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Willow Warbler

Why in News Recently, Willow Warbler has been sighted for the first time in India at Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy fields, Kerala. These paddy...

20 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Supercomputer Param Siddhi

Why in News India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) supercomputer Param Siddhi ranked 63rd among top 500 most powerful non-distributed computer...

20 Nov 2020 News Analysis
India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit

Why in News Recently, the Prime Ministers of India and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg have held the first-ever India-Luxembourg Virtual...

20 Nov 2020 News Analysis
NDB Loan to India

Why in News Recently, a 500-million dollar loan agreement was signed between the Union government, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,...

20 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Paternity Leave

This article is based on “Papa don’t leave” which was published in The Indian Express on 19/11/2020. It talks about the idea of...

19 Nov 2020 News Editorials
Guillain Barre Syndrome

Why in News Some patients infected with Covid-19 have been found suffering from Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). Key Points Guillain Barre...

19 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Deemed Forests in Karnataka

Why in News Recently, Karnataka has announced that it would declassify 6.64 lakh hectares (nearly 67%) of the 9.94 lakh hectares of deemed forests...

19 Nov 2020 News Analysis
FFC Recommendations for Health Sector

Why in News The Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) has made recommendations about the need for reprioritising public spending to fix the creaky...

19 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Chapare Virus

Why in News Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently discovered a rare Ebola-like illness that is...

19 Nov 2020 News Analysis
The Big Picture: 75 Years of UN

Why in News? On October 24, 2020 the United Nations marked its diamond jubilee. Far from a joyous celebration, it was an occasion sombrely...

19 Nov 2020 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Online Education Woes

Why in News A recent study by the Azim Premji University on the efficacy and accessibility of e-learning has highlighted various challenges involved...

19 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Rural Non-Farm Sector

This article is based on “Spot the seeds of growth” which was published in The Indian Express on 18/11/2020. It talks about the...

18 Nov 2020 News Editorials
India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project: Goa

Why in News India’s first convergence project to generate green energy for rural and agriculture consumption is set to come up in...

18 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project

Why in News Recently, various green collectives and environmental organisations have come together to protest against the Anakkayam Small Hydro...

18 Nov 2020 News Analysis
C.B.I and Consent of States

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court has held that once a court takes cognisance of a corruption case investigated by the CBI, it cannot be set...

18 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Open Acreage Licensing Policy

Why in News Recently, contracts for 11 oil and gas blocks offered under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) Bid Round-V were signed. Key...

18 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Supreme Court on Curbing Fake News

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court has asked the Centre to provide information on the existing legal mechanisms to deal with complaints about...

18 Nov 2020 News Analysis
UNESCO Global Geoparks

Why in News The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is making efforts to get recognition of a geopark for Visakhapatnam...

18 Nov 2020 News Analysis
Step Up for TB 2020 Report

Why in News The “Step Up for TB 2020” report by the Stop TB Partnership and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without...

18 Nov 2020 News Analysis
RCEP & India

This article is based on “Threat or treat: on RCEP trade deal” which was published in The Hindu on 17/11/2020. It talks about the...

17 Nov 2020 News Editorials

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			'title' => 'Willow Warbler',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Willow Warbler</strong> has been <strong>sighted for the first time in India</strong> at <strong>Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy fields,</strong> Kerala.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These paddy fields are a <strong>birding hotspot on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram</strong> and are known to <strong>harbour more than 213 species of birds</strong> that include both resident and migratory ones.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605865121_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605865121_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong><em> Phylloscopus trochilus.</em></li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> They breeds throughout <strong>northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Palearctic ecozone is one the Earth&rsquo;s 8 ecozones and covers Asia north of the Himalayas, with parts of western Asia and most of East Asia and Africa north of the Sahara.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Migration:</strong> They <strong>migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during early winter.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is <strong>one of the longest migrating small birds.</strong></li>
<li>The bird weighs around 10 grams and its<strong> long wing feathers</strong> help it fly long distances.</li>
<li>Warblers are generally <strong>difficult to identify owing to the small size and change in plumage twice a year.</strong> They are also the <strong>most difficult groups of birds to identify</strong> in the field for their<strong> striking resemblance to each other.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> The species is affected by <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unccd-drought-tool-box" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drought</a></strong> <strong>conditions in its wintering quarters</strong> and <strong>habitat alterations</strong> due to human population expansion.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a>: Least Concern.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/willow-warbler-sighted-for-the-first-time-in-country/article33136122.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Supercomputer Param Siddhi',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong> </a>(AI) supercomputer <strong>Param Siddhi</strong> ranked<strong> 63<sup>rd</sup> among top 500</strong> most powerful <strong>non-distributed computer systems</strong> in the world.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Distributed computing</strong> is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A distributed system is a system whose <strong>components are located on different networked computers,</strong> which <strong>communicate and coordinate</strong> their actions by passing messages to one another. The components interact with one another in order to achieve a common goal.</li>
<li>In a<strong> non-distributed</strong> (or co-located) system, <strong>all the parts of the system</strong> are in the <strong>same physical location.</strong> In a distributed system, parts of the system exist in separate locations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Param Siddhi</strong> is a High Performance Computing-Artificial Intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer developed by <strong>Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)</strong> under <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/national-supercomputer-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)</strong> </a>at <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jatan-virtual-museum-software" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Centre for Development of Advanced Computing.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The supercomputer has <strong>Rpeak</strong> of <strong>5.267 Petaflops and 4.6 Petaflops Rmax.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In high-performance computing, <strong>Rmax and Rpeak</strong> are scores used to rank supercomputers based on their performance using the <strong>LINPACK Benchmark.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>LINPACK Benchmarks</strong> are a measure of a system's floating point computing power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A system's Rmax score describes its <strong>maximal achieved performance,</strong> the Rpeak score describes its<strong> theoretical peak performance.</strong> Values for both scores are usually represented in teraFLOPS or petaFLOPS.</li>
<li>A <strong>petaflop</strong> is the ability of a computer to do <strong>one quadrillion floating point operations per second (FLOPS).</strong> Additionally, a petaflop can be measured as one thousand teraflops.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Supercomputing Mission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Mission envisages empowering our national academic and Research and Development (R&amp;D) institutions spread over the country by installing a <strong>vast supercomputing grid</strong> comprising more than <strong>70 high-performance computing facilities.</strong></li>
<li>Launched in 2015, this seven-year mission was allocated Rs 4,500-crore.</li>
<li>These supercomputers will also be networked on the National Supercomputing grid over the <strong>National Knowledge Network</strong> (NKN). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NKN is another programme of the government which connects academic institutions and R&amp;D labs over a<strong> high speed network.</strong></li>
<li>Academic and R&amp;D institutions as well as key user departments/ministries would participate by using these facilities and develop applications of national relevance.</li>
<li>The Mission also includes development of highly professional <strong>High Performance Computing</strong> (HPC) aware human resource for meeting challenges of development of these applications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Mission is implemented and steered jointly by the <strong>Department of Science and Technology (DST)</strong> and <strong>Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).</strong></li>
<li>The (C-DAC) has recently launched the <strong>second phase</strong> of this project wherein more institutions will be supported by supercomputing facilities.</li>
<li><strong>Objective of NSM</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To make India one of the world leaders in Supercomputing and to enhance India&rsquo;s capability in solving grand challenge problems of national and global relevance</li>
<li>To empower our scientists and researchers with state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities and enable them to carry out cutting-edge research in their respective domains</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1673715" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Prime Ministers of India</strong> and the <strong>Grand Duchy of Luxembourg</strong> have held the <strong>first-ever India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both countries have cordial and friendly relations for over more than seven decades since the <strong>establishment of diplomatic relations in 1948.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605863409_image1.gif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605863409_image1.gif" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Focus Areas:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Strengthening <strong>India-Luxembourg relationship in the post-<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a> world,</strong> especially in the areas of financial technology, green financing, space applications, digital innovations and start-ups.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Promote Multilateralism:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Strengthen cooperation on realising<strong> effective multilateralism and combating global challenges</strong> like the Covid-19 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong></a>, terrorism and climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New Initiatives:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India welcomed <strong>Luxembourg&rsquo;s announcement to join the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/third-assembly-of-isa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Solar Alliance</a></strong> (ISA), and also invited it to join the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/coalition-for-disaster-resilient-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure</strong> </a>(CDRI).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Agreements Signed at the Summit:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between <strong>India International Exchange (India INX)</strong> and <strong>Luxembourg Stock Exchange.</strong></li>
<li>MoU between State Bank of India (SBI) and Luxembourg Stock Exchange.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both these provide for cooperation in financial services, industry maintenance of orderly markets in securities, ESG (environmental, social and governance) and green finance in the local market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>MoU between <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/invest-india-business-immunity-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Invest India</strong> </a>and <strong>Luxinnovation.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It provides for support and development of mutual business cooperation, including promotion and facilitation of inbound FDI, coming from or proposed by Indian and Luxembourgish investors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Luxembourg Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economic Relationship:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both countries have a <strong>long-standing cooperation in the steel</strong> sector and the leaders called upon businesses, including SMEs and startups, to <strong>explore further opportunities</strong> for expanding the economic relationship.</li>
<li>Both nations look forward to the<strong> 17<sup>th</sup> Joint Economic Commission</strong> (JEC) between <strong>India and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-and-belgium-luxembourg-economic-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union</a></strong> to review the economic and trade relations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Finance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> proposed agreement</strong> between the regulatory authorities <strong>Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier</strong> (CSSF) and the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/securities-and-exchange-board-of-india-sebi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Securities and Exchange Board of India</strong> </a>(SEBI) would deepen bilateral cooperation in the financial sector.</li>
<li>Luxembourg, as a <strong>leading international financial centre in Europe,</strong> can <strong>act as an important bridge</strong> to help connect India&rsquo;s financial services industry with international markets and reach European and global investors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Space and Digital Cooperation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both countries have an <strong>ongoing space cooperation,</strong> including in the domain of <strong>satellite broadcasting and communications.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Luxembourg based space companies</strong> have <strong>started utilising the services of India</strong> for launching their satellites into space.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In November 2020, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation</strong> </a>(ISRO)<strong> launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/earth-observation-satellite-eos-01-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PSLV-C49 mission</a></strong>, which included 4 satellites from Luxembourg.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>cooperation instrument in the area of exploration and <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/29-03-2019#:~:text=Global%20Rules%20and%20demands%20related%20to%20Space&amp;text=There%20are%20international%20treaties%20governing,be%20exploited%20for%20peaceful%20purposes.&amp;text=India%20is%20a%20party%20to%20the%20Outer%20Space%20Treaty." target="_blank" rel="noopener">use of outer space</a> for peaceful purposes</strong> is currently under discussion between the two Governments.</li>
<li>In the wake of the<strong> pandemic,</strong> both India and Luxembourg are <strong>promoting digitalisation</strong> through the<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-digital-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> "Digital India&rdquo;</strong></a> programme and the <strong>"Digital Luxembourg&rdquo;</strong> initiative respectively and agree to explore convergences between the two initiatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Higher Education and Research:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Indian National Brain Research Centre</strong> and the <strong>Luxembourg Institute of Health</strong> and the<strong> Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine</strong> have an ongoing collaboration in the field of <strong>neurodegenerative diseases.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of <strong>disorders that are characterised by the progressive degeneration of the structure and function of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system.</strong></li>
<li>Examples: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preventive-methods-for-alzheimers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Alzheimer's disease</strong> </a>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/z-scan-method-for-parkinson-s-disease#:~:text=Parkinson's%20disease%20is%20a%20chronic,the%20brain%20to%20the%20body." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Parkinson's disease.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IITs</strong> in Bombay, Kanpur and Madras and the <strong>National Law School of India</strong> have <strong>links</strong> with the <strong>University of Luxembourg</strong> which will be <strong>further expanded</strong> for higher education and research in both countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Culture and People-to-people Ties:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2019,<strong> Luxembourg</strong> issued a<strong> commemorative stamp to mark the 150<sup>th</sup> Birth Anniversary of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mahatma-gandhi-jayanti#:~:text=2nd%20October%202020%20was,of%20the%20Nation%20%2D%20Mahatma%20Gandhi." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mahatma Gandhi</a>.</strong></li>
<li>Both countries intend to <strong>conclude a Migration and Mobility agreement</strong> to further strengthen mobility as well as an <strong>agreement on an exemption of visas</strong> for holders of diplomatic and official/service passports.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>EU-India Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>July 2020,</strong> a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-eu-virtual-summit#:~:text=Recently%2C%20India%20and%20the%20European,that%20define%20their%20bilateral%20ties." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>virtual summit between India and the European Union</strong></a> (EU) was held, where India expressed support for further intensification of the India-EU relationship, through strengthening cooperation in areas of common interest in the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-indo-pacific-strategic-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indo-Pacific region</strong></a>, and through comprehensive, sustainable and rules-based connectivity.</li>
<li><strong>Luxembourg,</strong> as <strong>one of the founding members of the EU,</strong> has<strong> played a constructive role</strong> in supporting stronger India-EU ties, which becomes even more important for the <strong>post-Covid-19 economic recovery.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Multilateral Cooperation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Luxembourg <strong>welcomed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elections-for-non-permanent-members-of-the-unsc#:~:text=Key%20Points,129%20votes)%20to%20be%20confirmed.&amp;text=This%20would%20be%20India's%20eighth,will%20begin%20from%20January%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s election to a non-permanent seat</a></strong> in the <strong>UN Security Council</strong> for the term 2021-2022 and reiterated its <strong>support for the reforms in the UN Security Council,</strong> including its expansion in both categories of permanent and non-permanent membership. It <strong>supports <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-permanent-seat-in-unsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s candidature for the permanent membership</a></strong> of the UN Security Council.</li>
<li>Luxembourg supported India&rsquo;s entry into the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/multilateral-export-control-regimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Missile Technology Control Regime</strong></a> (MTCR) and India&rsquo;s participation in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-nsg-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nuclear Suppliers Group</strong> </a>(NSG).</li>
<li>India supports <strong>Luxembourg&rsquo;s candidatures to the <a href="/daily-news-editorials/the-relevance-of-unhrc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN Human Rights Council</a></strong> for the term 2022-2024.</li>
<li>Both <strong>condemn <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-international-convention-on-terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrorism</a> in all its forms and manifestations</strong> and agree on the need for continued cooperation to support international efforts at the UN and at forums like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/financial-action-task-force-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Action Task Force</strong> </a>(FATF) to prevent and combat terrorism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>first stand-alone Summit between India and Luxembourg</strong> in the past two decades marks a new phase in the bilateral relations where both countries reaffirmed their commitment towards widening and deepening the spectrum of the bilateral relations and enhancing consultation and coordination in regional and multilateral fora on matters of mutual and global interest.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1674160" 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/india-luxembourg-virtual-summit'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'NDB Loan to India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a <strong>500-million dollar</strong> loan agreement was signed between the <strong>Union government, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital Region (NCR) Transport Corporation Limited</strong> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5th-annual-meeting-of-ndb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Development Bank (NDB)</strong></a> for the <strong>Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an<strong> 82.15 km long,</strong> under-construction, semi-high speed rail corridor connecting <strong>Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut.</strong></li>
<li>It is one of the three rapid-rail corridors planned under Phase-I of Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project of <strong>National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Project will provide a <strong>fast, reliable, safe and comfortable</strong> public transport system in the NCR.</li>
<li>The project will serve as a <strong>demonstration</strong> for developing high-capacity rapid urban transit corridors in other urban areas of India.</li>
<li>High-speed connectivity will result in <strong>balanced economic development</strong> across the region, leading to economic benefits to all strata of society and many nodes of development rather than all economic activity happening at one place.</li>
<li>It will help in reducing<strong> traffic congestion and total emissions</strong> from the transport sector in NCR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Contributors:</strong> The total project cost is estimated at<strong> 3,749 million dollars,</strong> which will be financed by the <strong>NDB, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/asian-infrastructure-investment-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/-1-5-billion-adb-loan-to-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asian Development Bank (ADB)</a>, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction,</strong> government and other sources.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>New Development Bank</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>multilateral development bank</strong> jointly founded by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/brics-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BRICS</strong></a> countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) at the 6<sup>th</sup> BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil in 2014.</li>
<li>It was formed to <strong>support infrastructure and sustainable development</strong> efforts in BRICS and other underserved, emerging economies for faster development through innovation and cutting-edge technology.</li>
<li>It is headquartered at<strong> Shanghai, China.</strong></li>
<li>In 2018, the NDB received observer status in the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> General Assembly, establishing a firm basis for active and fruitful cooperation with the United Nations.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/centre-inks-500-million-loan-deal-with-ndb-for-rrts-project/article33136353.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/ndb-loan-to-india'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Paternity Leave',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/virat-kohli-paternity-leave-7056480/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Papa don&rsquo;t leave&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 19/11/2020. It talks about the idea of paternity leave and the advantages associated with it.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Captain of the Indian cricket team has asked for and was granted, paternity leave in the middle of a competitive Test series against Australia. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/maternity-leave-government-for-incentive-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paternity leave</strong></a> is about giving fathers the right to take paid time off work following the birth (or adoption) of a child.</p>
<p>This is an important development in the context of gender discrimination at the workplace, but it will also have broader implications on the patriarchal mindset of Indian society.</p>
<h3>Need For Paternity Leave</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Patriarchal Society:</strong> The culture of toxic masculinity that prevails in Indian society results in hesitancy and some amount of ridicule in doing what Indian men think is &lsquo;women&rsquo;s work&rsquo;.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian society continues to see men as the &lsquo;breadwinner&rsquo; and women as the &lsquo;homemaker&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Gender Gap in Labour Laws:</strong> There is no proper legislation for paternity benefits. The only provision that exists in India gives 15 days leave for the father, as opposed to a maximum of 26 weeks or 182 days for the mother.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The number of days given to the mother can be partly justified by the physical healing the body needs after childbirth.</li>
<li>However, the vast gap that exists between these two policies exposes the possible mindset that went into making them.</li>
<li>The father need not stay at home as much as the mother must, as the mother is expected to carry the child-rearing responsibilities.</li>
<li>In this manner, legal policies are reinforcing societal biases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/maternity-benefits-and-workplace-equality-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017</strong></a> allows for pregnant women to take leave for a total of 26 weeks out of which up to 8 weeks can be claimed before delivery.</li>
<li>The woman is also supposed to get paid a benefit at the rate of her daily wage for three months before she goes on maternity leave.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Dual Burden on Women:</strong> Making maternity leaves as the only parental leave option in a company doesn&rsquo;t really bridge the gap between the domestic and the public; instead, it restricts the two even more strongly.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The indirect implications are that women are supposed to not only juggle both work and home life but also return to home life for fulfilling the &lsquo;nurturing&rsquo; role.</li>
<li>The time-use survey report released last month by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/restructuring-of-indian-statistical-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)</strong></a> shows that Indian women spend nearly four hours more on unpaid work than men, with grim consequences for women&rsquo;s participation in the workforce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Changing Trends</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Suo-Moto Action:</strong> Several private companies, too, offer paternity leave, without the prodding of legislation. For example, last year, Zomato rolled out 26 weeks of paid paternity leave for employees who become new fathers.</li>
<li><strong>International Scenario:</strong> In Britain, Sweden and Norway, parents are granted about a year of paid parental leave to tend to their newborns during that particularly crucial and difficult period.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic:</strong> By integrating the home and the workplace (Work from Home scenario), the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the extent to which the invisible labour is done by women at home.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Scenario:</strong> Four years ago, the Ministry of women and child development had pitched for the idea of legislating for paternity leave in the organised sector.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Advantages of Paternity Leave</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Debunking Patriarchy:</strong> Paternity leave &ndash; and especially longer leaves of several weeks or months &ndash; can promote parent-child bonding, improve outcomes for children, and even increase gender equity at home and at the workplace.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, when fathers are more engaged in raising children, they may become more aware of the challenges associated with it. This, in turn, may lead to a relationship which is compassionate and understanding.</li>
<li>This could be one of the first steps towards achieving a more egalitarian view in society and debunk patriarchy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Check Declining Women Labour Force Participation:</strong> Due to the societal sexism, women are often missing out on these critical years of work once being pressured into staying home with their children.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The years that women generally have children, between the ages of 25 and 35, are when people tend to begin making serious progress in their careers.</li>
<li>Therefore, if paternity leaves are normalised, and men actively start taking up the responsibility of child care, would check the declining women labour force participation rate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The battle against this deep-grained sexist skew in work and labour is a long haul. But the idea of official paternity leave &mdash; if endorsed by governments and private companies &mdash; takes a minimum first step in acknowledging that parenting and childcare is the shared responsibility of men and women.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605788522_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605788522_image 0.png" caption="false" width="600" height="366" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffdf7;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Paternity leave is an idea whose time has come, for both Indian men and women. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqXPIGumW80" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/fragile-ceasefire/article33119969.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Fragile ceasefire: on Armenia&ndash;Azerbaijan clashes&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on November 18<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/paternity-leave'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Guillain Barre Syndrome',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Some patients infected with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> have been found suffering from <strong>Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Guillain Barre Syndrome:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a very <strong>rare autoimmune disorder</strong> in which the patient's immune system <strong>attacks nerves.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> exact cause</strong> of Guillain-Barre syndrome is<strong> unknown,</strong> but as per the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong></a>, GBS is often preceded by an infection. This could be a <strong>bacterial or viral infection.</strong> It may also be triggered by<strong> vaccine administration </strong>or<strong> surgery.</strong></li>
<li>In the past, patients of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronaviruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/genetically-modified-aedes-aegypti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Zika virus</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-subtype-of-hiv-discovered" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)</strong></a>, Herpes virus and Campylobacter jejuni have shown symptoms of GBS.</li>
<li><strong>Link with Covid-19:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The immune system, in an attempt to kill the coronavirus, accidentally starts attacking its own <strong>peripheral nervous system.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> peripheral nervous system</strong> is a network of nerves that lead from the brain and spinal cord (i.e. central nervous system) to different parts of the body. Attacking them can <strong>affect limb functions.</strong></li>
<li>An interval of <strong>5-10 days</strong> is noticed between<strong> onset of GBS symptoms and Covid-19 infection,</strong> but some doctors say it can also take weeks after Covid-19 infection for a person to develop GBS.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Symptoms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Weakness or tingling sensations, which usually start in the legs, and can spread to the arms and face.</li>
<li>Difficulty with facial movements, including speaking, chewing or swallowing.</li>
<li>Double vision, rapid heart rate, low or high blood pressure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Complication:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There could be <strong>respiratory failure</strong> as the worst outcome, or weakness and effect on walking and limb movement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Treatment:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).</li>
<li><strong>Plasma therapy.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Campylobacter jejuni</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Campylobacteriosis is an infection by the <strong>Campylobacter bacteria.</strong> It is more commonly known as C. jejuni. It is among the most common bacterial infections of humans, often a foodborne illness. It produces bloody diarrhea or dysentery syndrome, mostly including cramps, fever and pain.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Herpes Virus</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Herpes results from infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It causes<strong> sores or blisters</strong> to form in or around the<strong> mouth or genitals,</strong> as well as other symptoms such as fever and fatigue.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-the-guillain-barre-syndrome-some-covid-19-patients-develop-7056256/" 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/guillain-barre-syndrome'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Deemed Forests in Karnataka',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Karnataka</strong> has announced that it would <strong>declassify 6.64 lakh hectares</strong> (nearly 67%) of the 9.94 lakh hectares of <strong>deemed forests</strong> in the state and hand it over to Revenue authorities.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The issue of deemed forests is a contentious one in Karnataka, with legislators across party lines often <strong>alleging that large amounts of agriculture and non-forest land are &ldquo;unscientifically&rdquo; classified</strong> as such.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition of Deemed Forests:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Deemed forests, <strong>comprising about 1% of India&rsquo;s forest land,</strong> are a controversial subject as they <strong>refer to land tracts that appear to be a &ldquo;forest&rdquo;, but have not been notified so by the government or in historical records.</strong></li>
<li>The concept of deemed forests <strong>has not even been clearly defined in any law</strong> including the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/indian-forest-act-1927" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Forest Conservation Act 1980.</strong></a></li>
<li>In the<strong><em> T N Godavarman Thirumalpad case 1996,</em></strong> the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong></a> (SC) accepted a <strong>wide definition of forests</strong> under the Act and held that the word &lsquo;forest&rsquo; must be<strong> understood according to its dictionary meaning.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This description <strong>covers all statutorily recognised forests,</strong> whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise for the purpose of <strong>Section 2 (1) of the Act</strong> and also includes any <strong>areas recorded as forest in the government record irrespective of the ownership.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>provisions for the conservation of forest and the matters connected therewith applies clearly to all forests</strong> irrespective of the ownership or classification.</li>
<li>The <strong>freedom to define which tracts of forest</strong> qualify as forest has been the <strong>prerogative of States since 1996.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, this<strong> only applies to forest land</strong> that has not already been historically classified as &ldquo;forest&rdquo; in revenue records, or categorised so by the government as &ldquo;protected&rdquo; or &ldquo;reserve forest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deemed Forests in Karnataka:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Areas Included:</strong> An expert committee constituted by the state government<strong> identified &lsquo;deemed forests&rsquo; as:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Land having the characteristic of forests irrespective of the ownership.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded areas of the Revenue Department, not handed over to the Forest Department.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded areas recommended to be handed over to the Forest Department.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded land distributed to grantees but not cultivated.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded plantations of the Forest Department.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Land Coverage:</strong> The <strong>expert committee reports in 1997 and 2002</strong> identified 43.18 lakh hectares of forest land for conservation in Karnataka, which included 33.23 lakh hectares notified forest area as per forest records and 9.94 lakh hectares &lsquo;deemed forests&rsquo;.</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Contention:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>2014,</strong> the government<strong> relooked at the categorisation of forests</strong> and found that some of the &lsquo;statutory forests&rsquo; had been <strong>wrongly classified</strong> as &lsquo;deemed forest&rsquo;.</li>
<li>It also held that a <strong>well-defined scientific, verifiable criterion was not used</strong> while applying the dictionary definition which <strong>resulted in a subjective classification</strong> of areas as deemed forests.</li>
<li>The subjective classification, in turn, resulted in <strong>conflicts between the Forest Department and other departments</strong> like Revenue, Irrigation, Public Works and Energy.</li>
<li>The random classification caused <strong>hardship to farmers</strong> in some areas and there is also a <strong>commercial demand for mining in some regions</strong> designated as deemed forests.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Revised Coverage:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Later, newly formed committees identified 5.18 lakh hectares of deemed forest land that could be released from the total area.</li>
<li>After a<strong> recent study of the actual extent of deemed forest areas,</strong> the amount of deemed forest land to be released has been <strong>revised to 6.64 lakh hectares.</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>2019,</strong> the <strong>state had filed an interim application</strong> in the SC for the exclusion of the revised area but the <strong>Court did not pass an order</strong> on the application.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Forest and Tree Resources in Karnataka</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Total Forest cover:</strong> 20.11%, according to the <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/india-state-of-forest-report-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India State of Forest Report 2019</strong></a>, the<strong> 16<sup>th</sup> biennial assessment of India&rsquo;s forests</strong> by <strong>Forest Survey of India</strong> (FSI).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>FSI is an organisation <strong>under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change</strong> (MoEFCC).</li>
<li>It undertakes <strong>National Forest Inventory</strong> to assess the growing stock in forests and Tree Outside Forest (TOF), bamboo resource, carbon stock and to assess the dependence of the people living in Forest Fringe Villages for fuelwood, fodder, small timber and bamboo.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Physiographically,</strong> the state can be divided into two distinct regions:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Hilly region</strong> <em>(Malnad)</em>: comprising the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ecologically-sensitive-areas-in-western-ghats" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Western Ghats.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Plain region</strong> <em>(Maidan)</em>: comprising the inland plateau.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<strong> evergreen forests</strong> of the Western Ghats cover about 60% of the forest area of the State and are recognised as<strong> one of the four <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/26-11-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biodiversity Hotspots of India.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Other three biodiversity hotspots are the <strong>Himalayas, Areas under Indo-Burma and Sundalands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protected Area Network of the State:</strong> 5 National Parks (Anshi,<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/waterholes-revival-in-bandipur-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Bandipur</strong></a>, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh, Nagarahole) 30 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 15 Conservation Reserves.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Karnataka supports about 10% of the total <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tiger</strong> </a>population and 25% of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-elephant-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>elephant</strong> </a>population of the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-are-deemed-forests-and-why-karnataka-wants-to-declassify-some-7056577/" 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/deemed-forests-in-karnataka'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'FFC Recommendations for Health Sector',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission#:~:text=The%2015th%20Finance%20Commission,April%202020%20to%20March%202025." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC)</strong></a> has made <strong>recommendations</strong> about the need for<strong> reprioritising public spending to fix the creaky health infrastructure</strong> exposed by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coronavirus pandemic.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FFC has <strong>submitted its report to the President</strong> advising how to share tax revenues with states for the Financial Year (FY) 2022-26 period.</li>
<li>The FFC report also makes <strong>recommendations about performance incentives to states</strong> in several reform areas.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Recommendations:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>FFC has mooted a <strong>greater role for public-private partnerships (PPPs)</strong> to ramp up the health infrastructure and scale up <strong>public spending on health</strong> from <strong>0.95% of GDP to 2.5% by 2024.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While <strong>public outlays should focus on primary health care</strong> at the panchayat and municipality level, <strong>private players</strong> should be relied on for <strong>specialty healthcare.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> total spending of around 0.95% of GDP</strong> is<strong> not adequate</strong> in relation to the commitments under the <strong>National Health Policy of 2017.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The 2017 Policy proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP in a time-bound manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a need for a <strong>more holistic approach to encouraging PPP</strong> in the health sector. There should be a<strong> constant working relationship</strong> and the government <strong>should not resort to the private sector in the case of an emergency only.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>trust deficit</strong> that exists between industry and government needs to be bridged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>District hospitals</strong> can become<strong> great grounds</strong> for training paramedics, creating health and employment multipliers.</li>
<li>FFC Chairman emphasised on the need to create <strong>a cadre for medical officers</strong> as mentioned in the <strong>All India Services Act 1951.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>All-India health service</strong> is needed to address issues within the health sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a need for <strong>substantial improvements in the working conditions for doctors</strong> in government hospitals, many of whom are hired on a contract basis by States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issues in the Health Sector:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s general <strong>government expenditure</strong> on healthcare as a percent of GDP was <strong>just 1.0% in 2017,</strong> according to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong></a> data, placing it at number <strong>165 out of 186 countries</strong> in terms of government expenditure on healthcare.</li>
<li><strong>Skewed availability of healthcare</strong> across India as poorer States have the worst facilities.</li>
<li>In terms of<strong> access and quality</strong> of health services, <strong>India was ranked 145 out of 195 countries</strong> in a Lancet study published in 2018, below countries like China (48), Sri Lanka (71) Bhutan (134) and Bangladesh (132).</li>
<li><strong>Availability of trained epidemiologists</strong> is an issue due to low salary and job insecurity in the health system.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There should be one epidemiologist per 0.2 million population. An epidemiologist is a technical person to guide and monitor the process of contact-tracing, marking containment zones and isolating suspected cases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s expenditure on R&amp;D</strong> as a percent of GDP has continued to remain stagnant at 0.7% of GDP for three decades, with the public sector accounting for 51.8% of national R&amp;D expenditure. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This compares to around 2.8% of GDP for the USA, 2.1% of GDP for China, 4.4% of GDP for Korea and around 3% for Germany where the dominant sector by spending on R&amp;D is the private sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605773412_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605773412_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="500" height="401" /></a></p>
<h3>Recent Initiatives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the government has <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/financial-support-to-public-private-partnerships-in-infrastructure#:~:text=Viability%20Gap%20Funding%20(VGF)%20means,fall%20short%20of%20financial%20viability.&amp;text=The%20Viability%20Gap%20Funding%20(VGF)%20provided%20for%20economic%20infrastructure%20will,be%20extended%20to%20social%20infrastructure." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>expanded the provision</strong></a> <strong>of financial support by means of viability gap funding for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)</strong> in infrastructure projects to social sectors such as health, education, water and waste treatment.</li>
<li>Several <strong>public-private partnerships</strong> and collaborations are already underway. The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-develops-ventilators" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</strong></a> which has developed ventilators, collaborated with industry to scale up production of ventilators.</li>
<li>There have been <strong>several examples</strong> of how public research laboratories, public institutions like the IITs, and private players including startups have risen to the challenge of working on Covid-19 testing kits, masks, alcohol-based sanitizers, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and ventilators, to overcome challenges of global supply chain disruptions and to cater to domestic needs.</li>
<li>The government has made several interventions in the health sector including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-medical-commission-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Medical Commission</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-digital-health-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Digital Health Mission</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat</strong></a>, etc.</li>
<li>A total of <strong>17 Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) projects</strong> have been started in India, with different government and private organisations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GHSA, set in 2014,<strong> builds on the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR)</strong> that provide guidance for countries to assess and manage serious health threats that have the potential to spread beyond borders.</li>
<li><strong>Capacity-building of the healthcare workers</strong> for surveillance and outbreak investigation is a vital step under workforce development of GHSA&rsquo;s action package.</li>
<li>One of the institutes responsible for workforce development under GHSA is the <strong>National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW),</strong> that has implemented the <strong>&ldquo;Public Health Systems Capacity Building in India&rdquo;</strong> project.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/finance-panel-for-public-private-partnerships-to-ramp-up-health-infrastructure/article33126099.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/ffc-recommendations-for-health-sector'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Chapare Virus',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently discovered a rare <strong>Ebola-like illness</strong> that is believed to have first originated in <strong>rural Bolivia</strong> in 2004.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The virus is named Chapare after the province in which it was first observed.</li>
<li><strong>Chapare,</strong> is a rural province in the northern region of <strong>central Bolivia.</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>Chapare Virus belongs to the same <strong>Arenavirus family</strong> that is responsible for illnesses such as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ebola-death-in-democratic-republic-of-congo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ebola virus disease (EVD)</strong></a>. It causes Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vector:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chapare virus are generally<strong> carried by rats</strong> and can be transmitted through <strong>direct contact with the infected rodent, its urine and droppings, or through contact with an infected person.</strong></li>
<li>A disease vector is any agent which<strong> carries and transmits</strong> an infectious pathogen into another living organism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Symptoms of Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hemorrhagic fever much like Ebola.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a severe and life-threatening kind of illness that can <strong>affect multiple organs and damage the walls of blood vessels.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Abdominal pain,</li>
<li>Vomiting,</li>
<li>Bleeding gums,</li>
<li>Skin rash,</li>
<li>Pain behind the eyes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transmission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Virus can spread from<strong> person to person.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Chapare spreads only through <strong>direct contact</strong> with bodily fluids.</li>
<li><strong>Sexually transmission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Researchers also found fragments of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/novel-strain-of-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ribonucleic acid (RNA)</strong></a> associated with Chapare, in the semen of one survivor <strong>168 days</strong> after he was infected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diagnosis:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chapare virus is <strong>much more difficult</strong> to catch than the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronaviruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coronavirus</strong></a> as it is <strong>not transmissible</strong> via the <strong>respiratory route.</strong> Instead, Chapare spreads only through direct contact with <strong>bodily fluids.</strong></li>
<li>New sequencing tools will help develop an <strong>RT-PCR test</strong> &mdash; much like the one used to diagnose <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> to help detect Chapare.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Treatment:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since there are <strong>no specific drugs</strong> to treat the disease, patients generally receive <strong>supportive care</strong> such as intravenous fluids.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Intravenous therapy</strong> is a medical technique that delivers a liquid directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration solutions or to provide nutrition in those who cannot consume food or water by mouth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Maintenance of<strong> hydration.</strong></li>
<li>Management of shock through fluid resuscitation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Fluid resuscitation is the medical practice of <strong>replenishing bodily fluid</strong> lost through sweating, bleeding, fluid shifts or other pathologic processes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pain Relief Medicines</li>
<li>Transfusions as the supportive therapy that can be administered on patients.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>People at Risk:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The disease is also known to be most commonly transmitted in more<strong> tropical regions,</strong> particularly in certain parts of South America where the small-eared pygmy rice rat is commonly found.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mortality Rate:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As there are very few cases on record, the mortality and risk factors associated with the illness are <strong>relatively unknown.</strong></li>
<li>In the first known outbreak, the only confirmed case was fatal. In the second outbreak in 2019, three out of five documented cases were fatal <strong>(case-fatality rate of 60%).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recent Outbreak:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recent biggest outbreak of the &lsquo;Chapare virus&rsquo; was reported in 2019, when three healthcare workers contracted the illness from two patients in the Bolivian capital of La Paz.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Ebola Virus Disease</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF),</strong> is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses</li>
<li><strong>Transmission:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Fruit bats</strong> of the Pteropodidae family are natural <strong>Ebola virus hosts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Animal to human transmission:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ebola is introduced into the human population through <strong>close contact</strong> with the blood, secretions, organs or other <strong>bodily fluids of infected animals</strong> such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Human-to-human transmission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ebola spreads via <strong>direct contact</strong> (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with:</li>
<li>Blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola.</li>
<li>Objects that have been contaminated with body fluids (like blood, feces, vomit) from a person sick with Ebola or the body of a person who died from Ebola.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vaccines:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An experimental Ebola vaccine, called<strong> rVSV-ZEBOV</strong> proved highly protective against EVD.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-all-about-the-rare-ebola-like-chapare-virus-that-can-spread-from-human-to-human-7055914/" 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/chapare-virus'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture: 75 Years of UN',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v8xa4uh2Au0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On October 24, 2020 the United Nations marked its diamond jubilee.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Far from a joyous celebration, it was an occasion sombrely reflecting the stagnance of the UN at 75.</li>
<li>How it can regain its lost lustre is a matter of discussion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite that the UN has gone through several improvements, the tussle between 'principle' and 'power' still remains the same.</li>
<li>The UN is for global governance and not a global government.</li>
<li>Though the organisation was designed to maintain a peaceful and just world, it still privileges the most powerful states.</li>
<li>The UN has seen successes as well as failures almost equally.</li>
<li>The United Nations must be sustained as there is no parallel organisation to it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The United Nations</h3>
<p>Founded in 1945, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong> </a>is an international organisation aimed at:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Maintaining international peace and security</li>
<li>Protecting human rights</li>
<li>Delivering humanitarian aid</li>
<li>Promoting sustainable development</li>
<li>Upholding international law.</li>
</ul>
<p>The UN headquarters is located in New York, USA.</p>
<p><strong>UN's Success Areas</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Increment in the UN membership:</strong> Post- 1960's decolonisation, the membership of the UN expanded from about 50 members to double.</li>
<li><strong>Decolonisation:</strong> It was the UN which played the lead role in the 1960 decolonisation and helped around 80 colonies in gaining their freedom.</li>
<li><strong>Involvement with civil society:</strong> The UN is no more an organisation of nations only, more and more UN bodies have begun engaging with the people within the nations, experts, intellectuals and media with time.</li>
<li><strong>Better sustenance:</strong> The UN has successfully sustained itself till now, as compared to the <strong>League of Nations,</strong> which is an achievement.</li>
<li><strong>Peacekeeping:</strong> The UN has successfully prevented World War - III.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>1960's Decolonisation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1960, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV)), known also as the <strong>Declaration on Decolonization.</strong></li>
<li>When the United Nations was established in 1945, 750 million people- almost a third of the world's population then lived in Territories that were non-self-governing, dependent on colonial Powers.</li>
<li>About 80 former colonies had gained their independence.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At present, there are 17 only Non- Self- Governing Territories remaining and fewer than 2 million people live in such Territories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The League of Nations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The League of Nations was an international diplomatic group developed after World War I as a way to solve disputes between countries before they erupted into open warfare.</li>
<li>It was established on 10 January, 1920 with its headquarter in <strong>Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>A precursor to the United Nations, the League achieved some victories but had a mixed record of success, sometimes putting self-interest before becoming involved with conflict resolution, while also contending with governments that did not recognize its authority.</li>
<li>The League effectively ceased operations during World War II (1946).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>UN's Major Setbacks</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Arm races and Cold war:</strong> Although, the WW-III has been successfully prevented till date, violence, arm races, nuclear races and cold wars still occur among nations.</li>
<li><strong>Power suppressing principles:</strong> The world body still continues to see a tussle between &lsquo;principle&rsquo; and &lsquo;power&rsquo;.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While the hopes of a peaceful and just world are represented by the UN, the most powerful states are privileged by granting them commanding heights over international politics via the undemocratic instruments of veto power and permanent seats in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-security-council-1#:~:text=Its%20primary%20responsibility%20is%20to,China%20and%20the%20United%20Kingdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Security Council</strong> </a>(UNSC).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Not a multipolar organisation:</strong> The UN has been unable to present itself as a multipolar and multilateral organisation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the time of formation, the UN had 5 permanent members with a total of 51 members, presently, it has 193 members but permanent members in the UN General Assembly are still 5.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Laggard in holistic growth:</strong> The organisation had not been able to cope up with the increasing globalisation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The UN has been a laggard in overall development; no institutional arrangement is there to deal in particular with Pandemics or new technologies such as <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Significant Role of India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India and the UN:</strong> India is one of the founding members of the UN.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since its independence and even before that,India has been an active participant in all initiatives undertaken by the UN like Millennium Development Goals, <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable development goals</strong></a> and various UN summits, including on climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maintaining peace:</strong> As far as the peacekeeping ambit of the UN is concerned, India has performed quite well in maintaining peaceful and friendly relations with most of the nations.</li>
<li><strong>India and UNSC:</strong> India has been recently elected as a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elections-for-non-permanent-members-of-the-unsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>non permanent member of the UNSC</strong></a> and will be joining the latter from 1 January, 2021.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The non permanent membership of India can be taken as an opportunity to convince the like-minded nations for fighting international terrorism.</li>
<li>Moreover, India should also focus upon sitting upon the apex body in future; becoming a permanent member of the UN.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Raising concern over need of reforms:</strong> India has realised the urgent need of reforms in the UN specially at the UNSC and has raised concerns over the issue.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What can India do?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Perseverance:</strong> India must persevere and be determined about its position rather than bringing it out only on occasions.</li>
<li><strong>Alliance:</strong> It should make other allied nations that have ties with India realise its value and the power they can all gather together once India gets a permanent seat at the Security council.</li>
<li><strong>Balance its international and internal responsibilities:</strong> India must also see the added pressure it might receive if it becomes a member on the Security council and not have to compromise with its own internal issues.</li>
<li><strong>Principles over power:</strong> India&rsquo;s tilt towards principles is what is appreciated and shall be continued to maintain its goodwill.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reforming the UN charter:</strong> The UN charter talks only about the rights but not duties and responsibilities. The duties and responsibilities at individual, community, global and national level need to be emphasised too.</li>
<li><strong>Reforms in the UNSC:</strong> The UNSC should be expanded in terms of its core members, only five permanent members with a total of 193 members does not provide justice to the others.</li>
<li><strong>A more multilateral organisation:</strong> The UN should engage strongly with multilateralism and harness the capabilities of all those who matter, not just the P5.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>What is needed is a multipolar and multilateral approach rather than autocracy of the P5 countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Choosing principles over power:</strong> If the principles are written by the most powerful states, then it cannot create any difference; the unequal and iniquitous structure will remain the same.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The salience of power is what is needed to be reduced.</li>
<li>This is where India can take up the lead and may start a dialogue with the like minded countries first about the same.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Judging the elements of power:</strong> It is needed to be looked upon what elements of power need to be appreciated- the crude, military power or the soft, economic power.</li>
<li><strong>Principles for the powerful too:</strong> The other members need to make sure that the powerful members are made to work within the framework of principles so the balance between the power and principle is maintained.</li>
<li><strong>Specialised agencies:</strong> The need for specialised agencies dealing with specific affairs such as Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Pandemics etc shall be looked and acted upon.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>P5 Countries:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The P5 refers to the UN Security Council's five permanent members; namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States plus Germany (making it P5 +1).</li>
<li>The P5+1 is often referred to as the E3+3 by European countries.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UN has survived and thrived and has certainly seen incremental changes over the last 75 years but the time has come for the UN to change and change for the better.</li>
<li>UNSC is in desperate need to undergo reforms, the sooner the better, the later the more redundant.</li>
<li>In a nutshell, as far as the whole UN is concerned complete reform is needed with principles not to be written by the most powerful anymore.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-75-years-of-un'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Online Education Woes',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A recent study by the <strong>Azim Premji University</strong> on the <strong>efficacy and accessibility</strong> of e-learning has highlighted various challenges involved in online education in the country.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Student Specific Finding:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reason for student&rsquo;s lack of accessibility to online classes:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Non-availability or<strong> inadequate number of smartphones</strong> for dedicated use or sharing.</li>
<li>Difficulty in<strong> using apps</strong> for online learning.</li>
<li>Children with disabilities found it more difficult to participate in online sessions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Parents Specific Findings:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>90%</strong> of parents of government school students surveyed were <strong>willing to send their children back to school,</strong> if the health of their children was taken care of.</li>
<li><strong>70%</strong> of the parents surveyed were of the opinion that online classes <strong>were not effective</strong> and <strong>did not help</strong> in their child&rsquo;s learnings.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Teacher&rsquo;s Specific Findings:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Teachers' main problem found during the online classes was the <strong>one-way communication,</strong> which made it <strong>difficult for them to assess</strong> whether students were able to understand what was being taught.</li>
<li>More than<strong> 80% of teachers</strong> surveyed said they were <strong>unable to maintain emotional connect</strong> with students during online classes, while <strong>90%</strong> of teachers felt that <strong>no meaningful assessment</strong> of children&rsquo;s learning was possible.</li>
<li>50% of the teachers reported that <strong>children were unable to complete assignments shared during the online classes,</strong> which had led to serious gaps in learning.</li>
<li>The survey also revealed that around 75% of the teachers spent, <strong>on an average, less than an hour a day on online classes</strong> for any grade.</li>
<li>Teachers also reported that they were <strong>ill-prepared for online learning platforms.</strong></li>
<li>More than half the teachers surveyed shared that their<strong> knowledge and user-experience</strong> on online platforms and modes of teaching were inadequate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/education/schools/study-highlights-online-education-woes/article33119515.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/online-education-woes'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Rural Non-Farm Sector',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/agriculture-gdp-growth-economy-7055240/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Spot the seeds of growth&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 18/11/2020. It talks about the importance &amp; challenges of the rural non-farm sector in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Due to the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 pandemic, India&rsquo;s GDP contracted by 23.9 %. in the first quarter. However, a silver lining in this degrowth scenario can be noted as agriculture grew by 3.4%.</p>
<p>Despite green shoots, agriculture in India is ailing for a long time. It has been grappling with issues like fast depleting groundwater, soil degradation, fragmented markets, barely functioning agricultural extension services and speeding up of climate change.</p>
<p>It is due to these factors agriculture cannot overturn contraction in other sectors, but along with the non-farm rural sector, it could jump-start the economy. Apart from this, Non-Farm rural activities (livestock, fisheries and food processing, etc.) are advantageous in lifting the poor above the poverty line.</p>
<p>Therefore, it becomes imperative to identify the issues of the non-farm rural sector in India to focus on building strong growth links between the non-farm rural economy and agriculture.</p>
<h3>Importance of Rural Non-Farm Sector</h3>
<p>The non-farm sector, particularly in rural areas is being accorded wide recognition in recent years for the following reasons:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Check on Unregulated Migration:</strong> A planned strategy of rural non-farm development may prevent many rural people from migrating to urban industrial and commercial centres.</li>
<li><strong>Bridging Rural-Urban Divide:</strong> When the economic base of the rural economy extends beyond agriculture, rural-urban economic gaps are bound to get narrower along with salutary effects in many other aspects associated with the life and aspirations of the people.</li>
<li><strong>Employment Generation:</strong> Non-farm rural industries are generally less capital-intensive and more labour absorbing. Thus, they can play a critical role in employment growth in rural areas.</li>
<li><strong>Reducing Inequalities:</strong> Rural income distribution is much less unequal in areas where a wide network of non-farm avenues of employment exists.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As the lower strata of rural societies participate much more intensely in non-farm activities, it helps in increasing social mobility.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Weak Institutional Structure:</strong> There are many institutions (KVIC, SIDBI, etc.) which were established for the development of the rural non-farm sector.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, these institutions are marred by issues like administrative inefficiency, lack of financial autonomy, overlapping jurisdiction, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Quality of Manpower:</strong> High levels of illiteracy in rural India have hampered the growth of the rural non-farm sector.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the rural areas, lack of education leads to labour being stagnant in agriculture or moving to casual work occupations in the non-farm sector, and not to salaried employment with higher wages and benefits.</li>
<li>Together with a lack of technical skills, there is little incentive for rural firms to invest in technology, leading to low levels of labour productivity in the rural manufacturing sector compared to urban manufacturing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forward and Backward Linkages:</strong> The gaps in the integration of the production linkages brought about by low accessibility of market, support service weaknesses and intervention of middlemen have constrained the development of non-farm enterprises in India.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from this, the most significant bottleneck in generating higher levels of rural non-farm activity in India is the quantity, quality and reliability of infrastructure.</li>
<li>Although corrective steps are now being taken, increased infrastructure remains the most important priority for the future.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>Efforts are needed to identify appropriate and effective institutional vehicles for the development of non-farm sector policy and interventions for creating employment opportunities. In this context, the following policy interventions can be taken by the government.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>China&rsquo;s TVEs Model:</strong> China&rsquo;s labour-intensive township and village enterprises (TVEs), are often described as the &ldquo;engine of growth&rdquo; behind China&rsquo;s remarkable growth.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The TVEs are hybrid institutions, generally unusual alliances between entrepreneurs and local government officials (acting in the capacity of "owners" of TVE enterprises).</li>
<li>In this regard, the role of government is crucial, especially in the provision of necessary infrastructure and other support services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Supply Chain Integration:</strong> It is also vital to improve the marketing links between the village entrepreneurs and the larger business firms located in the towns/cities.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such strategic alliances or partnerships can contribute to the sustainability of small villages and tiny enterprises in rural areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Addressing Structural Issues:</strong> Other important considerations that need to be focused on may include human resource development, financial/credit facilities, research and development and women&rsquo;s participation with a view to making the activities self-sustaining in the changing competitive environment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The non-farm rural sector is increasingly playing an important role in the development of rural areas of India. Specifically, as agriculture&rsquo;s contribution to the economy is declining, the non-farm sector will need to become more and more a major provider of employment and income to many people in rural areas.</p>
<p>However, it should be noted that the non-farm rural sector is not a substitute for employment in agriculture but rather as a supplementary measure. Agricultural development is still important and should be pursued as a necessary precondition for inclusive development.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605698357_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605698357_image 0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="635" height="603" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f8fff5;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The non-farm rural sector can increasingly play an important role in the development of rural areas of India. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPEcutiiT-4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/threat-or-treat/article33110441.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Threat or treat: on RCEP trade deal&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on November 17<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rural-non-farm-sector'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project: Goa',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s <strong>first convergence project</strong> to generate green energy for rural and agriculture consumption is set to come up in <strong>Goa.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL),</strong> a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, and Goa government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the same.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Notes</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Convergence Project of EESL:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Focus:</strong> It focuses on energy solutions that lie at the <strong>confluence </strong>of <strong>renewable energy, electric mobility</strong> and<strong> climate change.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong> It seeks to connect seemingly independent sectors like <strong>Solar Energy, Energy Storage and LED lights</strong> to provide solutions, which can enable in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/energy-needs-in-the-context-of-climate-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decarbonisation</strong></a> and <strong>affordable energy</strong> access.</li>
<li><strong>Mechanism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>EESL</strong> is offering <strong>convergent interventions,</strong> which solve multiple gap areas in the energy ecosystem.</li>
<li>Solutions such as <strong>solarised agriculture feeders, LED street lights</strong> in local villages and <strong>battery energy storage systems.</strong></li>
<li>Leveraging the <strong>carbon financing mechanism</strong> to rapidly strengthen rural infrastructure in a clean and sustainable manner, and to create a<strong> resilient and sustainable rural community</strong> in India.</li>
<li>EESL&rsquo;s climate financing interventions currently include <strong>Gram<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5-years-of-ujala-and-slnp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> UJALA</a>, Decentralised Solar and Gram Panchayat <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5-years-of-ujala-and-slnp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Street Lights programmes</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits of the Project:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Promote Renewable Energy:</strong> It will <strong>accelerate</strong> the usage of <strong>renewable energy sources,</strong> especially for agricultural and rural power consumption in the State.</li>
<li><strong>Energy Efficient:</strong> Contribute to<strong> reduction of peak energy demand</strong> through deployment of energy efficient pumping and lighting thus contributing to overall sustainability.</li>
<li><strong>Improve Health of DISCOMs:</strong> Accrue savings of <strong>Rs 2,574 crores</strong> to the State over the period of 25 years, while improving the health of <strong>DISCOMs</strong> and providing cleaner power.</li>
<li><strong>Check Technical Losses:</strong> Provide clean day time electricity to farmers as well as energy efficient pump sets which would <strong>reduce the power consumption</strong> as well as <strong>T&amp;D</strong> (Transmission and Distribution Losses) losses associated with transmitting power to agriculture and rural feeder networks.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Energy Efficiency Services Ltd</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a joint venture of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-thermal-power-corporation-limited" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC)</strong></a> Limited, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and POWERGRID, It was set up under the <strong>Ministry of Power</strong> to facilitate implementation of energy efficiency projects.</li>
<li><strong>EESL</strong> is a<strong> Super Energy Service Company (ESCO)</strong> that seeks to unlock the energy efficiency market in India, estimated at Rs. 74,000 crore that can potentially result in energy savings of up to <strong>20%</strong> of current consumption, by way of innovative business and implementation models.</li>
<li>It also acts as the resource centre for capacity building of State <strong>DISCOMs,</strong> financial institutions, etc.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In a solar power rich country like India, effective harnessing of this abundant resource can yield handsome returns for all stakeholders and therefore initiatives like <strong>Convergence</strong> can help India to produce more energy at less cost.</li>
<li><strong>Project Convergence</strong> is also well aligned and is in consonance with the<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-new-and-renewable-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> International Solar Alliance, an</strong> </a>initiative of the Indian government.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1673497" 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/india-s-first-green-energy-convergence-project-goa'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, various green collectives and environmental organisations have come together to protest against the <strong>Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project</strong> in Kerala.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The site of the project is not far from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/athirapally-hydel-electric-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Athirapally Hydel Electric Project.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Project:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will come up in the buffer zone of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/early-migration-of-butterflies" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Parambikulam Tiger Reserve</strong></a> (PTR) and will also<strong> create a 5.617-km-long tunnel</strong> within the forest.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Environmental Consequences:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Around <strong>20 hectares of forest land will have to be cleared</strong> out and <strong>around 1900 large trees</strong> and a larger number of small trees<strong> will be cut.</strong></li>
<li>The area is<strong> ecologically fragile,</strong> as seen in the massive<strong> landslide followed by minor landslides at the project site in 2018,</strong> and the consequences will extend to<strong> loss of precious flora and fauna species.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Absence of Consent:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It was <strong>granted approval without obtaining permission</strong> from the local <strong>Kadar tribe</strong> which holds the <strong>right of Community Forest Resources</strong> (CFR) as per the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/forest-rights-act-2006" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Forest Rights Act, 2006.</strong></a></li>
<li>The site of the hydel project comes within the 400 sq kms of forest land that were given as CFR to the Kadar tribe which has the responsibility to protect and conserve the habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Athirapally Hydel Electric Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In <strong>June 2020,</strong> the Kerala government approved the Athirapally Hydro Electric Project (AHEP) on the <strong>Chalakudy river in Thrissur district of Kerala.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chalakudy River <strong>originates in the Anamalai region of Tamil Nadu</strong> and is joined by its <strong>major tributaries</strong> Parambikulam, Kuriyarkutti, Sholayar, Karapara and Anakayam in Kerala. It <strong>flows through Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam</strong> districts of Kerala.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has also been<strong> facing opposition and protests</strong> due to its <strong>adverse effects on the fragile river ecosystem</strong> at Athirappilly and the other <strong>related environmental threats.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Parambikulam Tiger Reserve</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a well protected ecological portion in the <strong>Nelliampathy-Anamalai landscape</strong> of the <strong>Southern Western Ghats</strong> in India.</li>
<li>It is located in the<strong> Palakkad District of Kerala.</strong></li>
<li>It was<strong> declared as Tiger Reserve during 2008-09.</strong></li>
<li>The reserve is credited with the<strong> first scientifically managed teak plantation in the world</strong> which was later merged with the forest land.</li>
<li>It has the <strong>world's largest and oldest teak tree</strong> named <em>"Kannimara",</em> which is believed to be <strong>350 years old.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605695306_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605695306_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/green-collectives-to-protest-against-anakkayam-hydel-project/article33120677.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/anakkayam-small-hydro-electric-project'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'C.B.I and Consent of States',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court has held that once a <strong>court takes cognisance</strong> of a corruption case investigated by the CBI, it <strong>cannot be set aside</strong> for lack of the <strong>State government&rsquo;s prior consent</strong> for the probe against some of the accused, unless it is shown that it has <strong>resulted in prejudice.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Two officials of Uttar Pradesh government had earlier contended in the <strong>Allahabad High Court</strong> that the general consent given by the State government was not enough, and <strong>separate consent ought</strong> to have been obtained prior to their being investigated.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The State of Uttar Pradesh has accorded a <strong>general consent</strong> for extension of powers and jurisdiction of the Members of DSPE, in the whole of State of UP for investigation of offences under the <strong>Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.</strong></li>
<li>However, <strong>in case of public servants</strong> under the state governments, <strong>prior consent</strong> is needed from the state concerned even after the general consent given by the state.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Allahabad High Court</strong> noted that the Uttar Pradesh government had granted <strong>post facto (after the act is done) consent against</strong> the two public servants. This very judgement of <strong>Allahabad High Court</strong> was challenged in the Supreme Court.</li>
<li><strong>Supreme Court&rsquo;s Stand:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It held that if the State had given a <strong>general consent</strong> to<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/central-bureau-of-investigation-cbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> CBI investigation</strong> </a>in a corruption case and <strong>cognisance</strong> had been taken by a court, the case <strong>cannot be set aside</strong> unless the public servants plead that prejudice has been caused to them on account of <strong>non-obtaining of prior consent.</strong></li>
<li>Further the judges held that the case cannot be set aside unless the illegality in the investigation can be shown to have brought about miscarriage of justice.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Types of Consent Given by state government</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/states-deny-consent-to-cbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> two types of consent</strong></a> for a probe by the CBI. These are:<strong> general</strong> and <strong>specific.</strong></li>
<li>When a state gives a<strong> general consent (Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act)</strong> to the CBI for probing a case, the agency is not required to seek fresh permission<strong> every time</strong> it enters that state in connection with investigation or for every case.</li>
<li>When a general consent is withdrawn, CBI needs to seek<strong> case-wise consent</strong> for investigation from the concerned state government. If specific consent is not granted, the CBI officials will not have the power of police personnel when they enter that state.</li>
<li>This hurdle impedes seamless investigation by the CBI. A general consent is given to facilitate that seamless investigation in a case of corruption or violence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Withdrawal of general Consent by States:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently it has been seen that various states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments have withdrawn their general consent as a result of tussle between Centre and States.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of withdrawal:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It means the CBI will not be able to register any fresh case involving a central government official or a private person stationed in the states who withdrew their general consent, without getting case-specific consent.</li>
<li>In simple terms withdrawal of general consent simply means that CBI officers will lose all powers of a police officer as soon as they enter the state unless the state government has allowed them.</li>
<li>It will have no impact on investigation of cases already registered with CBI as old cases were registered when general consent existed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Delhi Special Police Establishment Act</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Central Bureau of Investigation traces its origin to the S<strong>pecial Police Establishment (SPE) which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>The functions of the SPE then were to investigate cases of bribery and corruption in transactions with the War &amp; Supply Deptt. Of India during World War II.</li>
<li>Even after the end of the War, the need for a Central Government agency to investigate cases of bribery and corruption by Central Government employees was felt.</li>
<li>The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was therefore brought into force in 1946. The CBI's power to investigate cases is derived from this Act.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/lack-of-consent-wont-vitiate-cbi-probe-apex-court/article33120174.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/c-b-i-and-consent-of-states'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Open Acreage Licensing Policy',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, contracts for 11 oil and gas blocks offered under the <strong>Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP)</strong> Bid Round-V were signed.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>OALP:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/hydrocarbon-exploration-and-licensing-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)</strong> </a><strong>replacing</strong> the erstwhile <strong>New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP)</strong> was approved in March 2016 and the <strong>Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP)</strong> along with the <strong>National Data Repository (NDR)</strong> were launched in June 2017 as the key drivers to accelerate the Exploration and Production (E&amp;P) activities in India.</li>
<li>Under OALP, <strong>companies are allowed to carve out areas they want to explore oil and gas in.</strong> Companies can put in an expression of interest for any area throughout the year but such interests are accumulated thrice in a year. The areas sought are then put on auction.</li>
<li>The successful roll-out of the HELP regime, followed by OALP Bid Rounds, has led to <strong>an increase in exploration acreages</strong> in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The exploration acreage which stood at about 80,000 sq. km. from earlier regimes now stands at approx. 2,37,000 sq. km., post the award of blocks under OALP Round-V.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The OALP has helped in <strong>removing red-tapism</strong> and brought in a quantum jump in the <strong>Exploration &amp; Production sector. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Inadequate Role of Private Players:</strong> State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India (OIL) have won all the 11 blocks offered in the latest bidding round for oil and gas exploration blocks.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>lack of interest from private players</strong> in recent rounds of OALP bidding has been a result of <strong>a lack of policy clarity</strong> from the government and <strong>unsuitable taxation</strong> and regulatory conditions.</li>
<li>A <strong>proposal</strong> by the Petroleum Ministry to <strong>reduce the oil cess charge</strong> on domestic production of crude has been <strong>rejected by the Finance Ministry.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limited Participation of Foreign Companies:</strong> India&rsquo;s efforts to attract foreign energy giants into hydrocarbon exploration and production haven&rsquo;t been quite fruitful.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under this Policy, exploration blocks shall be awarded on a continuous basis through e-bidding in a transparent manner.</li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Revenue sharing model</strong> instead of Profit sharing for hydrocarbon exploration. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under revenue sharing model, the government share accrues immediately on production, unlike in cost-recovery where the contractors first claimed its costs before splitting leftover profits, if any.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unified license</strong> for all types of hydrocarbons.</li>
<li><strong>Freedom to carve out acreages of choice</strong> under OALP bid rounds.</li>
<li><strong>Full marketing and pricing freedom</strong> of gas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>National Data Repository</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NDR is<strong> a government-sponsored E&amp;P data bank</strong> with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure for preservation, upkeep and dissemination of data to enable its systematic use for future exploration and development.</li>
<li>Following are the data that is being stored in NDR: Seismic Data, Well &amp; Log Data, Spatial Data, other data like Drilling, Reservoir, Production, Geological, Gravity &amp; Magnetic etc.</li>
<li>Having an NDR for India has helped in <strong>enhancing prospects of petroleum exploration and facilitating the Bidding Rounds</strong> by improving the availability of quality data.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1673425" 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/open-acreage-licensing-policy-1'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Supreme Court on Curbing Fake News',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong></a> has asked the Centre to provide <strong>information on the existing legal mechanisms to deal with complaints about the content on television channels.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Further it has asked the Centre to create an authority to check <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fake-news-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fake news</strong></a> and bigotry on air.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court was hearing a <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/public-interest-litigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Interest Litigation</strong></a> (PIL) filed by various organisations who objected to the reporting by certain television news channels and news portals on the <strong>Tablighi Jamaat event</strong> held in <strong>March 2020.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The religious gathering <strong>emerged as one of the early hot spots of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a></strong> in the national capital.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>petitions sought a direction from the court to stop the dissemination of fake news and to identify and take strict action</strong> against sections of the media that<strong> communalised</strong> the incident.</li>
<li>In<strong> October 2020,</strong> the bench asked the Centre to file a response on steps taken to ensure fake news is not circulated through online and electronic media platforms.</li>
<li>The government, through the Ministry, <strong>filed an affidavit in November and cited its advisories,</strong> which maintained that <strong>media coverage of the case predominantly struck a balanced and neutral perspective.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It held that as a matter of journalistic policy, any section of the media may highlight different events, issues and happenings across the world as per their choice and it was for the viewer to choose from the varied opinions offered by the different media outlets.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The court <strong>rejected the affidavit as inadequate</strong> and asked if the regulatory provisions of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/regulations-on-ott-and-digital-content#:~:text=In%20October%202020%2C%20the%20Supreme,under%20its%20purview%20as%20well." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act of 1995</strong></a>, meant for cable networks, would apply to TV broadcasts as well.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fake News:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Fake news is <strong>news, stories or hoaxes created to deliberately misinform or deceive</strong> readers.</li>
<li>Usually, these stories are created<strong> to either influence people&rsquo;s views, push a political agenda </strong>or <strong>cause confusion</strong> and can often be a profitable business for online publishers.</li>
<li>Fake news <strong>affects free speech and informed choices of the subjects</strong> of the country, leading to the hijacking of democracy.</li>
<li><strong>Controlling Mechanism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Rebuttal:</strong> It is a<strong> form of fact-checking</strong> wherein the fake news is debunked by pointing out errors like mismatch, malicious editing and misattribution.</li>
<li><strong>Public Education: Educating the end-users to be more discerning consumers</strong> of news by informing them of verification tools so that they can ascertain the accuracy of a news item before sharing it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Laws and Regulation to Curb Fake News in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is <strong>no specific law against fake news</strong> in India. Free publication of news flows from<strong> Article 19</strong> of the Constitution guaranteeing <strong>Freedom of Speech.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/press-council-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Press Council of India</a>:</strong> It is a regulatory body which can warn, admonish or censure the <strong>newspaper, the news agency, the editor or the journalist</strong> or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the journalist if it finds that a newspaper or a news agency has violated journalistic ethics.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ethical-code-for-electronic-media#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20News%20Broadcasters%20Association,malicious%2C%20biased%20and%20regressive%20content." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>News Broadcasters Association</strong></a>: It represents the private television news and current affairs broadcasters. The <strong>self-regulatory body</strong> probes complaints against electronic media.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Broadcast Foundation:</strong> It looks into the complaints against contents aired by channels.</li>
<li><strong>Broadcasting Content Complaint Council:</strong> It admits complaints against TV broadcasters for objectionable TV content and fake news.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-road-map-for-criminal-justice-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Penal Code</a>: Section 153</strong> (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and <strong>Section 295</strong> (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) can be invoked to guard against fake news.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/cyber-security#:~:text=Information%20Technology%20Act%2C%202000,Hacking%20with%20computer%20system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Information Technology Act 2000</strong></a>: According to the <strong>Section 66</strong> of the act, if any person, dishonestly or fraudulently, does any act referred to in<strong> Section 43</strong> (damage to computer, computer system), shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/misuse-of-criminal-defamation-law-madras-hc#:~:text=In%20India%2C%20defamation%20can%20both,wrong%20and%20a%20criminal%20offence.&amp;text=A%20civil%20wrong%20tends%20to,not%20to%20commit%20such%20acts." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Civil or Criminal Case for Defamation</strong></a>: It is another resort against fake news for individuals and groups hurt by the fake news. <strong>IPC Section 499</strong> (defamation) and <strong>Section 500</strong> (whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) provide for a defamation suit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fake news has existed since the dawn of the printing press but in the age of the internet and social media, it has found a tremendous application. Manipulation of algorithms of social media and search engines is a global trend now.</li>
<li>Misinformation and disinformation spread in the media is becoming a serious social challenge. It is leading to the poisonous atmosphere on the web and causing riots and lynchings on the road.</li>
<li>Countering content manipulation and fake news to restore faith in social media without undermining internet and media freedom will require public education, strengthening of regulations and effort of tech companies to make suitable algorithms for news curation.</li>
<li>Any future legislation should take the whole picture into account and not blame the media and go for knee-jerk reactions; in this age of new media anyone can create and circulate new for undisclosed benefits.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-mechanism-do-you-have-against-fake-news-sc-asks-centre/article33119647.ece?homepage=true" 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/supreme-court-on-curbing-fake-news'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'UNESCO Global Geoparks',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)</strong> is making <strong>efforts to get recognition of a geopark for Visakhapatnam</strong> (Andhra Pradesh) consisting of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/erra-matti-dibbalu" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Erra Matti Dibbalu</strong></a> (red sand dunes), <strong>natural rock formations, Borra Caves and volcanic ash deposits.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While there are <strong>161 UNESCO Global geoparks</strong> spread across 44 countries,<strong> India is yet to have one of its own.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Meaning:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are<strong> single, unified geographical areas</strong> where sites and landscapes of <strong>international geological significance</strong> are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Features: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Management:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These are <strong>managed by a body having legal existence</strong> recognized under national legislation.</li>
<li>It needs to be noted that <strong>UNESCO Global Geopark status does not imply restrictions on any economic activity inside a UNESCO Global Geopark</strong> where that activity complies with indigenous, local, regional and/or national legislation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Visibility:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Geoparks are sustained through <strong>geo tourism activities</strong> like excursions, nature trails, guided tours, hiking and academic meets.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Networking:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Cooperating with the local people</strong> (bottom-up approach) living in the geopark area and with<strong> other UNESCO Global Geoparks</strong> through the <strong>Global Geoparks Network (GGN).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>GGN, of which <strong>membership is obligatory for UNESCO Global Geoparks,</strong> is a <strong>legally constituted not-for-profit organisation</strong> with an annual membership fee. It was<strong> founded in 2004. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Designation Period:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A UNESCO Global Geopark is <strong>given this designation for a period of four years</strong> after which the functioning and quality of each UNESCO Global Geopark is thoroughly re-examined during a revalidation process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Geoparks vs Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Besides UNESCO Global Geoparks, there are <strong>other two UNESCO site designations, Biosphere Reserves</strong> and<strong> World Heritage Sites.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Biosphere Reserves</strong> focus on the harmonised management of biological and cultural diversity.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Out of <strong>18 notified biosphere reserves, India has 12</strong> biosphere reserves under the <strong>World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR),</strong> the latest one included is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/panna-biosphere-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Panna Biosphere Reserve.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>World Heritage Sites</strong> promote the conservation of natural and cultural sites of outstanding universal value.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India has 38 world heritage sites, including 30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and 1 mixed site. The latest one included is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jaipur-a-world-heritage-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jaipur city, Rajasthan.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>UNESCO Global Geoparks</strong> give international recognition for sites that promote the importance and significance of protecting the Earth&rsquo;s geodiversity through actively engaging with the local communities. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India does not have any</strong> UNESCO Global geopark.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>UNESCO</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>UNESCO is the <strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.</strong> It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.</li>
<li>UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals</strong></a> defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.</li>
<li><strong>UNESCO-IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission)</strong> is leading a global effort to establish ocean-based tsunami warning systems as part of an overall multi-hazard disaster reduction strategy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, UNESCO-IOC approved the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tsunami-ready-programme-unesco-ioc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>recognition of two communities of Odisha</strong></a> viz.,<strong> Venkatraipur</strong> and <strong>Noliasahi</strong> as <strong>Tsunami Ready Communities.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has <strong>193 Members and 11 Associate Members. India</strong> joined UNESCO in <strong>1946.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2019, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/united-states-and-israel-quit-unesco#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20and%20Israel,scientific%20and%20cultural%20agency%2C%20UNESCO.&amp;text=The%20United%20States%20had%20pulled,used%20to%20advance%20Soviet%20interests." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the USA and Israel formally quit UNESCO.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Paris,</strong> France.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Visakhapatnam&rsquo;s Case</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Important Sites:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605688035_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605688035_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Erra Matti Dibbalu:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is<strong> coastal red sediment mounds</strong> located between Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam.</li>
<li>The width of sandy red dunes vary from 200 metres to two kilometres, spread across five kilometres along the coast.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Such <strong>sand deposits</strong> have only been reported from two other low latitude tropical regions in <strong>South Asia &mdash;</strong> the <strong>Teri Sands of Tamil Nadu</strong> and <strong>Red Coastal Sands of Sri Lanka.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is among the 34 notified <strong>National Geological Heritage Monument Sites</strong> of India by the <strong>Geological Survey of India (GSI).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> term geological heritage</strong> is used for natural geological or geo-morphological features that have aesthetic, intrinsic or scientific and educational value, that provide unique insight into geological processes affecting the formation or evolution of Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Natural Rock Formations (Eastern Ghats) at Mangamaripeta:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>One example is the <strong>natural arch</strong> at Mangamaripeta beach opposite the Thotlakonda Buddhist Site.</li>
<li>It is likely to <strong>date back to the period after the last Ice Age</strong> around 10,000 years ago and is similar to the natural rock arch of Silathoranam in the Tirumala Hills.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Borra Caves:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Discovered by William King George</strong> of the GSI, these <strong>one million year old caves</strong> attract a huge number of tourists every day. These are located<strong> at an elevation of 1400 m above sea level.</strong></li>
<li>These caves are known for <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/icicles-stalactites-and-stalagmites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stalactite and stalagmite</a> formations</strong> such as Shiva-Parvathi, Rishi's Beard, Mother-Child, Crocodile, Human Brain, Tiger and Cows udder.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Volcanic Ash Deposits</strong>:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These are said to have originated from the <strong>volcanic eruption of Toba in Indonesia 73,000 years ago</strong> near Araku (Andhra Pradesh).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Red sands</strong> are being <strong>exploited for construction activity.</strong> Further, <strong>degradation due to human interference</strong> such as digging, climbing, littering are affecting their stability and exacerbating erosion.</li>
<li>The recent incident of <strong>overcrowding and reckless acts of visitors</strong> endangering the natural arch has raised concerns among geologists and heritage activists on the need to safeguard the sites of the region and establish a geo park.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In July 2019, INTACH organised a campaign to create <strong>public awareness on geologically and culturally important spots</strong> in the region.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>INTACH</strong> was founded <strong>in 1984 in New Delhi</strong> with the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/saving-the-precious-geo-heritage-sites-of-visakhapatnam/article33117808.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/unesco-global-geoparks'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Step Up for TB 2020 Report',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>&ldquo;Step Up for TB 2020&rdquo;</strong> <strong>report</strong> by the <strong>Stop TB Partnership</strong> and <strong>M&eacute;decins Sans Fronti&egrave;res/Doctors Without Borders</strong> (MSF) has highlighted India&rsquo;s <strong>conservative approach</strong> regarding the new medicines for<strong> Drug Resistant TB,</strong> putting lives of patients including children in danger.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The current <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pandemic</strong></a> has further aggravated the sufferings of TB patients in the country in terms of disease <strong>diagnosis, surveillance and treatment.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Founded in 1971,<strong> M&eacute;decins Sans Fronti&egrave;res</strong> (MSF), sometimes rendered in English as <strong>Doctors Without Borders,</strong> is an<strong> international humanitarian medical <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/non-governmental-organizations-ngos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-governmental organisation</a></strong> (NGO) of <strong>French origin</strong> best known for its projects in <strong>conflict zones</strong> and in countries affected by endemic diseases.</li>
<li><strong>It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Tuberculosis (TB)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-tuberculosis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tuberculosis</strong></a> is caused by bacteria<strong> (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)</strong> that most often affect the <strong>lungs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Transmission:</strong> TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air.</li>
<li><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.</li>
<li><strong>Treatment:</strong> TB is treatable and curable disease.It is treated with a standard 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.</li>
<li><strong>Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)</strong> is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs.</li>
<li><strong>Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB)</strong> is a more serious form of MDR-TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients without any further treatment options.</li>
<li>Tuberculosis (TB) remains the <strong>world&rsquo;s deadliest infectious disease,</strong> killing more than <strong>1.4 million people in 2019,</strong> despite being curable.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Report:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The report presents data on <strong>37 high-burden countries, including India</strong> (representing 77% of the global estimated TB incident cases), assessing the extent to which <strong>national policies align with international best practices</strong> based on <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong></a> guidelines and the latest scientific research.</li>
<li>This is the<strong> 4<sup>th</sup> edition</strong> of this report, which focuses on countries&rsquo; policies and practices related to<strong> 4 key areas of national TB programmes (NTPs):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Diagnosis,</li>
<li>Treatment (including models of care),</li>
<li>Prevention, and</li>
<li>Medicines procurement policies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are barriers to policy adoption and implementation across the surveyed countries.</li>
<li>The <strong>critical medical innovations</strong> are reaching very few people who urgently need them.</li>
<li>The report emphasised that <strong>oral treatment regimens</strong> for people with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) must be prioritised over older, toxic drugs that have to be injected and cause serious side effects.</li>
<li>Nearly<strong> 1 in 3 people</strong> with TB disease is <strong>still not diagnosed and notified.</strong></li>
<li>Almost <strong>2 in 3 countries</strong> surveyed still do not include in their policies urinary <strong>TB lipoarabinomannan (TB LAM) testing</strong> for people living with HIV. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>TB LAM is the only rapid point-of-care TB test available, and there is more than enough evidence of its benefits as a lifesaving point-of-care test.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India Specific Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India was criticised for not scaling up the new Disease Resistant (DR)-TB drugs <strong>Bedaquiline and Delamanid</strong>, needed even more during <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tb-drug-pretomanid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pretomanid</strong></a> is the third new drug developed for the treatment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Until March 2020, less <strong>than 10% of India&rsquo;s MDR-TB patients</strong> who were eligible for Bedaquiline had received it. This is alarming, since <strong>India is home to a quarter of the world&rsquo;s DR-TB patients.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India has the highest TB burden in the world. In 2018, <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lancet-building-a-tuberculosis-free-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.15 million TB cases were reported</a></strong>, which is 16% more than in 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Initiative to Fight TB:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To align with the ambitious goal, the programme has been renamed from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Eliminating TB by 2025:</strong> India is committed to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/agreement-with-the-world-bank-to-eliminate-tb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>eliminating tuberculosis from the country by 2025</strong></a>, five years ahead of the global target by the <strong>World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong> i.e. <strong>2030.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Nikshay Ecosystem:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is the National TB information system which is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and performance throughout the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This scheme is aimed at providing financial support to TB patients for their nutrition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tb-harega-desh-jeetega-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Launched In September 2019</strong></a> it is showcasing the highest level of commitment for the elimination of TB.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Saksham Project:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is a project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that has been providing psycho-social counselling to DR-TB patients.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Government of India has partnered with the<strong> Global Fund</strong> to launch <strong>JEET (Joint Effort for Elimination of TB),</strong> a private sector engagement program operating across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organization</strong></a> (WHO) has launched a joint initiative <strong>&ldquo;Find. Treat. All. #EndTB&rdquo;</strong> with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The WHO End TB Strategy outlines global impact targets to <strong>reduce TB deaths by 90%, to cut new cases by 80%</strong> between the years <strong>2015 and 2030,</strong> and to ensure that no family is burdened with catastrophic costs due to TB.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It aims to accelerate the TB response and ensure access to care, in line with WHO&rsquo;s overall drive towards <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/universal-health-coverage-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Universal Health Coverage</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>WHO also releases the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-tuberculosis-report-2019-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Tuberculosis Report.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite the<strong> notable successes</strong> achieved by the different programmes, robust efforts are needed to improve the early and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indigenous-tb-diagnostic-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>accurate diagnosis</strong></a> followed by a prompt appropriate treatment which is vital for ending TB.</li>
<li>India must collaborate with global efforts which are being done to eliminate the TB along with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/paradigm-shift-for-tb-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>paradigm shift in the control measure.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/amid-global-call-to-step-up-tb-treatment-experts-flag-indias-conservative-approach-7053992/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:IE</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'RCEP & India',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/threat-or-treat/article33110441.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Threat or treat: on RCEP trade deal&rdquo;</a> which was published in The Hindu on 17/11/2020. It talks about the impact of India&rsquo;s stance to stay out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the <strong><a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/16-11-2020#6999" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed into existence</a></strong> by 15 countries led by China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-state ASEAN grouping, creating one of the world&rsquo;s largest trading blocs.</p>
<p>India had been a part of negotiations for almost nine years <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-and-rcep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">till it pulled out in November 2019</a>, stating that inadequate safeguards and lowering of customs duties will adversely impact its manufacturing, agriculture and dairy sectors.</p>
<p>However, by staying out, India has blocked itself from a trade bloc that represents 30% of the global economy and world population, touching over 2.2 billion people.</p>
<p>Further, as the summary of the final agreement shows that the pact does cover and attempt to address some issues that India had flagged, including rules of origin, trade in services, movement of persons. Therefore, this makes the case of India to review its decision and look RCEP through the lens of economic realism.</p>
<h3>Reasons for India's Withdrawal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unfavourable Balance of Trade:</strong> Though trade has increased the post-<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/country-of-origin-rules-carotar-2020#:~:text=Free%20Trade%20Agreement,on%20substantial%20trade%20between%20them." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Free Trade Agreement</a> with South Korea, ASEAN countries and Japan, imports have risen faster than exports from India.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to a paper published by NITI Aayog, India has a bilateral trade deficit with most of the member countries of RCEP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chinese Angle:</strong> India has already signed FTA with all the countries of RCEP except China. Trade data suggests that India&rsquo;s deficit with China, with which it does not have a trade pact, is higher than that of the remaining RCEP constituents put together.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This trade deficit is the primary concern for India, as after signing RCEP cheaper products from China would have flooded the Indian market.</li>
<li>Further, from a geopolitical perspective, RCEP is China-led or is intended to expand China's influence in Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Non-acceptance of Auto-trigger Mechanism:</strong> To deal with the imminent rise in imports, India had been seeking an auto-trigger mechanism.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Auto-trigger Mechanism would have allowed India to raise tariffs on products in instances where imports cross a certain threshold.</li>
<li>However, other countries in the RCEP were against this proposal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protection of Domestic Industry:</strong> India had also reportedly expressed apprehensions on lowering and eliminating tariffs on several products like dairy, steel etc.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, the dairy industry is expected to face stiff competition from Australia and New Zealand.</li>
<li>Currently, India&rsquo;s average bound tariff for dairy products is on average 35%.</li>
<li>The RCEP binds countries to reduce that current level of tariffs to zero within the next 15 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Consensus on Rules of Origin:</strong> India was concerned about a &ldquo;possible circumvention&rdquo; of rules of origin.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rules of origin are the criteria used to determine the national source of a product.</li>
<li>Current provisions in the deal reportedly do not prevent countries from routing, through other countries, products on which India would maintain higher tariffs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons For India to Review</h3>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605614956_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605614956_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="529" height="287" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Economic Stagnation due to Covid-19:</strong> With global trade and the economy facing a steep decline due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/comprehensive-action-plan-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>, RCEP can serve as a bulwark in containing the free fall of the global economy and re-energising economic activity.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, the RCEP presents a unique opportunity to support India&rsquo;s economic recovery, inclusive development and job creation even as it helps strengthen regional supply chains.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need For Economic Realism:</strong> India should deter seeing RCEP only from the Chinese perspective.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India should acknowledge that the trade bloc represents 30% of the global economy and world population, touching over 2.2 billion people, and staying out of RCEP may result in suboptimal economic growth without leveraging Asia-Pacific demand.</li>
<li>In this regard, India can draw inspiration from Japan &amp; Australia, as they chose to bury their geopolitical differences with China to prioritise what they collectively see as a mutually beneficial trading compact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strategic Need:</strong> It is not just because gains from trade are significant, but the RCEP&rsquo;s membership is a prerequisite to having a say in shaping RCEP&rsquo;s rules.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is necessary to safeguard India&rsquo;s interests and the interests of several countries that are too small to stand up to the largest member, China.</li>
<li>Moreover, staying out of RCEP may also affect <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-s-act-east-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India's Act East policy</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Acknowledging India&rsquo;s economic heft and value as a market, the RCEP members have left the door open for India for inviting it to be an observer member and also waived a critical 18-month cooling period for interested applicants.</p>
<p>Given the global economic scenario in present times and the near future, it would be in India&rsquo;s interest to dispassionately review its position on RCEP and carry out structural reforms that will help India to mitigate some of the repercussions arising from the RCEP.</p>
<table border="1" style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #cff6fa; border-color: #058f9e;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question<br /><br /></strong></em>Given the global economic scenario in near future, it would be in India&rsquo;s interest to dispassionately review its position on RCEP. Discuss.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vqKMrySdyQg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This editorial is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/farmers-fertiliser-subsidy-india-modi-7052724/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Fertile opportunity&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on November 16th, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Willow Warbler',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Willow Warbler</strong> has been <strong>sighted for the first time in India</strong> at <strong>Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy fields,</strong> Kerala.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These paddy fields are a <strong>birding hotspot on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram</strong> and are known to <strong>harbour more than 213 species of birds</strong> that include both resident and migratory ones.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605865121_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605865121_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong><em> Phylloscopus trochilus.</em></li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> They breeds throughout <strong>northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Palearctic ecozone is one the Earth&rsquo;s 8 ecozones and covers Asia north of the Himalayas, with parts of western Asia and most of East Asia and Africa north of the Sahara.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Migration:</strong> They <strong>migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during early winter.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is <strong>one of the longest migrating small birds.</strong></li>
<li>The bird weighs around 10 grams and its<strong> long wing feathers</strong> help it fly long distances.</li>
<li>Warblers are generally <strong>difficult to identify owing to the small size and change in plumage twice a year.</strong> They are also the <strong>most difficult groups of birds to identify</strong> in the field for their<strong> striking resemblance to each other.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> The species is affected by <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unccd-drought-tool-box" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drought</a></strong> <strong>conditions in its wintering quarters</strong> and <strong>habitat alterations</strong> due to human population expansion.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a>: Least Concern.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/willow-warbler-sighted-for-the-first-time-in-country/article33136122.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Supercomputer Param Siddhi',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong> </a>(AI) supercomputer <strong>Param Siddhi</strong> ranked<strong> 63<sup>rd</sup> among top 500</strong> most powerful <strong>non-distributed computer systems</strong> in the world.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Distributed computing</strong> is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A distributed system is a system whose <strong>components are located on different networked computers,</strong> which <strong>communicate and coordinate</strong> their actions by passing messages to one another. The components interact with one another in order to achieve a common goal.</li>
<li>In a<strong> non-distributed</strong> (or co-located) system, <strong>all the parts of the system</strong> are in the <strong>same physical location.</strong> In a distributed system, parts of the system exist in separate locations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Param Siddhi</strong> is a High Performance Computing-Artificial Intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer developed by <strong>Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)</strong> under <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/national-supercomputer-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)</strong> </a>at <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jatan-virtual-museum-software" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Centre for Development of Advanced Computing.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The supercomputer has <strong>Rpeak</strong> of <strong>5.267 Petaflops and 4.6 Petaflops Rmax.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In high-performance computing, <strong>Rmax and Rpeak</strong> are scores used to rank supercomputers based on their performance using the <strong>LINPACK Benchmark.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>LINPACK Benchmarks</strong> are a measure of a system's floating point computing power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A system's Rmax score describes its <strong>maximal achieved performance,</strong> the Rpeak score describes its<strong> theoretical peak performance.</strong> Values for both scores are usually represented in teraFLOPS or petaFLOPS.</li>
<li>A <strong>petaflop</strong> is the ability of a computer to do <strong>one quadrillion floating point operations per second (FLOPS).</strong> Additionally, a petaflop can be measured as one thousand teraflops.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Supercomputing Mission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Mission envisages empowering our national academic and Research and Development (R&amp;D) institutions spread over the country by installing a <strong>vast supercomputing grid</strong> comprising more than <strong>70 high-performance computing facilities.</strong></li>
<li>Launched in 2015, this seven-year mission was allocated Rs 4,500-crore.</li>
<li>These supercomputers will also be networked on the National Supercomputing grid over the <strong>National Knowledge Network</strong> (NKN). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The NKN is another programme of the government which connects academic institutions and R&amp;D labs over a<strong> high speed network.</strong></li>
<li>Academic and R&amp;D institutions as well as key user departments/ministries would participate by using these facilities and develop applications of national relevance.</li>
<li>The Mission also includes development of highly professional <strong>High Performance Computing</strong> (HPC) aware human resource for meeting challenges of development of these applications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Mission is implemented and steered jointly by the <strong>Department of Science and Technology (DST)</strong> and <strong>Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).</strong></li>
<li>The (C-DAC) has recently launched the <strong>second phase</strong> of this project wherein more institutions will be supported by supercomputing facilities.</li>
<li><strong>Objective of NSM</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To make India one of the world leaders in Supercomputing and to enhance India&rsquo;s capability in solving grand challenge problems of national and global relevance</li>
<li>To empower our scientists and researchers with state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities and enable them to carry out cutting-edge research in their respective domains</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1673715" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Prime Ministers of India</strong> and the <strong>Grand Duchy of Luxembourg</strong> have held the <strong>first-ever India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both countries have cordial and friendly relations for over more than seven decades since the <strong>establishment of diplomatic relations in 1948.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605863409_image1.gif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605863409_image1.gif" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Focus Areas:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Strengthening <strong>India-Luxembourg relationship in the post-<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a> world,</strong> especially in the areas of financial technology, green financing, space applications, digital innovations and start-ups.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Promote Multilateralism:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Strengthen cooperation on realising<strong> effective multilateralism and combating global challenges</strong> like the Covid-19 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong></a>, terrorism and climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New Initiatives:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India welcomed <strong>Luxembourg&rsquo;s announcement to join the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/third-assembly-of-isa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Solar Alliance</a></strong> (ISA), and also invited it to join the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/coalition-for-disaster-resilient-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure</strong> </a>(CDRI).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Agreements Signed at the Summit:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between <strong>India International Exchange (India INX)</strong> and <strong>Luxembourg Stock Exchange.</strong></li>
<li>MoU between State Bank of India (SBI) and Luxembourg Stock Exchange.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both these provide for cooperation in financial services, industry maintenance of orderly markets in securities, ESG (environmental, social and governance) and green finance in the local market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>MoU between <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/invest-india-business-immunity-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Invest India</strong> </a>and <strong>Luxinnovation.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It provides for support and development of mutual business cooperation, including promotion and facilitation of inbound FDI, coming from or proposed by Indian and Luxembourgish investors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Luxembourg Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economic Relationship:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both countries have a <strong>long-standing cooperation in the steel</strong> sector and the leaders called upon businesses, including SMEs and startups, to <strong>explore further opportunities</strong> for expanding the economic relationship.</li>
<li>Both nations look forward to the<strong> 17<sup>th</sup> Joint Economic Commission</strong> (JEC) between <strong>India and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-and-belgium-luxembourg-economic-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union</a></strong> to review the economic and trade relations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Finance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> proposed agreement</strong> between the regulatory authorities <strong>Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier</strong> (CSSF) and the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/securities-and-exchange-board-of-india-sebi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Securities and Exchange Board of India</strong> </a>(SEBI) would deepen bilateral cooperation in the financial sector.</li>
<li>Luxembourg, as a <strong>leading international financial centre in Europe,</strong> can <strong>act as an important bridge</strong> to help connect India&rsquo;s financial services industry with international markets and reach European and global investors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Space and Digital Cooperation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both countries have an <strong>ongoing space cooperation,</strong> including in the domain of <strong>satellite broadcasting and communications.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Luxembourg based space companies</strong> have <strong>started utilising the services of India</strong> for launching their satellites into space.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In November 2020, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/indian-space-research-organisation-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Space Research Organisation</strong> </a>(ISRO)<strong> launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/earth-observation-satellite-eos-01-isro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PSLV-C49 mission</a></strong>, which included 4 satellites from Luxembourg.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>cooperation instrument in the area of exploration and <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/29-03-2019#:~:text=Global%20Rules%20and%20demands%20related%20to%20Space&amp;text=There%20are%20international%20treaties%20governing,be%20exploited%20for%20peaceful%20purposes.&amp;text=India%20is%20a%20party%20to%20the%20Outer%20Space%20Treaty." target="_blank" rel="noopener">use of outer space</a> for peaceful purposes</strong> is currently under discussion between the two Governments.</li>
<li>In the wake of the<strong> pandemic,</strong> both India and Luxembourg are <strong>promoting digitalisation</strong> through the<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-digital-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> "Digital India&rdquo;</strong></a> programme and the <strong>"Digital Luxembourg&rdquo;</strong> initiative respectively and agree to explore convergences between the two initiatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Higher Education and Research:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Indian National Brain Research Centre</strong> and the <strong>Luxembourg Institute of Health</strong> and the<strong> Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine</strong> have an ongoing collaboration in the field of <strong>neurodegenerative diseases.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of <strong>disorders that are characterised by the progressive degeneration of the structure and function of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system.</strong></li>
<li>Examples: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preventive-methods-for-alzheimers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Alzheimer's disease</strong> </a>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/z-scan-method-for-parkinson-s-disease#:~:text=Parkinson's%20disease%20is%20a%20chronic,the%20brain%20to%20the%20body." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Parkinson's disease.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>IITs</strong> in Bombay, Kanpur and Madras and the <strong>National Law School of India</strong> have <strong>links</strong> with the <strong>University of Luxembourg</strong> which will be <strong>further expanded</strong> for higher education and research in both countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Culture and People-to-people Ties:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2019,<strong> Luxembourg</strong> issued a<strong> commemorative stamp to mark the 150<sup>th</sup> Birth Anniversary of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mahatma-gandhi-jayanti#:~:text=2nd%20October%202020%20was,of%20the%20Nation%20%2D%20Mahatma%20Gandhi." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mahatma Gandhi</a>.</strong></li>
<li>Both countries intend to <strong>conclude a Migration and Mobility agreement</strong> to further strengthen mobility as well as an <strong>agreement on an exemption of visas</strong> for holders of diplomatic and official/service passports.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>EU-India Relations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>July 2020,</strong> a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-eu-virtual-summit#:~:text=Recently%2C%20India%20and%20the%20European,that%20define%20their%20bilateral%20ties." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>virtual summit between India and the European Union</strong></a> (EU) was held, where India expressed support for further intensification of the India-EU relationship, through strengthening cooperation in areas of common interest in the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-indo-pacific-strategic-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indo-Pacific region</strong></a>, and through comprehensive, sustainable and rules-based connectivity.</li>
<li><strong>Luxembourg,</strong> as <strong>one of the founding members of the EU,</strong> has<strong> played a constructive role</strong> in supporting stronger India-EU ties, which becomes even more important for the <strong>post-Covid-19 economic recovery.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Multilateral Cooperation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Luxembourg <strong>welcomed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elections-for-non-permanent-members-of-the-unsc#:~:text=Key%20Points,129%20votes)%20to%20be%20confirmed.&amp;text=This%20would%20be%20India's%20eighth,will%20begin%20from%20January%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s election to a non-permanent seat</a></strong> in the <strong>UN Security Council</strong> for the term 2021-2022 and reiterated its <strong>support for the reforms in the UN Security Council,</strong> including its expansion in both categories of permanent and non-permanent membership. It <strong>supports <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-permanent-seat-in-unsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s candidature for the permanent membership</a></strong> of the UN Security Council.</li>
<li>Luxembourg supported India&rsquo;s entry into the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/multilateral-export-control-regimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Missile Technology Control Regime</strong></a> (MTCR) and India&rsquo;s participation in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-nsg-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Nuclear Suppliers Group</strong> </a>(NSG).</li>
<li>India supports <strong>Luxembourg&rsquo;s candidatures to the <a href="/daily-news-editorials/the-relevance-of-unhrc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN Human Rights Council</a></strong> for the term 2022-2024.</li>
<li>Both <strong>condemn <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-international-convention-on-terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrorism</a> in all its forms and manifestations</strong> and agree on the need for continued cooperation to support international efforts at the UN and at forums like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/financial-action-task-force-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Action Task Force</strong> </a>(FATF) to prevent and combat terrorism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>first stand-alone Summit between India and Luxembourg</strong> in the past two decades marks a new phase in the bilateral relations where both countries reaffirmed their commitment towards widening and deepening the spectrum of the bilateral relations and enhancing consultation and coordination in regional and multilateral fora on matters of mutual and global interest.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1674160" 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/india-luxembourg-virtual-summit'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'NDB Loan to India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a <strong>500-million dollar</strong> loan agreement was signed between the <strong>Union government, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital Region (NCR) Transport Corporation Limited</strong> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5th-annual-meeting-of-ndb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Development Bank (NDB)</strong></a> for the <strong>Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an<strong> 82.15 km long,</strong> under-construction, semi-high speed rail corridor connecting <strong>Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut.</strong></li>
<li>It is one of the three rapid-rail corridors planned under Phase-I of Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project of <strong>National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Project will provide a <strong>fast, reliable, safe and comfortable</strong> public transport system in the NCR.</li>
<li>The project will serve as a <strong>demonstration</strong> for developing high-capacity rapid urban transit corridors in other urban areas of India.</li>
<li>High-speed connectivity will result in <strong>balanced economic development</strong> across the region, leading to economic benefits to all strata of society and many nodes of development rather than all economic activity happening at one place.</li>
<li>It will help in reducing<strong> traffic congestion and total emissions</strong> from the transport sector in NCR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Contributors:</strong> The total project cost is estimated at<strong> 3,749 million dollars,</strong> which will be financed by the <strong>NDB, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/asian-infrastructure-investment-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/-1-5-billion-adb-loan-to-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asian Development Bank (ADB)</a>, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction,</strong> government and other sources.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>New Development Bank</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>multilateral development bank</strong> jointly founded by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/brics-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>BRICS</strong></a> countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) at the 6<sup>th</sup> BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil in 2014.</li>
<li>It was formed to <strong>support infrastructure and sustainable development</strong> efforts in BRICS and other underserved, emerging economies for faster development through innovation and cutting-edge technology.</li>
<li>It is headquartered at<strong> Shanghai, China.</strong></li>
<li>In 2018, the NDB received observer status in the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> General Assembly, establishing a firm basis for active and fruitful cooperation with the United Nations.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/centre-inks-500-million-loan-deal-with-ndb-for-rrts-project/article33136353.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/ndb-loan-to-india'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Paternity Leave',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/virat-kohli-paternity-leave-7056480/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Papa don&rsquo;t leave&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 19/11/2020. It talks about the idea of paternity leave and the advantages associated with it.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Captain of the Indian cricket team has asked for and was granted, paternity leave in the middle of a competitive Test series against Australia. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/maternity-leave-government-for-incentive-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paternity leave</strong></a> is about giving fathers the right to take paid time off work following the birth (or adoption) of a child.</p>
<p>This is an important development in the context of gender discrimination at the workplace, but it will also have broader implications on the patriarchal mindset of Indian society.</p>
<h3>Need For Paternity Leave</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Patriarchal Society:</strong> The culture of toxic masculinity that prevails in Indian society results in hesitancy and some amount of ridicule in doing what Indian men think is &lsquo;women&rsquo;s work&rsquo;.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian society continues to see men as the &lsquo;breadwinner&rsquo; and women as the &lsquo;homemaker&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Gender Gap in Labour Laws:</strong> There is no proper legislation for paternity benefits. The only provision that exists in India gives 15 days leave for the father, as opposed to a maximum of 26 weeks or 182 days for the mother.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The number of days given to the mother can be partly justified by the physical healing the body needs after childbirth.</li>
<li>However, the vast gap that exists between these two policies exposes the possible mindset that went into making them.</li>
<li>The father need not stay at home as much as the mother must, as the mother is expected to carry the child-rearing responsibilities.</li>
<li>In this manner, legal policies are reinforcing societal biases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/maternity-benefits-and-workplace-equality-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017</strong></a> allows for pregnant women to take leave for a total of 26 weeks out of which up to 8 weeks can be claimed before delivery.</li>
<li>The woman is also supposed to get paid a benefit at the rate of her daily wage for three months before she goes on maternity leave.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Dual Burden on Women:</strong> Making maternity leaves as the only parental leave option in a company doesn&rsquo;t really bridge the gap between the domestic and the public; instead, it restricts the two even more strongly.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The indirect implications are that women are supposed to not only juggle both work and home life but also return to home life for fulfilling the &lsquo;nurturing&rsquo; role.</li>
<li>The time-use survey report released last month by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/restructuring-of-indian-statistical-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)</strong></a> shows that Indian women spend nearly four hours more on unpaid work than men, with grim consequences for women&rsquo;s participation in the workforce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Changing Trends</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Suo-Moto Action:</strong> Several private companies, too, offer paternity leave, without the prodding of legislation. For example, last year, Zomato rolled out 26 weeks of paid paternity leave for employees who become new fathers.</li>
<li><strong>International Scenario:</strong> In Britain, Sweden and Norway, parents are granted about a year of paid parental leave to tend to their newborns during that particularly crucial and difficult period.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic:</strong> By integrating the home and the workplace (Work from Home scenario), the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the extent to which the invisible labour is done by women at home.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Scenario:</strong> Four years ago, the Ministry of women and child development had pitched for the idea of legislating for paternity leave in the organised sector.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Advantages of Paternity Leave</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Debunking Patriarchy:</strong> Paternity leave &ndash; and especially longer leaves of several weeks or months &ndash; can promote parent-child bonding, improve outcomes for children, and even increase gender equity at home and at the workplace.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, when fathers are more engaged in raising children, they may become more aware of the challenges associated with it. This, in turn, may lead to a relationship which is compassionate and understanding.</li>
<li>This could be one of the first steps towards achieving a more egalitarian view in society and debunk patriarchy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Check Declining Women Labour Force Participation:</strong> Due to the societal sexism, women are often missing out on these critical years of work once being pressured into staying home with their children.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The years that women generally have children, between the ages of 25 and 35, are when people tend to begin making serious progress in their careers.</li>
<li>Therefore, if paternity leaves are normalised, and men actively start taking up the responsibility of child care, would check the declining women labour force participation rate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The battle against this deep-grained sexist skew in work and labour is a long haul. But the idea of official paternity leave &mdash; if endorsed by governments and private companies &mdash; takes a minimum first step in acknowledging that parenting and childcare is the shared responsibility of men and women.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605788522_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605788522_image 0.png" caption="false" width="600" height="366" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffdf7;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Paternity leave is an idea whose time has come, for both Indian men and women. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqXPIGumW80" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/fragile-ceasefire/article33119969.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Fragile ceasefire: on Armenia&ndash;Azerbaijan clashes&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on November 18<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/paternity-leave'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Guillain Barre Syndrome',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Some patients infected with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> have been found suffering from <strong>Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Guillain Barre Syndrome:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a very <strong>rare autoimmune disorder</strong> in which the patient's immune system <strong>attacks nerves.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> exact cause</strong> of Guillain-Barre syndrome is<strong> unknown,</strong> but as per the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong></a>, GBS is often preceded by an infection. This could be a <strong>bacterial or viral infection.</strong> It may also be triggered by<strong> vaccine administration </strong>or<strong> surgery.</strong></li>
<li>In the past, patients of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronaviruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/genetically-modified-aedes-aegypti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Zika virus</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-subtype-of-hiv-discovered" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)</strong></a>, Herpes virus and Campylobacter jejuni have shown symptoms of GBS.</li>
<li><strong>Link with Covid-19:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The immune system, in an attempt to kill the coronavirus, accidentally starts attacking its own <strong>peripheral nervous system.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> peripheral nervous system</strong> is a network of nerves that lead from the brain and spinal cord (i.e. central nervous system) to different parts of the body. Attacking them can <strong>affect limb functions.</strong></li>
<li>An interval of <strong>5-10 days</strong> is noticed between<strong> onset of GBS symptoms and Covid-19 infection,</strong> but some doctors say it can also take weeks after Covid-19 infection for a person to develop GBS.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Symptoms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Weakness or tingling sensations, which usually start in the legs, and can spread to the arms and face.</li>
<li>Difficulty with facial movements, including speaking, chewing or swallowing.</li>
<li>Double vision, rapid heart rate, low or high blood pressure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Complication:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There could be <strong>respiratory failure</strong> as the worst outcome, or weakness and effect on walking and limb movement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Treatment:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).</li>
<li><strong>Plasma therapy.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Campylobacter jejuni</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Campylobacteriosis is an infection by the <strong>Campylobacter bacteria.</strong> It is more commonly known as C. jejuni. It is among the most common bacterial infections of humans, often a foodborne illness. It produces bloody diarrhea or dysentery syndrome, mostly including cramps, fever and pain.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Herpes Virus</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Herpes results from infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It causes<strong> sores or blisters</strong> to form in or around the<strong> mouth or genitals,</strong> as well as other symptoms such as fever and fatigue.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-the-guillain-barre-syndrome-some-covid-19-patients-develop-7056256/" 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/guillain-barre-syndrome'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Deemed Forests in Karnataka',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Karnataka</strong> has announced that it would <strong>declassify 6.64 lakh hectares</strong> (nearly 67%) of the 9.94 lakh hectares of <strong>deemed forests</strong> in the state and hand it over to Revenue authorities.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The issue of deemed forests is a contentious one in Karnataka, with legislators across party lines often <strong>alleging that large amounts of agriculture and non-forest land are &ldquo;unscientifically&rdquo; classified</strong> as such.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition of Deemed Forests:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Deemed forests, <strong>comprising about 1% of India&rsquo;s forest land,</strong> are a controversial subject as they <strong>refer to land tracts that appear to be a &ldquo;forest&rdquo;, but have not been notified so by the government or in historical records.</strong></li>
<li>The concept of deemed forests <strong>has not even been clearly defined in any law</strong> including the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/indian-forest-act-1927" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Forest Conservation Act 1980.</strong></a></li>
<li>In the<strong><em> T N Godavarman Thirumalpad case 1996,</em></strong> the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong></a> (SC) accepted a <strong>wide definition of forests</strong> under the Act and held that the word &lsquo;forest&rsquo; must be<strong> understood according to its dictionary meaning.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This description <strong>covers all statutorily recognised forests,</strong> whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise for the purpose of <strong>Section 2 (1) of the Act</strong> and also includes any <strong>areas recorded as forest in the government record irrespective of the ownership.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>provisions for the conservation of forest and the matters connected therewith applies clearly to all forests</strong> irrespective of the ownership or classification.</li>
<li>The <strong>freedom to define which tracts of forest</strong> qualify as forest has been the <strong>prerogative of States since 1996.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, this<strong> only applies to forest land</strong> that has not already been historically classified as &ldquo;forest&rdquo; in revenue records, or categorised so by the government as &ldquo;protected&rdquo; or &ldquo;reserve forest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deemed Forests in Karnataka:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Areas Included:</strong> An expert committee constituted by the state government<strong> identified &lsquo;deemed forests&rsquo; as:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Land having the characteristic of forests irrespective of the ownership.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded areas of the Revenue Department, not handed over to the Forest Department.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded areas recommended to be handed over to the Forest Department.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded land distributed to grantees but not cultivated.</li>
<li>Thickly wooded plantations of the Forest Department.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Land Coverage:</strong> The <strong>expert committee reports in 1997 and 2002</strong> identified 43.18 lakh hectares of forest land for conservation in Karnataka, which included 33.23 lakh hectares notified forest area as per forest records and 9.94 lakh hectares &lsquo;deemed forests&rsquo;.</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Contention:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>2014,</strong> the government<strong> relooked at the categorisation of forests</strong> and found that some of the &lsquo;statutory forests&rsquo; had been <strong>wrongly classified</strong> as &lsquo;deemed forest&rsquo;.</li>
<li>It also held that a <strong>well-defined scientific, verifiable criterion was not used</strong> while applying the dictionary definition which <strong>resulted in a subjective classification</strong> of areas as deemed forests.</li>
<li>The subjective classification, in turn, resulted in <strong>conflicts between the Forest Department and other departments</strong> like Revenue, Irrigation, Public Works and Energy.</li>
<li>The random classification caused <strong>hardship to farmers</strong> in some areas and there is also a <strong>commercial demand for mining in some regions</strong> designated as deemed forests.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Revised Coverage:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Later, newly formed committees identified 5.18 lakh hectares of deemed forest land that could be released from the total area.</li>
<li>After a<strong> recent study of the actual extent of deemed forest areas,</strong> the amount of deemed forest land to be released has been <strong>revised to 6.64 lakh hectares.</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>2019,</strong> the <strong>state had filed an interim application</strong> in the SC for the exclusion of the revised area but the <strong>Court did not pass an order</strong> on the application.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Forest and Tree Resources in Karnataka</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Total Forest cover:</strong> 20.11%, according to the <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/india-state-of-forest-report-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India State of Forest Report 2019</strong></a>, the<strong> 16<sup>th</sup> biennial assessment of India&rsquo;s forests</strong> by <strong>Forest Survey of India</strong> (FSI).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>FSI is an organisation <strong>under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change</strong> (MoEFCC).</li>
<li>It undertakes <strong>National Forest Inventory</strong> to assess the growing stock in forests and Tree Outside Forest (TOF), bamboo resource, carbon stock and to assess the dependence of the people living in Forest Fringe Villages for fuelwood, fodder, small timber and bamboo.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Physiographically,</strong> the state can be divided into two distinct regions:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Hilly region</strong> <em>(Malnad)</em>: comprising the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ecologically-sensitive-areas-in-western-ghats" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Western Ghats.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Plain region</strong> <em>(Maidan)</em>: comprising the inland plateau.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<strong> evergreen forests</strong> of the Western Ghats cover about 60% of the forest area of the State and are recognised as<strong> one of the four <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/26-11-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biodiversity Hotspots of India.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Other three biodiversity hotspots are the <strong>Himalayas, Areas under Indo-Burma and Sundalands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protected Area Network of the State:</strong> 5 National Parks (Anshi,<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/waterholes-revival-in-bandipur-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Bandipur</strong></a>, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh, Nagarahole) 30 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 15 Conservation Reserves.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Karnataka supports about 10% of the total <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tiger</strong> </a>population and 25% of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-elephant-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>elephant</strong> </a>population of the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-are-deemed-forests-and-why-karnataka-wants-to-declassify-some-7056577/" 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/deemed-forests-in-karnataka'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'FFC Recommendations for Health Sector',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission#:~:text=The%2015th%20Finance%20Commission,April%202020%20to%20March%202025." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC)</strong></a> has made <strong>recommendations</strong> about the need for<strong> reprioritising public spending to fix the creaky health infrastructure</strong> exposed by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coronavirus pandemic.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>FFC has <strong>submitted its report to the President</strong> advising how to share tax revenues with states for the Financial Year (FY) 2022-26 period.</li>
<li>The FFC report also makes <strong>recommendations about performance incentives to states</strong> in several reform areas.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Recommendations:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>FFC has mooted a <strong>greater role for public-private partnerships (PPPs)</strong> to ramp up the health infrastructure and scale up <strong>public spending on health</strong> from <strong>0.95% of GDP to 2.5% by 2024.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While <strong>public outlays should focus on primary health care</strong> at the panchayat and municipality level, <strong>private players</strong> should be relied on for <strong>specialty healthcare.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> total spending of around 0.95% of GDP</strong> is<strong> not adequate</strong> in relation to the commitments under the <strong>National Health Policy of 2017.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The 2017 Policy proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP in a time-bound manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a need for a <strong>more holistic approach to encouraging PPP</strong> in the health sector. There should be a<strong> constant working relationship</strong> and the government <strong>should not resort to the private sector in the case of an emergency only.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>trust deficit</strong> that exists between industry and government needs to be bridged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>District hospitals</strong> can become<strong> great grounds</strong> for training paramedics, creating health and employment multipliers.</li>
<li>FFC Chairman emphasised on the need to create <strong>a cadre for medical officers</strong> as mentioned in the <strong>All India Services Act 1951.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>All-India health service</strong> is needed to address issues within the health sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There is a need for <strong>substantial improvements in the working conditions for doctors</strong> in government hospitals, many of whom are hired on a contract basis by States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issues in the Health Sector:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s general <strong>government expenditure</strong> on healthcare as a percent of GDP was <strong>just 1.0% in 2017,</strong> according to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong></a> data, placing it at number <strong>165 out of 186 countries</strong> in terms of government expenditure on healthcare.</li>
<li><strong>Skewed availability of healthcare</strong> across India as poorer States have the worst facilities.</li>
<li>In terms of<strong> access and quality</strong> of health services, <strong>India was ranked 145 out of 195 countries</strong> in a Lancet study published in 2018, below countries like China (48), Sri Lanka (71) Bhutan (134) and Bangladesh (132).</li>
<li><strong>Availability of trained epidemiologists</strong> is an issue due to low salary and job insecurity in the health system.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There should be one epidemiologist per 0.2 million population. An epidemiologist is a technical person to guide and monitor the process of contact-tracing, marking containment zones and isolating suspected cases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s expenditure on R&amp;D</strong> as a percent of GDP has continued to remain stagnant at 0.7% of GDP for three decades, with the public sector accounting for 51.8% of national R&amp;D expenditure. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This compares to around 2.8% of GDP for the USA, 2.1% of GDP for China, 4.4% of GDP for Korea and around 3% for Germany where the dominant sector by spending on R&amp;D is the private sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605773412_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605773412_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="500" height="401" /></a></p>
<h3>Recent Initiatives</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, the government has <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/financial-support-to-public-private-partnerships-in-infrastructure#:~:text=Viability%20Gap%20Funding%20(VGF)%20means,fall%20short%20of%20financial%20viability.&amp;text=The%20Viability%20Gap%20Funding%20(VGF)%20provided%20for%20economic%20infrastructure%20will,be%20extended%20to%20social%20infrastructure." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>expanded the provision</strong></a> <strong>of financial support by means of viability gap funding for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)</strong> in infrastructure projects to social sectors such as health, education, water and waste treatment.</li>
<li>Several <strong>public-private partnerships</strong> and collaborations are already underway. The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-develops-ventilators" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)</strong></a> which has developed ventilators, collaborated with industry to scale up production of ventilators.</li>
<li>There have been <strong>several examples</strong> of how public research laboratories, public institutions like the IITs, and private players including startups have risen to the challenge of working on Covid-19 testing kits, masks, alcohol-based sanitizers, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and ventilators, to overcome challenges of global supply chain disruptions and to cater to domestic needs.</li>
<li>The government has made several interventions in the health sector including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-medical-commission-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Medical Commission</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-digital-health-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Digital Health Mission</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/ayushmanbharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat</strong></a>, etc.</li>
<li>A total of <strong>17 Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) projects</strong> have been started in India, with different government and private organisations.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>GHSA, set in 2014,<strong> builds on the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR)</strong> that provide guidance for countries to assess and manage serious health threats that have the potential to spread beyond borders.</li>
<li><strong>Capacity-building of the healthcare workers</strong> for surveillance and outbreak investigation is a vital step under workforce development of GHSA&rsquo;s action package.</li>
<li>One of the institutes responsible for workforce development under GHSA is the <strong>National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW),</strong> that has implemented the <strong>&ldquo;Public Health Systems Capacity Building in India&rdquo;</strong> project.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/finance-panel-for-public-private-partnerships-to-ramp-up-health-infrastructure/article33126099.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/ffc-recommendations-for-health-sector'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Chapare Virus',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently discovered a rare <strong>Ebola-like illness</strong> that is believed to have first originated in <strong>rural Bolivia</strong> in 2004.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The virus is named Chapare after the province in which it was first observed.</li>
<li><strong>Chapare,</strong> is a rural province in the northern region of <strong>central Bolivia.</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>Chapare Virus belongs to the same <strong>Arenavirus family</strong> that is responsible for illnesses such as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ebola-death-in-democratic-republic-of-congo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ebola virus disease (EVD)</strong></a>. It causes Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vector:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chapare virus are generally<strong> carried by rats</strong> and can be transmitted through <strong>direct contact with the infected rodent, its urine and droppings, or through contact with an infected person.</strong></li>
<li>A disease vector is any agent which<strong> carries and transmits</strong> an infectious pathogen into another living organism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Symptoms of Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hemorrhagic fever much like Ebola.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a severe and life-threatening kind of illness that can <strong>affect multiple organs and damage the walls of blood vessels.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Abdominal pain,</li>
<li>Vomiting,</li>
<li>Bleeding gums,</li>
<li>Skin rash,</li>
<li>Pain behind the eyes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transmission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Virus can spread from<strong> person to person.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Chapare spreads only through <strong>direct contact</strong> with bodily fluids.</li>
<li><strong>Sexually transmission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Researchers also found fragments of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/novel-strain-of-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ribonucleic acid (RNA)</strong></a> associated with Chapare, in the semen of one survivor <strong>168 days</strong> after he was infected.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diagnosis:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chapare virus is <strong>much more difficult</strong> to catch than the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronaviruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coronavirus</strong></a> as it is <strong>not transmissible</strong> via the <strong>respiratory route.</strong> Instead, Chapare spreads only through direct contact with <strong>bodily fluids.</strong></li>
<li>New sequencing tools will help develop an <strong>RT-PCR test</strong> &mdash; much like the one used to diagnose <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> to help detect Chapare.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Treatment:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since there are <strong>no specific drugs</strong> to treat the disease, patients generally receive <strong>supportive care</strong> such as intravenous fluids.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Intravenous therapy</strong> is a medical technique that delivers a liquid directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration solutions or to provide nutrition in those who cannot consume food or water by mouth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Maintenance of<strong> hydration.</strong></li>
<li>Management of shock through fluid resuscitation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Fluid resuscitation is the medical practice of <strong>replenishing bodily fluid</strong> lost through sweating, bleeding, fluid shifts or other pathologic processes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Pain Relief Medicines</li>
<li>Transfusions as the supportive therapy that can be administered on patients.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>People at Risk:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The disease is also known to be most commonly transmitted in more<strong> tropical regions,</strong> particularly in certain parts of South America where the small-eared pygmy rice rat is commonly found.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mortality Rate:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As there are very few cases on record, the mortality and risk factors associated with the illness are <strong>relatively unknown.</strong></li>
<li>In the first known outbreak, the only confirmed case was fatal. In the second outbreak in 2019, three out of five documented cases were fatal <strong>(case-fatality rate of 60%).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recent Outbreak:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recent biggest outbreak of the &lsquo;Chapare virus&rsquo; was reported in 2019, when three healthcare workers contracted the illness from two patients in the Bolivian capital of La Paz.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Ebola Virus Disease</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF),</strong> is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses</li>
<li><strong>Transmission:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Fruit bats</strong> of the Pteropodidae family are natural <strong>Ebola virus hosts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Animal to human transmission:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ebola is introduced into the human population through <strong>close contact</strong> with the blood, secretions, organs or other <strong>bodily fluids of infected animals</strong> such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Human-to-human transmission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ebola spreads via <strong>direct contact</strong> (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with:</li>
<li>Blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola.</li>
<li>Objects that have been contaminated with body fluids (like blood, feces, vomit) from a person sick with Ebola or the body of a person who died from Ebola.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vaccines:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An experimental Ebola vaccine, called<strong> rVSV-ZEBOV</strong> proved highly protective against EVD.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-all-about-the-rare-ebola-like-chapare-virus-that-can-spread-from-human-to-human-7055914/" 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/chapare-virus'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture: 75 Years of UN',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v8xa4uh2Au0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>On October 24, 2020 the United Nations marked its diamond jubilee.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Far from a joyous celebration, it was an occasion sombrely reflecting the stagnance of the UN at 75.</li>
<li>How it can regain its lost lustre is a matter of discussion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite that the UN has gone through several improvements, the tussle between 'principle' and 'power' still remains the same.</li>
<li>The UN is for global governance and not a global government.</li>
<li>Though the organisation was designed to maintain a peaceful and just world, it still privileges the most powerful states.</li>
<li>The UN has seen successes as well as failures almost equally.</li>
<li>The United Nations must be sustained as there is no parallel organisation to it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The United Nations</h3>
<p>Founded in 1945, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong> </a>is an international organisation aimed at:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Maintaining international peace and security</li>
<li>Protecting human rights</li>
<li>Delivering humanitarian aid</li>
<li>Promoting sustainable development</li>
<li>Upholding international law.</li>
</ul>
<p>The UN headquarters is located in New York, USA.</p>
<p><strong>UN's Success Areas</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Increment in the UN membership:</strong> Post- 1960's decolonisation, the membership of the UN expanded from about 50 members to double.</li>
<li><strong>Decolonisation:</strong> It was the UN which played the lead role in the 1960 decolonisation and helped around 80 colonies in gaining their freedom.</li>
<li><strong>Involvement with civil society:</strong> The UN is no more an organisation of nations only, more and more UN bodies have begun engaging with the people within the nations, experts, intellectuals and media with time.</li>
<li><strong>Better sustenance:</strong> The UN has successfully sustained itself till now, as compared to the <strong>League of Nations,</strong> which is an achievement.</li>
<li><strong>Peacekeeping:</strong> The UN has successfully prevented World War - III.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>1960's Decolonisation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1960, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV)), known also as the <strong>Declaration on Decolonization.</strong></li>
<li>When the United Nations was established in 1945, 750 million people- almost a third of the world's population then lived in Territories that were non-self-governing, dependent on colonial Powers.</li>
<li>About 80 former colonies had gained their independence.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At present, there are 17 only Non- Self- Governing Territories remaining and fewer than 2 million people live in such Territories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The League of Nations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The League of Nations was an international diplomatic group developed after World War I as a way to solve disputes between countries before they erupted into open warfare.</li>
<li>It was established on 10 January, 1920 with its headquarter in <strong>Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>A precursor to the United Nations, the League achieved some victories but had a mixed record of success, sometimes putting self-interest before becoming involved with conflict resolution, while also contending with governments that did not recognize its authority.</li>
<li>The League effectively ceased operations during World War II (1946).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>UN's Major Setbacks</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Arm races and Cold war:</strong> Although, the WW-III has been successfully prevented till date, violence, arm races, nuclear races and cold wars still occur among nations.</li>
<li><strong>Power suppressing principles:</strong> The world body still continues to see a tussle between &lsquo;principle&rsquo; and &lsquo;power&rsquo;.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While the hopes of a peaceful and just world are represented by the UN, the most powerful states are privileged by granting them commanding heights over international politics via the undemocratic instruments of veto power and permanent seats in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-security-council-1#:~:text=Its%20primary%20responsibility%20is%20to,China%20and%20the%20United%20Kingdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Security Council</strong> </a>(UNSC).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Not a multipolar organisation:</strong> The UN has been unable to present itself as a multipolar and multilateral organisation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At the time of formation, the UN had 5 permanent members with a total of 51 members, presently, it has 193 members but permanent members in the UN General Assembly are still 5.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Laggard in holistic growth:</strong> The organisation had not been able to cope up with the increasing globalisation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The UN has been a laggard in overall development; no institutional arrangement is there to deal in particular with Pandemics or new technologies such as <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Significant Role of India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India and the UN:</strong> India is one of the founding members of the UN.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since its independence and even before that,India has been an active participant in all initiatives undertaken by the UN like Millennium Development Goals, <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable development goals</strong></a> and various UN summits, including on climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maintaining peace:</strong> As far as the peacekeeping ambit of the UN is concerned, India has performed quite well in maintaining peaceful and friendly relations with most of the nations.</li>
<li><strong>India and UNSC:</strong> India has been recently elected as a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elections-for-non-permanent-members-of-the-unsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>non permanent member of the UNSC</strong></a> and will be joining the latter from 1 January, 2021.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The non permanent membership of India can be taken as an opportunity to convince the like-minded nations for fighting international terrorism.</li>
<li>Moreover, India should also focus upon sitting upon the apex body in future; becoming a permanent member of the UN.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Raising concern over need of reforms:</strong> India has realised the urgent need of reforms in the UN specially at the UNSC and has raised concerns over the issue.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What can India do?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Perseverance:</strong> India must persevere and be determined about its position rather than bringing it out only on occasions.</li>
<li><strong>Alliance:</strong> It should make other allied nations that have ties with India realise its value and the power they can all gather together once India gets a permanent seat at the Security council.</li>
<li><strong>Balance its international and internal responsibilities:</strong> India must also see the added pressure it might receive if it becomes a member on the Security council and not have to compromise with its own internal issues.</li>
<li><strong>Principles over power:</strong> India&rsquo;s tilt towards principles is what is appreciated and shall be continued to maintain its goodwill.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reforming the UN charter:</strong> The UN charter talks only about the rights but not duties and responsibilities. The duties and responsibilities at individual, community, global and national level need to be emphasised too.</li>
<li><strong>Reforms in the UNSC:</strong> The UNSC should be expanded in terms of its core members, only five permanent members with a total of 193 members does not provide justice to the others.</li>
<li><strong>A more multilateral organisation:</strong> The UN should engage strongly with multilateralism and harness the capabilities of all those who matter, not just the P5.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>What is needed is a multipolar and multilateral approach rather than autocracy of the P5 countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Choosing principles over power:</strong> If the principles are written by the most powerful states, then it cannot create any difference; the unequal and iniquitous structure will remain the same.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The salience of power is what is needed to be reduced.</li>
<li>This is where India can take up the lead and may start a dialogue with the like minded countries first about the same.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Judging the elements of power:</strong> It is needed to be looked upon what elements of power need to be appreciated- the crude, military power or the soft, economic power.</li>
<li><strong>Principles for the powerful too:</strong> The other members need to make sure that the powerful members are made to work within the framework of principles so the balance between the power and principle is maintained.</li>
<li><strong>Specialised agencies:</strong> The need for specialised agencies dealing with specific affairs such as Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Pandemics etc shall be looked and acted upon.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>P5 Countries:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The P5 refers to the UN Security Council's five permanent members; namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States plus Germany (making it P5 +1).</li>
<li>The P5+1 is often referred to as the E3+3 by European countries.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UN has survived and thrived and has certainly seen incremental changes over the last 75 years but the time has come for the UN to change and change for the better.</li>
<li>UNSC is in desperate need to undergo reforms, the sooner the better, the later the more redundant.</li>
<li>In a nutshell, as far as the whole UN is concerned complete reform is needed with principles not to be written by the most powerful anymore.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-75-years-of-un'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Online Education Woes',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A recent study by the <strong>Azim Premji University</strong> on the <strong>efficacy and accessibility</strong> of e-learning has highlighted various challenges involved in online education in the country.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Student Specific Finding:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reason for student&rsquo;s lack of accessibility to online classes:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Non-availability or<strong> inadequate number of smartphones</strong> for dedicated use or sharing.</li>
<li>Difficulty in<strong> using apps</strong> for online learning.</li>
<li>Children with disabilities found it more difficult to participate in online sessions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Parents Specific Findings:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>90%</strong> of parents of government school students surveyed were <strong>willing to send their children back to school,</strong> if the health of their children was taken care of.</li>
<li><strong>70%</strong> of the parents surveyed were of the opinion that online classes <strong>were not effective</strong> and <strong>did not help</strong> in their child&rsquo;s learnings.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Teacher&rsquo;s Specific Findings:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Teachers' main problem found during the online classes was the <strong>one-way communication,</strong> which made it <strong>difficult for them to assess</strong> whether students were able to understand what was being taught.</li>
<li>More than<strong> 80% of teachers</strong> surveyed said they were <strong>unable to maintain emotional connect</strong> with students during online classes, while <strong>90%</strong> of teachers felt that <strong>no meaningful assessment</strong> of children&rsquo;s learning was possible.</li>
<li>50% of the teachers reported that <strong>children were unable to complete assignments shared during the online classes,</strong> which had led to serious gaps in learning.</li>
<li>The survey also revealed that around 75% of the teachers spent, <strong>on an average, less than an hour a day on online classes</strong> for any grade.</li>
<li>Teachers also reported that they were <strong>ill-prepared for online learning platforms.</strong></li>
<li>More than half the teachers surveyed shared that their<strong> knowledge and user-experience</strong> on online platforms and modes of teaching were inadequate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/education/schools/study-highlights-online-education-woes/article33119515.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/online-education-woes'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Rural Non-Farm Sector',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/agriculture-gdp-growth-economy-7055240/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Spot the seeds of growth&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 18/11/2020. It talks about the importance &amp; challenges of the rural non-farm sector in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Due to the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 pandemic, India&rsquo;s GDP contracted by 23.9 %. in the first quarter. However, a silver lining in this degrowth scenario can be noted as agriculture grew by 3.4%.</p>
<p>Despite green shoots, agriculture in India is ailing for a long time. It has been grappling with issues like fast depleting groundwater, soil degradation, fragmented markets, barely functioning agricultural extension services and speeding up of climate change.</p>
<p>It is due to these factors agriculture cannot overturn contraction in other sectors, but along with the non-farm rural sector, it could jump-start the economy. Apart from this, Non-Farm rural activities (livestock, fisheries and food processing, etc.) are advantageous in lifting the poor above the poverty line.</p>
<p>Therefore, it becomes imperative to identify the issues of the non-farm rural sector in India to focus on building strong growth links between the non-farm rural economy and agriculture.</p>
<h3>Importance of Rural Non-Farm Sector</h3>
<p>The non-farm sector, particularly in rural areas is being accorded wide recognition in recent years for the following reasons:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Check on Unregulated Migration:</strong> A planned strategy of rural non-farm development may prevent many rural people from migrating to urban industrial and commercial centres.</li>
<li><strong>Bridging Rural-Urban Divide:</strong> When the economic base of the rural economy extends beyond agriculture, rural-urban economic gaps are bound to get narrower along with salutary effects in many other aspects associated with the life and aspirations of the people.</li>
<li><strong>Employment Generation:</strong> Non-farm rural industries are generally less capital-intensive and more labour absorbing. Thus, they can play a critical role in employment growth in rural areas.</li>
<li><strong>Reducing Inequalities:</strong> Rural income distribution is much less unequal in areas where a wide network of non-farm avenues of employment exists.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As the lower strata of rural societies participate much more intensely in non-farm activities, it helps in increasing social mobility.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Weak Institutional Structure:</strong> There are many institutions (KVIC, SIDBI, etc.) which were established for the development of the rural non-farm sector.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, these institutions are marred by issues like administrative inefficiency, lack of financial autonomy, overlapping jurisdiction, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Quality of Manpower:</strong> High levels of illiteracy in rural India have hampered the growth of the rural non-farm sector.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the rural areas, lack of education leads to labour being stagnant in agriculture or moving to casual work occupations in the non-farm sector, and not to salaried employment with higher wages and benefits.</li>
<li>Together with a lack of technical skills, there is little incentive for rural firms to invest in technology, leading to low levels of labour productivity in the rural manufacturing sector compared to urban manufacturing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forward and Backward Linkages:</strong> The gaps in the integration of the production linkages brought about by low accessibility of market, support service weaknesses and intervention of middlemen have constrained the development of non-farm enterprises in India.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from this, the most significant bottleneck in generating higher levels of rural non-farm activity in India is the quantity, quality and reliability of infrastructure.</li>
<li>Although corrective steps are now being taken, increased infrastructure remains the most important priority for the future.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>Efforts are needed to identify appropriate and effective institutional vehicles for the development of non-farm sector policy and interventions for creating employment opportunities. In this context, the following policy interventions can be taken by the government.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>China&rsquo;s TVEs Model:</strong> China&rsquo;s labour-intensive township and village enterprises (TVEs), are often described as the &ldquo;engine of growth&rdquo; behind China&rsquo;s remarkable growth.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The TVEs are hybrid institutions, generally unusual alliances between entrepreneurs and local government officials (acting in the capacity of "owners" of TVE enterprises).</li>
<li>In this regard, the role of government is crucial, especially in the provision of necessary infrastructure and other support services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Supply Chain Integration:</strong> It is also vital to improve the marketing links between the village entrepreneurs and the larger business firms located in the towns/cities.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such strategic alliances or partnerships can contribute to the sustainability of small villages and tiny enterprises in rural areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Addressing Structural Issues:</strong> Other important considerations that need to be focused on may include human resource development, financial/credit facilities, research and development and women&rsquo;s participation with a view to making the activities self-sustaining in the changing competitive environment.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The non-farm rural sector is increasingly playing an important role in the development of rural areas of India. Specifically, as agriculture&rsquo;s contribution to the economy is declining, the non-farm sector will need to become more and more a major provider of employment and income to many people in rural areas.</p>
<p>However, it should be noted that the non-farm rural sector is not a substitute for employment in agriculture but rather as a supplementary measure. Agricultural development is still important and should be pursued as a necessary precondition for inclusive development.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605698357_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605698357_image 0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="635" height="603" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f8fff5;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The non-farm rural sector can increasingly play an important role in the development of rural areas of India. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPEcutiiT-4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/threat-or-treat/article33110441.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Threat or treat: on RCEP trade deal&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on November 17<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rural-non-farm-sector'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project: Goa',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India&rsquo;s <strong>first convergence project</strong> to generate green energy for rural and agriculture consumption is set to come up in <strong>Goa.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL),</strong> a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, and Goa government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the same.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Notes</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Convergence Project of EESL:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Focus:</strong> It focuses on energy solutions that lie at the <strong>confluence </strong>of <strong>renewable energy, electric mobility</strong> and<strong> climate change.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong> It seeks to connect seemingly independent sectors like <strong>Solar Energy, Energy Storage and LED lights</strong> to provide solutions, which can enable in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/energy-needs-in-the-context-of-climate-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decarbonisation</strong></a> and <strong>affordable energy</strong> access.</li>
<li><strong>Mechanism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>EESL</strong> is offering <strong>convergent interventions,</strong> which solve multiple gap areas in the energy ecosystem.</li>
<li>Solutions such as <strong>solarised agriculture feeders, LED street lights</strong> in local villages and <strong>battery energy storage systems.</strong></li>
<li>Leveraging the <strong>carbon financing mechanism</strong> to rapidly strengthen rural infrastructure in a clean and sustainable manner, and to create a<strong> resilient and sustainable rural community</strong> in India.</li>
<li>EESL&rsquo;s climate financing interventions currently include <strong>Gram<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5-years-of-ujala-and-slnp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> UJALA</a>, Decentralised Solar and Gram Panchayat <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/5-years-of-ujala-and-slnp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Street Lights programmes</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits of the Project:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Promote Renewable Energy:</strong> It will <strong>accelerate</strong> the usage of <strong>renewable energy sources,</strong> especially for agricultural and rural power consumption in the State.</li>
<li><strong>Energy Efficient:</strong> Contribute to<strong> reduction of peak energy demand</strong> through deployment of energy efficient pumping and lighting thus contributing to overall sustainability.</li>
<li><strong>Improve Health of DISCOMs:</strong> Accrue savings of <strong>Rs 2,574 crores</strong> to the State over the period of 25 years, while improving the health of <strong>DISCOMs</strong> and providing cleaner power.</li>
<li><strong>Check Technical Losses:</strong> Provide clean day time electricity to farmers as well as energy efficient pump sets which would <strong>reduce the power consumption</strong> as well as <strong>T&amp;D</strong> (Transmission and Distribution Losses) losses associated with transmitting power to agriculture and rural feeder networks.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Energy Efficiency Services Ltd</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a joint venture of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-thermal-power-corporation-limited" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC)</strong></a> Limited, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and POWERGRID, It was set up under the <strong>Ministry of Power</strong> to facilitate implementation of energy efficiency projects.</li>
<li><strong>EESL</strong> is a<strong> Super Energy Service Company (ESCO)</strong> that seeks to unlock the energy efficiency market in India, estimated at Rs. 74,000 crore that can potentially result in energy savings of up to <strong>20%</strong> of current consumption, by way of innovative business and implementation models.</li>
<li>It also acts as the resource centre for capacity building of State <strong>DISCOMs,</strong> financial institutions, etc.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In a solar power rich country like India, effective harnessing of this abundant resource can yield handsome returns for all stakeholders and therefore initiatives like <strong>Convergence</strong> can help India to produce more energy at less cost.</li>
<li><strong>Project Convergence</strong> is also well aligned and is in consonance with the<a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-new-and-renewable-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> International Solar Alliance, an</strong> </a>initiative of the Indian government.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1673497" 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/india-s-first-green-energy-convergence-project-goa'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, various green collectives and environmental organisations have come together to protest against the <strong>Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project</strong> in Kerala.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The site of the project is not far from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/athirapally-hydel-electric-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Athirapally Hydel Electric Project.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Project:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will come up in the buffer zone of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/early-migration-of-butterflies" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Parambikulam Tiger Reserve</strong></a> (PTR) and will also<strong> create a 5.617-km-long tunnel</strong> within the forest.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Environmental Consequences:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Around <strong>20 hectares of forest land will have to be cleared</strong> out and <strong>around 1900 large trees</strong> and a larger number of small trees<strong> will be cut.</strong></li>
<li>The area is<strong> ecologically fragile,</strong> as seen in the massive<strong> landslide followed by minor landslides at the project site in 2018,</strong> and the consequences will extend to<strong> loss of precious flora and fauna species.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Absence of Consent:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It was <strong>granted approval without obtaining permission</strong> from the local <strong>Kadar tribe</strong> which holds the <strong>right of Community Forest Resources</strong> (CFR) as per the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/forest-rights-act-2006" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Forest Rights Act, 2006.</strong></a></li>
<li>The site of the hydel project comes within the 400 sq kms of forest land that were given as CFR to the Kadar tribe which has the responsibility to protect and conserve the habitat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Athirapally Hydel Electric Project</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In <strong>June 2020,</strong> the Kerala government approved the Athirapally Hydro Electric Project (AHEP) on the <strong>Chalakudy river in Thrissur district of Kerala.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Chalakudy River <strong>originates in the Anamalai region of Tamil Nadu</strong> and is joined by its <strong>major tributaries</strong> Parambikulam, Kuriyarkutti, Sholayar, Karapara and Anakayam in Kerala. It <strong>flows through Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam</strong> districts of Kerala.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has also been<strong> facing opposition and protests</strong> due to its <strong>adverse effects on the fragile river ecosystem</strong> at Athirappilly and the other <strong>related environmental threats.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Parambikulam Tiger Reserve</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a well protected ecological portion in the <strong>Nelliampathy-Anamalai landscape</strong> of the <strong>Southern Western Ghats</strong> in India.</li>
<li>It is located in the<strong> Palakkad District of Kerala.</strong></li>
<li>It was<strong> declared as Tiger Reserve during 2008-09.</strong></li>
<li>The reserve is credited with the<strong> first scientifically managed teak plantation in the world</strong> which was later merged with the forest land.</li>
<li>It has the <strong>world's largest and oldest teak tree</strong> named <em>"Kannimara",</em> which is believed to be <strong>350 years old.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605695306_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605695306_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/green-collectives-to-protest-against-anakkayam-hydel-project/article33120677.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/anakkayam-small-hydro-electric-project'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'C.B.I and Consent of States',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court has held that once a <strong>court takes cognisance</strong> of a corruption case investigated by the CBI, it <strong>cannot be set aside</strong> for lack of the <strong>State government&rsquo;s prior consent</strong> for the probe against some of the accused, unless it is shown that it has <strong>resulted in prejudice.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Two officials of Uttar Pradesh government had earlier contended in the <strong>Allahabad High Court</strong> that the general consent given by the State government was not enough, and <strong>separate consent ought</strong> to have been obtained prior to their being investigated.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The State of Uttar Pradesh has accorded a <strong>general consent</strong> for extension of powers and jurisdiction of the Members of DSPE, in the whole of State of UP for investigation of offences under the <strong>Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.</strong></li>
<li>However, <strong>in case of public servants</strong> under the state governments, <strong>prior consent</strong> is needed from the state concerned even after the general consent given by the state.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Allahabad High Court</strong> noted that the Uttar Pradesh government had granted <strong>post facto (after the act is done) consent against</strong> the two public servants. This very judgement of <strong>Allahabad High Court</strong> was challenged in the Supreme Court.</li>
<li><strong>Supreme Court&rsquo;s Stand:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It held that if the State had given a <strong>general consent</strong> to<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/central-bureau-of-investigation-cbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> CBI investigation</strong> </a>in a corruption case and <strong>cognisance</strong> had been taken by a court, the case <strong>cannot be set aside</strong> unless the public servants plead that prejudice has been caused to them on account of <strong>non-obtaining of prior consent.</strong></li>
<li>Further the judges held that the case cannot be set aside unless the illegality in the investigation can be shown to have brought about miscarriage of justice.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Types of Consent Given by state government</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/states-deny-consent-to-cbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> two types of consent</strong></a> for a probe by the CBI. These are:<strong> general</strong> and <strong>specific.</strong></li>
<li>When a state gives a<strong> general consent (Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act)</strong> to the CBI for probing a case, the agency is not required to seek fresh permission<strong> every time</strong> it enters that state in connection with investigation or for every case.</li>
<li>When a general consent is withdrawn, CBI needs to seek<strong> case-wise consent</strong> for investigation from the concerned state government. If specific consent is not granted, the CBI officials will not have the power of police personnel when they enter that state.</li>
<li>This hurdle impedes seamless investigation by the CBI. A general consent is given to facilitate that seamless investigation in a case of corruption or violence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Withdrawal of general Consent by States:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently it has been seen that various states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments have withdrawn their general consent as a result of tussle between Centre and States.</li>
<li><strong>Impact of withdrawal:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It means the CBI will not be able to register any fresh case involving a central government official or a private person stationed in the states who withdrew their general consent, without getting case-specific consent.</li>
<li>In simple terms withdrawal of general consent simply means that CBI officers will lose all powers of a police officer as soon as they enter the state unless the state government has allowed them.</li>
<li>It will have no impact on investigation of cases already registered with CBI as old cases were registered when general consent existed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Delhi Special Police Establishment Act</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Central Bureau of Investigation traces its origin to the S<strong>pecial Police Establishment (SPE) which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India.</strong></li>
<li>The functions of the SPE then were to investigate cases of bribery and corruption in transactions with the War &amp; Supply Deptt. Of India during World War II.</li>
<li>Even after the end of the War, the need for a Central Government agency to investigate cases of bribery and corruption by Central Government employees was felt.</li>
<li>The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was therefore brought into force in 1946. The CBI's power to investigate cases is derived from this Act.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/lack-of-consent-wont-vitiate-cbi-probe-apex-court/article33120174.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/c-b-i-and-consent-of-states'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Open Acreage Licensing Policy',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, contracts for 11 oil and gas blocks offered under the <strong>Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP)</strong> Bid Round-V were signed.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>OALP:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/hydrocarbon-exploration-and-licensing-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)</strong> </a><strong>replacing</strong> the erstwhile <strong>New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP)</strong> was approved in March 2016 and the <strong>Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP)</strong> along with the <strong>National Data Repository (NDR)</strong> were launched in June 2017 as the key drivers to accelerate the Exploration and Production (E&amp;P) activities in India.</li>
<li>Under OALP, <strong>companies are allowed to carve out areas they want to explore oil and gas in.</strong> Companies can put in an expression of interest for any area throughout the year but such interests are accumulated thrice in a year. The areas sought are then put on auction.</li>
<li>The successful roll-out of the HELP regime, followed by OALP Bid Rounds, has led to <strong>an increase in exploration acreages</strong> in India. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The exploration acreage which stood at about 80,000 sq. km. from earlier regimes now stands at approx. 2,37,000 sq. km., post the award of blocks under OALP Round-V.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The OALP has helped in <strong>removing red-tapism</strong> and brought in a quantum jump in the <strong>Exploration &amp; Production sector. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Inadequate Role of Private Players:</strong> State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India (OIL) have won all the 11 blocks offered in the latest bidding round for oil and gas exploration blocks.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>lack of interest from private players</strong> in recent rounds of OALP bidding has been a result of <strong>a lack of policy clarity</strong> from the government and <strong>unsuitable taxation</strong> and regulatory conditions.</li>
<li>A <strong>proposal</strong> by the Petroleum Ministry to <strong>reduce the oil cess charge</strong> on domestic production of crude has been <strong>rejected by the Finance Ministry.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limited Participation of Foreign Companies:</strong> India&rsquo;s efforts to attract foreign energy giants into hydrocarbon exploration and production haven&rsquo;t been quite fruitful.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under this Policy, exploration blocks shall be awarded on a continuous basis through e-bidding in a transparent manner.</li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Revenue sharing model</strong> instead of Profit sharing for hydrocarbon exploration. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under revenue sharing model, the government share accrues immediately on production, unlike in cost-recovery where the contractors first claimed its costs before splitting leftover profits, if any.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unified license</strong> for all types of hydrocarbons.</li>
<li><strong>Freedom to carve out acreages of choice</strong> under OALP bid rounds.</li>
<li><strong>Full marketing and pricing freedom</strong> of gas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>National Data Repository</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NDR is<strong> a government-sponsored E&amp;P data bank</strong> with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure for preservation, upkeep and dissemination of data to enable its systematic use for future exploration and development.</li>
<li>Following are the data that is being stored in NDR: Seismic Data, Well &amp; Log Data, Spatial Data, other data like Drilling, Reservoir, Production, Geological, Gravity &amp; Magnetic etc.</li>
<li>Having an NDR for India has helped in <strong>enhancing prospects of petroleum exploration and facilitating the Bidding Rounds</strong> by improving the availability of quality data.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1673425" 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/open-acreage-licensing-policy-1'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Supreme Court on Curbing Fake News',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong></a> has asked the Centre to provide <strong>information on the existing legal mechanisms to deal with complaints about the content on television channels.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Further it has asked the Centre to create an authority to check <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fake-news-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fake news</strong></a> and bigotry on air.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The court was hearing a <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/public-interest-litigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Interest Litigation</strong></a> (PIL) filed by various organisations who objected to the reporting by certain television news channels and news portals on the <strong>Tablighi Jamaat event</strong> held in <strong>March 2020.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The religious gathering <strong>emerged as one of the early hot spots of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a></strong> in the national capital.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>petitions sought a direction from the court to stop the dissemination of fake news and to identify and take strict action</strong> against sections of the media that<strong> communalised</strong> the incident.</li>
<li>In<strong> October 2020,</strong> the bench asked the Centre to file a response on steps taken to ensure fake news is not circulated through online and electronic media platforms.</li>
<li>The government, through the Ministry, <strong>filed an affidavit in November and cited its advisories,</strong> which maintained that <strong>media coverage of the case predominantly struck a balanced and neutral perspective.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It held that as a matter of journalistic policy, any section of the media may highlight different events, issues and happenings across the world as per their choice and it was for the viewer to choose from the varied opinions offered by the different media outlets.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The court <strong>rejected the affidavit as inadequate</strong> and asked if the regulatory provisions of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/regulations-on-ott-and-digital-content#:~:text=In%20October%202020%2C%20the%20Supreme,under%20its%20purview%20as%20well." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act of 1995</strong></a>, meant for cable networks, would apply to TV broadcasts as well.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fake News:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Fake news is <strong>news, stories or hoaxes created to deliberately misinform or deceive</strong> readers.</li>
<li>Usually, these stories are created<strong> to either influence people&rsquo;s views, push a political agenda </strong>or <strong>cause confusion</strong> and can often be a profitable business for online publishers.</li>
<li>Fake news <strong>affects free speech and informed choices of the subjects</strong> of the country, leading to the hijacking of democracy.</li>
<li><strong>Controlling Mechanism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Rebuttal:</strong> It is a<strong> form of fact-checking</strong> wherein the fake news is debunked by pointing out errors like mismatch, malicious editing and misattribution.</li>
<li><strong>Public Education: Educating the end-users to be more discerning consumers</strong> of news by informing them of verification tools so that they can ascertain the accuracy of a news item before sharing it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Laws and Regulation to Curb Fake News in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is <strong>no specific law against fake news</strong> in India. Free publication of news flows from<strong> Article 19</strong> of the Constitution guaranteeing <strong>Freedom of Speech.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/press-council-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Press Council of India</a>:</strong> It is a regulatory body which can warn, admonish or censure the <strong>newspaper, the news agency, the editor or the journalist</strong> or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the journalist if it finds that a newspaper or a news agency has violated journalistic ethics.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ethical-code-for-electronic-media#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20News%20Broadcasters%20Association,malicious%2C%20biased%20and%20regressive%20content." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>News Broadcasters Association</strong></a>: It represents the private television news and current affairs broadcasters. The <strong>self-regulatory body</strong> probes complaints against electronic media.</li>
<li><strong>Indian Broadcast Foundation:</strong> It looks into the complaints against contents aired by channels.</li>
<li><strong>Broadcasting Content Complaint Council:</strong> It admits complaints against TV broadcasters for objectionable TV content and fake news.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-road-map-for-criminal-justice-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Penal Code</a>: Section 153</strong> (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and <strong>Section 295</strong> (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) can be invoked to guard against fake news.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/cyber-security#:~:text=Information%20Technology%20Act%2C%202000,Hacking%20with%20computer%20system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Information Technology Act 2000</strong></a>: According to the <strong>Section 66</strong> of the act, if any person, dishonestly or fraudulently, does any act referred to in<strong> Section 43</strong> (damage to computer, computer system), shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/misuse-of-criminal-defamation-law-madras-hc#:~:text=In%20India%2C%20defamation%20can%20both,wrong%20and%20a%20criminal%20offence.&amp;text=A%20civil%20wrong%20tends%20to,not%20to%20commit%20such%20acts." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Civil or Criminal Case for Defamation</strong></a>: It is another resort against fake news for individuals and groups hurt by the fake news. <strong>IPC Section 499</strong> (defamation) and <strong>Section 500</strong> (whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) provide for a defamation suit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fake news has existed since the dawn of the printing press but in the age of the internet and social media, it has found a tremendous application. Manipulation of algorithms of social media and search engines is a global trend now.</li>
<li>Misinformation and disinformation spread in the media is becoming a serious social challenge. It is leading to the poisonous atmosphere on the web and causing riots and lynchings on the road.</li>
<li>Countering content manipulation and fake news to restore faith in social media without undermining internet and media freedom will require public education, strengthening of regulations and effort of tech companies to make suitable algorithms for news curation.</li>
<li>Any future legislation should take the whole picture into account and not blame the media and go for knee-jerk reactions; in this age of new media anyone can create and circulate new for undisclosed benefits.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-mechanism-do-you-have-against-fake-news-sc-asks-centre/article33119647.ece?homepage=true" 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/supreme-court-on-curbing-fake-news'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'UNESCO Global Geoparks',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)</strong> is making <strong>efforts to get recognition of a geopark for Visakhapatnam</strong> (Andhra Pradesh) consisting of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/erra-matti-dibbalu" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Erra Matti Dibbalu</strong></a> (red sand dunes), <strong>natural rock formations, Borra Caves and volcanic ash deposits.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While there are <strong>161 UNESCO Global geoparks</strong> spread across 44 countries,<strong> India is yet to have one of its own.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Meaning:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are<strong> single, unified geographical areas</strong> where sites and landscapes of <strong>international geological significance</strong> are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Features: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Management:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These are <strong>managed by a body having legal existence</strong> recognized under national legislation.</li>
<li>It needs to be noted that <strong>UNESCO Global Geopark status does not imply restrictions on any economic activity inside a UNESCO Global Geopark</strong> where that activity complies with indigenous, local, regional and/or national legislation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Visibility:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Geoparks are sustained through <strong>geo tourism activities</strong> like excursions, nature trails, guided tours, hiking and academic meets.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Networking:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Cooperating with the local people</strong> (bottom-up approach) living in the geopark area and with<strong> other UNESCO Global Geoparks</strong> through the <strong>Global Geoparks Network (GGN).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>GGN, of which <strong>membership is obligatory for UNESCO Global Geoparks,</strong> is a <strong>legally constituted not-for-profit organisation</strong> with an annual membership fee. It was<strong> founded in 2004. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Designation Period:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A UNESCO Global Geopark is <strong>given this designation for a period of four years</strong> after which the functioning and quality of each UNESCO Global Geopark is thoroughly re-examined during a revalidation process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Geoparks vs Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Besides UNESCO Global Geoparks, there are <strong>other two UNESCO site designations, Biosphere Reserves</strong> and<strong> World Heritage Sites.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Biosphere Reserves</strong> focus on the harmonised management of biological and cultural diversity.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Out of <strong>18 notified biosphere reserves, India has 12</strong> biosphere reserves under the <strong>World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR),</strong> the latest one included is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/panna-biosphere-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Panna Biosphere Reserve.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>World Heritage Sites</strong> promote the conservation of natural and cultural sites of outstanding universal value.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India has 38 world heritage sites, including 30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and 1 mixed site. The latest one included is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jaipur-a-world-heritage-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jaipur city, Rajasthan.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>UNESCO Global Geoparks</strong> give international recognition for sites that promote the importance and significance of protecting the Earth&rsquo;s geodiversity through actively engaging with the local communities. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India does not have any</strong> UNESCO Global geopark.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>UNESCO</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>UNESCO is the <strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.</strong> It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.</li>
<li>UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals</strong></a> defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.</li>
<li><strong>UNESCO-IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission)</strong> is leading a global effort to establish ocean-based tsunami warning systems as part of an overall multi-hazard disaster reduction strategy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, UNESCO-IOC approved the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tsunami-ready-programme-unesco-ioc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>recognition of two communities of Odisha</strong></a> viz.,<strong> Venkatraipur</strong> and <strong>Noliasahi</strong> as <strong>Tsunami Ready Communities.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has <strong>193 Members and 11 Associate Members. India</strong> joined UNESCO in <strong>1946.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2019, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/united-states-and-israel-quit-unesco#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20and%20Israel,scientific%20and%20cultural%20agency%2C%20UNESCO.&amp;text=The%20United%20States%20had%20pulled,used%20to%20advance%20Soviet%20interests." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the USA and Israel formally quit UNESCO.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Paris,</strong> France.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Visakhapatnam&rsquo;s Case</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Important Sites:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605688035_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605688035_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Erra Matti Dibbalu:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is<strong> coastal red sediment mounds</strong> located between Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam.</li>
<li>The width of sandy red dunes vary from 200 metres to two kilometres, spread across five kilometres along the coast.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Such <strong>sand deposits</strong> have only been reported from two other low latitude tropical regions in <strong>South Asia &mdash;</strong> the <strong>Teri Sands of Tamil Nadu</strong> and <strong>Red Coastal Sands of Sri Lanka.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is among the 34 notified <strong>National Geological Heritage Monument Sites</strong> of India by the <strong>Geological Survey of India (GSI).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> term geological heritage</strong> is used for natural geological or geo-morphological features that have aesthetic, intrinsic or scientific and educational value, that provide unique insight into geological processes affecting the formation or evolution of Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Natural Rock Formations (Eastern Ghats) at Mangamaripeta:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>One example is the <strong>natural arch</strong> at Mangamaripeta beach opposite the Thotlakonda Buddhist Site.</li>
<li>It is likely to <strong>date back to the period after the last Ice Age</strong> around 10,000 years ago and is similar to the natural rock arch of Silathoranam in the Tirumala Hills.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Borra Caves:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Discovered by William King George</strong> of the GSI, these <strong>one million year old caves</strong> attract a huge number of tourists every day. These are located<strong> at an elevation of 1400 m above sea level.</strong></li>
<li>These caves are known for <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/icicles-stalactites-and-stalagmites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stalactite and stalagmite</a> formations</strong> such as Shiva-Parvathi, Rishi's Beard, Mother-Child, Crocodile, Human Brain, Tiger and Cows udder.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Volcanic Ash Deposits</strong>:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These are said to have originated from the <strong>volcanic eruption of Toba in Indonesia 73,000 years ago</strong> near Araku (Andhra Pradesh).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Red sands</strong> are being <strong>exploited for construction activity.</strong> Further, <strong>degradation due to human interference</strong> such as digging, climbing, littering are affecting their stability and exacerbating erosion.</li>
<li>The recent incident of <strong>overcrowding and reckless acts of visitors</strong> endangering the natural arch has raised concerns among geologists and heritage activists on the need to safeguard the sites of the region and establish a geo park.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In July 2019, INTACH organised a campaign to create <strong>public awareness on geologically and culturally important spots</strong> in the region.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>INTACH</strong> was founded <strong>in 1984 in New Delhi</strong> with the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/saving-the-precious-geo-heritage-sites-of-visakhapatnam/article33117808.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/unesco-global-geoparks'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Step Up for TB 2020 Report',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>&ldquo;Step Up for TB 2020&rdquo;</strong> <strong>report</strong> by the <strong>Stop TB Partnership</strong> and <strong>M&eacute;decins Sans Fronti&egrave;res/Doctors Without Borders</strong> (MSF) has highlighted India&rsquo;s <strong>conservative approach</strong> regarding the new medicines for<strong> Drug Resistant TB,</strong> putting lives of patients including children in danger.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The current <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pandemic</strong></a> has further aggravated the sufferings of TB patients in the country in terms of disease <strong>diagnosis, surveillance and treatment.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Founded in 1971,<strong> M&eacute;decins Sans Fronti&egrave;res</strong> (MSF), sometimes rendered in English as <strong>Doctors Without Borders,</strong> is an<strong> international humanitarian medical <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/non-governmental-organizations-ngos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-governmental organisation</a></strong> (NGO) of <strong>French origin</strong> best known for its projects in <strong>conflict zones</strong> and in countries affected by endemic diseases.</li>
<li><strong>It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Tuberculosis (TB)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-tuberculosis-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tuberculosis</strong></a> is caused by bacteria<strong> (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)</strong> that most often affect the <strong>lungs.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Transmission:</strong> TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air.</li>
<li><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.</li>
<li><strong>Treatment:</strong> TB is treatable and curable disease.It is treated with a standard 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.</li>
<li><strong>Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)</strong> is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs.</li>
<li><strong>Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB)</strong> is a more serious form of MDR-TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients without any further treatment options.</li>
<li>Tuberculosis (TB) remains the <strong>world&rsquo;s deadliest infectious disease,</strong> killing more than <strong>1.4 million people in 2019,</strong> despite being curable.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Report:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The report presents data on <strong>37 high-burden countries, including India</strong> (representing 77% of the global estimated TB incident cases), assessing the extent to which <strong>national policies align with international best practices</strong> based on <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong></a> guidelines and the latest scientific research.</li>
<li>This is the<strong> 4<sup>th</sup> edition</strong> of this report, which focuses on countries&rsquo; policies and practices related to<strong> 4 key areas of national TB programmes (NTPs):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Diagnosis,</li>
<li>Treatment (including models of care),</li>
<li>Prevention, and</li>
<li>Medicines procurement policies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are barriers to policy adoption and implementation across the surveyed countries.</li>
<li>The <strong>critical medical innovations</strong> are reaching very few people who urgently need them.</li>
<li>The report emphasised that <strong>oral treatment regimens</strong> for people with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) must be prioritised over older, toxic drugs that have to be injected and cause serious side effects.</li>
<li>Nearly<strong> 1 in 3 people</strong> with TB disease is <strong>still not diagnosed and notified.</strong></li>
<li>Almost <strong>2 in 3 countries</strong> surveyed still do not include in their policies urinary <strong>TB lipoarabinomannan (TB LAM) testing</strong> for people living with HIV. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>TB LAM is the only rapid point-of-care TB test available, and there is more than enough evidence of its benefits as a lifesaving point-of-care test.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India Specific Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India was criticised for not scaling up the new Disease Resistant (DR)-TB drugs <strong>Bedaquiline and Delamanid</strong>, needed even more during <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tb-drug-pretomanid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pretomanid</strong></a> is the third new drug developed for the treatment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Until March 2020, less <strong>than 10% of India&rsquo;s MDR-TB patients</strong> who were eligible for Bedaquiline had received it. This is alarming, since <strong>India is home to a quarter of the world&rsquo;s DR-TB patients.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India has the highest TB burden in the world. In 2018, <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lancet-building-a-tuberculosis-free-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.15 million TB cases were reported</a></strong>, which is 16% more than in 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Initiative to Fight TB:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To align with the ambitious goal, the programme has been renamed from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Eliminating TB by 2025:</strong> India is committed to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/agreement-with-the-world-bank-to-eliminate-tb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>eliminating tuberculosis from the country by 2025</strong></a>, five years ahead of the global target by the <strong>World Health Organisation (WHO)</strong> i.e. <strong>2030.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Nikshay Ecosystem:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is the National TB information system which is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and performance throughout the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This scheme is aimed at providing financial support to TB patients for their nutrition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tb-harega-desh-jeetega-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Launched In September 2019</strong></a> it is showcasing the highest level of commitment for the elimination of TB.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Saksham Project:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is a project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that has been providing psycho-social counselling to DR-TB patients.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Government of India has partnered with the<strong> Global Fund</strong> to launch <strong>JEET (Joint Effort for Elimination of TB),</strong> a private sector engagement program operating across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organization</strong></a> (WHO) has launched a joint initiative <strong>&ldquo;Find. Treat. All. #EndTB&rdquo;</strong> with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The WHO End TB Strategy outlines global impact targets to <strong>reduce TB deaths by 90%, to cut new cases by 80%</strong> between the years <strong>2015 and 2030,</strong> and to ensure that no family is burdened with catastrophic costs due to TB.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It aims to accelerate the TB response and ensure access to care, in line with WHO&rsquo;s overall drive towards <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/universal-health-coverage-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Universal Health Coverage</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>WHO also releases the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-tuberculosis-report-2019-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Tuberculosis Report.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite the<strong> notable successes</strong> achieved by the different programmes, robust efforts are needed to improve the early and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indigenous-tb-diagnostic-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>accurate diagnosis</strong></a> followed by a prompt appropriate treatment which is vital for ending TB.</li>
<li>India must collaborate with global efforts which are being done to eliminate the TB along with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/paradigm-shift-for-tb-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>paradigm shift in the control measure.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/amid-global-call-to-step-up-tb-treatment-experts-flag-indias-conservative-approach-7053992/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:IE</strong></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'RCEP & India',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/threat-or-treat/article33110441.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Threat or treat: on RCEP trade deal&rdquo;</a> which was published in The Hindu on 17/11/2020. It talks about the impact of India&rsquo;s stance to stay out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the <strong><a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/16-11-2020#6999" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed into existence</a></strong> by 15 countries led by China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-state ASEAN grouping, creating one of the world&rsquo;s largest trading blocs.</p>
<p>India had been a part of negotiations for almost nine years <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-and-rcep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">till it pulled out in November 2019</a>, stating that inadequate safeguards and lowering of customs duties will adversely impact its manufacturing, agriculture and dairy sectors.</p>
<p>However, by staying out, India has blocked itself from a trade bloc that represents 30% of the global economy and world population, touching over 2.2 billion people.</p>
<p>Further, as the summary of the final agreement shows that the pact does cover and attempt to address some issues that India had flagged, including rules of origin, trade in services, movement of persons. Therefore, this makes the case of India to review its decision and look RCEP through the lens of economic realism.</p>
<h3>Reasons for India's Withdrawal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unfavourable Balance of Trade:</strong> Though trade has increased the post-<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/country-of-origin-rules-carotar-2020#:~:text=Free%20Trade%20Agreement,on%20substantial%20trade%20between%20them." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Free Trade Agreement</a> with South Korea, ASEAN countries and Japan, imports have risen faster than exports from India.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to a paper published by NITI Aayog, India has a bilateral trade deficit with most of the member countries of RCEP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chinese Angle:</strong> India has already signed FTA with all the countries of RCEP except China. Trade data suggests that India&rsquo;s deficit with China, with which it does not have a trade pact, is higher than that of the remaining RCEP constituents put together.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This trade deficit is the primary concern for India, as after signing RCEP cheaper products from China would have flooded the Indian market.</li>
<li>Further, from a geopolitical perspective, RCEP is China-led or is intended to expand China's influence in Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Non-acceptance of Auto-trigger Mechanism:</strong> To deal with the imminent rise in imports, India had been seeking an auto-trigger mechanism.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Auto-trigger Mechanism would have allowed India to raise tariffs on products in instances where imports cross a certain threshold.</li>
<li>However, other countries in the RCEP were against this proposal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protection of Domestic Industry:</strong> India had also reportedly expressed apprehensions on lowering and eliminating tariffs on several products like dairy, steel etc.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For instance, the dairy industry is expected to face stiff competition from Australia and New Zealand.</li>
<li>Currently, India&rsquo;s average bound tariff for dairy products is on average 35%.</li>
<li>The RCEP binds countries to reduce that current level of tariffs to zero within the next 15 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Consensus on Rules of Origin:</strong> India was concerned about a &ldquo;possible circumvention&rdquo; of rules of origin.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rules of origin are the criteria used to determine the national source of a product.</li>
<li>Current provisions in the deal reportedly do not prevent countries from routing, through other countries, products on which India would maintain higher tariffs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons For India to Review</h3>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605614956_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1605614956_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="529" height="287" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Economic Stagnation due to Covid-19:</strong> With global trade and the economy facing a steep decline due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/comprehensive-action-plan-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>, RCEP can serve as a bulwark in containing the free fall of the global economy and re-energising economic activity.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, the RCEP presents a unique opportunity to support India&rsquo;s economic recovery, inclusive development and job creation even as it helps strengthen regional supply chains.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need For Economic Realism:</strong> India should deter seeing RCEP only from the Chinese perspective.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India should acknowledge that the trade bloc represents 30% of the global economy and world population, touching over 2.2 billion people, and staying out of RCEP may result in suboptimal economic growth without leveraging Asia-Pacific demand.</li>
<li>In this regard, India can draw inspiration from Japan &amp; Australia, as they chose to bury their geopolitical differences with China to prioritise what they collectively see as a mutually beneficial trading compact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strategic Need:</strong> It is not just because gains from trade are significant, but the RCEP&rsquo;s membership is a prerequisite to having a say in shaping RCEP&rsquo;s rules.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is necessary to safeguard India&rsquo;s interests and the interests of several countries that are too small to stand up to the largest member, China.</li>
<li>Moreover, staying out of RCEP may also affect <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-s-act-east-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India's Act East policy</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Acknowledging India&rsquo;s economic heft and value as a market, the RCEP members have left the door open for India for inviting it to be an observer member and also waived a critical 18-month cooling period for interested applicants.</p>
<p>Given the global economic scenario in present times and the near future, it would be in India&rsquo;s interest to dispassionately review its position on RCEP and carry out structural reforms that will help India to mitigate some of the repercussions arising from the RCEP.</p>
<table border="1" style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #cff6fa; border-color: #058f9e;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question<br /><br /></strong></em>Given the global economic scenario in near future, it would be in India&rsquo;s interest to dispassionately review its position on RCEP. Discuss.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vqKMrySdyQg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This editorial is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/farmers-fertiliser-subsidy-india-modi-7052724/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Fertile opportunity&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on November 16th, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
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