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Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

Why in News Recently, the government's maternity benefit scheme, or Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), has crossed 1.75 crore eligible...

05 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Smart Walls For Borders

Why in News Recently, an alternative Smart Wall has been proposed to replace the physical and armed patrolling with advanced surveillance technology...

05 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Taiwan Card Against China

This article is based on “Playing the Taiwan card” which was published in The Indian Express on 02/02/2021. It talks about the benefits...

04 Feb 2021 News Editorials
Curbing Unsolicited Commercial Communications

Why in News Recently, the Delhi High Court (HC) ordered the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to ensure “complete and strict”...

04 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Military Coup in Myanmar

Why in News Recently, the Myanmar military has grabbed power in a coup - the third time in the nation’s history since its independence from...

04 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance

Why in News Recently, the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance started a worldwide campaign to raise awareness for conservation of fishing cats. The...

04 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management

Why in News Recently, on the occasion of the World Wetland Day, the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the...

04 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Fiscal Activism

This article is based on “It’s goodbye to fiscal orthodoxy” which was published in The Hindu on 03/02/2021. It talks about...

03 Feb 2021 News Editorials
Budget 2021 Highlights: Minimum Government, Maximum Governance and Fiscal Position

Why in News Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union Budget 2021-22. This was the first digital budget. This section deals with the...

03 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Budget 2021 Highlights: Infrastructure

Why in News Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union Budget 2021-22. This was the first digital budget. This section deals with...

03 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Budget 2021 Highlights: Health and Wellbeing

Why in News Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union Budget 2021-22. This was the first ever digital Union Budget. It is based on...

03 Feb 2021 News Analysis
15th Finance Commission Recommendations: Resource Allocation

Why in News Recently, the government accepted the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendation to maintain the States’ share in the...

03 Feb 2021 News Analysis
India Role In African Recovery

This article is based on “Towards a ‘healthy’ India-Africa partnership” which was published in The Hindu Business line on...

02 Feb 2021 News Editorials
Regulations on FCRA Contributions

Why in News Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued new regulating guidelines to banks under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act,...

02 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Whatsapp and Violation of Privacy

Why in News? Whatsapp, one of the most popular messaging apps, has updated its privacy policy and has asked its users to accept the new terms...

02 Feb 2021 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
UK Visa Scheme For Hong Kong Residents

Why in News Recently, the UK has launched a special visa scheme that will allow the Hong Kong residents a chance to migrate and eventually apply for...

02 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Ageing Dams

This article is based on “The problem of ageing dams” which was published in The Hindu on 01/02/2021. It talks about the issue of...

01 Feb 2021 News Editorials
NITI Aayog’s Proposal for Little Andaman

Why in News Recently, a plan named the Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island Vision Document by NITI Aayog for the sustainable and...

01 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Periyar Tiger Reserve

Why in News For the first time in the country, the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Kerala has taken up training of a tiger cub to equip it to...

01 Feb 2021 News Analysis
Tectonic Plates

Tectonic Plates A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly-shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both...

01 Feb 2021 Paper 1

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			'title' => 'Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the government's maternity benefit scheme, or <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>, has crossed 1.75 crore eligible women till the financial year 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A total sum of Rs. 5,931.95 crore</strong> was paid to <strong>1.75 crore eligible beneficiaries</strong> between financial year 2018 and 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612515755_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612515755_image1.png" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" width="564" height="365" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>PMMVY is a <strong>maternity benefit programme</strong> being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1st January, 2017.</li>
<li>It is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/data-governance-quality-index-niti-aayog" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>centrally sponsored scheme</strong></a> being executed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Target Beneficiaries:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All <strong>Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&amp;LM)</strong>, excluding those who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force.</li>
<li>All eligible Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers who have their <strong>pregnancy on or after 1<sup>st</sup> January 2017 for the first child in the family</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits under the Scheme:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Beneficiaries receive a <strong>cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three installments</strong> on fulfilling the following conditions:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Early registration of pregnancy</li>
<li>Ante-natal check-up</li>
<li>Registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)</strong></a>. Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Distinctive Feature:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Implementation of the scheme is closely monitored by the central and state governments through the <strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana - Common Application Software (PMMVY-CAS)</strong>.</li>
<li>PMMVY-CAS is a web based software application that <strong>enables tracking the status of each beneficiary under the scheme,</strong> resulting in expedited, accountable and better grievance redressal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Janani Suraksha Yojana</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>100% centrally sponsored scheme</strong> which is being implemented with the objective of<strong> reducing maternal and infant mortality</strong> by promoting institutional delivery among pregnant women.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>As per the data of <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-family-health-survey-5-1#:~:text=Infant%20Mortality%20Rate%20(IMR)%20is,and%2023%20for%20urban%20areas." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Family Health Survey-5</strong></a>:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Infant and child mortality rates</strong> across most Indian states have declined.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Bihar registered the highest prevalence of neonatal mortality rate (NMR-34), infant mortality rate (IMR-47), and under-five mortality rate (U5MR-56) across 22 surveyed states and Union territories while Kerala reported the lowest death rates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)</strong> in India has declined to <strong>113 (per 1,00,000 live births)</strong> in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016, according to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-maternal-mortality-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18</strong></a>, released by the Office of the Registrar General's Sample Registration System (SRS).</li>
<li>The<strong> target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</strong> set by the United Nations aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than <strong>70 per 1,00,000 live births</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Basically, it is a safe motherhood intervention under the <strong>National Health Mission (NHM)</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefit:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the JSY, <strong>eligible pregnant women are entitled for cash assistance irrespective of the age of mother and number of children,</strong> for giving birth in a government or accredited private health facility.</li>
<li>The scheme also provides performance based incentives to women health volunteers known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-institute-of-health-family-welfare" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></a> for promoting institutional delivery among pregnant women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Other Schemes Focussing on Nutritional and Health Aspects of Women:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojna (IGMSY)</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The scheme aims to contribute to a better enabling environment by providing cash incentives for improved health and nutrition to pregnant and lactating mothers.</li>
<li>It is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/self-help-groups-shgs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kudumbashree in Kerala</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It was launched in Kerala in 1998 to wipe out absolute poverty through community action. It is the largest women empowering project in the country. It has three components i.e., microcredit, entrepreneurship and empowerment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Poshan Abhiyaan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Launched in March 2018, the goal of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Poshan Abhiyaan</strong></a> is to achieve improvement in the nutritional status of Children (0-6 years) and Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time-bound manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The scheme provides specific interventions targeted towards the vulnerable groups including children below 6 years and <strong>women</strong>.</li>
<li>It is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pmmvy-beneficiaries-cross-175-crore/article33750096.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Smart Walls For Borders',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, an alternative <strong>Smart Wall</strong> has been proposed to replace the physical and armed patrolling with advanced surveillance technology at the <strong>USA-Mexico border</strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier in 2019, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-emergency-declared-in-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>USA declared a national emergency</strong></a> to fund construction of a border wall along the USA-Mexico Border citing "invasion" of drugs and criminals from Mexico.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504380_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504380_image1.png" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" caption="false" width="416" height="212" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Smart Wall:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is no one single definition for this recently-conceived solution, however It is <strong>a collection of discrete technologies</strong> that work together to prevent illegal entry, smuggling, and all the various threats posed by a porous border.</li>
<li>It uses <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sea-guardian-drones-from-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drones</a>, scanners,</strong> and <strong>sensors</strong> to create a <strong>technological barrier</strong> too high to climb over, too wide to go around, and too deep to burrow under.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Using <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-must-get-on-the-iot-highway-fast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internet-of-Things</a> (IoT)</strong> technologies like in-ground sensors, security cameras and software solutions, a smart wall could <strong>empower border officials with enhanced situational awareness</strong> to prevent illicit activity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits of Smart Wall:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Reduces Cost:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A smart wall can accomplish the same goals as a physical wall with a much smaller price.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decreases Deployment Time:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Physical boundaries take years to build but smart border technology is ready to go.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Low Maintenance Costs:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Unlike a physical barrier, a smart wall would <strong>allow border security officials to continuously adjust tactics to changing conditions</strong>.</li>
<li>Ground sensors and IoT devices are <strong>quick and easy to deploy and inexpensive to move and update</strong>.</li>
<li>They require only a <strong>fraction of the costs to maintain,</strong> and can be implemented gradually and as needed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decreases Environmental Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A smart wall raises <strong>minimal environmental concerns,</strong> allowing wildlife and rainwater to pass freely through the area.</li>
<li>Most smart devices can tell the difference between people and animals, <strong>alerting officers when a human attempts to cross the border illegally</strong> while leaving wildlife alone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Overcomes the Limitations of Terrain:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Rough terrain is difficult to patrol, which could leave portions of the wall vulnerable to breaches.</li>
<li>Digital technology, however, allows for <strong>enhanced surveillance across vast terrain</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Devices</strong> like cameras and in-ground sensors <strong>allow patrolmen to survey hundreds of miles at once,</strong> and take informed action should the need arise.</li>
<li><strong>Real-time alerts</strong> make it easy to respond to activity from immigrants approaching the border or to a lost hiker looking for supplies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduces Land Requirement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To construct a border wall, the government would need to seize property from local landowners.</li>
<li>However, Small and relatively non-invasive, smart wall technologies would require far fewer land seizures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504653_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504653_image2.png" width="557" height="346" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Need of Smart Wall in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A critical factor that must be considered to enable the usage of such a system along Indian borders is that the<strong> terrain in the region is rugged, and, furthermore, not even clearly defined</strong>.</li>
<li>Such a system, even if not feasible for India&rsquo;s long boundaries, may still be <strong>deployed to enhance critical security establishments</strong> of the country and complement the already existing physical fencing and walls.</li>
<li>It is <strong>imperative for Indian armed forces to be well equipped and simultaneously have the latest technological</strong> advantage over its enemies.</li>
<li>Experts should explore this idea to <strong>effectively counter the problem of border infiltration</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Smart Fencing in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Two pilot projects covering about 71 Kms on Indo-Pakistan Border (10 Kms) and Indo-Bangladesh Border (61 Kms) of <strong>Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS)</strong> have been completed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>CIBMS involves deployment of a range of state-of-the-art surveillance technologies &mdash; <strong>thermal imagers, infra-red and laser-based intruder alarms, aerostats for aerial surveillance, unattended ground sensors</strong> that can help detect intrusion bids, <strong>radars, sonar systems</strong> to secure riverine borders, <strong>fibre-optic sensors</strong> and a command and control system that shall receive data from all surveillance devices in real time.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bold-qit-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BOLD-QIT</a></strong> (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) under CIBMS on Indo- Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of Assam is also being used.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/smart-walls-for-indian-borders/article33744239.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Taiwan Card Against China',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/playing-the-taiwan-card-7171528/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Playing the Taiwan card&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on 02/02/2021. It talks about the benefits and issues of establishing formal diplomatic ties between India and Taiwan.</p>
</div>
<p>The standoff at the Ladakh border between India and China continues amid failing talks. Moreover, the Chinese regime undertook several measures that may jeopardize the diplomatic solution.</p>
<p>While the Indian government and the armed forces make it clear that they will do whatever it takes to protect India&rsquo;s sovereignty and integrity, it should also explore options on the foreign policy front.</p>
<p>On the foreign policy front, India has shown its intent to be a part of the Quad security group (which China refers to as &ldquo;Asian NATO&rdquo;). However, the Quad continues to suffer from indecisiveness to evolve as a formal military bloc to counter China.</p>
<p>In such a situation, it is imperative that India explore alternate diplomatic and militaristic routes to counter China. One such viable option is establishing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.</p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1949 Chiang Kai Shek, the former Chinese president and former head of state who fled to the island of Formosa (former name for the island of Taiwan) following the victory of Mao Zedong in the long-drawn Chinese civil war.</li>
<li>Since then Relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China put forward a formula, known as "one country, two systems", under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification.</li>
<li>In Taiwan, the offer was rejected, but China insists on concurrence to the One China Policy in all its foreign relations deliberations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Rationale of Strong Indo-Taiwan Ties</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Deft Diplomacy:</strong> Though India does not have formal diplomatic relations with the island democracy that Beijing considers a breakaway province, it has slowly been increasing bilateral engagements in the economic, cultural and educational spheres.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This can, with some deft diplomacy, become a bargaining chip at future negotiations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Balancing Pakistan as China&rsquo;s Satellite State:</strong> Some retired diplomats feel India should leverage its relations with Taiwan to balance its ties with China and negate the latter&rsquo;s &ldquo;alliance&rdquo; with its all-weather friend Pakistan, which is now dangerously close to becoming China&rsquo;s satellite.</li>
<li><strong>Act East &amp; New Southbound Policy:</strong> There is scope for convergence between the Indian government&rsquo;s Act East policy, which advocates closer economic, strategic, and diplomatic engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific, and Taiwan&rsquo;s New Southbound Policy, which seeks to enhance cooperation and exchange between Taiwan and 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australasia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both policies aim to increase regional influence and gain political and economic benefits from their partners in the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits of Establishing Diplomatic Ties with Taiwan</h3>
<p>Recognizing Taiwan will entail a lot of benefits for India&rsquo;s foreign policy regime.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India as Leader of Democratic World:</strong> Taiwan is a robust democracy with a booming economy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By establishing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, India can bolster its legitimacy as the leader of the democratic world, especially at a time when the role of US has been undermined.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Expanding Alliance To Counter China:</strong> India can get the support of another powerful ally in its attempt to carve out a new supply chain alliance which India-Japan-Australia formalized recently.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, the Quad security grouping can be extended to include new members.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pay Back China in the Same Coin:</strong> China in many repeated efforts has tried to nudge the United Nations Security Council to discuss the Kashmir question.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By institutionalizing formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, India can clearly send a message to China that if it does not respect &ldquo;One India policy&rdquo;, then India will not also follow &ldquo;One China&rdquo; policy.</li>
<li>Further, recognizing Taiwan will make it clear to China that India is very assertive and that if the need arises, India will not back down from sending dedicated naval and air assets in the disputed South China Sea region to enforce the freedom of navigation principle.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every Indian approach towards Taiwan has met with sharp reactions from China. This has considerably constrained the development of broad-based ties between the two countries beyond the realms of culture, education, and investments.</li>
<li>As not even the mighty US has so far established formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the recognition of Taiwan may invite severe ramifications for India. For example:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China is our second-largest bilateral trade partner and a key export partner of India with regard to raw materials and goods.</li>
<li>According to a FICCI report, India imports more than 40% of several important goods like the API (active pharmaceutical ingredients), television, chemicals, chips, textiles and many more, from China.</li>
<li>As a possible retaliatory measure, China can stop exports of these items.</li>
<li>It can also activate its terror financing networks which, for years, remained a chronic internal security issue for India in the Northeast.</li>
<li>China will also collaborate with Pakistan by intensifying terrorism in the Kashmir valley and the northeast of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>While both China and India have developed considerable military and economic strength, the former has surpassed India to become an economic powerhouse. It has now embraced aggressiveness to enforce an expansionist outlook. In such a situation, providing legitimacy to the existence of Taiwan may be dubbed as a necessary step.</p>
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<tbody>
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<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f3ffed;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Establishing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan will send a strong message to China. Critically Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bCt1wavUUdU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/setback-in-myanmar/article33734307.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Setback in Myanmar: on military coup&rdquo;</strong> </a>published in The Hindu on February 3<sup>rd</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/taiwan-card-against-china'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Curbing Unsolicited Commercial Communications',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Delhi High Court (HC) ordered the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/telecom-firms-oppose-trai%E2%80%99s-public-wi-fi-model" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)</strong> </a>to ensure &ldquo;complete and strict&rdquo; implementation of the regulation issued by it in 2018 for curbing <strong>Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>UCC</strong> means any Commercial Communication which a <strong>subscriber opts not to receive,</strong> but does <strong>not include</strong>- any transactional message or any message transmitted on the directions of the Central Government or State Government or agencies authorized by it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A plea was filed by a company in the HC claiming that millions of its customers have been defrauded by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/multi-state-phishing-scam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">phishing</a> activities over the mobile networks and the failure of the telecom companies</strong> to prevent the same has <strong>caused financial and reputational loss.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It claimed that under the regulations, <strong>the telecom companies are required to verify purported telemarketers seeking registration</strong> (called registered telemarketers or RTMs) with them before granting access to their customer data and also take action immediately against all fraudulent RTMs.</li>
<li><strong>Phishing</strong> is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rising-cybercrimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cybercrime</strong></a> in which a target or <strong>targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message</strong> by someone posing as a legitimate institution<strong> to lure individuals into providing sensitive data</strong> such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.</li>
<li>It contended that the telecom companies are violating their obligations under the <strong>Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preferences Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018,</strong> to curb the problem of unsolicited commercial communications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Courts Direction:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>To TRAI:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Ensure &ldquo;complete and strict&rdquo; implementation of the regulation issued by it in 2018 for curbing UCC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>To Telecom Service Providers (TSPs):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Ensure strict compliance with the TCCCPR 2018 issued by TRAI.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preferences Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It replaced the <strong>Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010 (2010 Regulations).</strong></li>
<li>It was issued by the TRAI to provide a revised regulatory framework<strong> aimed at regulating 'unsolicited commercial communication' (UCC) in India.</strong></li>
<li>The new regulatory framework has devolved<strong> control and regulatory powers to access providers,</strong> who are now required to<strong> establish their own codes of practice (CoPs)</strong> to deal with UCC.</li>
<li>It provides for a wide range of customer preferences which are to be implemented in near real time using <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bitcoins" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)</strong> </a>to make communications traceable and capable of being controlled effectively.</li>
<li>It also provides for the use of <strong>cloud-based solutions for handling complaints, the registration of headers and preferences,</strong> and use of smart contracts for automated allocation of roles between entities in the commercial communication ecosystem. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The technology-based solutions are required to be tested in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sandbox-for-fintech" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>regulatory sandboxes</strong></a> under the oversight of the TRAI.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/strictly-implement-regulations-to-curb-unsolicited-commercial-calls-hc-tells-trai/article33740060.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/curbing-unsolicited-commercial-communications'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Military Coup in Myanmar',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Myanmar military has grabbed power in a coup -</strong> the <strong>third time in the nation&rsquo;s history</strong> since its independence from British rule in 1948.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A <strong>one-year state of emergency</strong> has been imposed and <strong>democratically elected leader <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aung-san-suu-kyi-to-defend-myanmar-in-icj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aung San Suu Kyi</a> has been detained.</strong></li>
<li><strong>&lsquo;Coup&rsquo;</strong> is generally described as a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Myanmar</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in South East Asia and neighbours Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, China and India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demography:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a population of about 54 million, most of whom are Burmese speakers, although other languages are also spoken. The biggest city is Yangon (Rangoon) but the capital is Nay Pyi Taw.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Religion:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The main religion is <strong>Buddhism.</strong> There are many ethnic groups in the country, including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-report-on-myanmar-rohingya-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohingya Muslims</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Polity:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The country <strong>gained independence from Britain in 1948.</strong> It was ruled by the armed forces from 1962 until 2011, when a new government began ushering in a return to civilian rule.</li>
<li>In the 2010s, <strong>the military regime decided to transition the country towards democracy.</strong> Although the armed forces remained powerful, political opponents were freed and elections were allowed to be held.</li>
<li><strong>The NLD won the 2015 election,</strong> the country&rsquo;s first free and fair election participated by multiple parties, and formed the government, raising hopes that the country is on its way to full transition to democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430526_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430526_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Military Coup:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the<strong> November 2020 parliamentary election,</strong> Suu Kyi&rsquo;s party <strong>National League for Democracy (NLD)</strong> secured the majority of the seats.</li>
<li>In the Myanmars&rsquo; Parliament, <strong>the military holds 25% of the total seats according to the 2008 military-drafted constitution</strong> and several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees.</li>
<li>When the newly elected Myanmar lawmakers were to<strong> hold the first session of Parliament in 2021,</strong> the<strong> military imposed a state of emergency</strong> for one year <strong>citing massive voting fraud</strong> in the parliamentary elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Reaction:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>China: &lsquo;All parties in Myanmar will properly handle their differences</strong> under the constitution and legal framework to maintain political and social stability&rsquo;.</li>
<li><strong>USA:</strong> The USA President<strong> threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar</strong> following a coup by the country&rsquo;s military leaders and called for a <strong>concerted international response</strong> to press them to relinquish power.</li>
<li><strong>ASEAN Countries: <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/asean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ASEAN</a></strong>&rsquo;s current chair, Brunei, called for &lsquo;dialogue among parties, reconciliation and the return to normalcy&rsquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern, while Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines noted that this was Myanmar&rsquo;s &lsquo;internal affair&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Reaction:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India supports the process of democratic transition in Myanmar.</li>
<li>Though India has expressed deep concern over recent developments in Myanmar, <strong>cutting off from the Myanmar military is not a viable option</strong> as India has significant economic and strategic interests in Myanmar and its neighbourhood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Strategic interests in Myanmar and its relations with Myanmar Military: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Relationship with Myanmar Military:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India&rsquo;s military-diplomatic outreach to Myanmar became a <strong>cornerstone of its <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-s-act-east-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Act East policy</a>.</strong></li>
<li>On the eve of the recent visit of the Foreign Secretary Chief of the Army Staff to Myanmar in 2020, <strong>Myanmar handed over 22 Indian insurgents from across the border</strong> and it was decided to ramp up the sale of military hardware to Myanmar, including 105 mm light artillery guns, naval gunboats and more recently, lightweight torpedoes.</li>
<li>Recent example of cooperation is that <strong>Myanmar has begun to vaccinate itself with the 1.5 million doses of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-vaccine-diplomacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid vaccine sent by India</a>,</strong> while putting China&rsquo;s 3,00,000 doses on hold.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Interests in Myanmar:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Infrastructure and Connectivity:</strong> India has cultivated several infrastructure and development projects with Myanmar, which it sees as the &ldquo;gateway to the East&rdquo; and <strong>ASEAN</strong> countries: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Operationalisation of the crucial Sittwe</strong> port in Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine state by 2021 is committed.</li>
<li>India assists infrastructure projects such as the <strong>India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway</strong> and the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-myanmar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Kaladan project will link <strong>Kolkata to Sittwe</strong> in Myanmar and then from Myanmar&rsquo;s Kaladan river to India&rsquo;s north-east.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The two countries signed the <strong>Land Border Crossing Agreement in 2018,</strong> which allowed bona fide travellers with valid documents to cross the border at two international points of entry/exit- Moreh-Tamu and Zokhawthar-Rih.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430982_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430982_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="570" height="290" /></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Security:</strong> India has been concerned over some militant groups like the <strong>United National Liberation Front (UNLF)</strong> and <strong>National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)</strong> from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Indian needs perpetual support and coordination from Myanmar for the<strong> maintenance of security and stability along its North East border areas.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rohingya Issues:</strong> India is committed to ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy return of Rohingya refugees from refugee camps of India and Bangladesh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Building on the progress made under the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rakhine-state-development-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Rakhine State Development Programme (RSDP)</strong></a>, India has recently proposed to finalise projects under phase-III of the programme, including setting up of a skills training centre and upgrading of agricultural mechanisation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Investment:</strong> With Indian investments of over USD 1.2 billion, Myanmar holds considerable importance than any other country in South Asia.</li>
<li><strong>Energy:</strong> The two countries are also expanding partnership in the area of energy cooperation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Recently, India approved an investment of over USD 120 million in the <strong>Shwe Oil and Gas project.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>India should continue to engage with the present regime in Myanmar working towards mutual development of people of both the countries while it should support sharing experiences in constitutionalism and federalism to assist Myanmar in resolving the prevailing stalemate.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/news-analysis-with-myanmars-military-coup-the-tightrope-between-idealism-and-realpolitik-returns-for-new-delhi/article33720952.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/military-coup-in-myanmar'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently,<strong> the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance</strong> started a worldwide campaign to raise awareness for conservation of fishing cats.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance</strong> is a team of <strong>conservationists, researchers and enthusiasts</strong> working to achieve functioning floodplains and <strong>coastal ecosystems that ensure survival of the fishing cat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612429829_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612429829_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Prionailurus viverrinus.</em></li>
<li><strong>Description:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>It is twice the size of a house cat.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> fishing cat is nocturnal</strong> (active at night) and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.</li>
<li>The species breed all year round.</li>
<li>They spend most of their lives in areas of dense vegetation close to water bodies and are excellent swimmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Fishing cats have a patchy distribution along the<strong> Eastern Ghats.</strong> They abound in estuarine floodplains, tidal mangrove forests and also inland freshwater habitats.</li>
<li>Apart from <strong>Sundarbans</strong> in West Bengal and Bangladesh, fishing cats inhabit the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/odisha-s-lake-conservation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chilika lagoon</strong></a> and surrounding wetlands in Odisha, Coringa and Krishna mangroves in Andhra Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Wetland degradation</strong> and conversion for aquaculture and other<strong> commercial projects,</strong> sand mining along river banks, agricultural intensification resulting in loss of riverine buffer and conflict with humans in certain areas resulting in targeted hunting and retaliatory killings.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protection 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. Despite multiple threats, the Fishing Cat was recently <strong>downlisted to &ldquo;Vulnerable&rdquo; from &ldquo;Endangered&rdquo;</strong> in the IUCN Red List species assessment.</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CITES</strong></a>: Appendix II</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>
<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently,<strong> the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance</strong> has initiated a study of the<strong> bio-geographical distribution of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fishing-cats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fishing cat</a></strong> in the unprotected and human-dominated <strong>landscapes of the northeastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>In 2012, the <strong>West Bengal government officially declared the Fishing Cat as the State Animal</strong> and the Calcutta Zoo has two big enclosures dedicated to them.</li>
<li>In Odisha, many NGOs and wildlife conservation Societies are involved in Fishing Cat research and conservation work.</li>
<li><strong>The Fishing Cat Project,</strong> launched in 2010 started raising awareness about the Cat in West Bengal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/a-whisker-away/article33745359.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/fishing-cat-conservation-alliance'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, on the occasion of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Wetland Day</strong></a>, the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the establishment of a <strong>Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM),</strong> as a part of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-centre-for-sustainable-coastal-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM)</a></strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>World Wetlands Day</strong> is celebrated every year on the <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> of February.</strong></li>
<li>The year 2021 also commemorates the <strong>50<sup>th</sup> anniversary</strong> of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on Wetlands</strong></a> signed on 2<sup>nd</sup> February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The theme for 2021 is <strong>'Wetlands and Water'.</strong></li>
<li>It was first celebrated in <strong>1997.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Significance of Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The dedicated Centre would<strong> address specific research needs and knowledge gaps and will aid in the application of integrated approaches for conservation, management</strong> and wise use of the wetlands.</li>
<li>It will help in <strong>building partnerships</strong> and <strong>networks</strong> with relevant national and international agencies.</li>
<li>It would serve as a<strong> knowledge hub</strong> and enable exchange between State/ UT Wetland Authorities, wetland users, managers, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.</li>
<li>It would also <strong>assist the national and State/UT Governments</strong> in the design and implementation of policy and regulatory frameworks, management planning, monitoring and targeted research for wetlands conservation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Wetlands:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wetlands-restoration" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wetlands</strong> </a>are ecosystems saturated with water, either seasonally or permanently. They include <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coringa-mangroves" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>mangroves</strong></a>, marshes, rivers, lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/coral-bleaching" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coral reefs</strong></a>, marine areas no deeper than 6 metres at low tide, as well as human-made wetlands such as waste-water treatment ponds and reservoirs.</li>
<li>Though they cover only around<strong> 6% of the Earth&rsquo;s land</strong> surface, <strong>40% of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance of Wetlands:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment. They<strong> mitigate <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/flood-management-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floods</a>, protect coastlines</strong> and build community resilience to disasters, absorb pollutants and improve water quality.</li>
<li>Wetlands are<strong> critical to human and planet life.</strong> More than <strong>1 billion people depend on them for a living.</strong></li>
<li>They are a <strong>vital source for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines, and hydropower.</strong></li>
<li>30% of land-based <strong>carbon</strong> is stored in peatland (a type of wetlands).</li>
<li>They play an important role in <strong>transport, tourism</strong> and the <strong>cultural and spiritual well-being</strong> of people.</li>
<li>Many wetlands are areas of <strong>natural beauty</strong> and many are important to Aboriginal people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the IPBES <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>(Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)&rsquo;s</strong></a> global assessment, wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem.</li>
<li>Wetlands are <strong>disappearing 3 times faster than forests</strong> due to human activities and global warming.</li>
<li>According to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-week-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO</strong></a>, the threat to wetlands will have an adverse impact on 40% of the world&rsquo;s flora and fauna that live or breed in wetlands.</li>
<li><strong>Major threats:</strong> Agriculture, development, pollution and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Status of Wetlands in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has nearly <strong>4.6% of its land as wetlands,</strong> covering an <strong>area of 15.26 million hectares</strong> and has <strong>42 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.</li>
<li>There are currently over 2,300 Ramsar Sites around the world.</li>
<li>Recently, India has added <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ladakh-s-tso-kar-wetland-complex-ramsar-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tso Kar Wetland Complex</a></strong> in Ladakh as its 42<sup>nd</sup> Ramsar site.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wetlands are regulated under the <strong>Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.</strong></li>
<li>The 2010 version of the Rules provided for a<strong> Central Wetland Regulatory Authority,</strong> but new Rules of 2017 replaced it with state-level bodies and created a National Wetland Committee, which functions in an advisory role.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>newer regulations removed some items</strong> from the definition of &ldquo;wetlands&rdquo; including backwaters, lagoons, creeks, and estuaries.</li>
<li>Under the 2017 regulations, process to <strong>identify the wetlands has been delegated to the States.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is located at<strong> Chennai,</strong> Tamil Nadu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Divisions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has various research divisions including, Geospatial Sciences, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Coastal environmental impact assessment, Conservation of Coastal &amp; Marine Resources, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It aims to <strong>promote integrated and sustainable management of the coastal and marine areas</strong> in India for the benefit and wellbeing of the traditional coastal and island communities.</li>
<li>It also intends to promote <strong>sustainable</strong> coasts through increased partnership, conservation practices, scientific research and <strong>knowledge benefit</strong> and well being of the current and future generation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sahyog-app-survey-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Survey of India</strong> </a>and NCSCM have <strong>mapped the Hazard Line for the entire coast of India,</strong> which includes vulnerability mapping of flood, erosion and sea-level rise.</li>
<li>It also <strong>advises the Union and State Governments and other associated stakeholders</strong> on policy, and scientific matters related to<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/integrated-coastal-zone-management-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1694463#:~:text=and%20Climate%20Change-,On%20World%20Wetlands%20Day%20India%20gets%20its,for%20Wetland%20Conservation%20and%20Management.&amp;text=by%20PIB%20Delhi-,On%20the%20occasion%20of%20the%20World%20Wetland%20Day%20and%20as,Forest%20and%20Climate%20Change%2C%20Sh." 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/centre-for-wetland-conservation-and-management'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Fiscal Activism',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/its-goodbye-to-fiscal-orthodoxy/article33734312.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s goodbye to fiscal orthodoxy&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 03/02/2021. It talks about government departure from rigid adherence to fiscal consolidation.</p>
</div>
<p>Affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the flailing Indian economy is marked by contracting GDP requiring a push from the government. In this scenario, the government has resorted to Keynesian economics (government&rsquo;s spending rather than the free hand of the market).</p>
<p>The<a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/03-02-2021#7605" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Budget 2021</strong></a> is a selective departure from the principles of the free market. The government adheres to market orthodoxy elements, such as privatization and a greater role for foreign direct investment but sought to spend more to spur growth.</p>
<p>This can be reflected by the fact that the Finance Minister&rsquo;s speech pledges to lower the fiscal deficit to 4.5% of GDP by 2025-26 and promised to introduce an amendment to the FRBM Act to formalize the new targets (the present target as per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/flexibility-under-the-frbm-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>FRBM Act</strong></a> is of 3%).</p>
<p>Thus, the Budget marks an important departure from one of the key tenets of the Washington Consensus, the framework for market-oriented economics that has dominated policy-making in most parts of the world. Though this is a step in the right direction, it has some key macroeconomic stability concerns.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612355811_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612355811_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Departure From The Principles of Free-Market Economics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Budget 2021 rests on six pillars:</strong> Health and well-being, physical &amp; financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation, and R&amp;D, and minimum government-maximum governance.</li>
<li>This will require a major increase in funding, not only from the Central Government but also from the states and the private sector. This can be reflected in some of the following highlights of the budget:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The present budget presents <strong>a whopping 34.5% increase</strong> in budget allocation &mdash; Rs 5.54 lakh crore.</li>
<li>The Budget has proposed a new bad bank framework to deal with the problem of non-performing assets. Given the magnitude of NPA, a huge amount of capital will be required to finance it.</li>
<li>The government also announced the setting up of a development finance institution to provide long-term financing for infrastructure projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Departure From Fiscal Orthodoxy</h3>
<p><strong>Departure From Rigid Adherence To Fiscal Consolidation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Economic Survey that preceded the Budget laid the groundwork for a departure from rigid adherence to fiscal consolidation.</li>
<li>It has a quote from <strong>economist Olivier Blanchard,</strong> &ldquo;If the interest rate paid by the government is less than the growth rate, then the intertemporal budget constraint facing the government no longer binds.&rdquo;</li>
<li>According to the Economic Survey, in the current situation, expansionary fiscal policy will boost growth, and given India&rsquo;s growth potential, we do not have to worry about debt sustainability until 2030.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Intertemporal Budget Constraint</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The &ldquo;intertemporal budget constraint&rdquo; means that any debt outstanding today must be offset by a future source of revenue of income.</li>
<li>Blanchard was saying that intertemporal budget constraint doesn&rsquo;t apply if the Interest Rate-Growth Differential (IRGD), the difference between the interest rate and growth rate, becomes negative.</li>
<li>In the advanced economies, as interest rates have turned negative, Blanchard&rsquo;s condition has been met. So governments there do not have to worry that deficits will render public debt unsustainable.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Idea Supported By IMF &amp; World Bank</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, both flag-bearers of the Washington Consensus, have been urging a departure from fiscal orthodoxy in the wake of the pandemic.</li>
<li>Both these institutions used to be wary of any increase in the public debt to GDP ratio beyond 100%.</li>
<li>Today, they are urging the advanced economies to spend more by running up deficits even when the debt to GDP ratio is poised to rise to 125% by the end of 2021.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Macroeconomic Stability Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Inflation May Rise:</strong> There is a concern that a large fiscal deficit can fuel a rise in inflation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, it is more than likely that a change in the fiscal consolidation targets will require a change in the inflation target of 4% set for India&rsquo;s Reserve Bank. However, the Budget makes no mention of such a possibility.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Low Tax-to GDP Ratio:</strong> Another concern is that, with the tax to GDP ratio not rising as expected, the government has to focus on garnering more non-tax revenues through strategic disinvestment, privatization, and monetization of non-core assets.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, these measures have their own issues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Disinvestment, A High-Risk Strategy:</strong> The sale of public assets has become crucial to a reduction in fiscal deficits in the years ahead. However, this is a high-risk strategy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For years now, revenues from disinvestment have fallen short of targets. For example, Air India&rsquo;s sale, which was begun in 2018, is still dragging on.</li>
<li>Moreover, selling public assets is politically contentious due to public sector unions and job losses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Downgrade of Ratings:</strong> An important consideration is a fear that the rating agencies would downgrade India if total public debt crossed say, 10%-11% of GDP.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>That is a risk that cannot be wished away unless the rating agencies have decided to toe the IMF-World Bank line on fiscal deficits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conflicting With AtmaNirbharta:</strong> Moreover, large-scale privatization almost always involves substantial FDI. Increasing FDI will result in a large rise in foreign presence in the domestic economies.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, a rise in FDI may not reconcile with Atmanirbhar Bharat which connotes greater self-reliance and stronger Indian companies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Crowding Out Effect:</strong> As the government adopts an expansionary fiscal policy stance and increases its spending to boost economic activity.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This leads to an increase in interest rates. Increased interest rates affect private investment decisions.</li>
<li>A high magnitude of the crowding-out effect may even lead to lesser income in the economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>A departure from fiscal orthodoxy is welcome. But the government needs to think of ways to make it more sustainable.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fdfff2;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Budget 2021 is a departure from a key tenet of the Washington Consensus. Analyze.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/THnDWC5xQEs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/getting-back-on-track/article33721360.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Getting back on track: on Union Budget 2021&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Hindu on February 2<sup>nd</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/fiscal-activism'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Budget 2021 Highlights: Minimum Government, Maximum Governance and Fiscal Position',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting#:~:text=According%20to%20Article%20112%20of,Annual%20Financial%20Statement%20(AFS).&amp;text=The%20economic%20and%20financial%20policy,introduction%20of%20new%20schemes%2Fprojects." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget</strong></a> 2021-22. This was the <strong>first digital budget.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This section deals with the theme<strong> &lsquo;Minimum Government, Maximum Governance&rsquo;</strong> and <strong>Fiscal Position of the government.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Minimum Government, Maximum Governance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Commission for Allied Healthcare Professionals</strong> already introduced to ensure transparent and efficient regulation of the 56 allied healthcare professions.</li>
<li>The<strong> National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill</strong> introduced for the same in the nursing profession.</li>
<li><strong>Proposed Conciliation Mechanism</strong> with mandate for quick resolution of contractual disputes with Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).</li>
<li>Rs. 3,768 crore allocated for<strong> first digital census in the history of India.</strong></li>
<li>Rs. 300 crore grant to the Government of Goa for the diamond jubilee celebrations of the <strong>state&rsquo;s liberation from Portuguese.</strong></li>
<li>Rs. 1,000 crore for the <strong>welfare of Tea workers</strong> especially women and their children in Assam and West Bengal through a special scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fiscal Position:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increased-fiscal-deficit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fiscal deficit</strong></a> stands at 9.5% of the<a href="/printpdf/base-year-for-gdp-calculations#:~:text=GDP%20calculation%20in%20India,difference%20between%20exports%20and%20imports)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Gross Domestic Product (GDP)</strong></a>, and is estimated to be 6.8% in 2021-22.</li>
<li>Plan <strong>to continue on the path of fiscal consolidation,</strong> achieving a fiscal deficit level below 4.5% of GDP by 2025-2026 with a fairly steady decline over the period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Amendment to <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act</strong></a> proposed to achieve targeted Fiscal Deficit levels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mp-s-salaries-cut-and-mplads-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Contingency Fund of India</strong> </a>is to be augmented from Rs. 500 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore through Finance Bill.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612424389_drishti_ias_budget.jpeg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612424389_drishti_ias_budget.jpeg" width="566" height="319" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Recommendations of Fifteenth Finance Commission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The final report covering 2021-26 was submitted to the President, retaining vertical <strong>shares of states at 41%.</strong></li>
<li>Funds to UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh would be provided by the Centre.</li>
<li>On the Commission&rsquo;s recommendation, <strong>Rs. 1,18,452 crore have been provided as Revenue Deficit Grant to 17 states in 2021-22,</strong> as against Rs. 74,340 crore to 14 states in 2020-21.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Proposals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>No exemption on interest,</strong> if Provident Fund PF contribution is more than Rs. 2.5 lakh.</li>
<li><strong>Exemption from filing tax returns for senior citizens</strong> over 75 years of age and having only pension and interest income; tax to be deducted by paying the bank.</li>
<li><strong>Income Tax settlement commission</strong> abolished.</li>
<li><strong>Higher Tax Collection</strong> at Source rate for <strong>non-filers.</strong></li>
<li>Reducing time to file belated returns.</li>
<li><strong>Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC)</strong> on a small number of items.</li>
<li><strong>Dispute Resolution Committee</strong> to be set up for taxpayers with taxable income up to Rs. 50 lakh and disputed income up to Rs. 10 lakh.</li>
<li><strong>National Faceless Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Centre</strong> to be established.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1693907" 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/budget-2021-highlights-minimum-government-maximum-governance-and-fiscal-position'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Budget 2021 Highlights: Infrastructure',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting#:~:text=According%20to%20Article%20112%20of,Annual%20Financial%20Statement%20(AFS).&amp;text=The%20economic%20and%20financial%20policy,introduction%20of%20new%20schemes%2Fprojects." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget</strong> </a>2021-22. This was the <strong>first digital budget.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This section deals with proposals related to <strong>Infrastructure.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Production Linked Incentive scheme (PLI):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rs. 1.97 lakh crore in next 5 years for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/expansion-of-production-linked-incentive-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PLI schemes</strong> </a>in 13 Sectors to create and nurture manufacturing global champions for an <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>AatmaNirbhar Bharat.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Textiles:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612346861_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612346861_image6.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme</strong> to be introduced.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-national-infrastructure-pipeline-nip-dashboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)</strong></a> expanded to 7,400 projects.</li>
<li>Measures in three thrust areas to <strong>increase funding</strong> for NIP:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Creation of institutional structures:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Set up and capitalise a<strong> Development Financial Institution (DFI).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Big thrust on <strong>monetizing assets.</strong></li>
<li>Enhancing the <strong>share of capital expenditure.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Roads and Highways Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rs. 1,18,101 lakh crore, <strong>highest ever outlay,</strong> for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.</li>
<li>New <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/industrial-corridors-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Economic corridors</strong></a> and <strong>Expressways</strong> being planned.</li>
<li><strong>Advanced Traffic management system</strong> in all new 4 and 6-lane highways.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Railway Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Rail Plan for India (2030)</strong> to create a &ldquo;future ready‟ Railway system by 2030.</li>
<li><strong>100%<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electrification-of-railways#:~:text=Indian%20Railways%20has%20set%20a,as%20compared%20to%202009%2D2014." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> electrification of Broad-Gauge routes</a></strong> to be completed by December, 2023.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dedicated-freight-corridor-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and Eastern DFC</strong></a> to be commissioned by June 2022.</li>
<li>Measures for <strong>passenger convenience and safety:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Aesthetically designed Vista Dome Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coach</strong> on tourist routes for better travel.</li>
<li>High density network and highly utilized network routes to have an<strong> indigenously developed automatic train protection system,</strong> eliminating train collision due to human error.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Urban Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Expansion of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-first-fully-automated-metro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metro rail</a></strong> network and<strong> augmentation of city bus service.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/metro-neo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;MetroLite&rsquo; and &lsquo;MetroNeo&rsquo;</strong></a> technologies will be used to provide metro rail systems at much lesser cost with similar experience.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A comprehensive <strong>National Hydrogen Energy Mission 2021-22</strong> to be launched.</li>
<li>Rs. 3,05,984 crore over 5 years for a revamped, reforms-based and result-linked <strong>new power distribution sector scheme.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ports, Shipping, Waterways:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rs. 2,000 crore worth 7 projects to be offered in <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/ppp-investment-model#:~:text=Public%2DPrivate%20Partnership%20Model%3A%20PPP,be%20completed%20with%20private%20funding." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Private Partnership (PPP)</strong></a>-mode in <strong>Financial Year (FY)</strong> 2021-22 for operation of major ports.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Extension of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Ujjwala Scheme</strong></a> to cover 1 crore more beneficiaries.</li>
<li>A new <strong>gas pipeline</strong> project in Jammu &amp; Kashmir.</li>
<li>An independent<strong> Gas Transport System Operator</strong> to be set up for facilitation and coordination of booking of common carrier capacity in all-natural gas pipelines on a non-discriminatory open access basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1693907" 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/budget-2021-highlights-infrastructure'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Budget 2021 Highlights: Health and Wellbeing',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting#:~:text=According%20to%20Article%20112%20of,Annual%20Financial%20Statement%20(AFS).&amp;text=The%20economic%20and%20financial%20policy,introduction%20of%20new%20schemes%2Fprojects." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget</strong></a> 2021-22. This was the <strong>first ever digital Union Budget.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is based on<strong> six pillars -</strong> health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&amp;D, and 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance'.</li>
<li>This section deals with the proposals for the Health and Wellbeing Sector.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Budget and Constitutional Provisions</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to<strong> Article 112</strong> of the Indian Constitution, the Union Budget of a year is referred to as the <strong>Annual Financial Statement (AFS).</strong></li>
<li>It is a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government in a <strong>Financial Year</strong> (which begins on 1<sup>st</sup> April of the current year and ends on 31<sup>st</sup> March of the following year).</li>
<li>Overall, the Budget contains:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Estimates of revenue and capital receipts,</li>
<li>Ways and means to raise the revenue,</li>
<li>Estimates of expenditure,</li>
<li>Details of the actual receipts and expenditure of the closing financial year and the reasons for any deficit or surplus in that year, and</li>
<li>The economic and financial policy of the coming year, i.e., taxation proposals, prospects of revenue, spending programme and introduction of new schemes/projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In Parliament, the Budget goes through<strong> six stages:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Presentation of Budget.</li>
<li>General discussion.</li>
<li>Scrutiny by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/extension-of-tenure-of-standing-committees" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Departmental Committees</strong></a>.</li>
<li>Voting on Demands for Grants.</li>
<li>Passing an Appropriation Bill.</li>
<li>Passing of Finance Bill.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Budget Division of the Department of Economic Affairs</strong> in the Ministry of Finance is the nodal body responsible for preparing the Budget.</li>
<li>The <strong>first Budget</strong> of Independent India was presented in <strong>1947.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612347348_image11.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612347348_image11.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Budget Outlay:</strong> Outlay for Health and Wellbeing in 2021-22 as against 2020-21 is an <strong>increase of 137%.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Major Steps:</strong> Steps being taken for improving health and wellbeing:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><strong>Vaccines:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612350951_image12.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612350951_image12.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Rs. 35,000 crore for <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-vaccine-distribution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19 vaccine</a></strong> in Budget Expenditure (BE) 2021-22.</li>
<li>The Made-in-India <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pneumococcal-conjugate-vaccine-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pneumococcal Vaccine</strong></a> to be rolled out across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Health Systems:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>PM <strong>AatmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana &ndash;</strong> a new centrally sponsored scheme to be launched, in addition to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission</strong></a> (NHM).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nutrition:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mission Poshan</a> 2.0</strong> to be launched to improve nutritional outcomes across 112 aspirational districts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Universal Coverage of Water Supply:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-jeevan-mission-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jal Jeevan Mission</a> (Urban) - to be launched</strong> - to bring safe water to 2.86 crore households through tap connection.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Swachch Bharat, Swasth Bharat:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Strengthening of<strong> Urban <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission#:~:text=The%20Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission%20(Grameen,launched%20on%20October%202%2C%202014.&amp;text=Together%2C%20they%20aim%20to%20achieve,on%20his%20150th%20Birth%20Anniversary." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Mission</a> 2.0.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Clean Air:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Rs. 2,217 crore to tackle air pollution,</strong> for 42 urban centers with a million plus population.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scrapping Policy:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Voluntary</strong> vehicle scrapping policy<strong> to phase out old and unfit vehicles.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1693907" 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/budget-2021-highlights-health-and-wellbeing'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => '15th Finance Commission Recommendations: Resource Allocation',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the<strong> government accepted the 15<sup>th</sup><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Finance Commission</a>&rsquo;s recommendation to maintain the States&rsquo; share in the divisible pool of taxes to 41%</strong> for the five-year period starting 2021-22.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission&rsquo;s Report was tabled in the Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Finance Commission (FC)</strong> is a<strong> constitutional body,</strong> that determines the method and formula for <strong>distributing the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax</a> proceeds between the Centre and states,</strong> and among the states as per the constitutional arrangement and present requirements.</li>
<li>Under<strong> Article 280 of the Constitution, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/president-s-powers-to-pardon#:~:text=Pardoning%20Power%20of%20the%20President%20in%20India%3A,is%20a%20sentence%20of%20death." target="_blank" rel="noopener">President of India</a></strong> is required to constitute a Finance Commission at an interval of five years or earlier.</li>
<li>The 15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission was constituted by the President of India in November 2017, <strong>under the chairmanship of NK Singh.</strong> Its recommendations will cover a <strong>period of five years from the year 2021-22 to 2025-26.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vertical Devolution (Devolution of Taxes of the Union to States):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has recommended<strong> maintaining the vertical devolution at 41% -</strong> the same as in its<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> interim report for 2020-21.</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is<strong> at the same level of 42% of the divisible pool</strong> as recommended by the <strong>14<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has <strong>made the required adjustment of about 1%</strong> due to the changed status of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into the new <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uts-j-k-and-ladakh#:~:text=The%20two%20new%20UTs%2C%20Ladakh,into%20the%20Union%20of%20India." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Horizontal Devolution (Allocation Between the States):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For horizontal devolution, it has suggested <strong>12.5% weightage to demographic performance, 45% to income, 15% each to population and area, 10% to forest and ecology and 2.5% to tax and fiscal efforts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Revenue Deficit Grants to States:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Revenue deficit grants <strong>emanate from the requirement to meet the fiscal needs of the States</strong> on their revenue accounts that remain to be met, even after considering their own tax and non-tax resources and tax devolution to them.</li>
<li>Revenue Deficit is <strong>defined as</strong> the difference between revenue or current expenditure and revenue receipts, that includes tax and non-tax.</li>
<li>It has recommended post-devolution <strong>revenue deficit grants amounting to about Rs. 3 trillion over the five-year period</strong> ending FY26. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>number of states qualifying</strong> for the revenue deficit grants<strong> decreases from 17 in FY22,</strong> the first year of the award period to 6 in<strong> FY26,</strong> the last year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Performance Based Incentives and Grants to States:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These grants <strong>revolve around four main themes.</strong></li>
<li>The first is the<strong> social sector,</strong> where it has focused on <strong>health and education.</strong></li>
<li>Second is the<strong> rural economy,</strong> where it has focused on <strong>agriculture and the maintenance of rural roads.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The rural economy plays a significant role in the country as it <strong>encompasses two-thirds of the country's population, 70% of the total workforce</strong> and<strong> 46% of national income.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Third,<strong> governance and administrative reforms</strong> under which it has recommended grants for<strong> judiciary, statistics and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/aspirational-districts-programme#:~:text=Aspirational%20Districts%20are%20those%20districts,in%20human%20development%20in%20India." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aspirational districts</a> and blocks.</strong></li>
<li>Fourth, it has developed<strong> a performance-based incentive system for the power sector,</strong> which is not linked to grants but provides an important, additional borrowing window for States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fiscal Space for Centre:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Total <strong>15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission transfers (devolution + grants)</strong> constitutes about <strong>34% of estimated Gross Revenue Receipts</strong> to the Union, <strong>leaving adequate fiscal space</strong> to meet its resource requirements and spending obligations on national development priorities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Grants to Local Governments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Along with grants for municipal services and local government bodies, it includes <strong>performance-based grants for incubation of new cities</strong> and <strong>health grants</strong> to local governments.</li>
<li>In grants for Urban local bodies, <strong>basic grants are proposed only for cities/towns having a population of less than a million.</strong> For <strong>Million-Plus cities,</strong> 100% of the grants are performance-linked through the <strong>Million-Plus Cities Challenge Fund</strong> (MCF).
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>MCF amount is linked to the performance of these cities in <strong>improving their air quality</strong> and meeting the service level benchmarks for <strong>urban drinking water supply, sanitation and solid waste management.</strong><strong></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Criticism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Performance based incentives disincentivizes independent decision-making.</strong> Any conditions on the state's ability to borrow will have an adverse effect on the spending by the state, particularly on development thus,<strong> undermines cooperative fiscal federalism.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>does not hold the Union government accountable for its own fiscal prudence</strong> and dilutes the joint responsibility that the Union and States have.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Horizontal Devolution Criteria</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Population:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The population of a State<strong> represents the needs of the State to undertake expenditure</strong> for providing services to its residents.</li>
<li>It is also <strong>a simple and transparent indicator</strong> that has a significant equalising impact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Area:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>larger the area, greater is the expenditure requirement</strong> for providing comparable services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forest and Ecology:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By taking into account the share of dense forest of each state in the aggregate dense forest of all the states, the share on this criteria is determined.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Income Distance:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Income distance is the <strong>distance of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of a particular state from the state with the highest GSDP.</strong></li>
<li>To maintain inter state equity, the <strong>states with lower per capita income would be given a higher share. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demographic Performance: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It<strong> rewards efforts made by states in controlling their population.</strong></li>
<li>This criterion has been computed by <strong>using the reciprocal of the total fertility ratio of each state,</strong> scaled by 1971 population data.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This has been done to <strong>assuage the fears of southern States</strong> about losing some share in tax transfers due to the reliance on the 2011 Census data instead of the 1971 census, which could penalise States that did better on managing demographics.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>States with a lower fertility ratio will be scored higher</strong> on this criterion. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indias-falling-fertility-rate#:~:text=India's%20total%20fertility%20rate%20(TFR,2.3%20between%202013%20and%202016." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Total Fertility Ratio</strong> </a>in a specific year is defined as the total number of children that would be born to each woman if she/they were to pass through the childbearing years bearing children according to a current schedule of age-specific fertility rates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Effort:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This criterion has been <strong>used to reward states with higher tax collection efficiency.</strong></li>
<li>It has been computed as the ratio of the average per capita own tax revenue and the average per capita state GDP during the three-year period between 2016-17 and 2018-19.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612339962_image15.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612339962_image15.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1693868" 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/15th-finance-commission-recommendations-resource-allocation'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'India Role In African Recovery',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/towards-a-healthy-india-africa-partnership/article33709946.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Towards a &lsquo;healthy&rsquo; India-Africa partnership&rdquo;</a> which was published in The Hindu Business line on 01/02/2021. It talks about India-Africa cooperation to combat devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>
</div>
<p>With regular high-level visits, increasing diplomatic footprint, diversified engagement across sectors, and a vibrant diaspora, the India-Africa relationship has picked up momentum in the recent past.</p>
<p>However, on the economic front, Africa has been deeply affected by the pandemic due to reduced trade and other markets causing a supply-and-demand shock. This disruption may cause a setback to the years of progress made in India-Africa relations.</p>
<p>Therefore, in the light of India&rsquo;s stakes in Africa, India should reach out to African nations in a variety of ways to help them deal with the Covid devastation.</p>
<h3>Areas of Cooperation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Social Infrastructure:</strong> Already, the India-Africa social infrastructure (education, health, skills) cooperation is multidimensional, comprehensive, and involves national, state, and subnational actors working toward augmenting African institutional and individual capacities.</li>
<li><strong>Common Geo-Political Interests:</strong> India and Africa have common interests on international issues; UN reforms, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, cybersecurity, and energy security.</li>
<li><strong>Economic Cooperation:</strong> India&rsquo;s economic engagement with Africa is substantive.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the last decade and a half, trade between India and Africa has multiplied and diversified&ndash;bilateral trade of $63.3 billion in 2018-19 made India the third-largest trading partner for the continent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Support in Fight Against Covid-19:</strong> Under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vice-president-s-visit-to-comoros-and-sierra-leone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">e-ITEC initiative</a>, India has shared Covid-19 management strategies, training webinars exclusively to train healthcare professionals from Africa by Indian health experts.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is also sending consignments of essential medicines, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol, to many African countries in addition to doctors and paramedics.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Combating Neo-Colonialism:</strong> China has a longer and deeper association in the continent, but it is facing a backlash over the pandemic worldwide.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China has gained a reputation as an economic colonizer&ndash;exploiting the need for capital by under-developed economies to hand over big infrastructure projects to China.</li>
<li>Therefore, Chinese investment is seen as neo-colonial as it focuses on money, political influence, hard-infrastructure projects, and resource extraction.</li>
<li>On the other hand, India&rsquo;s approach focuses on building local capacities and an equal partnership with Africans and not merely with African elites concerned.</li>
<li>In this context, though Africa has been actively engaged with China, it wants India to act as a balancer and net security provider.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vaccine Diplomacy:</strong> As the &ldquo;pharmacy of the world,&rdquo; a priority area of collaboration would be to ensure direct participation in Covid-19 relief and equitable vaccine access efforts followed by a plan for comprehensive strengthening of Africa&rsquo;s health systems.</li>
<li><strong>Economic Convergence:</strong> The Free Trade Agreement has been negotiated within Africa. It&rsquo;s a matter of time for it to be implemented and will be a game-changer.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, creating a market for 1.3 billion people in Africa would provide Indian manufacturers with economies of scale and scope to compete internationally.</li>
<li>It could also lead to generations of employment, facilitate skill and technology transfers, and help bridge the existing knowledge gap.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India Becoming Voice of Africa:</strong> India can also take the lead in initiating and pushing for more multilateral efforts by stakeholders like the WHO or the UN to do more for African recovery.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India and Africa should plan to expand their multi-faceted partnership by jointly combating the Covid and focusing on their strengths to address global challenges -- climate change, extremism, counter-terrorism, transnational crimes, and maritime security.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>While it can be argued that the Covid-19 crisis has had serious implications for India and the country has huge domestic obligations to deal with, partnering with Africa at this critical juncture in our shared reality will add immense value to the rich historicity of India-Africa solidarity.</p>
<table border="1" style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #e3fbfc; border-color: #01858a;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question<br /><br /></strong></em>Partnering with Africa to combat the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will add immense value to India-Africa solidarity&rsquo;s rich historicity. Discuss.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_EZ14ohTnik" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/growth-with-inequality-the-hindu-editorial-on-economic-survey-2021/article33711489.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Growth with inequality: On Economic Survey 2021"</a> published in The Hindu on February,1st 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-role-in-african-recovery'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Regulations on FCRA Contributions',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)</strong> issued <strong>new regulating guidelines to banks under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fcra-clearance-of-6-ngos-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010</a></strong>. It states that the <strong>donations received in Indian rupees by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fcra-clearance-of-6-ngos-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-governmental organisations (NGOs)</a></strong> and associations <strong>from any foreign source</strong> (even if that source is located in India at the time of such donation) should be treated as <strong>foreign contribution</strong>.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the New Guidelines:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Widening the Scope of Foreign Contribution:</strong> Under the issued regulations, donations given in Indian rupees (INR) by any foreigner/foreign source including foreigners of Indian origin like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/overseas-citizenship-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)</strong></a> <strong>or Person of India Origin (PIO)</strong> cardholders should also be treated as foreign contribution.</li>
<li><strong>Meeting the Standards of FATF:</strong> The guidelines mandate that good practices should be followed by NGOs in accordance with standards of global financial watchdog- <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/financial-action-task-force-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Action Task Force (FATF)</strong></a>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It asked NGOs to inform the Ministry about &ldquo;suspicious activities&rdquo; of any donor or recipient and &ldquo;take due diligence of its employees at the time of recruitment.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Existing Rules:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mandatory Reporting by Banks:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All banks have to report the receipt or utilisation of any<strong> foreign contribution by any NGO,</strong> association or person to the Central government <strong>within 48 hours,</strong> whether or not they are registered or granted prior permission under the <strong>Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) 2010</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prescribed Banking Channels:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In September 2020, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/foreign-contribution-regulation-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act (FCRA), 2020</strong></a> was passed by the Parliament.</li>
<li>A new provision that<strong> makes it mandatory for all NGOs to receive foreign funds in a designated bank account at the State Bank of India&rsquo;s New Delhi branch</strong> was inserted.</li>
<li>All NGOs seeking foreign donations have to open a designated FCRA account at the SBI branch or link their existing account to it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for FCRA Regulations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The annual inflow of foreign contribution has almost doubled between the years 2010 and 2019, but many recipients of foreign contribution <strong>are being not utilised the same for the purpose for which they were registered or granted prior permission</strong> under amended provisions of the FCRA 2010.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Recently, the Union Home Ministry has <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fcra-clearance-of-6-ngos-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>suspended licenses of the six (NGOs)</strong></a> who were alleged to have used foreign contributions for religious conversion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To ensure that such contributions <strong>do not adversely affect the internal security</strong> of the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Recently the <strong>National Investigation Agency (NIA)</strong> registered a case against a foreign based group that provides funds for secessionist and pro-Khalistani activities in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These regulations <strong>could enhance transparency and accountability</strong> in the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Controversies Related to FCRA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scope not defined:</strong> It prohibits the receipt of foreign contributions &ldquo;for any activities detrimental to the national interest&rdquo; or the &ldquo;economic interest of the state&rdquo;.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, there is no clear guidance on what constitutes &ldquo;public interest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limits Fundamental Rights:</strong> The FCRA restrictions have <strong>serious consequences on both the rights to free speech</strong> and <strong>freedom of association</strong> under <strong>Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(c)</strong> of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Foreign funding of persons in India is regulated under FCRA Act and is implemented by <strong>the Ministry of Home Affairs</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Individuals are permitted to accept foreign contributions without permission of MHA. However, the monetary limit for acceptance of such <strong>foreign contributions shall be less than Rs. 25,000</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Act ensures that the recipients of foreign contributions <strong>adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained</strong>.</li>
<li>Under the Act, organisations are required to register themselves <strong>every five years</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prohibition to accept foreign contribution:</strong> The Act bars public servants from receiving foreign contributions. Public servant includes any person who is in service or pay of the government, or remunerated by the government for the performance of any public duty.</li>
<li><strong>Transfer of foreign contribution:</strong> The Act prohibits the transfer of foreign contribution to any other person not registered to accept foreign contributions.</li>
<li><strong>Aadhaar for registration:</strong> The Act makes Aadhaar number mandatory for all office bearers, directors or key functionaries of a person receiving foreign contribution, as an identification document.</li>
<li><strong>FCRA account:</strong> The Act states that foreign contribution must be received only in an account designated by the bank as FCRA account in such branches of the State Bank of India, New Delhi.</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in use of foreign contribution for administrative purposes:</strong> The Act proposes that not more than 20% of the total foreign funds received could be defrayed for administrative expenses. In FCRA 2010 the limit was 50%.</li>
<li><strong>Surrender of certificate:</strong> The Act allows the central government to permit a person to surrender their registration certificate.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Excessive regulation on foreign contribution may affect working of the NGOs</strong> which are helpful in implementing government schemes at the grassroots. They fill the gaps, where the government fails to do their jobs.</li>
<li>The regulation <strong>should not hamper sharing of resources across national boundaries</strong> essential to the functioning of a global community, and should not be discouraged unless there is reason to believe the funds are being used to aid illegal activities.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-tightens-oversight-on-funds-received-by-ngos/article33699682.ece#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20Home%20Affairs%20(MHA)%20has%20laid%20down%20a,treated%20as%20%E2%80%9Cforeign%20contribution%E2%80%9D." 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/regulations-on-fcra-contributions'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Whatsapp and Violation of Privacy',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcpotnpi0rU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Whatsapp, one of the most popular messaging apps, has <strong>updated</strong> its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-whatsapp-policy-privacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>privacy policy</strong></a> and has asked its users to accept the new terms and conditions by 8 February, 2021</li>
<li>The new policy has come into discussion on the issue of how user data is impacted given its <strong>integration with another social media major Facebook,</strong> which also happens to be WhatsApp&rsquo;s parent company.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There has been a huge concern over the new privacy policy due to a large population dependent on the app for various purposes of information sharing, entertainment etc.</li>
<li>On the raising concerns, Whatsapp has responded &ldquo;The <strong>update does not change WhatsApp&rsquo;s data sharing practices</strong> with Facebook and <strong>does not impact how people communicate privately</strong> with friends or family WhatsApp remains deeply committed to protecting people&rsquo;s privacy.&rdquo;</li>
<li>This is a <strong>forced consent</strong> taken from the users as it does not leave them with much of a choice. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Those who do not accept the updated policy, will no longer be able to access the chats on the messaging platform.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Besides breaching users&rsquo; privacy, the policy is also <strong>discriminatory</strong> as it is <strong>not applicable to the United Kingdom and the European Union</strong> but must be accepted by the rest of the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Features of the Policy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It requires users to consent to sharing <strong>transaction data, mobile device information, IP address,</strong> and data on how they interact with businesses with Facebook group companies.</li>
<li>The policy allows WhatsApp and Facebook to share user information with businesses and third-party service providers that transact on these platforms.</li>
<li>Besides the technical front, even on the analytics front the consent has been asked to <strong>share details such as the login details and the locational details</strong>.</li>
<li>WhatsApp&rsquo;s end-to-end encryption clause still remains intact, but this only ensures that it won&rsquo;t be able to see or share the users&rsquo; messages.</li>
<li>With the updated privacy policy, WhatsApp can now share one&rsquo;s <strong>metadata</strong> - which is essentially everything beyond just the textual conversation - with Facebook and other apps coming under the parent company.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Metadata is data of the data, provides description and context of the data and helps to organize and understand it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Whatsapp and India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Whatsapp is the most popular messaging platform in India, owned by Facebook since February, 2014.</li>
<li>India accounts for <strong>400 million</strong> of the total 2 billion <strong>WhatsApp users</strong> and <strong>310 million users on Facebook</strong> globally.</li>
<li>Also, India is the first country for WhatsApp to launch <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/whatsapp-upi-and-npci-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>payment services</strong></a>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has received permission from Indian regulators to go live with 20 million users so far.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Despite such a wide user base, India has been asked for a forced consent only because India is in a <strong>dearth of a stringent data protection law</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues with Social Media Platforms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Almost 75% of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/cyber-crime-data-deprivation-and-data-localisation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cyber crimes</strong></a> such as <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/child-sex-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>child sexual abuse</strong></a>, terrorist radicalisation or financial crime or disturbance of law and order with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-problem-of-fake-news-in-india-issues-concerns-and-regulation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fake news</strong></a>, start with either <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/multi-state-phishing-scam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>phishing</strong></a> or social engineering attack through these messaging apps or social media. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Social engineering</strong> is manipulating people in order to obtain confidential information such as usually tricking an individual into sharing crucial information such as passwords or bank information, or accessing a computer to secretly install malicious software.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Countries such as the US have provided a safe harbour to these social media service providers via <strong>section 230 (c) of its Communications Decency Act, 1996</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such actions often make these platforms a breeding ground of crimes.</li>
<li>Besides, it also makes a country&rsquo;s sovereignty a subject to the company&rsquo;s policy which is a great anomaly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are encrypted messages that nobody else can access. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Encryption is beneficial but it is more about how a tool is utilised than just about a tool.</li>
<li>Encryption is used to perpetuate crimes, and in such cases, it is very difficult to obtain any evidence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Data Protection in India and Other Countries</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>128 out of 194 countries</strong> had put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Africa and Asia show a similar level of adoption with 55% of countries having adopted such legislations from which 23 are least developed countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India:</strong> Although the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/privacy-judgement-and-the-aftermath#:~:text=Two%20years%20ago%2C%20in%20August,and%20liberty%20under%20Article%2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Puttaswamy Judgment</strong></a> talks for privacy as a fundamental right, India for real, <strong>does not have a strict law</strong> or any specific provisions for the protection of an individual&rsquo;s data. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/draft-personal-data-protection-bill-2019#:~:text=It%20is%20commonly%20referred%20to,which%20can%20identify%20the%20individual" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP)</strong></a>. that seeks to provide for the protection of personal data of individuals is <strong>still a debated topic</strong> in the Parliament of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Russia:</strong> The Russian Federation has separate legislations regarding <strong>Electronic Transactions</strong> and draft legislations for <strong>Consumer Protection</strong> as well as <strong>Privacy and Data Protection</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The key legislation is Federal Law No. 15-FZ on Personal Data 2006 (the Personal Data Law), which is supplemented by numerous additional laws, regulations and guidelines.</li>
<li>The combination of a number of Russian laws provides comprehensive privacy protection across all sectors</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>European Union:</strong> 43 countries in the European Union (out of 45) have legislation specifically for data protection.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>WhatsApp is legally bound to not share data with Facebook in the European Region because it&rsquo;s a contravention of the provisions of the <strong>General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>GDPR is a regulation in the European Union law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>United Kingdom:</strong> The UK has separate laws for electronic transactions, consumer protection, privacy &amp; data protection and cybercrimes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, the UK's Information Commissioner&rsquo;s Office (ICO) got WhatsApp to <strong>sign an undertaking</strong> in which it has <strong>committed publicly not to share personal data</strong> with Facebook in the future until the two services can do it in a way that is compliant with GDPR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA:</strong> The US has sector specific data protection laws and regulations that work together with state-level legislation to safeguard American citizens&rsquo; data such as <strong>Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), NIST 800-171</strong> etc.</li>
<li><strong>Australia:</strong> The <strong>Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act)</strong> is an Australian law which regulates the handling of personal information about individuals.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Implementation of the PDP Bill:</strong> It has been enough time since the debates on the PDP Bill have been going on, now is the high time for its implementation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Absence of a rigid law means that there is no relief that a user can get in case of a breach or misuse of data.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prioritising the privacy:</strong> With shifting towards digitisation in education, entertainment, banking and almost everything, it is time now that people understand that privacy is very crucial and shall not be compromised at any cost. The way forward is <strong>more user-privacy-centered apps</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Own Apps:</strong> India shall develop its own digital sovereignty and its own Apps.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Apps would agree to the <strong>nine privacy principles</strong> as mentioned in the <strong>AP Shah committee</strong>.</li>
<li>The committee recommended an overarching law to protect privacy and personal data in the private and public spheres.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It talks about accountability, notice, consent, limitation of collection, limitation of use, access and corrections and safeguards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uninstalling the App is not a Solution:</strong> Deleting the App does not do it all, the data that already exists, stays with the company and will still be shared among the other Apps. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The governments of various nations have to respond to these kinds of discriminations and make sure that if there are any such policies, it should either be for all or for none.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The privacy policy of Whatsapp must be a contract between the company and its users where the latter must be allowed with the rights to preserve its privacy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The confidentiality of the information of the users that must be maintained, is clearly being violated by Whatsapp&rsquo;s new policy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India is in dire need of a law that protects the sensitive information of its citizens and also prevents them from being exploited by any such organisation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is a country with a database of 400 million users whose privacy cannot be accepted if breached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The discriminatory policy of Whatsapp calls for India to make provisions that assert its intolerance towards any sort of discrepancies and that India prefers a more equitable approach.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>MeitY&rsquo;s letter to Whatsapp</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)</strong> has sent a strongly worded letter to the CEO of WhatsApp, asking the company to <strong>withdraw its unilateral privacy policy changes</strong> calling them unfair and unacceptable.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In its letter, MeitY has said the terms of service and the proposed privacy policy are an <strong>&lsquo;all-or-nothing&rsquo; approach,</strong> which take away any meaningful choice from Indian users.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>MeitY has also <strong>raised objections to the differential treatment</strong> accorded by WhatsApp to its users in India compared with those in the European Union.</li>
<li>WhatsApp&rsquo;s new privacy policy <strong>was to be implemented from February 8</strong> but has been<strong> put on hold till May 15</strong> due to user backlash; the policy aims to share commercial user data with parent company Facebook.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The ministry has sought details about exact categories of data that WhatsApp will collect from Indian users.</li>
<li>The App has also been asked to provide details about the difference between its privacy policies in India and other countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/whatsapp-and-violation-of-privacy'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'UK Visa Scheme For Hong Kong Residents',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>UK has launched a special visa scheme that will allow the Hong Kong residents</strong> a chance to migrate and eventually apply for British citizenship.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The move came months after China imposed a <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-hong-kong-national-security-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>national security law</strong></a> over Hong Kong enabling it to curb the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hongkong-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019 pro-democracy like protests</a> in future and also to <strong>override the powers of the government</strong> in Hong Kong.</li>
<li>The move is <strong>considered the UK&rsquo;s most generous welcoming of foreign workers</strong> since the entry of new <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>European Union (EU)</strong></a> citizens in 2004 - when 10 countries were added to the bloc - at a time when the UK was also a member. The <strong>UK <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/brexit-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">officially left the EU</a></strong> on 31<sup>st</sup> January 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612252637_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612252637_image1.png" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" width="426" height="389" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since July 2020, after the national security law was implemented, the <strong>British government has already allowed around 7,000 people from Hong Kong</strong> to move to its shores.</li>
<li>These were <strong>allowed permission to migrate not through the visa scheme, but through government action on compassionate grounds</strong>.</li>
<li>In response to the Law, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/australia-suspends-extradition-treaty-with-hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Australia</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uk-suspends-extradition-treaty-with-hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Britain</strong></a> and Canada have also suspended their <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hong-kong-s-extradition-treaties-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extradition treaties</strong></a> with Hong Kong.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conditions for the Special Visa Scheme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The visas will be issued to those in Hong Kong holding a <strong>British National (Overseas) passport</strong> and their immediate dependents, and will offer a fast track to UK citizenship.</li>
<li>Applicants who get the visa <strong>can live and work in the UK for 5 years,</strong> after which they <strong>apply for settlement</strong>.<strong> Twelve months after</strong> this, they can <strong>apply for citizenship</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for Announcing Visa Scheme (National Security Law):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Threat from National Security Law:</strong> China implemented new national security law for Hong Kong, that <strong>could impose the People's Republic of China's arbitrary and opaque criminal system onto the Hong Kong common law system</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>National security act</strong> is seen as breach of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-security-law-in-hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Basic Law</strong></a>, <strong>the mini-constitution</strong> which defines ties between Hong Kong and Beijing (China&rsquo;s capital).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Provisions of National Security Law:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Crimes of <strong>secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces</strong> are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison.</li>
<li><strong>Damaging public transport facilities</strong> can be considered terrorism.</li>
<li>Those found guilty will <strong>not be allowed to stand for public office</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Establishment of a new security office in Hong Kong,</strong> with its own law enforcement personnel - neither of which would come under the local authority's jurisdiction.</li>
<li>Hong Kong will <strong>have to establish its own national security commission</strong> to enforce the laws, with a China-appointed adviser.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This office can send some cases to be tried in mainland China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hong Kong's chief executive will have the power to appoint judges to hear national security cases, raising <strong>fears about judicial autonomy of Hong Kong</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>China</strong> will also have the <strong>power over how the law should be interpreted</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>UK&rsquo;s Stand:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The imposition of the security law <strong>&ldquo;a serious and clear breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration&rdquo;, referring to a 1984 treaty</strong> between the two countries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under the Treaty, <strong>China promised to honour Hong Kong&rsquo;s liberal policies,</strong> system of governance, independent judiciary, and individual freedoms <strong>for a period of 50 years from 1997</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China&rsquo;s Stand:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China <strong>criticised the UK move</strong>. The British side <strong>disregarded the fact that Hong Kong returned to China 24 years ago</strong>.</li>
<li>China also said that it would <strong>no longer be recognising BN(O) passports,</strong> saying that the <strong>citizenship offer &ldquo;seriously infringed&rdquo; on China&rsquo;s sovereignty</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Hong Kong was formerly a British colony</strong> and was <strong>handed over to mainland China in 1997,</strong> becoming one of its <strong>Special Administrative Regions (SAR)</strong>.</li>
<li>It is <strong>governed by a mini-constitution called the Basic Law,</strong> which affirms the principle of <strong>&ldquo;one country, two systems&rdquo;</strong>.</li>
<li>The constitutional document is a product of the <strong>1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration,</strong> under which China promised to honour Hong Kong&rsquo;s liberal policies, system of governance, independent judiciary, and individual freedoms for a period of 50 years from 1997.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The present Visa regime <strong>will enable the people of Hong Kong to evade the secretive, authoritarian and coercive actions of China</strong> under national security act, however long term solutions can be attained by arbitration and conciliation with all the stakeholders to secure the interests of people of Hong Kong.</li>
<li><strong>National security law endangers Hong Kong&rsquo;s position as an East Asian trading hub,</strong> and along with the UK's action it should invite global criticism for Beijing, which is already being accused of withholding key information related to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/uk-pm-johnson-immensely-proud-as-visa-offer-for-hong-kong-citizens-launches-7166184/" 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/uk-visa-scheme-for-hong-kong-residents'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Ageing Dams',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-problem-of-ageing-dams/article33711348.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The problem of ageing dams&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 01/02/2021. It talks about the issue of ageing dams in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, a UN University report titled "Ageing water infrastructure: An emerging global risk", held that by 2050, most people on Earth would live downstream of tens of thousands of large dams built in the 20<sup>th</sup> century, many of them including India&rsquo;s already operating at or beyond their design life, putting lives and property at risk.</p>
<p>Ageing signs of dams include increasing cases of dam failures, progressively increasing costs of dam repair and maintenance, increasing reservoir sedimentation, and loss of a dam's functionality and effectiveness.</p>
<p>India is ranked third in the world in terms of building large dams. Of the over 5,200 large dams built so far, about 1,100 large dams have already reached 50 years of age, and some are older than 120 years.</p>
<p>Moreover, hundreds of thousands of medium and minor dams are even more precarious as their shelf life is even lower than large dams. India&rsquo;s aging dams can threaten water security, affect farmers&rsquo; income, and increase flooding. Thus, there is an urgent need to tackle this crisis.</p>
<h3>Issues Related to Ageing Dam</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Faster Rate of Storage Loss:</strong> As dams age, soil replaces the water in the reservoirs. Therefore, the storage capacity cannot be claimed to be the same as in the 1900s and 1950s.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, the storage space in Indian reservoirs is receding at a rate faster than anticipated. Reservoirs are poised to become extinct in less than a few decades, with untold consequences already underway.</li>
<li>A 2003 report observed that India&rsquo;s iconic Bhakra dam&rsquo;s siltation rate is 139.86% higher than originally assumed.</li>
<li>At this rate, the Bhakra dam is now expected to function for merely 47 years, virtually halved from the original estimate of 88 years&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Climate Change:</strong> The rising frequency and severity of flooding and other extreme environmental events can overwhelm a dam's design limits and accelerate a dam's ageing process.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, it is important to note with increasing floods; climate change will accelerate the dam ageing process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Structurally Vulnerable Dams:</strong> Almost every scholarly study on reservoir sedimentation shows that Indian reservoirs are designed with a poor understanding of sedimentation science.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Moreover, Any large storage structure, be it concrete, masonry, or earth, can become structurally weak with time. Such is the case with a number of old dams in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Storage Information:</strong> The loss of large dams&rsquo; storage capacity over time is part of the dam ageing process.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, this information continues to be sporadically documented in India and serves as a blind spot in terms of understanding the true gravity of the water crisis in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Consequences of Ageing Dams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impacting Food Security:</strong> When soil replaces the water in reservoirs, supply gets choked. In this case, the cropped area may begin receiving less and less water as time progresses.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As a result, the net sown water area either shrink in size or depends on rains or groundwater, which is over-exploited.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impacting Farmers&rsquo; Income:</strong> As crop yield may get affected severely, it would disrupt the farmer&rsquo;s income.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Moreover, water is a crucial factor for crop yield and credit, crop insurance, and investment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increased Flooding:</strong> The flawed siltation rates reinforce the argument that the designed flood cushion within several reservoirs across many river basins may have already depleted substantially, due to which floods have become more frequent downstream of dams.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The flooding of Bharuch in 2020, Kerala in 2018, and Chennai in 2015 are a few examples attributed to downstream releases from reservoirs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Attracting Global Attention:</strong> There is a need to attract global attention to the issue of ageing water storage infrastructure and stimulate international efforts to deal with this emerging, rising water risk.</li>
<li><strong>Sustainable Decommissioning:</strong> Decommissioning will also have various positive and negative economic, social, and ecological impacts to be considered in a local and regional social, economic, and geographic context "critical to protect the broader, sustainable development objectives for a region."</li>
<li><strong>Transparency in Information:</strong> India&rsquo;s water organizations have to be more transparent concerning dysfunctional and deteriorating large dams.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, real-time information on the live storage capacity of large storage structures should be made available.</li>
<li>A realistic estimate of the country&rsquo;s irrigation potential needs to be made based on this for proper planning and management of available water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Alternative Measures:</strong> Water policymakers, planners, and water managers need to think of alternative plans for large storage structures. Some alternatives include:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Selecting sites for construction of water harvesting structures of varying capacities;</li>
<li>Building medium or minor irrigation-based small storage structures;</li>
<li>Identifying mechanisms to recharge aquifers and store water underground;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>India will eventually feel difficulty in finding sufficient water in the 21<sup>st</sup> century to feed the rising population by 2050, grow abundant crops, create sustainable cities, or ensure growth. Therefore, all stakeholders must come together to address this situation urgently.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffff7;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India&rsquo;s aging dams can threaten water security, affect farmers&rsquo; income, and increase flooding. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GeG6MaW8tjI" 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/covid-19-economy-imf-gdp-growth-7165745/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;On the upswing&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Indian Express on January 29<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/ageing-dams'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'NITI Aayog’s Proposal for Little Andaman',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a plan named the<strong> Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island Vision Document</strong> by<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> NITI Aayog</strong></a> for the sustainable and holistic development of the 680 sq km,<strong> fragile Little Andaman Island</strong> in the<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-nicobar-islands-rich-faunal-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Andaman and Nicobar island</a> group</strong> has raised alarm among conservationists.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier in 2020, the Prime Minister declared that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-and-nicobar-islands-to-be-maritime-and-startup-hub" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Andaman and Nicobar islands will be developed as a "maritime and startup hub".</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612176760_image9.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612176760_image9.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Purpose:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To leverage the <strong>strategic location</strong> and natural features of the island.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The islands are critical for India's security because of their strategic location in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Ocean Region</strong></a> (IOR).</li>
<li>Better infrastructure and connectivity will help India enhance its military and naval strength in the islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Plan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Building a new <strong>greenfield coastal city,</strong> that will be <strong>developed as a free trade zone</strong> and will <strong>compete with Singapore and Hong Kong.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Three Zones:</strong> It has divided the development in<strong> three zones:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Zone 1 :</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Spread over <strong>102 sq km alongside the east coast of Little Andaman.</strong></li>
<li>It would be the monetary district and medi metropolis and can embody an aerocity, and a tourism and hospital district.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Zone 2:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Spread over <strong>85 sq km</strong> of pristine forest.</li>
<li>It is the leisure zone, can have a movie metropolis, <strong>a residential district and a tourism<a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/07-02-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Special Economic Zone</a> (SEZ).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Zone 3 :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Spread over <strong>52 sq km</strong> of pristine forest.</li>
<li>It shall be a<strong> nature zone,</strong> additional categorized into three districts: an unique forest resort, a nature therapeutic district and a nature retreat, all on the western coast.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transport Development:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>worldwide airport</strong> able to deal with all varieties of plane is central to the plan as a global airport is vital for growth.</li>
<li>The solely<strong> jetty on the island might be expanded</strong> and a marina might be developed subsequent to the tourist entertainment district.</li>
<li>A 100 km <strong>greenfield ring highway</strong> might be constructed parallel to the shoreline from east to west and might be supplemented with a mass fast transit community with stations at common intervals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bottlenecks:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lack of fine connectivity</strong> with Indian mainland and world cities.</li>
<li><strong>Fragile biodiversity</strong> and natural ecosystems and certain <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong></a> notifications that pose an obstacle to development.</li>
<li>Another key issue is the<strong> presence of indigenous tribes</strong> and concerns for their welfare.</li>
<li>95% of Little Andaman is covered in forest, a big part of it the pristine evergreen sort. Some 640 sq km of the island is<strong> Reserve Forest</strong> under the <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/indian-forest-act-1927#:~:text=The%20Indian%20Forest%20Act%2C1927,Forest%20or%20a%20Village%20Forest.&amp;text=After%20the%20Forest%20Act%20was,twice%20(1878%20and%201927)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Forest Act</a> 1927,</strong> and almost 450 sq km is protected because of the <strong>Onge Tribal Reserve,</strong> creating a singular and uncommon socio-ecological-historical complex of high importance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Solution Proposed in the Plan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The proposal wants 240 sq km (35%) of this land and the options are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>De-reserve 32%</strong> of the reserved forest and <strong>de-notify 138 sq km or 31% of the tribal reserve.</strong></li>
<li>If the tribals develop into an obstacle, the proposal says that they can be relocated to other parts of the island.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flaws in the Proposal:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It talks of conservation of nationwide park/wildlife sanctuary on Little Andaman when none exist right here and it has <strong>no mention of the geological vulnerability of the place,</strong> which was amongst the worst-affected within the<a href="/to-the-points/paper1/earthquake-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> earthquake</strong></a>-<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tsunami-early-warning-system-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tsunami</a></strong> combination in 2004. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The waves hit Little Andaman so hard that the <strong>breakwater there was not just breached, it was physically displaced</strong> and it&rsquo;s orientation changed. Ships couldn&rsquo;t berth for weeks thereafter.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The plan has<strong> no financial details, no budgeting, or inventorisation of forests</strong> and ecological wealth and<strong> no particulars of any impact assessment.</strong></li>
<li>The nature resort proposed at West Bay on the western coast is to have theme resorts, floating/underwater resorts, seaside inns, and high-end residential villas. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is today a secluded and difficult to reach part and one of the most vital nesting sites of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-turtle-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Giant Leatherback sea turtle.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forest Department&rsquo;s Concern:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In a note, Divisional Forest Officer, Little Andaman, raised severe considerations about this proposal on grounds of <strong>ecological fragility, indigenous rights and vulnerability to earthquakes and tsunamis.</strong></li>
<li>It mentioned that such a large diversion of forest land would <strong>cause environmental loss leading to irreversible damage.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Habitats of various wild animals</strong> will be affected.</li>
<li>The proposal couldn&rsquo;t even be assessed as a result of there being <strong>no <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/environmental-impact-assessment-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environment impact assessment</a> report</strong> and neither had there been any detailed site layout plans for the proposed diversion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Little Andaman Island</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This island is<strong> part of the Little Andaman Group</strong> (Little Andaman is the counterpart of Great Andamans). This island is the<strong> fourth largest island in Andamans.</strong></li>
<li>It is famous by the name of its main village and the largest settlement <strong>&ndash;Hut Bay</strong> (rarely known by its other name <strong>Kwate-tu-kwage).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At a distance of about 120 Kilometers by sea from the capital town of Port Blair, this island has become a <strong>tribal reserve from sometime near to 1957.</strong></li>
<li>This is considered <strong>home to the Onge Tribes,</strong> even though there are <strong>multilingual settlers of Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Ranchi communities.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Location and Transport:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lying at the<strong> southern end of the archipelago, Hut Bay Jetty is the only harbor for ships or boats</strong> coming into this island from the capital town &ndash;Port Blair.</li>
<li>Little Andamans is less explored due to the<strong> limited mode of connection</strong> with the capital town of Port Blair.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/financial-tourist-complex-on-little-andaman-a-bullet-through-an-islands-heart/article33710255.ece#:~:text=The%20vision%20document%2C%20described%20by,tribal%20reserve%20on%20Little%20Andaman.%5C" 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/niti-aayog-s-proposal-for-little-andaman'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Periyar Tiger Reserve',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>For the first time in the country, the <strong>Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Kerala</strong> has taken up training of a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> tiger</strong> </a>cub to equip it to naturally hunt in the forest environment.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It falls in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala (saddled in the southern region of Western Ghats).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Declared a Sanctuary during 1950 and declared as Tiger Reserve during 1978. It gets its name from the River Periyar which has its origin deep inside the reserve.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Drainage:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The major rivers through the reserve are <strong>Mullayar and Periyar.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flora:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sanctuary comprises <strong>tropical evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous forests and grasslands.</strong></li>
<li>About <strong>1966 species of flowering</strong> <strong>plants</strong> grow in the sanctuary. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Of this about 516 are endemic to the Western Ghats.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The sanctuary is a repository of medicinal plants numbering to about 300. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Some are endemic to the region like <strong>Syzygium periyarensis (a tree), Habenaria periyarensis (an orchid)</strong> and <strong>Mucuna pruriense thekkadiensis (a climber)</strong> etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fauna:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mammals: Tiger, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-elephant-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elephant</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/someshwara-wildlife-sanctuary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lion-tailed macaque</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nilgiri-tahr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nilgiri Tahr</a></strong> etc.</li>
<li><strong>Birds:</strong> Darters, Cormorants, Kingfishers, the great Malabar Hornbill and racket-tailed Drongos.</li>
<li><strong>Reptiles:</strong> Monitor Lizards, Python, King Cobra etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are<strong> six tribal communities</strong> nestled inside the reserve such as <strong>Mannans, Paliyans, Malayarayans, Mala Pandarams, Uralis and Ulladans.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protected Areas in Kerala:</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612174105_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612174105_image8.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/periyar-tiger-reserve-trains-abandoned-tiger-cub/article33709640.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/periyar-tiger-reserve'
		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Tectonic Plates',
			'catname' => 'Paper 1',
			'desc' => '<h3>Tectonic Plates</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly-shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lithosphere includes the crust and top mantle with its thickness range varying between<strong> 5-100 km</strong> in oceanic parts and about <strong>200 km</strong> in the continental areas.</li>
<li>The concept of Tectonic Plates was first introduced in 1967.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A tectonic plate may be a <strong>continental plate</strong> or an <strong>oceanic plate,</strong> depending on which of the two occupies the larger portion of the plate.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Pacific plate</strong> is largely an oceanic plate whereas the <strong>Eurasian plate</strong> is a continental plate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Major and Minor Plates</h3>
<p>The Earth&rsquo;s lithosphere is divided into seven major and some minor plates.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Young<strong> Fold Mountain ridges, oceanic trenches,</strong> and/or <strong>transform faults</strong> surround the<strong> major plates.</strong> These include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Antarctic (and the surrounding oceanic) plate</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>North American plate</strong> (with western Atlantic floor separated from the South American plate along the Caribbean islands)</li>
<li>The <strong>South American plate</strong> (with western Atlantic floor separated from the North American plate along the Caribbean islands)</li>
<li>The<strong> Pacific plate</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> India-Australia-New Zealand plate</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Africa with the eastern Atlantic floor plate</strong></li>
<li><strong>Eurasia and the adjacent oceanic plate</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Some important<strong> minor plates</strong> include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Cocos plate:</strong> Between Central America and Pacific plate</li>
<li><strong>Nazca plate:</strong> Between South America and Pacific plate</li>
<li><strong>Arabian plate:</strong> Mostly the Saudi Arabian landmass</li>
<li><strong>Philippine plate:</strong> Between the Asiatic and Pacific plate</li>
<li><strong>Caroline plate:</strong> Between the Philippine and Indian plate (North of New Guinea)</li>
<li><strong>Fuji plate:</strong> North-east of Australia</li>
<li><strong>Juan De Fuca plate:</strong> South-East of North American Plate</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mountain Ridge:</strong> A mountain ridge refers to the chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance.</li>
<li><strong>Ocean trenches</strong> are long, narrow depressions on the seafloor. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are the deepest parts of the ocean and some of the deepest natural spots on Earth.</li>
<li>They are found in every ocean basin on the planet and the deepest ocean trenches ring the Pacific called the &ldquo;Ring of Fire''.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A<strong> transform fault,</strong> in geology and oceanography is a type of fault in which two tectonic plates slide past one another.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Indian Plate:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian plate includes <strong>Peninsular India and the Australian continental portions.</strong></li>
<li>In the east, it extends through <strong>Rakim Yoma Mountains</strong> of Myanmar towards the <strong>island arc along the Java Trench.</strong></li>
<li>The Western margin follows <strong>Kirthar Mountain of Pakistan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It further extends along the <strong>Makrana coast of Balochistan</strong> and joins the spreading site from the Red Sea rift southeastward along the <strong>Chagos Archipelago.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The boundary between India and the Antarctic plate is also marked by an oceanic ridge (divergent boundary) running in roughly West to East direction and merging into the spreading site, a little south of New Zealand.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Asthenosphere:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the zone of Earth&rsquo;s mantle that lies just beneath the lithosphere and is believed to be much hotter and more fluid than the lithosphere.</li>
<li>The asthenosphere extends from about 100 km (60 miles) to about 700 km (450 miles) below Earth&rsquo;s surface.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Movement of Plates</h3>
<p>The tectonic plates are not fixed but constantly move horizontally over the <strong>Asthenosphere</strong> as rigid units.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sometimes these plates collide, move apart, or slide next to each other which leads to <strong>Earthquakes or Volcanic Eruptions.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Rates of Movement of Tectonic Plates:</strong> The rates of movement of the tectonic plates vary considerably. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Arctic Ridge</strong> has the slowest rate (less than 2.5 cm/yr), and the<strong> East Pacific Rise,</strong> in the South Pacific (about 3,400 km west of Chile) has the fastest rate (more than 15 cm/yr).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Force for the Movement of Tectonic Plates:</strong> The mobile rock beneath the rigid plates is believed to be moving in a circular manner. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The heated material rises to the surface, spreads and begins to cool, and then sinks back into deeper depths.</li>
<li>This<strong> slow movement of hot, softened mantle</strong> that lies below these rigid plates is the driving force behind the plate movement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171866_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171866_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Subduction</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It happens when tectonic plates shift, and one plate is pushed under another.</li>
<li>This movement of the ocean floor produces a<strong> "mineral transmutation",</strong> which leads to the melting and solidification of magma i.e., the <strong>formation of volcanoes.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In other words, when a "downgoing" oceanic plate is pushed into a hotter mantle plate, it heats up, volatile elements mix, and this produces the magma.</li>
<li>The magma then rises up through the overlying plate and spurts out at the surface.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171896_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171896_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="450" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Boundaries of Plates</h3>
<p>The movement of the tectonic plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Convergent,</strong> where plates move into one another.</li>
<li><strong>Divergent,</strong> where plates move apart.</li>
<li><strong>Transform,</strong> where plates move sideways in relation to each other.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Convergent Boundaries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A convergent plate boundary is formed when tectonic plates crash into each other. They are also known as<strong> destructive boundaries.</strong></li>
<li>These boundaries are often <strong>subduction zones,</strong> where the heavier plate slips under the lighter plate, creating a deep trench. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This subduction changes the dense mantle material into buoyant magma, which rises through the crust to the Earth&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li>Over millions of years, the rising magma has been creating a series of active volcanoes known as a <strong>volcanic arc.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Other than Subduction Zones, convergent plate boundaries also lead to mountain building and the formation of <strong>island arcs (Festoons).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If both the convergent plates are oceanic, the volcanoes form a curved line of islands, known as an<strong> island arc,</strong> that is <strong>parallel to the trench.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are three ways in which convergence can occur: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>between an <strong>oceanic and continental</strong> plate</li>
<li>between<strong> two oceanic</strong> plate</li>
<li>between <strong>two continental</strong> plates.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>When continental and oceanic plates collide, the thinner and more dense oceanic plate is overridden by the thicker and less dense continental plate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Examples:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Washington-Oregon coastline</strong> of the United States is an example of <strong>oceanic-continental convergent</strong> plate boundary. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Here, the <strong>Juan de Fuca oceanic plate</strong> is subducted beneath the <strong>North American continental plate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>An example of the<strong> oceanic-oceanic convergence</strong> is the <strong>Mariana Trench,</strong> the deepest point on Earth. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>mighty Pacific plate</strong> subducts beneath the <strong>smaller, less-dense Philippine plate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Himalayan Mountain Range</strong> is the best active example of <strong>continental convergent plate boundaries.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India and Asia crashed about 55 million years ago, slowly giving rise to the Himalayas, the highest mountain system on Earth.</li>
<li>Here, the<strong> Indian and Eurasian plates are currently in collision.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Subduction Zones</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A subduction zone is the biggest crash scene on Earth. These boundaries mark the collision between two tectonic plates.</li>
<li>When two tectonic plates meet at a subduction zone, one bends and slides underneath the other, curving down into the mantle, the hotter layer under the crust.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Divergent Boundaries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A divergent boundary is formed by tectonic plates pulling apart from each other. They are known as <strong>constructive boundaries.</strong></li>
<li>Divergent boundaries are the site of <strong>seafloor spreading</strong> and<strong> rift valleys.</strong></li>
<li>At divergent boundaries<strong> in the oceans,</strong> magma from deep in the Earth's mantle rises toward the surface and pushes apart two or more plates. Mountains and volcanoes rise along the seam. The process renews the ocean floor and widens the giant basins. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The best-known example of divergent boundaries is the <strong>Mid-Atlantic Ridge</strong> where the <strong>American Plates</strong> are <strong>separated from the Eurasian and African Plates.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This single mid-ocean ridge system connects the world's oceans, making the ridge the longest mountain range in the world (10,000 miles).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On land,</strong> giant troughs such as the <strong>Great Rift Valley in Africa</strong> form where plates are tugged apart. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If the plates there continue to diverge, millions of years from now eastern Africa will split from the continent to form a new landmass.</li>
<li>A mid-ocean ridge would then mark the boundary between the plates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Seafloor Spreading</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Seafloor spreading is the process of <strong>magma welling up in the rift</strong> as the old crust pulls itself in opposite directions.</li>
<li>Cold seawater cools the magma, creating a new crust.</li>
<li>The upward movement and eventual cooling of this magma has created high ridges on the ocean floor over millions of years.</li>
<li>The <strong>East Pacific Rise</strong> is a site of <strong>major seafloor spreading</strong> in the <strong>Ring of Fire.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is located on the divergent boundary of the<strong> Pacific Plate, the Cocos Plate</strong> (west of Central America),<strong> the Nazca Plate</strong> (west of South America), the <strong>North-American Plate and the Antarctic Plate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Rift Valleys</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A rift valley is a <strong>lowland region</strong> that forms where Earth&rsquo;s tectonic plates move apart, or rift.</li>
<li>Rift valleys are<strong> found both on land and at the bottom of the ocean</strong> and are created by the process of<strong> seafloor spreading.</strong></li>
<li>Rift valleys differ from river valleys and glacial valleys in that they are <strong>created by tectonic activity</strong> and not the process of erosion.</li>
<li>The Great Rift Valley System which stretches from the <strong>Middle East in the north to Mozambique in the south</strong> is a<strong> geologically active area.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It features<strong> volcanoes,</strong> hot springs, geysers, and<strong> frequent earthquakes.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Transform Boundaries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A transform boundary is formed as<strong> tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other</strong> but parts of these plates get stuck at the places where they touch. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These boundaries are <strong>conservative</strong> because plate interaction occurs without creating or destroying crust. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Hence, they don't produce spectacular features like mountains or oceans, but the halting motion <strong>often triggers large earthquakes,</strong> such as the<strong> 1906 earthquake</strong> that devastated <strong>San Francisco.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In these areas of contact, stress is built which causes the rocks to break or slip, suddenly lurching the plates forward and causing earthquakes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These areas of breakage or slippage are called <strong>faults.</strong> The majority of Earth&rsquo;s faults can be found along transform boundariesin<strong> the Ring of Fire.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>San Andreas Fault in California</strong> is an example of a transform boundary, where the Pacific Plate moves northward past the North American Plate. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is one of the most active faults on the Ring of Fire.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171936_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171936_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="605" height="399" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hotspots</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Most of the volcanic activities are concentrated along or adjacent to plate boundaries, but there are some<strong> important exceptions</strong> in which this activity occurs within plates, called the<strong> Hotspots.</strong></li>
<li>Hotspots exist over the<strong> Mantle Plumes.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A mantle plume is an area <strong>under the crust of Earth, where magma is hotter than surrounding magma.</strong></li>
<li>Heat from this extra hot magma causes melting and thinning of the rocky crust, which leads to widespread volcanic activity on Earth&rsquo;s surface above the plume.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The hotspots are<strong> stationary,</strong> unlike the tectonic plates where they are located.</li>
<li>There are about<strong> 40 to 50 hot spots estimated</strong> to be around the world.</li>
<li>Major hot spots include : <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Iceland hotspot,</strong> under the island of Iceland in the North Atlantic.</li>
<li>The <strong>R&eacute;union hot spot,</strong> under the island of R&eacute;union in the Indian Ocean.</li>
<li>The <strong>Afar hotspot,</strong> located under northeastern Ethiopia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the government's maternity benefit scheme, or <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>, has crossed 1.75 crore eligible women till the financial year 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A total sum of Rs. 5,931.95 crore</strong> was paid to <strong>1.75 crore eligible beneficiaries</strong> between financial year 2018 and 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612515755_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612515755_image1.png" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" width="564" height="365" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>PMMVY is a <strong>maternity benefit programme</strong> being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1st January, 2017.</li>
<li>It is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/data-governance-quality-index-niti-aayog" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>centrally sponsored scheme</strong></a> being executed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Target Beneficiaries:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All <strong>Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&amp;LM)</strong>, excluding those who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force.</li>
<li>All eligible Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers who have their <strong>pregnancy on or after 1<sup>st</sup> January 2017 for the first child in the family</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits under the Scheme:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Beneficiaries receive a <strong>cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three installments</strong> on fulfilling the following conditions:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Early registration of pregnancy</li>
<li>Ante-natal check-up</li>
<li>Registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)</strong></a>. Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Distinctive Feature:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Implementation of the scheme is closely monitored by the central and state governments through the <strong>Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana - Common Application Software (PMMVY-CAS)</strong>.</li>
<li>PMMVY-CAS is a web based software application that <strong>enables tracking the status of each beneficiary under the scheme,</strong> resulting in expedited, accountable and better grievance redressal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Janani Suraksha Yojana</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>100% centrally sponsored scheme</strong> which is being implemented with the objective of<strong> reducing maternal and infant mortality</strong> by promoting institutional delivery among pregnant women.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>As per the data of <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-family-health-survey-5-1#:~:text=Infant%20Mortality%20Rate%20(IMR)%20is,and%2023%20for%20urban%20areas." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Family Health Survey-5</strong></a>:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Infant and child mortality rates</strong> across most Indian states have declined.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Bihar registered the highest prevalence of neonatal mortality rate (NMR-34), infant mortality rate (IMR-47), and under-five mortality rate (U5MR-56) across 22 surveyed states and Union territories while Kerala reported the lowest death rates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)</strong> in India has declined to <strong>113 (per 1,00,000 live births)</strong> in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016, according to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-maternal-mortality-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18</strong></a>, released by the Office of the Registrar General's Sample Registration System (SRS).</li>
<li>The<strong> target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</strong> set by the United Nations aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than <strong>70 per 1,00,000 live births</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Basically, it is a safe motherhood intervention under the <strong>National Health Mission (NHM)</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefit:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under the JSY, <strong>eligible pregnant women are entitled for cash assistance irrespective of the age of mother and number of children,</strong> for giving birth in a government or accredited private health facility.</li>
<li>The scheme also provides performance based incentives to women health volunteers known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-institute-of-health-family-welfare" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)</strong></a> for promoting institutional delivery among pregnant women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Other Schemes Focussing on Nutritional and Health Aspects of Women:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojna (IGMSY)</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The scheme aims to contribute to a better enabling environment by providing cash incentives for improved health and nutrition to pregnant and lactating mothers.</li>
<li>It is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/self-help-groups-shgs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kudumbashree in Kerala</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It was launched in Kerala in 1998 to wipe out absolute poverty through community action. It is the largest women empowering project in the country. It has three components i.e., microcredit, entrepreneurship and empowerment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Poshan Abhiyaan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Launched in March 2018, the goal of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Poshan Abhiyaan</strong></a> is to achieve improvement in the nutritional status of Children (0-6 years) and Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time-bound manner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/malnutrition-in-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The scheme provides specific interventions targeted towards the vulnerable groups including children below 6 years and <strong>women</strong>.</li>
<li>It is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pmmvy-beneficiaries-cross-175-crore/article33750096.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Smart Walls For Borders',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, an alternative <strong>Smart Wall</strong> has been proposed to replace the physical and armed patrolling with advanced surveillance technology at the <strong>USA-Mexico border</strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier in 2019, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-emergency-declared-in-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>USA declared a national emergency</strong></a> to fund construction of a border wall along the USA-Mexico Border citing "invasion" of drugs and criminals from Mexico.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504380_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504380_image1.png" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" caption="false" width="416" height="212" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Smart Wall:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is no one single definition for this recently-conceived solution, however It is <strong>a collection of discrete technologies</strong> that work together to prevent illegal entry, smuggling, and all the various threats posed by a porous border.</li>
<li>It uses <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sea-guardian-drones-from-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drones</a>, scanners,</strong> and <strong>sensors</strong> to create a <strong>technological barrier</strong> too high to climb over, too wide to go around, and too deep to burrow under.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Using <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-must-get-on-the-iot-highway-fast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internet-of-Things</a> (IoT)</strong> technologies like in-ground sensors, security cameras and software solutions, a smart wall could <strong>empower border officials with enhanced situational awareness</strong> to prevent illicit activity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits of Smart Wall:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Reduces Cost:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A smart wall can accomplish the same goals as a physical wall with a much smaller price.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decreases Deployment Time:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Physical boundaries take years to build but smart border technology is ready to go.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Low Maintenance Costs:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Unlike a physical barrier, a smart wall would <strong>allow border security officials to continuously adjust tactics to changing conditions</strong>.</li>
<li>Ground sensors and IoT devices are <strong>quick and easy to deploy and inexpensive to move and update</strong>.</li>
<li>They require only a <strong>fraction of the costs to maintain,</strong> and can be implemented gradually and as needed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Decreases Environmental Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A smart wall raises <strong>minimal environmental concerns,</strong> allowing wildlife and rainwater to pass freely through the area.</li>
<li>Most smart devices can tell the difference between people and animals, <strong>alerting officers when a human attempts to cross the border illegally</strong> while leaving wildlife alone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Overcomes the Limitations of Terrain:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Rough terrain is difficult to patrol, which could leave portions of the wall vulnerable to breaches.</li>
<li>Digital technology, however, allows for <strong>enhanced surveillance across vast terrain</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Devices</strong> like cameras and in-ground sensors <strong>allow patrolmen to survey hundreds of miles at once,</strong> and take informed action should the need arise.</li>
<li><strong>Real-time alerts</strong> make it easy to respond to activity from immigrants approaching the border or to a lost hiker looking for supplies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduces Land Requirement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To construct a border wall, the government would need to seize property from local landowners.</li>
<li>However, Small and relatively non-invasive, smart wall technologies would require far fewer land seizures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504653_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612504653_image2.png" width="557" height="346" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Need of Smart Wall in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A critical factor that must be considered to enable the usage of such a system along Indian borders is that the<strong> terrain in the region is rugged, and, furthermore, not even clearly defined</strong>.</li>
<li>Such a system, even if not feasible for India&rsquo;s long boundaries, may still be <strong>deployed to enhance critical security establishments</strong> of the country and complement the already existing physical fencing and walls.</li>
<li>It is <strong>imperative for Indian armed forces to be well equipped and simultaneously have the latest technological</strong> advantage over its enemies.</li>
<li>Experts should explore this idea to <strong>effectively counter the problem of border infiltration</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Smart Fencing in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Two pilot projects covering about 71 Kms on Indo-Pakistan Border (10 Kms) and Indo-Bangladesh Border (61 Kms) of <strong>Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS)</strong> have been completed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>CIBMS involves deployment of a range of state-of-the-art surveillance technologies &mdash; <strong>thermal imagers, infra-red and laser-based intruder alarms, aerostats for aerial surveillance, unattended ground sensors</strong> that can help detect intrusion bids, <strong>radars, sonar systems</strong> to secure riverine borders, <strong>fibre-optic sensors</strong> and a command and control system that shall receive data from all surveillance devices in real time.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bold-qit-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BOLD-QIT</a></strong> (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) under CIBMS on Indo- Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of Assam is also being used.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/smart-walls-for-indian-borders/article33744239.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/smart-walls-for-borders'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Taiwan Card Against China',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/playing-the-taiwan-card-7171528/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Playing the Taiwan card&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on 02/02/2021. It talks about the benefits and issues of establishing formal diplomatic ties between India and Taiwan.</p>
</div>
<p>The standoff at the Ladakh border between India and China continues amid failing talks. Moreover, the Chinese regime undertook several measures that may jeopardize the diplomatic solution.</p>
<p>While the Indian government and the armed forces make it clear that they will do whatever it takes to protect India&rsquo;s sovereignty and integrity, it should also explore options on the foreign policy front.</p>
<p>On the foreign policy front, India has shown its intent to be a part of the Quad security group (which China refers to as &ldquo;Asian NATO&rdquo;). However, the Quad continues to suffer from indecisiveness to evolve as a formal military bloc to counter China.</p>
<p>In such a situation, it is imperative that India explore alternate diplomatic and militaristic routes to counter China. One such viable option is establishing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.</p>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1949 Chiang Kai Shek, the former Chinese president and former head of state who fled to the island of Formosa (former name for the island of Taiwan) following the victory of Mao Zedong in the long-drawn Chinese civil war.</li>
<li>Since then Relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China put forward a formula, known as "one country, two systems", under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification.</li>
<li>In Taiwan, the offer was rejected, but China insists on concurrence to the One China Policy in all its foreign relations deliberations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Rationale of Strong Indo-Taiwan Ties</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Deft Diplomacy:</strong> Though India does not have formal diplomatic relations with the island democracy that Beijing considers a breakaway province, it has slowly been increasing bilateral engagements in the economic, cultural and educational spheres.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This can, with some deft diplomacy, become a bargaining chip at future negotiations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Balancing Pakistan as China&rsquo;s Satellite State:</strong> Some retired diplomats feel India should leverage its relations with Taiwan to balance its ties with China and negate the latter&rsquo;s &ldquo;alliance&rdquo; with its all-weather friend Pakistan, which is now dangerously close to becoming China&rsquo;s satellite.</li>
<li><strong>Act East &amp; New Southbound Policy:</strong> There is scope for convergence between the Indian government&rsquo;s Act East policy, which advocates closer economic, strategic, and diplomatic engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific, and Taiwan&rsquo;s New Southbound Policy, which seeks to enhance cooperation and exchange between Taiwan and 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australasia.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both policies aim to increase regional influence and gain political and economic benefits from their partners in the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benefits of Establishing Diplomatic Ties with Taiwan</h3>
<p>Recognizing Taiwan will entail a lot of benefits for India&rsquo;s foreign policy regime.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India as Leader of Democratic World:</strong> Taiwan is a robust democracy with a booming economy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By establishing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, India can bolster its legitimacy as the leader of the democratic world, especially at a time when the role of US has been undermined.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Expanding Alliance To Counter China:</strong> India can get the support of another powerful ally in its attempt to carve out a new supply chain alliance which India-Japan-Australia formalized recently.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, the Quad security grouping can be extended to include new members.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pay Back China in the Same Coin:</strong> China in many repeated efforts has tried to nudge the United Nations Security Council to discuss the Kashmir question.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By institutionalizing formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, India can clearly send a message to China that if it does not respect &ldquo;One India policy&rdquo;, then India will not also follow &ldquo;One China&rdquo; policy.</li>
<li>Further, recognizing Taiwan will make it clear to China that India is very assertive and that if the need arises, India will not back down from sending dedicated naval and air assets in the disputed South China Sea region to enforce the freedom of navigation principle.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Every Indian approach towards Taiwan has met with sharp reactions from China. This has considerably constrained the development of broad-based ties between the two countries beyond the realms of culture, education, and investments.</li>
<li>As not even the mighty US has so far established formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the recognition of Taiwan may invite severe ramifications for India. For example:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China is our second-largest bilateral trade partner and a key export partner of India with regard to raw materials and goods.</li>
<li>According to a FICCI report, India imports more than 40% of several important goods like the API (active pharmaceutical ingredients), television, chemicals, chips, textiles and many more, from China.</li>
<li>As a possible retaliatory measure, China can stop exports of these items.</li>
<li>It can also activate its terror financing networks which, for years, remained a chronic internal security issue for India in the Northeast.</li>
<li>China will also collaborate with Pakistan by intensifying terrorism in the Kashmir valley and the northeast of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>While both China and India have developed considerable military and economic strength, the former has surpassed India to become an economic powerhouse. It has now embraced aggressiveness to enforce an expansionist outlook. In such a situation, providing legitimacy to the existence of Taiwan may be dubbed as a necessary step.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f3ffed;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Establishing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan will send a strong message to China. Critically Analyse.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bCt1wavUUdU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/setback-in-myanmar/article33734307.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Setback in Myanmar: on military coup&rdquo;</strong> </a>published in The Hindu on February 3<sup>rd</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/taiwan-card-against-china'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Curbing Unsolicited Commercial Communications',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Delhi High Court (HC) ordered the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/telecom-firms-oppose-trai%E2%80%99s-public-wi-fi-model" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)</strong> </a>to ensure &ldquo;complete and strict&rdquo; implementation of the regulation issued by it in 2018 for curbing <strong>Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC).</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>UCC</strong> means any Commercial Communication which a <strong>subscriber opts not to receive,</strong> but does <strong>not include</strong>- any transactional message or any message transmitted on the directions of the Central Government or State Government or agencies authorized by it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A plea was filed by a company in the HC claiming that millions of its customers have been defrauded by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/multi-state-phishing-scam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">phishing</a> activities over the mobile networks and the failure of the telecom companies</strong> to prevent the same has <strong>caused financial and reputational loss.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It claimed that under the regulations, <strong>the telecom companies are required to verify purported telemarketers seeking registration</strong> (called registered telemarketers or RTMs) with them before granting access to their customer data and also take action immediately against all fraudulent RTMs.</li>
<li><strong>Phishing</strong> is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rising-cybercrimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cybercrime</strong></a> in which a target or <strong>targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message</strong> by someone posing as a legitimate institution<strong> to lure individuals into providing sensitive data</strong> such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.</li>
<li>It contended that the telecom companies are violating their obligations under the <strong>Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preferences Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018,</strong> to curb the problem of unsolicited commercial communications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Courts Direction:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>To TRAI:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Ensure &ldquo;complete and strict&rdquo; implementation of the regulation issued by it in 2018 for curbing UCC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>To Telecom Service Providers (TSPs):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Ensure strict compliance with the TCCCPR 2018 issued by TRAI.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preferences Regulations (TCCCPR) 2018</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It replaced the <strong>Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010 (2010 Regulations).</strong></li>
<li>It was issued by the TRAI to provide a revised regulatory framework<strong> aimed at regulating 'unsolicited commercial communication' (UCC) in India.</strong></li>
<li>The new regulatory framework has devolved<strong> control and regulatory powers to access providers,</strong> who are now required to<strong> establish their own codes of practice (CoPs)</strong> to deal with UCC.</li>
<li>It provides for a wide range of customer preferences which are to be implemented in near real time using <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bitcoins" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)</strong> </a>to make communications traceable and capable of being controlled effectively.</li>
<li>It also provides for the use of <strong>cloud-based solutions for handling complaints, the registration of headers and preferences,</strong> and use of smart contracts for automated allocation of roles between entities in the commercial communication ecosystem. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The technology-based solutions are required to be tested in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sandbox-for-fintech" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>regulatory sandboxes</strong></a> under the oversight of the TRAI.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/strictly-implement-regulations-to-curb-unsolicited-commercial-calls-hc-tells-trai/article33740060.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/curbing-unsolicited-commercial-communications'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Military Coup in Myanmar',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Myanmar military has grabbed power in a coup -</strong> the <strong>third time in the nation&rsquo;s history</strong> since its independence from British rule in 1948.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A <strong>one-year state of emergency</strong> has been imposed and <strong>democratically elected leader <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aung-san-suu-kyi-to-defend-myanmar-in-icj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aung San Suu Kyi</a> has been detained.</strong></li>
<li><strong>&lsquo;Coup&rsquo;</strong> is generally described as a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Myanmar</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in South East Asia and neighbours Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, China and India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demography:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has a population of about 54 million, most of whom are Burmese speakers, although other languages are also spoken. The biggest city is Yangon (Rangoon) but the capital is Nay Pyi Taw.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Religion:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The main religion is <strong>Buddhism.</strong> There are many ethnic groups in the country, including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-report-on-myanmar-rohingya-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohingya Muslims</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Polity:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The country <strong>gained independence from Britain in 1948.</strong> It was ruled by the armed forces from 1962 until 2011, when a new government began ushering in a return to civilian rule.</li>
<li>In the 2010s, <strong>the military regime decided to transition the country towards democracy.</strong> Although the armed forces remained powerful, political opponents were freed and elections were allowed to be held.</li>
<li><strong>The NLD won the 2015 election,</strong> the country&rsquo;s first free and fair election participated by multiple parties, and formed the government, raising hopes that the country is on its way to full transition to democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430526_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430526_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Military Coup:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the<strong> November 2020 parliamentary election,</strong> Suu Kyi&rsquo;s party <strong>National League for Democracy (NLD)</strong> secured the majority of the seats.</li>
<li>In the Myanmars&rsquo; Parliament, <strong>the military holds 25% of the total seats according to the 2008 military-drafted constitution</strong> and several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees.</li>
<li>When the newly elected Myanmar lawmakers were to<strong> hold the first session of Parliament in 2021,</strong> the<strong> military imposed a state of emergency</strong> for one year <strong>citing massive voting fraud</strong> in the parliamentary elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Reaction:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>China: &lsquo;All parties in Myanmar will properly handle their differences</strong> under the constitution and legal framework to maintain political and social stability&rsquo;.</li>
<li><strong>USA:</strong> The USA President<strong> threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar</strong> following a coup by the country&rsquo;s military leaders and called for a <strong>concerted international response</strong> to press them to relinquish power.</li>
<li><strong>ASEAN Countries: <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/asean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ASEAN</a></strong>&rsquo;s current chair, Brunei, called for &lsquo;dialogue among parties, reconciliation and the return to normalcy&rsquo;. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern, while Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines noted that this was Myanmar&rsquo;s &lsquo;internal affair&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Reaction:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India supports the process of democratic transition in Myanmar.</li>
<li>Though India has expressed deep concern over recent developments in Myanmar, <strong>cutting off from the Myanmar military is not a viable option</strong> as India has significant economic and strategic interests in Myanmar and its neighbourhood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Strategic interests in Myanmar and its relations with Myanmar Military: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Relationship with Myanmar Military:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India&rsquo;s military-diplomatic outreach to Myanmar became a <strong>cornerstone of its <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-s-act-east-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Act East policy</a>.</strong></li>
<li>On the eve of the recent visit of the Foreign Secretary Chief of the Army Staff to Myanmar in 2020, <strong>Myanmar handed over 22 Indian insurgents from across the border</strong> and it was decided to ramp up the sale of military hardware to Myanmar, including 105 mm light artillery guns, naval gunboats and more recently, lightweight torpedoes.</li>
<li>Recent example of cooperation is that <strong>Myanmar has begun to vaccinate itself with the 1.5 million doses of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-vaccine-diplomacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid vaccine sent by India</a>,</strong> while putting China&rsquo;s 3,00,000 doses on hold.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Interests in Myanmar:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Infrastructure and Connectivity:</strong> India has cultivated several infrastructure and development projects with Myanmar, which it sees as the &ldquo;gateway to the East&rdquo; and <strong>ASEAN</strong> countries: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Operationalisation of the crucial Sittwe</strong> port in Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine state by 2021 is committed.</li>
<li>India assists infrastructure projects such as the <strong>India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway</strong> and the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/presidents-visit-to-myanmar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Kaladan project will link <strong>Kolkata to Sittwe</strong> in Myanmar and then from Myanmar&rsquo;s Kaladan river to India&rsquo;s north-east.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The two countries signed the <strong>Land Border Crossing Agreement in 2018,</strong> which allowed bona fide travellers with valid documents to cross the border at two international points of entry/exit- Moreh-Tamu and Zokhawthar-Rih.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430982_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612430982_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="570" height="290" /></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Security:</strong> India has been concerned over some militant groups like the <strong>United National Liberation Front (UNLF)</strong> and <strong>National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)</strong> from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Indian needs perpetual support and coordination from Myanmar for the<strong> maintenance of security and stability along its North East border areas.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rohingya Issues:</strong> India is committed to ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy return of Rohingya refugees from refugee camps of India and Bangladesh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Building on the progress made under the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rakhine-state-development-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Rakhine State Development Programme (RSDP)</strong></a>, India has recently proposed to finalise projects under phase-III of the programme, including setting up of a skills training centre and upgrading of agricultural mechanisation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Investment:</strong> With Indian investments of over USD 1.2 billion, Myanmar holds considerable importance than any other country in South Asia.</li>
<li><strong>Energy:</strong> The two countries are also expanding partnership in the area of energy cooperation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Recently, India approved an investment of over USD 120 million in the <strong>Shwe Oil and Gas project.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>India should continue to engage with the present regime in Myanmar working towards mutual development of people of both the countries while it should support sharing experiences in constitutionalism and federalism to assist Myanmar in resolving the prevailing stalemate.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/news-analysis-with-myanmars-military-coup-the-tightrope-between-idealism-and-realpolitik-returns-for-new-delhi/article33720952.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/military-coup-in-myanmar'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently,<strong> the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance</strong> started a worldwide campaign to raise awareness for conservation of fishing cats.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance</strong> is a team of <strong>conservationists, researchers and enthusiasts</strong> working to achieve functioning floodplains and <strong>coastal ecosystems that ensure survival of the fishing cat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612429829_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612429829_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Prionailurus viverrinus.</em></li>
<li><strong>Description:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>It is twice the size of a house cat.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> fishing cat is nocturnal</strong> (active at night) and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.</li>
<li>The species breed all year round.</li>
<li>They spend most of their lives in areas of dense vegetation close to water bodies and are excellent swimmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Fishing cats have a patchy distribution along the<strong> Eastern Ghats.</strong> They abound in estuarine floodplains, tidal mangrove forests and also inland freshwater habitats.</li>
<li>Apart from <strong>Sundarbans</strong> in West Bengal and Bangladesh, fishing cats inhabit the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/odisha-s-lake-conservation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chilika lagoon</strong></a> and surrounding wetlands in Odisha, Coringa and Krishna mangroves in Andhra Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Wetland degradation</strong> and conversion for aquaculture and other<strong> commercial projects,</strong> sand mining along river banks, agricultural intensification resulting in loss of riverine buffer and conflict with humans in certain areas resulting in targeted hunting and retaliatory killings.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protection 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. Despite multiple threats, the Fishing Cat was recently <strong>downlisted to &ldquo;Vulnerable&rdquo; from &ldquo;Endangered&rdquo;</strong> in the IUCN Red List species assessment.</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CITES</strong></a>: Appendix II</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>
<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently,<strong> the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance</strong> has initiated a study of the<strong> bio-geographical distribution of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fishing-cats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fishing cat</a></strong> in the unprotected and human-dominated <strong>landscapes of the northeastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>In 2012, the <strong>West Bengal government officially declared the Fishing Cat as the State Animal</strong> and the Calcutta Zoo has two big enclosures dedicated to them.</li>
<li>In Odisha, many NGOs and wildlife conservation Societies are involved in Fishing Cat research and conservation work.</li>
<li><strong>The Fishing Cat Project,</strong> launched in 2010 started raising awareness about the Cat in West Bengal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/a-whisker-away/article33745359.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/fishing-cat-conservation-alliance'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, on the occasion of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Wetland Day</strong></a>, the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the establishment of a <strong>Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM),</strong> as a part of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-centre-for-sustainable-coastal-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM)</a></strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>World Wetlands Day</strong> is celebrated every year on the <strong>2<sup>nd</sup> of February.</strong></li>
<li>The year 2021 also commemorates the <strong>50<sup>th</sup> anniversary</strong> of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on Wetlands</strong></a> signed on 2<sup>nd</sup> February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The theme for 2021 is <strong>'Wetlands and Water'.</strong></li>
<li>It was first celebrated in <strong>1997.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Significance of Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The dedicated Centre would<strong> address specific research needs and knowledge gaps and will aid in the application of integrated approaches for conservation, management</strong> and wise use of the wetlands.</li>
<li>It will help in <strong>building partnerships</strong> and <strong>networks</strong> with relevant national and international agencies.</li>
<li>It would serve as a<strong> knowledge hub</strong> and enable exchange between State/ UT Wetland Authorities, wetland users, managers, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.</li>
<li>It would also <strong>assist the national and State/UT Governments</strong> in the design and implementation of policy and regulatory frameworks, management planning, monitoring and targeted research for wetlands conservation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Wetlands:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wetlands-restoration" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wetlands</strong> </a>are ecosystems saturated with water, either seasonally or permanently. They include <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coringa-mangroves" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>mangroves</strong></a>, marshes, rivers, lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/coral-bleaching" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coral reefs</strong></a>, marine areas no deeper than 6 metres at low tide, as well as human-made wetlands such as waste-water treatment ponds and reservoirs.</li>
<li>Though they cover only around<strong> 6% of the Earth&rsquo;s land</strong> surface, <strong>40% of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance of Wetlands:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment. They<strong> mitigate <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/flood-management-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floods</a>, protect coastlines</strong> and build community resilience to disasters, absorb pollutants and improve water quality.</li>
<li>Wetlands are<strong> critical to human and planet life.</strong> More than <strong>1 billion people depend on them for a living.</strong></li>
<li>They are a <strong>vital source for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines, and hydropower.</strong></li>
<li>30% of land-based <strong>carbon</strong> is stored in peatland (a type of wetlands).</li>
<li>They play an important role in <strong>transport, tourism</strong> and the <strong>cultural and spiritual well-being</strong> of people.</li>
<li>Many wetlands are areas of <strong>natural beauty</strong> and many are important to Aboriginal people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the IPBES <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>(Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)&rsquo;s</strong></a> global assessment, wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem.</li>
<li>Wetlands are <strong>disappearing 3 times faster than forests</strong> due to human activities and global warming.</li>
<li>According to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-week-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO</strong></a>, the threat to wetlands will have an adverse impact on 40% of the world&rsquo;s flora and fauna that live or breed in wetlands.</li>
<li><strong>Major threats:</strong> Agriculture, development, pollution and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Status of Wetlands in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has nearly <strong>4.6% of its land as wetlands,</strong> covering an <strong>area of 15.26 million hectares</strong> and has <strong>42 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites)</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.</li>
<li>There are currently over 2,300 Ramsar Sites around the world.</li>
<li>Recently, India has added <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ladakh-s-tso-kar-wetland-complex-ramsar-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tso Kar Wetland Complex</a></strong> in Ladakh as its 42<sup>nd</sup> Ramsar site.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Wetlands are regulated under the <strong>Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.</strong></li>
<li>The 2010 version of the Rules provided for a<strong> Central Wetland Regulatory Authority,</strong> but new Rules of 2017 replaced it with state-level bodies and created a National Wetland Committee, which functions in an advisory role.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>newer regulations removed some items</strong> from the definition of &ldquo;wetlands&rdquo; including backwaters, lagoons, creeks, and estuaries.</li>
<li>Under the 2017 regulations, process to <strong>identify the wetlands has been delegated to the States.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is located at<strong> Chennai,</strong> Tamil Nadu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Divisions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has various research divisions including, Geospatial Sciences, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Coastal environmental impact assessment, Conservation of Coastal &amp; Marine Resources, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It aims to <strong>promote integrated and sustainable management of the coastal and marine areas</strong> in India for the benefit and wellbeing of the traditional coastal and island communities.</li>
<li>It also intends to promote <strong>sustainable</strong> coasts through increased partnership, conservation practices, scientific research and <strong>knowledge benefit</strong> and well being of the current and future generation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sahyog-app-survey-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Survey of India</strong> </a>and NCSCM have <strong>mapped the Hazard Line for the entire coast of India,</strong> which includes vulnerability mapping of flood, erosion and sea-level rise.</li>
<li>It also <strong>advises the Union and State Governments and other associated stakeholders</strong> on policy, and scientific matters related to<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/integrated-coastal-zone-management-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1694463#:~:text=and%20Climate%20Change-,On%20World%20Wetlands%20Day%20India%20gets%20its,for%20Wetland%20Conservation%20and%20Management.&amp;text=by%20PIB%20Delhi-,On%20the%20occasion%20of%20the%20World%20Wetland%20Day%20and%20as,Forest%20and%20Climate%20Change%2C%20Sh." 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/centre-for-wetland-conservation-and-management'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Fiscal Activism',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/its-goodbye-to-fiscal-orthodoxy/article33734312.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s goodbye to fiscal orthodoxy&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 03/02/2021. It talks about government departure from rigid adherence to fiscal consolidation.</p>
</div>
<p>Affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the flailing Indian economy is marked by contracting GDP requiring a push from the government. In this scenario, the government has resorted to Keynesian economics (government&rsquo;s spending rather than the free hand of the market).</p>
<p>The<a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/03-02-2021#7605" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Budget 2021</strong></a> is a selective departure from the principles of the free market. The government adheres to market orthodoxy elements, such as privatization and a greater role for foreign direct investment but sought to spend more to spur growth.</p>
<p>This can be reflected by the fact that the Finance Minister&rsquo;s speech pledges to lower the fiscal deficit to 4.5% of GDP by 2025-26 and promised to introduce an amendment to the FRBM Act to formalize the new targets (the present target as per the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/flexibility-under-the-frbm-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>FRBM Act</strong></a> is of 3%).</p>
<p>Thus, the Budget marks an important departure from one of the key tenets of the Washington Consensus, the framework for market-oriented economics that has dominated policy-making in most parts of the world. Though this is a step in the right direction, it has some key macroeconomic stability concerns.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612355811_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612355811_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Departure From The Principles of Free-Market Economics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Budget 2021 rests on six pillars:</strong> Health and well-being, physical &amp; financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation, and R&amp;D, and minimum government-maximum governance.</li>
<li>This will require a major increase in funding, not only from the Central Government but also from the states and the private sector. This can be reflected in some of the following highlights of the budget:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The present budget presents <strong>a whopping 34.5% increase</strong> in budget allocation &mdash; Rs 5.54 lakh crore.</li>
<li>The Budget has proposed a new bad bank framework to deal with the problem of non-performing assets. Given the magnitude of NPA, a huge amount of capital will be required to finance it.</li>
<li>The government also announced the setting up of a development finance institution to provide long-term financing for infrastructure projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons for Departure From Fiscal Orthodoxy</h3>
<p><strong>Departure From Rigid Adherence To Fiscal Consolidation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Economic Survey that preceded the Budget laid the groundwork for a departure from rigid adherence to fiscal consolidation.</li>
<li>It has a quote from <strong>economist Olivier Blanchard,</strong> &ldquo;If the interest rate paid by the government is less than the growth rate, then the intertemporal budget constraint facing the government no longer binds.&rdquo;</li>
<li>According to the Economic Survey, in the current situation, expansionary fiscal policy will boost growth, and given India&rsquo;s growth potential, we do not have to worry about debt sustainability until 2030.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Intertemporal Budget Constraint</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The &ldquo;intertemporal budget constraint&rdquo; means that any debt outstanding today must be offset by a future source of revenue of income.</li>
<li>Blanchard was saying that intertemporal budget constraint doesn&rsquo;t apply if the Interest Rate-Growth Differential (IRGD), the difference between the interest rate and growth rate, becomes negative.</li>
<li>In the advanced economies, as interest rates have turned negative, Blanchard&rsquo;s condition has been met. So governments there do not have to worry that deficits will render public debt unsustainable.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Idea Supported By IMF &amp; World Bank</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, both flag-bearers of the Washington Consensus, have been urging a departure from fiscal orthodoxy in the wake of the pandemic.</li>
<li>Both these institutions used to be wary of any increase in the public debt to GDP ratio beyond 100%.</li>
<li>Today, they are urging the advanced economies to spend more by running up deficits even when the debt to GDP ratio is poised to rise to 125% by the end of 2021.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Macroeconomic Stability Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Inflation May Rise:</strong> There is a concern that a large fiscal deficit can fuel a rise in inflation.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, it is more than likely that a change in the fiscal consolidation targets will require a change in the inflation target of 4% set for India&rsquo;s Reserve Bank. However, the Budget makes no mention of such a possibility.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Low Tax-to GDP Ratio:</strong> Another concern is that, with the tax to GDP ratio not rising as expected, the government has to focus on garnering more non-tax revenues through strategic disinvestment, privatization, and monetization of non-core assets.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, these measures have their own issues.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Disinvestment, A High-Risk Strategy:</strong> The sale of public assets has become crucial to a reduction in fiscal deficits in the years ahead. However, this is a high-risk strategy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For years now, revenues from disinvestment have fallen short of targets. For example, Air India&rsquo;s sale, which was begun in 2018, is still dragging on.</li>
<li>Moreover, selling public assets is politically contentious due to public sector unions and job losses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Downgrade of Ratings:</strong> An important consideration is a fear that the rating agencies would downgrade India if total public debt crossed say, 10%-11% of GDP.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>That is a risk that cannot be wished away unless the rating agencies have decided to toe the IMF-World Bank line on fiscal deficits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conflicting With AtmaNirbharta:</strong> Moreover, large-scale privatization almost always involves substantial FDI. Increasing FDI will result in a large rise in foreign presence in the domestic economies.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, a rise in FDI may not reconcile with Atmanirbhar Bharat which connotes greater self-reliance and stronger Indian companies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Crowding Out Effect:</strong> As the government adopts an expansionary fiscal policy stance and increases its spending to boost economic activity.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This leads to an increase in interest rates. Increased interest rates affect private investment decisions.</li>
<li>A high magnitude of the crowding-out effect may even lead to lesser income in the economy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>A departure from fiscal orthodoxy is welcome. But the government needs to think of ways to make it more sustainable.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fdfff2;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Budget 2021 is a departure from a key tenet of the Washington Consensus. Analyze.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/THnDWC5xQEs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/getting-back-on-track/article33721360.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Getting back on track: on Union Budget 2021&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Hindu on February 2<sup>nd</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/fiscal-activism'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Budget 2021 Highlights: Minimum Government, Maximum Governance and Fiscal Position',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting#:~:text=According%20to%20Article%20112%20of,Annual%20Financial%20Statement%20(AFS).&amp;text=The%20economic%20and%20financial%20policy,introduction%20of%20new%20schemes%2Fprojects." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget</strong></a> 2021-22. This was the <strong>first digital budget.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This section deals with the theme<strong> &lsquo;Minimum Government, Maximum Governance&rsquo;</strong> and <strong>Fiscal Position of the government.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Minimum Government, Maximum Governance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Commission for Allied Healthcare Professionals</strong> already introduced to ensure transparent and efficient regulation of the 56 allied healthcare professions.</li>
<li>The<strong> National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill</strong> introduced for the same in the nursing profession.</li>
<li><strong>Proposed Conciliation Mechanism</strong> with mandate for quick resolution of contractual disputes with Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).</li>
<li>Rs. 3,768 crore allocated for<strong> first digital census in the history of India.</strong></li>
<li>Rs. 300 crore grant to the Government of Goa for the diamond jubilee celebrations of the <strong>state&rsquo;s liberation from Portuguese.</strong></li>
<li>Rs. 1,000 crore for the <strong>welfare of Tea workers</strong> especially women and their children in Assam and West Bengal through a special scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fiscal Position:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increased-fiscal-deficit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fiscal deficit</strong></a> stands at 9.5% of the<a href="/printpdf/base-year-for-gdp-calculations#:~:text=GDP%20calculation%20in%20India,difference%20between%20exports%20and%20imports)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Gross Domestic Product (GDP)</strong></a>, and is estimated to be 6.8% in 2021-22.</li>
<li>Plan <strong>to continue on the path of fiscal consolidation,</strong> achieving a fiscal deficit level below 4.5% of GDP by 2025-2026 with a fairly steady decline over the period.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Amendment to <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act</strong></a> proposed to achieve targeted Fiscal Deficit levels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mp-s-salaries-cut-and-mplads-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Contingency Fund of India</strong> </a>is to be augmented from Rs. 500 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore through Finance Bill.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612424389_drishti_ias_budget.jpeg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612424389_drishti_ias_budget.jpeg" width="566" height="319" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Recommendations of Fifteenth Finance Commission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The final report covering 2021-26 was submitted to the President, retaining vertical <strong>shares of states at 41%.</strong></li>
<li>Funds to UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh would be provided by the Centre.</li>
<li>On the Commission&rsquo;s recommendation, <strong>Rs. 1,18,452 crore have been provided as Revenue Deficit Grant to 17 states in 2021-22,</strong> as against Rs. 74,340 crore to 14 states in 2020-21.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Proposals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>No exemption on interest,</strong> if Provident Fund PF contribution is more than Rs. 2.5 lakh.</li>
<li><strong>Exemption from filing tax returns for senior citizens</strong> over 75 years of age and having only pension and interest income; tax to be deducted by paying the bank.</li>
<li><strong>Income Tax settlement commission</strong> abolished.</li>
<li><strong>Higher Tax Collection</strong> at Source rate for <strong>non-filers.</strong></li>
<li>Reducing time to file belated returns.</li>
<li><strong>Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC)</strong> on a small number of items.</li>
<li><strong>Dispute Resolution Committee</strong> to be set up for taxpayers with taxable income up to Rs. 50 lakh and disputed income up to Rs. 10 lakh.</li>
<li><strong>National Faceless Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Centre</strong> to be established.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1693907" 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/budget-2021-highlights-minimum-government-maximum-governance-and-fiscal-position'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Budget 2021 Highlights: Infrastructure',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting#:~:text=According%20to%20Article%20112%20of,Annual%20Financial%20Statement%20(AFS).&amp;text=The%20economic%20and%20financial%20policy,introduction%20of%20new%20schemes%2Fprojects." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget</strong> </a>2021-22. This was the <strong>first digital budget.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This section deals with proposals related to <strong>Infrastructure.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Production Linked Incentive scheme (PLI):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rs. 1.97 lakh crore in next 5 years for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/expansion-of-production-linked-incentive-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PLI schemes</strong> </a>in 13 Sectors to create and nurture manufacturing global champions for an <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>AatmaNirbhar Bharat.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Textiles:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612346861_image6.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612346861_image6.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme</strong> to be introduced.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-national-infrastructure-pipeline-nip-dashboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)</strong></a> expanded to 7,400 projects.</li>
<li>Measures in three thrust areas to <strong>increase funding</strong> for NIP:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Creation of institutional structures:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Set up and capitalise a<strong> Development Financial Institution (DFI).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Big thrust on <strong>monetizing assets.</strong></li>
<li>Enhancing the <strong>share of capital expenditure.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Roads and Highways Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rs. 1,18,101 lakh crore, <strong>highest ever outlay,</strong> for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.</li>
<li>New <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/industrial-corridors-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Economic corridors</strong></a> and <strong>Expressways</strong> being planned.</li>
<li><strong>Advanced Traffic management system</strong> in all new 4 and 6-lane highways.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Railway Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Rail Plan for India (2030)</strong> to create a &ldquo;future ready‟ Railway system by 2030.</li>
<li><strong>100%<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electrification-of-railways#:~:text=Indian%20Railways%20has%20set%20a,as%20compared%20to%202009%2D2014." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> electrification of Broad-Gauge routes</a></strong> to be completed by December, 2023.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dedicated-freight-corridor-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and Eastern DFC</strong></a> to be commissioned by June 2022.</li>
<li>Measures for <strong>passenger convenience and safety:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Aesthetically designed Vista Dome Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coach</strong> on tourist routes for better travel.</li>
<li>High density network and highly utilized network routes to have an<strong> indigenously developed automatic train protection system,</strong> eliminating train collision due to human error.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Urban Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Expansion of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-first-fully-automated-metro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metro rail</a></strong> network and<strong> augmentation of city bus service.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/metro-neo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;MetroLite&rsquo; and &lsquo;MetroNeo&rsquo;</strong></a> technologies will be used to provide metro rail systems at much lesser cost with similar experience.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power Infrastructure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A comprehensive <strong>National Hydrogen Energy Mission 2021-22</strong> to be launched.</li>
<li>Rs. 3,05,984 crore over 5 years for a revamped, reforms-based and result-linked <strong>new power distribution sector scheme.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ports, Shipping, Waterways:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Rs. 2,000 crore worth 7 projects to be offered in <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/ppp-investment-model#:~:text=Public%2DPrivate%20Partnership%20Model%3A%20PPP,be%20completed%20with%20private%20funding." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Public Private Partnership (PPP)</strong></a>-mode in <strong>Financial Year (FY)</strong> 2021-22 for operation of major ports.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Extension of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Ujjwala Scheme</strong></a> to cover 1 crore more beneficiaries.</li>
<li>A new <strong>gas pipeline</strong> project in Jammu &amp; Kashmir.</li>
<li>An independent<strong> Gas Transport System Operator</strong> to be set up for facilitation and coordination of booking of common carrier capacity in all-natural gas pipelines on a non-discriminatory open access basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1693907" 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/budget-2021-highlights-infrastructure'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Budget 2021 Highlights: Health and Wellbeing',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Minister of Finance presented the Union <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/government-budgeting#:~:text=According%20to%20Article%20112%20of,Annual%20Financial%20Statement%20(AFS).&amp;text=The%20economic%20and%20financial%20policy,introduction%20of%20new%20schemes%2Fprojects." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget</strong></a> 2021-22. This was the <strong>first ever digital Union Budget.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is based on<strong> six pillars -</strong> health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&amp;D, and 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance'.</li>
<li>This section deals with the proposals for the Health and Wellbeing Sector.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Budget and Constitutional Provisions</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to<strong> Article 112</strong> of the Indian Constitution, the Union Budget of a year is referred to as the <strong>Annual Financial Statement (AFS).</strong></li>
<li>It is a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government in a <strong>Financial Year</strong> (which begins on 1<sup>st</sup> April of the current year and ends on 31<sup>st</sup> March of the following year).</li>
<li>Overall, the Budget contains:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Estimates of revenue and capital receipts,</li>
<li>Ways and means to raise the revenue,</li>
<li>Estimates of expenditure,</li>
<li>Details of the actual receipts and expenditure of the closing financial year and the reasons for any deficit or surplus in that year, and</li>
<li>The economic and financial policy of the coming year, i.e., taxation proposals, prospects of revenue, spending programme and introduction of new schemes/projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In Parliament, the Budget goes through<strong> six stages:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Presentation of Budget.</li>
<li>General discussion.</li>
<li>Scrutiny by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/extension-of-tenure-of-standing-committees" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Departmental Committees</strong></a>.</li>
<li>Voting on Demands for Grants.</li>
<li>Passing an Appropriation Bill.</li>
<li>Passing of Finance Bill.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Budget Division of the Department of Economic Affairs</strong> in the Ministry of Finance is the nodal body responsible for preparing the Budget.</li>
<li>The <strong>first Budget</strong> of Independent India was presented in <strong>1947.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612347348_image11.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612347348_image11.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Budget Outlay:</strong> Outlay for Health and Wellbeing in 2021-22 as against 2020-21 is an <strong>increase of 137%.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Major Steps:</strong> Steps being taken for improving health and wellbeing:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><strong>Vaccines:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612350951_image12.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612350951_image12.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Rs. 35,000 crore for <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-vaccine-distribution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19 vaccine</a></strong> in Budget Expenditure (BE) 2021-22.</li>
<li>The Made-in-India <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pneumococcal-conjugate-vaccine-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pneumococcal Vaccine</strong></a> to be rolled out across the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Health Systems:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>PM <strong>AatmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana &ndash;</strong> a new centrally sponsored scheme to be launched, in addition to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Health Mission</strong></a> (NHM).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nutrition:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/poshan-abhiyaan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mission Poshan</a> 2.0</strong> to be launched to improve nutritional outcomes across 112 aspirational districts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Universal Coverage of Water Supply:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-jeevan-mission-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jal Jeevan Mission</a> (Urban) - to be launched</strong> - to bring safe water to 2.86 crore households through tap connection.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Swachch Bharat, Swasth Bharat:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Strengthening of<strong> Urban <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission#:~:text=The%20Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission%20(Grameen,launched%20on%20October%202%2C%202014.&amp;text=Together%2C%20they%20aim%20to%20achieve,on%20his%20150th%20Birth%20Anniversary." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Mission</a> 2.0.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Clean Air:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Rs. 2,217 crore to tackle air pollution,</strong> for 42 urban centers with a million plus population.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Scrapping Policy:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Voluntary</strong> vehicle scrapping policy<strong> to phase out old and unfit vehicles.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1693907" 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/budget-2021-highlights-health-and-wellbeing'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => '15th Finance Commission Recommendations: Resource Allocation',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the<strong> government accepted the 15<sup>th</sup><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Finance Commission</a>&rsquo;s recommendation to maintain the States&rsquo; share in the divisible pool of taxes to 41%</strong> for the five-year period starting 2021-22.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Commission&rsquo;s Report was tabled in the Parliament.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Finance Commission (FC)</strong> is a<strong> constitutional body,</strong> that determines the method and formula for <strong>distributing the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax</a> proceeds between the Centre and states,</strong> and among the states as per the constitutional arrangement and present requirements.</li>
<li>Under<strong> Article 280 of the Constitution, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/president-s-powers-to-pardon#:~:text=Pardoning%20Power%20of%20the%20President%20in%20India%3A,is%20a%20sentence%20of%20death." target="_blank" rel="noopener">President of India</a></strong> is required to constitute a Finance Commission at an interval of five years or earlier.</li>
<li>The 15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission was constituted by the President of India in November 2017, <strong>under the chairmanship of NK Singh.</strong> Its recommendations will cover a <strong>period of five years from the year 2021-22 to 2025-26.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vertical Devolution (Devolution of Taxes of the Union to States):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has recommended<strong> maintaining the vertical devolution at 41% -</strong> the same as in its<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/j-k-and-15th-finance-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> interim report for 2020-21.</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is<strong> at the same level of 42% of the divisible pool</strong> as recommended by the <strong>14<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has <strong>made the required adjustment of about 1%</strong> due to the changed status of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into the new <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uts-j-k-and-ladakh#:~:text=The%20two%20new%20UTs%2C%20Ladakh,into%20the%20Union%20of%20India." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Horizontal Devolution (Allocation Between the States):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For horizontal devolution, it has suggested <strong>12.5% weightage to demographic performance, 45% to income, 15% each to population and area, 10% to forest and ecology and 2.5% to tax and fiscal efforts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Revenue Deficit Grants to States:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Revenue deficit grants <strong>emanate from the requirement to meet the fiscal needs of the States</strong> on their revenue accounts that remain to be met, even after considering their own tax and non-tax resources and tax devolution to them.</li>
<li>Revenue Deficit is <strong>defined as</strong> the difference between revenue or current expenditure and revenue receipts, that includes tax and non-tax.</li>
<li>It has recommended post-devolution <strong>revenue deficit grants amounting to about Rs. 3 trillion over the five-year period</strong> ending FY26. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>number of states qualifying</strong> for the revenue deficit grants<strong> decreases from 17 in FY22,</strong> the first year of the award period to 6 in<strong> FY26,</strong> the last year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Performance Based Incentives and Grants to States:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These grants <strong>revolve around four main themes.</strong></li>
<li>The first is the<strong> social sector,</strong> where it has focused on <strong>health and education.</strong></li>
<li>Second is the<strong> rural economy,</strong> where it has focused on <strong>agriculture and the maintenance of rural roads.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The rural economy plays a significant role in the country as it <strong>encompasses two-thirds of the country's population, 70% of the total workforce</strong> and<strong> 46% of national income.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Third,<strong> governance and administrative reforms</strong> under which it has recommended grants for<strong> judiciary, statistics and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/aspirational-districts-programme#:~:text=Aspirational%20Districts%20are%20those%20districts,in%20human%20development%20in%20India." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aspirational districts</a> and blocks.</strong></li>
<li>Fourth, it has developed<strong> a performance-based incentive system for the power sector,</strong> which is not linked to grants but provides an important, additional borrowing window for States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fiscal Space for Centre:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Total <strong>15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission transfers (devolution + grants)</strong> constitutes about <strong>34% of estimated Gross Revenue Receipts</strong> to the Union, <strong>leaving adequate fiscal space</strong> to meet its resource requirements and spending obligations on national development priorities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Grants to Local Governments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Along with grants for municipal services and local government bodies, it includes <strong>performance-based grants for incubation of new cities</strong> and <strong>health grants</strong> to local governments.</li>
<li>In grants for Urban local bodies, <strong>basic grants are proposed only for cities/towns having a population of less than a million.</strong> For <strong>Million-Plus cities,</strong> 100% of the grants are performance-linked through the <strong>Million-Plus Cities Challenge Fund</strong> (MCF).
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>MCF amount is linked to the performance of these cities in <strong>improving their air quality</strong> and meeting the service level benchmarks for <strong>urban drinking water supply, sanitation and solid waste management.</strong><strong></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Criticism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Performance based incentives disincentivizes independent decision-making.</strong> Any conditions on the state's ability to borrow will have an adverse effect on the spending by the state, particularly on development thus,<strong> undermines cooperative fiscal federalism.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>does not hold the Union government accountable for its own fiscal prudence</strong> and dilutes the joint responsibility that the Union and States have.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Horizontal Devolution Criteria</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Population:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The population of a State<strong> represents the needs of the State to undertake expenditure</strong> for providing services to its residents.</li>
<li>It is also <strong>a simple and transparent indicator</strong> that has a significant equalising impact.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Area:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>larger the area, greater is the expenditure requirement</strong> for providing comparable services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forest and Ecology:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By taking into account the share of dense forest of each state in the aggregate dense forest of all the states, the share on this criteria is determined.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Income Distance:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Income distance is the <strong>distance of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of a particular state from the state with the highest GSDP.</strong></li>
<li>To maintain inter state equity, the <strong>states with lower per capita income would be given a higher share. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Demographic Performance: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It<strong> rewards efforts made by states in controlling their population.</strong></li>
<li>This criterion has been computed by <strong>using the reciprocal of the total fertility ratio of each state,</strong> scaled by 1971 population data.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This has been done to <strong>assuage the fears of southern States</strong> about losing some share in tax transfers due to the reliance on the 2011 Census data instead of the 1971 census, which could penalise States that did better on managing demographics.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>States with a lower fertility ratio will be scored higher</strong> on this criterion. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indias-falling-fertility-rate#:~:text=India's%20total%20fertility%20rate%20(TFR,2.3%20between%202013%20and%202016." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Total Fertility Ratio</strong> </a>in a specific year is defined as the total number of children that would be born to each woman if she/they were to pass through the childbearing years bearing children according to a current schedule of age-specific fertility rates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Effort:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This criterion has been <strong>used to reward states with higher tax collection efficiency.</strong></li>
<li>It has been computed as the ratio of the average per capita own tax revenue and the average per capita state GDP during the three-year period between 2016-17 and 2018-19.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612339962_image15.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612339962_image15.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1693868" 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/15th-finance-commission-recommendations-resource-allocation'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'India Role In African Recovery',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/towards-a-healthy-india-africa-partnership/article33709946.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;Towards a &lsquo;healthy&rsquo; India-Africa partnership&rdquo;</a> which was published in The Hindu Business line on 01/02/2021. It talks about India-Africa cooperation to combat devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>
</div>
<p>With regular high-level visits, increasing diplomatic footprint, diversified engagement across sectors, and a vibrant diaspora, the India-Africa relationship has picked up momentum in the recent past.</p>
<p>However, on the economic front, Africa has been deeply affected by the pandemic due to reduced trade and other markets causing a supply-and-demand shock. This disruption may cause a setback to the years of progress made in India-Africa relations.</p>
<p>Therefore, in the light of India&rsquo;s stakes in Africa, India should reach out to African nations in a variety of ways to help them deal with the Covid devastation.</p>
<h3>Areas of Cooperation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Social Infrastructure:</strong> Already, the India-Africa social infrastructure (education, health, skills) cooperation is multidimensional, comprehensive, and involves national, state, and subnational actors working toward augmenting African institutional and individual capacities.</li>
<li><strong>Common Geo-Political Interests:</strong> India and Africa have common interests on international issues; UN reforms, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, cybersecurity, and energy security.</li>
<li><strong>Economic Cooperation:</strong> India&rsquo;s economic engagement with Africa is substantive.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the last decade and a half, trade between India and Africa has multiplied and diversified&ndash;bilateral trade of $63.3 billion in 2018-19 made India the third-largest trading partner for the continent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Support in Fight Against Covid-19:</strong> Under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/vice-president-s-visit-to-comoros-and-sierra-leone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">e-ITEC initiative</a>, India has shared Covid-19 management strategies, training webinars exclusively to train healthcare professionals from Africa by Indian health experts.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is also sending consignments of essential medicines, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol, to many African countries in addition to doctors and paramedics.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Combating Neo-Colonialism:</strong> China has a longer and deeper association in the continent, but it is facing a backlash over the pandemic worldwide.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China has gained a reputation as an economic colonizer&ndash;exploiting the need for capital by under-developed economies to hand over big infrastructure projects to China.</li>
<li>Therefore, Chinese investment is seen as neo-colonial as it focuses on money, political influence, hard-infrastructure projects, and resource extraction.</li>
<li>On the other hand, India&rsquo;s approach focuses on building local capacities and an equal partnership with Africans and not merely with African elites concerned.</li>
<li>In this context, though Africa has been actively engaged with China, it wants India to act as a balancer and net security provider.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Vaccine Diplomacy:</strong> As the &ldquo;pharmacy of the world,&rdquo; a priority area of collaboration would be to ensure direct participation in Covid-19 relief and equitable vaccine access efforts followed by a plan for comprehensive strengthening of Africa&rsquo;s health systems.</li>
<li><strong>Economic Convergence:</strong> The Free Trade Agreement has been negotiated within Africa. It&rsquo;s a matter of time for it to be implemented and will be a game-changer.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this context, creating a market for 1.3 billion people in Africa would provide Indian manufacturers with economies of scale and scope to compete internationally.</li>
<li>It could also lead to generations of employment, facilitate skill and technology transfers, and help bridge the existing knowledge gap.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India Becoming Voice of Africa:</strong> India can also take the lead in initiating and pushing for more multilateral efforts by stakeholders like the WHO or the UN to do more for African recovery.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India and Africa should plan to expand their multi-faceted partnership by jointly combating the Covid and focusing on their strengths to address global challenges -- climate change, extremism, counter-terrorism, transnational crimes, and maritime security.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>While it can be argued that the Covid-19 crisis has had serious implications for India and the country has huge domestic obligations to deal with, partnering with Africa at this critical juncture in our shared reality will add immense value to the rich historicity of India-Africa solidarity.</p>
<table border="1" style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #e3fbfc; border-color: #01858a;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question<br /><br /></strong></em>Partnering with Africa to combat the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will add immense value to India-Africa solidarity&rsquo;s rich historicity. Discuss.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_EZ14ohTnik" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/growth-with-inequality-the-hindu-editorial-on-economic-survey-2021/article33711489.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Growth with inequality: On Economic Survey 2021"</a> published in The Hindu on February,1st 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-role-in-african-recovery'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Regulations on FCRA Contributions',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)</strong> issued <strong>new regulating guidelines to banks under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fcra-clearance-of-6-ngos-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010</a></strong>. It states that the <strong>donations received in Indian rupees by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fcra-clearance-of-6-ngos-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-governmental organisations (NGOs)</a></strong> and associations <strong>from any foreign source</strong> (even if that source is located in India at the time of such donation) should be treated as <strong>foreign contribution</strong>.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the New Guidelines:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Widening the Scope of Foreign Contribution:</strong> Under the issued regulations, donations given in Indian rupees (INR) by any foreigner/foreign source including foreigners of Indian origin like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/overseas-citizenship-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)</strong></a> <strong>or Person of India Origin (PIO)</strong> cardholders should also be treated as foreign contribution.</li>
<li><strong>Meeting the Standards of FATF:</strong> The guidelines mandate that good practices should be followed by NGOs in accordance with standards of global financial watchdog- <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/financial-action-task-force-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Action Task Force (FATF)</strong></a>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It asked NGOs to inform the Ministry about &ldquo;suspicious activities&rdquo; of any donor or recipient and &ldquo;take due diligence of its employees at the time of recruitment.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Existing Rules:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mandatory Reporting by Banks:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All banks have to report the receipt or utilisation of any<strong> foreign contribution by any NGO,</strong> association or person to the Central government <strong>within 48 hours,</strong> whether or not they are registered or granted prior permission under the <strong>Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) 2010</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prescribed Banking Channels:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In September 2020, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/foreign-contribution-regulation-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act (FCRA), 2020</strong></a> was passed by the Parliament.</li>
<li>A new provision that<strong> makes it mandatory for all NGOs to receive foreign funds in a designated bank account at the State Bank of India&rsquo;s New Delhi branch</strong> was inserted.</li>
<li>All NGOs seeking foreign donations have to open a designated FCRA account at the SBI branch or link their existing account to it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons for FCRA Regulations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The annual inflow of foreign contribution has almost doubled between the years 2010 and 2019, but many recipients of foreign contribution <strong>are being not utilised the same for the purpose for which they were registered or granted prior permission</strong> under amended provisions of the FCRA 2010.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Recently, the Union Home Ministry has <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fcra-clearance-of-6-ngos-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>suspended licenses of the six (NGOs)</strong></a> who were alleged to have used foreign contributions for religious conversion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To ensure that such contributions <strong>do not adversely affect the internal security</strong> of the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Recently the <strong>National Investigation Agency (NIA)</strong> registered a case against a foreign based group that provides funds for secessionist and pro-Khalistani activities in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These regulations <strong>could enhance transparency and accountability</strong> in the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Controversies Related to FCRA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scope not defined:</strong> It prohibits the receipt of foreign contributions &ldquo;for any activities detrimental to the national interest&rdquo; or the &ldquo;economic interest of the state&rdquo;.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, there is no clear guidance on what constitutes &ldquo;public interest&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limits Fundamental Rights:</strong> The FCRA restrictions have <strong>serious consequences on both the rights to free speech</strong> and <strong>freedom of association</strong> under <strong>Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(c)</strong> of the Constitution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Foreign funding of persons in India is regulated under FCRA Act and is implemented by <strong>the Ministry of Home Affairs</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Individuals are permitted to accept foreign contributions without permission of MHA. However, the monetary limit for acceptance of such <strong>foreign contributions shall be less than Rs. 25,000</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Act ensures that the recipients of foreign contributions <strong>adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained</strong>.</li>
<li>Under the Act, organisations are required to register themselves <strong>every five years</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Prohibition to accept foreign contribution:</strong> The Act bars public servants from receiving foreign contributions. Public servant includes any person who is in service or pay of the government, or remunerated by the government for the performance of any public duty.</li>
<li><strong>Transfer of foreign contribution:</strong> The Act prohibits the transfer of foreign contribution to any other person not registered to accept foreign contributions.</li>
<li><strong>Aadhaar for registration:</strong> The Act makes Aadhaar number mandatory for all office bearers, directors or key functionaries of a person receiving foreign contribution, as an identification document.</li>
<li><strong>FCRA account:</strong> The Act states that foreign contribution must be received only in an account designated by the bank as FCRA account in such branches of the State Bank of India, New Delhi.</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in use of foreign contribution for administrative purposes:</strong> The Act proposes that not more than 20% of the total foreign funds received could be defrayed for administrative expenses. In FCRA 2010 the limit was 50%.</li>
<li><strong>Surrender of certificate:</strong> The Act allows the central government to permit a person to surrender their registration certificate.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Excessive regulation on foreign contribution may affect working of the NGOs</strong> which are helpful in implementing government schemes at the grassroots. They fill the gaps, where the government fails to do their jobs.</li>
<li>The regulation <strong>should not hamper sharing of resources across national boundaries</strong> essential to the functioning of a global community, and should not be discouraged unless there is reason to believe the funds are being used to aid illegal activities.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-tightens-oversight-on-funds-received-by-ngos/article33699682.ece#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20Home%20Affairs%20(MHA)%20has%20laid%20down%20a,treated%20as%20%E2%80%9Cforeign%20contribution%E2%80%9D." 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/regulations-on-fcra-contributions'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Whatsapp and Violation of Privacy',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcpotnpi0rU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Whatsapp, one of the most popular messaging apps, has <strong>updated</strong> its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-whatsapp-policy-privacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>privacy policy</strong></a> and has asked its users to accept the new terms and conditions by 8 February, 2021</li>
<li>The new policy has come into discussion on the issue of how user data is impacted given its <strong>integration with another social media major Facebook,</strong> which also happens to be WhatsApp&rsquo;s parent company.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There has been a huge concern over the new privacy policy due to a large population dependent on the app for various purposes of information sharing, entertainment etc.</li>
<li>On the raising concerns, Whatsapp has responded &ldquo;The <strong>update does not change WhatsApp&rsquo;s data sharing practices</strong> with Facebook and <strong>does not impact how people communicate privately</strong> with friends or family WhatsApp remains deeply committed to protecting people&rsquo;s privacy.&rdquo;</li>
<li>This is a <strong>forced consent</strong> taken from the users as it does not leave them with much of a choice. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Those who do not accept the updated policy, will no longer be able to access the chats on the messaging platform.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Besides breaching users&rsquo; privacy, the policy is also <strong>discriminatory</strong> as it is <strong>not applicable to the United Kingdom and the European Union</strong> but must be accepted by the rest of the world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Features of the Policy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It requires users to consent to sharing <strong>transaction data, mobile device information, IP address,</strong> and data on how they interact with businesses with Facebook group companies.</li>
<li>The policy allows WhatsApp and Facebook to share user information with businesses and third-party service providers that transact on these platforms.</li>
<li>Besides the technical front, even on the analytics front the consent has been asked to <strong>share details such as the login details and the locational details</strong>.</li>
<li>WhatsApp&rsquo;s end-to-end encryption clause still remains intact, but this only ensures that it won&rsquo;t be able to see or share the users&rsquo; messages.</li>
<li>With the updated privacy policy, WhatsApp can now share one&rsquo;s <strong>metadata</strong> - which is essentially everything beyond just the textual conversation - with Facebook and other apps coming under the parent company.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Metadata is data of the data, provides description and context of the data and helps to organize and understand it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Whatsapp and India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Whatsapp is the most popular messaging platform in India, owned by Facebook since February, 2014.</li>
<li>India accounts for <strong>400 million</strong> of the total 2 billion <strong>WhatsApp users</strong> and <strong>310 million users on Facebook</strong> globally.</li>
<li>Also, India is the first country for WhatsApp to launch <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/whatsapp-upi-and-npci-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>payment services</strong></a>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has received permission from Indian regulators to go live with 20 million users so far.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Despite such a wide user base, India has been asked for a forced consent only because India is in a <strong>dearth of a stringent data protection law</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues with Social Media Platforms</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Almost 75% of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/cyber-crime-data-deprivation-and-data-localisation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cyber crimes</strong></a> such as <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/child-sex-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>child sexual abuse</strong></a>, terrorist radicalisation or financial crime or disturbance of law and order with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/the-problem-of-fake-news-in-india-issues-concerns-and-regulation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fake news</strong></a>, start with either <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/multi-state-phishing-scam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>phishing</strong></a> or social engineering attack through these messaging apps or social media. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Social engineering</strong> is manipulating people in order to obtain confidential information such as usually tricking an individual into sharing crucial information such as passwords or bank information, or accessing a computer to secretly install malicious software.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Countries such as the US have provided a safe harbour to these social media service providers via <strong>section 230 (c) of its Communications Decency Act, 1996</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such actions often make these platforms a breeding ground of crimes.</li>
<li>Besides, it also makes a country&rsquo;s sovereignty a subject to the company&rsquo;s policy which is a great anomaly.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are encrypted messages that nobody else can access. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Encryption is beneficial but it is more about how a tool is utilised than just about a tool.</li>
<li>Encryption is used to perpetuate crimes, and in such cases, it is very difficult to obtain any evidence.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Data Protection in India and Other Countries</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>128 out of 194 countries</strong> had put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Africa and Asia show a similar level of adoption with 55% of countries having adopted such legislations from which 23 are least developed countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India:</strong> Although the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/privacy-judgement-and-the-aftermath#:~:text=Two%20years%20ago%2C%20in%20August,and%20liberty%20under%20Article%2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Puttaswamy Judgment</strong></a> talks for privacy as a fundamental right, India for real, <strong>does not have a strict law</strong> or any specific provisions for the protection of an individual&rsquo;s data. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/draft-personal-data-protection-bill-2019#:~:text=It%20is%20commonly%20referred%20to,which%20can%20identify%20the%20individual" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP)</strong></a>. that seeks to provide for the protection of personal data of individuals is <strong>still a debated topic</strong> in the Parliament of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Russia:</strong> The Russian Federation has separate legislations regarding <strong>Electronic Transactions</strong> and draft legislations for <strong>Consumer Protection</strong> as well as <strong>Privacy and Data Protection</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The key legislation is Federal Law No. 15-FZ on Personal Data 2006 (the Personal Data Law), which is supplemented by numerous additional laws, regulations and guidelines.</li>
<li>The combination of a number of Russian laws provides comprehensive privacy protection across all sectors</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>European Union:</strong> 43 countries in the European Union (out of 45) have legislation specifically for data protection.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>WhatsApp is legally bound to not share data with Facebook in the European Region because it&rsquo;s a contravention of the provisions of the <strong>General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>GDPR is a regulation in the European Union law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>United Kingdom:</strong> The UK has separate laws for electronic transactions, consumer protection, privacy &amp; data protection and cybercrimes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2018, the UK's Information Commissioner&rsquo;s Office (ICO) got WhatsApp to <strong>sign an undertaking</strong> in which it has <strong>committed publicly not to share personal data</strong> with Facebook in the future until the two services can do it in a way that is compliant with GDPR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA:</strong> The US has sector specific data protection laws and regulations that work together with state-level legislation to safeguard American citizens&rsquo; data such as <strong>Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), NIST 800-171</strong> etc.</li>
<li><strong>Australia:</strong> The <strong>Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act)</strong> is an Australian law which regulates the handling of personal information about individuals.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Implementation of the PDP Bill:</strong> It has been enough time since the debates on the PDP Bill have been going on, now is the high time for its implementation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Absence of a rigid law means that there is no relief that a user can get in case of a breach or misuse of data.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prioritising the privacy:</strong> With shifting towards digitisation in education, entertainment, banking and almost everything, it is time now that people understand that privacy is very crucial and shall not be compromised at any cost. The way forward is <strong>more user-privacy-centered apps</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Own Apps:</strong> India shall develop its own digital sovereignty and its own Apps.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Apps would agree to the <strong>nine privacy principles</strong> as mentioned in the <strong>AP Shah committee</strong>.</li>
<li>The committee recommended an overarching law to protect privacy and personal data in the private and public spheres.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It talks about accountability, notice, consent, limitation of collection, limitation of use, access and corrections and safeguards.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uninstalling the App is not a Solution:</strong> Deleting the App does not do it all, the data that already exists, stays with the company and will still be shared among the other Apps. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The governments of various nations have to respond to these kinds of discriminations and make sure that if there are any such policies, it should either be for all or for none.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The privacy policy of Whatsapp must be a contract between the company and its users where the latter must be allowed with the rights to preserve its privacy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The confidentiality of the information of the users that must be maintained, is clearly being violated by Whatsapp&rsquo;s new policy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India is in dire need of a law that protects the sensitive information of its citizens and also prevents them from being exploited by any such organisation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is a country with a database of 400 million users whose privacy cannot be accepted if breached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The discriminatory policy of Whatsapp calls for India to make provisions that assert its intolerance towards any sort of discrepancies and that India prefers a more equitable approach.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>MeitY&rsquo;s letter to Whatsapp</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)</strong> has sent a strongly worded letter to the CEO of WhatsApp, asking the company to <strong>withdraw its unilateral privacy policy changes</strong> calling them unfair and unacceptable.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In its letter, MeitY has said the terms of service and the proposed privacy policy are an <strong>&lsquo;all-or-nothing&rsquo; approach,</strong> which take away any meaningful choice from Indian users.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>MeitY has also <strong>raised objections to the differential treatment</strong> accorded by WhatsApp to its users in India compared with those in the European Union.</li>
<li>WhatsApp&rsquo;s new privacy policy <strong>was to be implemented from February 8</strong> but has been<strong> put on hold till May 15</strong> due to user backlash; the policy aims to share commercial user data with parent company Facebook.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The ministry has sought details about exact categories of data that WhatsApp will collect from Indian users.</li>
<li>The App has also been asked to provide details about the difference between its privacy policies in India and other countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/whatsapp-and-violation-of-privacy'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'UK Visa Scheme For Hong Kong Residents',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>UK has launched a special visa scheme that will allow the Hong Kong residents</strong> a chance to migrate and eventually apply for British citizenship.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The move came months after China imposed a <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-hong-kong-national-security-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>national security law</strong></a> over Hong Kong enabling it to curb the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hongkong-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019 pro-democracy like protests</a> in future and also to <strong>override the powers of the government</strong> in Hong Kong.</li>
<li>The move is <strong>considered the UK&rsquo;s most generous welcoming of foreign workers</strong> since the entry of new <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>European Union (EU)</strong></a> citizens in 2004 - when 10 countries were added to the bloc - at a time when the UK was also a member. The <strong>UK <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/brexit-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">officially left the EU</a></strong> on 31<sup>st</sup> January 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612252637_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612252637_image1.png" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" width="426" height="389" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Since July 2020, after the national security law was implemented, the <strong>British government has already allowed around 7,000 people from Hong Kong</strong> to move to its shores.</li>
<li>These were <strong>allowed permission to migrate not through the visa scheme, but through government action on compassionate grounds</strong>.</li>
<li>In response to the Law, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/australia-suspends-extradition-treaty-with-hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Australia</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uk-suspends-extradition-treaty-with-hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Britain</strong></a> and Canada have also suspended their <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hong-kong-s-extradition-treaties-suspended" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extradition treaties</strong></a> with Hong Kong.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conditions for the Special Visa Scheme:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The visas will be issued to those in Hong Kong holding a <strong>British National (Overseas) passport</strong> and their immediate dependents, and will offer a fast track to UK citizenship.</li>
<li>Applicants who get the visa <strong>can live and work in the UK for 5 years,</strong> after which they <strong>apply for settlement</strong>.<strong> Twelve months after</strong> this, they can <strong>apply for citizenship</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reason for Announcing Visa Scheme (National Security Law):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Threat from National Security Law:</strong> China implemented new national security law for Hong Kong, that <strong>could impose the People's Republic of China's arbitrary and opaque criminal system onto the Hong Kong common law system</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>National security act</strong> is seen as breach of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-security-law-in-hong-kong" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Basic Law</strong></a>, <strong>the mini-constitution</strong> which defines ties between Hong Kong and Beijing (China&rsquo;s capital).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Provisions of National Security Law:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Crimes of <strong>secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces</strong> are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison.</li>
<li><strong>Damaging public transport facilities</strong> can be considered terrorism.</li>
<li>Those found guilty will <strong>not be allowed to stand for public office</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Establishment of a new security office in Hong Kong,</strong> with its own law enforcement personnel - neither of which would come under the local authority's jurisdiction.</li>
<li>Hong Kong will <strong>have to establish its own national security commission</strong> to enforce the laws, with a China-appointed adviser.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This office can send some cases to be tried in mainland China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hong Kong's chief executive will have the power to appoint judges to hear national security cases, raising <strong>fears about judicial autonomy of Hong Kong</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>China</strong> will also have the <strong>power over how the law should be interpreted</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>UK&rsquo;s Stand:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The imposition of the security law <strong>&ldquo;a serious and clear breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration&rdquo;, referring to a 1984 treaty</strong> between the two countries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under the Treaty, <strong>China promised to honour Hong Kong&rsquo;s liberal policies,</strong> system of governance, independent judiciary, and individual freedoms <strong>for a period of 50 years from 1997</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China&rsquo;s Stand:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China <strong>criticised the UK move</strong>. The British side <strong>disregarded the fact that Hong Kong returned to China 24 years ago</strong>.</li>
<li>China also said that it would <strong>no longer be recognising BN(O) passports,</strong> saying that the <strong>citizenship offer &ldquo;seriously infringed&rdquo; on China&rsquo;s sovereignty</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Hong Kong was formerly a British colony</strong> and was <strong>handed over to mainland China in 1997,</strong> becoming one of its <strong>Special Administrative Regions (SAR)</strong>.</li>
<li>It is <strong>governed by a mini-constitution called the Basic Law,</strong> which affirms the principle of <strong>&ldquo;one country, two systems&rdquo;</strong>.</li>
<li>The constitutional document is a product of the <strong>1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration,</strong> under which China promised to honour Hong Kong&rsquo;s liberal policies, system of governance, independent judiciary, and individual freedoms for a period of 50 years from 1997.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The present Visa regime <strong>will enable the people of Hong Kong to evade the secretive, authoritarian and coercive actions of China</strong> under national security act, however long term solutions can be attained by arbitration and conciliation with all the stakeholders to secure the interests of people of Hong Kong.</li>
<li><strong>National security law endangers Hong Kong&rsquo;s position as an East Asian trading hub,</strong> and along with the UK's action it should invite global criticism for Beijing, which is already being accused of withholding key information related to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/uk-pm-johnson-immensely-proud-as-visa-offer-for-hong-kong-citizens-launches-7166184/" 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/uk-visa-scheme-for-hong-kong-residents'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Ageing Dams',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-problem-of-ageing-dams/article33711348.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The problem of ageing dams&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 01/02/2021. It talks about the issue of ageing dams in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, a UN University report titled "Ageing water infrastructure: An emerging global risk", held that by 2050, most people on Earth would live downstream of tens of thousands of large dams built in the 20<sup>th</sup> century, many of them including India&rsquo;s already operating at or beyond their design life, putting lives and property at risk.</p>
<p>Ageing signs of dams include increasing cases of dam failures, progressively increasing costs of dam repair and maintenance, increasing reservoir sedimentation, and loss of a dam's functionality and effectiveness.</p>
<p>India is ranked third in the world in terms of building large dams. Of the over 5,200 large dams built so far, about 1,100 large dams have already reached 50 years of age, and some are older than 120 years.</p>
<p>Moreover, hundreds of thousands of medium and minor dams are even more precarious as their shelf life is even lower than large dams. India&rsquo;s aging dams can threaten water security, affect farmers&rsquo; income, and increase flooding. Thus, there is an urgent need to tackle this crisis.</p>
<h3>Issues Related to Ageing Dam</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Faster Rate of Storage Loss:</strong> As dams age, soil replaces the water in the reservoirs. Therefore, the storage capacity cannot be claimed to be the same as in the 1900s and 1950s.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, the storage space in Indian reservoirs is receding at a rate faster than anticipated. Reservoirs are poised to become extinct in less than a few decades, with untold consequences already underway.</li>
<li>A 2003 report observed that India&rsquo;s iconic Bhakra dam&rsquo;s siltation rate is 139.86% higher than originally assumed.</li>
<li>At this rate, the Bhakra dam is now expected to function for merely 47 years, virtually halved from the original estimate of 88 years&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Climate Change:</strong> The rising frequency and severity of flooding and other extreme environmental events can overwhelm a dam's design limits and accelerate a dam's ageing process.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, it is important to note with increasing floods; climate change will accelerate the dam ageing process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Structurally Vulnerable Dams:</strong> Almost every scholarly study on reservoir sedimentation shows that Indian reservoirs are designed with a poor understanding of sedimentation science.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Moreover, Any large storage structure, be it concrete, masonry, or earth, can become structurally weak with time. Such is the case with a number of old dams in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Storage Information:</strong> The loss of large dams&rsquo; storage capacity over time is part of the dam ageing process.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, this information continues to be sporadically documented in India and serves as a blind spot in terms of understanding the true gravity of the water crisis in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Consequences of Ageing Dams</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Impacting Food Security:</strong> When soil replaces the water in reservoirs, supply gets choked. In this case, the cropped area may begin receiving less and less water as time progresses.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As a result, the net sown water area either shrink in size or depends on rains or groundwater, which is over-exploited.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impacting Farmers&rsquo; Income:</strong> As crop yield may get affected severely, it would disrupt the farmer&rsquo;s income.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Moreover, water is a crucial factor for crop yield and credit, crop insurance, and investment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increased Flooding:</strong> The flawed siltation rates reinforce the argument that the designed flood cushion within several reservoirs across many river basins may have already depleted substantially, due to which floods have become more frequent downstream of dams.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The flooding of Bharuch in 2020, Kerala in 2018, and Chennai in 2015 are a few examples attributed to downstream releases from reservoirs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Attracting Global Attention:</strong> There is a need to attract global attention to the issue of ageing water storage infrastructure and stimulate international efforts to deal with this emerging, rising water risk.</li>
<li><strong>Sustainable Decommissioning:</strong> Decommissioning will also have various positive and negative economic, social, and ecological impacts to be considered in a local and regional social, economic, and geographic context "critical to protect the broader, sustainable development objectives for a region."</li>
<li><strong>Transparency in Information:</strong> India&rsquo;s water organizations have to be more transparent concerning dysfunctional and deteriorating large dams.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, real-time information on the live storage capacity of large storage structures should be made available.</li>
<li>A realistic estimate of the country&rsquo;s irrigation potential needs to be made based on this for proper planning and management of available water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Alternative Measures:</strong> Water policymakers, planners, and water managers need to think of alternative plans for large storage structures. Some alternatives include:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Selecting sites for construction of water harvesting structures of varying capacities;</li>
<li>Building medium or minor irrigation-based small storage structures;</li>
<li>Identifying mechanisms to recharge aquifers and store water underground;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>India will eventually feel difficulty in finding sufficient water in the 21<sup>st</sup> century to feed the rising population by 2050, grow abundant crops, create sustainable cities, or ensure growth. Therefore, all stakeholders must come together to address this situation urgently.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffff7;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India&rsquo;s aging dams can threaten water security, affect farmers&rsquo; income, and increase flooding. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GeG6MaW8tjI" 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/covid-19-economy-imf-gdp-growth-7165745/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;On the upswing&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Indian Express on January 29<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/ageing-dams'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'NITI Aayog’s Proposal for Little Andaman',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a plan named the<strong> Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island Vision Document</strong> by<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> NITI Aayog</strong></a> for the sustainable and holistic development of the 680 sq km,<strong> fragile Little Andaman Island</strong> in the<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-nicobar-islands-rich-faunal-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Andaman and Nicobar island</a> group</strong> has raised alarm among conservationists.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier in 2020, the Prime Minister declared that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-and-nicobar-islands-to-be-maritime-and-startup-hub" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Andaman and Nicobar islands will be developed as a "maritime and startup hub".</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612176760_image9.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612176760_image9.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Purpose:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To leverage the <strong>strategic location</strong> and natural features of the island.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The islands are critical for India's security because of their strategic location in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-and-emerging-concerns-in-indian-ocean-neighbourhood" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Ocean Region</strong></a> (IOR).</li>
<li>Better infrastructure and connectivity will help India enhance its military and naval strength in the islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Plan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Building a new <strong>greenfield coastal city,</strong> that will be <strong>developed as a free trade zone</strong> and will <strong>compete with Singapore and Hong Kong.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Three Zones:</strong> It has divided the development in<strong> three zones:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Zone 1 :</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Spread over <strong>102 sq km alongside the east coast of Little Andaman.</strong></li>
<li>It would be the monetary district and medi metropolis and can embody an aerocity, and a tourism and hospital district.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Zone 2:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Spread over <strong>85 sq km</strong> of pristine forest.</li>
<li>It is the leisure zone, can have a movie metropolis, <strong>a residential district and a tourism<a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/07-02-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Special Economic Zone</a> (SEZ).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Zone 3 :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Spread over <strong>52 sq km</strong> of pristine forest.</li>
<li>It shall be a<strong> nature zone,</strong> additional categorized into three districts: an unique forest resort, a nature therapeutic district and a nature retreat, all on the western coast.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transport Development:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A <strong>worldwide airport</strong> able to deal with all varieties of plane is central to the plan as a global airport is vital for growth.</li>
<li>The solely<strong> jetty on the island might be expanded</strong> and a marina might be developed subsequent to the tourist entertainment district.</li>
<li>A 100 km <strong>greenfield ring highway</strong> might be constructed parallel to the shoreline from east to west and might be supplemented with a mass fast transit community with stations at common intervals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Bottlenecks:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lack of fine connectivity</strong> with Indian mainland and world cities.</li>
<li><strong>Fragile biodiversity</strong> and natural ecosystems and certain <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong></a> notifications that pose an obstacle to development.</li>
<li>Another key issue is the<strong> presence of indigenous tribes</strong> and concerns for their welfare.</li>
<li>95% of Little Andaman is covered in forest, a big part of it the pristine evergreen sort. Some 640 sq km of the island is<strong> Reserve Forest</strong> under the <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/indian-forest-act-1927#:~:text=The%20Indian%20Forest%20Act%2C1927,Forest%20or%20a%20Village%20Forest.&amp;text=After%20the%20Forest%20Act%20was,twice%20(1878%20and%201927)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Forest Act</a> 1927,</strong> and almost 450 sq km is protected because of the <strong>Onge Tribal Reserve,</strong> creating a singular and uncommon socio-ecological-historical complex of high importance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Solution Proposed in the Plan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The proposal wants 240 sq km (35%) of this land and the options are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>De-reserve 32%</strong> of the reserved forest and <strong>de-notify 138 sq km or 31% of the tribal reserve.</strong></li>
<li>If the tribals develop into an obstacle, the proposal says that they can be relocated to other parts of the island.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flaws in the Proposal:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It talks of conservation of nationwide park/wildlife sanctuary on Little Andaman when none exist right here and it has <strong>no mention of the geological vulnerability of the place,</strong> which was amongst the worst-affected within the<a href="/to-the-points/paper1/earthquake-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> earthquake</strong></a>-<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tsunami-early-warning-system-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tsunami</a></strong> combination in 2004. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The waves hit Little Andaman so hard that the <strong>breakwater there was not just breached, it was physically displaced</strong> and it&rsquo;s orientation changed. Ships couldn&rsquo;t berth for weeks thereafter.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The plan has<strong> no financial details, no budgeting, or inventorisation of forests</strong> and ecological wealth and<strong> no particulars of any impact assessment.</strong></li>
<li>The nature resort proposed at West Bay on the western coast is to have theme resorts, floating/underwater resorts, seaside inns, and high-end residential villas. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is today a secluded and difficult to reach part and one of the most vital nesting sites of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-turtle-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Giant Leatherback sea turtle.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Forest Department&rsquo;s Concern:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In a note, Divisional Forest Officer, Little Andaman, raised severe considerations about this proposal on grounds of <strong>ecological fragility, indigenous rights and vulnerability to earthquakes and tsunamis.</strong></li>
<li>It mentioned that such a large diversion of forest land would <strong>cause environmental loss leading to irreversible damage.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Habitats of various wild animals</strong> will be affected.</li>
<li>The proposal couldn&rsquo;t even be assessed as a result of there being <strong>no <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/environmental-impact-assessment-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environment impact assessment</a> report</strong> and neither had there been any detailed site layout plans for the proposed diversion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Little Andaman Island</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This island is<strong> part of the Little Andaman Group</strong> (Little Andaman is the counterpart of Great Andamans). This island is the<strong> fourth largest island in Andamans.</strong></li>
<li>It is famous by the name of its main village and the largest settlement <strong>&ndash;Hut Bay</strong> (rarely known by its other name <strong>Kwate-tu-kwage).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At a distance of about 120 Kilometers by sea from the capital town of Port Blair, this island has become a <strong>tribal reserve from sometime near to 1957.</strong></li>
<li>This is considered <strong>home to the Onge Tribes,</strong> even though there are <strong>multilingual settlers of Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Ranchi communities.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Location and Transport:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lying at the<strong> southern end of the archipelago, Hut Bay Jetty is the only harbor for ships or boats</strong> coming into this island from the capital town &ndash;Port Blair.</li>
<li>Little Andamans is less explored due to the<strong> limited mode of connection</strong> with the capital town of Port Blair.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/financial-tourist-complex-on-little-andaman-a-bullet-through-an-islands-heart/article33710255.ece#:~:text=The%20vision%20document%2C%20described%20by,tribal%20reserve%20on%20Little%20Andaman.%5C" 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/niti-aayog-s-proposal-for-little-andaman'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Periyar Tiger Reserve',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>For the first time in the country, the <strong>Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Kerala</strong> has taken up training of a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> tiger</strong> </a>cub to equip it to naturally hunt in the forest environment.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It falls in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala (saddled in the southern region of Western Ghats).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Declared a Sanctuary during 1950 and declared as Tiger Reserve during 1978. It gets its name from the River Periyar which has its origin deep inside the reserve.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Drainage:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The major rivers through the reserve are <strong>Mullayar and Periyar.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flora:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sanctuary comprises <strong>tropical evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous forests and grasslands.</strong></li>
<li>About <strong>1966 species of flowering</strong> <strong>plants</strong> grow in the sanctuary. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Of this about 516 are endemic to the Western Ghats.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The sanctuary is a repository of medicinal plants numbering to about 300. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Some are endemic to the region like <strong>Syzygium periyarensis (a tree), Habenaria periyarensis (an orchid)</strong> and <strong>Mucuna pruriense thekkadiensis (a climber)</strong> etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fauna:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mammals: Tiger, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-elephant-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elephant</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/someshwara-wildlife-sanctuary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lion-tailed macaque</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nilgiri-tahr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nilgiri Tahr</a></strong> etc.</li>
<li><strong>Birds:</strong> Darters, Cormorants, Kingfishers, the great Malabar Hornbill and racket-tailed Drongos.</li>
<li><strong>Reptiles:</strong> Monitor Lizards, Python, King Cobra etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are<strong> six tribal communities</strong> nestled inside the reserve such as <strong>Mannans, Paliyans, Malayarayans, Mala Pandarams, Uralis and Ulladans.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protected Areas in Kerala:</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612174105_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612174105_image8.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/periyar-tiger-reserve-trains-abandoned-tiger-cub/article33709640.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/periyar-tiger-reserve'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Tectonic Plates',
		'catname' => 'Paper 1',
		'desc' => '<h3>Tectonic Plates</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly-shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lithosphere includes the crust and top mantle with its thickness range varying between<strong> 5-100 km</strong> in oceanic parts and about <strong>200 km</strong> in the continental areas.</li>
<li>The concept of Tectonic Plates was first introduced in 1967.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A tectonic plate may be a <strong>continental plate</strong> or an <strong>oceanic plate,</strong> depending on which of the two occupies the larger portion of the plate.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Pacific plate</strong> is largely an oceanic plate whereas the <strong>Eurasian plate</strong> is a continental plate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Major and Minor Plates</h3>
<p>The Earth&rsquo;s lithosphere is divided into seven major and some minor plates.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Young<strong> Fold Mountain ridges, oceanic trenches,</strong> and/or <strong>transform faults</strong> surround the<strong> major plates.</strong> These include: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Antarctic (and the surrounding oceanic) plate</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>North American plate</strong> (with western Atlantic floor separated from the South American plate along the Caribbean islands)</li>
<li>The <strong>South American plate</strong> (with western Atlantic floor separated from the North American plate along the Caribbean islands)</li>
<li>The<strong> Pacific plate</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> India-Australia-New Zealand plate</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Africa with the eastern Atlantic floor plate</strong></li>
<li><strong>Eurasia and the adjacent oceanic plate</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Some important<strong> minor plates</strong> include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Cocos plate:</strong> Between Central America and Pacific plate</li>
<li><strong>Nazca plate:</strong> Between South America and Pacific plate</li>
<li><strong>Arabian plate:</strong> Mostly the Saudi Arabian landmass</li>
<li><strong>Philippine plate:</strong> Between the Asiatic and Pacific plate</li>
<li><strong>Caroline plate:</strong> Between the Philippine and Indian plate (North of New Guinea)</li>
<li><strong>Fuji plate:</strong> North-east of Australia</li>
<li><strong>Juan De Fuca plate:</strong> South-East of North American Plate</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mountain Ridge:</strong> A mountain ridge refers to the chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance.</li>
<li><strong>Ocean trenches</strong> are long, narrow depressions on the seafloor. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are the deepest parts of the ocean and some of the deepest natural spots on Earth.</li>
<li>They are found in every ocean basin on the planet and the deepest ocean trenches ring the Pacific called the &ldquo;Ring of Fire''.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A<strong> transform fault,</strong> in geology and oceanography is a type of fault in which two tectonic plates slide past one another.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Indian Plate:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian plate includes <strong>Peninsular India and the Australian continental portions.</strong></li>
<li>In the east, it extends through <strong>Rakim Yoma Mountains</strong> of Myanmar towards the <strong>island arc along the Java Trench.</strong></li>
<li>The Western margin follows <strong>Kirthar Mountain of Pakistan.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It further extends along the <strong>Makrana coast of Balochistan</strong> and joins the spreading site from the Red Sea rift southeastward along the <strong>Chagos Archipelago.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The boundary between India and the Antarctic plate is also marked by an oceanic ridge (divergent boundary) running in roughly West to East direction and merging into the spreading site, a little south of New Zealand.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Asthenosphere:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the zone of Earth&rsquo;s mantle that lies just beneath the lithosphere and is believed to be much hotter and more fluid than the lithosphere.</li>
<li>The asthenosphere extends from about 100 km (60 miles) to about 700 km (450 miles) below Earth&rsquo;s surface.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Movement of Plates</h3>
<p>The tectonic plates are not fixed but constantly move horizontally over the <strong>Asthenosphere</strong> as rigid units.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Sometimes these plates collide, move apart, or slide next to each other which leads to <strong>Earthquakes or Volcanic Eruptions.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Rates of Movement of Tectonic Plates:</strong> The rates of movement of the tectonic plates vary considerably. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Arctic Ridge</strong> has the slowest rate (less than 2.5 cm/yr), and the<strong> East Pacific Rise,</strong> in the South Pacific (about 3,400 km west of Chile) has the fastest rate (more than 15 cm/yr).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Force for the Movement of Tectonic Plates:</strong> The mobile rock beneath the rigid plates is believed to be moving in a circular manner. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The heated material rises to the surface, spreads and begins to cool, and then sinks back into deeper depths.</li>
<li>This<strong> slow movement of hot, softened mantle</strong> that lies below these rigid plates is the driving force behind the plate movement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171866_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171866_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Subduction</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It happens when tectonic plates shift, and one plate is pushed under another.</li>
<li>This movement of the ocean floor produces a<strong> "mineral transmutation",</strong> which leads to the melting and solidification of magma i.e., the <strong>formation of volcanoes.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In other words, when a "downgoing" oceanic plate is pushed into a hotter mantle plate, it heats up, volatile elements mix, and this produces the magma.</li>
<li>The magma then rises up through the overlying plate and spurts out at the surface.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171896_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171896_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="450" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Boundaries of Plates</h3>
<p>The movement of the tectonic plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Convergent,</strong> where plates move into one another.</li>
<li><strong>Divergent,</strong> where plates move apart.</li>
<li><strong>Transform,</strong> where plates move sideways in relation to each other.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Convergent Boundaries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A convergent plate boundary is formed when tectonic plates crash into each other. They are also known as<strong> destructive boundaries.</strong></li>
<li>These boundaries are often <strong>subduction zones,</strong> where the heavier plate slips under the lighter plate, creating a deep trench. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This subduction changes the dense mantle material into buoyant magma, which rises through the crust to the Earth&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li>Over millions of years, the rising magma has been creating a series of active volcanoes known as a <strong>volcanic arc.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Other than Subduction Zones, convergent plate boundaries also lead to mountain building and the formation of <strong>island arcs (Festoons).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If both the convergent plates are oceanic, the volcanoes form a curved line of islands, known as an<strong> island arc,</strong> that is <strong>parallel to the trench.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are three ways in which convergence can occur: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>between an <strong>oceanic and continental</strong> plate</li>
<li>between<strong> two oceanic</strong> plate</li>
<li>between <strong>two continental</strong> plates.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>When continental and oceanic plates collide, the thinner and more dense oceanic plate is overridden by the thicker and less dense continental plate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Examples:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Washington-Oregon coastline</strong> of the United States is an example of <strong>oceanic-continental convergent</strong> plate boundary. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Here, the <strong>Juan de Fuca oceanic plate</strong> is subducted beneath the <strong>North American continental plate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>An example of the<strong> oceanic-oceanic convergence</strong> is the <strong>Mariana Trench,</strong> the deepest point on Earth. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>mighty Pacific plate</strong> subducts beneath the <strong>smaller, less-dense Philippine plate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Himalayan Mountain Range</strong> is the best active example of <strong>continental convergent plate boundaries.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India and Asia crashed about 55 million years ago, slowly giving rise to the Himalayas, the highest mountain system on Earth.</li>
<li>Here, the<strong> Indian and Eurasian plates are currently in collision.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Subduction Zones</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A subduction zone is the biggest crash scene on Earth. These boundaries mark the collision between two tectonic plates.</li>
<li>When two tectonic plates meet at a subduction zone, one bends and slides underneath the other, curving down into the mantle, the hotter layer under the crust.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Divergent Boundaries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A divergent boundary is formed by tectonic plates pulling apart from each other. They are known as <strong>constructive boundaries.</strong></li>
<li>Divergent boundaries are the site of <strong>seafloor spreading</strong> and<strong> rift valleys.</strong></li>
<li>At divergent boundaries<strong> in the oceans,</strong> magma from deep in the Earth's mantle rises toward the surface and pushes apart two or more plates. Mountains and volcanoes rise along the seam. The process renews the ocean floor and widens the giant basins. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The best-known example of divergent boundaries is the <strong>Mid-Atlantic Ridge</strong> where the <strong>American Plates</strong> are <strong>separated from the Eurasian and African Plates.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This single mid-ocean ridge system connects the world's oceans, making the ridge the longest mountain range in the world (10,000 miles).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On land,</strong> giant troughs such as the <strong>Great Rift Valley in Africa</strong> form where plates are tugged apart. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If the plates there continue to diverge, millions of years from now eastern Africa will split from the continent to form a new landmass.</li>
<li>A mid-ocean ridge would then mark the boundary between the plates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Seafloor Spreading</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Seafloor spreading is the process of <strong>magma welling up in the rift</strong> as the old crust pulls itself in opposite directions.</li>
<li>Cold seawater cools the magma, creating a new crust.</li>
<li>The upward movement and eventual cooling of this magma has created high ridges on the ocean floor over millions of years.</li>
<li>The <strong>East Pacific Rise</strong> is a site of <strong>major seafloor spreading</strong> in the <strong>Ring of Fire.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is located on the divergent boundary of the<strong> Pacific Plate, the Cocos Plate</strong> (west of Central America),<strong> the Nazca Plate</strong> (west of South America), the <strong>North-American Plate and the Antarctic Plate.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Rift Valleys</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A rift valley is a <strong>lowland region</strong> that forms where Earth&rsquo;s tectonic plates move apart, or rift.</li>
<li>Rift valleys are<strong> found both on land and at the bottom of the ocean</strong> and are created by the process of<strong> seafloor spreading.</strong></li>
<li>Rift valleys differ from river valleys and glacial valleys in that they are <strong>created by tectonic activity</strong> and not the process of erosion.</li>
<li>The Great Rift Valley System which stretches from the <strong>Middle East in the north to Mozambique in the south</strong> is a<strong> geologically active area.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It features<strong> volcanoes,</strong> hot springs, geysers, and<strong> frequent earthquakes.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Transform Boundaries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A transform boundary is formed as<strong> tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other</strong> but parts of these plates get stuck at the places where they touch. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These boundaries are <strong>conservative</strong> because plate interaction occurs without creating or destroying crust. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Hence, they don't produce spectacular features like mountains or oceans, but the halting motion <strong>often triggers large earthquakes,</strong> such as the<strong> 1906 earthquake</strong> that devastated <strong>San Francisco.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In these areas of contact, stress is built which causes the rocks to break or slip, suddenly lurching the plates forward and causing earthquakes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These areas of breakage or slippage are called <strong>faults.</strong> The majority of Earth&rsquo;s faults can be found along transform boundariesin<strong> the Ring of Fire.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>San Andreas Fault in California</strong> is an example of a transform boundary, where the Pacific Plate moves northward past the North American Plate. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is one of the most active faults on the Ring of Fire.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171936_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1612171936_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="605" height="399" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Hotspots</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Most of the volcanic activities are concentrated along or adjacent to plate boundaries, but there are some<strong> important exceptions</strong> in which this activity occurs within plates, called the<strong> Hotspots.</strong></li>
<li>Hotspots exist over the<strong> Mantle Plumes.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A mantle plume is an area <strong>under the crust of Earth, where magma is hotter than surrounding magma.</strong></li>
<li>Heat from this extra hot magma causes melting and thinning of the rocky crust, which leads to widespread volcanic activity on Earth&rsquo;s surface above the plume.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The hotspots are<strong> stationary,</strong> unlike the tectonic plates where they are located.</li>
<li>There are about<strong> 40 to 50 hot spots estimated</strong> to be around the world.</li>
<li>Major hot spots include : <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Iceland hotspot,</strong> under the island of Iceland in the North Atlantic.</li>
<li>The <strong>R&eacute;union hot spot,</strong> under the island of R&eacute;union in the Indian Ocean.</li>
<li>The <strong>Afar hotspot,</strong> located under northeastern Ethiopia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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