economic inequality in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Protest:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most of the protestors are students and young people in their 20s. There is<strong> no overall leader.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Key Groups:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Free Youth Movement,</strong> which was behind the first major protest in July.</li>
<li>The <strong>United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration,</strong> a student group from Bangkok&rsquo;s Thammasat University, which has championed calls for monarchy reform.</li>
<li>The<strong> Bad Student Movement</strong> of high-schoolers, which seeks education reform.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demands:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Reforms to the Monarchy:</strong> Students submitted 10 demands to the government, asking for a separation of the King&rsquo;s assets and the Crown Property Bureau (quasi-government institution to manage the monarch's property in Thailand).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They also wanted to cut the Palace&rsquo;s share in the national budget, a ban on the King from expressing his political views, and safeguards to prevent him from endorsing future coups.</li>
<li>Some protesters <strong>want to reverse a 2017 increase in the king&rsquo;s constitutional powers,</strong> made the year after he succeeded his widely revered late father King Bhumibol Adulyadej.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Lese Majeste Laws:</strong> The monarchy is protected by<strong> Section 112 of the Penal Code,</strong> which says whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir-apparent or regent shall be jailed for three to 15 years.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This law has remained virtually unchanged since the creation of the country's first criminal code in 1908, although the penalty was toughened in 1976.</li>
<li>Protesters also seek the scrapping of<strong> lese majeste laws.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pro-democracy activists</strong> say that Thailand is backtracking on the constitutional monarchy established when absolute royal rule ended in<strong> 1932.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Also, the monarchy is too close to the army and argue that this has undermined democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Demands:</strong> The students have also called for the Prime Minister&rsquo;s resignation; a new Constitution; fresh, free and fair elections; and an end to attacks on dissidents and opposition parties such as the Future Forward Party.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The democratic voice must be heard in Thai Protests not merely a promise of superficial democracy. For India also, it is a critical time to observe the outcome of the protest but wiser is to engage constructively with the regime in regard to democracy and human rights.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/thailand-protests-explained-6734960/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pro-democracy-protests-in-thailand'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Ministry of Culture has issued guidelines for<strong> holding cultural events/activities in virtual/online mode</strong> under various scheme components of <strong>Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana</strong> (KSVY).</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> and the resultant<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> lockdowns</strong></a> have had a substantial <strong>impact on the performing arts and cultural sector</strong> with in-person exhibitions, events, and performances either cancelled or postponed.<strong> Example: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/behrupiya-folk-artiste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Behrupiyas</a>.</strong></li>
<li>The guidelines will <strong>enable artists to avail benefits under KSVY</strong> even if they are not able to stage programs in the physical format as before and will <strong>ensure continued financial assistance.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana</strong> (KSVY) is an <strong>umbrella scheme</strong> under the Ministry of Culture for the <strong>promotion of art and culture</strong> in the country.</li>
<li>It is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>central sector scheme.</strong></a></li>
<li>The ministry implements <strong>many schemes under KSVY,</strong> where the grants are sanctioned/approved for holding programs/activities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scheme of Financial Assistance for Promotion of Art and Culture.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Scheme of Financial Assistance for Creation of Cultural Infrastructure.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/draft-national-list-of-intangible-cultural-heritage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage</strong></a>, which aims to promote the <strong>13 intangible cultural heritage of India,</strong> recognised by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization</strong></a> (UNESCO).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602936681_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602936681_image6.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1665035" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kala-sanskriti-vikas-yojana'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Skewed Gender Ratio',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/population-fertility-rate-sex-ration-india-6758043/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The real population worry&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 17/10/2020. It talks about the worrisome trend in the decline of sex ratio at birth in India.</p>
</div>
<p>The recently released <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/population-explosion-and-fertility-rates#:~:text=Total%20Fertility%20Rate&amp;text=The%20latest%20estimates%20(for%202017,the%20end%20of%20childbearing%20age." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical report (2018)</strong> </a>which measures the global population projection, highlighted that fertility rate has been declining in India for some time now.</p>
<p>The report estimated that India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/population-explosion-and-fertility-rates#:~:text=Total%20Fertility%20Rate&amp;text=The%20latest%20estimates%20(for%202017,the%20end%20of%20childbearing%20age." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Total Fertility Rate</strong> </a>(TFR) was around 2.2 in the year 2018, which is close to the replacement rate of 2.1. This clearly marks the success of government measures to bring population control.</p>
<p>However, on flip side the SRS report highlights the declining sex ratio at birth in India that has further got reduced from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018. The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-the-world-population-2020-unfpa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population 2020</strong></a> held that sex ratio at birth in India is lower than all the countries in the world except China.</p>
<p>Therefore, along with stabling of population , government and society needs to address the declining sex ratio and subsequenlty gender discrimination.</p>
<h3>Reasons For Skewed Sex Ratio</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gender Bias:</strong> According to information from the UNPFA, reasons for female infanticide include anti-female bias, as women are often seen as subservient to men, who often employ positions of power.</li>
<li><strong>Son-Preference:</strong> In addition, parents believe they will be better taken care of in their old age by men, as men are perceived as the principal wage earners of the family.</li>
<li><strong>Social Practices:</strong> Parents of girls are usually expected to pay a dowry, which could be a massive expense, avoided by raising males.</li>
<li><strong>Counter Effect of Rise in Income:</strong> Contrary to popular perception, in India&rsquo;s sex ratio at birth declined even as per capita income increased nearly 10 times over the last 65 years, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of government data.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This could be because rising income, which results in increased literacy, makes it easier for families to access sex-selective procedures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related to Lower Sex ratio at Birth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gender-imbalance:</strong> Prof. Amartya Kumar Sen, in his world famous article <strong>&ldquo;Missing Women‟</strong> has statistically proved that during the last century, 100 million women have been missing in south Asia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is due to discrimination leading to death, experienced by them <strong>from womb to tomb in their life cycles.</strong></li>
<li>An adverse child sex ratio is also reflected in the distorted gender makeup of the entire population.</li>
<li>Acording to World Bank, in 2031, India will have 936 females per 1,000 males, lower than the sex ratio in 1951 of 946 females per 1,000 males.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Distortion in the Marriage System:</strong> Adverse ratio results in a gross imbalance in the number of men and women and its inevitable impact on marriage systems as well as other harms to women.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In India, some villages in Haryana and Punjab have such poor sex ratios that men <strong>&ldquo;import&rdquo; brides</strong> from other States. This is often accompanied by the exploitation of these brides.</li>
<li>There are concerns that skewed sex ratios lead to more violence against both men and women, as well as human-trafficking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bringing Behavioural Change:</strong> Increasing female education and economic prosperity help to improve the ratio. In this pursuit, The government&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-its-sex-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Beti-Bachao Beti Padhao Campaign</strong></a> has achieved remarkable success in bringing behavioural change in the society.</li>
<li><strong>Sensitizing Youth:</strong> There is an urgent need to reach young people for reproductive health education and services as well as to cultivate gender equity norms.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Regarding the services of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></a> can be leveraged, especially in rural areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Stringent Enforcement of Law:</strong> India must implement the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pre-conception-and-pre-natal-diagnostic-techniques-pcpndt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994</strong></a> more stringently and dedicate more resources to fighting the preference for boys.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/medical-equipment-notified-as-drugs#:~:text=Drugs%20Technical%20Advisory%20Board%20is,related%20to%20drugs%20and%20cosmetics." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Drugs Technical Advisory Board decision</strong></a> to include ultrasound machines in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, is a step in the right direction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Although India has created several impressive goals to reduce its population growth rates, India and the rest of the world has a long way to go to achieve meaningful population policy which are not only based on quantitative control but qualitative control as well.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602934862_image0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602934862_image0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-color: #ff0000; border-style: dotted; background-color: #f0ffed;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>In view of the complexity of son meta-preference resulting in gender-biased sex selection, government actions need to be supplemented by improving women&rsquo;s status in the society. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZiKwdIpY_eY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-editorials/the-coal-to-methane-path-to-low-carbon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The coal-to-methane path to low-carbon&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Economic Times on October 14<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/skewed-gender-ratio'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Atomic Hydrogen Content of Galaxies',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>In a significant discovery, the Pune-based <strong>Nationwide Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) and Raman Analysis Institute (RRI),</strong> Bengaluru have used the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-telescope-spots-distant-radio-galaxy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)</strong></a> to measure the <strong>atomic hydrogen</strong> content (of 8 billion years ago) of galaxies when the universe was young.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This will <strong>help in unveiling the reason behind declining star formation in the Milky Way</strong> in the present time.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Study:</strong> For the first time the atomic hydrogen gas content of star forming galaxies for a past date (about 8 billion years ago) was measured with the help of the upgraded GMRT.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Unlike stars which emit light strongly at optical wavelengths, the atomic hydrogen signal lies in the radio wavelengths, at a wavelength of 21 cm, and can only be detected with radio telescopes.</li>
<li><strong>Stacking:</strong> This 21 cm signal is intrinsically very weak, to overcome this limitation, the team used a technique called &ldquo;stacking&rdquo; to combine the 21 cm signals of nearly 8,000 galaxies that had earlier been identified with the help of optical telescopes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This method measures the average gas content of these galaxies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance of Discovery:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Galaxies in the universe are made up mostly of gas and stars, with gas being converted into stars throughout the life of a galaxy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Understanding galaxies requires us to determine how the amounts of both gas and stars change with time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The star formation activity in galaxies peaked about 8-10 billion years ago (galaxy was young) and has been declining steadily till today.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The cause of this decline was unknown as there had been no <strong>information regarding the amount of atomic hydrogen gas &mdash;</strong> the <strong>primary fuel for star formation</strong> &mdash; in galaxies in these early times.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The observed decline in star formation activity could thus be explained by the exhaustion of the atomic hydrogen. Given the intense star formation in these early galaxies, their atomic gas would be consumed by star formation in just one or two billion years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GMRT is an array of <strong>thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes of 45 metre diameter.</strong> It is operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. It is an<strong> indigenous project.</strong></li>
<li>It functions at the <strong>metre wavelength part of the radio spectrum</strong> because <strong>man-made radio interference is considerably lower</strong> in this part of the spectrum in India and there are <strong>many outstanding astrophysics problems</strong> which are best studied at metre wavelengths.</li>
<li>Detecting the 21 cm signal from the most distant galaxies in the universe was the main science goal of the GMRT, when it was designed and built by a team led by the late pioneering astrophysicist <strong>Govind Swarup</strong> in the 1980s and 1990s.</li>
<li>The big jump in sensitivity was due to the upgrade of the GMRT with new wide band receivers and electronics in 2017.</li>
<li>The<strong> location</strong> for GMRT, Pune meets several important criteria such as <strong>low man-made radio noise,</strong> availability of <strong>good communication,</strong> vicinity of <strong>industrial,</strong> educational and other infrastructure and, a geographical latitude sufficiently north of the geomagnetic equator in order to have a reasonably quiet ionosphere and yet be able to observe a good part of the southern sky as well.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-telescope-spots-distant-radio-galaxy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atomic-hydrogen-content-of-galaxies'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Bioremediation Mechanism for Oil Spills',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chnnai</strong> has developed an<strong> eco-friendly crude oil bioremediation mechanism technology</strong> using consortia (group of two or more species) of marine microbes<strong> wheat bran (WB)</strong> immobilized <strong>(microbes controlled degradation)</strong> on agro-residue bacterial cells.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Wheat bran</strong> is the hard outer layer of the <strong>wheat</strong> kernel. It's stripped away during the milling process.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Eco-friendly Crude Oil Bioremediation Mechanism Technology</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bioremediation:</strong> It can be defined as any process that uses microorganisms or their enzymes to remove and or<strong> neutralize contaminants within the environment to their original condition.</strong></li>
<li>In the marine ecosystem, deep sea<strong> hydrocarbonoclastic</strong> (ability to degrade hydrocarbon) microbial consortium plays an important role in breaking down <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-spill-in-siberia" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>oil in the event of a spill.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The microbial community serves as <strong>energetic primary degraders</strong> of a complex mixture of petroleum hydrocarbons into various aldehydes, ketones and acidic metabolites.</li>
<li>These hydrocarbon degrading bacteria don&rsquo;t depend on hydrocarbons for survival, but have a metabolic mechanism where they use petroleum products as<strong> carbon and energy source</strong> and thus, help cleaning up oil spills.</li>
<li>The <strong>complete breakdown and degradation</strong> of crude oil is achievable using <strong>wheat bran marine bacterial consortia</strong> (which are <strong>low-cost non-toxic</strong> agro-residues) in an environmentally sustainable manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Advantages of Immobilized State:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They are more <strong>effective in their immobilised state</strong> than the free bacteria cells in degrading the oil spills. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They could remove 84% of the oils within 10 days. The free bacterial cells degraded a maximum of 60% of the crude oil at optimised conditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>They are more<strong> versatile and resistant</strong> to adverse conditions.</li>
<li>They have<strong> efficacy in treating accidental bulk discharge of oil</strong> in marine environments through non-toxic clean-up technology.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Oil Spill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an<strong> accidental/uncontrolled release</strong> of crude oil, gasoline, fuels, or other oil by-products into the environment. Oil spills can pollute land, air, or water, though it is mostly used for oceanic oil spills.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recent <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-spill-in-mauritius" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>MV Wakashio spill off Mauritius</strong></a> &mdash; about 1,000 tonnes of oil spilled into a sanctuary for rare wildlife after the Japanese ship struck a coral reef in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cause:</strong> They have become a major environmental problem, chiefly as a result of <strong>intensified petroleum exploration and production</strong> on continental shelves and the transport of large amounts of oils in vessels.</li>
<li><strong>Measure: Cleaning</strong> up of the oil spillage from the oceans <strong>without damaging the marine ecosystem</strong> is becoming an increasingly challenging task.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Containment Booms:</strong> Floating barriers, called booms are used to restrict the spread of oil and to allow for its recovery, removal, or dispersal.</li>
<li><strong>Skimmers:</strong> They are devices used for physically separating spilled oil from the water&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li><strong>Sorbents:</strong> Various sorbents (e.g., straw, volcanic ash, and shavings of polyester-derived plastic) that absorb the oil from the water are used.</li>
<li><strong>Dispersing agents:</strong> These are chemicals that contain surfactants, or compounds that act to break liquid substances such as oil into small droplets. They accelerate its natural dispersion into the sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/microbes-to-fight-oil-spillage-in-oceans-indian-scientists-devise-new-technology-73828" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bioremediation-mechanism-for-oil-spills'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Guidelines for Digital Media Regulation',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Centre has announced <strong>new guidelines</strong> for <strong>digital news platforms.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>New Guidelines:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government has put emphasis on compliance to the <strong>26% <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-foreign-direct-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Direct Investment</a> (FDI)</strong> cap under the government approval route in digital media.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>26% FDI through the government approval route in the digital media sector was brought in 2019. FDI in print media is capped at 26%, and that in TV news is 49%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The majority of the directors on the company&rsquo;s board, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company would have to be an<strong> Indian citizen.</strong></li>
<li>All foreign employees working for more than 60 days would need <strong>security clearance.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If the government denies or withdraw security clearance, the digital media company will ensure that the concerned person resigns or his/her services are terminated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The government has given a year to digital media news entities to align their shareholding with these requirements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Application:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The guidelines will be applicable to the following categories of entities registered or located in India: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Digital media entities</strong> which streams/uploads news and current affairs on websites, apps or other platforms.</li>
<li><strong>News agency</strong> which gathers, writes and distributes/transmits news, directly or indirectly, to digital media entities and/or news aggregators.</li>
<li><strong>News aggregator,</strong> an entity which uses software of web applications to aggregate news content from various sources, such as news websites, blogs, podcasts, video blogs, user submitted links, etc in one location.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will be considering in the near future to extend the following benefits, presently available to traditional media (print and TV), to digital media entities also:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Press Information Bureau (PIB) accreditation</strong> for its reporters, cameramen, videographers enabling them with better first-hand information and access including participation in official press conferences and such other interactions.</li>
<li>Persons with PIB accreditation can also avail <strong>Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) benefits and concessional rail fare.</strong></li>
<li>Eligibility for digital advertisements through the Bureau of Outreach and Communication.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Similar to self-regulating bodies in print and electronic media, <strong>entities in digital media can form self-regulating bodies</strong> for furthering their interests and interaction with the Government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Threat of fake news, propaganda vehicles, foreign influence</strong> and <strong>interference in India&rsquo;s domestic affairs is more real than ever,</strong> particularly from <strong>India&rsquo;s hostile neighbours like China and Pakistan.</strong></li>
<li>The guidelines could help the government in <strong>tightening the noose on Chinese and other foreign companies</strong> who are making investments in digital media in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Foreign Direct Investment</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FDI is an <strong>investment made by a firm or individual</strong> in one country into business interests located in another country.</li>
<li>Generally, FDI takes place when an investor establishes foreign business operations or acquires foreign business assets, including establishing ownership or controlling interest in a foreign company.</li>
<li>It is different from <strong>Foreign Portfolio Investment</strong> where the foreign entity merely buys equity shares of a company. FPI does not provide the investor with control over the business.</li>
<li><strong>Routes</strong> through which India gets FDI:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Automatic Route:</strong> In this, the foreign entity does not require the prior approval of the government or the RBI.</li>
<li><strong>Government route:</strong> In this, the foreign entity has to take the approval of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal</strong> (FIFP) facilitates the single window clearance of applications which are through approval route.</li>
<li>This portal is administered by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/digital-media-news-aggregators-agencies-need-to-comply-with-26-fdi-cap-govt-6757990/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/guidelines-for-digital-media-regulation'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Bodoland Statehood Movement',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <strong>new organisation</strong> (All India Bodo People&rsquo;s National League for Bodoland Statehood) has announced the <strong>revival of the Bodoland statehood movement</strong> ahead of the elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Bodos:</strong> These are the<strong> single largest community among the notified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-commission-for-scheduled-tribes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scheduled Tribes</a> in Assam.</strong> Part of the larger umbrella of<strong> Bodo-Kachari,</strong> the Bodos <strong>constitute about 5-6% of Assam&rsquo;s population.</strong></li>
<li><strong>About Bodo Statehood Movement:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>1967-68: First organised demand</strong> for a Bodo state came under the banner of the political party <strong>Plains Tribals Council of Assam. </strong></li>
<li><strong>1986:</strong> The armed group Bodo Security Force arose, which subsequently renamed itself <strong>&lsquo;National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)&rsquo;,</strong> an organisation that is known to be involved in attacks, killings, and extortions. It later split into factions.</li>
<li><strong>1987:</strong> All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) renewed the demand.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>fallout of the Assam Movement (1979-85),</strong> whose culmination - <strong>the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-clause-6-of-assam-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assam Accord</a></strong> - addressed the demands of protection and safeguards for the &ldquo;Assamese people&rdquo;, leading the Bodos to launch a movement to protect their own identity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>1990s:</strong> Indian <strong>security forces launched extensive operations against the NDFB,</strong> causing the latter to flee to bordering Bhutan. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In Bhutan, the group faced stiff<strong> counter-insurgency operations</strong> by the Indian Army and the Royal Bhutan Army in the early 2000s.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Interventions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>1993 Bodo Accord:</strong> The ABSU-led movement from 1987 culminated in a 1993 Bodo Accord, which paved the way for a <strong>Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC),</strong> but ABSU withdrew its agreement and renewed its demand for a separate state.</li>
<li><strong>2003 Bodo Accord:</strong> In 2003, the second Bodo Accord was signed by the extremist group Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF), the Centre and the state. This led to the <strong>Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>BTC is an <strong>autonomous body under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ladakh-under-sixth-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sixth Schedule</a></strong> of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The<strong> area under the jurisdiction of BTC</strong> was called the<strong> Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2020 Accord:</strong> The Central government signed a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bodo-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> tripartite agreement</strong></a> with the state government and different Bodo groups, including four factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), for a &ldquo;permanent&rdquo; solution to the Bodo issue. Some <strong>features:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602928645_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602928645_image2.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It provides for<strong> &ldquo;alteration of area of BTAD&rdquo;</strong> and <strong>&ldquo;provisions for Bodos outside BTAD&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>BTAD was renamed Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).</strong></li>
<li>It provides for <strong>more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers</strong> to BTC.</li>
<li>Provision for <strong>rehabilitation of surrendered militants of NDFB</strong> and bringing<strong> a special development package of Rs. 1,500 crore</strong> for the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Present Revival of the Bodoland Statehood Movement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the new organisation, the new (2020) accord has been a <strong>betrayal of the Bodo people.</strong> Besides being an<strong> inferior accord,</strong> it <strong>prescribes a reduction of the area currently under the BTC.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The accord has a provision for excluding from the BTR villages with more than 50% non-Bodos and including villages with more than 50% Bodo people left out of the BTC map after the 2003 accord.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>signatories of the accord will be under pressure</strong> to find a way out to ensure the successful implementation of the accord. Support of relevant organisations will be required.</li>
<li>Further, <strong>the opposition to the latest accord voiced by organisations of non-Bodo communities,</strong> including Koch-Rajbangshis, Adivasis and religious and linguistic minorities, has given rise to fears that if their grievances are not addressed, the ethnic fault lines in Assam will deepen. Thus, the accord&rsquo;s success will lie in the stakeholders working out a <strong>power-sharing arrangement</strong> in the BTR that <strong>privileges equity over hegemony.</strong></li>
<li>Peace will continue to be fragile in Assam&rsquo;s Bodo heartland until an <strong>all-inclusive power sharing and governance model</strong> is evolved under the<strong> provisions of the Sixth Schedule.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/new-group-to-revive-bodoland-statehood-stir/article32871458.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bodoland-statehood-movement'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'India & its Sex Ratio',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, C Rangarajan (former Chairman, Prime Minister&rsquo;s Economic Advisory Council) argued that there is an urgent need to reach young people <strong>both for reproductive health education and services </strong>as well as <strong>to cultivate gender equity norms.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>His arguments are based on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/declining-sex-ratio-and-fertility-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sample Registration System</strong></a> <strong>(SRS) Statistical Report (2018)</strong> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-the-world-population-2020-unfpa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population 2020.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>SRS Report</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SRS is the <strong>largest demographic sample survey</strong> in the country that among other indicators provide direct estimates of <strong>sex ratio, fertility rate etc.</strong> through a nationally representative sample.</li>
<li>It is brought by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-maternal-mortality-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Office of Registrar General</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>United Nation Population Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UNFPA is <strong>aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health</strong> worldwide. It is headquartered in <strong>New York.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sex Ratio at Birth:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Biologically normal sex ratio at birth is 1,050 males to 1,000 females or<strong> 950 females to 1,000 males.</strong></li>
<li>The SRS Report 2018 shows that sex ratio at birth in India, <strong>declined marginally from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Sex ratio is measured as the number of females per 1,000 males.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>UNFPA State of World Population 2020 estimated the sex ratio at birth in India as 910,</strong> which is on the lower side of index.</li>
<li>This is a cause for concern because this adverse ratio results in a gross imbalance in the number of men and women and its inevitable impact on marriage systems as well as other harms to women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Total Fertility Rate (TFR):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to SRS Report 2018, TFR has been declining in India for some time now. It <strong>declined from 2.4 to 2.2 during the period between 2011 and 2018.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2011, 10 states had a fertility rate<strong> below the replacement rate.</strong> This increased to 14 states in 2020.</li>
<li>Fertility is likely to continue to decline and it is estimated <strong>that replacement TFR of 2.1 would soon be reached for India</strong> as a whole.</li>
<li><strong>TFR</strong> is the number of children a mother would have at the current pattern of fertility during her lifetime.</li>
<li><strong>Replacement rate</strong> is the average number of children born per woman&mdash;at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, without migration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Many people believe that the population would stabilise</strong> or begin to reduce in a few years once replacement fertility is reached.</li>
<li><strong>However, this is not so</strong> because of the <strong>population momentum effect,</strong> a result of more people entering the reproductive age group of 15-49 years due to the<strong> past high-level of fertility.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For instance, the replacement fertility level was reached in Kerala around 1990, but its annual population growth rate was 0.7% in 2018, nearly 30 years later.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges Involved:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Regressive Mindset:</strong> There is <strong>considerable son preference</strong> in all states, except possibly in <strong>Kerala and Chhattisgarh.</strong> This son&rsquo;s preference is derived from a regressive mindset. <strong>E.g.:</strong> People associate girls with dowry.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of Technology:</strong> Cheaper technology like ultrasound helps in sex selection.</li>
<li><strong>Failure in Implementation of Law:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/revoke-order-weakening-pcpndt-act-aidwa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Prenatal Conception and Prenatal Determination Act (PC-PNDT), 1994</strong></a> which punishes healthcare professionals for telling expectant parents the sex of a child with imprisonment and hefty fines, has failed to control the sex selection.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Reports found<strong> major gaps in the training of personnel implementing PC-PNDT.</strong> Poor training meant that they were <strong>unable to prepare strong cases against violators</strong> to secure convictions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Illiteracy:</strong> Illiterate women in the reproductive age group of 15-49 years have higher fertility than literate women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Initiative- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sharp decline in <strong>sex ratio</strong> as pointed by Census 2011 data called for urgent action. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched in 2015 in Panipat, Haryana <strong>to address the issue of decline in child sex ratio</strong> and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum.</li>
<li>It is a <strong>triministerial effort</strong> of the ministries of Women and Child Development, Health &amp; Family Welfare and Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions Made:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Increasing <strong>female education and economic prosperity</strong> will help to improve the ratio.</li>
<li>Rollout campaigns on <strong>sensitisation towards women and children,</strong> making <strong>women safety cells,</strong> ensuring the<strong> safety of women on public transport systems,</strong> making <strong>cyber-crime cells</strong> are some other initiatives that need to be taken.</li>
<li>In view of the complexity of son preference resulting in gender-biased sex selection, government actions need to be supplemented by <strong>improving women&rsquo;s status in the society.</strong></li>
<li>Reaching out to young people could reduce the effect of population momentum and accelerate progress towards reaching a more normal sex-ratio at birth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite several policies and programmes, lower health outcomes for women and girl children still persist in India. Certain forms of discrimination, especially the son preference, reinforced by the techno-economic forces are eliminating the girl child (even from the womb).</li>
<li>Effective implementation of the existing women- and children-related policies, including<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-verdict-on-hindu-women-s-inheritance-rights#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20Supreme%20Court%20(SC,(Amendment)%20Act%2C%202005." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> women's property ownership</strong></a>, are required to empower women, to ensure girl child's survival, and to reduce gender gap in access to healthcare.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-ideas-why-india-must-urgently-step-up-efforts-to-improve-its-sex-ratio-6758099/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-its-sex-ratio'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Global Hunger Index 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>India</strong> has been <strong>ranked at 94 among 107 countries</strong> in the <strong>Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020.</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Global Hunger Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Annual Report:</strong> Jointly published by <strong>Concern Worldwide</strong> and <strong>Welthungerhilfe.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was <strong>first produced in 2006.</strong> It is <strong>published every October.</strong> The<strong> 2020 edition</strong> marks the<strong> 15<sup>th</sup> edition of the GHI.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> To comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.</li>
<li><strong>Calculation:</strong> The <strong>GHI scores</strong> are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is calculated on the basis of<strong> four indicators:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Undernourishment:</strong> Share of the population with <strong>insufficient caloric intake.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Child Wasting:</strong> Share of children under age five who have<strong> low weight for their height,</strong> reflecting acute undernutrition.</li>
<li><strong>Child Stunting:</strong> Share of children under age five who have <strong>low height for their age,</strong> reflecting chronic undernutrition.</li>
<li><strong>Child Mortality:</strong> The mortality rate of children <strong>under the age of five.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scoring:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a <strong>100-point scale</strong> where<strong> 0</strong> is the<strong> best possible score</strong> (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.</li>
<li>Each country&rsquo;s GHI score is<strong> classified by severity,</strong> from low to extremely alarming.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Worldwide Hunger:</strong> Represented by a <strong>GHI score of 18.2</strong> (moderate level), <strong>down from a 2000 GHI score of 28.2</strong> (serious).</li>
<li><strong>Factors:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organisation%20(WHO,31st%20December%2C%202019)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> <strong>pandemic</strong> and the <strong>resulting economic downturn,</strong> as well as a <strong>massive outbreak of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/locusts-appeared-early-in-rajasthan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">desert locusts</a></strong> in the Horn of Africa and other crises, are <strong>exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity</strong> for millions of people.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It needs to be noted that <strong>2020 GHI scores do not reflect the impact of Covid-19</strong> on hunger and undernutrition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The above mentioned crises come on top of <strong>existing hunger</strong> caused by <strong>conflict, climate extremes,</strong> and<strong> economic shocks</strong> (random, unpredictable events).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Region-wise Performance: Africa South of the Sahara</strong> and<strong> South Asia</strong> have the <strong>highest hunger and undernutrition levels</strong> among world regions, with 2020 GHI scores of 27.8 and 26.0, respectively&mdash;both considered serious.</li>
<li><strong>SDG 2 Progress:</strong> The<strong> world is not on track to achieve the second <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goal</a></strong> - known as <strong>Zero Hunger</strong> for short -<strong> by 2030. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Overall Performance:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>With a <strong>score of 27.2,</strong> India has a level of hunger that is<strong> &ldquo;serious&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>It<strong> ranks 94 out of 107 countries</strong> in the Index. In <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2019</strong></a>, India&rsquo;s rank <strong>was 102 out of 117 countries.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Comparison with Other Countries: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India features behind</strong> Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70) among others.</li>
<li>Out of the total 107 countries, <strong>only 13 countries fare worse than India</strong> including countries like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107) among others.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Performance on the Indicators:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Undernourishment: 14%</strong> of India&rsquo;s population is undernourished (2017-19). It was 16.3% during 2011-13.</li>
<li><strong>Child Wasting:</strong> 17.3% (2015-19), it was 15.1% in 2010-14.</li>
<li><strong>Child Stunting:</strong> 34.7%, it has improved significantly, from 54% in 2000 to less than 35% now.</li>
<li><strong>Child Mortality:</strong> 3.7%, it was 5.2% in 2012.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602922105_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602922105_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="615" height="262" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Some Related Initiatives by India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/second-edition-of-eat-right-mela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eat Right India Movement</a>:</strong> An outreach activity organised by the <strong>Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)</strong> for citizens to nudge them towards eating right.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>POSHAN Abhiyaan</strong></a>: Launched by the <strong>Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2018,</strong> it targets to <strong>reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia</strong> (among young children, women and adolescent girls).</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana</strong></a>: A <strong>centrally sponsored scheme</strong> executed by the <strong>Ministry of Women and Child Development,</strong> is a <strong>maternity benefit programme</strong> being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1<sup>st</sup> January, 2017.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/milk-fortification-project#:~:text=Food%20Fortification%20or%20Food%20Enrichment,to%20improve%20their%20nutritional%20content." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Fortification</strong></a>: Food Fortification or Food Enrichment is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A &amp; D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-nation-one-ration-card-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Food Security Act, 2013</strong></a>: The National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 legally entitled up to <strong>75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population</strong> to receive subsidized food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mission-indradhanush-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mission Indradhanush</strong></a>: It targets <strong>children under 2 years of age and pregnant women</strong> for immunization against <strong>12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD).</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1#:~:text=Integrated%20Child%20Development%20Services%20(ICDS)%20Scheme&amp;text=It%20provides%20a%20package%20of,check%2Dup%20and%20referral%20services" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme</strong></a>: Launched on<strong> 2<sup>nd</sup> October, 1975,</strong> the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme offers a package of <strong>six services (Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-school non-formal education, Nutrition &amp; health education, Immunization, Health check-up and Referral services)</strong> to children in the age group of<strong> 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Governments, private actors, and NGOs should carefully coordinate their <strong>responses to overlapping food and health crises</strong> and work with community organizations to make sure interventions are culturally acceptable, reach the most vulnerable, and preserve local ecosystems.</li>
<li><strong>Food should be priced not only by its weight or volume but also by its nutrient density,</strong> its freedom from contamination, and its contribution to ecosystem services and social justice.</li>
<li>Governments should <strong>expand access to maternal and child health care,</strong> as well as <strong>education on healthy diets and child feeding practices.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Supporting smallholder farmers</strong> in becoming sustainable and diversified producers; governments and NGOs must seek to improve those farmers&rsquo; access to agricultural inputs and extension services, coupling local and indigenous agricultural knowledge with new technologies.</li>
<li><strong>Existing human rights-based multilateral mechanisms</strong> and international standards&mdash;such as the Committee on World Food Security&mdash;must be strengthened to support inclusive policy making and sustainable food systems.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-fares-poorly-in-hunger-index/article32876195.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2020'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'First 'Har Ghar Jal' State: Goa',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Goa has become the first <strong>'Har Ghar Jal' State</strong> in the country as it successfully provided<strong> 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs)</strong> in the <strong>rural areas</strong> covering <strong>2.30 lakh rural households.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Early Achiever:</strong> State's commitment and brisk efforts have ensured advancement and achievement of targets well<strong> before time, i.e. 2024 at national level.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Annual Action Plan:</strong> Goa prepared the State's Annual Action Plan (AAP) to provide 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in rural areas by<strong> 2021.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Goa utilized the benefits of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-jeevan-mission-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)</strong></a> which aims to improve the quality of life and bring 'ease-of-living' to rural communities.</li>
<li>Accordingly, fund allocation from the Union to Goa in 2020-21 has been increased to Rs. 12.40 Crore for the plan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Convergence of Schemes:</strong> The State explored through convergence of various programmes like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/mgnrega-and-migrant-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/swachh-bharat-mission-grameen-phase-ii-approved" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</strong></a> for rural local bodies, etc. for strengthening of drinking water sources, water supply, grey water (any domestic wastewater excluding sewage) treatment &amp; re-use and operation &amp; maintenance.</li>
<li><strong>Water Testing Facilities:</strong> The State is in process of getting <strong>14 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-lab-directory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)</a></strong> accredited <strong>water quality testing laboratories.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Jal Jeevan Mission mandates<strong> training 5 persons in every village especially women</strong> to be trained in using<strong> Field Test Kits,</strong> so that water can be tested in the villages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)</strong> envisages supply of <strong>55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.</strong></li>
<li>JJM focuses on <strong>integrated demand and supply-side management of water</strong> at the local level.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, like <strong>rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse,</strong> would be undertaken in convergence with other government programmes/schemes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Mission is based on a <strong>community approach to water</strong> and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission.</li>
<li>JJM looks to<strong> create a jan andolan for water,</strong> thereby making it everyone&rsquo;s priority.</li>
<li><strong>Funding Pattern:</strong> The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The total allocation to the scheme is over ₹3 lakh crore.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Having achieved universal access, the State now plans for a sensor-based <strong>service delivery</strong> monitoring system so as to monitor the functionality of water supply i.e. potable water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality.</li>
<li>Goa&rsquo;s achievement is an <strong>example for other States to emulate</strong> and ensure every rural home gets tap connection.</li>
<li>Especially in these times of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> pandemic, it is all the more imperative to have assured safe water supply within households.</li>
<li>This silent revolution happening in rural India in terms of household tap water connections is a work in progress for a <strong>&lsquo;New India&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1663200" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-har-ghar-jal-state-goa'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Increased Emissions of N2O',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to a recent research paper, <strong>human emissions of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uk-to-support-nitrogen-research-in-india#:~:text=Nitrogen%20is%20potent%20greenhouse%20gas,house%20gas%20than%20carbon%20dioxide.&amp;text=Other%20than%20air%20pollution%2C%20nitrogen,health%2C%20economy%2C%20and%20livelihoods." target="_blank" rel="noopener">nitrous oxide</a></strong> (N<sub>2</sub>O) have<strong> increased by 30% between 1980 and 2016.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The research was conducted through an international collaboration between the <strong>International Nitrogen Initiative</strong> (INI) and the<strong> Global Carbon Project of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-future-of-earth-2020-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Future Earth</a></strong>, a partner of the <strong>World Climate Research Programme.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nitrous Oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <a href="/infographics/info-paper3/greenhouse-gas-emission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>greenhouse gas</strong></a> (GHG) <strong>300 times more potent than carbon dioxide</strong> (CO<sub>2</sub>).</li>
<li>It has the<strong> third-highest concentration, after CO<sub>2</sub> and <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">methane</a></strong> (CH<sub>4</sub>), in Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere among GHGs responsible for global warming.</li>
<li>N<sub>2</sub>O is also the <strong>only remaining threat to the<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/ozone" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> ozone</a></strong> (O<sub>3</sub>) <strong>layer,</strong> for it accumulates in the atmosphere over a long period of time, just like CO<sub>2</sub>.</li>
<li>It can<strong> live in the atmosphere for up to 125 years.</strong></li>
<li>Its global concentration levels have increased from <strong>270 parts per billion</strong> (ppb) in 1750 to<strong> 331 ppb in 2018,</strong> a jump of 20%.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The growth has been the <strong>quickest in the past five decades because of human emissions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Research and the Study:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the <strong>most comprehensive study</strong> of global N<sub>2</sub>O emissions ever published, as it <strong>combines both natural and anthropogenic</strong> (man-made) sources.</li>
<li>The study found that <strong>43% of the total emissions came from human sources</strong> and <strong>most N<sub>2</sub>O emissions came from emerging countries</strong> like India, China and Brazil.</li>
<li>Increase in its emissions means that the <strong>climatic burden on the atmosphere is increasing from non-carbon sources</strong> as well, while the major focus of global climate change negotiations is currently centred on carbon, its emissions and mitigation.</li>
<li>It also highlighted the dichotomy of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/challenges-in-climate-change-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate crisis</a> and global <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">food security.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A major proportion of the N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in the last four decades came<strong> from the agricultural sector,</strong> mainly because of the use of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revamping-the-agricultural-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>nitrogen-based fertilisers.</strong></a></li>
<li>The <strong>growing demand</strong> for food and feed for animals will <strong>further increase its global emissions,</strong> leading to a direct<strong> conflict between the way countries are feeding people and stabilising the climate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are <strong>well-established practices and technologies</strong> like <strong>crop and manure management,</strong> the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bio-capsules-for-plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>use of bio-fertilisers</strong></a>, to mitigate N<sub>2</sub>O emissions which <strong>need to be utilised to their full extent.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Revised industrial and agricultural policies</strong> at the global level will reduce such emissions considerably.</li>
<li><a href="/mains-practice-question/question-36" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reducing GHGs emissions</strong> </a>will also have the<strong> co-benefits</strong> of reduced <a href="/infographics/info-paper3/air-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>air</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/deteriorating-water-quality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>water pollution.</strong></a></li>
<li>There is a <strong>need to bring the non-carbon sources under the major global climate change negotiations.</strong></li>
<li>It is possible to slow down N<sub>2</sub>O emissions if countries implement the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> <strong>Global Campaign on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, 2019</strong> held in <strong>Colombo, Sri Lanka.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The focus of the event was to finalise the <strong>Colombo Declaration</strong>, a follow <strong>up on the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-environment-forest-and-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNEA 4 Resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management</a></strong> which aims to further the dialogue on Nitrogen management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602914010_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602914010_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/nitrous-oxide-human-emissions-increased-30-in-36-yrs-report-73741#:~:text=Human%20emissions%20of%20nitrous%20oxide,existence%20of%20humans%20on%20Earth." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increased-emissions-of-n2o'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Road to Zero Hunger',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-road-to-zero-hunger-by-2030/article32865528.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The road to zero hunger by 2030&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 16/10/2020. It talks about the significance of Nobel Peace Prize 2020 to the World Food Programme and some measures to achieve the zero hunger target.</p>
</div>
<p>Several poor countries have suffered a severe setback to their developmental aspirations due to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/comprehensive-action-plan-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>. But, the pandemic, more strikingly, poses a threat to food security and agricultural livelihoods. It compounds the threats already faced by 690 million people around the world.</p>
<p>In India, the Covid-19 containment measures have brought out the multi-dimensionality of India&rsquo;s food challenges.</p>
<p>Therefore, As countries begin to develop and implement Covid-19 recovery plans, it is also an opportunity to adopt innovative solutions based on scientific evidence so they can build back better and make food systems more resilient and sustainable.</p>
<p>In this context, countries can draw inspiration from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prize-for-peace-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Food Programme (WFP)</strong> </a>which has been awarded with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prize-for-peace-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nobel peace prize, 2020.</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602847617_image0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602847617_image0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Significance of Nobel Peace Prize to WFP</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This year&rsquo;s Nobel Peace Prize to the World Food Programme (WFP) is a recognition of its role in combating hunger and malnutrition across the developing world.</li>
<li>According to the WFP, 132 million more people could become malnourished as a consequence of the pandemic.</li>
<li>This counts for a major world-wide catastrophe and unless the conscience of the world is aroused, we will be condemning vast pools of humanity to living in wretchedness and deprivation.</li>
<li>It is also a warning that the novel coronavirus pandemic is reversing the substantial gains made in the fight against poverty.</li>
<li>Thus, the Nobel Prize to the WFP will hopefully nudge collective conscience across the globe to come together and relieve this looming humanitarian crisis.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges In Combating Global Hunger</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Retreat of Multiculturalism:</strong> Challenges like Global Hunger are cross-domain but also cross-national in character, and hence demand greater multilateral cooperation in order to succeed.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, paradoxically as the salience of cross-national and global challenges has significantly increased, nation states are less willing to cooperate and collaborate in tackling them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threat of Climate Change:</strong> Climate change continues to be a real and potent threat to agrobiodiversity, which may impact everything from productivity to livelihoods across food and farm systems.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Intensified food production systems with excessive use of chemicals and unsustainable farming practices cause soil degradation, fast depletion of groundwater table and rapid loss of agro-biodiversity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inter-Linked Challenges:</strong> Food, energy and water security are inter-linked with strong feedback loops.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Enhancing food security may lead to diminished water and energy security.</li>
<li>It will also have collateral impact on health security.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Case of India</h3>
<p><strong>Positive Side &mdash;Tackling of Food Crisis During Pandemic</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has gone from being a net importer to a net exporter of food grains. This strength has been evident through the pandemic.</li>
<li>Central and State governments were able to distribute around 23 million tonnes from India&rsquo;s large domestic food grain reserves, during lockdown, through the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/public-distribution-system-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Distribution System (PDS).</strong></a></li>
<li>Thereby, providing much-needed emergency assistance to families around the country.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Flip Side &mdash; Prevalence of Malnutrition &amp; Threat to Food Security</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prevalent Malnutrition:</strong> Even as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-and-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>malnutrition in India</strong></a> has notably declined over the past decade, the <strong>Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016-18</strong> revealed that over 40 million children are chronically malnourished, and more than half of Indian women aged 15-49 years are anaemic.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to Food Security:</strong> India is dealing innovatively with climate change through programs like the development of drought and flood tolerant seed varieties, weather-based agricultural advisories, promotion of millets, and small-scale irrigation etc.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, this year, India witnessed how climate-related shocks made it difficult for farmers to deal with pest and locust attacks, as well as floods and cyclones.</li>
<li>Further, these challenges multiply with an increase in fragmentation of landholdings.</li>
<li>In India, more than 86% farmers have less than two hectares of land contributing around 60% of the total food grain production and over half the country&rsquo;s fruits and vegetables.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Improving Agricultural Productivity:</strong> Agricultural productivity has improved significantly in recent decades, yet more than two billion people globally still lack access to sufficient, nutritious and safe food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, to achieve <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>zero hunger by 2030 (SDG 2)</strong></a>, there is a need for collaboration among global players.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need For Global Cooperation:</strong> Global solidarity is needed to help all populations, and especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the crisis, and to make food systems more resilient and robust.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Clearly, without stronger commitment from the big powers, the challenge to feed the millions who suffer acute hunger due to conflict and failed agriculture would be very difficult.</li>
<li>Thus, there is a need to mobilise a global fund on the lines of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/climate-finance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Green Climate Fund of UNFCCC.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Adoption of Food System Approach:</strong> Food System Approach is a framework that includes every aspect of feeding and nourishing people from growing, harvesting and processing to packaging, transporting, marketing and consuming food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To be sustainable, a food system must provide enough nutritious food for all without compromising feeding future generations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Every section of society, whether the governments, the private sector, civil society and local communities &mdash; has a role to play in transforming our food systems. So that humanity can withstand increasing volatility and climate shocks, deliver affordable and sustainable healthy diets for all, and provide decent livelihoods for food chain workers.</p>
<p>Therefore, countries need to act in concert to make sure that our food systems nourish a growing population and sustain the planet, together.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #edeffc;">
<p><span style="color: #800000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Achieving zero hunger by 2030, requires determination to mitigate carbon emissions early and avert effects on agriculture from disastrous climate events. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rg0yGKkK7cI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/falling-behind-120101500078_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Falling behind&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Business Standard on October 15<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/road-to-zero-hunger'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'SC on Crimes and Violence Against Women',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Recently, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Supreme Court</a></strong> has said that crimes against women continued in a <strong>&ldquo;never-ending cycle&rdquo;</strong> in India.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Judgement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The judgement dealt with the statutory scheme of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/change-in-the-provision-of-the-domestic-violence-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.</strong></a> It has allowed women fighting domestic violence cases the<strong> right to reside in the &lsquo;shared household&rsquo;</strong> even if her husband had no legal right to the house and the same was owned by the father-in-law or mother-in-law.</li>
<li><strong>Making the Act Comprehensive:</strong> The court observed that the <strong>relief granting right to residence</strong> to a married woman under the domestic violence law by a <strong>criminal court</strong> is relevant and could be <strong>considered even in civil proceedings</strong> seeking her <strong>eviction from the matrimonial home</strong> (the residence in which a husband and wife have lived together).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The wife would have the right to claim the <strong>&ldquo;shared household&rdquo;</strong> of the joint family under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Section 2(s)</strong> of the domestic violence act defines<strong> &ldquo;shared property&rdquo;,</strong> as the property owned by a woman&rsquo;s husband, or by the joint family of which the husband is a member.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reversed Earlier Judgement:</strong> The court reversed the law held by a previous decision of the Supreme Court in December 2006 in SR Batra v Taruna Batra where on similar facts, it refused permission to the wife to continue staying in her husband&rsquo;s house as it was owned by her mother-in-law. This part of the ruling was held wrong in law as it did not give full meaning to the 2005 act.</li>
<li><strong>Least Reported Form of Cruel Behaviour:</strong> The court noted that the domestic violence in India is rampant yet underreported. Women in India faced <strong>violence and discrimination</strong> in one form or the other in their various roles as daughter, sister, wife, mother, partner or single woman.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) (NFHS-4)</strong> suggests that 30% women in India in the age group of 15-49 have experienced physical violence.</li>
<li>As per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/violence-against-women-on-rise" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Women</strong></a>, globally in 2019-20, 243 million women and girls (aged 15-49) across the world have been subjected to sexual or physical violence by an intimate partner.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Less than 40% of women who experience violence seeking help of any sort or reporting the crime.</li>
<li>Less than 10% of those women seeking help go to the police.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong> Women continue to be vulnerable to these crimes because of:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Non-Retaliation,</strong></li>
<li><strong>Absence of laws</strong> addressing their rights comprehensively.</li>
<li><strong>Ignorance of the existing statutes.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Societal attitude, stigma</strong> and<strong> conditioning</strong> also made women<strong> vulnerable</strong> to domestic violence and these are the main factors for<strong> under-reporting</strong> of cases.</li>
<li>This set of circumstances ensured that a majority of women preferred to suffer in silence, <strong>not out of choice but of compulsion.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Acts of Domestic Violence</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Physical violence,</strong> such as slapping, hitting, kicking and beating.</li>
<li><strong>Sexual violence,</strong> including forced sexual intercourse and other forms of sexual coercion.</li>
<li><strong>Emotional (psychological) abuse,</strong> such as insults, belittling, constant humiliation, intimidation, threats of harm, threats to take away children.</li>
<li><strong>Controlling behaviors,</strong> including isolating a person from family and friends, monitoring their movements and restricting access to financial resources, employment, education or medical care.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The increase in<strong> violence against women should be dealt with urgently</strong> with measures embedded in<strong> economic support and stimulus packages</strong> that meet the gravity and scale of the challenge and reflect the needs of women who face multiple forms of discrimination.</li>
<li><strong>Grassroots and women&rsquo;s organizations</strong> and <strong>communities</strong> need to be supported strongly in their current frontline role.</li>
<li><strong>Helplines, psychosocial support and online counselling</strong> should be boosted, using technology-based solutions such as SMS, online tools and networks to expand social support, and to reach women with no access to phones or internet.</li>
<li><strong>Police and justice services should</strong> ensure that incidents of violence against women and girls are given high priority with no impunity for perpetrators.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-end-to-violence-against-women-sc/article32866398.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-on-crimes-and-violence-against-women'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Right of Passage of the Animals',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Supreme Court (SC) upheld the 2011 order of the Madras High Court (HC)</strong> on the<strong> Nilgiris elephant corridor,</strong> affirming the <strong>right of passage of the animals</strong> and the closure of resorts in the area.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Madras HC Judgement:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2011, the Madras HC upheld the validity of the Tamil Nadu government&rsquo;s notification (of 2010) declaring an &lsquo;Elephant Corridor&rsquo; in the Sigur Plateau of Nilgiris District.</li>
<li>It said that the government is fully empowered under the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elephant-undercounting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> 'Project Elephant'</strong> </a>of the Union government as well as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fundamental-duties#:~:text=All%20the%20eleven%20duties%20are,and%20to%20their%20fellow%2Dcitizens." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Article 51 A(g)</strong></a> of the Constitution to notify the elephant corridor in the state&rsquo;s Nilgiris district.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Article 51 A(g):</strong> It shall be the<strong> duty of every citizen of India</strong> to protect and improve the <strong>natural environment</strong> including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have <strong>compassion for living creatures.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, it <strong>upheld directions to the resort owners</strong> and other private landowners <strong>to vacate lands falling within the notified elephant corridor.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Highlights of the SC Judgement:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It&rsquo;s the State&rsquo;s duty to protect a<strong> &ldquo;keystone species&rdquo;</strong> like elephants, which are immensely important to the environment. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Keystone species,</strong> in ecology, a species that has a disproportionately large effect on the communities in which it lives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Elephant corridors <strong>allow elephants to continue their nomadic mode of survival,</strong> despite shrinking forest cover, by facilitating travel between distinct forest habitats. These corridors<strong> play a crucial role in sustaining wildlife by reducing the impact of habitat isolation.</strong></li>
<li>The court also allowed the formation of<strong> a committee</strong> led by <strong>a retired HC judge and two other persons</strong> to hear the individual <strong>objections of resort owners and private landowners</strong> within the corridor space.</li>
<li>However, during the hearings, the SC opined that the area is a fragile ecosystem, where the will of men must give way to elephants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602845495_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602845495_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nilgiris Elephant Corridor:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile <strong>Sigur plateau,</strong> which <strong>connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats</strong> and sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is situated near the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mudumalai-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mudumalai National Park</strong></a> in the Nilgiris district.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has the Nilgiri hills on its <strong>southwestern</strong> side and the <strong>Moyar river valley</strong> on its northeastern side.</li>
<li>There are about <strong>100 elephant corridors</strong> in India of which almost 70% are used regularly.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>75% of the corridors are in the southern, central and north-eastern forests.</li>
<li>There are an estimated 6,500 elephants in just the <strong>Brahmagiri-Nilgiris-Eastern Ghats ranges.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges for Elephant Corridors: &lsquo;Right of Passage&rsquo;,</strong> an 800-page study released in August 2017, authored by experts and<strong> published by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)</strong> identifies and records details pertaining to 101 elephant corridors across India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Narrowing Passage Width:</strong> Only 22% corridors are of a width of one to three kilometres in 2017, compared with 41% in 2005, pointing to how constricted corridors have become in the past 12 years.</li>
<li><strong>Human Encroachment of Corridors:</strong> 21.8% of corridors were free of human settlements in 2017 compared with 22.8% in 2005, and 45.5% have 1-3 settlements in 2017 compared with 42% in 2005.</li>
<li><strong>Intercepted Corridors:</strong> About 36.4% of the elephant corridors in northwestern India, 32% in central India, 35.7% in northern West Bengal and 13% of the elephant corridors in northeastern India have a <strong>railway line passing through</strong> them. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Almost <strong>two-thirds of the corridors</strong> have a <strong>National or State Highway passing</strong> through them, <strong>fragmenting habitats</strong> and hindering elephant movement further.</li>
<li>11% of corridors have <strong>canals passing through them.</strong></li>
<li>12% are affected by<strong> mining</strong> and the extraction of boulders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Land-use Along Corridors:</strong> In terms of land use, only 12.9% of the corridors are totally under forest cover in 2017 compared with 24% in 2005.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Two in every three elephant corridors in the country are now affected by agricultural activities.</li>
<li>All the corridors in northern West Bengal (100%) and almost all in central India (96%) and northeastern India (52.2% under <strong>settled cultivation</strong> and 43.4% under <strong>slash and burn cultivation</strong>) have agricultural land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Asian Elephant</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are <strong>three subspecies of Asian elephant &ndash; the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Escalation of poaching, habitat loss, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/daily-updates-news-editorials-the-high-cost-of-man-animal-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>human-elephant conflict</strong></a> and mistreatment in captivity are some common threats to both African and Asian elephants.</li>
<li><strong>African elephants</strong> are listed as<strong> &ldquo;vulnerable&rdquo;</strong> and <strong>Asian elephants</strong> as <strong>&ldquo;endangered&rdquo;</strong> in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a> of threatened species.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CITES</a> status:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Appendix I</strong> for <strong>Asian Elephants.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Appendix II</strong> for <strong>African elephants</strong> in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Project Elephant</strong> launched by the <strong>Government of India in the year 1992</strong> as a <strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Elephant census</strong> is conducted once in 5 years under the aegis of Project elephant.</li>
<li>Establishment of elephant reserves and adoption of the <strong>&ldquo;World Elephant Day&rdquo; (August 12)</strong> to help conserve and protect elephants in India.</li>
<li><strong>&lsquo;Gaj Yatra&rsquo;</strong> a nationwide awareness campaign to celebrate elephants and highlight the necessity of securing elephant corridors.</li>
<li>The <strong>Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme, launched in 2003,</strong> is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia, to monitor effectiveness of field conservation efforts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The judgement sets the pace for better, more effective laws for the protection of elephant corridors across India.</li>
<li>Illegal structures in these pathways should be removed without delay as the first step.</li>
<li>Elephant Corridors are not fully protected areas. Therefore, the need is to ensure their protection. This needs political will.</li>
<li>People should be encouraged to avoid critical elephant migratory routes. Conservation is an achievement only if local communities are also involved in the process.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/nilgiris-elephant-corridor-sc-upholds-madras-hc-order-affirming-animals-right-of-passage-73791#:~:text=The%20Supreme%20Court%20(SC)%20October,of%20resorts%20in%20the%20area.&amp;text=The%20court%20had%20taken%20the,petition%20on%20the%20same%20issue." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:DTE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/right-of-passage-of-the-animals'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Uranium Supply From Australia to India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vikram-sarabhai-centenary-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Department of Atomic Energy</strong></a> <strong>(DAE)</strong> has turned down the offers submitted by the two Australian companies for commencing supply of uranium ore to India citing lack of viability of the proposals.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-australia-relations-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India-Australia</strong> </a>ties have been on an upswing since 2012, when the <strong>Australian government decided to sell uranium to India</strong> despite India not being a signatory to the nuclear <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/50-years-of-nuclear-non-proliferation-treaty-npt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non Proliferation Treaty.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The above decision was <strong>formalised by way of a bilateral agreement in 2014</strong> known as <strong>Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.</strong></li>
<li>The uranium imports from Australia <strong>were to be used to meet fuel requirements of Indian nuclear reactors</strong> that are under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/63rd-general-conference-of-iaea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)</strong></a> safeguards.</li>
<li>However, the <strong>progress on uranium supply has been very low,</strong> despite efforts from both sides. In 2017, Australia had sent its first uranium shipment to India but that was cited as &ldquo;a small sample of uranium&rdquo; transferred &ldquo;purely for testing purposes&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Civil Nuclear Capacity</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nuclear-power-plants-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>22 reactors</strong></a> with an <strong>installed capacity of 6,780 megawatt.</strong> Of these, <strong>eight reactors are fuelled by indigenous uranium</strong> while the remaining <strong>14 are under IAEA safeguards</strong> and qualify to use imported uranium.</li>
<li>India was required to bring 14 reactors under IAEA safeguards in a phased manner under the<strong> separation plan</strong> announced by India in 2006, which was negotiated after the 2005 nuclear deal with the USA.</li>
<li>Currently, India imports uranium fuel from<strong> Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, France and Canada.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Kazakhstan is the world&rsquo;s largest producer of uranium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A steady supply of uranium is expected to boost the performance of Indian nuclear power plants, as well as of several fuel cycle facilities.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Non-Proliferation Treaty</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NPT is an <strong>international treaty</strong> whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to foster the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of disarmament.</li>
<li>The treaty was signed in<strong> 1968</strong> and entered into force in 1970. Presently, it has 190 member states.</li>
<li>It <strong>requires countries to give up any present or future plans to build nuclear weapons</strong> in return for access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.</li>
<li>It represents the <strong>only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty</strong> to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Nuclear-weapon states parties under the NPT are defined as those that manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive devices before 1<sup>st</sup> January 1967.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Stand on NPT</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is <strong>one of the five countries that have not signed the NPT,</strong> the others include<strong> Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, and South Sudan.</strong></li>
<li>India always considered the NPT as discriminatory and had refused to sign it.</li>
<li>India has opposed the international treaties aimed at non-proliferation since they were selectively applicable to the non-nuclear powers and legitimised the monopoly of the five nuclear weapons powers.</li>
<li>India believes that nuclear <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-stand-on-nuclear-weapons" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>disarmament can be achieved through a step-by-step</strong></a> <strong>process</strong> underwritten by a <strong>universal commitment</strong> and an <strong>agreed multilateral framework</strong> after meaningful dialogues among all States possessing nuclear weapons, for building trust and confidence.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The India-Australia bilateral relationship has been largely a case of <strong>"one step forward, two steps back".</strong> However, Australia&rsquo;s overturning of a ban on uranium sales to India was <strong>seen as a removal of a diplomatic thorn</strong> between the two nations and potentially opening up a new and growing market for Australian suppliers.</li>
<li>In June 2020, India and Australia had decided to elevate their relationship to a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-australia-virtual-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Comprehensive Strategic Partnership&rsquo;.</strong></a></li>
<li>In view of the above development both India and Australia can work to remove the obstacles in supplying Uranium from Australia to India.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/uranium-supplies-lack-of-viability-of-proposals-dae-drops-offers-by-two-australian-cos-6726529/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uranium-supply-from-australia-to-india'
		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Vehicle Scrapping in India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the<strong> Centre for Science and Environment</strong> (CSE) has released a report titled <strong>&ldquo;What to do with old vehicles: Towards effective scrappage policy and infrastructure&rdquo;,</strong> which suggests <strong>parameters of an effective vehicle scrapping policy</strong> for India.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CSE is a<strong> non-profit, public interest research and advocacy organisation</strong> based in New Delhi. It researches into, lobbies for and communicates the <strong>urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Policy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Road Transport and Highways</strong> has formulated a note for the Cabinet on the creation of an <strong>ecosystem for voluntary and environment-friendly phasing out of unfit and old polluting vehicles.</strong></li>
<li>The proposed policy <strong>awaits for Cabinet&rsquo;s approval</strong> and once approved, will be <strong>applicable on all vehicles.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns on Vehicles:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India will have <strong>over two crore old vehicles nearing the end of their lives by 2025.</strong> These, along with other unfit vehicles, will cause <strong>huge pollution and environmental damage.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Existing Initiatives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-bs-vi-emission-norms#:~:text=The%20Bharat%20Stage%20(BS)%20are,Control%20Board%20implements%20these%20standards." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Stage VI</strong></a> (BS-VI) <strong>Emissions Standards:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It provides an opportunity to renew the fleet with significantly cleaner vehicles as BS-VI heavy-duty vehicles are <strong>designed to emit 35 times lesser particulates</strong> compared to BS-I vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric Vehicle</strong></a> (EV) <strong>Incentives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In August 2020, Delhi government notified the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electric-vehicles-policy-2020-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Electric Vehicles Policy 2020</strong></a>, which lays the maximum emphasis on replacement of two-wheelers, public transport and shared vehicles and goods-carriers instead of private four-wheelers, with EVs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-clean-air-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Clean Air Programme:</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under it, polluted cities have <strong>included old vehicle phase-out</strong> as part of their <strong>clean air action.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestion by the Report:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Safe disposal and material recovery</strong> should be the <strong>critical parameters</strong> of an effective vehicle scrapping policy.</li>
<li>The policy must<strong> leverage the opportunities to maximise emissions gains</strong> from the replacement of end-of-life vehicles and <strong>recover material from the wasted clunkers</strong> (dilapidated vehicle or machine)<strong> for reuse and recycling.</strong></li>
<li>There is a <strong>need to link economic recovery and fiscal stimulus with the replacement of older heavy-duty vehicles with BS-VI vehicles.</strong></li>
<li>The scrappage scheme should<strong> incentivise replacement with EVs for personal cars and two-wheelers.</strong></li>
<li>Vehicles <strong>should not contain toxic metals like lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium</strong> other than specified conditions.</li>
<li>There should be efforts to <strong>include<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/e-retailers-to-collect-plastic-waste" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Extended Producer Responsibility</a></strong> (EPR) <strong>and making the rules legally binding.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Environmentally sound vehicle scrappage infrastructure should be scaled up</strong> country-wide for safe disposal of waste and for material recovery for recycling like steel, aluminium and plastics.</li>
<li>India needs a well-designed scrappage policy to<strong> lower emissions, reduce environmental damages</strong> and<strong> recover material from clunkers</strong> as part of post-<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong> </a>efforts towards a green India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602841146_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602841146_image 0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vehicle-scrapping-in-india'
		]
	],
	'updates' => object(Cake\ORM\Query) {

		'(help)' => 'This is a Query object, to get the results execute or iterate it.',
		'sql' => 'SELECT articles.article_id AS `articles__article_id`, articles.category_id AS `articles__category_id`, articles.title AS `articles__title`, articles.description AS `articles__description`, articles.shortdescription AS `articles__shortdescription`, articles.featuredimage AS `articles__featuredimage`, articles.tag_id AS `articles__tag_id`, articles.secondary_tag AS `articles__secondary_tag`, articles.type AS `articles__type`, articles.publishon AS `articles__publishon`, articles.posturl AS `articles__posturl`, articles.metatitle AS `articles__metatitle`, articles.metadescription AS `articles__metadescription`, articles.metakeyword AS `articles__metakeyword`, articles.status AS `articles__status`, articles.sort_order AS `articles__sort_order`, articles.addedby AS `articles__addedby`, articles.updatedby AS `articles__updatedby`, articles.added AS `articles__added`, articles.modified AS `articles__modified`, articles.whatsnewid AS `articles__whatsnewid`, articles.display_printpdf AS `articles__display_printpdf`, articles.display_comments AS `articles__display_comments`, articles.pdf_name AS `articles__pdf_name`, articles.display_archive AS `articles__display_archive` FROM articles articles WHERE status = :c0 ORDER BY publishon desc LIMIT 10',
		'params' => [
			[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) 27,
	'search' => 'class',
	'totalPages' => (float) 276,
	'title' => 'Search'
]
$progress = []
$bookmarks = []
$notes = []
$mynote = []
$topdata = [
	(int) 0 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/estore/test-series-en/upsc-mains-english/sociology-optional-mains-online-en',
		'title' => 'Sociology Mains Test Series 2020 - Join Now',
		'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'
	
	},
	(int) 1 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/estore/test-series-en/upsc-prelims-english/prelims-test-series-2021-online',
		'title' => 'Prelims Test Series 2021 (Online) - Join Now',
		'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'
	
	},
	(int) 2 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'url' => 'https://bit.ly/drishtibooks',
		'title' => 'Get Drishti Publications books & magazines on Amazon - 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'
	
	},
	(int) 3 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'url' => 'https://bit.ly/joindrishti',
		'title' => 'Click here for Online Inquiry form to join Drishti IAS programmes',
		'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' => '10 Years of National Green Tribunal',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-hues-in-the-green-tribunals-resilient-journey/article32887705.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The hues in the green tribunal&rsquo;s resilient journey&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 19/10/2020. It talks about the benefits and associated challenges with the National Green Tribunal.</p>
</div>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal (NGT)</strong></a> is one of the few dedicated environmental courts in the world. The jurisdiction of NGT has an all-encompassing scope, which covers forests, wildlife, environment, climate change and coastal protection.</p>
<p>Since its inception, the NGT has protected vast acres of forest land, halted polluting construction activities in metros and smaller towns. It has protected the rights of tribal communities and ensured the enforcement of the &ldquo;polluter pays&rdquo; principle in letter and spirit.</p>
<p>Within its decade of existence, the NGT has delivered some important judgments and has given a new outlook to environmental jurisprudence in India. However, there are several challenges that act as a roadblock in efficient functioning of the NGT.</p>
<h3>Genesis of NGT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>M.C. Mehta &amp; Anr. Etc vs Union Of India &amp; Ors. Etc (1986) case:</strong> The then Chief Justice of India, Justice P.N. Bhagwati had suggested setting up Environmental Courts because:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to more cases involving issues of environmental pollution, ecological destruction and conflicts over natural resources.</li>
<li>Increasing need for assessment and evolution of scientific and technical data regarding environmental matters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A.P. Pollution Control Board vs Prof. M.V. Nayudu (1999) case:</strong> The Supreme Court in the landmark case, emphasised on the need for a court that was &ldquo;a combination of a Judge and Technical Experts&rdquo; with an appeal to the Supreme Court from the Environmental Court.</li>
<li><strong>Establishment of NGT:</strong> The NGT was established on 18<sup>th</sup> October, 2010 under the <strong>National Green Tribunal Act 2010</strong> for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.</li>
<li>The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Judgment Given By NGT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the<strong> Almitra H Patel Vs Union of India case,</strong> it directed states to implement Solid Waste Management Rules and prohibited open burning of waste on lands.</li>
<li>In 2012, NGT suspended the clearance given to the South Korean steel maker, POSCO, to set up a 12 million-tonne steel plant in Odisha.</li>
<li>In the<strong> Save Mon Federation Vs Union of India case,</strong> the NGT suspended a ₹6,400-crore hydro project, to save the habitat of a bird.</li>
<li>A December 2016 amendment to EIA 2006 notification &mdash; the amendments basically sought to give local authorities powers to grant environmental clearance to builders &mdash; was nullified by the NGT, terming it as a &ldquo;ploy&rdquo; (by the government) to circumvent the 2006 rules.</li>
<li>Many Projects which were approved in violation of the law such as an Aranmula Airport, Kerala; Lower Demwe Hydro Power Project and Nyamnjangu in Arunachal Pradesh; mining projects in in Goa; and coal mining projects in Chhattisgarh were either cancelled or fresh assessments were directed.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits of NGT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Dedicated Court For Environmental Matters:</strong> NGT ensures enforcement of any legal right relating to the environment and provides relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from this, the burden on the High Courts and the Supreme Court is also reduced.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Allows Specialization:</strong> NGT is staffed with judges and environmental experts. This makes it a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NGT also employs legal and scientific methods and assessed environment impact assessment reports before deciding the case.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Wider Reach:</strong> The quality of time spent on these issues could also be increased as, unlike the Supreme Court, the tribunal could have benches in various States, thereby increasing access to all citizens.</li>
<li><strong>Time Bound Disposal of Cases:</strong> The Tribunal is mandated to make an endeavor for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Limit to Jurisdiction:</strong> Two important acts - <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/without-land-or-recourse-scheduled-tribes-and-other-traditional-forest-dwellers-recognition-of-forest-rights-act-2006" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006</strong> </a>have been kept out of NGT&rsquo;s jurisdiction. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This restricts the jurisdiction area of NGT and at times hampers its functioning as the crucial forest rights issue is linked directly to the environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Obstacle to Development:</strong> Decisions of NGT have also been criticised and challenged due to their repercussions on economic growth and development.</li>
<li><strong>Looming Vacancies:</strong> NGT only has three judicial and three expert members against the sanctioned strength of 10 each.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lack of human and financial resources has led to high pendency of cases - which undermines NGT&rsquo;s very objective of disposal of appeals within 6 months.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Additional Layer to Judicial Process:</strong> NGT was conceptualised to ease out the burden on the higher courts. However, the Supreme Court in L Chandrakumar case, opined that Tribunals could not be effective substitutes of High Courts under Articles 226 and 227. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This eventually leads to cases reaching the judiciary by way of appeal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limited Regional Benches:</strong> NGT being located in only big cities spread across India. However, environmental exploitation is also taking place in the tribal areas of dense forest. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, the justice delivery mechanism is also hindered by a limited number of regional benches.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Expansion of Regional Benches:</strong> NGT benches have to expand manifolds. These new regional benched should have been based in a place that has the highest forest cover or large mineral deposit.</li>
<li><strong>System of Larger Bench in NGT:</strong> Appeal may be provided against the order of the NGT before a larger Bench of the Tribunal before the matter reaches to the Supreme Court or High Court.</li>
<li><strong>Addressing Administrative Inadequacy:</strong> Vacancies in NGT, needs to be filled as soon as possible.</li>
<li><strong>Collaborative Approach:</strong> There is a need for the central and state governments to work in collaboration with the NGT for balancing between environment &amp; economy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NGT should also identify institutions and experts who can help it to scientifically estimate environmental damages/compensation/fines on a case-to-case basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>In the present era, equilibrium between development and environment is of utmost importance.</p>
<p>Therefore, NGT should not be seen as an not been seen as obstacle to development but a way to sustainable development&ldquo;. Thus, the government must address all underlying issues related to NGT as soon as possible.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #a600ff; background-color: #fffbeb;">
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given a new outlook to environmental jurisprudence in India. Critically Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/10-years-of-national-green-tribunal'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Israel and Bahrain Diplomatic Ties',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Bahrain and Israel are signing a <strong>joint communique</strong> on the establishment<strong> of diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations,</strong> as well as a number of <strong>memorandums of understanding</strong> in areas of mutual benefit.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603101908_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603101908_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bahrain has a history of open politics and civil society movements, although rights have been curtailed in the past decade.</li>
<li>The decision to normalise ties comes from the belief in the values of tolerance in a region whose people have suffered from wars and conflicts.</li>
<li>The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain became only the third and fourth Arab states to agree to normalise ties with Israel, following Israel&rsquo;s <strong>1979</strong> peace deal with Egypt and a <strong>1994</strong> pact with Jordan.</li>
<li>Under the deal, <strong>Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Bank</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The West Bank is<strong> sandwiched between Israel and Jordan.</strong> One of its major cities is <strong>Ramallah,</strong> the <strong>de facto administrative capital of Palestine.</strong></li>
<li>Israel took control of it in the<strong> Six-day Arab-Israeli war, 1967</strong> and has over the years established settlements there.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on the USA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the second deal in 2020 after the Israel-UAE Peace Deal brokered by the USA. The recognition<strong> grants a diplomatic win</strong> to the USA President Donald Trump ahead of the Presidential election.</li>
<li>The deal buys UAE a lot of <strong>goodwill in the US,</strong> where its image has been tarnished by its involvement in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ceasefire-in-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Yemen war</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Saudi Arabia</strong> made clear that it will not normalise ties without a resolution to the Palestinian issue despite signs of rapprochement.</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For Palestine:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Palestinians have not embraced the USA&rsquo;s vision. 86% of Palestinians believed the normalization agreements with the UAE and Bahrain served only Israel&rsquo;s interests and not their own.</li>
<li>For Palestinians, who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the announcement <strong>marked both a win and setback</strong> for the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/israel-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Israel-Palestine relations.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While the deal <strong>halts Israeli annexation plans of the west Bank,</strong> the Palestinians have repeatedly <strong>urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement</strong> establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Shia-Sunni rifts</strong> in the region may get wide and violent.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Saudi Arabia (Sunni) and Iran (representing Shia) have a long history of enmity. For decades, one of the main sources of instability in West Asia has been the cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.</li>
<li>The Sunni-Shiite schism may also provoke violence between Muslims in such places as Pakistan, Nigeria and Indonesia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Interest in West Asia:</strong> A peaceful and prosperous West Asia is necessary for India. Such deals between Arab Countries and Israel are having a positive impact for Indian interests in the region. Also, difficulty in balancing Arab countries and Israel will become easy. Indian interests include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Geopolitical:</strong> West Asia occupies an important position in international relations due to its geographical location and proximity to continents and countries South Asia, China, Central Asia, Europe, and Africa.</li>
<li><strong>Energy:</strong> The region is strategically significant due to its enormous energy resources, trade route links to different parts of the world.</li>
<li>It is the world's largest oil-producing region accounting for 34% of world production, 45% of crude oil exports and 48% of oil proven reserves.</li>
<li><strong>Diaspora:</strong> Indian expatriates have constituted a substantial share of the regional labour market.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Remittances from the region constitute a major chunk of total remittances to India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A balance between <strong>Shia and Sunni,</strong> between Iran and Arab, is key to any sustainable peace.</li>
<li>The US may be a pre-eminent power in the Middle East, but Russia has made a space for itself, spending a lot less money. In recent years, China has indicated its willingness to play a larger role in this region.</li>
<li>India should make its moves before this market and this extended neighbourhood come under the Chinese sphere of influence.</li>
<li>A deal that could, if played right, open the doors for a changed geopolitical arrangement in the Middle East should have a stronger Indian footprint.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/israel-and-bahrain-to-formalise-diplomatic-ties/article32887549.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/israel-and-bahrain-diplomatic-ties'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Nobel Prize 2020',
		'catname' => 'Paper 2',
		'desc' => '<p>The Nobel Prizes regarded as the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement in the world are awarded annually from a fund bequeathed for that purpose by the Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is announced every year for excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Economics, and a distinguished achievement towards humanity &ndash; commonly known as the Nobel Peace Prize.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Physiology/Medicine</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Nobel Prize has been awarded to American medical researchers and virologists <strong>Harvey J Alter</strong> and<strong> Charles M Rice,</strong> and British scientist<strong> Michael Houghton</strong> for the discovery of Hepatitis C which was discovered in 1982 by screening millions of DNA samples.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The discovery of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-hepatitis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Hepatitis C</strong></a> virus revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic hepatitis and made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Hepatitis:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hepatitis refers to an <strong>inflammatory condition of the liver.</strong></li>
<li>It&rsquo;s commonly caused by a<strong> viral infection,</strong> but there are other possible causes of hepatitis like autoimmune responses, medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol.</li>
<li>There are 5 main <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-hepatitis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>hepatitis</strong> </a>viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D, and E.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-hepatitis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Hepatitis Day</strong></a> is observed each year on 28<sup>th</sup> July to enhance awareness of viral hepatitis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hepatitis C is caused by the <strong>Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first, (hepatitis A), is transmitted by polluted water or food and generally has little long-term impact on the patient.</li>
<li>The second type is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids and represents a much more serious threat since it can lead to a chronic condition.</li>
<li>This form of hepatitis is insidious, as otherwise healthy individuals can be silently infected for many years before serious complications arise.</li>
<li>It is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids, typically through injection drug use and sexual contact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Physics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prize-in-physics-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nobel Prize in Physics</strong></a> for the year 2020 was awarded to three astrophysicists <strong>Roger Penrose</strong> from the UK, <strong>Reinhard Genzel</strong> from Germany, and<strong> Andrea Ghez</strong> from the USA.</li>
<li>Roger Penrose received half of this year&rsquo;s prize for the discovery that a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/blacl-holes-dark-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>black hole</strong></a> formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The theory explains gravity, as objects try to follow a straight line through a universe whose geometry is warped by matter and energy. As a result, planets, as well as light beams, follow curving paths.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Genzel and Ghez received the second half of the prize for the discovery of a <strong>supermassive black hole</strong> at the centre of the Milkyway galaxy, now known to be the Sagittarius A*. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a mass four million times that of the Sun and is confined to an area roughly the size of our Solar System.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>What is a black hole?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The term &lsquo;black hole&rsquo; was coined in the mid-1960s by American Physicist <strong>John Archibald Wheeler.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Black hole refers to a point in space where matter is so compressed as to create a gravity field from which even light cannot escape.</li>
<li>Black-holes were<strong> theorized</strong> by <strong>Albert Einstein</strong> in 1915.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>All the black holes observed so far belong to two categories:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One category ranges between a few solar masses and tens of solar masses. These are thought to form when massive stars die.</li>
<li>The other category is of supermassive black holes. These range from hundreds of thousands to billions of times that of the sun from the Solar system to which Earth belongs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In April 2019, the scientists at the Event Horizon Telescope Project released the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-images-of-a-black-hole" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> first-ever image of a Black Hole</strong></a> (more precisely, of its shadow).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The image was made possible by the Event Horizon Telescope which is a group of 8 radio telescopes (used to detect radio waves from space) located in different parts of the world.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/intermediate-mass-black-hole" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gravitational waves</strong></a> are created when two black holes orbit each other and merge.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Chemistry</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Emmanuelle Charpentier</strong> of France and <strong>Jennifer A Doudna</strong> of the USA have been awarded the 2020 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prizes-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nobel Prize</strong> </a>in Chemistry for developing CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, one of gene technology&rsquo;s sharpest tools.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is for the first time a Nobel science prize has gone to a women-only team.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors</strong> can be used to change the<strong> deoxyribonucleic acid</strong> (DNA) of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The CRISPR/Cas9 tool has already <strong>contributed to significant gains in crop resilience,</strong> altering their genetic code to<strong> better withstand drought and pests.</strong></li>
<li>The technology has contributed to new<strong> cancer</strong> therapies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>CRISPR Technology</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The CRISPR (short for <strong>Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats</strong>) technology for gene-editing was first developed in 2012.</li>
<li>It makes gene sequencing very easy, simple and extremely efficient providing nearly endless possibilities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Editing, or modifying, gene sequences is not new and has been happening for several decades now, particularly in the field of agriculture, where several crops have been genetically modified to provide particular traits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in Streptococcus pyogenes that use a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to repair itself but the auto-repair mechanism can lead to the re-growth of a problematic sequence.</li>
<li>Scientists intervene during this auto-repair process by supplying the desired sequence of genetic codes, which replaces the original sequence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Peace</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/food-crisis-amid-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Food Programme</strong> </a>(WFP), a <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong> </a>(UN) agency, for its efforts to combat hunger, bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The WPF is the UN&rsquo;s primary agency that works upon <strong>Eradicating Hunger</strong> which is one the UN&rsquo;s <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals.</strong></a></li>
<li>The WFP provided assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 countries who are victims of acute food insecurity and hunger.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>WFP in India:</strong> It has been working in India since 1963 where it has focused upon reforms in the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/public-distribution-system-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Targeted Public Distribution System</strong> </a>(TPDS) and provided policy inputs, advocacy and technical assistance for improving access to food.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The WFP has proposed unique initiatives like <strong>Automatic Grain Dispensing Machine (Annapurti)</strong> and<strong> Mobile Storage Units</strong> for the effective implementation of TPDS.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Food Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was established in 1961 by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-march-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food and Agriculture Organisation</a> (FAO)</strong> and the<strong> United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)</strong> and became a full-fledged UN programme in 1965.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarter:</strong> Rome, Italy.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Economic Sciences</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>American economists, <strong>Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson</strong> have been awarded the <strong>Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences,</strong> 2020 for their work on commercial auctions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The award is <strong>popularly but incorrectly</strong> known as Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, (as it is not one of the five Nobel prizes that Alfred Nobel established in his will in 1895, it is not a Nobel Prize).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It was created in 1968 by a donation from Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank to the<strong> Nobel Foundation to commemorate the bank's 300<sup>th</sup> anniversary</strong> and includes a <strong>10 million Swedish kronor award money</strong> (₹8.33 crores roughly).</li>
<li>Milgrom and Wilson improved the auction theory and invented new auction formats for auctioning off many interrelated objects simultaneously, on behalf of a seller motivated by broad societal benefit rather than maximal revenue.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Robert Wilson</strong> developed the theory for auctions of objects with a common value &ndash; a value which is uncertain beforehand but, in the end, is the same for everyone.</li>
<li><strong>Paul Milgrom</strong> formulated a more general theory of auctions that not only allows common values, but also private values that vary from bidder to bidder.</li>
<li>Their work will benefit <strong>sellers, buyers and taxpayers</strong> around the world. It will help in auctioning goods and services, such as<strong> radio frequencies,</strong> which are difficult to sell in traditional ways.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Auction Theory</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Auction theory studies how auctions are designed, what rules govern them, how bidders behave and what outcomes are achieved.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Auctions are important to economists because they are the most widely used and also the <strong>most efficient mechanism to allocate scarce resources.</strong></li>
<li>The allocation of scarce resources, in turn, matters to economists because there is a limited supply of resources on earth when compared to unlimited human needs, and hence they need to be allocated only to the most urgent needs of society.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Application of auction:</strong> Auctions happen almost everywhere in the modern world. Even the sale of groceries in retail stores is based on an auction, albeit an implicit one that is relatively slow to adjust to changing market conditions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The oldest form of auction is the auction of a bankrupt person&rsquo;s property to pay off his creditors. This simple design of such an auction is the highest open bidder getting the property (or the commodity in question).</li>
<li><strong>Allocation of capital good:</strong> More sophisticated and explicit auction mechanisms are used in the allocation of capital goods such as spectrum and minerals. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Over time, the format of auctions has widened to include other commodities such as carbon dioxide emission credits, electricity or the right to collect the local garbage etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>For e.g.</strong> a supermarket manager, just as an auctioneer, tries to price his goods based on how much of it is sold during a certain day, week, or month. If there is a huge demand for a certain product and shelves empty quickly, the supermarket manager will raise its price to prevent a shortage. If another product fails to sell as fast as expected, its price may be lowered in order to clear any unsold inventory.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>But whether it is the auction of spectrum waves or the sale of fruits and vegetables, auctions are at the core of allocation of scarce resources in a market economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Auction models:</strong> Different auction models are needed for depending upon the commodities, purpose of the auction and the entities conducting the auction.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>For e.g.</strong> Maximizing the profit may be the motive of a private auction while making a service affordable can be the purpose of auctioning a service by the government. Wrong auction design can lead to a second-hand market where companies trade among themselves with little revenue accruing to the government or little benefit to the public.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>How an auction is designed, has a tremendous impact not just on the buyers and the sellers but also on the broader society.</li>
<li><strong>Key variables:</strong> Three key variables need to be understood while designing an auction.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Rules of Auction</strong> i.e. closed/sealed bids, single bids versus multiple bids.</li>
<li><strong>Commodity or service</strong> being put up for auction i.e. how does each bidder value an item.</li>
<li><strong>Uncertainty</strong> regarding which bidder has what information about the object, or even the value another bidder associates with the object.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Literature</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 has been awarded to the USA poet <strong>Louise Gl&uuml;ck</strong> "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Her poetry focuses on the painful reality of being human, dealing with themes such as death, childhood, and family life.</li>
<li>She is the fourth woman to win the prize for literature since 2010, and only the 16<sup>th</sup> since the Nobel prizes were first awarded in 1901.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Nobel Prize comes with a medal and a prize sum of 10 million Swedish kronor.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Contribution of Indians</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Poet and writer <strong>Rabindranath Tagore</strong> was the <strong>first non-European and Indian</strong> to get a Nobel Prize in 1913 in literature.</li>
<li>India received its first Nobel Prize in physics in 1930, when scientist Sir <strong>Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman</strong> was awarded &ldquo;for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him&rdquo;. This phenomenon is now known as Raman Effect.</li>
<li><strong>Har Gobind Khorana</strong> shared his 1968 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Robert W Holley and Marshall W Nirenberg. The trio was honoured <strong>&ldquo;for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mother Teresa</strong> won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She was a Roman Catholic nun who was born in Albania. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and worked all her life for the poor. She became an <strong>Indian citizen</strong> as well. She received the prize for her &ldquo;work in bringing help to suffering humanity&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Indian physicist <strong>Subramanyan Chandrasekhar</strong> was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics, which he shared with physicist William Alfred Fowler. He was awarded <strong>&ldquo;for theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Amartya Sen</strong> was the winner of the 1998 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences. He was rewarded &ldquo;for his contributions to welfare economics&rdquo;.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s first Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry was won by <strong>Venkatraman Ramakrishnan.</strong> He received the 2009 Nobel Prize<strong> &ldquo;for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome&rdquo;.</strong> He shared the award with Thomas A Steitz and Ada E Yonath.</li>
<li><strong>Kailash Satyarthi,</strong> along with Malala Yousafzai, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. He received the honour &ldquo;for the struggle against the suppression of children and young people, and for the right of all children to education.&rdquo;</li>
<li>The Indian-American economist <strong>Abhijit Banerjee</strong> was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer. The trio received the award for their<strong> &ldquo;experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/Paper2/nobel-prize-2020'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Dolphins in Pearl River Estuary',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to a recent report, <strong>Chinese pink dolphins</strong> are making a comeback in the <strong>Pearl River Estuary</strong> (PRE).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins</strong> are also known as <strong>Chinese white dolphins or pink dolphins,</strong> reflecting the colour of their skin.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pearl River Estuary:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It includes <strong>Hong Kong, Macau as well as the mainland Chinese cities</strong> of Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan. Around 22 million people live in the area.</li>
<li>The <strong>Pearl River Delta,</strong> the low-lying area surrounding the PRE where the Pearl River flows into the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/south-china-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South China Sea</strong></a>, is one of the world&rsquo;s <strong>most densely urbanised, heavily industrialised and busiest shipping lanes</strong> on Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099617_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099617_image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Current Scenario and Reasons Behind:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Dolphins use<strong> echolocation</strong> to find their way in the water and the ships often disturb them in finding their way and even kill them.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Echolocation</strong> is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to<strong> determine the location of objects using reflected sound.</strong></li>
<li>This allows the animals to move around in pitch darkness, so they can navigate, hunt, identify friends and enemies, and avoid obstacles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, dolphin numbers in the waters between Hong Kong and Macau have seen a rebound in 2020 because<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> has <strong>stopped ferries and hence reduced their traffic.</strong></li>
<li>The number of pink dolphins in the waters has <strong>roughly increased by a third</strong> according to scientists.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099917_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1603099917_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Sousa Chinensis.</em></li>
<li><strong>Habitat Range:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Its total range is in coastal waters<strong> from central China southward throughout Southeast Asia</strong> and<strong> westward to the Bay of Bengal,</strong> with highest densities in and around estuaries.</li>
<li>The distribution is <strong>fragmented</strong> such that these dolphins are apparently<strong> absent from fairly long stretches of coastline.</strong> It is not always clear whether the fragmentation is &lsquo;natural&rsquo; or caused by human activities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/living-planet-report-wwf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Wildlife Fund for Nature</strong></a> (WWF) says the population in the PRE is believed to be around 2,500, but falling numbers of young could reduce numbers in future.</li>
<li>They have <strong>seen a decline in their numbers in the past 15 years by 70-80%.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Agricultural, industrial, and urban pollution.</li>
<li>Overfishing.</li>
<li>Marine construction including bridge-building and land creation for airport expansion and residential/office development.</li>
<li>Transport including fast ferries.</li>
<li>Selling into captivity at marine &ldquo;entertainment&rdquo; parks and aquariums worldwide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Effects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Loss of suitable habitat, the mortality of dolphins from entanglements and vessel strikes, and the possible effects of chemical, sewage and noise pollution on their health.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conservation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN</strong> </a>Status: <strong>Vulnerable.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/global-eco-watch-chinese-pink-dolphin-numbers-rise-in-pearl-river-estuary-73842#:~:text=Chinese%20pink%20dolphins%20are%20making,of%20Shenzhen%2C%20Guangzhou%20and%20Dongguan." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dolphins-in-pearl-river-estuary'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Pro-Democracy Protests in Thailand',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Thailand&rsquo;s government banned gatherings of<strong> more than five people</strong> in the face of <strong>three months of escalating demonstrations</strong> that have targeted the <strong>King</strong> as well as the <strong>Prime Minister.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602937058_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602937058_image7.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Initially, the government allowed peaceful and lawful protests but now stringent control, due to anarchy in protests.</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong> The roots of the current discontentment go back to the <strong>2014 coup</strong> which brought the <strong>junta (military dictatorship)</strong> in power which tightened its grip on power and introduced more and more restrictions on the public.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2017,</strong> the military introduced a <strong>new Constitution,</strong> which allowed the military to appoint a <strong>250-member Senate</strong> that would play a role in selecting the <strong>Prime Minister.</strong></li>
<li>The country held the <strong>delayed Parliamentary</strong> election in<strong> 2019,</strong> which was seen as a mere exercise to transfer power from the junta to an elected government.</li>
<li><strong>Role of Monarchy:</strong> Thailand&rsquo;s royal family has considerable influence over the country&rsquo;s political system and is revered by citizens. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Many, particularly young Thais, have increasingly started questioning the monarchy&rsquo;s role, its privileges, and the power it has exerted in the country for years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Latest Cause:</strong> Anti-government protests emerged last year after courts banned the most vocal opposition party. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This political party was relatively new, and had been formed in 2018, with the goals to restrain the military&rsquo;s powers and interference in the political spectrum and to tackle social and economic inequality in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Protest:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most of the protestors are students and young people in their 20s. There is<strong> no overall leader.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Key Groups:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Free Youth Movement,</strong> which was behind the first major protest in July.</li>
<li>The <strong>United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration,</strong> a student group from Bangkok&rsquo;s Thammasat University, which has championed calls for monarchy reform.</li>
<li>The<strong> Bad Student Movement</strong> of high-schoolers, which seeks education reform.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demands:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Reforms to the Monarchy:</strong> Students submitted 10 demands to the government, asking for a separation of the King&rsquo;s assets and the Crown Property Bureau (quasi-government institution to manage the monarch's property in Thailand).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They also wanted to cut the Palace&rsquo;s share in the national budget, a ban on the King from expressing his political views, and safeguards to prevent him from endorsing future coups.</li>
<li>Some protesters <strong>want to reverse a 2017 increase in the king&rsquo;s constitutional powers,</strong> made the year after he succeeded his widely revered late father King Bhumibol Adulyadej.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Lese Majeste Laws:</strong> The monarchy is protected by<strong> Section 112 of the Penal Code,</strong> which says whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir-apparent or regent shall be jailed for three to 15 years.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This law has remained virtually unchanged since the creation of the country's first criminal code in 1908, although the penalty was toughened in 1976.</li>
<li>Protesters also seek the scrapping of<strong> lese majeste laws.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pro-democracy activists</strong> say that Thailand is backtracking on the constitutional monarchy established when absolute royal rule ended in<strong> 1932.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Also, the monarchy is too close to the army and argue that this has undermined democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Demands:</strong> The students have also called for the Prime Minister&rsquo;s resignation; a new Constitution; fresh, free and fair elections; and an end to attacks on dissidents and opposition parties such as the Future Forward Party.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The democratic voice must be heard in Thai Protests not merely a promise of superficial democracy. For India also, it is a critical time to observe the outcome of the protest but wiser is to engage constructively with the regime in regard to democracy and human rights.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/thailand-protests-explained-6734960/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pro-democracy-protests-in-thailand'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Ministry of Culture has issued guidelines for<strong> holding cultural events/activities in virtual/online mode</strong> under various scheme components of <strong>Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana</strong> (KSVY).</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> and the resultant<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> lockdowns</strong></a> have had a substantial <strong>impact on the performing arts and cultural sector</strong> with in-person exhibitions, events, and performances either cancelled or postponed.<strong> Example: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/behrupiya-folk-artiste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Behrupiyas</a>.</strong></li>
<li>The guidelines will <strong>enable artists to avail benefits under KSVY</strong> even if they are not able to stage programs in the physical format as before and will <strong>ensure continued financial assistance.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana</strong> (KSVY) is an <strong>umbrella scheme</strong> under the Ministry of Culture for the <strong>promotion of art and culture</strong> in the country.</li>
<li>It is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>central sector scheme.</strong></a></li>
<li>The ministry implements <strong>many schemes under KSVY,</strong> where the grants are sanctioned/approved for holding programs/activities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scheme of Financial Assistance for Promotion of Art and Culture.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Scheme of Financial Assistance for Creation of Cultural Infrastructure.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/draft-national-list-of-intangible-cultural-heritage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage</strong></a>, which aims to promote the <strong>13 intangible cultural heritage of India,</strong> recognised by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization</strong></a> (UNESCO).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602936681_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602936681_image6.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1665035" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kala-sanskriti-vikas-yojana'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Skewed Gender Ratio',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/population-fertility-rate-sex-ration-india-6758043/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The real population worry&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 17/10/2020. It talks about the worrisome trend in the decline of sex ratio at birth in India.</p>
</div>
<p>The recently released <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/population-explosion-and-fertility-rates#:~:text=Total%20Fertility%20Rate&amp;text=The%20latest%20estimates%20(for%202017,the%20end%20of%20childbearing%20age." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical report (2018)</strong> </a>which measures the global population projection, highlighted that fertility rate has been declining in India for some time now.</p>
<p>The report estimated that India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/population-explosion-and-fertility-rates#:~:text=Total%20Fertility%20Rate&amp;text=The%20latest%20estimates%20(for%202017,the%20end%20of%20childbearing%20age." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Total Fertility Rate</strong> </a>(TFR) was around 2.2 in the year 2018, which is close to the replacement rate of 2.1. This clearly marks the success of government measures to bring population control.</p>
<p>However, on flip side the SRS report highlights the declining sex ratio at birth in India that has further got reduced from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018. The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-the-world-population-2020-unfpa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population 2020</strong></a> held that sex ratio at birth in India is lower than all the countries in the world except China.</p>
<p>Therefore, along with stabling of population , government and society needs to address the declining sex ratio and subsequenlty gender discrimination.</p>
<h3>Reasons For Skewed Sex Ratio</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gender Bias:</strong> According to information from the UNPFA, reasons for female infanticide include anti-female bias, as women are often seen as subservient to men, who often employ positions of power.</li>
<li><strong>Son-Preference:</strong> In addition, parents believe they will be better taken care of in their old age by men, as men are perceived as the principal wage earners of the family.</li>
<li><strong>Social Practices:</strong> Parents of girls are usually expected to pay a dowry, which could be a massive expense, avoided by raising males.</li>
<li><strong>Counter Effect of Rise in Income:</strong> Contrary to popular perception, in India&rsquo;s sex ratio at birth declined even as per capita income increased nearly 10 times over the last 65 years, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of government data.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This could be because rising income, which results in increased literacy, makes it easier for families to access sex-selective procedures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related to Lower Sex ratio at Birth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gender-imbalance:</strong> Prof. Amartya Kumar Sen, in his world famous article <strong>&ldquo;Missing Women‟</strong> has statistically proved that during the last century, 100 million women have been missing in south Asia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is due to discrimination leading to death, experienced by them <strong>from womb to tomb in their life cycles.</strong></li>
<li>An adverse child sex ratio is also reflected in the distorted gender makeup of the entire population.</li>
<li>Acording to World Bank, in 2031, India will have 936 females per 1,000 males, lower than the sex ratio in 1951 of 946 females per 1,000 males.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Distortion in the Marriage System:</strong> Adverse ratio results in a gross imbalance in the number of men and women and its inevitable impact on marriage systems as well as other harms to women.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In India, some villages in Haryana and Punjab have such poor sex ratios that men <strong>&ldquo;import&rdquo; brides</strong> from other States. This is often accompanied by the exploitation of these brides.</li>
<li>There are concerns that skewed sex ratios lead to more violence against both men and women, as well as human-trafficking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bringing Behavioural Change:</strong> Increasing female education and economic prosperity help to improve the ratio. In this pursuit, The government&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-its-sex-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Beti-Bachao Beti Padhao Campaign</strong></a> has achieved remarkable success in bringing behavioural change in the society.</li>
<li><strong>Sensitizing Youth:</strong> There is an urgent need to reach young people for reproductive health education and services as well as to cultivate gender equity norms.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Regarding the services of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></a> can be leveraged, especially in rural areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Stringent Enforcement of Law:</strong> India must implement the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pre-conception-and-pre-natal-diagnostic-techniques-pcpndt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994</strong></a> more stringently and dedicate more resources to fighting the preference for boys.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/medical-equipment-notified-as-drugs#:~:text=Drugs%20Technical%20Advisory%20Board%20is,related%20to%20drugs%20and%20cosmetics." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Drugs Technical Advisory Board decision</strong></a> to include ultrasound machines in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, is a step in the right direction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Although India has created several impressive goals to reduce its population growth rates, India and the rest of the world has a long way to go to achieve meaningful population policy which are not only based on quantitative control but qualitative control as well.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602934862_image0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602934862_image0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-color: #ff0000; border-style: dotted; background-color: #f0ffed;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>In view of the complexity of son meta-preference resulting in gender-biased sex selection, government actions need to be supplemented by improving women&rsquo;s status in the society. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZiKwdIpY_eY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-editorials/the-coal-to-methane-path-to-low-carbon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The coal-to-methane path to low-carbon&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Economic Times on October 14<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/skewed-gender-ratio'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Atomic Hydrogen Content of Galaxies',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>In a significant discovery, the Pune-based <strong>Nationwide Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) and Raman Analysis Institute (RRI),</strong> Bengaluru have used the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-telescope-spots-distant-radio-galaxy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)</strong></a> to measure the <strong>atomic hydrogen</strong> content (of 8 billion years ago) of galaxies when the universe was young.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This will <strong>help in unveiling the reason behind declining star formation in the Milky Way</strong> in the present time.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Study:</strong> For the first time the atomic hydrogen gas content of star forming galaxies for a past date (about 8 billion years ago) was measured with the help of the upgraded GMRT.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Unlike stars which emit light strongly at optical wavelengths, the atomic hydrogen signal lies in the radio wavelengths, at a wavelength of 21 cm, and can only be detected with radio telescopes.</li>
<li><strong>Stacking:</strong> This 21 cm signal is intrinsically very weak, to overcome this limitation, the team used a technique called &ldquo;stacking&rdquo; to combine the 21 cm signals of nearly 8,000 galaxies that had earlier been identified with the help of optical telescopes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This method measures the average gas content of these galaxies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance of Discovery:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Galaxies in the universe are made up mostly of gas and stars, with gas being converted into stars throughout the life of a galaxy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Understanding galaxies requires us to determine how the amounts of both gas and stars change with time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The star formation activity in galaxies peaked about 8-10 billion years ago (galaxy was young) and has been declining steadily till today.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The cause of this decline was unknown as there had been no <strong>information regarding the amount of atomic hydrogen gas &mdash;</strong> the <strong>primary fuel for star formation</strong> &mdash; in galaxies in these early times.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The observed decline in star formation activity could thus be explained by the exhaustion of the atomic hydrogen. Given the intense star formation in these early galaxies, their atomic gas would be consumed by star formation in just one or two billion years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GMRT is an array of <strong>thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes of 45 metre diameter.</strong> It is operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. It is an<strong> indigenous project.</strong></li>
<li>It functions at the <strong>metre wavelength part of the radio spectrum</strong> because <strong>man-made radio interference is considerably lower</strong> in this part of the spectrum in India and there are <strong>many outstanding astrophysics problems</strong> which are best studied at metre wavelengths.</li>
<li>Detecting the 21 cm signal from the most distant galaxies in the universe was the main science goal of the GMRT, when it was designed and built by a team led by the late pioneering astrophysicist <strong>Govind Swarup</strong> in the 1980s and 1990s.</li>
<li>The big jump in sensitivity was due to the upgrade of the GMRT with new wide band receivers and electronics in 2017.</li>
<li>The<strong> location</strong> for GMRT, Pune meets several important criteria such as <strong>low man-made radio noise,</strong> availability of <strong>good communication,</strong> vicinity of <strong>industrial,</strong> educational and other infrastructure and, a geographical latitude sufficiently north of the geomagnetic equator in order to have a reasonably quiet ionosphere and yet be able to observe a good part of the southern sky as well.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-telescope-spots-distant-radio-galaxy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atomic-hydrogen-content-of-galaxies'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Bioremediation Mechanism for Oil Spills',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chnnai</strong> has developed an<strong> eco-friendly crude oil bioremediation mechanism technology</strong> using consortia (group of two or more species) of marine microbes<strong> wheat bran (WB)</strong> immobilized <strong>(microbes controlled degradation)</strong> on agro-residue bacterial cells.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Wheat bran</strong> is the hard outer layer of the <strong>wheat</strong> kernel. It's stripped away during the milling process.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Eco-friendly Crude Oil Bioremediation Mechanism Technology</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bioremediation:</strong> It can be defined as any process that uses microorganisms or their enzymes to remove and or<strong> neutralize contaminants within the environment to their original condition.</strong></li>
<li>In the marine ecosystem, deep sea<strong> hydrocarbonoclastic</strong> (ability to degrade hydrocarbon) microbial consortium plays an important role in breaking down <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-spill-in-siberia" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>oil in the event of a spill.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The microbial community serves as <strong>energetic primary degraders</strong> of a complex mixture of petroleum hydrocarbons into various aldehydes, ketones and acidic metabolites.</li>
<li>These hydrocarbon degrading bacteria don&rsquo;t depend on hydrocarbons for survival, but have a metabolic mechanism where they use petroleum products as<strong> carbon and energy source</strong> and thus, help cleaning up oil spills.</li>
<li>The <strong>complete breakdown and degradation</strong> of crude oil is achievable using <strong>wheat bran marine bacterial consortia</strong> (which are <strong>low-cost non-toxic</strong> agro-residues) in an environmentally sustainable manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Advantages of Immobilized State:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They are more <strong>effective in their immobilised state</strong> than the free bacteria cells in degrading the oil spills. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They could remove 84% of the oils within 10 days. The free bacterial cells degraded a maximum of 60% of the crude oil at optimised conditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>They are more<strong> versatile and resistant</strong> to adverse conditions.</li>
<li>They have<strong> efficacy in treating accidental bulk discharge of oil</strong> in marine environments through non-toxic clean-up technology.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Oil Spill</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is an<strong> accidental/uncontrolled release</strong> of crude oil, gasoline, fuels, or other oil by-products into the environment. Oil spills can pollute land, air, or water, though it is mostly used for oceanic oil spills.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recent <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-spill-in-mauritius" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>MV Wakashio spill off Mauritius</strong></a> &mdash; about 1,000 tonnes of oil spilled into a sanctuary for rare wildlife after the Japanese ship struck a coral reef in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cause:</strong> They have become a major environmental problem, chiefly as a result of <strong>intensified petroleum exploration and production</strong> on continental shelves and the transport of large amounts of oils in vessels.</li>
<li><strong>Measure: Cleaning</strong> up of the oil spillage from the oceans <strong>without damaging the marine ecosystem</strong> is becoming an increasingly challenging task.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Containment Booms:</strong> Floating barriers, called booms are used to restrict the spread of oil and to allow for its recovery, removal, or dispersal.</li>
<li><strong>Skimmers:</strong> They are devices used for physically separating spilled oil from the water&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li><strong>Sorbents:</strong> Various sorbents (e.g., straw, volcanic ash, and shavings of polyester-derived plastic) that absorb the oil from the water are used.</li>
<li><strong>Dispersing agents:</strong> These are chemicals that contain surfactants, or compounds that act to break liquid substances such as oil into small droplets. They accelerate its natural dispersion into the sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/microbes-to-fight-oil-spillage-in-oceans-indian-scientists-devise-new-technology-73828" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bioremediation-mechanism-for-oil-spills'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Guidelines for Digital Media Regulation',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Centre has announced <strong>new guidelines</strong> for <strong>digital news platforms.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>New Guidelines:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government has put emphasis on compliance to the <strong>26% <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-foreign-direct-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Direct Investment</a> (FDI)</strong> cap under the government approval route in digital media.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>26% FDI through the government approval route in the digital media sector was brought in 2019. FDI in print media is capped at 26%, and that in TV news is 49%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The majority of the directors on the company&rsquo;s board, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company would have to be an<strong> Indian citizen.</strong></li>
<li>All foreign employees working for more than 60 days would need <strong>security clearance.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If the government denies or withdraw security clearance, the digital media company will ensure that the concerned person resigns or his/her services are terminated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The government has given a year to digital media news entities to align their shareholding with these requirements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Application:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The guidelines will be applicable to the following categories of entities registered or located in India: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Digital media entities</strong> which streams/uploads news and current affairs on websites, apps or other platforms.</li>
<li><strong>News agency</strong> which gathers, writes and distributes/transmits news, directly or indirectly, to digital media entities and/or news aggregators.</li>
<li><strong>News aggregator,</strong> an entity which uses software of web applications to aggregate news content from various sources, such as news websites, blogs, podcasts, video blogs, user submitted links, etc in one location.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will be considering in the near future to extend the following benefits, presently available to traditional media (print and TV), to digital media entities also:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Press Information Bureau (PIB) accreditation</strong> for its reporters, cameramen, videographers enabling them with better first-hand information and access including participation in official press conferences and such other interactions.</li>
<li>Persons with PIB accreditation can also avail <strong>Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) benefits and concessional rail fare.</strong></li>
<li>Eligibility for digital advertisements through the Bureau of Outreach and Communication.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Similar to self-regulating bodies in print and electronic media, <strong>entities in digital media can form self-regulating bodies</strong> for furthering their interests and interaction with the Government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Threat of fake news, propaganda vehicles, foreign influence</strong> and <strong>interference in India&rsquo;s domestic affairs is more real than ever,</strong> particularly from <strong>India&rsquo;s hostile neighbours like China and Pakistan.</strong></li>
<li>The guidelines could help the government in <strong>tightening the noose on Chinese and other foreign companies</strong> who are making investments in digital media in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Foreign Direct Investment</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FDI is an <strong>investment made by a firm or individual</strong> in one country into business interests located in another country.</li>
<li>Generally, FDI takes place when an investor establishes foreign business operations or acquires foreign business assets, including establishing ownership or controlling interest in a foreign company.</li>
<li>It is different from <strong>Foreign Portfolio Investment</strong> where the foreign entity merely buys equity shares of a company. FPI does not provide the investor with control over the business.</li>
<li><strong>Routes</strong> through which India gets FDI:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Automatic Route:</strong> In this, the foreign entity does not require the prior approval of the government or the RBI.</li>
<li><strong>Government route:</strong> In this, the foreign entity has to take the approval of the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal</strong> (FIFP) facilitates the single window clearance of applications which are through approval route.</li>
<li>This portal is administered by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/digital-media-news-aggregators-agencies-need-to-comply-with-26-fdi-cap-govt-6757990/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/guidelines-for-digital-media-regulation'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Bodoland Statehood Movement',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A <strong>new organisation</strong> (All India Bodo People&rsquo;s National League for Bodoland Statehood) has announced the <strong>revival of the Bodoland statehood movement</strong> ahead of the elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Bodos:</strong> These are the<strong> single largest community among the notified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-commission-for-scheduled-tribes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scheduled Tribes</a> in Assam.</strong> Part of the larger umbrella of<strong> Bodo-Kachari,</strong> the Bodos <strong>constitute about 5-6% of Assam&rsquo;s population.</strong></li>
<li><strong>About Bodo Statehood Movement:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>1967-68: First organised demand</strong> for a Bodo state came under the banner of the political party <strong>Plains Tribals Council of Assam. </strong></li>
<li><strong>1986:</strong> The armed group Bodo Security Force arose, which subsequently renamed itself <strong>&lsquo;National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)&rsquo;,</strong> an organisation that is known to be involved in attacks, killings, and extortions. It later split into factions.</li>
<li><strong>1987:</strong> All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) renewed the demand.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>fallout of the Assam Movement (1979-85),</strong> whose culmination - <strong>the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-clause-6-of-assam-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assam Accord</a></strong> - addressed the demands of protection and safeguards for the &ldquo;Assamese people&rdquo;, leading the Bodos to launch a movement to protect their own identity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>1990s:</strong> Indian <strong>security forces launched extensive operations against the NDFB,</strong> causing the latter to flee to bordering Bhutan. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In Bhutan, the group faced stiff<strong> counter-insurgency operations</strong> by the Indian Army and the Royal Bhutan Army in the early 2000s.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Interventions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>1993 Bodo Accord:</strong> The ABSU-led movement from 1987 culminated in a 1993 Bodo Accord, which paved the way for a <strong>Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC),</strong> but ABSU withdrew its agreement and renewed its demand for a separate state.</li>
<li><strong>2003 Bodo Accord:</strong> In 2003, the second Bodo Accord was signed by the extremist group Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF), the Centre and the state. This led to the <strong>Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>BTC is an <strong>autonomous body under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ladakh-under-sixth-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sixth Schedule</a></strong> of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The<strong> area under the jurisdiction of BTC</strong> was called the<strong> Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2020 Accord:</strong> The Central government signed a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bodo-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> tripartite agreement</strong></a> with the state government and different Bodo groups, including four factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), for a &ldquo;permanent&rdquo; solution to the Bodo issue. Some <strong>features:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602928645_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602928645_image2.png" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It provides for<strong> &ldquo;alteration of area of BTAD&rdquo;</strong> and <strong>&ldquo;provisions for Bodos outside BTAD&rdquo;</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>BTAD was renamed Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).</strong></li>
<li>It provides for <strong>more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers</strong> to BTC.</li>
<li>Provision for <strong>rehabilitation of surrendered militants of NDFB</strong> and bringing<strong> a special development package of Rs. 1,500 crore</strong> for the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Present Revival of the Bodoland Statehood Movement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the new organisation, the new (2020) accord has been a <strong>betrayal of the Bodo people.</strong> Besides being an<strong> inferior accord,</strong> it <strong>prescribes a reduction of the area currently under the BTC.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The accord has a provision for excluding from the BTR villages with more than 50% non-Bodos and including villages with more than 50% Bodo people left out of the BTC map after the 2003 accord.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>signatories of the accord will be under pressure</strong> to find a way out to ensure the successful implementation of the accord. Support of relevant organisations will be required.</li>
<li>Further, <strong>the opposition to the latest accord voiced by organisations of non-Bodo communities,</strong> including Koch-Rajbangshis, Adivasis and religious and linguistic minorities, has given rise to fears that if their grievances are not addressed, the ethnic fault lines in Assam will deepen. Thus, the accord&rsquo;s success will lie in the stakeholders working out a <strong>power-sharing arrangement</strong> in the BTR that <strong>privileges equity over hegemony.</strong></li>
<li>Peace will continue to be fragile in Assam&rsquo;s Bodo heartland until an <strong>all-inclusive power sharing and governance model</strong> is evolved under the<strong> provisions of the Sixth Schedule.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/new-group-to-revive-bodoland-statehood-stir/article32871458.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bodoland-statehood-movement'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'India & its Sex Ratio',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, C Rangarajan (former Chairman, Prime Minister&rsquo;s Economic Advisory Council) argued that there is an urgent need to reach young people <strong>both for reproductive health education and services </strong>as well as <strong>to cultivate gender equity norms.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>His arguments are based on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/declining-sex-ratio-and-fertility-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sample Registration System</strong></a> <strong>(SRS) Statistical Report (2018)</strong> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-the-world-population-2020-unfpa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population 2020.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>SRS Report</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SRS is the <strong>largest demographic sample survey</strong> in the country that among other indicators provide direct estimates of <strong>sex ratio, fertility rate etc.</strong> through a nationally representative sample.</li>
<li>It is brought by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-maternal-mortality-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Office of Registrar General</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>United Nation Population Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UNFPA is <strong>aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health</strong> worldwide. It is headquartered in <strong>New York.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sex Ratio at Birth:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Biologically normal sex ratio at birth is 1,050 males to 1,000 females or<strong> 950 females to 1,000 males.</strong></li>
<li>The SRS Report 2018 shows that sex ratio at birth in India, <strong>declined marginally from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Sex ratio is measured as the number of females per 1,000 males.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>UNFPA State of World Population 2020 estimated the sex ratio at birth in India as 910,</strong> which is on the lower side of index.</li>
<li>This is a cause for concern because this adverse ratio results in a gross imbalance in the number of men and women and its inevitable impact on marriage systems as well as other harms to women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Total Fertility Rate (TFR):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to SRS Report 2018, TFR has been declining in India for some time now. It <strong>declined from 2.4 to 2.2 during the period between 2011 and 2018.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2011, 10 states had a fertility rate<strong> below the replacement rate.</strong> This increased to 14 states in 2020.</li>
<li>Fertility is likely to continue to decline and it is estimated <strong>that replacement TFR of 2.1 would soon be reached for India</strong> as a whole.</li>
<li><strong>TFR</strong> is the number of children a mother would have at the current pattern of fertility during her lifetime.</li>
<li><strong>Replacement rate</strong> is the average number of children born per woman&mdash;at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, without migration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Many people believe that the population would stabilise</strong> or begin to reduce in a few years once replacement fertility is reached.</li>
<li><strong>However, this is not so</strong> because of the <strong>population momentum effect,</strong> a result of more people entering the reproductive age group of 15-49 years due to the<strong> past high-level of fertility.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For instance, the replacement fertility level was reached in Kerala around 1990, but its annual population growth rate was 0.7% in 2018, nearly 30 years later.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges Involved:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Regressive Mindset:</strong> There is <strong>considerable son preference</strong> in all states, except possibly in <strong>Kerala and Chhattisgarh.</strong> This son&rsquo;s preference is derived from a regressive mindset. <strong>E.g.:</strong> People associate girls with dowry.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of Technology:</strong> Cheaper technology like ultrasound helps in sex selection.</li>
<li><strong>Failure in Implementation of Law:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/revoke-order-weakening-pcpndt-act-aidwa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Prenatal Conception and Prenatal Determination Act (PC-PNDT), 1994</strong></a> which punishes healthcare professionals for telling expectant parents the sex of a child with imprisonment and hefty fines, has failed to control the sex selection.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Reports found<strong> major gaps in the training of personnel implementing PC-PNDT.</strong> Poor training meant that they were <strong>unable to prepare strong cases against violators</strong> to secure convictions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Illiteracy:</strong> Illiterate women in the reproductive age group of 15-49 years have higher fertility than literate women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Initiative- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sharp decline in <strong>sex ratio</strong> as pointed by Census 2011 data called for urgent action. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched in 2015 in Panipat, Haryana <strong>to address the issue of decline in child sex ratio</strong> and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum.</li>
<li>It is a <strong>triministerial effort</strong> of the ministries of Women and Child Development, Health &amp; Family Welfare and Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions Made:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Increasing <strong>female education and economic prosperity</strong> will help to improve the ratio.</li>
<li>Rollout campaigns on <strong>sensitisation towards women and children,</strong> making <strong>women safety cells,</strong> ensuring the<strong> safety of women on public transport systems,</strong> making <strong>cyber-crime cells</strong> are some other initiatives that need to be taken.</li>
<li>In view of the complexity of son preference resulting in gender-biased sex selection, government actions need to be supplemented by <strong>improving women&rsquo;s status in the society.</strong></li>
<li>Reaching out to young people could reduce the effect of population momentum and accelerate progress towards reaching a more normal sex-ratio at birth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite several policies and programmes, lower health outcomes for women and girl children still persist in India. Certain forms of discrimination, especially the son preference, reinforced by the techno-economic forces are eliminating the girl child (even from the womb).</li>
<li>Effective implementation of the existing women- and children-related policies, including<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-verdict-on-hindu-women-s-inheritance-rights#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20Supreme%20Court%20(SC,(Amendment)%20Act%2C%202005." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> women's property ownership</strong></a>, are required to empower women, to ensure girl child's survival, and to reduce gender gap in access to healthcare.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-ideas-why-india-must-urgently-step-up-efforts-to-improve-its-sex-ratio-6758099/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-its-sex-ratio'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Global Hunger Index 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>India</strong> has been <strong>ranked at 94 among 107 countries</strong> in the <strong>Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020.</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Global Hunger Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Annual Report:</strong> Jointly published by <strong>Concern Worldwide</strong> and <strong>Welthungerhilfe.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was <strong>first produced in 2006.</strong> It is <strong>published every October.</strong> The<strong> 2020 edition</strong> marks the<strong> 15<sup>th</sup> edition of the GHI.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> To comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.</li>
<li><strong>Calculation:</strong> The <strong>GHI scores</strong> are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is calculated on the basis of<strong> four indicators:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Undernourishment:</strong> Share of the population with <strong>insufficient caloric intake.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Child Wasting:</strong> Share of children under age five who have<strong> low weight for their height,</strong> reflecting acute undernutrition.</li>
<li><strong>Child Stunting:</strong> Share of children under age five who have <strong>low height for their age,</strong> reflecting chronic undernutrition.</li>
<li><strong>Child Mortality:</strong> The mortality rate of children <strong>under the age of five.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scoring:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a <strong>100-point scale</strong> where<strong> 0</strong> is the<strong> best possible score</strong> (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.</li>
<li>Each country&rsquo;s GHI score is<strong> classified by severity,</strong> from low to extremely alarming.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Worldwide Hunger:</strong> Represented by a <strong>GHI score of 18.2</strong> (moderate level), <strong>down from a 2000 GHI score of 28.2</strong> (serious).</li>
<li><strong>Factors:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organisation%20(WHO,31st%20December%2C%202019)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> <strong>pandemic</strong> and the <strong>resulting economic downturn,</strong> as well as a <strong>massive outbreak of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/locusts-appeared-early-in-rajasthan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">desert locusts</a></strong> in the Horn of Africa and other crises, are <strong>exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity</strong> for millions of people.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It needs to be noted that <strong>2020 GHI scores do not reflect the impact of Covid-19</strong> on hunger and undernutrition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The above mentioned crises come on top of <strong>existing hunger</strong> caused by <strong>conflict, climate extremes,</strong> and<strong> economic shocks</strong> (random, unpredictable events).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Region-wise Performance: Africa South of the Sahara</strong> and<strong> South Asia</strong> have the <strong>highest hunger and undernutrition levels</strong> among world regions, with 2020 GHI scores of 27.8 and 26.0, respectively&mdash;both considered serious.</li>
<li><strong>SDG 2 Progress:</strong> The<strong> world is not on track to achieve the second <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goal</a></strong> - known as <strong>Zero Hunger</strong> for short -<strong> by 2030. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Overall Performance:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>With a <strong>score of 27.2,</strong> India has a level of hunger that is<strong> &ldquo;serious&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>It<strong> ranks 94 out of 107 countries</strong> in the Index. In <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2019</strong></a>, India&rsquo;s rank <strong>was 102 out of 117 countries.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Comparison with Other Countries: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India features behind</strong> Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70) among others.</li>
<li>Out of the total 107 countries, <strong>only 13 countries fare worse than India</strong> including countries like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107) among others.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Performance on the Indicators:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Undernourishment: 14%</strong> of India&rsquo;s population is undernourished (2017-19). It was 16.3% during 2011-13.</li>
<li><strong>Child Wasting:</strong> 17.3% (2015-19), it was 15.1% in 2010-14.</li>
<li><strong>Child Stunting:</strong> 34.7%, it has improved significantly, from 54% in 2000 to less than 35% now.</li>
<li><strong>Child Mortality:</strong> 3.7%, it was 5.2% in 2012.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602922105_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602922105_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="615" height="262" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Some Related Initiatives by India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/second-edition-of-eat-right-mela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eat Right India Movement</a>:</strong> An outreach activity organised by the <strong>Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)</strong> for citizens to nudge them towards eating right.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>POSHAN Abhiyaan</strong></a>: Launched by the <strong>Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2018,</strong> it targets to <strong>reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia</strong> (among young children, women and adolescent girls).</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana</strong></a>: A <strong>centrally sponsored scheme</strong> executed by the <strong>Ministry of Women and Child Development,</strong> is a <strong>maternity benefit programme</strong> being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1<sup>st</sup> January, 2017.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/milk-fortification-project#:~:text=Food%20Fortification%20or%20Food%20Enrichment,to%20improve%20their%20nutritional%20content." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Fortification</strong></a>: Food Fortification or Food Enrichment is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A &amp; D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-nation-one-ration-card-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Food Security Act, 2013</strong></a>: The National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 legally entitled up to <strong>75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population</strong> to receive subsidized food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mission-indradhanush-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mission Indradhanush</strong></a>: It targets <strong>children under 2 years of age and pregnant women</strong> for immunization against <strong>12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD).</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1#:~:text=Integrated%20Child%20Development%20Services%20(ICDS)%20Scheme&amp;text=It%20provides%20a%20package%20of,check%2Dup%20and%20referral%20services" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme</strong></a>: Launched on<strong> 2<sup>nd</sup> October, 1975,</strong> the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme offers a package of <strong>six services (Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-school non-formal education, Nutrition &amp; health education, Immunization, Health check-up and Referral services)</strong> to children in the age group of<strong> 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Governments, private actors, and NGOs should carefully coordinate their <strong>responses to overlapping food and health crises</strong> and work with community organizations to make sure interventions are culturally acceptable, reach the most vulnerable, and preserve local ecosystems.</li>
<li><strong>Food should be priced not only by its weight or volume but also by its nutrient density,</strong> its freedom from contamination, and its contribution to ecosystem services and social justice.</li>
<li>Governments should <strong>expand access to maternal and child health care,</strong> as well as <strong>education on healthy diets and child feeding practices.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Supporting smallholder farmers</strong> in becoming sustainable and diversified producers; governments and NGOs must seek to improve those farmers&rsquo; access to agricultural inputs and extension services, coupling local and indigenous agricultural knowledge with new technologies.</li>
<li><strong>Existing human rights-based multilateral mechanisms</strong> and international standards&mdash;such as the Committee on World Food Security&mdash;must be strengthened to support inclusive policy making and sustainable food systems.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-fares-poorly-in-hunger-index/article32876195.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2020'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'First 'Har Ghar Jal' State: Goa',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Goa has become the first <strong>'Har Ghar Jal' State</strong> in the country as it successfully provided<strong> 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs)</strong> in the <strong>rural areas</strong> covering <strong>2.30 lakh rural households.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Early Achiever:</strong> State's commitment and brisk efforts have ensured advancement and achievement of targets well<strong> before time, i.e. 2024 at national level.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Annual Action Plan:</strong> Goa prepared the State's Annual Action Plan (AAP) to provide 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in rural areas by<strong> 2021.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Goa utilized the benefits of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-jeevan-mission-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)</strong></a> which aims to improve the quality of life and bring 'ease-of-living' to rural communities.</li>
<li>Accordingly, fund allocation from the Union to Goa in 2020-21 has been increased to Rs. 12.40 Crore for the plan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Convergence of Schemes:</strong> The State explored through convergence of various programmes like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/mgnrega-and-migrant-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/swachh-bharat-mission-grameen-phase-ii-approved" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</strong></a> for rural local bodies, etc. for strengthening of drinking water sources, water supply, grey water (any domestic wastewater excluding sewage) treatment &amp; re-use and operation &amp; maintenance.</li>
<li><strong>Water Testing Facilities:</strong> The State is in process of getting <strong>14 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-lab-directory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)</a></strong> accredited <strong>water quality testing laboratories.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Jal Jeevan Mission mandates<strong> training 5 persons in every village especially women</strong> to be trained in using<strong> Field Test Kits,</strong> so that water can be tested in the villages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)</strong> envisages supply of <strong>55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.</strong></li>
<li>JJM focuses on <strong>integrated demand and supply-side management of water</strong> at the local level.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, like <strong>rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse,</strong> would be undertaken in convergence with other government programmes/schemes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Mission is based on a <strong>community approach to water</strong> and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission.</li>
<li>JJM looks to<strong> create a jan andolan for water,</strong> thereby making it everyone&rsquo;s priority.</li>
<li><strong>Funding Pattern:</strong> The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The total allocation to the scheme is over ₹3 lakh crore.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Having achieved universal access, the State now plans for a sensor-based <strong>service delivery</strong> monitoring system so as to monitor the functionality of water supply i.e. potable water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality.</li>
<li>Goa&rsquo;s achievement is an <strong>example for other States to emulate</strong> and ensure every rural home gets tap connection.</li>
<li>Especially in these times of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> pandemic, it is all the more imperative to have assured safe water supply within households.</li>
<li>This silent revolution happening in rural India in terms of household tap water connections is a work in progress for a <strong>&lsquo;New India&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1663200" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-har-ghar-jal-state-goa'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Increased Emissions of N2O',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to a recent research paper, <strong>human emissions of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uk-to-support-nitrogen-research-in-india#:~:text=Nitrogen%20is%20potent%20greenhouse%20gas,house%20gas%20than%20carbon%20dioxide.&amp;text=Other%20than%20air%20pollution%2C%20nitrogen,health%2C%20economy%2C%20and%20livelihoods." target="_blank" rel="noopener">nitrous oxide</a></strong> (N<sub>2</sub>O) have<strong> increased by 30% between 1980 and 2016.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The research was conducted through an international collaboration between the <strong>International Nitrogen Initiative</strong> (INI) and the<strong> Global Carbon Project of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-future-of-earth-2020-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Future Earth</a></strong>, a partner of the <strong>World Climate Research Programme.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nitrous Oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <a href="/infographics/info-paper3/greenhouse-gas-emission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>greenhouse gas</strong></a> (GHG) <strong>300 times more potent than carbon dioxide</strong> (CO<sub>2</sub>).</li>
<li>It has the<strong> third-highest concentration, after CO<sub>2</sub> and <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">methane</a></strong> (CH<sub>4</sub>), in Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere among GHGs responsible for global warming.</li>
<li>N<sub>2</sub>O is also the <strong>only remaining threat to the<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/ozone" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> ozone</a></strong> (O<sub>3</sub>) <strong>layer,</strong> for it accumulates in the atmosphere over a long period of time, just like CO<sub>2</sub>.</li>
<li>It can<strong> live in the atmosphere for up to 125 years.</strong></li>
<li>Its global concentration levels have increased from <strong>270 parts per billion</strong> (ppb) in 1750 to<strong> 331 ppb in 2018,</strong> a jump of 20%.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The growth has been the <strong>quickest in the past five decades because of human emissions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Research and the Study:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the <strong>most comprehensive study</strong> of global N<sub>2</sub>O emissions ever published, as it <strong>combines both natural and anthropogenic</strong> (man-made) sources.</li>
<li>The study found that <strong>43% of the total emissions came from human sources</strong> and <strong>most N<sub>2</sub>O emissions came from emerging countries</strong> like India, China and Brazil.</li>
<li>Increase in its emissions means that the <strong>climatic burden on the atmosphere is increasing from non-carbon sources</strong> as well, while the major focus of global climate change negotiations is currently centred on carbon, its emissions and mitigation.</li>
<li>It also highlighted the dichotomy of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/challenges-in-climate-change-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate crisis</a> and global <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">food security.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A major proportion of the N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in the last four decades came<strong> from the agricultural sector,</strong> mainly because of the use of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revamping-the-agricultural-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>nitrogen-based fertilisers.</strong></a></li>
<li>The <strong>growing demand</strong> for food and feed for animals will <strong>further increase its global emissions,</strong> leading to a direct<strong> conflict between the way countries are feeding people and stabilising the climate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are <strong>well-established practices and technologies</strong> like <strong>crop and manure management,</strong> the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bio-capsules-for-plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>use of bio-fertilisers</strong></a>, to mitigate N<sub>2</sub>O emissions which <strong>need to be utilised to their full extent.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Revised industrial and agricultural policies</strong> at the global level will reduce such emissions considerably.</li>
<li><a href="/mains-practice-question/question-36" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reducing GHGs emissions</strong> </a>will also have the<strong> co-benefits</strong> of reduced <a href="/infographics/info-paper3/air-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>air</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/deteriorating-water-quality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>water pollution.</strong></a></li>
<li>There is a <strong>need to bring the non-carbon sources under the major global climate change negotiations.</strong></li>
<li>It is possible to slow down N<sub>2</sub>O emissions if countries implement the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> <strong>Global Campaign on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, 2019</strong> held in <strong>Colombo, Sri Lanka.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The focus of the event was to finalise the <strong>Colombo Declaration</strong>, a follow <strong>up on the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-environment-forest-and-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNEA 4 Resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management</a></strong> which aims to further the dialogue on Nitrogen management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602914010_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602914010_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/nitrous-oxide-human-emissions-increased-30-in-36-yrs-report-73741#:~:text=Human%20emissions%20of%20nitrous%20oxide,existence%20of%20humans%20on%20Earth." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increased-emissions-of-n2o'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Road to Zero Hunger',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-road-to-zero-hunger-by-2030/article32865528.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The road to zero hunger by 2030&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 16/10/2020. It talks about the significance of Nobel Peace Prize 2020 to the World Food Programme and some measures to achieve the zero hunger target.</p>
</div>
<p>Several poor countries have suffered a severe setback to their developmental aspirations due to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/comprehensive-action-plan-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>. But, the pandemic, more strikingly, poses a threat to food security and agricultural livelihoods. It compounds the threats already faced by 690 million people around the world.</p>
<p>In India, the Covid-19 containment measures have brought out the multi-dimensionality of India&rsquo;s food challenges.</p>
<p>Therefore, As countries begin to develop and implement Covid-19 recovery plans, it is also an opportunity to adopt innovative solutions based on scientific evidence so they can build back better and make food systems more resilient and sustainable.</p>
<p>In this context, countries can draw inspiration from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prize-for-peace-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Food Programme (WFP)</strong> </a>which has been awarded with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nobel-prize-for-peace-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nobel peace prize, 2020.</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602847617_image0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602847617_image0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Significance of Nobel Peace Prize to WFP</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This year&rsquo;s Nobel Peace Prize to the World Food Programme (WFP) is a recognition of its role in combating hunger and malnutrition across the developing world.</li>
<li>According to the WFP, 132 million more people could become malnourished as a consequence of the pandemic.</li>
<li>This counts for a major world-wide catastrophe and unless the conscience of the world is aroused, we will be condemning vast pools of humanity to living in wretchedness and deprivation.</li>
<li>It is also a warning that the novel coronavirus pandemic is reversing the substantial gains made in the fight against poverty.</li>
<li>Thus, the Nobel Prize to the WFP will hopefully nudge collective conscience across the globe to come together and relieve this looming humanitarian crisis.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges In Combating Global Hunger</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Retreat of Multiculturalism:</strong> Challenges like Global Hunger are cross-domain but also cross-national in character, and hence demand greater multilateral cooperation in order to succeed.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, paradoxically as the salience of cross-national and global challenges has significantly increased, nation states are less willing to cooperate and collaborate in tackling them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threat of Climate Change:</strong> Climate change continues to be a real and potent threat to agrobiodiversity, which may impact everything from productivity to livelihoods across food and farm systems.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Intensified food production systems with excessive use of chemicals and unsustainable farming practices cause soil degradation, fast depletion of groundwater table and rapid loss of agro-biodiversity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inter-Linked Challenges:</strong> Food, energy and water security are inter-linked with strong feedback loops.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Enhancing food security may lead to diminished water and energy security.</li>
<li>It will also have collateral impact on health security.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Case of India</h3>
<p><strong>Positive Side &mdash;Tackling of Food Crisis During Pandemic</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has gone from being a net importer to a net exporter of food grains. This strength has been evident through the pandemic.</li>
<li>Central and State governments were able to distribute around 23 million tonnes from India&rsquo;s large domestic food grain reserves, during lockdown, through the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/public-distribution-system-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Distribution System (PDS).</strong></a></li>
<li>Thereby, providing much-needed emergency assistance to families around the country.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Flip Side &mdash; Prevalence of Malnutrition &amp; Threat to Food Security</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prevalent Malnutrition:</strong> Even as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-and-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>malnutrition in India</strong></a> has notably declined over the past decade, the <strong>Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016-18</strong> revealed that over 40 million children are chronically malnourished, and more than half of Indian women aged 15-49 years are anaemic.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to Food Security:</strong> India is dealing innovatively with climate change through programs like the development of drought and flood tolerant seed varieties, weather-based agricultural advisories, promotion of millets, and small-scale irrigation etc.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, this year, India witnessed how climate-related shocks made it difficult for farmers to deal with pest and locust attacks, as well as floods and cyclones.</li>
<li>Further, these challenges multiply with an increase in fragmentation of landholdings.</li>
<li>In India, more than 86% farmers have less than two hectares of land contributing around 60% of the total food grain production and over half the country&rsquo;s fruits and vegetables.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Improving Agricultural Productivity:</strong> Agricultural productivity has improved significantly in recent decades, yet more than two billion people globally still lack access to sufficient, nutritious and safe food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, to achieve <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>zero hunger by 2030 (SDG 2)</strong></a>, there is a need for collaboration among global players.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need For Global Cooperation:</strong> Global solidarity is needed to help all populations, and especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the crisis, and to make food systems more resilient and robust.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Clearly, without stronger commitment from the big powers, the challenge to feed the millions who suffer acute hunger due to conflict and failed agriculture would be very difficult.</li>
<li>Thus, there is a need to mobilise a global fund on the lines of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/climate-finance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Green Climate Fund of UNFCCC.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Adoption of Food System Approach:</strong> Food System Approach is a framework that includes every aspect of feeding and nourishing people from growing, harvesting and processing to packaging, transporting, marketing and consuming food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To be sustainable, a food system must provide enough nutritious food for all without compromising feeding future generations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Every section of society, whether the governments, the private sector, civil society and local communities &mdash; has a role to play in transforming our food systems. So that humanity can withstand increasing volatility and climate shocks, deliver affordable and sustainable healthy diets for all, and provide decent livelihoods for food chain workers.</p>
<p>Therefore, countries need to act in concert to make sure that our food systems nourish a growing population and sustain the planet, together.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #edeffc;">
<p><span style="color: #800000;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Achieving zero hunger by 2030, requires determination to mitigate carbon emissions early and avert effects on agriculture from disastrous climate events. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rg0yGKkK7cI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/falling-behind-120101500078_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Falling behind&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Business Standard on October 15<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/road-to-zero-hunger'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'SC on Crimes and Violence Against Women',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Recently, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Supreme Court</a></strong> has said that crimes against women continued in a <strong>&ldquo;never-ending cycle&rdquo;</strong> in India.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Judgement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The judgement dealt with the statutory scheme of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/change-in-the-provision-of-the-domestic-violence-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.</strong></a> It has allowed women fighting domestic violence cases the<strong> right to reside in the &lsquo;shared household&rsquo;</strong> even if her husband had no legal right to the house and the same was owned by the father-in-law or mother-in-law.</li>
<li><strong>Making the Act Comprehensive:</strong> The court observed that the <strong>relief granting right to residence</strong> to a married woman under the domestic violence law by a <strong>criminal court</strong> is relevant and could be <strong>considered even in civil proceedings</strong> seeking her <strong>eviction from the matrimonial home</strong> (the residence in which a husband and wife have lived together).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The wife would have the right to claim the <strong>&ldquo;shared household&rdquo;</strong> of the joint family under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Section 2(s)</strong> of the domestic violence act defines<strong> &ldquo;shared property&rdquo;,</strong> as the property owned by a woman&rsquo;s husband, or by the joint family of which the husband is a member.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reversed Earlier Judgement:</strong> The court reversed the law held by a previous decision of the Supreme Court in December 2006 in SR Batra v Taruna Batra where on similar facts, it refused permission to the wife to continue staying in her husband&rsquo;s house as it was owned by her mother-in-law. This part of the ruling was held wrong in law as it did not give full meaning to the 2005 act.</li>
<li><strong>Least Reported Form of Cruel Behaviour:</strong> The court noted that the domestic violence in India is rampant yet underreported. Women in India faced <strong>violence and discrimination</strong> in one form or the other in their various roles as daughter, sister, wife, mother, partner or single woman.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) (NFHS-4)</strong> suggests that 30% women in India in the age group of 15-49 have experienced physical violence.</li>
<li>As per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/violence-against-women-on-rise" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Women</strong></a>, globally in 2019-20, 243 million women and girls (aged 15-49) across the world have been subjected to sexual or physical violence by an intimate partner.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Less than 40% of women who experience violence seeking help of any sort or reporting the crime.</li>
<li>Less than 10% of those women seeking help go to the police.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong> Women continue to be vulnerable to these crimes because of:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Non-Retaliation,</strong></li>
<li><strong>Absence of laws</strong> addressing their rights comprehensively.</li>
<li><strong>Ignorance of the existing statutes.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Societal attitude, stigma</strong> and<strong> conditioning</strong> also made women<strong> vulnerable</strong> to domestic violence and these are the main factors for<strong> under-reporting</strong> of cases.</li>
<li>This set of circumstances ensured that a majority of women preferred to suffer in silence, <strong>not out of choice but of compulsion.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Acts of Domestic Violence</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Physical violence,</strong> such as slapping, hitting, kicking and beating.</li>
<li><strong>Sexual violence,</strong> including forced sexual intercourse and other forms of sexual coercion.</li>
<li><strong>Emotional (psychological) abuse,</strong> such as insults, belittling, constant humiliation, intimidation, threats of harm, threats to take away children.</li>
<li><strong>Controlling behaviors,</strong> including isolating a person from family and friends, monitoring their movements and restricting access to financial resources, employment, education or medical care.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The increase in<strong> violence against women should be dealt with urgently</strong> with measures embedded in<strong> economic support and stimulus packages</strong> that meet the gravity and scale of the challenge and reflect the needs of women who face multiple forms of discrimination.</li>
<li><strong>Grassroots and women&rsquo;s organizations</strong> and <strong>communities</strong> need to be supported strongly in their current frontline role.</li>
<li><strong>Helplines, psychosocial support and online counselling</strong> should be boosted, using technology-based solutions such as SMS, online tools and networks to expand social support, and to reach women with no access to phones or internet.</li>
<li><strong>Police and justice services should</strong> ensure that incidents of violence against women and girls are given high priority with no impunity for perpetrators.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-end-to-violence-against-women-sc/article32866398.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-on-crimes-and-violence-against-women'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Right of Passage of the Animals',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Supreme Court (SC) upheld the 2011 order of the Madras High Court (HC)</strong> on the<strong> Nilgiris elephant corridor,</strong> affirming the <strong>right of passage of the animals</strong> and the closure of resorts in the area.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Madras HC Judgement:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2011, the Madras HC upheld the validity of the Tamil Nadu government&rsquo;s notification (of 2010) declaring an &lsquo;Elephant Corridor&rsquo; in the Sigur Plateau of Nilgiris District.</li>
<li>It said that the government is fully empowered under the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elephant-undercounting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> 'Project Elephant'</strong> </a>of the Union government as well as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fundamental-duties#:~:text=All%20the%20eleven%20duties%20are,and%20to%20their%20fellow%2Dcitizens." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Article 51 A(g)</strong></a> of the Constitution to notify the elephant corridor in the state&rsquo;s Nilgiris district.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Article 51 A(g):</strong> It shall be the<strong> duty of every citizen of India</strong> to protect and improve the <strong>natural environment</strong> including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have <strong>compassion for living creatures.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, it <strong>upheld directions to the resort owners</strong> and other private landowners <strong>to vacate lands falling within the notified elephant corridor.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Highlights of the SC Judgement:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It&rsquo;s the State&rsquo;s duty to protect a<strong> &ldquo;keystone species&rdquo;</strong> like elephants, which are immensely important to the environment. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Keystone species,</strong> in ecology, a species that has a disproportionately large effect on the communities in which it lives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Elephant corridors <strong>allow elephants to continue their nomadic mode of survival,</strong> despite shrinking forest cover, by facilitating travel between distinct forest habitats. These corridors<strong> play a crucial role in sustaining wildlife by reducing the impact of habitat isolation.</strong></li>
<li>The court also allowed the formation of<strong> a committee</strong> led by <strong>a retired HC judge and two other persons</strong> to hear the individual <strong>objections of resort owners and private landowners</strong> within the corridor space.</li>
<li>However, during the hearings, the SC opined that the area is a fragile ecosystem, where the will of men must give way to elephants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602845495_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602845495_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Nilgiris Elephant Corridor:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile <strong>Sigur plateau,</strong> which <strong>connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats</strong> and sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is situated near the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mudumalai-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mudumalai National Park</strong></a> in the Nilgiris district.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has the Nilgiri hills on its <strong>southwestern</strong> side and the <strong>Moyar river valley</strong> on its northeastern side.</li>
<li>There are about <strong>100 elephant corridors</strong> in India of which almost 70% are used regularly.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>75% of the corridors are in the southern, central and north-eastern forests.</li>
<li>There are an estimated 6,500 elephants in just the <strong>Brahmagiri-Nilgiris-Eastern Ghats ranges.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges for Elephant Corridors: &lsquo;Right of Passage&rsquo;,</strong> an 800-page study released in August 2017, authored by experts and<strong> published by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)</strong> identifies and records details pertaining to 101 elephant corridors across India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Narrowing Passage Width:</strong> Only 22% corridors are of a width of one to three kilometres in 2017, compared with 41% in 2005, pointing to how constricted corridors have become in the past 12 years.</li>
<li><strong>Human Encroachment of Corridors:</strong> 21.8% of corridors were free of human settlements in 2017 compared with 22.8% in 2005, and 45.5% have 1-3 settlements in 2017 compared with 42% in 2005.</li>
<li><strong>Intercepted Corridors:</strong> About 36.4% of the elephant corridors in northwestern India, 32% in central India, 35.7% in northern West Bengal and 13% of the elephant corridors in northeastern India have a <strong>railway line passing through</strong> them. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Almost <strong>two-thirds of the corridors</strong> have a <strong>National or State Highway passing</strong> through them, <strong>fragmenting habitats</strong> and hindering elephant movement further.</li>
<li>11% of corridors have <strong>canals passing through them.</strong></li>
<li>12% are affected by<strong> mining</strong> and the extraction of boulders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Land-use Along Corridors:</strong> In terms of land use, only 12.9% of the corridors are totally under forest cover in 2017 compared with 24% in 2005.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Two in every three elephant corridors in the country are now affected by agricultural activities.</li>
<li>All the corridors in northern West Bengal (100%) and almost all in central India (96%) and northeastern India (52.2% under <strong>settled cultivation</strong> and 43.4% under <strong>slash and burn cultivation</strong>) have agricultural land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Asian Elephant</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are <strong>three subspecies of Asian elephant &ndash; the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Escalation of poaching, habitat loss, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/daily-updates-news-editorials-the-high-cost-of-man-animal-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>human-elephant conflict</strong></a> and mistreatment in captivity are some common threats to both African and Asian elephants.</li>
<li><strong>African elephants</strong> are listed as<strong> &ldquo;vulnerable&rdquo;</strong> and <strong>Asian elephants</strong> as <strong>&ldquo;endangered&rdquo;</strong> in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a> of threatened species.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CITES</a> status:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Appendix I</strong> for <strong>Asian Elephants.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Appendix II</strong> for <strong>African elephants</strong> in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Project Elephant</strong> launched by the <strong>Government of India in the year 1992</strong> as a <strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Elephant census</strong> is conducted once in 5 years under the aegis of Project elephant.</li>
<li>Establishment of elephant reserves and adoption of the <strong>&ldquo;World Elephant Day&rdquo; (August 12)</strong> to help conserve and protect elephants in India.</li>
<li><strong>&lsquo;Gaj Yatra&rsquo;</strong> a nationwide awareness campaign to celebrate elephants and highlight the necessity of securing elephant corridors.</li>
<li>The <strong>Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme, launched in 2003,</strong> is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia, to monitor effectiveness of field conservation efforts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The judgement sets the pace for better, more effective laws for the protection of elephant corridors across India.</li>
<li>Illegal structures in these pathways should be removed without delay as the first step.</li>
<li>Elephant Corridors are not fully protected areas. Therefore, the need is to ensure their protection. This needs political will.</li>
<li>People should be encouraged to avoid critical elephant migratory routes. Conservation is an achievement only if local communities are also involved in the process.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/nilgiris-elephant-corridor-sc-upholds-madras-hc-order-affirming-animals-right-of-passage-73791#:~:text=The%20Supreme%20Court%20(SC)%20October,of%20resorts%20in%20the%20area.&amp;text=The%20court%20had%20taken%20the,petition%20on%20the%20same%20issue." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:DTE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/right-of-passage-of-the-animals'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Uranium Supply From Australia to India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vikram-sarabhai-centenary-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Department of Atomic Energy</strong></a> <strong>(DAE)</strong> has turned down the offers submitted by the two Australian companies for commencing supply of uranium ore to India citing lack of viability of the proposals.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-australia-relations-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India-Australia</strong> </a>ties have been on an upswing since 2012, when the <strong>Australian government decided to sell uranium to India</strong> despite India not being a signatory to the nuclear <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/50-years-of-nuclear-non-proliferation-treaty-npt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non Proliferation Treaty.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The above decision was <strong>formalised by way of a bilateral agreement in 2014</strong> known as <strong>Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.</strong></li>
<li>The uranium imports from Australia <strong>were to be used to meet fuel requirements of Indian nuclear reactors</strong> that are under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/63rd-general-conference-of-iaea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)</strong></a> safeguards.</li>
<li>However, the <strong>progress on uranium supply has been very low,</strong> despite efforts from both sides. In 2017, Australia had sent its first uranium shipment to India but that was cited as &ldquo;a small sample of uranium&rdquo; transferred &ldquo;purely for testing purposes&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Civil Nuclear Capacity</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nuclear-power-plants-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>22 reactors</strong></a> with an <strong>installed capacity of 6,780 megawatt.</strong> Of these, <strong>eight reactors are fuelled by indigenous uranium</strong> while the remaining <strong>14 are under IAEA safeguards</strong> and qualify to use imported uranium.</li>
<li>India was required to bring 14 reactors under IAEA safeguards in a phased manner under the<strong> separation plan</strong> announced by India in 2006, which was negotiated after the 2005 nuclear deal with the USA.</li>
<li>Currently, India imports uranium fuel from<strong> Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, France and Canada.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Kazakhstan is the world&rsquo;s largest producer of uranium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A steady supply of uranium is expected to boost the performance of Indian nuclear power plants, as well as of several fuel cycle facilities.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Non-Proliferation Treaty</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NPT is an <strong>international treaty</strong> whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to foster the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of disarmament.</li>
<li>The treaty was signed in<strong> 1968</strong> and entered into force in 1970. Presently, it has 190 member states.</li>
<li>It <strong>requires countries to give up any present or future plans to build nuclear weapons</strong> in return for access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.</li>
<li>It represents the <strong>only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty</strong> to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Nuclear-weapon states parties under the NPT are defined as those that manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive devices before 1<sup>st</sup> January 1967.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>India&rsquo;s Stand on NPT</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is <strong>one of the five countries that have not signed the NPT,</strong> the others include<strong> Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, and South Sudan.</strong></li>
<li>India always considered the NPT as discriminatory and had refused to sign it.</li>
<li>India has opposed the international treaties aimed at non-proliferation since they were selectively applicable to the non-nuclear powers and legitimised the monopoly of the five nuclear weapons powers.</li>
<li>India believes that nuclear <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-stand-on-nuclear-weapons" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>disarmament can be achieved through a step-by-step</strong></a> <strong>process</strong> underwritten by a <strong>universal commitment</strong> and an <strong>agreed multilateral framework</strong> after meaningful dialogues among all States possessing nuclear weapons, for building trust and confidence.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The India-Australia bilateral relationship has been largely a case of <strong>"one step forward, two steps back".</strong> However, Australia&rsquo;s overturning of a ban on uranium sales to India was <strong>seen as a removal of a diplomatic thorn</strong> between the two nations and potentially opening up a new and growing market for Australian suppliers.</li>
<li>In June 2020, India and Australia had decided to elevate their relationship to a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-australia-virtual-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Comprehensive Strategic Partnership&rsquo;.</strong></a></li>
<li>In view of the above development both India and Australia can work to remove the obstacles in supplying Uranium from Australia to India.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/uranium-supplies-lack-of-viability-of-proposals-dae-drops-offers-by-two-australian-cos-6726529/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uranium-supply-from-australia-to-india'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Vehicle Scrapping in India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the<strong> Centre for Science and Environment</strong> (CSE) has released a report titled <strong>&ldquo;What to do with old vehicles: Towards effective scrappage policy and infrastructure&rdquo;,</strong> which suggests <strong>parameters of an effective vehicle scrapping policy</strong> for India.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CSE is a<strong> non-profit, public interest research and advocacy organisation</strong> based in New Delhi. It researches into, lobbies for and communicates the <strong>urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Policy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Road Transport and Highways</strong> has formulated a note for the Cabinet on the creation of an <strong>ecosystem for voluntary and environment-friendly phasing out of unfit and old polluting vehicles.</strong></li>
<li>The proposed policy <strong>awaits for Cabinet&rsquo;s approval</strong> and once approved, will be <strong>applicable on all vehicles.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns on Vehicles:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India will have <strong>over two crore old vehicles nearing the end of their lives by 2025.</strong> These, along with other unfit vehicles, will cause <strong>huge pollution and environmental damage.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Existing Initiatives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-bs-vi-emission-norms#:~:text=The%20Bharat%20Stage%20(BS)%20are,Control%20Board%20implements%20these%20standards." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Stage VI</strong></a> (BS-VI) <strong>Emissions Standards:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It provides an opportunity to renew the fleet with significantly cleaner vehicles as BS-VI heavy-duty vehicles are <strong>designed to emit 35 times lesser particulates</strong> compared to BS-I vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric Vehicle</strong></a> (EV) <strong>Incentives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In August 2020, Delhi government notified the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electric-vehicles-policy-2020-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Electric Vehicles Policy 2020</strong></a>, which lays the maximum emphasis on replacement of two-wheelers, public transport and shared vehicles and goods-carriers instead of private four-wheelers, with EVs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-clean-air-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Clean Air Programme:</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under it, polluted cities have <strong>included old vehicle phase-out</strong> as part of their <strong>clean air action.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestion by the Report:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Safe disposal and material recovery</strong> should be the <strong>critical parameters</strong> of an effective vehicle scrapping policy.</li>
<li>The policy must<strong> leverage the opportunities to maximise emissions gains</strong> from the replacement of end-of-life vehicles and <strong>recover material from the wasted clunkers</strong> (dilapidated vehicle or machine)<strong> for reuse and recycling.</strong></li>
<li>There is a <strong>need to link economic recovery and fiscal stimulus with the replacement of older heavy-duty vehicles with BS-VI vehicles.</strong></li>
<li>The scrappage scheme should<strong> incentivise replacement with EVs for personal cars and two-wheelers.</strong></li>
<li>Vehicles <strong>should not contain toxic metals like lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium</strong> other than specified conditions.</li>
<li>There should be efforts to <strong>include<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/e-retailers-to-collect-plastic-waste" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Extended Producer Responsibility</a></strong> (EPR) <strong>and making the rules legally binding.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Environmentally sound vehicle scrappage infrastructure should be scaled up</strong> country-wide for safe disposal of waste and for material recovery for recycling like steel, aluminium and plastics.</li>
<li>India needs a well-designed scrappage policy to<strong> lower emissions, reduce environmental damages</strong> and<strong> recover material from clunkers</strong> as part of post-<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong> </a>efforts towards a green India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602841146_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602841146_image 0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vehicle-scrapping-in-india'
	]
]
$updates = object(Cake\ORM\Query) {

	'(help)' => 'This is a Query object, to get the results execute or iterate it.',
	'sql' => 'SELECT articles.article_id AS `articles__article_id`, articles.category_id AS `articles__category_id`, articles.title AS `articles__title`, articles.description AS `articles__description`, articles.shortdescription AS `articles__shortdescription`, articles.featuredimage AS `articles__featuredimage`, articles.tag_id AS `articles__tag_id`, articles.secondary_tag AS `articles__secondary_tag`, articles.type AS `articles__type`, articles.publishon AS `articles__publishon`, articles.posturl AS `articles__posturl`, articles.metatitle AS `articles__metatitle`, articles.metadescription AS `articles__metadescription`, articles.metakeyword AS `articles__metakeyword`, articles.status AS `articles__status`, articles.sort_order AS `articles__sort_order`, articles.addedby AS `articles__addedby`, articles.updatedby AS `articles__updatedby`, articles.added AS `articles__added`, articles.modified AS `articles__modified`, articles.whatsnewid AS `articles__whatsnewid`, articles.display_printpdf AS `articles__display_printpdf`, articles.display_comments AS `articles__display_comments`, articles.pdf_name AS `articles__pdf_name`, articles.display_archive AS `articles__display_archive` FROM articles articles WHERE status = :c0 ORDER BY publishon desc LIMIT 10',
	'params' => [
		':c0' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	],
	'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'
	],
	'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) 27
$search = 'class'
$totalPages = (float) 276
$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”