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Fall in International Crude Oil Prices

Why in News Recent fall in international crude oil prices has reversed a six-month trend of rising auto fuel prices which saw the prices of petrol...

09 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Monetary Policy Report: RBI

Why in News The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Monetary Policy Report for the month of April 2021. Key Points Unchanged Policy...

09 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Left-Wing Extremism

This article is based on “Lessons from Tekulguda” which was published in The Indian Express on 08/04/2021. It talks about the...

08 Apr 2021 News Editorials
Red Sea

Why in News An Iranian freighter was hit by Israel in the Red Sea in retaliation for past Iranian strikes on its vessels. The blast struck the...

08 Apr 2021 News Analysis
India’s Life Expectancy on World Health Day 2021

Why in News According to the estimates from the Sample Registration System (SRS)-based Abridged Life Tables 2014-18 of the Census and Registrar...

08 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Opium Poppy Straw

Why in News The Central government has decided to rope in the private sector to commence production of concentrated poppy straw (CPS) from...

08 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Ukraine's Bid to Join NATO

Why in News Ukrainian President urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to speed up his country’s membership in the...

08 Apr 2021 News Analysis
India-Russia Foreign Ministers Meet

Why in News To build on the common “resilient” ground, Indian and Russian Foreign Ministers addressed each other’s concerns on a...

08 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Indian Energy Exchange

Why in News The electricity market at Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) achieved an all-time high volume of 8,248.52 MU (million units) in the month of...

08 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Food Wastage Issue

This article is based on “India has a food wastage problem. Here’s how individuals can make a difference” which was published in...

07 Apr 2021 News Editorials
AI Portal SUPACE

Why in News Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based portal ‘SUPACE’ in the judicial...

07 Apr 2021 News Analysis
The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021

Why in News Recently, the President promulgated Tribunal Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance 2021 through which the...

07 Apr 2021 News Analysis
World Economic Outlook: IMF

Why in News The latest edition of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook has raised its Financial Year (FY) 2021...

07 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Chenab Bridge

Why in News Recently, Indian Railways completed the arch closure of the iconic Chenab Bridge in Jammu & Kashmir. Key Points About Chenab...

07 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Integrated Health Information Platform

Why in News The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has launched the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP), that is the next generation...

07 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Direct Payment of Minimum Support Price

Why in News After the recent orders from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the farm unions warned that the Centre’s insistence on direct...

07 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Should India Join NATO?

This article is based on “Why India must not say ‘no’ to NATO” which was published in The Indian Express on 06/04/2021. It...

06 Apr 2021 News Editorials
Forest Fires: A Very Big Concern

Why in News Since the advent of the year 2021, there has been a series of forest fires in many states of India, including in Wildlife...

06 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Babu Jagjivan Ram

Why in News Recently, the Prime Minister paid tributes to freedom fighter and former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram on his 113th birth...

06 Apr 2021 News Analysis
Multilateral Maritime Exercise La Perouse

Why in News Indian Navy Ships INS Satpura and INS Kiltan alongwith P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft are participating, for the first time in...

06 Apr 2021 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Fall in International Crude Oil Prices',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recent fall in international crude oil prices has reversed a <strong>six-month trend</strong> of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-crude-oil-price-hike#:~:text=According%20to%20estimates%2C%20a%20one,54.8%20barrel%20for%20January%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>rising auto fuel prices</strong></a> which saw the prices of petrol and diesel hit all-time highs across the country.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The price of <strong>Brent crude</strong> has <strong>fallen under USD 63 per barrel from a high of USD 70 per barrel in early March 2021</strong>.</li>
<li>Two crude oils which are either traded themselves or whose prices are reflected in other types of crude oil include <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-prices-below-zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oil Pricing:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Generally, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/talks-on-oil-cut-deal-at-g-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)</strong></a> used to work as a cartel and fix prices in a favourable band.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>OPEC is led by Saudi Arabia</strong>, which is the largest exporter of crude oil in the world (single-handedly exporting 10% of the global demand).</li>
<li><strong>OPEC has a total of 13 Member Countries</strong> viz. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola, and Venezuela.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>OPEC <strong>could bring down prices by increasing oil production and raise prices by cutting production</strong>.</li>
<li>The<strong> global oil pricing mainly depends upon the partnership between the global oil exporters</strong> instead of a well-functioning competition.</li>
<li>Cutting oil production or completely shutting down an oil well is a difficult decision, because restarting it is immensely costly and complicated.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Moreover, if a country cuts production, it risks losing market share if other countries do not follow the suit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Recently, OPEC has been working with Russia, as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/opec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>OPEC+</strong></a> to fix the global prices and supply.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2016, OPEC allied with other top non-OPEC oil-exporting nations to form an even more powerful entity named OPEC+ or OPEC Plus.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for the Fall:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Resurgence in Covid Infections:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A recent resurgence in <strong>Covid-19 infections</strong> coupled with a decision by OPEC+ to <strong>increase crude oil production</strong> has contributed to a fall in crude oil prices. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>OPEC+ has announced a <strong>phased withdrawal of production cuts</strong> which would see total crude oil production by the group of countries rise by 1.1 million barrels per day by July 2021.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recovery in Supply:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>recovery in supply without a similar recovery in demand</strong> has contributed to the recent correction in crude oil prices and that supply cuts were difficult to maintain for oil-producing countries given the global macroeconomic situation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recent US data has also indicated that <strong>gasoline inventories are rising faster</strong> than the fall in crude oil inventories raising concerns of waning demand for petroleum products.</li>
<li><strong>US crude oil production capacity has recovered to about 11 million barrels per day</strong> after abnormally cold weather in February 2021 forced US crude oil output down to 9.7 million barrels per day.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Current Account Deficit:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>decrease in oil prices will decrease the country&rsquo;s import bill,</strong> and will help in reducing its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/current-account-deficit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>current account deficit</strong></a> (excess of imports of goods and services over exports).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to estimates, a <strong>one-dollar increase in crude oil price increases the oil bill by around USD 1.6 billion per year</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>India imports 80% of its crude oil</strong> requirements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inflation:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>decrease in crude prices could also also further decrease <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflationary pressures</a></strong> that have been building up over the past few months.</li>
<li>This will increase the space for the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-monetary-policy-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>monetary policy committee</strong></a> to ease policy rates further.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fiscal Health:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>If oil prices would have continued to increase, <strong>the government would have been forced to cut taxes on petroleum and diesel</strong> which might have caused <strong>loss of revenue</strong> and <strong>deteriorated its fiscal balance</strong>.</li>
<li>The revenue lost will erode the government&rsquo;s ability to spend or meet its fiscal commitments in the form of budgetary transfers to states, payment of dues and compensation for revenue shortfalls to state governments under the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Goods and Services Tax (GST)</strong></a> framework.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Origin:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Brent crude oil originates from oil fields in the North Sea</strong> between the Shetland Islands and Norway.</li>
<li><strong>WTI is sourced from US oil fields,</strong> primarily in Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Light and Sweet:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both oils are relatively light, but <strong>Brent has a slightly higher API gravity, making WTI the lighter of the two</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity</strong> is an indicator of the density of crude oil or refined products.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>WTI with a lower sulphur content</strong> (0.24%) than Brent (0.37%), is considered <strong>"sweeter"</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benchmark Prices:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Brent crude price</strong> is the international benchmark price <strong>used by the OPEC</strong> while <strong>WTI crude price is a benchmark for US oil prices</strong>.</li>
<li>Since India imports primarily from OPEC countries, <strong>Brent is the benchmark for oil prices in India</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cost of Shipping:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cost of shipping for Brent crude is typically lower,</strong> since it is produced near the sea and it can be put on ships immediately.</li>
<li><strong>Shipping of WTI is priced higher</strong> since it is produced in landlocked areas like Cushing, Oklahoma where the storage facilities are limited.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-crude-oil-prices-are-falling-and-how-it-will-impact-fuel-prices-in-india-7265507/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Monetary Policy Report: RBI',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Reserve Bank of India (RBI)</strong></a> has released the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-report-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary Policy Report</strong></a> for the month of April 2021.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unchanged Policy Rates:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Repo Rate</strong> - 4%.</li>
<li><strong>Reverse Repo Rate</strong> - 3.35%.</li>
<li><strong>Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)</strong> - 4.25%.</li>
<li><strong>Bank Rate-</strong> 4.25%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GDP Projection:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Real <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-decreases-to-11-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gross Domestic Product (GDP)</strong></a> growth for 2021-22 has been retained at <strong>10.5%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inflation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>RBI has revised the projection for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/data-on-retail-inflation-and-factory-output#:~:text=Measured%20by%20the%20Consumer%20Price,)%20upper%20margin%20of%206%25." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Consumer Price Index (CPI)</strong></a> inflation to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>5.0% in <strong>Quarter 4</strong> of 2020-21.</li>
<li>5.2% in <strong>Quarter 1</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
<li>5.2% in <strong>Quarter 2</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
<li>4.4% in <strong>Quarter 3</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
<li>5.1% in <strong>Quarter 4</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Accommodative Stance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The RBI decided to<strong> continue with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-rbi#:~:text=Accommodative%20Stance%3A,Covid%2D19%20on%20the%20economy." target="_blank" rel="noopener">accommodative stance</a></strong> as long as necessary to sustain growth on a durable basis and continue to mitigate the impact of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> on the economy, while ensuring that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020#:~:text=Inflation%20measures%20the%20average%20price,a%20deceleration%20in%20economic%20growth." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>inflation</strong></a> remains within the target going forward.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>An <strong>accommodative stance</strong> means a <strong>central bank will cut rates to inject money</strong> into the financial system <strong>whenever needed.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Support to Financial Institutions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>RBI would extend fresh support of <strong>Rs. 50,000 crore</strong> to the <strong>All India Financial Institutions</strong> for new lending in <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/03-02-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Year (FY)</strong></a> 2021-22.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-bank-for-agriculture-and-rural-development-nabard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)</strong> </a>will be provided a<strong> Special Liquidity Facility (SLF)</strong> of <strong>Rs. 25,000</strong> crore for one year to support agriculture and allied activities, the rural non-farm sector and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/4-tier-structure-for-regulation-of-nbfcs#:~:text=A%20Non%2DBanking%20Financial%20Company,leasing%2C%20hire%2Dpurchase%2C%20insurance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)</strong></a> - <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/guidelines-for-licencing-of-small-finance-banks" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs).</strong></a></li>
<li>An SLF of <strong>Rs. 10,000 crore</strong> will be extended to the <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/18-04-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Housing Bank</strong></a> for one year to support the housing sector.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/parliamentary-committee-report-on-startups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)</strong></a> will be provided Rs.15,000 crore under this facility for up to one year for funding of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/going-beyond-the-credit-requirements-of-msmes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs)</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>All three facilities will be available at the <strong>prevailing policy repo rate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Review Committee for ARC&rsquo;s:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Signalling the importance of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asset-reconstruction-company#:~:text=Key%20Points,clean%20up%20their%20balance%20sheets." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)</strong> </a>to deal with bad loans, the RBI would <strong>constitute a committee to undertake a comprehensive review</strong> of the working of ARCs in the financial sector ecosystem.</li>
<li>The committee will <strong>recommend suitable measures</strong> for enabling such entities to meet the growing requirements of the financial sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Extension of Priority Sector Lending:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A six-month extension to September 30,2021 for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/revised-priority-sector-lending-guidelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Priority Sector Lending (PSL)</strong></a> classification for lending by banks to NBFCs for<strong> &lsquo;on-lending&rsquo;</strong> to sectors that contribute significantly to the economy in terms of export and employment &mdash; has been approved.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>On-lending</strong> means to lend (borrowed money) to a <strong>third party.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This would<strong> provide an impetus to NBFCs</strong> providing credit at the bottom of the pyramid.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Securities Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) 1.0:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The RBI, for the year 2021-22, has decided to put in place a secondary market <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/direct-access-to-g-sec-market-for-retail-investors-rbi#:~:text=A%20G%2DSec%20is%20a,acknowledges%20the%20Government's%20debt%20obligation.&amp;text=Gilt%2Dedged%20securities%20are%20high,a%20means%20of%20borrowing%20funds." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Government Security (G-sec)</a> Acquisition Programme or G-SAP 1.0.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is part of RBIs <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/open-market-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Open Market Operations.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Under the programme, the <strong>RBI will commit upfront to a specific amount of Open Market Purchases of government securities.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> first purchase</strong> of government securities for an aggregate amount of <strong>Rs. 25,000 crore</strong> under G-SAP 1.0 will be conducted on <strong>15<sup>th</sup> April, 2021.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To<strong> avoid volatility in the G-sec market</strong> in view of its central role in the pricing of other financial market instruments across the term structure and issuers, both in the public and private sectors</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It will <strong>provide certainty to the bond market participants</strong> with regard to RBI&rsquo;s commitment of support to the bond market in FY22.</li>
<li>The announcement of this structured programme will<strong> help reduce the difference between the repo rate and the 10-year government bond yield.</strong> That, in turn, will help to<strong> reduce the aggregate cost of borrowing</strong> for the Centre and states in FY 2021-22.</li>
<li>It will enable a stable and <strong>orderly evolution of the yield curve amidst comfortable liquidity conditions.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A yield curve is a line that <strong>plots yields (interest rates) of bonds</strong> having equal credit quality but differing maturity dates.</li>
<li>The<strong> slope of the yield curve gives an idea of future interest rate</strong> changes and economic activity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Key Terms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Repo and Reverse Repo Rate:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Repo rate is the <strong>rate at which the central bank of a country (Reserve Bank of India in case of India) lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds.</strong> Here, the central bank purchases the security.</li>
<li>Reverse repo rate is <strong>the rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks within the country.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bank Rate:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the<strong> rate charged by the RBI for lending funds to commercial banks.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Marginal Standing Facility (MSF):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>MSF is a <strong>window for scheduled banks to borrow overnight from the RBI</strong> in an emergency situation when interbank liquidity dries up completely.</li>
<li>Under interbank lending, banks lend funds to one another for a specified term.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Open Market Operations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are <strong>market operations conducted by RBI by way of sale/purchase of government securities to/from the market with an objective to adjust the rupee liquidity conditions</strong> in the market on a durable basis.</li>
<li><strong>If there is excess liquidity,</strong> RBI resorts to sale of securities and sucks out the rupee liquidity.</li>
<li>Similarly,<strong> when the liquidity conditions are tight,</strong> RBI buys securities from the market, thereby releasing liquidity into the market.</li>
<li>It is one of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-keeps-policy-rates-unchanged" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>quantitative (to regulate or control the total volume of money) monetary policy tools</strong></a> which is employed by the central bank of a country to control the money supply in the economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Security:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A G-Sec is a<strong> tradable instrument issued by the Central Government</strong> or the State Governments.</li>
<li>It <strong>acknowledges the Government&rsquo;s debt obligation.</strong> Such securities are <strong>short term</strong> (usually called treasury bills, with original maturities of less than one year- presently issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day) or long term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with original maturity of one year or more).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inflation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Inflation<strong> refers to the rise in the prices of most goods and services of daily or common use,</strong> such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc.</li>
<li>Inflation <strong>measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time.</strong></li>
<li>Inflation is <strong>indicative of the decrease in the purchasing power</strong> of a unit of a country&rsquo;s currency. This could ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Consumer Price Index:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It <strong>measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer.</strong> It is released by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/restructuring-of-indian-statistical-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Statistical Office (NSO).</strong></a></li>
<li>The CPI <strong>calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services</strong> such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-rbis-monetary-policy-committee-kept-rates-unchanged-7262345/" 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/monetary-policy-report-rbi-1'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Left-Wing Extremism',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="/article/opinion/columns/chhattisgarh-maoist-ambush-attack-crpf-cobra-commandos-7263578/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Lessons from Tekulguda&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 08/04/2021. It talks about the challenges posed by left-wing extremism (LWE).</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, a combing operation in the Tekulguda region of Bastar, Chhattisgarh went terribly wrong and resulted in the death of 22 security personnel and many more wounded.</p>
<p>This tragic incident is a major setback to India&rsquo;s internal security (IS) capability at many levels and highlights the challenge that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/left-wing-extremism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>left-wing extremism (LWE)</strong></a> continues to pose.</p>
<p>India has been dealing with three variants of the Internal Security (IS) challenge for decades and each has its own complexities viz. a proxy war and terrorism in Kashmir, sub-national separatist movements in the Northeast, and the Naxal-Maoist insurgency (aka LWE) in the Red Corridor.</p>
<p>The government has reasonably contained the first two challenges, but the Tekulguda incidents reflect that still, a lot needs to be done for eliminating LWE.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note: Combing Operations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Combing operations are the joint operations done by allies or multi security agencies for cleansing an area. Example Army and Paramilitary doing combing operations in a particular region.</li>
<li>It could be undertaken either to search for hiding insurgents or their arms cache.</li>
<li>It is a deliberately planned operation and there are drills laid out for these operations.</li>
<li>However, it has tremendous risk, as at any stage from anywhere, someone hidden and cornered, may fire at you and try to get away.</li>
<li>The operations can be hampered by locals supporting the insurgents by blocking the movements of the Security Forces. The task becomes all the more difficult.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>LWE: Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Genesis of LWE:</strong> LWE has its genesis in poor governance, lack of development in the tribal belt, and an oppressive/exploitative hierarchy of the state and society that has pushed the tribal population, the landless, to the margins of survival.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Making a beginning in Naxalbari in West Bengal and Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s, the movement has since spread to many states: Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Orissa.</li>
<li>This region, affected by LWE, is referred to as the <strong>Red corridor.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Associated LWE Groups:</strong> The most prominent among the groups that have mushroomed in recent years are the People&rsquo;s War Group (PWG) and the Marxist Communist Centre (MCC).</li>
<li><strong>Most Serious Threat:</strong> In November 2005, then PM Manmohan Singh described the LWE challenge as the most serious security threat to India and exhorted the professionals to evolve appropriate responses.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related to Dealing With LWE</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Leadership Issue:</strong> In the current scenario, barring a few exceptions, many of the senior police officers (IPS cadre) who are parachuted into the central police forces at senior ranks have little or no platoon/battalion experience. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By training, the police officer is expected to be a competent Superintendent and to maintain law and order.</li>
<li>This is not the skill-set that is relevant when an officer has to &ldquo;command&rdquo; and lead his men into insurgency operations.</li>
<li>This led to armed personnel casualties. In the last three decades, around 15000 people have lost their lives owing to LWE.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recruiting Tribal Youths:</strong> It is not ideology and revolutionary zeal that is driving people who are engaged in LWE. Their main activity is extortion. For many, joining these groups is the only way to survive.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, these organizations hire vulnerable people who have low literacy levels, unemployed or low income, particularly the tribals, building up their cadre.</li>
<li>This creates a positive feedback loop of recruitment of youth into LWE.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threatening Democracy:</strong> They resort to violence through their guerrilla tactics and attempt to set up their own government in the local villages.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They threaten the locals before the conduct of elections and prevent them from voting. This violates the principle of participative democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Progressive Works:</strong> Effective steps to reduce ethnic and social inequalities, disparities in educational and employment opportunities, and for creating effective machinery for the redressal of public grievance, are absolutely essential to improve the environment in which extremist violence flourishes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Steps to reduce economic deprivation and improve the delivery of essential services can erode the base of public support on which the extremist movements survive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Para-Military Reforms:</strong> The Kargil Review Committee (KRC) report noted that in wake of Internal security challenges that the country faces, the role and the tasks of the paramilitary forces have to be restructured particularly with reference to command and control and leadership functions.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperative Federalism:</strong> Given the complexities involved in India&rsquo;s national-security architecture, it is crucial to improve coordination between various federal and state security agencies.</li>
<li><strong>Modernizing Police:</strong> States play a vital role in maintaining law and order. So, emphasis should be laid on the capacity-building and modernization of the local police forces. Local forces can efficiently and effectively neutralize the LWE organizations.</li>
<li><strong>Marginalization of LWE Groups:</strong> States also need to adopt a focused time-bound approach to completely eliminate LWE groups and ensure all-around development of the affected regions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>States should rationalize their surrender policy in order to bring innocent individuals caught in the trap of LWE into the mainstream.</li>
<li>Apart from this, the Government needs to ensure two things; the security of the peace-loving people and the development of the Naxalism-affected regions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note: SAMADHAN policy</strong></p>
<p>The Government of India in 2017 announced a new doctrine, SAMADHAN. The doctrine was announced during the Review Meeting of Left Wing Extremism affected States</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>S- Smart Leadership,</li>
<li>A- Aggressive Strategy,</li>
<li>M- Motivation and Training,</li>
<li>A- Actionable Intelligence,</li>
<li>D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas),</li>
<li>H- Harnessing Technology,</li>
<li>A- Action plan for each Theatre, and</li>
<li>N- No access to Financing.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The government has envisaged SAMADHAN policy to deal with the LWE. If implemented effectively, this doctrine can act as the one-stop solution for the LWE problem, as it encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-color: ##ff0000; background-color: #fffcf2;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Frequent death of armed personnel in anti-insurgency operations highlights the setback to India&rsquo;s internal security (IS) capability at many levels and the challenge that left-wing extremism (LWE) continues to pose. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/left-wing-extremism-2'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Red Sea',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>An <strong>Iranian freighter was hit by Israel in the Red Sea</strong> in retaliation for past Iranian strikes on its vessels. The blast struck the <strong>Iranian commercial vessel MV Saviz</strong> off the coast of Djibouti.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The attack came as Iranian officials gathered in Vienna to <strong>negotiate the restoration of a 2015 deal <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)</a> that was designed to curb Iran&rsquo;s nuclear activities.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Red Sea:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Red Sea is a <strong>semi-enclosed tropical basin</strong>, bounded by northeastern Africa, to the west, and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/operation-sankalp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Arabian peninsula</strong></a>, to the east.</li>
<li>The <strong>elongated and narrow-shaped basin</strong> extends between the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increase-in-frequency-of-medicanes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mediterranean Sea</strong></a>, to the north-west, and the Indian Ocean, to the south-east.</li>
<li>At the northern end, it separates into the <strong>Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez</strong>, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the <strong>Suez Canal.</strong></li>
<li>At the southern end, it is connected to the <strong>Gulf of Aden</strong>, and the outer Indian Ocean, via the Strait of<strong> Bab-el-Mandeb.</strong></li>
<li>It is surrounded by <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/desertification-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>desert or semi-desert areas</strong></a>, with no major freshwater inflow.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Red sea acquired its present shape over the <strong>past 4 to 5 million years</strong>, by slow <strong>seafloor spreading</strong>, a fact that makes it a geologically recent opening and one of the <strong>youngest oceanic zones on Earth.</strong></li>
<li>Today, the basin continues to widen at a rate of 1-2 cm per year</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Biodiversity:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The unique habitats of the Red sea support a wide range of marine life, including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-turtle-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>sea turtles</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-dugong-day-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>dugongs</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-river-dolphin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>dolphins</strong></a> and many endemic fish species.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/significance-of-dead-coral-reef" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Coral reefs</strong></a> mainly extend along the northern and central coasts, and decrease in abundance towards the southern region, as coastal waters become more turbid.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Reason why it is called Red Sea:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There are various theories as to how the name came about, with the most popular being a reference to the <strong>seasonal blooms of Trichodesmium erythraeum (a red-colored algae)</strong> near the water&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li>Other scholars believe it is linked to the way Asiatic languages often use colors to refer to cardinal directions, with<strong> &ldquo;red&rdquo; referring to &ldquo;south&rdquo; just as the Black Sea may be referring to the north.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617945264_Image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617945264_Image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="426" height="637" /></strong></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2015, <strong>Iran with the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany</strong> agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear programme.</li>
<li>The deal was named as<strong> Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)</strong> and in common parlance as Iran Nuclear Deal.</li>
<li>The deal came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop nuclear weapons.</li>
<li>Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but the international community did not believe that.</li>
<li>Under the JCPOA,<strong> Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities</strong> by stopping uranium enrichment and allowing the international agencies to inspect its nuclear facilities in return for the lifting of economic sanctions.</li>
<li>However, in May 2018, the USA pulled out of the JCPOA and threatened to impose sanctions on Iran and on nations doing a significant amount of trade with Iran.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/iranian-ship-attacked-in-red-sea-report-says-it-was-israeli-payback/article34268244.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/red-sea'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'India’s Life Expectancy on World Health Day 2021',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the estimates from the <strong>Sample Registration System (SRS)-based Abridged Life Tables 2014-18</strong> of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/census-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Census</strong></a> <strong>and</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sex-ratio-and-india#:~:text=Registrar%20General%20of%20India%20was,and%20Linguistic%20Survey%20of%20India." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Registrar General of India</strong></a>, the life expectancy of an Indian child born on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-health-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Day</strong></a> 2021 is below the world's average.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every year <strong>7<sup>th</sup> April</strong> marks the celebration of <strong>World Health Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Life Expectancy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an estimate of the average number of additional years that a person of a given age can expect to live. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The most common measure of life expectancy is <strong>life expectancy at birth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s life expectancy (for a child born in 2021) which is <strong>69 years and 4 months</strong> is less than the <strong>world&rsquo;s average lifespan of 72.81 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>number of deaths per 1,000</strong> live births of children <strong>under one year of age.</strong></li>
<li>For India, <strong>IMR is 33.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Life Expectancy will be Reduced Further Due to Pollution:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The quality of life of these children will suffer and the average life span is estimated to be cut short by two years and six months due by constant exposure to <strong>&ldquo;toxic air&rdquo;</strong> in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India topped the chart by recording the world's highest annual average concentration of PM 2.5 exposure in its air in 2019, according to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-global-air-2020-hei#:~:text=Recently%2C%20a%20global%20study%2C%20State,pollution%27s%20global%20impact%20on%20newborns." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>State of Global Air 2020.</strong></a></li>
<li>In 2020, India was home to 35 of the world&rsquo;s 50 most polluted cities, according to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-air-quality-report-2020#:~:text=The%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report,5%20data%20from%20106%20countries." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IQ Air&rsquo;s World Air Quality Report.</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These included <strong>Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Delhi among the top 10.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Thus, an <strong>Indian child will live for 66 years and 8 months only</strong> and may not survive to celebrate his/her 67th birthday beyond April 2089.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>World Health Day</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Its idea was conceived at the First Health Assembly in 1948 and it came into effect in 1950.</li>
<li>Over the years, it has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care and climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organization (WHO)</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Theme for 2021:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Some Indian Initiatives in Health Sector:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/national-medical-commission-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/janaushadhi-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-indias-health-index" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India&rsquo;s Health Index.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>SRS-Based Abridged Life Tables</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A life table <strong>states the probabilities of survival</strong> of a hypothetical group or cohort at different ages, which gradually diminish due to deaths.</li>
<li>With the introduction of the S<strong>ample Registration System (SRS)</strong>, an alternative source of data has become available for construction of life tables.</li>
<li>Based on SRS data, life tables have been prepared for the periods 1970-75, 1976-80, 1981-85 and 1986-90 at five yearly intervals. Since the 1986-90 issue, life tables have been brought out annually on a <strong>five yearly moving average basis so as to form a continuous series.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>conventional method of expressing the most fundamental and essential facts about the age distribution of mortality</strong> and is a powerful tool for measuring the probability of life and death of various age groups.</li>
<li>It <strong>enables us to understand the implication of age-specific mortality</strong> rate in terms of average life expectancy. In India, it has been the practice to construct life tables using age composition of the population from successive population censuses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/world-health-day-if-you-are-born-today-in-india-your-health-prospects-look-grim-76355#:~:text=Grim%20figures,Pradesh%20will%20be%20the%20unluckiest." 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/india-s-life-expectancy-on-world-health-day-2021'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Opium Poppy Straw',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Central government has decided to <strong>rope in the private sector to commence production of concentrated poppy straw (CPS) from India&rsquo;s opium crop to boost the yield of alkaloids</strong>, used for medical purposes and exported to several countries.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Alkaloids</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Alkaloids are a huge group of naturally <strong>occurring organic compounds which contain nitrogen atom or atoms</strong> (amino or amido in some cases) in their structures.</li>
<li>These nitrogen atoms cause alkalinity of these compounds.</li>
<li>Well-known alkaloids include <strong>morphine, strychnine, quinine, ephedrine, and nicotine.</strong></li>
<li>The medicinal properties of alkaloids are quite diverse. Morphine is a powerful narcotic used for the relief of pain, though its addictive properties limit its usefulness. Codeine, the methyl ether derivative of morphine found in the opium poppy, is an excellent analgesic that is relatively nonaddictive.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Poppy Straw:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Poppy straw is the <strong>husk left after the opium</strong> <strong>is extracted</strong> from pods.</li>
<li>This poppy straw also contains a <strong>very small morphine content</strong> and if used in sufficient quantities, poppy straw can give a high.</li>
<li><strong>Possession, sale, use</strong>, etc. of poppy straw is <strong>regulated by the State Governments</strong> under the <strong>State Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Rules.</strong></li>
<li>Farmers sell the poppy straw to those licensed by the State Governments to purchase poppy straw. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Any excess poppy straw is ploughed back into the field.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Poppy straw is one of the narcotic drugs under the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/narcotics-control-bureau#:~:text=the%20central%20government.-,Narcotic%20Drugs%20and%20Psychotropic%20Substances%20Act%2C%201985,Central%20Government%20under%20the%20Act." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Act 1985</a> (NDPS Act).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Hence, anyone possessing, selling, purchasing or using poppy straw <strong>without a license or authorization or in violation</strong> of any conditions of the license is liable to prosecution under the NDPS Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Current Extraction of Alkaloids:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India currently only <strong>extracts alkaloids from opium gum</strong> at facilities controlled by the Revenue Department in the Ministry of Finance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This entails farmers extracting gum by manually lancing the opium pods and selling the gum to government factories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Ministry has now decided to <strong>switch to new technologies</strong>, after trial cultivation by two private firms showed higher extraction of alkaloids using the <strong>Concentrated Poppy Straw (CPS)</strong>. Thus, the Government is mulling the idea of using public-private partnership (PPP).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Partnership Model:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Two types of Narcotic Raw Material (NRM) can be produced from opium poppy - <strong>Opium gum and Concentrate of Poppy Straw</strong> (CPS).</li>
<li>So far, only opium gum has been produced in India. The Government of India has now decided that CPS production should be commenced in India.</li>
<li>The various stakeholders will frame an appropriate model including<strong> public-private partnership (PPP)</strong>, advise on the changes needed to the rules and laws to facilitate private investment, and recommend security measures to protect the crop and the final product.</li>
<li>The firms carrying out the <strong>trials faced legal hassles</strong> in terms of getting relevant licences from the State governments to manufacture bulk alkaloids on their premises, this issue will need to be ironed out.</li>
<li>As per the trials&rsquo; findings, the <strong>imported seeds of certain CPS varieties worked effectively in Indian fields</strong> and their narcotic raw material yield was much higher from imported seeds instead of those used currently.</li>
<li>Some firms also <strong>cultivated CPS with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hydroponics#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20method%20of,strawberries%20are%20other%20popular%20items." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hydroponic</a> and aeroponic methods</strong> under a greenhouse environment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both Hydroponics and Aeroponics are sustainable, water-conservative farming methods, differing only by the medium which is used in the growth of the plants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance of the Move:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While alkaloid extraction from the current opium crop using the CPS was found more than opium gum, it is possible to have two or three crop cycles in one year if CPS varieties of seeds are used in an indoor greenhouse environment.</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s opium crop acreage has been steadily declining</strong> over the years and using the CPS extraction method is expected to help cut the occasional dependence on imports of products like codeine (extracted from opium) for medicinal uses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Opium Cultivation In India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>After independence, the control over cultivation and manufacture of opium became <strong>responsibility of the Central Government</strong> with effect from April, 1950.</li>
<li>At present the <strong>Narcotics Commissioner</strong> along with the subordinates exercises all <strong>powers and performs all functions</strong> relating to superintendence of the cultivation of the opium poppy and production of opium. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Commissioner derives this power from the <strong>Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 and Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1985.</strong></li>
<li><strong>License for manufacture</strong> of certain types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as well as permits for export and import of narcotic drugs, psychotropic and controlled substances are issued with the approval and permission of the Narcotics Commissioner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Government of India announces the <strong>licensing policy for cultivation of opium poppy every year</strong>, prescribing the minimum qualifying yield for issue of or renewal of licence, maximum area that can be cultivated by an individual cultivator, the maximum benefit that can be allowed to a cultivator for damage due to natural causes, etc.</li>
<li>The opium poppy can be cultivated only in such tracts as are <strong>notified by the Government.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At present these <strong>tracts are confined to three States</strong>,viz. <strong>Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mandsaur district</strong> of Madhya Pradesh and <strong>Chittorgarh and Jhalawar Districts of Rajasthan</strong> constitute about <strong>80% of the total area cultivated.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India is one of the few countries <strong>internationally permitted (by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/illicit-drug-supply-and-covid-19-unodc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime</a> ) to cultivate opium poppy for export.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Uses</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Opium is unique in its therapeutic value and is indispensable in the medical world.</li>
<li>It also finds use in <strong>Homeopathy and Ayurveda or Unani systems</strong> of indigenous medicines.</li>
<li>The opium which is used as <strong>Analgesics, Anti-Tussive, Anti spasmodic</strong> and as a source of <strong>edible seed-oil</strong>, acts as a <strong>medicinal herb.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/govt-mulling-ways-to-boost-yield-from-poppy/article34268262.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/opium-poppy-straw'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Ukraine's Bid to Join NATO',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Ukrainian President urged the <strong>North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)</strong> to speed up his country&rsquo;s membership in the alliance.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ukraine hopes to be invited this year to join a <strong>NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP)</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reasons for Ukraine to Join NATO:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617875461_image%201.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617875461_image 1.png" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine is of the opinion that <strong>joining NATO is the only way to end fighting with pro-Russia separatists.</strong></li>
<li>There is an increase in clashes and Russian military movements on the border raise fears of an escalation of the<strong> separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.</strong></li>
<li>Ukraine accuses Russia of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the <strong>Crimean peninsula</strong> (annexed by Russia in 2014).</li>
<li>Ukraine&rsquo;s Western allies have rushed to its defence, with a series of statements warning Russia against taking further action.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India did not join the Western powers&rsquo; condemnation</strong> of Russia&rsquo;s intervention in Crimea and kept a low profile on the issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty</strong> (also called the <strong>Washington Treaty</strong>) of 4th April, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.</li>
<li>It is headquartered at <strong>Brussels, Belgium.</strong></li>
<li>A key provision of the treaty, the so-called <strong>Article 5</strong>, states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members. That effectively put Western Europe under the "nuclear umbrella" of the US.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>NATO has only once invoked Article 5</strong>, on 12<sup>th</sup> September, 2001, following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in the US.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NATO's protection <strong>does not extend to members' civil wars or internal coups.</strong></li>
<li>As of 30th March 2021, there are 30 member states, with the Republic of North Macedonia becoming the latest member to join the alliance in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class-="" border-bg="">
<p><strong>Membership Action Plan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a NATO programme of advice, assistance and practical support tailored to the individual needs of countries wishing to join the Alliance.</li>
<li>Participation in the MAP does not prejudge any decision by the Alliance on future membership.</li>
<li><strong>Bosnia and Herzegovina</strong> is currently participating in MAP.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/ukraine-urges-nato-to-speed-up-membership/article34256907.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/ukraine-s-bid-to-join-nato'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'India-Russia Foreign Ministers Meet',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>To build <strong>on the common &ldquo;resilient&rdquo; ground, Indian and Russian Foreign Ministers addressed each other&rsquo;s concerns</strong> on a wide range of issues.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The issues range from <strong>defence supplies to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/s-400-triumf-missile-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">S-400 air defence system</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-in-afghan-peace-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s role in Afghanistan</a></strong> and <strong>Taliban&rsquo;s involvement in power-sharing to cooperation</strong> on Covid vaccines and <strong>India&rsquo;s participation in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quad-meeting-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quad grouping</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Discussed Cooperation in Following Sectors:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Economic opportunities in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-russia-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Russian Far East.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Russian Far East stretches from <strong>Lake Baikal, the world&rsquo;s largest freshwater lake, to the Pacific Ocean</strong> and comprises roughly a third of Russia&rsquo;s territory.</li>
<li>Although it is <strong>rich in natural resources</strong> including minerals, hydrocarbons, timber and fish, it is an <strong>economically underdeveloped</strong> region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Leveraging the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat</strong></a> campaign to boost manufacturing in India.</li>
<li>Connectivity through the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/push-for-chabahar-port-in-instc-corridor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International North-South Transport</a> Corridor (INSTC).</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>INSTC</strong> is a multi-modal transportation established in September 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern maritime corridor.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Itr is a <strong>maritime route</strong> covering approximately 5,600 nautical miles, aimed at increasing bilateral trade between India and Russia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Long standing partnership in <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-russia-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">space</a> and nuclear sectors.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617874462_pasted%20image 1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617874462_pasted image 1.png" width="400" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>S-400 Air Defence System:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Issues regarding the sale of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/s-400-triumf-missile-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>S-400 air defence system</strong></a> figured in the discussions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, <strong>surface-to-air missile system (SAM)</strong> designed by Russia.</li>
<li>It is the most dangerous operationally deployed <strong>modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM)</strong> in the world, considered much ahead of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/china-s-opposition-to-thaad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>While India is keen on buying it, the USA has expressed reservations by threatening sanctions under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/caatsa-sanctions-on-turkey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Countering America&rsquo;s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Views on Military Alliance and Indo-Pacific:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Military Alliance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Russian Foreign Minister clarified that the <strong>Russia-China relations</strong> are at the highest in the history, but these relations <strong>do not pursue a goal of establishing a military alliance.</strong></li>
<li>He also <strong>referred to the Quad grouping</strong> and called it an <strong>&ldquo;Asian NATO&rdquo;</strong>, a term sometimes used by China.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)</strong> is an informal strategic dialogue between India, USA, Japan and Australia with a shared objective to ensure and support a &ldquo;free, open and prosperous&rdquo; Indo-Pacific region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indo-Pacific:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Russia and India are working for <strong>stability and connectivity in the Asia-Pacific</strong> and urged that &ldquo;military alliances&rdquo; should not come up in Asia.</li>
<li>Russia referred to the formulation of <strong>&ldquo;Asia Pacific&rdquo;</strong> while India referred to <strong>&ldquo;Indo-Pacific&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Afghan Peace:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is a need to <strong>&ldquo;harmonise&rdquo; the interests of various stakeholders</strong> that are active in and around Afghanistan.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-in-afghan-peace-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>peace process</strong></a> should be based on foundational principles and a political solution should mean <strong>independent, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan.</strong></li>
<li>Decision on the settlement in Afghanistan should foresee the <strong>participation of all political, ethnic and religious groups</strong> in the country. Otherwise the solution will not be stable. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It needs to be noted that India was not a part of a recent meeting led by Russia on Afghan peace.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Medical Cooperation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Russian Fund for Direct Investment has signed contracts with various Indian manufacturers for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/russian-covid-vaccine-sputnik-v#:~:text=Key%20Points,'limited%20use'%20before%20this." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sputnik V vaccines</strong></a> for 700-750 million doses.</li>
<li>Both ministers also took up the possible export of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covishield-and-covaxin-approved-for-restricted-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covaxin</strong></a> to Russia which is likely to be cleared by experts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India - Russia Relations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political (Annual Summit):</strong> The Annual Summit meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the President of the Russian Federation is the highest institutionalized dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between India and Russia.</li>
<li><strong>Economic:</strong> India-Russia trade, amounting to <strong>USD 10.11 billion in 2019-2020</strong>, is far below the potential. Both countries have <strong>set the bilateral trade target at USD 30 billion by 2025.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Defence and Security: BrahMos Missile System</strong> as well as the licensed production in India of <strong>SU-30 aircraft and T-90 tanks</strong>, are examples.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperation in Nuclear Energy: Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP)</strong> is being built in India with Russian cooperation.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperation in Space Sector:</strong> Cooperation in <strong>Gaganyaan program.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Common Multilateral Forums:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/brics-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BRICS</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/russia-india-china-grouping-ric" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Russia-India-China Grouping: RIC</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/important-international-institutions-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-sco" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Military Exercises:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-russia-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Exercise TSENTR 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-indra-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indra Exercises</strong></a> - Joint Tri-<strong>Services (Army, Navy, Air Force) Exercises.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India Engaging Russia Into Indo-Pacific Narrative:</strong> India should pursue and facilitate Russia&rsquo;s engagement in the Indo-Pacific. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Russia&rsquo;s active engagement in the region would contribute to making the Indo-Pacific truly &ldquo;free and inclusive&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prioritizing RIC in Indian Foreign Policy:</strong> India can also promote a mutually beneficial trilateral cooperation between Russia, China, and India that could contribute towards the reduction of mistrust and suspicion between India and China.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/moscow-plays-down-beijing-pledges-deeper-delhi-ties-s-400-to-afghanistan-7261834/" 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-russia-foreign-ministers-meet'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Indian Energy Exchange',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>electricity market at Indian Energy Exchange (IEX)</strong> achieved an <strong>all-time high volume of 8,248.52 MU (million units)</strong> in the month of March 2021 surpassing all the previous milestones.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the first and <strong>largest energy exchange in India</strong> providing a nationwide, automated trading platform for physical delivery of electricity, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/renewable-energy-certificates" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Renewable Energy Certificates</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Energy Saving Certificates.</strong></a></li>
<li>The exchange platform <strong>enables efficient price discovery and increases the accessibility and transparency of the power market in India</strong> while also enhancing the speed and efficiency of trade execution.</li>
<li>It is a publicly listed company with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vix-measure-of-market-volatility" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Stock Exchange (NSE)</strong></a> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)</a>.</strong></li>
<li>It is approved and regulated by <strong>Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)</strong> and has been operating since 2008.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To <strong>leverage technology and innovation</strong> to establish transparent and efficient energy marketplaces for delivering affordable, reliable energy to consumers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Trading Platform for:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Physical Delivery of Electricity:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Day-Ahead Market (DAM):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is a physical electricity trading market for <strong>deliveries for any/some/all 15 minute time blocks in 24 hours of the next day</strong> starting from midnight.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Term-Ahead Market (TAM):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The contracts under TAM cover a range for <strong>buying/selling electricity for duration up to 11 days.</strong></li>
<li>It enables participants to purchase electricity for the same day through <strong>intra-day contracts</strong>, for the next day through day-ahead contingency, on a daily basis for rolling seven days through daily contracts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Renewable Energy Certificates (REC):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under the REC mechanism, <strong>a generator can generate electricity through the renewable resources</strong> in any part of the country. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For the <strong>electricity part</strong>, the generator receives the cost equivalent to that from any conventional source while the <strong>environment attribute</strong> is sold through the exchanges at the market determined price.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The obligated entity from any part of the country can purchase these RECs to meet its <strong>RPO (Renewable Purchase Obligation)</strong> compliance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Obligated entities <strong>may either purchase renewable energy or can purchase RECs</strong> to meet their RPO set under RPO of their respective States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These are the tradable certificates under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-energy-conservation-awards#:~:text=The%20Perform%2C%20Achieve%20and%20Trade,the%20large%20energy%2Dintensive%20industries." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT) Scheme</strong></a> of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bee-star-rating-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)</a>.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>market-based mechanism to incentivise energy efficiency</strong> in large energy-intensive industries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Central Electricity Regulatory Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CERC is a <strong>regulator of the power sector in India.</strong></li>
<li>It intends to <strong>promote competition, efficiency and economy</strong> in bulk power markets, <strong>improve the quality of supply, promote investments</strong> and <strong>advise the government</strong> on the removal of institutional barriers to bridge the demand supply gap.</li>
<li>It is a statutory body functioning with quasi-judicial status under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/power-sector-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electricity Act 2003.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/average-spot-power-price-at-iex-jumps-65/article34256092.ece%23:~:text%3DAverage%2520spot%2520power%2520price%2520rose,and%2520revival%2520of%2520economic%2520activities.&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1617865862676000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1DCEMmNcixGTvqcjqG4-JA" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-energy-exchange'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Food Wastage Issue',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/food-waste-index-report-india-coronavirus-hunder-index-7261909/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;India has a food wastage problem. Here&rsquo;s how individuals can make a difference&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 07/04/2021. It talks about the food wastage issue in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Despite adequate food production, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has reported that about 190 million Indians remain undernourished. Moreover, it states that every third malnourished child is Indian.</p>
<p>Ironically, the same report highlights that around 40% of the food produced in India is either lost or wasted. It is further estimated that the value of food wastage in India is around ₹92,000 crores per annum.</p>
<p>This food wastage, however, isn&rsquo;t limited to one level alone but perforates through every stage; from harvesting, processing, packaging, and transporting to the end stage of consumption.</p>
<p>Though food wastage is a global problem, India stands a chance to convert this into an opportunity, if it can address it properly.</p>
<h3>Case Study: SAFAL Outlet</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On average, 18.7 kgs of food was disposed off by one Safal outlet daily.</li>
<li>This suggests that an estimated 7.5 tonnes of food are discarded daily across the 400 Safal outlets in Delhi.</li>
<li>Approximately 84.7% of the total food waste recorded was thrown in the bin, while the rest was either fed to the poor or some animals.</li>
<li>A significant portion of the food waste bin was still in edible condition.</li>
<li>If the edible food waste generated by Safal is diverted, an estimated 2000 people could be fed daily.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenge of Food Wastage</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pre-Consumption Losses:</strong> Nearly 40% of the food produced in India is wasted every year due to fragmented food systems and inefficient supply chains. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the loss that occurs even before the food reaches the consumer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Food Wastage At Households:</strong> There is also a significant amount of food waste generated in our homes. As per the Food Waste Index Report 2021, a staggering 50 kg of food is thrown away per person every year in Indian homes.</li>
<li><strong>Greenhouse Gases Emission:</strong> This excess food waste usually ends up in landfills, creating potent greenhouse gases which have dire environmental implications.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of The Pandemic:</strong> The Covid-19 pandemic not only exposed the problems of food waste but also compounded them. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the wake of the lockdown imposed last year, surplus stocks of grain &mdash; pegged at 65 lakh tonnes in the first four months of 2020 &mdash; continued to rot in godowns across India.</li>
<li>Access to food became extremely scarce for the poor, especially daily-wage laborers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Supply-Chain Management Issues:</strong> Some problems in the Indian food supply chain include inefficiency of government programs, lack of transparency in revenue generation, insufficient storage facilities, and lack of comprehensive and accurate inventories.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Behavioral Change:</strong> According to various reports food waste attributed to households and their irresponsible consumption patterns means that change needs to begin in our own homes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Calculated purchasing when buying groceries, minimizing single-use packaging wherever possible, ordering consciously from restaurants, and reconsidering extravagant buffet spreads at weddings can go a long way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Food Bank Concept:</strong> Edible food should be made available every day, for free, at the latest in the last opening hour, so it can be picked up and consumed by those in need.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The option of distribution through food banks can also be explored, as can tie-ups with private actors so that food can reach hunger hotspots.</li>
<li>At the community level, one can identify and get involved with organizations such as Coimbatore-based No Food Waste which aims to redistribute excess food to feed the needy and hungry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>International Precedents:</strong> We can look to best practices and laws in countries like France, Norway, Denmark, UK, etc., in order to check spoilage and destruction of edible food waste in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, in France, supermarkets prioritize the reduction, reuse, and recycling of extra food.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Technological Investment:</strong> It is important that technology is adopted at every stage of the supply chain to overcome this problem. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Planning in the supply chain can improve with technology, reducing transit time in shipping and logistics. In addition, multiple government initiatives are also assisting in building infrastructure for the food industry.</li>
<li>Investments in the vibrant start-up ecosystem in India can also aid in addressing all the hindrances in the system with the support of the latest logistics and supply chain technologies, blockchain, artificial intelligence, data monitoring, storage, and packaging solutions</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Early awareness about our duty to minimize food waste is critical in changing the way our society addresses hunger and food scarcity. Thus everyone must join hands if we are to work towards a truly sustainable India that does not have millions undernourished despite having adequate food production.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffcf2;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Though food wastage is a global problem, India stands a chance to convert this into an opportunity, if it can address it properly. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/food-wastage-issue'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'AI Portal SUPACE',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/n-v-ramana-48th-chief-justice-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief Justice of India (CJI)</strong> </a>launched an <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a> based portal &lsquo;SUPACE&rsquo;</strong> in the judicial system aimed at assisting judges with legal research.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>SUPACE</strong> is short for <strong>Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court&rsquo;s Efficiency.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-virtual-courts-and-way-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>E-Courts Project</strong></a> was conceptualised on the basis of<strong> "National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary - 2005"</strong> submitted by the <strong>e-Committee of the Supreme Court.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About SUPACE:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is <strong>a tool that collects relevant facts and laws</strong> and <strong>makes them available to a judge.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>not designed to take decisions, but only to process facts and to make them available to judges</strong> looking for an input for a decision.</li>
<li>Initially, it <strong>will be used on an experimental basis by the judges of Bombay and Delhi High Courts</strong> who deal with criminal matters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will <strong>produce results customized to the need of the case</strong> and the way the judge thinks.</li>
<li>This will be <strong>time saving.</strong> It will <strong>help the judiciary and the court in reducing delays and pendency of cases.</strong></li>
<li><strong>AI</strong> will present <strong>a more streamlined, cost effective and time bound</strong> means to the <strong>fundamental right of access to justice.</strong></li>
<li>It will make the <strong>service delivery mechanism transparent and cost-efficient.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenge:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Redundancy of certain posts</strong> after introduction of SUPACE. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Since it is intended to do what the human mind can do, but much more efficiently and methodically, there is apprehension in the generation of unemployment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>E-Courts Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was conceptualized with a vision<strong> to transform the Indian Judiciary by ICT (Information and Communication Technology) enablement of Courts.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>a pan-India Project,</strong> monitored and <strong>funded by the Department of Justice,</strong> Ministry of Law and Justice, <strong>for the District Courts</strong> across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objectives of the Project:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To provide efficient &amp; time-bound citizen-centric services delivery.</li>
<li>To develop, install &amp; implement decision support systems in courts.</li>
<li>To automate the processes to provide transparency and accessibility of information to its stakeholders.</li>
<li>To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively &amp; quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cji-launches-top-courts-ai-driven-research-portal-7261821/" 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/ai-portal-supace'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the President promulgated <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/tribunals-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tribunal</a> Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance 2021</strong> through which the <strong>Appellate authorities under nine laws have been replaced with High Courts.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ordinance has amended the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/supreme-court-ruling-on-finance-act-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Finance Act 2017</strong></a> to include provisions related to the composition of search-cum-selection committees, and term of office of members in the Act itself.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Finance Act 2017</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It <strong>empowered the central government</strong> to notify rules on qualifications of members, terms and conditions of their service, and composition of search-cum-selection committees for 19 tribunals (such as Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Search-cum-selection committees:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chairperson and Members of the Tribunals will be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a <strong>Search-cum-Selection Committee.</strong></li>
<li>The Committee will consist of:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court Judge nominated by him, as the Chairperson (with casting vote),</li>
<li>Secretaries nominated by the central government,</li>
<li>The sitting or outgoing Chairperson, or a retired Supreme Court Judge, or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court.</li>
<li>The Secretary of the Ministry under which the Tribunal is constituted (with no voting right).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Term of Office:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The term of office for the <strong>Chairperson</strong> of the tribunals will be of <strong>four years or till the attainment of the age of seventy years,</strong> whichever is earlier.</li>
<li>For <strong>other members</strong> of the tribunals, the term will be of<strong> four years or till the age of sixty-seven years,</strong> whichever is earlier.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Nine Laws (Replacement of Appellate Authorities/Tribunals):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Cinematograph Act, 1952.</li>
<li>The Trade Marks Act, 1999.</li>
<li>The Copyright Act, 1957.</li>
<li>The Customs Act, 1962.</li>
<li>The Patents Act, 1970.</li>
<li>The Airports Authority of India Act, 1994.</li>
<li>The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002.</li>
<li>The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for Replacing Tribunals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Poor Adjudication &amp; Delay:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> quality of adjudication has been underwhelming</strong> in most cases, the <strong>delays have been substantial</strong> because the <strong>government has struggled to find competent persons willing to accept positions on these tribunals, </strong>and<strong> litigation has actually become more expensive, </strong>as these tribunals added another layer to it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Litigations Against Them:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There has been<strong> incessant litigation since 1985 by advocate bar associations</strong> against the tribunals over serious questions of their independence from the executive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Related Concern:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> cases with High courts could increase.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tribunals</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>quasi-judicial institution</strong> that is set up to deal with problems such as resolving administrative or tax-related disputes.</li>
<li>It performs a number of functions like <strong>adjudicating disputes, determining rights between contesting parties, making an administrative decision, reviewing an existing administrative decision</strong> and so forth.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The term<strong> &lsquo;Tribunal&rsquo; is derived from the word &lsquo;Tribunes&rsquo;,</strong> which means &lsquo;Magistrates of the Classical Roman Republic&rsquo;.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Tribunal is referred to as the office of the &lsquo;Tribunes&rsquo; i.e., a Roman official under the monarchy and the republic with the function of protecting the citizen from arbitrary action by the aristocrat magistrates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A Tribunal, generally, is any person or<strong> institution having an authority to judge, adjudicate on, or to determine claims or disputes &ndash;</strong> whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Constitutional Provisions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tribunals were not originally a part of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/major-constitutional-amendments-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> 42<sup>nd</sup> Amendment Act</strong> </a>1976 introduced provision for tribunals in accordance with the recommendations of the <strong>Swaran Singh Committee.</strong></li>
<li>The Amendment introduced <strong>Part XIV-A to the Constitution,</strong> which deals with &lsquo;Tribunals&rsquo; and contains two articles:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Article 323A:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It deals with <strong>Administrative Tribunals.</strong> These are quasi-judicial institutions that resolve disputes related to the recruitment and service conditions of persons engaged in public service.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Article 323B:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It deals with<strong> tribunals for other subjects</strong> such as Taxation, Industrial and labour, Foreign exchange, import and export, Land reforms, Food, Ceiling on urban property, Elections to Parliament and state legislatures, Rent and tenancy rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-promulgates-tribunals-reforms-ordinance/article34246516.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/the-tribunals-reforms-rationalisation-and-conditions-of-service-ordinance-2021'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'World Economic Outlook: IMF',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The latest edition of the <strong>International Monetary Fund&rsquo;s (IMF) World Economic Outlook</strong> has raised its <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Year (FY)</strong> </a>2021 growth forecast for India to 12.5% from <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-economic-outlook-imf-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11.5% estimated earlier in January 2021</a>.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian Economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian economy is expected to grow by <strong>12.5% in 2021 and 6.9% in 2022.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>2020</strong>, India&rsquo;s economy witnessed <strong>an estimated contraction of 8%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Growth rate for India in 2021 is <strong>stronger than that of China.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>China was the <strong>only major economy to have a positive growth rate of 2.3% in 2020</strong>, and is expected to grow by 8.6% in 2021 and 5.6% in 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The IMF predicted stronger recovery in 2021 and 2022 with growth projected to be <strong>6% in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>2020</strong>, the global economy <strong>contracted by 3.3%</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The contraction for 2020 is 1.1% points smaller than previous projection, <strong>reflecting:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Higher-than-expected growth outturns in the second half of the year</strong> for most regions after <strong>lockdowns</strong> were eased and as economies adapted to new ways of working.</li>
<li><strong>Additional fiscal support in a few large economies</strong> and the anticipated vaccine-powered recovery in the second half of the year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Health Care:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The emphasis should be on escaping the health crisis by <strong>prioritising health care spending, on vaccinations, treatments, and health care infrastructure.</strong> Fiscal support should be well targeted to affected households and firms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Accommodative Monetary Policy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-report-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary policy</strong></a> should remain <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-monetary-policy-2021#:~:text=Accommodative%20Stance%3A,within%20the%20target%20going%20forward." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>accommodative</strong></a> (where <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>inflation</strong></a> is well behaved), while proactively addressing financial stability risks using macroprudential tools.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tailored Approach:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Policymakers will need to continue supporting their economies</strong> while dealing with more limited policy space and higher debt levels than prior to the pandemic.</li>
<li>This requires better <strong>targeted measures to leave space for prolonged support if needed. With multi-speed recoveries, a tailored approach is necessary, with policies well-calibrated to the stage of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> pandemic</a></strong>, the strength of the economic recovery, and the structural characteristics of individual countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Priorities:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The priorities should include <strong>green infrastructure investment</strong> to help mitigate <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>climate change</strong></a>, digital infrastructure investment to boost productive capacity and strengthening social assistance to arrest <strong>rising inequality.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Monetary Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The IMF was set up along with the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> after the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Second World War</strong> </a>to assist in the<strong> reconstruction of war-ravaged countries.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The two organisations were agreed to be set up at a conference in Bretton Woods in the US. Hence, they are known as the<strong> Bretton Woods twins.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 189 countries that make up its near-global membership.<strong> India joined on 27<sup>th</sup> December, 1945.</strong></li>
<li>The IMF's primary <strong>purpose is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system</strong> &mdash; the system of exchange rates and international payments that enables countries (and their citizens) to transact with each other.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Fund's mandate was updated in 2012 to include all macroeconomic and financial sector issues that bear on global stability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reports by IMF:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Financial Stability Report</strong></a></li>
<li>World Economic Outlook</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>World Economic Outlook</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a survey by the IMF that is usually <strong>published twice a year</strong> in the months of April and October.</li>
<li>It <strong>analyzes and predicts global economic developments</strong> during the near and medium term.</li>
<li>In response to the growing demand for more frequent forecast updates, the WEO Update is published in January and July between the two main WEO publications released usually in April and October.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/imf-projects-indias-growth-rate-to-jump-to-impressive-12-5-per-cent-in-2021/" 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/world-economic-outlook-imf-2'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Chenab Bridge',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Indian Railways</strong> completed the<strong> arch closure of the iconic Chenab Bridge in Jammu &amp; Kashmir.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Chenab Bridge:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>world's highest railway bridge</strong> and is part of the<strong> Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Project was <strong>declared as a Project of National Importance in March 2002.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This bridge is <strong>1,315-metre long</strong> and is the highest railway bridge in the world being <strong>359 metres above the river bed level.</strong></li>
<li>The completion of the steel arch is a major leap towards the completion of the <strong>111 km long winding stretch from Katra to Banihal.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is arguably the <strong>biggest civil-engineering challenge</strong> faced by any railway project in India in recent history.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617781847_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617781847_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="512" height="288" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unique Features of this Bridge:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bridge designed to <strong>withstand high wind speed up to 266 Km/Hour.</strong></li>
<li>Bridge designed for<strong> blast load in consultation with <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DRDO</a></strong> for the first time in India.</li>
<li>Bridge designed to <strong>bear earthquake forces of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/seismometers-defunct-in-earthquake-prone-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest intensity zone-V</a></strong> in India.</li>
<li>First time on Indian Railways, <strong>Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing machine</strong> used for testing of welds.</li>
<li>First time on Indian Railways, <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/star-rating-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)</a> accredited lab established at site for weld testing.</strong></li>
<li>Extensive <strong>health monitoring and warning systems planned</strong> through state of art instrumentation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chenab River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Source:</strong> It rises in the upper Himalayas in the<strong> Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh</strong> state.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The river is <strong>formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga,</strong> at Tandi, 8 km southwest of Keylong, in the Lahaul and Spiti district.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake,</strong> which is situated a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass in Himachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>The <strong>Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass</strong> (near Chandra Taal).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flows Through:</strong> It flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before flowing into the Indus River.</li>
<li>Some of the<strong> important projects/dams on Chenab:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ratle-hydro-electric-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ratle Hydro Electric Project</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Salal Dam- hydroelectric power project</strong> near Reasi</li>
<li><strong>Dul Hasti Hydroelectric Plant-</strong> power project in Kishtwar District</li>
<li><strong>Pakal Dul Dam (under construction)</strong>- on a tributary <strong>Marusadar River</strong> in Kishtwar District.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617782071_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617782071_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1709652" 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/chenab-bridge'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Integrated Health Information Platform',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare</strong> has launched the <strong>Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP),</strong> that is the next generation highly <strong>refined version of the presently used Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/integrated-disease-surveillance-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDSP</a>).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>IIHP is an <strong>advanced disease surveillance system.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will <strong>track 33 diseases (as compared to the earlier 18 diseases)</strong> and will ensure near-real-time data in digital mode.</li>
<li>It will <strong>provide a health information system</strong> developed for real time, case-based information, integrated analytics, advanced visualization capability.</li>
<li>Data will be provided in real time through:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Grassroots healthcare workers</strong> through their gadgets (tablets);</li>
<li><strong>Doctors at the PHC</strong> (Primary Healthcare Centre)/CHC (Community Health Centre)/DH (District Hospital) when the citizens seek healthcare; and</li>
<li><strong>Diagnostic labs</strong> which will provide data on the tests carried out.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Key Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Real time data reporting</strong> (along through mobile application); <strong>accessible at all levels</strong> (from villages, states and central level).</li>
<li>Advanced data modelling &amp; analytical tools.</li>
<li><strong>Geographic Information System (GIS) enabled Graphical representation of data</strong> into integrated dashboard.</li>
<li>Role &amp; hierarchy-based feedback &amp; alert mechanisms.</li>
<li><strong>Geo-tagging</strong> of reporting health facilities.</li>
<li>Scope for data integration with other health programs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>collection of authentic data will become easy</strong> as it comes directly from the village/block level; the last mile from the country.</li>
<li>This digital platform for scouting the earliest signs of disease spread in the smallest of villages and blocks in the country will <strong>immensely help in nipping in the bud any potential outbreak or epidemic.</strong></li>
<li>It is in sync with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-digital-health-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NDHM aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>information system for precision public health</strong> is essential for delivering &lsquo;the right intervention at the right time, every time to the right population.&rsquo;<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In recent years, the use of technology to enhance precision in public health, including the use of pathogen genomics, enhanced surveillance and informatics, and targeted interventions has steadily gone up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>With its implementation, India is marching towards <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat</strong></a> in healthcare through use of technology.</li>
<li>This refined digital surveillance platform will help to provide and connect data and move towards <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/onehealth-approach" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;One Health&rsquo; approach.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>One Health is an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in assistance with the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a>, in 2004.</li>
<li>It <strong>continued as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)</strong> during 12<sup>th</sup> Plan (2012&ndash;17) under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission</strong> </a>with a domestic budget.</li>
<li>Under it, a Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) at Delhi, State Surveillance Units (SSU) at all State/Union Territories (UTs) head quarters and District Surveillance Units (DSU) at all Districts have been established.</li>
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based and IT enabled disease surveillance systems for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends.</li>
<li>To detect and respond to outbreaks in the early rising phase through trained Rapid Response Teams (RRTs).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Programme Components:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Integration and decentralization of surveillance activities through <strong>establishment of surveillance units</strong> at Centre, State and District level.</li>
<li><strong>Human Resource Development &ndash;</strong> Training of State Surveillance Officers (SSOs), District Surveillance Officers (DSOs), RRT and other medical and paramedical staff on principles of disease surveillance.</li>
<li><strong>Use of Information Communication Technology</strong> for collection, collation, compilation, analysis and dissemination of data.</li>
<li>Strengthening of public health laboratories.</li>
<li>Inter sectoral Coordination for<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/zoonotic-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> zoonotic diseases.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID%3D1709676&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1617784556747000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3SdlYA3fvN3A3LO8LCxSA_" 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/integrated-health-information-platform'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Direct Payment of Minimum Support Price',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>After the recent orders from the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/food-corporation-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Corporation of India (FCI)</strong></a>, the farm unions warned that the Centre&rsquo;s insistence on <strong>direct payment of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/minimum-support-price-for-crops#:~:text=MSP%20is%20a%20%E2%80%9Cminimum%20price,they%20procure%20the%20particular%20crop." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minimum Support Price (MSP)</a></strong> could derail the <strong>crop procurement process.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Orders from FCI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Direct Payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Centre wants to<strong> make direct online MSP payment to farmers&rsquo; bank accounts,</strong> to remove middlemen from the process.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>MSP is the price that government agencies pay whenever they procure the particular crop.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Currently, <strong>arhtiyas (commission agents)</strong> get the payments in their accounts, which they in turn pay to farmers through cheques.</li>
<li>The <strong>Centre has to pay 2.5% commission to arhtiyas</strong> who facilitate procurement of the crop from farmers to government agencies and take commission for that from the government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Jamabandhi System:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>FCI order stipulates that tenant farmers and sharecroppers must produce a jamabandhi.</li>
<li>Jamabandhi is a<strong> legal agreement</strong> proving that they have the right to till leased land, in order to get paid for procured crops.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The FCI&rsquo;s also proposed to <strong>tighten quality requirements for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/alternative-to-msp-crops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wheat and paddy</a> procurement.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Transparency and Accountability:</strong> The FCI has insisted that direct payment to farmers&rsquo; bank accounts, bypassing the powerful arhatiyas or commission agents, will lead to greater <strong>transparency and accountability. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Non-Discriminatory in Nature:</strong> There is no selection bias in choosing the beneficiaries based on attributes like caste and land size.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges to the FCI Order:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since arhtiyas play a key role in the Punjab and Haryana farm ecosystem by providing farm loans, the move has been <strong>opposed by a large section of farmers, as well as the Punjab government.</strong></li>
<li>According to farm unions, implementing direct payment in haste can lead to many complex problems that will exclude so many farmers from getting their price of the crop.</li>
<li>Thousands of sharecroppers do not have Jamabandhi or legal agreements and will be hit hard.</li>
<li>The FCI&rsquo;s proposals to <strong>tighten quality requirements for wheat and paddy procurement</strong> are also being opposed.</li>
<li>At a broader level, farmers connected their issues with the FCI with their existing demands to repeal the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/agricultural-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>farm laws</strong> </a>and enact a legal guarantee for procurement of all crops and minimum support prices.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Food Corporation of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI is a<strong> statutory body</strong> set up in 1965 by the <strong>Food Corporations Act 1964 under Department of Food &amp; Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.</strong></li>
<li>It was established against the backdrop of a major shortage of grains, especially wheat.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Simultaneously, the <strong>Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)</strong> was created in 1965 to<strong> recommend remunerative prices (MSP) to farmers.</strong> CACP is an attached office of the <strong>Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has primary duty to undertake purchase, store, move/transport, distribute and sell food grains and other foodstuffs.</li>
<li><strong>Objectives of FCI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To provide <strong>remunerative prices</strong> to farmers.</li>
<li>Ensuring <strong>food security</strong> of the nation by maintaining satisfactory levels of<strong> operational buffer stocks</strong> of food grains.</li>
<li>Distribution of food grains throughout the country for the<strong> Public Distribution System.</strong></li>
<li>Effective <strong>Price Support Operations</strong> for safeguarding the interest of farmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/farm-unions-protest-fcis-direct-payment-tenancy-documentation-orders/article34245720.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/direct-payment-of-minimum-support-price'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Should India Join NATO?',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-india-must-not-say-no-to-nato-7260435/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Why India must not say &lsquo;no&rsquo; to NATO&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 06/04/2021. It talks about the pros and cons of India becoming a member of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nato-ally-status-to-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).</a></strong></p>
</div>
<p>In the last few years, European countries have asserted to play a significant role in the Indo-Pacific region. India too knows that no single power can produce stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.</p>
<p>Moreover, China&rsquo;s meteoric rise has dramatically heightened India&rsquo;s need for closer security relationships with politically reliable, like-minded states. In order to tackle this geopolitical challenge, India will have to undertake more deliberate efforts to counter-balance the juggernaut of Chinese power.</p>
<p>One such arrangement, which has been recently floated by many western countries, is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nato-ally-status-to-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extending NATO&rsquo;s membership to India.</strong></a> Although NATO&rsquo;s membership in India will have positive implications, it will have serious ramifications too.</p>
<h3>Arguments for India Becoming NATO&rsquo;s Member</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>End of Cold War:</strong> During the Cold War, India&rsquo;s refusal to join any of the Military bloc (NATO or Warsaw pact led by the USSR) was premised on its non-alignment. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>That argument had little justification once the Cold War ended during 1989-91. Since then, NATO has built partnerships with many neutral and non-aligned</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Creation of Deterrence:</strong> Article 5 of the NATO treaty held that an attack against a member nation of the NATO would be considered to be an attack against all the members of the alliance and would call for joint military action against the aggressor.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This would create deterrence for China and Pakistan to attack India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Military-Strategic Benefits:</strong> An India-NATO dialogue would simply mean having regular contact with a military alliance, most of whose members are well-established partners of India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, India has military exchanges with many members of NATO &mdash; including the US, Britain, and France &mdash; in bilateral and multilateral formats.</li>
<li>Therefore, in the longer term, India would derive military-strategic benefits from a partnership with the world&rsquo;s most powerful alliance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Era of Multi-Alignment</strong>: India might align with China and developing nations against the US in <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-trade-organisation-wto" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Trade Organisation (WTO)</strong></a> but militarily oppose China while contemplating a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/quad-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Quad&rdquo;</strong></a> with the USA, Japan, and Australia.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, Egypt and Israel are both NATO partners who maintain defense relationships with Russia.</li>
<li>Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Austria are all NATO partners with long-standing neutralist traditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Convergence on Many Issues:</strong> A sustained dialogue between India and NATO could facilitate productive exchanges in a range of areas, including terrorism, changing geopolitics; the evolving nature of military conflict, the role of emerging military technologies, and new military doctrines.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Argument Against India Becoming NATO&rsquo;s Member</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Conflict Within NATO:</strong> NATO members have conflicting opinions on how to share the military burden and strike the right balance between NATO and the EU&rsquo;s quest for an independent military role.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, NATO members disagree on policy related to Russia, the Middle East, and China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deteriorate Relations With Russia:</strong> By becoming a NATO member, India&rsquo;s long-standing and strong ties with Russia will get frayed. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Russia has shown displeasure on account of India&rsquo;s growing strategic convergence with the US.</li>
<li>Moreover, this could further strengthen the already deepening relation between China and Russia.</li>
<li>Considering that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-india-s-arms-imports-sipri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India still is heavily dependent on the Russian military equipment</strong></a>, joining NATO seems like an eminently bad idea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Sovereignty:</strong> Another issue would be the establishment of NATO bases on India&rsquo;s territory. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This might invite widespread protests in the country and may even be considered an infringement of our sovereignty.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dragging Down Into Various Conflicts:</strong> The downside of joining NATO is that India would get dragged into various conflicts around the globe.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This would result in a lot of Indian soldiers dying in various conflicts in which we have no reason at all to be involved in.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The bureaucratization of the engagement between India and western countries has prevented India from taking full advantage of re-emerging geopolitics of the Atlantic. However, India&rsquo;s recent proactive approach has certainly sought to end this prolonged political neglect.</p>
<p>Given this, a pragmatic engagement with NATO countries must be an important part of India&rsquo;s foreign policy but it must refrain from becoming a formal member of NATO.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fbfffa;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India&rsquo;s continued reluctance to engage a major institution like NATO will be a stunning case of strategic self-denial. Critically Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/should-india-join-nato'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Forest Fires: A Very Big Concern',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Since the advent of the year 2021, there has been a series of forest fires in many states of India, including in Wildlife Sanctuaries.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forest Fires:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also called <strong>bush or vegetation fire or wildfire,</strong> it can be described as<strong> any uncontrolled and non-prescribed combustion or burning of plants in a natural setting</strong> such as a forest, grassland, brush land or tundra, which consumes the natural fuels and spreads based on environmental conditions (e.g., wind, topography).</li>
<li>Forest Fires <strong>can be incited by human actions,</strong> such as land clearing, extreme drought or in rare cases by lightning.</li>
<li>There are<strong> three conditions</strong> that need to be present in order for a wildfire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Instances of Forest Fires in 2021:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>January saw prolonged fires in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh (Kullu Valley) and Nagaland-Manipur border (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dzukou-valley" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dzukou Valley</strong></a>).</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/similipal-biosphere-reserve-odisha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Simlipal National Park in Odisha</strong></a> saw a major fire between February-end and early March.</li>
<li>Recent fires also include those in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elephant-colony-in-bandhavgarh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve in Madhya Pradesh</strong></a>, and in<strong> sanctuaries for the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-the-population-of-asiatic-lions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asiatic lion</a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-the-population-of-asiatic-lions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">great Indian bustard</a> in Gujarat.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerability of India&rsquo;s Forests to Fires:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As of 2019, <strong>about 21.67% (7,12,249 sq km) of the country&rsquo;s geographical area is identified as forest,</strong> according to the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-state-of-forest-report-isfr-2019#:~:text=The%202019%20survey%20has%20found,last%20assessment%20it%20was%2024.39%25." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> India State of Forest Report 2019</strong></a> (ISFR) released by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Tree cover makes up another 2.89% (95, 027 sq km).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Based on previous fire incidents and records, <strong>forests of the Northeast and central India regions are the most vulnerable</strong> areas to forest fires.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Forests in Assam, Mizoram and Tripura have been identified as <strong>&lsquo;extremely prone&rsquo;</strong> to forest fire.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>States with large forest areas under the &lsquo;very highly prone&rsquo; category</strong> include Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.</li>
<li>As per the 2020-2021 annual report of the MoEFCC, Western Maharashtra, Southern Chhattisgarh and areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, along with central Odisha, are turning into <strong>&lsquo;extremely prone&rsquo; forest fire hotspots.</strong></li>
<li>Areas under the<strong> &lsquo;highly prone&rsquo; and &lsquo;moderately prone&rsquo; categories make up about 26.2% of the total forest cover &mdash;</strong> a whopping 1,72,374 sq km.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617708725_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617708725_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cause of Forest Fires:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Forest fires can be caused by a number of natural causes, but <strong>many major fires in India are triggered mainly by human activities.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Emerging studies <strong>link climate change to rising instances of fires globally,</strong> especially the massive <strong>fires of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/amazon-rainforest" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Amazon forests in Brazil</a> and in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/australian-bushfire#:~:text=The%20fire%20has%20impacted%20more,of%20wild%20animals%20have%20died.&amp;text=The%20three%20years%20between%202017,(a%20state%20of%20Australia)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a></strong> in the last two years.</li>
<li>Fires of longer duration, increasing intensity, higher frequency and highly inflammable nature are all being linked to climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In India, forest fires are most commonly reported during <strong>March and April,</strong> when the ground has large quantities of <strong>dry wood, logs, dead leaves, stumps, dry grass and weeds</strong> that can make forests easily go up in flames if there is a trigger.</li>
<li>In<strong> Uttarakhand,</strong> the <strong>lack of soil moisture</strong> too is being seen as a key factor. In two consecutive monsoon seasons (2019 and 2020), rainfall has been deficient by 18% and 20% of the seasonal average, respectively.</li>
<li>Most fires are <strong>man-made,</strong> sometimes even <strong>deliberately caused.</strong> For example, in Odisha, which saw a major fire last month in Simlipal forest, villagers are known to set dry leaves to fire in order to collect mahua flowers, which go into preparation of a local drink.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Forest Fire:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Forest fires can have <strong>multiple adverse effects on the forest cover, soil, tree growth, vegetation, and the overall flora and fauna.</strong></li>
<li>Fires render several hectares of forest useless and leave behind ash, making it unfit for any vegetation growth.</li>
<li>Heat generated during the fire <strong>destroys animal habitats.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Soil quality decreases with the alteration in their compositions.</li>
<li>Soil moisture and fertility, too, is affected.</li>
<li>Forests can shrink in size.</li>
<li>The trees that survive fire often remain stunted and growth is severely affected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Importance of Forests:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Forests play an important role in <strong>mitigation and adaptation to climate change.</strong></li>
<li>They act as<strong> a sink, reservoir and source of carbon.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A healthy forest stores and sequesters more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In India, with 1.70 lakh villages in close proximity to forests (Census 2011), the <strong>livelihood of several crores of people is dependent</strong> on fuelwood, bamboo, fodder, and small timber.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Efforts to Mitigate Forest Fires:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since 2004, the <strong>FSI (Forest Survey of India)</strong> developed the <strong>Forest Fire Alert System</strong> to monitor forest fires in real time. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In its advanced version launched in January 2019, the system now uses satellite information gathered from <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NASA</strong></a> and <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ISRO</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) 2018</strong> and <strong>Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-forest-fires-break-out-in-the-spring-and-why-they-have-been-so-frequent-this-year-7259057/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Babu Jagjivan Ram',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Prime Minister paid tributes to <strong>freedom fighter and former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram</strong> on his <strong>113<sup>th</sup> birth anniversary.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Jagjivan Ram, <strong>popularly known as Babuji,</strong> was a national leader, a freedom fighter, a crusader of social justice, a champion of depressed classes and an outstanding Parliamentarian.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617704770_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617704770_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="304" height="265" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Jagjivan Ram was born on<strong> 5<sup>th</sup> April 1908</strong> in <strong>Chandwa in Bihar</strong> to a Dalit family.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Early Life and Education:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He pursued his schooling at the<strong> nearby town of Arrah</strong> where he faced discrimination for the first time. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He was considered<strong> &lsquo;untouchable&rsquo;</strong> and had to drink water from a different pot. Jagjivan Ram protested against this by breaking the pot. The principal then had to remove the separate pot from the school.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>In 1925,</strong> Jagjivan Ram met scholar <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/madan-mohan-malaviya-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya</strong></a> and was greatly inspired by him. On Malaviya&rsquo;s invitation, he <strong>joined the Banaras Hindu University.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Even <strong>at the university, Jagjivan Ram faced discrimination</strong>. This inspired him to protest against such social boycotts of a section of society.</li>
<li>He also<strong> organised the scheduled castes to protest against injustice.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>After his stint at BHU, he joined the <strong>University of Calcutta</strong> from where he secured a <strong>B.Sc. degree in 1931.</strong></li>
<li>Jagjivan Ram had organized a number of Ravidas Sammelans and had<strong> celebrated <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/guru-ravidas-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guru Ravidas Jayanti</a></strong> in different areas of Calcutta (Kolkata).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pre Independence Contributions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>In 1931,</strong> he became a member of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/important-indian-national-congress-sessions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian National Congress</strong></a> (Congress Party).</li>
<li>He was instrumental in the foundation of the <strong>All India Depressed Classes League, </strong>an<strong> organisation dedicated to attaining equality for untouchables, in 1934-35.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He was a champion of <strong>social equality and equal rights for the Depressed Classes.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 1935, he proposed at a session of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/veer-savarkar-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hindu Mahasabha</strong></a> that drinking water wells and temples be open to untouchables.</li>
<li>In 1935, Babuji also <strong>appeared before the Hammond Commission</strong> at Ranchi and demanded, for the first time, <strong>voting rights for the Dalits.</strong></li>
<li>He was<strong> jailed twice</strong> in the early 1940s for his political activities associated with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quit-india-movement-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Quit India movement</strong></a> against British rule.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Post Independence Contributions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When Jawaharlal Nehru formed the provisional government, <strong>Jagjivan Ram became its youngest minister.</strong></li>
<li>After independence he held the <strong>labour portfolio until 1952.</strong> Thereafter he served in Nehru&rsquo;s cabinet in the posts of <strong>minister for communications (1952&ndash;56), transport and railways (1956&ndash;62),</strong> and <strong>transport and communications (1962&ndash;63).</strong></li>
<li>He served as <strong>minister for food and agriculture (1967&ndash;70), </strong>and in<strong> 1970 he was made minister of defence.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vijay-diwas-50-years-of-indo-pak-war-2#:~:text=The%20Government%20of%20India%20decided,save%20Bengali%20Muslims%20and%20Hindus.&amp;text=On%2016th%20December%201971,and%20Mukti%20Bahini%20in%20Dhaka." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indo-Pakistan War of 1971</strong></a> was fought when he was the<strong> defence minister.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He left Congress in 1977 and joined the Janata Party alliance, along with his Congress for Democracy (new party). He later served as the <strong>Deputy Prime Minister of India (1977&ndash;79).</strong></li>
<li>Jagjivan Ram was a<strong> member of the Parliament uninterrupted from 1936 to 1986 (40 years) and this is a world record. </strong></li>
<li>He also holds another<strong> record for being the longest-serving cabinet minister in India (30 years).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He died on<strong> 6<sup>th</sup> July 1986 at New Delhi.</strong></li>
<li>His memorial at his cremation place is named<strong> Samta Sthal (Place of Equality).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1709554" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Multilateral Maritime Exercise La Perouse',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Indian Navy Ships INS Satpura</strong> and <strong>INS Kiltan</strong> alongwith <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-approves-sale-of-military-hardware" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft</strong></a> are participating,<strong> for the first time in multilateral maritime exercise La P&eacute;rouse,</strong> being conducted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region from 5<sup>th</sup> to 7<sup>th</sup> April 2021.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Post conduct of<strong> La Perouse,</strong> the <strong>Indo-French Naval</strong> exercise <strong>&ldquo;Varuna&ldquo;</strong> is scheduled in the <strong>Western Indian Ocean,</strong> wherein <strong>UAE</strong> too shall be participating.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Exercise:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first edition of <strong>La P&eacute;rouse</strong> joint exercise, <strong>initiated by France in 2019</strong>, included ships from Australia, Japan and the US.</li>
<li>The exercise is <strong>named after the eighteenth century French Naval explorer.</strong></li>
<li><strong>India's participation in 2021 completed the QUAD force representation</strong> in the French led Naval Exercise. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>QUAD</strong> is a <strong>grouping of India, USA, Australia and Japan</strong> which aims to safeguard the interests of democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific region and address global challenges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will witness complex and advanced naval operations including <strong>surface warfare, anti-air warfare and air defence exercises, weapon firing exercises, cross deck flying operations, tactical manoeuvres and seamanship evolutions</strong> such as replenishment at sea.</li>
<li>It will provide an opportunity for these five like-minded, high-end naval forces to develop closer links, sharpen their skills, and promote maritime cooperation throughout a free and open Indo-Pacific.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Naval Significance of Indo-Pacific:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Indo-Pacific is slowly but surely turning into a serious Naval Theatre for multi-national activities</strong> with a vision to establish a free, open, inclusive and a rule-based ordering of the Indo-Pacific to support the freedom of navigation and peaceful cooperative use of the seas.</li>
<li>The goal is to respect and adhere to the international laws like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unclos-maritime-zones#:~:text=United%20Nations%20Convention%20on%20the,EEZ)%20and%20the%20High%20Seas." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)</strong> </a>and peaceful resolution of territorial sea disputes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>role of the QUAD navies in the IOR (Indian Ocean Region)</strong> has been well illustrated by the effective cooperative engagement capabilities of the multi-national Naval powers through naval exercises like formation sailing, live fire drills, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations etc.</li>
<li>Navies of member countries of <strong>QUAD</strong> participated in<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/australia-to-join-malabar-exercise" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Malabar wargaming exercise</strong></a> in November 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On the other hand, <strong>China endeavours to establish a defensive perimeter around its seas (Yellow Sea, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/senkaku-islands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East China Sea</a> and part of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/south-china-sea-dispute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South China Sea</a>)</strong> by following a sea denial policy in these regions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702901_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702901_image4.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>QUAD+ France Pacific Ocean Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> region of Pacific Islands</strong> stretches from Hawaii in the north to Tonga in the south, and Easter Island in the east to New Caledonia in the west.</li>
<li><strong>US interest in the Indo-Pacific region</strong> has always been well illustrated with the fact that<strong> US Indo-Pacific Command</strong> established after World War II is the largest unified command.</li>
<li><strong>France</strong> has a direct<strong> strategic and economic stake in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna.</strong> France is a member of the Pacific Community and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).</li>
<li><strong>Japan</strong> although has trade ties with China but has always been<strong> suspicious of China&rsquo;s growth as a military power.</strong> China&rsquo;s assertiveness closer to Japanese waters and airspace have been a testing time for Japan.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Navy</strong> has always maintained a tactical advantage over the IOR to ensure compliance to the internationally established Rules of the Road (ROR) for the seas. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This has been respected by the world (like declaration of warships transiting IOR etc.), but Indian Navy has <strong>observed and reported multiple sightings of undeclared Chinese ships and submarines</strong> suspiciously lurking within the IOR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Indo-French Joint Exercises</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indo-french-joint-exercise-desert-knight-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Desert Knight-21</a> </strong>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/garuda-vi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Garuda</strong> </a>(Air exercise)</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-18th-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Varuna</strong></a> (Naval exercise)</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indo-french-joint-exercise-shakti-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shakti</strong> </a>(Army exercise)</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702945_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702945_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/quad-navies-participating-in-france-led-exercise-in-eastern-indian-ocean-region-from-april-5-7260225/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Fall in International Crude Oil Prices',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recent fall in international crude oil prices has reversed a <strong>six-month trend</strong> of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-crude-oil-price-hike#:~:text=According%20to%20estimates%2C%20a%20one,54.8%20barrel%20for%20January%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>rising auto fuel prices</strong></a> which saw the prices of petrol and diesel hit all-time highs across the country.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The price of <strong>Brent crude</strong> has <strong>fallen under USD 63 per barrel from a high of USD 70 per barrel in early March 2021</strong>.</li>
<li>Two crude oils which are either traded themselves or whose prices are reflected in other types of crude oil include <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-prices-below-zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Oil Pricing:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Generally, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/talks-on-oil-cut-deal-at-g-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)</strong></a> used to work as a cartel and fix prices in a favourable band.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>OPEC is led by Saudi Arabia</strong>, which is the largest exporter of crude oil in the world (single-handedly exporting 10% of the global demand).</li>
<li><strong>OPEC has a total of 13 Member Countries</strong> viz. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola, and Venezuela.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>OPEC <strong>could bring down prices by increasing oil production and raise prices by cutting production</strong>.</li>
<li>The<strong> global oil pricing mainly depends upon the partnership between the global oil exporters</strong> instead of a well-functioning competition.</li>
<li>Cutting oil production or completely shutting down an oil well is a difficult decision, because restarting it is immensely costly and complicated.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Moreover, if a country cuts production, it risks losing market share if other countries do not follow the suit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Recently, OPEC has been working with Russia, as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/opec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>OPEC+</strong></a> to fix the global prices and supply.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2016, OPEC allied with other top non-OPEC oil-exporting nations to form an even more powerful entity named OPEC+ or OPEC Plus.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for the Fall:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Resurgence in Covid Infections:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A recent resurgence in <strong>Covid-19 infections</strong> coupled with a decision by OPEC+ to <strong>increase crude oil production</strong> has contributed to a fall in crude oil prices. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>OPEC+ has announced a <strong>phased withdrawal of production cuts</strong> which would see total crude oil production by the group of countries rise by 1.1 million barrels per day by July 2021.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recovery in Supply:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>recovery in supply without a similar recovery in demand</strong> has contributed to the recent correction in crude oil prices and that supply cuts were difficult to maintain for oil-producing countries given the global macroeconomic situation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recent US data has also indicated that <strong>gasoline inventories are rising faster</strong> than the fall in crude oil inventories raising concerns of waning demand for petroleum products.</li>
<li><strong>US crude oil production capacity has recovered to about 11 million barrels per day</strong> after abnormally cold weather in February 2021 forced US crude oil output down to 9.7 million barrels per day.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Current Account Deficit:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>decrease in oil prices will decrease the country&rsquo;s import bill,</strong> and will help in reducing its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/current-account-deficit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>current account deficit</strong></a> (excess of imports of goods and services over exports).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to estimates, a <strong>one-dollar increase in crude oil price increases the oil bill by around USD 1.6 billion per year</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>India imports 80% of its crude oil</strong> requirements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inflation:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>decrease in crude prices could also also further decrease <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflationary pressures</a></strong> that have been building up over the past few months.</li>
<li>This will increase the space for the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-monetary-policy-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>monetary policy committee</strong></a> to ease policy rates further.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fiscal Health:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>If oil prices would have continued to increase, <strong>the government would have been forced to cut taxes on petroleum and diesel</strong> which might have caused <strong>loss of revenue</strong> and <strong>deteriorated its fiscal balance</strong>.</li>
<li>The revenue lost will erode the government&rsquo;s ability to spend or meet its fiscal commitments in the form of budgetary transfers to states, payment of dues and compensation for revenue shortfalls to state governments under the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Goods and Services Tax (GST)</strong></a> framework.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Origin:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Brent crude oil originates from oil fields in the North Sea</strong> between the Shetland Islands and Norway.</li>
<li><strong>WTI is sourced from US oil fields,</strong> primarily in Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Light and Sweet:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both oils are relatively light, but <strong>Brent has a slightly higher API gravity, making WTI the lighter of the two</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity</strong> is an indicator of the density of crude oil or refined products.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>WTI with a lower sulphur content</strong> (0.24%) than Brent (0.37%), is considered <strong>"sweeter"</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benchmark Prices:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Brent crude price</strong> is the international benchmark price <strong>used by the OPEC</strong> while <strong>WTI crude price is a benchmark for US oil prices</strong>.</li>
<li>Since India imports primarily from OPEC countries, <strong>Brent is the benchmark for oil prices in India</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cost of Shipping:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cost of shipping for Brent crude is typically lower,</strong> since it is produced near the sea and it can be put on ships immediately.</li>
<li><strong>Shipping of WTI is priced higher</strong> since it is produced in landlocked areas like Cushing, Oklahoma where the storage facilities are limited.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-crude-oil-prices-are-falling-and-how-it-will-impact-fuel-prices-in-india-7265507/" 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/fall-in-international-crude-oil-prices'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Monetary Policy Report: RBI',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Reserve Bank of India (RBI)</strong></a> has released the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-report-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary Policy Report</strong></a> for the month of April 2021.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unchanged Policy Rates:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Repo Rate</strong> - 4%.</li>
<li><strong>Reverse Repo Rate</strong> - 3.35%.</li>
<li><strong>Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)</strong> - 4.25%.</li>
<li><strong>Bank Rate-</strong> 4.25%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GDP Projection:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Real <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-decreases-to-11-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gross Domestic Product (GDP)</strong></a> growth for 2021-22 has been retained at <strong>10.5%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inflation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>RBI has revised the projection for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/data-on-retail-inflation-and-factory-output#:~:text=Measured%20by%20the%20Consumer%20Price,)%20upper%20margin%20of%206%25." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Consumer Price Index (CPI)</strong></a> inflation to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>5.0% in <strong>Quarter 4</strong> of 2020-21.</li>
<li>5.2% in <strong>Quarter 1</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
<li>5.2% in <strong>Quarter 2</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
<li>4.4% in <strong>Quarter 3</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
<li>5.1% in <strong>Quarter 4</strong> of 2021-22.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Accommodative Stance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The RBI decided to<strong> continue with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-rbi#:~:text=Accommodative%20Stance%3A,Covid%2D19%20on%20the%20economy." target="_blank" rel="noopener">accommodative stance</a></strong> as long as necessary to sustain growth on a durable basis and continue to mitigate the impact of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> on the economy, while ensuring that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020#:~:text=Inflation%20measures%20the%20average%20price,a%20deceleration%20in%20economic%20growth." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>inflation</strong></a> remains within the target going forward.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>An <strong>accommodative stance</strong> means a <strong>central bank will cut rates to inject money</strong> into the financial system <strong>whenever needed.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Support to Financial Institutions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>RBI would extend fresh support of <strong>Rs. 50,000 crore</strong> to the <strong>All India Financial Institutions</strong> for new lending in <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/03-02-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Year (FY)</strong></a> 2021-22.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-bank-for-agriculture-and-rural-development-nabard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)</strong> </a>will be provided a<strong> Special Liquidity Facility (SLF)</strong> of <strong>Rs. 25,000</strong> crore for one year to support agriculture and allied activities, the rural non-farm sector and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/4-tier-structure-for-regulation-of-nbfcs#:~:text=A%20Non%2DBanking%20Financial%20Company,leasing%2C%20hire%2Dpurchase%2C%20insurance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)</strong></a> - <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/guidelines-for-licencing-of-small-finance-banks" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs).</strong></a></li>
<li>An SLF of <strong>Rs. 10,000 crore</strong> will be extended to the <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/18-04-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Housing Bank</strong></a> for one year to support the housing sector.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/parliamentary-committee-report-on-startups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)</strong></a> will be provided Rs.15,000 crore under this facility for up to one year for funding of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/going-beyond-the-credit-requirements-of-msmes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs)</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>All three facilities will be available at the <strong>prevailing policy repo rate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Review Committee for ARC&rsquo;s:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Signalling the importance of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asset-reconstruction-company#:~:text=Key%20Points,clean%20up%20their%20balance%20sheets." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)</strong> </a>to deal with bad loans, the RBI would <strong>constitute a committee to undertake a comprehensive review</strong> of the working of ARCs in the financial sector ecosystem.</li>
<li>The committee will <strong>recommend suitable measures</strong> for enabling such entities to meet the growing requirements of the financial sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Extension of Priority Sector Lending:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A six-month extension to September 30,2021 for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/revised-priority-sector-lending-guidelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Priority Sector Lending (PSL)</strong></a> classification for lending by banks to NBFCs for<strong> &lsquo;on-lending&rsquo;</strong> to sectors that contribute significantly to the economy in terms of export and employment &mdash; has been approved.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>On-lending</strong> means to lend (borrowed money) to a <strong>third party.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This would<strong> provide an impetus to NBFCs</strong> providing credit at the bottom of the pyramid.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Securities Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) 1.0:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The RBI, for the year 2021-22, has decided to put in place a secondary market <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/direct-access-to-g-sec-market-for-retail-investors-rbi#:~:text=A%20G%2DSec%20is%20a,acknowledges%20the%20Government's%20debt%20obligation.&amp;text=Gilt%2Dedged%20securities%20are%20high,a%20means%20of%20borrowing%20funds." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Government Security (G-sec)</a> Acquisition Programme or G-SAP 1.0.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is part of RBIs <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/open-market-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Open Market Operations.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Under the programme, the <strong>RBI will commit upfront to a specific amount of Open Market Purchases of government securities.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> first purchase</strong> of government securities for an aggregate amount of <strong>Rs. 25,000 crore</strong> under G-SAP 1.0 will be conducted on <strong>15<sup>th</sup> April, 2021.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To<strong> avoid volatility in the G-sec market</strong> in view of its central role in the pricing of other financial market instruments across the term structure and issuers, both in the public and private sectors</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It will <strong>provide certainty to the bond market participants</strong> with regard to RBI&rsquo;s commitment of support to the bond market in FY22.</li>
<li>The announcement of this structured programme will<strong> help reduce the difference between the repo rate and the 10-year government bond yield.</strong> That, in turn, will help to<strong> reduce the aggregate cost of borrowing</strong> for the Centre and states in FY 2021-22.</li>
<li>It will enable a stable and <strong>orderly evolution of the yield curve amidst comfortable liquidity conditions.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A yield curve is a line that <strong>plots yields (interest rates) of bonds</strong> having equal credit quality but differing maturity dates.</li>
<li>The<strong> slope of the yield curve gives an idea of future interest rate</strong> changes and economic activity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Key Terms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Repo and Reverse Repo Rate:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Repo rate is the <strong>rate at which the central bank of a country (Reserve Bank of India in case of India) lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds.</strong> Here, the central bank purchases the security.</li>
<li>Reverse repo rate is <strong>the rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks within the country.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bank Rate:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the<strong> rate charged by the RBI for lending funds to commercial banks.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Marginal Standing Facility (MSF):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>MSF is a <strong>window for scheduled banks to borrow overnight from the RBI</strong> in an emergency situation when interbank liquidity dries up completely.</li>
<li>Under interbank lending, banks lend funds to one another for a specified term.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Open Market Operations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are <strong>market operations conducted by RBI by way of sale/purchase of government securities to/from the market with an objective to adjust the rupee liquidity conditions</strong> in the market on a durable basis.</li>
<li><strong>If there is excess liquidity,</strong> RBI resorts to sale of securities and sucks out the rupee liquidity.</li>
<li>Similarly,<strong> when the liquidity conditions are tight,</strong> RBI buys securities from the market, thereby releasing liquidity into the market.</li>
<li>It is one of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-keeps-policy-rates-unchanged" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>quantitative (to regulate or control the total volume of money) monetary policy tools</strong></a> which is employed by the central bank of a country to control the money supply in the economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government Security:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A G-Sec is a<strong> tradable instrument issued by the Central Government</strong> or the State Governments.</li>
<li>It <strong>acknowledges the Government&rsquo;s debt obligation.</strong> Such securities are <strong>short term</strong> (usually called treasury bills, with original maturities of less than one year- presently issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day) or long term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with original maturity of one year or more).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inflation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Inflation<strong> refers to the rise in the prices of most goods and services of daily or common use,</strong> such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc.</li>
<li>Inflation <strong>measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time.</strong></li>
<li>Inflation is <strong>indicative of the decrease in the purchasing power</strong> of a unit of a country&rsquo;s currency. This could ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Consumer Price Index:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It <strong>measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer.</strong> It is released by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/restructuring-of-indian-statistical-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Statistical Office (NSO).</strong></a></li>
<li>The CPI <strong>calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services</strong> such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-rbis-monetary-policy-committee-kept-rates-unchanged-7262345/" 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/monetary-policy-report-rbi-1'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Left-Wing Extremism',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="/article/opinion/columns/chhattisgarh-maoist-ambush-attack-crpf-cobra-commandos-7263578/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Lessons from Tekulguda&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 08/04/2021. It talks about the challenges posed by left-wing extremism (LWE).</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, a combing operation in the Tekulguda region of Bastar, Chhattisgarh went terribly wrong and resulted in the death of 22 security personnel and many more wounded.</p>
<p>This tragic incident is a major setback to India&rsquo;s internal security (IS) capability at many levels and highlights the challenge that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/left-wing-extremism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>left-wing extremism (LWE)</strong></a> continues to pose.</p>
<p>India has been dealing with three variants of the Internal Security (IS) challenge for decades and each has its own complexities viz. a proxy war and terrorism in Kashmir, sub-national separatist movements in the Northeast, and the Naxal-Maoist insurgency (aka LWE) in the Red Corridor.</p>
<p>The government has reasonably contained the first two challenges, but the Tekulguda incidents reflect that still, a lot needs to be done for eliminating LWE.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note: Combing Operations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Combing operations are the joint operations done by allies or multi security agencies for cleansing an area. Example Army and Paramilitary doing combing operations in a particular region.</li>
<li>It could be undertaken either to search for hiding insurgents or their arms cache.</li>
<li>It is a deliberately planned operation and there are drills laid out for these operations.</li>
<li>However, it has tremendous risk, as at any stage from anywhere, someone hidden and cornered, may fire at you and try to get away.</li>
<li>The operations can be hampered by locals supporting the insurgents by blocking the movements of the Security Forces. The task becomes all the more difficult.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>LWE: Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Genesis of LWE:</strong> LWE has its genesis in poor governance, lack of development in the tribal belt, and an oppressive/exploitative hierarchy of the state and society that has pushed the tribal population, the landless, to the margins of survival.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Making a beginning in Naxalbari in West Bengal and Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s, the movement has since spread to many states: Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Orissa.</li>
<li>This region, affected by LWE, is referred to as the <strong>Red corridor.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Associated LWE Groups:</strong> The most prominent among the groups that have mushroomed in recent years are the People&rsquo;s War Group (PWG) and the Marxist Communist Centre (MCC).</li>
<li><strong>Most Serious Threat:</strong> In November 2005, then PM Manmohan Singh described the LWE challenge as the most serious security threat to India and exhorted the professionals to evolve appropriate responses.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Related to Dealing With LWE</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Leadership Issue:</strong> In the current scenario, barring a few exceptions, many of the senior police officers (IPS cadre) who are parachuted into the central police forces at senior ranks have little or no platoon/battalion experience. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By training, the police officer is expected to be a competent Superintendent and to maintain law and order.</li>
<li>This is not the skill-set that is relevant when an officer has to &ldquo;command&rdquo; and lead his men into insurgency operations.</li>
<li>This led to armed personnel casualties. In the last three decades, around 15000 people have lost their lives owing to LWE.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recruiting Tribal Youths:</strong> It is not ideology and revolutionary zeal that is driving people who are engaged in LWE. Their main activity is extortion. For many, joining these groups is the only way to survive.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, these organizations hire vulnerable people who have low literacy levels, unemployed or low income, particularly the tribals, building up their cadre.</li>
<li>This creates a positive feedback loop of recruitment of youth into LWE.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threatening Democracy:</strong> They resort to violence through their guerrilla tactics and attempt to set up their own government in the local villages.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They threaten the locals before the conduct of elections and prevent them from voting. This violates the principle of participative democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Progressive Works:</strong> Effective steps to reduce ethnic and social inequalities, disparities in educational and employment opportunities, and for creating effective machinery for the redressal of public grievance, are absolutely essential to improve the environment in which extremist violence flourishes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Steps to reduce economic deprivation and improve the delivery of essential services can erode the base of public support on which the extremist movements survive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Para-Military Reforms:</strong> The Kargil Review Committee (KRC) report noted that in wake of Internal security challenges that the country faces, the role and the tasks of the paramilitary forces have to be restructured particularly with reference to command and control and leadership functions.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperative Federalism:</strong> Given the complexities involved in India&rsquo;s national-security architecture, it is crucial to improve coordination between various federal and state security agencies.</li>
<li><strong>Modernizing Police:</strong> States play a vital role in maintaining law and order. So, emphasis should be laid on the capacity-building and modernization of the local police forces. Local forces can efficiently and effectively neutralize the LWE organizations.</li>
<li><strong>Marginalization of LWE Groups:</strong> States also need to adopt a focused time-bound approach to completely eliminate LWE groups and ensure all-around development of the affected regions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>States should rationalize their surrender policy in order to bring innocent individuals caught in the trap of LWE into the mainstream.</li>
<li>Apart from this, the Government needs to ensure two things; the security of the peace-loving people and the development of the Naxalism-affected regions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note: SAMADHAN policy</strong></p>
<p>The Government of India in 2017 announced a new doctrine, SAMADHAN. The doctrine was announced during the Review Meeting of Left Wing Extremism affected States</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>S- Smart Leadership,</li>
<li>A- Aggressive Strategy,</li>
<li>M- Motivation and Training,</li>
<li>A- Actionable Intelligence,</li>
<li>D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas),</li>
<li>H- Harnessing Technology,</li>
<li>A- Action plan for each Theatre, and</li>
<li>N- No access to Financing.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The government has envisaged SAMADHAN policy to deal with the LWE. If implemented effectively, this doctrine can act as the one-stop solution for the LWE problem, as it encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-color: ##ff0000; background-color: #fffcf2;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Frequent death of armed personnel in anti-insurgency operations highlights the setback to India&rsquo;s internal security (IS) capability at many levels and the challenge that left-wing extremism (LWE) continues to pose. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/left-wing-extremism-2'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Red Sea',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>An <strong>Iranian freighter was hit by Israel in the Red Sea</strong> in retaliation for past Iranian strikes on its vessels. The blast struck the <strong>Iranian commercial vessel MV Saviz</strong> off the coast of Djibouti.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The attack came as Iranian officials gathered in Vienna to <strong>negotiate the restoration of a 2015 deal <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)</a> that was designed to curb Iran&rsquo;s nuclear activities.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Red Sea:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Red Sea is a <strong>semi-enclosed tropical basin</strong>, bounded by northeastern Africa, to the west, and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/operation-sankalp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Arabian peninsula</strong></a>, to the east.</li>
<li>The <strong>elongated and narrow-shaped basin</strong> extends between the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increase-in-frequency-of-medicanes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mediterranean Sea</strong></a>, to the north-west, and the Indian Ocean, to the south-east.</li>
<li>At the northern end, it separates into the <strong>Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez</strong>, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the <strong>Suez Canal.</strong></li>
<li>At the southern end, it is connected to the <strong>Gulf of Aden</strong>, and the outer Indian Ocean, via the Strait of<strong> Bab-el-Mandeb.</strong></li>
<li>It is surrounded by <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/desertification-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>desert or semi-desert areas</strong></a>, with no major freshwater inflow.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Red sea acquired its present shape over the <strong>past 4 to 5 million years</strong>, by slow <strong>seafloor spreading</strong>, a fact that makes it a geologically recent opening and one of the <strong>youngest oceanic zones on Earth.</strong></li>
<li>Today, the basin continues to widen at a rate of 1-2 cm per year</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Biodiversity:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The unique habitats of the Red sea support a wide range of marine life, including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-turtle-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>sea turtles</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-dugong-day-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>dugongs</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-river-dolphin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>dolphins</strong></a> and many endemic fish species.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/significance-of-dead-coral-reef" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Coral reefs</strong></a> mainly extend along the northern and central coasts, and decrease in abundance towards the southern region, as coastal waters become more turbid.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Reason why it is called Red Sea:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There are various theories as to how the name came about, with the most popular being a reference to the <strong>seasonal blooms of Trichodesmium erythraeum (a red-colored algae)</strong> near the water&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li>Other scholars believe it is linked to the way Asiatic languages often use colors to refer to cardinal directions, with<strong> &ldquo;red&rdquo; referring to &ldquo;south&rdquo; just as the Black Sea may be referring to the north.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617945264_Image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617945264_Image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="426" height="637" /></strong></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2015, <strong>Iran with the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany</strong> agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear programme.</li>
<li>The deal was named as<strong> Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)</strong> and in common parlance as Iran Nuclear Deal.</li>
<li>The deal came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop nuclear weapons.</li>
<li>Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but the international community did not believe that.</li>
<li>Under the JCPOA,<strong> Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities</strong> by stopping uranium enrichment and allowing the international agencies to inspect its nuclear facilities in return for the lifting of economic sanctions.</li>
<li>However, in May 2018, the USA pulled out of the JCPOA and threatened to impose sanctions on Iran and on nations doing a significant amount of trade with Iran.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/iranian-ship-attacked-in-red-sea-report-says-it-was-israeli-payback/article34268244.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/red-sea'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'India’s Life Expectancy on World Health Day 2021',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the estimates from the <strong>Sample Registration System (SRS)-based Abridged Life Tables 2014-18</strong> of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/census-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Census</strong></a> <strong>and</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sex-ratio-and-india#:~:text=Registrar%20General%20of%20India%20was,and%20Linguistic%20Survey%20of%20India." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Registrar General of India</strong></a>, the life expectancy of an Indian child born on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-health-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Day</strong></a> 2021 is below the world's average.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every year <strong>7<sup>th</sup> April</strong> marks the celebration of <strong>World Health Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Life Expectancy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an estimate of the average number of additional years that a person of a given age can expect to live. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The most common measure of life expectancy is <strong>life expectancy at birth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s life expectancy (for a child born in 2021) which is <strong>69 years and 4 months</strong> is less than the <strong>world&rsquo;s average lifespan of 72.81 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>number of deaths per 1,000</strong> live births of children <strong>under one year of age.</strong></li>
<li>For India, <strong>IMR is 33.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Life Expectancy will be Reduced Further Due to Pollution:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The quality of life of these children will suffer and the average life span is estimated to be cut short by two years and six months due by constant exposure to <strong>&ldquo;toxic air&rdquo;</strong> in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India topped the chart by recording the world's highest annual average concentration of PM 2.5 exposure in its air in 2019, according to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-global-air-2020-hei#:~:text=Recently%2C%20a%20global%20study%2C%20State,pollution%27s%20global%20impact%20on%20newborns." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>State of Global Air 2020.</strong></a></li>
<li>In 2020, India was home to 35 of the world&rsquo;s 50 most polluted cities, according to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-air-quality-report-2020#:~:text=The%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report,5%20data%20from%20106%20countries." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IQ Air&rsquo;s World Air Quality Report.</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These included <strong>Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Delhi among the top 10.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Thus, an <strong>Indian child will live for 66 years and 8 months only</strong> and may not survive to celebrate his/her 67th birthday beyond April 2089.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>World Health Day</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Its idea was conceived at the First Health Assembly in 1948 and it came into effect in 1950.</li>
<li>Over the years, it has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care and climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organization (WHO)</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Theme for 2021:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Some Indian Initiatives in Health Sector:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/national-medical-commission-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/janaushadhi-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-indias-health-index" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India&rsquo;s Health Index.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>SRS-Based Abridged Life Tables</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A life table <strong>states the probabilities of survival</strong> of a hypothetical group or cohort at different ages, which gradually diminish due to deaths.</li>
<li>With the introduction of the S<strong>ample Registration System (SRS)</strong>, an alternative source of data has become available for construction of life tables.</li>
<li>Based on SRS data, life tables have been prepared for the periods 1970-75, 1976-80, 1981-85 and 1986-90 at five yearly intervals. Since the 1986-90 issue, life tables have been brought out annually on a <strong>five yearly moving average basis so as to form a continuous series.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>conventional method of expressing the most fundamental and essential facts about the age distribution of mortality</strong> and is a powerful tool for measuring the probability of life and death of various age groups.</li>
<li>It <strong>enables us to understand the implication of age-specific mortality</strong> rate in terms of average life expectancy. In India, it has been the practice to construct life tables using age composition of the population from successive population censuses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/world-health-day-if-you-are-born-today-in-india-your-health-prospects-look-grim-76355#:~:text=Grim%20figures,Pradesh%20will%20be%20the%20unluckiest." 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/india-s-life-expectancy-on-world-health-day-2021'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Opium Poppy Straw',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Central government has decided to <strong>rope in the private sector to commence production of concentrated poppy straw (CPS) from India&rsquo;s opium crop to boost the yield of alkaloids</strong>, used for medical purposes and exported to several countries.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Alkaloids</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Alkaloids are a huge group of naturally <strong>occurring organic compounds which contain nitrogen atom or atoms</strong> (amino or amido in some cases) in their structures.</li>
<li>These nitrogen atoms cause alkalinity of these compounds.</li>
<li>Well-known alkaloids include <strong>morphine, strychnine, quinine, ephedrine, and nicotine.</strong></li>
<li>The medicinal properties of alkaloids are quite diverse. Morphine is a powerful narcotic used for the relief of pain, though its addictive properties limit its usefulness. Codeine, the methyl ether derivative of morphine found in the opium poppy, is an excellent analgesic that is relatively nonaddictive.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Poppy Straw:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Poppy straw is the <strong>husk left after the opium</strong> <strong>is extracted</strong> from pods.</li>
<li>This poppy straw also contains a <strong>very small morphine content</strong> and if used in sufficient quantities, poppy straw can give a high.</li>
<li><strong>Possession, sale, use</strong>, etc. of poppy straw is <strong>regulated by the State Governments</strong> under the <strong>State Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Rules.</strong></li>
<li>Farmers sell the poppy straw to those licensed by the State Governments to purchase poppy straw. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Any excess poppy straw is ploughed back into the field.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Poppy straw is one of the narcotic drugs under the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/narcotics-control-bureau#:~:text=the%20central%20government.-,Narcotic%20Drugs%20and%20Psychotropic%20Substances%20Act%2C%201985,Central%20Government%20under%20the%20Act." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Act 1985</a> (NDPS Act).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Hence, anyone possessing, selling, purchasing or using poppy straw <strong>without a license or authorization or in violation</strong> of any conditions of the license is liable to prosecution under the NDPS Act.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Current Extraction of Alkaloids:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India currently only <strong>extracts alkaloids from opium gum</strong> at facilities controlled by the Revenue Department in the Ministry of Finance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This entails farmers extracting gum by manually lancing the opium pods and selling the gum to government factories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Ministry has now decided to <strong>switch to new technologies</strong>, after trial cultivation by two private firms showed higher extraction of alkaloids using the <strong>Concentrated Poppy Straw (CPS)</strong>. Thus, the Government is mulling the idea of using public-private partnership (PPP).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Partnership Model:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Two types of Narcotic Raw Material (NRM) can be produced from opium poppy - <strong>Opium gum and Concentrate of Poppy Straw</strong> (CPS).</li>
<li>So far, only opium gum has been produced in India. The Government of India has now decided that CPS production should be commenced in India.</li>
<li>The various stakeholders will frame an appropriate model including<strong> public-private partnership (PPP)</strong>, advise on the changes needed to the rules and laws to facilitate private investment, and recommend security measures to protect the crop and the final product.</li>
<li>The firms carrying out the <strong>trials faced legal hassles</strong> in terms of getting relevant licences from the State governments to manufacture bulk alkaloids on their premises, this issue will need to be ironed out.</li>
<li>As per the trials&rsquo; findings, the <strong>imported seeds of certain CPS varieties worked effectively in Indian fields</strong> and their narcotic raw material yield was much higher from imported seeds instead of those used currently.</li>
<li>Some firms also <strong>cultivated CPS with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hydroponics#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20method%20of,strawberries%20are%20other%20popular%20items." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hydroponic</a> and aeroponic methods</strong> under a greenhouse environment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both Hydroponics and Aeroponics are sustainable, water-conservative farming methods, differing only by the medium which is used in the growth of the plants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance of the Move:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While alkaloid extraction from the current opium crop using the CPS was found more than opium gum, it is possible to have two or three crop cycles in one year if CPS varieties of seeds are used in an indoor greenhouse environment.</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s opium crop acreage has been steadily declining</strong> over the years and using the CPS extraction method is expected to help cut the occasional dependence on imports of products like codeine (extracted from opium) for medicinal uses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Opium Cultivation In India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>After independence, the control over cultivation and manufacture of opium became <strong>responsibility of the Central Government</strong> with effect from April, 1950.</li>
<li>At present the <strong>Narcotics Commissioner</strong> along with the subordinates exercises all <strong>powers and performs all functions</strong> relating to superintendence of the cultivation of the opium poppy and production of opium. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Commissioner derives this power from the <strong>Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 and Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1985.</strong></li>
<li><strong>License for manufacture</strong> of certain types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as well as permits for export and import of narcotic drugs, psychotropic and controlled substances are issued with the approval and permission of the Narcotics Commissioner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Government of India announces the <strong>licensing policy for cultivation of opium poppy every year</strong>, prescribing the minimum qualifying yield for issue of or renewal of licence, maximum area that can be cultivated by an individual cultivator, the maximum benefit that can be allowed to a cultivator for damage due to natural causes, etc.</li>
<li>The opium poppy can be cultivated only in such tracts as are <strong>notified by the Government.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At present these <strong>tracts are confined to three States</strong>,viz. <strong>Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mandsaur district</strong> of Madhya Pradesh and <strong>Chittorgarh and Jhalawar Districts of Rajasthan</strong> constitute about <strong>80% of the total area cultivated.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India is one of the few countries <strong>internationally permitted (by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/illicit-drug-supply-and-covid-19-unodc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime</a> ) to cultivate opium poppy for export.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Uses</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Opium is unique in its therapeutic value and is indispensable in the medical world.</li>
<li>It also finds use in <strong>Homeopathy and Ayurveda or Unani systems</strong> of indigenous medicines.</li>
<li>The opium which is used as <strong>Analgesics, Anti-Tussive, Anti spasmodic</strong> and as a source of <strong>edible seed-oil</strong>, acts as a <strong>medicinal herb.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/govt-mulling-ways-to-boost-yield-from-poppy/article34268262.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/opium-poppy-straw'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Ukraine's Bid to Join NATO',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Ukrainian President urged the <strong>North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)</strong> to speed up his country&rsquo;s membership in the alliance.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ukraine hopes to be invited this year to join a <strong>NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP)</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reasons for Ukraine to Join NATO:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617875461_image%201.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617875461_image 1.png" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ukraine is of the opinion that <strong>joining NATO is the only way to end fighting with pro-Russia separatists.</strong></li>
<li>There is an increase in clashes and Russian military movements on the border raise fears of an escalation of the<strong> separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.</strong></li>
<li>Ukraine accuses Russia of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the <strong>Crimean peninsula</strong> (annexed by Russia in 2014).</li>
<li>Ukraine&rsquo;s Western allies have rushed to its defence, with a series of statements warning Russia against taking further action.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India did not join the Western powers&rsquo; condemnation</strong> of Russia&rsquo;s intervention in Crimea and kept a low profile on the issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty</strong> (also called the <strong>Washington Treaty</strong>) of 4th April, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.</li>
<li>It is headquartered at <strong>Brussels, Belgium.</strong></li>
<li>A key provision of the treaty, the so-called <strong>Article 5</strong>, states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members. That effectively put Western Europe under the "nuclear umbrella" of the US.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>NATO has only once invoked Article 5</strong>, on 12<sup>th</sup> September, 2001, following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in the US.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NATO's protection <strong>does not extend to members' civil wars or internal coups.</strong></li>
<li>As of 30th March 2021, there are 30 member states, with the Republic of North Macedonia becoming the latest member to join the alliance in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class-="" border-bg="">
<p><strong>Membership Action Plan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a NATO programme of advice, assistance and practical support tailored to the individual needs of countries wishing to join the Alliance.</li>
<li>Participation in the MAP does not prejudge any decision by the Alliance on future membership.</li>
<li><strong>Bosnia and Herzegovina</strong> is currently participating in MAP.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/ukraine-urges-nato-to-speed-up-membership/article34256907.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/ukraine-s-bid-to-join-nato'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'India-Russia Foreign Ministers Meet',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>To build <strong>on the common &ldquo;resilient&rdquo; ground, Indian and Russian Foreign Ministers addressed each other&rsquo;s concerns</strong> on a wide range of issues.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The issues range from <strong>defence supplies to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/s-400-triumf-missile-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">S-400 air defence system</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-in-afghan-peace-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s role in Afghanistan</a></strong> and <strong>Taliban&rsquo;s involvement in power-sharing to cooperation</strong> on Covid vaccines and <strong>India&rsquo;s participation in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quad-meeting-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quad grouping</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Discussed Cooperation in Following Sectors:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Economic opportunities in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-russia-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Russian Far East.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Russian Far East stretches from <strong>Lake Baikal, the world&rsquo;s largest freshwater lake, to the Pacific Ocean</strong> and comprises roughly a third of Russia&rsquo;s territory.</li>
<li>Although it is <strong>rich in natural resources</strong> including minerals, hydrocarbons, timber and fish, it is an <strong>economically underdeveloped</strong> region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Leveraging the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat</strong></a> campaign to boost manufacturing in India.</li>
<li>Connectivity through the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/push-for-chabahar-port-in-instc-corridor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International North-South Transport</a> Corridor (INSTC).</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>INSTC</strong> is a multi-modal transportation established in September 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern maritime corridor.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Itr is a <strong>maritime route</strong> covering approximately 5,600 nautical miles, aimed at increasing bilateral trade between India and Russia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Long standing partnership in <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-russia-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">space</a> and nuclear sectors.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617874462_pasted%20image 1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617874462_pasted image 1.png" width="400" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>S-400 Air Defence System:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Issues regarding the sale of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/s-400-triumf-missile-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>S-400 air defence system</strong></a> figured in the discussions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, <strong>surface-to-air missile system (SAM)</strong> designed by Russia.</li>
<li>It is the most dangerous operationally deployed <strong>modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM)</strong> in the world, considered much ahead of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/china-s-opposition-to-thaad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>While India is keen on buying it, the USA has expressed reservations by threatening sanctions under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/caatsa-sanctions-on-turkey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Countering America&rsquo;s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Views on Military Alliance and Indo-Pacific:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Military Alliance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Russian Foreign Minister clarified that the <strong>Russia-China relations</strong> are at the highest in the history, but these relations <strong>do not pursue a goal of establishing a military alliance.</strong></li>
<li>He also <strong>referred to the Quad grouping</strong> and called it an <strong>&ldquo;Asian NATO&rdquo;</strong>, a term sometimes used by China.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)</strong> is an informal strategic dialogue between India, USA, Japan and Australia with a shared objective to ensure and support a &ldquo;free, open and prosperous&rdquo; Indo-Pacific region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indo-Pacific:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Russia and India are working for <strong>stability and connectivity in the Asia-Pacific</strong> and urged that &ldquo;military alliances&rdquo; should not come up in Asia.</li>
<li>Russia referred to the formulation of <strong>&ldquo;Asia Pacific&rdquo;</strong> while India referred to <strong>&ldquo;Indo-Pacific&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Afghan Peace:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is a need to <strong>&ldquo;harmonise&rdquo; the interests of various stakeholders</strong> that are active in and around Afghanistan.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-in-afghan-peace-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>peace process</strong></a> should be based on foundational principles and a political solution should mean <strong>independent, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan.</strong></li>
<li>Decision on the settlement in Afghanistan should foresee the <strong>participation of all political, ethnic and religious groups</strong> in the country. Otherwise the solution will not be stable. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It needs to be noted that India was not a part of a recent meeting led by Russia on Afghan peace.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Medical Cooperation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Russian Fund for Direct Investment has signed contracts with various Indian manufacturers for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/russian-covid-vaccine-sputnik-v#:~:text=Key%20Points,'limited%20use'%20before%20this." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sputnik V vaccines</strong></a> for 700-750 million doses.</li>
<li>Both ministers also took up the possible export of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covishield-and-covaxin-approved-for-restricted-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covaxin</strong></a> to Russia which is likely to be cleared by experts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India - Russia Relations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political (Annual Summit):</strong> The Annual Summit meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the President of the Russian Federation is the highest institutionalized dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between India and Russia.</li>
<li><strong>Economic:</strong> India-Russia trade, amounting to <strong>USD 10.11 billion in 2019-2020</strong>, is far below the potential. Both countries have <strong>set the bilateral trade target at USD 30 billion by 2025.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Defence and Security: BrahMos Missile System</strong> as well as the licensed production in India of <strong>SU-30 aircraft and T-90 tanks</strong>, are examples.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperation in Nuclear Energy: Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP)</strong> is being built in India with Russian cooperation.</li>
<li><strong>Cooperation in Space Sector:</strong> Cooperation in <strong>Gaganyaan program.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Common Multilateral Forums:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/brics-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BRICS</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/russia-india-china-grouping-ric" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Russia-India-China Grouping: RIC</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/important-international-institutions-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-sco" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Military Exercises:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-russia-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Exercise TSENTR 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-indra-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indra Exercises</strong></a> - Joint Tri-<strong>Services (Army, Navy, Air Force) Exercises.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India Engaging Russia Into Indo-Pacific Narrative:</strong> India should pursue and facilitate Russia&rsquo;s engagement in the Indo-Pacific. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Russia&rsquo;s active engagement in the region would contribute to making the Indo-Pacific truly &ldquo;free and inclusive&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prioritizing RIC in Indian Foreign Policy:</strong> India can also promote a mutually beneficial trilateral cooperation between Russia, China, and India that could contribute towards the reduction of mistrust and suspicion between India and China.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/moscow-plays-down-beijing-pledges-deeper-delhi-ties-s-400-to-afghanistan-7261834/" 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-russia-foreign-ministers-meet'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Indian Energy Exchange',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>electricity market at Indian Energy Exchange (IEX)</strong> achieved an <strong>all-time high volume of 8,248.52 MU (million units)</strong> in the month of March 2021 surpassing all the previous milestones.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the first and <strong>largest energy exchange in India</strong> providing a nationwide, automated trading platform for physical delivery of electricity, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/renewable-energy-certificates" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Renewable Energy Certificates</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Energy Saving Certificates.</strong></a></li>
<li>The exchange platform <strong>enables efficient price discovery and increases the accessibility and transparency of the power market in India</strong> while also enhancing the speed and efficiency of trade execution.</li>
<li>It is a publicly listed company with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vix-measure-of-market-volatility" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Stock Exchange (NSE)</strong></a> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)</a>.</strong></li>
<li>It is approved and regulated by <strong>Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)</strong> and has been operating since 2008.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To <strong>leverage technology and innovation</strong> to establish transparent and efficient energy marketplaces for delivering affordable, reliable energy to consumers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Trading Platform for:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Physical Delivery of Electricity:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Day-Ahead Market (DAM):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is a physical electricity trading market for <strong>deliveries for any/some/all 15 minute time blocks in 24 hours of the next day</strong> starting from midnight.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Term-Ahead Market (TAM):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The contracts under TAM cover a range for <strong>buying/selling electricity for duration up to 11 days.</strong></li>
<li>It enables participants to purchase electricity for the same day through <strong>intra-day contracts</strong>, for the next day through day-ahead contingency, on a daily basis for rolling seven days through daily contracts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Renewable Energy Certificates (REC):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under the REC mechanism, <strong>a generator can generate electricity through the renewable resources</strong> in any part of the country. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For the <strong>electricity part</strong>, the generator receives the cost equivalent to that from any conventional source while the <strong>environment attribute</strong> is sold through the exchanges at the market determined price.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The obligated entity from any part of the country can purchase these RECs to meet its <strong>RPO (Renewable Purchase Obligation)</strong> compliance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Obligated entities <strong>may either purchase renewable energy or can purchase RECs</strong> to meet their RPO set under RPO of their respective States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These are the tradable certificates under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-energy-conservation-awards#:~:text=The%20Perform%2C%20Achieve%20and%20Trade,the%20large%20energy%2Dintensive%20industries." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT) Scheme</strong></a> of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bee-star-rating-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)</a>.</strong></li>
<li>It is a <strong>market-based mechanism to incentivise energy efficiency</strong> in large energy-intensive industries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Central Electricity Regulatory Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CERC is a <strong>regulator of the power sector in India.</strong></li>
<li>It intends to <strong>promote competition, efficiency and economy</strong> in bulk power markets, <strong>improve the quality of supply, promote investments</strong> and <strong>advise the government</strong> on the removal of institutional barriers to bridge the demand supply gap.</li>
<li>It is a statutory body functioning with quasi-judicial status under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/power-sector-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electricity Act 2003.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/average-spot-power-price-at-iex-jumps-65/article34256092.ece%23:~:text%3DAverage%2520spot%2520power%2520price%2520rose,and%2520revival%2520of%2520economic%2520activities.&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1617865862676000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1DCEMmNcixGTvqcjqG4-JA" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-energy-exchange'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Food Wastage Issue',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/food-waste-index-report-india-coronavirus-hunder-index-7261909/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;India has a food wastage problem. Here&rsquo;s how individuals can make a difference&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 07/04/2021. It talks about the food wastage issue in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Despite adequate food production, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has reported that about 190 million Indians remain undernourished. Moreover, it states that every third malnourished child is Indian.</p>
<p>Ironically, the same report highlights that around 40% of the food produced in India is either lost or wasted. It is further estimated that the value of food wastage in India is around ₹92,000 crores per annum.</p>
<p>This food wastage, however, isn&rsquo;t limited to one level alone but perforates through every stage; from harvesting, processing, packaging, and transporting to the end stage of consumption.</p>
<p>Though food wastage is a global problem, India stands a chance to convert this into an opportunity, if it can address it properly.</p>
<h3>Case Study: SAFAL Outlet</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On average, 18.7 kgs of food was disposed off by one Safal outlet daily.</li>
<li>This suggests that an estimated 7.5 tonnes of food are discarded daily across the 400 Safal outlets in Delhi.</li>
<li>Approximately 84.7% of the total food waste recorded was thrown in the bin, while the rest was either fed to the poor or some animals.</li>
<li>A significant portion of the food waste bin was still in edible condition.</li>
<li>If the edible food waste generated by Safal is diverted, an estimated 2000 people could be fed daily.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenge of Food Wastage</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pre-Consumption Losses:</strong> Nearly 40% of the food produced in India is wasted every year due to fragmented food systems and inefficient supply chains. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the loss that occurs even before the food reaches the consumer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Food Wastage At Households:</strong> There is also a significant amount of food waste generated in our homes. As per the Food Waste Index Report 2021, a staggering 50 kg of food is thrown away per person every year in Indian homes.</li>
<li><strong>Greenhouse Gases Emission:</strong> This excess food waste usually ends up in landfills, creating potent greenhouse gases which have dire environmental implications.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of The Pandemic:</strong> The Covid-19 pandemic not only exposed the problems of food waste but also compounded them. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the wake of the lockdown imposed last year, surplus stocks of grain &mdash; pegged at 65 lakh tonnes in the first four months of 2020 &mdash; continued to rot in godowns across India.</li>
<li>Access to food became extremely scarce for the poor, especially daily-wage laborers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Supply-Chain Management Issues:</strong> Some problems in the Indian food supply chain include inefficiency of government programs, lack of transparency in revenue generation, insufficient storage facilities, and lack of comprehensive and accurate inventories.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Behavioral Change:</strong> According to various reports food waste attributed to households and their irresponsible consumption patterns means that change needs to begin in our own homes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Calculated purchasing when buying groceries, minimizing single-use packaging wherever possible, ordering consciously from restaurants, and reconsidering extravagant buffet spreads at weddings can go a long way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Food Bank Concept:</strong> Edible food should be made available every day, for free, at the latest in the last opening hour, so it can be picked up and consumed by those in need.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The option of distribution through food banks can also be explored, as can tie-ups with private actors so that food can reach hunger hotspots.</li>
<li>At the community level, one can identify and get involved with organizations such as Coimbatore-based No Food Waste which aims to redistribute excess food to feed the needy and hungry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>International Precedents:</strong> We can look to best practices and laws in countries like France, Norway, Denmark, UK, etc., in order to check spoilage and destruction of edible food waste in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, in France, supermarkets prioritize the reduction, reuse, and recycling of extra food.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Technological Investment:</strong> It is important that technology is adopted at every stage of the supply chain to overcome this problem. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Planning in the supply chain can improve with technology, reducing transit time in shipping and logistics. In addition, multiple government initiatives are also assisting in building infrastructure for the food industry.</li>
<li>Investments in the vibrant start-up ecosystem in India can also aid in addressing all the hindrances in the system with the support of the latest logistics and supply chain technologies, blockchain, artificial intelligence, data monitoring, storage, and packaging solutions</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Early awareness about our duty to minimize food waste is critical in changing the way our society addresses hunger and food scarcity. Thus everyone must join hands if we are to work towards a truly sustainable India that does not have millions undernourished despite having adequate food production.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffcf2;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Though food wastage is a global problem, India stands a chance to convert this into an opportunity, if it can address it properly. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/food-wastage-issue'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'AI Portal SUPACE',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/n-v-ramana-48th-chief-justice-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief Justice of India (CJI)</strong> </a>launched an <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a> based portal &lsquo;SUPACE&rsquo;</strong> in the judicial system aimed at assisting judges with legal research.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>SUPACE</strong> is short for <strong>Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court&rsquo;s Efficiency.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-virtual-courts-and-way-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>E-Courts Project</strong></a> was conceptualised on the basis of<strong> "National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary - 2005"</strong> submitted by the <strong>e-Committee of the Supreme Court.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About SUPACE:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is <strong>a tool that collects relevant facts and laws</strong> and <strong>makes them available to a judge.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>not designed to take decisions, but only to process facts and to make them available to judges</strong> looking for an input for a decision.</li>
<li>Initially, it <strong>will be used on an experimental basis by the judges of Bombay and Delhi High Courts</strong> who deal with criminal matters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will <strong>produce results customized to the need of the case</strong> and the way the judge thinks.</li>
<li>This will be <strong>time saving.</strong> It will <strong>help the judiciary and the court in reducing delays and pendency of cases.</strong></li>
<li><strong>AI</strong> will present <strong>a more streamlined, cost effective and time bound</strong> means to the <strong>fundamental right of access to justice.</strong></li>
<li>It will make the <strong>service delivery mechanism transparent and cost-efficient.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenge:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Redundancy of certain posts</strong> after introduction of SUPACE. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Since it is intended to do what the human mind can do, but much more efficiently and methodically, there is apprehension in the generation of unemployment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>E-Courts Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was conceptualized with a vision<strong> to transform the Indian Judiciary by ICT (Information and Communication Technology) enablement of Courts.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>a pan-India Project,</strong> monitored and <strong>funded by the Department of Justice,</strong> Ministry of Law and Justice, <strong>for the District Courts</strong> across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objectives of the Project:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To provide efficient &amp; time-bound citizen-centric services delivery.</li>
<li>To develop, install &amp; implement decision support systems in courts.</li>
<li>To automate the processes to provide transparency and accessibility of information to its stakeholders.</li>
<li>To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively &amp; quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cji-launches-top-courts-ai-driven-research-portal-7261821/" 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/ai-portal-supace'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the President promulgated <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/tribunals-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tribunal</a> Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance 2021</strong> through which the <strong>Appellate authorities under nine laws have been replaced with High Courts.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Ordinance has amended the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/supreme-court-ruling-on-finance-act-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Finance Act 2017</strong></a> to include provisions related to the composition of search-cum-selection committees, and term of office of members in the Act itself.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Finance Act 2017</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It <strong>empowered the central government</strong> to notify rules on qualifications of members, terms and conditions of their service, and composition of search-cum-selection committees for 19 tribunals (such as Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Search-cum-selection committees:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chairperson and Members of the Tribunals will be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a <strong>Search-cum-Selection Committee.</strong></li>
<li>The Committee will consist of:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court Judge nominated by him, as the Chairperson (with casting vote),</li>
<li>Secretaries nominated by the central government,</li>
<li>The sitting or outgoing Chairperson, or a retired Supreme Court Judge, or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court.</li>
<li>The Secretary of the Ministry under which the Tribunal is constituted (with no voting right).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Term of Office:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The term of office for the <strong>Chairperson</strong> of the tribunals will be of <strong>four years or till the attainment of the age of seventy years,</strong> whichever is earlier.</li>
<li>For <strong>other members</strong> of the tribunals, the term will be of<strong> four years or till the age of sixty-seven years,</strong> whichever is earlier.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Nine Laws (Replacement of Appellate Authorities/Tribunals):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Cinematograph Act, 1952.</li>
<li>The Trade Marks Act, 1999.</li>
<li>The Copyright Act, 1957.</li>
<li>The Customs Act, 1962.</li>
<li>The Patents Act, 1970.</li>
<li>The Airports Authority of India Act, 1994.</li>
<li>The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002.</li>
<li>The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for Replacing Tribunals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Poor Adjudication &amp; Delay:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> quality of adjudication has been underwhelming</strong> in most cases, the <strong>delays have been substantial</strong> because the <strong>government has struggled to find competent persons willing to accept positions on these tribunals, </strong>and<strong> litigation has actually become more expensive, </strong>as these tribunals added another layer to it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Litigations Against Them:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There has been<strong> incessant litigation since 1985 by advocate bar associations</strong> against the tribunals over serious questions of their independence from the executive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Related Concern:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> cases with High courts could increase.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tribunals</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>quasi-judicial institution</strong> that is set up to deal with problems such as resolving administrative or tax-related disputes.</li>
<li>It performs a number of functions like <strong>adjudicating disputes, determining rights between contesting parties, making an administrative decision, reviewing an existing administrative decision</strong> and so forth.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The term<strong> &lsquo;Tribunal&rsquo; is derived from the word &lsquo;Tribunes&rsquo;,</strong> which means &lsquo;Magistrates of the Classical Roman Republic&rsquo;.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Tribunal is referred to as the office of the &lsquo;Tribunes&rsquo; i.e., a Roman official under the monarchy and the republic with the function of protecting the citizen from arbitrary action by the aristocrat magistrates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A Tribunal, generally, is any person or<strong> institution having an authority to judge, adjudicate on, or to determine claims or disputes &ndash;</strong> whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Constitutional Provisions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tribunals were not originally a part of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/major-constitutional-amendments-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> 42<sup>nd</sup> Amendment Act</strong> </a>1976 introduced provision for tribunals in accordance with the recommendations of the <strong>Swaran Singh Committee.</strong></li>
<li>The Amendment introduced <strong>Part XIV-A to the Constitution,</strong> which deals with &lsquo;Tribunals&rsquo; and contains two articles:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Article 323A:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It deals with <strong>Administrative Tribunals.</strong> These are quasi-judicial institutions that resolve disputes related to the recruitment and service conditions of persons engaged in public service.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Article 323B:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It deals with<strong> tribunals for other subjects</strong> such as Taxation, Industrial and labour, Foreign exchange, import and export, Land reforms, Food, Ceiling on urban property, Elections to Parliament and state legislatures, Rent and tenancy rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-promulgates-tribunals-reforms-ordinance/article34246516.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/the-tribunals-reforms-rationalisation-and-conditions-of-service-ordinance-2021'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'World Economic Outlook: IMF',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The latest edition of the <strong>International Monetary Fund&rsquo;s (IMF) World Economic Outlook</strong> has raised its <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Year (FY)</strong> </a>2021 growth forecast for India to 12.5% from <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-economic-outlook-imf-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11.5% estimated earlier in January 2021</a>.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indian Economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian economy is expected to grow by <strong>12.5% in 2021 and 6.9% in 2022.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>2020</strong>, India&rsquo;s economy witnessed <strong>an estimated contraction of 8%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Growth rate for India in 2021 is <strong>stronger than that of China.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>China was the <strong>only major economy to have a positive growth rate of 2.3% in 2020</strong>, and is expected to grow by 8.6% in 2021 and 5.6% in 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The IMF predicted stronger recovery in 2021 and 2022 with growth projected to be <strong>6% in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>2020</strong>, the global economy <strong>contracted by 3.3%</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The contraction for 2020 is 1.1% points smaller than previous projection, <strong>reflecting:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Higher-than-expected growth outturns in the second half of the year</strong> for most regions after <strong>lockdowns</strong> were eased and as economies adapted to new ways of working.</li>
<li><strong>Additional fiscal support in a few large economies</strong> and the anticipated vaccine-powered recovery in the second half of the year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Health Care:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The emphasis should be on escaping the health crisis by <strong>prioritising health care spending, on vaccinations, treatments, and health care infrastructure.</strong> Fiscal support should be well targeted to affected households and firms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Accommodative Monetary Policy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-report-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary policy</strong></a> should remain <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-monetary-policy-2021#:~:text=Accommodative%20Stance%3A,within%20the%20target%20going%20forward." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>accommodative</strong></a> (where <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>inflation</strong></a> is well behaved), while proactively addressing financial stability risks using macroprudential tools.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tailored Approach:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Policymakers will need to continue supporting their economies</strong> while dealing with more limited policy space and higher debt levels than prior to the pandemic.</li>
<li>This requires better <strong>targeted measures to leave space for prolonged support if needed. With multi-speed recoveries, a tailored approach is necessary, with policies well-calibrated to the stage of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> pandemic</a></strong>, the strength of the economic recovery, and the structural characteristics of individual countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Priorities:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The priorities should include <strong>green infrastructure investment</strong> to help mitigate <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>climate change</strong></a>, digital infrastructure investment to boost productive capacity and strengthening social assistance to arrest <strong>rising inequality.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Monetary Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The IMF was set up along with the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> after the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Second World War</strong> </a>to assist in the<strong> reconstruction of war-ravaged countries.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The two organisations were agreed to be set up at a conference in Bretton Woods in the US. Hence, they are known as the<strong> Bretton Woods twins.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 189 countries that make up its near-global membership.<strong> India joined on 27<sup>th</sup> December, 1945.</strong></li>
<li>The IMF's primary <strong>purpose is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system</strong> &mdash; the system of exchange rates and international payments that enables countries (and their citizens) to transact with each other.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Fund's mandate was updated in 2012 to include all macroeconomic and financial sector issues that bear on global stability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reports by IMF:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Financial Stability Report</strong></a></li>
<li>World Economic Outlook</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>World Economic Outlook</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a survey by the IMF that is usually <strong>published twice a year</strong> in the months of April and October.</li>
<li>It <strong>analyzes and predicts global economic developments</strong> during the near and medium term.</li>
<li>In response to the growing demand for more frequent forecast updates, the WEO Update is published in January and July between the two main WEO publications released usually in April and October.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/imf-projects-indias-growth-rate-to-jump-to-impressive-12-5-per-cent-in-2021/" 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/world-economic-outlook-imf-2'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Chenab Bridge',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Indian Railways</strong> completed the<strong> arch closure of the iconic Chenab Bridge in Jammu &amp; Kashmir.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Chenab Bridge:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>world's highest railway bridge</strong> and is part of the<strong> Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Project was <strong>declared as a Project of National Importance in March 2002.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This bridge is <strong>1,315-metre long</strong> and is the highest railway bridge in the world being <strong>359 metres above the river bed level.</strong></li>
<li>The completion of the steel arch is a major leap towards the completion of the <strong>111 km long winding stretch from Katra to Banihal.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is arguably the <strong>biggest civil-engineering challenge</strong> faced by any railway project in India in recent history.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617781847_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617781847_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="512" height="288" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unique Features of this Bridge:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bridge designed to <strong>withstand high wind speed up to 266 Km/Hour.</strong></li>
<li>Bridge designed for<strong> blast load in consultation with <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DRDO</a></strong> for the first time in India.</li>
<li>Bridge designed to <strong>bear earthquake forces of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/seismometers-defunct-in-earthquake-prone-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest intensity zone-V</a></strong> in India.</li>
<li>First time on Indian Railways, <strong>Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing machine</strong> used for testing of welds.</li>
<li>First time on Indian Railways, <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/star-rating-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)</a> accredited lab established at site for weld testing.</strong></li>
<li>Extensive <strong>health monitoring and warning systems planned</strong> through state of art instrumentation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chenab River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Source:</strong> It rises in the upper Himalayas in the<strong> Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh</strong> state.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The river is <strong>formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga,</strong> at Tandi, 8 km southwest of Keylong, in the Lahaul and Spiti district.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake,</strong> which is situated a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass in Himachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>The <strong>Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass</strong> (near Chandra Taal).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flows Through:</strong> It flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before flowing into the Indus River.</li>
<li>Some of the<strong> important projects/dams on Chenab:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ratle-hydro-electric-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ratle Hydro Electric Project</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Salal Dam- hydroelectric power project</strong> near Reasi</li>
<li><strong>Dul Hasti Hydroelectric Plant-</strong> power project in Kishtwar District</li>
<li><strong>Pakal Dul Dam (under construction)</strong>- on a tributary <strong>Marusadar River</strong> in Kishtwar District.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617782071_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617782071_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1709652" 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/chenab-bridge'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Integrated Health Information Platform',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare</strong> has launched the <strong>Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP),</strong> that is the next generation highly <strong>refined version of the presently used Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/integrated-disease-surveillance-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDSP</a>).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>IIHP is an <strong>advanced disease surveillance system.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will <strong>track 33 diseases (as compared to the earlier 18 diseases)</strong> and will ensure near-real-time data in digital mode.</li>
<li>It will <strong>provide a health information system</strong> developed for real time, case-based information, integrated analytics, advanced visualization capability.</li>
<li>Data will be provided in real time through:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Grassroots healthcare workers</strong> through their gadgets (tablets);</li>
<li><strong>Doctors at the PHC</strong> (Primary Healthcare Centre)/CHC (Community Health Centre)/DH (District Hospital) when the citizens seek healthcare; and</li>
<li><strong>Diagnostic labs</strong> which will provide data on the tests carried out.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Key Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Real time data reporting</strong> (along through mobile application); <strong>accessible at all levels</strong> (from villages, states and central level).</li>
<li>Advanced data modelling &amp; analytical tools.</li>
<li><strong>Geographic Information System (GIS) enabled Graphical representation of data</strong> into integrated dashboard.</li>
<li>Role &amp; hierarchy-based feedback &amp; alert mechanisms.</li>
<li><strong>Geo-tagging</strong> of reporting health facilities.</li>
<li>Scope for data integration with other health programs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>collection of authentic data will become easy</strong> as it comes directly from the village/block level; the last mile from the country.</li>
<li>This digital platform for scouting the earliest signs of disease spread in the smallest of villages and blocks in the country will <strong>immensely help in nipping in the bud any potential outbreak or epidemic.</strong></li>
<li>It is in sync with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-digital-health-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NDHM aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>information system for precision public health</strong> is essential for delivering &lsquo;the right intervention at the right time, every time to the right population.&rsquo;<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In recent years, the use of technology to enhance precision in public health, including the use of pathogen genomics, enhanced surveillance and informatics, and targeted interventions has steadily gone up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>With its implementation, India is marching towards <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat</strong></a> in healthcare through use of technology.</li>
<li>This refined digital surveillance platform will help to provide and connect data and move towards <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/onehealth-approach" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;One Health&rsquo; approach.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>One Health is an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in assistance with the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a>, in 2004.</li>
<li>It <strong>continued as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)</strong> during 12<sup>th</sup> Plan (2012&ndash;17) under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission</strong> </a>with a domestic budget.</li>
<li>Under it, a Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) at Delhi, State Surveillance Units (SSU) at all State/Union Territories (UTs) head quarters and District Surveillance Units (DSU) at all Districts have been established.</li>
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based and IT enabled disease surveillance systems for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends.</li>
<li>To detect and respond to outbreaks in the early rising phase through trained Rapid Response Teams (RRTs).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Programme Components:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Integration and decentralization of surveillance activities through <strong>establishment of surveillance units</strong> at Centre, State and District level.</li>
<li><strong>Human Resource Development &ndash;</strong> Training of State Surveillance Officers (SSOs), District Surveillance Officers (DSOs), RRT and other medical and paramedical staff on principles of disease surveillance.</li>
<li><strong>Use of Information Communication Technology</strong> for collection, collation, compilation, analysis and dissemination of data.</li>
<li>Strengthening of public health laboratories.</li>
<li>Inter sectoral Coordination for<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/zoonotic-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> zoonotic diseases.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID%3D1709676&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1617784556747000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3SdlYA3fvN3A3LO8LCxSA_" 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/integrated-health-information-platform'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Direct Payment of Minimum Support Price',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>After the recent orders from the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/food-corporation-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Corporation of India (FCI)</strong></a>, the farm unions warned that the Centre&rsquo;s insistence on <strong>direct payment of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/minimum-support-price-for-crops#:~:text=MSP%20is%20a%20%E2%80%9Cminimum%20price,they%20procure%20the%20particular%20crop." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minimum Support Price (MSP)</a></strong> could derail the <strong>crop procurement process.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Orders from FCI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Direct Payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Centre wants to<strong> make direct online MSP payment to farmers&rsquo; bank accounts,</strong> to remove middlemen from the process.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>MSP is the price that government agencies pay whenever they procure the particular crop.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Currently, <strong>arhtiyas (commission agents)</strong> get the payments in their accounts, which they in turn pay to farmers through cheques.</li>
<li>The <strong>Centre has to pay 2.5% commission to arhtiyas</strong> who facilitate procurement of the crop from farmers to government agencies and take commission for that from the government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Jamabandhi System:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>FCI order stipulates that tenant farmers and sharecroppers must produce a jamabandhi.</li>
<li>Jamabandhi is a<strong> legal agreement</strong> proving that they have the right to till leased land, in order to get paid for procured crops.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The FCI&rsquo;s also proposed to <strong>tighten quality requirements for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/alternative-to-msp-crops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wheat and paddy</a> procurement.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Transparency and Accountability:</strong> The FCI has insisted that direct payment to farmers&rsquo; bank accounts, bypassing the powerful arhatiyas or commission agents, will lead to greater <strong>transparency and accountability. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Non-Discriminatory in Nature:</strong> There is no selection bias in choosing the beneficiaries based on attributes like caste and land size.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges to the FCI Order:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since arhtiyas play a key role in the Punjab and Haryana farm ecosystem by providing farm loans, the move has been <strong>opposed by a large section of farmers, as well as the Punjab government.</strong></li>
<li>According to farm unions, implementing direct payment in haste can lead to many complex problems that will exclude so many farmers from getting their price of the crop.</li>
<li>Thousands of sharecroppers do not have Jamabandhi or legal agreements and will be hit hard.</li>
<li>The FCI&rsquo;s proposals to <strong>tighten quality requirements for wheat and paddy procurement</strong> are also being opposed.</li>
<li>At a broader level, farmers connected their issues with the FCI with their existing demands to repeal the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/agricultural-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>farm laws</strong> </a>and enact a legal guarantee for procurement of all crops and minimum support prices.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Food Corporation of India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FCI is a<strong> statutory body</strong> set up in 1965 by the <strong>Food Corporations Act 1964 under Department of Food &amp; Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.</strong></li>
<li>It was established against the backdrop of a major shortage of grains, especially wheat.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Simultaneously, the <strong>Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)</strong> was created in 1965 to<strong> recommend remunerative prices (MSP) to farmers.</strong> CACP is an attached office of the <strong>Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has primary duty to undertake purchase, store, move/transport, distribute and sell food grains and other foodstuffs.</li>
<li><strong>Objectives of FCI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To provide <strong>remunerative prices</strong> to farmers.</li>
<li>Ensuring <strong>food security</strong> of the nation by maintaining satisfactory levels of<strong> operational buffer stocks</strong> of food grains.</li>
<li>Distribution of food grains throughout the country for the<strong> Public Distribution System.</strong></li>
<li>Effective <strong>Price Support Operations</strong> for safeguarding the interest of farmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/farm-unions-protest-fcis-direct-payment-tenancy-documentation-orders/article34245720.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/direct-payment-of-minimum-support-price'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Should India Join NATO?',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-india-must-not-say-no-to-nato-7260435/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Why India must not say &lsquo;no&rsquo; to NATO&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 06/04/2021. It talks about the pros and cons of India becoming a member of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nato-ally-status-to-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).</a></strong></p>
</div>
<p>In the last few years, European countries have asserted to play a significant role in the Indo-Pacific region. India too knows that no single power can produce stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.</p>
<p>Moreover, China&rsquo;s meteoric rise has dramatically heightened India&rsquo;s need for closer security relationships with politically reliable, like-minded states. In order to tackle this geopolitical challenge, India will have to undertake more deliberate efforts to counter-balance the juggernaut of Chinese power.</p>
<p>One such arrangement, which has been recently floated by many western countries, is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nato-ally-status-to-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extending NATO&rsquo;s membership to India.</strong></a> Although NATO&rsquo;s membership in India will have positive implications, it will have serious ramifications too.</p>
<h3>Arguments for India Becoming NATO&rsquo;s Member</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>End of Cold War:</strong> During the Cold War, India&rsquo;s refusal to join any of the Military bloc (NATO or Warsaw pact led by the USSR) was premised on its non-alignment. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>That argument had little justification once the Cold War ended during 1989-91. Since then, NATO has built partnerships with many neutral and non-aligned</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Creation of Deterrence:</strong> Article 5 of the NATO treaty held that an attack against a member nation of the NATO would be considered to be an attack against all the members of the alliance and would call for joint military action against the aggressor.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This would create deterrence for China and Pakistan to attack India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Military-Strategic Benefits:</strong> An India-NATO dialogue would simply mean having regular contact with a military alliance, most of whose members are well-established partners of India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, India has military exchanges with many members of NATO &mdash; including the US, Britain, and France &mdash; in bilateral and multilateral formats.</li>
<li>Therefore, in the longer term, India would derive military-strategic benefits from a partnership with the world&rsquo;s most powerful alliance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Era of Multi-Alignment</strong>: India might align with China and developing nations against the US in <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-trade-organisation-wto" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Trade Organisation (WTO)</strong></a> but militarily oppose China while contemplating a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/quad-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Quad&rdquo;</strong></a> with the USA, Japan, and Australia.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, Egypt and Israel are both NATO partners who maintain defense relationships with Russia.</li>
<li>Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Austria are all NATO partners with long-standing neutralist traditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Convergence on Many Issues:</strong> A sustained dialogue between India and NATO could facilitate productive exchanges in a range of areas, including terrorism, changing geopolitics; the evolving nature of military conflict, the role of emerging military technologies, and new military doctrines.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Argument Against India Becoming NATO&rsquo;s Member</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Conflict Within NATO:</strong> NATO members have conflicting opinions on how to share the military burden and strike the right balance between NATO and the EU&rsquo;s quest for an independent military role.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, NATO members disagree on policy related to Russia, the Middle East, and China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deteriorate Relations With Russia:</strong> By becoming a NATO member, India&rsquo;s long-standing and strong ties with Russia will get frayed. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Russia has shown displeasure on account of India&rsquo;s growing strategic convergence with the US.</li>
<li>Moreover, this could further strengthen the already deepening relation between China and Russia.</li>
<li>Considering that <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-india-s-arms-imports-sipri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India still is heavily dependent on the Russian military equipment</strong></a>, joining NATO seems like an eminently bad idea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Sovereignty:</strong> Another issue would be the establishment of NATO bases on India&rsquo;s territory. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This might invite widespread protests in the country and may even be considered an infringement of our sovereignty.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dragging Down Into Various Conflicts:</strong> The downside of joining NATO is that India would get dragged into various conflicts around the globe.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This would result in a lot of Indian soldiers dying in various conflicts in which we have no reason at all to be involved in.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The bureaucratization of the engagement between India and western countries has prevented India from taking full advantage of re-emerging geopolitics of the Atlantic. However, India&rsquo;s recent proactive approach has certainly sought to end this prolonged political neglect.</p>
<p>Given this, a pragmatic engagement with NATO countries must be an important part of India&rsquo;s foreign policy but it must refrain from becoming a formal member of NATO.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fbfffa;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India&rsquo;s continued reluctance to engage a major institution like NATO will be a stunning case of strategic self-denial. Critically Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/should-india-join-nato'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Forest Fires: A Very Big Concern',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Since the advent of the year 2021, there has been a series of forest fires in many states of India, including in Wildlife Sanctuaries.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forest Fires:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also called <strong>bush or vegetation fire or wildfire,</strong> it can be described as<strong> any uncontrolled and non-prescribed combustion or burning of plants in a natural setting</strong> such as a forest, grassland, brush land or tundra, which consumes the natural fuels and spreads based on environmental conditions (e.g., wind, topography).</li>
<li>Forest Fires <strong>can be incited by human actions,</strong> such as land clearing, extreme drought or in rare cases by lightning.</li>
<li>There are<strong> three conditions</strong> that need to be present in order for a wildfire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Instances of Forest Fires in 2021:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>January saw prolonged fires in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh (Kullu Valley) and Nagaland-Manipur border (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dzukou-valley" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dzukou Valley</strong></a>).</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/similipal-biosphere-reserve-odisha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Simlipal National Park in Odisha</strong></a> saw a major fire between February-end and early March.</li>
<li>Recent fires also include those in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elephant-colony-in-bandhavgarh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve in Madhya Pradesh</strong></a>, and in<strong> sanctuaries for the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-the-population-of-asiatic-lions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asiatic lion</a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-the-population-of-asiatic-lions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">great Indian bustard</a> in Gujarat.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerability of India&rsquo;s Forests to Fires:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As of 2019, <strong>about 21.67% (7,12,249 sq km) of the country&rsquo;s geographical area is identified as forest,</strong> according to the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-state-of-forest-report-isfr-2019#:~:text=The%202019%20survey%20has%20found,last%20assessment%20it%20was%2024.39%25." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> India State of Forest Report 2019</strong></a> (ISFR) released by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Tree cover makes up another 2.89% (95, 027 sq km).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Based on previous fire incidents and records, <strong>forests of the Northeast and central India regions are the most vulnerable</strong> areas to forest fires.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Forests in Assam, Mizoram and Tripura have been identified as <strong>&lsquo;extremely prone&rsquo;</strong> to forest fire.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>States with large forest areas under the &lsquo;very highly prone&rsquo; category</strong> include Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.</li>
<li>As per the 2020-2021 annual report of the MoEFCC, Western Maharashtra, Southern Chhattisgarh and areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, along with central Odisha, are turning into <strong>&lsquo;extremely prone&rsquo; forest fire hotspots.</strong></li>
<li>Areas under the<strong> &lsquo;highly prone&rsquo; and &lsquo;moderately prone&rsquo; categories make up about 26.2% of the total forest cover &mdash;</strong> a whopping 1,72,374 sq km.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617708725_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617708725_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Cause of Forest Fires:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Forest fires can be caused by a number of natural causes, but <strong>many major fires in India are triggered mainly by human activities.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Emerging studies <strong>link climate change to rising instances of fires globally,</strong> especially the massive <strong>fires of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/amazon-rainforest" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Amazon forests in Brazil</a> and in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/australian-bushfire#:~:text=The%20fire%20has%20impacted%20more,of%20wild%20animals%20have%20died.&amp;text=The%20three%20years%20between%202017,(a%20state%20of%20Australia)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a></strong> in the last two years.</li>
<li>Fires of longer duration, increasing intensity, higher frequency and highly inflammable nature are all being linked to climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In India, forest fires are most commonly reported during <strong>March and April,</strong> when the ground has large quantities of <strong>dry wood, logs, dead leaves, stumps, dry grass and weeds</strong> that can make forests easily go up in flames if there is a trigger.</li>
<li>In<strong> Uttarakhand,</strong> the <strong>lack of soil moisture</strong> too is being seen as a key factor. In two consecutive monsoon seasons (2019 and 2020), rainfall has been deficient by 18% and 20% of the seasonal average, respectively.</li>
<li>Most fires are <strong>man-made,</strong> sometimes even <strong>deliberately caused.</strong> For example, in Odisha, which saw a major fire last month in Simlipal forest, villagers are known to set dry leaves to fire in order to collect mahua flowers, which go into preparation of a local drink.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Forest Fire:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Forest fires can have <strong>multiple adverse effects on the forest cover, soil, tree growth, vegetation, and the overall flora and fauna.</strong></li>
<li>Fires render several hectares of forest useless and leave behind ash, making it unfit for any vegetation growth.</li>
<li>Heat generated during the fire <strong>destroys animal habitats.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Soil quality decreases with the alteration in their compositions.</li>
<li>Soil moisture and fertility, too, is affected.</li>
<li>Forests can shrink in size.</li>
<li>The trees that survive fire often remain stunted and growth is severely affected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Importance of Forests:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Forests play an important role in <strong>mitigation and adaptation to climate change.</strong></li>
<li>They act as<strong> a sink, reservoir and source of carbon.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A healthy forest stores and sequesters more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In India, with 1.70 lakh villages in close proximity to forests (Census 2011), the <strong>livelihood of several crores of people is dependent</strong> on fuelwood, bamboo, fodder, and small timber.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Efforts to Mitigate Forest Fires:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since 2004, the <strong>FSI (Forest Survey of India)</strong> developed the <strong>Forest Fire Alert System</strong> to monitor forest fires in real time. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In its advanced version launched in January 2019, the system now uses satellite information gathered from <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NASA</strong></a> and <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ISRO</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) 2018</strong> and <strong>Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-forest-fires-break-out-in-the-spring-and-why-they-have-been-so-frequent-this-year-7259057/" 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/forest-fires-a-very-big-concern'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Babu Jagjivan Ram',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Prime Minister paid tributes to <strong>freedom fighter and former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram</strong> on his <strong>113<sup>th</sup> birth anniversary.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Jagjivan Ram, <strong>popularly known as Babuji,</strong> was a national leader, a freedom fighter, a crusader of social justice, a champion of depressed classes and an outstanding Parliamentarian.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617704770_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617704770_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="304" height="265" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Jagjivan Ram was born on<strong> 5<sup>th</sup> April 1908</strong> in <strong>Chandwa in Bihar</strong> to a Dalit family.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Early Life and Education:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He pursued his schooling at the<strong> nearby town of Arrah</strong> where he faced discrimination for the first time. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He was considered<strong> &lsquo;untouchable&rsquo;</strong> and had to drink water from a different pot. Jagjivan Ram protested against this by breaking the pot. The principal then had to remove the separate pot from the school.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>In 1925,</strong> Jagjivan Ram met scholar <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/madan-mohan-malaviya-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya</strong></a> and was greatly inspired by him. On Malaviya&rsquo;s invitation, he <strong>joined the Banaras Hindu University.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Even <strong>at the university, Jagjivan Ram faced discrimination</strong>. This inspired him to protest against such social boycotts of a section of society.</li>
<li>He also<strong> organised the scheduled castes to protest against injustice.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>After his stint at BHU, he joined the <strong>University of Calcutta</strong> from where he secured a <strong>B.Sc. degree in 1931.</strong></li>
<li>Jagjivan Ram had organized a number of Ravidas Sammelans and had<strong> celebrated <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/guru-ravidas-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guru Ravidas Jayanti</a></strong> in different areas of Calcutta (Kolkata).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pre Independence Contributions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>In 1931,</strong> he became a member of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/important-indian-national-congress-sessions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian National Congress</strong></a> (Congress Party).</li>
<li>He was instrumental in the foundation of the <strong>All India Depressed Classes League, </strong>an<strong> organisation dedicated to attaining equality for untouchables, in 1934-35.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He was a champion of <strong>social equality and equal rights for the Depressed Classes.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 1935, he proposed at a session of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/veer-savarkar-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hindu Mahasabha</strong></a> that drinking water wells and temples be open to untouchables.</li>
<li>In 1935, Babuji also <strong>appeared before the Hammond Commission</strong> at Ranchi and demanded, for the first time, <strong>voting rights for the Dalits.</strong></li>
<li>He was<strong> jailed twice</strong> in the early 1940s for his political activities associated with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quit-india-movement-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Quit India movement</strong></a> against British rule.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Post Independence Contributions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When Jawaharlal Nehru formed the provisional government, <strong>Jagjivan Ram became its youngest minister.</strong></li>
<li>After independence he held the <strong>labour portfolio until 1952.</strong> Thereafter he served in Nehru&rsquo;s cabinet in the posts of <strong>minister for communications (1952&ndash;56), transport and railways (1956&ndash;62),</strong> and <strong>transport and communications (1962&ndash;63).</strong></li>
<li>He served as <strong>minister for food and agriculture (1967&ndash;70), </strong>and in<strong> 1970 he was made minister of defence.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vijay-diwas-50-years-of-indo-pak-war-2#:~:text=The%20Government%20of%20India%20decided,save%20Bengali%20Muslims%20and%20Hindus.&amp;text=On%2016th%20December%201971,and%20Mukti%20Bahini%20in%20Dhaka." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indo-Pakistan War of 1971</strong></a> was fought when he was the<strong> defence minister.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He left Congress in 1977 and joined the Janata Party alliance, along with his Congress for Democracy (new party). He later served as the <strong>Deputy Prime Minister of India (1977&ndash;79).</strong></li>
<li>Jagjivan Ram was a<strong> member of the Parliament uninterrupted from 1936 to 1986 (40 years) and this is a world record. </strong></li>
<li>He also holds another<strong> record for being the longest-serving cabinet minister in India (30 years).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He died on<strong> 6<sup>th</sup> July 1986 at New Delhi.</strong></li>
<li>His memorial at his cremation place is named<strong> Samta Sthal (Place of Equality).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1709554" 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/babu-jagjivan-ram'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Multilateral Maritime Exercise La Perouse',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Indian Navy Ships INS Satpura</strong> and <strong>INS Kiltan</strong> alongwith <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-approves-sale-of-military-hardware" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft</strong></a> are participating,<strong> for the first time in multilateral maritime exercise La P&eacute;rouse,</strong> being conducted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region from 5<sup>th</sup> to 7<sup>th</sup> April 2021.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Post conduct of<strong> La Perouse,</strong> the <strong>Indo-French Naval</strong> exercise <strong>&ldquo;Varuna&ldquo;</strong> is scheduled in the <strong>Western Indian Ocean,</strong> wherein <strong>UAE</strong> too shall be participating.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Exercise:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The first edition of <strong>La P&eacute;rouse</strong> joint exercise, <strong>initiated by France in 2019</strong>, included ships from Australia, Japan and the US.</li>
<li>The exercise is <strong>named after the eighteenth century French Naval explorer.</strong></li>
<li><strong>India's participation in 2021 completed the QUAD force representation</strong> in the French led Naval Exercise. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>QUAD</strong> is a <strong>grouping of India, USA, Australia and Japan</strong> which aims to safeguard the interests of democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific region and address global challenges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will witness complex and advanced naval operations including <strong>surface warfare, anti-air warfare and air defence exercises, weapon firing exercises, cross deck flying operations, tactical manoeuvres and seamanship evolutions</strong> such as replenishment at sea.</li>
<li>It will provide an opportunity for these five like-minded, high-end naval forces to develop closer links, sharpen their skills, and promote maritime cooperation throughout a free and open Indo-Pacific.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Naval Significance of Indo-Pacific:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Indo-Pacific is slowly but surely turning into a serious Naval Theatre for multi-national activities</strong> with a vision to establish a free, open, inclusive and a rule-based ordering of the Indo-Pacific to support the freedom of navigation and peaceful cooperative use of the seas.</li>
<li>The goal is to respect and adhere to the international laws like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unclos-maritime-zones#:~:text=United%20Nations%20Convention%20on%20the,EEZ)%20and%20the%20High%20Seas." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)</strong> </a>and peaceful resolution of territorial sea disputes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>role of the QUAD navies in the IOR (Indian Ocean Region)</strong> has been well illustrated by the effective cooperative engagement capabilities of the multi-national Naval powers through naval exercises like formation sailing, live fire drills, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations etc.</li>
<li>Navies of member countries of <strong>QUAD</strong> participated in<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/australia-to-join-malabar-exercise" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Malabar wargaming exercise</strong></a> in November 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On the other hand, <strong>China endeavours to establish a defensive perimeter around its seas (Yellow Sea, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/senkaku-islands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East China Sea</a> and part of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/south-china-sea-dispute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South China Sea</a>)</strong> by following a sea denial policy in these regions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702901_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702901_image4.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>QUAD+ France Pacific Ocean Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> region of Pacific Islands</strong> stretches from Hawaii in the north to Tonga in the south, and Easter Island in the east to New Caledonia in the west.</li>
<li><strong>US interest in the Indo-Pacific region</strong> has always been well illustrated with the fact that<strong> US Indo-Pacific Command</strong> established after World War II is the largest unified command.</li>
<li><strong>France</strong> has a direct<strong> strategic and economic stake in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna.</strong> France is a member of the Pacific Community and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).</li>
<li><strong>Japan</strong> although has trade ties with China but has always been<strong> suspicious of China&rsquo;s growth as a military power.</strong> China&rsquo;s assertiveness closer to Japanese waters and airspace have been a testing time for Japan.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Navy</strong> has always maintained a tactical advantage over the IOR to ensure compliance to the internationally established Rules of the Road (ROR) for the seas. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This has been respected by the world (like declaration of warships transiting IOR etc.), but Indian Navy has <strong>observed and reported multiple sightings of undeclared Chinese ships and submarines</strong> suspiciously lurking within the IOR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Indo-French Joint Exercises</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indo-french-joint-exercise-desert-knight-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Desert Knight-21</a> </strong>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/garuda-vi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Garuda</strong> </a>(Air exercise)</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-18th-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Varuna</strong></a> (Naval exercise)</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indo-french-joint-exercise-shakti-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Shakti</strong> </a>(Army exercise)</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702945_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617702945_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/quad-navies-participating-in-france-led-exercise-in-eastern-indian-ocean-region-from-april-5-7260225/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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