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Azad Pattan: PoK Hydel Project

Why in News Recently, Pakistan and China have signed an agreement for the 700 MW Azad Pattan hydel power project on the Jhelum river in Sudhnoti...

16 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Melghat Tiger Reserve

Why in News The Chief Minister of Maharashtra has requested the Union government for considering an alternative alignment for the Akola-Khandwa rail...

16 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Police Reforms In Indian Criminal Justice System

This article is based on the “Thoothukudi to Kanpur: The police are in the dock. Reforms must start with the political system” which...

15 Jul 2020 News Editorials
Decrease in Dolphin Number: Chambal River

Why in News According to the latest census report prepared by the Madhya Pradesh forest department, the number of dolphins in Chambal river has been...

15 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Spike-LR Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

Why in News The India Army is set to place a repeat order for Spike-LR (Long Range) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Israel as part of...

15 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Low-cost Supercapacitor

Why in News Recently, scientists at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) have developed a...

15 Jul 2020 News Analysis
The Big Picture: Japan’s Cooperation to India

Recently, Indian and Japanese warships conducted naval exercises in the Indian Ocean With the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. It is designed...

15 Jul 2020 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
PRAGYATA: Guidelines on Digital Education

Why in News Recently, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released guidelines on digital education titled 'PRAGYATA'. The...

15 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Covid-19 Specific Memory T Cells

Why in News Recent studies have shown that people unexposed to and not infected with Covid-19 (caused by SARS-CoV-2 or Novel Coronavirus) may still...

15 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Renaissance In Ayurveda

This article is based on “Renaissance in Ayurveda” which was published in The Indian Express on 20/06/2020. It traces the development...

14 Jul 2020 News Editorials
Retail Inflation Growth at 6.09%

Why in News Recently, the National Statistical Office (NSO) released the retail inflation data, which rose to 6.09% in the month of June,...

14 Jul 2020 News Analysis
India's Second Voluntary Review of SDGs

Why in News Recently, India has represented the second voluntary national review of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) report titled as...

14 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Language of the Tangams

Why in News Recently, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh has released a book titled “Tangams: An Ethnolinguistic Study Of The Critically...

14 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Tiger Census 2018: Guinness Book of World Records

Why in News India’s 2018 Tiger Census has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s largest camera trapping...

14 Jul 2020 News Analysis
India Dropped from Chabahar Rail Project

Why in News Recently, Iran has decided to proceed with the Chabahar rail line construction on its own, citing delays from the Indian side in...

14 Jul 2020 News Analysis
The Padmanabhaswamy Temple Case

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court of India upheld the right of the Travancore royal family to manage the property of deity at Sree...

14 Jul 2020 News Analysis
App to Monitor Rice Fields: Paddy Watch

Why in News Researchers from University of Sydney in collaboration with other partners have been developing an app i.e. Paddy watch, which will act...

14 Jul 2020 News Analysis
Criminalisation of Politics

This article is based on “Owning up to criminalisation in politics” which was published in The Hindu on 10/07/2020. It talks about the...

13 Jul 2020 News Editorials
Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Introduction The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value-added tax levied on most goods and services sold for domestic consumption. The GST is paid...

13 Jul 2020 Paper 3
Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise

Why in News The recently discovered comet C/2020 F3 will make its closest approach to the Earth at a distance of 64 million miles or 103 million...

13 Jul 2020 News Analysis

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		(int) 0 => [
			'title' => 'Azad Pattan: PoK Hydel Project',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Pakistan and China</strong> have signed <strong>an agreement</strong> for the <strong>700 MW Azad Pattan hydel power project</strong> on the Jhelum river in Sudhnoti district of <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/disputed-territories-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 1.5-billion USD project is under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/obor-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Description:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Azad Pattan project is one of<strong> five hydropower schemes</strong> on the Jhelum, the other four are <strong>Mahl, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kohala-hydropower-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kohala</a>, Chakothi Hattian and Karot projects.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Azad Pattan, Kohala and Karot</strong> are being developed under the <strong>CPEC framework.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a run-of-the-river scheme with a 90-metre-high dam, and a 3.8 sq km reservoir.</li>
<li>It will be developed on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/build-operate-transfer-model" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT)&rsquo; model.</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is expected to be <strong>commissioned by 2024.</strong></li>
<li>The project will be <strong>transferred to the government of Pakistan after 30 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns for India:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Territorial Integrity:</strong> India has <strong>protested the construction of dams</strong> and other infrastructure in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, which are territories claimed by it as part of Jammu &amp; Kashmir.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Earlier India had also objected to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/diamer-bhasha-dam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam</strong></a> (on Indus river) in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the PoK.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conflict With China:</strong> The signing of the Hydel project comes at a time when India and China have been involved in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>military conflicts</strong></a> following the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/galwan-valley-clash" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Galwan Valley</strong></a> incident in the Ladakh region.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Through these projects, <strong>China and Pakistan have been consolidating</strong> their presence in the Indian region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chabahar Rail Project:</strong> Recently, <strong>Iran along with China</strong> has gone ahead with the construction of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-dropped-from-chabahar-rail-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chabahar rail project</strong></a> without India's assistance citing funding delay.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Chabahar has been considered as <strong>India&rsquo;s strategic response</strong> to counter China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Not Based on International Norms:</strong> These projects do not follow the principles of openness, transparency and financial responsibility given by the International agencies.</li>
<li><strong>Security Concerns:</strong> China may use its <strong>economic power</strong> to increase its geopolitical leverage as these projects give a hold to China in the western Indian Ocean with the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/chabahar-port-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gwadar port</strong></a>, located near the strategic <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Strait of Hormuz.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Strait of Hormuz is a <strong>vulnerable point for India,</strong> which sources more than 60% of its oil supplies from the Middle East.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>China-Pakistan Economic Corridor<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594891963_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594891963_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/one-belt-one-road-and-china-pakistan-economic-corridor" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>One Belt One Road (OBOR)</strong></a>, intended to improve infrastructure within Pakistan for better trade with China and to further integrate the countries of the region.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>OBOR has two main components, <strong>One Belt - the land-based belt,</strong> and <strong>One Road refers to the ocean going &lsquo;Maritime Silk Road&rsquo;,</strong> which aims to connect the East Asian economic region with the European economic circle and runs across the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India has<strong> boycotted the Belt and Road Forum</strong> organised by China. China&rsquo;s insistence on establishing the CPEC project through PoK is seen by India as a <strong>deliberate disregard of its territorial claims.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/azad-pattan-pok-hydel-project-pakistan-china-6507640/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Melghat Tiger Reserve',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Chief Minister of Maharashtra has requested the Union government for considering an alternative alignment for the Akola-Khandwa rail line that passes through the Melghat Tiger Reserve.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It lies in Melghat Forests of Amravati district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra bordering Madhya Pradesh in the North and East.</li>
<li>It is a part of the<strong> Satpura-Maikal</strong> landscape.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tiger Reserve:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is spread over an area of 2768.52 sq km.</li>
<li>It is among the first nine places in the country designated as tiger reserves in 1973-74.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Tiger</strong></a> was launched in 1973.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It was the first Tiger Reserve to be declared in the State of Maharashtra.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protected Areas within the Reserve:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It consists of Gugamal National Park, Wan, Ambawarba and Narnala sanctuaries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>Deccan trap</strong> and underlying rock is<strong> basalt</strong> in one form or another.</li>
<li>It has various species of mammals including Tiger, Leopard, Sloth bear, Gaur, etc.</li>
<li>The forests are of deciduous nature and have been classified as<strong> &lsquo;dry deciduous forests&rsquo;.</strong> Most prominent is <strong>Teak.</strong></li>
<li>It forms a very important catchment to <strong>Tapi river</strong> systems.</li>
<li>The <strong>Korku tribe</strong> adds to the cultural diversity of the Reserve.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Tiger Reserves in Maharashtra:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tadoba-andhari-tiger-reserve-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tadoba-Andhari</strong></a></li>
<li>Pench</li>
<li>Sahyadri</li>
<li>Navegaon-Nagzira</li>
<li>Bor</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cm-writes-to-centre-seeks-alternative-route-for-rail-line-through-melghat-tiger-reserve-6507923/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Police Reforms In Indian Criminal Justice System',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/tamil-nadu-custodial-deaths-up-vikas-dubey-encounter-police-brutality-6504199/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Thoothukudi to Kanpur: The police are in the dock. Reforms must start with the political system&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 14/07/2020. It talks about the need for police reform in the criminal justice delivery system.</p>
</div>
<p>Recent custodial death of a father and son by police in Tamil Nadu and the death of a gangster (with alleged political connections) in an encounter by Uttar Pradesh police has put a question mark on objectivity and credentials of the police in delivering justice.</p>
<p>Factors responsible for atrocities done by police and criminals evading the criminal justice system range from their political nexus to inefficiency of police.</p>
<p>This can be also reflected in the <strong>Vohra Committee report,</strong> that highlighted the nexus between the criminals, politicians and government functionaries. It stated that the network of the mafia is virtually running a parallel government, pushing the state apparatus to irrelevance, and suggested that an institution be set up to effectively deal with the menace.</p>
<p>Thus, there is a need to decriminalise politics and bring about a number of reformations in the criminal justice system including the police reforms.</p>
<h3>Issues Related to Functioning of Police</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political Criminalisation Nexus: Second Administrative Reforms Commission</strong> (2007) has noted that the excessive power in the hands of police has been abused in the past by the political executive to unduly influence police personnel, and have them serve personal or political interests.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, there has been an increasing phenomenon of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/criminalisation-of-politics-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>criminalisation of politics.</strong></a></li>
<li>This nexus interferes with professional decision-making by the police (e.g., regarding how to respond to law and order situations or how to conduct investigations), resulting in a biased performance of duties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>An Overburdened Police Force:</strong> State police forces had 24% vacancies (about 5.5 lakh vacancies) in January 2016. Hence, while the sanctioned police strength was 181 police per lakh persons in 2016, the actual strength was 137 police.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is way too low when compared with the United Nations&rsquo; recommended standard of 222 police per lakh persons.</li>
<li>Further, an average policeman ends up having an enormous workload and long working hours, which negatively affects his efficiency and performance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need to set Police accountability:</strong> In India, various kinds of complaints are made against the police including complaints of unwarranted arrests, unlawful searches, torture and custodial rapes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To check against such abuse of power, various safeguards should be adopted, such as accountability of the police to the political executive, internal accountability to senior police officers, and independent police oversight authorities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Resources:</strong> CAG audits have found shortages in weaponry with state police forces. For example, Rajasthan and West Bengal had shortages of 75% and 71% respectively in required weaponry with the state police. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, the Bureau of Police Research and Development has also noted a 30.5% deficiency in stock of required vehicles with the state forces.</li>
<li>Further, funds dedicated to the modernisation of infrastructure are typically not utilised fully. For example, in 2015-16, only 14% of such funds were used by the states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ways Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Curbing Criminalisation of Politics:</strong> The criminal nexus with politics will have to be broken and reforms must start with the political system. Thus, there is a need for laws which debars persons with serious criminal cases from entering the assemblies and the Parliament.</li>
<li><strong>Revamping Criminal Justice System:</strong> There is a need to incorporate the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-road-map-for-criminal-justice-system#:~:text=Malimath%20Committee%20(2000)%20on%20reforms,submitted%20its%20report%20in%202003.&amp;text=The%20Committee%20had%20opined%20that,to%20the%20victims%20of%20crime.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Menon Committee and Malimath Committee</strong></a> recommendations for devising a national policy paper on the criminal justice system. Some of the key recommendations are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Creation of a fund to compensate victims who turn hostile from the pressure of culprits.</li>
<li>Setting up of separate authority at the national level to deal with crimes threatening the country security.</li>
<li>A complete revamp of the entire criminal procedure system.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Independent Complaints Authority:</strong> The Supreme Court has observed that there is a need to have an independent complaints authority to inquire into complaints of police misconduct. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-cop-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Model Police Act, 2006</strong> </a>requires each state to set up an authority comprising retired High Court Judges, civil society members, retired police officers and public administrators from another state.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Implementing the Supreme Court&rsquo;s Directive</strong>: The Supreme Court&rsquo;s directions in <strong>Prakash Singh case 2006</strong> on police reforms must be implemented. The court laid out seven directives where considerable work in police reforms is still needed.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594810419_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594810419_image7.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The issues of Police are the manifestation of the limitations of the Indian political and social setup. Thus, there is a need to carry out Police reforms and incentivise police department to adopt best practices. Along with that, without further delay, there is a need to build an environment where police become an instrument of service to the people.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f5fffd;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Police reforms are the sine qua non to make Indian justice delivery system more efficient. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XiFjycxyFKg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/gains-from-rains/article32071933.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Gains from rains: on monsoon performance&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Hindu on July 14<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
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		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Decrease in Dolphin Number: Chambal River',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the latest census report prepared by the Madhya Pradesh forest department, the <strong>number of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphin-annual-census" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dolphins</a> in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ramgarh-dam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chambal river</a></strong> has been reduced by <strong>13% in 4 years.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are just <strong>68 dolphins left</strong> in the 435-kilometre-long <strong>Chambal river sanctuary</strong> which passes through three states i.e. <strong>Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Gangetic Dolphins</strong> are the sanctuary&rsquo;s main attraction.</li>
<li>The decreasing trend is continuing from 2016 when there were <strong>78 dolphins.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The maximum<strong> carrying capacity</strong> of dolphins in Chambal is 125. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>carrying capacity of an environment is</strong> the maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained in that specific environment, given the food, habitat, water, and other resources available.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The dolphins were spotted for the first time in 1985 in Chambal river (a <strong>tributary of Yamuna</strong>) near Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. That time, the number was more than 110.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Unfavourable Habitat:</strong> It faces the threat of hunting and entanglement in fishing gear due to fragmented habitats.</li>
<li><strong>Poaching:</strong> Fragmented habitats lead to the problem of poaching for not only dolphins, but also for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/release-of-gharials" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>gharials.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Illegal Sand Mining:</strong> It is rampant in Bhind and Morena in MP and Dholpur in Rajasthan and putting the<strong> whole ecosystem of the river in danger.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Further, the forest team never gets support from locals.</li>
<li>In 2006, the Supreme Court&rsquo;s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) ordered a ban on mining in the sanctuary area to save the flora and fauna of the river.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Consumption of Water:</strong> Chambal is a lifeline for three states i.e. MP, UP and Rajasthan and the locals are withdrawing water daily.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It has led to<strong> gradual decrease in the water levels</strong> and needs to be addressed properly to save the dolphins as well as gharial.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Studies:</strong> Dolphins are a sensitive animal. There is a need of study on their <strong>favourable environment</strong> and <strong>communication system.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Forest Department of MP has collaborated with the scientists of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sal-forest-tortoise" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife Institute of India (WII)</strong></a> to do a research for safeguarding and increasing the population of dolphins in Chambal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gangetic Dolphin<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594806281_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594806281_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Platanista gangetica</em></li>
<li>It is a highly intelligent <strong>freshwater mammal</strong> placed into the infraorder Cetacea.</li>
<li>It is India's <strong>national aquatic animal</strong> and is popularly known as <strong>&lsquo;Susu&rsquo;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> It is found in parts of the <strong>Ganges-Meghna-Brahmaputra and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems</strong> in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It requires at least 3 metre depth and 266.42-289.67 m<sup>3</sup> per sec flow of water for sustainable habitat.</li>
<li>It is among the<strong> four freshwater dolphins in the world.</strong> The other three are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> &lsquo;Baiji&rsquo;</strong> now likely extinct from the Yangtze River in China,</li>
<li>The<strong> &lsquo;Bhulan&rsquo;</strong> of the Indus in Pakistan, and</li>
<li>The <strong>&lsquo;Boto&rsquo;</strong> of the Amazon River in Latin America.</li>
<li>These four species live only in rivers and lakes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Characteristics:</strong> It has rudimentary eyes and uses echolocation (through ultrasonic sound) to navigate and hunt.</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> Habitat destruction, Poaching, Pollution</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>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a>: Endangered</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:</strong></a> Schedule 1</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)</strong></a>: Appendix-I.</li>
<li><strong>Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar&rsquo;s Bhagalpur</strong> district is India&rsquo;s only sanctuary for dolphins.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dolphin-number-dips-in-chambal-river-experts-raise-concern/story-cxZFf1gM2TI46Q5y4Zu1jO.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: HT</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decrease-in-dolphin-number-chambal-river'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Spike-LR Anti-Tank Guided Missiles',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The India Army is set to place a repeat order for <strong>Spike-LR (Long Range) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM)</strong> from Israel as part of emergency procurement.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The decision comes in the backdrop of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>continuing tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Last year, the Army procured 12 launchers and around 250 missiles from Israel under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/emergency-financial-powers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>new emergency financial powers</strong></a> sanctioned by the Defence Ministry after the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-bombs-jaish-e-muhammad-camp-in-pakistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Balakot airstrike.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Emergency Financial Powers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under these, armed forces have been given a <strong>free hand</strong> to <strong>procure equipment worth up to Rs. 300 crore</strong> on a priority basis with deliveries stipulated to be <strong>completed in three months </strong>but<strong> extendable up to six months.</strong></li>
<li>Entirely new systems not in use were also allowed to be procured under the new powers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Spike-LR:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594805429_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594805429_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are the<strong> 4<sup>th</sup> generation Anti-Tank Missiles</strong> developed and manufactured by the <strong>Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, Israel.</strong></li>
<li>It is a portable <strong>anti-armour weapon system</strong> with a <strong>range of up to 4 km,</strong> which can be operated in <strong>fire-and-forget mode</strong> and in the<strong> fire, observe and update mode</strong> using the fibre-optic data link.</li>
<li>These are<strong> used by</strong> infantry soldiers, special rapid reaction forces, ground forces and helicopter aircrew.</li>
<li>It can work in <strong>non-line-of-sight</strong> (NLOS) mode allowing the gunner to operate from a covered position.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The army recently decided to place a repeat order for 72,400 <strong>Sig 716 assault rifles</strong> from the <strong>USA</strong> as well.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594805462_image2.png" width="200" caption="false" style="float: right;" />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They will replace the existing <strong>Indian Small Arms System (Insas) rifles</strong> manufactured locally by the<strong> Ordnance Factories Board.</strong></li>
<li>They will be used by the troops in the <strong>counter-terrorism operations and frontline duties on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/external-intervention-on-kashmir-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Line of Control&nbsp;</a></strong>(LoC).</li>
<li>India acquired the rifles under the<strong> fast-track procurement (FTP) programme.</strong></li>
<li>The remaining forces would be provided with the<strong> AK-203 rifles,</strong> which are to be produced <strong>jointly by India and Russia at Amethi ordnance factory.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Army has a much larger requirement for ATGMs which will be met through <strong>indigenous <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-successfully-tests-indigenous-anti-tank-missile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Man-Portable ATGM</a></strong> under development by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation</strong></a> (DRDO).</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/army-to-place-repeat-order-for-spike-missiles-from-israel/article32083307.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/spike-lr-anti-tank-guided-missiles'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Low-cost Supercapacitor',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, scientists at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) have <strong>developed a simple, low-cost, environment-friendly, and sustainable supercapacitor device.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ARCI is an autonomous organization of the <strong>Department of Science and Technology,</strong> Government of India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Supercapacitor</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Supercapacitor is a next-generation <strong>energy storage device.</strong> They are also known as <strong>ultracapacitors. </strong></li>
<li>It has significant advantages such as <strong>high power density, long durability, and ultrafast charging characteristics</strong> as compared to conventional capacitors and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increasing-imports-of-li-ion-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lithium-Ion batteries (LIB)</strong></a>.</li>
<li>Main components of supercapacitors include <strong>electrode, electrolyte, separator, and the current collector.</strong></li>
<li>The electrode and electrolyte are the pivotal components, which directly determine the electrochemical behaviour of the supercapacitors. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The manufacturing cost of electrode materials, as well as electrolytes account for a major portion of the supercapacitor manufacturing cost.</li>
<li>An<strong> electrode</strong> is a solid electric conductor that is used to take an electric current to or from a source of power.</li>
<li>An <strong>electrolyte</strong> is a substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594809522_Images.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594809522_Images.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Supercapacitor Device:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The supercapacitor is developed from <strong>industrial waste cotton based electrode &amp; natural seawater electrolyte.</strong></li>
<li>Industrial waste cotton was <strong>converted into highly porous carbon fibers</strong> by activation process and then utilised to make high-performance supercapacitor <strong>electrodes.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Natural seawater</strong> was explored as an environment-friendly, cost-effective and alternative aqueous <strong>electrolyte.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefit:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This supercapacitor showed great potential for practical implementation.</li>
<li>It exhibited <strong>maximum capacitance, good durability </strong>and <strong>high efficiency.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Capacitance is the ability of a system to store an electric charge.</li>
<li>Efficiency denotes the charge transfer in a system facilitating an electrochemical reaction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>When integrated with a solar cell,</strong> the supercapacitor will become a low cost, eco-friendly, efficient and self-powering device. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It has a long life cycle and can be used as maintenance-free power supply.</li>
<li>It can also overcome the drawbacks of the intermittent nature of the solar irradiation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conclusion:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The development is an excellent example of creative science for the sustainable, green processes embedding principles of <strong>waste-to-wealth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1638580" 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/low-cost-supercapacitor'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture: Japan’s Cooperation to India',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/APwD3VAu5yE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Recently, Indian and Japanese warships conducted naval exercises in the Indian Ocean With the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. It is designed to &ldquo;promote mutual understanding.&rdquo;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The exercises consisted of four warships; INS Rana and INS Kulush from India and JS Kashima and JS Shimayuki from Japan.</li>
<li>The Japanese embassy in New Delhi says it is the 15th such exercise in the past 3 years.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Japanese Navy is one of the principal partners of the Indian Navy in bilateral exercises including<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-08th-october-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> JIMEX</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-4th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SHINYUU Maitri</strong> </a><strong>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-dharma-guardian-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dharma Guardian</a>.</strong> Both countries also participate in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-malabar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Malabar exercise</strong></a> with the USA.</p>
<h3>India-Japan Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2014, India and<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-japan-2#:~:text=India%2DJapan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Japan</strong></a> upgraded their relationship to <strong>'Special Strategic and Global Partnership'.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway (MAHSR)</strong> is a very important area of cooperation between India and Japan in the Railway Sector.</li>
<li>A <strong>&ldquo;India-Japan Digital Partnership&rdquo; (I-JDP)</strong> was launched during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Japan in October 2018, furthering existing areas of cooperation as well as new initiatives within the scope of cooperation in <strong>S&amp;T/ICT,</strong> focusing more on &ldquo;Digital ICT Technologies&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The <strong>India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)</strong> that came into force in August 2011 covers trade in goods, services, movement of natural persons, investments, Intellectual Property Rights, custom procedures and other trade related issues.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Common Interests of India and Japan</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both the countries are the member nations of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quad-and-g-4-meet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G-4</a> grouping.</li>
<li>Apart from naval exercises, the two nations conduct mil-to-mil exercises, coast guard and air force exercises as well.</li>
<li>India and Japan both are facing difficulties in the maritime area due to the dominance of China in the area and the recent naval exercise was related to the military stand-off between India and China in Ladakh.</li>
<li>Chinese assertion of power in the oceans is something which brings India and Japan on the same page. The growing congruence of the views is propelling the two countries to take up a closer understanding of strategic issues.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both countries are opposed to the idea of unipolarity being asserted by China time and again.</li>
<li>Both of them look forward to making the Indo-pacific multipolar, free, open and inclusive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China&rsquo;s Maritime Vulnerability:</strong> Though China has shown aggressive posture in the South China Sea and as well as Indian ocean, it has been anxious about its vulnerability at sea &mdash; or what is referred to as the Malacca dilemma.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Taking this in cognizance, India and Japan can develop sea-denial capability mainly at choke points in Indian ocean such as Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>China as a Threat</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The dominance of China in the maritime area is a serious threat for India as well as Japan in terms of economic development.</li>
<li>China due to the <strong>nine-dash line,</strong> has developed conflicts with Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.</li>
<li>Moreover, China has recently made new territorial claims in the eastern sector of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-bhutanese-territory-claimed-by-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bhutan's</strong></a> Trashigang district.</li>
</ul>
<h3>China&rsquo;s &ldquo;Malacca Dilemma&rdquo;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Energy security, and particularly oil supply security, has become a major concern for the Chinese government over the past several years. The focus of this anxiety is the vulnerability of seaborne energy imports.</li>
<li>China lacks the naval power necessary to protect its sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). It fears that during a national security crisis ships carrying energy resources could be interdicted by hostile naval forces.</li>
<li>Any disruption to the free flow of energy resources into China could derail the economic growth on which the Chinese government depends to shore-up its legitimacy and pursue its great power ambitions.</li>
<li>China&rsquo;s heavy use of the Malacca and Lombok/Makassar straits in Southeast Asia is emblematic of this concern. The Malacca Strait is a narrow and congested waterway separating Indonesia and Malaysia, with Singapore located at its southern tip.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Nine-Dash Line</strong></p>
<p>The nine-dash line refers to the undefined, vaguely located, demarcation line used by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC), for their claims of the major part of the South China Sea.</p>
<p><strong>G-4</strong></p>
<p>It is a group of four countries i.e. <strong>Brazil, Germany, India and Japan</strong> which support each other&rsquo;s bids for <strong>permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).</strong></p>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China with its untenable tactics and muscle power is able to overpower several nations and is working upon it by dealing with each country individually.</li>
<li>China has antagonised several nations which:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Can be taken as an advantage and nations such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan and France should be approached for cooperation.</li>
<li>Is a lesson to be learnt by India and Japan as far as security related relations are concerned.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>China in its present situation cannot be contained but can be restrained which requires the like-minded nations; countries with the same approach for the same objective, to come together and speak in one voice.</li>
<li>In order to prevail over China, India already has the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/quad-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>QUAD</strong></a>, and shall bring together the middle-powers and the nations that are in conflicts with China.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The other possible areas of cooperation between India and Japan can possibly be:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The field of infrastructure, technology and telecommunication.</li>
<li>India and Japan need to work together in the Indo-Pacific Region in order to obtain mutual benefits.</li>
<li>With the help of Japan, India can pave its way to the permanent membership of the UN Security Council.</li>
<li>In the IT- sector, in order to harness the gains of the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-industrial-revolution-4-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fourth industrial revolution</strong></a>, India and Japan should collaborate.</li>
<li>Within the defence platforms, Japan could be approached to provide assistance in building warships, weapons, submarines etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Apart from taking assistance from Japan, India should also think about how Indian components could reach Japan, and how they can be rewarded dividends in Japan: the notion of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat</strong></a> also needs to be promoted.</li>
<li>India needs to look into the matter of post covid ties too, ensure good relations with the other parts of the world so as to emerge from the losses and also in order to restrain Chinese influence in the areas of maritime.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-japan-s-cooperation-to-india'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'PRAGYATA: Guidelines on Digital Education',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)</strong> has released <strong>guidelines on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/education-in-post-covid-era" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital education </a></strong>titled<strong> 'PRAGYATA'.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The guidelines have been prepared by the <strong>National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).</strong></li>
<li>These are<strong> only advisory in nature</strong> and state governments <strong>can formulate their own</strong> rules, based on local needs.</li>
<li>The guidelines include <strong>eight steps of online/digital learning</strong> i.e. <strong>P</strong>lan- <strong>R</strong>eview- <strong>A</strong>rrange- <strong>G</strong>uide- <strong>Y</strong>ak (talk)- <strong>A</strong>ssign- <strong>T</strong>rack- <strong>A</strong>ppreciate.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Digital Access:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Over <strong>25 crore students</strong> across the country have been out of school since mid-March 2020. (owing to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a>). The guidelines acknowledge that these students live in households which fall into <strong>different categories:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Those who have computers or smartphones with <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-refuses-to-restore-4g-services-in-j-k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4G</a></strong> internet access.</li>
<li>Those with smartphones but limited or no internet access.</li>
<li>Those with television with cable or DTH.</li>
<li>Those with a radio set or a basic mobile phone with FM radio.</li>
<li>And those with no communication devices at all.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It emphasised the aim of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/online-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>digital classrooms</strong></a> is not to try and <strong>recreate Face-to-Face (F2F) classrooms</strong> over the internet.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need for Survey:</strong> It advises <strong>schools to first survey the digital infrastructure available</strong> with teachers as well as students, the levels of parental involvement before making decisions about the mode of teaching.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, schools must also make arrangements to reach students who do not have <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-primary-education-challenges-and-opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access</a> to any <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-digital-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital infrastructure</a></strong> at home.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Duration:</strong> For <strong>kindergarten, nursery and pre-school, only 30 minutes</strong> of screen time per day for interacting with parents is recommended.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Schools can hold live online classes for a maximum of <strong>1.5 hours per day</strong> for<strong> Classes 1-8,</strong> and <strong>3 hours per day</strong> for Classes 9-12.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Synchronous or Real-time Communication:</strong> This is <strong>real-time teaching</strong> and learning that can happen<strong> collaboratively</strong> at the same time with a group of online learners or individuals, and teachers <strong>allowing instant feedback,</strong> e.g. online teaching through video conference, audio conference, using satellite or telecommunication facilities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, schools should not assume that teaching-learning through it is the only requirement in order to <strong>support effective digital learning.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Asynchronous Learning:</strong> Apart from live classes, it offered a number of recommendations for <strong>asynchronous learning</strong> with tools to allow students to download <strong>lessons or listen to radio and TV programmes,</strong> communicate through Whatsapp and SMS, study on their own and <strong>undertake creative projects.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Health Issues:</strong> Children exposed to digital technologies or gadgets for a longer time are prone to severe health issues.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hence sitting with digital gadgets for longer hours or their excess use can be avoided by <strong>designing age appropriate schedules.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cyber Safety:</strong> It also recommends ethical practices including precautions and measures for maintaining cyber safety.</li>
<li><strong>Convergence:</strong> It envisages convergence <strong>with the government initiatives on digital education</strong> e.g. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/online-classes-due-to-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SWAYAM Prabha</strong></a>, <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/massive-open-online-courses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SWAYAM</a></strong>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/classes-in-distance-mode" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>DIKSHA</strong></a> and <strong>Radio Vahini, Shiksha</strong> Vaani.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NCERT</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is <strong>an autonomous organisation</strong> of the Government of India which was established in 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.</li>
<li>It<strong> aims</strong> at reforming the school education system through research, training, policy formulation and curriculum development.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarters:</strong> New Delhi</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/education/schools/online-classes-centres-norms-limit-classroom-screen-time/article32083031.ece#:~:text=Schools%20can%20hold%20live%20online,Development%20(MHRD)%20on%20Tuesday." 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/pragyata-guidelines-on-digital-education'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Covid-19 Specific Memory T Cells',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recent studies have shown that people unexposed to and not infected with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> (caused by <strong>SARS-CoV-2</strong> or<strong> Novel Coronavirus</strong>) may still exhibit <strong>T cell responses</strong> specific to other <strong>coronaviruses.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A huge number of adults are exposed to<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/novel-strain-of-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> four different coronaviruses</strong></a> that cause <strong>common cold</strong> and studies have shown that <strong>20-50%</strong> of healthy people <strong>display SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The healthy people studied were those <strong>tested prior to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a></strong> or have not been infected with novel coronavirus.</li>
<li>Memory T cells protect against <strong>previously encountered pathogens.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is thought that <strong>SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses</strong> seen in healthy people might arise from <strong>memory T cells</strong> derived from<strong> exposure to &lsquo;common cold&rsquo; coronaviruses.</strong></li>
<li>However, it is <strong>not known</strong> that the presence of pre-existing immunity from memory T cells <strong>offers clinical relevance,</strong> when exposed to SARS-CoV-2.</li>
<li><strong>Measuring pre-existing immunity and correlating</strong> it with infection and severity of disease is the only way to find out its role in protection against SARS-CoV-2.</li>
<li>However, the<strong> relationship between the infections by and immunity</strong> from common cold coronavirus and <strong>age is not well established.</strong> That is why it is unclear why children do not show severe symptoms, while older people do.</li>
<li>These considerations underline how <strong>multiple variables may be involved</strong> in potential pre-existing partial immunity to Covid-19.</li>
<li><strong>Pros:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is believed that people with a high level of pre-existing memory T cells <strong>could mount a faster and stronger immune response</strong> upon exposure to the virus and thereby limit disease severity.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>T cells could potentially<strong> facilitate an increased and more rapid neutralizing antibody response</strong> against the virus.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The pre-existing immunity can<strong> reduce the immune responses</strong> that the vaccine causes through a mechanism called the <strong>&lsquo;original antigenic sin&rsquo;.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Original antigenic sin,</strong> also known as the <strong>Hoskins effect,</strong> refers to the propensity of the body's immune system to preferentially utilize immunological memory based on a previous infection when a second slightly different version of that foreign entity is encountered.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It can also lead to<strong> antibody-mediated disease enhancement,</strong> where antibodies present at sub-neutralising concentrations can actually <strong>augment virus infection and cause more severe disease.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>T Cells</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>T cells are so called because they are <strong>predominantly produced in the thymus.</strong></li>
<li>They recognise foreign particles (antigen) by a surface expressed, highly variable, T cell receptor (TCR).</li>
<li>There are two major types of T cells: <strong>the helper T cell</strong> and the <strong>cytotoxic T cell.</strong></li>
<li>As the names suggest, helper T cells &lsquo;help&rsquo; other cells of the immune system, whilst cytotoxic T cells kill virally infected cells and tumours.</li>
<li>The severity of disease can depend on the strength of these T cell responses.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/unexposed-people-may-have-covid-19-specific-memory-t-cells/article32052605.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/covid-19-specific-memory-t-cells'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Renaissance In Ayurveda',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/renaissance-in-ayurveda-coronavirus-healthcare-6467026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Renaissance in Ayurveda&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on 20/06/2020. It traces the development of Ayurveda as a modern medicinal system and the challenges and solutions in this process.</p>
</div>
<p>Ayurveda, the ancient medical system, is considered as one of the best ways to treat diseases and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, it gained attention, as the government of India has pitched for use of Ayurvedic formulations to boost immunity in its efforts to fight <a href="/pdf/1593949713-coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>COVID-19 pandemic.</strong></a></p>
<p>Further, the government has announced innovative clinical drug trials to evaluate the safe and effective use of selected and standardised Ayurvedic medicines in the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19.</p>
<p>Given the increasing significance of Ayurveda in treating modern diseases, it is now poised to truly and actively participate in the health and medical care system. Thus, there is a need to fast track its progress and transformation into a modern vibrant health and medical system.</p>
<p>However in undergoing such transformation there are several challenges and issues yet to be resolved.</p>
<h3>Significance Of Ayurveda</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In Ayurveda it is believed living man is a conglomeration of three humors (Vata, Pitta &amp; Kapha), seven basic tissues (Rasa, Rakta, Mansa, Meda, Asthi, Majja &amp; Shukra) and the waste products of the body i.e. mala, mutra and sweda.</li>
<li>The growth and decay of this body matrix and its constituents revolve psychological mechanisms of these elements and its balance is the main reason for the state of one&rsquo;s health.</li>
<li>The treatment approach in the Ayurveda system is holistic and individualized having preventive, curative, mitigative, recuperative and rehabilitative aspects.</li>
<li>The principal objectives of Ayurveda are maintenance and promotion of health, prevention of disease and cure of sickness.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Evolution Of Ayurveda</h3>
<p><strong>Pre-Independence Era:</strong> The British Raj considered Ayurveda unscientific, mystical and a religious belief and consequently was keen on destroying the system.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1835, the teaching of Ayurveda was suspended in the Calcutta Medical College.</li>
<li>The <strong>Bhore Committee recommendations</strong> were in favour of modern medicine thus Ayurveda did not get support to modernise in colonial times.</li>
<li>However, among Britishers, many orientalists indirectly benefited Ayurveda by recovering the vedic texts. It compelled its opponents to revisit Ayurveda and recognise the science within it.</li>
<li>Also, Indian freedom struggle and subsequent national uprising and social reforms infused new strength in Ayurveda.</li>
<li>During this time, many Ayurvedic physicians had organised themselves into a professional organisation, started publishing journals and were participating in the freedom struggle.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Bhore Committee was set up by the Government of India in 1943 under Sir Joseph William Bhore.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The major aim of the committee was to survey then existing position regarding the health conditions and health organisation in the country and to make recommendations for future development to improve the public health system in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Post-Independent India:</strong> It was suggested that Ayurveda be integrated with modern medicine. It was argued that a united system would be more perfect than the Ayurveda as an individual science.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Though there were islands of excellence in the old Ayurveda institutions in Kolkata, Benares, Haridwar, Indore, Pune, Mumbai,</li>
<li>In the post-1960s, there was a spurt in the growth of well-planned medical colleges and universities, especially in Gujarat and Kerala.</li>
<li><strong>However, Ayurveda got impetus by the establishment of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) Ministry</strong> in 2014.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has set up an efficient network of communications with all stakeholders and enabled education and research, conservation and preservation of Ayurveda.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges Related to Ayurveda</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ineffective Treatment in Emergency Cases:</strong> The inadequacies of Ayurveda in treating acute infections and other emergencies including surgery, and lack of meaningful research in therapeutics continue to limit the universal acceptance of Ayurveda.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ayurveda therapeutics are complex and there are too many dos and don&rsquo;ts.</li>
<li>Ayurvedic medicines are slow to act and heal. It is difficult if not impossible to predict response or prognosis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Homogeneity:</strong> The medical practices in Ayurveda are not uniform. It is because the medicinal plants used in it vary with geography and climate and local agriculture practices.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Unlike Ayurveda, in modern medicine, the diseases are classified and treated as per prior set uniform criteria.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Misleading Propaganda by Ayurvedic Pharmas:</strong> Ayurvedic pharmacopeia industry claimed that its manufacturing practices were consistent with the classic Ayurveda texts.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For better market appeal of ayurvedic medicines, the pharmaceutical companies publicised many medicinal claims about their ayurvedic products without sufficient scientific basis.</li>
<li>This led to further obsession for drugs in the community and ailments requiring lifestyle correction were instead treated with poly-pharmacy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Recognition:</strong> Over the last few decades, there has been an increase in the global interest in Ayurveda.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, several countries do not officially recognise Ayurveda as a medical field and have placed many restrictions on the use of Ayurvedic medicines.</li>
<li>In some countries, including the US, Ayurvedic drugs follow an abbreviated less stringent regulatory pathway for &ldquo;food and diet supplements&rdquo; and are sold over the counter not as medicines but as health products.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Deep Knowledge :</strong> In 2004, a leading American journal reported heavy metal (arsenic, mercury, lead) content in some of the Ayurveda drugs sold in the US, way beyond the allowed safety limits.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This led to worldwide condemnation and the government made testing of heavy metals in herbal drugs compulsory and the industry was asked to follow WHO standards.</li>
<li>It damaged the image of Ayurveda. It remained unexplained that hundreds of Ayurveda herbal formulations contained metals and minerals that had therapeutic properties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sub-standard Research In Ayurveda:</strong> During the last five decades or so, research in Ayurveda was mainly confined to hundreds of drug trials using the normal procedures that are used in other medical systems.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Often it was found that standardisation of formulation and quality of methods and data in the study was substandard.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward: Facilitating Growth of Ayurveda</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reverse Pharmacology:</strong> A very interesting research development in Ayurveda was the conceptual framework of &ldquo;reverse pharmacology&rdquo;, which was championed by a researcher in Mumbai.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is defined as the science of integrating documented clinical experiences and experiential observations into leads, through transdisciplinary exploratory studies, to develop these into drugs.</li>
<li>In the conventional model, the pharmacological research precedes clinical validation by several years and the entire process may take 15-20 years and cost billions of dollars before a successful drug is launched in the community.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI): <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indigenous-fuel-cell-system#:~:text=It%20is%20developed%20under%20the,Leadership%20Initiative%20(NMITLI)'." target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative programme</a></strong> is a flagship scheme to catalyze innovation centered scientific and technological developments as a vehicle to attain for Indian industry a global leadership position.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It seeks to build, capture and retain for India a leadership position by synergising the best competencies of publicly funded R&amp;D institutions, academia and private industry</li>
<li>The Ayurvedic medicine system is one area of promising industrial potential for India on a global scale.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Emulating Kerala Model:</strong> In this roller coaster journey since independence, there has been one bright exception, the state of Kerala, where Ayurveda continues to occupy a unique position in the health and medical care sector.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Kerala has been promoting Ayurveda as a way of improving immunity in the general population. It promotes Ayurvedic formulations and recommends Ayurveda practices to all demographics of its population.</li>
<li>The Kerala model has been lauded across the globe for its effectiveness in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.</li>
<li>The state has taken several steps to keep its case count low, and one of them is a focus on improving the immunity levels of people, using Ayurveda.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Though deeply rooted in antiquity and Hindu civilisation, Ayurveda has carried forward some of the finest traditions in healing and cure the world has ever seen. Moreover, it has undergone some transformation to suit modern India, but more is required.</p>
<p>Thus, there is a need for state patronage, so that Ayurveda can claim its rightful place along with modern medicine as a mainstream medicinal system.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594725052_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594725052_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="600" height="429" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffced;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>With increased significance of Ayurveda in treating modern diseases, it is now poised to truly and actively participate in the health and medical care system.Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYLx_CYLQak" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/sure-power-the-hindu-editorial-on-indias-solar-strategy/article32060269.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Sure Power&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on July 13<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Watch this on our Youtube channel now.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/renaissance-in-ayurveda'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Retail Inflation Growth at 6.09%',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/retail-inflation-dropped" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Statistical Office (NSO)</strong></a> released the retail inflation data, which rose to <strong>6.09%</strong> in the month of June, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Retail inflation is measured by the <strong>Consumer Price Index (CPI).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The retail inflation growth was mainly due to a rise in <strong>pulses and products</strong> prices that saw a <strong>16.68%</strong> on-year rise in June. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from pulses and products segment, the<strong> meat and fish</strong> segment saw a rise of <strong>16.22%,</strong> while that of <strong>oils and fats</strong> rose 12.27% and <strong>spices</strong> prices gained <strong>11.74%</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The retail inflation has grown beyond the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India&rsquo;s (RBI)</strong></a> <strong>upper margin of 6%.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central government has mandated the RBI to keep inflation within the range of 4&plusmn;2%.</li>
<li>This <strong>inflation range (4% within a band of +/- 2%) was recommended by the committee headed by Urjit Patel in 2014.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The NSO also released the<strong> Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)</strong> data which measures the inflation in the food basket.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The CFPI stood at 7.87% in the month of June. The CFPI for May was revised to 9.20%.</li>
<li>The reduction in CFPI is because of ease in supply related issues post lockdown.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The government<strong> has not released the retail inflation data for April and May.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The price collection of Consumer Price Index (CPI) through personal visits of price collectors was suspended due to the announcement of nation-wide lockdown to contain spread of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inflation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inflation refers to the <strong>rise in the prices of most goods and services</strong> of daily or common use, such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc.</li>
<li>Inflation measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time.</li>
<li>Inflation is indicative of the <strong>decrease in the purchasing power</strong> of a unit of a country&rsquo;s currency. This could ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth.</li>
<li>However, a <strong>moderate level of inflation is required in the economy</strong> to ensure that production is promoted.</li>
<li>In India, the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation measures inflation.</li>
<li>In India, inflation is primarily measured by two main indices &mdash; <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WPI (Wholesale Price Index)</a> and CPI (Consumer Price Index)</strong> which measure wholesale and retail-level price changes, respectively.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Consumer Price Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It measures price changes from the <strong>perspective of a retail buyer.</strong></li>
<li>The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.</li>
<li>The CPI has several sub-groups including food and beverages, fuel and light, housing and clothing, bedding and footwear.</li>
<li>Four types of CPI are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>CPI for Industrial Workers (IW).</strong></li>
<li><strong>CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL).</strong></li>
<li><strong>CPI for Rural Labourer (RL).</strong></li>
<li><strong>CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined).</strong></li>
<li>Of these, the first three are compiled by the Labour Bureau in the <strong>Ministry of Labour and Employment.</strong> Fourth is compiled by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Base Year</strong> for CPI is <strong>2012.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/repo-rate-unchanged-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)</strong></a> uses CPI data to control inflation.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/india-june-2020-cpi-retail-inflation-data-6503751/" 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/retail-inflation-growth-at-6-09'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'India's Second Voluntary Review of SDGs',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, India has represented the <strong>second voluntary national review of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a></strong> report titled as <strong>&lsquo;Decade of Action: Taking SDGs from Global to Local&rsquo; </strong>to the<strong> United Nations High-level Political Forum.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report, presented 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>, discusses SDGs related policy, means of implementation and situation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> in India.</li>
<li>It presented the<strong> first</strong> voluntary national review of SDGs in <strong>2017.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Localising SDGs:</strong> The goal wise account of the progress on SDGs has been represented with examples of a range of diverse practices and success stories of interventions from the States, specifically <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/aspirational-districts-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Aspirational Districts.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Financial Assistance:</strong> Highlighted the challenges thrown up by the Covid-19 outbreak, India has called on developed countries to provide <strong>financial assistance</strong> to the developing countries, especially for <strong>global public good such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a> mitigation and control of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemics</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to a study conducted by the government in partnership with the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Monetary Fund (IMF)</strong></a> &mdash; education, health, electricity, roads and water and sanitation &mdash; will require additional funding for &ldquo;significant&rdquo; progress.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Curbing Illicit Financial Flows:</strong> Deliberating on the &ldquo;SDG-17&rdquo; that is about &ldquo;partnerships for the goals&rdquo;, the report highlighted the need for international cooperation for curbing illicit financial flows.</li>
<li><strong>Efforts to curb the Covid-19:</strong> It mentioned the vulnerabilities faced by the migrants and the urban poor in the wake of the pandemic.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is leading a multi-faceted effort to revamp the public health infrastructure, protect jobs and livelihoods to reduce the impact of the Covid-19.</li>
<li>Government has announced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-economic-relief-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>economic relief packages</strong></a> for them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations High-Level Political Forum</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Formed in 2013, it is a subsidiary body of both the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> United Nations General Assembly</strong></a> and the<strong> United Nations Economic and Social Council</strong> responsible for the entire organization's policy on sustainable development.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarter:</strong> New York, USA</li>
<li>It adopts negotiated declarations, reviews commitment and the progress of the<strong> 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.</strong></li>
<li>Member countries are required to apprise about the progress in the form of<strong> Voluntary National Review reports (VNRs).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The VNRs that are presented by the member states are a critical component of the <strong>review of the implementation and progress</strong> of 2030 Agenda and SDGs.</li>
<li>The process of the preparation of a country&rsquo;s VNR provides a platform for the partnerships, which includes the participation of various stakeholders.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s VNR in 2020 undertook a paradigm shift in terms of embodying a <strong>&lsquo;whole of society&rsquo; approach</strong> in letter and spirit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It has been prepared with the help of sub-national and local governments, civil society organizations, local communities, people in vulnerable situations and the private sector.</li>
<li>NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-calls-for-developed-nations-to-assist-developing-ones-6504482/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIndia%20reiterates%20that%20the%20developed,%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20the%20report%20titled%20%E2%80%9C" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-second-voluntary-review-of-sdgs'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Language of the Tangams',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh has released a book titled <strong>&ldquo;Tangams: An Ethnolinguistic Study Of The Critically Endangered Group of Arunachal Pradesh&rdquo;.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The book has valuable data on <strong>endangered oral narratives</strong> like ritual songs, lamentation songs, lullabies and festival songs in<strong> Tangam language</strong> spoken by the Tangam community, which has <strong>reportedly 253 speakers left now.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Tangam People:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a little-known community within the larger <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tribal-lockdown-rituals" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh</strong></a> which resides in the <strong>hamlet of Kugging in Upper Siang district&rsquo;s Paindem circle.</strong></li>
<li>For long, the only account of the Tangams could be found in a book,<strong> &ldquo;Tangams&rdquo; (1975)</strong> where the community&rsquo;s population was pegged at 2,000 spread across 25 villages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tangam Language:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tangam is an <strong>oral language that belongs to the Tani group,</strong> under the greater <strong>Tibeto-Burman language family.</strong></li>
<li>It has been marked <strong>&lsquo;critically endangered&rsquo;</strong> by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO</strong></a> <strong>World Atlas of Endangered Languages</strong> (2009).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719584_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719584_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="750" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reasons for its Decline:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Low population:</strong> Smaller languages are more vulnerable and extinction is directly proportional to population.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Another <strong>critically endangered language is Meyor</strong> but it is better off than Tangam because the community has a population of around 1,000 people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Multilingualism:</strong> Tangams have become<strong> multilingual over time</strong> to communicate with their neighbours.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Kugging is surrounded by a number of villages inhabited by Adi subgroups such as Shimong, Minyongs, as well as the Buddhist tribal community of Khambas, among others.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Less or No Use of Tangam:</strong> They rarely speak their own language now because their population is restricted to a single village. Moreover, they are relatively unknown even within the state so there was no possibility of its expansion.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Development and Infrastructure:</strong> The village lacks proper infrastructure in all basic sectors of education, health, drinking water facilities, road and electricity. Not a single person from the community has gone to a university.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Languages of Arunachal Pradesh</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There has been <strong>no systematic, scientific or official survey</strong> on the number of languages in Arunachal Pradesh till recently.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An <strong>official linguistic survey</strong> by the state government began only in <strong>2018,</strong> which is currently underway.</li>
<li>Before that, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/protection-and-preservation-of-endangered-language" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>People&rsquo;s Linguistic Survey of India</strong></a> was published in <strong>2017.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to experts, there are <strong>around 32-34 languages</strong> with a disclaimer that it is <strong>not a conclusive figure.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If various linguistic varieties or dialects embedded within these languages are enlisted then the numbers can go up to 90.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The languages of Arunachal Pradesh have been <strong>classified under the Sino-Tibetan language family</strong> and <strong>more specifically under the Tibeto-Burman and Tai group of languages,</strong> such as Lolo-Burmish, Bodhic, Sal, Tani, Mishmi, Hruissh and Tai.</li>
<li>The <strong>education system introduced Devanagari, Assamese and Roman scripts</strong> for most tribal languages but<strong> new scripts such as Tani Lipi and Wancho Script</strong> have been developed by native scholars as well.</li>
<li>According to the UNESCO Atlas of the World&rsquo;s Languages in Danger,<strong> more than 26 languages</strong> of Arunachal Pradesh have been identified as endangered with the<strong> degrees ranging from &lsquo;unsafe&rsquo;, &lsquo;definitely endangered&rsquo; to &lsquo;critically endangered&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Risks:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>diversity of languages</strong> has led various communities to<strong> depend on English, Assamese and Arunachalee Hindi as the link languages.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> younger generation</strong> of various tribes, especially in the urban areas, <strong>has mostly discarded</strong> the use of their mother tongue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study for the book took a multidisciplinary approach by taking into account not only language but also rituals, folklore, food habits, belief systems, etc.</li>
<li>The book will help future children retain their unique identity as an ethnolinguistic group and will appeal to those interested in ethnolinguistics, anthropology and folkloristics of lesser studied tribes.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-language-of-the-tangams-with-just-253-speakers-6503165/" 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/language-of-the-tangams'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Tiger Census 2018: Guinness Book of World Records',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India&rsquo;s 2018 Tiger Census</strong> </a>has made it to the <strong>Guinness Book of World Records</strong> for being the <strong>world&rsquo;s largest camera trapping wildlife survey.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has also fulfilled its resolution to double the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/status-of-conservation-of-tigers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tiger</strong></a> numbers made at St. Petersburg Tiger Summit in 2010, before the target year of 2022.</li>
<li>The tiger numbers in India have increased from around 1500 in 2010 to 2976 in 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Comprehensive:</strong> The <strong>fourth cycle</strong> of the<strong> Tiger Census 2018,</strong> conducted in 2018-19 is the most comprehensive in terms of both resource and data recorded.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It counted <strong>2976 tigers</strong> which is <strong>75%</strong> of the global tiger population.</li>
<li>The census is done quadrennially (every four years) by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-tiger-conservation-authority" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Tiger Conservation Authority</a> (NTCA)</strong> with technical help from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rhinos-to-be-re-introduced-in-uttarakhand#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20Uttarakhand%20State%20Wildlife,more%20would%20be%20added%20subsequently." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife Institute of India.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is done with cooperation from the state Forest Departments and partners.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Methods:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Camera traps</strong> were placed at multiple locations across different sites and surveyed an effective area of 121,337 square kilometres. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Camera Traps</strong> are<strong> outdoor photographic devices</strong> fitted with motion sensors that start recording when an animal passes by.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It also conducted extensive<strong> foot surveys</strong> that sampled habitat plots for vegetation and prey dung.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Identification:</strong> From these photographs 83% of the total tiger population were identified using <strong>stripe-pattern-recognition software.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The software helps to match a new image of a tiger already in the database, based on the pattern of stripes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Project Tiger</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was launched in <strong>1973</strong> with 9 tiger reserves for conserving our national animal, the tiger.</li>
<li>It is an ongoing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/reforming-centrally-sponsored-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme</strong></a> of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.</li>
<li>Currently, the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 50 Tiger reserves, spread out in 18 tiger range states which amounts to around 2.21% of the geographical area of our country.</li>
<li>The tiger reserves are <strong>constituted on a core/buffer strategy.</strong> The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area.</li>
<li>The <strong>NTCA</strong> was <strong>launched in 2005,</strong> following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It is a <strong>statutory body of the Ministry,</strong> with an overarching supervisory/coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</li>
<li><strong>M-STrIPES</strong> (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) is an <strong>app based monitoring system,</strong> launched across Indian tiger reserves by the NTCA in 2010. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The system would enable field managers to assist intensity and spatial coverage of patrols in a geographic information system (GIS) domain.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tiger<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719000_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719000_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Panthera tigris</em></li>
<li><strong>Indian Sub Species:</strong> <em>Panthera tigris tigris.</em></li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> It stretches from Siberian temperate forests to <strong>subtropical and tropical forests on the Indian subcontinent</strong> and Sumatra.</li>
<li>It is the largest cat species and a member of the genus Panthera.</li>
<li>Traditionally<strong> eight subspecies of tigers</strong> have been recognized, out of which <strong>three are extinct.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bengal Tigers:</strong> Indian Subcontinent</li>
<li><strong>Caspian tiger:</strong> Turkey through central and west Asia <strong>(extinct).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Amur tiger:</strong> Amur Rivers region of Russia and China, and North Korea</li>
<li><strong>Javan tiger:</strong> Java, Indonesia <strong>(extinct).</strong></li>
<li><strong>South China tiger:</strong> South central China.</li>
<li><strong>Bali tiger:</strong> Bali, Indonesia <strong>(extinct).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Sumatran tiger:</strong> Sumatra, Indonesia.</li>
<li><strong>Indo-Chinese tiger:</strong> Continental south-east Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Designated as the National Animal of India, Bengal Tiger is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange-brown fur with a lighter underside.</li>
<li><strong>Importance:</strong> Tigers are terminal consumers in the ecological food pyramid, and their conservation results in the conservation of all trophic levels in an ecosystem.</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> Habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.</li>
<li><strong>Protection Status:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</a>: Schedule I</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong> </a>Red List:<strong> Endangered.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)</a>: Appendix I.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tiger Reserves in India</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total Number: 50</strong></li>
<li><strong>Largest: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nagarjunasagar-srisailam-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve</a></strong>, Andhra Pradesh</li>
<li><strong>Smallest: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dehing-patkai-wildlife-sanctuary-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orang National park</a></strong>, Assam</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/mainpage.aspx" 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/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'India Dropped from Chabahar Rail Project',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Iran has decided to proceed with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-firm-takes-over-chabahar-port-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chabahar</strong></a> rail line construction on its own, citing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-not-making-promised-investments-in-chabahar-port-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>delays from the Indian side</strong> </a>in beginning and funding the project.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chabahar Port</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chabahar port is located on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/operation-sankalp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gulf of Oman</strong></a> and is only 72 km away from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/viability-of-bri-and-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gwadar port</strong> </a><strong>in Pakistan</strong> which has been <strong>developed by China.</strong></li>
<li>The port serves as the <strong>only oceanic port of Iran</strong> and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594715104_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594715104_image2.jpg" 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>Iran has inaugurated the track-laying process for the <strong>628 km Chabahar-Zahedan rail line,</strong> which will be <strong>extended to Zaranj across the border in Afghanistan.</strong></li>
<li>The entire project would be <strong>completed by March 2022</strong> and Iranian Railways will use approximately <strong>USD 400 million</strong> from the<strong> Iranian National Development Fund.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan signed the <strong>trilateral agreement</strong> which entailed the establishment of <strong>Transit and Transport Corridor</strong> among the three countries using Chabahar port in Iran as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation.</li>
<li>Construction of a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the border with Afghanistan as an alternate trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, was also a part of it.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The state-owned <strong>Indian Railways Construction Ltd.</strong> (IRCON) had signed a <strong>Memorandum of Understanding</strong> (MoU) with the <strong>Iranian Rail Ministry</strong> and promised to provide all services, superstructure work and financing (around USD 1.6 billion).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by the three countries with other Central Asian countries in the wake of<strong> Pakistan denying transit access to India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Despite several site visits by IRCON engineers and preparations by Iranian railways, <strong>India never began the work,</strong> worrying that it could attract <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/chabahar-port-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>sanctions by the USA.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India has already <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iran-sanctions-india-lines-up-alternative-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>zeroed out its oil imports from Iran</strong></a> due to USA sanctions.</li>
<li>The USA had provided a sanctions waiver for the Chabahar port and the rail line but it was <strong>difficult to find equipment suppliers and partners</strong> due to worries of being targeted by the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Another reason could be the<strong> &lsquo;Comprehensive Plan for Cooperation between Iran and China&rsquo;</strong> which is a <strong>25-year and USD 400 billion strategic partnership deal.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both nations are <strong>close to finalising</strong> the deal, which will <strong>include Chinese involvement</strong> in Chabahar&rsquo;s duty-free zone, an oil refinery nearby and possibly a larger role in Chabahar port as well.</li>
<li>The cooperation will extend from<strong> investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and upgrading energy and transport</strong> facilities, to <strong>refurbishing ports, refineries and other installations</strong> and will commit Iranian oil and gas supplies to China during that period.</li>
<li>Iran proposed a tie-up between the Chinese-run Pakistani port at Gwadar and Chabahar in 2019 and offered interests to China in the <strong>Bandar-e-Jask port</strong> 350 km away from Chabahar, as well as in the Chabahar duty-free zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Iran-China deal <strong>impinges on India&rsquo;s strategic ties with Iran</strong> and the use of Chabahar port. Bandar-e-Jask lies to the west of Chabahar and right before the Strait <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>of Hormuz</strong></a> which would <strong>allow China to extend its control along the Pakistan-Iran coast.</strong></li>
<li>Each of these possibilities<strong> should be watched closely</strong> by India and it should <strong>strengthen its relations</strong> with the concerned countries.</li>
<li>As an emerging power, India cannot remain confined to South Asia and a peaceful extended neighbourhood (Iran-Afghanistan) is not only good for trade and energy security but also plays a <strong>vital role in India's aspirations of becoming a superpower.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/iran-drops-india-from-chabahar-rail-project-cites-funding-delay/article32072428.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/india-dropped-from-chabahar-rail-project'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'The Padmanabhaswamy Temple Case',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court of India</strong></a> <strong>upheld the right of the Travancore royal family</strong> to manage the property of deity at <strong>Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple</strong> in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Temple has been in the news since 2011 after the discovery of treasure worth over Rs. 1 lakh crore in its underground vaults.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Judgement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Supreme Court (SC)<strong> reversed the 2011 Kerala High Court decision,</strong> which had directed the Kerala government to set up a trust to control the management and assets of the temple.</li>
<li>The High Court (HC) had ruled that the<strong> successor to the erstwhile royals could not claim to be in control of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple</strong> after the <strong>amendment of definition of &lsquo;Ruler&rsquo; in Article 366 (22)</strong> of the Constitution of India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The definition of Ruler was amended by the <strong>Twenty Sixth (Constitutional) Amendment Act, 1971,</strong> which abolished the privy purses.</li>
<li>Article 366 (22) reads, &ldquo;Ruler&rdquo; means the Prince, Chief or other person who, at any time before the commencement of the Twenty Sixth (Constitutional) Amendment Act, 1971, was recognised as the Ruler of an Indian State or was recognised as the successor of such Ruler.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, the SC rejected this and said that, <strong>as per customary law,</strong> the members of the royal family have the <strong>shebait rights</strong> even after the death of the last ruler.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Shebait rights means right to manage the financial affairs of the deity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The SC held that, <strong>for the purpose of shebait rights the definition of Ruler would apply</strong> and would transfer to the successor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administrative Committees:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The SC accepted the submission of the royal family that the temple is a <strong>public temple,</strong> and directed setting up of an<strong> administrative committee with the Thiruvananthapuram District Judge as its chairperson,</strong> for its transparent administration in the future.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The other members of the Committee would be a nominee of the trustee (royal family), the chief thanthri of the temple, a nominee of the State and a member nominated by the Union Ministry of Culture.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The SC<strong> also ordered a second committee</strong> to be constituted to advise the administrative committee on policy matters. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This would be <strong>chaired by a retired High Court judge</strong> nominated by the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The primary duties of the two committees would be to preserve the treasures and properties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the <strong>Instrument of Accession</strong> signed between the princely states and the Government of India, the administration of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple was <strong>vested in trust in the Ruler of Travancore,</strong> since 1949.</li>
<li><strong>In 1971, privy purses to the former royals were abolished</strong> through a constitutional amendment stripping their entitlements and privileges.</li>
<li>In 1991, when the last ruler of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, passed away, his brother Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma took over the temple management.</li>
<li>This created a furore that he had no legal right to claim the control or management of the temple.</li>
<li>However, the royal family continued to manage the affairs of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple till the Kerala High Court in 2011 ruled that the family cannot continue to exert its shebait rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594714198_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to Historians, the temple dates back to the<strong> 8<sup>th</sup> century</strong> but the present structure was built in the 18<sup>th</sup> century by the then Travancore <strong>Maharaja Marthanda Varma.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The temple was initially made of wood but later it was constructed with granite.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The temple is built in the unique <strong>Chera style of architecture,</strong> and its <strong>main deity is Lord Vishnu</strong> who is found in the <strong>Anantha Shayana posture</strong> (reclined posture of eternal yoga) on <strong>Adishesha</strong> or king of all serpents.</li>
<li>It is known to be <strong>one of the 108 holy temples associated with Vaishnavism in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-upholds-right-of-erstwhile-travancore-royal-family-in-administration-of-keralas-sree-padmanabhaswamy-temple/article32063310.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-padmanabhaswamy-temple-case'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'App to Monitor Rice Fields: Paddy Watch',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Researchers from University of Sydney in collaboration with other partners have been developing an app i.e.<strong> Paddy watch,</strong> which will act as the <strong>first real-time monitoring platform for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/direct-seeding-of-rice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rice</a> fields.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The project has been undertaken in collaboration with <strong>Google Earth</strong> and the <strong>Group on Earth Observations (GEO).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Development of the App:</strong> The Paddy watch is being developed in partnership with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iari-breeds-nutrient-rich-hybrid-maize" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Agricultural Research Institute</strong></a>, India along with the research institutes from different countries i.e. China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These five countries hold the position of the largest rice-producing countries across the globe.</li>
<li>Among these, <strong>India, China and Indonesia</strong> are the world&rsquo;s three largest producers of rice and together account for about <strong>60% of the total</strong> world production.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Functioning:</strong> The <strong>real-time land-use data</strong> will be generated using<strong> Google Earth</strong> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/edge-computing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cloud computing technology</strong></a>, and will be verified by field operators in partner countries to ensure accuracy of rice production worldwide.</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Digital Agriculture:</strong> The app would work on <strong>deep-learning techniques</strong> (works on the idea of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong></a>) to forecast crop yields and water consumption.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This type of technology would enhance the world's confidence to feed the population in a sustainable way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Accurate Information:</strong> Accurate and up-to-date information on rice planted and harvested can be achieved through the app. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It would allow <strong>farmers, agricultural scientists, non-government organisations and government planners</strong> to manage land use to<strong> ensure <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">food security</a></strong> in the world&rsquo;s rice bowls.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Therefore, helps in meeting the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a>-mandated <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>sustainable development goal</strong></a> No.2 &mdash; of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/daily-updates-news-editorials-how-can-india-overcome-the-zero-hunger-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Zero Hunger.&rsquo;</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It would help in water management and <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-ensuring-water-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>water security</strong></a> by predicting the use of water for the rice fields.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GreenHouse Gas Emission:</strong> As paddy fields release methane, a significant component to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/greenhouse-gas-levels-reach-record-highs-un-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>greenhouse gases</strong></a>, the app would help in the estimation of the emission and impact of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-warming-of-1-5-c-ipcc-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>global warming</strong></a>.</li>
<li><strong>Policy Formulation:</strong> The information collected through the app would also help the associated partners to develop policies for education, economic growth, gender equity, and reduction of social inequality.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Group on Earth Observations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GEO is a unique <strong>global network</strong> connecting government institutions, academic and research institutions, data providers and scientists to benefit the world by comprehensive and sustained Earth observations.</li>
<li>It coordinates international efforts to build a <strong>Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It aims to produce a <strong>global public infrastructure</strong> that generates, near-real-time environmental data, information and analyses for a wide range of users and mitigation of global issues like climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/economy/first-real-time-digital-platform-to-monitor-rice-fields-can-bolster-food-security-72264" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/app-to-monitor-rice-fields-paddy-watch'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Criminalisation of Politics',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/owning-up-to-criminalisation-in-politics/article32035186.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Owning up to criminalisation in politics&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 10/07/2020. It talks about the menace of criminalisation of politics in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Upcoming Bihar elections in October 2020, will be the first election where the Supreme Court's decision (given in february 2020) that requires political parties to publish the entire criminal history of their candidates for elections along with the reasons to field such suspected criminals, will be implemented.</p>
<p>This judgement also requires such information mandatorily be published in a local and national newspaper as well as the parties&rsquo; social media handles.</p>
<p>While the judgment may have far-reaching consequences for curbing criminalisation of politics, yet still a lot has to be done to make a cleaner electoral process in India.</p>
<h3>Significance of the Judgment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-order-on-criminalisation-of-politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>order by the Supreme Court</strong></a> is in line with<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/curbing-criminalisation-of-politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> a series of judgments</strong> </a>aimed at preserving the purity of the election process. Some of the judgements are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Directions to ensure the asset disclosure and criminal records of candidates.</li>
<li>The incorporation of the &lsquo;none of the above&rsquo; option in the voting machine.</li>
<li>Invalidation of a clause that protected sitting legislators from immediate disqualification after conviction.</li>
<li>Establishment of special courts in all States for the quick disposal of cases involving elected representatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The political party and its leadership would for the first time have to publicly own up to criminalisation of politics, which they had been denying it all these years.</li>
<li>The judgment assumes importance amid the steady deterioration in politics over decades, with the decline accelerating in the last two decades.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2004, 24% of the Members of Parliament had criminal cases pending against them. It shot up to 30% in 2009 and 34% in 2014.</li>
<li>In 2019 as many as 43% of MPs had criminal cases pending against them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons of Criminalisation of Politics</h3>
<p><strong>Lack of Political Will:</strong> Majorly whatever progress made in curbing criminalisation of politics has been through the initiative of the Supreme Court and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Election Commission.</strong> </a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>However, it is parliament's responsibility to amend the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/representation-of-people-s-act-part-i" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Representation of the People (RPA) Act 1951</strong></a>, which deals with disqualification of candidates against whom charges have been proved in court for serious offences.</li>
<li>In spite of taking appropriate measures to amend the RPA Act, there has been an unsaid understanding among the political parties which deters Parliament to make strong law curbing criminalisation of politics.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Lack of Enforcement:</strong> Several laws and court judgments have not helped much, due to the lack of enforcement of laws and judgments. For example, blatant violation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/model-code-of-conduct-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Model Code of Conduct</strong></a>, as seen in almost all elections.</p>
<p><strong>Narrow Self-interests:</strong> Publishing of the entire criminal history of candidates fielded by political parties may not be very effective, as a major chunk of voters tend to vote through a narrow prism of community interests like caste or religion.</p>
<p><strong>Use of Muscle and Money Power:</strong> Candidates with serious records seem to do well despite their public image, largely due to their ability to finance their own elections and bring substantive resources to their respective parties.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also, sometimes voters are left with no options, as all competing candidates have criminal records.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Effect of Criminalisation of Politics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Against the Principle of Free and Fair Election:</strong> Using money and muscle power in elections, limits the choice of voters to elect a suitable candidate. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, it is against the ethos of free and fair election which is the bedrock of a democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Affecting Good Governance:</strong> The major problem is that the law-breakers become law-makers, this affects the efficacy of the democratic process in delivering good governance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These unhealthy tendencies in the democratic system reflect a poor image of the nature of India&rsquo;s state institutions and the quality of its elected representatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Affecting Integrity of Public Servants:</strong> It also leads to increased circulation of black money during and after elections, which in turn increases corruption in society and affects the working of public servants.</li>
<li><strong>Causes Social Disharmony:</strong> It introduces a culture of violence in society and sets a bad precedent for the youth to follow and reduces people 's faith in democracy as a system of governance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p><strong>State Funding of Election:</strong> Various <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-electoral-politics-need-for-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>committees</strong> </a>(Dinesh Goswami, Inderjeet Committee) on the electoral reforms have recommended for state funding of elections.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-regulating-anonymous-donations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>State funding of elections</strong></a> will curb use of black money to a large extent and thereby will have a significant impact on limiting criminalization of politics.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Strengthening of Election Commission:</strong> Election Commission can register a political party but cannot deregister it. Regulating the affairs of a political party is essential for a cleaner electoral process.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen the election commission.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Behavioural Change:</strong> Until the citizens realise that people who bribe them for votes cannot be trusted and it will be to their ultimate disadvantage, the efforts to curb criminalisation of politics will have limited impact.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Thus, voters also need to be vigilant about misuse of money, gifts and other inducements during elections.</li>
<li>Further, seeing a behavioral change amongst voters, political parties will be forced to field candidates with a clean background.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Given the reluctance by the political parties to curb criminalisation of politics and its growing detrimental effects on Indian democracy, Indian courts must now seriously consider banning people accused with serious criminal charges from contesting elections.</p>
<p>While there are various arguments for and against such a move, it will be a step in the right direction for making Indian elections more free and fair.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594638153_image0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594638153_image0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="615" height="470" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #faffeb;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>De-criminalisation of politics cannot be achieved by judicial fiat alone, it requires strong political will and most importantly a behavioral change amongst the Indian voters. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/criminalisation-of-politics-2'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Goods and Services Tax (GST)',
			'catname' => 'Paper 3',
			'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a <strong>value-added tax</strong> levied on most goods and services sold for domestic consumption. The GST is paid by consumers, but it is remitted to the government by the businesses selling the goods and services.</p>
<h3>Main Features of GST</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Applicable On supply side:</strong> GST is applicable on &lsquo;supply&rsquo; of goods or services as against the old concept on the manufacture of goods or on sale of goods or on provision of services.</li>
<li><strong>Destination based Taxation:</strong> GST is based on the principle of destination-based consumption taxation as against the present principle of origin-based taxation.</li>
<li><strong>Dual GST:</strong> It is a dual GST with the Centre and the States simultaneously levying tax on a common base. GST to be levied by the Centre is called Central GST (CGST) and that to be levied by the States is called State GST (SGST).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Import of goods or services would be treated as inter-state supplies and would be subject to Integrated Goods &amp; Services Tax (IGST) in addition to the applicable customs duties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GST rates to be mutually decided:</strong> CGST, SGST &amp; IGST are levied at rates to be mutually agreed upon by the Centre and the States. The rates are notified on the recommendation of the GST Council. </li>
<li><strong>Multiple Rates:</strong> Initially GST was levied at four rates viz. 5%, 12%, 16% and 28%. The schedule or list of items that would fall under these multiple slabs are worked out by the GST council.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Legislative Basis Of GST</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, GST Bill was first introduced in 2014 as The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill.</li>
<li>This got an approval in 2016 and was renumbered in the statute by Rajya Sabha as The Constitution (101<sup>st</sup> Amendment) Act, 2016. Its provisions:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Central GST to cover Excise duty, Service tax etc, State GST to cover VAT, luxury tax etc.</li>
<li>Integrated GST to cover inter-state trade. IGST per se is not a tax but a system to coordinate state and union taxes.</li>
<li><strong>Article 246A &ndash;</strong> States have power to tax goods and services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GST Council</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Article 279A - <strong>GST</strong> Council to be formed by the President to administer &amp; govern GST. It's Chairman is Union Finance Minister of India with ministers nominated by the state governments as its members.</li>
<li>The council is devised in such a way that the centre will have 1/3<sup>rd</sup> voting power and the states have 2/3<sup>rd</sup>.</li>
<li>The decisions are taken by 3/4<sup>th</sup> majority.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reforms Brought About by GST</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Creation of common national market:</strong> By amalgamating a large number of Central and State taxes into a single tax. </li>
<li><strong>Mitigation of cascading effect:</strong> GST mitigated ill effects of cascading or double taxation in a major way and paved the way for a common national market. </li>
<li><strong>Reduction in Tax burden:</strong> From the consumers&rsquo; point of view, the biggest advantage would be in terms of reduction in the overall tax burden on goods. </li>
<li><strong>Making Indian products more competitive:</strong> Introduction of GST is making Indian products more competitive in the domestic and international markets owing to the full neutralization of input taxes across the value chain of production. </li>
<li><strong>Easier to administer:</strong> Because of the transparent and self-policing character of GST, it would be easier to administer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Advantages of GST</h3>
<p><strong>For the Government</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Create a unified common market:</strong> Will help to create a unified common national market for India. It will also give a boost to foreign investment and &ldquo;Make in India&rdquo; campaign.</li>
<li><strong>Streamline Taxation:</strong> Through harmonization of laws, procedures and rates of tax between Centre and States and across States.</li>
<li><strong>Increase tax Compliance:</strong> Improved environment for compliance as all returns are to be filed online, input credits to be verified online, encouraging more paper trail of transactions at each level of supply chain;</li>
<li><strong>Discourage Tax evasion:</strong> Uniform SGST and IGST rates will reduce the incentive for evasion by eliminating rate arbitrage between neighbouring States and that between intra and inter-state sales.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For Overall Economy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bring about certainty:</strong> Common procedures for registration of taxpayers, refund of taxes, uniform formats of tax return, common tax base, common system of classification of goods and services will lend greater certainty to taxation system;</li>
<li><strong>Reduce corruption:</strong> Greater use of IT will reduce human interface between the taxpayer and the tax administration, which will go a long way in reducing corruption;</li>
<li><strong>Boost secondary sector:</strong> It will boost export and manufacturing activity, generate more employment and thus increase GDP with gainful employment leading to substantive economic growth;</li>
<li>Ultimately it will help in poverty eradication by generating more employment and more financial resources.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For the Trade and Industry</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Simpler tax regime with fewer exemptions.</li>
<li>Increased ease of doing business.</li>
<li>Reduction in multiplicity of taxes.</li>
<li>Elimination of double taxation on certain sectors.</li>
<li>More efficient neutralization of taxes especially for exports </li>
<li>Making our products more competitive in the international market.</li>
<li>Simplified and automated procedures for registration, returns, refunds and tax payments.</li>
<li>Decrease in average tax burden on supply of goods or services.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For Consumers</strong> </p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transparent prices:</strong> Final price of goods is expected to be transparent due to seamless flow of input tax credit between the manufacturer, retailer and service supplier.</li>
<li><strong>Price reduction:</strong> Reduction in prices of commodities and goods in long run due to reduction in cascading impact of taxation;</li>
<li><strong>Poverty eradication</strong>: By generating more employment and more financial resources.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For the States</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Expansion of the tax base:</strong> As states will be able to tax the entire supply chain from manufacturing to retail.</li>
<li><strong>More economical empowerment:</strong> Power to tax services, which was hitherto with the Central Government only, will boost revenue and give States access to the fastest growing sector of the economy.</li>
<li><strong>Enhancing Investments:</strong> GST being destination based consumption tax will favour consuming States. Improve the overall investment climate in the country which will naturally benefit the development in the States.</li>
<li><strong>Increase Compliance:</strong> Largely uniform SGST and IGST rates will reduce the incentive for evasion by eliminating rate arbitrage between neighbouring States and that between intra and inter-state sales</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Exemptions under GST</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Custom duty will be still collected along with the levy of IGST on imported goods.</li>
<li>Petroleum and tobacco products are currently exempted.</li>
<li>Excise duty on liquor, stamp duty and electricity taxes are also exempted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Challenges Of GST</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SCGT and CGST input credit cannot be cross utilized.</li>
<li>Manufacturing states lose revenue on a bigger scale.</li>
<li>High rate to tax to compensate the revenue collected now from multiple taxes i.e High Revenue Neutral Rate.</li>
<li>The reduction in the fiscal autonomy of the States.</li>
<li>Concerns raised by banks and insurance companies over the need for multiple registrations under GST.</li>
<li>The levy of additional cess.</li>
<li>The capacity of State tax authorities, so far used to taxing goods and not services, to deal with the latter is an unknown quantity.</li>
<li>The success of GST depends on political consensus, technology and the capacity of tax officials to adapt to the new requirements.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Thus GST is a positive step towards shifting Indian economy from the informal to formal economy. It is important to utilise experiences from global economies that have implemented GST before us,to overcome the impending challenges.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1'
		],
		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The recently discovered <strong>comet C/2020 F3</strong> will make its closest approach to the Earth at a distance of 64 million miles or 103 million kilometres while crossing <strong>Earth&rsquo;s outside orbit on 22<sup>nd</sup> July 2020.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is also known as <strong>NEOWISE</strong> after the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Aeronautics and Space Administration</strong></a> (NASA) <strong>telescope</strong> that discovered it.</li>
<li>On 3<sup>rd</sup> July, it was closest to the sun at 43 million km due to which its outer layer was released, creating an atmosphere (referred to as coma) of gas and dust from its icy surface.</li>
<li><strong>It will be visible</strong> through binoculars or a small telescope.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594636492_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594636492_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The word comet comes from the Latin word <strong><em>&lsquo;Cometa&rsquo;</em></strong> which means <strong>&lsquo;long-haired&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The earliest known record of a comet sighting was made by an astrologer in<strong> 1059 BC.</strong></li>
<li>Comets or <strong>&lsquo;dirty snowballs&rsquo;</strong> are <strong>mostly made of dust, rocks and ice</strong> and can range in their width from a <strong>few miles to tens of miles wide.</strong></li>
<li>When they orbit <strong>closer to the sun,</strong> like C/2020 F3, they <strong>heat up and release debris of dust and gases.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>solid portions</strong> of comets consisting mostly of water, ice and embedded dust particles are <strong>inactive when far away from the sun.</strong></li>
<li>When near the sun, the<strong> icy cometary surfaces vaporize</strong> and throw off large quantities of gas and dust thus<strong> forming the enormous atmosphere and tails.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>released gases form a glowing head</strong> that can often be larger than a planet and the <strong>debris forms a tail</strong> that can stretch out to millions of miles.</li>
<li>Each time a comet passes the sun, it <strong>loses some of its material</strong> and it will <strong>eventually disappear completely</strong> as a result.</li>
<li>Comets may be occasionally pushed into orbits closer to the Sun and the Earth&rsquo;s neighbourhood <strong>due to forces of gravity.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to NASA, while there are millions of comets orbiting the sun, there are<strong> more than 3,650 known comets</strong> as of now.</li>
<li><strong>The predictable comets</strong> are the <strong>short-period comets</strong> which take <strong>less than 200 years to orbit around the sun.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These can be <strong>found in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nasa-spaceship-reaches-ultima-thule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuiper belt</a>,</strong> where many comets orbit the sun in the realm of Pluto.</li>
<li>One of the most famous short-period comets is called <strong>Halley&rsquo;s Comet</strong> that <strong>reappears every 76 years.</strong> Halley&rsquo;s will be <strong>sighted next in 2062.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>less-predictable comets</strong> can be found in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/voyager-2-enters-interstellar-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Oort cloud</strong></a> that is about <strong>100,000 AU (Astronomical Unit</strong> which is the distance between the Earth and the Sun and is roughly 150 million km)<strong> from the sun</strong> or 100,000 times the distance between the Earth and the sun.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Comets in this cloud <strong>can take as long as 30 million years to complete one rotation</strong> around the sun.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Visibility:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Comets <strong>do not have the light of their own</strong> and the visibility <strong>depends on its gas and dust outbursts.</strong></li>
<li>Humans see the <strong>reflection of the sun&rsquo;s light off the comet</strong> as well as the<strong> energy released</strong> by the gas molecules after it is absorbed from the sun.</li>
<li>To be visible, a comet must make a<strong> particularly close approach to the sun</strong> to produce enormous quantities of gas and dust or it should make a <strong>relatively close approach to the Earth</strong> so that it is easily viewed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Study</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Astronomers believe that comets hold important <strong>clues about the formation of the solar system</strong> and it is <strong>possible that comets brought water and other organic compounds</strong> to Earth.</li>
<li>NASA tracks all <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/163348-2002-nn4-a-near-earth-asteroid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Near Earth Objects</strong> </a><strong>(NEOs)</strong> that includes comets and asteroids using telescopes placed all around the Earth, as part of its <strong>NEO Observation Program.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Objective of the Program:</strong> To find, track and characterise NEOs that are 140 meters or larger in size since they can pose a risk to the Earth because of the devastation a potential impact can cause.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/comet-c-2020-f3-neowise-nasa-earth-6500688/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'title' => 'Azad Pattan: PoK Hydel Project',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Pakistan and China</strong> have signed <strong>an agreement</strong> for the <strong>700 MW Azad Pattan hydel power project</strong> on the Jhelum river in Sudhnoti district of <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/disputed-territories-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The 1.5-billion USD project is under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/obor-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Description:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Azad Pattan project is one of<strong> five hydropower schemes</strong> on the Jhelum, the other four are <strong>Mahl, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kohala-hydropower-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kohala</a>, Chakothi Hattian and Karot projects.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Azad Pattan, Kohala and Karot</strong> are being developed under the <strong>CPEC framework.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is a run-of-the-river scheme with a 90-metre-high dam, and a 3.8 sq km reservoir.</li>
<li>It will be developed on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/build-operate-transfer-model" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT)&rsquo; model.</strong></a> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is expected to be <strong>commissioned by 2024.</strong></li>
<li>The project will be <strong>transferred to the government of Pakistan after 30 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns for India:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Territorial Integrity:</strong> India has <strong>protested the construction of dams</strong> and other infrastructure in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, which are territories claimed by it as part of Jammu &amp; Kashmir.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Earlier India had also objected to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/diamer-bhasha-dam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam</strong></a> (on Indus river) in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the PoK.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conflict With China:</strong> The signing of the Hydel project comes at a time when India and China have been involved in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>military conflicts</strong></a> following the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/galwan-valley-clash" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Galwan Valley</strong></a> incident in the Ladakh region.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Through these projects, <strong>China and Pakistan have been consolidating</strong> their presence in the Indian region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chabahar Rail Project:</strong> Recently, <strong>Iran along with China</strong> has gone ahead with the construction of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-dropped-from-chabahar-rail-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chabahar rail project</strong></a> without India's assistance citing funding delay.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Chabahar has been considered as <strong>India&rsquo;s strategic response</strong> to counter China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Not Based on International Norms:</strong> These projects do not follow the principles of openness, transparency and financial responsibility given by the International agencies.</li>
<li><strong>Security Concerns:</strong> China may use its <strong>economic power</strong> to increase its geopolitical leverage as these projects give a hold to China in the western Indian Ocean with the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/chabahar-port-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gwadar port</strong></a>, located near the strategic <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Strait of Hormuz.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Strait of Hormuz is a <strong>vulnerable point for India,</strong> which sources more than 60% of its oil supplies from the Middle East.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>China-Pakistan Economic Corridor<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594891963_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594891963_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/one-belt-one-road-and-china-pakistan-economic-corridor" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>One Belt One Road (OBOR)</strong></a>, intended to improve infrastructure within Pakistan for better trade with China and to further integrate the countries of the region.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>OBOR has two main components, <strong>One Belt - the land-based belt,</strong> and <strong>One Road refers to the ocean going &lsquo;Maritime Silk Road&rsquo;,</strong> which aims to connect the East Asian economic region with the European economic circle and runs across the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India has<strong> boycotted the Belt and Road Forum</strong> organised by China. China&rsquo;s insistence on establishing the CPEC project through PoK is seen by India as a <strong>deliberate disregard of its territorial claims.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/azad-pattan-pok-hydel-project-pakistan-china-6507640/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'title' => 'Melghat Tiger Reserve',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Chief Minister of Maharashtra has requested the Union government for considering an alternative alignment for the Akola-Khandwa rail line that passes through the Melghat Tiger Reserve.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Location:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It lies in Melghat Forests of Amravati district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra bordering Madhya Pradesh in the North and East.</li>
<li>It is a part of the<strong> Satpura-Maikal</strong> landscape.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tiger Reserve:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is spread over an area of 2768.52 sq km.</li>
<li>It is among the first nine places in the country designated as tiger reserves in 1973-74.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Tiger</strong></a> was launched in 1973.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It was the first Tiger Reserve to be declared in the State of Maharashtra.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protected Areas within the Reserve:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It consists of Gugamal National Park, Wan, Ambawarba and Narnala sanctuaries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Features:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>Deccan trap</strong> and underlying rock is<strong> basalt</strong> in one form or another.</li>
<li>It has various species of mammals including Tiger, Leopard, Sloth bear, Gaur, etc.</li>
<li>The forests are of deciduous nature and have been classified as<strong> &lsquo;dry deciduous forests&rsquo;.</strong> Most prominent is <strong>Teak.</strong></li>
<li>It forms a very important catchment to <strong>Tapi river</strong> systems.</li>
<li>The <strong>Korku tribe</strong> adds to the cultural diversity of the Reserve.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Tiger Reserves in Maharashtra:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tadoba-andhari-tiger-reserve-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tadoba-Andhari</strong></a></li>
<li>Pench</li>
<li>Sahyadri</li>
<li>Navegaon-Nagzira</li>
<li>Bor</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cm-writes-to-centre-seeks-alternative-route-for-rail-line-through-melghat-tiger-reserve-6507923/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Police Reforms In Indian Criminal Justice System',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/tamil-nadu-custodial-deaths-up-vikas-dubey-encounter-police-brutality-6504199/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Thoothukudi to Kanpur: The police are in the dock. Reforms must start with the political system&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on 14/07/2020. It talks about the need for police reform in the criminal justice delivery system.</p>
</div>
<p>Recent custodial death of a father and son by police in Tamil Nadu and the death of a gangster (with alleged political connections) in an encounter by Uttar Pradesh police has put a question mark on objectivity and credentials of the police in delivering justice.</p>
<p>Factors responsible for atrocities done by police and criminals evading the criminal justice system range from their political nexus to inefficiency of police.</p>
<p>This can be also reflected in the <strong>Vohra Committee report,</strong> that highlighted the nexus between the criminals, politicians and government functionaries. It stated that the network of the mafia is virtually running a parallel government, pushing the state apparatus to irrelevance, and suggested that an institution be set up to effectively deal with the menace.</p>
<p>Thus, there is a need to decriminalise politics and bring about a number of reformations in the criminal justice system including the police reforms.</p>
<h3>Issues Related to Functioning of Police</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Political Criminalisation Nexus: Second Administrative Reforms Commission</strong> (2007) has noted that the excessive power in the hands of police has been abused in the past by the political executive to unduly influence police personnel, and have them serve personal or political interests.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, there has been an increasing phenomenon of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/criminalisation-of-politics-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>criminalisation of politics.</strong></a></li>
<li>This nexus interferes with professional decision-making by the police (e.g., regarding how to respond to law and order situations or how to conduct investigations), resulting in a biased performance of duties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>An Overburdened Police Force:</strong> State police forces had 24% vacancies (about 5.5 lakh vacancies) in January 2016. Hence, while the sanctioned police strength was 181 police per lakh persons in 2016, the actual strength was 137 police.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is way too low when compared with the United Nations&rsquo; recommended standard of 222 police per lakh persons.</li>
<li>Further, an average policeman ends up having an enormous workload and long working hours, which negatively affects his efficiency and performance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need to set Police accountability:</strong> In India, various kinds of complaints are made against the police including complaints of unwarranted arrests, unlawful searches, torture and custodial rapes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To check against such abuse of power, various safeguards should be adopted, such as accountability of the police to the political executive, internal accountability to senior police officers, and independent police oversight authorities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Resources:</strong> CAG audits have found shortages in weaponry with state police forces. For example, Rajasthan and West Bengal had shortages of 75% and 71% respectively in required weaponry with the state police. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, the Bureau of Police Research and Development has also noted a 30.5% deficiency in stock of required vehicles with the state forces.</li>
<li>Further, funds dedicated to the modernisation of infrastructure are typically not utilised fully. For example, in 2015-16, only 14% of such funds were used by the states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ways Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Curbing Criminalisation of Politics:</strong> The criminal nexus with politics will have to be broken and reforms must start with the political system. Thus, there is a need for laws which debars persons with serious criminal cases from entering the assemblies and the Parliament.</li>
<li><strong>Revamping Criminal Justice System:</strong> There is a need to incorporate the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-road-map-for-criminal-justice-system#:~:text=Malimath%20Committee%20(2000)%20on%20reforms,submitted%20its%20report%20in%202003.&amp;text=The%20Committee%20had%20opined%20that,to%20the%20victims%20of%20crime.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Menon Committee and Malimath Committee</strong></a> recommendations for devising a national policy paper on the criminal justice system. Some of the key recommendations are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Creation of a fund to compensate victims who turn hostile from the pressure of culprits.</li>
<li>Setting up of separate authority at the national level to deal with crimes threatening the country security.</li>
<li>A complete revamp of the entire criminal procedure system.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Independent Complaints Authority:</strong> The Supreme Court has observed that there is a need to have an independent complaints authority to inquire into complaints of police misconduct. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-cop-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Model Police Act, 2006</strong> </a>requires each state to set up an authority comprising retired High Court Judges, civil society members, retired police officers and public administrators from another state.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Implementing the Supreme Court&rsquo;s Directive</strong>: The Supreme Court&rsquo;s directions in <strong>Prakash Singh case 2006</strong> on police reforms must be implemented. The court laid out seven directives where considerable work in police reforms is still needed.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594810419_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594810419_image7.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The issues of Police are the manifestation of the limitations of the Indian political and social setup. Thus, there is a need to carry out Police reforms and incentivise police department to adopt best practices. Along with that, without further delay, there is a need to build an environment where police become an instrument of service to the people.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f5fffd;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Police reforms are the sine qua non to make Indian justice delivery system more efficient. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XiFjycxyFKg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/gains-from-rains/article32071933.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Gains from rains: on monsoon performance&rdquo;</strong></a> published in The Hindu on July 14<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
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	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Decrease in Dolphin Number: Chambal River',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the latest census report prepared by the Madhya Pradesh forest department, the <strong>number of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphin-annual-census" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dolphins</a> in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ramgarh-dam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chambal river</a></strong> has been reduced by <strong>13% in 4 years.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are just <strong>68 dolphins left</strong> in the 435-kilometre-long <strong>Chambal river sanctuary</strong> which passes through three states i.e. <strong>Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Gangetic Dolphins</strong> are the sanctuary&rsquo;s main attraction.</li>
<li>The decreasing trend is continuing from 2016 when there were <strong>78 dolphins.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The maximum<strong> carrying capacity</strong> of dolphins in Chambal is 125. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>carrying capacity of an environment is</strong> the maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained in that specific environment, given the food, habitat, water, and other resources available.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The dolphins were spotted for the first time in 1985 in Chambal river (a <strong>tributary of Yamuna</strong>) near Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. That time, the number was more than 110.</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Unfavourable Habitat:</strong> It faces the threat of hunting and entanglement in fishing gear due to fragmented habitats.</li>
<li><strong>Poaching:</strong> Fragmented habitats lead to the problem of poaching for not only dolphins, but also for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/release-of-gharials" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>gharials.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Illegal Sand Mining:</strong> It is rampant in Bhind and Morena in MP and Dholpur in Rajasthan and putting the<strong> whole ecosystem of the river in danger.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Further, the forest team never gets support from locals.</li>
<li>In 2006, the Supreme Court&rsquo;s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) ordered a ban on mining in the sanctuary area to save the flora and fauna of the river.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Consumption of Water:</strong> Chambal is a lifeline for three states i.e. MP, UP and Rajasthan and the locals are withdrawing water daily.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It has led to<strong> gradual decrease in the water levels</strong> and needs to be addressed properly to save the dolphins as well as gharial.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Studies:</strong> Dolphins are a sensitive animal. There is a need of study on their <strong>favourable environment</strong> and <strong>communication system.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Forest Department of MP has collaborated with the scientists of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sal-forest-tortoise" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife Institute of India (WII)</strong></a> to do a research for safeguarding and increasing the population of dolphins in Chambal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Gangetic Dolphin<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594806281_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594806281_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Platanista gangetica</em></li>
<li>It is a highly intelligent <strong>freshwater mammal</strong> placed into the infraorder Cetacea.</li>
<li>It is India's <strong>national aquatic animal</strong> and is popularly known as <strong>&lsquo;Susu&rsquo;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> It is found in parts of the <strong>Ganges-Meghna-Brahmaputra and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems</strong> in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It requires at least 3 metre depth and 266.42-289.67 m<sup>3</sup> per sec flow of water for sustainable habitat.</li>
<li>It is among the<strong> four freshwater dolphins in the world.</strong> The other three are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> &lsquo;Baiji&rsquo;</strong> now likely extinct from the Yangtze River in China,</li>
<li>The<strong> &lsquo;Bhulan&rsquo;</strong> of the Indus in Pakistan, and</li>
<li>The <strong>&lsquo;Boto&rsquo;</strong> of the Amazon River in Latin America.</li>
<li>These four species live only in rivers and lakes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Characteristics:</strong> It has rudimentary eyes and uses echolocation (through ultrasonic sound) to navigate and hunt.</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> Habitat destruction, Poaching, Pollution</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>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a>: Endangered</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:</strong></a> Schedule 1</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)</strong></a>: Appendix-I.</li>
<li><strong>Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar&rsquo;s Bhagalpur</strong> district is India&rsquo;s only sanctuary for dolphins.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dolphin-number-dips-in-chambal-river-experts-raise-concern/story-cxZFf1gM2TI46Q5y4Zu1jO.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: HT</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decrease-in-dolphin-number-chambal-river'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Spike-LR Anti-Tank Guided Missiles',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The India Army is set to place a repeat order for <strong>Spike-LR (Long Range) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM)</strong> from Israel as part of emergency procurement.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The decision comes in the backdrop of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>continuing tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Last year, the Army procured 12 launchers and around 250 missiles from Israel under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/emergency-financial-powers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>new emergency financial powers</strong></a> sanctioned by the Defence Ministry after the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-bombs-jaish-e-muhammad-camp-in-pakistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Balakot airstrike.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Emergency Financial Powers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Under these, armed forces have been given a <strong>free hand</strong> to <strong>procure equipment worth up to Rs. 300 crore</strong> on a priority basis with deliveries stipulated to be <strong>completed in three months </strong>but<strong> extendable up to six months.</strong></li>
<li>Entirely new systems not in use were also allowed to be procured under the new powers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Spike-LR:<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594805429_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594805429_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are the<strong> 4<sup>th</sup> generation Anti-Tank Missiles</strong> developed and manufactured by the <strong>Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, Israel.</strong></li>
<li>It is a portable <strong>anti-armour weapon system</strong> with a <strong>range of up to 4 km,</strong> which can be operated in <strong>fire-and-forget mode</strong> and in the<strong> fire, observe and update mode</strong> using the fibre-optic data link.</li>
<li>These are<strong> used by</strong> infantry soldiers, special rapid reaction forces, ground forces and helicopter aircrew.</li>
<li>It can work in <strong>non-line-of-sight</strong> (NLOS) mode allowing the gunner to operate from a covered position.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The army recently decided to place a repeat order for 72,400 <strong>Sig 716 assault rifles</strong> from the <strong>USA</strong> as well.<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594805462_image2.png" width="200" caption="false" style="float: right;" />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They will replace the existing <strong>Indian Small Arms System (Insas) rifles</strong> manufactured locally by the<strong> Ordnance Factories Board.</strong></li>
<li>They will be used by the troops in the <strong>counter-terrorism operations and frontline duties on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/external-intervention-on-kashmir-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Line of Control&nbsp;</a></strong>(LoC).</li>
<li>India acquired the rifles under the<strong> fast-track procurement (FTP) programme.</strong></li>
<li>The remaining forces would be provided with the<strong> AK-203 rifles,</strong> which are to be produced <strong>jointly by India and Russia at Amethi ordnance factory.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Army has a much larger requirement for ATGMs which will be met through <strong>indigenous <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/drdo-successfully-tests-indigenous-anti-tank-missile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Man-Portable ATGM</a></strong> under development by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/defence-research-and-development-organisation-drdo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Defence Research and Development Organisation</strong></a> (DRDO).</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/army-to-place-repeat-order-for-spike-missiles-from-israel/article32083307.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/spike-lr-anti-tank-guided-missiles'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Low-cost Supercapacitor',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, scientists at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) have <strong>developed a simple, low-cost, environment-friendly, and sustainable supercapacitor device.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ARCI is an autonomous organization of the <strong>Department of Science and Technology,</strong> Government of India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Supercapacitor</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Supercapacitor is a next-generation <strong>energy storage device.</strong> They are also known as <strong>ultracapacitors. </strong></li>
<li>It has significant advantages such as <strong>high power density, long durability, and ultrafast charging characteristics</strong> as compared to conventional capacitors and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increasing-imports-of-li-ion-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lithium-Ion batteries (LIB)</strong></a>.</li>
<li>Main components of supercapacitors include <strong>electrode, electrolyte, separator, and the current collector.</strong></li>
<li>The electrode and electrolyte are the pivotal components, which directly determine the electrochemical behaviour of the supercapacitors. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The manufacturing cost of electrode materials, as well as electrolytes account for a major portion of the supercapacitor manufacturing cost.</li>
<li>An<strong> electrode</strong> is a solid electric conductor that is used to take an electric current to or from a source of power.</li>
<li>An <strong>electrolyte</strong> is a substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594809522_Images.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594809522_Images.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Supercapacitor Device:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The supercapacitor is developed from <strong>industrial waste cotton based electrode &amp; natural seawater electrolyte.</strong></li>
<li>Industrial waste cotton was <strong>converted into highly porous carbon fibers</strong> by activation process and then utilised to make high-performance supercapacitor <strong>electrodes.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Natural seawater</strong> was explored as an environment-friendly, cost-effective and alternative aqueous <strong>electrolyte.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefit:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This supercapacitor showed great potential for practical implementation.</li>
<li>It exhibited <strong>maximum capacitance, good durability </strong>and <strong>high efficiency.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Capacitance is the ability of a system to store an electric charge.</li>
<li>Efficiency denotes the charge transfer in a system facilitating an electrochemical reaction.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>When integrated with a solar cell,</strong> the supercapacitor will become a low cost, eco-friendly, efficient and self-powering device. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It has a long life cycle and can be used as maintenance-free power supply.</li>
<li>It can also overcome the drawbacks of the intermittent nature of the solar irradiation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Conclusion:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The development is an excellent example of creative science for the sustainable, green processes embedding principles of <strong>waste-to-wealth.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1638580" 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/low-cost-supercapacitor'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture: Japan’s Cooperation to India',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/APwD3VAu5yE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Recently, Indian and Japanese warships conducted naval exercises in the Indian Ocean With the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. It is designed to &ldquo;promote mutual understanding.&rdquo;</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The exercises consisted of four warships; INS Rana and INS Kulush from India and JS Kashima and JS Shimayuki from Japan.</li>
<li>The Japanese embassy in New Delhi says it is the 15th such exercise in the past 3 years.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Japanese Navy is one of the principal partners of the Indian Navy in bilateral exercises including<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-08th-october-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> JIMEX</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-4th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SHINYUU Maitri</strong> </a><strong>and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-dharma-guardian-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dharma Guardian</a>.</strong> Both countries also participate in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-malabar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Malabar exercise</strong></a> with the USA.</p>
<h3>India-Japan Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2014, India and<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-japan-2#:~:text=India%2DJapan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Japan</strong></a> upgraded their relationship to <strong>'Special Strategic and Global Partnership'.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway (MAHSR)</strong> is a very important area of cooperation between India and Japan in the Railway Sector.</li>
<li>A <strong>&ldquo;India-Japan Digital Partnership&rdquo; (I-JDP)</strong> was launched during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Japan in October 2018, furthering existing areas of cooperation as well as new initiatives within the scope of cooperation in <strong>S&amp;T/ICT,</strong> focusing more on &ldquo;Digital ICT Technologies&rdquo;.</li>
<li>The <strong>India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)</strong> that came into force in August 2011 covers trade in goods, services, movement of natural persons, investments, Intellectual Property Rights, custom procedures and other trade related issues.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Common Interests of India and Japan</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both the countries are the member nations of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/quad-and-g-4-meet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G-4</a> grouping.</li>
<li>Apart from naval exercises, the two nations conduct mil-to-mil exercises, coast guard and air force exercises as well.</li>
<li>India and Japan both are facing difficulties in the maritime area due to the dominance of China in the area and the recent naval exercise was related to the military stand-off between India and China in Ladakh.</li>
<li>Chinese assertion of power in the oceans is something which brings India and Japan on the same page. The growing congruence of the views is propelling the two countries to take up a closer understanding of strategic issues.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both countries are opposed to the idea of unipolarity being asserted by China time and again.</li>
<li>Both of them look forward to making the Indo-pacific multipolar, free, open and inclusive.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>China&rsquo;s Maritime Vulnerability:</strong> Though China has shown aggressive posture in the South China Sea and as well as Indian ocean, it has been anxious about its vulnerability at sea &mdash; or what is referred to as the Malacca dilemma.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Taking this in cognizance, India and Japan can develop sea-denial capability mainly at choke points in Indian ocean such as Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>China as a Threat</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The dominance of China in the maritime area is a serious threat for India as well as Japan in terms of economic development.</li>
<li>China due to the <strong>nine-dash line,</strong> has developed conflicts with Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.</li>
<li>Moreover, China has recently made new territorial claims in the eastern sector of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-bhutanese-territory-claimed-by-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bhutan's</strong></a> Trashigang district.</li>
</ul>
<h3>China&rsquo;s &ldquo;Malacca Dilemma&rdquo;</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Energy security, and particularly oil supply security, has become a major concern for the Chinese government over the past several years. The focus of this anxiety is the vulnerability of seaborne energy imports.</li>
<li>China lacks the naval power necessary to protect its sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). It fears that during a national security crisis ships carrying energy resources could be interdicted by hostile naval forces.</li>
<li>Any disruption to the free flow of energy resources into China could derail the economic growth on which the Chinese government depends to shore-up its legitimacy and pursue its great power ambitions.</li>
<li>China&rsquo;s heavy use of the Malacca and Lombok/Makassar straits in Southeast Asia is emblematic of this concern. The Malacca Strait is a narrow and congested waterway separating Indonesia and Malaysia, with Singapore located at its southern tip.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Nine-Dash Line</strong></p>
<p>The nine-dash line refers to the undefined, vaguely located, demarcation line used by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC), for their claims of the major part of the South China Sea.</p>
<p><strong>G-4</strong></p>
<p>It is a group of four countries i.e. <strong>Brazil, Germany, India and Japan</strong> which support each other&rsquo;s bids for <strong>permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).</strong></p>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China with its untenable tactics and muscle power is able to overpower several nations and is working upon it by dealing with each country individually.</li>
<li>China has antagonised several nations which:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Can be taken as an advantage and nations such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan and France should be approached for cooperation.</li>
<li>Is a lesson to be learnt by India and Japan as far as security related relations are concerned.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>China in its present situation cannot be contained but can be restrained which requires the like-minded nations; countries with the same approach for the same objective, to come together and speak in one voice.</li>
<li>In order to prevail over China, India already has the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/quad-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>QUAD</strong></a>, and shall bring together the middle-powers and the nations that are in conflicts with China.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The other possible areas of cooperation between India and Japan can possibly be:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The field of infrastructure, technology and telecommunication.</li>
<li>India and Japan need to work together in the Indo-Pacific Region in order to obtain mutual benefits.</li>
<li>With the help of Japan, India can pave its way to the permanent membership of the UN Security Council.</li>
<li>In the IT- sector, in order to harness the gains of the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-industrial-revolution-4-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fourth industrial revolution</strong></a>, India and Japan should collaborate.</li>
<li>Within the defence platforms, Japan could be approached to provide assistance in building warships, weapons, submarines etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Apart from taking assistance from Japan, India should also think about how Indian components could reach Japan, and how they can be rewarded dividends in Japan: the notion of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat</strong></a> also needs to be promoted.</li>
<li>India needs to look into the matter of post covid ties too, ensure good relations with the other parts of the world so as to emerge from the losses and also in order to restrain Chinese influence in the areas of maritime.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-japan-s-cooperation-to-india'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'PRAGYATA: Guidelines on Digital Education',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)</strong> has released <strong>guidelines on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/education-in-post-covid-era" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital education </a></strong>titled<strong> 'PRAGYATA'.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The guidelines have been prepared by the <strong>National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).</strong></li>
<li>These are<strong> only advisory in nature</strong> and state governments <strong>can formulate their own</strong> rules, based on local needs.</li>
<li>The guidelines include <strong>eight steps of online/digital learning</strong> i.e. <strong>P</strong>lan- <strong>R</strong>eview- <strong>A</strong>rrange- <strong>G</strong>uide- <strong>Y</strong>ak (talk)- <strong>A</strong>ssign- <strong>T</strong>rack- <strong>A</strong>ppreciate.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Digital Access:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Over <strong>25 crore students</strong> across the country have been out of school since mid-March 2020. (owing to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a>). The guidelines acknowledge that these students live in households which fall into <strong>different categories:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Those who have computers or smartphones with <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-refuses-to-restore-4g-services-in-j-k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4G</a></strong> internet access.</li>
<li>Those with smartphones but limited or no internet access.</li>
<li>Those with television with cable or DTH.</li>
<li>Those with a radio set or a basic mobile phone with FM radio.</li>
<li>And those with no communication devices at all.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It emphasised the aim of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/online-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>digital classrooms</strong></a> is not to try and <strong>recreate Face-to-Face (F2F) classrooms</strong> over the internet.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need for Survey:</strong> It advises <strong>schools to first survey the digital infrastructure available</strong> with teachers as well as students, the levels of parental involvement before making decisions about the mode of teaching.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, schools must also make arrangements to reach students who do not have <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-primary-education-challenges-and-opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access</a> to any <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-digital-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital infrastructure</a></strong> at home.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Duration:</strong> For <strong>kindergarten, nursery and pre-school, only 30 minutes</strong> of screen time per day for interacting with parents is recommended.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Schools can hold live online classes for a maximum of <strong>1.5 hours per day</strong> for<strong> Classes 1-8,</strong> and <strong>3 hours per day</strong> for Classes 9-12.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Synchronous or Real-time Communication:</strong> This is <strong>real-time teaching</strong> and learning that can happen<strong> collaboratively</strong> at the same time with a group of online learners or individuals, and teachers <strong>allowing instant feedback,</strong> e.g. online teaching through video conference, audio conference, using satellite or telecommunication facilities.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, schools should not assume that teaching-learning through it is the only requirement in order to <strong>support effective digital learning.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Asynchronous Learning:</strong> Apart from live classes, it offered a number of recommendations for <strong>asynchronous learning</strong> with tools to allow students to download <strong>lessons or listen to radio and TV programmes,</strong> communicate through Whatsapp and SMS, study on their own and <strong>undertake creative projects.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Health Issues:</strong> Children exposed to digital technologies or gadgets for a longer time are prone to severe health issues.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hence sitting with digital gadgets for longer hours or their excess use can be avoided by <strong>designing age appropriate schedules.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cyber Safety:</strong> It also recommends ethical practices including precautions and measures for maintaining cyber safety.</li>
<li><strong>Convergence:</strong> It envisages convergence <strong>with the government initiatives on digital education</strong> e.g. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/online-classes-due-to-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SWAYAM Prabha</strong></a>, <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/massive-open-online-courses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SWAYAM</a></strong>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/classes-in-distance-mode" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>DIKSHA</strong></a> and <strong>Radio Vahini, Shiksha</strong> Vaani.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NCERT</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is <strong>an autonomous organisation</strong> of the Government of India which was established in 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.</li>
<li>It<strong> aims</strong> at reforming the school education system through research, training, policy formulation and curriculum development.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarters:</strong> New Delhi</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/education/schools/online-classes-centres-norms-limit-classroom-screen-time/article32083031.ece#:~:text=Schools%20can%20hold%20live%20online,Development%20(MHRD)%20on%20Tuesday." 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/pragyata-guidelines-on-digital-education'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Covid-19 Specific Memory T Cells',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recent studies have shown that people unexposed to and not infected with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> (caused by <strong>SARS-CoV-2</strong> or<strong> Novel Coronavirus</strong>) may still exhibit <strong>T cell responses</strong> specific to other <strong>coronaviruses.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A huge number of adults are exposed to<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/novel-strain-of-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> four different coronaviruses</strong></a> that cause <strong>common cold</strong> and studies have shown that <strong>20-50%</strong> of healthy people <strong>display SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The healthy people studied were those <strong>tested prior to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a></strong> or have not been infected with novel coronavirus.</li>
<li>Memory T cells protect against <strong>previously encountered pathogens.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is thought that <strong>SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses</strong> seen in healthy people might arise from <strong>memory T cells</strong> derived from<strong> exposure to &lsquo;common cold&rsquo; coronaviruses.</strong></li>
<li>However, it is <strong>not known</strong> that the presence of pre-existing immunity from memory T cells <strong>offers clinical relevance,</strong> when exposed to SARS-CoV-2.</li>
<li><strong>Measuring pre-existing immunity and correlating</strong> it with infection and severity of disease is the only way to find out its role in protection against SARS-CoV-2.</li>
<li>However, the<strong> relationship between the infections by and immunity</strong> from common cold coronavirus and <strong>age is not well established.</strong> That is why it is unclear why children do not show severe symptoms, while older people do.</li>
<li>These considerations underline how <strong>multiple variables may be involved</strong> in potential pre-existing partial immunity to Covid-19.</li>
<li><strong>Pros:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is believed that people with a high level of pre-existing memory T cells <strong>could mount a faster and stronger immune response</strong> upon exposure to the virus and thereby limit disease severity.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>T cells could potentially<strong> facilitate an increased and more rapid neutralizing antibody response</strong> against the virus.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The pre-existing immunity can<strong> reduce the immune responses</strong> that the vaccine causes through a mechanism called the <strong>&lsquo;original antigenic sin&rsquo;.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Original antigenic sin,</strong> also known as the <strong>Hoskins effect,</strong> refers to the propensity of the body's immune system to preferentially utilize immunological memory based on a previous infection when a second slightly different version of that foreign entity is encountered.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It can also lead to<strong> antibody-mediated disease enhancement,</strong> where antibodies present at sub-neutralising concentrations can actually <strong>augment virus infection and cause more severe disease.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>T Cells</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>T cells are so called because they are <strong>predominantly produced in the thymus.</strong></li>
<li>They recognise foreign particles (antigen) by a surface expressed, highly variable, T cell receptor (TCR).</li>
<li>There are two major types of T cells: <strong>the helper T cell</strong> and the <strong>cytotoxic T cell.</strong></li>
<li>As the names suggest, helper T cells &lsquo;help&rsquo; other cells of the immune system, whilst cytotoxic T cells kill virally infected cells and tumours.</li>
<li>The severity of disease can depend on the strength of these T cell responses.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/unexposed-people-may-have-covid-19-specific-memory-t-cells/article32052605.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/covid-19-specific-memory-t-cells'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Renaissance In Ayurveda',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/renaissance-in-ayurveda-coronavirus-healthcare-6467026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Renaissance in Ayurveda&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on 20/06/2020. It traces the development of Ayurveda as a modern medicinal system and the challenges and solutions in this process.</p>
</div>
<p>Ayurveda, the ancient medical system, is considered as one of the best ways to treat diseases and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, it gained attention, as the government of India has pitched for use of Ayurvedic formulations to boost immunity in its efforts to fight <a href="/pdf/1593949713-coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>COVID-19 pandemic.</strong></a></p>
<p>Further, the government has announced innovative clinical drug trials to evaluate the safe and effective use of selected and standardised Ayurvedic medicines in the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19.</p>
<p>Given the increasing significance of Ayurveda in treating modern diseases, it is now poised to truly and actively participate in the health and medical care system. Thus, there is a need to fast track its progress and transformation into a modern vibrant health and medical system.</p>
<p>However in undergoing such transformation there are several challenges and issues yet to be resolved.</p>
<h3>Significance Of Ayurveda</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In Ayurveda it is believed living man is a conglomeration of three humors (Vata, Pitta &amp; Kapha), seven basic tissues (Rasa, Rakta, Mansa, Meda, Asthi, Majja &amp; Shukra) and the waste products of the body i.e. mala, mutra and sweda.</li>
<li>The growth and decay of this body matrix and its constituents revolve psychological mechanisms of these elements and its balance is the main reason for the state of one&rsquo;s health.</li>
<li>The treatment approach in the Ayurveda system is holistic and individualized having preventive, curative, mitigative, recuperative and rehabilitative aspects.</li>
<li>The principal objectives of Ayurveda are maintenance and promotion of health, prevention of disease and cure of sickness.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Evolution Of Ayurveda</h3>
<p><strong>Pre-Independence Era:</strong> The British Raj considered Ayurveda unscientific, mystical and a religious belief and consequently was keen on destroying the system.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1835, the teaching of Ayurveda was suspended in the Calcutta Medical College.</li>
<li>The <strong>Bhore Committee recommendations</strong> were in favour of modern medicine thus Ayurveda did not get support to modernise in colonial times.</li>
<li>However, among Britishers, many orientalists indirectly benefited Ayurveda by recovering the vedic texts. It compelled its opponents to revisit Ayurveda and recognise the science within it.</li>
<li>Also, Indian freedom struggle and subsequent national uprising and social reforms infused new strength in Ayurveda.</li>
<li>During this time, many Ayurvedic physicians had organised themselves into a professional organisation, started publishing journals and were participating in the freedom struggle.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Bhore Committee was set up by the Government of India in 1943 under Sir Joseph William Bhore.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The major aim of the committee was to survey then existing position regarding the health conditions and health organisation in the country and to make recommendations for future development to improve the public health system in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Post-Independent India:</strong> It was suggested that Ayurveda be integrated with modern medicine. It was argued that a united system would be more perfect than the Ayurveda as an individual science.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Though there were islands of excellence in the old Ayurveda institutions in Kolkata, Benares, Haridwar, Indore, Pune, Mumbai,</li>
<li>In the post-1960s, there was a spurt in the growth of well-planned medical colleges and universities, especially in Gujarat and Kerala.</li>
<li><strong>However, Ayurveda got impetus by the establishment of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) Ministry</strong> in 2014.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has set up an efficient network of communications with all stakeholders and enabled education and research, conservation and preservation of Ayurveda.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges Related to Ayurveda</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ineffective Treatment in Emergency Cases:</strong> The inadequacies of Ayurveda in treating acute infections and other emergencies including surgery, and lack of meaningful research in therapeutics continue to limit the universal acceptance of Ayurveda.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ayurveda therapeutics are complex and there are too many dos and don&rsquo;ts.</li>
<li>Ayurvedic medicines are slow to act and heal. It is difficult if not impossible to predict response or prognosis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Homogeneity:</strong> The medical practices in Ayurveda are not uniform. It is because the medicinal plants used in it vary with geography and climate and local agriculture practices.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Unlike Ayurveda, in modern medicine, the diseases are classified and treated as per prior set uniform criteria.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Misleading Propaganda by Ayurvedic Pharmas:</strong> Ayurvedic pharmacopeia industry claimed that its manufacturing practices were consistent with the classic Ayurveda texts.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For better market appeal of ayurvedic medicines, the pharmaceutical companies publicised many medicinal claims about their ayurvedic products without sufficient scientific basis.</li>
<li>This led to further obsession for drugs in the community and ailments requiring lifestyle correction were instead treated with poly-pharmacy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Recognition:</strong> Over the last few decades, there has been an increase in the global interest in Ayurveda.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, several countries do not officially recognise Ayurveda as a medical field and have placed many restrictions on the use of Ayurvedic medicines.</li>
<li>In some countries, including the US, Ayurvedic drugs follow an abbreviated less stringent regulatory pathway for &ldquo;food and diet supplements&rdquo; and are sold over the counter not as medicines but as health products.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Deep Knowledge :</strong> In 2004, a leading American journal reported heavy metal (arsenic, mercury, lead) content in some of the Ayurveda drugs sold in the US, way beyond the allowed safety limits.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This led to worldwide condemnation and the government made testing of heavy metals in herbal drugs compulsory and the industry was asked to follow WHO standards.</li>
<li>It damaged the image of Ayurveda. It remained unexplained that hundreds of Ayurveda herbal formulations contained metals and minerals that had therapeutic properties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sub-standard Research In Ayurveda:</strong> During the last five decades or so, research in Ayurveda was mainly confined to hundreds of drug trials using the normal procedures that are used in other medical systems.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Often it was found that standardisation of formulation and quality of methods and data in the study was substandard.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward: Facilitating Growth of Ayurveda</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reverse Pharmacology:</strong> A very interesting research development in Ayurveda was the conceptual framework of &ldquo;reverse pharmacology&rdquo;, which was championed by a researcher in Mumbai.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is defined as the science of integrating documented clinical experiences and experiential observations into leads, through transdisciplinary exploratory studies, to develop these into drugs.</li>
<li>In the conventional model, the pharmacological research precedes clinical validation by several years and the entire process may take 15-20 years and cost billions of dollars before a successful drug is launched in the community.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI): <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indigenous-fuel-cell-system#:~:text=It%20is%20developed%20under%20the,Leadership%20Initiative%20(NMITLI)'." target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative programme</a></strong> is a flagship scheme to catalyze innovation centered scientific and technological developments as a vehicle to attain for Indian industry a global leadership position.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It seeks to build, capture and retain for India a leadership position by synergising the best competencies of publicly funded R&amp;D institutions, academia and private industry</li>
<li>The Ayurvedic medicine system is one area of promising industrial potential for India on a global scale.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Emulating Kerala Model:</strong> In this roller coaster journey since independence, there has been one bright exception, the state of Kerala, where Ayurveda continues to occupy a unique position in the health and medical care sector.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Kerala has been promoting Ayurveda as a way of improving immunity in the general population. It promotes Ayurvedic formulations and recommends Ayurveda practices to all demographics of its population.</li>
<li>The Kerala model has been lauded across the globe for its effectiveness in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.</li>
<li>The state has taken several steps to keep its case count low, and one of them is a focus on improving the immunity levels of people, using Ayurveda.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Though deeply rooted in antiquity and Hindu civilisation, Ayurveda has carried forward some of the finest traditions in healing and cure the world has ever seen. Moreover, it has undergone some transformation to suit modern India, but more is required.</p>
<p>Thus, there is a need for state patronage, so that Ayurveda can claim its rightful place along with modern medicine as a mainstream medicinal system.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594725052_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594725052_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="600" height="429" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffced;">
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>With increased significance of Ayurveda in treating modern diseases, it is now poised to truly and actively participate in the health and medical care system.Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYLx_CYLQak" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/sure-power-the-hindu-editorial-on-indias-solar-strategy/article32060269.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Sure Power&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on July 13<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Watch this on our Youtube channel now.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/renaissance-in-ayurveda'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Retail Inflation Growth at 6.09%',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/retail-inflation-dropped" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Statistical Office (NSO)</strong></a> released the retail inflation data, which rose to <strong>6.09%</strong> in the month of June, 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Retail inflation is measured by the <strong>Consumer Price Index (CPI).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The retail inflation growth was mainly due to a rise in <strong>pulses and products</strong> prices that saw a <strong>16.68%</strong> on-year rise in June. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Apart from pulses and products segment, the<strong> meat and fish</strong> segment saw a rise of <strong>16.22%,</strong> while that of <strong>oils and fats</strong> rose 12.27% and <strong>spices</strong> prices gained <strong>11.74%</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The retail inflation has grown beyond the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India&rsquo;s (RBI)</strong></a> <strong>upper margin of 6%.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central government has mandated the RBI to keep inflation within the range of 4&plusmn;2%.</li>
<li>This <strong>inflation range (4% within a band of +/- 2%) was recommended by the committee headed by Urjit Patel in 2014.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The NSO also released the<strong> Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)</strong> data which measures the inflation in the food basket.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The CFPI stood at 7.87% in the month of June. The CFPI for May was revised to 9.20%.</li>
<li>The reduction in CFPI is because of ease in supply related issues post lockdown.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The government<strong> has not released the retail inflation data for April and May.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The price collection of Consumer Price Index (CPI) through personal visits of price collectors was suspended due to the announcement of nation-wide lockdown to contain spread of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Inflation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Inflation refers to the <strong>rise in the prices of most goods and services</strong> of daily or common use, such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc.</li>
<li>Inflation measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time.</li>
<li>Inflation is indicative of the <strong>decrease in the purchasing power</strong> of a unit of a country&rsquo;s currency. This could ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth.</li>
<li>However, a <strong>moderate level of inflation is required in the economy</strong> to ensure that production is promoted.</li>
<li>In India, the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation measures inflation.</li>
<li>In India, inflation is primarily measured by two main indices &mdash; <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inflation-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WPI (Wholesale Price Index)</a> and CPI (Consumer Price Index)</strong> which measure wholesale and retail-level price changes, respectively.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Consumer Price Index</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It measures price changes from the <strong>perspective of a retail buyer.</strong></li>
<li>The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.</li>
<li>The CPI has several sub-groups including food and beverages, fuel and light, housing and clothing, bedding and footwear.</li>
<li>Four types of CPI are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>CPI for Industrial Workers (IW).</strong></li>
<li><strong>CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL).</strong></li>
<li><strong>CPI for Rural Labourer (RL).</strong></li>
<li><strong>CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined).</strong></li>
<li>Of these, the first three are compiled by the Labour Bureau in the <strong>Ministry of Labour and Employment.</strong> Fourth is compiled by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Base Year</strong> for CPI is <strong>2012.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/repo-rate-unchanged-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)</strong></a> uses CPI data to control inflation.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/india-june-2020-cpi-retail-inflation-data-6503751/" 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/retail-inflation-growth-at-6-09'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'India's Second Voluntary Review of SDGs',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, India has represented the <strong>second voluntary national review of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a></strong> report titled as <strong>&lsquo;Decade of Action: Taking SDGs from Global to Local&rsquo; </strong>to the<strong> United Nations High-level Political Forum.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report, presented 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>, discusses SDGs related policy, means of implementation and situation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> in India.</li>
<li>It presented the<strong> first</strong> voluntary national review of SDGs in <strong>2017.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Localising SDGs:</strong> The goal wise account of the progress on SDGs has been represented with examples of a range of diverse practices and success stories of interventions from the States, specifically <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/aspirational-districts-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Aspirational Districts.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Financial Assistance:</strong> Highlighted the challenges thrown up by the Covid-19 outbreak, India has called on developed countries to provide <strong>financial assistance</strong> to the developing countries, especially for <strong>global public good such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a> mitigation and control of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemics</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to a study conducted by the government in partnership with the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-monetary-fund-imf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Monetary Fund (IMF)</strong></a> &mdash; education, health, electricity, roads and water and sanitation &mdash; will require additional funding for &ldquo;significant&rdquo; progress.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Curbing Illicit Financial Flows:</strong> Deliberating on the &ldquo;SDG-17&rdquo; that is about &ldquo;partnerships for the goals&rdquo;, the report highlighted the need for international cooperation for curbing illicit financial flows.</li>
<li><strong>Efforts to curb the Covid-19:</strong> It mentioned the vulnerabilities faced by the migrants and the urban poor in the wake of the pandemic.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is leading a multi-faceted effort to revamp the public health infrastructure, protect jobs and livelihoods to reduce the impact of the Covid-19.</li>
<li>Government has announced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-economic-relief-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>economic relief packages</strong></a> for them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations High-Level Political Forum</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Formed in 2013, it is a subsidiary body of both the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> United Nations General Assembly</strong></a> and the<strong> United Nations Economic and Social Council</strong> responsible for the entire organization's policy on sustainable development.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarter:</strong> New York, USA</li>
<li>It adopts negotiated declarations, reviews commitment and the progress of the<strong> 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.</strong></li>
<li>Member countries are required to apprise about the progress in the form of<strong> Voluntary National Review reports (VNRs).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The VNRs that are presented by the member states are a critical component of the <strong>review of the implementation and progress</strong> of 2030 Agenda and SDGs.</li>
<li>The process of the preparation of a country&rsquo;s VNR provides a platform for the partnerships, which includes the participation of various stakeholders.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s VNR in 2020 undertook a paradigm shift in terms of embodying a <strong>&lsquo;whole of society&rsquo; approach</strong> in letter and spirit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It has been prepared with the help of sub-national and local governments, civil society organizations, local communities, people in vulnerable situations and the private sector.</li>
<li>NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-calls-for-developed-nations-to-assist-developing-ones-6504482/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIndia%20reiterates%20that%20the%20developed,%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20the%20report%20titled%20%E2%80%9C" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-second-voluntary-review-of-sdgs'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Language of the Tangams',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh has released a book titled <strong>&ldquo;Tangams: An Ethnolinguistic Study Of The Critically Endangered Group of Arunachal Pradesh&rdquo;.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The book has valuable data on <strong>endangered oral narratives</strong> like ritual songs, lamentation songs, lullabies and festival songs in<strong> Tangam language</strong> spoken by the Tangam community, which has <strong>reportedly 253 speakers left now.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Tangam People:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a little-known community within the larger <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tribal-lockdown-rituals" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh</strong></a> which resides in the <strong>hamlet of Kugging in Upper Siang district&rsquo;s Paindem circle.</strong></li>
<li>For long, the only account of the Tangams could be found in a book,<strong> &ldquo;Tangams&rdquo; (1975)</strong> where the community&rsquo;s population was pegged at 2,000 spread across 25 villages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tangam Language:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Tangam is an <strong>oral language that belongs to the Tani group,</strong> under the greater <strong>Tibeto-Burman language family.</strong></li>
<li>It has been marked <strong>&lsquo;critically endangered&rsquo;</strong> by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNESCO</strong></a> <strong>World Atlas of Endangered Languages</strong> (2009).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719584_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719584_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="750" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reasons for its Decline:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Low population:</strong> Smaller languages are more vulnerable and extinction is directly proportional to population.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Another <strong>critically endangered language is Meyor</strong> but it is better off than Tangam because the community has a population of around 1,000 people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Multilingualism:</strong> Tangams have become<strong> multilingual over time</strong> to communicate with their neighbours.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Kugging is surrounded by a number of villages inhabited by Adi subgroups such as Shimong, Minyongs, as well as the Buddhist tribal community of Khambas, among others.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Less or No Use of Tangam:</strong> They rarely speak their own language now because their population is restricted to a single village. Moreover, they are relatively unknown even within the state so there was no possibility of its expansion.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Development and Infrastructure:</strong> The village lacks proper infrastructure in all basic sectors of education, health, drinking water facilities, road and electricity. Not a single person from the community has gone to a university.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Languages of Arunachal Pradesh</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There has been <strong>no systematic, scientific or official survey</strong> on the number of languages in Arunachal Pradesh till recently.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An <strong>official linguistic survey</strong> by the state government began only in <strong>2018,</strong> which is currently underway.</li>
<li>Before that, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/protection-and-preservation-of-endangered-language" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>People&rsquo;s Linguistic Survey of India</strong></a> was published in <strong>2017.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to experts, there are <strong>around 32-34 languages</strong> with a disclaimer that it is <strong>not a conclusive figure.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If various linguistic varieties or dialects embedded within these languages are enlisted then the numbers can go up to 90.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The languages of Arunachal Pradesh have been <strong>classified under the Sino-Tibetan language family</strong> and <strong>more specifically under the Tibeto-Burman and Tai group of languages,</strong> such as Lolo-Burmish, Bodhic, Sal, Tani, Mishmi, Hruissh and Tai.</li>
<li>The <strong>education system introduced Devanagari, Assamese and Roman scripts</strong> for most tribal languages but<strong> new scripts such as Tani Lipi and Wancho Script</strong> have been developed by native scholars as well.</li>
<li>According to the UNESCO Atlas of the World&rsquo;s Languages in Danger,<strong> more than 26 languages</strong> of Arunachal Pradesh have been identified as endangered with the<strong> degrees ranging from &lsquo;unsafe&rsquo;, &lsquo;definitely endangered&rsquo; to &lsquo;critically endangered&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Risks:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>diversity of languages</strong> has led various communities to<strong> depend on English, Assamese and Arunachalee Hindi as the link languages.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> younger generation</strong> of various tribes, especially in the urban areas, <strong>has mostly discarded</strong> the use of their mother tongue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study for the book took a multidisciplinary approach by taking into account not only language but also rituals, folklore, food habits, belief systems, etc.</li>
<li>The book will help future children retain their unique identity as an ethnolinguistic group and will appeal to those interested in ethnolinguistics, anthropology and folkloristics of lesser studied tribes.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-language-of-the-tangams-with-just-253-speakers-6503165/" 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/language-of-the-tangams'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Tiger Census 2018: Guinness Book of World Records',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India&rsquo;s 2018 Tiger Census</strong> </a>has made it to the <strong>Guinness Book of World Records</strong> for being the <strong>world&rsquo;s largest camera trapping wildlife survey.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has also fulfilled its resolution to double the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/status-of-conservation-of-tigers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tiger</strong></a> numbers made at St. Petersburg Tiger Summit in 2010, before the target year of 2022.</li>
<li>The tiger numbers in India have increased from around 1500 in 2010 to 2976 in 2020.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Comprehensive:</strong> The <strong>fourth cycle</strong> of the<strong> Tiger Census 2018,</strong> conducted in 2018-19 is the most comprehensive in terms of both resource and data recorded.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It counted <strong>2976 tigers</strong> which is <strong>75%</strong> of the global tiger population.</li>
<li>The census is done quadrennially (every four years) by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-tiger-conservation-authority" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Tiger Conservation Authority</a> (NTCA)</strong> with technical help from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rhinos-to-be-re-introduced-in-uttarakhand#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20Uttarakhand%20State%20Wildlife,more%20would%20be%20added%20subsequently." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife Institute of India.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is done with cooperation from the state Forest Departments and partners.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Methods:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Camera traps</strong> were placed at multiple locations across different sites and surveyed an effective area of 121,337 square kilometres. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Camera Traps</strong> are<strong> outdoor photographic devices</strong> fitted with motion sensors that start recording when an animal passes by.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It also conducted extensive<strong> foot surveys</strong> that sampled habitat plots for vegetation and prey dung.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Identification:</strong> From these photographs 83% of the total tiger population were identified using <strong>stripe-pattern-recognition software.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The software helps to match a new image of a tiger already in the database, based on the pattern of stripes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Project Tiger</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was launched in <strong>1973</strong> with 9 tiger reserves for conserving our national animal, the tiger.</li>
<li>It is an ongoing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/reforming-centrally-sponsored-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme</strong></a> of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.</li>
<li>Currently, the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 50 Tiger reserves, spread out in 18 tiger range states which amounts to around 2.21% of the geographical area of our country.</li>
<li>The tiger reserves are <strong>constituted on a core/buffer strategy.</strong> The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area.</li>
<li>The <strong>NTCA</strong> was <strong>launched in 2005,</strong> following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It is a <strong>statutory body of the Ministry,</strong> with an overarching supervisory/coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</li>
<li><strong>M-STrIPES</strong> (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) is an <strong>app based monitoring system,</strong> launched across Indian tiger reserves by the NTCA in 2010. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The system would enable field managers to assist intensity and spatial coverage of patrols in a geographic information system (GIS) domain.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tiger<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719000_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594719000_image3.jpg" style="float: right;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> <em>Panthera tigris</em></li>
<li><strong>Indian Sub Species:</strong> <em>Panthera tigris tigris.</em></li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> It stretches from Siberian temperate forests to <strong>subtropical and tropical forests on the Indian subcontinent</strong> and Sumatra.</li>
<li>It is the largest cat species and a member of the genus Panthera.</li>
<li>Traditionally<strong> eight subspecies of tigers</strong> have been recognized, out of which <strong>three are extinct.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Bengal Tigers:</strong> Indian Subcontinent</li>
<li><strong>Caspian tiger:</strong> Turkey through central and west Asia <strong>(extinct).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Amur tiger:</strong> Amur Rivers region of Russia and China, and North Korea</li>
<li><strong>Javan tiger:</strong> Java, Indonesia <strong>(extinct).</strong></li>
<li><strong>South China tiger:</strong> South central China.</li>
<li><strong>Bali tiger:</strong> Bali, Indonesia <strong>(extinct).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Sumatran tiger:</strong> Sumatra, Indonesia.</li>
<li><strong>Indo-Chinese tiger:</strong> Continental south-east Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Designated as the National Animal of India, Bengal Tiger is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange-brown fur with a lighter underside.</li>
<li><strong>Importance:</strong> Tigers are terminal consumers in the ecological food pyramid, and their conservation results in the conservation of all trophic levels in an ecosystem.</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> Habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.</li>
<li><strong>Protection Status:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</a>: Schedule I</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong> </a>Red List:<strong> Endangered.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)</a>: Appendix I.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tiger Reserves in India</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Total Number: 50</strong></li>
<li><strong>Largest: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nagarjunasagar-srisailam-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve</a></strong>, Andhra Pradesh</li>
<li><strong>Smallest: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dehing-patkai-wildlife-sanctuary-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orang National park</a></strong>, Assam</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/newsite/mainpage.aspx" 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/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'India Dropped from Chabahar Rail Project',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, Iran has decided to proceed with the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-firm-takes-over-chabahar-port-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chabahar</strong></a> rail line construction on its own, citing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-not-making-promised-investments-in-chabahar-port-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>delays from the Indian side</strong> </a>in beginning and funding the project.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Chabahar Port</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Chabahar port is located on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/operation-sankalp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gulf of Oman</strong></a> and is only 72 km away from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/viability-of-bri-and-cpec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gwadar port</strong> </a><strong>in Pakistan</strong> which has been <strong>developed by China.</strong></li>
<li>The port serves as the <strong>only oceanic port of Iran</strong> and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594715104_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594715104_image2.jpg" 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>Iran has inaugurated the track-laying process for the <strong>628 km Chabahar-Zahedan rail line,</strong> which will be <strong>extended to Zaranj across the border in Afghanistan.</strong></li>
<li>The entire project would be <strong>completed by March 2022</strong> and Iranian Railways will use approximately <strong>USD 400 million</strong> from the<strong> Iranian National Development Fund.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan signed the <strong>trilateral agreement</strong> which entailed the establishment of <strong>Transit and Transport Corridor</strong> among the three countries using Chabahar port in Iran as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation.</li>
<li>Construction of a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the border with Afghanistan as an alternate trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, was also a part of it.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The state-owned <strong>Indian Railways Construction Ltd.</strong> (IRCON) had signed a <strong>Memorandum of Understanding</strong> (MoU) with the <strong>Iranian Rail Ministry</strong> and promised to provide all services, superstructure work and financing (around USD 1.6 billion).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by the three countries with other Central Asian countries in the wake of<strong> Pakistan denying transit access to India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Despite several site visits by IRCON engineers and preparations by Iranian railways, <strong>India never began the work,</strong> worrying that it could attract <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/chabahar-port-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>sanctions by the USA.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India has already <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iran-sanctions-india-lines-up-alternative-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>zeroed out its oil imports from Iran</strong></a> due to USA sanctions.</li>
<li>The USA had provided a sanctions waiver for the Chabahar port and the rail line but it was <strong>difficult to find equipment suppliers and partners</strong> due to worries of being targeted by the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Another reason could be the<strong> &lsquo;Comprehensive Plan for Cooperation between Iran and China&rsquo;</strong> which is a <strong>25-year and USD 400 billion strategic partnership deal.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both nations are <strong>close to finalising</strong> the deal, which will <strong>include Chinese involvement</strong> in Chabahar&rsquo;s duty-free zone, an oil refinery nearby and possibly a larger role in Chabahar port as well.</li>
<li>The cooperation will extend from<strong> investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and upgrading energy and transport</strong> facilities, to <strong>refurbishing ports, refineries and other installations</strong> and will commit Iranian oil and gas supplies to China during that period.</li>
<li>Iran proposed a tie-up between the Chinese-run Pakistani port at Gwadar and Chabahar in 2019 and offered interests to China in the <strong>Bandar-e-Jask port</strong> 350 km away from Chabahar, as well as in the Chabahar duty-free zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Iran-China deal <strong>impinges on India&rsquo;s strategic ties with Iran</strong> and the use of Chabahar port. Bandar-e-Jask lies to the west of Chabahar and right before the Strait <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>of Hormuz</strong></a> which would <strong>allow China to extend its control along the Pakistan-Iran coast.</strong></li>
<li>Each of these possibilities<strong> should be watched closely</strong> by India and it should <strong>strengthen its relations</strong> with the concerned countries.</li>
<li>As an emerging power, India cannot remain confined to South Asia and a peaceful extended neighbourhood (Iran-Afghanistan) is not only good for trade and energy security but also plays a <strong>vital role in India's aspirations of becoming a superpower.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/iran-drops-india-from-chabahar-rail-project-cites-funding-delay/article32072428.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/india-dropped-from-chabahar-rail-project'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'The Padmanabhaswamy Temple Case',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court of India</strong></a> <strong>upheld the right of the Travancore royal family</strong> to manage the property of deity at <strong>Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple</strong> in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Temple has been in the news since 2011 after the discovery of treasure worth over Rs. 1 lakh crore in its underground vaults.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Judgement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Supreme Court (SC)<strong> reversed the 2011 Kerala High Court decision,</strong> which had directed the Kerala government to set up a trust to control the management and assets of the temple.</li>
<li>The High Court (HC) had ruled that the<strong> successor to the erstwhile royals could not claim to be in control of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple</strong> after the <strong>amendment of definition of &lsquo;Ruler&rsquo; in Article 366 (22)</strong> of the Constitution of India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The definition of Ruler was amended by the <strong>Twenty Sixth (Constitutional) Amendment Act, 1971,</strong> which abolished the privy purses.</li>
<li>Article 366 (22) reads, &ldquo;Ruler&rdquo; means the Prince, Chief or other person who, at any time before the commencement of the Twenty Sixth (Constitutional) Amendment Act, 1971, was recognised as the Ruler of an Indian State or was recognised as the successor of such Ruler.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, the SC rejected this and said that, <strong>as per customary law,</strong> the members of the royal family have the <strong>shebait rights</strong> even after the death of the last ruler.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Shebait rights means right to manage the financial affairs of the deity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The SC held that, <strong>for the purpose of shebait rights the definition of Ruler would apply</strong> and would transfer to the successor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administrative Committees:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The SC accepted the submission of the royal family that the temple is a <strong>public temple,</strong> and directed setting up of an<strong> administrative committee with the Thiruvananthapuram District Judge as its chairperson,</strong> for its transparent administration in the future.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The other members of the Committee would be a nominee of the trustee (royal family), the chief thanthri of the temple, a nominee of the State and a member nominated by the Union Ministry of Culture.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The SC<strong> also ordered a second committee</strong> to be constituted to advise the administrative committee on policy matters. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This would be <strong>chaired by a retired High Court judge</strong> nominated by the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The primary duties of the two committees would be to preserve the treasures and properties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As per the <strong>Instrument of Accession</strong> signed between the princely states and the Government of India, the administration of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple was <strong>vested in trust in the Ruler of Travancore,</strong> since 1949.</li>
<li><strong>In 1971, privy purses to the former royals were abolished</strong> through a constitutional amendment stripping their entitlements and privileges.</li>
<li>In 1991, when the last ruler of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, passed away, his brother Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma took over the temple management.</li>
<li>This created a furore that he had no legal right to claim the control or management of the temple.</li>
<li>However, the royal family continued to manage the affairs of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple till the Kerala High Court in 2011 ruled that the family cannot continue to exert its shebait rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple<img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594714198_image1.png" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to Historians, the temple dates back to the<strong> 8<sup>th</sup> century</strong> but the present structure was built in the 18<sup>th</sup> century by the then Travancore <strong>Maharaja Marthanda Varma.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The temple was initially made of wood but later it was constructed with granite.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The temple is built in the unique <strong>Chera style of architecture,</strong> and its <strong>main deity is Lord Vishnu</strong> who is found in the <strong>Anantha Shayana posture</strong> (reclined posture of eternal yoga) on <strong>Adishesha</strong> or king of all serpents.</li>
<li>It is known to be <strong>one of the 108 holy temples associated with Vaishnavism in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-upholds-right-of-erstwhile-travancore-royal-family-in-administration-of-keralas-sree-padmanabhaswamy-temple/article32063310.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-padmanabhaswamy-temple-case'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'App to Monitor Rice Fields: Paddy Watch',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Researchers from University of Sydney in collaboration with other partners have been developing an app i.e.<strong> Paddy watch,</strong> which will act as the <strong>first real-time monitoring platform for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/direct-seeding-of-rice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rice</a> fields.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The project has been undertaken in collaboration with <strong>Google Earth</strong> and the <strong>Group on Earth Observations (GEO).</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Development of the App:</strong> The Paddy watch is being developed in partnership with <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iari-breeds-nutrient-rich-hybrid-maize" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Agricultural Research Institute</strong></a>, India along with the research institutes from different countries i.e. China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These five countries hold the position of the largest rice-producing countries across the globe.</li>
<li>Among these, <strong>India, China and Indonesia</strong> are the world&rsquo;s three largest producers of rice and together account for about <strong>60% of the total</strong> world production.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Functioning:</strong> The <strong>real-time land-use data</strong> will be generated using<strong> Google Earth</strong> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/edge-computing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cloud computing technology</strong></a>, and will be verified by field operators in partner countries to ensure accuracy of rice production worldwide.</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Digital Agriculture:</strong> The app would work on <strong>deep-learning techniques</strong> (works on the idea of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong></a>) to forecast crop yields and water consumption.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This type of technology would enhance the world's confidence to feed the population in a sustainable way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Accurate Information:</strong> Accurate and up-to-date information on rice planted and harvested can be achieved through the app. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It would allow <strong>farmers, agricultural scientists, non-government organisations and government planners</strong> to manage land use to<strong> ensure <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/food-security-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">food security</a></strong> in the world&rsquo;s rice bowls.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Therefore, helps in meeting the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a>-mandated <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>sustainable development goal</strong></a> No.2 &mdash; of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/daily-updates-news-editorials-how-can-india-overcome-the-zero-hunger-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;Zero Hunger.&rsquo;</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It would help in water management and <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-ensuring-water-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>water security</strong></a> by predicting the use of water for the rice fields.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GreenHouse Gas Emission:</strong> As paddy fields release methane, a significant component to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/greenhouse-gas-levels-reach-record-highs-un-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>greenhouse gases</strong></a>, the app would help in the estimation of the emission and impact of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-warming-of-1-5-c-ipcc-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>global warming</strong></a>.</li>
<li><strong>Policy Formulation:</strong> The information collected through the app would also help the associated partners to develop policies for education, economic growth, gender equity, and reduction of social inequality.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Group on Earth Observations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GEO is a unique <strong>global network</strong> connecting government institutions, academic and research institutions, data providers and scientists to benefit the world by comprehensive and sustained Earth observations.</li>
<li>It coordinates international efforts to build a <strong>Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It aims to produce a <strong>global public infrastructure</strong> that generates, near-real-time environmental data, information and analyses for a wide range of users and mitigation of global issues like climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/economy/first-real-time-digital-platform-to-monitor-rice-fields-can-bolster-food-security-72264" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/app-to-monitor-rice-fields-paddy-watch'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Criminalisation of Politics',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/owning-up-to-criminalisation-in-politics/article32035186.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Owning up to criminalisation in politics&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 10/07/2020. It talks about the menace of criminalisation of politics in India.</p>
</div>
<p>Upcoming Bihar elections in October 2020, will be the first election where the Supreme Court's decision (given in february 2020) that requires political parties to publish the entire criminal history of their candidates for elections along with the reasons to field such suspected criminals, will be implemented.</p>
<p>This judgement also requires such information mandatorily be published in a local and national newspaper as well as the parties&rsquo; social media handles.</p>
<p>While the judgment may have far-reaching consequences for curbing criminalisation of politics, yet still a lot has to be done to make a cleaner electoral process in India.</p>
<h3>Significance of the Judgment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-order-on-criminalisation-of-politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>order by the Supreme Court</strong></a> is in line with<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/curbing-criminalisation-of-politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> a series of judgments</strong> </a>aimed at preserving the purity of the election process. Some of the judgements are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Directions to ensure the asset disclosure and criminal records of candidates.</li>
<li>The incorporation of the &lsquo;none of the above&rsquo; option in the voting machine.</li>
<li>Invalidation of a clause that protected sitting legislators from immediate disqualification after conviction.</li>
<li>Establishment of special courts in all States for the quick disposal of cases involving elected representatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The political party and its leadership would for the first time have to publicly own up to criminalisation of politics, which they had been denying it all these years.</li>
<li>The judgment assumes importance amid the steady deterioration in politics over decades, with the decline accelerating in the last two decades.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2004, 24% of the Members of Parliament had criminal cases pending against them. It shot up to 30% in 2009 and 34% in 2014.</li>
<li>In 2019 as many as 43% of MPs had criminal cases pending against them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reasons of Criminalisation of Politics</h3>
<p><strong>Lack of Political Will:</strong> Majorly whatever progress made in curbing criminalisation of politics has been through the initiative of the Supreme Court and the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Election Commission.</strong> </a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>However, it is parliament's responsibility to amend the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/representation-of-people-s-act-part-i" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Representation of the People (RPA) Act 1951</strong></a>, which deals with disqualification of candidates against whom charges have been proved in court for serious offences.</li>
<li>In spite of taking appropriate measures to amend the RPA Act, there has been an unsaid understanding among the political parties which deters Parliament to make strong law curbing criminalisation of politics.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Lack of Enforcement:</strong> Several laws and court judgments have not helped much, due to the lack of enforcement of laws and judgments. For example, blatant violation of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/model-code-of-conduct-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Model Code of Conduct</strong></a>, as seen in almost all elections.</p>
<p><strong>Narrow Self-interests:</strong> Publishing of the entire criminal history of candidates fielded by political parties may not be very effective, as a major chunk of voters tend to vote through a narrow prism of community interests like caste or religion.</p>
<p><strong>Use of Muscle and Money Power:</strong> Candidates with serious records seem to do well despite their public image, largely due to their ability to finance their own elections and bring substantive resources to their respective parties.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Also, sometimes voters are left with no options, as all competing candidates have criminal records.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Effect of Criminalisation of Politics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Against the Principle of Free and Fair Election:</strong> Using money and muscle power in elections, limits the choice of voters to elect a suitable candidate. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, it is against the ethos of free and fair election which is the bedrock of a democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Affecting Good Governance:</strong> The major problem is that the law-breakers become law-makers, this affects the efficacy of the democratic process in delivering good governance.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These unhealthy tendencies in the democratic system reflect a poor image of the nature of India&rsquo;s state institutions and the quality of its elected representatives.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Affecting Integrity of Public Servants:</strong> It also leads to increased circulation of black money during and after elections, which in turn increases corruption in society and affects the working of public servants.</li>
<li><strong>Causes Social Disharmony:</strong> It introduces a culture of violence in society and sets a bad precedent for the youth to follow and reduces people 's faith in democracy as a system of governance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p><strong>State Funding of Election:</strong> Various <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-electoral-politics-need-for-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>committees</strong> </a>(Dinesh Goswami, Inderjeet Committee) on the electoral reforms have recommended for state funding of elections.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-regulating-anonymous-donations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>State funding of elections</strong></a> will curb use of black money to a large extent and thereby will have a significant impact on limiting criminalization of politics.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Strengthening of Election Commission:</strong> Election Commission can register a political party but cannot deregister it. Regulating the affairs of a political party is essential for a cleaner electoral process.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen the election commission.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Behavioural Change:</strong> Until the citizens realise that people who bribe them for votes cannot be trusted and it will be to their ultimate disadvantage, the efforts to curb criminalisation of politics will have limited impact.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Thus, voters also need to be vigilant about misuse of money, gifts and other inducements during elections.</li>
<li>Further, seeing a behavioral change amongst voters, political parties will be forced to field candidates with a clean background.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Given the reluctance by the political parties to curb criminalisation of politics and its growing detrimental effects on Indian democracy, Indian courts must now seriously consider banning people accused with serious criminal charges from contesting elections.</p>
<p>While there are various arguments for and against such a move, it will be a step in the right direction for making Indian elections more free and fair.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594638153_image0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594638153_image0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="615" height="470" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #faffeb;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>De-criminalisation of politics cannot be achieved by judicial fiat alone, it requires strong political will and most importantly a behavioral change amongst the Indian voters. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/criminalisation-of-politics-2'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Goods and Services Tax (GST)',
		'catname' => 'Paper 3',
		'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a <strong>value-added tax</strong> levied on most goods and services sold for domestic consumption. The GST is paid by consumers, but it is remitted to the government by the businesses selling the goods and services.</p>
<h3>Main Features of GST</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Applicable On supply side:</strong> GST is applicable on &lsquo;supply&rsquo; of goods or services as against the old concept on the manufacture of goods or on sale of goods or on provision of services.</li>
<li><strong>Destination based Taxation:</strong> GST is based on the principle of destination-based consumption taxation as against the present principle of origin-based taxation.</li>
<li><strong>Dual GST:</strong> It is a dual GST with the Centre and the States simultaneously levying tax on a common base. GST to be levied by the Centre is called Central GST (CGST) and that to be levied by the States is called State GST (SGST).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Import of goods or services would be treated as inter-state supplies and would be subject to Integrated Goods &amp; Services Tax (IGST) in addition to the applicable customs duties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GST rates to be mutually decided:</strong> CGST, SGST &amp; IGST are levied at rates to be mutually agreed upon by the Centre and the States. The rates are notified on the recommendation of the GST Council. </li>
<li><strong>Multiple Rates:</strong> Initially GST was levied at four rates viz. 5%, 12%, 16% and 28%. The schedule or list of items that would fall under these multiple slabs are worked out by the GST council.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Legislative Basis Of GST</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In India, GST Bill was first introduced in 2014 as The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill.</li>
<li>This got an approval in 2016 and was renumbered in the statute by Rajya Sabha as The Constitution (101<sup>st</sup> Amendment) Act, 2016. Its provisions:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Central GST to cover Excise duty, Service tax etc, State GST to cover VAT, luxury tax etc.</li>
<li>Integrated GST to cover inter-state trade. IGST per se is not a tax but a system to coordinate state and union taxes.</li>
<li><strong>Article 246A &ndash;</strong> States have power to tax goods and services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>GST Council</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Article 279A - <strong>GST</strong> Council to be formed by the President to administer &amp; govern GST. It's Chairman is Union Finance Minister of India with ministers nominated by the state governments as its members.</li>
<li>The council is devised in such a way that the centre will have 1/3<sup>rd</sup> voting power and the states have 2/3<sup>rd</sup>.</li>
<li>The decisions are taken by 3/4<sup>th</sup> majority.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reforms Brought About by GST</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Creation of common national market:</strong> By amalgamating a large number of Central and State taxes into a single tax. </li>
<li><strong>Mitigation of cascading effect:</strong> GST mitigated ill effects of cascading or double taxation in a major way and paved the way for a common national market. </li>
<li><strong>Reduction in Tax burden:</strong> From the consumers&rsquo; point of view, the biggest advantage would be in terms of reduction in the overall tax burden on goods. </li>
<li><strong>Making Indian products more competitive:</strong> Introduction of GST is making Indian products more competitive in the domestic and international markets owing to the full neutralization of input taxes across the value chain of production. </li>
<li><strong>Easier to administer:</strong> Because of the transparent and self-policing character of GST, it would be easier to administer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Advantages of GST</h3>
<p><strong>For the Government</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Create a unified common market:</strong> Will help to create a unified common national market for India. It will also give a boost to foreign investment and &ldquo;Make in India&rdquo; campaign.</li>
<li><strong>Streamline Taxation:</strong> Through harmonization of laws, procedures and rates of tax between Centre and States and across States.</li>
<li><strong>Increase tax Compliance:</strong> Improved environment for compliance as all returns are to be filed online, input credits to be verified online, encouraging more paper trail of transactions at each level of supply chain;</li>
<li><strong>Discourage Tax evasion:</strong> Uniform SGST and IGST rates will reduce the incentive for evasion by eliminating rate arbitrage between neighbouring States and that between intra and inter-state sales.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For Overall Economy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bring about certainty:</strong> Common procedures for registration of taxpayers, refund of taxes, uniform formats of tax return, common tax base, common system of classification of goods and services will lend greater certainty to taxation system;</li>
<li><strong>Reduce corruption:</strong> Greater use of IT will reduce human interface between the taxpayer and the tax administration, which will go a long way in reducing corruption;</li>
<li><strong>Boost secondary sector:</strong> It will boost export and manufacturing activity, generate more employment and thus increase GDP with gainful employment leading to substantive economic growth;</li>
<li>Ultimately it will help in poverty eradication by generating more employment and more financial resources.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For the Trade and Industry</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Simpler tax regime with fewer exemptions.</li>
<li>Increased ease of doing business.</li>
<li>Reduction in multiplicity of taxes.</li>
<li>Elimination of double taxation on certain sectors.</li>
<li>More efficient neutralization of taxes especially for exports </li>
<li>Making our products more competitive in the international market.</li>
<li>Simplified and automated procedures for registration, returns, refunds and tax payments.</li>
<li>Decrease in average tax burden on supply of goods or services.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For Consumers</strong> </p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transparent prices:</strong> Final price of goods is expected to be transparent due to seamless flow of input tax credit between the manufacturer, retailer and service supplier.</li>
<li><strong>Price reduction:</strong> Reduction in prices of commodities and goods in long run due to reduction in cascading impact of taxation;</li>
<li><strong>Poverty eradication</strong>: By generating more employment and more financial resources.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For the States</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Expansion of the tax base:</strong> As states will be able to tax the entire supply chain from manufacturing to retail.</li>
<li><strong>More economical empowerment:</strong> Power to tax services, which was hitherto with the Central Government only, will boost revenue and give States access to the fastest growing sector of the economy.</li>
<li><strong>Enhancing Investments:</strong> GST being destination based consumption tax will favour consuming States. Improve the overall investment climate in the country which will naturally benefit the development in the States.</li>
<li><strong>Increase Compliance:</strong> Largely uniform SGST and IGST rates will reduce the incentive for evasion by eliminating rate arbitrage between neighbouring States and that between intra and inter-state sales</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Exemptions under GST</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Custom duty will be still collected along with the levy of IGST on imported goods.</li>
<li>Petroleum and tobacco products are currently exempted.</li>
<li>Excise duty on liquor, stamp duty and electricity taxes are also exempted.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Challenges Of GST</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>SCGT and CGST input credit cannot be cross utilized.</li>
<li>Manufacturing states lose revenue on a bigger scale.</li>
<li>High rate to tax to compensate the revenue collected now from multiple taxes i.e High Revenue Neutral Rate.</li>
<li>The reduction in the fiscal autonomy of the States.</li>
<li>Concerns raised by banks and insurance companies over the need for multiple registrations under GST.</li>
<li>The levy of additional cess.</li>
<li>The capacity of State tax authorities, so far used to taxing goods and not services, to deal with the latter is an unknown quantity.</li>
<li>The success of GST depends on political consensus, technology and the capacity of tax officials to adapt to the new requirements.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Thus GST is a positive step towards shifting Indian economy from the informal to formal economy. It is important to utilise experiences from global economies that have implemented GST before us,to overcome the impending challenges.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/goods-and-services-tax-gst-1'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The recently discovered <strong>comet C/2020 F3</strong> will make its closest approach to the Earth at a distance of 64 million miles or 103 million kilometres while crossing <strong>Earth&rsquo;s outside orbit on 22<sup>nd</sup> July 2020.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is also known as <strong>NEOWISE</strong> after the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Aeronautics and Space Administration</strong></a> (NASA) <strong>telescope</strong> that discovered it.</li>
<li>On 3<sup>rd</sup> July, it was closest to the sun at 43 million km due to which its outer layer was released, creating an atmosphere (referred to as coma) of gas and dust from its icy surface.</li>
<li><strong>It will be visible</strong> through binoculars or a small telescope.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594636492_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594636492_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The word comet comes from the Latin word <strong><em>&lsquo;Cometa&rsquo;</em></strong> which means <strong>&lsquo;long-haired&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>The earliest known record of a comet sighting was made by an astrologer in<strong> 1059 BC.</strong></li>
<li>Comets or <strong>&lsquo;dirty snowballs&rsquo;</strong> are <strong>mostly made of dust, rocks and ice</strong> and can range in their width from a <strong>few miles to tens of miles wide.</strong></li>
<li>When they orbit <strong>closer to the sun,</strong> like C/2020 F3, they <strong>heat up and release debris of dust and gases.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>solid portions</strong> of comets consisting mostly of water, ice and embedded dust particles are <strong>inactive when far away from the sun.</strong></li>
<li>When near the sun, the<strong> icy cometary surfaces vaporize</strong> and throw off large quantities of gas and dust thus<strong> forming the enormous atmosphere and tails.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>released gases form a glowing head</strong> that can often be larger than a planet and the <strong>debris forms a tail</strong> that can stretch out to millions of miles.</li>
<li>Each time a comet passes the sun, it <strong>loses some of its material</strong> and it will <strong>eventually disappear completely</strong> as a result.</li>
<li>Comets may be occasionally pushed into orbits closer to the Sun and the Earth&rsquo;s neighbourhood <strong>due to forces of gravity.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to NASA, while there are millions of comets orbiting the sun, there are<strong> more than 3,650 known comets</strong> as of now.</li>
<li><strong>The predictable comets</strong> are the <strong>short-period comets</strong> which take <strong>less than 200 years to orbit around the sun.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These can be <strong>found in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nasa-spaceship-reaches-ultima-thule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuiper belt</a>,</strong> where many comets orbit the sun in the realm of Pluto.</li>
<li>One of the most famous short-period comets is called <strong>Halley&rsquo;s Comet</strong> that <strong>reappears every 76 years.</strong> Halley&rsquo;s will be <strong>sighted next in 2062.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>less-predictable comets</strong> can be found in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/voyager-2-enters-interstellar-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Oort cloud</strong></a> that is about <strong>100,000 AU (Astronomical Unit</strong> which is the distance between the Earth and the Sun and is roughly 150 million km)<strong> from the sun</strong> or 100,000 times the distance between the Earth and the sun.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Comets in this cloud <strong>can take as long as 30 million years to complete one rotation</strong> around the sun.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Visibility:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Comets <strong>do not have the light of their own</strong> and the visibility <strong>depends on its gas and dust outbursts.</strong></li>
<li>Humans see the <strong>reflection of the sun&rsquo;s light off the comet</strong> as well as the<strong> energy released</strong> by the gas molecules after it is absorbed from the sun.</li>
<li>To be visible, a comet must make a<strong> particularly close approach to the sun</strong> to produce enormous quantities of gas and dust or it should make a <strong>relatively close approach to the Earth</strong> so that it is easily viewed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Study</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Astronomers believe that comets hold important <strong>clues about the formation of the solar system</strong> and it is <strong>possible that comets brought water and other organic compounds</strong> to Earth.</li>
<li>NASA tracks all <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/163348-2002-nn4-a-near-earth-asteroid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Near Earth Objects</strong> </a><strong>(NEOs)</strong> that includes comets and asteroids using telescopes placed all around the Earth, as part of its <strong>NEO Observation Program.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Objective of the Program:</strong> To find, track and characterise NEOs that are 140 meters or larger in size since they can pose a risk to the Earth because of the devastation a potential impact can cause.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/comet-c-2020-f3-neowise-nasa-earth-6500688/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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