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Increase in Human-Leopard Conflict: Study

Why in News A study conducted across Karnataka indicates that the human-leopard policy guidelines have had little impact on the ground and it has...

14 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict & India

This article is based on “Nagorno-Karabakh and India” which was published in Indian Express on 13/10/2020. It talks about the...

13 Oct 2020 News Editorials
Measures to Boost Consumption Demand and Capex

Why in News Recently, the government has announced a twin set of measures to boost consumption demand and capital expenditure (Capex), which are...

13 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019: UNDRR

Why in News In a new report “The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019”, the United Nations pointed out that climate change is largely to...

13 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Mount Kilimanjaro

Why in News Recently, a fire that has broken out on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. The cause of the fire is not...

13 Oct 2020 News Analysis
National Postal Week and World Post Day

Why in News India Post commenced the celebration of the National Postal Week, starting with World Post Day which is celebrated each year on 9th...

13 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia

Why in News The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to socialist Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia on his death anniversary. Key Points Birth: 23rd March,...

13 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Kerala & Digital Education

Why in News Kerala has become the first state in the country to have high-tech classrooms or high-tech labs in all government-run and aided...

13 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Anti-pollution Campaign: Delhi

Why in News The Delhi Government has recently launched a major anti-pollution campaign, Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh, which includes a tree...

13 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh Jayanti

Why in News Prime Minister of India bowed to Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh, on their Jayanti. Key Points Jayaprakash Narayan...

12 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Need For MSP Reforms

This article is based on “MSP in the age of surplus” which was published in Indian Express on 12/10/2020. It talks about the need for...

12 Oct 2020 News Editorials
15 Years of RTI

Why in News A report by the Satark Nagrik Sangathan and the Centre for Equity Studies has pointed out that more than 2.2 lakh Right to information...

12 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Status of Bharatmala Pariyojana

Why in News A total of 322 projects in a length of 12,413 km have been awarded and 2921 km has been constructed under Bharatmala Pariyojana till...

12 Oct 2020 News Analysis
South Asia Economic Focus Report: World Bank

Why in News The World Bank has recently released its biennial South Asia Economic Focus report. The fall 2020 edition is titled “Beaten or...

12 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Hurricane Delta

Why in News Recently, Hurricane Delta made landfall in the USA state of Louisiana, which is still recovering from the damage caused by a previous...

12 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Malnutrition and Covid-19

This article has been taken from ‘Malnutrition - the silent pandemic‘ which was published in ‘The Indian Express’ on...

10 Oct 2020 News Editorials
Protests to Coup: Kyrgyzstan

Why in News Protesters in Kyrgyzstan have captured key government buildings, including the Parliament house and the presidential office and the...

10 Oct 2020 News Analysis
GDP Revival Forecast: RBI

Why in News The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the extension of its accommodative policy stance for the...

10 Oct 2020 News Analysis
SC on NCPCR’s Repatriation Request

Why in News The Supreme Court has sought a response from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), to its request to eight...

10 Oct 2020 News Analysis
Increased Election Campaign Broadcast Time

Why in News The Election Commission of India (ECI) has increased the broadcast time allotted to recognised political parties on Doordarshan and All...

10 Oct 2020 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Increase in Human-Leopard Conflict: Study',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A study conducted across Karnataka indicates that the <strong>human-leopard policy guidelines</strong> have had little impact on the ground and it has not led to decrease in human-leopard conflict.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>guidelines for human-leopard conflict management</strong> were brought out by the Government of India in April 2011<strong> to reduce conflict with leopards, discourage their translocation, and suggest improved ways of handling emergency conflict situations. </strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Findings of The Study:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The number of leopards captured per month <strong>increased more than threefold</strong> (from 1.5 to 4.6) since 2011.</li>
<li>Similarly, there was a <strong>threefold increase in the number of leopards translocated</strong> per month (from 1 to 3.5).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Translocation</strong> is the managed movement of live indigenous plants or animals (taonga) from one location to another.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for capture and translocation of leopards (in order of prominence)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Livestock depredation (38.1%)</li>
<li>Leopards rescued from snares and wells (15.7%),</li>
<li>Anxiety caused owing to leopard sightings in human habitations (13.7%),</li>
<li>Leopards entering human dwellings (10.9%).</li>
<li>Human injuries (4.5%)</li>
<li>Human deaths (2%)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Related News</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A recent study by <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/traffic" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TRAFFIC</strong></a> India on the seizure and mortality of <strong>&lsquo;common leopards&rsquo; <em>(Panthera pardus fusca)</em></strong> revealed that of the total of 747 leopard deaths between 2015-2019 in India, 596 were linked to illegal wildlife trade and activities related to poaching.</li>
<li>The Government of India launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-snow-leopard-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>First National Protocol on Snow Leopard Population Assessment</strong></a> in <strong>2019,</strong> to mark the occasion of <strong>International Snow Leopard Day (23<sup>rd</sup> October).</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>2014,</strong> a <strong>national census of leopards around tiger habitats</strong> was carried out in India except for the northeast. 7,910 individuals were estimated in surveyed areas and a national total of <strong>12,000-14,000 estimated.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Common Leopard</strong> <em>(Panthera pardus)<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602657580_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602657580_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in small parts of Western and Central Asia, on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian leopard <em>(Panthera pardus fusca)</em> is a leopard widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> Habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts, and persecution due to conflict situations</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Status:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a>: Vulnerable</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CITES</strong></a>: Appendix I</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong></a>: Schedule I</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/human-leopard-conflict-has-increased-threefold-in-karnataka-finds-study/article32754945.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict & India',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-india-6722267/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Nagorno-Karabakh and India&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Indian Express on 13/10/2020. It talks about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and its impact on India.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, a three decades-old unresolved ethno territorial <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan</strong></a> over Nagorno-Karabakh flared up once again. The conflict is between two relatively small countries and is territorial in nature.</p>
<p>However, several regional and global players particularly Russia, Europe, Turkey and Iran are also involved to secure their strategic, security and economic interests in the region.</p>
<p>As the strategic importance of the region is derived from energy exports, the stability of the region is very important for regional growth and oil importing countries like India.</p>
<p>Further, the conflict may cause geopolitical unrest in the region which is already suffering from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>.Therefore, regional powers must strive to find a diplomatic solution to the problem and prevent the clash turning into a full blown regional conflict.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602588263_image0.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602588263_image0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Genesis of the Conflict</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Centre of Conflict:</strong> Nagorno-Karabakh, the centre of the conflict, is located within Azerbaijan but is populated, mostly, by those of Armenian ethnicity (and mostly Christian compared to the Shia Muslim majority Azerbaijan).</li>
<li><strong>Background of the Conflict:</strong> The conflict can be traced back to the pre-Soviet era when the region was at the meeting point of Ottoman, Russian and the Persian empires.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once Azerbaijan and Armenia became Soviet Republics in 1921, Russia (erstwhile Sovient Union) gave Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan but offered autonomy to the contested region.</li>
<li>In the 1980s, when the Soviet power was receding, separatist currents picked up in Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1988, the national assembly voted to dissolve the region&rsquo;s autonomous status and join Armenia.</li>
<li>However, Azerbaijan suppressed such calls, which led to a military conflict.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flash Point of Conflict:</strong> The self-declaration of independence by Nagorno-Karabakh in September 1991 in the backdrop of an imminent collapse of the USSR resulted in a war between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh &mdash; supported by Armenia.</li>
<li><strong>Ceasefire:</strong> This clash lasted till a ceasefire agreement was reached in 1994, mediated largely by Russia. Since then, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe <strong>(OSCE) Minsk Group</strong> co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France have engaged Azerbaijan and Armenia extensively to resolve the conflict.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By that time, Armenia had taken control of Nagorno-Karabakh and handed it to Armenian rebels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Present Day Condition:</strong> The rebels have declared independence, but have not won recognition from any country.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The region is still treated as a part of Azerbaijan by the international community, and Azerbaijan wants to take it back.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Strategic Significance of The Region</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The energy-rich Azerbaijan has built several gas and oil pipelines across the Caucasus (the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea) to Turkey and Europe.</li>
<li>Some of these pipelines pass close to the conflict zone (within 16 km of the border).</li>
<li>In an open war between the two countries, the pipelines could be targeted, which would impact energy supplies and may even lead to higher oil prices globally.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Role of Regional Players</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Turkey:</strong> The conflict between the two former Soviet republics has wider geopolitical implications as Turkey, which shares a border with Armenia, is backing Azerbaijan.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Given the deep cultural ties between the two countries, Turkey is staunchly backing Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>Further, this fits well into<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/turkey-greece-stand-off" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Turkey&rsquo;s aggressive foreign policy</strong></a>, which seeks to expand Turkish interests to the former Ottoman territories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Russia:</strong> Russia enjoys good ties with both Azerbaijan and Armenia and supplies weapons to both.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Armenia is more dependent on Russia than the energy-rich Azerbaijan and Russia also has a military base in Armenia.</li>
<li>Therefore, Russia is trying to strike a balance between the two, by mediating a ceasefire between the warring sides, but it has yet to convene a meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani political or military leaderships.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Israel:</strong> The conflict marks a strange coupling of Turkey and Israel, which are hostile to one another both diplomatically and in terms of security.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Yet both states, dominated by their Sunni and Jewish communities respectively, support and arm Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>Also, Israel&rsquo;s major military and security firms seek to benefit from Azerbaijan&rsquo;s eagerness to be armed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Role of India: Interests &amp; Challenges</h3>
<p><strong>Asymmetry in Relations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>With Armenia, India has a friendship and cooperation treaty (signed in 1995), which, incidentally, would prohibit India from providing military or any other assistance to Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>In the case of Azerbaijan, ONGC/OVL has made investments in an oilfield project in Azerbaijan and GAIL is exploring the possibilities of cooperation in LNG.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Azerbaijan also falls on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-firm-takes-over-chabahar-port-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC)</strong> </a>route, connecting India with Russia through Central Asia.</li>
<li>It can also connect India with Turkey and beyond through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars passenger and freight rail link.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Armenia extends its unequivocal support to India on Kashmir issue whereas Azerbaijan not only opposess but also promotes Pakistan&rsquo;s narrative on this issue.</li>
<li>India does not have a publicly articulated policy for the South Caucasus &mdash; unlike &ldquo;Neighbourhood First&rdquo;, &ldquo;Act East&rdquo; or &ldquo;Central Asia Connect&rdquo;.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The region has remained on the periphery of its foreign policy radar.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Balancing Between The Two Extremes</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The conflict is essentially a conflict between two international principles viz. the principle of territorial integrity advocated by Azerbaijan and the principle of the right to self-determination invoked by Nagorno-Karabakh and supported by Armenia.</li>
<li>India has every reason not to support Azerbaijan&rsquo;s territorial integrity as Azerbaijan has shown scant regard for India&rsquo;s territorial integrity violated by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.</li>
<li>At the same time it is difficult for India to publicly endorse Nagorno-Karabakh is right for self-determination in view of the possible repercussions it can have repercussions for India as its adversaries like Pakistan may misuse it not only by making erroneous connections with Kashmir but also re-ignite secessionist movement in certain parts of India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Armenia-Azerbaijan conflicts reflect the failure of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In the absence of a peacekeeping force and the political will for peace, low-level frictions have persisted over the years.</p>
<p>Under these circumstances, India has done the right thing to adopt a balanced and neutral stance and pitching for a political solution as outlined in the Madrid Principles.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Madrid Principles</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Co-chaired by Russia, France and the U.S., the Minsk Group put forward in 2007 the Madrid Principles as the basis for the formulation of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>In concrete terms, the Madrid Principles envisaged the demilitarisation of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian majority region that seceded from Azerbaijan towards the end of the Soviet Union, and the gradual liberation of Azerbaijani territory that Armenia had occupied in the 1991-94 war.</li>
<li>These steps are also consistent with the UN Security Council&rsquo;s 1993 resolutions, calling for the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>Besides, the Madrid Principles mentioned that international peacekeeping operations were to be deployed immediately after the Peace Agreement came into force, to monitor the Armenian redeployment</li>
<li>Also, internally displaced persons and refugees were to be provided the right to return to their original place of residence.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fff3e6;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss the impact of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict on India&rsquo;s Connect Central Asia policy.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tpb6ozjbB3k" 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://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/india-afghanistan-peace-delhi-abdullah-6721203/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Talking peace&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on October 12<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/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-india'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Measures to Boost Consumption Demand and Capex',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the government has announced a <strong>twin set of measures to boost consumption demand and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/defence-expenditure-as-a-part-of-gdp#:~:text=Capital%20expenditure%20is%20the%20money,well%20as%20investment%20in%20shares." target="_blank" rel="noopener">capital expenditure</a></strong> (Capex), which are estimated to result in quick spending of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore by March 2021.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These measures are the <strong>Leave Travel Concession (LTC) voucher scheme</strong> and a <strong>festival advance scheme.</strong> Also, <strong>measures have been announced to step up Capex by the Centre and the states.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Aim:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Supply constraints in the economy have eased</strong> over recent months, but <strong>consumer demand remained affected</strong> and these measures <strong>aim at advancing consumer spending</strong> and Capex.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Capex steps are<strong> &ldquo;directly linked to an increase in economic output</strong> given their <strong>high multiplier effect&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The earlier announced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat</strong> </a>package<strong> addressed the requirement of essential goods for needy sections</strong> of the society and now these measures <strong>aim at promoting consumption of high-value items by those</strong> employees whose salaries and jobs have <strong>not been affected by </strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> pandemic</a>.</strong></li>
<li>With the <strong>participation of the private sector,</strong> these will stimulate growth in the economy by <strong>advancing the consumption of non-essential, relatively high-value goods and services</strong> in the economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Leave Travel Concession Voucher Scheme:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Leave Travel Concession:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Central government employees</strong> get LTC in a <strong>block of four years,</strong> one each to a destination of choice and home town or two for home town.</li>
<li>Under this, the <strong>air or rail fare is reimbursed</strong> as per pay scale/entitlement. Also, a <strong>leave encashment of ten days</strong> (pay+dearness allowance) <strong>is paid.</strong></li>
<li>However, employees <strong>will not be able to avail the LTC in the 2018-21 year block due to the ongoing pandemic</strong> and this is where the LTC will benefit government employees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In lieu of one LTC during 2018-21, employees will<strong> receive cash payment.</strong> There will be <strong>full payment on leave encashment</strong> and <strong>fare will be paid as per three slabs depending upon the class of entitlement.</strong> Further, there will be <strong>no tax on fare payment.</strong></li>
<li>An employee opting for this scheme will have to <strong>buy goods and services worth three times the fare and one time leave encashment,</strong> and do so <strong>before 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021.</strong></li>
<li>The money is to be spent on goods attracting<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Goods and Services Tax</strong> </a>(GST) of <strong>12% or more and only digital payments</strong> will be allowed. Also, employees will have to <strong>provide the GST invoice.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If the amount is <strong>not spent</strong> then the employee will have to<strong> pay tax as per the marginal tax rate</strong> on the LTC component.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The same benefits will be available to<strong> private-sector employees if the employers decide to offer the scheme</strong> to their employees and they decide to avail it.</li>
<li><strong>Benefits to Economy:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The government <strong>expects a demand generation of Rs. 28,000 crore</strong> (Rs. 19,000 crore from central government employees and the rest from states) in the economy.</li>
<li>While <strong>GST collections have been<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fall-in-goods-and-services-tax-gst-collections" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> severely impacted</a></strong> in the first half of the fiscal due to Covid-19 pandemic, a <strong>consumption boost will lift GST collections in the second half</strong> of the year as the scheme calls for expenditure to be done till 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021.</li>
<li><strong>If private-sector employees also participate, i</strong>t may lead to a <strong>significant jump in overall consumption and rise in GST collections.</strong></li>
<li>Since most employees have not been able to travel after the pandemic, the shifting of the LTC benefit is <strong>expected to generate demand</strong> elsewhere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Festival Advance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Festival advance, which was <strong>abolished in line with recommendations of the 7<sup>th</sup> Pay Commission,</strong> has been <strong>restored for one time</strong> till 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021.</li>
<li>All central government employees will <strong>get an interest-free advance of Rs. 10,000 that will be recovered in 10 instalments.</strong> It will be given in the form of a <strong>pre-loaded RuPay card</strong> of the advance value.</li>
<li>The government<strong> expects to disburse Rs. 4,000 crore</strong> under the scheme by 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021 and<strong> if all states provide</strong> similar advances, <strong>another Rs. 8,000 crore</strong> is likely to be disbursed.</li>
<li>This is expected to <strong>generate consumer demand ahead of festivals</strong> like Diwali.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Measures to Boost Capital Expenditure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>An additional budget of Rs 25,000 crore</strong> for Capex on roads, defence infrastructure, water supply, urban development, and domestically produced capital equipment. This is<strong> expected to come through re-allocation</strong> of resources.</li>
<li><strong>Special assistance will be provided to states in the form of interest-free 50-year loans of Rs. 12,000 crore,</strong> which can be used only for Capex purposes, with certain conditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Too Many Restrictions:</strong> Provisions like buying goods and services worth three times the fare, only in goods attracting GST of 12% or more through digital mode before 31<sup>st</sup> March etc. <strong>end the freedom of the consumer</strong> in decision making.</li>
<li><strong>Smaller Size:</strong> Capex amounts are <strong>too small to have any meaningful impact</strong> on economic growth.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>With the previous rounds of budgetary fiscal support of around 1% of GDP, current measures take total fiscal support to <strong>about 1.2% of GDP,</strong> which is <strong>small compared with the size of the growth hit</strong> and reflects India&rsquo;s weak fiscal starting position.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limited Impact:</strong> As the measures are aimed at encouraging spending for government employees <strong>rather than private/vulnerable section</strong> (where <strong>job losses/income losses have been significant</strong>), the<strong> overall impact will be limited.</strong></li>
<li><strong>On Tourism:</strong> LTC Voucher Scheme may impact the travel and tourism industry negatively if consumers choose to spend through the scheme. <strong>Demand in travel and tourism has already fallen significantly</strong> after the Covid-19 induced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lockdown-extended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdowns</strong></a> and closed borders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602583941_image8.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602583941_image8.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government seeks to coincide the schemes with the upcoming festive period to spur overall consumption and is also spending less to not to put additional burden on the exchequer, in the midst of a notable shortfall in tax and divestment revenues.</li>
<li>The strategic intent behind the schemes is to direct spending towards items for which demand had slumped during the period of lockdowns but this may defeat the larger purpose of reviving demand. Consumption-led growth can arguably lead to a slackening of future growth if it entails growing imbalances due to limits to capacity creation, and rising debt burdens, particularly for households.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/govt-spending-finance-ministry-ltc-festival-advance-6722667/" 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/measures-to-boost-consumption-demand-and-capex'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019: UNDRR',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>In a new report<strong> &ldquo;The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019&rdquo;,</strong> the United Nations pointed out that climate change is largely to blame for a near doubling of natural disasters in the past 20 years.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report is published by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/undrr-global-assessment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction</strong></a> <strong>(UNDRR).</strong> The report <strong>did not touch on biological hazards and disease-related disasters</strong> like the coronavirus pandemic.</li>
<li><strong>International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction</strong> is observed on<strong> 13<sup>th</sup> October</strong> every year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>7,348 major disaster</strong> events had occurred between 2000 and 2019, <strong>affecting 4.2 billion people</strong> and <strong>costing</strong> the global economy some <strong>USD 2.97 trillion.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The figure is<strong> far more than the 4,212</strong> major natural disasters recorded between <strong>1980 and 1999.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>6,681 climate-linked disasters</strong> had been recorded in the period 2000-19, up from 3,656 during the previous 20-year-period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Climate-related disasters include disasters categorized as meteorological, climatological, or hydrological.</li>
<li>There had also been an <strong>increase in geophysical events</strong> like earthquakes and tsunamis that are <strong>not related to climate</strong> but are particularly deadly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Major floods</strong> had more than doubled to 3,254, there had been 2,034 major storms up from 1,457 in 20 years.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India</strong> is the <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> most affected country by floods</strong> after China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Extreme heat is proving especially deadly. <strong>Heatwaves of 2015 in India</strong> resulted in 2,248 deaths.</li>
<li>The <strong>deadliest single disaster</strong> in the past 20 years was the<strong> 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami,</strong> with 2,26,400 deaths, followed by the <strong>Haiti earthquake</strong> in 2010, which claimed some 2,22,000 lives.</li>
<li>The data showed that <strong>Asia</strong> has suffered the <strong>highest number of disasters</strong> in the past 20 years with 3,068 such events, followed by the Americas with 1,756 and Africa with 1,192.</li>
<li>In terms of affected countries, <strong>China</strong> topped the list with 577 events followed by the <strong>United States</strong> with 467 and<strong> India</strong> (321 events).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concern:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Governments are not doing enough to prevent climate hazards.</li>
<li>A<strong> temperature increase of 3&deg;C</strong> of the global climate is estimated to <strong>increase the frequency of potentially high impact natural hazard events</strong> across the world. This could render <strong>current national and local strategies</strong> for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation <strong>obsolete</strong> in many countries.</li>
<li><strong>Shifting rainfall patterns and greater variability</strong> in precipitation poses a <strong>risk to the 70% of global agriculture</strong> that is rain-fed and the 1.3 billion people dependent on degrading agricultural land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recommendations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The concentrated impact due to a single disaster in some countries provides an opportunity for a more focused approach on disaster risk reduction. However, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/comprehensive-action-plan-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> demonstrates the need for a systemic, multi hazard approach in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world.</li>
<li>There is a requirement for<strong> strengthening disaster risk governance</strong> to manage disaster risk with clear vision, competence, plans, guidelines, funding and coordination across sectors and in a manner, which takes account of the increasingly systemic nature of disaster risk.</li>
<li><strong>Public and private investment</strong> in disaster risk prevention and reduction through <strong>structural</strong> and <strong>non-structural measures</strong> needs to be stepped up to create disaster resilient societies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UNDRR was <strong>established in 1999</strong> as a dedicated secretariat to facilitate the implementation of the <strong>International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).</strong></li>
<li>It is headquartered in <strong>Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>It is mandated to serve as the focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities.</li>
<li>It is an <strong>organisational unit of the UN Secretariat</strong> and is led by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG).</li>
<li><strong>UNDRR&rsquo;s Strategic Framework 2016-2021</strong> has a vision to substantially reduce disaster risk and losses for a sustainable future with the <strong>mandate to act as the custodian of <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/sendai-framework-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Sendai Framework</a> (India is a signatory).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Indian Scenario</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-disaster-management-authority-ndma-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Disaster Management Authority</strong></a> (NDMA) is the apex statutory body for disaster management in India.</li>
<li>The NDMA was formally constituted in 2006, in accordance with the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/invocation-of-disaster-management-act-2005-to-deal-with-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Disaster Management Act, 2005</strong></a> with the Prime Minister as its Chairperson.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/disaster-management-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Disaster Management Plan</strong></a> (NDMP) defines the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders including Central Ministries/ Departments, State Governments, UT Administrations, District Authorities and local self Governments.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Primary responsibility of disaster management rests with the <strong>States.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> Central Government</strong> conducts regular mock drill, community training and awareness programmes to prepare the civilian populations for disasters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/climate-change-to-blame-for-doubling-of-disasters/article32837772.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/human-cost-of-disasters-2000-2019-undrr'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Mount Kilimanjaro',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a fire that has broken out on the slopes of<strong> Mount Kilimanjaro,</strong> the<strong> highest peak in Africa.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The cause of the fire is not clear but<strong> strong winds and dry weather</strong> have caused it to <strong>spread fast.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581896_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581896_image1.jpg" width="400" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Located in <strong>Tanzania,</strong> Mount Kilimanjaro is<strong> Africa&rsquo;s tallest mountain at about 5,895 meters.</strong></li>
<li>It is also the <strong>largest free-standing mountain rise in the world,</strong> meaning it is <strong>not part of a mountain range.</strong></li>
<li>Kilimanjaro is a<strong> stratovolcano</strong> or <strong>composite volcano</strong> (a term for a very large volcano made of <strong>layers of ash, lava, and rock</strong>) and is <strong>made up of three cones:</strong> Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Kibo is the summit</strong> of the mountain and the<strong> tallest</strong> of the three volcanic formations. While <strong>Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, Kibo is dormant</strong> and could possibly erupt again.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Scientists estimate that the <strong>last time it erupted was 3,60,000 years ago.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The mountain is also<strong> known for its snow-capped peak</strong> which might disappear within the next 20 years or so as per the warnings by the scientists.</li>
<li>In <strong>1973,</strong> the mountain and its six surrounding forest corridors were named <strong>Kilimanjaro National Park</strong> in order to protect its unique environment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The park was named a<strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unesco-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization</a> (UNESCO) <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Heritage site</a> in 1987.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a <strong>popular tourist destination</strong> and tens of thousands of people climb it every year.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Volcano</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A volcano is an <strong>opening on the surface of a planet which allows material warmer than its surroundings to escape from its interior.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When this material escapes, it causes an <strong>eruption.</strong> An eruption can be <strong>explosive, sending material high</strong> into the sky. Or it can be <strong>calmer, with gentle flows</strong> of material.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On<strong> Earth,</strong> the erupted material can be<strong> liquid rock ("lava"</strong> when it's on the surface and <strong>"magma"</strong> when it's underground), <strong>ash, cinders, and/or gas.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581886_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581886_image6.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="755" caption="false" /></strong></a><strong></strong></p>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mount-kilimanjaro'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'National Postal Week and World Post Day',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India Post commenced the celebration of the <strong>National Postal Week,</strong> starting with <strong>World Post Day which is celebrated each year on 9<sup>th</sup> October.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>National Postal Week:</strong> It is celebrated from <strong>9<sup>th</sup> to 15<sup>th</sup> October</strong> every year. <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581282_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581282_image5.png" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> Generating a broad awareness about India Post&rsquo;s role and activities among the public and media at the national level</li>
<li><strong>Activities This Year:</strong> Felicitating the valued customers, organizing camps/workshops for Philately, opening accounts, online awareness campaigns etc.</li>
<li><strong>Philately:</strong> The collection and study of postage stamps and postal history.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2018, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-15th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Deen Dayal SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude &amp; Research in Stamps as a Hobby) yojana</strong></a> was launched by the Ministry of Communications which gives <strong>scholarships to promote philately among school children.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>World Post Day:</strong> It is celebrated each year on 9<sup>th</sup> October, to commemorate the establishment of the <strong>Universal Postal Union (UPU)</strong> in <strong>1874</strong> in the Swiss capital, Berne. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was declared as World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1969.</li>
<li><strong>Purpose:</strong> To create awareness about the role of the postal sector in the lives of people and business and its contribution to the social and economic development of the country</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Universal Postal Union</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UPU is a specialized agency of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations (UN)</strong></a> that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal systems.</li>
<li>Its headquarters are located in <strong>Berne, Switzerland.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India Post</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India Post is the trade name for the Department of Posts (DoP), a government-operated postal system in India under the <strong>Ministry of Communications.</strong></li>
<li>With 1, 55,531 Post Offices, the DoP has the <strong>most widely distributed postal network in the world.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Functions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Delivering <strong>mails,</strong> accepting deposits under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/government-cuts-interest-rates-on-nsc-ppf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Small Savings Schemes</strong></a>, providing<strong> life insurance cover</strong> under Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) and providing<strong> retail services</strong> like bill collection, sale of forms, etc.</li>
<li>It also acts as an agent for the Government of India in discharging other services for citizens such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sub-group-of-chief-ministers-on-coordination-between-mgnrega-and-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)</strong> </a>wage disbursement and old age<strong> pension</strong> payments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India Post has been serving the people in an extraordinary way in the difficult situation which has emerged due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a>, by bringing them <strong>medicines and financial assistance.</strong></li>
<li>The Postal Department has been playing a major role in the implementation of Government schemes, leveraging the<strong> immense strength of its vast network.</strong></li>
<li>Postal schemes are known for providing <strong>highly secured deposits,</strong> they provide<strong> a higher return of interest with low risk.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Related News:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Department of Posts</strong> (Ministry of Communications) has launched a scheme called <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-star-villages-scheme-india-post" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Five Star Villages</strong></a>. The scheme seeks <strong>to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services,</strong> especially in interior villages.</li>
<li>The Prime Minister launched <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/india-post-payment-bank-ippb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)</strong> </a>on 1<sup>st</sup> September 2018 aimed at making<strong> banking services available at people&rsquo;s doorstep.</strong></li>
<li>A <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/stamp-on-india-s-first-anti-satellite-missile-a-sat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Customized My Stamp on India&rsquo;s First Anti Satellite Missile (A-SAT)</strong></a> launch was released by the Department of Posts on the occasion of <strong>Engineers Day on 15<sup>th</sup> september, 2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1662827" 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/national-postal-week-and-world-post-day'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to <strong>socialist Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia</strong> on his death anniversary.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602584168_image7.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602584168_image7.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong> 23<sup>rd</sup> March, 1910 in Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh</li>
<li><strong>Brief Profile:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian politician and activist who was a prominent figure in socialist politics and in the movement towards Indian independence.</li>
<li>Much of his career was devoted to combating injustice through the development of a distinctly Indian version of socialism.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Socialism</strong> refers to a set of political ideas that emerged as a response to the inequalities present in, and reproduced by, the industrial capitalist economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lohia&rsquo;s Idea of Socialism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lohia identified<strong> five kinds of inequalities</strong> that need to be fought against simultaneously: inequality between<strong> man and woman,</strong> inequality based on<strong> skin colour, caste</strong>-based inequality, <strong>colonial rule</strong> of some countries over others, and <strong>economic</strong> inequality.</li>
<li>For him struggle against these five inequalities constituted five revolutions. He added two more revolutions to this list: revolution for <strong>civil liberties</strong> against unjust encroachments on private life and revolution for <strong>non-violence,</strong> for renunciation of weapons in favour of Satyagraha. These were the seven revolutions or<strong> Sapta Kranti</strong> which for Lohia was the ideal of socialism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Education:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bachelor&rsquo;s degree (1929)</strong> from the <strong>University of Calcutta</strong> and a <strong>doctorate (1932)</strong> from the<strong> University of Berlin,</strong> where he studied economics and politics.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pre-Independence Role:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>1934,</strong> he became <strong>actively involved in the Congress Socialist Party (CSP),</strong> founded that year as a left-wing group within the Indian National Congress.</li>
<li>A <strong>vehement opponent of Indian participation on the side of Great Britain in <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World War II</a></strong> (1939-45), he was arrested for anti-British remarks in 1939 and again in 1940.</li>
<li>With the emergence in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quit-india-movement-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>1942 of the Quit India movement</strong></a>&mdash;a campaign initiated by Mahatma Gandhi to urge the withdrawal of British authorities from India&mdash;Lohia and other CSP leaders (such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jayaprakash-narayan-and-nanaji-deshmukh-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jaya Prakash Narayan</strong></a>) mobilized support from the underground. For such resistance activities, he was <strong>jailed again in 1944&ndash;46.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Post Independence Role:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lohia and other CSP members <strong>left the Congress in 1948.</strong></li>
<li>He<strong> became a member of the Praja Socialist Party</strong> upon its formation in<strong> 1952</strong> and served as general secretary for a brief period, but <strong>internal conflicts</strong> led to his <strong>resignation in 1955.</strong></li>
<li>He<strong> established a new Socialist Party</strong> (1955), for which he became chairman as well as the <strong>editor of its journal, Mankind.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He advocated for various socio-political reforms in his capacity as party leader, including the abolition of the caste system, stronger protection of civil liberties, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In <strong>1963,</strong> Lohia was<strong> elected to the Lok Sabha,</strong> where he was noted for his sharp criticism of government policies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Some of his <strong>works</strong> include: &lsquo;Wheel of History&rsquo;, &lsquo;Marx, Gandhi and Socialism&rsquo;, &lsquo;Guilty Men of India&rsquo;s Partition&rsquo;, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong> 12<sup>th</sup> October, 1967.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1663730" 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/dr-ram-manohar-lohia-1'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Kerala & Digital Education',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Kerala has become the first state in the country to have<strong> high-tech classrooms or high-tech labs</strong> in <strong>all government-run and aided schools</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As part of this flagship project of the government, <strong>high-tech labs</strong> have been set up in <strong>primary and upper primary schools</strong> and 40,000 classrooms in <strong>high school and higher secondary schools</strong> have been converted into <strong>smart classrooms.</strong></li>
<li><strong>High-speed broadband internet</strong> has been ensured in 12,678 schools.</li>
<li>The high-tech classroom project was implemented by<strong> Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE),</strong> the nodal agency for ICT education in schools.</li>
<li>The Kerala government has also started <strong>digital classrooms known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-bell-kerala" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;First bell&rsquo;</a></strong> to impart education to 41 lakh students in the state after schools shut due to the lockdown</li>
<li>The Kerala State government is also carrying out a unique programme called<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/namath-basai-kerala" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> &ldquo;Namath Basai&rdquo;</a></strong>of<strong> teaching tribal children in their mother tongue.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The programme is being implemented by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/samagra-shiksha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samagra Shiksha Kerala</a> (SSK).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Recently, the Central government has proposed<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/online-education#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20Human%20Resource,home%20(DTH)%2C%20etc." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> long-term measures</strong></a> to address social inequities in online education, as highlighted by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic.</a></li>
<li>However, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/digital-education-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>digital education in India</strong></a> still faces many challenges like lack of internet penetration, economic inequality, lack of trained teachers etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/education/kerala-1st-in-country-with-high-tech-classrooms-in-govt-aided-schools-cm-pinarayi-vijayan-6722675/" 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/kerala-digital-education'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Anti-pollution Campaign: Delhi',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Delhi Government has recently launched a major anti-pollution campaign, <em>Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh</em>, which includes a <strong>tree transplantation policy,</strong> construction of a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/smog-tower-in-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>smog tower</strong></a> at Connaught Place (Delhi), promoting <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric vehicles</strong> </a>and preventing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/stubble-burning-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>stubble burning.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This will help in combating the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/air-pollution-in-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>poor air quality of Delhi</strong> </a>which deteriorates even more in the winter season.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Tree Transplantation Policy</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tree transplantation refers to uprooting a tree from a particular spot, lifting it, and planting it at another spot,</li>
<li>Under this policy, a<strong> minimum of 80% of trees affected by any developmental project, will be transplanted.</strong> Also, a minimum of 80% of the transplanted trees should survive and ensuring this would be the responsibility of the agencies that will take permission from the government.</li>
<li>This transplantation will be in addition to the<strong> existing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inadequate-compensatory-afforestation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compensatory afforestation</a></strong> of planting of <strong>10 saplings for every tree that is cut.</strong></li>
<li>A <strong>panel of the agencies</strong> that excel in the task of transplantation and a dedicated <strong>Tree Transplantation Cell</strong> will also be formed by the government.</li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Planting a new sampling as a substitute for an existing fully grown tree does not adequately counter the adverse environmental effect of cutting the existing tree. Transplantation will ensure the <strong>conservation of old trees.</strong></li>
<li>Also, many old trees have a <strong>symbolic or heritage value</strong> which needs to be preserved.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limitations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Low Success Rate:</strong> Transplantation is a complicated process with a success rate of around 50%. The survival rate of a transplanted tree depends on soil type as a tree growing on the Delhi ridge is unlikely to survive in the Yamuna floodplain.</li>
<li><strong>Expensive:</strong> It costs around Rs 1 lakh to transplant an average-sized tree.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Smog Tower:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>smog tower,</strong> which will act as a mega air purifier, will also be installed in Delhi to counter the persistent issue of smog in Delhi as per the November 2019 order of the Supreme Court to the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board.</li>
<li>The towers to be installed in Delhi will be the result of a collaboration between the <strong>IITs at Mumbai and Delhi, and the University of Minnesota.</strong></li>
<li>Smog towers have been experimented with in recent years in cities in the Netherlands, China, South Korea and Poland. The first such tower was erected in <strong>2015, in Rotterdam, Netherlands,</strong> created by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde.</li>
<li>The <strong>world&rsquo;s largest air-purifying tower is in Xi&rsquo;an, China.</strong></li>
<li>The Tower will<strong> suck the polluted air from above and release clean air from the bottom. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Limitations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Many experts have claimed that due to the large volume of air outdoors, smog towers are <strong>not efficient</strong> in cleaning the air per se.</li>
<li>Even in the case of China, there is<strong> insufficient data to support the effectiveness</strong> of its smog towers.</li>
<li>An expert panel has estimated that Delhi will need a total of 213 smog towers to battle the pollution crisis which will be very<strong> expensive</strong> as each tower will cost around 20 crore rupees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Electric Vehicles (EVs)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government aims to make<strong> EVs account for a quarter of the new vehicles registered in the capital by 2024.</strong></li>
<li>EVs will gain from purchase <strong>incentives, scrappage benefits</strong> on older vehicles, <strong>loans</strong> at favourable interest and a <strong>waiver</strong> of road taxes.</li>
<li>Recently, the Delhi government notified the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electric-vehicles-policy-2020-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric Vehicles Policy 2020</strong> </a>which lays the maximum emphasis on replacement of two-wheelers, public transport and shared vehicles and goods-carriers instead of private four-wheelers, with EVs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Apart from these steps, the campaign also focuses on cutting the <strong>deadly smoke from thermal plants and brick kilns</strong> in Delhi as well as on the chemical treatment of <strong>stubble burning</strong> from nearby States.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Air Pollution in Delhi</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to air quality data compiled by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation</strong></a> (WHO), Delhi is among the world&rsquo;s most polluted cities.</li>
<li>Particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi, exceed national standards and the more stringent World Health Organization limits. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Delhi needs a <strong>65% reduction to meet the national standards for PM2.5.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Delhi&rsquo;s toxic air also contains<strong> high doses of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.</strong></li>
<li>The lack of wind worsens the pollutant concentration.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Earth Sciences published a research paper in October 2018 attributing almost <strong>41% to vehicular emissions, 21.5% to dust and 18% to industries.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Emission testing of vehicles is only 25%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the WHO, India has the world's highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma. Air pollution also impacts the environment through reduced visibility, acid rain, and formation of ozone at the tropospheric level.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for Deteriorating Air Quality of Delhi</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Stubble Burning</li>
<li>Vehicular Emission</li>
<li>Weather</li>
<li>High Population Density</li>
<li>Lack of Infrastructure</li>
<li>Construction Activities and Open waste burning</li>
<li>Thermal Power Plant and Industries</li>
<li>Firecrackers</li>
<li>Diesel generators</li>
<li>Dust Storm from Gulf countries</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Delhi&rsquo;s long-term solution will depend importantly also on <strong>abating emissions from transportation.</strong> A three-part action for combating vehicular emissions comprises <strong>emissions standards, public transport, and electric vehicles.</strong> The Supreme Court&rsquo;s ruling to increase Delhi&rsquo;s bus fleet and align it with the Metro network must be carried out.</li>
<li><strong>Technical solutions</strong> need to be underpinned by <strong>coordination and transparency</strong> across Central, State, and local governments.<strong> Citizen participation</strong> and the media are vital for sharing the message on pollution and health, using data such as those from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cpcb-notifies-contaminated-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Pollution Control Board.</strong></a></li>
<li>The need to control becomes ever more important in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> scenario when respiratory ailments due to air pollution can worsen the condition of Covid-19 affected people.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/towards-cleaner-air-in-delhi/article32836821.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/anti-pollution-campaign-delhi'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh Jayanti',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Prime Minister of India bowed to Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh, on their Jayanti.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jayaprakash Narayan (JP):<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501802_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501802_image8.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong> 11<sup>th</sup> October, 1902 in Sitabdiara, Bihar.</li>
<li><strong>Influenced By:</strong> Marxist ideas in the USA and <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper4/gandhian-ideologies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gandhian ideology.</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Contribution to Freedom Struggle:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>1929,</strong> he joined the <strong>Indian National Congress.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Imprisonment:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>1932</strong> imprisoned for a year for participation in the civil disobedience movement.</li>
<li>In <strong>1939</strong> for his opposition to Indian participation in <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World War II</strong></a> on the side of Britain but escaped.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He played a key role in the formation of the <strong>Congress Socialist Party (1934),</strong> a left-wing group within the Congress Party.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Post-Independence Role:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 1948, he left the Congress Party and initiated an anti-Congress Campaign.</li>
<li>In <strong>1952,</strong> he formed the <strong>Praja Socialist Party (PSP).</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>1954,</strong> he devoted his life<strong> exclusively to the Bhoodan Yajna Movement, of Vinoba Bhave,</strong> which demanded land redistribution to the landless.</li>
<li>In <strong>1959</strong> he argued for a<strong> &ldquo;reconstruction of Indian polity&rdquo;</strong> by means of a four-tier hierarchy of village, district, state, and union councils <strong>(Chaukhamba Raj).</strong></li>
<li>Total Revolution: Against Indira Gandhi Regime as she was found guilty of violating electoral laws by the Allahabad High Court. He advocated a program of <strong>social transformation</strong> which he termed <strong>&lsquo;Sampoorna Kranti' (total revolution)</strong> in 1974 against corruption in public life.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Total Revolution has seven component revolu&shy;tions, namely- political, social, economic, cultural, ideological or intellectual, educational and spiritual.</li>
<li>The objective was to bring in a change in the existing society that is in tune with the ideals of the Sarvodaya (Gandhian philosophy- progress for all).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bharat Ratna: Jayaprakash Narayan</strong> was <strong>posthumously conferred</strong> with India's highest civilian award, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-28th-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Ratna</strong></a> <strong>(1999),</strong> for his <strong>"invaluable contribution to the freedom struggle and upliftment of the poor and downtrodden".</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nanaji Deshmukh:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501852_image7.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501852_image7.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong> 11<sup>th</sup> October 1916 in Maharashtra&rsquo;s Hingoli district.</li>
<li><strong>Influenced by:</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bal-gangadhar-tilak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lokamanya Tilak</strong></a> and his nationalist ideology.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founding Sarsangha-chalak(head) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He was a leader of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.</li>
<li><strong>Participation:</strong> He actively participated in<strong> Acharya Vinoba Bhave&rsquo;s Bhoodan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Deshmukh was the <strong>main force behind social activist Jayaprakash Narayan's agitation for total revolution.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Social Activism:</strong> He was a social reformer with focus on health, education and rural self-reliance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He established <strong>Chitarkoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalaya</strong> in Chitrakoot, India&rsquo;s <strong>first rural University</strong> and had served as its Chancellor.</li>
<li>He did great work towards the anti-poverty and minimum needs programme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Electoral Politics:</strong> He was one of<strong> main architects</strong> of the Janata Party.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He <strong>won in the 1977 Lok election</strong> from Balrampur (UP) Lok Sabha constituency.</li>
<li>He was<strong> nominated to Rajya Sabha</strong> in 1999 in recognition of his services to the nation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong> 27<sup>th</sup> February, 2010.</li>
<li><strong>Awards:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He was awarded <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/padma-awards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Padma Vibhushan</strong></a> in 1999.</li>
<li>In 2019, the President of India, conferred the <strong>Bharat Ratna</strong> upon him (posthumously) for his services to the nation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1663470" 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/jayaprakash-narayan-and-nanaji-deshmukh-jayanti'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Need For MSP Reforms',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/farm-bills-2020-india-farmers-msp-price-coronavirus-modi-govt-6721272/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;MSP in the age of surplus&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Indian Express on 12/10/2020. It talks about the need for reforms in the current MSP regime.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-agriculture-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>three new farm laws were passed by the parliament</strong></a> to increase the relative role of markets without dismantling the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/msp-raised-for-rabi-crops" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> MSP (Minimum Support Prices) system.</strong> </a>These laws meet widespread protest from the farming community, especially in Punjab and Haryana.</p>
<p>Fearing the government will do away with the MSP is the bone of contention behind these protests. Farmers want higher and assured income through effective MSP, while the government is offering greater choices to farmers through markets, without demolishing the existing MSP system.</p>
<p>Further, Indian agriculture has, since the <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-97#:~:text=A%20large%20increase%20in%20crop,land%20using%20new%20farming%20techniques." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Green Revolution</strong></a>, turned the corner from scarcity to surplus. In a surplus agrarian economy, unless a greater role for markets is allowed, the MSP route will continue to drain public exchequer.</p>
<p>Hence, in order to achieve the target of doubling the farmer&rsquo;s income, there is a need to reform the MSP system, make agriculture demand-driven and invest in agricultural infrastructure.</p>
<h3>Need for Reforms in MSP Regime</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>MSPs in Favour of Paddy and Wheat:</strong> Skewed MSP dominated system of rice and wheat leads to overproduction of these crops. This can be seen in the stocks for wheat and rice with the government are way above the buffer stock norms.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, it discourages farmers to grow other crops and horticulture products, which has higher demand and subsequently can lead to increase in farmers income.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economically Unsustainable:</strong> The economic cost of procured rice comes to about Rs 37/kg and that of wheat is around Rs 27/kg. However, market prices of rice and wheat are much lower than the economic cost incurred by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fci-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Corporation of India (FCI).</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to this, the FCI&rsquo;s economic burden is touching Rs 3 lakh crore.</li>
<li>This amount eventually will have to be borne by the Union government and may subsequently lead to divergence of funds from being invested in agriculture infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Market-Driven System in the Non-Farm Sector:</strong> Milk and poultry don&rsquo;t have MSP and pricing is done by the company in consultation with milk federations, not by the government.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to this, milk farmers do not have to go through the mandi system paying high commissions, market fees and cess.</li>
<li>Further, these cooperatives compete with multinational private companies like Nestle, Hatsun which ultimately benefits in augmenting farmers' income.</li>
<li>Moreover, private companies also invest in rural infrastructure.</li>
<li>Due to combined effects of these factors, the milk sector has been growing at a rate two to three times higher than rice, wheat and sugarcane.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Restriction in Exports:</strong> Even after producing surplus grains, every year a huge portion of these grains gets rotten. This is due to the restrictions under <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-trade-organisation-wto" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>WTO norms</strong></a>, that grain stocks with the FCI (being heavily subsidized due to MSP) cannot be exported.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pursuing Cooperative Federalism:</strong> Agriculture is a State subject in the Constitution, listed as Entry 14 in the State List (List II).
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from this, entry 26 in List II refers to &ldquo;trade and commerce within the State&rdquo;; entry 27 refers to &ldquo;production, supply and distribution of goods&rdquo;; and entry 28 refers to &ldquo;markets and fairs&rdquo;.</li>
<li>For these reasons, intra-State marketing in agriculture was always considered a legislative prerogative of States.</li>
<li>However, there is a case to argue that the current three farm legislations, have poor legal validity and may weaken federalism.</li>
<li>Therefore, any reform pertaining to agriculture and farmer&rsquo;s income must come up after consultation with the states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Changing the Pricing Mix:</strong> Government must come up with a suitable transition to agricultural pricing policy, whereby partial agricultural pricing should be state-supported and partially market-driven.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One way to do this, could be a deficiency payments scheme along the lines of the <strong>Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY)</strong> initiated by Madhya Pradesh.</li>
<li>In this scheme, the government rather than procuring from farmers, compensates farmers with cash transfers when the market price falls below MSP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strengthening FPO:</strong> With the changes brought the recent farm legislation, it is expected that many companies will be encouraged to build efficient supply lines somewhat on the lines of milk.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there is a genuine demand for protection of farmers from ruthless market orientation for Profit.</li>
<li>Thus, there is a need for strengthening of <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-76#:~:text=Farmer%20Producer%20Organisation%20(FPO)%20is,profits%2Fbenefits%20among%20the%20members." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Farmers Producer Organisations</strong> </a>(FPOs), this will increase bargaining power of farmers on one hand and provide a suitable investment climate on the other.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Agriculture lies at the backbone of Indian economy. Therefore, more sustainable solutions lie in augmenting productivity, diversifying to high-value crops, and shifting people out of agriculture to the high productivity sector.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602499486_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602499486_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: #ebf3ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>In an agrarian economy, unless a greater role for markets is allowed, the MSP route will continue to drain public exchequer. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sUN2eEpROwg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/trouble-in-the-air-120100801708_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Trouble in the air&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Business Standard on October 8<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/need-for-msp-reforms'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => '15 Years of RTI',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A report by the Satark Nagrik Sangathan and the Centre for Equity Studies has pointed out that <strong>more than 2.2 lakh <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to information</a></strong> cases are pending at the Central and State Information Commissions (ICs), which are the final courts of appeal under the RTI Act, 2005.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report was released on the occasion of completion of the 15 years of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/challenges-related-to-rti-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information (RTI) Act.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unavailability during <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a> lockdown</strong>: Out of the total 29 ICs that were studied, 21 were not holding any hearings.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Even the websites of 3 ICs -Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland -were not accessible during the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lockdown-extended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdown.</strong></a></li>
<li>Websites of 11 commissions out of 29, had no information/notification about the functioning of the IC during the lockdown.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduced Capacity:</strong> Of the 29 ICs, two ICs -Jharkhand and Tripura -were found to have<strong> no commissioners</strong> for varying lengths of time. They were completely defunct.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>4 were functioning without a <strong>Chief Information Commissioner</strong> -Bihar, Goa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.</li>
<li>Under the RTI 2005 act, <strong>every commission should have a chief and up to 10 commissioners.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Delays and Backlogs:</strong> The assessment found that on average, the CIC takes 388 days (more than one year) to dispose of an appeal/complaint from the date that it was filed before the commission.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The highest number of pending appeals, with over 59,000 cases were in Maharashtra, followed by Uttar Pradesh and the Central Information Commissions (CIC).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No Penalties:</strong> The report found that the <strong>Government officials face hardly any punishment for violating the law.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Penalties were imposed in only 2.2% of cases that were disposed of, despite previous analysis showing a rate of about 59% violations which should have triggered the process of penalty imposition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It provided that the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall hold office for such<strong> term as prescribed by the Central Government.</strong> Before this amendment, their term was fixed for 5 years.</li>
<li>It provided that the <strong>salary, allowances and other service conditions</strong> of the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall be such<strong> as prescribed by the Central Government.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Before this amendment, the salary, allowances and other service conditions of the Chief Information Commissioner were similar to those of the Chief Election Commissioner and that of an Information Commissioner were similar to those of an Election Commissioner (State Election Commissioners in case of States).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>removed the provisions regarding deductions in salary</strong> of the Chief Information Commissioner, an Information Commissioner, the State Chief Information Commissioner and a State Information Commissioner due to pension or any other retirement benefits received by them for their previous government service.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></a> was <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/challenges-related-to-rti-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>criticized on grounds of diluting the law and giving more powers to the central government.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Central Information Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established:</strong> The Central Information Commission was established by the Central Government in 2005, under the provisions of the Right to Information Act (2005). It is <strong>not</strong> a constitutional body.</li>
<li><strong>Members:</strong> The Commission consists of a<strong> Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten Information Commissioners.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At present (2019), the Commission has <strong>six Information Commissioners</strong> apart from the Chief Information Commissioner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appointment:</strong> They are appointed by the <strong>President</strong> on the <strong>recommendation of a committee</strong> consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.</li>
<li><strong>Tenure:</strong> The Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner shall hold office for such term <strong>as prescribed by the Central Government</strong> or until they attain the age of<strong> 65 years,</strong> whichever is earlier. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are<strong> not eligible for reappointment.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power and Functions of CIC</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the duty of the Commission to <strong>receive and inquire into a complaint</strong> from any person regarding information request under RTI, 2005.</li>
<li>The Commission can <strong>order an inquiry into any matter</strong> if there are reasonable grounds <strong>(suo-moto power).</strong></li>
<li>While inquiring, the Commission has the <strong>powers of a civil court</strong> in respect of summoning, requiring documents etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government must ensure<strong> the timely appointment of chiefs and members of ICs.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The increasing backlog of cases is exacerbated by the fact that most Commissions are functioning at reduced capacity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is absolutely critical that all information commissions conduct<strong> timely and effective hearings and disposal</strong> of cases to ensure people can exercise their fundamental right to information.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Commissions should hold hearings telephonically. Where possible, video calls can be set up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There should be a<strong> prioritization of cases dealing with information related to life and liberty.</strong> Information regarding matters like food distribution, social security, health and COVID 19-related issues should be proactively disclosed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Section 7(1) of the RTI Act states that information concerning the life or liberty of a person has to be supplied <strong>within 48 hours</strong> of the request being received.</li>
<li><strong>Section 4</strong> of the RTI Act requires<strong> suo motu disclosure of information</strong> by each public authority.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Urgent digitization</strong> of records and proper record management is important as lack of remote access to records in the lockdown has been widely cited as the reason for not being able to conduct hearings of appeals and complaints by commissions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Governments should put in place a mechanism for <strong>online filing of RTI applications.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The role of information commissions is crucial during Covid-19 to ensure that people can obtain information on healthcare facilities, social security programs and delivery of essential goods and services meant for those in distress.</li>
<li>If the poor and marginalised affected by the public health emergency are to have any hope of obtaining the benefits of government schemes, they must have access to relevant information.</li>
<li><strong>Democracy is all about the governance of the people, by the people and for the people.</strong> In order to achieve the third paradigm, the state needs to start acknowledging the importance of informed public and the role that it plays in the country&rsquo;s development as a nation. In this context, underlying issues related to RTI Act should be resolved, so that it can serve the<strong> information needs of society.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/at-15-rti-act-crippled-by-rising-backlog/article32827394.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/15-years-of-rti'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Status of Bharatmala Pariyojana',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A total of 322 projects in a length of 12,413 km have been awarded and 2921 km has been constructed under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bharatmala-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharatmala Pariyojana</strong></a> till August 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bharatmala Pariyojana is an <strong>umbrella program for the highways sector</strong> envisaged by the <strong>Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.</strong></li>
<li>Under<strong> Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana,</strong> implementation of<strong> 34,800 km of national highways in 5 years</strong> (from 2017 to 2022) has been approved at an estimated outlay of <strong>Rs. 5,35,000 crore.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nhai-achieves-highest-ever-construction-of-national-highways" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Highways Authority of India</strong></a> (NHAI) has mandated the development of about 27,500 km of national highways under Phase-I.</li>
<li>However, as per <strong>ICRA Limited</strong>, Phase-I is <strong>likely to be delayed</strong> by four years due to the prevailing <strong>uncertainty due to Covid-19</strong> and <strong>consequent impact on valuations.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>ICRA Limited is an <strong>Indian independent and professional investment information and credit rating agency.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Phase-II</strong> envisages around <strong>48,000 km of road network across India by 2024.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To <strong>optimise the efficiency of freight and passenger movement</strong> across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>effective interventions</strong> include the development of economic corridors, inter corridors and feeder routes, national corridor efficiency improvement, border and international connectivity roads, coastal and port connectivity roads and greenfield expressways.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/industrial-corridors-2#:~:text=Industrial%20corridors%20offer%20effective%20integration,the%2Dart%20cargo%20handling%20equipment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Economic Corridors</strong></a>: These are<strong> integrated networks of infrastructure</strong> within a geographical area designed <strong>to stimulate economic development.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Greenfield Projects:</strong> They <strong>lack constraints imposed by prior work on the site.</strong> Typically, it entails <strong>development on a completely vacant site</strong> and architects start completely from scratch.</li>
<li><strong>Brownfield Projects:</strong> They carry <strong>constraints related to the current state of the site</strong> and <strong>might be contaminated or have existing structures</strong> that architects have to tear down or modify in some way before the project can move forward.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To<strong> generate a large number of direct and indirect employment opportunities</strong> in the construction and infrastructure sector and also as part of the enhanced economic activity resulting from better road connectivity across the country.</li>
<li>To<strong> connect 550 districts in the country</strong> through national highway linkages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Improvement in the efficiency of existing corridors</strong> through the development of <strong>Multimodal Logistics Parks</strong> and elimination of chokepoint.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Multimodal Logistics Parks are a key<strong> policy initiative</strong> of the Government of India to <strong>improve the country's logistics sector</strong> by lowering overall freight costs, reducing vehicular pollution and congestion, and cutting warehousing costs.</li>
<li>A chokepoint is a single point through which all incoming and outgoing network traffic is funnelled and hence, leads to congestion and traffic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Enhance focus on<strong> improving connectivity in North East</strong> and <strong>leveraging synergies with Inland Waterways.</strong></li>
<li>Emphasis on the use of <strong>scientific and technological planning</strong> for Project Preparation and Asset Monitoring.</li>
<li><strong>Satellite mapping of corridors</strong> to identify up-gradation requirements.</li>
<li><strong>Delegation of powers to expedite project delivery</strong> for successful completion of Phase I by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Project Categories:</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602494683_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602494683_image 0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1663471" 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/status-of-bharatmala-pariyojana'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'South Asia Economic Focus Report: World Bank',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has recently released its biennial <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/contraction-in-gdp-of-india-in-2020-21-world-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South Asia Economic Focus report</strong></a>. The fall 2020 edition is titled &ldquo;Beaten or Broken? Informality and Covid-19&rdquo;.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.</li>
<li>The report predicts that the extended closure of schools amid the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong> </a>could <strong>dent India&rsquo;s future earnings</strong> by anywhere between 420 billion USD and 600 billion USD, as depleted learning levels of students will translate into <strong>poorer productivity</strong> going forward.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact on Education:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Around 5.5<strong> million students could drop out of schools</strong> across South Asia.</li>
<li><strong>391 million students</strong> have been kept out of school in primary and secondary education due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdown.</strong></a></li>
<li>Dropouts, combined with substantial learning losses for those who remain enrolled in schools, would <strong>cost South Asia as much as 622 billion USD</strong> in future earnings and gross domestic product.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The regional loss is<strong> largely driven by India,</strong> all countries will lose substantial shares of their GDP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The projected learning loss for the region is<strong> 0.5 years of learning-adjusted years of schooling (LAYS)</strong> at present.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>LAYS combines quantity and quality of schooling into a single easy-to-understand metric of progress.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Due to the closure of schools, not only the learning process has been obstructed but the children may have <strong>forgotten their previous learnings.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The average child in South Asia may lose 4,400 USD in lifetime earnings once having entered the labour market, equivalent to <strong>5% of total earnings.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Engaging children through remote learning programmes had been difficult, despite most governments&rsquo; best efforts to mitigate the impact of school closures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602489728_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602489728_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impacts on Economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Impact on Informal Sector:</strong> The report has flagged damage to businesses, consumption patterns and imposed social hardship on poor and vulnerable households, especially <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-migrants-and-challenges" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>urban migrants</strong> </a>and informal workers in the South Asia region. It has also warned against<strong> far-reaching consequences</strong> apart from these immediate impacts.</li>
<li><strong>GDP:</strong> The regional GDP of the South Asia region is estimated to contract by 7.7% in 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-decreases-to-11-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gross Domestic Product</a></strong> (GDP) can contract by 9.6% in 2020-21.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Labour productivity:</strong> It will also take a greater hit from Covid-19 than most previous natural disasters. <strong>Reasons</strong> for the decrease in labour productivity are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Globalization:</strong> The increased integration of the global economy will amplify the adverse impact of Covid-19. Effect on supply chains, export-import and international migration of labour will affect labour productivity.</li>
<li><strong>Capacity underutilization:</strong> Contagion prevention and physical distancing may render some activities, for example, the hospitality sector, unviable unless they are radically transformed, which will take time. Even in less directly affected sectors such as manufacturing, banking and business, severe capacity underutilisation lowers total factor productivity.</li>
<li><strong>Disruptions to training, schooling and other education:</strong> These may occur due to severe income losses as well as lack of access to training and education facilities. Even once restrictions are lifted, the impediment of training will also lower human capital and labour productivity over the long term.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Related Reports:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-report-on-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Report on the Impact of Covid-19 on Children</strong></a> estimated that almost <strong>24 million children could drop out</strong> or not have access to school next year due to the <strong>economic impact of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19.</a></strong></li>
<li>Earlier this year, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-education-monitoring-report-2020-unesco" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the Global Education Monitoring Report, 2020</strong></a> was released by UNESCO which highlighted that the <strong>Covid-19 had worsened the inequalities in education systems</strong> worldwide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To avoid the outcome of the pandemic, progress on three fronts is required: <strong>Information, Solidarity</strong> and <strong>Action.</strong></li>
<li>It is critical that education is at the heart of international solidarity efforts, from<strong> debt management</strong> and<strong> stimulus packages</strong> to <strong>global humanitarian appeals </strong>and <strong>official development assistance.</strong></li>
<li>It is the time to <strong>step up international solidarity for children and humanity&mdash;</strong> and to lay the foundations for a deeper transformation of the way we nurture and invest in our world&rsquo;s youngest generation.</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> as a lower-middle-income country needs to use education as an equalizer for its widespread socioeconomic inequalities. Focus on increasing the education budget in the New<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-education-policy-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Education Policy</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/right-to-internet-access-and-digital-literacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decreasing the digital divide</strong> </a>are welcome steps to achieve this goal.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/school-closure-may-cost-india-dear/article32828676.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/south-asia-economic-focus-report-world-bank'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Hurricane Delta',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Hurricane Delta made landfall in the <strong>USA state of Louisiana,</strong> which is still recovering from the damage caused by a<strong> previous <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hurricane-laura#:~:text=Key%20Points,and%20bring%20down%20power%20lines." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurricane (Laura)</a></strong> in August 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Hurricane Delta is the <strong>10<sup>th</sup> named storm</strong> to make USA landfall so far this year, breaking a record that has stood since 1916.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the scientists, <strong>global warming</strong> is a major cause behind rapidly intensifying Atlantic hurricanes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Delta is also the<strong> first Greek alphabet named hurricane</strong> on record to make landfall in continental USA.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When a very active hurricane season occurs and the list is exhausted, <strong>the Greek alphabet is used</strong> (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, etc).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It hit Louisiana as a <strong>Category 2 hurricane,</strong> but weakened to a Category 1 as it moved inland.</li>
<li><strong>Hurricanes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hurricanes are the <strong>biggest and most violent storms</strong> on the planet.</li>
<li><strong>Every year, between June and November</strong> they hit the<strong> Caribbean,</strong> the <strong>Gulf of Mexico</strong> and the <strong>eastern coast of the United States,</strong> sometimes leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.</li>
<li>In the <strong>western North Pacific,</strong> they are called <strong>"typhoons".</strong></li>
<li>In the <strong>Bay of Bengal</strong> and <strong>Arabian Sea,</strong> they are called <strong>"cyclones".</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>Australia,</strong> they are called<strong> &ldquo;Willy-Willy&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A hurricane <strong>starts out as a tropical disturbance.</strong> This is an area over warm ocean waters where rain clouds are building.</li>
<li>A tropical disturbance sometimes <strong>grows into a tropical depression.</strong> This is an area of <strong>rotating thunderstorms</strong> with winds of 62 km/hr or less.</li>
<li>A<strong> tropical depression becomes a tropical storm</strong> if its winds reach 63 km/hr.</li>
<li>A tropical storm <strong>becomes a hurricane</strong> if its winds reach 119 km/hr.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488800_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488800_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Category of Hurricanes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hurricanes can be classified in <strong>five categories</strong> depending on the sustained wind speeds.</li>
<li>In the Atlantic, the <strong>Saffir-Simpson wind scale</strong> is used to measure their destructive power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Parts of a Hurricane:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488904_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488904_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Eye:</strong> The eye is the "hole" at the center of the storm. Winds are light in this area. Skies are partly cloudy, and sometimes even clear.</li>
<li><strong>Eye Wall:</strong> The eye wall is a ring of thunderstorms. These storms swirl around the eye. The <strong>wall is where winds are strongest and rain is heaviest.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Rain Bands:</strong> Bands of clouds and rain go far out from a hurricane's eye wall. These bands stretch for hundreds of miles. They contain thunderstorms and sometimes tornadoes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Naming:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Each year, tropical storms are named in <strong>alphabetical order.</strong> The names come from a list of names for that year. There are <strong>six lists of names.</strong> Lists are<strong> reused every six years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/hurricane-delta-makes-landfall-in-southwestern-louisiana-6719310/" 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/hurricane-delta'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Malnutrition and Covid-19',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article has been taken from <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/malnutrition-the-silent-pandemic-6610858/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Malnutrition - the silent pandemic&lsquo;</strong> </a>which was published in &lsquo;The Indian Express&rsquo; on 25/09/2020. It focuses upon how the pandemic has worsened the problem of Malnutrition.</p>
</div>
<p>While malnutrition already remains as the predominant risk factor for child deaths and total disability- adjusted life years, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>COVID-19</strong></a> has pushed back our efforts on ending malnutrition, which plagues India's children.</p>
<p>There is a real risk that, as nations strive to control the virus, the gains made in reducing hunger and malnutrition will be lost. The need for more equitable, resilient and sustainable food and health systems has never been more urgent.</p>
<h3>Malnutrition</h3>
<p>Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person&rsquo;s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition addresses 3 broad groups of conditions:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Undernutrition,</strong> which includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age) and underweight (low weight-for-age).</li>
<li><strong>Micronutrient-related malnutrition,</strong> which includes micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals) or micronutrient excess;</li>
<li><strong>Overweight,</strong> obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers).</li>
</ul>
<p>Globally, at least 1 in 3 children under 5 is undernourished or overweight and at least 1 in 2 children suffer from <strong>hidden hunger.</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hidden Hunger</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Hidden hunger is a lack of vitamins and minerals.</li>
<li>It occurs when the quality of food people eat does not meet the nutrient requirements. The food is deficient in micronutrients such as the vitamins and minerals that are needed for their growth and development.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Causes of Malnutrition</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Food &amp; nutrition insecurity:</strong> Increased food and nutrition insecurity has severely weakened the immune system of people contributing to poor growth &amp; intellectual impairment and has lowered human capital and development prospects</li>
<li><strong>Inequity:</strong> Inequity is a cause of malnutrition &mdash; both under-nutrition and overweight, obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Inequities in food and health systems exacerbate inequalities in nutrition outcomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inadequate Dietary Intake:</strong> Inadequate dietary intake and disease are directly responsible for undernutrition, but multiple indirect determinants exacerbate these causes. These include-
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Food insecurity</li>
<li>Inadequate childcare practices</li>
<li>Low maternal education</li>
<li>Poor access to health services</li>
<li>Lack of access to clean water and sanitation</li>
<li>Poor hygiene practices</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Covid-19 and Malnutrition</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The nationwide lockdown has disrupted access to essential services, including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mid-day-meal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mid-Day Meals</strong></a>, which are not only a nutritional measure to supplement some portion of a child&rsquo;s calorie needs but is also a tool to access education.</li>
<li>Through a concurrent rapid needs assessment, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/childhood-index" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Save the Children</strong></a> found that around 40% of eligible children have not received mid-day meal during the lockdown.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Malnutrition and India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Nutrition Report-2020:</strong> As per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-nutrition-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Nutrition Report 2020</strong></a>, India is among 88 countries that are likely to miss global nutrition targets by 2025.</li>
<li><strong>Malnourished children in India:</strong> Malnutrition in India accounts for 68% of total under-five deaths and 17% of the total disability- adjusted life years.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is home to about 30% of the world&rsquo;s stunted children and nearly 50 per cent of severely wasted children under the age of five.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>FAO estimates:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-march-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)</strong> </a>estimates that 194.4 million people in India (about 14.5% of the total population) are undernourished.</li>
<li><strong>Global Hunger Index-2019:</strong> India ranks 102 out of 117 countries in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Hunger Index 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Wasting rate:</strong> India&rsquo;s wasting rate is extremely high at 20.8% &mdash; the highest wasting rate of any country.</li>
<li><strong>Nutrition interventions:</strong> They are not sufficient to tackle the problem of undernutrition: Even at 90% coverage, the core set of proven nutrition-specific interventions would only decrease stunting by 20 per cent.</li>
<li><strong>Covid-19:</strong> Covid-19 has posed serious threats to children and their health and nutritional rights.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to recent estimates, even in the best possible scenario and accounting for changes in the provision of essential health and nutrition services due to COVID-19, India could have around additional 60,000 child deaths (around 3,00,000 in the worst-case scenario) in the next six months.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Malnutrition and Undernutrition</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person&rsquo;s intake of energy and/or nutrients.</li>
<li>The term malnutrition covers <strong>two broad groups of conditions:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Undernutrition&mdash;</strong>which includes <strong>stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age)</strong> and<strong> micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Obesity&mdash;</strong> which includes<strong> overweight and diet-related noncommunicable diseases</strong> (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Measures Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-food-day#:~:text=World%20Food%20Day%20is%20observed,people%20while%20nurturing%20the%20planet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Food Day</a>:</strong> it is observed annually on October 16 to address the problem of global hunger.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>POSHAN Abhiyaan</strong></a>: The government of India had launched the National Nutrition Mission (NNM) or <strong>POSHAN Abhiyaan</strong> to ensure a &ldquo;Malnutrition Free India&rdquo; by 2022.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan</strong></a>: Launched in 2018, the mission aims at accelerating the annual rate of decline of anaemia from one to three percentage points.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/midday-meal-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme</strong></a>: aims to improve nutritional levels among school children which also has a direct and positive impact on enrolment, retention and attendance in schools.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-nation-one-ration-card-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013</strong></a>: aims to ensure food and nutrition security for the most vulnerables through its associated schemes and programmes, making access to food a legal right.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)</strong></a>: Rs.6,000 is transferred directly to the bank accounts of pregnant women for availing better facilities for their delivery.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1#:~:text=Integrated%20Child%20Development%20Services%20(ICDS)%20Scheme&amp;text=It%20provides%20a%20package%20of,check%2Dup%20and%20referral%20services" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme</strong></a>: launched in 1975, the scheme aims at providing food, preschool education, primary healthcare, immunization, health check-up and referral services to children under 6 years of age and their mothers.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps That Can Be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need to explore possible solutions and put forward key policy and programme proposals for the integrated management of acute malnutrition and mitigating the impact of<strong> Covid-19.</strong></li>
<li>For easy and sustained access to nutritious food, the spotlight back should be brought back on locally-available, low-cost nutritious food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also more encouragement should be given to maternal, infant and young child nutrition actions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Strategies like &lsquo;take-home ration&rsquo; and &lsquo;mid-day meal service&rsquo; to ensure the continuation of services and coverage of the most vulnerable communities, especially in urban areas. Child-sensitive social protection schemes, like <strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna (PMMVY),</strong> need to be implemented in a way so that they reach the last child.</li>
<li>Strict measures are needed to ensure that the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/public-distribution-system-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Distribution System (PDS)</strong></a> is accessible to all, especially the vulnerable population.</li>
<li>The use of newer technologies in service delivery, data management, evidence generation and real-time monitoring should be encouraged for maximum use in these processes.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nutrition is not a peripheral concern rather a central to our existence; a pro-equity agenda that mainstreams nutrition into food systems and health systems, supported by strong financing and accountability is the greatest need.</li>
<li>Only five years are left to meet the 2025 global nutrition targets, while the time is running out, the focus should be on an action that provides the maximum impact.</li>
<li>Given the range of drivers of nutrition, spanning multiple sectors of agriculture, social protection, health and education, tackling undernutrition demands a multi-sectoral response.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602328535_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602328535_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></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: #edf2ff;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Any country cannot aim to attain economic and social development goals without addressing the issue of malnutrition&rdquo;. In light of the statement, discuss the multi-sectoral dimensions of malnutrition in India and how to address them.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3WNGJIv2aWs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/trouble-in-the-air-120100801708_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Trouble in the Air</strong></a> which was published in the &lsquo;Business Standard&rsquo; on October 08, 2020. Now watch this on our youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-and-covid-19'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Protests to Coup: Kyrgyzstan',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Protesters in Kyrgyzstan have <strong>captured key government buildings,</strong> including the <strong>Parliament</strong> house and the <strong>presidential office</strong> and the situation is like a coup.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong> Kyrgyzstan, often referred to as Central Asia&rsquo;s <strong>only democracy,</strong> had seen violent anti-government protests in the past.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2005 and 2010, sitting presidents were forced out of office in popular protests- <strong>&lsquo;Tulip&rsquo;</strong> and <strong>&lsquo;Melon&rsquo;</strong> revolutions.</li>
<li>The <strong>current protests</strong> began after <strong>early results of the parliamentary election</strong> were announced.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Political parties in Kyrgyzstan should win at least 7% of the popular vote to enter Parliament.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The results showed that <strong>only four parties managed to cross the threshold</strong> and of which, <strong>three</strong> were<strong> pro-government</strong> parties.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The only <strong>one opposition party</strong> could cross the threshold.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for the protest:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Even before the election, political fault lines were sharpening in Kyrgyzstan.</li>
<li>The country&rsquo;s main political party, the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK), stayed out of the election due to intra-party rift and split.</li>
<li>Several political leaders were detained and elections were perceived as rigged.</li>
<li>Consequently, after elections, protestors formed a <strong>Coordination Council</strong> to lead the &ldquo;revolution&rdquo;. The country&rsquo;s Election Commission annulled the results, but the protesters continued.</li>
<li><strong>Official View:</strong> Opposition&rsquo;s intention is to instigate a political coup.</li>
<li><strong>The Opposition&rsquo;s View:</strong> The elections were rigged which made people protest against the establishment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Kyrgyzstan&rsquo;s importance:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602324937_image0.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602324937_image0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has been key to the strategic plans of both Russia and China.</li>
<li><strong>Russia</strong> considers the region as its backyard and plays hard politics to retain its influence.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Russia-led <strong>Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>CSTO</strong> is a Russia-led military alliance of six former Soviet states that was created in 2002.</li>
<li>Its aim is to ensure the collective defence of any member that faces external aggression.</li>
<li><strong>Members of CSTO:</strong> Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation and Tajikistan</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>While Russia has cultivated strong ties with all political factions in Kyrgyzstan, radical political changes could throw up opportunities for its rivals.</li>
<li><strong>Belarus,</strong> another country in Russia&rsquo;s backyard with a pro-Russia President, is already witnessing political turmoil after August&rsquo;s Presidential election.</li>
<li>In the South Caucasus, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan</strong></a>, both former Soviet Republics, over Nagorno-Karabakh, risks dragging Russia into a conflict that Russia doesn&rsquo;t want.</li>
<li>All three combined, Russia&rsquo;s attempts to build stronger political and economic integration with the former Soviet region are suddenly facing critical challenges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China-</strong> This landlocked Central Asian country that<strong> shares a long border with China.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is located at the centre of Eurasia, is a vital link in its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/belt-and-road-initiative-perspectives-from-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Belt and Road Initiative.</strong></a></li>
<li>In 2019, Chinese President visited Bishkek (capital)- shows close link with the current establishment.</li>
<li>China has built road and rail networks with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA:</strong> During the early stages of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/us-taliban-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Afghan war</strong></a>, the USA had used Kyrgyzstan for refuelling and other logistical purposes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The USA base was shut down in 2014 by Parliament.</li>
<li>A regime change can be favourable for the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Kyrgyzstan</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has enjoyed strong bilateral ties with Kyrgyzstan since <strong>1991.</strong></li>
<li>India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Kyrgyzstan in 1992.</li>
<li>Since 1992, the two countries have many agreements, including on Culture, Trade and Economic Cooperation, Civil Aviation, Investment Promotion and Protection, Avoidance of Double Taxation, Consular Convention etc.</li>
<li><strong>In 2011, the joint &lsquo;Khanjar&rsquo; series of exercises was started.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Indian diaspora in Kyrgyzstan-</strong> about 9,000 Indian students are studying medicine in various medical institutions in the country. Also, there are many businessmen living in Kyrgyzstan who are involved in trade and several other services there.</li>
<li><strong>Strategic:</strong> The Kyrgyz leaderships have been<strong> largely supportive of India&rsquo;s stand on Kashmir.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They also support India&rsquo;s bid for a<strong> permanent seat at the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-security-council-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSC</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Departure from a Democratic Regime may bring uncertainty for India&rsquo;s interests.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Due to the strategic importance of the country, other nations with interest in the new regime may interfere. This must not form <strong>another zone of <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/cold-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cold war</a>.</strong> The process must be <strong>Kyrgyz-led and Kyrgyz-owned</strong> for long-term stability.</li>
<li>India can have a word in order to support the democratic and peaceful political system in Kyrgyzstan.</li>
<li>Also, India can explore the communication with the potential political factions in Kyrgyzstan that can form the government in Kyrgyzstan.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/the-hindu-explains-whats-happening-in-kyrgyzstan/article32812356.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/protests-to-coup-kyrgyzstan'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'GDP Revival Forecast: RBI',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Monetary Policy Committee</strong> of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India (RBI)</strong></a> has announced the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-s-covid-19-economic-relief-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extension of its accommodative policy stance</strong></a> for the rest of this year as well as 2021-22 and forecasted a GDP revival in coming months.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>RBI had previously introduced a number of measures in its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-report-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary Policy Report</strong> </a>for dealing with the Covid-19 induced economic setback.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Decisions:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>RBI has kept <strong>key policy rates unchanged to revive growth</strong> of the economy and mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> Repo and reverse repo rate unchanged</strong> at 4% and 3.35% respectively because of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>high inflation.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Risk weights,</strong> i,e, the capital required to be set aside on individual home loans, have been relaxed and the <strong>loan limit</strong> for retail and small business borrowers have been raised.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This would give a boost to the <strong>job-intensive real estate sector</strong> that has been suffering in the pandemic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)</strong> will be available round the clock.</li>
<li><strong>Targeted <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/open-market-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Long Term Repo Operations</a> (TLTRO)</strong> of Rs 1,00,000 crore for the revival of specific sectors, and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/special-open-market-operations-by-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Open Market Operations</strong></a> <strong>(OMOs)</strong> for <strong>State Development Loans (SDLs)</strong> have been announced.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This will assure market participants of <strong>access to liquidity and easy finance conditions.</strong></li>
<li>Long Term Reverse Repo Operation (LTRO) is a mechanism to<strong> facilitate the transmission of monetary policy</strong> actions and the flow of credit to the economy. This helps in<strong> injecting liquidity in the banking system.</strong></li>
<li>Open Market Operations (OMO) is one of the <strong>quantitative</strong> monetary policy tools which is <strong>employed by the central bank of a country to control the money supply in the economy.</strong></li>
<li>OMOs are conducted by the RBI by way of <strong>sale or purchase of government securities (g-secs)</strong> to adjust money supply conditions.</li>
<li>The central bank sells g-secs to commercial banks to remove liquidity from the system and buys back g-secs to infuse liquidity into the system.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602327462_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602327462_image3.png" width="776" caption="false" height="262" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forecasts:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>GDP Revival</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-decreases-to-11-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Real gross domestic product (GDP)</strong></a> in FY21 will fall by 9.5%.</li>
<li>GDP growth may break out of contraction and <strong>enter a positive zone by Q4</strong> of the current fiscal year (2020-21)</li>
<li>Starting from a modest recovery the economic activity is expected to gain traction in Q3.</li>
<li>The real GDP growth in 2020-21 is expected to be negative at -9.8% in Q2 of 2020-21,-5.6% in Q3 and 0.5% in Q4.</li>
<li>Real GDP is likely to grow by 20.6% in the Q1 of 2021-22.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decline in Inflation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Inflation is expected to decline in the next 3 months and is likely to ease to the projected target of around 4% (within a band of +/- 2%) by Q4 of FY&rsquo;21.</li>
<li>Supply chain disruptions is the major factor driving up inflation. As supply chains are restored, the inflation would come down.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>retail inflation growth was 6.69%</strong></a>, as of<strong> August 2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Restart of Economy</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The economy is likely to witness a three-speed recovery i.e. individual sectors showing varying paces with <strong>fastest, modest and slowest</strong> recovery rates.</li>
<li>Apart from agriculture, sectors such as fast-moving consumer goods, automobiles, pharma and power would revive first.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Monetary Policy Committee</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Monetary Policy Committee is a<strong> statutory</strong> and institutionalized framework under the <strong>Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934,</strong> for maintaining price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth.</li>
<li>The <strong>Governor of RBI</strong> is <strong>ex-officio Chairman</strong> of the committee.</li>
<li>The committee comprises<strong> six members (including the Chairman)</strong> - three officials of the RBI and three external members nominated by the Government of India.</li>
<li>Decisions are taken by majority with the Governor having the <strong>casting vote in case of a tie.</strong></li>
<li>The MPC determines the policy interest rate (repo rate) required to achieve the inflation target (4%).</li>
<li>An RBI-appointed committee led by the then deputy governor Urjit Patel in 2014 recommended the establishment of the Monetary Policy Committee.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Repo Rate and Reverse Report Rate</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the <strong>rate at which the central bank of a country (Reserve Bank of India in case of India) lends money to commercial banks</strong> in the event of any shortfall of funds.</li>
<li>It is used by monetary authorities to<strong> control inflation.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the event of inflation, central banks increase the repo rate as this acts as a disincentive for banks to borrow from the central bank. This ultimately reduces the money supply in the economy and thus helps in arresting inflation.</li>
<li>The central bank takes the contrary position in the event of a fall in inflationary pressures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Ideally, a low repo rate <strong>should translate into low-cost loans for the general masses.</strong> When the RBI slashes its repo rate, it expects the banks to lower their interest rates charged on loans.</li>
<li><strong>Reverse repo rate</strong> is the rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks within the country.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/rbi-keeps-lending-rates-unchanged/article32810230.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'SC on NCPCR’s Repatriation Request',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>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 sought a response from <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/children-abandoning-education-in-mica-mining-districts" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)</strong></a>, to its request to eight States for immediate repatriation of children living in care homes with their families.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Repatriation Request:</strong> The NCPCR requested to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Meghalaya for repatriation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These States combinedly have 1.84 lakh children in care homes.</li>
<li>This accounts for over 70% of the children in care homes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Judicial Activism:</strong> The court is<strong> suo motu</strong> monitoring the condition and welfare of children placed in care homes across the country during the pandemic.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The active role of the judiciary, even in the executive or legislative sphere, for upholding the rights of citizens and preserving the constitution is known as judicial activism.</li>
<li>The court questioned if the NCPCR could issue such general directions to the States without considering the education, health, safety of the children, the consent of their parents and their economical situation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On individual basis:</strong> Repatriation ought to be considered on an individual basis for child safety.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/sovereignty-unconstrained-right#:~:text=An%20amicus%20curiae%20(literally%2C%20%22,the%20issues%20in%20the%20case." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>amicus curiae</strong></a> (&ldquo;friend of the court&rdquo; - one who assists the court advice regarding questions of law or fact ), the NCPCR direction violated the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gom-reviews-amendments-to-the-jj-act-2015" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Juvenile Justice Act of 2015</strong></a> since the pandemic would make a child more vulnerable to domestic abuse.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, comprehensively addresses children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.</li>
<li>As per the <strong>Section 27(1) of the Act,</strong> Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) are to be constituted by State Government by notification in the Official Gazette for every district, for exercising the powers and to discharge the duties conferred on such Committees in relation to children in need of care and protection under JJ Act, 2015.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>NCPCR&rsquo;s Stand:</strong> The NCPCR, suggested the need for a child to grow up in a familial environment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, in an April 2020 order, the court had directed juvenile authorities to &ldquo;proactively consider whether a child or children should be kept in the child care institutions considering the best interest, health and safety concerns&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Child Care Homes:</strong> The children being taken in<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/survey-of-child-care-institutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> child care homes</strong></a>, are not only those who are orphans/abandoned children, but also children <strong>hailing from downtrodden/financially unstable families.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, if there is any child who is either being brought up by a single parent or comes from a family which is not able to bring up the child properly, then that child can avail all the facilities at a care home.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The facilities for children like individual bedding, proper nutrition and diet, toys, hygiene and maintenance of the CCI/Homes, sufficient water, health check-ups, educational facilities based on the age and special needs of the child.</li>
<li>All the children in these care homes are required to study in nearby government schools.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Commission for Protection of Child Rights</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NCPCR is a<strong> statutory body</strong> set up in <strong>March 2007</strong> under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.</li>
<li>It is under the<strong> administrative control of the Ministry of Women &amp; Child Development.</strong></li>
<li>The Commission's mandate is to ensure that all laws, policies, programmes, and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the child rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.</li>
<li>It inquires into <strong>complaints</strong> relating to a child's right to free and compulsory education under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aser-report-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Education Act, 2009.</strong></a></li>
<li>It monitors the implementation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cabinet-approved-changes-to-pocso-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.</strong> </a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Individual case basis of repatriation is a reasonable step to begin with.</li>
<li>Meanwhile there must be strengthened monitoring of child care institutions regarding the proper facilities.</li>
<li>Elements of sensitivity can be inducted with training in the staff at child care homes so as to understand the needs of children.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-questions-ncpcr-on-children-repatriation/article32812837.ece#:~:" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Increased Election Campaign Broadcast Time',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Election Commission of India</strong></a> (ECI) has increased the broadcast time allotted to <strong>recognised political parties</strong> on <strong>Doordarshan and All India Radio</strong> to aid campaigning for elections to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar, 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Broadcast Timings:</strong> A base time of <strong>90 minutes</strong> will be given to <strong>each</strong> national party and recognised state party of Bihar uniformly on the regional kendras of <strong>Doordarshan</strong> network and <strong>All India Radio</strong> network in Bihar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No party will be given more than <strong>30 minutes</strong> in a single broadcast session.</li>
<li>Any additional time (beyond the basic 90 minutes) will be given to a party based on its electoral performance in the last Assembly election in 2015.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Broadcast Period:</strong> The period of broadcast will be between the last date of filing nominations and two days before the date of polling in Bihar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Prasar Bharati Corporation</strong> in consultation with the ECI will decide the actual date and time for broadcast and telecast.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Prasar Bharati</strong> is India's largest public broadcasting agency. It is a<strong> statutory autonomous</strong> body set up by the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990 and comprises the Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio, which were earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The parties will be required to <strong>submit transcripts</strong> and <strong>recordings</strong> in advance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In addition to the broadcast by parties, the Prasar Bharati Corporation will organise a maximum of <strong>four panel discussions and/or debates</strong> on the Kendra/Station of Doordarshan/ All India Radio.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Each eligible party can nominate one representative to such a programme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> With the pandemic restricting movement and maintenance of safety for the people and party workers through <strong>non-contact-based campaign.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This can act as an <strong>experimental step to reduce the expenditure on physical campaigning.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Types of Parties</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Election Commission of India</strong> lists political parties as &ldquo;national party&rdquo;, &ldquo;state party&rdquo; or &ldquo;registered (unrecognised) party&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The conditions for being listed as a national or a state party are specified under the <strong>Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Conditions for recognized parties:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Party:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>6% valid votes polled in any four or more states at a general election to the Lok Sabha or to the State legislative assembly; and, in addition, it wins four seats in the Lok Sabha from any state or states.</li>
<li>2% of all Lok Sabha seats in the last such election, with MPs elected from at least three states.</li>
<li>Recognition as a state party in at least four states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>State Party:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Two seats plus a 6% vote share in the last Assembly election in that state.</li>
<li>One seat plus a 6% vote share in the last Lok Sabha election from that state.</li>
<li>3% of the total Assembly seats or 3 seats, whichever is more.</li>
<li>One of every 25 Lok Sabha seats (or an equivalent fraction) from a state.</li>
<li>An 8% state-wide vote share in either the last Lok Sabha or the last Assembly polls.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Loss of Recognised Status:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once recognised as a national or a state party, a political party loses its given status only if it fails to fulfil any of the conditions for two successive Assembly and two successive Lok Sabha elections.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>That means a party retains that status irrespective of its performance in the next elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ec-increases-broadcast-time-for-parties-on-dd-air-6718928/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Increase in Human-Leopard Conflict: Study',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A study conducted across Karnataka indicates that the <strong>human-leopard policy guidelines</strong> have had little impact on the ground and it has not led to decrease in human-leopard conflict.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>guidelines for human-leopard conflict management</strong> were brought out by the Government of India in April 2011<strong> to reduce conflict with leopards, discourage their translocation, and suggest improved ways of handling emergency conflict situations. </strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Findings of The Study:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The number of leopards captured per month <strong>increased more than threefold</strong> (from 1.5 to 4.6) since 2011.</li>
<li>Similarly, there was a <strong>threefold increase in the number of leopards translocated</strong> per month (from 1 to 3.5).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Translocation</strong> is the managed movement of live indigenous plants or animals (taonga) from one location to another.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for capture and translocation of leopards (in order of prominence)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Livestock depredation (38.1%)</li>
<li>Leopards rescued from snares and wells (15.7%),</li>
<li>Anxiety caused owing to leopard sightings in human habitations (13.7%),</li>
<li>Leopards entering human dwellings (10.9%).</li>
<li>Human injuries (4.5%)</li>
<li>Human deaths (2%)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Related News</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A recent study by <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/traffic" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TRAFFIC</strong></a> India on the seizure and mortality of <strong>&lsquo;common leopards&rsquo; <em>(Panthera pardus fusca)</em></strong> revealed that of the total of 747 leopard deaths between 2015-2019 in India, 596 were linked to illegal wildlife trade and activities related to poaching.</li>
<li>The Government of India launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-snow-leopard-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>First National Protocol on Snow Leopard Population Assessment</strong></a> in <strong>2019,</strong> to mark the occasion of <strong>International Snow Leopard Day (23<sup>rd</sup> October).</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>2014,</strong> a <strong>national census of leopards around tiger habitats</strong> was carried out in India except for the northeast. 7,910 individuals were estimated in surveyed areas and a national total of <strong>12,000-14,000 estimated.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Common Leopard</strong> <em>(Panthera pardus)<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602657580_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602657580_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="250" caption="false" /></a></em></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in small parts of Western and Central Asia, on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Indian leopard <em>(Panthera pardus fusca)</em> is a leopard widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> Habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts, and persecution due to conflict situations</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Status:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a>: Vulnerable</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CITES</strong></a>: Appendix I</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong></a>: Schedule I</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/human-leopard-conflict-has-increased-threefold-in-karnataka-finds-study/article32754945.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict & India',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-india-6722267/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Nagorno-Karabakh and India&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Indian Express on 13/10/2020. It talks about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and its impact on India.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, a three decades-old unresolved ethno territorial <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan</strong></a> over Nagorno-Karabakh flared up once again. The conflict is between two relatively small countries and is territorial in nature.</p>
<p>However, several regional and global players particularly Russia, Europe, Turkey and Iran are also involved to secure their strategic, security and economic interests in the region.</p>
<p>As the strategic importance of the region is derived from energy exports, the stability of the region is very important for regional growth and oil importing countries like India.</p>
<p>Further, the conflict may cause geopolitical unrest in the region which is already suffering from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>.Therefore, regional powers must strive to find a diplomatic solution to the problem and prevent the clash turning into a full blown regional conflict.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602588263_image0.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602588263_image0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Genesis of the Conflict</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Centre of Conflict:</strong> Nagorno-Karabakh, the centre of the conflict, is located within Azerbaijan but is populated, mostly, by those of Armenian ethnicity (and mostly Christian compared to the Shia Muslim majority Azerbaijan).</li>
<li><strong>Background of the Conflict:</strong> The conflict can be traced back to the pre-Soviet era when the region was at the meeting point of Ottoman, Russian and the Persian empires.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once Azerbaijan and Armenia became Soviet Republics in 1921, Russia (erstwhile Sovient Union) gave Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan but offered autonomy to the contested region.</li>
<li>In the 1980s, when the Soviet power was receding, separatist currents picked up in Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1988, the national assembly voted to dissolve the region&rsquo;s autonomous status and join Armenia.</li>
<li>However, Azerbaijan suppressed such calls, which led to a military conflict.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flash Point of Conflict:</strong> The self-declaration of independence by Nagorno-Karabakh in September 1991 in the backdrop of an imminent collapse of the USSR resulted in a war between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh &mdash; supported by Armenia.</li>
<li><strong>Ceasefire:</strong> This clash lasted till a ceasefire agreement was reached in 1994, mediated largely by Russia. Since then, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe <strong>(OSCE) Minsk Group</strong> co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France have engaged Azerbaijan and Armenia extensively to resolve the conflict.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By that time, Armenia had taken control of Nagorno-Karabakh and handed it to Armenian rebels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Present Day Condition:</strong> The rebels have declared independence, but have not won recognition from any country.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The region is still treated as a part of Azerbaijan by the international community, and Azerbaijan wants to take it back.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Strategic Significance of The Region</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The energy-rich Azerbaijan has built several gas and oil pipelines across the Caucasus (the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea) to Turkey and Europe.</li>
<li>Some of these pipelines pass close to the conflict zone (within 16 km of the border).</li>
<li>In an open war between the two countries, the pipelines could be targeted, which would impact energy supplies and may even lead to higher oil prices globally.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Role of Regional Players</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Turkey:</strong> The conflict between the two former Soviet republics has wider geopolitical implications as Turkey, which shares a border with Armenia, is backing Azerbaijan.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Given the deep cultural ties between the two countries, Turkey is staunchly backing Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>Further, this fits well into<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/turkey-greece-stand-off" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Turkey&rsquo;s aggressive foreign policy</strong></a>, which seeks to expand Turkish interests to the former Ottoman territories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Russia:</strong> Russia enjoys good ties with both Azerbaijan and Armenia and supplies weapons to both.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Armenia is more dependent on Russia than the energy-rich Azerbaijan and Russia also has a military base in Armenia.</li>
<li>Therefore, Russia is trying to strike a balance between the two, by mediating a ceasefire between the warring sides, but it has yet to convene a meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani political or military leaderships.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Israel:</strong> The conflict marks a strange coupling of Turkey and Israel, which are hostile to one another both diplomatically and in terms of security.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Yet both states, dominated by their Sunni and Jewish communities respectively, support and arm Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>Also, Israel&rsquo;s major military and security firms seek to benefit from Azerbaijan&rsquo;s eagerness to be armed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Role of India: Interests &amp; Challenges</h3>
<p><strong>Asymmetry in Relations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>With Armenia, India has a friendship and cooperation treaty (signed in 1995), which, incidentally, would prohibit India from providing military or any other assistance to Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>In the case of Azerbaijan, ONGC/OVL has made investments in an oilfield project in Azerbaijan and GAIL is exploring the possibilities of cooperation in LNG.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Azerbaijan also falls on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-firm-takes-over-chabahar-port-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC)</strong> </a>route, connecting India with Russia through Central Asia.</li>
<li>It can also connect India with Turkey and beyond through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars passenger and freight rail link.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Armenia extends its unequivocal support to India on Kashmir issue whereas Azerbaijan not only opposess but also promotes Pakistan&rsquo;s narrative on this issue.</li>
<li>India does not have a publicly articulated policy for the South Caucasus &mdash; unlike &ldquo;Neighbourhood First&rdquo;, &ldquo;Act East&rdquo; or &ldquo;Central Asia Connect&rdquo;.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The region has remained on the periphery of its foreign policy radar.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Balancing Between The Two Extremes</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The conflict is essentially a conflict between two international principles viz. the principle of territorial integrity advocated by Azerbaijan and the principle of the right to self-determination invoked by Nagorno-Karabakh and supported by Armenia.</li>
<li>India has every reason not to support Azerbaijan&rsquo;s territorial integrity as Azerbaijan has shown scant regard for India&rsquo;s territorial integrity violated by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.</li>
<li>At the same time it is difficult for India to publicly endorse Nagorno-Karabakh is right for self-determination in view of the possible repercussions it can have repercussions for India as its adversaries like Pakistan may misuse it not only by making erroneous connections with Kashmir but also re-ignite secessionist movement in certain parts of India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Armenia-Azerbaijan conflicts reflect the failure of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In the absence of a peacekeeping force and the political will for peace, low-level frictions have persisted over the years.</p>
<p>Under these circumstances, India has done the right thing to adopt a balanced and neutral stance and pitching for a political solution as outlined in the Madrid Principles.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Madrid Principles</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Co-chaired by Russia, France and the U.S., the Minsk Group put forward in 2007 the Madrid Principles as the basis for the formulation of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>In concrete terms, the Madrid Principles envisaged the demilitarisation of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian majority region that seceded from Azerbaijan towards the end of the Soviet Union, and the gradual liberation of Azerbaijani territory that Armenia had occupied in the 1991-94 war.</li>
<li>These steps are also consistent with the UN Security Council&rsquo;s 1993 resolutions, calling for the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>Besides, the Madrid Principles mentioned that international peacekeeping operations were to be deployed immediately after the Peace Agreement came into force, to monitor the Armenian redeployment</li>
<li>Also, internally displaced persons and refugees were to be provided the right to return to their original place of residence.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fff3e6;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss the impact of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict on India&rsquo;s Connect Central Asia policy.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tpb6ozjbB3k" 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://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/india-afghanistan-peace-delhi-abdullah-6721203/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Talking peace&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on October 12<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/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-india'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Measures to Boost Consumption Demand and Capex',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the government has announced a <strong>twin set of measures to boost consumption demand and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/defence-expenditure-as-a-part-of-gdp#:~:text=Capital%20expenditure%20is%20the%20money,well%20as%20investment%20in%20shares." target="_blank" rel="noopener">capital expenditure</a></strong> (Capex), which are estimated to result in quick spending of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore by March 2021.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These measures are the <strong>Leave Travel Concession (LTC) voucher scheme</strong> and a <strong>festival advance scheme.</strong> Also, <strong>measures have been announced to step up Capex by the Centre and the states.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Aim:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Supply constraints in the economy have eased</strong> over recent months, but <strong>consumer demand remained affected</strong> and these measures <strong>aim at advancing consumer spending</strong> and Capex.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Capex steps are<strong> &ldquo;directly linked to an increase in economic output</strong> given their <strong>high multiplier effect&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The earlier announced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat</strong> </a>package<strong> addressed the requirement of essential goods for needy sections</strong> of the society and now these measures <strong>aim at promoting consumption of high-value items by those</strong> employees whose salaries and jobs have <strong>not been affected by </strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> pandemic</a>.</strong></li>
<li>With the <strong>participation of the private sector,</strong> these will stimulate growth in the economy by <strong>advancing the consumption of non-essential, relatively high-value goods and services</strong> in the economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Leave Travel Concession Voucher Scheme:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Leave Travel Concession:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Central government employees</strong> get LTC in a <strong>block of four years,</strong> one each to a destination of choice and home town or two for home town.</li>
<li>Under this, the <strong>air or rail fare is reimbursed</strong> as per pay scale/entitlement. Also, a <strong>leave encashment of ten days</strong> (pay+dearness allowance) <strong>is paid.</strong></li>
<li>However, employees <strong>will not be able to avail the LTC in the 2018-21 year block due to the ongoing pandemic</strong> and this is where the LTC will benefit government employees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In lieu of one LTC during 2018-21, employees will<strong> receive cash payment.</strong> There will be <strong>full payment on leave encashment</strong> and <strong>fare will be paid as per three slabs depending upon the class of entitlement.</strong> Further, there will be <strong>no tax on fare payment.</strong></li>
<li>An employee opting for this scheme will have to <strong>buy goods and services worth three times the fare and one time leave encashment,</strong> and do so <strong>before 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021.</strong></li>
<li>The money is to be spent on goods attracting<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Goods and Services Tax</strong> </a>(GST) of <strong>12% or more and only digital payments</strong> will be allowed. Also, employees will have to <strong>provide the GST invoice.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If the amount is <strong>not spent</strong> then the employee will have to<strong> pay tax as per the marginal tax rate</strong> on the LTC component.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The same benefits will be available to<strong> private-sector employees if the employers decide to offer the scheme</strong> to their employees and they decide to avail it.</li>
<li><strong>Benefits to Economy:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The government <strong>expects a demand generation of Rs. 28,000 crore</strong> (Rs. 19,000 crore from central government employees and the rest from states) in the economy.</li>
<li>While <strong>GST collections have been<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fall-in-goods-and-services-tax-gst-collections" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> severely impacted</a></strong> in the first half of the fiscal due to Covid-19 pandemic, a <strong>consumption boost will lift GST collections in the second half</strong> of the year as the scheme calls for expenditure to be done till 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021.</li>
<li><strong>If private-sector employees also participate, i</strong>t may lead to a <strong>significant jump in overall consumption and rise in GST collections.</strong></li>
<li>Since most employees have not been able to travel after the pandemic, the shifting of the LTC benefit is <strong>expected to generate demand</strong> elsewhere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Festival Advance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Festival advance, which was <strong>abolished in line with recommendations of the 7<sup>th</sup> Pay Commission,</strong> has been <strong>restored for one time</strong> till 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021.</li>
<li>All central government employees will <strong>get an interest-free advance of Rs. 10,000 that will be recovered in 10 instalments.</strong> It will be given in the form of a <strong>pre-loaded RuPay card</strong> of the advance value.</li>
<li>The government<strong> expects to disburse Rs. 4,000 crore</strong> under the scheme by 31<sup>st</sup> March 2021 and<strong> if all states provide</strong> similar advances, <strong>another Rs. 8,000 crore</strong> is likely to be disbursed.</li>
<li>This is expected to <strong>generate consumer demand ahead of festivals</strong> like Diwali.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Measures to Boost Capital Expenditure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>An additional budget of Rs 25,000 crore</strong> for Capex on roads, defence infrastructure, water supply, urban development, and domestically produced capital equipment. This is<strong> expected to come through re-allocation</strong> of resources.</li>
<li><strong>Special assistance will be provided to states in the form of interest-free 50-year loans of Rs. 12,000 crore,</strong> which can be used only for Capex purposes, with certain conditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Too Many Restrictions:</strong> Provisions like buying goods and services worth three times the fare, only in goods attracting GST of 12% or more through digital mode before 31<sup>st</sup> March etc. <strong>end the freedom of the consumer</strong> in decision making.</li>
<li><strong>Smaller Size:</strong> Capex amounts are <strong>too small to have any meaningful impact</strong> on economic growth.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>With the previous rounds of budgetary fiscal support of around 1% of GDP, current measures take total fiscal support to <strong>about 1.2% of GDP,</strong> which is <strong>small compared with the size of the growth hit</strong> and reflects India&rsquo;s weak fiscal starting position.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limited Impact:</strong> As the measures are aimed at encouraging spending for government employees <strong>rather than private/vulnerable section</strong> (where <strong>job losses/income losses have been significant</strong>), the<strong> overall impact will be limited.</strong></li>
<li><strong>On Tourism:</strong> LTC Voucher Scheme may impact the travel and tourism industry negatively if consumers choose to spend through the scheme. <strong>Demand in travel and tourism has already fallen significantly</strong> after the Covid-19 induced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lockdown-extended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdowns</strong></a> and closed borders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602583941_image8.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602583941_image8.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government seeks to coincide the schemes with the upcoming festive period to spur overall consumption and is also spending less to not to put additional burden on the exchequer, in the midst of a notable shortfall in tax and divestment revenues.</li>
<li>The strategic intent behind the schemes is to direct spending towards items for which demand had slumped during the period of lockdowns but this may defeat the larger purpose of reviving demand. Consumption-led growth can arguably lead to a slackening of future growth if it entails growing imbalances due to limits to capacity creation, and rising debt burdens, particularly for households.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/govt-spending-finance-ministry-ltc-festival-advance-6722667/" 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/measures-to-boost-consumption-demand-and-capex'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019: UNDRR',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>In a new report<strong> &ldquo;The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019&rdquo;,</strong> the United Nations pointed out that climate change is largely to blame for a near doubling of natural disasters in the past 20 years.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report is published by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/undrr-global-assessment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction</strong></a> <strong>(UNDRR).</strong> The report <strong>did not touch on biological hazards and disease-related disasters</strong> like the coronavirus pandemic.</li>
<li><strong>International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction</strong> is observed on<strong> 13<sup>th</sup> October</strong> every year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>7,348 major disaster</strong> events had occurred between 2000 and 2019, <strong>affecting 4.2 billion people</strong> and <strong>costing</strong> the global economy some <strong>USD 2.97 trillion.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The figure is<strong> far more than the 4,212</strong> major natural disasters recorded between <strong>1980 and 1999.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>6,681 climate-linked disasters</strong> had been recorded in the period 2000-19, up from 3,656 during the previous 20-year-period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Climate-related disasters include disasters categorized as meteorological, climatological, or hydrological.</li>
<li>There had also been an <strong>increase in geophysical events</strong> like earthquakes and tsunamis that are <strong>not related to climate</strong> but are particularly deadly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Major floods</strong> had more than doubled to 3,254, there had been 2,034 major storms up from 1,457 in 20 years.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India</strong> is the <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> most affected country by floods</strong> after China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Extreme heat is proving especially deadly. <strong>Heatwaves of 2015 in India</strong> resulted in 2,248 deaths.</li>
<li>The <strong>deadliest single disaster</strong> in the past 20 years was the<strong> 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami,</strong> with 2,26,400 deaths, followed by the <strong>Haiti earthquake</strong> in 2010, which claimed some 2,22,000 lives.</li>
<li>The data showed that <strong>Asia</strong> has suffered the <strong>highest number of disasters</strong> in the past 20 years with 3,068 such events, followed by the Americas with 1,756 and Africa with 1,192.</li>
<li>In terms of affected countries, <strong>China</strong> topped the list with 577 events followed by the <strong>United States</strong> with 467 and<strong> India</strong> (321 events).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concern:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Governments are not doing enough to prevent climate hazards.</li>
<li>A<strong> temperature increase of 3&deg;C</strong> of the global climate is estimated to <strong>increase the frequency of potentially high impact natural hazard events</strong> across the world. This could render <strong>current national and local strategies</strong> for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation <strong>obsolete</strong> in many countries.</li>
<li><strong>Shifting rainfall patterns and greater variability</strong> in precipitation poses a <strong>risk to the 70% of global agriculture</strong> that is rain-fed and the 1.3 billion people dependent on degrading agricultural land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recommendations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The concentrated impact due to a single disaster in some countries provides an opportunity for a more focused approach on disaster risk reduction. However, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/comprehensive-action-plan-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> demonstrates the need for a systemic, multi hazard approach in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world.</li>
<li>There is a requirement for<strong> strengthening disaster risk governance</strong> to manage disaster risk with clear vision, competence, plans, guidelines, funding and coordination across sectors and in a manner, which takes account of the increasingly systemic nature of disaster risk.</li>
<li><strong>Public and private investment</strong> in disaster risk prevention and reduction through <strong>structural</strong> and <strong>non-structural measures</strong> needs to be stepped up to create disaster resilient societies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UNDRR was <strong>established in 1999</strong> as a dedicated secretariat to facilitate the implementation of the <strong>International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).</strong></li>
<li>It is headquartered in <strong>Geneva, Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>It is mandated to serve as the focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities.</li>
<li>It is an <strong>organisational unit of the UN Secretariat</strong> and is led by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG).</li>
<li><strong>UNDRR&rsquo;s Strategic Framework 2016-2021</strong> has a vision to substantially reduce disaster risk and losses for a sustainable future with the <strong>mandate to act as the custodian of <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/sendai-framework-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Sendai Framework</a> (India is a signatory).</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Indian Scenario</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-disaster-management-authority-ndma-" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Disaster Management Authority</strong></a> (NDMA) is the apex statutory body for disaster management in India.</li>
<li>The NDMA was formally constituted in 2006, in accordance with the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/invocation-of-disaster-management-act-2005-to-deal-with-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Disaster Management Act, 2005</strong></a> with the Prime Minister as its Chairperson.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/disaster-management-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Disaster Management Plan</strong></a> (NDMP) defines the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders including Central Ministries/ Departments, State Governments, UT Administrations, District Authorities and local self Governments.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Primary responsibility of disaster management rests with the <strong>States.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> Central Government</strong> conducts regular mock drill, community training and awareness programmes to prepare the civilian populations for disasters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/climate-change-to-blame-for-doubling-of-disasters/article32837772.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/human-cost-of-disasters-2000-2019-undrr'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Mount Kilimanjaro',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a fire that has broken out on the slopes of<strong> Mount Kilimanjaro,</strong> the<strong> highest peak in Africa.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The cause of the fire is not clear but<strong> strong winds and dry weather</strong> have caused it to <strong>spread fast.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581896_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581896_image1.jpg" width="400" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Located in <strong>Tanzania,</strong> Mount Kilimanjaro is<strong> Africa&rsquo;s tallest mountain at about 5,895 meters.</strong></li>
<li>It is also the <strong>largest free-standing mountain rise in the world,</strong> meaning it is <strong>not part of a mountain range.</strong></li>
<li>Kilimanjaro is a<strong> stratovolcano</strong> or <strong>composite volcano</strong> (a term for a very large volcano made of <strong>layers of ash, lava, and rock</strong>) and is <strong>made up of three cones:</strong> Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Kibo is the summit</strong> of the mountain and the<strong> tallest</strong> of the three volcanic formations. While <strong>Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, Kibo is dormant</strong> and could possibly erupt again.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Scientists estimate that the <strong>last time it erupted was 3,60,000 years ago.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The mountain is also<strong> known for its snow-capped peak</strong> which might disappear within the next 20 years or so as per the warnings by the scientists.</li>
<li>In <strong>1973,</strong> the mountain and its six surrounding forest corridors were named <strong>Kilimanjaro National Park</strong> in order to protect its unique environment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The park was named a<strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unesco-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization</a> (UNESCO) <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kailash-mansarovar-in-tentative-list-of-world-heritage-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Heritage site</a> in 1987.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a <strong>popular tourist destination</strong> and tens of thousands of people climb it every year.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Volcano</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A volcano is an <strong>opening on the surface of a planet which allows material warmer than its surroundings to escape from its interior.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When this material escapes, it causes an <strong>eruption.</strong> An eruption can be <strong>explosive, sending material high</strong> into the sky. Or it can be <strong>calmer, with gentle flows</strong> of material.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On<strong> Earth,</strong> the erupted material can be<strong> liquid rock ("lava"</strong> when it's on the surface and <strong>"magma"</strong> when it's underground), <strong>ash, cinders, and/or gas.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581886_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581886_image6.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="755" caption="false" /></strong></a><strong></strong></p>
</div>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mount-kilimanjaro'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'National Postal Week and World Post Day',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India Post commenced the celebration of the <strong>National Postal Week,</strong> starting with <strong>World Post Day which is celebrated each year on 9<sup>th</sup> October.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>National Postal Week:</strong> It is celebrated from <strong>9<sup>th</sup> to 15<sup>th</sup> October</strong> every year. <a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581282_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602581282_image5.png" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> Generating a broad awareness about India Post&rsquo;s role and activities among the public and media at the national level</li>
<li><strong>Activities This Year:</strong> Felicitating the valued customers, organizing camps/workshops for Philately, opening accounts, online awareness campaigns etc.</li>
<li><strong>Philately:</strong> The collection and study of postage stamps and postal history.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2018, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-15th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Deen Dayal SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude &amp; Research in Stamps as a Hobby) yojana</strong></a> was launched by the Ministry of Communications which gives <strong>scholarships to promote philately among school children.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>World Post Day:</strong> It is celebrated each year on 9<sup>th</sup> October, to commemorate the establishment of the <strong>Universal Postal Union (UPU)</strong> in <strong>1874</strong> in the Swiss capital, Berne. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was declared as World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1969.</li>
<li><strong>Purpose:</strong> To create awareness about the role of the postal sector in the lives of people and business and its contribution to the social and economic development of the country</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Universal Postal Union</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UPU is a specialized agency of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations (UN)</strong></a> that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal systems.</li>
<li>Its headquarters are located in <strong>Berne, Switzerland.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India Post</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India Post is the trade name for the Department of Posts (DoP), a government-operated postal system in India under the <strong>Ministry of Communications.</strong></li>
<li>With 1, 55,531 Post Offices, the DoP has the <strong>most widely distributed postal network in the world.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Functions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Delivering <strong>mails,</strong> accepting deposits under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/government-cuts-interest-rates-on-nsc-ppf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Small Savings Schemes</strong></a>, providing<strong> life insurance cover</strong> under Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) and providing<strong> retail services</strong> like bill collection, sale of forms, etc.</li>
<li>It also acts as an agent for the Government of India in discharging other services for citizens such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sub-group-of-chief-ministers-on-coordination-between-mgnrega-and-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)</strong> </a>wage disbursement and old age<strong> pension</strong> payments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India Post has been serving the people in an extraordinary way in the difficult situation which has emerged due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a>, by bringing them <strong>medicines and financial assistance.</strong></li>
<li>The Postal Department has been playing a major role in the implementation of Government schemes, leveraging the<strong> immense strength of its vast network.</strong></li>
<li>Postal schemes are known for providing <strong>highly secured deposits,</strong> they provide<strong> a higher return of interest with low risk.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Related News:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Department of Posts</strong> (Ministry of Communications) has launched a scheme called <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-star-villages-scheme-india-post" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Five Star Villages</strong></a>. The scheme seeks <strong>to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services,</strong> especially in interior villages.</li>
<li>The Prime Minister launched <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/india-post-payment-bank-ippb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)</strong> </a>on 1<sup>st</sup> September 2018 aimed at making<strong> banking services available at people&rsquo;s doorstep.</strong></li>
<li>A <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/stamp-on-india-s-first-anti-satellite-missile-a-sat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Customized My Stamp on India&rsquo;s First Anti Satellite Missile (A-SAT)</strong></a> launch was released by the Department of Posts on the occasion of <strong>Engineers Day on 15<sup>th</sup> september, 2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1662827" 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/national-postal-week-and-world-post-day'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to <strong>socialist Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia</strong> on his death anniversary.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602584168_image7.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602584168_image7.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong> 23<sup>rd</sup> March, 1910 in Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh</li>
<li><strong>Brief Profile:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Indian politician and activist who was a prominent figure in socialist politics and in the movement towards Indian independence.</li>
<li>Much of his career was devoted to combating injustice through the development of a distinctly Indian version of socialism.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Socialism</strong> refers to a set of political ideas that emerged as a response to the inequalities present in, and reproduced by, the industrial capitalist economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lohia&rsquo;s Idea of Socialism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lohia identified<strong> five kinds of inequalities</strong> that need to be fought against simultaneously: inequality between<strong> man and woman,</strong> inequality based on<strong> skin colour, caste</strong>-based inequality, <strong>colonial rule</strong> of some countries over others, and <strong>economic</strong> inequality.</li>
<li>For him struggle against these five inequalities constituted five revolutions. He added two more revolutions to this list: revolution for <strong>civil liberties</strong> against unjust encroachments on private life and revolution for <strong>non-violence,</strong> for renunciation of weapons in favour of Satyagraha. These were the seven revolutions or<strong> Sapta Kranti</strong> which for Lohia was the ideal of socialism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Education:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bachelor&rsquo;s degree (1929)</strong> from the <strong>University of Calcutta</strong> and a <strong>doctorate (1932)</strong> from the<strong> University of Berlin,</strong> where he studied economics and politics.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pre-Independence Role:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>1934,</strong> he became <strong>actively involved in the Congress Socialist Party (CSP),</strong> founded that year as a left-wing group within the Indian National Congress.</li>
<li>A <strong>vehement opponent of Indian participation on the side of Great Britain in <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World War II</a></strong> (1939-45), he was arrested for anti-British remarks in 1939 and again in 1940.</li>
<li>With the emergence in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quit-india-movement-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>1942 of the Quit India movement</strong></a>&mdash;a campaign initiated by Mahatma Gandhi to urge the withdrawal of British authorities from India&mdash;Lohia and other CSP leaders (such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jayaprakash-narayan-and-nanaji-deshmukh-jayanti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jaya Prakash Narayan</strong></a>) mobilized support from the underground. For such resistance activities, he was <strong>jailed again in 1944&ndash;46.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Post Independence Role:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lohia and other CSP members <strong>left the Congress in 1948.</strong></li>
<li>He<strong> became a member of the Praja Socialist Party</strong> upon its formation in<strong> 1952</strong> and served as general secretary for a brief period, but <strong>internal conflicts</strong> led to his <strong>resignation in 1955.</strong></li>
<li>He<strong> established a new Socialist Party</strong> (1955), for which he became chairman as well as the <strong>editor of its journal, Mankind.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He advocated for various socio-political reforms in his capacity as party leader, including the abolition of the caste system, stronger protection of civil liberties, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In <strong>1963,</strong> Lohia was<strong> elected to the Lok Sabha,</strong> where he was noted for his sharp criticism of government policies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Some of his <strong>works</strong> include: &lsquo;Wheel of History&rsquo;, &lsquo;Marx, Gandhi and Socialism&rsquo;, &lsquo;Guilty Men of India&rsquo;s Partition&rsquo;, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong> 12<sup>th</sup> October, 1967.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1663730" 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/dr-ram-manohar-lohia-1'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Kerala & Digital Education',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Kerala has become the first state in the country to have<strong> high-tech classrooms or high-tech labs</strong> in <strong>all government-run and aided schools</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As part of this flagship project of the government, <strong>high-tech labs</strong> have been set up in <strong>primary and upper primary schools</strong> and 40,000 classrooms in <strong>high school and higher secondary schools</strong> have been converted into <strong>smart classrooms.</strong></li>
<li><strong>High-speed broadband internet</strong> has been ensured in 12,678 schools.</li>
<li>The high-tech classroom project was implemented by<strong> Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE),</strong> the nodal agency for ICT education in schools.</li>
<li>The Kerala government has also started <strong>digital classrooms known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-bell-kerala" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;First bell&rsquo;</a></strong> to impart education to 41 lakh students in the state after schools shut due to the lockdown</li>
<li>The Kerala State government is also carrying out a unique programme called<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/namath-basai-kerala" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> &ldquo;Namath Basai&rdquo;</a></strong>of<strong> teaching tribal children in their mother tongue.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The programme is being implemented by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/samagra-shiksha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samagra Shiksha Kerala</a> (SSK).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Recently, the Central government has proposed<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/online-education#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20Human%20Resource,home%20(DTH)%2C%20etc." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> long-term measures</strong></a> to address social inequities in online education, as highlighted by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic.</a></li>
<li>However, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/digital-education-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>digital education in India</strong></a> still faces many challenges like lack of internet penetration, economic inequality, lack of trained teachers etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/education/kerala-1st-in-country-with-high-tech-classrooms-in-govt-aided-schools-cm-pinarayi-vijayan-6722675/" 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/kerala-digital-education'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Anti-pollution Campaign: Delhi',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Delhi Government has recently launched a major anti-pollution campaign, <em>Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh</em>, which includes a <strong>tree transplantation policy,</strong> construction of a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/smog-tower-in-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>smog tower</strong></a> at Connaught Place (Delhi), promoting <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric vehicles</strong> </a>and preventing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/stubble-burning-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>stubble burning.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This will help in combating the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/air-pollution-in-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>poor air quality of Delhi</strong> </a>which deteriorates even more in the winter season.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Tree Transplantation Policy</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tree transplantation refers to uprooting a tree from a particular spot, lifting it, and planting it at another spot,</li>
<li>Under this policy, a<strong> minimum of 80% of trees affected by any developmental project, will be transplanted.</strong> Also, a minimum of 80% of the transplanted trees should survive and ensuring this would be the responsibility of the agencies that will take permission from the government.</li>
<li>This transplantation will be in addition to the<strong> existing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inadequate-compensatory-afforestation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compensatory afforestation</a></strong> of planting of <strong>10 saplings for every tree that is cut.</strong></li>
<li>A <strong>panel of the agencies</strong> that excel in the task of transplantation and a dedicated <strong>Tree Transplantation Cell</strong> will also be formed by the government.</li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Planting a new sampling as a substitute for an existing fully grown tree does not adequately counter the adverse environmental effect of cutting the existing tree. Transplantation will ensure the <strong>conservation of old trees.</strong></li>
<li>Also, many old trees have a <strong>symbolic or heritage value</strong> which needs to be preserved.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limitations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Low Success Rate:</strong> Transplantation is a complicated process with a success rate of around 50%. The survival rate of a transplanted tree depends on soil type as a tree growing on the Delhi ridge is unlikely to survive in the Yamuna floodplain.</li>
<li><strong>Expensive:</strong> It costs around Rs 1 lakh to transplant an average-sized tree.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Smog Tower:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>smog tower,</strong> which will act as a mega air purifier, will also be installed in Delhi to counter the persistent issue of smog in Delhi as per the November 2019 order of the Supreme Court to the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board.</li>
<li>The towers to be installed in Delhi will be the result of a collaboration between the <strong>IITs at Mumbai and Delhi, and the University of Minnesota.</strong></li>
<li>Smog towers have been experimented with in recent years in cities in the Netherlands, China, South Korea and Poland. The first such tower was erected in <strong>2015, in Rotterdam, Netherlands,</strong> created by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde.</li>
<li>The <strong>world&rsquo;s largest air-purifying tower is in Xi&rsquo;an, China.</strong></li>
<li>The Tower will<strong> suck the polluted air from above and release clean air from the bottom. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Limitations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Many experts have claimed that due to the large volume of air outdoors, smog towers are <strong>not efficient</strong> in cleaning the air per se.</li>
<li>Even in the case of China, there is<strong> insufficient data to support the effectiveness</strong> of its smog towers.</li>
<li>An expert panel has estimated that Delhi will need a total of 213 smog towers to battle the pollution crisis which will be very<strong> expensive</strong> as each tower will cost around 20 crore rupees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Electric Vehicles (EVs)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The government aims to make<strong> EVs account for a quarter of the new vehicles registered in the capital by 2024.</strong></li>
<li>EVs will gain from purchase <strong>incentives, scrappage benefits</strong> on older vehicles, <strong>loans</strong> at favourable interest and a <strong>waiver</strong> of road taxes.</li>
<li>Recently, the Delhi government notified the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electric-vehicles-policy-2020-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric Vehicles Policy 2020</strong> </a>which lays the maximum emphasis on replacement of two-wheelers, public transport and shared vehicles and goods-carriers instead of private four-wheelers, with EVs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Apart from these steps, the campaign also focuses on cutting the <strong>deadly smoke from thermal plants and brick kilns</strong> in Delhi as well as on the chemical treatment of <strong>stubble burning</strong> from nearby States.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Air Pollution in Delhi</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to air quality data compiled by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation</strong></a> (WHO), Delhi is among the world&rsquo;s most polluted cities.</li>
<li>Particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi, exceed national standards and the more stringent World Health Organization limits. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Delhi needs a <strong>65% reduction to meet the national standards for PM2.5.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Delhi&rsquo;s toxic air also contains<strong> high doses of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.</strong></li>
<li>The lack of wind worsens the pollutant concentration.</li>
<li>The Ministry of Earth Sciences published a research paper in October 2018 attributing almost <strong>41% to vehicular emissions, 21.5% to dust and 18% to industries.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Emission testing of vehicles is only 25%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to the WHO, India has the world's highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma. Air pollution also impacts the environment through reduced visibility, acid rain, and formation of ozone at the tropospheric level.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for Deteriorating Air Quality of Delhi</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Stubble Burning</li>
<li>Vehicular Emission</li>
<li>Weather</li>
<li>High Population Density</li>
<li>Lack of Infrastructure</li>
<li>Construction Activities and Open waste burning</li>
<li>Thermal Power Plant and Industries</li>
<li>Firecrackers</li>
<li>Diesel generators</li>
<li>Dust Storm from Gulf countries</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Delhi&rsquo;s long-term solution will depend importantly also on <strong>abating emissions from transportation.</strong> A three-part action for combating vehicular emissions comprises <strong>emissions standards, public transport, and electric vehicles.</strong> The Supreme Court&rsquo;s ruling to increase Delhi&rsquo;s bus fleet and align it with the Metro network must be carried out.</li>
<li><strong>Technical solutions</strong> need to be underpinned by <strong>coordination and transparency</strong> across Central, State, and local governments.<strong> Citizen participation</strong> and the media are vital for sharing the message on pollution and health, using data such as those from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cpcb-notifies-contaminated-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Pollution Control Board.</strong></a></li>
<li>The need to control becomes ever more important in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> scenario when respiratory ailments due to air pollution can worsen the condition of Covid-19 affected people.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/towards-cleaner-air-in-delhi/article32836821.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/anti-pollution-campaign-delhi'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh Jayanti',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Prime Minister of India bowed to Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh, on their Jayanti.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Jayaprakash Narayan (JP):<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501802_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501802_image8.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong> 11<sup>th</sup> October, 1902 in Sitabdiara, Bihar.</li>
<li><strong>Influenced By:</strong> Marxist ideas in the USA and <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper4/gandhian-ideologies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gandhian ideology.</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Contribution to Freedom Struggle:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>1929,</strong> he joined the <strong>Indian National Congress.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Imprisonment:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In <strong>1932</strong> imprisoned for a year for participation in the civil disobedience movement.</li>
<li>In <strong>1939</strong> for his opposition to Indian participation in <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World War II</strong></a> on the side of Britain but escaped.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He played a key role in the formation of the <strong>Congress Socialist Party (1934),</strong> a left-wing group within the Congress Party.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Post-Independence Role:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 1948, he left the Congress Party and initiated an anti-Congress Campaign.</li>
<li>In <strong>1952,</strong> he formed the <strong>Praja Socialist Party (PSP).</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>1954,</strong> he devoted his life<strong> exclusively to the Bhoodan Yajna Movement, of Vinoba Bhave,</strong> which demanded land redistribution to the landless.</li>
<li>In <strong>1959</strong> he argued for a<strong> &ldquo;reconstruction of Indian polity&rdquo;</strong> by means of a four-tier hierarchy of village, district, state, and union councils <strong>(Chaukhamba Raj).</strong></li>
<li>Total Revolution: Against Indira Gandhi Regime as she was found guilty of violating electoral laws by the Allahabad High Court. He advocated a program of <strong>social transformation</strong> which he termed <strong>&lsquo;Sampoorna Kranti' (total revolution)</strong> in 1974 against corruption in public life.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Total Revolution has seven component revolu&shy;tions, namely- political, social, economic, cultural, ideological or intellectual, educational and spiritual.</li>
<li>The objective was to bring in a change in the existing society that is in tune with the ideals of the Sarvodaya (Gandhian philosophy- progress for all).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bharat Ratna: Jayaprakash Narayan</strong> was <strong>posthumously conferred</strong> with India's highest civilian award, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-28th-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Ratna</strong></a> <strong>(1999),</strong> for his <strong>"invaluable contribution to the freedom struggle and upliftment of the poor and downtrodden".</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nanaji Deshmukh:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501852_image7.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602501852_image7.jpg" width="300" caption="false" style="float: right;" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Birth:</strong> 11<sup>th</sup> October 1916 in Maharashtra&rsquo;s Hingoli district.</li>
<li><strong>Influenced by:</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bal-gangadhar-tilak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lokamanya Tilak</strong></a> and his nationalist ideology.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founding Sarsangha-chalak(head) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He was a leader of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.</li>
<li><strong>Participation:</strong> He actively participated in<strong> Acharya Vinoba Bhave&rsquo;s Bhoodan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Deshmukh was the <strong>main force behind social activist Jayaprakash Narayan's agitation for total revolution.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Social Activism:</strong> He was a social reformer with focus on health, education and rural self-reliance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He established <strong>Chitarkoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalaya</strong> in Chitrakoot, India&rsquo;s <strong>first rural University</strong> and had served as its Chancellor.</li>
<li>He did great work towards the anti-poverty and minimum needs programme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Electoral Politics:</strong> He was one of<strong> main architects</strong> of the Janata Party.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He <strong>won in the 1977 Lok election</strong> from Balrampur (UP) Lok Sabha constituency.</li>
<li>He was<strong> nominated to Rajya Sabha</strong> in 1999 in recognition of his services to the nation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong> 27<sup>th</sup> February, 2010.</li>
<li><strong>Awards:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He was awarded <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/padma-awards-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Padma Vibhushan</strong></a> in 1999.</li>
<li>In 2019, the President of India, conferred the <strong>Bharat Ratna</strong> upon him (posthumously) for his services to the nation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1663470" 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/jayaprakash-narayan-and-nanaji-deshmukh-jayanti'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Need For MSP Reforms',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/farm-bills-2020-india-farmers-msp-price-coronavirus-modi-govt-6721272/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;MSP in the age of surplus&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in Indian Express on 12/10/2020. It talks about the need for reforms in the current MSP regime.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-agriculture-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>three new farm laws were passed by the parliament</strong></a> to increase the relative role of markets without dismantling the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/msp-raised-for-rabi-crops" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> MSP (Minimum Support Prices) system.</strong> </a>These laws meet widespread protest from the farming community, especially in Punjab and Haryana.</p>
<p>Fearing the government will do away with the MSP is the bone of contention behind these protests. Farmers want higher and assured income through effective MSP, while the government is offering greater choices to farmers through markets, without demolishing the existing MSP system.</p>
<p>Further, Indian agriculture has, since the <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-97#:~:text=A%20large%20increase%20in%20crop,land%20using%20new%20farming%20techniques." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Green Revolution</strong></a>, turned the corner from scarcity to surplus. In a surplus agrarian economy, unless a greater role for markets is allowed, the MSP route will continue to drain public exchequer.</p>
<p>Hence, in order to achieve the target of doubling the farmer&rsquo;s income, there is a need to reform the MSP system, make agriculture demand-driven and invest in agricultural infrastructure.</p>
<h3>Need for Reforms in MSP Regime</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>MSPs in Favour of Paddy and Wheat:</strong> Skewed MSP dominated system of rice and wheat leads to overproduction of these crops. This can be seen in the stocks for wheat and rice with the government are way above the buffer stock norms.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, it discourages farmers to grow other crops and horticulture products, which has higher demand and subsequently can lead to increase in farmers income.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economically Unsustainable:</strong> The economic cost of procured rice comes to about Rs 37/kg and that of wheat is around Rs 27/kg. However, market prices of rice and wheat are much lower than the economic cost incurred by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/fci-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food Corporation of India (FCI).</strong></a>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to this, the FCI&rsquo;s economic burden is touching Rs 3 lakh crore.</li>
<li>This amount eventually will have to be borne by the Union government and may subsequently lead to divergence of funds from being invested in agriculture infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Market-Driven System in the Non-Farm Sector:</strong> Milk and poultry don&rsquo;t have MSP and pricing is done by the company in consultation with milk federations, not by the government.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to this, milk farmers do not have to go through the mandi system paying high commissions, market fees and cess.</li>
<li>Further, these cooperatives compete with multinational private companies like Nestle, Hatsun which ultimately benefits in augmenting farmers' income.</li>
<li>Moreover, private companies also invest in rural infrastructure.</li>
<li>Due to combined effects of these factors, the milk sector has been growing at a rate two to three times higher than rice, wheat and sugarcane.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Restriction in Exports:</strong> Even after producing surplus grains, every year a huge portion of these grains gets rotten. This is due to the restrictions under <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-trade-organisation-wto" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>WTO norms</strong></a>, that grain stocks with the FCI (being heavily subsidized due to MSP) cannot be exported.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Pursuing Cooperative Federalism:</strong> Agriculture is a State subject in the Constitution, listed as Entry 14 in the State List (List II).
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from this, entry 26 in List II refers to &ldquo;trade and commerce within the State&rdquo;; entry 27 refers to &ldquo;production, supply and distribution of goods&rdquo;; and entry 28 refers to &ldquo;markets and fairs&rdquo;.</li>
<li>For these reasons, intra-State marketing in agriculture was always considered a legislative prerogative of States.</li>
<li>However, there is a case to argue that the current three farm legislations, have poor legal validity and may weaken federalism.</li>
<li>Therefore, any reform pertaining to agriculture and farmer&rsquo;s income must come up after consultation with the states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Changing the Pricing Mix:</strong> Government must come up with a suitable transition to agricultural pricing policy, whereby partial agricultural pricing should be state-supported and partially market-driven.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One way to do this, could be a deficiency payments scheme along the lines of the <strong>Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY)</strong> initiated by Madhya Pradesh.</li>
<li>In this scheme, the government rather than procuring from farmers, compensates farmers with cash transfers when the market price falls below MSP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strengthening FPO:</strong> With the changes brought the recent farm legislation, it is expected that many companies will be encouraged to build efficient supply lines somewhat on the lines of milk.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, there is a genuine demand for protection of farmers from ruthless market orientation for Profit.</li>
<li>Thus, there is a need for strengthening of <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-76#:~:text=Farmer%20Producer%20Organisation%20(FPO)%20is,profits%2Fbenefits%20among%20the%20members." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Farmers Producer Organisations</strong> </a>(FPOs), this will increase bargaining power of farmers on one hand and provide a suitable investment climate on the other.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Agriculture lies at the backbone of Indian economy. Therefore, more sustainable solutions lie in augmenting productivity, diversifying to high-value crops, and shifting people out of agriculture to the high productivity sector.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602499486_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602499486_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: #ebf3ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>In an agrarian economy, unless a greater role for markets is allowed, the MSP route will continue to drain public exchequer. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sUN2eEpROwg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/trouble-in-the-air-120100801708_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Trouble in the air&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Business Standard on October 8<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/need-for-msp-reforms'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => '15 Years of RTI',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A report by the Satark Nagrik Sangathan and the Centre for Equity Studies has pointed out that <strong>more than 2.2 lakh <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to information</a></strong> cases are pending at the Central and State Information Commissions (ICs), which are the final courts of appeal under the RTI Act, 2005.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report was released on the occasion of completion of the 15 years of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/challenges-related-to-rti-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information (RTI) Act.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Unavailability during <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a> lockdown</strong>: Out of the total 29 ICs that were studied, 21 were not holding any hearings.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Even the websites of 3 ICs -Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland -were not accessible during the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lockdown-extended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdown.</strong></a></li>
<li>Websites of 11 commissions out of 29, had no information/notification about the functioning of the IC during the lockdown.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduced Capacity:</strong> Of the 29 ICs, two ICs -Jharkhand and Tripura -were found to have<strong> no commissioners</strong> for varying lengths of time. They were completely defunct.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>4 were functioning without a <strong>Chief Information Commissioner</strong> -Bihar, Goa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.</li>
<li>Under the RTI 2005 act, <strong>every commission should have a chief and up to 10 commissioners.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Delays and Backlogs:</strong> The assessment found that on average, the CIC takes 388 days (more than one year) to dispose of an appeal/complaint from the date that it was filed before the commission.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The highest number of pending appeals, with over 59,000 cases were in Maharashtra, followed by Uttar Pradesh and the Central Information Commissions (CIC).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No Penalties:</strong> The report found that the <strong>Government officials face hardly any punishment for violating the law.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Penalties were imposed in only 2.2% of cases that were disposed of, despite previous analysis showing a rate of about 59% violations which should have triggered the process of penalty imposition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It provided that the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall hold office for such<strong> term as prescribed by the Central Government.</strong> Before this amendment, their term was fixed for 5 years.</li>
<li>It provided that the <strong>salary, allowances and other service conditions</strong> of the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall be such<strong> as prescribed by the Central Government.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Before this amendment, the salary, allowances and other service conditions of the Chief Information Commissioner were similar to those of the Chief Election Commissioner and that of an Information Commissioner were similar to those of an Election Commissioner (State Election Commissioners in case of States).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>removed the provisions regarding deductions in salary</strong> of the Chief Information Commissioner, an Information Commissioner, the State Chief Information Commissioner and a State Information Commissioner due to pension or any other retirement benefits received by them for their previous government service.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></a> was <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/challenges-related-to-rti-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>criticized on grounds of diluting the law and giving more powers to the central government.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Central Information Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established:</strong> The Central Information Commission was established by the Central Government in 2005, under the provisions of the Right to Information Act (2005). It is <strong>not</strong> a constitutional body.</li>
<li><strong>Members:</strong> The Commission consists of a<strong> Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten Information Commissioners.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At present (2019), the Commission has <strong>six Information Commissioners</strong> apart from the Chief Information Commissioner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appointment:</strong> They are appointed by the <strong>President</strong> on the <strong>recommendation of a committee</strong> consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.</li>
<li><strong>Tenure:</strong> The Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner shall hold office for such term <strong>as prescribed by the Central Government</strong> or until they attain the age of<strong> 65 years,</strong> whichever is earlier. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are<strong> not eligible for reappointment.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power and Functions of CIC</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the duty of the Commission to <strong>receive and inquire into a complaint</strong> from any person regarding information request under RTI, 2005.</li>
<li>The Commission can <strong>order an inquiry into any matter</strong> if there are reasonable grounds <strong>(suo-moto power).</strong></li>
<li>While inquiring, the Commission has the <strong>powers of a civil court</strong> in respect of summoning, requiring documents etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government must ensure<strong> the timely appointment of chiefs and members of ICs.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The increasing backlog of cases is exacerbated by the fact that most Commissions are functioning at reduced capacity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is absolutely critical that all information commissions conduct<strong> timely and effective hearings and disposal</strong> of cases to ensure people can exercise their fundamental right to information.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Commissions should hold hearings telephonically. Where possible, video calls can be set up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There should be a<strong> prioritization of cases dealing with information related to life and liberty.</strong> Information regarding matters like food distribution, social security, health and COVID 19-related issues should be proactively disclosed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Section 7(1) of the RTI Act states that information concerning the life or liberty of a person has to be supplied <strong>within 48 hours</strong> of the request being received.</li>
<li><strong>Section 4</strong> of the RTI Act requires<strong> suo motu disclosure of information</strong> by each public authority.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Urgent digitization</strong> of records and proper record management is important as lack of remote access to records in the lockdown has been widely cited as the reason for not being able to conduct hearings of appeals and complaints by commissions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Governments should put in place a mechanism for <strong>online filing of RTI applications.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The role of information commissions is crucial during Covid-19 to ensure that people can obtain information on healthcare facilities, social security programs and delivery of essential goods and services meant for those in distress.</li>
<li>If the poor and marginalised affected by the public health emergency are to have any hope of obtaining the benefits of government schemes, they must have access to relevant information.</li>
<li><strong>Democracy is all about the governance of the people, by the people and for the people.</strong> In order to achieve the third paradigm, the state needs to start acknowledging the importance of informed public and the role that it plays in the country&rsquo;s development as a nation. In this context, underlying issues related to RTI Act should be resolved, so that it can serve the<strong> information needs of society.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/at-15-rti-act-crippled-by-rising-backlog/article32827394.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/15-years-of-rti'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Status of Bharatmala Pariyojana',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A total of 322 projects in a length of 12,413 km have been awarded and 2921 km has been constructed under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bharatmala-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharatmala Pariyojana</strong></a> till August 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Bharatmala Pariyojana is an <strong>umbrella program for the highways sector</strong> envisaged by the <strong>Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.</strong></li>
<li>Under<strong> Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana,</strong> implementation of<strong> 34,800 km of national highways in 5 years</strong> (from 2017 to 2022) has been approved at an estimated outlay of <strong>Rs. 5,35,000 crore.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nhai-achieves-highest-ever-construction-of-national-highways" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Highways Authority of India</strong></a> (NHAI) has mandated the development of about 27,500 km of national highways under Phase-I.</li>
<li>However, as per <strong>ICRA Limited</strong>, Phase-I is <strong>likely to be delayed</strong> by four years due to the prevailing <strong>uncertainty due to Covid-19</strong> and <strong>consequent impact on valuations.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>ICRA Limited is an <strong>Indian independent and professional investment information and credit rating agency.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Phase-II</strong> envisages around <strong>48,000 km of road network across India by 2024.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To <strong>optimise the efficiency of freight and passenger movement</strong> across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>effective interventions</strong> include the development of economic corridors, inter corridors and feeder routes, national corridor efficiency improvement, border and international connectivity roads, coastal and port connectivity roads and greenfield expressways.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/industrial-corridors-2#:~:text=Industrial%20corridors%20offer%20effective%20integration,the%2Dart%20cargo%20handling%20equipment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Economic Corridors</strong></a>: These are<strong> integrated networks of infrastructure</strong> within a geographical area designed <strong>to stimulate economic development.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Greenfield Projects:</strong> They <strong>lack constraints imposed by prior work on the site.</strong> Typically, it entails <strong>development on a completely vacant site</strong> and architects start completely from scratch.</li>
<li><strong>Brownfield Projects:</strong> They carry <strong>constraints related to the current state of the site</strong> and <strong>might be contaminated or have existing structures</strong> that architects have to tear down or modify in some way before the project can move forward.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To<strong> generate a large number of direct and indirect employment opportunities</strong> in the construction and infrastructure sector and also as part of the enhanced economic activity resulting from better road connectivity across the country.</li>
<li>To<strong> connect 550 districts in the country</strong> through national highway linkages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Improvement in the efficiency of existing corridors</strong> through the development of <strong>Multimodal Logistics Parks</strong> and elimination of chokepoint.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Multimodal Logistics Parks are a key<strong> policy initiative</strong> of the Government of India to <strong>improve the country's logistics sector</strong> by lowering overall freight costs, reducing vehicular pollution and congestion, and cutting warehousing costs.</li>
<li>A chokepoint is a single point through which all incoming and outgoing network traffic is funnelled and hence, leads to congestion and traffic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Enhance focus on<strong> improving connectivity in North East</strong> and <strong>leveraging synergies with Inland Waterways.</strong></li>
<li>Emphasis on the use of <strong>scientific and technological planning</strong> for Project Preparation and Asset Monitoring.</li>
<li><strong>Satellite mapping of corridors</strong> to identify up-gradation requirements.</li>
<li><strong>Delegation of powers to expedite project delivery</strong> for successful completion of Phase I by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Project Categories:</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602494683_image%200.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602494683_image 0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1663471" 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/status-of-bharatmala-pariyojana'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'South Asia Economic Focus Report: World Bank',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has recently released its biennial <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/contraction-in-gdp-of-india-in-2020-21-world-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South Asia Economic Focus report</strong></a>. The fall 2020 edition is titled &ldquo;Beaten or Broken? Informality and Covid-19&rdquo;.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.</li>
<li>The report predicts that the extended closure of schools amid the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong> </a>could <strong>dent India&rsquo;s future earnings</strong> by anywhere between 420 billion USD and 600 billion USD, as depleted learning levels of students will translate into <strong>poorer productivity</strong> going forward.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impact on Education:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Around 5.5<strong> million students could drop out of schools</strong> across South Asia.</li>
<li><strong>391 million students</strong> have been kept out of school in primary and secondary education due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdown.</strong></a></li>
<li>Dropouts, combined with substantial learning losses for those who remain enrolled in schools, would <strong>cost South Asia as much as 622 billion USD</strong> in future earnings and gross domestic product.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The regional loss is<strong> largely driven by India,</strong> all countries will lose substantial shares of their GDP.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The projected learning loss for the region is<strong> 0.5 years of learning-adjusted years of schooling (LAYS)</strong> at present.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>LAYS combines quantity and quality of schooling into a single easy-to-understand metric of progress.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Due to the closure of schools, not only the learning process has been obstructed but the children may have <strong>forgotten their previous learnings.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The average child in South Asia may lose 4,400 USD in lifetime earnings once having entered the labour market, equivalent to <strong>5% of total earnings.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Engaging children through remote learning programmes had been difficult, despite most governments&rsquo; best efforts to mitigate the impact of school closures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602489728_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602489728_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impacts on Economy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Impact on Informal Sector:</strong> The report has flagged damage to businesses, consumption patterns and imposed social hardship on poor and vulnerable households, especially <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-migrants-and-challenges" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>urban migrants</strong> </a>and informal workers in the South Asia region. It has also warned against<strong> far-reaching consequences</strong> apart from these immediate impacts.</li>
<li><strong>GDP:</strong> The regional GDP of the South Asia region is estimated to contract by 7.7% in 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-decreases-to-11-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gross Domestic Product</a></strong> (GDP) can contract by 9.6% in 2020-21.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Labour productivity:</strong> It will also take a greater hit from Covid-19 than most previous natural disasters. <strong>Reasons</strong> for the decrease in labour productivity are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Globalization:</strong> The increased integration of the global economy will amplify the adverse impact of Covid-19. Effect on supply chains, export-import and international migration of labour will affect labour productivity.</li>
<li><strong>Capacity underutilization:</strong> Contagion prevention and physical distancing may render some activities, for example, the hospitality sector, unviable unless they are radically transformed, which will take time. Even in less directly affected sectors such as manufacturing, banking and business, severe capacity underutilisation lowers total factor productivity.</li>
<li><strong>Disruptions to training, schooling and other education:</strong> These may occur due to severe income losses as well as lack of access to training and education facilities. Even once restrictions are lifted, the impediment of training will also lower human capital and labour productivity over the long term.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Related Reports:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-report-on-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UN Report on the Impact of Covid-19 on Children</strong></a> estimated that almost <strong>24 million children could drop out</strong> or not have access to school next year due to the <strong>economic impact of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19.</a></strong></li>
<li>Earlier this year, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-education-monitoring-report-2020-unesco" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the Global Education Monitoring Report, 2020</strong></a> was released by UNESCO which highlighted that the <strong>Covid-19 had worsened the inequalities in education systems</strong> worldwide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To avoid the outcome of the pandemic, progress on three fronts is required: <strong>Information, Solidarity</strong> and <strong>Action.</strong></li>
<li>It is critical that education is at the heart of international solidarity efforts, from<strong> debt management</strong> and<strong> stimulus packages</strong> to <strong>global humanitarian appeals </strong>and <strong>official development assistance.</strong></li>
<li>It is the time to <strong>step up international solidarity for children and humanity&mdash;</strong> and to lay the foundations for a deeper transformation of the way we nurture and invest in our world&rsquo;s youngest generation.</li>
<li><strong>India</strong> as a lower-middle-income country needs to use education as an equalizer for its widespread socioeconomic inequalities. Focus on increasing the education budget in the New<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-education-policy-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Education Policy</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/right-to-internet-access-and-digital-literacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decreasing the digital divide</strong> </a>are welcome steps to achieve this goal.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/school-closure-may-cost-india-dear/article32828676.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/south-asia-economic-focus-report-world-bank'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Hurricane Delta',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Hurricane Delta made landfall in the <strong>USA state of Louisiana,</strong> which is still recovering from the damage caused by a<strong> previous <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hurricane-laura#:~:text=Key%20Points,and%20bring%20down%20power%20lines." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurricane (Laura)</a></strong> in August 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Hurricane Delta is the <strong>10<sup>th</sup> named storm</strong> to make USA landfall so far this year, breaking a record that has stood since 1916.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the scientists, <strong>global warming</strong> is a major cause behind rapidly intensifying Atlantic hurricanes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Delta is also the<strong> first Greek alphabet named hurricane</strong> on record to make landfall in continental USA.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>When a very active hurricane season occurs and the list is exhausted, <strong>the Greek alphabet is used</strong> (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, etc).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It hit Louisiana as a <strong>Category 2 hurricane,</strong> but weakened to a Category 1 as it moved inland.</li>
<li><strong>Hurricanes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hurricanes are the <strong>biggest and most violent storms</strong> on the planet.</li>
<li><strong>Every year, between June and November</strong> they hit the<strong> Caribbean,</strong> the <strong>Gulf of Mexico</strong> and the <strong>eastern coast of the United States,</strong> sometimes leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.</li>
<li>In the <strong>western North Pacific,</strong> they are called <strong>"typhoons".</strong></li>
<li>In the <strong>Bay of Bengal</strong> and <strong>Arabian Sea,</strong> they are called <strong>"cyclones".</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>Australia,</strong> they are called<strong> &ldquo;Willy-Willy&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A hurricane <strong>starts out as a tropical disturbance.</strong> This is an area over warm ocean waters where rain clouds are building.</li>
<li>A tropical disturbance sometimes <strong>grows into a tropical depression.</strong> This is an area of <strong>rotating thunderstorms</strong> with winds of 62 km/hr or less.</li>
<li>A<strong> tropical depression becomes a tropical storm</strong> if its winds reach 63 km/hr.</li>
<li>A tropical storm <strong>becomes a hurricane</strong> if its winds reach 119 km/hr.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488800_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488800_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Category of Hurricanes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hurricanes can be classified in <strong>five categories</strong> depending on the sustained wind speeds.</li>
<li>In the Atlantic, the <strong>Saffir-Simpson wind scale</strong> is used to measure their destructive power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Parts of a Hurricane:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488904_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602488904_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Eye:</strong> The eye is the "hole" at the center of the storm. Winds are light in this area. Skies are partly cloudy, and sometimes even clear.</li>
<li><strong>Eye Wall:</strong> The eye wall is a ring of thunderstorms. These storms swirl around the eye. The <strong>wall is where winds are strongest and rain is heaviest.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Rain Bands:</strong> Bands of clouds and rain go far out from a hurricane's eye wall. These bands stretch for hundreds of miles. They contain thunderstorms and sometimes tornadoes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Naming:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Each year, tropical storms are named in <strong>alphabetical order.</strong> The names come from a list of names for that year. There are <strong>six lists of names.</strong> Lists are<strong> reused every six years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/hurricane-delta-makes-landfall-in-southwestern-louisiana-6719310/" 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/hurricane-delta'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Malnutrition and Covid-19',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article has been taken from <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/malnutrition-the-silent-pandemic-6610858/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Malnutrition - the silent pandemic&lsquo;</strong> </a>which was published in &lsquo;The Indian Express&rsquo; on 25/09/2020. It focuses upon how the pandemic has worsened the problem of Malnutrition.</p>
</div>
<p>While malnutrition already remains as the predominant risk factor for child deaths and total disability- adjusted life years, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>COVID-19</strong></a> has pushed back our efforts on ending malnutrition, which plagues India's children.</p>
<p>There is a real risk that, as nations strive to control the virus, the gains made in reducing hunger and malnutrition will be lost. The need for more equitable, resilient and sustainable food and health systems has never been more urgent.</p>
<h3>Malnutrition</h3>
<p>Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person&rsquo;s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition addresses 3 broad groups of conditions:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Undernutrition,</strong> which includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age) and underweight (low weight-for-age).</li>
<li><strong>Micronutrient-related malnutrition,</strong> which includes micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals) or micronutrient excess;</li>
<li><strong>Overweight,</strong> obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers).</li>
</ul>
<p>Globally, at least 1 in 3 children under 5 is undernourished or overweight and at least 1 in 2 children suffer from <strong>hidden hunger.</strong></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hidden Hunger</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Hidden hunger is a lack of vitamins and minerals.</li>
<li>It occurs when the quality of food people eat does not meet the nutrient requirements. The food is deficient in micronutrients such as the vitamins and minerals that are needed for their growth and development.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Causes of Malnutrition</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Food &amp; nutrition insecurity:</strong> Increased food and nutrition insecurity has severely weakened the immune system of people contributing to poor growth &amp; intellectual impairment and has lowered human capital and development prospects</li>
<li><strong>Inequity:</strong> Inequity is a cause of malnutrition &mdash; both under-nutrition and overweight, obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Inequities in food and health systems exacerbate inequalities in nutrition outcomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Inadequate Dietary Intake:</strong> Inadequate dietary intake and disease are directly responsible for undernutrition, but multiple indirect determinants exacerbate these causes. These include-
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Food insecurity</li>
<li>Inadequate childcare practices</li>
<li>Low maternal education</li>
<li>Poor access to health services</li>
<li>Lack of access to clean water and sanitation</li>
<li>Poor hygiene practices</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Covid-19 and Malnutrition</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The nationwide lockdown has disrupted access to essential services, including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mid-day-meal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mid-Day Meals</strong></a>, which are not only a nutritional measure to supplement some portion of a child&rsquo;s calorie needs but is also a tool to access education.</li>
<li>Through a concurrent rapid needs assessment, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/childhood-index" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Save the Children</strong></a> found that around 40% of eligible children have not received mid-day meal during the lockdown.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Malnutrition and India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Nutrition Report-2020:</strong> As per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-nutrition-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Nutrition Report 2020</strong></a>, India is among 88 countries that are likely to miss global nutrition targets by 2025.</li>
<li><strong>Malnourished children in India:</strong> Malnutrition in India accounts for 68% of total under-five deaths and 17% of the total disability- adjusted life years.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is home to about 30% of the world&rsquo;s stunted children and nearly 50 per cent of severely wasted children under the age of five.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>FAO estimates:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-march-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)</strong> </a>estimates that 194.4 million people in India (about 14.5% of the total population) are undernourished.</li>
<li><strong>Global Hunger Index-2019:</strong> India ranks 102 out of 117 countries in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-hunger-index-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Hunger Index 2019.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Wasting rate:</strong> India&rsquo;s wasting rate is extremely high at 20.8% &mdash; the highest wasting rate of any country.</li>
<li><strong>Nutrition interventions:</strong> They are not sufficient to tackle the problem of undernutrition: Even at 90% coverage, the core set of proven nutrition-specific interventions would only decrease stunting by 20 per cent.</li>
<li><strong>Covid-19:</strong> Covid-19 has posed serious threats to children and their health and nutritional rights.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to recent estimates, even in the best possible scenario and accounting for changes in the provision of essential health and nutrition services due to COVID-19, India could have around additional 60,000 child deaths (around 3,00,000 in the worst-case scenario) in the next six months.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Malnutrition and Undernutrition</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person&rsquo;s intake of energy and/or nutrients.</li>
<li>The term malnutrition covers <strong>two broad groups of conditions:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Undernutrition&mdash;</strong>which includes <strong>stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age)</strong> and<strong> micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Obesity&mdash;</strong> which includes<strong> overweight and diet-related noncommunicable diseases</strong> (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Measures Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-food-day#:~:text=World%20Food%20Day%20is%20observed,people%20while%20nurturing%20the%20planet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Food Day</a>:</strong> it is observed annually on October 16 to address the problem of global hunger.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>POSHAN Abhiyaan</strong></a>: The government of India had launched the National Nutrition Mission (NNM) or <strong>POSHAN Abhiyaan</strong> to ensure a &ldquo;Malnutrition Free India&rdquo; by 2022.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anaemia-in-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan</strong></a>: Launched in 2018, the mission aims at accelerating the annual rate of decline of anaemia from one to three percentage points.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/midday-meal-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme</strong></a>: aims to improve nutritional levels among school children which also has a direct and positive impact on enrolment, retention and attendance in schools.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/one-nation-one-ration-card-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013</strong></a>: aims to ensure food and nutrition security for the most vulnerables through its associated schemes and programmes, making access to food a legal right.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)</strong></a>: Rs.6,000 is transferred directly to the bank accounts of pregnant women for availing better facilities for their delivery.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1#:~:text=Integrated%20Child%20Development%20Services%20(ICDS)%20Scheme&amp;text=It%20provides%20a%20package%20of,check%2Dup%20and%20referral%20services" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme</strong></a>: launched in 1975, the scheme aims at providing food, preschool education, primary healthcare, immunization, health check-up and referral services to children under 6 years of age and their mothers.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps That Can Be Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need to explore possible solutions and put forward key policy and programme proposals for the integrated management of acute malnutrition and mitigating the impact of<strong> Covid-19.</strong></li>
<li>For easy and sustained access to nutritious food, the spotlight back should be brought back on locally-available, low-cost nutritious food.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also more encouragement should be given to maternal, infant and young child nutrition actions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Strategies like &lsquo;take-home ration&rsquo; and &lsquo;mid-day meal service&rsquo; to ensure the continuation of services and coverage of the most vulnerable communities, especially in urban areas. Child-sensitive social protection schemes, like <strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna (PMMVY),</strong> need to be implemented in a way so that they reach the last child.</li>
<li>Strict measures are needed to ensure that the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/public-distribution-system-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Distribution System (PDS)</strong></a> is accessible to all, especially the vulnerable population.</li>
<li>The use of newer technologies in service delivery, data management, evidence generation and real-time monitoring should be encouraged for maximum use in these processes.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Nutrition is not a peripheral concern rather a central to our existence; a pro-equity agenda that mainstreams nutrition into food systems and health systems, supported by strong financing and accountability is the greatest need.</li>
<li>Only five years are left to meet the 2025 global nutrition targets, while the time is running out, the focus should be on an action that provides the maximum impact.</li>
<li>Given the range of drivers of nutrition, spanning multiple sectors of agriculture, social protection, health and education, tackling undernutrition demands a multi-sectoral response.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602328535_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602328535_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></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: #edf2ff;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Any country cannot aim to attain economic and social development goals without addressing the issue of malnutrition&rdquo;. In light of the statement, discuss the multi-sectoral dimensions of malnutrition in India and how to address them.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3WNGJIv2aWs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/trouble-in-the-air-120100801708_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Trouble in the Air</strong></a> which was published in the &lsquo;Business Standard&rsquo; on October 08, 2020. Now watch this on our youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-and-covid-19'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Protests to Coup: Kyrgyzstan',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Protesters in Kyrgyzstan have <strong>captured key government buildings,</strong> including the <strong>Parliament</strong> house and the <strong>presidential office</strong> and the situation is like a coup.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong> Kyrgyzstan, often referred to as Central Asia&rsquo;s <strong>only democracy,</strong> had seen violent anti-government protests in the past.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2005 and 2010, sitting presidents were forced out of office in popular protests- <strong>&lsquo;Tulip&rsquo;</strong> and <strong>&lsquo;Melon&rsquo;</strong> revolutions.</li>
<li>The <strong>current protests</strong> began after <strong>early results of the parliamentary election</strong> were announced.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Political parties in Kyrgyzstan should win at least 7% of the popular vote to enter Parliament.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The results showed that <strong>only four parties managed to cross the threshold</strong> and of which, <strong>three</strong> were<strong> pro-government</strong> parties.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The only <strong>one opposition party</strong> could cross the threshold.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for the protest:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Even before the election, political fault lines were sharpening in Kyrgyzstan.</li>
<li>The country&rsquo;s main political party, the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK), stayed out of the election due to intra-party rift and split.</li>
<li>Several political leaders were detained and elections were perceived as rigged.</li>
<li>Consequently, after elections, protestors formed a <strong>Coordination Council</strong> to lead the &ldquo;revolution&rdquo;. The country&rsquo;s Election Commission annulled the results, but the protesters continued.</li>
<li><strong>Official View:</strong> Opposition&rsquo;s intention is to instigate a political coup.</li>
<li><strong>The Opposition&rsquo;s View:</strong> The elections were rigged which made people protest against the establishment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Kyrgyzstan&rsquo;s importance:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602324937_image0.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602324937_image0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has been key to the strategic plans of both Russia and China.</li>
<li><strong>Russia</strong> considers the region as its backyard and plays hard politics to retain its influence.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Russia-led <strong>Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>CSTO</strong> is a Russia-led military alliance of six former Soviet states that was created in 2002.</li>
<li>Its aim is to ensure the collective defence of any member that faces external aggression.</li>
<li><strong>Members of CSTO:</strong> Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation and Tajikistan</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>While Russia has cultivated strong ties with all political factions in Kyrgyzstan, radical political changes could throw up opportunities for its rivals.</li>
<li><strong>Belarus,</strong> another country in Russia&rsquo;s backyard with a pro-Russia President, is already witnessing political turmoil after August&rsquo;s Presidential election.</li>
<li>In the South Caucasus, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan</strong></a>, both former Soviet Republics, over Nagorno-Karabakh, risks dragging Russia into a conflict that Russia doesn&rsquo;t want.</li>
<li>All three combined, Russia&rsquo;s attempts to build stronger political and economic integration with the former Soviet region are suddenly facing critical challenges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China-</strong> This landlocked Central Asian country that<strong> shares a long border with China.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is located at the centre of Eurasia, is a vital link in its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/belt-and-road-initiative-perspectives-from-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Belt and Road Initiative.</strong></a></li>
<li>In 2019, Chinese President visited Bishkek (capital)- shows close link with the current establishment.</li>
<li>China has built road and rail networks with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA:</strong> During the early stages of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/us-taliban-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Afghan war</strong></a>, the USA had used Kyrgyzstan for refuelling and other logistical purposes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The USA base was shut down in 2014 by Parliament.</li>
<li>A regime change can be favourable for the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India-Kyrgyzstan</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has enjoyed strong bilateral ties with Kyrgyzstan since <strong>1991.</strong></li>
<li>India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Kyrgyzstan in 1992.</li>
<li>Since 1992, the two countries have many agreements, including on Culture, Trade and Economic Cooperation, Civil Aviation, Investment Promotion and Protection, Avoidance of Double Taxation, Consular Convention etc.</li>
<li><strong>In 2011, the joint &lsquo;Khanjar&rsquo; series of exercises was started.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Indian diaspora in Kyrgyzstan-</strong> about 9,000 Indian students are studying medicine in various medical institutions in the country. Also, there are many businessmen living in Kyrgyzstan who are involved in trade and several other services there.</li>
<li><strong>Strategic:</strong> The Kyrgyz leaderships have been<strong> largely supportive of India&rsquo;s stand on Kashmir.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They also support India&rsquo;s bid for a<strong> permanent seat at the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-security-council-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSC</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Departure from a Democratic Regime may bring uncertainty for India&rsquo;s interests.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Due to the strategic importance of the country, other nations with interest in the new regime may interfere. This must not form <strong>another zone of <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/cold-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cold war</a>.</strong> The process must be <strong>Kyrgyz-led and Kyrgyz-owned</strong> for long-term stability.</li>
<li>India can have a word in order to support the democratic and peaceful political system in Kyrgyzstan.</li>
<li>Also, India can explore the communication with the potential political factions in Kyrgyzstan that can form the government in Kyrgyzstan.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/the-hindu-explains-whats-happening-in-kyrgyzstan/article32812356.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/protests-to-coup-kyrgyzstan'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'GDP Revival Forecast: RBI',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Monetary Policy Committee</strong> of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India (RBI)</strong></a> has announced the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rbi-s-covid-19-economic-relief-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extension of its accommodative policy stance</strong></a> for the rest of this year as well as 2021-22 and forecasted a GDP revival in coming months.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>RBI had previously introduced a number of measures in its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/monetary-policy-report-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary Policy Report</strong> </a>for dealing with the Covid-19 induced economic setback.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Decisions:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>RBI has kept <strong>key policy rates unchanged to revive growth</strong> of the economy and mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> Repo and reverse repo rate unchanged</strong> at 4% and 3.35% respectively because of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>high inflation.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Risk weights,</strong> i,e, the capital required to be set aside on individual home loans, have been relaxed and the <strong>loan limit</strong> for retail and small business borrowers have been raised.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This would give a boost to the <strong>job-intensive real estate sector</strong> that has been suffering in the pandemic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)</strong> will be available round the clock.</li>
<li><strong>Targeted <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/open-market-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Long Term Repo Operations</a> (TLTRO)</strong> of Rs 1,00,000 crore for the revival of specific sectors, and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/special-open-market-operations-by-rbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Open Market Operations</strong></a> <strong>(OMOs)</strong> for <strong>State Development Loans (SDLs)</strong> have been announced.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This will assure market participants of <strong>access to liquidity and easy finance conditions.</strong></li>
<li>Long Term Reverse Repo Operation (LTRO) is a mechanism to<strong> facilitate the transmission of monetary policy</strong> actions and the flow of credit to the economy. This helps in<strong> injecting liquidity in the banking system.</strong></li>
<li>Open Market Operations (OMO) is one of the <strong>quantitative</strong> monetary policy tools which is <strong>employed by the central bank of a country to control the money supply in the economy.</strong></li>
<li>OMOs are conducted by the RBI by way of <strong>sale or purchase of government securities (g-secs)</strong> to adjust money supply conditions.</li>
<li>The central bank sells g-secs to commercial banks to remove liquidity from the system and buys back g-secs to infuse liquidity into the system.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602327462_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1602327462_image3.png" width="776" caption="false" height="262" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Forecasts:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>GDP Revival</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-decreases-to-11-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Real gross domestic product (GDP)</strong></a> in FY21 will fall by 9.5%.</li>
<li>GDP growth may break out of contraction and <strong>enter a positive zone by Q4</strong> of the current fiscal year (2020-21)</li>
<li>Starting from a modest recovery the economic activity is expected to gain traction in Q3.</li>
<li>The real GDP growth in 2020-21 is expected to be negative at -9.8% in Q2 of 2020-21,-5.6% in Q3 and 0.5% in Q4.</li>
<li>Real GDP is likely to grow by 20.6% in the Q1 of 2021-22.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decline in Inflation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Inflation is expected to decline in the next 3 months and is likely to ease to the projected target of around 4% (within a band of +/- 2%) by Q4 of FY&rsquo;21.</li>
<li>Supply chain disruptions is the major factor driving up inflation. As supply chains are restored, the inflation would come down.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-data-august-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>retail inflation growth was 6.69%</strong></a>, as of<strong> August 2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Restart of Economy</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The economy is likely to witness a three-speed recovery i.e. individual sectors showing varying paces with <strong>fastest, modest and slowest</strong> recovery rates.</li>
<li>Apart from agriculture, sectors such as fast-moving consumer goods, automobiles, pharma and power would revive first.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Monetary Policy Committee</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Monetary Policy Committee is a<strong> statutory</strong> and institutionalized framework under the <strong>Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934,</strong> for maintaining price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth.</li>
<li>The <strong>Governor of RBI</strong> is <strong>ex-officio Chairman</strong> of the committee.</li>
<li>The committee comprises<strong> six members (including the Chairman)</strong> - three officials of the RBI and three external members nominated by the Government of India.</li>
<li>Decisions are taken by majority with the Governor having the <strong>casting vote in case of a tie.</strong></li>
<li>The MPC determines the policy interest rate (repo rate) required to achieve the inflation target (4%).</li>
<li>An RBI-appointed committee led by the then deputy governor Urjit Patel in 2014 recommended the establishment of the Monetary Policy Committee.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Repo Rate and Reverse Report Rate</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the <strong>rate at which the central bank of a country (Reserve Bank of India in case of India) lends money to commercial banks</strong> in the event of any shortfall of funds.</li>
<li>It is used by monetary authorities to<strong> control inflation.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the event of inflation, central banks increase the repo rate as this acts as a disincentive for banks to borrow from the central bank. This ultimately reduces the money supply in the economy and thus helps in arresting inflation.</li>
<li>The central bank takes the contrary position in the event of a fall in inflationary pressures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Ideally, a low repo rate <strong>should translate into low-cost loans for the general masses.</strong> When the RBI slashes its repo rate, it expects the banks to lower their interest rates charged on loans.</li>
<li><strong>Reverse repo rate</strong> is the rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks within the country.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/rbi-keeps-lending-rates-unchanged/article32810230.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/gdp-revival-forecast-rbi'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'SC on NCPCR’s Repatriation Request',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>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 sought a response from <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/children-abandoning-education-in-mica-mining-districts" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)</strong></a>, to its request to eight States for immediate repatriation of children living in care homes with their families.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Repatriation Request:</strong> The NCPCR requested to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Meghalaya for repatriation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These States combinedly have 1.84 lakh children in care homes.</li>
<li>This accounts for over 70% of the children in care homes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Judicial Activism:</strong> The court is<strong> suo motu</strong> monitoring the condition and welfare of children placed in care homes across the country during the pandemic.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The active role of the judiciary, even in the executive or legislative sphere, for upholding the rights of citizens and preserving the constitution is known as judicial activism.</li>
<li>The court questioned if the NCPCR could issue such general directions to the States without considering the education, health, safety of the children, the consent of their parents and their economical situation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On individual basis:</strong> Repatriation ought to be considered on an individual basis for child safety.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/sovereignty-unconstrained-right#:~:text=An%20amicus%20curiae%20(literally%2C%20%22,the%20issues%20in%20the%20case." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>amicus curiae</strong></a> (&ldquo;friend of the court&rdquo; - one who assists the court advice regarding questions of law or fact ), the NCPCR direction violated the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gom-reviews-amendments-to-the-jj-act-2015" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Juvenile Justice Act of 2015</strong></a> since the pandemic would make a child more vulnerable to domestic abuse.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, comprehensively addresses children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.</li>
<li>As per the <strong>Section 27(1) of the Act,</strong> Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) are to be constituted by State Government by notification in the Official Gazette for every district, for exercising the powers and to discharge the duties conferred on such Committees in relation to children in need of care and protection under JJ Act, 2015.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>NCPCR&rsquo;s Stand:</strong> The NCPCR, suggested the need for a child to grow up in a familial environment.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, in an April 2020 order, the court had directed juvenile authorities to &ldquo;proactively consider whether a child or children should be kept in the child care institutions considering the best interest, health and safety concerns&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Child Care Homes:</strong> The children being taken in<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/survey-of-child-care-institutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> child care homes</strong></a>, are not only those who are orphans/abandoned children, but also children <strong>hailing from downtrodden/financially unstable families.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, if there is any child who is either being brought up by a single parent or comes from a family which is not able to bring up the child properly, then that child can avail all the facilities at a care home.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The facilities for children like individual bedding, proper nutrition and diet, toys, hygiene and maintenance of the CCI/Homes, sufficient water, health check-ups, educational facilities based on the age and special needs of the child.</li>
<li>All the children in these care homes are required to study in nearby government schools.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Commission for Protection of Child Rights</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NCPCR is a<strong> statutory body</strong> set up in <strong>March 2007</strong> under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.</li>
<li>It is under the<strong> administrative control of the Ministry of Women &amp; Child Development.</strong></li>
<li>The Commission's mandate is to ensure that all laws, policies, programmes, and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the child rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.</li>
<li>It inquires into <strong>complaints</strong> relating to a child's right to free and compulsory education under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aser-report-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Education Act, 2009.</strong></a></li>
<li>It monitors the implementation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cabinet-approved-changes-to-pocso-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.</strong> </a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Individual case basis of repatriation is a reasonable step to begin with.</li>
<li>Meanwhile there must be strengthened monitoring of child care institutions regarding the proper facilities.</li>
<li>Elements of sensitivity can be inducted with training in the staff at child care homes so as to understand the needs of children.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-questions-ncpcr-on-children-repatriation/article32812837.ece#:~:" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-on-ncpcr-s-repatriation-request'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Increased Election Campaign Broadcast Time',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Election Commission of India</strong></a> (ECI) has increased the broadcast time allotted to <strong>recognised political parties</strong> on <strong>Doordarshan and All India Radio</strong> to aid campaigning for elections to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar, 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Broadcast Timings:</strong> A base time of <strong>90 minutes</strong> will be given to <strong>each</strong> national party and recognised state party of Bihar uniformly on the regional kendras of <strong>Doordarshan</strong> network and <strong>All India Radio</strong> network in Bihar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No party will be given more than <strong>30 minutes</strong> in a single broadcast session.</li>
<li>Any additional time (beyond the basic 90 minutes) will be given to a party based on its electoral performance in the last Assembly election in 2015.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Broadcast Period:</strong> The period of broadcast will be between the last date of filing nominations and two days before the date of polling in Bihar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Prasar Bharati Corporation</strong> in consultation with the ECI will decide the actual date and time for broadcast and telecast.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Prasar Bharati</strong> is India's largest public broadcasting agency. It is a<strong> statutory autonomous</strong> body set up by the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990 and comprises the Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio, which were earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The parties will be required to <strong>submit transcripts</strong> and <strong>recordings</strong> in advance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In addition to the broadcast by parties, the Prasar Bharati Corporation will organise a maximum of <strong>four panel discussions and/or debates</strong> on the Kendra/Station of Doordarshan/ All India Radio.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Each eligible party can nominate one representative to such a programme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> With the pandemic restricting movement and maintenance of safety for the people and party workers through <strong>non-contact-based campaign.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This can act as an <strong>experimental step to reduce the expenditure on physical campaigning.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Types of Parties</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Election Commission of India</strong> lists political parties as &ldquo;national party&rdquo;, &ldquo;state party&rdquo; or &ldquo;registered (unrecognised) party&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The conditions for being listed as a national or a state party are specified under the <strong>Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Conditions for recognized parties:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Party:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>6% valid votes polled in any four or more states at a general election to the Lok Sabha or to the State legislative assembly; and, in addition, it wins four seats in the Lok Sabha from any state or states.</li>
<li>2% of all Lok Sabha seats in the last such election, with MPs elected from at least three states.</li>
<li>Recognition as a state party in at least four states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>State Party:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Two seats plus a 6% vote share in the last Assembly election in that state.</li>
<li>One seat plus a 6% vote share in the last Lok Sabha election from that state.</li>
<li>3% of the total Assembly seats or 3 seats, whichever is more.</li>
<li>One of every 25 Lok Sabha seats (or an equivalent fraction) from a state.</li>
<li>An 8% state-wide vote share in either the last Lok Sabha or the last Assembly polls.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Loss of Recognised Status:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Once recognised as a national or a state party, a political party loses its given status only if it fails to fulfil any of the conditions for two successive Assembly and two successive Lok Sabha elections.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>That means a party retains that status irrespective of its performance in the next elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ec-increases-broadcast-time-for-parties-on-dd-air-6718928/" 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/increased-election-campaign-broadcast-time'
	]
]
$updates = object(Cake\ORM\Query) {

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

}
$page = (int) 56
$search = 'class'
$totalPages = (float) 303
$title = 'Search'
$lastyear = (int) 2018
$year = '2021'
$i = (int) 2017
$selected = ''
$m = (int) 13
$month = 'December'

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

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