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Japan to Fund Projects in India

Why in News Japan has finalised loans and a grant totalling around 233 billion yen for several key infrastructure projects in India, including for a...

30 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Maharaja Chhatrasal

Why in News The Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre has been inaugurated at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. The Convention Centre, named after the...

30 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Cape of Good Hope

Why in News Due to the recent blockage of the Suez Canal, the option of re-routing ships via the Cape of Good Hope was explored. Key...

30 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Parliamentary Committees

This article is based on “Restoring the broken oversight mechanisms of Parliament” which was published in The Hindustan Times on...

27 Mar 2021 News Editorials
NPNT Compliance: Drone Operations

Why in News Recently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted permits to "No-Permission-No-Takeoff' (NPNT) compliant drone operations at 34...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Ad-hoc Judges in High Court

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court pushed for the appointment of retired judges to battle the pendency of cases in High Courts. Key...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Garhwal Forts

Why in News Recently, a study has identified 193 sites having either intact or ruins of Garhwal forts and fortalices spread along the north, east...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
RTI Requests Rejections

Why in News The Centre has rejected 4.3% of all Right to Information (RTI) requests in 2019-20, the lowest ever rate, according to the Central...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Earth Hour

Why in News The Earth Hour is being observed on 27th March 2021. Key Points About: Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Hate Crime

Why in News Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) quashed Hate Crime proceedings initiated against a senior journalist for a Facebook post. The SC...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
World Development Report 2021: World Bank

Why in News Recently, the World Bank has published the World Development Report 2021:Data for Better Lives. The World Development Report 2021...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
African Elephants

Why in News The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared African Forest and Savanna (or bush) elephants as...

27 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Electoral Bonds & Its Issues

This article is based on “Here is why the electoral bonds scheme must go” which was published in The Hindu on 26/03/2021. It talks...

26 Mar 2021 News Editorials
National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2021

Why in News Recently, the Rajya Sabha cleared the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NBFID) Bill, 2021. The Bill seeks...

26 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report

Why in News The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to introduce new requirements for business sustainability reporting by...

26 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Helium Crisis for India

Why in News India imports helium for its needs, and with the USA appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, Indian industry stands to...

26 Mar 2021 News Analysis
India: Transforming to a Net-Zero Emissions Energy System

Why In News Recently, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Shell have released a report titled “India: Transforming to a Net-Zero...

26 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Recommendations to Amend the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020

Why in News Recently, a parliamentary panel on the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 has recommended that the government should amend the...

26 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Electoral Bonds

Why in News The Supreme Court flagged the possibility of misuse of money received by political parties through electoral bonds for ulterior objects...

26 Mar 2021 News Analysis
Road Ahead For India’s Climate Politics

This article is based on “Proposing a new climate agenda for India” which was published in The Hindustan Times on 23/03/2021. It talks...

25 Mar 2021 News Editorials

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			'title' => 'Japan to Fund Projects in India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Japan has finalised loans and a grant totalling around 233 billion yen for several key infrastructure projects in India, including for a project in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617099727_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617099727_image8.png" 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><strong>Grant for Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About the Grant:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A grant of 4.01 billion yen for a project for the <strong>improvement of power supply </strong>in<strong> strategically located Andaman and Nicobar Islands.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The grant would be used to procure <strong>15MWh batteries</strong> as well as <strong>power system stabilisers</strong> to allow better utilisation of <strong>solar power generated in South Andaman.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This grant is <strong>Japan's first ever Official Development Assistance (ODA)</strong> to a project<strong> in the A&amp;N islands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>About Official Development Assistance (ODA):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>ODA is defined as<strong> government aid designed to promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Loans and credits for military purposes are excluded.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India has been the top recipient of the Japanese government's financial aid</strong> under the ODA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Japan&rsquo;s Aid for Other Projects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For <strong>Delhi Metro&rsquo;s</strong> fourth phase.</li>
<li>For Metro lines under <strong>Namma Metro&rsquo;s second phase</strong> in <strong>Bengaluru.</strong></li>
<li>For<strong> crop diversification</strong> in <strong>Himachal Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>For <strong>mitigating fluorosis</strong> in<strong> Rajasthan&rsquo;s Jhunjhunu</strong> and <strong>Barmer districts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Recent Developments Between India and Japan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-leaders-summit-quad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> first summit of the leaders' of the QUAD</strong></a> (Quadrilateral Framework) was held virtually.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>QUAD is a four-nation alliance of India, Australia, USA and Japan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2020, India and Japan signed a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-japan-logistics-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> logistics agreement</strong></a> that will allow armed forces of both sides to coordinate closely in services and supplies. The agreement is known as the<strong> Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).</strong></li>
<li>In 2019, India and Japan held the first-ever ministerial-level <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-japan-2-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2+2 dialogue.</strong></a> This dialogue involved the Defence and Foreign Ministers on both sides and is seen as an endorsement of the special strategic partnership between <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-japan-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Japan.</strong></a></li>
<li>A<strong> &ldquo;India-Japan Digital Partnership (I-JDP)&rdquo;</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 S&amp;T/ICT, focusing more on &ldquo;Digital ICT Technologies&rdquo;.</li>
<li>In 2014, India and Japan upgraded their relationship to <strong>'Special Strategic and Global Partnership'.</strong></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>
<li>India and Japan defence forces organize a series of bilateral exercises namely, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-08th-october-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>JIMEX</strong></a> (naval), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-4th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SHINYUU Maitri</strong></a> (Air Force), and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-dharma-guardian-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dharma Guardian</strong></a> (Army). Both countries also participate in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-malabar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Malabar exercise</strong> </a>(Naval Exercise) with the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Significance of Andaman and Nicobar Islands</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) are located at the<strong> juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>a group of 572 islands,</strong> which straddles some of the busiest trade routes in the world.</li>
<li>ANI spans 450 nautical miles in a roughly north-south configuration<strong> adjacent to the western entrance to the Malacca Strait,</strong> which is itself a major Indian Ocean chokepoint.</li>
<li>Geopolitically, the <strong>ANI connects South Asia with South-East Asia.</strong> While the northernmost point of the archipelago is only 22 nautical miles from Myanmar, the southernmost point, Indira Point, is a mere 90 nautical miles from Indonesia.</li>
<li>The islands <strong>dominate the Bay of Bengal, the Six Degree and the Ten Degree Channels</strong> that more than sixty thousand commercial vessels traverse each year.</li>
<li>The Andaman and Nicobar Islands<strong> constitute just 0.2% of India&rsquo;s landmass but provide near 30% of its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unclos-maritime-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Exclusive Economic Zone.</a></strong></li>
<li>Due to the presence of ANI in the Bay of Bengal, <strong>India has a better position to play a vital role in <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-indo-pacific-strategic-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indo-Pacific</a>.</strong></li>
<li>Recently, the Prime Minister has declared that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-and-nicobar-islands-to-be-maritime-and-startup-hub" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ANI will be developed as a "maritime and startup hub".</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617100543_image10.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617100543_image10.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Fluorosis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fluorosis is a cosmetic condition that affects the teeth.</li>
<li>It&rsquo;s caused by overexposure to fluoride during the first eight years of life. This is the time when most permanent teeth are being formed.</li>
<li>After the teeth come in, the teeth of those affected by fluorosis may appear mildly discolored.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India needs sophisticated technology from Japan, so more collaboration and cooperation can prove beneficial to both nations.</li>
<li>There is a huge potential with respect to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/five-years-of-make-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Make in India</strong></a>. Joint ventures could be created by merging Japanese digital technology with Indian raw materials and labour.</li>
<li>Close cooperation is the best measure <strong>to combat China&rsquo;s growing role in Asia and Indo-Pacific,</strong> in physical as well as digital space.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/japan-to-fund-an-metro-expansion/article34172904.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Maharaja Chhatrasal',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre</strong> has been inaugurated at <strong>Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Convention Centre, named after the legendary <strong>Bundelkhand King Maharaja Chhatrasal,</strong> was built under the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/promotion-of-buddhist-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swadesh Darshan scheme</a> of the Ministry of Tourism.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Khajuraho</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is <strong>one of the nineteen identified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iconic-tourist-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iconic destinations</a></strong> in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ministry of Tourism has framed <strong>&lsquo;Development of Iconic Tourist Destinations Scheme&rsquo;,</strong> a Central Sector Scheme for development of nineteen identified iconic destinations in the country following a holistic approach.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Khajuraho Group of Monuments</strong> is listed as a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-committee-s-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> UNESCO world heritage site.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The temples are famous for their <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/temple-architecture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>nagara-style architectural</strong></a> symbolism and their <strong>erotic sculptures.</strong></li>
<li>Most Khajuraho temples were<strong> built between 885 AD and 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Swadesh Darshan Scheme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Swadesh Darshan, a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Sector Scheme</strong></a>, was<strong> launched in 2014-15</strong> for integrated development of theme based tourist circuits in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, there are <strong>15 theme based circuits</strong> - Buddhist, Coastal, Desert, Eco, Heritage, Himalayan, Krishna, North-east, Ramayana, Rural, Spiritual, Sufi, Tirthankara, Tribal and Wildlife.</li>
<li>Theme-based tourist circuits are developed on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner to enrich tourist experience and enhance employment opportunities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Under the scheme, the Ministry of Tourism provides <strong>Central Financial Assistance (CFA)</strong> to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for infrastructure development of circuits.</li>
<li>This scheme is envisioned to<strong> synergise with other schemes</strong> like <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/swachh-bharat-mission-urban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Abhiyan</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-kaushal-vikas-yojana-pmkvy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Skill India</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/assessment-of-make-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Make in India</a></strong> etc. with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, driving force for economic growth and building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realise its potential.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Brief Profile:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Birth :</strong> Born on <strong>4<sup>th</sup> May 1649,</strong> to Champat Rai and Lal Kunwar, into the <strong>Bundela Rajput clan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Medieval Indian warrior,</strong> fought <strong>against the Mughal Empire,</strong> and established <strong>his own kingdom in Bundelkhand.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Descendant of Rudra Pratap Singh</strong> of Orchha.</li>
<li>Ancestors were vassals of the Mughal emperor.</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong> 20<sup>th</sup> December, 1731.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power Struggle Against the Mughal:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He <strong>started his struggle in 1671,</strong> and first captured Naugaon region of Chhatarpur district.</li>
<li>He <strong>fought for 50 years against Mughals </strong>and<strong> captured a large part of Bundelkhand with his seat of power at Panna.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Relation with Baji Rao I:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Baji Rao I <strong>helped Chhatrashal against the Mughals.</strong> He sent military aid against the Mughal force<strong> led by Muhammad Khan Bangash in 1728.</strong></li>
<li>The Maratha Peshwa<strong> Baji Rao I's second wife Mastani was Chhatrasal's daughter.</strong></li>
<li>Before his death, <strong>Chhatrasal transferred Mahoba and the surrounding area to Baji Rao I</strong> in return for his assistance against the Mughals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Patron of Literature :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>His court housed several noted poets. His <strong>eulogies written by Kavi Bhushan, Lal Kavi, Bakhshi Hansaraj and other court poets</strong> helped him gain lasting fame.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Religious View:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Disciple of <strong>Mahamati Prannathji.</strong></li>
<li>Swami Prannathji also guided him in <strong>political, social, and economic matters.</strong></li>
<li>Swami Prannathji told Chhatrasal <strong>regarding Diamond mines of Panna</strong> and thus helped him in strengthening his financial position.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legacy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Chhatarpur town and its district</strong> in Madhya Pradesh are <strong>named after Chhatrasal.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Maharaja Chhatrasal Museum</strong> in Madhya Pradesh and the <strong>Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi</strong> are also named after the<strong> Maharaja Chhatrasal.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1707906" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/maharaja-chhatrasal'
		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Cape of Good Hope',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Due to the recent blockage of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/suez-canal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Suez Canal</strong></a>, the option of<strong> re-routing ships via the Cape of Good Hope</strong> was explored.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Cape of Good Hope is <strong>a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A headland is a narrow piece of land which sticks out from the coast into the sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Cape of Good Hope route joins Eastern Asia and Europe to southern parts of Africa.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 provided a much shorter route</strong> from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, making the long trip around Africa inefficient.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Cape of Good Hope route is 8900 km longer than the Suez canal route and can take additional two weeks.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Contemporary geographic knowledge instead states the <strong>southernmost point of Africa is Cape Agulhas about 150 km to the east-southeast.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>warm-water Agulhas current (Indian Ocean) meets the cold-water Benguela current (Atlantic ocean)</strong> between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point (about 1.2 km east of the Cape of Good Hope).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>History:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Cape was<strong> originally named the Cape of Storms in 1488</strong> by the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias.</li>
<li>It was <strong>later renamed to Cape Good Hope to attract more people to the Cape Sea Route</strong> that passed the southern coast of Africa.</li>
<li>The Cape eventually <strong>became a significant port and waypoint</strong> for sailors traveling from Europe to Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617088277_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617088277_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/suez-canal-blocked-india-eyes-cape-of-good-hope/article34172951.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/cape-of-good-hope'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Parliamentary Committees',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/restoring-the-broken-oversight-mechanisms-of-parliament-101616761470187.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Restoring the broken oversight mechanisms of Parliament&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindustan Times on 26/03/2021. It talks about the significance of the parliamentary committees.</p>
</div>
<p>India&rsquo;s Parliament recently passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/union-vs-delhi-government#:~:text=Delhi%20Government,-22%20Mar%202021&amp;text=This%20article%20is%20based%20on,(Amendment)%20Bill%2C%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021,</strong></a> which significantly alters the way the government in New Delhi functions. Despite the nature of the sweeping changes this bill proposed, it was not sent to a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/parliamentary-committee-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>parliamentary committee.</strong></a></p>
<p>In a parliamentary democracy, the bills of such significance are sent to parliamentary committees for closer scrutiny. However, 71% of the bills went to parliamentary committees between 2009 and 2014, and this dipped to only 25% between 2014 and 2019.</p>
<p>Sidelining parliamentary committees is increasingly becoming the norm in India. But, given the significance of the parliamentary committee system in democracy, it needs to be strengthened rather than rendered defunct.</p>
<h3>Significance of the Parliamentary Committees</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Provides Legislative Expertise:</strong> Most MPs are not subject matter experts on the topics being discussed &mdash; they are generalists who understand the pulse of the people but rely on advice from experts and stakeholders before making decisions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Parliamentary committees are meant to help MPs seek expertise and give them time to think about issues in detail.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Acting as a Mini-Parliament:</strong> These committees act as a mini-parliament, as they have MPs representing different parties are elected into them through a system of the single transferable vote, in roughly the same proportion as their strength in Parliament.</li>
<li><strong>Instrument for Detailed Scrutiny:</strong> When bills are referred to these committees, they are examined closely and inputs are sought from various external stakeholders, including the public.</li>
<li><strong>Provides a Check on the Government:</strong> Although committee recommendations are not binding on the government, their reports create a public record of the consultations that took place and put pressure on the government to reconsider its stand on debatable provisions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By virtue of being closed-door and away from the public eye, discussions in committee meetings are also more collaborative, with MPs feeling less pressured to posture for media galleries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sidelining of Parliamentary Committee: Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Weakening of Parliamentary System Government:</strong> A parliamentary democracy works on the doctrine of fusion of powers between parliament and the executive, but the Parliament is supposed to maintain oversight of the government and keep its power in check. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, by circumventing the Parliamentary committees in the passing of significant legislation, there is a risk of weakening democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enforcing Brute Majority:</strong> In the Indian system, it is not mandatory for bills to be sent to committees. It&rsquo;s left to the discretion of the Chair &mdash; the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and Chairperson in the Rajya Sabha. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By giving discretionary power to the Chair, the system has been specially rendered weak in a Lok Sabha where the ruling party has a brute majority.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Making Discussion Mandatory:</strong> In countries such as Sweden and Finland, all bills are sent to committees. In Australia, a selection of bills committee, which includes members from the Opposition, is tasked with identifying the bills that should go to committees.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is perhaps time for India to mandate a similar requirement to avail the benefits of the committee system that have been taken for granted so far.</li>
<li>This would require amending the rules of procedure in both Lok Sabha and Rajya sabha.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Periodic Review:</strong> According to the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC), DRSCs should be periodically reviewed so that the committees which have outlived their utility can be replaced with new ones. For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Standing Committee on National Economy to provide analysis of the national economy with resources for advisory expertise, data gathering, and research facilities.</li>
<li>Standing Constitution Committee to scrutinize Constitutional Amendment Bills before they are introduced in Parliament.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Mandating scrutiny for the significant bills passed is by no means a hurdle to the legislative process, rather it is necessary to uphold the quality of legislation, and by extension, the quality of governance. Thus, a strong parliamentary committee system is required to ensure Parliament&rsquo;s sanctity in the law-making process.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fdfffa;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Sidelining parliamentary committees erodes the sanctity of parliament as a law-making body.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/parliamentary-committees-1'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'NPNT Compliance: Drone Operations',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Civil Aviation</strong> has granted permits to <strong>"No-Permission-No-Takeoff' (NPNT)</strong> compliant drone operations at <strong>34 additional green zones</strong> to <strong>facilitate, smoothen, and promote</strong> drone operations in the country.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>NPNT</strong> is <strong>a software program</strong> that enables every Remotely Piloted Aircraft (except Nano) to obtain a valid permission through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/digital-sky-platform-drone-regulation-1-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>DigitalSky platform</strong></a> before operating in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)</strong> is defined as an Unmanned Aircraft (UA), which is piloted from a remote pilot station. Drone is a layman terminology for UA.</li>
<li><strong>DigitalSky is a Ministry of Civil Aviation initiative,</strong> a highly secure and scalable platform which supports technology frameworks such as NPNT designed for <strong>enabling flight permission digitally and managing Unmanned Aircraft operations and traffic efficiently.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>If a NPNT compliant drone tries to breach geo-fencing (to go beyond the permissible boundary in the airspace), the in-built software will compel the drone to return-to-home (RTH).</li>
<li>Drone flights in the green zone sites <strong>shall be compliant with the applicable conditions of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Flying in the &lsquo;green-zones&rsquo; require only intimation of the time and location</strong> of the flights.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Permissions are required for flying in &lsquo;yellow zones&rsquo; and flights are not allowed in the &lsquo;red zones&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>UAS categorised as airplane, rotorcraft and hybrid</strong> with further categorisation as remotely piloted aircraft, model remotely piloted aircraft and autonomous unmanned aircraft system.</li>
<li><strong>UA</strong> is <strong>classified as nano, micro, small, medium and large unmanned aircraft</strong> based on the maximum all up weight.</li>
<li><strong>Mandatory for individuals and companies to obtain approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aircraft-amendment-bill-2https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aircraft-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DGCA</a>)</strong> to import, manufacture, trade, own or operate drones.</li>
<li><strong>No Permission- No Take-off (NPNT) policy</strong> adopted for all UAS except for those in the nano category.</li>
<li>Micro and small UAS are not permitted from flying above 60m and 120m, respectively.</li>
<li><strong>UAS prohibited from flying in strategic and sensitive locations,</strong> including near airports, defence airports, border areas, military installations/facilities and areas earmarked as strategic locations/vital installations by the Ministry of Home Affairs.</li>
<li>Research and development (R&amp;D) organisations, including start-ups, authorised UAS manufacturers, any accredited recognised institution of higher education located in India, are <strong>permitted to carry out R&amp;D of UAS</strong> only after obtaining authorisation from the DGCA.</li>
<li><strong>Penalties</strong> ranging between <strong>rupees ten thousand and one lakh for individuals,</strong> and for<strong> organisations, a 200, 300 and 400% of the amount specified for individuals,</strong> based on the size of the organisation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/npnt-compliance-drone-operations'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Ad-hoc Judges in High Court',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court pushed for the appointment of retired judges to battle the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/judicial-pendency-justice-delayed" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pendency of cases</strong> </a>in High Courts.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616840152_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616840152_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Supreme Court Suggestions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Guidelines for Appointment of an Ad-hoc Judge:</strong> The court orally<strong> outlined prospective guidelines</strong> for the appointment and functioning of an ad-hoc judge.</li>
<li><strong>Pendency Beyond a Certain Limit:</strong> If in a particular jurisdiction, the <strong>pendency goes beyond a certain limit, say eight or 10 years,</strong> the <strong>Chief Justice may appoint a certain [retired] judge</strong> with expertise in those fields of laws as an ad hoc judge. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> term of such a judge could be extendable.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Position:</strong> The appointment of ad-hoc judges would not be a threat to the services of other judges as the <strong>Ad-hoc judges will be treated as the junior most.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Selection:</strong> The retired judges would be chosen <strong>on the basis of their expertise in a particular field of dispute</strong> and allowed to retire once the pendency in that zone of law was over.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Arguments for Appointing Retired Judges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The retired judges who had handled certain disputes and fields of law for over 15 years<strong> could deal with them faster</strong> if brought back into harness as ad-hoc judges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Related Constitutional Provisions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The appointment of retired judges was provided for in the<strong> Constitution under Article 224A (appointment of retired judges at sittings of High Courts).</strong></li>
<li>Under the Article, the Chief Justice of a High Court for any State may at any time, with the <strong>previous consent of the President, request any person</strong> who has held the office of judge of that court or of any other High Court to sit and act as a judge of the High Court for that State.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons For Pendency:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Government is the Biggest Litigant:</strong> According to the <strong>Economic Survey 2018-19</strong> poorly drafted orders have resulted in contested tax revenues equal to 4.7% of the GDP and it is rising.</li>
<li><strong>Less Budgetary Allocation:</strong> The budget allocated to the judiciary is between 0.08 and 0.09% of the GDP. Only four countries &mdash; Japan, Norway, Australia and Iceland &mdash; have a lesser budget allocation and they do not have problems of pendency like India.</li>
<li><strong>Practice of Seeking Adjournments:</strong> Usually the lower courts seek adjournment ad infinitum.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Assessment:</strong> When a new legislation is formed, there is no judicial impact assessment done by the government on how much burden is going to be casted on the judiciary.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The probabilities of generating more litigations or requirement of more judges is not taken into account.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Delay in Judicial Appointment: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/collegium-system-for-the-appointment-of-judges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collegium</a></strong> recommendations have been<strong> pending with the government</strong> for over seven months to a year to get approval in order to fill vacancies in High Courts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The total sanctioned judicial strength in the <strong>25 High Courts is 1,080.</strong> However, <strong>the present working strength is 661 with 419 vacancies</strong> as of March 2021.</li>
<li>The government has countered that it's the fault of the Collegium and the High Court for delaying the process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Streamlining the Appointment System:</strong> The vacancies must be filled without any unnecessary delay.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A proper time frame for the appointment of judges must be laid down and the recommendations must be given in advance.</li>
<li>The Constitution of the<strong> All India Judicial Services</strong> is also an important factor which can definitely help India establish a better judicial system.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use of Technologies:</strong> People are becoming more and more aware of their rights and which is why the number of cases filed in court are also increasing.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To deal with that judicial officers need to be trained, vacancies for the judges must be filled up expeditiously and in addition the use of technology particularly <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>artificial intelligence</strong> </a>must be encouraged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Out of Court Settlement:</strong> Resolving every case within the court premises is not mandatory; other possible systems must also be accessed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is also a need to promote the alternate dispute resolution mechanism for which the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/arbitration-and-conciliation-amendment-bill-2021#:~:text=Objective%3A%20The%20Arbitration%20and%20Conciliation,other%20alternative%20dispute%20redressal%20mechanisms." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>arbitration and conciliation</strong></a> act has been amended three times to ensure that people go for commercial litigation mode and sort it out either by mediation, conciliation or arbitration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-for-posting-retired-judges-to-clear-backlog-in-hcs/article34163270.ece#:~:text=The%20Supreme%20Court%20on%20Thursday,of%20cases%20in%20High%20Courts.&amp;text=there%20are%20all%20kinds%20of,Prahari%2C%20on%20the%20mounting%20backlog." 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/ad-hoc-judges-in-high-court'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Garhwal Forts',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a study has identified<strong> 193 sites having either intact or ruins of Garhwal forts and fortalices</strong> spread along the north, east and southern regions of the Garhwal Himalayas.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is the first of its kind database. A total of<strong> 36 major forts</strong> and <strong>12 prominent fort clusters</strong> have been identified.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Garhwal Forts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A majority of<strong> medieval forts in the Garhwal Himalayas</strong> of Uttarakhand were strategically built to form clusters.</li>
<li>The forts, dating back to the <strong>8<sup>th</sup> century</strong> Common Era (CE), were built at diverse altitude zones like valleys, along the ridges and prominent hilltops, some <strong>standing more than 3,000 metres above Mean Sea Level (MSL)</strong> in the Garhwal Himalayas.</li>
<li>These well networked forts were built either during or after the downfall of the <strong>Katyuri dynasty.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Importance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Geographically, the forts were built away from one another. But the ruler's back then ensured that they were <strong>surrounded with smaller fortalices, </strong>which<strong> primarily functioned as watchtowers.</strong></li>
<li>These fortalices were erected and positioned around 15 km periphery of a major fort.</li>
<li>Numerous such fortalices then formed a strategic network,<strong> enabling them to relay information, particularly when invaded by enemies. </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Fire, smoke or similar light signals</strong> could have been the common means to convey messages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>History of Garhwal:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Katyuri Dynasty:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>History suggests that between 700 CE and 800 CE, the rulers of the<strong> Katyuri dynasty</strong> divided this region into many small mandals or units for administrative purposes.</li>
<li>However, as the dynasty began to politically weaken around the turn of the millennium, these units came under the rule of Garhpatis or chiefdoms, each of whom built individual forts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Foreign Attacks:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Since the Garhwal Himalayas are located en route to many religious places, it often came under foreign attacks and faced enemy invasions, mainly led by the <strong>Nepalese and the Tibetans.</strong></li>
<li>The invasion by Askochalla and Krachalla, two Nepalese kings during 1100&ndash;1200 CE, is considered among the first foreign attacks here.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Consolidation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>By the 15<sup>th</sup> century, King Ajaypal, the <strong>37<sup>th</sup> king of the Parmar dynasty, consolidated all these multiple chiefdoms</strong> in the region into a single state. This is the present day Garhwal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Katyuri Dynasty</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Katyuri kings were a <strong>medieval ruling clan</strong> of present-day Uttarakhand, India. They ruled over the region now known as Kumaon from 700 to 1200 CE.</li>
<li>The Katyuri dynasty was<strong> founded by Vashudev Katyuri</strong> (sometimes spelled Vasu Dev or Basu Dev).</li>
<li>At its peak, the<strong> Katyuri dynasty of Kumaon extended from Sikkim in the east to Kabul, Afghanistan in the west,</strong> before fragmenting into numerous principalities by the 12<sup>th</sup> century.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/garhwal-himalayas-smoke-fire-used-as-signals-by-8th-century-rulers-who-built-complex-network-of-forts-finds-study-7247060/" 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/garhwal-forts'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'RTI Requests Rejections',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Centre has <strong>rejected 4.3% of all <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to Information (RTI)</a> requests</strong> in 2019-20, the <strong>lowest ever rate,</strong> according to the<strong> Central Information Commission (CIC)&rsquo;s annual report.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Rejection rates have fallen since the 13.9% rate in 2005-06, and have been steadily trending downwards since the 8.4% spike in 2014-15.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Rejection without Reason:</strong> Almost <strong>40% of these rejections did not include any valid reason,</strong> as they did not invoke one of the permissible <strong>exemption clauses</strong> in the <strong>Right to Information (RTI) Act.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These rejections are classified under the <strong>&lsquo;Others&rsquo; category</strong> in the CIC data.</li>
<li>The Finance Ministry alone rejected <strong>40% of its total RTI</strong> requests without providing a valid reason under the Act.</li>
<li><strong>More than 90% of rejections </strong>by the <strong>Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, the Delhi High Court, the Comptroller and Auditor General,</strong> among others fell into the <strong>&ldquo;Others&rdquo; category.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maximum Rejections:</strong> The <strong>Home Ministry</strong> had the <strong>highest rate of rejections,</strong> as it rejected 20% of all RTIs received. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Delhi Police and the Army also saw increases in rejection rates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ground for Rejection of the RTI Requests: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rti-on-pm-cares-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Section 8(1)</strong></a> deals with the<strong> exemption</strong> from disclosure of information:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If it is related to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence,</li>
<li>Information including commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property,</li>
<li>Information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person,</li>
<li>Information which would impede the process of investigation or prosecution of offenders,</li>
<li>Information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest.</li>
<li>Of the permissible grounds for rejection, <strong>Section 8(1</strong>) was used in around <strong>46% of the cases.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 9:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It empowers the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer to reject a request for information which involves an infringement of copyright.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 24:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It exempts information related to security and intelligence organisations except allegations of corruption and human rights violations.</li>
<li>Around one in five <strong>(20%) permissible rejections</strong> coming under this category.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It provided that the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall hold office for such terms as <strong>prescribed by the Central Government.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Before this amendment, their term was <strong>fixed for 5 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It provided that the salary, allowances and other service conditions of the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall be such <strong>as prescribed by the Central Government.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Before this amendment, the salary, allowances and other service conditions of the Chief Information Commissioner were similar to those of the Chief Election Commissioner and that of an Information Commissioner were similar to those of an Election Commissioner (State Election Commissioners in case of States).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It removed the provisions regarding deductions in salary of the Chief Information Commissioner, an Information Commissioner, the State Chief Information Commissioner and a State Information Commissioner due to pension or any other retirement benefits received by them for their previous government service.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Central Information Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central Information Commission was established by the Central Government in 2005, under the provisions of the Right to Information Act (2005). It is not a constitutional body.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Members:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Commission consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten Information Commissioners.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>At present (2019), the Commission has six Information Commissioners apart from the Chief Information Commissioner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appointment:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a <strong>committee consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister</strong> nominated by the Prime Minister.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tenure:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner shall hold office for such terms <strong>as prescribed by the Central Government</strong> or until they attain the <strong>age of 65 years,</strong> whichever is earlier.</li>
<li>They are not eligible for reappointment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power and Functions of CIC:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the duty of the Commission to receive and inquire into a complaint from any person regarding information request under RTI, 2005.</li>
<li>The Commission can order an inquiry into any matter if there are reasonable grounds<strong> (suo-moto power).</strong></li>
<li>While inquiring, the Commission has the powers of a <strong>civil court</strong> in respect of summoning, requiring documents etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/almost-40-of-rti-rejections-last-year-did-not-invoke-valid-reason-analysis/article34171928.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/rti-requests-rejections'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Earth Hour',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/earth-hour" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Earth Hour</strong></a> is being observed on<strong> 27<sup>th</sup> March 2021.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616836533_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616836533_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="350" height="219" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earth Hour is the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/living-planet-report-wwf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)&rsquo;s</strong> </a>annual initiative that began in 2007.</li>
<li>It is<strong> held every year on the last Saturday of March.</strong></li>
<li>It<strong> encourages people</strong> from more than 180 countries to <strong>switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.</strong></li>
<li>The idea is to refrain from the use of non-essential lighting to save energy in a <strong>symbolic call for environmental protection.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earth Hour has become a<strong> catalyst for positive environmental impact,</strong> driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the people and collective action.</li>
<li><strong>Examples:</strong> It helped <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Create a<strong> 3.5 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Ban all plastics in the Galapagos in 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Plant <strong>17 million trees in Kazakhstan.</strong></li>
<li>Light up homes with <strong>solar power in India and the Philippines.</strong></li>
<li>Push new legislation for the <strong>protection of seas and forests in Russia.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Wildlife Fund for Nature</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>world&rsquo;s leading conservation organization</strong> and works in more than 100 countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Established:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was <strong>established in 1961</strong> and is <strong>headquartered at Gland, Switzerland</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Initiatives of WWF:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/awards-for-tiger-conservation?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=d6b52011b8e898ebbdb4fa95850598f693c98eb1-1616832863-0-AUKkX3Cc_GogaMaU3GnU4usqYTZ5TIZWeNa5nlvFIxQvl0gZjMbLxphNM8jKEPJs4lDXchERs0IyiGUWB5Ti5i5S772OyszFvd9oNqn_HC4VuWxtUYn-sDBqOfU-ul5qQHFLqEEjKzZg-o0IQl3cqGwtPqhR9zRYDxWZpiQ1wEa4Tfs5hfmtuerV0J7UfeZ8GJjt_7TUdYek8xE__pe3Na6UITOOJSM_R0chAjF6dg1OiiPw1M0rhytWqXGJtgGpj6ivB9HCEc4SGofXLqPHzgmuDyTw41b7Ui-9HKXt0KE2G-K3CChAePnTWbcLDdQvP795gB72lEVVwsu3SfSnMvNk57_5QB5sGi3mTzXWTFokK9Grh2dBJaWZAPOErPPT-FqRv1mi1t7T3fvuf_gNniY" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TX2 Goal</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/traffic" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TRAFFIC</strong></a></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/living-planet-report-wwf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Living Planet Report</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/talking-point/article34175023.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/earth-hour-1'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Hate Crime',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court (SC)</strong></a> quashed <strong>Hate Crime</strong> proceedings initiated against a senior journalist for a Facebook post.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The SC ruled that petitioners' social media post was only an <strong>expression of truth</strong> in the face of persecution.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The decision came in Petitioners appeal against the Meghalaya High Court&rsquo;s refusal to quash the proceedings against her under <strong>Sections 153a</strong> (hate), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/misuse-of-criminal-defamation-law-madras-hc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>500 (defamation)</strong></a> and <strong>505(c)</strong> (incite a community or caste to commit an offence against another) of the <strong>Indian Penal Code (IPC).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Section 153a:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.</li>
<li>It shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 505c:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>With intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community.</li>
<li>It shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Hate Crime</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hate crime refers to <strong>criminal acts which are motivated by bias against an individual or social group</strong> because of certain differences, majorly in their religious practices and customs.</li>
<li>In contemporary times its meaning has proliferated beyond lynching, discrimination and offensive speeches and now <strong>encompasses speech that is insulting, derogatory or incites and violence.</strong></li>
<li>In totality, Hate Crimes could be <strong>defined as an attack on a person&rsquo;s rights entrusted to him thereby affecting not only him but the social structure as a whole</strong> which in many ways makes it more heinous than many other Criminal Offences.</li>
<li>Most <strong>common grounds</strong> of hate speech are <strong>race, ethnicity, religion or class.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Hate Crime in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hate Crime in India is <strong>defined in terms of the harm done to a community at large</strong> rather than an individual&rsquo;s right to freedom of speech and expression and the harm done as a result of hate speech.</li>
<li>In India, <strong>hate speech is prohibited</strong> which is <strong>based upon religion, ethnicity, culture or race.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Laws Against Hate Crimes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Though the term is <strong>nowhere mentioned in any statute</strong>, its different forms are identified across the laws.</li>
<li>The <strong>IPC</strong> under <strong>Sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 298, 505(1) and 505(2)25</strong> declares that word, spoken or written, that promotes disharmony, hatred, or insults on basis of <strong>religion, ethnicity, culture, language, region, caste, community, race etc</strong>., is punishable under law.</li>
<li>Some other laws which contain provisions concerning hate speech and its prevention are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/representation-of-people-s-act-part-i" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Representation of People Act, 1951.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-laws-and-blocking-of-internet-content-centre-vs-twitter#:~:text=Information%20Technology%20Act%2C%202000%3A,computer%20resources%20and%20electronic%20records." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Information Technology Act 2000.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unlawful-activities-prevention-act-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/hate-crime-proceedings-against-shillong-times-editor-patricia-mukhim-quashed/article34160913.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/hate-crime'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'World Development Report 2021: World Bank',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has published the <strong>World Development Report 2021:Data for Better Lives.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Development Report 2021 provides a blueprint on <strong>how to harness the power of data for development,</strong> to ensure no one is left behind.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Social Contract For Data:</strong> To get more value out of data while protecting people against harm and ensuring access and representation. Different data-creating and data-using parties need to safely collaborate.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833808_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833808_image3.png" style="float: right;" width="500" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The three elements of a social contract for data: <strong>Value, Equity and Trust</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data As a Force For Public Good:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Public intent data - data collected with the intent of serving the public good</strong> by informing the design, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of public programs and policies - are a prerequisite for many government functions.</li>
<li>Public intent data can bring value to development through several pathways, such as<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>holding governments accountable and empowering individuals,</li>
<li>improving service delivery, and</li>
<li>prioritizing scarce resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Infinite Possibilities:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Repurposing and integrating public- and private-intent data can help provide <strong>real-time and finer-scale insights, fill data gaps,</strong> and overcome limitations associated with each data type.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Connecting The World: Data Infrastructure</strong> is a key part of ensuring equitable access to data for poor people and poor countries.</li>
<li><strong>Crossing Borders:</strong> Data is a tradable asset, but sending them across borders requires adequate data protection.</li>
<li><strong>Governing Data:</strong> The role of data governance is two fold: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>First, to control risks by ensuring the security, integrity, and protection of data and systems; and</li>
<li>Second, to capture value by establishing rules and technical standards to enable data to be more effectively transferred, combined, and exchanged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Improving Data Systems:</strong> Fully harnessing the value of data requires building an <strong>Integrated National Data System (INDS).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>INDS is a way of countries realizing the potential of data for development, using the principles of the social contract as a blueprint.</li>
<li>The INDS framework allows a country to share data between national participants safely while maximizing the benefit equitably.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833839_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833839_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Issues Flagged by the Report: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Not A Leveling Playing Field:</strong> An explosion of <strong>data platform</strong> businesses is raising concern about competition and posing new challenges for regulation.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Data Platform:&nbsp;</strong>It is an integrated technology solution that allows data located in databases to be governed, accessed, and delivered to users, data applications, or other technologies for strategic business purposes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Open Data:</strong> Only 11% low-income countries make their data <strong>open (Not Accessible To General Public or research institution),</strong> the report flagged.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The comparable rate for lower-middle-income countries was 19%, for upper-middle-income countries 22% and high-income countries 44%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Underinvestment In Public Intent Data Systems: Only half the countries had a national statistical plan</strong> that was fully funded as of 2019. While 93% of high-income countries had a fully funded national statistical plan, not a single low-income country had one.</li>
<li><strong>Issue Related To Lower-income Countries:</strong> Unable to harness the potential of data due to a lack of institutions, decision-making autonomy, and financial resources, all of which hold back their effective implementation and effectiveness of data systems and governance frameworks.</li>
<li><strong>Gaps In Data On Women And Girls</strong> are particularly severe: Only 10 of the 54 gender-specific indicators (19%) in the <strong>United Nations</strong>-mandated <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sustainable development goals</a> (SDGs)</strong> were widely available.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of Data:</strong> Making data accessible to more users and creating systems that facilitate their reuse also opens the door for data to be misused in ways that can harm individuals or development objectives.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The report also flagged <strong>concerns over protection of personal data; misinformation; and attacks on software,</strong> networks and data systems.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data Infrastructural Gaps:</strong> There are major gaps evident between rich and poor people on broadband connectivity, and a substantial divide emerging between rich and poor countries when it comes to the availability of data infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data Gaps In India:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Echoed concerns on assessment of global poverty by the World Bank, which has been skewed due to <strong>absence of data on poverty from India.</strong></li>
<li>India<strong> monitors 54 out of the 130 SDG indicators.</strong> While the overall number of monitored indicators has gone up, the country has dropped four indicators from its tracking list.</li>
<li>The report called for <strong>strategic repurposing of existing data.</strong></li>
<li>Some<strong> steps taken by India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>National Data Sharing &amp; Accessibility Policy (NDSAP):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The National Policy is expected to increase the accessibility and easier sharing of non-sensitive data amongst the registered users and their availability for scientific, economic and social developmental purposes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Open Government Data (OGD) Platform:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To provision an enabling Platform to provide proactive and open access to the data generated.</li>
<li>To increase Transparency, Accountability, Citizen Engagement, Collaboration, Better Governance, Decision making &amp; Innovation.</li>
<li><strong>Paradigm Shift in Governance</strong> &ndash; Direct Delivery of Services to Citizens, Setting up a Platform for Collaboration, Innovation in delivery of Services to Citizens.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Participation of the Poor:</strong> Data offers tremendous potential to create value by improving programs and policies, driving economies, and empowering citizens. The <strong>perspective of poor people</strong> has largely been absent from the global debate on data governance and <strong>urgently needs to be heard.</strong></li>
<li><strong>International cooperation:</strong> The Report called for International cooperation to harmonise regulations and coordinate policies so that the value of data can be harnessed to benefit all, and to inform efforts toward a green, resilient and inclusive recovery.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/only-11-low-income-countries-make-their-data-open-world-bank-report-76144#:~:text=Only%2011%20per%20cent%20low,open'%2C%20the%20report%20flagged.&amp;text=Public%20intent%20data%20should%20be,released%20March%2025%2C%202021%20underscored." 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/world-development-report-2021-world-bank'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'African Elephants',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong> has declared<strong> African Forest</strong> and <strong>Savanna (or bush)</strong> elephants as <strong>&lsquo;critically endangered&rsquo;</strong> and <strong>&lsquo;endangered&rsquo;</strong> respectively.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier, African elephants were treated as a single species, listed as Vulnerable. This is the<strong> first time the two species have been assessed separately</strong> for the IUCN Red List.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than Asian elephants.</li>
<li>They have<strong> two fingerlike features on the end of their trunk</strong> while Asian elephants have just one.</li>
<li>Elephants are <strong>matriarchal,</strong> meaning they live in female-led groups.</li>
<li>African elephants are <strong>keystone species,</strong> meaning they play a critical role in their ecosystem. Also known as <strong>&ldquo;ecosystem engineers,&rdquo;</strong> elephants shape their habitat in many ways.</li>
<li>Elephants have a<strong> longer pregnancy than any other mammal</strong>&mdash;almost 22 months. This compounds the problem of conservation since there are simply not enough calves being born to make up for the losses from poaching.</li>
<li>There are<strong> two subspecies</strong> of African elephants, the <strong>Savanna (or bush) elephant</strong> and the <strong>Forest elephant.</strong> Savanna elephants are the larger of two.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>African Savanna Elephant:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> Loxodonta africana</li>
<li><strong>Decline:</strong> Dropped by 60% in the last 50 years.</li>
<li><strong>IUCN Status:</strong> Endangered</li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> Plains of sub-Saharan Africa</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>African Forest Elephant:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> Loxodonta cyclotis</li>
<li><strong>Decline:</strong> Dropped by 86% in the last 31 years.</li>
<li><strong>IUCN Status:</strong> Critically Endangered</li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> Forests of Central and West Africa. They rarely overlap with the range of the savanna elephant.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The forest elephant has a<strong> more restricted natural distribution.</strong> Therefore, its decline is especially worrying.</li>
<li>While savanna elephant populations can bounce back given sufficient protection, the forest elephant is likely to recover much more slowly.</li>
<li><strong>Law enforcement</strong> is also more problematic in many Central African countries which are home to the forest elephant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Poaching </strong>for the illegal ivory trade. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Regions with high levels of poverty and corruption are more likely to have higher poaching rates. This suggests that<strong> helping communities develop sustainable livelihoods</strong> could reduce the lure of poaching.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Habitat Loss:</strong> Increasing human population, and conversion of land for agriculture and development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Asian Elephants</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are<strong> three subspecies of Asian elephant</strong> which are the <strong>Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Global Population:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Estimated 20,000 to 40,000.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Indian subspecies has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.</li>
<li>There are around 28,000 elephants in India with around <strong>25% of them in Karnataka.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Protection Status:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list#:~:text=The%20IUCN%20Red%20List%20of,of%20plant%20and%20animal%20species.&amp;text=Critically%20Endangered%20(CR)%2C%20Endangered,to%20be%20threatened%20with%20extinction." target="_blank" rel="noopener">IUCN Red List Status</a>:</strong> Endangered.</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CITES</strong></a>: Appendix I.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong></a>: Schedule I.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/poaching-habitat-loss-push-africa-s-elephants-to-the-brink-76162" 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/african-elephants'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Electoral Bonds & Its Issues',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/here-is-why-the-electoral-bonds-scheme-must-go/article34163851.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Here is why the electoral bonds scheme must go&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 26/03/2021. It talks about the associated issues with the electoral bonds.</p>
</div>
<p>In less than three years of their introduction, by virtue of the anonymity they offer to donors,<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electoral-bonds-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> electoral bonds</strong></a> have become the most popular route of political donation.</p>
<p>However, many political experts are of the opinion that electoral bonds in their design and operation, allow for limitless and anonymous corporate donations to political parties. This violates the basic tenets of India&rsquo;s democracy by keeping the knowledge of the &lsquo;right to know&rsquo; from citizens and voters.</p>
<p>Due to this, in the wake of the upcoming State elections, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a stay in the electoral bond. The Supreme Court has reserved orders on the question of whether or not to stay the electoral bond scheme.</p>
<h3>Associated Challenges With The Electoral Bonds</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A Blow to Democracy:</strong> Through an amendment to the Finance Act 2017, the Union government has exempted political parties from disclosing donations received through electoral bonds. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means the voters will not know which individual, company, or organization has funded which party, and to what extent.</li>
<li>However, in a representative democracy, citizens cast their votes for the people who will represent them in Parliament and have the right to do so on the basis of full and complete information.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Compromising Right To Know:</strong> The Indian Supreme Court has long held that the &ldquo;right to know&rdquo;, especially in the context of elections, is an integral part of the right to freedom of expression under the Indian Constitution. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By keeping this knowledge from citizens and voters, the electoral bonds scheme violates fundamental tenets of our democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Against Free &amp; Fair Elections:</strong> While electoral bonds provide no details to the citizens, the said anonymity does not apply to the government of the day, which can always access the donor details by demanding the data from the State Bank of India (SBI). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This implies that the government in power can leverage this information and disrupt free and fair elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Opposition by Election Commission of India:</strong> The Election Commission, in May 2017, objected to the amendments in the Representation of the People (RP) Act, which exempt political parties from disclosing donations received through electoral bonds. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It described the move as a &ldquo;retrograde step&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Institutionalizing Corruption:</strong> The electoral bonds scheme removes all pre-existing limits on political donations and effectively allows well-resourced corporations to fund elections and subsequently paving the way for crony capitalism.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, as the electoral bonds scheme allows even foreign donations to political parties (which can often be made through shell companies) the prospects of institutional corruption increase with the electoral bonds scheme, instead of decreasing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transparency in Elections Funding:</strong> In many advanced countries, elections are funded publicly. This ensures principles of parity and there is not too great a resource gap between the ruling party and the opposition.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>2<sup>nd</sup> ARC, Dinesh Goswami committee, and several others have also recommended state funding of elections.</li>
<li>Further, until the elections do not get publicly funded, there can be caps or limits on financial contributions to political parties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Judiciary Acting as an Umpire:</strong> One of the most critical functions of an independent judiciary in a functioning democracy is to referee the fundamentals of the democratic process. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Electoral bonds have raised questions on the electoral legitimacy of the government and thus the whole electoral process has become questionable.</li>
<li>In this context, the courts should act as an umpire and enforce the ground rules of democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transition Towards Civic Culture:</strong> India has been working well as a democracy for nearly 75 years. Now in order to make the government more accountable, the voters should become self-aware and reject candidates and parties that violate the principle of free and fair elections.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>It is essential that if democracy is to thrive, the role of money in influencing politics ought to be limited. Thus, it is imperative that the scheme of the electoral bonds should be revised.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fcfbf2;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Electoral Bonds violates the basic tenets of India&rsquo;s democracy by keeping the knowledge of the &lsquo;right to know&rsquo; from citizens and voters. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/electoral-bonds-its-issues'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2021',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Rajya Sabha cleared the<strong> National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NBFID) Bill, 2021.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill seeks to establish the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NBFID) as the principal <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/development-finance-institution-to-fund-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Development Financial Institution (DFIs)</strong></a> for infrastructure financing.</li>
<li>NBFID was announced in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/budget-2021-highlights-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget 2021.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Development Financial Institution</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DFIs are set up for <strong>providing long-term finance for such segments of the economy where the risks involved are beyond the acceptable limits of commercial banks</strong> and other ordinary financial institutions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Unlike banks, <strong>DFIs do not accept deposits</strong> from people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>They<strong> source funds from the market, government, as well as multilateral institutions,</strong> and are often supported through government guarantees.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NBFID will be set up<strong> as a corporate body</strong> with authorised <strong>share capital of one lakh crore rupees.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Financial Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To directly or indirectly <strong>lend, invest, or attract investments for infrastructure projects</strong> located entirely or partly in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developmental Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Includes <strong>facilitating the development of the market for bonds, loans, and derivatives</strong> for infrastructure financing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Functions of NBFID:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Extending <strong>loans and advances for infrastructure projects.</strong></li>
<li>Taking over or <strong>refinancing</strong> such existing loans.</li>
<li><strong>Attracting investment</strong> from private sector investors and institutional investors for infrastructure projects.</li>
<li>Organising and <strong>facilitating foreign participation</strong> in infrastructure projects.</li>
<li>Facilitating <strong>negotiations with various government authorities</strong> for <strong>dispute resolution</strong> in the field of infrastructure financing.</li>
<li>Providing<strong> consultancy services</strong> in infrastructure financing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Source of Funds:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It may raise money in the form of loans or otherwise both in Indian rupees and foreign currencies, or secure money by the issue and<strong> sale of various financial instruments</strong> including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/special-zero-coupon-recapitalisation-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>bonds</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/debenture-redemption-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>debentures.</strong></a></li>
<li>It may borrow money from the central government, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India (RBI)</strong></a>, scheduled commercial banks, mutual funds, and multilateral institutions such as the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/4-contraction-in-growth-adb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Asian Development Bank.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Initially, the central government will own 100% shares</strong> of the institution which may <strong>subsequently be reduced up to 26%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Management of NBFID:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NBFID will be governed by a <strong>Board of Directors.</strong> The Chairperson will be appointed by the central government in consultation with RBI.</li>
<li>A body constituted by the central government will recommend candidates for the post of the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Directors.</li>
<li>The Board will appoint independent directors based on the recommendation of an internal committee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Support from the Central Government:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The central government will provide grants worth Rs. 5,000 crore to NBFID by the end of the first <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/03-02-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>financial year.</strong></a></li>
<li>The government will also provide guarantee at a concessional rate of up to 0.1% for borrowing from multilateral institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and other foreign funds.</li>
<li>Costs towards insulation from fluctuations in foreign exchange (in connection with borrowing in foreign currency) may be reimbursed by the government in part or full.</li>
<li>Upon request by NBFID, the government may guarantee the bonds, debentures, and loans issued by NBFID.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prior Sanction For Investigation And Prosecution:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No investigation can be initiated against employees of NBFID without the prior sanction of the central government in case of the chairperson or other directors, and the managing director in case of other employees.</li>
<li><strong>Courts will also require prior sanction</strong> for taking cognisance of offences in matters involving employees of NBFID.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Development Financial Institutions:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill also provides for any person to set up a DFI by applying to RBI.</li>
<li>RBI may grant a licence for DFI in consultation with the central government.</li>
<li>RBI will also prescribe regulations for these DFIs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/parliament-passes-bill-to-set-up-national-bank-for-financing-infrastructure-and-development/article34160785.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/national-bank-for-financing-infrastructure-and-development-bill-2021'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/securities-and-exchange-board-of-india-sebi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)</strong> </a>has decided to introduce new requirements for business sustainability reporting by listed entities.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This new report will be called the <strong>Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report</strong> (BRSR) and <strong>will replace</strong> the existing Business Responsibility Report (BRR).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>SEBI, in 2012, mandated the top 100 listed entities</strong> by market capitalisation <strong>to</strong> <strong>file Business Responsibility Reports (BRR)</strong> as per the disclosure requirement emanating from the <strong>'National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business' (NVGs).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2019, the <strong>Ministry of Corporate Affairs revised NVGs</strong> and formulated the <strong>National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In December 2019, SEBI<strong> extended the BRR requirement to the top 1000 listed entities</strong> by market capitalisation, from the financial year 2019-20.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Listed Entity:</strong> A company whose shares are traded on an official stock exchange.</li>
<li><strong>Market Capitalization:</strong> It refers to how much a company is worth as determined by the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/social-stock-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> stock</strong> </a>market. It is defined as the total market value of all outstanding shares.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To calculate a company's market cap, multiply the number of outstanding shares by the current market value of one share.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>About Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>BRSR, which is from an<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/esg-funds-becoming-popular-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Environmental, Social and Governance (&ldquo;ESG&rdquo;)</strong></a> <strong>perspective,</strong> is intended to enable businesses to engage more meaningfully with their stakeholders.</li>
<li>It will<strong> encourage businesses to go beyond regulatory financial compliance and report on their social and environmental impacts.</strong></li>
<li>The BRSR will be <strong>applicable to the top 1000 listed entities</strong> (by market capitalization), for reporting on a<strong> voluntary basis for FY 2021 &ndash; 22</strong> and on a <strong>mandatory basis from FY 2022 &ndash; 23.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sustainability Reporting:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the<strong> disclosure and communication of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals&mdash;</strong>as well as a company&rsquo;s progress towards them.</li>
<li>The benefits of sustainability reporting include<strong> improved corporate reputation, building consumer confidence, increased innovation, and even improvement of risk management.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Environmental, Social, and Governance Goals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals are a set of standards for a company&rsquo;s operations that force companies to follow better governance, ethical practices, environment-friendly measures and social responsibility.</li>
<li><strong>Environmental criteria</strong> consider how a company performs as a steward of nature.</li>
<li><strong>Social criteria</strong> examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates.</li>
<li><strong>Governance</strong> deals with a company&rsquo;s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Responsible Business</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The philosophy of responsible business is based on the principle of business being accountable to all its stakeholders towards global developments which are increasingly seeking businesses to be responsible and sustainable towards their environment and society.</li>
<li>In light of ever-increasing global challenges relating to <strong>climate change, environmental risks, growing inequality,</strong> etc., business leaders have been compelled, and have also found it to be in their interest, to reimagine the role of businesses in the society and not view them merely as economic units for generating wealth.</li>
<li>The performance of a company must be measured not only on the return to shareholders, but also on how it achieves its <strong>environmental, social, and good governance objectives.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/compliance-burden-reduced-for-listed-cos-but-disclosures-go-up-7245387/" 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/business-responsibility-and-sustainability-report'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Helium Crisis for India',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India imports helium for its needs, and with the USA appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, Indian industry stands to lose out heavily.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Federal Helium Reserve</strong> which is the major helium reserve of the USA is set to <strong>close down production in 2021</strong>, and scientists are looking for new reserves to replace it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Helium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Helium is a <strong>chemical element</strong> with the symbol <strong>He</strong> and atomic number <strong>2</strong>.</li>
<li>It is a <strong>colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas</strong>, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table.</li>
<li>Its <strong>boiling point is the lowest</strong> among all the elements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616754903_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616754903_image5.png" width="500" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Discovery of Helium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Atmosphere Surrounding the Sun:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Helium was discovered <strong>in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the Sun</strong> by the <strong>French astronomer Pierre Janssen</strong>, who detected a bright yellow line in the spectrum of the solar chromosphere during an eclipse in <strong>India</strong> in the year <strong>1868.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Joseph Norman Lockyer</strong> recorded the same line by observing the sun through London smog and, assuming the new element to be a metal, he <strong>named it helium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On Earth:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The British chemist <strong>Sir William Ramsay discovered</strong> the existence of <strong>helium on Earth in 1895.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>In India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>In 1906</strong> a young Englishman by the name of Morris Travers <strong>extracted helium in small quantities by heating up monazite sand</strong> abundantly available in Kerala beach, in a pioneering effort.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Monazite</strong> is a primarily reddish-brown phosphate mineral that contains rare-earth elements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Reserves:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>Rajmahal volcanic basin in Jharkhand</strong> is the storehouse of helium trapped for billions of years, since the very birth of Earth from the Sun.</li>
<li>At present, researchers are mapping the Rajmahal basin extensively for future exploration and harnessing of helium.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need for India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>To Reduce Import Burden:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Every year, India imports helium worth Rs. 55,000 crores from the USA to meet its needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vast Use:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Helium is used in medicine, scientific research, for blimp inflation, party balloons as well as for welding applications.</li>
<li>It finds many applications, mainly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, in rockets and in nuclear reactors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA&rsquo;s Monopoly:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>After discovering that helium was concentrated in large quantities under the <strong>American Great Plains.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>USA became the most important exporter of helium</strong> across the world.</li>
<li>It was soon realized that the <strong>USA was also the biggest storehouse of helium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Option:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Qatar</strong> is a possible exporter but acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made Qatar <strong>unreliable</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-emerging-crisis-of-obtaining-helium-in-india/article34118742.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/helium-crisis-for-india'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'India: Transforming to a Net-Zero Emissions Energy System',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why In News</h3>
<p>Recently,<strong> The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Shell</strong> have released a report titled<strong> &ldquo;India: Transforming to a Net-Zero Emissions Energy System''.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It illustrates a pathway to steer the <strong>domestic energy system towards net-zero emissions by 2050,</strong> while achieving India&rsquo;s sustainable <strong>economic development ambitions.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Possible yet Challenging:</strong> India needs a suitable policy and innovation-driven context to deploy clean energy technologies on a massive scale.</li>
<li><strong>Increase Renewables:</strong> The<strong> share of renewables</strong> in the power mix needs to <strong>increase to 90% for India to meet its net-zero goal.</strong> This is around 11% in 2019-2020.</li>
<li><strong>Coal-fired Power Plants:</strong> India must phase out its coal-fired power plants and remove it altogether by 2050.</li>
<li><strong>Technology Access:</strong> The availability, or <strong>absence, of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)</strong> would <strong>define the shape of India&rsquo;s energy systems.</strong> If CCS technology were commercially unviable:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Biofuels would have to account for 98% of India&rsquo;s oil, compared to a negligible share currently.</li>
<li>Over two-thirds of India&rsquo;s industrial and transport energy use would have to be electrified, compared to less than 20% share of electricity in industrial energy use and negligible share in transport energy use as of now.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestion by TERI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Focus on Energy Efficiency:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Will need <strong>energy efficient buildings, lighting, appliances and industrial practices</strong> to meet the net-zero goal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use of Biofuels:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Can help reduce emissions from light commercial vehicles, tractors in agriculture.</li>
<li>In aviation, the only practical solution for reducing emissions is greater use of biofuels, until hydrogen technology gains scale.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Carbon Sequestration:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India will</strong>&nbsp;have to <strong>rely on natural and man-made carbon sinks to soak up those emissions. </strong>Trees can capture 0.9 billion tons, the country will need carbon capture technologies to sequester the rest.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Carbon Pricing:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India, which already taxes coal and petroleum fuels, should consider putting a tax on emissions to drive change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deploying lower-carbon Energy:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There are four main types of low-carbon energy: wind, solar, hydro or nuclear power. The first three are renewable, which means these are good for the environment &ndash; as natural resources are used (such as wind or sun) to produce electricity.</li>
<li>Deploying lower carbon energy would help address both domestic and international climate challenges while simultaneously improving the economic well-being of India&rsquo;s citizens.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756066_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756066_image7.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Net-Zero Emissions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>&lsquo;Net zero emissions&rsquo; refers to achieving an overall balance between<strong> greenhouse gas emissions</strong> produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere.</li>
<li>First, human-caused emissions (like those from fossil-fueled vehicles and factories) should be reduced as close to zero as possible. Second, any remaining GHGs should be balanced with an equivalent amount of carbon removal, for example by restoring forests.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Time-Frame:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The time frame for reaching net-zero emissions differs significantly if one is referring to CO<sub>2</sub> alone, or referring to all major GHGs (including methane, nitrous oxide, and HFCs). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For non-CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, the net-zero date is later because some of these emissions &mdash; such as methane from agricultural sources &mdash; are somewhat more difficult to phase out.</li>
<li>In scenarios that limit warming to <strong>1.5 degrees C,</strong> carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) reaches <strong>net-zero on average by 2050.</strong> Total GHG emissions reach net-zero between 2063 and 2068.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756098_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756098_image6.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As of June 2020, twenty countries and regions have adopted net-zero targets. This list only includes countries that adopted a net-zero target in law or another policy document.</li>
<li>The <strong>Kingdom of Bhutan is already carbon-negative,</strong> i.e. absorbs more CO<sub>2</sub> than it emits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Emissions:</strong> India&rsquo;s per capita CO<sub>2</sub> emissions &ndash; at 1.8 tonnes per person in 2015 &ndash; are around a <strong>ninth of those in the USA</strong> and around a <strong>third of the global average of 4.8 tonnes per person.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, overall, India is now the <strong>planet&rsquo;s third-largest emitter of CO<sub>2</sub>,</strong> behind China and the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Debate around Commitment:</strong> There is global pressure on India to commit net-zero emissions by 2050. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>On one hand, few argue that India should pledge to reduce its &ldquo;net&rdquo; emissions (emissions minus uptake of emissions) to zero by 2050, backed by a climate law. This will make India &ldquo;hypercompetitive&rdquo;, attract investment and create jobs.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>For example,</strong> more ambitious policies to promote electric vehicles along with cleaner electricity and hydrogen electrolysis can create jobs in the auto manufacturing industry and in the electricity and construction sectors</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>While, on the other hand, there is a long-standing principle of <strong>&ldquo;common but differentiated responsibility&rdquo;</strong> that requires richer countries to lead and argue against any pledge that risks prematurely limiting Indian energy use for development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sectors that are the largest emitters:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Energy&gt;Industry&gt;Forestry&gt;Transport&gt;Agriculture&gt;Building</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>TERI is a non-profit research institution in New Delhi that conducts research work in the<strong> fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Established in 1974</strong> as <strong>Tata Energy Research Institute</strong> and was renamed<strong> The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.</strong></li>
<li>It aims to focus on formulating local and national level strategies for shaping global solutions to critical issues.</li>
<li>It conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.</li>
<li>Its key focus lies in promoting clean energy, water management, pollution management, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A vital step should be explicitly including policies for climate mitigation in the government budget, along with energy, roads, health and education. Specifically, growth targets should include timelines for switching to cleaner energy.</li>
<li>There is also a need to launch a major campaign to mobilise climate finance and focus should be given on energy efficiency, use of biofuels, Carbon sequestration, carbon pricing.</li>
<li>Strong environmental policies can create prosperity and well-being. With imaginative policies, robust institutions, and international finance, India will be able to declare its freedom from polluting fossil fuels in the hundredth year of its independence.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/commodities/banishing-coal-for-power-holds-key-to-indias-net-zero-goal-7242877/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source -IE</strong></a></p>',
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			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-transforming-to-a-net-zero-emissions-energy-system'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Recommendations to Amend the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a parliamentary panel on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/consumer-protection-act-2019#:~:text=The%20Consumer%20Protection%20(E%2Dcommerce)%20Rules%2C%202020%20are,the%20description%20on%20the%20platform." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020</strong></a> has recommended that the government should amend the rules to provide better protection to consumers rights and stop unfair practices.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Electronic commerce or e-commerce</strong> is a business model that lets firms and individuals buy and sell things over the Internet.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Issues:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Predatory Pricing:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Predatory pricing as a<strong> short-term strategy,</strong> adopted by some of the market giants, may lead to wiping out competition from the market and could be <strong>detrimental to the consumers in the long run.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Predatory Pricing:</strong> It is the pricing of goods or services at such a low level that other firms cannot compete and are forced to leave the market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unfair Practices:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While e-commerce enterprises offer many benefits, the development of the segmentation has rendered consumers vulnerable to new forms of <strong>unfair trade practices, violation of privacy </strong>and<strong> issues of unattended grievances.</strong></li>
<li>There are increasing cases of <strong>fake reviews</strong> and <strong>unfair favouritism</strong> in the display of goods.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Major Recommendations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Clear Definition:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There should be a more clear-cut definition of what constitutes <strong>Unfair Trade Practice </strong>and <strong>practical legal remedy</strong> to tackle such circumventing practices by e-commerce entities specifically Multinational Companies (MNCs) and Kirana Small Vendors.</li>
<li>Clearly define<strong> &lsquo;drip pricing&rsquo;</strong> wherein the final cost of the product goes up due to additional charges, and provide for protecting consumers against this by including penal provisions for violation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fixing Delivery Charges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution should <strong>issue broad guidelines for the fixation of delivery charges charged</strong> by the e-commerce entities along with a cap on the highest limits of the delivery charges in peak hours of service.</li>
<li>It should clearly <strong>distinguish in the Rules itself the cases of misinformation, no information and the information</strong> which is otherwise correct but creates a false impression and provides for penal provision for each case in the Rules itself.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Categorization of Personal Data:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For protection of privacy of users and security of their data, the panel has recommended that <strong>users&rsquo; personal data may be categorised as per the level of sensitivity</strong> and appropriate protection may be assigned for each level.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Payment Security:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>secured and robust system of payment gateway should be made available</strong> to the consumers so that the transaction-related data of the users is not compromised in any way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Local Data Centres:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All major e-marketplace entities <strong>should establish their data centre in India,</strong> so that consumer data are not hosted on a server outside the borders of the country, which may be misused by an enemy country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Customer Care:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>E-commerce entities should provide a dedicated customer care number</strong> as well as a mechanism to monitor the time taken by customer care executives to resolve an issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protection to Small/Local Vendors:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There is a need to devise some regulatory mechanism to protect the local vendors/kirana, therefore,<strong> sufficient protection to such small/local vendors </strong>and<strong> ways in which such small retailers may also become part of e-commerce</strong> should be given by the Ministry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Discourage Deceptive Techniques:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Some corrective mechanisms to discourage deceptive tactics including manipulation of algorithms, fake product reviews &amp; ratings must be created so that the consumer interest is not harmed in any way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 <strong>are mandatory</strong> and are not advisories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Applicability:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Apply to all e-commerce retailers,</strong> whether registered in India or abroad, offering goods and services to Indian consumers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nodal officer:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>E-commerce entities need to appoint a nodal person, resident in India <strong>to ensure compliance with the provisions of the act or rules.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prices and Expiry Dates:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sellers through the e-commerce entities will have to<strong> display the total price of goods and services offered for sale along with the break-up of other charges. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Expiry date</strong> of the good needs to be separately displayed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Importer and Relevant Details:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All relevant details about the goods and services offered for sale by the Seller including<strong> country of origin</strong> and in case of imported goods the <strong>name and details of the importer, and guarantees related to the authenticity or genuineness of the imported products</strong> need to be provided to enable the consumer to make an informed decision at the pre-purchase stage.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Grievance Redressal Mechanism: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Marketplaces,</strong> as well as <strong>sellers,</strong> need to appoint a <strong>grievance officer.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Marketplace Model of E-commerce:</strong> It means providing an<strong> information technology platform</strong> by an e-commerce entity on a digital and electronic network<strong> to act as a facilitator between buyer and seller.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Restriction on Unfair Trade Practice, Manipulation and Discrimination: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>No e-commerce entity shall manipulate the price of goods or services to gain unreasonable profit</strong> or<strong> discriminate between consumers</strong> of the same class or make any arbitrary classification of consumers affecting their rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Should not Post Fake Reviews or Mislead:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No seller or inventory e-commerce entity shall falsely represent itself as a consumer and post reviews about goods or services or misrepresent the quality or the features of any goods or services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No Cancellation Charges:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No e-commerce entity shall impose cancellation charges on consumers.</li>
<li><strong>Sellers should not refuse to take back goods,</strong> or withdraw or discontinue services if such goods and services are defective, deficient or spurious.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Record Information of Sellers Selling Counterfeit Products:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>E-commerce entities need to maintain a record of information for the identification of all sellers who have repeatedly offered goods or services that have previously been removed or restricted under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/draft-copyright-amendment-rules-2019#:~:text=The%20amendments%20are%20being%20brought,and%20the%20Copyright%20Rules%2C2013." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Copyright Act, 1957,</strong></a> the <strong>Trade Marks Act, 1999</strong> or the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-laws-and-blocking-of-internet-content-centre-vs-twitter#:~:text=Information%20Technology%20Act%2C%202000%3A,computer%20resources%20and%20electronic%20records." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Information Technology Act, 2000.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Penalty:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The violation of the rules will attract penal action under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/consumer-protection-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Consumer Protection Act, 2019.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/define-unfair-trade-practice-for-e-com/article34154056.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Electoral Bonds',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong> </a>flagged the<strong> possibility of misuse of money</strong> received by political parties through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sale-of-electoral-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>electoral bonds</strong> </a>for ulterior objects like funding terror or violent protests.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The court also asked the government <strong>whether there is any &ldquo;control&rdquo;</strong> over how these donations were used by political parties.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Electoral Bond</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Electoral Bond is<strong> a financial instrument for making donations to political parties.</strong></li>
<li>The bonds are issued in multiples of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 10,000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore <strong>without any maximum limit.</strong></li>
<li><strong>State Bank of India</strong> is authorised to issue and encash these bonds, which are valid for fifteen days from the date of issuance.</li>
<li>These bonds are<strong> redeemable in the designated account of a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-national-party-from-north-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">registered political party.</a></strong></li>
<li>The bonds <strong>are available for purchase by any person (who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India)</strong> for a period of ten days each in the months of January, April, July and October as may be specified by the Central Government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person being an individual can buy bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.</li>
<li>Donor&rsquo;s name is not mentioned on the bond.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong> The <strong>Electoral Bond Scheme acts as a check against traditional under-the-table donations</strong> as it insists on cheque and digital paper trails of transactions, however, several key provisions of the scheme make it highly controversial.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of Electoral Bonds as Pointed Out in the Supreme Court:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Anonymity:</strong> Neither the donor (who could be an individual or a corporate) nor the political party is obligated to reveal whom the donation comes from.</li>
<li><strong>Asymmetrically Opaque:</strong> Because the bonds are purchased through the <strong>State Bank of India (SBI),</strong> the government is always in a position to know who the donor is.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This asymmetry of information threatens to colour the process in favour of whichever political party is ruling at the time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chanel of Blackmoney:</strong> Elimination of a cap of 7.5% on corporate donations, elimination of requirement to reveal political contributions in profit and loss statements and also the elimination of the provision that a corporation must be three years in existence, undercuts the intent of the scheme.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A shell company can donate an unlimited amount anonymously to a political party giving it a convenient channel for business to round-trip its cash parked in tax havens for a favour or advantage granted in return for something.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government&rsquo;s Defence:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Conditions for Electoral Bonds:</strong> Only parties registered under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/the-representation-of-the-people-act-part-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Representation of the People Act 1951</strong></a> could receive donations through electoral bonds, and they also should not have secured less than 1% of the votes polled in the previous elections.</li>
<li><strong>To Take on the Menace of Black Money in Politics:</strong> Only white money is involved in the Bonds as the amounts are paid only through <strong>cheque or demand draft.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>KYC norms are also followed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Election Commision of India</a>&rsquo;s Support:</strong> ECI was not opposed to the bonds but was <strong>only concerned about the aspect of anonymity.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It also urged the court not to stay the bonds and said the <strong>scheme is one step forward compared to the old system of cash funding,</strong> which was unaccountable.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a <strong>need for effective regulation of political financing</strong> along with bold reforms to break the vicious cycle of corruption and erosion of quality of democratic polity.</li>
<li>It is <strong>crucial to plug the loopholes in the current laws</strong> to make the entire governance machinery more accountable and transparent.</li>
<li><strong>Voters can also help bring in substantial changes</strong> by demanding awareness campaigns. If voters reject candidates and parties that overspend or bribe them, democracy would move a step higher.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-flags-concerns-over-electoral-bonds/article34150973.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Road Ahead For India’s Climate Politics',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/proposing-a-new-climate-agenda-for-india-101616509257944.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Proposing a new climate agenda for India&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindustan Times on 23/03/2021. It talks about the road ahead for India in achieving the net-zero emissions target.</p>
</div>
<p>The year 2021 is an important year for global climate change negotiations, as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its report this year, updated national pledges on emission limits are expected at a climate Conference of Parties in the United Kingdom (UK), and Joe Biden-led United States (US) has promised to rejoin <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-years-of-paris-climate-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paris climate deal.</strong></a></p>
<p>Also, India has been considering to achieve the target of net-zero emissions by 2050. This pledge will earn India diplomatic credit by assuming climate leadership. However, these diplomatic gains could come at the cost of domestic developmental objectives.</p>
<p>This is because without dramatic changes in policy and technology, India, at least, needs the option of increasing emissions to develop. Therefore, the trick for India is to focus on squeezing more development out of less carbon.</p>
<h3>Challenges For India At Global Climate Politics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>More Likely To Miss Target:</strong> Analysis by the International Energy Agency illustrates the scale of change &mdash; an immediate and dramatic shift is required to shift Indian emissions from stated policies to sustainable development. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, this dramatic shift would still only get us to net-zero by 2065; 2050 would be even harder.</li>
<li>Also, net-zero emissions targets may not be able to meet, because they rely on future promises rather than current action, and on uncertain technologies to remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Silo-Based Climate Decisions:</strong> India&rsquo;s climate governance structure is designed for silo-based decisions, whereas the climate crisis requires cross-sectoral collaboration.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, electricity decisions may be tied to decisions on urban policy, transport systems, and building design. However, cross-sectional collaboration is still lacking in India&rsquo;s policymaking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fossil-Fuels Needed for Development:</strong> If India wants to achieve the net-zero target, its emissions would have to decline to start now, and never again reach levels achieved in 2019.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, India&rsquo;s greenhouse gas emissions are growing, and, because complex energy and economic systems take time to turn around, will grow for some time.</li>
<li>Further, limiting emissions from industry is a longer-term prospect because technologies are nascent, and will require international collaboration for new technology and approaches.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sectoral Transition Plans:</strong> Rather than a broad ambitious target, there is a need to identify and build a future pledge around sectoral transition plans for key areas of the economy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Attention to sectoral transitions likely sends a clearer and more direct signal to the private sector on the need to shift investment patterns than does a broad and diffuse economy-wide net-zero target.</li>
<li>For example, to accelerate the electricity sector transition requires fixing distribution companies, transitioning from coal while protecting coal communities, and enhancing investment in renewable energy investments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strengthening Climate Governance:</strong> India needs to build and strengthen its domestic institutions for climate governance. This will require identifying linkages between development needs and low carbon opportunities. In this context, a climate law can be useful.</li>
<li><strong>Reaffirming CBDR:</strong> In this upcoming climate change negotiations, India needs to reaffirm the long-standing principle of &ldquo;common but differentiated responsibility&rdquo; (CBDR) that requires richer countries to lead and argue against any pledge that risks prematurely limiting Indian energy use for development.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The Indian road to leadership should be based on specific near-term actions, institutional strengthening, and a combination of mid-and long-term targets. Longer-term targets, including net-zero, can, and should, be clarified and strengthened as we learn by doing overtime, as part of our transition to a low carbon future.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f9f7ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India needs to define its climate policies in ways that meet diplomatic, developmental, and climate interests simultaneously. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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		'title' => 'Japan to Fund Projects in India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Japan has finalised loans and a grant totalling around 233 billion yen for several key infrastructure projects in India, including for a project in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617099727_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617099727_image8.png" 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><strong>Grant for Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About the Grant:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A grant of 4.01 billion yen for a project for the <strong>improvement of power supply </strong>in<strong> strategically located Andaman and Nicobar Islands.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The grant would be used to procure <strong>15MWh batteries</strong> as well as <strong>power system stabilisers</strong> to allow better utilisation of <strong>solar power generated in South Andaman.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This grant is <strong>Japan's first ever Official Development Assistance (ODA)</strong> to a project<strong> in the A&amp;N islands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>About Official Development Assistance (ODA):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>ODA is defined as<strong> government aid designed to promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Loans and credits for military purposes are excluded.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India has been the top recipient of the Japanese government's financial aid</strong> under the ODA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Japan&rsquo;s Aid for Other Projects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For <strong>Delhi Metro&rsquo;s</strong> fourth phase.</li>
<li>For Metro lines under <strong>Namma Metro&rsquo;s second phase</strong> in <strong>Bengaluru.</strong></li>
<li>For<strong> crop diversification</strong> in <strong>Himachal Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li>For <strong>mitigating fluorosis</strong> in<strong> Rajasthan&rsquo;s Jhunjhunu</strong> and <strong>Barmer districts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Recent Developments Between India and Japan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-leaders-summit-quad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> first summit of the leaders' of the QUAD</strong></a> (Quadrilateral Framework) was held virtually.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>QUAD is a four-nation alliance of India, Australia, USA and Japan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2020, India and Japan signed a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-japan-logistics-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> logistics agreement</strong></a> that will allow armed forces of both sides to coordinate closely in services and supplies. The agreement is known as the<strong> Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).</strong></li>
<li>In 2019, India and Japan held the first-ever ministerial-level <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-japan-2-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2+2 dialogue.</strong></a> This dialogue involved the Defence and Foreign Ministers on both sides and is seen as an endorsement of the special strategic partnership between <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-japan-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India and Japan.</strong></a></li>
<li>A<strong> &ldquo;India-Japan Digital Partnership (I-JDP)&rdquo;</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 S&amp;T/ICT, focusing more on &ldquo;Digital ICT Technologies&rdquo;.</li>
<li>In 2014, India and Japan upgraded their relationship to <strong>'Special Strategic and Global Partnership'.</strong></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>
<li>India and Japan defence forces organize a series of bilateral exercises namely, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-08th-october-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>JIMEX</strong></a> (naval), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-4th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SHINYUU Maitri</strong></a> (Air Force), and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-dharma-guardian-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dharma Guardian</strong></a> (Army). Both countries also participate in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/exercise-malabar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Malabar exercise</strong> </a>(Naval Exercise) with the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Significance of Andaman and Nicobar Islands</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) are located at the<strong> juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>a group of 572 islands,</strong> which straddles some of the busiest trade routes in the world.</li>
<li>ANI spans 450 nautical miles in a roughly north-south configuration<strong> adjacent to the western entrance to the Malacca Strait,</strong> which is itself a major Indian Ocean chokepoint.</li>
<li>Geopolitically, the <strong>ANI connects South Asia with South-East Asia.</strong> While the northernmost point of the archipelago is only 22 nautical miles from Myanmar, the southernmost point, Indira Point, is a mere 90 nautical miles from Indonesia.</li>
<li>The islands <strong>dominate the Bay of Bengal, the Six Degree and the Ten Degree Channels</strong> that more than sixty thousand commercial vessels traverse each year.</li>
<li>The Andaman and Nicobar Islands<strong> constitute just 0.2% of India&rsquo;s landmass but provide near 30% of its <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unclos-maritime-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Exclusive Economic Zone.</a></strong></li>
<li>Due to the presence of ANI in the Bay of Bengal, <strong>India has a better position to play a vital role in <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-indo-pacific-strategic-importance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indo-Pacific</a>.</strong></li>
<li>Recently, the Prime Minister has declared that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-and-nicobar-islands-to-be-maritime-and-startup-hub" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ANI will be developed as a "maritime and startup hub".</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617100543_image10.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617100543_image10.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Fluorosis</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Fluorosis is a cosmetic condition that affects the teeth.</li>
<li>It&rsquo;s caused by overexposure to fluoride during the first eight years of life. This is the time when most permanent teeth are being formed.</li>
<li>After the teeth come in, the teeth of those affected by fluorosis may appear mildly discolored.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India needs sophisticated technology from Japan, so more collaboration and cooperation can prove beneficial to both nations.</li>
<li>There is a huge potential with respect to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/five-years-of-make-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Make in India</strong></a>. Joint ventures could be created by merging Japanese digital technology with Indian raw materials and labour.</li>
<li>Close cooperation is the best measure <strong>to combat China&rsquo;s growing role in Asia and Indo-Pacific,</strong> in physical as well as digital space.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/japan-to-fund-an-metro-expansion/article34172904.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/japan-to-fund-projects-in-india'
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Maharaja Chhatrasal',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre</strong> has been inaugurated at <strong>Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Convention Centre, named after the legendary <strong>Bundelkhand King Maharaja Chhatrasal,</strong> was built under the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/promotion-of-buddhist-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swadesh Darshan scheme</a> of the Ministry of Tourism.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Khajuraho</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is <strong>one of the nineteen identified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iconic-tourist-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iconic destinations</a></strong> in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ministry of Tourism has framed <strong>&lsquo;Development of Iconic Tourist Destinations Scheme&rsquo;,</strong> a Central Sector Scheme for development of nineteen identified iconic destinations in the country following a holistic approach.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Khajuraho Group of Monuments</strong> is listed as a<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-committee-s-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> UNESCO world heritage site.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The temples are famous for their <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/temple-architecture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>nagara-style architectural</strong></a> symbolism and their <strong>erotic sculptures.</strong></li>
<li>Most Khajuraho temples were<strong> built between 885 AD and 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Swadesh Darshan Scheme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Swadesh Darshan, a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/proposal-to-hike-monthly-pensions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Sector Scheme</strong></a>, was<strong> launched in 2014-15</strong> for integrated development of theme based tourist circuits in the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, there are <strong>15 theme based circuits</strong> - Buddhist, Coastal, Desert, Eco, Heritage, Himalayan, Krishna, North-east, Ramayana, Rural, Spiritual, Sufi, Tirthankara, Tribal and Wildlife.</li>
<li>Theme-based tourist circuits are developed on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner to enrich tourist experience and enhance employment opportunities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Under the scheme, the Ministry of Tourism provides <strong>Central Financial Assistance (CFA)</strong> to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for infrastructure development of circuits.</li>
<li>This scheme is envisioned to<strong> synergise with other schemes</strong> like <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/swachh-bharat-mission-urban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swachh Bharat Abhiyan</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-kaushal-vikas-yojana-pmkvy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Skill India</a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/assessment-of-make-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Make in India</a></strong> etc. with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, driving force for economic growth and building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realise its potential.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Brief Profile:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Birth :</strong> Born on <strong>4<sup>th</sup> May 1649,</strong> to Champat Rai and Lal Kunwar, into the <strong>Bundela Rajput clan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Medieval Indian warrior,</strong> fought <strong>against the Mughal Empire,</strong> and established <strong>his own kingdom in Bundelkhand.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Descendant of Rudra Pratap Singh</strong> of Orchha.</li>
<li>Ancestors were vassals of the Mughal emperor.</li>
<li><strong>Death:</strong> 20<sup>th</sup> December, 1731.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power Struggle Against the Mughal:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He <strong>started his struggle in 1671,</strong> and first captured Naugaon region of Chhatarpur district.</li>
<li>He <strong>fought for 50 years against Mughals </strong>and<strong> captured a large part of Bundelkhand with his seat of power at Panna.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Relation with Baji Rao I:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Baji Rao I <strong>helped Chhatrashal against the Mughals.</strong> He sent military aid against the Mughal force<strong> led by Muhammad Khan Bangash in 1728.</strong></li>
<li>The Maratha Peshwa<strong> Baji Rao I's second wife Mastani was Chhatrasal's daughter.</strong></li>
<li>Before his death, <strong>Chhatrasal transferred Mahoba and the surrounding area to Baji Rao I</strong> in return for his assistance against the Mughals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Patron of Literature :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>His court housed several noted poets. His <strong>eulogies written by Kavi Bhushan, Lal Kavi, Bakhshi Hansaraj and other court poets</strong> helped him gain lasting fame.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Religious View:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Disciple of <strong>Mahamati Prannathji.</strong></li>
<li>Swami Prannathji also guided him in <strong>political, social, and economic matters.</strong></li>
<li>Swami Prannathji told Chhatrasal <strong>regarding Diamond mines of Panna</strong> and thus helped him in strengthening his financial position.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Legacy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Chhatarpur town and its district</strong> in Madhya Pradesh are <strong>named after Chhatrasal.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Maharaja Chhatrasal Museum</strong> in Madhya Pradesh and the <strong>Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi</strong> are also named after the<strong> Maharaja Chhatrasal.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1707906" 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/maharaja-chhatrasal'
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Cape of Good Hope',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Due to the recent blockage of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/suez-canal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Suez Canal</strong></a>, the option of<strong> re-routing ships via the Cape of Good Hope</strong> was explored.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Cape of Good Hope is <strong>a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A headland is a narrow piece of land which sticks out from the coast into the sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>Cape of Good Hope route joins Eastern Asia and Europe to southern parts of Africa.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 provided a much shorter route</strong> from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, making the long trip around Africa inefficient.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>Cape of Good Hope route is 8900 km longer than the Suez canal route and can take additional two weeks.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Contemporary geographic knowledge instead states the <strong>southernmost point of Africa is Cape Agulhas about 150 km to the east-southeast.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>warm-water Agulhas current (Indian Ocean) meets the cold-water Benguela current (Atlantic ocean)</strong> between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point (about 1.2 km east of the Cape of Good Hope).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>History:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Cape was<strong> originally named the Cape of Storms in 1488</strong> by the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias.</li>
<li>It was <strong>later renamed to Cape Good Hope to attract more people to the Cape Sea Route</strong> that passed the southern coast of Africa.</li>
<li>The Cape eventually <strong>became a significant port and waypoint</strong> for sailors traveling from Europe to Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617088277_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617088277_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/suez-canal-blocked-india-eyes-cape-of-good-hope/article34172951.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/cape-of-good-hope'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Parliamentary Committees',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/restoring-the-broken-oversight-mechanisms-of-parliament-101616761470187.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Restoring the broken oversight mechanisms of Parliament&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindustan Times on 26/03/2021. It talks about the significance of the parliamentary committees.</p>
</div>
<p>India&rsquo;s Parliament recently passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/union-vs-delhi-government#:~:text=Delhi%20Government,-22%20Mar%202021&amp;text=This%20article%20is%20based%20on,(Amendment)%20Bill%2C%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021,</strong></a> which significantly alters the way the government in New Delhi functions. Despite the nature of the sweeping changes this bill proposed, it was not sent to a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/parliamentary-committee-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>parliamentary committee.</strong></a></p>
<p>In a parliamentary democracy, the bills of such significance are sent to parliamentary committees for closer scrutiny. However, 71% of the bills went to parliamentary committees between 2009 and 2014, and this dipped to only 25% between 2014 and 2019.</p>
<p>Sidelining parliamentary committees is increasingly becoming the norm in India. But, given the significance of the parliamentary committee system in democracy, it needs to be strengthened rather than rendered defunct.</p>
<h3>Significance of the Parliamentary Committees</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Provides Legislative Expertise:</strong> Most MPs are not subject matter experts on the topics being discussed &mdash; they are generalists who understand the pulse of the people but rely on advice from experts and stakeholders before making decisions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Parliamentary committees are meant to help MPs seek expertise and give them time to think about issues in detail.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Acting as a Mini-Parliament:</strong> These committees act as a mini-parliament, as they have MPs representing different parties are elected into them through a system of the single transferable vote, in roughly the same proportion as their strength in Parliament.</li>
<li><strong>Instrument for Detailed Scrutiny:</strong> When bills are referred to these committees, they are examined closely and inputs are sought from various external stakeholders, including the public.</li>
<li><strong>Provides a Check on the Government:</strong> Although committee recommendations are not binding on the government, their reports create a public record of the consultations that took place and put pressure on the government to reconsider its stand on debatable provisions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By virtue of being closed-door and away from the public eye, discussions in committee meetings are also more collaborative, with MPs feeling less pressured to posture for media galleries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sidelining of Parliamentary Committee: Issues</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Weakening of Parliamentary System Government:</strong> A parliamentary democracy works on the doctrine of fusion of powers between parliament and the executive, but the Parliament is supposed to maintain oversight of the government and keep its power in check. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, by circumventing the Parliamentary committees in the passing of significant legislation, there is a risk of weakening democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enforcing Brute Majority:</strong> In the Indian system, it is not mandatory for bills to be sent to committees. It&rsquo;s left to the discretion of the Chair &mdash; the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and Chairperson in the Rajya Sabha. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By giving discretionary power to the Chair, the system has been specially rendered weak in a Lok Sabha where the ruling party has a brute majority.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Making Discussion Mandatory:</strong> In countries such as Sweden and Finland, all bills are sent to committees. In Australia, a selection of bills committee, which includes members from the Opposition, is tasked with identifying the bills that should go to committees.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is perhaps time for India to mandate a similar requirement to avail the benefits of the committee system that have been taken for granted so far.</li>
<li>This would require amending the rules of procedure in both Lok Sabha and Rajya sabha.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Periodic Review:</strong> According to the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC), DRSCs should be periodically reviewed so that the committees which have outlived their utility can be replaced with new ones. For example:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Standing Committee on National Economy to provide analysis of the national economy with resources for advisory expertise, data gathering, and research facilities.</li>
<li>Standing Constitution Committee to scrutinize Constitutional Amendment Bills before they are introduced in Parliament.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Mandating scrutiny for the significant bills passed is by no means a hurdle to the legislative process, rather it is necessary to uphold the quality of legislation, and by extension, the quality of governance. Thus, a strong parliamentary committee system is required to ensure Parliament&rsquo;s sanctity in the law-making process.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fdfffa;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Sidelining parliamentary committees erodes the sanctity of parliament as a law-making body.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/parliamentary-committees-1'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'NPNT Compliance: Drone Operations',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Ministry of Civil Aviation</strong> has granted permits to <strong>"No-Permission-No-Takeoff' (NPNT)</strong> compliant drone operations at <strong>34 additional green zones</strong> to <strong>facilitate, smoothen, and promote</strong> drone operations in the country.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>NPNT</strong> is <strong>a software program</strong> that enables every Remotely Piloted Aircraft (except Nano) to obtain a valid permission through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/digital-sky-platform-drone-regulation-1-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>DigitalSky platform</strong></a> before operating in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)</strong> is defined as an Unmanned Aircraft (UA), which is piloted from a remote pilot station. Drone is a layman terminology for UA.</li>
<li><strong>DigitalSky is a Ministry of Civil Aviation initiative,</strong> a highly secure and scalable platform which supports technology frameworks such as NPNT designed for <strong>enabling flight permission digitally and managing Unmanned Aircraft operations and traffic efficiently.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>If a NPNT compliant drone tries to breach geo-fencing (to go beyond the permissible boundary in the airspace), the in-built software will compel the drone to return-to-home (RTH).</li>
<li>Drone flights in the green zone sites <strong>shall be compliant with the applicable conditions of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Flying in the &lsquo;green-zones&rsquo; require only intimation of the time and location</strong> of the flights.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Permissions are required for flying in &lsquo;yellow zones&rsquo; and flights are not allowed in the &lsquo;red zones&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>UAS categorised as airplane, rotorcraft and hybrid</strong> with further categorisation as remotely piloted aircraft, model remotely piloted aircraft and autonomous unmanned aircraft system.</li>
<li><strong>UA</strong> is <strong>classified as nano, micro, small, medium and large unmanned aircraft</strong> based on the maximum all up weight.</li>
<li><strong>Mandatory for individuals and companies to obtain approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aircraft-amendment-bill-2https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aircraft-amendment-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DGCA</a>)</strong> to import, manufacture, trade, own or operate drones.</li>
<li><strong>No Permission- No Take-off (NPNT) policy</strong> adopted for all UAS except for those in the nano category.</li>
<li>Micro and small UAS are not permitted from flying above 60m and 120m, respectively.</li>
<li><strong>UAS prohibited from flying in strategic and sensitive locations,</strong> including near airports, defence airports, border areas, military installations/facilities and areas earmarked as strategic locations/vital installations by the Ministry of Home Affairs.</li>
<li>Research and development (R&amp;D) organisations, including start-ups, authorised UAS manufacturers, any accredited recognised institution of higher education located in India, are <strong>permitted to carry out R&amp;D of UAS</strong> only after obtaining authorisation from the DGCA.</li>
<li><strong>Penalties</strong> ranging between <strong>rupees ten thousand and one lakh for individuals,</strong> and for<strong> organisations, a 200, 300 and 400% of the amount specified for individuals,</strong> based on the size of the organisation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/npnt-compliance-drone-operations'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Ad-hoc Judges in High Court',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court pushed for the appointment of retired judges to battle the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/judicial-pendency-justice-delayed" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pendency of cases</strong> </a>in High Courts.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616840152_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616840152_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Supreme Court Suggestions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Guidelines for Appointment of an Ad-hoc Judge:</strong> The court orally<strong> outlined prospective guidelines</strong> for the appointment and functioning of an ad-hoc judge.</li>
<li><strong>Pendency Beyond a Certain Limit:</strong> If in a particular jurisdiction, the <strong>pendency goes beyond a certain limit, say eight or 10 years,</strong> the <strong>Chief Justice may appoint a certain [retired] judge</strong> with expertise in those fields of laws as an ad hoc judge. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> term of such a judge could be extendable.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Position:</strong> The appointment of ad-hoc judges would not be a threat to the services of other judges as the <strong>Ad-hoc judges will be treated as the junior most.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Selection:</strong> The retired judges would be chosen <strong>on the basis of their expertise in a particular field of dispute</strong> and allowed to retire once the pendency in that zone of law was over.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Arguments for Appointing Retired Judges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The retired judges who had handled certain disputes and fields of law for over 15 years<strong> could deal with them faster</strong> if brought back into harness as ad-hoc judges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Related Constitutional Provisions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The appointment of retired judges was provided for in the<strong> Constitution under Article 224A (appointment of retired judges at sittings of High Courts).</strong></li>
<li>Under the Article, the Chief Justice of a High Court for any State may at any time, with the <strong>previous consent of the President, request any person</strong> who has held the office of judge of that court or of any other High Court to sit and act as a judge of the High Court for that State.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons For Pendency:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The Government is the Biggest Litigant:</strong> According to the <strong>Economic Survey 2018-19</strong> poorly drafted orders have resulted in contested tax revenues equal to 4.7% of the GDP and it is rising.</li>
<li><strong>Less Budgetary Allocation:</strong> The budget allocated to the judiciary is between 0.08 and 0.09% of the GDP. Only four countries &mdash; Japan, Norway, Australia and Iceland &mdash; have a lesser budget allocation and they do not have problems of pendency like India.</li>
<li><strong>Practice of Seeking Adjournments:</strong> Usually the lower courts seek adjournment ad infinitum.</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Assessment:</strong> When a new legislation is formed, there is no judicial impact assessment done by the government on how much burden is going to be casted on the judiciary.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The probabilities of generating more litigations or requirement of more judges is not taken into account.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Delay in Judicial Appointment: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/collegium-system-for-the-appointment-of-judges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collegium</a></strong> recommendations have been<strong> pending with the government</strong> for over seven months to a year to get approval in order to fill vacancies in High Courts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The total sanctioned judicial strength in the <strong>25 High Courts is 1,080.</strong> However, <strong>the present working strength is 661 with 419 vacancies</strong> as of March 2021.</li>
<li>The government has countered that it's the fault of the Collegium and the High Court for delaying the process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Streamlining the Appointment System:</strong> The vacancies must be filled without any unnecessary delay.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A proper time frame for the appointment of judges must be laid down and the recommendations must be given in advance.</li>
<li>The Constitution of the<strong> All India Judicial Services</strong> is also an important factor which can definitely help India establish a better judicial system.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use of Technologies:</strong> People are becoming more and more aware of their rights and which is why the number of cases filed in court are also increasing.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To deal with that judicial officers need to be trained, vacancies for the judges must be filled up expeditiously and in addition the use of technology particularly <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>artificial intelligence</strong> </a>must be encouraged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Out of Court Settlement:</strong> Resolving every case within the court premises is not mandatory; other possible systems must also be accessed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is also a need to promote the alternate dispute resolution mechanism for which the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/arbitration-and-conciliation-amendment-bill-2021#:~:text=Objective%3A%20The%20Arbitration%20and%20Conciliation,other%20alternative%20dispute%20redressal%20mechanisms." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>arbitration and conciliation</strong></a> act has been amended three times to ensure that people go for commercial litigation mode and sort it out either by mediation, conciliation or arbitration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-for-posting-retired-judges-to-clear-backlog-in-hcs/article34163270.ece#:~:text=The%20Supreme%20Court%20on%20Thursday,of%20cases%20in%20High%20Courts.&amp;text=there%20are%20all%20kinds%20of,Prahari%2C%20on%20the%20mounting%20backlog." 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/ad-hoc-judges-in-high-court'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Garhwal Forts',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a study has identified<strong> 193 sites having either intact or ruins of Garhwal forts and fortalices</strong> spread along the north, east and southern regions of the Garhwal Himalayas.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is the first of its kind database. A total of<strong> 36 major forts</strong> and <strong>12 prominent fort clusters</strong> have been identified.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Garhwal Forts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A majority of<strong> medieval forts in the Garhwal Himalayas</strong> of Uttarakhand were strategically built to form clusters.</li>
<li>The forts, dating back to the <strong>8<sup>th</sup> century</strong> Common Era (CE), were built at diverse altitude zones like valleys, along the ridges and prominent hilltops, some <strong>standing more than 3,000 metres above Mean Sea Level (MSL)</strong> in the Garhwal Himalayas.</li>
<li>These well networked forts were built either during or after the downfall of the <strong>Katyuri dynasty.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Importance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Geographically, the forts were built away from one another. But the ruler's back then ensured that they were <strong>surrounded with smaller fortalices, </strong>which<strong> primarily functioned as watchtowers.</strong></li>
<li>These fortalices were erected and positioned around 15 km periphery of a major fort.</li>
<li>Numerous such fortalices then formed a strategic network,<strong> enabling them to relay information, particularly when invaded by enemies. </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Fire, smoke or similar light signals</strong> could have been the common means to convey messages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>History of Garhwal:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Katyuri Dynasty:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>History suggests that between 700 CE and 800 CE, the rulers of the<strong> Katyuri dynasty</strong> divided this region into many small mandals or units for administrative purposes.</li>
<li>However, as the dynasty began to politically weaken around the turn of the millennium, these units came under the rule of Garhpatis or chiefdoms, each of whom built individual forts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Foreign Attacks:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Since the Garhwal Himalayas are located en route to many religious places, it often came under foreign attacks and faced enemy invasions, mainly led by the <strong>Nepalese and the Tibetans.</strong></li>
<li>The invasion by Askochalla and Krachalla, two Nepalese kings during 1100&ndash;1200 CE, is considered among the first foreign attacks here.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Consolidation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>By the 15<sup>th</sup> century, King Ajaypal, the <strong>37<sup>th</sup> king of the Parmar dynasty, consolidated all these multiple chiefdoms</strong> in the region into a single state. This is the present day Garhwal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Katyuri Dynasty</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Katyuri kings were a <strong>medieval ruling clan</strong> of present-day Uttarakhand, India. They ruled over the region now known as Kumaon from 700 to 1200 CE.</li>
<li>The Katyuri dynasty was<strong> founded by Vashudev Katyuri</strong> (sometimes spelled Vasu Dev or Basu Dev).</li>
<li>At its peak, the<strong> Katyuri dynasty of Kumaon extended from Sikkim in the east to Kabul, Afghanistan in the west,</strong> before fragmenting into numerous principalities by the 12<sup>th</sup> century.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/garhwal-himalayas-smoke-fire-used-as-signals-by-8th-century-rulers-who-built-complex-network-of-forts-finds-study-7247060/" 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/garhwal-forts'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'RTI Requests Rejections',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Centre has <strong>rejected 4.3% of all <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to Information (RTI)</a> requests</strong> in 2019-20, the <strong>lowest ever rate,</strong> according to the<strong> Central Information Commission (CIC)&rsquo;s annual report.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Rejection rates have fallen since the 13.9% rate in 2005-06, and have been steadily trending downwards since the 8.4% spike in 2014-15.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Rejection without Reason:</strong> Almost <strong>40% of these rejections did not include any valid reason,</strong> as they did not invoke one of the permissible <strong>exemption clauses</strong> in the <strong>Right to Information (RTI) Act.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These rejections are classified under the <strong>&lsquo;Others&rsquo; category</strong> in the CIC data.</li>
<li>The Finance Ministry alone rejected <strong>40% of its total RTI</strong> requests without providing a valid reason under the Act.</li>
<li><strong>More than 90% of rejections </strong>by the <strong>Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, the Delhi High Court, the Comptroller and Auditor General,</strong> among others fell into the <strong>&ldquo;Others&rdquo; category.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maximum Rejections:</strong> The <strong>Home Ministry</strong> had the <strong>highest rate of rejections,</strong> as it rejected 20% of all RTIs received. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Delhi Police and the Army also saw increases in rejection rates.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ground for Rejection of the RTI Requests: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rti-on-pm-cares-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Section 8(1)</strong></a> deals with the<strong> exemption</strong> from disclosure of information:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If it is related to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence,</li>
<li>Information including commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property,</li>
<li>Information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person,</li>
<li>Information which would impede the process of investigation or prosecution of offenders,</li>
<li>Information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest.</li>
<li>Of the permissible grounds for rejection, <strong>Section 8(1</strong>) was used in around <strong>46% of the cases.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 9:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It empowers the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer to reject a request for information which involves an infringement of copyright.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 24:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It exempts information related to security and intelligence organisations except allegations of corruption and human rights violations.</li>
<li>Around one in five <strong>(20%) permissible rejections</strong> coming under this category.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It provided that the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall hold office for such terms as <strong>prescribed by the Central Government.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Before this amendment, their term was <strong>fixed for 5 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It provided that the salary, allowances and other service conditions of the Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (of Centre as well as States) shall be such <strong>as prescribed by the Central Government.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Before this amendment, the salary, allowances and other service conditions of the Chief Information Commissioner were similar to those of the Chief Election Commissioner and that of an Information Commissioner were similar to those of an Election Commissioner (State Election Commissioners in case of States).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It removed the provisions regarding deductions in salary of the Chief Information Commissioner, an Information Commissioner, the State Chief Information Commissioner and a State Information Commissioner due to pension or any other retirement benefits received by them for their previous government service.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Central Information Commission</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Established:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central Information Commission was established by the Central Government in 2005, under the provisions of the Right to Information Act (2005). It is not a constitutional body.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Members:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Commission consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten Information Commissioners.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>At present (2019), the Commission has six Information Commissioners apart from the Chief Information Commissioner.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Appointment:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a <strong>committee consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister</strong> nominated by the Prime Minister.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tenure:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner shall hold office for such terms <strong>as prescribed by the Central Government</strong> or until they attain the <strong>age of 65 years,</strong> whichever is earlier.</li>
<li>They are not eligible for reappointment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Power and Functions of CIC:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the duty of the Commission to receive and inquire into a complaint from any person regarding information request under RTI, 2005.</li>
<li>The Commission can order an inquiry into any matter if there are reasonable grounds<strong> (suo-moto power).</strong></li>
<li>While inquiring, the Commission has the powers of a <strong>civil court</strong> in respect of summoning, requiring documents etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/almost-40-of-rti-rejections-last-year-did-not-invoke-valid-reason-analysis/article34171928.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/rti-requests-rejections'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Earth Hour',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/earth-hour" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Earth Hour</strong></a> is being observed on<strong> 27<sup>th</sup> March 2021.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616836533_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616836533_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="350" height="219" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earth Hour is the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/living-planet-report-wwf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)&rsquo;s</strong> </a>annual initiative that began in 2007.</li>
<li>It is<strong> held every year on the last Saturday of March.</strong></li>
<li>It<strong> encourages people</strong> from more than 180 countries to <strong>switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.</strong></li>
<li>The idea is to refrain from the use of non-essential lighting to save energy in a <strong>symbolic call for environmental protection.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earth Hour has become a<strong> catalyst for positive environmental impact,</strong> driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the people and collective action.</li>
<li><strong>Examples:</strong> It helped <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Create a<strong> 3.5 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Ban all plastics in the Galapagos in 2014.</strong></li>
<li>Plant <strong>17 million trees in Kazakhstan.</strong></li>
<li>Light up homes with <strong>solar power in India and the Philippines.</strong></li>
<li>Push new legislation for the <strong>protection of seas and forests in Russia.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Wildlife Fund for Nature</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>world&rsquo;s leading conservation organization</strong> and works in more than 100 countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Established:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was <strong>established in 1961</strong> and is <strong>headquartered at Gland, Switzerland</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Initiatives of WWF:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/awards-for-tiger-conservation?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=d6b52011b8e898ebbdb4fa95850598f693c98eb1-1616832863-0-AUKkX3Cc_GogaMaU3GnU4usqYTZ5TIZWeNa5nlvFIxQvl0gZjMbLxphNM8jKEPJs4lDXchERs0IyiGUWB5Ti5i5S772OyszFvd9oNqn_HC4VuWxtUYn-sDBqOfU-ul5qQHFLqEEjKzZg-o0IQl3cqGwtPqhR9zRYDxWZpiQ1wEa4Tfs5hfmtuerV0J7UfeZ8GJjt_7TUdYek8xE__pe3Na6UITOOJSM_R0chAjF6dg1OiiPw1M0rhytWqXGJtgGpj6ivB9HCEc4SGofXLqPHzgmuDyTw41b7Ui-9HKXt0KE2G-K3CChAePnTWbcLDdQvP795gB72lEVVwsu3SfSnMvNk57_5QB5sGi3mTzXWTFokK9Grh2dBJaWZAPOErPPT-FqRv1mi1t7T3fvuf_gNniY" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TX2 Goal</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/traffic" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TRAFFIC</strong></a></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/living-planet-report-wwf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Living Planet Report</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/talking-point/article34175023.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/earth-hour-1'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Hate Crime',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court (SC)</strong></a> quashed <strong>Hate Crime</strong> proceedings initiated against a senior journalist for a Facebook post.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The SC ruled that petitioners' social media post was only an <strong>expression of truth</strong> in the face of persecution.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The decision came in Petitioners appeal against the Meghalaya High Court&rsquo;s refusal to quash the proceedings against her under <strong>Sections 153a</strong> (hate), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/misuse-of-criminal-defamation-law-madras-hc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>500 (defamation)</strong></a> and <strong>505(c)</strong> (incite a community or caste to commit an offence against another) of the <strong>Indian Penal Code (IPC).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Section 153a:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.</li>
<li>It shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 505c:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>With intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community.</li>
<li>It shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Hate Crime</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hate crime refers to <strong>criminal acts which are motivated by bias against an individual or social group</strong> because of certain differences, majorly in their religious practices and customs.</li>
<li>In contemporary times its meaning has proliferated beyond lynching, discrimination and offensive speeches and now <strong>encompasses speech that is insulting, derogatory or incites and violence.</strong></li>
<li>In totality, Hate Crimes could be <strong>defined as an attack on a person&rsquo;s rights entrusted to him thereby affecting not only him but the social structure as a whole</strong> which in many ways makes it more heinous than many other Criminal Offences.</li>
<li>Most <strong>common grounds</strong> of hate speech are <strong>race, ethnicity, religion or class.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Hate Crime in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hate Crime in India is <strong>defined in terms of the harm done to a community at large</strong> rather than an individual&rsquo;s right to freedom of speech and expression and the harm done as a result of hate speech.</li>
<li>In India, <strong>hate speech is prohibited</strong> which is <strong>based upon religion, ethnicity, culture or race.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Laws Against Hate Crimes:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Though the term is <strong>nowhere mentioned in any statute</strong>, its different forms are identified across the laws.</li>
<li>The <strong>IPC</strong> under <strong>Sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 298, 505(1) and 505(2)25</strong> declares that word, spoken or written, that promotes disharmony, hatred, or insults on basis of <strong>religion, ethnicity, culture, language, region, caste, community, race etc</strong>., is punishable under law.</li>
<li>Some other laws which contain provisions concerning hate speech and its prevention are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/representation-of-people-s-act-part-i" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Representation of People Act, 1951.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-laws-and-blocking-of-internet-content-centre-vs-twitter#:~:text=Information%20Technology%20Act%2C%202000%3A,computer%20resources%20and%20electronic%20records." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Information Technology Act 2000.</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unlawful-activities-prevention-act-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/hate-crime-proceedings-against-shillong-times-editor-patricia-mukhim-quashed/article34160913.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/hate-crime'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'World Development Report 2021: World Bank',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has published the <strong>World Development Report 2021:Data for Better Lives.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Development Report 2021 provides a blueprint on <strong>how to harness the power of data for development,</strong> to ensure no one is left behind.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Social Contract For Data:</strong> To get more value out of data while protecting people against harm and ensuring access and representation. Different data-creating and data-using parties need to safely collaborate.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833808_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833808_image3.png" style="float: right;" width="500" caption="false" /></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The three elements of a social contract for data: <strong>Value, Equity and Trust</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data As a Force For Public Good:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Public intent data - data collected with the intent of serving the public good</strong> by informing the design, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of public programs and policies - are a prerequisite for many government functions.</li>
<li>Public intent data can bring value to development through several pathways, such as<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>holding governments accountable and empowering individuals,</li>
<li>improving service delivery, and</li>
<li>prioritizing scarce resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Infinite Possibilities:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Repurposing and integrating public- and private-intent data can help provide <strong>real-time and finer-scale insights, fill data gaps,</strong> and overcome limitations associated with each data type.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Connecting The World: Data Infrastructure</strong> is a key part of ensuring equitable access to data for poor people and poor countries.</li>
<li><strong>Crossing Borders:</strong> Data is a tradable asset, but sending them across borders requires adequate data protection.</li>
<li><strong>Governing Data:</strong> The role of data governance is two fold: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>First, to control risks by ensuring the security, integrity, and protection of data and systems; and</li>
<li>Second, to capture value by establishing rules and technical standards to enable data to be more effectively transferred, combined, and exchanged.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Improving Data Systems:</strong> Fully harnessing the value of data requires building an <strong>Integrated National Data System (INDS).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>INDS is a way of countries realizing the potential of data for development, using the principles of the social contract as a blueprint.</li>
<li>The INDS framework allows a country to share data between national participants safely while maximizing the benefit equitably.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833839_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616833839_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Issues Flagged by the Report: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Not A Leveling Playing Field:</strong> An explosion of <strong>data platform</strong> businesses is raising concern about competition and posing new challenges for regulation.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Data Platform:&nbsp;</strong>It is an integrated technology solution that allows data located in databases to be governed, accessed, and delivered to users, data applications, or other technologies for strategic business purposes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Open Data:</strong> Only 11% low-income countries make their data <strong>open (Not Accessible To General Public or research institution),</strong> the report flagged.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The comparable rate for lower-middle-income countries was 19%, for upper-middle-income countries 22% and high-income countries 44%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Underinvestment In Public Intent Data Systems: Only half the countries had a national statistical plan</strong> that was fully funded as of 2019. While 93% of high-income countries had a fully funded national statistical plan, not a single low-income country had one.</li>
<li><strong>Issue Related To Lower-income Countries:</strong> Unable to harness the potential of data due to a lack of institutions, decision-making autonomy, and financial resources, all of which hold back their effective implementation and effectiveness of data systems and governance frameworks.</li>
<li><strong>Gaps In Data On Women And Girls</strong> are particularly severe: Only 10 of the 54 gender-specific indicators (19%) in the <strong>United Nations</strong>-mandated <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sustainable development goals</a> (SDGs)</strong> were widely available.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of Data:</strong> Making data accessible to more users and creating systems that facilitate their reuse also opens the door for data to be misused in ways that can harm individuals or development objectives.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The report also flagged <strong>concerns over protection of personal data; misinformation; and attacks on software,</strong> networks and data systems.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data Infrastructural Gaps:</strong> There are major gaps evident between rich and poor people on broadband connectivity, and a substantial divide emerging between rich and poor countries when it comes to the availability of data infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Data Gaps In India:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Echoed concerns on assessment of global poverty by the World Bank, which has been skewed due to <strong>absence of data on poverty from India.</strong></li>
<li>India<strong> monitors 54 out of the 130 SDG indicators.</strong> While the overall number of monitored indicators has gone up, the country has dropped four indicators from its tracking list.</li>
<li>The report called for <strong>strategic repurposing of existing data.</strong></li>
<li>Some<strong> steps taken by India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>National Data Sharing &amp; Accessibility Policy (NDSAP):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The National Policy is expected to increase the accessibility and easier sharing of non-sensitive data amongst the registered users and their availability for scientific, economic and social developmental purposes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Open Government Data (OGD) Platform:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To provision an enabling Platform to provide proactive and open access to the data generated.</li>
<li>To increase Transparency, Accountability, Citizen Engagement, Collaboration, Better Governance, Decision making &amp; Innovation.</li>
<li><strong>Paradigm Shift in Governance</strong> &ndash; Direct Delivery of Services to Citizens, Setting up a Platform for Collaboration, Innovation in delivery of Services to Citizens.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Participation of the Poor:</strong> Data offers tremendous potential to create value by improving programs and policies, driving economies, and empowering citizens. The <strong>perspective of poor people</strong> has largely been absent from the global debate on data governance and <strong>urgently needs to be heard.</strong></li>
<li><strong>International cooperation:</strong> The Report called for International cooperation to harmonise regulations and coordinate policies so that the value of data can be harnessed to benefit all, and to inform efforts toward a green, resilient and inclusive recovery.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/only-11-low-income-countries-make-their-data-open-world-bank-report-76144#:~:text=Only%2011%20per%20cent%20low,open'%2C%20the%20report%20flagged.&amp;text=Public%20intent%20data%20should%20be,released%20March%2025%2C%202021%20underscored." 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/world-development-report-2021-world-bank'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'African Elephants',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong> has declared<strong> African Forest</strong> and <strong>Savanna (or bush)</strong> elephants as <strong>&lsquo;critically endangered&rsquo;</strong> and <strong>&lsquo;endangered&rsquo;</strong> respectively.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier, African elephants were treated as a single species, listed as Vulnerable. This is the<strong> first time the two species have been assessed separately</strong> for the IUCN Red List.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than Asian elephants.</li>
<li>They have<strong> two fingerlike features on the end of their trunk</strong> while Asian elephants have just one.</li>
<li>Elephants are <strong>matriarchal,</strong> meaning they live in female-led groups.</li>
<li>African elephants are <strong>keystone species,</strong> meaning they play a critical role in their ecosystem. Also known as <strong>&ldquo;ecosystem engineers,&rdquo;</strong> elephants shape their habitat in many ways.</li>
<li>Elephants have a<strong> longer pregnancy than any other mammal</strong>&mdash;almost 22 months. This compounds the problem of conservation since there are simply not enough calves being born to make up for the losses from poaching.</li>
<li>There are<strong> two subspecies</strong> of African elephants, the <strong>Savanna (or bush) elephant</strong> and the <strong>Forest elephant.</strong> Savanna elephants are the larger of two.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>African Savanna Elephant:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> Loxodonta africana</li>
<li><strong>Decline:</strong> Dropped by 60% in the last 50 years.</li>
<li><strong>IUCN Status:</strong> Endangered</li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> Plains of sub-Saharan Africa</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>African Forest Elephant:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Scientific Name:</strong> Loxodonta cyclotis</li>
<li><strong>Decline:</strong> Dropped by 86% in the last 31 years.</li>
<li><strong>IUCN Status:</strong> Critically Endangered</li>
<li><strong>Habitat:</strong> Forests of Central and West Africa. They rarely overlap with the range of the savanna elephant.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The forest elephant has a<strong> more restricted natural distribution.</strong> Therefore, its decline is especially worrying.</li>
<li>While savanna elephant populations can bounce back given sufficient protection, the forest elephant is likely to recover much more slowly.</li>
<li><strong>Law enforcement</strong> is also more problematic in many Central African countries which are home to the forest elephant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Poaching </strong>for the illegal ivory trade. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Regions with high levels of poverty and corruption are more likely to have higher poaching rates. This suggests that<strong> helping communities develop sustainable livelihoods</strong> could reduce the lure of poaching.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Habitat Loss:</strong> Increasing human population, and conversion of land for agriculture and development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Asian Elephants</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are<strong> three subspecies of Asian elephant</strong> which are the <strong>Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Global Population:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Estimated 20,000 to 40,000.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Indian subspecies has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.</li>
<li>There are around 28,000 elephants in India with around <strong>25% of them in Karnataka.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Protection Status:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list#:~:text=The%20IUCN%20Red%20List%20of,of%20plant%20and%20animal%20species.&amp;text=Critically%20Endangered%20(CR)%2C%20Endangered,to%20be%20threatened%20with%20extinction." target="_blank" rel="noopener">IUCN Red List Status</a>:</strong> Endangered.</li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CITES</strong></a>: Appendix I.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</strong></a>: Schedule I.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/poaching-habitat-loss-push-africa-s-elephants-to-the-brink-76162" 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/african-elephants'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Electoral Bonds & Its Issues',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/here-is-why-the-electoral-bonds-scheme-must-go/article34163851.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Here is why the electoral bonds scheme must go&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 26/03/2021. It talks about the associated issues with the electoral bonds.</p>
</div>
<p>In less than three years of their introduction, by virtue of the anonymity they offer to donors,<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electoral-bonds-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> electoral bonds</strong></a> have become the most popular route of political donation.</p>
<p>However, many political experts are of the opinion that electoral bonds in their design and operation, allow for limitless and anonymous corporate donations to political parties. This violates the basic tenets of India&rsquo;s democracy by keeping the knowledge of the &lsquo;right to know&rsquo; from citizens and voters.</p>
<p>Due to this, in the wake of the upcoming State elections, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a stay in the electoral bond. The Supreme Court has reserved orders on the question of whether or not to stay the electoral bond scheme.</p>
<h3>Associated Challenges With The Electoral Bonds</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>A Blow to Democracy:</strong> Through an amendment to the Finance Act 2017, the Union government has exempted political parties from disclosing donations received through electoral bonds. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means the voters will not know which individual, company, or organization has funded which party, and to what extent.</li>
<li>However, in a representative democracy, citizens cast their votes for the people who will represent them in Parliament and have the right to do so on the basis of full and complete information.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Compromising Right To Know:</strong> The Indian Supreme Court has long held that the &ldquo;right to know&rdquo;, especially in the context of elections, is an integral part of the right to freedom of expression under the Indian Constitution. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By keeping this knowledge from citizens and voters, the electoral bonds scheme violates fundamental tenets of our democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Against Free &amp; Fair Elections:</strong> While electoral bonds provide no details to the citizens, the said anonymity does not apply to the government of the day, which can always access the donor details by demanding the data from the State Bank of India (SBI). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This implies that the government in power can leverage this information and disrupt free and fair elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Opposition by Election Commission of India:</strong> The Election Commission, in May 2017, objected to the amendments in the Representation of the People (RP) Act, which exempt political parties from disclosing donations received through electoral bonds. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It described the move as a &ldquo;retrograde step&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Institutionalizing Corruption:</strong> The electoral bonds scheme removes all pre-existing limits on political donations and effectively allows well-resourced corporations to fund elections and subsequently paving the way for crony capitalism.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, as the electoral bonds scheme allows even foreign donations to political parties (which can often be made through shell companies) the prospects of institutional corruption increase with the electoral bonds scheme, instead of decreasing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Transparency in Elections Funding:</strong> In many advanced countries, elections are funded publicly. This ensures principles of parity and there is not too great a resource gap between the ruling party and the opposition.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>2<sup>nd</sup> ARC, Dinesh Goswami committee, and several others have also recommended state funding of elections.</li>
<li>Further, until the elections do not get publicly funded, there can be caps or limits on financial contributions to political parties.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Judiciary Acting as an Umpire:</strong> One of the most critical functions of an independent judiciary in a functioning democracy is to referee the fundamentals of the democratic process. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Electoral bonds have raised questions on the electoral legitimacy of the government and thus the whole electoral process has become questionable.</li>
<li>In this context, the courts should act as an umpire and enforce the ground rules of democracy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Transition Towards Civic Culture:</strong> India has been working well as a democracy for nearly 75 years. Now in order to make the government more accountable, the voters should become self-aware and reject candidates and parties that violate the principle of free and fair elections.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>It is essential that if democracy is to thrive, the role of money in influencing politics ought to be limited. Thus, it is imperative that the scheme of the electoral bonds should be revised.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fcfbf2;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Electoral Bonds violates the basic tenets of India&rsquo;s democracy by keeping the knowledge of the &lsquo;right to know&rsquo; from citizens and voters. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/electoral-bonds-its-issues'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2021',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Rajya Sabha cleared the<strong> National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NBFID) Bill, 2021.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Bill seeks to establish the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NBFID) as the principal <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/development-finance-institution-to-fund-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Development Financial Institution (DFIs)</strong></a> for infrastructure financing.</li>
<li>NBFID was announced in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/budget-2021-highlights-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Budget 2021.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Development Financial Institution</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>DFIs are set up for <strong>providing long-term finance for such segments of the economy where the risks involved are beyond the acceptable limits of commercial banks</strong> and other ordinary financial institutions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Unlike banks, <strong>DFIs do not accept deposits</strong> from people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>They<strong> source funds from the market, government, as well as multilateral institutions,</strong> and are often supported through government guarantees.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NBFID will be set up<strong> as a corporate body</strong> with authorised <strong>share capital of one lakh crore rupees.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Financial Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To directly or indirectly <strong>lend, invest, or attract investments for infrastructure projects</strong> located entirely or partly in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developmental Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Includes <strong>facilitating the development of the market for bonds, loans, and derivatives</strong> for infrastructure financing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Functions of NBFID:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Extending <strong>loans and advances for infrastructure projects.</strong></li>
<li>Taking over or <strong>refinancing</strong> such existing loans.</li>
<li><strong>Attracting investment</strong> from private sector investors and institutional investors for infrastructure projects.</li>
<li>Organising and <strong>facilitating foreign participation</strong> in infrastructure projects.</li>
<li>Facilitating <strong>negotiations with various government authorities</strong> for <strong>dispute resolution</strong> in the field of infrastructure financing.</li>
<li>Providing<strong> consultancy services</strong> in infrastructure financing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Source of Funds:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It may raise money in the form of loans or otherwise both in Indian rupees and foreign currencies, or secure money by the issue and<strong> sale of various financial instruments</strong> including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/special-zero-coupon-recapitalisation-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>bonds</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/debenture-redemption-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>debentures.</strong></a></li>
<li>It may borrow money from the central government, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India (RBI)</strong></a>, scheduled commercial banks, mutual funds, and multilateral institutions such as the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/4-contraction-in-growth-adb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Asian Development Bank.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Initially, the central government will own 100% shares</strong> of the institution which may <strong>subsequently be reduced up to 26%.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Management of NBFID:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NBFID will be governed by a <strong>Board of Directors.</strong> The Chairperson will be appointed by the central government in consultation with RBI.</li>
<li>A body constituted by the central government will recommend candidates for the post of the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Directors.</li>
<li>The Board will appoint independent directors based on the recommendation of an internal committee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Support from the Central Government:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The central government will provide grants worth Rs. 5,000 crore to NBFID by the end of the first <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/03-02-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>financial year.</strong></a></li>
<li>The government will also provide guarantee at a concessional rate of up to 0.1% for borrowing from multilateral institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and other foreign funds.</li>
<li>Costs towards insulation from fluctuations in foreign exchange (in connection with borrowing in foreign currency) may be reimbursed by the government in part or full.</li>
<li>Upon request by NBFID, the government may guarantee the bonds, debentures, and loans issued by NBFID.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prior Sanction For Investigation And Prosecution:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No investigation can be initiated against employees of NBFID without the prior sanction of the central government in case of the chairperson or other directors, and the managing director in case of other employees.</li>
<li><strong>Courts will also require prior sanction</strong> for taking cognisance of offences in matters involving employees of NBFID.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Development Financial Institutions:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Bill also provides for any person to set up a DFI by applying to RBI.</li>
<li>RBI may grant a licence for DFI in consultation with the central government.</li>
<li>RBI will also prescribe regulations for these DFIs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/parliament-passes-bill-to-set-up-national-bank-for-financing-infrastructure-and-development/article34160785.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/national-bank-for-financing-infrastructure-and-development-bill-2021'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/securities-and-exchange-board-of-india-sebi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)</strong> </a>has decided to introduce new requirements for business sustainability reporting by listed entities.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This new report will be called the <strong>Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report</strong> (BRSR) and <strong>will replace</strong> the existing Business Responsibility Report (BRR).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>SEBI, in 2012, mandated the top 100 listed entities</strong> by market capitalisation <strong>to</strong> <strong>file Business Responsibility Reports (BRR)</strong> as per the disclosure requirement emanating from the <strong>'National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business' (NVGs).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2019, the <strong>Ministry of Corporate Affairs revised NVGs</strong> and formulated the <strong>National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In December 2019, SEBI<strong> extended the BRR requirement to the top 1000 listed entities</strong> by market capitalisation, from the financial year 2019-20.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Listed Entity:</strong> A company whose shares are traded on an official stock exchange.</li>
<li><strong>Market Capitalization:</strong> It refers to how much a company is worth as determined by the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/social-stock-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> stock</strong> </a>market. It is defined as the total market value of all outstanding shares.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>To calculate a company's market cap, multiply the number of outstanding shares by the current market value of one share.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>About Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>BRSR, which is from an<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/esg-funds-becoming-popular-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Environmental, Social and Governance (&ldquo;ESG&rdquo;)</strong></a> <strong>perspective,</strong> is intended to enable businesses to engage more meaningfully with their stakeholders.</li>
<li>It will<strong> encourage businesses to go beyond regulatory financial compliance and report on their social and environmental impacts.</strong></li>
<li>The BRSR will be <strong>applicable to the top 1000 listed entities</strong> (by market capitalization), for reporting on a<strong> voluntary basis for FY 2021 &ndash; 22</strong> and on a <strong>mandatory basis from FY 2022 &ndash; 23.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sustainability Reporting:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the<strong> disclosure and communication of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals&mdash;</strong>as well as a company&rsquo;s progress towards them.</li>
<li>The benefits of sustainability reporting include<strong> improved corporate reputation, building consumer confidence, increased innovation, and even improvement of risk management.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Environmental, Social, and Governance Goals:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals are a set of standards for a company&rsquo;s operations that force companies to follow better governance, ethical practices, environment-friendly measures and social responsibility.</li>
<li><strong>Environmental criteria</strong> consider how a company performs as a steward of nature.</li>
<li><strong>Social criteria</strong> examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates.</li>
<li><strong>Governance</strong> deals with a company&rsquo;s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Responsible Business</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The philosophy of responsible business is based on the principle of business being accountable to all its stakeholders towards global developments which are increasingly seeking businesses to be responsible and sustainable towards their environment and society.</li>
<li>In light of ever-increasing global challenges relating to <strong>climate change, environmental risks, growing inequality,</strong> etc., business leaders have been compelled, and have also found it to be in their interest, to reimagine the role of businesses in the society and not view them merely as economic units for generating wealth.</li>
<li>The performance of a company must be measured not only on the return to shareholders, but also on how it achieves its <strong>environmental, social, and good governance objectives.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/compliance-burden-reduced-for-listed-cos-but-disclosures-go-up-7245387/" 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/business-responsibility-and-sustainability-report'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Helium Crisis for India',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India imports helium for its needs, and with the USA appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, Indian industry stands to lose out heavily.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Federal Helium Reserve</strong> which is the major helium reserve of the USA is set to <strong>close down production in 2021</strong>, and scientists are looking for new reserves to replace it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Helium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Helium is a <strong>chemical element</strong> with the symbol <strong>He</strong> and atomic number <strong>2</strong>.</li>
<li>It is a <strong>colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas</strong>, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table.</li>
<li>Its <strong>boiling point is the lowest</strong> among all the elements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616754903_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616754903_image5.png" width="500" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Discovery of Helium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Atmosphere Surrounding the Sun:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Helium was discovered <strong>in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the Sun</strong> by the <strong>French astronomer Pierre Janssen</strong>, who detected a bright yellow line in the spectrum of the solar chromosphere during an eclipse in <strong>India</strong> in the year <strong>1868.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Joseph Norman Lockyer</strong> recorded the same line by observing the sun through London smog and, assuming the new element to be a metal, he <strong>named it helium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On Earth:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The British chemist <strong>Sir William Ramsay discovered</strong> the existence of <strong>helium on Earth in 1895.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>In India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>In 1906</strong> a young Englishman by the name of Morris Travers <strong>extracted helium in small quantities by heating up monazite sand</strong> abundantly available in Kerala beach, in a pioneering effort.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Monazite</strong> is a primarily reddish-brown phosphate mineral that contains rare-earth elements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Reserves:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>Rajmahal volcanic basin in Jharkhand</strong> is the storehouse of helium trapped for billions of years, since the very birth of Earth from the Sun.</li>
<li>At present, researchers are mapping the Rajmahal basin extensively for future exploration and harnessing of helium.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need for India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>To Reduce Import Burden:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Every year, India imports helium worth Rs. 55,000 crores from the USA to meet its needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vast Use:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Helium is used in medicine, scientific research, for blimp inflation, party balloons as well as for welding applications.</li>
<li>It finds many applications, mainly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, in rockets and in nuclear reactors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA&rsquo;s Monopoly:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>After discovering that helium was concentrated in large quantities under the <strong>American Great Plains.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>USA became the most important exporter of helium</strong> across the world.</li>
<li>It was soon realized that the <strong>USA was also the biggest storehouse of helium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Option:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Qatar</strong> is a possible exporter but acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made Qatar <strong>unreliable</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-emerging-crisis-of-obtaining-helium-in-india/article34118742.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/helium-crisis-for-india'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'India: Transforming to a Net-Zero Emissions Energy System',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why In News</h3>
<p>Recently,<strong> The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Shell</strong> have released a report titled<strong> &ldquo;India: Transforming to a Net-Zero Emissions Energy System''.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It illustrates a pathway to steer the <strong>domestic energy system towards net-zero emissions by 2050,</strong> while achieving India&rsquo;s sustainable <strong>economic development ambitions.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Possible yet Challenging:</strong> India needs a suitable policy and innovation-driven context to deploy clean energy technologies on a massive scale.</li>
<li><strong>Increase Renewables:</strong> The<strong> share of renewables</strong> in the power mix needs to <strong>increase to 90% for India to meet its net-zero goal.</strong> This is around 11% in 2019-2020.</li>
<li><strong>Coal-fired Power Plants:</strong> India must phase out its coal-fired power plants and remove it altogether by 2050.</li>
<li><strong>Technology Access:</strong> The availability, or <strong>absence, of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)</strong> would <strong>define the shape of India&rsquo;s energy systems.</strong> If CCS technology were commercially unviable:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Biofuels would have to account for 98% of India&rsquo;s oil, compared to a negligible share currently.</li>
<li>Over two-thirds of India&rsquo;s industrial and transport energy use would have to be electrified, compared to less than 20% share of electricity in industrial energy use and negligible share in transport energy use as of now.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggestion by TERI:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Focus on Energy Efficiency:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Will need <strong>energy efficient buildings, lighting, appliances and industrial practices</strong> to meet the net-zero goal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Use of Biofuels:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Can help reduce emissions from light commercial vehicles, tractors in agriculture.</li>
<li>In aviation, the only practical solution for reducing emissions is greater use of biofuels, until hydrogen technology gains scale.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Carbon Sequestration:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India will</strong>&nbsp;have to <strong>rely on natural and man-made carbon sinks to soak up those emissions. </strong>Trees can capture 0.9 billion tons, the country will need carbon capture technologies to sequester the rest.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Carbon Pricing:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India, which already taxes coal and petroleum fuels, should consider putting a tax on emissions to drive change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deploying lower-carbon Energy:</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There are four main types of low-carbon energy: wind, solar, hydro or nuclear power. The first three are renewable, which means these are good for the environment &ndash; as natural resources are used (such as wind or sun) to produce electricity.</li>
<li>Deploying lower carbon energy would help address both domestic and international climate challenges while simultaneously improving the economic well-being of India&rsquo;s citizens.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756066_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756066_image7.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Net-Zero Emissions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>&lsquo;Net zero emissions&rsquo; refers to achieving an overall balance between<strong> greenhouse gas emissions</strong> produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere.</li>
<li>First, human-caused emissions (like those from fossil-fueled vehicles and factories) should be reduced as close to zero as possible. Second, any remaining GHGs should be balanced with an equivalent amount of carbon removal, for example by restoring forests.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Time-Frame:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The time frame for reaching net-zero emissions differs significantly if one is referring to CO<sub>2</sub> alone, or referring to all major GHGs (including methane, nitrous oxide, and HFCs). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For non-CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, the net-zero date is later because some of these emissions &mdash; such as methane from agricultural sources &mdash; are somewhat more difficult to phase out.</li>
<li>In scenarios that limit warming to <strong>1.5 degrees C,</strong> carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) reaches <strong>net-zero on average by 2050.</strong> Total GHG emissions reach net-zero between 2063 and 2068.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756098_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616756098_image6.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As of June 2020, twenty countries and regions have adopted net-zero targets. This list only includes countries that adopted a net-zero target in law or another policy document.</li>
<li>The <strong>Kingdom of Bhutan is already carbon-negative,</strong> i.e. absorbs more CO<sub>2</sub> than it emits.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Emissions:</strong> India&rsquo;s per capita CO<sub>2</sub> emissions &ndash; at 1.8 tonnes per person in 2015 &ndash; are around a <strong>ninth of those in the USA</strong> and around a <strong>third of the global average of 4.8 tonnes per person.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, overall, India is now the <strong>planet&rsquo;s third-largest emitter of CO<sub>2</sub>,</strong> behind China and the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Debate around Commitment:</strong> There is global pressure on India to commit net-zero emissions by 2050. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>On one hand, few argue that India should pledge to reduce its &ldquo;net&rdquo; emissions (emissions minus uptake of emissions) to zero by 2050, backed by a climate law. This will make India &ldquo;hypercompetitive&rdquo;, attract investment and create jobs.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>For example,</strong> more ambitious policies to promote electric vehicles along with cleaner electricity and hydrogen electrolysis can create jobs in the auto manufacturing industry and in the electricity and construction sectors</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>While, on the other hand, there is a long-standing principle of <strong>&ldquo;common but differentiated responsibility&rdquo;</strong> that requires richer countries to lead and argue against any pledge that risks prematurely limiting Indian energy use for development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sectors that are the largest emitters:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Energy&gt;Industry&gt;Forestry&gt;Transport&gt;Agriculture&gt;Building</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>TERI is a non-profit research institution in New Delhi that conducts research work in the<strong> fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Established in 1974</strong> as <strong>Tata Energy Research Institute</strong> and was renamed<strong> The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.</strong></li>
<li>It aims to focus on formulating local and national level strategies for shaping global solutions to critical issues.</li>
<li>It conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.</li>
<li>Its key focus lies in promoting clean energy, water management, pollution management, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A vital step should be explicitly including policies for climate mitigation in the government budget, along with energy, roads, health and education. Specifically, growth targets should include timelines for switching to cleaner energy.</li>
<li>There is also a need to launch a major campaign to mobilise climate finance and focus should be given on energy efficiency, use of biofuels, Carbon sequestration, carbon pricing.</li>
<li>Strong environmental policies can create prosperity and well-being. With imaginative policies, robust institutions, and international finance, India will be able to declare its freedom from polluting fossil fuels in the hundredth year of its independence.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/commodities/banishing-coal-for-power-holds-key-to-indias-net-zero-goal-7242877/" 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-transforming-to-a-net-zero-emissions-energy-system'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Recommendations to Amend the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a parliamentary panel on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/consumer-protection-act-2019#:~:text=The%20Consumer%20Protection%20(E%2Dcommerce)%20Rules%2C%202020%20are,the%20description%20on%20the%20platform." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020</strong></a> has recommended that the government should amend the rules to provide better protection to consumers rights and stop unfair practices.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Electronic commerce or e-commerce</strong> is a business model that lets firms and individuals buy and sell things over the Internet.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Issues:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Predatory Pricing:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Predatory pricing as a<strong> short-term strategy,</strong> adopted by some of the market giants, may lead to wiping out competition from the market and could be <strong>detrimental to the consumers in the long run.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Predatory Pricing:</strong> It is the pricing of goods or services at such a low level that other firms cannot compete and are forced to leave the market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unfair Practices:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While e-commerce enterprises offer many benefits, the development of the segmentation has rendered consumers vulnerable to new forms of <strong>unfair trade practices, violation of privacy </strong>and<strong> issues of unattended grievances.</strong></li>
<li>There are increasing cases of <strong>fake reviews</strong> and <strong>unfair favouritism</strong> in the display of goods.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Major Recommendations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Clear Definition:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There should be a more clear-cut definition of what constitutes <strong>Unfair Trade Practice </strong>and <strong>practical legal remedy</strong> to tackle such circumventing practices by e-commerce entities specifically Multinational Companies (MNCs) and Kirana Small Vendors.</li>
<li>Clearly define<strong> &lsquo;drip pricing&rsquo;</strong> wherein the final cost of the product goes up due to additional charges, and provide for protecting consumers against this by including penal provisions for violation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fixing Delivery Charges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution should <strong>issue broad guidelines for the fixation of delivery charges charged</strong> by the e-commerce entities along with a cap on the highest limits of the delivery charges in peak hours of service.</li>
<li>It should clearly <strong>distinguish in the Rules itself the cases of misinformation, no information and the information</strong> which is otherwise correct but creates a false impression and provides for penal provision for each case in the Rules itself.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Categorization of Personal Data:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For protection of privacy of users and security of their data, the panel has recommended that <strong>users&rsquo; personal data may be categorised as per the level of sensitivity</strong> and appropriate protection may be assigned for each level.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Payment Security:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>secured and robust system of payment gateway should be made available</strong> to the consumers so that the transaction-related data of the users is not compromised in any way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Local Data Centres:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All major e-marketplace entities <strong>should establish their data centre in India,</strong> so that consumer data are not hosted on a server outside the borders of the country, which may be misused by an enemy country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Customer Care:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>E-commerce entities should provide a dedicated customer care number</strong> as well as a mechanism to monitor the time taken by customer care executives to resolve an issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protection to Small/Local Vendors:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There is a need to devise some regulatory mechanism to protect the local vendors/kirana, therefore,<strong> sufficient protection to such small/local vendors </strong>and<strong> ways in which such small retailers may also become part of e-commerce</strong> should be given by the Ministry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Discourage Deceptive Techniques:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Some corrective mechanisms to discourage deceptive tactics including manipulation of algorithms, fake product reviews &amp; ratings must be created so that the consumer interest is not harmed in any way.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 <strong>are mandatory</strong> and are not advisories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Applicability:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Apply to all e-commerce retailers,</strong> whether registered in India or abroad, offering goods and services to Indian consumers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Nodal officer:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>E-commerce entities need to appoint a nodal person, resident in India <strong>to ensure compliance with the provisions of the act or rules.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prices and Expiry Dates:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The sellers through the e-commerce entities will have to<strong> display the total price of goods and services offered for sale along with the break-up of other charges. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Expiry date</strong> of the good needs to be separately displayed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Importer and Relevant Details:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All relevant details about the goods and services offered for sale by the Seller including<strong> country of origin</strong> and in case of imported goods the <strong>name and details of the importer, and guarantees related to the authenticity or genuineness of the imported products</strong> need to be provided to enable the consumer to make an informed decision at the pre-purchase stage.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Grievance Redressal Mechanism: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Marketplaces,</strong> as well as <strong>sellers,</strong> need to appoint a <strong>grievance officer.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Marketplace Model of E-commerce:</strong> It means providing an<strong> information technology platform</strong> by an e-commerce entity on a digital and electronic network<strong> to act as a facilitator between buyer and seller.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Restriction on Unfair Trade Practice, Manipulation and Discrimination: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>No e-commerce entity shall manipulate the price of goods or services to gain unreasonable profit</strong> or<strong> discriminate between consumers</strong> of the same class or make any arbitrary classification of consumers affecting their rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Should not Post Fake Reviews or Mislead:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No seller or inventory e-commerce entity shall falsely represent itself as a consumer and post reviews about goods or services or misrepresent the quality or the features of any goods or services.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No Cancellation Charges:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>No e-commerce entity shall impose cancellation charges on consumers.</li>
<li><strong>Sellers should not refuse to take back goods,</strong> or withdraw or discontinue services if such goods and services are defective, deficient or spurious.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Record Information of Sellers Selling Counterfeit Products:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>E-commerce entities need to maintain a record of information for the identification of all sellers who have repeatedly offered goods or services that have previously been removed or restricted under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/draft-copyright-amendment-rules-2019#:~:text=The%20amendments%20are%20being%20brought,and%20the%20Copyright%20Rules%2C2013." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Copyright Act, 1957,</strong></a> the <strong>Trade Marks Act, 1999</strong> or the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-laws-and-blocking-of-internet-content-centre-vs-twitter#:~:text=Information%20Technology%20Act%2C%202000%3A,computer%20resources%20and%20electronic%20records." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Information Technology Act, 2000.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Penalty:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The violation of the rules will attract penal action under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/consumer-protection-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Consumer Protection Act, 2019.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/define-unfair-trade-practice-for-e-com/article34154056.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/recommendations-to-amend-the-consumer-protection-e-commerce-rules-2020'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Electoral Bonds',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/supreme-court-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Supreme Court</strong> </a>flagged the<strong> possibility of misuse of money</strong> received by political parties through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sale-of-electoral-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>electoral bonds</strong> </a>for ulterior objects like funding terror or violent protests.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The court also asked the government <strong>whether there is any &ldquo;control&rdquo;</strong> over how these donations were used by political parties.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Electoral Bond</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Electoral Bond is<strong> a financial instrument for making donations to political parties.</strong></li>
<li>The bonds are issued in multiples of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 10,000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore <strong>without any maximum limit.</strong></li>
<li><strong>State Bank of India</strong> is authorised to issue and encash these bonds, which are valid for fifteen days from the date of issuance.</li>
<li>These bonds are<strong> redeemable in the designated account of a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-national-party-from-north-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">registered political party.</a></strong></li>
<li>The bonds <strong>are available for purchase by any person (who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India)</strong> for a period of ten days each in the months of January, April, July and October as may be specified by the Central Government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A person being an individual can buy bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.</li>
<li>Donor&rsquo;s name is not mentioned on the bond.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong> The <strong>Electoral Bond Scheme acts as a check against traditional under-the-table donations</strong> as it insists on cheque and digital paper trails of transactions, however, several key provisions of the scheme make it highly controversial.</li>
<li><strong>Misuse of Electoral Bonds as Pointed Out in the Supreme Court:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Anonymity:</strong> Neither the donor (who could be an individual or a corporate) nor the political party is obligated to reveal whom the donation comes from.</li>
<li><strong>Asymmetrically Opaque:</strong> Because the bonds are purchased through the <strong>State Bank of India (SBI),</strong> the government is always in a position to know who the donor is.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This asymmetry of information threatens to colour the process in favour of whichever political party is ruling at the time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chanel of Blackmoney:</strong> Elimination of a cap of 7.5% on corporate donations, elimination of requirement to reveal political contributions in profit and loss statements and also the elimination of the provision that a corporation must be three years in existence, undercuts the intent of the scheme.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A shell company can donate an unlimited amount anonymously to a political party giving it a convenient channel for business to round-trip its cash parked in tax havens for a favour or advantage granted in return for something.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government&rsquo;s Defence:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Conditions for Electoral Bonds:</strong> Only parties registered under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/the-representation-of-the-people-act-part-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Representation of the People Act 1951</strong></a> could receive donations through electoral bonds, and they also should not have secured less than 1% of the votes polled in the previous elections.</li>
<li><strong>To Take on the Menace of Black Money in Politics:</strong> Only white money is involved in the Bonds as the amounts are paid only through <strong>cheque or demand draft.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>KYC norms are also followed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/election-commission-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Election Commision of India</a>&rsquo;s Support:</strong> ECI was not opposed to the bonds but was <strong>only concerned about the aspect of anonymity.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It also urged the court not to stay the bonds and said the <strong>scheme is one step forward compared to the old system of cash funding,</strong> which was unaccountable.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a <strong>need for effective regulation of political financing</strong> along with bold reforms to break the vicious cycle of corruption and erosion of quality of democratic polity.</li>
<li>It is <strong>crucial to plug the loopholes in the current laws</strong> to make the entire governance machinery more accountable and transparent.</li>
<li><strong>Voters can also help bring in substantial changes</strong> by demanding awareness campaigns. If voters reject candidates and parties that overspend or bribe them, democracy would move a step higher.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-flags-concerns-over-electoral-bonds/article34150973.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electoral-bonds-4'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Road Ahead For India’s Climate Politics',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/proposing-a-new-climate-agenda-for-india-101616509257944.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Proposing a new climate agenda for India&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindustan Times on 23/03/2021. It talks about the road ahead for India in achieving the net-zero emissions target.</p>
</div>
<p>The year 2021 is an important year for global climate change negotiations, as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its report this year, updated national pledges on emission limits are expected at a climate Conference of Parties in the United Kingdom (UK), and Joe Biden-led United States (US) has promised to rejoin <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-years-of-paris-climate-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paris climate deal.</strong></a></p>
<p>Also, India has been considering to achieve the target of net-zero emissions by 2050. This pledge will earn India diplomatic credit by assuming climate leadership. However, these diplomatic gains could come at the cost of domestic developmental objectives.</p>
<p>This is because without dramatic changes in policy and technology, India, at least, needs the option of increasing emissions to develop. Therefore, the trick for India is to focus on squeezing more development out of less carbon.</p>
<h3>Challenges For India At Global Climate Politics</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>More Likely To Miss Target:</strong> Analysis by the International Energy Agency illustrates the scale of change &mdash; an immediate and dramatic shift is required to shift Indian emissions from stated policies to sustainable development. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, this dramatic shift would still only get us to net-zero by 2065; 2050 would be even harder.</li>
<li>Also, net-zero emissions targets may not be able to meet, because they rely on future promises rather than current action, and on uncertain technologies to remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Silo-Based Climate Decisions:</strong> India&rsquo;s climate governance structure is designed for silo-based decisions, whereas the climate crisis requires cross-sectoral collaboration.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, electricity decisions may be tied to decisions on urban policy, transport systems, and building design. However, cross-sectional collaboration is still lacking in India&rsquo;s policymaking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fossil-Fuels Needed for Development:</strong> If India wants to achieve the net-zero target, its emissions would have to decline to start now, and never again reach levels achieved in 2019.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, India&rsquo;s greenhouse gas emissions are growing, and, because complex energy and economic systems take time to turn around, will grow for some time.</li>
<li>Further, limiting emissions from industry is a longer-term prospect because technologies are nascent, and will require international collaboration for new technology and approaches.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sectoral Transition Plans:</strong> Rather than a broad ambitious target, there is a need to identify and build a future pledge around sectoral transition plans for key areas of the economy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Attention to sectoral transitions likely sends a clearer and more direct signal to the private sector on the need to shift investment patterns than does a broad and diffuse economy-wide net-zero target.</li>
<li>For example, to accelerate the electricity sector transition requires fixing distribution companies, transitioning from coal while protecting coal communities, and enhancing investment in renewable energy investments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strengthening Climate Governance:</strong> India needs to build and strengthen its domestic institutions for climate governance. This will require identifying linkages between development needs and low carbon opportunities. In this context, a climate law can be useful.</li>
<li><strong>Reaffirming CBDR:</strong> In this upcoming climate change negotiations, India needs to reaffirm the long-standing principle of &ldquo;common but differentiated responsibility&rdquo; (CBDR) that requires richer countries to lead and argue against any pledge that risks prematurely limiting Indian energy use for development.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The Indian road to leadership should be based on specific near-term actions, institutional strengthening, and a combination of mid-and long-term targets. Longer-term targets, including net-zero, can, and should, be clarified and strengthened as we learn by doing overtime, as part of our transition to a low carbon future.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f9f7ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>India needs to define its climate policies in ways that meet diplomatic, developmental, and climate interests simultaneously. Comment.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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